6 year old Lucas

A snippet of the inner workings of my new 6 year old's mind:

Me: You're 6 now, you can brush your teeth yourself
L: But I just turned 6 today... I'm still used to [being] 5
Me: How long will it take for you to be used to 6?
L: 200 days

kindergarten love

Lucas: I love preschool but I love love love love love kindergarten. That's 4 loves away.

This just makes me laugh.

On another note.... Lucas received a Grizzly Greatness award for compassion, caring and service. When I asked if he was surprised he got an award he said no. I guess he doesn't have a lack of confidence. 

kiss = c-a-s

Lucas' kindergarten teacher pulled me aside to share a couple of stories about Lucas. I found it endearing so I had to write about it for posterity.

Lucas went up to his teacher and announced that he knows how to spell kiss because "it's in my name, Lucas"

There's a special needs boy S in Lucas' class and all the children help him out. Lucas was finished with his work and the teacher asked if he could help S with cutting and gluing. His teacher told me that she thinks that Lucas must have been observing what she and the aid do when working with S. They were making a Kwanzaa kinara and Lucas cut the candles for him. He then drew lines on the candles so S could put glue on the lines and then Lucas showed him where to paste the candles onto the kinara.

Another time, his teacher told me that it made her chuckle at seeing the differences between Caleb and Lucas. In particular, there was a lesson involving trying food that was made in the classroom. The teacher clearly remembers convincing Caleb to try some applesauce. He did and then spat it out. Lucas couldn't get enough of the butternut squash (I think it had something to do with the sugar that got sprinkled on it).

In just a few short months Lucas has learned so much. I was a little nervous that he wasn't going to enjoy school or be a good student. Well, I'm glad to say so far he's proven me wrong. He asks "how many more days until school?" I can see him studying words and figuring out what it says. He asks how to spell words a lot which I always then say "sound it out." At this stage of literacy, he misses a lot of vowels. On a side note Caleb was beginning to correct Lucas a lot. I had to sit down with Caleb and explain to him that he can't correct Lucas when he tries to spell. He didn't understand why until I showed him his old kindergarten work and point out that he started out the same way and it's all part of the learning process. It's really cute to see the progress Lucas has made. He's still writing his name in all caps but in his name only the letter A has differences between capital and lowercase. I'm sure he'll eventually get it.

Love this little guy of mine!

Starting Arts theatre lesson

Second 1st day of Kindergarten

New backpack and ready for school

First Day of School sign

Class of 2028 - Adult size medium shirt. So big on my baby

It's official! My baby is a kindergartner! The morning of his first day we got up early and he dressed himself. I wish I had taken him to get a haircut but oh well. I would have liked to pick out his first day of school outfit but he wouldn't let me and I just let that go. We got to school early enough that I got to park in the parking lot. I also had to do some setup for the Back to School Coffee (I am co-chairing the school walkathon this year). As soon as the kindergarten playground was open, Lucas went to "meet" his teacher who happens to be Caleb's kindergarten teacher. She had crayon box shaped name tags for everyone. I hung out on the playground and chatted with other parents I knew. When the line up bell rang, Lucas immediately ran to his teacher and was the first in line. There was no goodbye wave or hug, nada, nothing, zip... I chalk that up to independent second kid syndrome. I love it and hate it at the same time. On Caleb's first day of kindergarten I did not teary eyed AT ALL. This time around, I got a little emotional when I went to pick up the kindergarten registration packet last December. So when Lucas ran off without so much as a glance towards me, I had to hold back the tears. It didn't last long since the teacher quickly led them into the classroom (we're not allowed to go in with them) and I had to tend to my walkathon table at the back to school coffee event.

When I picked him up from school he was all smiles. I hope he enjoys school. He's got a long road ahead of it.

Maypole Dance

At Lucas' preschool they have a little event called Maypole Dance/Salad Day. To be honest, it made no sense to me. The kids didn't really get the concept of a Maypole Dance and so it looked just like a bunch of four year olds walking around a pole holding a ribbon. After that, they sang some songs and then we ate fruit salad prepared by the kids.

always my baby

Me: Do you miss Daddy? (he's away on a business trip)

L: Yes.

Me: If I go on a trip would you miss me?

L: No.

Me: Why not?

L: Because I love you.

Me: Don't you love Daddy?

L: No. I like Daddy.

HAHAHA!

On a different note... Lucas had his 4 year well baby appointment. He is consistently on the 25% weight and 50% height growth charts which means he's 32 pounds and 40 inches.

4 year old Lucas

Lucas has been a handful/challenge since the day he was born. As a newborn he wouldn't nap unless I held him. Once he took to a binky he slept/napped well but only after he figured out how to put a binky back into his mouth when it fell out. As a toddler he had no fear and would run away from me or worse run/jump into water. He loved saying no and still does. Practicality is not his strong suit and thus can't be forced into doing anything ie. go to the bathroom before leaving the house.

One thing about Lucas that I love (and sometimes dislike) is how expressive he is. Out of nowhere he asks for hugs and says "I love you." He has a bit of a temper and can go from 0-60 in a second. When he's frustrated he'll yell. When he likes a song he'll get up and dance or sing out loud. (He'll also shut me up if I try to sing along). When he falls asleep in the car I'll ask him how his nap was and he'll grumpily state that he did NOT take a nap. He snacks all day long on applesauce, yogurt, fruit and pirates booty. But when it comes to meal times I have a hard time getting him to eat meat. Eggs and smoothies with tofu save me. He will copy what Caleb does or want the same thing. A lot of nights Lucas wants to sleep with Caleb in his bed. It's really cute. Jamie and I have talked about getting bunk beds or at the very least move Lucas out of the toddler bed.

Lately he's talking more about what he does at preschool. In the beginning he would say "I forgot" but just the other day before I even asked how his day was, he said "Tucker brought in his new puppy." He is a little guy (he can still fit some 3T pants!) with a lot of spunk and life is a lot more fun and unpredictable with him around.

I was able to get him to sit down for the birthday interview but he was pretty restless.

Here is some of the questions with my commentary.
What is your favorite song? I'm a Bell
What is your favorite book? Press Here
What is your favorite movie? I think it was the first movie that popped into his head. He can't really sit still and focus for the whole length of a movie.

Use the FOUR-ce

Lucas (and Caleb) are currently obsessed with Star Wars. Being that he turned 4 and I feel that Lucas is a force to reckon with, I dubbed it a "Use the FOUR-ce" birthday party.

I made tunics for the kids but not many ended up wearing them

We chose a local play space and got a Jedi trainer as an entertainer. The first hour was free play and snacks. I also brought in a paper craft. It was an outline of R2D2. I cut up circles and rectangles for kids to glue onto him. It wasn't a big hit but still cute. The entertainer ran a little late but was worth it. Jedi Andrew was really good. I was really impressed at how he was able to engage fifteen 3-6 year olds. They all had smiles and waited patiently for their turn at trying out their Jedi moves (it's just like the Star Wars Jedi Training Academy at Disneyland).

Found this on etsy and had to get it

Made a Jedi robe for my little Jedi

My happy sweet baby

Jedi Training

The awesome Jedi Trainer entertainer

R2D2 paper craft sample

Photo props of Star Wars famous lines and masks of major characters. The only one missing was Han Solo

Cousins!

Cupcakes from Studio Cake

Food table

Pinterest has tons of ideas for fun Star Wars food labels - Light Sabers, Wookie Cookies, Vader Veggies, Obi-Wan Kabobies (fruit kebabs), 7 Leia Dip, Storm Trooper Scoopers (scoop tortilla chips), Jedi Juice, Luke Skywater, and Vader Ade.

Snack time. I think most kids played with the candied pretzel light sabers than eat them

I bought bubble wands and spray painted the handle black to make them look like light sabers. They came out better looking than I thought. One person even thought I bought them that way. I also got Star Wars cups and Play Packs.

Goody cups

Family picture!

iPhone hijacked

Here's what I got when my phone got hijacked by an almost 4 year old riding his scooter around the driveway. No one or thing was injured in the making of this video.

Lucas at 3.5

My little guy has quite the personality. Here's a few funny Lucas stories:

I've caught him cleaning the floor with a wet wipe and when I ask "What are you doing?" He responds with "Go back to your office" hhmmmm suspicious behavior for sure!

Now I hate to admit this but on occasion I've been known to slam a door in anger. I'm not proud of it but hey it happens. Lucas was throwing a tantrum and kicking his bedroom door. I was trying to wait out the tantrum by sitting at the end of the hallway. At one point he opened it, saw me and slammed the door. Later (much much later) when he was calm, I said something like "you don't have to slam the door" to which he responded, "Sometimes you slam the door, Mommy" You can imagine the stunned, put in my place face I had.

He definitely has a sweet side. Lucas and I were at one of our regular lunch places and Lucas grabbed two chocolate milks out of the refrigerator saying one of them was for Caleb. I had to put it back since Caleb wasn't with us. So sweet of him to think of his brother.

He still loves to answer "When I'm 4" to questions like "When will I get to stop carrying you"

This is what happens when he's quiet and I'm cleaning the kitchen

Making a silly face

Asked him what he was drawing and he said "My name" I think he tries to make a lowercase 'a' but the line gets written anywhere else but on the side of the circle. It's a start!

I told him yesterday that he was officially 3.5 years old. Today when my mom asked him how old he was he proudly said "3.5!" I can't believe he's that old. He is full of spunk and energy. I feel like once a day I am shaking my head at the things that he does whether it's something funny he says, a smart response or his daredevil behavior. What else can I say about my 3.5 year old except I love him!

Lucas the great

Today we were playing outside and Lucas decided it was time for snack. He went in the house got the pineapple shaped snack platter to put fruit gummies, a snack bar, and strawberries. (I helped with the strawberries) On our way back outside I was going to take the platter from him but he said "I am the greatest holder in the whole wide world" and carefully carried the platter and set it down on the table outside. 

When Lucas is 4...

These days I struggle to put Lucas down for a nap. He always insists that he's not tired and if I give up and let him stay awake inevitably he falls asleep on the couch later in the afternoon. I say to him constantly that "3 year olds still need to nap. When you're 4 years old you don't have to nap anymore."

Well he's on to me.

When I get frustrated that he's not listening I'll say "When are you going to start listening to me?" His response, "When I'm 4".

He's been potty trained since March but whenever he needs to go to the bathroom he runs to me doing the potty dance and says he needs to go potty but doesn't want to go to the bathroom by himself. When I say, "When will you go to the bathroom by yourself?" His response, "When I'm 4".

When he gets whiny I ask, "When are you going to stop whining?" His response, "When I'm 4".

I'm looking forward to his 4th birthday!

Big parenting fail

If you were to ask me what is the most dreaded/hated task that a parent has to do it would be brushing teeth. Lucas is the absolute worst. He doesn't sit still. It's a battle twice a day to get him sitting down so I can brush his teeth. And because of that Lucas has A LOT of cavities. Because of his young age the best course of action was to put him under general anesthesia in order to fill all those cavities. The day that it was scheduled he couldn't eat anything for breakfast and it was straight to the dentist. It was frightening to see him all hooked up. After it was all over the anesthesiologist laid him in my arms and I waited for him to wake up. It took a while and it was freaky because he was shivering a ton. The shivering was his body's way of restoring his body temperature but it was just so unsettling having to hold him while he shivered. He didn't really wake up until we got home and he was a bit disoriented. But he was fine later that day and was back to normal the next day.

Getting gas

All hooked up

Unfortunately he still hasn't learned anything from this experience and brushing his teeth is STILL a twice daily battle. I do have to say that I am more diligent about it but I still absolutely hate it.

Texas Trip

Last year M & R visited the GVZs. This year I didn't want to miss out on the all the fun. This trip marked the first time I have been officially been to Texas. (I don't count layovers in a TX airport as visiting TX). Before I left Jamie asked that I bring him home a 10 gallon hat and was looking forward to hearing what TX is like as he has never been either. I already knew that it was going to disappoint him since I had no intention on being a tourist in Austin. I did manage to bring him home an Austin City Limits baseball hat procured at the airport gift shop. Our flight to Austin was smooth and hassle free. Jamie downloaded a bunch of Team Umizoomi episodes on the iPad which kept Lucas occupied for a good portion of the flight. The gentleman sitting next to me even commented that Lucas was well behaved. HA!

My time in Austin can be summed up as a 5 day long play date with some of my favorite people. I was especially looking forward to seeing Lou since the last time I had seen him in person he was only 6 months old. He is a legitimate kid now and is a force to be reckoned with. The order of business each day was 1) breakfast 2) kid friendly excursion 3) lunch 4) movie/chill time for the kids; happy hour for the moms 5) play in the backyard/swim 6) dinner 7) bedtime for the kids 8) nightcap and girl talk late into the night. Our kid friendly excursions were: 1) nearby park that had a small splash pad and sand pit area with fake dinosaur fossils 2) Quarry Splash Pad - BIG and awesome splash pad with slide, sand pit, picnic area, and lawn area. It's probably the norm in Texas but I think it ranks up there with the water area at Great America and only costs $1/person! The only thing not big in TX is the price. 3) Indoor jumpy house at the mall 4) Play for All park. I thought the fake city was really cool. The streets had crosswalks and street lights so kids could scooter or bike around. Not that I would trust that kids would obey traffic laws.

For the most part we ate meals at home with two notable exceptions - Chuy's for Tex Mex and N's favorite restaurant Bellini's. At Chuy's Janet said we must have a Mexican Martini. What is a Mexican Martini? It's like a margarita without the tartness and much more smooth. All around yummy especially the green olive that had been soaking in it. I was lucky and got two since M doesn't like green olives. On our way to Bellini's I asked Janet if they served bellinis and she said she didn't think so. The restaurant was named after the owner's dog and not the drink. By the time we got there the kids were a bit restless (at least mine was). Probably because this was our last full day in TX and everyone was probably a bit tired from late nights and fun days. Lucas was freaking out because Ruby got a yellow napkin and he wanted one too. Ruby was really sweet and offered it to him but I refused because it BUGS me that he whines about something so trivial. The very nice and understanding waitress came by to take drink orders and I think she was the one who suggested trying out the bellinis! YES! They had bellinis at Bellini's. And they were delicious! We also had a Sunday evening BBQ with the Gilger sisters and their families. It was awesome to meet people I've only seen in pictures and heard stories about. And of course to meet baby girl C.

Favorite moments of the trip in no particular order:

1. Watching BFFs Ruby and Norah be together. They are true friends. They had their moments but managed to get over them like the BFFs they are.
2. I think Lucas fell in love with both Ruby and Norah. (who wouldn't?) He followed them around and wanted to do everything they did. And they were sweet and loving to him and made sure he was never left out. They treated him like a little brother but without the fighting. 
3. Late night girl talk.
4.  Seeing Lou walk, talk, and spit out his food. 
5.  Bellinis at Bellini's
6. **Going to HEB to grocery shop. While waiting for M to come back from the frozen aisle I got roped into sampling some wine. Sample wine in a grocery store? Why yes please.
7. Gluten free cheese sticks
8. Red wine spritzers... I am making them at my next pool party
9. Relief that Lou and Lucas never got in any altercation. There were a couple of close calls but Lou was a good host and let Lucas play with all his toys especially his beloved hot wheel car carrier truck. Maybe next time there will be a wrestling match and/or dogpile.

**The other "highlight" of the trip was a grocery store trip to HEB. Now the HEB we went to was located in a normal strip mall but OMG! It's HUGE. If you can't find it at HEB it doesn't exist. It's as big as a Costco but without bulk buying. M and I got caught up in looking at Foogos. Our excuse - we were kidless and had a moment to window shop at the HEB. Janet let us leave her alone with 4 kids proves how good a hostess she is. AND she even took them on a walk around the block.

It was truly a great trip because I got to hang out with some favorite people of mine while eating, drinking, and talking. Maybe next time I'll go see downtown or some bats flying out under a bridge at sunset. I probably am not doing justice to our awesome time in TX so I'll wait for Janet to give full details. She's a much better writer and picture taker. All I can say is I can't wait to go back again!

Not sure why he has such a sour look on his face

Waterslide at the Quarry splash pad. He would go down fast enough for him to keep landing forward on his knees but that didn't stop him from going down several more times

Carousel at the mall

This warms my heart.

Ambulance at the mall

Mexican martinis

If you have a boy, one of these days you will be holding a bottle like this. I guarantee it.

Bellinis

Past out in my arms on the plane ride home

*sigh* love my boys

Least favorite part of the trip. Lucas getting bit by a fire ant

Lucas' 3 year appointment

Lucas is 37 inches and 29 pounds. He did pretty well on the vision test as in he cooperated well. I don't know what his vision is but he answered correctly until he got down to the 3rd to the last row. I have no picture of that because I had to cover his eye with the spoon.

37 inches

Such a big boy now

Overall he's fantastic. His speech has gotten better and he talks in full sentences. The doctor asked him to hop and then asked him to balance on each foot. He was able to do both and she commented that the balancing is more of a 4 year old question. His gross motor skills have always been a little more advanced probably because he wants to keep up with Caleb. He loves to sit and read books. At naptime he insists on reading 3 books. And sometimes two of his picks are Dr Seuss books. I think he does it to delay naptime. I think there was a time when he was a baby that he was lucky to get a book read to him at bedtime so I guess I'm just making it up to him. Since Dr Seuss books are pretty long I have tried skipping pages but now he somehow can tell when I do and tells me so. So now I sometimes only read about half of what is on the page. I guess I can get away with that until he starts to read.

We just had a teacher conference and one comment about Lucas was he can be sensitive in the sense that he lets things bother him. There are times when he asks for something and the answer is no and he'll walk away with a sad look on his face and pout. In comparison Caleb would be sad but probably would get over it pretty fast. In the beginning of the year we thought there was a problem with one boy in his class. I think they were interested in playing with the same toys and would often fight. Lucas' reaction was to cry and go to a teacher. He needs to learn how to assert himself, problem solve and use his words. The teacher commented that Lucas doesn't push or even really assert himself with the other kids. This surprised us because he is always shouting at Caleb and pushes him away. I guess kids really do act differently at school. I do however hope he learns to assert himself more.

He is starting to play with other kids than Caleb. During Caleb's soccer class, there are 2 other younger siblings that Lucas likes to run around with. He recognizes them and will run to them. He doesn't really mention any kids from school which surprises me because it seemed Caleb immediately became friends with two other boys in his class at this same age. Luckily next year the two younger siblings he gets along with from Caleb's soccer class is going to the same preschool.

I am still in a little disbelief that Lucas is 3!