Future Pop Star and Supporter of Mom's Lifestyle...

Yesterday, Ally had a concert at school. It was a folk concert! The kindergarteners sang about four songs, including Baby Beluga. I was so proud of our little singer! Ally walked right out there... stood in the very front row... and belted out each of the songs (we could actually HEAR her voice among the crowd)... knowing each and every word! ( just like mom!!! ) She had absolutely no fear of being out there on stage... in fact, I think she loved every second of it... and hesitated to actually get OFF stage!

Ally's entire life is a song.... we joke that she lives in a musical. She sings ALL THE TIME! All the time. She makes songs up to describe what she is doing..... think "I am coloring in this book... I am going to pick up a red crayon and color this apple...." Not kidding at all... she just sings and sings away. She picks up her guitar and strums and sings. She grabs a microphone and sings. She is just always singing!!!!!!!!

Luke has gotten so used to it. Ally starts singing... and he starts swaying from side to side. His way of dancing. Sometimes, if he's really into it... he will bounce up and down and stick his but out... his "baby got back" dance. It cracks me up. He started doing it on Mother's Day. It was like his gift to me. :-)

So... Luke will be the back up dancer to Ally's first world-wide tour! I really think she will be a famous pop star someday... and I will be able to live the life of luxury at her expense. :-))) HA!

I hope you keep on singin' Ally.... life is a song and you write the best lyrics!!!!!!!!!

Smiles...

See... he DOES SMILE! He does.... I swear it. He may be a pretty darn serious boy most of the time... and you might have to work pretty hard to get it... but LUKE DOES SMILE!!!!!!

And, when you do get him to smile... it's so worth it! Those big blue eyes light up. That dimple shows clear as day.... and it just warms your heart. He is going to be a heartbreaker when he grows up... in my mind and heart, he already is!!!

Our little Luke sure is full of it.... but he is 17 months old today... and I think he just gets sweeter every day. Yes... he is a handful. Yes... he gets into more trouble than Ally ever did at this age.... but boys will be boys! Like one of his shirts says... Luke is 100% Boy!!!!!

Here are somethings that Luke is doing at 17 months:

• Luke is the pickiest eater I know. Seriously. The boy hardly eats anything at all and I think it's starting to show! I swear he feels skinnier and skinnier as the days go by. He loves milk and still prefers to drink it to eating. I think this is insane. I don't know what to attribute it to. We were very strict with Ally, food wise. Maybe we have messed up with Luke, allowing him to have sweets and "junkier" food so early. Cuz.. that's the one thing the boy WILL eat. CRAP! Cupcakes... chips.... ugh... all that stuff Ally didn't even know existed until recently.
• Luke still loves his blankie, or "Gigi". Love, love, loves it! It's the first thing he calls for when he's hurting or tired or cranky. It calms him. Makes him feel safe. And, I think it is so cute..... our little "Linus." :-) He prefers to chew on the corners and they are all just nasty!!!!! It will probably fall apart soon and life as we know it will come to an end.... but for now... he's happy with his Gigi.... and so are we!
• Luke LOVES to climb!!!!! He will climb up on anything and everything he can make his little body get onto. No matter how ridiculous... he will find a way to get up on it. He cannot always get down or off... and this prompts some screaming until he is rescued.
• Being confined SUCKS! Carseats... strollers.... grocery carts... you name it. If it holds him "in"... he hates it. Don't hold a boy down....
• All dogs are "Molly". Scott's parents (Nana and Papa) have a black Scottish Terrier named Molly... who he spends every day with... so it goes without saying, that this was one of his early words and his early reference to a dog. We have a white and a black "Molly" at our house. (otherwise known and Fergus and Berkley) All dogs are Molly!!!!!!
• Lately Luke has taken to saying "no, no, no" and pointing his finger at whatever or whoever he is saying "no, no, no" to. I'm not sure where he learned this. I choose to blame Papa.
• From time to time, Luke has bitten Grace. Any great recommendations on how to deter a child from biting? He has never bitten at home... either Scott or I, or Ally... so we need to give my in-laws some sort of punishment to implement. I don't believe in hitting him in anyway. No spanking... nothing like that at all. Not to mention... when Luke gets frustrated, he hits too... so hitting him will only encourage him!!!!!! I have all sorts of techniques for Ally and the older crowd... but a 17 month old? How does one discipline a 17 month old? HELP!!!!!!!!

He's full of it and sweet and every day, I say to someone... "it's a good thing he's so cute... or I'd sell him on the black market" :-) The boy really is a handful... and very different from Ally at this age. Ally has her own challenges... and had her own challenges... but as a baby and toddler... she was a freakin' angel! I can see this now that I have a typical toddler!!!! I have HIGH hopes that this means we will have an easy 4-5 year old... cuz that's when Ally entered therapy. ;-)

Me... I've been in therapy for years......... :-)))))))))

Hugs Luke... and happy 17 month birthday.... you make us crazy, but would we really have life any other way????

Lazy Bones...

I have been a huge blog slacker lately. I was just reading Nicole's blog about how she hasn't blogged since Thursday... and for me, it's been like two weeks! OOPS!!!

I really do apologize! Things have been busy. Busy at work. Busy at home. Busy in the in-between!!!! Sometimes, sitting down to write or type is the last thing I want to do or have time for! I feel like I'm running around, in a manic state, most days as it is!

So.... what has been going on since I last wrote???? This past weekend, my mom came for a visit from Las Vegas... and my brother, David, and sister in law, Mary came in from Maryland. They were here because I was giving Mary a baby shower... because David and Mary are due to have a little girl this August!!!! I am going to be an Aunt... again!

Friday, everyone arrived at our house... and we had a nice dinner at home. Caught up and tried to have a low key evening of chatting and enjoying our time together... which is far too limited. Saturday, I had about 20 ladies and a few gentlemen over for the shower! Saw LOTS more family I don't get to see enough... and generally enjoyed the day so much! I was absolutely exhausted Saturday night... and passed out pretty early! Sunday, we spent the afternoon with my mom over at my grandma's house... and once again... saw more family. It was a family-filled weekend... a whirlnd trip for all!

Last night, David, Mary and I went through the last remaining baby stuff I had around the house. They took our old high chair... Baby Bjorn... Baby Hawk... Hotsling.... some gender neutral pajamas of Luke's (greens and yellows)... and lots and lots of baby toys Luke is just too old for. He likes to play with whatever Ally is playing with anyway... which lately consists of Barbie's. He tends to gravitate toward the dark, curly haired one lately. :-) But, I digress... the moral of the story is I got rid of more stuff... and I LOVE GETTING RID OF STUFF!!!!!!!!! It makes me CRAZY happy. I hate clutter... I hate stuff around my house. If I haven't used something for two weeks, I really do consider it to be garbage... :-)))))

I have like three pictures from the event... because mostly others were taking the pics... but some big group shots were taken with my camera. I will try to post them this evening... I know my mom is anxious to see them!

And, it might be an empty promise... but I really will try to keep up with the blogging... :-)