MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO

Luke has a gift for imitation. Well apparently this new face is an imitation of ME.   I am told that this is the face that I make when I am taking pictures in order to get Luke to smile.  I think it's cute!  Particularly on him :)

TWO PEAS IN A POD

    Since starting Children's Circle Mommy and Me Class Luke (and I) have made a whole slew of new friends.  One of his new best friends is Spencer.  Spencer and Luke have a lot in common.  They share a love of running, jumping, laughing, wrestling, and basically just flinging their bodies in and on any dirt and mud they can find.  We meet Spencer twice a week for a few hours of frolicking in the park.   Spencer has imparted his love of "Ring-Around-the Rosies" on to Luke who now insists that I do it at home.  The most fun part is watching the two of them just talk and giggle to one another and play with wild abandon!  

WHO HELPED WHO FALL ASLEEP?

YEAH SURE!

I am proud to say that we are officially through the toddler "NO" stage and it was VERY short lived. Luke can throw a good terrible two tantrum like the best of them but they are rare and usually induced by either exhaustion or hunger. Lately whenever you ask Luke if he would like to do something he says "Yeah SURE!". Would you like to go the park? "Yeah Sure!" Should we change your diaper? "Yeah Sure!" Its pretty endearing. For a few days I was not really certain where he picked up this agreeable phrase. I have been listening ever so closely to my husband (even more than usual) trying to figure out if he is the author of this easy-going phrase. NOTHING. Today Luke asked me if he could help mix the pancake batter and without thinking I said "Yeah Sure". ITS ME!! He gets it from me! His easy-going, upbeat, positive, agreeable nature comes from ME. Of course! I am doing something right! WHEW!! Well I guess this makes up for the fact that he told Daddy yesterday to stop singing to him because and I quote "It's driving me nuts". Yes also a phrase he gets from ....yeah sure...ME. Ooops.

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES

  Just before nap Luke crawled into the big bed with his Curious George Doll.  He laid his head on the big pillows and took a big sigh.  "Mama I really like the quiet."  I truly can not remember ever saying this to him..he came up with it all himself!

A TALK WITH MY CHEESE

   Luke talks to everyone and everyTHING, unless of course is is asked to talk and then he goes entirely mute.  Since Luke was born we have talked to him constantly.  Out of courtesy to him I have always let him know exactly what was going on and what I was going to do: change his diaper, give him a bath etc.  Apparently Luke has picked up on my ongoing conversation and has extended it to all people, places and things.  Today it was a conversation with his cheese stick:

Luke:  Cheese stick I really want to eat you.

Luke:  I like you cheese stick

Luke:  Cheese stick you are cold.

Luke:  Here I come cheese stick

Luke:  You are really yummy cheese stick.

Luke: Thanks cheese stick.

AND THE WINNER IS!!

Here are some of my other favorites from the day

 

I know Bodhi thought this was a bit childish but he was a good sport about it!!  Thanks Bo!

These days this is how Luke ALWAYS looks!!

With a son looking as dirty as ours I thought it was funny that we stood by this sign!

I am so glad we brought the stroller :)

  But the WINNER most definitely is:  DRUMROLL PLEASE:

Now that is LOVE!!

PUMPKIN LES PARKOUR

    Luke has fallen in love with Les Parkour since last year when he saw it on TV.  Yes he was watching "Extreme Makover Home Edition" but before you judge he was sick mind you.  Anyways he became hooked on Les Parkour which is the art of moving through an urban area with style.  To me it looks like people just flying over walls, stairs and buildings and it looks extremely dangerous.  So of course Luke has been attempting to do it ever since.  He used to just jump of the sofa or throw himself against a wall or table (all with only minor injury) now he likes to try to jump over large items.  Well upon seeing the spread of pumpkins sprawled across the farm Luke could hardly resist but to balance and run and throw himself through them.  He did stop and rest from time to time though!

FUN ON THE FARM

   Another blissful Sunday afternoon!   Nothing says October like a day at Underwood Family Farms running through the pumpkin patch, riding tractors, bouncing on hay rides, feeding animals and of course eating Luke's favorite food corn (hot and delicious).   And nothing says fun to Luke like doing all of the above with some of his favorite people: Boaz, Matia, Sophia, Samantha AND cousin BODHI.  Who could forget Bodhi?  Not Luke- who upon waking up in the car after a full day at the farm and an oh so short nap did not miss a beat before he asked "Where's Bo?"  Well Bo at this point had already been taken home which was not the answer that Luke wanted to hear. So our wonderful Sunday did end with a few tears but as the photos say best..it was soooo worth it.  

Luke taught himself to ride these tractors all by himself!!  

ITS A HARD KNOCK LIFE

    Anyone who knows Luke, knows that he is very obsessed with the musical, "Annie".  Really if we are all honest with ourselves, who doesn't like that musical?!   Luke has watched the television version several times and we listen to the music at home and in the car constantly.  He has taken a real liking to "Easy Street" and can sing pretty much all of it while imitating Allan Cummings' dance moves.   That wasn't really my favorite song when I was younger but after listening to it 100 times I can honestly say that I think it was always really underrated!  Luke has also really taken a liking to "Its A Hard Knock Life" which did happen to be my childhood favorite.  He is particularly fond of acting it out around the house.   So at least while he still enjoys it we have begun to put him to work.   What are CA's Child Labor Laws? 

FAMILY PHOTOS

Either I don't yet know how to work these blogs or there are only so many pictures you can add but either way here are a few more.  Every year I sit down to organize all of our photos only to find that there are never any of the three of us.  There are usually ones of Luke and me or Michael and Luke but trying to get the three of us in a photo never seems to happen.  Well we took advantage of Grandma Debs' hospitality yesterday to get a few of us all together.  What I did not realize is that even with an outside photographer it is STILL difficult to get a good family photo.  Trying to coral a very active two year old while there is a beautiful garden to RUN through is next to impossible.  So here are our best attempts!!

GRANDMA DEBS' BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA DEBS!   Today is officially Grandma Debs' Birthday.  We celebrated yesterday with a truly wonderful and idyllic day at the Huntington Gardens.  It was a surprise for Grandma Debs and she seemed genuinely surprised.    Huntington Gardens was soo wonderful that we are now officially member; which means there will be a repeat visit sometime in the near future.  What a wonderland for a two year old.  So many places to run, to hide, to play, and to get lost and freak out our parents (Luke's favorite.)    Luke who had only taken about a thirty minute nap was soooo excited to see Grandma Debs ands best buddy, Pops that he turned his frown upside down and happily frolicked through the gardens for almost three hours without even a single yawn.  Truly a joyous Sunday.   While some people can look at clouds and see animals my son can look at anything and see a potential skate ramp. Fortunately I brought a skateboarder for just such an occasion.  He also always carries his imaginary skateboard just in case the mood should strike.   What an amazing day for him. Skateboarding, running and playing with two of his favorite people.  It may have been Grandma Debs' Birthday but if Pops is around no one else really needs to be there for him.    He loves him so much that he keeps him on a really short leash!!

THE HOPE OF A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP

Everyone who knows us probably knows that we co-sleep and have been co-sleeping with Luke since he was born.  It was and is a conscious decision that we made and  we have really enjoyed it--well most days.    While it has definitely had its benefits and I am sure we would and will do it again; after two years of waking up frequently we are trying a different routine.    We are beginning to try to encourage Luke to fall asleep on his own.  By on his own I mean not nursing, not being walked, driven or rocked, but rather going from awake to asleep without much assistance.  We are still doing a lot of back patting and rubbing but we are slowly encouraging him to fall asleep with out the aid of mommy or daddy having to wake up and help him.  We are doing this in the HOPES that this will soon begin to bring sleep back into our home.   It is long overdue and I am hoping everyone will be happier because of it.  The transition is slow and we are not forcing it but we do seem to be making progress.  Luke has suddenly taken an interest in sleeping in a big boy bed!!  Since we are not sure if this is a phase or a real switch that he is making we have created our own for the time being.  We are keeping him in our room (for now) but are very encouraged that he is soooo excited about sleeping on his own.  Two nights in a row now Luke has slept in his own makeshift big boy bed.  So to all of those parents out there who say the transition can not happen and that once you co-sleep your child will never leave your bed..I say when it is time they will tell you.  Ours has.  For how long who knows.  But one thing has become certain.  Luke will not still be in our bed when he goes to college.  In fact I think he will be out sooner than that.  I am sure once this transition is complete we will both long for the days when he still wanted to sleep with us.  

SARAH PALIN IS NOT ALLOWED IN THIS HOUSE!!

Apparently Luke has learned a lot from watching both the presidential and vice presidential debates.  He is very clear on who Obama is and can point him out whenever he sees a picture of him.  He is very clear that he is our choice for president.  He is very clear on who Mcain is and he is also very clear on who Sarah Palin is.  Though he does sometimes confuse her with Tina Fey, but who doesn't.  So Luke was playing last night with one of the new skateboard figures that Grandma Debs just bought him and asked me to play along as well with one of his other guys.  My guy asked his guy what his name was.  Often his figure's name is "Dude" (thanks Pops), however last night when I asked him what his name was he said VERY clearly "My name is Sarah Palin." GREAT!!

Just in case everyone else was confused about who Sarah Palin is I thought I would post a picture as well.  In our house this is her:  Even our two year old can see she is just your average skateboarding mom from Alaska and CLEARLY unfit to be in the White House!!

THE NEXT MARCEL MARCEAU

All of my acting students can tell you that I have one pet peeve: mime.  I HATE MIMING.  Very few actors are really very good at mime.  They tend to feel foolish doing it which just pulls them (AND ME) out of the scene.  So I ask all my students to bring props and to PLEEEEASE avoid miming whenever possible.  Well today my son taught me a lesson in acting.  Pure genius.  

Wednesday mornings we go to Children's Circle (soon to be Luke's preschool) for our weekly parent and me class that is designed to help him transition.  Every week the classroom has some new items, new toys, new structures, something.  This week they had a foam climbing structure set up in the center of the room.  One of the sides of the structure has a small drop.  As I am sitting talking to one of the parents I look up to find my son in the corner of the room doing something that I can not at first make out.  Whatever it is that he is doing one thing is clear he is committed.   As I watch it slowly becomes clearer.  Oh my goodness he is MIMING!!!  He is very meticulously and very deliberately miming putting on his elbow pads, then his knee pads and lastly his helmet.  He bends to the ground and mimes picking up his skateboard.  Carefully carrying his  "skateboard" under his armpit like the big skateboarders do he ascends the stairs.  He lays his "skateboard" down.  Very specifically places his feet and drops down off of the ramp.  Then he picks up his "skateboard" and goes for round two, then three, etc.  It was riveting!!

This must be how Marcel Marceau's mother felt!!  So to all of my future students I have just one thing to say...feel free to mime.  Mime Mime Mime all you want but you better be as detailed, committed, and believable as my two year old!