On a Happy Hill-top

I love this kid! He is so bright and shiny! He is learning tons and changing like crazy. We started his pre-toddler classes today. He wasn't sure how he felt about the 3 other pre-tods and parents. He has started to get a little shy in large groups but he loves children and was so excited to see them. The pre-toddler class is put on by the early education program to help children catch up in a group environment while learning from other children and new activities. I'ts every Friday for a little over an hour. Today was our first class. We started with hands on learning time. This is where they can play with pretty much any of the toys. It helps with sensory and social skills. We first played with the static electricity toy that you touch (hit) and it lights up and spins. (I have to admit it was pretty cool) Luke was a big fan of this but it was away from all the other kids and I wanted him to have an opportunity to be more social so we moved on to the standing sand box. This could be summed up simply. Luke does not like sand! So our teacher Mrs. Jensen was nice enough to bring us something new to play in, fake snow. Luke liked this a lot. The only problem was he wanted to eat it. And since it was made from soap, that didn't seem like a great idea. So once again we moved on. To the boats. We went and stood in front of the standing tub and this was a huge success. He loves water and liked the Elmo on the boats and was able to splash as much as he wanted! After this we moved on to singing time.
This was a little difficult for me. Luke is 14 months and the youngest in the class. The next closest in age was 15 months and this little boy was already walking and signing. He was the only child in the class who was not working on his motor skills. And the other two were between 20 an 22 month. Both weren't walking but one can talk and the other is probably closer to Luke's skill level only a bit more advanced. However in this activity we were working on mimicking and Luke just in not quite as developed in his mimicking and communication skill. You always hear people talk about things they have learned "from" their children but I think I have learned a lot of things simple because of him. Its humbling not to be the best, it is humbling to need help. And sitting there I was just very humbled. But I had to take a step back. And I thought for a minute no one else there was judging us. I was the one doing the comparing. I had to let it go, this has always been a difficult thing for me. It's amazing how we can let little internal thoughts cloud what externally could be a wonderful and beautiful experience. I didn't want to let that happen today. I had to let it go. Focus on the purpose. So after my retrospection during chorus of Twinkle Twinkle I felt new excitement for the entire experience. And we turned our attention to snack time. One of the really cool things about this class is they focus on choices. So they always give a child two things to choose from i.e. truck or a car, star or a monkey. And my favorite cottage cheese on a ritz or a craft single on a saltine, mmmm! Luke was a little timid at this table and was the only one not yet able to drink out of a cup, but hey he can sure eat:-) Then the last part of our class we went to the motor skills room. Its like an obstacle course for babies. Very fun, it even had a ball pit. Luke was not a fan! But he climbed up the ramp and had a great first day. I was so proud of him!
But I had a fun time and I think he did too


I have attached a bunch of photos of the past few weeks. Some are from home and some are from Luke's cousin Bronco's first Birthday Party.

Feeling Yucky but going strong.

I am so sorry it has been a couple of weeks since the last time we posted. We haven't had a lot of updates. We are still in Provo doing a nationwide job search for Andrew. We haven't had many bites but we are positive and feel something will turn up soon. But in the meantime we are staying at our home in Provo, Andrew is serving at Red Robin and I have been holding down the fort here at home. My new mission in life is to clean the kitchen linoleum. It is the textured kind that makes it near to impossible to get out 30 some years of dirt out of the little indentations. But I am determined. If anyone has any tips on how to clean it please let me know. Oh to explain this picture we don't have a bathtub so Luke baths in our Kitchen sink. He is almost out growing it, but I have to admit I have found it most convenient. I don't know what I am going t0 do when I get a bathtub and have to give him real baths:-)

Luke is wonderful. He is getting to be quite the escape artist, escaping from the many barricades we put up around the house. However, the past couple of days have been particularly interesting. Luke has got the stomach flu. Oh it has been so sad. It is hard being sick as a grown up but I think it is harder being sick as a little one. He just doesn't feel good and I don't know what to do to help him feel better. He started with some diarrhea on Friday and was having a hard time keeping stuff down Saturday and all through the night the following days. Andrew and I had to kind of laugh that after so many baths, loads of laundry and changing sheets we didn't have any other option so we ended up sleeping with Luke on the living room floor. This is the picture of one of those late nights.It was like a big funny family sleepover. Except Luke was not having fun and in turn mommy and daddy have been a little sleep deprived. Well we took him to the doctor on Tuesday and he had gastro interitis. (stomach virus) So we pumped him full of pedia-light and her started feeling better. Well next day we got a whole new surprise he seemed to be in pain and we opened his diaper and saw a very red, swollen and inflamed genitals. So we brought him in and he has an infection down there. So we have him on an antibiotic to help his infection and a probiatic so it doesn't further inflame the diarrhea. Poor little guy, its been a rough week. But his appetite is starting to come back and that makes us happy. And as long as he has a book to look through he is content. I love his new fascination with books it doesn't seem to matter what book as long as he can turn the pages he is happy.

We hope every one is doing well and will post again soon!!!