Well, it has been a really long time since I have updated Luke's blog. I began going to nursing school in 2010 which should pretty much explain my absence. Luke is 10 years old now and is doing really well. He's not on track with kids his own age; it depends upon the activity. School stuff...hmmm...he reads at about a level one reader book, he can do single line addition and subtraction with a pen and paper, larger if  he can have a calculator, he's actually pretty good with reading comprehension despite difficulties understanding abstract ideas like...when. As to behavior...well he's way above on the whole pre-teen moody, bossy, my parents don't know jack thing. Was kind of thinking we would skip that stage with our so sweet disabled kid....NOPE.
He loves electronics like the Wii, Kindle Fire, Computer, Nintendo Game Boy - Yes, they are allowed during homework time so that I can get something done. He also will stay hyper-focused with K'Nex and Lego's - yes I would smooch those inventors for not only creating a fabulous hands on activity but for also giving parents back a bit of their sanity.
 Luke talks incessantly, repeats the same thing/theme often. He makes little noises - suck, pop the lips, cluck, high pitched-crystal shattering whistling - that are some sort of punishment for my past sins. Its really fun when he combines them and we have an orchestra of craziness that most definitely means one of us must be sequestered to our room. In the middle of all that he is really, really, REALLY, sweet. He knows how to make people feel like they are a million bucks. He is thoughtful and is always concerned with letting others know how valuable they are to him. He's not easy, but he's so WORTH IT.

 Luke and Grandma

See...Whistling...always whistling and driving the boat with Daddy.

Favorite beach activity - dig a hole..i don't get it.

Leaf raking day. He was really a huge help. And his little cousin didn't mind the ride to the leaf pile either!

Events of the week...

 Luke turned 8 on Friday! As some, who have read earlier blogs know - that in itself is an awesome thing! He has been asking for every toy that comes on commercial for his "birsday" to the point where if I met an employee of a toy commercial company there would be an obligatory slap on the forehead (there are a lot of commercials!). I took cupcakes in to his class and brought along balloons for Luke and another boy in his class whose birthday was the day before. I had such a great time and laughed with (and at) his teacher, para, and therapists. Luke thoroughly enjoyed all of the attention. His "big" party will be soon - when my sister and her boys get here so that they can celebrate with us. Just another way to milk the entire birthday experience!!

He has been sick again. Apparently a strain of viruses is going around, and it is taking a long time to shake it. Luke has had his daily med list include: Pulmincort and Albuterol to go in the nebulizer, Mucinex, Murlax, ADHD med, Ciprodex, and Emergen-C and that's just in the morning... Seems to be coming through finally though.

I am back to changing his sheets everynight because he has gone through the pull up - Oy Vey when does that get to be done??


He has become a prayer warrior - praying for his friends, for him to remember to be responsible, respectful, and to be safe... LOVE IT!


Today, I heard it... Luke was in time out, in his room, having a baby fit, and what does he say? "But mom, I am dyyyyiiiinnnggg." Here's your Oscar dude.. really, take it - there is none that compares to you.

An Imagination Station.....

Luke and I cleaned his room up Sunday. He was a super helper... bit of an attitude and bossy, but the job didn't take long. He had been making a sport of getting up my nose that day so as "punishment" I told him he couldn't come out of his room until he had created a big train track (figuring it would give me time to study for my exam coming the next day). Under duress he created this beautiful track... then I came in and we built a "station" out of Lincoln Logs, and I located some decorations from his toy box to add to the scenery... showed him how to put logs on his train and take them to the station, etc. He got lost in his own mind/ imagination and played happily for hours. He got up at 6:30 and asked to turn on his light and play... I fell back asleep and had it not been for his sister, would have stayed that way and Luke would have missed the school bus!

His Princess...

After raiding the dentist's treasure box to get the right kind of rings that he knew would bring joy to his dear Princess Mikala, Luke wanted to see how they looked on her fair hands.... When he saw them he said in a high pitched excited voice, "OH MY GOSH, Mikala! Your such a PRINCESS!!"

Becoming Friendly with the ER

We have become familiar with the various routes to the hospitals in our area since Luke has been born. Routine trips for check ups mostly, a couple late night breathing treatments... but this weekend he had his second of two ER visits in the span of 8 months or less.. The first happened when he excused himself from the table to use the bathroom and then we heard a crash and that cry (you know... the i'm seriously hurt one), he had blood spurting out from the bridge of his nose in time with his heartbeat, there was water beginning to cover the floor because somehow when he fell he moved the toilet over an inch and a half and broke the water line. A couple of hours and a few stitches later we were home (1/2 the stitches stayed in for all of 20 minutes), now a few months later he has his battle scar but life is good.
Friday night we were going into wally world to get Dad's crackers and somehow he shut his fingers in his car door. My son - who does nothing by half - when it was all said and done - had broken the tip of his finger, taken off 3/4 of his fingernail, and had to have 2 layers of stitches because he had cut himself so deeply. Our fun didn't get to end there - he kept removing his splint, so we had to go back tonight to the ER - he ended up with some cool hand taping that he thinks is so awesome he hasn't messed with it one bit. It immobilizes  his finger, keeps the nailbed clean and he can't wait to go to school tomorrow to show his friends!!! Im just glad I have school and work tomorrow - I need a vacation from this weekend!

Luke and the Princess...

Luke loves all his siblings, but after figuring out how to get a movie on Netflicks (thank God it was a kid friendly one) he decided that his sister, Mikala was his princess and since she couldn't get him to grasp that Prince was for boys, Princess for girls, he became King Luke. Now coming back from school he has to hurry to "see my PRINCESS Mikala!"

Baseball Seasons Over...

Luke had  a great first season of coach pitch t-ball. We were so blessed to have an awesome coach and a totally uncompetitive team. His team-mates just wanted to learn and have fun, it was a perfect fit for Luke. The kids were all kind to him, the coaches were super patient and encouraging. He was very sick and had to miss three games, but he thoroughly enjoyed every one he made. He's ready to go again next year!