A Trip to Indiana

It was my Kindergarten Teacher's birthday this weekend so Mom and I decided to take "her great-grandson" to wish her a happy birthday in person. As an added bonus, she lives in the same town as my older brother so we got to stop by and spend time with him too.

As always, it took Luca about a half hour to open up at Mrs. Simpson's house, but once he got going man he was a riot. Running around in circles and dancing and telling them to follow him into the other room. What was especially funny/weird, Luca was terrified of her grandfather clock chiming. To the point that she had to turn off the chime because he was on the verge of tears. About every 5 minutes the whole time we were there (even after she turned off the chime) he would say "Clock all done." I tried explaining it was just music and we like music and even danced to the chiming, but he was not buying it. So weird.

Back at Alan's house, he had just got new gun parts, so Luca was ever so helpful with putting them together.

Maybe when he gets new brewing equipment, Luca will come help with that too. A boy and his Uncle, bonding over beer and guns. Does it get any better than that? ;)

Classic pics

Because mohawks in the bathtub never ever get old...

And this is Luca's monkey face. He sticks his fingers in his ears and makes monkey noises. He's been doing it for a while and it cracks me up, but this is the first time I've been able to get it on film. Do people still use that expression even though average people never seem to use film anymore? Anyway, I love it.

Josh has a different interpretation of the monkey face

23 months

WHAT! Boy that happened fast, next month he's a whole two years old...

He recently found the pockets on his pants and looks like a little man when he stands with his hands in them. It's super cute. Until the first time I wash a crayon because I didn't check his pockets first.
He is talking up a storm. So many words, so many I don't understand, but lots I do. With Josh's birthday last month and mine a couple days ago, he's good at the word "Happy." We're not sure what he thinks it means, though. Sometimes he points to the birthday cake and says it, sometimes he points to candles and says it, and sometimes I can't figure out what he's referencing.
Unfortunately, he's also getting really good at the word "mine." Usually when referring to things that aren't his, like Jude's toys or my car keys.

Safely trying to check the empty oven

He's also becoming very polite, he says please, thank you, and you're welcome and has been saying Excuse for ages. My favorite is he says "Bless" after you sneeze. And sometimes after you cough. Unprompted. That was a little weird teaching him. I would sneeze and then say, "Luca, tell mommom Bless you." Felt a little greedy ;)
Thanks to my Dad's travels we have a handful of books in different languages. By far my favorite to read is "Gute Nacht, Gorilla" (because it has, like, 5 words in it. And I actually feel good about my guesses at pronunciation. Except for Armadillo. Gurtelteir. Even Alex didn't have any guesses.) ANYWAY, went to read it and Luca said what I thought was "Nacht" So Impressed! Then I started reading and he started knocking on the pages. Oooh, "knock." Close enough.

"Helping" Daddy shovel the patio for Jude

Bunna is still going everywhere with us. But never takes naps with Luca. He even gets a little mad when we ask if he wants to take Bunna with for a nap. Like, don't we know Bunna sits on the sofa while he naps!? Luca definitely has opinions and preferences.
I think Luca's favorite number is 4. He says it all the time. He's going to be 4 on his next birthday and weighs 46, not 26 pounds.
He likes sour gummi worms. He licked it, made a face and said no, and went right back for another lick. Sucked all the sour sugar off the whole thing before eating the worm.

Little man with his hair cut that makes him look like a kindergartener.

My Birthday

We now have a tradition of bowling for my birthday. Two years in a row makes a tradition, right? Josh, Dan, Luca and I all went out on a Saturday afternoon to celebrate at a bowling alley like the cool people do. With bumper lanes. Like with anything new, Luca was very reluctant at first. Just carrying him to the lane was enough to get the tears flowing.

They taught me that form when we had a bowling gym unit in junior high, I'm pretty sure.

 We let him hold a ball and after a couple frames he started warming up. After I took my turn I heard a ball hit the floor behind me, turned around, and Luca had thrown it. So, he was catching on! He would walk up to the lane holding your hand or leg or something and let you throw the ball for him. Dan demonstrates:

Dan did not have the same bowling unit in gym at his junior high.

Then he got pretty funny. He liked waiting at the ball return for his bright green ball to come up. So he waited, and waited. And when it came he called to one of us, pointed to the ball, walked down to the lane and stopped at the foul line, waiting for us to come and throw the ball.


He was a riot. And considering the whole thing happened during the entire time he would normally be napping, he was amazing. Plus, I broke 100 once! Yay bumpers

Also, to go with the super sweet bike that I got for Christmas, for my birthday I got a super sweet trailer for Luca to ride in behind my bike. I was a little nervous that Luca wouldn't like being in it, but once we put it together he and Bunna climbed right in. And Josh and I pulled him around the living room like it was a rickshaw. He loved it!

Jude didn't hate it either

And now that's one more reason I can't wait for Spring!

Bunna the artist

I saw (on pinterest probably) to put paint in a ziploc bag and painters tape it to a window. Finger paint without the mess. We did it a couple times this summer but Luca was never really entertained by it. So, bored and all cabin-fevery, we gave it another go.

All I could find was 2" frog tape, it's a bit excessive but it works

At first, not so interested. Then I smooshed my hand in it and showed him my handprint. Still nothing. Smooshed his hand in it, still nothing. Suggested we smoosh Bunna's paw in it, Ding Ding! All the sudden it was fun.

Interestingly, Bunna prefers to paint with his foot rather than his front paws. Never would have guessed. But the bag o' paint has been up a couple days and he'll still bring Bunna over to paint a little more every so often. He rarely uses his own finger though. Funny kid.