To Dads

Happy belated Fathers' Day to all of the wonderful fathers and fathers-to-be in our lives!

Stros Baby

Baby D at his first Astros game ever!  

(first Astros shirt)

(first Astros hot dog)

(witnesses)

And just like his brother (and father) he sat still, watched the game (for the most part), and remained happy even up to his very very late bedtime. 

Go 'stros!

You know it's summer when...(#2)

you spend almost four hours in 90+ degree weather at a pool and have to drag your kids away at the end of it.

You know it's summer when...

this becomes your fun summer activity for the day.

Don't let his face fool you, we all had a great time. 

(And it's total coincidence that the carwash happened just a few days before Opa D gets here...)

Kids Being Kids Again

Thanks to the rollicking good time we had at Ken's birthday, Luke had long since determined to have his next birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. 

So the kids were able to be kids, and the parents were able to accompany their kids (under the pretext of being supportive) so that they could spend an hour shooting basketballs or playing skee-ball. For real though, we had entire families show up.

Luke had his perfect birthday, where he got to eat pizza and cupcakes and be called up on stage to dance with ChuckE (Derek went with him, and both of them stood there like statues the whole time). And he vaguely acknowledged his guests as they came and went and occasionally brought a pile of tickets to his dad, but for the most part he was a one-man-whirlwind, attacking those games with gusto.

(Also, this was by far the easiest party I have ever thrown. Win-win!)

Big Boy 5 Year Old

Lovin' those outside socks!

Luke is five! How did this happen? Who is this massive child with so many words and opinions? 

This boy loves so many things. But most of all games. Any and all. He hears the word 'game' and he asks, "How do you play? What are the rules? How do you win?" (not necessarily in that order). He even rivals Ken in his game stamina, since on weekends we will often hear, "Okay, but this is the last game we are going to play, okay Luke?" He's being groomed as the perfect game-playing companion. 

Included under the all-encompassing game-love umbrella is sports. Any sports-Ken showed him a hockey game a few weeks ago and suddenly hockey was all he talked about for a while. He has long been able to sit through entire games, regardless of the length or sport or even whether or not he has a vested interest in either team. It makes watching them so entertaining because all of his big emotions get tied to the game and suddenly he's weeping when they are down and then jumping up and down when they are winning ("they" being whoever he has decided to root for--so far we haven't noticed any real criteria for picking). The other day he got to stay up for one of the Rockets games and I was told off for not being excited enough. And I quote, "Mom! It's your fault they are losing! You aren't even cheering enough!"

He loves to move and run, loves music and singing, loves building and creating, and loves to draw. He is the best big brother and loves to have Derek to follow him around and do whatever he is doing. He has started writing his own songs and writing his own books and has tried his hand at creating a game or two. He still loves to talk (and talk and talk and talk) and loves to negotiate and try to convince you of crazy things that he has decided are true. He has also picked up some lawyerly traits from his father--at his birthday party, when someone asked whose birthday it was, Luke said "No one's." After asking a few more times, Luke finally said, "It's no one's birthday, it's my birthday party" . (as Kenny would say, semantics are important)

In short, Luke is mini-Kenny. With a Shaner-sized head.