Luke and Lil like to use the audio recorder in my phone, so far this has been the most extended version.
One of the best parts is at 1:55 in case you just want the highlights.
And of course if you need a reminder of the original
Luke
Post 316: Why they are special
Children just have the most amazing ability to be pure. It is what I treasure most and what I feel needs to be guarded, nurtured and protected for as long as possible.
Luke.
Just his ability to be so helpful and thoughtful. We went over to see my 91 year mom the other night, it was a late outing for Luke and Lily and Luke was all business. He wanted to push the wheel chair, he wanted to hold the doors, he told Lily as an aside (no running, we need to be quiet). All of it was done with pure love and concern and I asked none of it to happen, it was all Luke.
Lily.
She saw all her unused bottles in the cabinet and said: “what should we do with them?”. I told her that the daughter of the woman who runs her preschools has need of any child and baby items. That she gives these items to moms that are unable to supply for themselves. Lily was so excited by this. She said it was a good idea. She grabbed a bag, filled it with all the bottles and tops and we delivered the package when I dropped her off at school.
I teared up, I think her teacher did a bit as well.
Post 315: Hand, foot, mouth and…
Just had our first ever bout with Hand, Foot and Mouth virus.
Lets just say it is awful, terrible and really annoying. Yet, a couple of interesting things came up during the run that should be remembered.
Doctors can’t really know anything, right? They are always making an assessment.
We had two virus’ in our household that worked concurrently to keep our kids in sickness for a good two to three weeks. The common problem. One kid gets sick, then the other gets sick towards the end of the first kids sickness, and in this case I guess the first kid then got ANOTHER virus and the whole thing starts over again.
When we went to the Doctor and after two seconds he could confirm that Luke and “hand, foot and mouth” I asked will Lily get it? His answer was that the first virus, which was lodged in Lily’s nasal world had passed to Luke, but luke’s body manifested it as “Hand foot and mouth”, in other worlds it was the same virus that had passed and therefore Lily would not get it again.
WRONG!
Poor Lil. Too young to really get the problem that open sores in her mouth are just plain too annoying to even think about and what about the fact that they say “Hand, food and mouth” doesn’t itch?
WRONG!
Luke had sleepless nights squirming and tossing in his bed only exclaiming “it itches!”
BUT
All are well and back at school and I kid you not it seems not a day went by before there was new and different sniffling and sneezing in the household. Just amazing to me that we go through so much of the year with nary a sniffle and then WHAM, sickness season falls upon us like a tons of snot.
OH,
By the way, they got the name of the “hand, foot…” one wrong it should be called
Hand, foot, mouth and butt virus, sorry, but it is the truth I speak.
Post 314: Going On a Bear Hunt
There is a very popular children’s book entitled “We’re Going On bear Hunt” which depicts a family circumnavigating many natural obstacles in search of a bear. They fjord a river, hike the tall grass, plod through the snow and indeed find a bear, in his cave to which they respond by going back over every event in reverse order as quickly as possible only to lock themselves into their home and jump in bed promising to never go on a bear hunt again!
Now that Lily is in school three days a week and now that my mother lives within a mile of my house, on route to Luke’s school, I have days where I (without exaggerating) travel the same exact route five or six times.
Home to Luke’s school, back home to have breakfast and wait for Lily’s school to start, then off to Lily’s school, then back home to something, then off to see my mom, then back home, then off to pick up Lily from school, then over to pick up Luke from school and back home.
There ARE times I feel like locking myself in my house, getting into my bed and saying I will never take anyone to there respective places of learning or living AGAIN!
But I don’t, because I love them all.
Post 313: Money
It makes the world go round, but what exactly is a healthy relationship for a child and the almighty dollar?
This post has been on “hold” for months. It it s very interesting and complicated subject, even at an early age. Clearly kids observe and notice (everything) and certainly all the talk about what things cost and value and well,
MONEY!
We decided to give Luke a small allowance quite awhile ago as a way to help him understand the value of money, he would save enough and then he could buy something of his own choice, which would always be “a Lego set from Target“.
Well, it kinda back fired as Luke started hoarding money. First he raided our coin jar, then he “pilfered” some dollars from mom and dad and there was way too much talk about money in the house, so we decided to put the pause button on this whole money thing.
There was also the added confusion of going to Target with the intent of allowing Luke to get something for himself, then me always feeling a bit guilty and saying I would “round up” his savings and allow him to purchase something slightly more expensive than what he could afford. That he would give his money to me and I would make up the difference at the checkout lane using my credit card. Bad idea Dad. This was very confusing to Mr Luke and resulted in him feeling like I had just stolen his money from him.
Back to the pause button, which worked just fine. A few months later mom and dad felt it was “safe” to resume a financially based concept in the household opted for a new tack. A payment for the weekly chore of taking out the garbage.
Now the childhood development people we trust and listen to have said never to mix allowance or payment with household chores, the chores are done for the benefit of the family, not for financial gain, and I agree, so perhaps we are headed for yet another fiduciary impasse, only time with tell,
but…
The other day Luke brought his money bag to Target, picked out something he could afford, counted out all the change at the register, got his change (one penny) and a receipt and he clearly felt really good about the whole thing, No complaints, no confusion.
Which for today is all we want.