Traumatized

I sneakily took Lukas into SLVHD to get his 5 year-old immunizations. I knew if I told him where we were going and what to expect I would have to drag him in and pin him down to get him to stay. So I just said we had to stop at this place real quick to get his immunizations (not expanding on what that meant exactly.) He started looking around and saw a poster with a big needle and some funny fuzzy-germ looking things (see picture attached). He turns to me and says, "I'm scared. I think I'm gonna have to get a shot." I distracted him for as long as possible and then the nurse calls our name. We step into the little office and sure enough, he panics, and darts for the door. I had to restrain him and it took all my strength just to hold him and keep him from knocking the nurse down. The nurse was very understanding and went as fast as he could. Lukas was sweaty and hysterical. It was really sad. I knew he'd never trust me again. He was screaming and making such a fuss that I felt sorry for whoever had to hear him in the waiting area. (There was a long line of people getting their H1N1 shots). For several days after when Pat and I would talk about getting our flu shots, Lukas would get in panic mode and run out of the room saying, "I'm never doing that again!" I had to check where the shots were taken to make sure they were ok, and it took him awhile to let me. He had swelling on one arm and was so scared that he'd have to go in and get another shot. I told him he doesn't have to have shots until he's in 7th grade. Even then he said he didn't want to. And Pat, being the nurse that he is, is insisting that we all go get our H1N1 shots. Luckily they have the mist that you inhale, so I've been prepping Lukas for what that will be like instead of a needle. He seems ok with it, but man that kid was traumatized.

The Letter

Lukas got in big trouble with his dad the other day. He felt so sad about it, but just doesn't quite handle it well. He's very dramatic (I wonder where he got that from...?) and will say, "I guess you hate me then." And on and on. He runs away (like into his closet or in the bathroom) and won't come out for awhile. We keep telling him that we all make mistakes and that we can't run away or be so dramatic. We just need to feel sorry and say sorry and then move on. Well, after this little fall out with Pat, Lukas came to get me to have me help him write a letter to Daddy. This is what he wrote: Dear Daddy, I'm sorry (smiley face) that I hurt your feelings and that I go away from you. I want to be friends now. I (heart) U so much. Love, Lukas.

Silverpups Preschool

Another year of preschool has started for Lukas. He goes to Riverton High School where they have a preschool curriculum for the high school students to teach and there are just as many teachers as there are kids. He went here last year so he knew what to expect on the first day. He has looked forward to coming back ever since it ended. We love the teacher(s) and Lukas is learning so much. They have the funnest lessons and he comes home with the cutest things. He writes his name so clearly and it's fun to see how he is progressing. It's weird to think I have another year before he starts kindergarten. Then another year of just half day. YIKES! I need my kids to be in school all day so I will miss them. Haha. {I don't know what I'd do without them to be honest, but I sure would love some quiet.}

Lukas turns 5!!

Lukas had such a fun TMNT birthday. He's been planning it for months and it turned out just perfect! He's getting to grown up. I love that he can help me with so many things. Now that he's 5, he says, he can get dressed by himself, get his own cereal, help with the garbages, not whine or cry anymore (sha...I wish), make the bed, brush his teeth, go to a friend's house without me walking him. He really is a big helper. I love that he has his own way of doing things. He is messy (like any kid), but when it comes to it, he is so good at cleaning up his toy room or organizing his things. He loves to dress up or pretend to be the Dad or the good guy. He gets on the computer and knows just how to play his games and go to his favorite websites. He is getting to be a better eater (although he won't touch vegetables). Pat and I will be talking in the other room and Lukas will yell out, "I heard that. I know what you're saying." As if Pat and I are trying to hide things from him. It's funny. He sleeps with Max on the bottom bunk (it's a full size) and stays there all night long. He's been waking up so happy lately and sometimes will come downstairs dressed by himself with his hair done. :) Happy days! We sure are grateful for Lukas and all the adventures and joys he brings to our family!

The Drawing

It was Nana & Papa's 40th Anniversary on Saturday. We took a drive to surprise them with cake, flowers and a present. Lukas wanted to draw them a picture and this is the result. Isn't he good? I am in love with his drawings right now. He really likes to color and draw all the time. He spelled Papa and Nana on the picture. Quite a striking resemblance, don't ya think?

Almost 5

Lukas is almost 5 now so I always try and remind him that almost 5-year olds don't act the way he does at times. He hates it. Here are a few things he does:

• He rarely wakes up happy. How sad is that? He tends to whine a whole lot. I keep thinking he'll grow out of it.
• He likes exercise. He'll put on his Batman tennis shoes and say, "Mom, can we run for exercise?" Or he'll move the ottoman to do his forward rolls.
• He does not eat. The kid won't eat anything of any color. It has to be bland, boring, blah. He'll eat plain chicken, pasta, bread, rice, or corn. Nothing else. UNLESS it has sugar in it. He loves sweet things. Sour patch kids, muddy buddies, ice cream, cake, cookies.
• He will ask me something in his whiney voice and then decide he'd better try it in a nice voice and HATES it when the answer is the same...NO.
  
• He dresses himself and it's past the point of me trying to correct it. He is mismatched, but independent. As long as everyone knows that it's HIM.
  
• He will squish any bug with is finger. ANY bug. Gross.
• Every day he asks to play at Tommy or Holden's house. And if I say no to them, he'll say, "Can I go to Carter's house then? What about Carson?" He doesn't give up.
• This kid doesn't sleep. He likes to sleep in, but he won't go to bed. He would stay up 'til midnight every night if I let him. And he NEVER naps.
  
• He is a pretty good helper. I can ask him to do something and 9 times out of 10 he'll do it and do a good job. Hmmm, I like this...
• He has learned to say things like, "I'll get dressed if you let me have a doughnut for breakfast." He likes to bargain with me. It never works though.
• He hates it when I make him practice swimming. He will wear floaties in the pool, but is too afraid to jump in and get his head under the water.
  
• I love that I can start the car and not worry about buckling him. He does it by himself.
• He is a computer junkie. He sits at the computer and plays PBSkids or Noggin or Nick Jr. He is really good at navigating and figuring things out. I found him once trying to google his own name. (Which he spells Lukpas. For some reason he adds in the p b/c it's like an a to him. I better correct that.)
• He talks in this throaty, yucky, growly voice. When I hear that voice something inside me wants to scream. It's my "nail on the chalkboard" voice.
• He likes all the potty words.
  
• He is a big tattletale. He tells on Max and tries to tell me what to do about it. "Max hit me. Put him in timeout."

Pat wrote some things down that he's observed about Lukas:

• Anytime he is trying to think of a big number he'll say "fifty five fifty hundred sixty eight twenty".
• He's good at saying the prayer and will always keep it short (bless the food, bless papa)
• He loves to play pictionary with Pat and is pretty good at it.
  
• He helps Pat adjust the sprinklers and knows how to do all the different stations. He'll lay on his belly and reach his hands in the sprinkler box and spring up as soon as they come on.
• When Pat doesn't let him do something, he'll say, "You're not my friend anymore. You're a mean dad." Then forget 5 minutes later.
• He'll say "You're my bestest friend. I like being around you."
• He is in the "What if" and question mode. "Where does grass come from? How does it grow? Who grows it?"

Lukas at 4 and 3/4

Lukas says and does some funny things. I wish I could remember them all, but here's a start...

• Lukas and I were talking this morning about something and he responds, "That's why Heavenly Father gave us brains, to remember stuff." I agreed with him and then he said, "Mom, I'm smart, amen't I?"
• Lukas is all about the "What If's". He can sit in the car and never stop asking 'what if' questions, "Mom, what if I grew so tall that my head hit the ceiling and I didn't fit anymore? What would happen then? What if we forgot to lock the door and then it opened on the freeway? What if we didn't roll up our windows and all the flies would come in? What would happen if..."
• Anytime I am helping Max go potty, Lukas is standing right there saying, "What a big boy! Look Max, you're a big boy like me! Good job going in the potty!" He encourages him a lot.
  
• Lukas and Max fight like cats and dogs. If I didn't intervene, they would rip each other to shreds. They pull, punch, hit, slap, push...you name it, they're at it! They taunt each other to no end. Drives me crazy.
• Why is "poop" such a fun word to say? I'll never understand. Lukas and Max crack up anytime I say bum, butt, pee, poop...anything relating to the potty. Please get over this phase quickly boys.
• We met my mom at Cabela's and were walking around looking at all the animals. He wanted to know how much each animal weighed and which one was his size. He was fascinated by weight this time around. (He weighs almost 40 pounds).
• He has to be in charge of Max. "Mom, Max said the 's' word (which is stupid). Put him in time out." Or, "Max, if you say that one more time I'm gonna spank you."
• Whenever he sees something he wants he'll say, "Mom, can I get this for my birthday?" At this point I think he thinks he's getting an entire store for his bday.
  
• He loves being on the computer and really knows how to navigate his favorite sites: Noggin, PBS kids, Nick Jr.
• He really picks up on things like commercials. He'll come to me and say something word for word that he heard on a commercial. One time we drove by Maverick and he pointed out the window and said, "Hey there's that drink. Not to heavy, not to light." It was beer.
• We were at the store one day in the parking lot and he saw a girl smoking in her car. He leaned over to me and said, "Mom, why is that girl smoking? Does she want to die?" Luckily she didn't hear us.
• Every day it's either, "Can we go to California today?" or "When are we going to Nana's house?"