'Tis the Season!

What a fun season this is! Luke is so much more aware of all the wonders of Christmas. He says "Oooooh!" at all the lights and of course says "Ball" when he sees Christmas ornaments.
We went to a Christmas tree farm and Daddy cut down a real tree...a first for me and Luke! We even got to take a tractor ride, which Luke loved...except for when we went up a big hill and Daddy and Luke almost slid off the back :)
The tree flew off the top of the car and into the middle of 435, but we eventually got it home and decorated, although SCARCELY as Luke is very interested in all the decorations. :)
We are so excited to have family coming to our home for Christmas this year, as we get the house ready to put on the market!!!
Hope all of you are healthy and enjoying this holiday season!!!

Thanksgiving

We have had a very busy month. We are very glad to be on break from school and to have had some time to share with family. For Thanksgiving, we had Grandpa Ron and Uncles Ben and Stephen at our house for a big dinner. We spent Friday shopping and playing at Zona Rosa with the big Christmas tree and the KC Museum Igloo...what fun and great weather for being outside. It's hard to belive Christmas will be here in less than a month. We are looking forward to watching Luke take in all the sights and sounds of this magical time of year. We will be using most of our break to get our house ready to sell!!! Cross your fingers!!!
Luke is now saying "puppy" and "Hi!" and he loves playing with shoes, feeding Hadlie her puppy food, and playing with mommy's make up brushes and hair brushes.
He has also figured out how to climb on the furniture, so we have to keep our eyes on him at all times. He's so fun!!
Happy Holidays.

We had so much fun this Halloween. On Friday night, Luke had a sitter while mommy and daddy went to a costume party. Saturday was SO beautiful outside. We carved our pumpkin. Mommy and Luke went to the pet store, where they had puppy adoptions, and Luke was SO excited as he looked, giggled, and shrieked at all the "pup pups"...which got him ready for his costume. Luke dressed up as our dog, Hadlie, for Trick or Treating. We took him up to Smithville and Grandma Ginny took him around to all of their neighbors on the wagon. Luke got LOTS of candy for mommy and daddy to eat!! We ended the night by making a fire in our fire pit in the driveway, while we passed out candy. YAY for Halloween.
Now onto the holiday season...where has the time gone?

Hooray for Fall!

Fall is here. Chilly, crisp weather. Leaves dropping. Trees trasforming into glowing oranges and reds. We took Luke to Weston to the Red Barn Farm and had so much fun. He loved the chickens and goats and cows...but, of course, everything is "kitty" and "meow..." We've decided to dress Luke up as Hadlie for Halloween. Should be easy to make him into a brown dog, and he loves to say "pup pup," so it should be really cute.
We love Fall!!!

Our little baby is one!!!

Luke had SUCH a great time at his birthday party. We had so many friends and family and it was just a blast. Luke got LOTS of great toys...including "truck trucks" and he has been having such fun playing with all of them. Of course, our house looks like a toy store!!! He is taking 3 or 4 steps at a time, so it won't be long before we really have our hands full. What fun!

Fish Kisses and "Truck Truck"

Back to School

Well, we are back to school, and Luke is back at Betty's.
He now has four teeth in, and cutting more. He stands up all by himself, but is not taking any steps....YET!!!!!!
He is as vibrant and charming as ever.
He LOVES to play with trucks and anything with wheels....and his new words are "truck truck," "wee ooh wee ooh wee ooh," "daddy," pup pup," kitty," and we are (well I AM) awaiting "mama."
Can you believe in 1 1/2 weeks he will be ONE????
It truly has gone by so very fast.
And NO....we are not starting in on number two ANY time soon.....:)

"Uh Oh!"

We've been busy, busy, busy. After introducing Luke to Grandpa Tolle's side of the family at Grandma Mona's birthday picnic, mom and dad were off to go canoeing down south, while Grandma Kathy came to visit. We love going to the pool and the library for baby story time.
Now we're off for a visit to Nebraska, and as summer winds to a close, we are cherishing the opportunities we have as teachers to get to stay home and enjoy Luke for three months.
His first birthday is JUST around the corner, and Luke got his FIRST HAIRCUT to get ready for one year pictures. Wow....how has it all gone by so fast???????

Summer Fun!!!

What fun we have been having!!!
Luke is pulling himself up on EVERYTHING...so walking is JUST around the corner. We had some lovely weather the past week. We met Grandma Kathy and Aunt Susan in Omaha for the zoo. What fun. We went to Macon for the 3rd of July celebration, and we discovered Luke likes watching fireworks, but DOES NOT like the sounds!!! Poor little guy. His top left tooth is FINALLY cutting through, and we tried feeding him cereal before bed, which helped him to sleep...YAY!!!
We have also visited with Jake, Kelly's 8 week old baby, and Luke FINALLY got to meet Marissa's twins, Andi and Evie...what fun!!!
We are only 1/2 way through summer, so we are relishing every moment.

Well, we are waiting for two more teeth to come in. Any day now. We went to the pool for the first time this week and Luke LOVED it. He just loves splashing the water and looking at all the other kids. I have a feeling we'll be there a lot this summer.
Luke is also waving "bye bye" of sorts, and he is clapping his hands....so CUTE!!!
We are well into our summer routine of watching cartoons and playing in the mornings, and finding fun outings at the library or pool before our afternoon nap. So much fun!!!

Clap clap clap

What a week!!! Kyle and I were off to Florida, and Grandma Kathy and Uncle Stevie stayed at the house with Luke. We went to Key West first...what a GREAT place. It's so laid back. We rode bikes everywhere, and I went to Hemingway's house and hung out with the cats!!! I got the free admission on day two....we called it the "stalker discount." It truly was a dream come true to see it. I found places to just sit and look and pet the cats. Then we were off to Clearwater to join up with all our friends for Adam and Rachel's wedding. Lots of fun and dancing ensued. The weather on the wedding day had us all a little worried...it was raining up until 30 mintues before the wedding...then the skies cleared up and it was BEAUTIFUL!!! Right after Adam and Rachel kissed, a group of dolphins jumped up out of the water ...SO COOL!!!
While we were gone, Luke cut two teeth, and he can now sit up all by himself...thanks to Grandma Kathy, I'm sure. Then Luke stayed with Grandma Ginny and Grandpa Rod for a couple of nights where he rode the tractor and such...how fun!!!
Now we are back, Kyle is teaching summer school, and I'm linking up w/my other mommy friends to find fun, free summer things to keep Luke occupied...zoo tomorrow and free library programs...YAY SUMMER!!!!!

"It's a smile; it's a kiss; it's a sip of wine...IT'S SUMMERTIME!!!"

School's out...for SUMMER!!! Thank goodness! What an incredibly difficult, life altering, and wonderful school year it has been. We are so glad the time has come where we can kick back and hang out as a family...and watch Luke GROW.
OK people, it's official: HE'S CRAWLING!!!!
And he is quick!!!! I put him on the nursery floor today for one minute so I could use the restroom...about two seconds later, I see a little head poke around the door, and he crawled right on into the bathroom!!! How fun is this?????

Luke's Latest!!!

Lukelele's Ladies...

Well, with a valuable dowry in the works and little luck for Luke, he will be betrothed to one of the two Voss twins!!! Ha ha ha...
I had a BLAST in Denver last weekend with Marissa and Dave, and Evie (aka Evie Wonder) and little Andi (nickname TBA)....
It was SO amazing to see Marissa and Dave in parent mode...doting and loving on these lovely little ladies. They are SO tiny compared to Luke....I missed him so much, and when I got home and held him Monday morning, I thought my back would break...you really forget how teeny tiny newborns are...and how precious!!!
The trip also gave me a refreshed perspective on being a mommy. I think sometimes as moms we get in the hum-drum habits of everyday rituals, and we forget how precious time really is and how very very very fast it goes by.
And how cool it is to be a mom.
And how much cooler it is to be a new mom at the same time my best friend is a new mom. Conversations are so much different.
Life is so much different.
Having a glass of wine is so much different.
But how wonderful it is ....and how blessed are we!!!!
By the way, Luke is up on all fours and rocking back and forth, and giggling at himself when he does it.....he'll be crawlin' VERY SOON!!!!!
Shit. We need to buy gates.

Growing like a weed...

Sorry it's been a while since our last update....we have been really busy!!!!
Luke is growing like a little weed...he is saying "dah dah" and making lots of noises to imitate us. It's amazing how you suddenly realize that your child is learning and learning from you....
We are feeding him more baby food and we have moved up to include meats with his fruits and veggies...he really likes bananas!!!
He is so curious about everything around him, and he is now moving around in his walker and opening cabinet doors, pulling on towels, and even trying to chase fat Audrie when she scoots past him.
I had to overcome ANOTHER illness...respirtory flu...and had to cancel my trip to Denver to meet Marissa's twins. We did have a really nice Easter weekend with Grandma Kathy and Uncle Ben and Uncle Stevie.
Summer is just around the corner....and WE ARE READY!!!!!

Spring "Fever"

If you're wondering why it's been a while since we've had a new post.....Luke was really sick this week! He started running a fever on Monday night, and it spiked up to about 103. Kyle had to stay home with him all week, until Friday, when he went back to Betty's. Of course, Kyle didn't mind...it being March Madness and all!!!
Luke was spiking really high fevers all week, and crying and crying and crying all night. We took him to the doctor three times...tested for flu, RSV, and pnemonia.....turns out it was just a virus, and we had to impatiently let it run its course. I had no days to stay home, so it was very hard for me to go to work....not to mention trying to teach on very little sleep. Luke slept in the bed with me, and he was just so hot....poor little guy!!!
He is all better now, and we've had a GREAT weekend out and about enjoying the beautiful spring weather.

Writing Weekend

What a big weekend!!! Mommy went away to Tan-Tar-A for the Write to Learn conference. There, she got to go to workshops with poet Naomi Shihab Nye, and then to two workshops with Chris Crutcher. Crutcher is a Young Adult Lit author and I teach several of his books/stories. My kids truly love his writing, as he write the truth, which is why he gets banned so often. It was a great learning experience!!!
While mommy was away, Grandma Kathy took great care of all the Perkins' boys. They had a great time, and below is the video to prove it!!! Enjoy!!!

When Mommy's away, Daddy will play...

Hugs and Kisses

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Luke is growing and movin' and groovin'!!!
Today he rolled over all by himself! We have also been putting
him in his walker with a blanket behind him, and tonight he just
scooted himself right on across the kitchen floor. Craziness!!!
He giggles like crazy when Kyle makes funny faces at him...it is so
cute to see them enjoying one another. He has also discovered his
toes, and he loves to grab them all the time.
We wish you all tons of love and hugs and kisses!!!! XOXOXO

To My Dear and Loving Husband
by Anne Bradstreet

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more then whole Mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persever,
That when we live no more,
we may live ever.

Bedtime Stories

Well, all is going well with our growing boy! Luke had his four month check up on Friday. He weighs in at 14.6 pounds (in the 25th percentile), and he is about 26" long. Dr. Lowry told us to "keep shoving in the cereal" to get him to fatten up a bit. Then, we had our first ever baby sitter!! A former student, Abby, came over (after we got Luke to sleep, of course) and sat with him for a few hours so we could go enjoy some adult time w/friends!!!
Our new bed time routine is we eat some cereal, then we go up to Luke's room, lay on our favorite blanket that Auntie Marissa made, and read books!!! His favorite seems to be Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? as he always gets excited when we turn the page to the purple cat. He also likes The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and the Twinkle, Twinkle, Panda Bear hand puppet book that Grandma Kathy got him for Christmas. He's so alert!!! We can't wait for warmer weather, but we are quite busy staying in with good books and cozy fires.

Cereal and Sleepless Nights

Well, we've had a big week. Luke was off to Betty's, and Kyle and I are back to work. It wasn't nearly as gut-wrenching as I thought....HOWEVER, I have not been able to sleep. I guess that's how I deal w/change and stress and anxiety. I have been waking up in the middle of the night and staring at the darkness for two hours. OR I can't get to sleep. Luckily, Luke has been a great sleeper.
His big news is.....he got a taste of rice cereal! We gave him about one tablespoon. It was so funny to watch him. Those of you who know Luke know how active his little tongue is, so when the cereal was in his mouth, it came back out on his tongue. He caught on REALLY fast, and realized this thing (spoon) would put the delicious goodness in his mouth. Also, those of you who know Luke, know how "impatient" he is, so screaming ensued in between moutfuls. He's growing up so fast!!!!
Here's to better sleep!