BumbleBee

I would like to introduce you to BumbleBee.

BumbleBee is our vacuum.

Named after the yellow and black Transformer, BumbleBee is beloved by our Natey. It is really quite a STRONG attraction. He follows BumbleBee all over the house, crying when it is turned off and put away. Natey has personally inspected every single part of BumbleBee, and often checks on him in his cabinet when BumbleBee is not in use.

BumbleBee has his own song, too. And of course, having your own song has always meant you're a part of the family. So, I'm glad you all could meet our newest member.

Christmas 2008

What a wondrous Christmas this year! As a family we are beginning to establish our own traditions... making Christmas cookies, looking at the lights in Sleepy Hollow on the Ormsby's golf cart, Christmas songs with Bumpa, finding treats in our advent calendar, making our own special Christmas cd, spending Christmas Eve with family and playing at Mimi's and Papa Boy's, Mimosas & Pomosas and family on Christmas Day...

Four is the BEST age for Christmas wonder, and Luke was filled with joy. He has begun to understand the concept of giving, and was eager to help with the shopping, make drawings for people, and call family members to sing a surprise holiday tune. He saw every single Christmas special aired on TV. He sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer over two million times, and always at the top of his lungs. He showed his brother how to open presents, and practiced his sharing skills (still needs some work). He made me also wish Christmas could last forever.

Baby's first Christmas was also a success. Natey was an angel with the Christmas tree, the stockings, and the fireplace -not a broken ornament, torn stocking, or burned finger in sight... and getting to know my Natey over this last year, this is a Christmas miracle.

It truly is a wonderful life.

Christmas Traditions

We are blessed with many great family traditions. One of our favorites is on Christmas Eve, when Bumpa and Jamie break out the guitars and sing Christmas hits. This year, Nate and Luke played the drums in their own way... Listen to me-like a giant dork- say, "Dance it Natey, dance it!" Next year, Bumpa must learn the Hula Hoop Song, by the Chipmunks!

Santa Train

We checked out the Santa Train at Irvine Regional Park last night- the kids had a great time! This is Luke, Owen, Zeke, Shyla and Kylie hanging at the North Pole.

A Heart Full of Joy

The other day Luke was in his bedroom whining and fussing. I went in to see what was the matter and he said, "I can't get the grey shirt! I need the grey shirt!" I told him the shirt he had on was perfectly fine, but he looked at me and replied, "But I want to look just like Dada, Mama." So, we replicated the exact outfit Scott was wearing and as we are discussing which hat, which blue jacket, etc., I hear Scott from the hall, "Oh, my heart is so full of joy!"

So these are my handsome boys, dressed alike, and my heart is also full of joy.

The Little Comedian

Last night Nate and I were doing the dishes while Luke and Scott were finishing dinner. We have a flimsy plastic cutting board, and I had just rinsed it and put it in the washer when Natey grabbed it for himself. Walking across the kitchen floor, he suddenly starts laughing hysterically. I look over and as he is walking, he is mushing his face up against the cutting board. Scott and Luke also see him, and soon all four of us are laughing hysterically, as Nate continues smashing his face against the plastic and strolling across the tile. Finally, with a flourish, Nate drops the cutting board on the floor, and starts clapping. What a comedian!

The Blue Balloon

Beginning Sunday morning, Nate had several days of horrendous diarrhea- I'm talking 10-12 diapers and 7 or more outfits each day. Despite this, he'd been in really good spirits, no other ailments or ills, so I didn't worry too much. Until I saw the chunk of blue balloon floating in the Pamper.

That's right, my child swallowed a chunk of balloon. When you're a parent, you expect the unexpected. But generally, you don't expect a chunk of blue latex to make an appearance in your kid's poop.

In the ER, the doctor told me that the digestive tract will produce diarrhea to rid the body of the foreign object. Since he's firming up now, I'm hopeful that there's no more balloon in there. Or nickels. Or legos. Or...

Hangin' Tough as America's Next Top Model

Okay, so this was the first season I watched America's Next Top Model. I guess the stay at home mommy thing has finally sucked me in. Luke watched the finale with me and he too was riveted. Now, he models like a pro, which I am thankful for since for six months straight every time the camera would click on out would come his tongue...

He also has started dressing himself and often, me. For Thanksgiving he chose the outfit in the picture, including the hat and a single black glove. First he said he was dressing as a prince (I think it was the blue blazer), then he called himself "Dr. Jones" (as in the Dr. Indiana Jones, University professor- it was the hat). Personally, I think he looks like one of the New Kids on the Block.

So the picture here is him "modeling" his Dr. Prince Jones McIntyre Wahlberg outfit.

Going to the Finals

YEA!!!!! Our Daddy is headed to the CIF football finals!!! Go Daddy! Beat Oaks Christian!

Where's Natey?

Nate started walking on the day he turned 10 months. Two weeks later, he's almost running.

He's talking quite a bit ,too, saying "Mama", "Dada", and "Maaa!", which is his highly punctuated name for our dog, Molly.

Nate is a happy, happy baby who laughs and smiles all the time. He loves to eat, especially homemade french fries and morning waffles. His favorite game is peek-a-boo, which he plays any time the opportunity presents itself. In line with this, his favorite words are, "Where's Natey?!" Upon hearing this, he launches into squeals of delight, hiding himself as quickly as he can. He has figured out how to put blocks into the holes of his toy giraffe, and he does this over and over. He is a dancing machine. In short, he is a total joy.

The Christmas Playlist

Now that I am home and have a little more time on my hands, I have discovered iTunes and Limewire and the fun of accessing songs for holiday play lists. Since I was about to kill myself if I had to hear Ghostbusters or Thriller one more time (from our Halloween cd), we made our Christmas cd. Now Luke is singing Rudolph, the Hula Hoop Song, and Frosty. In the back of the car I hear him singing, "Frosty the Snowman, was a Jolly Roger soul..."

Always a pirate.

The SAZoo

Lots of people love the Long Beach Aquarium or the LA Zoo, but we seem to migrate to the Santa Ana Zoo when we're looking for a good time. It's uncrowded, tiny and walkable, with a terrific playground, a train, a merry-go-round, a rain forest and the coolest maze (pictured here with ropes). There's also a shack that has Indiana Jones style costumes and all kinds of insects, paw prints, and manipulatives. The animals are from the barnyard, or else mostly of the monkey variety, although there is a pretty fascinating giant porcupine and a colorful and chatty macaw. As you can see, whenever we go to SAZoo, we have fun!

Dear Shyla

Dear Shyla,

Today there was a slim possibility you might meet us at the zoo, and I was prepared. Unfortunately, you couldn't make it.

Please enjoy these tokens of affection I spent the morning creating. I have not loved a girl since fair Chelsea, who no longer attends La Primera, having moved on to the older boys now that she's at elementary school.

Whenever I see a princess, I think of you Shyla. It doesn't even matter that we're like second- cousins-once-removed. I love you.

Your Prince Philip,

Luke

Aunt Jamie and the Kidspace Museum

Today we hit the Kidspace Museum with Aunt Jamie. Not only is Aunt Jamie fun to be around and always up for an adventure, but she spoils Luke with cool things. Inflatable Batman, Monster Bender, or Legoland tickets, she's Luke's "sure thing".

Thanks for the fun time today Aunt Jamie! Luke especially liked climbing up the river waterfall, playing the drums with a water gun, and the bike track (pictured here behind you guys). We can't wait to hang out again soon!

Let's Get Spiritual

Lately we have been praying to Jesus before bedtime, and it feels good. Luke says, as he lays down to go to bed, "Let's pray to Jesus." This has come out of his fear of Halloween. All the monsters and ghouls have him in his annual dither, and so we ask Jesus to send Guardian Angels to sit by Luke's side while he sleeps. This is a strategy my parents gave to me when I was young and had bad dreams... and whenever I prayed, it ALWAYS worked- no bad dreams. True story. So, we're bringing some faith back into our lives and keeping the monsters at bay. We are also remembering, as Thanksgiving looms, to be thankful for the gifts in our lives. Last night Luke told Jesus he was very thankful for all his toys. Lord knows he's got enough of them!

Nate's Favorite Toy

The dryer is Nate's favorite pastime. He can stand at the open dryer door for hours, trying to climb in while stuffing his mouth with socks and shirts and underwear. Lucky for him, it seems like we are always doing laundry, and lucky for me, I am home now to enjoy his squeals and shrieks of delight as the dryer door opens.

Present Gift

Some time ago, Luke invented a game called "Present Gift". This game consists of him packaging various toys in different ways, and then giving them to me, pretending it's my birthday. Then, I am expected to reciprocate.

I love Present Gift, because when Luke opens his power rangers stuffed into an old shoebox, he always exclaims, "Oh! I love it! Thank You SOOOO much Mommy! It's just what I wanted!" I figure it's good to practice such graciousness.

Today he made 4 gifts for me, and he was taking forever. I tried to go into his room, but he screamed, "STOP! I'm making your cards!" Sometimes we include cards, and I usually pretend to read them, "Dear Mommy, Happy Birthday, Love Luke" or some such thing. Today, Luke made an artsy card for each of the four gifts, and as I opened the first one to "pretend" read it, I noticed it said "MOM". So did the other 3 cards.

What a sweet present gift.

Halloween Cookies

We spent today making Halloween cookies, and because of the HFI, we used dextrose instead of sugar. I am not a fan of the sugar cookie, being more of a chocolate chip gal myself. But, the dextrose experiment was a success... the cookies were good. We even made a cream cheese frosting that Luke LOVED, and was as good as any with "real" sugar.

Climb Every Mountain...

He can scale the fireplace with a leap and a bound!

He can climb the trundle and up to Luke's bed without taking a breath!

He mounts boxes or cushions without a second thought...

He's Super Natey!!!

My Pacifist

There is a bad, bad boy on Luke's soccer team. He pushes and shoves maliciously, his own team members, for NO reason. He is a mean bully, and his parents just sit on the sideline while he runs amok on the soccer field, flailing his bad boy elbows at anyone in his path.

After Luke was pushed down by him for the third time today, I told Luke (it was the quarter folks, I didn't interrupt the game), "The next time that boy pushes you, you tell him to stop it!"

Luke looked at me, took a step back, and said, "Or I could just ignore it , Mom."

"Well, that's a good idea, too."

Branches

As Luke was grabbing onto my face, he said, "Mommy, I'm climbing your branches!"



I winced, and not from the pain of him tugging on my forehead, "Are you talking about my wrinkles?"



"Yep. They look like branches."



Oh, great.

The Bat

Look what we did with our pumpkin- and it won't rot any time soon! Luke is SOOO proud of this pumpkin. We got this idea from my favorite magazine, Family Fun. When we hit the patch with DaDa, we will make a mummy out of gauze. Can't wait!!

The Pumpkin Patch

Today we checked out the pumpkin patch at Irvine Regional Park. We had a great day with our Bumpa, running through the hay maze a gazillion times, riding the train, taking a hay ride, sticking our faces in all the cut out Halloween stands, picnicking, picking a pumpkin, and checking out the owls at the little zoo. Irvine Park rocks, and so does our Bumpa.

Tunnel of Love

I hope by this picture, you can see that baby has a funny sense of humor.
Nate LOVES his toy tunnel. He mushes his face up against the windows, and then pulls back, laughing hysterically. If the tunnel is folded up, he grabs the yellow ties and squeals until I pop the thing open. For a REALLY long time, he is content just laying in this thing, or crawling back and forth inside it, cracking himself up. Sometimes I play chase with him, or hide and seek, but he laughs just the same with or without my intervention.

HFI

Yesterday I took Luke to see a GI specialist at Cedars, and he has been diagnosed with Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (HFI). On Friday we will find out the results of his blood work and whether we will confirm the diagnosis with a liver biopsy or (hopefully) through genetic testing. This diagnosis is a bummer, but Scott and I keep reminding ourselves that it could be a whole lot worse.

What is HFI? It's a genetic metabolic disorder that recognizes any sugar in his system as poison. This includes naturally occurring sugars in all fruits and most vegetables, as well as refined sugar in bread, baked goods, candy, etc.. If he continued to eat sugars he would likely, later in life, have renal failure. For a long time, Luke's symptoms have included yellow poop, vomiting, lethargy, and anemia. Luke's liver is currently measuring two centimeters too large. The biggest concern at this point about his liver is that it is "exposed" , meaning that a car accident or rough blow to the abdomen could be deadly.

The only treatment for HFI is modified diet, and with this he can lead a long and COMPLETELY normal, long, healthy life. The other lifelong concern will be hypoglycemia. Once the diagnosis is confirmed he will likely need a "med alert" bracelet, due to the hypoglycemia and the fact that if something were to-God forbid - happen, Luke cannot have a normal IV in a hospital.

Luke has a natural dislike for most of the things that make him sick. But there will be many adjustments for us as a family, especially as he gets older. We have to plan out how we will teach him about the condition. He'll never really be able to have a birthday cake, or champagne at his wedding, or take 2 bucks to buy himself lunch at school. Every year, I'll have to buy his Halloween loot from him so he can go buy a toy instead. Eating at restaurants and at other people's houses will be hard for him too.

So what can he have? Pasta, butter, Bisquick, eggs, milk, cheese, spinach, celery, potato, rice, fish, steak... lots of things. But he can't have most sauces- no tomato, catsup, most salad dressings, no soy or teriyaki sauce, no carrots... Also, "sugar free" is not necessarily safe, as it contains sorbitol, which he also cannot have.

For concerned family members, I am including a link for you! And I will keep you posted as his results come in.

http://www.bu.edu/aldolase/HFI/

Superstitious Folk

For those of you not intimately acquainted with a coach, let me tell you- they are superstitious folk.

Last week I caught Scott in the bathroom putting on a Scooby Doo band-aid.


"Wow! That cut on your hand still hasn't healed? It's been two weeks!"


And then I knew. Something about the look in his eyes... the Scooby Doo band-aid was the 2008 Serra Football Friday lucky charm.


Every year it's something different- certain shoes, a particular pair of socks, a specific pre-game song or cd. One year it was a Jumbo Jack (or was it a Whopper?). Now, it's Scooby's turn, and so far he's 4-0.


So, if you see Scott on the sideline with a Scooby Doo band-aid on his finger, don't fret. He's not hurt; he's just rockin' his lucky charm 2008.

It's Just Focking Nonsense

My four year old speaks nonsense all the time. This weekend, his favorite word was any variation of "fock". We heard "Sock, Fock, Pock, Mock" and similar sing-songy babble. He told Scott, "Nate is a frog. He's a frogger. He's a focker," and, of course, Scott stifled his laugh. Later I overheard Luke say, "Fock, Fock, Fock." I couldn't resist a giggle, as hard as I tried. But when I heard him exclaim, "What the fock!" I knew we were partly responsible for this focking nonsense. Oh dear.

Squeaky

This is squeaky. All day long, he makes the squeakiest sounds. He squeaks when he's cruising along the cabinets, he squeaks when he kisses himself in the mirror, he squeaks when he plays hide and seek. And check out his teeth! What a babe!

Fun at LACMA

Today we hit Miracle Mile, visiting both the Petersen Automotive Museum and LACMA. At Petersen, Luke dug the small Hot Wheels display, the model racecars, and a CRAZY looking silver skeleton motorcycle. At LACMA, we spent the entire time in the Boone Gallery participating in Construct. This is where Luke painted this sweet Wall E , surrounded by "trash". Construct was a cool place- you could write on the walls with chalk, other walls were for painting, there were foam building blocks (we made a pretty cool house), and EVERY kind of art supply you could imagine: sticks, fabric, glue, paint, crayons, stencils, magazine cuttings, yarn, colored tape, all kinds of paper, empty toilet paper rolls, stickers, old postcards, colored tissue, cardboard- an artist's paradise!

Little Picasso

Lately Luke has been consumed with art. He uses many mediums: chalk, markers, crayons, paint. And many canvases: sidewalk, paper, carpet (boo hoo).

A friend suggested that his burgeoning motor skills are the reason, and I agree. But he also has passion for drawing, which I hope he retains, because although I am crafty, artistic I am not. And ,well, Scott's art skills are limited to drawing routes and doodling plays in one of his five hundred and thirty spiral football notebooks.

Luke's #1 favorite thing to draw is Wall E. But, he also enjoys sketching rabbits, ghosts, spiders, skeletons, pirate ships, puppies, Indiana Jones, caves, reindeer, bats, and snowmen. He also really, really, really likes to write his name.

Tomorrow we are headed to LA County Museum of Modern Art- they are supposed to have a fantastic kids program, and the museum is free for everyone when you bring a child! If Luke is so inspired, I plan on having an Art Show at our house, complete with highlights from his collection, appetizers, and beverages served in champagne glasses. Hopefully some of you out there will make it to his art show, feeling free to take one of his masterpieces home with you. I have pictures of bunnies and Wall E coming out of my ears.

The Easy Babies

Lately I am struck by the comparisons people make between my two kids.

"Oh, Nate seems so happy! Luke wasn't like this, was he?"
"Oh, look how curious Nate is! Luke was much more of a chill baby!"
"You finally have your easy baby!"

I know they are well meant compliments to Nate, but for some reason I always feel a bit defensive of Luke. Perhaps we always idealize our first child? But the whole concept's got me thinking. Here's how Nate is "easier":

1. Nate naps in his crib twice a day without any problems. Luke had to be in the swing or driven around. Every. Single. Time.

2. Nate has no attachment or lovey (well, except for his mom)- Luke loved that pacifier!

3. Nate has no food sensitivities; Luke was called "Puke Altenberg" until just last year, yakking up anything with fructose or sugar.

But here's how Luke was "easier":

1. Luke was sleeping all the way through the night- 7 to 7- by the time he was 4 months old. Nate is still waking up once, usually around 4 a.m.

2. Luke took a bottle and the occasional formula eagerly; Nate won't touch either.

3. Luke went to ANYONE, and always with a huge smile. Natey is a mama's boy 100%.

4. Luke waited til he was about 9 months to crawl, and he was very cautious. Nate crawled at 6 months and is a daredevil of Evel Knevel proportions.

In general, the boys are extremely similar in their dispositions. They are both usually happy and each has a funny little sense of humor. They both seem easy to me, and I am incredibly blessed that this has been the case. If it seems different to folks out there, I chalk it up to the refined parenting the second time around. I am not the same slave to the schedule I once was (although I still think routine is important!). I am not worried about every little cough or sniffle. I get out of the house more, with the kids and without them. I am not obsessing over the inevitable return to work (but only because I won't be going back for some time still). And mostly, I am cherishing every single moment, because I know that even a bad day goes by too quickly.

Holy Smokes Indy!

Playing Indiana Jones is serious business and a full time job these days. Daddy is the sidekick "Shorty", which is hilarious. And mommy is always "The Girl". Thanks to Bumpa we have this cool hat, and Scott's old fly fishing vest completes the ensemble.

I know some think Luke's genes predispose him to be an All-American football player, but I am pretty sure he actually got more of the actor in him. We shall see. :)

The Silver Surfer

The Silver Surfers had their first game on Saturday! So far, here are the top ten things Luke loves about AYSO Soccer:

1. His cool uniform.

2. Stomping in mud puddles and standing on the field cleaning his cleats.

3. Running around in circles.

4. The huddle.

5. Anyone scoring from either team (he screams with a huge smile, "They scored!!!!")

6. The cool tunnel the parents make afterwards (pictured).

7. His own cheering section (thanks for coming Jamie, Nana, Hal, Kiki, & Kurt)!

8. The yummy bag of snacks from the team mom, Christina.

9. Playing against his best friend Cole's team, "The Racers".

10. Going to pizza after the big game, preferably at "Shake's" (aka Shakey's), but Georgios will do!

Game next week at 2 pm!

The Altenberg Boys Celebrate!

WOO HOO! Daddy's team beat Carson! Woo HOO! Go Serra Cavaliers!

The Football Widow

Ladies and Gentlemen, football season is upon us, and I am a football widow once again. Tonight my husband's team, ranked number 2 in the South Bay, plays first-ranked Carson. I'll let you know how it goes. Scott is consumed, both by his own season, as well as with our annual season tickets to UCLA. The boys are, as you can see here, getting in the spirit. And tomorrow is Luke's first futbol game (soccer for those of you who may be confused). Anyway, the Altenberg family unit will be available again sometime in mid December.

Until then, Fight On (just kidding Scott)!

Zoolander

Check out Luke working it for the camera. Reminds me:

Derek Zoolander: Well I guess it all started the first time I went through the second grade. I caught my reflection in a spoon while I was eating my cereal, and I remember thinking "wow, you're ridiculously good looking, maybe you could do that for a career."
Matilda: Do what for a career?
Derek Zoolander: Be professionally good looking.

Michael Phillips

Last week we were running errands at Sports Authority and Luke screamed, "Look Mommy! Michael Phelps!" I was floored that he not only knew who Michael Phelps was, but could recognize him on sight. Apparently Daddy's Olympic watching made an impact!

Later, as we were walking into his swimming lessons, he said, "I'm Michael Phillips, right Mommy?" I tried to correct him, but this time he swore the name was Michael Phillips, and that Luke had indeed become Michael Phillips in the flesh.

The good and bad news is that Michael Phillips has no fear of the water. He will stand on the pool's edge, waiting to belly flop on in, hollering, "closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, back, back, backer, back, closer, STOP!" to the person who is to catch him. But thanks to the warm summer and his lessons at the Torrance Plunge, Luke is getting to be a decent little swimmer, so I don't worry too much.

It's really too bad Luke didn't connect to any of the male gymnasts the way he did to Michael Phelps. I would've loved to see Scott's reaction if Luke shouted, "I'm Alexander 'Sasha' Artemev!"

Mother of the Year

As we were leaving soccer practice, Luke announces, "I have to pee-pee really bad!" and there's not a restroom to be found. I put Nate in his carseat, and pull Luke over to the side of the car. He's gonna discreetly pee on the side of the car. I'm helping him get his pants down when I hear THUD. Nate has fallen out of the carseat onto the sideboard of the car, face down, and then rolls out of the car onto the concrete.

My heart stopped.

The baby screamed.

Luke peed all over himself.

AYSO will probably not be nominating me for Soccer Mom of the Year.

So, Nathaniel made his first trip to the ER, with a black eye, facial bruise, and leg abrasion from hitting the sideboard, and a decent cut on the back of his head from the gravel on the concrete. He's fine, thank God. Me, not so fine.

Luke was not a daredevil- he was always cautious (still is), and now I am even more grateful for the security that gave me as an unknowing first time mom. I am discovering my second child is VERY different; from any location in the house, Nate can find an open toilet or the dog's water in under ten seconds. He twists and turns and writhes in every swing, highchair, stroller, and, as we have learned, carseat. Since he was crawling, standing, and cruising at six and a half months, he also has taken to CLIMBING rather quickly.

For the last seven months I have felt that having two children is a breeze. I'm sort of changing my view on that now that Nate is more mobile. So, please pray for us. Pray that I can learn to master the shoulder straps, avoid distractions, and keep the heart attacks at bay. Pray that Luke develops a bladder of steel, and Nate escapes babyhood in one piece. Amen.

Tell Me What You Really Think...

Just now, Nate was throwing cheerios from his high chair- he thought it was hilarious. I told Luke, "I call him the mess-maker." I kid you not, Luke's reply was, "I call him the mistaker."

The Problem With Markers

Not as bad as the artwork he created on the semi-new carpet, the images still invoke Silence of the Lambs, leaving me screaming, "Put the lotion in the Basket!" all day long. Precious.

The Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens is one of my favorite South Bay destinations! Here's why: 1)They have a great children's program (2) picnicking rocks, and (3) the imagination runs wild! Vines from fig trees are dreams come true for Indiana Jones. The Lake serves as Davey Jones' Locker. Rocks are treasures. Cactus is home to evil villains (cousin Shyla believes Maleficent is in the candelabra cactus). The pics above are from our most recent adventure, which we were thrilled to share with Ben's daughter Kylie, ditty Auntie Sherry, Slurping Cousin Jenny and her hilarious Shyla, plus our own Gramma Laurie.

Questions

Luke is a late bloomer when it comes to question asking. Ages two and three passed him right on by with barely a "Why, Momma?" Now suddenly at four, the questions haven't stopped. The questions range from annoying to silly to profound to just plain difficult to answer. Tonight is one example for you. After books, we always sing one bedtime song. Tonight, Puff the Magic Dragon went something like this:

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee,
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff,
And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.

"What's sealing wax Mommy?" (It's sticky stuff, like goop)
"What does Puff do with that?" (He puts it on the ceiling)
"Oh. Why?" (I'm not sure. Let's sing okay? It's getting late)

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail

"Does Puff fly Mommy?" (Yes)
"Why is he on a boat then?" (Good question. Probably because Jackie can't fly.)
"But Puff could carry him on his back, right?" (Yep. I think they probably just love boat rides. Boat rides are fun, right?) "Right."

Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puffs gigantic tail,
Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came
Pirate ships would lower their flag when Puff roared out his name

A dragon lives forever but not so little boys

"He doesn't die?" (Nope.)
"But I'm gonna die?" (Not anytime soon buddy.)
"I don't wanna die!" (Oh honey, don't worry about that!)

Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.
One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more

"Because he died?" (No honey, he just grew up.)
"And he doesn't like Puff anymore?" (He still loves Puff, but he's a grown up man and he's probably really busy).
"Why?" (Hey baby, let's sing the next part, okay?)
"Okay."

And puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain,
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.

"Why, Mommy?" (Because he really misses Jackie Paper.)
"It's Jackie Papers mommy, Jackie Papers, not Paper." (Oh, sorry.)

Without his life-long friend, Puff could not be brave,
So Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave.

"And then he died?" (No honey, dragons live forever remember?)
"Oh Yeah." (Goodnight baby.)
"Did Puff like the pirates?" (What pirates?)
"The ones with the flags?" (Of course. OK, goodnight buddy.)
"Is Puff's cave like the one in Indiana Jones with a treasure in it?" (Let's talk about that tomorrow, okay?)
"Okay. Goodnight."

Who Needs A Daughter?

Having just returned from an overnight at Bumpa's house, Luke was loaded with "coin-ees". Bumpa has a jar of change in his garage that he regularly lets Luke raid. At home, Luke uses these coins to fill his treasure chests, and he often spreads the coins out, sorts them, and divvies them up between pirates.

Now that I have a crawling baby in the house, the coin-ees are making me nervous. So, we decided to take them all to the bank and turn them into paper money. I told Luke he could use that paper money to get whatever he wanted.

Wescom Credit Union has that cool coin sorting machine, and it's free to use. So in we went, and Luke operated the machine. Super fired up, he then brought his ticket to the bank teller and collected his $17.46 (that's a lot of coin-ees!).

Off we went to Target for our shopping spree. Four years old is a cool age because kids know EXACTLY what they want; there is no indecision and no wavering. We recently rented Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Luke has a new obsession. Turns out, Indiana Jones is just like a pirate, looking for treasure and having fun adventures. So, he said, "Where is the Indiana Jones stuff?" Once there he examined each figurine. When I explained he only had enough money for one, he decided on the Raiders Indiana in the turban, complete with a "treasure" (aka the lost ark).

Off we go to check out, and we pass the boys clothing section. Learning from his nana and aunt Kiki, Luke loves to shop! He was beside himself at the underwear rack "OH LOOK! SPEED RACER! DO WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR THESE!!?!!" As a matter of fact, we did. Let me repeat that for you. My four year old son spent his OWN money on an Indiana figurine, and UNDERWEAR.

He gave his money to the checker, and had $2 to spare. Just beyond checkout is the snack bar, "Mommy, do I have enough for a soda and some popcorn?" Well, I did tell him he could spend his money however he wanted, so we sat in the snack bar sharing some diet coke and popcorn, talking about Indiana Jones, his treasure, and how cool it is to save your coin-ees.

I'm Still Standin'- Yea! Yea! Yea!

Nate's been crawling for a week. Came into his room today, and this is what I found. He's not even seven months yet; we're in trouble!!! I'll be spending the week baby proofing the house.

Big Brother Is Watching You

Big Brother is watching you. This particular big brother goes by the name Luke.

"Mommy! Daddy just growled at me. Tell him we don't growl in this family."

"Daddy- that girl on TV just called that toy stupid. We don't say stupid, right?"

"Mommy! You just said 'Oh My God'."

"Kiki! Kurt won't answer me when I talk to him."

"But Mommy, Bumpa says I don't have to wear this part of the seatbelt on my chest. And Chloe said it, too."

"You know what Bumpa did Mama? He set off the alarm on the Mc-N-Donald's door!"

Okay, so he's developing into a bit of a tattle-tale. But it's not obnoxious (yet). He's really trying to just understand the rules and the limits. And then push them a bit. So, watch yourself around Luke, because Big Brother is watching you, and reporting back all the sordid details!

Soccer Mom

Last week I spoke with Coach Hicks, Luke's first soccer coach. His first practice is tomorrow, and tomorrow I officially become a Soccer Mom. From looking at this picture, I am sure you can tell how fired up young Skywalker is. He is totally rocking that headband and wristband set. You can't see the shin guards, but I assure you, he's got them on. The only thing missing now is the minivan parked out front of our house.

Coach Hicks had us submit a team name based on the colors black and silver. Apparently he puts them all in a hat, and the chosen name becomes the team name. Luke's suggestion was "The Batmans". I tried to talk him into "The Batmen", but he wasn't hearing it. He said, "Let's just be the Bruce Wayne's then." Where does he get this stuff?!?

Oh, Tahoe

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I needed a vacation after my vacation.

We got home at 12:15 a.m. Monday morning from our annual Tahoe trip. This was a memorable year. Nate cut his first tooth while we were there (Yeah!) so he was up every hour and a half (Boo!). We rented a party boat on the WINDIEST day possible and got drenched by the FREEZING lake water. Seriously. Freezing. We missed our flight home, and not for any good reason. We had just sort of lallygagged through lunch (Why anyone lallygags at Applebee's I cannot tell you), and then Scott got pulled over by Johnny Law. While waiting for him to receive his ticket, I almost peed my pants. Scott and I contemplated me going in a cup ( I had the pants coming off before I thought better of it). We even discussed whether one of Nate's diapers might do the trick. Scott make a stop at the gas station. Then the gas station attendant told us an "alternate route" which was supposed to be quicker to the airport (Stop shaking your head!!! She had most of her teeth! I thought she knew what she was talking about!!!) We got sort of lost. We finally pulled up to the airport with- I kid you not- 18 minutes to spare and a rental car still to be returned. We left the clicker to the garage of our rental house in that same rental car. The plane left without us. Five hours later, followed by a layover in Oakland, then a flight to LA ( Did I mention our car was at the LONG BEACH AIRPORT?) we all safely made it home.

Please don't think the trip was all bad. There was some fun family bonding going on with my in-laws. Luke loves his cousins Kurt and Chloe (pictured above), and they equally love Luke and Nate. We ate great food, shopped, miniature golfed, rafted, hung out at the Horizon casino pool, and much more. As always. I am looking forward to the next Tahoe trip, and hanging out on the "Brennberg Party Boat"!

Our Watch Dog

This morning I found our old girl sleeping on the outdoor couch as shown here. At nearly 15, she's decided she's too old and tired to fight, preferring to just sleep armed with her pistol. Thanks for taking such good care of us, Molly.

Birthday Boy

The party's over and we all survived. Thanks to Batman, who saved the day.

Happy Birthday Buddy

Dear Bubby,

One day soon after you were born, we were in your room and the song "If" came on:

If a picture paints a thousand words, Then why can't I paint you?
The words will never show the you I've come to know.
If a face could launch a thousand ships, Then where am I to go?
There's no one home but you, You're all that's left, me too.
And when my love for life is running dry,
You come and pour yourself on me.
If a man could be two places at one time, I'd be with you.
Tomorrow and today, beside you all the way.
If the world should stop revolving spinning slowly down to die,
I'd spend the end with you. And when the world was through,
Then one by one the stars would all go out,
Then you and I would simply fly away

While the song played, I sat in that rocker, holding you, nursing you, looking at your little face and hands, and sobbing. I could not believe I could love someone so much after knowing you for only a few weeks. To this day, that moment, that feeling, was the most overwhelming and intense sense of joy, wonder and awe I have ever experienced. Even after your Dad discovered me and teased me for crying, that moment changed my life more than any other; it was the very moment I realized I was deeply and madly in love with you.

I look back on that time, and I cannot believe that this week you will be four years old. We have so many wonderful times together and so many things we enjoy doing together now:

• Riding the gate at La Primera
• SkinnyMarinki Dinki Dink- the karaoke version- in the car
• "Is that a good idea?"
• Packing your cars for the park, and eagerly sharing them with new friends once there
• Swimming with your goggles in the bathtub
• Hugs and kisses
• "Play with me!"
• Peeing on the grass and into the wind as you please
• Your frequent marriage proposals to your Mommy
• Sassiness- "I won't!" and "You're not my friend!"
• Soccer on the driveway
• You writing the script for everything we do... "Mommy, you say 'Don't kill my guy' and then I'll say 'Yes' and then pretend he's dead and you will cry, okay?"
• Singing songs at bedtime: "Puff", "Hush Little Baby", "In My Life", "Rainbow Connection"
• Frequent, masterful negotiating
• Root beer floats on the patio
• Grabbing our coin-ees and running out front, waving our arms to stop the ice cream man
• Searching for and catching "critters" for your critter case.
• Getting your "mail" (a.k.a. Highlights) and doing projects together, like homemade playdough and celery boats
• Snowflake waffles, Utmeal (oatmeal), and other cooking projects
• Your footfall in the hallway on your way in for our morning snuggle
• Looking forward to each new day, asking before you fall asleep, "What will we do this day?" (meaning tomorrow)

Saturday night, on your birthday, we will go to your favorite restaurant, Benihana, to celebrate and "to see that guy toss the egg into his hat". Sunday we will have your Pirate Party with the castle bounce house and your homemade coloring books. And every day I will continue to thank God for blessing me with you. You are so very loved, Luke.

xo,

Mama

Goodbye Father P

Scott asks, "Hey Luke, wanna go to Father Pilato's goodbye party at Serra today?"

"What will they have there?"

"A BBQ, a jumper, games... Wanna go?" Scott asks again.

Still thinking it over Luke inquires, "What kind of jumper?"

"I'm not sure buddy."

And Luke says, "Maybe it will be a Jesus Jumper."

True story.
Today the Altenberg's will jump for Jesus.

Nate Update

At almost 6 months, Nate has finally woken up. He is sitting up unassisted for some periods of time, and is increasingly curious about the world around him. He rolls both ways, and has rejected the swaddle. He has even started using the walker, and can move about at an increasing speed day by day. He is fascinated with our dog, Molly, and even more enchanted by Luke. He loves his toys (stuffed toys, activity gym, sound boards) and he loves to be part of the action.

He is still being fickle about real food, indulging in at most only one true meal a day. In the meantime, he is nursing well, as long as I stay away from milk and soy (he's still allergic). We are still struggling to supplement, as he won't take a bottle. We have recently had moderate success with a cup, but he can be fickle about that, too. He goes down about 8 pm, with a waking between 3 and 5 a.m., then back down again until about 7:30. He naps two or three times per day.

He is cute as a button. He smiles often, but he cries and fusses more now than he did before. He is more assertive and demanding, but he is also flirty and cuddly. He has a great sense of humor, and he loves to play "parachute" (I bought one on ebay when Luke was born- we use it to make forts, and now to entertain Nate). I sit him under the parachute, and Luke and I hook some of the handles to the bed, holding onto other handles ourselves. Then we make little and big waves and Nate just squeals in delight, reaching his arms up and out to try to grab hold.

Some of his many nicknames are Natey, Skater, Nader, and the Senator (Scott thinks he looks like John McCain). But whatever we call him, he is most of all a precious little angel.