Time for a new post, but unfortunately no new pics. I need to dust of the camera, probably literally since Greg and a man named Kevin have been busy sanding and staining all the wood work in the downstairs of our house. It looks beautiful but it is far from complete and most of it isn't back up yet. It looks a million times better than when Greg was trying to do it himself, and Kevin is helping us out for a very minimal fee. He is an expert at it and has figured out different mixtures of stain for our three different kinds of wood so that they all end up looking pretty much the same color! Pretty awesome!

Luke is SOOOOOO two!I am still having fun with it, figuring out how to help him through a world where he is still very limited but in which he wants and demands to be more independent and self reliant. I delight in his successes and puzzle over how to help him through the things which are either not safe or which he is incapable of doing at this point. He is changing and learning new things everyday and becoming such a little boy, sometimes I want to give him a big squeeze and tell him to slow down a little, but I know it is impossible. Thank goodness he still loves to snuggle with me and Greg. I don't know what I will do when he tells me not to hug him anymore!

We have had some really beautiful weather this week and for once I didn't have to work when it was nice outside. I spent one afternoon at the zoo with Luke and we got to see the elephants being bathed and going through their tricks. That was really fun for both of us. Then we went to the chimp area but we only got the tail end of the zoo keeper talk there. Luke still really enjoyed them. Next we went to the Amphibians which was also supposed to have a keeper talk shortly but when we got there Luke did well for about ten minutes and then suddenly wanted to leave right away!!! I tried to get him interested in all the snakes and frogs and turtles but I only had minimal success so eventually I gave up and let him lead me to the Jungle, where they were feeding the fish. I don't know what happened there but from the moment we walked into the building he was scared of everything. I got him to calm down and enjoy the birds or the golden lion tamarinds a couple of seconds here and there but for the most part he hated it and was freaking out. We went home after that and took a good nap together!

He has never been scared of things like this before, I guess it is part of his growing up. He is also now afraid of big trucks, tractors and machines when they are moving anywhere close to him. He still loves his toys and he likes to watch them from far away but nothing close up at all. He is also scared of our dog Sam now, but at the same time he has a desire to interact with him. He tells me that we need to feed Sam or let Sam come inside or put Sam outside, etc. and he wants to help me do all of that, but whenever Sam comes near him he gets scared and starts crying or clinging to me.

The second day I thought it would be fun to go to the park, and that it would be fun to do something with Ben and Andrea. Fortunately they were free for something last minute so we got together and grilled hot dogs and ate outside on their porch. I got a bunch of cheap bubbles that Luke had a blast with and later we walked to the park close to their house and Luke got to play with a bunch of other kids who happened to be there. He really loves all the slides. Ben became a hit with a group of about four little boys who saw that he had brought along a Frisbee so he got tied up pretty good for a while doing that. It was so beautiful outside and so nice not to have to worry about cars ten feet from my front door. (Ok, that is an exaggeration, but they are definitely way to close for us to play outside at our house.) It was nice to catch up with Ben and Andrea too. To just relax together. We don't do that nearly as often as we should.

Luke has gone to Sunday School twice now and has stayed all by himself both times. I am very proud of him for this, but I'm not sure if he is completely ready for it or not because I have gotten reports from the teachers that after I am gone he won't interact with the other kids and acts sad, putting his head down on a chair and sitting by himself, which is not the way he acts around other kids normally at all. I'm not sure if it is the rules, "Now it's time to sing", "You have to eat your cookie at the table", or if it is the fact that I am not there and he is starting to get more fearful. He doesn't cling to me or anything when I leave him, just gives me a kiss and says bye like normal, but he does look sad and he is extremely glad when I get back, more so than normal when I go some where. I guess it might also be that he is just needing time to gain trust that I will always come back to get him from this new setting, and to get to know the teachers better too. I think the first Sunday he actually did better than the second but the first Sunday my Aunt and Uncle were teaching and he does know them a bit. Anyway, it's one that I will have to figure out with him. I am going to ask his teachers for a list of songs they sing so we can sing them at home so he can learn them. Maybe if he has a hard time again I will stay one Sunday with him so I can see what he does if I am there, if there is something in particular that he is bothered by or if there is anything I can do help the teachers understand him better.

Luke is also using the potty chair a lot recently. He still hasn't figured out how to tell me he needs to pee, and he doesn't really care if he goes in his diaper or not, but he does really like candy! He has gone in the potty chair as many as three or four times in one day and I always make a big fuss about it. Usually it is when he first wakes up or right before his bath, but occasionally he goes at random times through out the day. Even if he can't go he likes to try because he knows if he goes he gets a little piece of candy. (M&M's are great!) I think he might still be a ways off from being completely ready to potty train, but he is getting a lot better and more interested in it than he ever has been before, and it is fun to see him be proud of himself.

Well, I need to go to bed. I'll try to take some pics and put them up soon.