Luke turned 7 in grand style that only Indiana Jones could provide.
In January we went out to dinner at the Mayan and Luke turned to me and said with awed amazement: "This is where Indiana Jones would eat." And then he announced that this is where his family birthday party would be. And he never forgot.
Fast forward 4 months later. Luke came prepared dressed in his costume and the high expectations of a party that had been planned in his little mind in what seems like forever and probably a little of his mom's perfectionistism. (Is that even a word?) I was a little worried that although we were prepared with the decorations and the cake and everything else, something would happen that he would be disappointed or that the party would not live up to his expectations.
In the middle of the party, Luke came up to give me a big hug and said "This is the best night ever." And then the next day he told me that he couldn't stop thinking about the Mayan. Whew. Success.
A couple days later we graced Jungle Jim's with our presence and I think everyone had a great time. I had a great time after I had my diet coke and realized that my nephew had not been kidnapped.
Luke, I love you so much. I think you are delicious, delectable, and delightful. Here are 7 reasons why:
-You are determined. I will never forget the day when I was inside the house just after your 5th birthday and Nicholas knocked on the door. He told me that you had a surprise for me and there you were, riding your friend's two wheeled bike, all by yourself, without any encouragement or help from me or your dad. You also were the first of your brothers to learn how to do the monkey bars all the way across because you would try over and over and over again and not get discouraged when you would fall off.
-You roll with the punches. Really nothing bothers you. And if it does, you deal with it and move on.
-You have a soft heart underneath your tough exterior. It is no secret you are the most stubborn of all your brothers, but you have such a big heart. I was so proud of you the other day when we were at the ballpark watching Nick's game and you wanted to go over to the park. No big deal except that Liam followed you and so I was a little concerned that you would forget about him and do your own thing. I walked over to the park so I could get Liam but there you were, pushing Liam in the baby swing and talking to him so nicely. A bit later, some boys threw some wood chips at Liam and I came over because I heard him crying. I expected the worst, like an injury of some sort, but I came across you telling these boys off saying: "Stop throwing things at my little brother, he is just a little boy!" You are a great defender and I am glad that you stick up for what is right.
-You are all boy. You love to be outside. You love to ride your bike. You could ride it all day. You frequently come home covered in dirt or some sort of filth. You love anything having the words fart, poo, or any other gross bodily function attached to it. You also never let your broken arm bother you. The day you got your hard cast on the doctor told you to be careful for a couple days. You went out and rode your bike that day and when I told you that the doctor probably didn't want him to ride his bike yet, you retorted that the doctor just told you to be careful and you didn't plan on crashing that day. And the day after you got your cast off, you were back on the darn monkey bars, the same things that helped you break your arm in the first place.
-You are consistent. Once you love something, you stick to it. You loved Thomas trains for about four years. That was our barganing tool to get you to do anything. You just recently switched to loving Indiana Jones and we are now into this full force. Anytime we purchase something is blue, we just know that you will claim it because it is your favorite color of all time. It is always so easy to get you something you will like for your birthday or Christmas!
-You always find a way to get what you want. When you were 3, we decided to start potty training you. You did great during the day but would still wear pull ups at night. I was getting sick of buying them so I made you a deal. I would buy you Gordon and James (Thomas train's friends)if you would wake up with a dry pull up for a week. The next morning, bam! Dry pull up. The next two days produced the same result. I was so excited I went out and bought you the trains even though it had not been a week. I wish I would have waited because when I was cleaning out your room that day, I found 3 wet pullups under your bed. You changed your diaper in the morning before coming into my room and hid your wet ones under the bed. Very clever. You also have a devilishly adorable smile and laugh that melt my heart.
-You give amazing hugs. You are the perfect size to squeeze!
