Fireworks!

For those of you who are unaware State College has the 3rd largest fireworks show in the US.  The fireworks are the culmination to the 4th of July celebration.  In the past we have watched them in a neighborhood cudi-sac, with a clear shot looking towards the football stadium.  You can see everything pretty well, except for the VIP ground fire-works (you have to pay money to sit in the VIP viewing area).  My really good friend decided that she wanted to see them up close, and to feel the boom!  I have hesitated doing this in the past, because I have heard it is a real mess trying to get out after the fireworks, and also because we would need to go several hours in advance to get a good spot.  I love my friend and she is one of my closest and dearest friends so, though I thought she was a little crazy, I decided she was worth any extra hassle.

As usual when we want to do something I tell Craig what I want to do, and he comes up with the plan.  So Craig disappeared into his cave (office) and emerged later with a plan and we went for it.  I must note they also have a carnival, kids stuff, live music, races and several other things going on before the fireworks, so it is quite an event with thousands of people.  Things went well, and we even found free parking!!!  Craig found a prime spot, though I doubted him, because three hours before the fireworks, nobody was over there or had blankets set up.  Lets be honest, if you were in Utah you would have had your blanket set up early that morning, and showed up hours before the event, but fortunately we are not in Utah and State College doesn't run that way.  They are much more relaxed and ho-hum.  After Craig reassured me numerous times, literally pointing to the fireworks sitting in on the ground a mere 100 yards from where we were set up, and showing me the VIP sitting area, that was not far from us, I was convinced.

Our spot was in the back corner of the baseball field, but to get into the field you could not bring in food or water.  They were inspecting bags, but our friend said if you told them it was for your kids they would let you in.  My friend and I had three of the kids, while the husbands were in staking out our spot.  She sat with them while they finished up their hot dogs and I went to relieve the boys.  I told the guy that I knew he had to inspect my bag, but the food was for the kids, and I pointed at the kids, he looked me up and down, noting that I was obviously pregnant and said, "I am not going to mess with that, I will let it slide, you go right a head....and congratulations!"  I couldn't help but laugh, if I was in Utah there would be no way he would have let me in, pregnant or not, because he would have had to do the same thing for all the other pregnant women.  This town does have it perks, it is just not common to be pregnant.

The fireworks we amazing!!!!  You could definitely hear them!!!!  It was the best I have every seen, and seeing them that close definitely makes a difference!!!  Lucas was scared at the beginning, he hid behind our friend because she was sitting the farthest back.  He had a look of pure fear on his face, but slowly warmed up and soon he was next to Craig commenting on how pretty and cool they were.  He is still talking about them and all the colors we saw.

To round out our 4th of July celebration, we had also gone to Greenwood Furnace for swimming that morning and hung out.  It was way fun!  A long and hot, but fun day!!!

Wow it is a hot one!

So here was are at the beginning of July, I am almost thirty-one weeks pregnant and let me tell you it is hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We are on our second day in a row of serious heat.  Last week we had some hot, hot, hot days of upper eighties-ninety degree weather, but now add humidity in there and you get a very sweaty, miserable summer day!  Lucas comes in from outside or from a ride in the car, drenching of sweat with a pink face.  I think we have all suffered from dehydration, though I have been trying to keep a lot of water on hand.  This is definitely at the top of the list of things I am not going to miss when we leave!

Palmyra

Thanks to our wonderful friends we had the opportunity to do a session in the Palmyra temple (which is one the things that was on my list to get done before leaving next year).  Granted we had to leave at 4:30 in the morning, and our wonderful, amazing friend had to drive up to Palmyra by herself with four kids all under the age of four!  Friend, you are amazing!!!!!  We went and saw the church sites, the sacred grove, visitor center, and the Hill Cumorah.  We also ate at this burger joint the Chill and Grill.  They had good burgers and yummy ice-cream!  I have been craving twist cones, with chocolate and vanilla, but they are impossible to find!!!  When we visited Palmyra three years ago, we briefly talked to a lady who was there with her family, who said they ate at the burger place that is known for their big portions, and that it is the place to go to.  Every since then I have wanted to try this place, but that was all the info we had to go on.  Thanks to a wonderful husband and asking the sister missionaries at the Sacred Grove, we found the place and my dream was fulfilled!  As for the big portions, the ice cream Lucas is eating in the picture (both in the cone and bowl, plus what he already had eaten) is HALF of a kiddie-cone.

Amish Man!

Last week I decided to get up early on a Saturday and go to some garage sales, I was looking for a little sand box and bike for Lucas.  Needless to say I didn't find what I wanted and I was frustrated, annoyed, and upset while I was driving home.  At least until I passed Ollies (a store) and saw the most beautiful site, the Amish farmer's market!  (Basically an Amish man and his family who sell a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and pastries on certain days).  I couldn't resist, so I pulled in and bought some delicious blueberries, rhubarb (Craig loves this stuff, and I figured if I showed up with rhubarb he would be okay with the fact that I didn't come back with what I initially went out for).  I also purchased some zucchini which was calling my name, telling me that would go wonderfully with mini chocolate chips.  I have been craving zucchini bread (I am not sure if it is a pregnancy craving or just me)!  Way to go Amish man for turning my frown upside down!

Kiss

Lucas is talking constantly and you can understand him pretty much 90% of the time.  Though pronunciation is still difficult for him.  I can't remember what we were doing or how it came about, but I think Craig gave me a kiss, and Lucas decided he wanted a kiss too, so he said, "I want a kiss, kiss", unfortunately it said more like, "I want a piss, piss".  This is not nearly as bad as when we were driving and Lucas was pointing out the trucks, and saying truck, but it didn't sound like truck, just replace the T with an F and that is what it sounds like.

Del Grosso's!

A few weeks ago we went to Del Grosso (an amusement park, about 35 minutes from us).  We go once a year when we can get a good deal.  This year Lucas was tall enough to go on several of the rides, but  unfortunately on some of them he had to have an adult, and I am incapacitated and unable to go.  Lucky one of our friends was willing to make the sacrifice (especially on the spinning rides) and go with him.  Thank-you, Friend!!!  It took Lucas one ride to understand the concept.  He got on the ride, but it took awhile for the ride to start, because they were allowing more kids on etc.  Lucas decides he doesn't want to ride, I tried to explain it to him, but he is insist that he didn't want to stay on.  So knowing all to well that he was not going to be happy once the ride started, I took him off, and sure enough he was upset once the ride started to go!  "Stop", "Stop", "Stop", the entire time.  After that he went on all the rides, some of them numerous times!

Yeah! It finally happened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love my little man (Lucas) more than words can say!  Every day I am learning more and more about him and how to approach things, so life is more pleasant for the both of us.  One of the biggest things I have learned is Lucas not only marches to the beat of his own drum, but he is the drummer!  He does things on his own time.  There have been times, when I am getting frustrated with the little tyke, I have to step back and say to myself, "Katie, calm down, this is not life threatening, he is not going be at a disadvantage if he doesn't hit this milestone right now, relax! When he is ready he will do it, just back off."  When I do this we eventually have success!

So you maybe asking why does this matter?  What is going on?  Drum roll!........Lucas has decided to use the potty!  He has just gone a full 24 hours without a wet pull up/underwear, this is including naptime and bedtime!  Amazing!  It all started a couple of weeks ago when we ran out of diapers, and we had not made it to the store yet.  I asked Lucas, "What do you think we should do?  We are all out of diapers.", Lucas response, "go to the store and get some."  My response, "Daddy has the car, so we can't go get diapers."  I continued to explain to him that we have pull-ups if he would like to wear those, and then asked him what he needed to do if he wore pull-ups, and he said go pee in the potty.  (Craig came home later that day with diapers, and I quickly motioned to him to hide them!)  He would still have accidents in his pull ups the first couple of days, and he found find a random diaper here and there, little stinker ("Look mom, I don't have to go pee in the potty, I found a diaper!").  It got to the point where he would become distraught if he wet his pull-up, poor little guy.  We have now officially transitioned into underwear, which he loves, especially the underwear Grandma sent.  Quote from Lucas, "We don't pee in grandma Buzz Lightyear underwear."  Lucas is very good at telling me when he needs to go.  He will suddenly look at you and shout, "potty, potty!!!" and may I add he will shout this anywhere, anytime, even if it is right in the middle of sacrament meeting!  No complaints here!  He goes poo and pee, anywhere, anytime! (He loves the port-a-potties, if there is one around he will instantly "have" to go, just so he can use it!) He is also great at holding it in, if needed (and when I say holding it, he literally holds his crotch).  On our way home from Palmyra we were pushing it, but he did a good job holding it, we finally decided it wasn't worth it and pulled over and let him pee on the side of the road.  He thought this was awesome and still talks about peeing on the rocks!  The morning after we put him in underwear, he woke up and said, "I get to go to preschool."  I had to explain to him, yes now you can go to preschool, but not until the leaves change colors and the baby comes.