"I'm gonna draw a picture and it's gonna be scary!"

A few days ago, Ann Arnold was showing Andrew some pictures on her iphone of her grandkids and a car they built (kind of like a pvc pipe kit).  They were at our Sunday meeting and when Andrew saw Nolan, he ran up to him and said, "Nolan! I really liked the car you built!"  Nolan had no idea what he was talking about and why, but I did and thought it was such a nice gesture.
After the meeting Joy told me that he was talking to her and ran out of things to say. There was a bit of a pause and then he shrugged his shoulders as he said, "Okay, well, I'm gonna go find my friend Parker."  She was humored by that.

Monday we had a fun day. We went to the little park first, but because the air was cool, I decided it'd be okay to go to the big park where there is no shade. This made Andrew very happy. He had wanted to go to the big park and told me it's more fun there. He played for a little bit and then saw a boy running on the paved trail and asked what he was doing. I said he was probably practicing running. He decided he wanted to try. So, we ran. This kid can RUN! I had a hard time keeping up with him!! As we were coming around to the park entrance again, Ann Arnold showed up with Nolan and Noah. They decided to run too and they were impressed too. One of them told me that if he keeps that up, he's going to be running as fast as a four-wheeler. Soon, Linda Vaal brought Allison and Cole, and later Kellie Pingle brought Samantha. They all had a good time together.

After lunch, I got Andrew down for a nap. Ann and Linda brought the kids over to our house to swim so I woke him up after he'd been asleep for an hour. I whispered to him and his eyes slowly opened. Then he sat up quickly, "Mom! Can we invite my friends over to play now?" I told him they were already here and in the pool and he couldn't get out of bed fast enough!  They had a blast in the pool.

Jenn and Houston came for dinner Monday. After dinner Andrew felt her belly and asked if he could feel the baby yet. She told him the baby was too small still to feel, but it was growing inside there.  He blurts out, "That's clever!"

Tuesday was his first day back to school for their summer program. It was pirate themed so he wore his pirate hat and went around saying, "Ahoy Matey!" and "Aye aye Captain!"  They built two big ships out of cardboard boxes, and made some costumes. He enjoyed playing in the sprinkler outside too.  After school and extra playground time, I told him he was getting his first violin lesson. He was super excited.  I think he did really well, he stayed focused and was kind and obedient. I was proud of him and amazed that he wasn't overtired for it. She showed him a lot in his half hour lesson.

I can't remember where we were, not home.. and he looked distressed. I asked him if he needed to go potty and he said, "No. My undercarriage hurts right here."   :(  Poor guy! I love how he told me though. And he was trying to be discreet about it. 

Early Wednesday morning he was sitting on the gazelle and making it swing fast. He said, "Mommy look! I'm going really fast! Fast like..... who is it that goes fast?  Speed.. speed..."   I suggested Lightning McQueen since he says 'speed. I am speed.'  He said "No.... Speed Racer!"  I found a pair of pjs with cars on it that looked like they'd fit him right now and Ted said it was speed racer. So we call him speed racer whenever he's wearing them (even though he and I have no idea who that is)

Wednesday morning at breakfast, Andrew wanted to learn more of the Bible book song. He showed me he could sing all the way to Acts. I am so proud of him - I can't believe how fast he learns it. It only takes him about 10 minutes to learn 4-6 books and I make sure he has those down before I'll teach him more.  So this morning I only introduced "Romans and the Corinthians, that's the way it all begins."  Since it has extra words in it, I'll teach him the next books when he asks. 
After gymnastics we went to Kroger. We saw Andy Zylstra there and they had matching buzzed haircuts. Andy said, "Can I feel your head?"  then Andrew asked to feel his and he leaned down and let Andrew feel it. He said, "Woah! It feels soft and fluffy!"  Then he asked Andy what happened to his belly. Andy tapped his stomach and said, "This belly?"  Andrew said "No!" and stood on tippy toes to reach the top of Andy's stomach. Andy frowned and shook his head.

Wednesday evening at dinner, Andrew was trying to scoop his cole slaw onto his fork and eat it. One scoop fell off and an empty fork went into his mouth. He said, "Ha! I ate zero. It fell off my fork."

We followed the picture instructions and he made a robot out of those blocks that snap together. He was very pleased with it and enjoyed playing with it most of the evening. He tried to take it to bed with him but I wouldn't let him.

In a kind of mean warning voice, "Strangers! I'm gonna draw a picture and it's gonna be scary!"  I overheard this as he was sitting at the table with his ipad and some paper. 

Thursday afternoon I asked Andrew if he'd like to help make a veggie pizza for dinner. He said no until I told him I'd let him use the knife to cut the vegetables. "A kids knife?"  I told him a real one - and then he was totally on board!  I was very proud of him (and rather impressed) that he listened and kept his fingers away from the blade and didn't try to do anything fast. I could tell when he was chopping the shredded carrots and onions that he'd watched me before as he held the blade with his fingers and moved it around the board as he chopped.  When he was grating the carrots - they pretty much went all over the counter. And when he was putting the veggies on the pizza, he favored the center of it and one corner. lol I had to help him spread it all over the pizza. He was a good helper.

Starting Wednesday after nap he woke up with his left eyelid looking swollen, dark under his eyes, and yellow discharge from his eye, and some yellow crust along his eyelid.  I know Tuesday on the playground there were tractors mowing the adjacent field but I didn't know if he was having allergies or developed pinkeye. I gave him some homeopathics and some herbs and vitamin C and kept him home. Thursday his eye looked perfectly normal so I sent him off to school.  Friday, his lid looked slightly swollen again and pink.  I took him to see Adam Roberts who said he wasn't sure that it was 'just' allergies, but he definitely had them and badly. So now I have to take him in 2 times a week until it gets worked out. 

Saturday he got to play outside a lot. He rode his bike all the way to the end of the street and back to the creek without stopping to play. He paused at one point going uphill and said his legs were tired. Ted told him he could get off and push the bike and I said I could help him but he hopped back on and kept going!  On the way back he slipped out of his shoes and got into the water but the waterglider bugs made him too nervous. Then when he jumped into an area, a hard shell hurt the bottom of his foot. It wasn't so fun afterall. 
Later in the afternoon I let him go swimming. I invited kids over to play, but it didn't work out. He got out once and told me, "I need other kids to play with!" I told him I tried.  I invited Linda Vaal to come hang out with me poolside and he held up three fingers and told her, "There needs to be three kids. Andrew is one, and Ally and Cole!"  They were busy already but of course he associates her with having the grandkids along.