Not much has been able to slow down this crew lately, until the kids got sick. First Luke… then Noah. I thought we were done. A few sleepless nights getting up with the boys to throw up. No big deal. Neither one complained just vomited and went back to bed. But then Eden, Elizabeth and Jack all got sick at the same time. What a nightmare. Maggie still standing … for now.
Category Archives: Luke
Cascade Lake Our Exciting Adventure
This adventure was so much fun! There were so many people and the slide there was so fast. I even made a friend there. The high dive was so high and I jumped off it so many times. I even went on a poop deck that sank when these men got on one side.
Luke had a blast at the water park.
The water totally tired me out.
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns, a set on Flickr.
On July 21, 2012, the Kennedys took a grand adventure to Luray, VA and the Shenandoah Valley National Park. Eden, Elizabeth, Mom and Dad each had cameras to capture the fun and the sights. These are pictures from inside Luray Caverns.
Luray and Shenandoah
Marcia and I decided to take the kids on an adventure on Saturday. We planned the trip for a few days prior, but we didn’t tell them where we were going. We kept it a surprise. We only told them what to prepare: a change of clothes, a sweatshirt or jacket, cameras, shoes/socks and flip flops, a bathing suit and binoculars. The trip we had planned was a day trip to Shenandoah Valley. The kids asked fo days, “Are we camping?” and “Are we staying overnight?”.
We got the kids out of bed around 5:30AM on Saturday the 22nd. We left the house at 7:30. Our first stop was at Luray Caverns. None of us had been there before, and we were not disappointed. We spent about an hour touring the caverns. Then we spent time in the Garden Maze. And the kids mined for gems and minerals in the sluice. We left in time for lunch.
I thought it would be good to picnic at a scenic point in the Shenandoah National Park. We were planning to drive Skyline Drive and see the sites. It was so cloudy, we could barely see 10 feet in fron t of the car. So, we had a picnic in the clouds. And then we all experienced our first toilet pit along the Appalachian trail.
We took a hike down Dark Hollow Falls Trail. Luke on my back and Jack strapped to Marcia, we all hiked down to the falls. It was a beautiful sight. THe kids played in the falls at the bottom, and then we hiked all the way back up to the top of the trail.
But when we got to the car, our adventures weren’t over. The car was very low on gas, so we consulted with our maps. Found the closest gas station, several miles south, and gassed up. Phew. We made it. It was quite an adventure. And we caught the bug on adventures!
The little hellion
Luke has become quite a handful lately. He is going to need to go to anger management soon if he keeps this up. Tonight, he smacked Noah in the head with a toy car and then ran over to me with a smile on his face, as Noah cried, to give me a hug.
We think he is getting a little frustrated that he can’t voice his thoughts yet, and so he gets violent. Last night, we went out to dinner to celebrate Mother’s Day. What a disaster! We went to Dimitris because we thought it would be easy. Jack was a total handful for Marcia. And Luke was a handful for me. After a few different appetizers, we ordered the check and hightailed out of there. It was the toughest meal we had in a number of years.
I am looking forward to Luke being out of this phase, but I am sure he will be.
Daddy lovin
Luke and Dad
McLovin, that’s my boy lately. They go through phases… well Luke is in a definite daddy phase. Not sure where it came from, but he can’t get enough of Daddy right now. It’s an unusual phase. They all go through phases where they can’t get enough of mom. Every once in a while, they love their dad, and he wants me all the time for the moment.
I’m loving it while it lasts. Love you Luke
Dad
Great Day in Sports
A few weeks ago, a man saw Liz and I playing catch and was very impressed with her skills. He’s associated with SkyWalkers club and wants Elizabeth to play there. He asked her to play in the Catonsville fall league. It’s a league for kids a few years older than Liz. She said yes. This morning, after she spent the night out at the Baecks, she was a little nervous about playing with the older girls (grades 5-8, she’s the only 4th grader).
But, when she stepped on the field, she did very well. She scored 2 goals. On one of the goals, she was tripled teamed, brought the ball out, juked all three and created an open lane to the goal for herself. It was very pretty, and many of the parents clapped. Marcia and I are very proud.
We are also worried. There are a ton of politics in Catonsville sports, and we’ve been hearing the ugly side of everything lately. I fear that Liz will not get her fair shot, and that Eden will also get her share of the shaft. Parents in this town are behaving poorly, very poorly, and I want to protect my daughters from all of the nonsense. I fear that I won’t be able to.
Also today, Liz’s field hockey team played the war hawks. Last year, the war hawks crushed every Catonsville team. Today, we beat them 11-0. Liz had a goal and she played very hard.
Eden played field hockey tonight as well and had a goal. Go Edie!
Noah played soccer yesterday with Jack. They play for Jack’s dad’s team. We are so pleased with Mike’s coaching, and the fun that Noah is having with his friend. They won 4-0, and Noah had a break away goal. It was great.
I am so proud. They are enjoying sports, and they are excelling. Elizabeth works as hard as any kid I know. I have a feeling that the others will as well as they get older.
Luke got his own lacrosse sticks today. PopPop and Grammy brought them over for his first birthday present. And he had fun with me on the floor, throwing balls to me, holding his stick, and putting the ball in the pocket of my stick.
“My first conscious memory was of my father crazy gluing a putter in my hand” – Tiger Woods (impersonator) – SNL sketch
Luke’s surgery
For days, I couldn’t sleep. We’ve had money problems that I’ve been very stressed about. But that wasn’t it. I was worried about Luke and his impending surgery. I started to get very bad feelings and worried about the risks. I had a lot of confidence that nothing would be wrong, but got scared as the day got closer.
The morning of surgery, I woke up in the middle of the night. I looked at the clock, 3:33. OK. Everything was going to be okay. We got up early and went to the hospital. We were the first ones there. Luke clung to me the whole time.
Luke waiting for Dr Gearhart to arrive
When it came time for surgery, Luke was calm. He went with Marcia back into the room for anesthesia. Marcia said he did well.
Headed back for anesthesia
While he was in surgery, I felt good about it. I wasn’t a nervous wreck. Neither was Marcia. We have confidence in Luke’s surgeon. So, when the surgeon called us out of the waiting room, we knew it was good news and that everything was okay. And it was. Luke did great.
Luke in recovery
It is three days after surgery, and he is doing great. He has tolerated all of the pain. It is almost as if nothing happened to him.
Before the surgery, I prayed. I prayed for Grandmom and Grandpop to watch over him. I felt that they heard me. I don’t talk to them. I don’t ask for their help much anymore. In fact, I think this is the first time I’ve ever asked for help from Grandmom. But, I think they listened. I felt comforted.
Welcome home Daddy!
I had a long day at work today. I was at work until about 7:30. When I walked in the door an hour later, Maggie came running from the other room to see me. Daddy, daddy, daddy. Giggle, giggle, giggle. Hide behind Daddy, then run away giggling. With her little pigtails.
Maggie and Noah welcoming me home from work
Some days I get home and the dogs are barking. Well, that is a given. The dogs bark every time I walk in the door. Some days though I walk into a hornet’s nest, everyone grouchy, and it’s high tension until the kids go to bed. Well, really til they go to bed, and then finally go to sleep after several trips to their room or yells up the stairs.
But tonight, I walked in the door late, and everyone was in a good mood. Noah hugged Maggie. Then he lifter her up, she was giggling. Then Edie wanted in, so she picked up Noah while he was picking up Maggie. They were all smiling and giggling.
Then, Marcia let me have my little Lukie while she got everyone ready for bed. I sat him next to me while I ate my dinner. And we made faces at each other. He smiled at me a lot. It was some night.
Cold February Memories
(that melt my heart and make me laugh)
A lot has changed these last few months. Luke is getting bigger. And just the other day, he ate his first bowl of cereal.
Now Marcia is making her own baby food. She is a chef I tell you.
Liz got straight As in school. And she went to a lacrosse camp and won first place in a long distance shot competition; she won a stick.
Long Distance Shot Winner - Elizabeth Kennedy
Eden just got her third spelling test in a row back, 100% all around + the bonus words. Basketball coming up this weekend and Liz is in the all star game. Both the older girls are preparing for the lax season and finishing up basketball. We’re thinking about whether or not to start Noah this year, but probably not, he’s too young.
Marcia is a fiend on the treadmill. Her ass is so fine… damn.
Tonight, Noah got an awful hair cut. Marcia and I gave it to him. We used scissors and dog clippers. Geez, I hope he doesn’t remember. I clipped his ear and he cried. Even through the drama, it probably looks better than it did beforehand. A few more weeks and he would have been Justin Beeber.
Tonight I got home from work and Maggie was dressed as a hootchie mama. Yes. Her grandmother brought her some bootie-licious outfits. Leather pants for a three year old. And the jacket… seriously. Marcia asked her to put it on. It lasted about 2 seconds and Maggie took it off saying, “I’m too stressed to wear this.”
But the kicker tonight, the thing I really want to look back on and belly laugh, comes from the other side of town. It comes from a psycho known as Barbie Siecke. You see, Barbie had a crush on my older brother George in Kindergarten. I guess she never got over it. This week, Audrey took the kids out of town to go to Florida, and Barbie invited him out for drinks! Really Barbie, really?
Six With Sticks 