If you have ever met Luke and really get to know him you will know that it is not odd that he carries around an orange octopus named Mr. Deedles, that he loves skeletons and wants to know everything about bones and that his mom would love him to preserve him at this age forever.
Since this is phsyically impossible, I will attempt to do it in words...
Luke was asked to give the scripture last week during Junior Primary. We had prepared by picking one that he could read most of the words by himself. We practiced 3X and then raced to church. After a very shy girl, who is a year older than Luke, gave her talking clinging to her mother, I walked up to Luke and asked, "Do you need any help?"
To which he pursed his lips, looked down his nose at me and said, "No." ever so curtly. I followed at a distance as he marched, papers in hand, not a shred of self-consciousness, up to the podium and loudly cleared his throat in the microphone and began, "... be of good, ... Um-huh..." He motioned for me to come over and cleared his throat as if to say, "What is that word?"
I put my finger under the word and whispered, "cheer" in his ear.
He said, "cheer" loudly in the microphone, removed my hand from the paper and cleared his throat loudly again and continued reading, "and do not ... UM-HUH!" Again the scene repeated itself with him very much in charge.
"Fear," I pointed and whispered.
"Fear," he said loudly into the microphone, removed my hand from the page and looked around as if he was a veteran college professor. Continuing, "for I the Lord am with you and shall ... Um-huh ..."
"Stand."
"Stand ... by you." Then he gathered up his papers and marched off the podium with his little head held high. He was obviously very proud of himself.
Right after Luke sat down, one of the wonderful ladies from the Primary Stake Presidency came to issue a challenge to the kids in Primary. She started by asking, "Does anyone here like challenges?"
Luke spoke loudly without raising his hand, "I'm a challenge." Meaning to say, "I like challenges," but it came out all wrong.
The Primary representative had just witnessed his talk on the stand and said, "Yes, you are a challenge, Luke." To which all the good natured laughter was given and I joined in with all my heart. Luke - you're my favorite challenge.
I wish that I would have had my camera rolling for the next Luke story.
It was January 13th and Yvette's birthday. You have to understand Yvette and I have been co-oping with homeschool classes for 3 years. Yvette is my kids "Other Mother". I don't think there has been a week (possibly more than 2 or 3 days) that have gone by when my children have not seen Yvette in the last 2 1/2 years. Suffice it to say that Luke loves Yvette. She has a very special place in his heart.
When he found out that her birthday was coming up and we were going to be able to give her presents his little mind started turning. The night before the party he told me that he had found the perfect gift.
"What is it?" I asked.
"A cheese stick," he replied, knowing that he was 100% right in his assessment that a cheese stick was the thing that Yvette would most love for her birthday.
Well the moment arrived on Yvette's birthday when presents were to be opened and when Luke's turn came he proudly stood in front of Yvette with his cheese stick present, held out his hands to silence the crowd and cleared his throat (in customary Luke fashion) and said, "Yvette, this cheese stick is for you." Then he opened it and continued, "but it is an important cheese stick," he tore off a long stringy portion of it and gave it to Yvette, who was trying to maintain the dignity of the occasion, but was beginning to break up as she held the small string, wondering what to do next. "It is a wishing cheese stick. You have to hold up this string and make a wish then eat it and your wish will come true." At this point we all lost it as Yvette, tears from laughter starting to spill from her eyes, tried to choke down the cheese stick wish and concentrate on her wish at the same time.
When she was able to speak she asked, "do I get to have the rest."
"The rest" was still in Luke's hands and he quickly replied, "No, that part is for me," and immediately started chomping on the wish bearing cheese stick to peals of laughter all around him. Maybe he thought that he would have a part in a secret wish. So Luke.
Can you see why I want him kept as my adorable six year old?
2e
