The one with a more connected day.

This mornings music class was so not the norm.  Luca had no desire to participate, he just wanted to stand against the garage door the entire time, so I sang and did everything all alone.  

He came over a few times, and took the things we were using with him, back over to the door.

We did a new song this week, that I particularly loved.  Pom-poms for, "We're all in this together" from high school musical.  I laughed when it started, and sang along in my head.

I was doing the laundry upstairs when Luca brought this container full of these paper flowers.  He always wants me to open them, but I never do, thinking I will use it one day--which will never happen.  So I finally gave in, opened it and let him play around for a bit.  We threw them around and stacked different colors for quite a while.  He loved it, and I realized I don't always have to say no.  It wasn't hard to pick them up, together, when we were done.  It occupied him for almost 15 minutes, and we just sat and laughed together.  

I just want to soak in all the time I have with him.  He needs love and I have it, I just have to be willing to step away from the things that don't matter, like my phone and the tv.  I am trying harder to do just that.  It worked today, and I intend on keeping it up.

Luca has wanted to be outside constantly lately.  It has been so nice out so I have been going out with him.  I found some balls in the garage, and he threw the soccer ball around for a solid hour, and ran around and collected some more rocks.

After Luca ran straight into the street--watching me all the while, knowing he shouldn't--he lost his outside privileges for a bit.   

In the interest of staying involved and connected today I got a cookie sheet out and put some cornstarch and water on it for him to play around in.

Sorry for the million pictures and un-edited and not cropped.  I put all my videos and pictures on the computer today, and they all got deleted from my phone before I had a chance to do anything, so I am doing this post from the computer.  Be proud, Sara!

He soon learned it wasn't delicious.

Although, that didn't stop him from trying to drink it.

I was stressed about the mess, but cornstarch and water is a snap to clean up!  It ended up everywhere after Luca splashed around in it, but it wiped right up!

When I was cleaning all of it up, he stood like this, arms out and head tilted for a good 5 minutes.

He got to go outside again when dad got home, and they ran around and played for a bit, then went on bike ride.  When they got home I was making dinner, and Luca wanted to stay outside so I let him go in the backyard.  If you can call it a backyard--dirt and rocks--but he didn't mind.  In fact I think he would prefer it stay like that forever.

My goal is to connect with Luca more and more each day.  He is starting to be independent and defy what I say to him, and when I am on his level he seems to communicate better with me.

I keep forgetting to add this into any post, so I am going to here.  These are some of the things Luca loves to do at 16 months old.

 He is getting so much better at communicating lately.  He signs so much, babbles constantly, and loves to repeat things we say to him.

He signs incredibly well and on his own when he needs something.

Please

Thank You

More

All Done

Help

He also combines the ones he needs to make mini sentences like "More, please"

We are working on getting names out at the end of the requests.

He also knows the sounds that a ton of animals make.  He is most skilled at the dog noises, and makes them whenever he sees one anywhere, outside, on tv, or in books.

He also knows, cows, cats, monkey, and can do a rabbit nose, and a fishey face.

He is all about learning new things, and we practice everyday.  I love this desire to learn, it makes everyday different and fun.