Life this week was normal.

Except for Luke's frightening tumble down the stairs, when he landed at the bottom on his head and got himself an impressive scab (what he now calls his "workman owee").

And except for the purchase of Luke's first Big Boy Underwear. Three pairs in the pack. Featuring trains. First pair: went pee-pee in them. Second pair: pee-pee again. Third: "oh oh..."

Yeah, you could call it a typical week, except for the evening when a helicopter circled Orchard Park and police filled our apartment complex in search of a missing woman.

And it would have been normal except for Luke's acquisition of his first kazoo. Yes, a kazoo. His new sidekick on every outing. "Freres Jacques" and "Hot Cross Buns" will never be the same.


Zeke's smiles. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em.


Mama's not the only one who loves 'em.


At our Sunday-night Bible study over at Shi and Sam's, Luke enjoys peeping in on what Hayden and Halle are doing. We are teaching him lessons on personal space.


Mama with Mr. Handsome giving someone the glare.


Someone else knows how to give a glare, too.


Brother and sister with veeery different babies (Siena is sleeping; Zeke is screaming).


An evening trip to the horses and tractors near Daddy's work. Hint for great photography: Tell someone to make a tractor sound.


See, it works every time.


Okay, so he looks a little cuter without tractor lips.


Daddy shows Luke some calisthenics.




Luke gets air!


Toopie and Ya-Ya's gift of a firetruck is a gift that keeps on giving, especially now that Luke found the fireman. This thrilled him. Thrilled him.


Someday Zeke will play with the firetruck, but for now he is thrilled with his own fencing pose.


Luke doesn't seem to understand that Zeke can't play with him yet. It is funny and so sad at the same time. This particular afternoon, Luke said, "Play! Ball!" and put ball after ball into the bed hoping to pique Zeke's interest. Nothing, however, could beat out the thrill of the fencing pose.


A classic dinnertime moment. Luke, finished eating way too early, wanting to give love to his baby. Zeke screaming. (Zeke sporting the onesie that Audrey made for Luke!)


The Droop.


Doesn't get much better than this.


Luke the Workman is fascinated by taking things apart and fixing them. He is excellent at removing caps and screwing them back on, even the tinest tip of a squirt bottle. He gets very, very close to the object of his attention and will not look up for anyone.


The Armstrong Brothers, ready for a trip in the rain to pick up Daddy for lunch and take him to pizza near the train station!


Pre-pizza happiness.


This is how Zeke was the whole time.


Post-pizza "let's get back to business."




Here they are again... (Note Luke's "workman owee.")


Another afternoon trip out. Must bring cell phone.


"Pard' me Mom, but I have an important call to take." (He usually pretends to talk to Pop-Pop.)


Back to our little Zeeker.




"Get this off of me, Dad! I want to go to Cal!!!"


See blog entry on "So how is it with two?!?" Sometimes babies don't sleep in their cribs. And that's okay.


If a picture could capture the love Luke has for his baby brother, this is it.


Zeke on our morning walk to see the tractors.




Luke on our morning walk to see the tractors.


Found a ball on the way! What fun!


"O!"


Can't wait til Zeke can be in this shot!


Washing the windshield while the car fills up with gas: must help Daddy. This was Mom's view from the passenger seat.


All we need is a plumber's crack to perfect this picture.


Luke with the Armstrong train from Ya-Ya, pulling out his Bible from Auntie Mandie (still one of his favorite books) (how cute is that?)


Believe it or not, this is a smile.


Bethany told Luke she wanted a picture of her menfolk, and he ran to get his camera, too. Cheese!


Aunt Mies and Uncle Edgar sent Luke a "pesent"! Actually, a package full! Luke is very excited about his new sticker foam letters.


More smiles from Zeke.


Back to a more serious pose.


And a sleeper pose.


Luke is really into his "pilot hat" these days. He always reminds us to fasten the chin strap by elongating his face as much as possible, dropping that chin looow.


Luke still refuses to pedal any of the Orchard Park bikes. He goes so fast without them! It's all about speed and efficiency, not convention.


Zeke coos at his mama.


Weekends are wonderful: more Daddy time. We finally got out the doubles attachment for our stroller, and wow, what an amazing stroller. (Thanks to Bethany's parents, who bought it when we were expecting Luke.) There is a seat you can attach either to the top, so the baby can sleep underneath lying flat; or to the bottom, so the two kids are both sitting, bunk style. So Zeke slumbered in the bottom as Luke perched on top, and Richie ran and ran while Bethany biked beside them.


OK, more smiles. We can't resist.

And finally, some quotes from the week to close:

"Hi, Honey!" (Luke, to Bethany.) (Ha.)

"Never weigh yourself after Valentine's Day." (Sarah)

"Don't use your elbow! Just your fingers." (Richie coaching Luke on the science of touching his baby brother.)

"Just think if the world were full of engineers. It would be a bad dream." (Richie's confession.)

"Duck. Man. [Airplane sound.] Pilot! Far away! Airport. Land!" (Luke, without being asked, telling Mommy what he wants to do when he grows up.)

"There's nothing like trying to nurse while dodging a basketball." (Bethany, to Richie.)

"MOM! TOOL!" (Luke shouted excitedly upon finding a "tool" in the back of his bus: a plastic letter U.)

"I just looked in the mirror for the first time all day." (Bethany, to Richie. 9:35 PM.)

"BUH BUH han." (i.e., big hand) (Luke has finally noticed the size of Zeke's massive extremities.)

"Ready for number three?" (Richie, to Bethany, sarcastically, as Zeke screamed our eardrums out and Luke rammed his bus repeatedly into the refrigerator.)

"Phone. Away. Boy. Kick." (Luke confessing that he brought his cell phone with him to church and a boy took it away from him, so he kicked the boy.) (!!!)

"HE TOTALLY SMILED AT ME!!!" (Kelly, upon picking up Zeke and receiving the treat of his grin.)

"I only get fat at other people's houses." (Sarah, over to our house for dinner)

"MOM! SEE! TRICK!" (Luke's refrain when going to sleep: always wants to show Mama leg tricks instead of going ny-ny.) (And he considers leg tricks to be even just a simple lift of the foot a couple of inches into the air.)

"He's sticking it up his nose." (Richie informing Bethany of Luke's latest feat with his new electric toothbrush. Now that's a real trick.)

"Like a good Armstrong man, he knows when to slouch." (Richie, commenting on Luke's 6 AM saggy-shouldered saunter through the house.)

"You're Mama's good boy!" (Bethany almost said this, but caught herself just in time: just about said this in babytalk to Richie after they kissed each other goodnight. You know you spend a lot of time with your kids when something like this inadvertently ekes out to your husband.) (Or when you go to kiss him goodnight and accidentally offer him puckered-up fishylips as you do to your kids.)

So with the best of fishylips, we bid you goodnight, Honey.

Have yourself a nice, normal week, save for a few tumbles down stairs, searches for missing persons, accidents in your pants, and kazoos.

And never forget: You're Mama's good boy.