Luke-isms and Life Changes

I apologize for my absence. Suffice it to say that a lot has transpired since we last talked.

I’m now happily divorced and co-parenting with my ex-husband. Lucas remains our priority and we are both striving very hard to give him what he needs. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for him, but he is STILL Lucas. Make no mistake.

Just before his Dad came to pick him up this evening Lucas saw a warning on NBC Nightly News regarding romaine lettuce and an E. coli outbreak. My li’l vegetarian showed some concern right away. Then, a little more concern when his Dad arrived.

“Dad! Dad! Oh my gosh! They said not to eat romaine lettuce on the news just now and I at a TON of it last night! Just keep a close eye on me this weekend. The symptoms are asthma and cancer. Mom, I drank that whole bottle of lime juice while you were in the bathroom. I love you. Bye!!”

 

Lucas sleeping

I feel so at ease when he’s asleep.

Luke-isms: Destination Truth

While watching Travel Channel’s series Destination Truth, Lucas (9) made note that before the explorers ventured into a new, or sacred land they usually started their journey with a visit to the local medicine man to request a blessing. Oftentimes, these ceremonial blessings involved giving the travelers a sort of spiritual token to provide them with safety on their journey. These good luck tokens varied depending on the location, the journey, and the mission, itself. Some of the items received by the show’s host, Josh Gates, have been goat tails, spices or tobacco for burning, and even ancient Egyptian fidget spinners. 
Now, if you’re new to Loripalooza, then I should let you know that my son not only has a wonderfully active imagination, but he also contains the gumption to act on his “great ideas.”
I knew something was in the works when he asked me to pause the TV.
  Destination Truth
Lucas: “Mom! Mom! Mom. I just had a great idea. What if WE became the medicine people for anyone who wanted to visit Middle Tennessee?”
Me: “That’s an interesting thought. What should we give them for good luck in their travels- chicken bones, or lizard tails, or what?”
Lucas:  “No, Mom. We would be MEDICINE people. What are the two biggest problems for people in Tennessee? Think about it.”
Me: “I have no idea.”
Lucas:  “Paranormal hauntings and seasonal allergies!”
Me:  “That was right on the tip of my tongue.”
Lucas:  “We could give out Aspirin, nose spray, Benefiber, Kleenex, and crucifixes.”
Me:  “It’s starting to sound kind of like a convenience store.”
Lucas:  “But no. Wait! We would also carry medicinal herbs.”
Me: “Which ones?”
Lucas:  “Oh gosh! We would definitely need chives, basil, and mint. Trust me. That will be plenty to start us off, but I need to tell you one minor detail. You MIGHT have to run it by yourself sometimes because we’ve been having a lot of littering at my school and I’ve hired some more recruits to work for me on that Junior SWAT team I started a couple weeks ago.”

Luke-isms: Twerking

After a few hours of fishing yesterday Brantley, Lucas and I headed home tired and dirty. Our first order of business was, as always- a tick check. Lucas was used to the drill and readied himself by starting the process without even having to be told.

Strip down. Arms up. Turn around. Spread your cheeks.

However, when we got to the last part Lucas turned back and said with hesitation, “Mom, you said twerking was against the law. I don’t want to go to jail.”

I know what you’re thinking. Hang on. I can explain.

Flashback to three days earlier when Lucas walked into the kitchen and announced, “Dad just showed me how to twerk.”

“Excuse me?”

Brantley spoke up, “No. No. See. No. That’s not how it happened. He thought he knew what twerking was and in an effort to educate him, I showed him a video on YouTube of someone properly twerking.”

“Properly? That’s not ok,” I said. “What on earth? What kind of video did you let him watch?”

“It was just an instructional video. They were wearing pants. I swear. It was totally wholesome and I guarantee it was more benign than what he thought twerking really was.”

I was intrigued. “What did he think it was?”

Brantley rubbed his face. “It’s hard to describe. Lucas, show your Mom what you thought twerking was.”

I immediately regretted my question.

“Ok. Stop! That’s worse! That’s WAY worse! Lucas, where on earth? Never mind. Listen, don’t ever do that again, ok?.”

I could tell the wheels were turning in his seven-year-old brain. “Don’t do which one? The one in the video, or the other one?”

“Don’t do either. Ok. Got it?”

“Why, Mom?”

“Becaaaaause it is against the law.”

“What about if I do it in private?” he asked.

“Still illegal in most states.”

Luke-isms Twerking

Lawd, help me.

You Have No Kittens (Album Drop)

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s an honor and a privilege to sit down with hip-hop artist, Lucas Wescott on this momentous occasion. Today, he is unveiling his new single You Have No Kittens exclusively on Loripalooza.

Not only that, but he was even kind enough to carve some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for his fans.

Lori: How long have you been interested in rap and hip-hop music?

Lucas: Well, I’m a cool kind of guy so for a pretty long time.

Lori: Some rappers have a tendency to misbehave. Have you ever gotten in trouble?

Lucas: Well, I’ve never been to jail, but if I did then I would make sure my trial was on the news.

Lori: I understand that you like to dance. What is your favorite style of dancing?

Lucas: Tap dancing.

Lori: Tap dancing?

Lucas: Yes. I do it all the time in my hip-hop dance class.

Lori: Well, that’s wonderful.

Lucas: What inspired you to write this song?

Lucas: Because I would like to be a famous singer like, you know, Taylor Swift, or Bruno Mars.

Lori: Toward the end of the song it sounds as if someone in the audience is bothering you and you call them out by shouting, “Hey!”

Lucas: Yeah. I don’t allow that at my shows.

Lori: The name of your song is You Have No Kittens. Do you have any kittens and how do you really feel about kittens?

Lucas: No, I don’t have any kittens. When I think about kittens I feel inspired to have a new life, or to just act like a kitten. Stuff like that.

Lori: Do you have any dogs?

Lucas: Yes.

Lori: Is there anything you’d like to say about your dogs?

Lucas: Well, I like snuggling with them and sometimes they pee inside.

Lori: Do you know what your next song will be about?

Lucas: I’m not sure. Probably video games, or cooking food. I’m a pretty good chef.

 

Well there you have it, folks. The artist and rapper in his own words. What a humble guy.

Now, I know you’re all clamouring to get your hands on his new release. So without further ado, here is You Have No Kittens by Lucas Wescott.

Luke-isms: A Lesson On Equality

Lukeisms Equality

Me: “Hey Lucas, see that big mansion right there? Two men live there and they’re married. Cool, huh?”

Lucas: “Do YOU mean to tell ME that they drive THAT brown car?!”

Me: “Umm. I guess so.”

Lucas: “Why in the world would someone buy a BROWN car?! That doesn’t make sense! If I was married to that mansion I would drive a green car and it would be AWESOME. Maybe their parents just gave them that car because they weren’t using it.”

Me: “Okey dokey.”

Lucas: “Hey Mom, did YOU know that at two fifty-eight on June second and 1965 they invented shoes?”

Me: “I did NOT know that.”

Lucas: “Yep. I learned it off the internet. Before then everybody just walked around in their socks. There’s a lot to learn on the internet. You should try it sometime.”

Where Have I Been? Kindergarten.

Kindergarten

I’ve been a naughty, absent blogger for the last couple of months and for that I’m sorry. It’s just that we’ve had some big changes in our household that have forced us into a new routine.

I had planned on working more outside the home when Luke started school. In my mind these two things would happen almost effortlessly, but I was in for a rude awakening. Kindergarten is hard, yo!  And I’m not even the one taking classes.

I did NOT expect there to be homework so early on. Now, everyday I dread unzipping Luke’s little backpack and finding our to-do list. What’s it going to be tonight, Teach?

“Instructions: Put two rhyming items into this ziplock baggie and return it in your child’s backpack tomorrow.”

Are you freaking kidding me?! Is this kindergarten or Harvard? 

Luke’s headfirst dive into the shallow end of kindergarten has been less than traumatic. However, I think once his teacher gets to know him she will have a better appreciation for what his previous teacher referred to as “his lovable quirks.”

One day last week he got off the bus and met me with a frown. My mind went immediately to the worst case scenario- three things that rhyme in a ziplock baggie. “Well,” he sighed. “I’ve got terrible news. I’m not allowed to tell jokes in school anymore.”

“Okay. Well, there’s probably a better time and place for telling jokes,” I said as I shook his backpack and listened for the sound of a ziplock baggie. No baggie. Sweet!

“Well, I’m not happy about it, Mom. I’m also not happy because I gotta go to the vet.”

“Why do you need to go to the vet?”

He flexed his bicep and lisped through his gappy grin.

“Because my pythons are sssss-thick.”

Raising A Tolerant Child For A Better Tomorrow

Tolerant Child

Luke and I have been very busy this summer in my attempt to squeeze in as much fun as I possibly could before the start of Kindergarten. As we ready ourselves to embark on this new phase of his life I can honestly say I’ve spent some time wondering and yes, worrying if I have given him everything he needs in his first six years of life. A parent can only hope that they’ve been a good example and done everything possible to mold their child’s young mind into a form that will create a kind, creative, and loving human.

Had I done my job of raising a tolerant child for a better tomorrow?

After the last few weeks of spending quality time with Luke the answer was apparent. I mean duhh, of course I had.

How can I be so sure? I’ll give you some examples.

Last week, while sitting in the backseat Luke saw someone in the car next to us throw garbage out of their car window. “Mom, unlock my window, PLEASE!”

“Not happening, Luke.”

He banged his fist on the window as he shouted, “Hey LOSER, the earth is not your garbage can!”

We weren’t on the best side of town so I floored it as soon as the light turned green feeling semi-proud. I had a little environmentalist on my hands, yes with possible rage issues, but still. Maybe green bullying is the new black.

I received further confirmation of my ability to raise a well-rounded child when before going to bed one night he informed me, “Mom, I’m not JUST into rap anymore. I like rock music, too.”

Score!

However, the pièce de résistance came during our recent trip to the Nashville Zoo. We were inside the alligator exhibit- a small confined space with room for only a few people at a time overlooking the alligators. We were admiring the hideous reptilians alongside a Middle Eastern family. The women had on their traditional scarves and they were speaking in their native tongue.

I was afraid something was about to go down because Luke took on his super cool stance- leaned against the glass with one foot crossed in front of the other. He addressed the family loudly. “So I noticed y’all speaking Spanish. Doesn’t bother me, though.”

He was giving his typical wink-face and gun hand as I pulled him out of the room and away from the nice family. We were walking briskly to the nearest exit when he mentioned, “There was a whole pride of them. Cool.”

It gives me great pleasure to share with you my accomplishments in successfully raising an environmentally conscious, well-rounded, and racially tolerant human being. I hate to brag, but it takes most parents eighteen years to do that.

Five Elevator Speeches Worse Than Yours

Elevator Speeches Worse Than Yours

Experts will tell you when trying to pitch a new business, invention, or book proposal that a great elevator speech is crucial. While most don’t require an ACTUAL elevator to get their point across successfully, my five-year-old son, Luke uses the literal eight square feet of space as a way to entrap strangers into awkward conversations of up-close and personal over-sharing.

Here are a few of our recent awkward elevator encounters.

The Getting To Know You… and you and you and you

As the elevator door closes, Luke positions himself in front before turning and addressing everyone.

Hi, I’m Lucas. L-U-C-A-S. This is my mom. She’s name is Lori, of Loripalooza. What’s your names and where do you blog?

The Short Motivational Speech

The elevator stops before we arrive on our floor. A stranger gets on and successfully pushes the button leading them to their floor of choice. Their hard work and determination won’t go unrecognized.

Nailed it! High five, bro!

The Urgent Secret He Needs To Share With Me That Isn’t In A Whisper

Mom, there’s a baby in here and you know I hate babies because they’re stinky and they poop in their diapers and they’re nasty because they crawl around on the floor like bugs, or snakes and they cry so loud, but I’m not going to be rude about it, okay.

Over Sharing With Strangers For No Reason At All

This incident happened recently on vacation and was especially well played by me because I sent Luke down to the pool with his aunt and uncle, sans me.

Hi, I’m Lucas. L-U-C-A-S. These are NOT my parents. This is my mom’s sister, Heather, but you can call her Heather James, and this is uncle Sidney- definitely NOT my father.

De-constructive Criticism Directed At Surly Strangers 

We were still on vacation when this little incident went down. Two gentlemen entered the elevator on the ground floor giving me pause that I was without my pepper-spray. My arms were piled high with take-out boxes because Luke had decided he couldn’t behave at the restaurant with Heather James (Side note- her name is not James. We don’t know why he calls her that) and Uncle Sidney. As the elevator doors close, Luke notices the two fellows on the elevator with us and bursts out laughing while slapping his knee.

You guys look ridickerous! Where are your shirts? I can see your nipples! (More laughing, but only from Luke) Mom, look at their nipples. Is that a tattoo on your neck? I hope it comes off. You can’t smoke in here! That’s uh-scusting!

I had no free hand with which to cover his mouth. At long last, the elevator doors opened and I shoved Luke out with my foot. A couple of the to-go boxes landed just outside the elevator and before the doors closed I was able to shout an apology.

I am SO sorry. I think your ink is great. I smoke all the time!

No, you don’t, Mom. I’m telling Dad you pushed me wif your foot.

Zip it!!!

In closing, if you really want to improve your child’s elevator speech, then try having them use the stairs for a couple of days. It works well, especially when you’re on the seventh floor.

Luke and Sadie: A Relationship Rollercoaster

Luke and I took a trip to Greenwood, MS last week to visit Robin O’Bryant and her three girls. As usual, my little Casanova fell hard and fast. His newest love interest was Robin’s youngest, Lady Sadie.

Luke and Sadie: the relationship rollercoaster

With the big girls at school and Robin needing to run errands, I offered to take Luke and Sadie to lunch. It was our second day in Greenwood and I decided on Steven’s Barbeque- an excellent choice. Luke and Sadie had already chosen a table and when I sat down with our food Luke introduced me to the man at the the next table. “Mom, this is a man we’ve been talking to. We told him that we are cousins and that this is our first REAL date.”

Help me, Jesus.

Luke and Sadie Later that afternoon with Sadie in her tiara and Luke in his Batman mask, they wed. However, it wouldn’t be long before their marriage had its first hiccup.

Not long after the wedding ceremony they were playing Minecraft in the girl’s room and Luke had a cow. I don’t mean he pitched a fit. I mean while playing the game of Minecraft he had acquired the singular form of “cattle.” This was a problem because Sadie is afraid of cows. She stormed out of the room with tears in her eyes as Luke shouted, “Fine, Sadie! Fine. I’ll get rid of the cow!! What do you want, Sadie? Do you want a pig? Can we AT LEAST HAVE A PIG?!”

Things cooled off after they agreed on obtaining a pig for the most pointless game ever created. Side note- if you know the plot, or point of Minecraft, please get in touch with me.

At dinner that night Sadie spilled Luke’s pink lemonade. She tried to make it up to him by tying his shoes. While he was impressed, the lemonade was something he just couldn’t get past. You can see him here breaking things off.

Luke and Sadie break up

In a show of poor taste, he tried to immediately get a rebound girl in Sadie’s older sister, Emma.

“You’re my girlfriend, now!” he told Emma.

Emma was not excited and informed him that she already had a boyfriend. This did not deter Luke from laying on the charm. He began pulling up his shirt. “Have you seen my five-year-old belly?”

Robin interjected. “You know it isn’t really nice to date the sister of someone you just broke up with.”

Luke shrugged his shoulders and pointed back and forth between Emma and Sadie. “Eenie. Meenie. Miney. LOVE.”

Similar laughter and antics continued throughout the week, but none as funny as what I witnessed on our last night at the O’Bryant’s. Luke asked Robin’s eldest daughter to connect their iPads so they could all play Minecraft together. She was wearing her bathrobe after having just showered and told him that she would do it as soon as she got dressed. The second she walked out of the room, Sadie stuck her little finger in Luke’s face. There was fire in her eyes and she spoke through gritted teeth.

“If you EVER saw my sister nekkid I would be SO MAD at you!”

For the first time all week, Luke was speechless and I wasn’t about to complain.

Luke-isms: An Unwelcome Tub-side Chat

Here is your latest installment of Luke-isms, as promised.

Luke-isms

It had been a particularly trying day as I attempted to get housework, writing, and Luke business taken care of. It was the kind of day that Brantley received a text message from me saying, “Have fun at the gym after work because when you get home, he’s all YOURS.”

Brantley got home that evening and I headed upstairs to take a bath.

“I just need ten minutes to myself,” I told him.

The tub had no sooner filled and I turned off the water to relax when I heard the door open. A familiar sound followed. It was the sound of Luke dragging his stool slowly across the bathroom floor. He parked it right next to the tub and sat down.

“WHAT are you doing? And where is your Dad? I’m trying to take a bath, Lucas. I just want some privacy.”

“It’s ok, Mom. I’ll just sit here and watch you quietly.”

“No. No. No! Brantley, where are you?” I shouted.

Brantley popped his head in the door. “Luke, leave Mom alone. She’s trying to take a bath.”

“Ok.” Luke said as he hopped off his stool. Then, he stopped. “Oh Mom, just one more fing. I know we’ve talked about this before, but I forgot. What happened to your penis, again?”

“Lucas Payne Wescott, girls don’t have penises…”

He interrupted, “Oh, that’s right. Baginas. Baginas. You have baginas.”

I wished for someone to hold my head under the water until I stopped struggling.

I wasn’t asking for the world. I just wanted ten minutes alone. With my baginas.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Luke-isms where Luke spanks himself as he shouts, “Don’t ask any questions, Mom. Just trust me. I deserve this.”