Easter Bunny Prepares for Camping

When the Easter Bunny visits the Bowes household, he/she likes to have a theme and a purpose beyond just the simple delivery of candy.  This year was no different and it was obvious that the Easter Bunny wanted us to be ready for our trip to Yosemite at the beginning of the summer.

When the girls came downstairs this is the display they saw.  They had a couple of decked out camping sacks with everything from marshmallow toasting sticks to Yosemite themed activity books.  And as you can see in the picture, each girl also got a new pair of Keens, which are great hiking sandals.  Don't worry, the traditional Easter candy was not forgotten and the girls had plenty to work with.

One of the bigger hits, however, was the headlamp.  Reese was very excited to try it out to see how it worked.  Indeed, there were quite a few nights that followed where the headlamps made their way into their room after the lights went out for bedtime.

Preparing for camping also means being practical, and here you can see that Callie is displaying not only a tasty trail mix but also a can of bug spray and a stick of sunscreen.  We appreciate an Easter Bunny that puts safety first.  This was almost as good as a couple of years ago when the Easter Bunny brought toothbrushes with the candy.

Of course once the Easter Bunny's gifts were carefully examined it was time to get ready for church.  First Pres is the only Easter egg hunt that the girls have ever done, so they were excited to run around the church looking for the hidden treasures.  They were not the only ones, as you can see here.

The Johnson boys were also at church and dressed in their Easter finest.  We had to take this picture, especially because Emerson was looking so good in his tie.  Don't get us wrong, Mason was looking pretty sharp too, but it is tough to ignore a baby in a tie.  And it was Emerson's first Easter.  Seth always looks good, so his tie is not worth mentioning.

After church it had warmed up a bit which meant we could take pictures of the girls in their new dresses.  We had really hoped, like many other Kentuckians, that Easter would be even more special because it would be the day before the UK Men's Basketball team culminated an undefeated season with an NCAA championship.  Unfortunately Saturday night was a bit tougher than anticipated, and with the loss to Wisconsin the girls' blue dresses now showed our ongoing support for the Cats despite the loss.

Did we mention that what really made Easter special was the fact that Nana Banana and Sport had come to town for a visit?  It was so great to have them around and we managed to get a good photo of all of us after church and before the festivities at the Chrismans.

Each Easter we make sure to get a picture with the Abraham girls, and it is stunning to watch the crew as they grow.  The first picture was when Reese was when Reese was only six months old, so it is pretty stunning to see them all together now.  Everyone is growing up way too fast.

Our post ends with another great picture of Sharon with Callie and Reese.  We are so thankful that Sharon has been a part of the girls' lives.  She continuously teaches them everything from how to pull of a fancy Easter dinner to how to pull weeds.  There is hope for their domestic skills because of her.  All in all we had a wonderful afternoon sharing good food and good conversations with Sharon, Chris, Uncle Norman, Nana Banana, and Sport.  With this being the second year and a row that Nana Banana and Sport have been with us for Easter, this could be the start of a new tradition.  We shall see.

Callie Learns to Ride a Bike

On the one hand, the title of this post says it all.  On the other hand, as anyone who has ever taught a child to ride a bike knows, nothing is quite that simple.

In late March a couple of things happened.  The snow finally melted and we  saw the hope of no more shoveling.  Sport and Nana Banana came for a visit.  And six months after her parents told her she was getting a bike for her birthday, Callie finally got her present.  And once we brought the bike home Callie was determined to learn how to ride it.  Sport took the first go at it, working in the driveway with Callie.  Sarah then took some time with her and handed off the reins to John.  John took maybe two runs with Callie before realizing that Sarah was definitely the right person for this job.  Sarah did not disappoint.

We all decided to head down to the track at Cassidy Elementary School where Callie could have more room to work on her skills.  Sarah and Callie took off while Sport, Nana Banana, John, and Reese moved a little slower.  And by the time the slower foursome had arrived at Cassidy, Callie had something to show us.  Right before our very eyes she got up on that bike and started to ride all by herself!  Now stopping was still an issue.  As you can see from this picture we went with a bike that Callie will grow into, which means she had to get used to being a bit higher up.

This day was much more emotional for us than we had imagined, and we were so incredibly proud of her as she zoomed around the track again and again.  Watching your child master a childhood milestone like this is so rewarding and it was also so great to see how proud she was of what she had accomplished.  What a great day overall.  And it made it even more special that she was able to do this in front of Sport and Nana Banana.  It's only a matter of time before she is biking all over the place.

Check-ups and Playdates

For quite a few reasons, the girls' annual check-up has gotten a bit out of whack in terms of when it happens.  In short, instead of Callie having her annual check-up right around her birthday she ends up having it about four months later.  Reese is a bit closer, having hers just about two months after her birthday.  The good news is that they generally only see the doctor at this annual check-up.  The two of them are pretty hardy souls, and we have been very fortunate because they are healthy.

So here they are on the big day.  Callie continues to grow like a green bean.  At this February check-up, her height came in a little over 50 inches which put her in the 70th percentile, and her weight was a whopping 45 lbs, or the 15th percentile.  A slim chip off the old block.  Reese registered in the 75th percentile all the way around, measuring at 41 inches in height and 28 lbs in weight.  We tend to think of her as small and petite, so it's kind of funny to see her with those numbers.  Unfortunately with the four-year-old check-up came four shots.  She was tough through the first several, but the last one pushed her over the edge.  Her older sister knew this could happen because when Sarah told Callie that Reese was going to have to get four shots, she asked, "Do I have to stay in the room?"  In the end, though, the girls are growing well and looking good.  We are very lucky.

After years of coordinating playdates for Callie, we finally fielded a request from Reese for a playdate of her own with her friend Maggie.  Reese was so excited to have her very own friend over, and Callie was a little unsure what to do with the whole situation.  Maggie and Reese have known each other since they were months old, and they had a lot of fun dressing up and hanging out.  We have a feeling that these are going to become more of a regular request now that Reese sees how it all works.

Reese wasn't the only one who got a playdate with old friends, however.  We had a big night out with our wine group at one of the cool new places in Lexington called National Provisions.  Our group has now been getting together for almost five years and although we all have busy schedules we manage to keep the fun going.  This particular night was filled with a pairing of food and wine crafted by the owners of the restaurant.  It was quite a fancy evening for a group that still prides itself on being less than pretentious.

Snow, snow, and more snow

We had quite a winter in Lexington.  Although last year we had several days and weeks that single digit temperatures, this year was all about snow accumulation.  Some very serious snow accumulation.

The first big storm hit in mid-February, and the snow was light, fluffy, and over ten inches deep.  Honestly, it was even a bit fun to shovel the driveway because it was so light.  And all the snow in the driveway had to go somewhere, which meant we were able to build a small sledding ramp in our backyard.  It was a little tough to get to the top of the ramp, but the girls had fun trying.

Because we only had one adult-sized snow shovel, John and Sarah had to take turns using the one pictured here versus the one built for a four-year-old.  We not only shoveled out our driveway, but also helped out the Chrismans and the folks next to them.  It was a very tiring and neighborly process all in one.  Callie and Reese opted to watch the neighborly process unfold from within the warm confines of Sharon and Chris's kitchen.

It just so happened that the winter storm coincided with Mardi Gras, and Sharon and Chris pulled out all the stops, including some colorful New Orleans garb for an impromptu celebration.  The girls were intrigued by the whole deal, especially the King Cake with the little baby figurine inside.  They really weren't sure what to make of it, and it creeped us out too.

Reese certainly can go into party mode at the drop of a hat, and once she was given a set of beads she was ready to go.  The combination of all the snow outside and all of the fun inside had her fired up.  This smile does not even begin to illustrate the energy contained within that tiny body.

Both EKU and UK were closed down for almost an entire week in second major snowfall of the winter.  And what made this one extra special is that John was in Fort Worth on a research trip.  This gave Sarah the opportunity to wake up, shovel, pay a babysitter to watch her kids while she went to work, and then come home to children who were in full cabin fever mode.

It certainly was beautiful to look at, and it isn't fun to just have cold weather without snow, but it makes it a little tough to be in a place where this much snow shuts everything down.  Indeed, the snow even prevented John's flight from landing in Lexington, which meant he got home a day later than scheduled.

However, John did finally make it home and was able to get back to work with the shovel.  Our driveway usually seems relatively small, but by the end of this winter it was showing its size.  We do recommend that you look at this picture closely to see the kid-sized shovel that Sarah and John had been alternating throughout the winter.  Perhaps it is time to invest in another adult-sized one.

Of course the crazy winter weather didn't stop all activity, especially for the man raised in the tough New England winters.  John still got out and ran while Sarah went to hot yoga.  The running gave John an appreciation for those who shovel the sidewalks in front of their house and the hot yoga gave Sarah an appreciation for heat.  This picture was taken after one of John's runs, and if you look closely you can see an icicle that formed on his glasses.  That is just how tough he is.

Even with all of the shoveling we managed to fit in a little sledding at the Shriner's Hospital hill nearby.  Callie and Reese were definitely into it, which was a lot of fun to watch.  They didn't want to stop, and had a great time spinning their way down the hill.  This was probably the most classic winter we have had since we have lived in Lexington.  We probably got more snow this winter than we had in the previous seven winters combined.  It was fun, but we were definitely ready for spring to show itself.

Winter Fun with Friends

The new year started off well for us and we were excited to see what 2015 had in store.  Fortunately, the first thing the new year brought us was more time with good friends.

Since at this point it appeared that it was going to be a mild winter, we were happy when the Johnson's called and suggested a scooter outing to our local ice cream shop.  Everyone had a scooter and a helmet.  The excitement level was high and we were interested to see how the Bowes girls would handle the challenge.  Callie did well.  You can draw your own conclusions about the other Bowes girl.

There was another child on the journey, but little Emerson wasn't quite ready for a scooter yet.  Mason, however, saw no problem with catching a ride on his mom's back during the last part of the journey.  Jessica is an incredible woman in many ways, and this picture highlights her ability to balance all of her family's needs.

We also had the good fortune to see Libby and Lucy when they came to visit their Birdie.  Even better yet, Sarah Gipe and Sharon asked if Callie and Reese could go with them to the movies while we stayed home.  We had to think about it for a second or two.  Who are we kidding, we didn't even have to think.  We said yes, and the girls went off to enjoy a fun day with Libby, Lucy, Sarah, and Birdie.

Here is the motley crew in their seats and ready for the start of Paddington. Callie and Reese loved it!  When they got home they couldn't stop talking about different scenes from the movie.  And by all accounts they certainly had their fair share of movie treats to help make the experience even better. Once again it showed us how lucky we are to have the Gipes and Chrismans in our lives.

Although it was a month late, Callie finally lost her second front tooth.  Sarah had promised Callie an extra present if she would lose the tooth prior to Christmas.  Sarah wanted to reenact the song, "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth," but Callie failed to comply.  Still, better late than never, and Callie was clearly excited to have a huge gap at the top of her mouth.

In early February we benefited from the generosity of a friendly couple we attend church with who gave us two tickets to a show at the Lexington Opera House.  These weren't just tickets, but front row seats to the show, Peter and the Star Catcher, which is based on the Peter Pan story.  Sarah and Callie enjoyed a day together and thought the show was a lot of fun.  Callie was less excited about posing for this picture, but she has to learn to roll with the punches.

Hello 2015

Because we were at home for the holidays we wanted to make the most of the New Year festivities and decided to host a family fun countdown to 2015.  If you know Sarah, you know that this means a fair amount of prep work was necessary.  And by a fair amount we mean a lot.

The prep work began with the countdown chart.  Because we were going to have quite a few kids and did not know how long they would last we needed to know when 2015 arrived around the globe starting at 5pm our time.  We began with Greece and worked our way across the time zones from there.  Sarah, Grammy, and the girls had a great time identifying the country and the symbol we would use to represent that country.

To the right you can see the finished product.  We had flags, towers, Easter Island statues, and everything in between.  Every hour from 5pm to midnight had not only a happy new year but also a planned activity.  Activities ranged from family game time to decorating your dessert.  There was so much planned that there would be little time to notice how quickly the last few hours of 2014 were flying by.

As mentioned, we had quite a few kids present.  The three Johnsons (Vivie Ann, Mason, and little Emerson), the two Abrahams (Claire and Ella), and of course the two Bowes (Callie and Reese in case you are keeping score).  We are happy to report that they had a very good time.  And amazingly enough, not one of them, not even Emerson, fell asleep before midnight.

Here is Jessica and Emerson at dinner.  You might notice that Jessica is sporting a lovely tissue paper crown and a set of beads.  Both were prizes from her dinner popper.  Seriously, we did this party right and are not afraid to talk about it.

Perhaps nothing showed off the commitment to the celebration more than our homemade Times Square ball.  It was a styrofoam ball with sequins that were attached individually with small pins.  No kidding, Sarah probably put a good 5-6 hours into making this thing.  John ensure that every hour as a new country celebrated the new year that the ball descended a little further. By the time it reached midnight in Lexington our glittery ball of sequin fun had finished its descent.  We were pretty proud of this and can't wait for another opportunity to break it out.

Even Grammy Gayle stayed up until midnight, that's how much fun we had.  However, truth be told, it really was just 9pm her time, but she still has bragging rights for years to come.  It was just so great to have Grammy here to interact with and get to know the families who have become such an important part of our life here in Lexington.

Mason's favorite activity of the night involved the poppers.  We had to think twice before purchasing them, but we wanted to make sure that we sent 2014 out with a bang, and this was as good a way to do it as any.  For the most part all the kids had a fun time with it.

We ended the night with a dance party that started at 12:05am, and all the kids took part.  However we must mention that Reese was the one leading the pack and shaking her booty.  All good things must come to an end, though, and so before our guests left we made sure to capture each family as they started the new year.  The Johnsons certainly look ready to tackle everything that is going to come their way in 2015.

And it appears that 2015 better keep its eyes out for the Abrahams.  In this picture we realized how great it would be to take the shot in front of the sequin ball to capture the night in all of its glory.  It certainly adds a special something to the scene.

Last, but certainly not least, we have our special family photo.  These are the kinds of experiences we figure the girls will look back on and say one of two things.  Either, "Wow, we are so lucky to have such awesome parents who are incredibly fun!", or "We can't believe our parents kept us up so late, made us wear ridiculous glasses, and then put the pictures up on the internet.  Seriously, who does that?"  As we look forward to a great 2015, we are very much hoping they are going to say quote number one.

Celebrating Christmas with Grammy

Due to the ridiculously high prices of airplane tickets this year, we figured we would not be celebrating the holidays with family.  However, Grammy Gayle was not going to let that happen, and when we told her we would not be traveling to California she said she understood and wanted to know if we would like her to come to us.  We jumped at the opportunity and Christmas got that much better.

For the first time we turned to the internet to track Santa's progress across the globe on Christmas Eve.  The girls were definitely interested in seeing just how fast Santa was traveling and how far he still had to go before he reached Lexington.  Fortunately they did not want to stay up all night watching his progress.  After church we checked on his progress a couple of times, put together a dish of cookies the girls had made with Grammy for Santa, and sprinkled the reindeer oat/glitter mix that Reese had made at school on the front lawn.  We were ready.

Christmas morning came quickly, but we are still very lucky in that the girls sleep in.  They are excited to see their gifts but not so excited that they skip out on their sleep.  Everyone wins.  Grammy Gayle wanted to see the morning craziness and Callie and Reese did not let her down.  Here they are snuggled inside one of the sleeping bags we gave them in preparation for numerous sleepovers to come.

One great thing about having Grammy there is that she had a front row seat while the girls opened the stocking she put together for them.  Grammy Gayle has a natural talent for stockings and the the girls loved the Frozen-themed everything that they pulled out of them.  Elsa, Anna, and Olaf are big hits in this house.

This picture highlights Sarah's excitement that the girls just went wild and showcases John's tolerance/self-control after receiving several reminders to just let it be and not clean up every second.  And like last year, Reese wanted to ensure chaos and went through the wrappings several times like it was like a pile of leaves on the front lawn.

Some of their gifts were put into action right away, including this cool coloring craft that they used to send messages to family and friends all over the country.  We needed to make sure that we wished folks from Connecticut to California a Merry Christmas, and the girls looked much cuter holding this sign than anyone else in our household.

We had another special treat on Christmas day when our dinner at the Chrismans included the Gipes.  The girls had their own special table where they enjoyed the fantastic meal, but even more importantly the four of them got to play together before, during, and after dinner.  What could be better than that?  And of course, the adults got to eat, drink, and be merry together, which is just as fun.

One of Grammy's gifts to the girls involved Build-A-Bear, which meant a post-Christmas day field trip to the mall so the girls could pick out the stuffed animal they wanted and of course an outfit to go with it.  Sarah, Grammy, and the girls got there relatively early, which was a good thing because clearly Grammy was not the only one who had thought of this idea.

After an enjoyable two hour adventure in the store, Reese left with a My Little Pony and Callie had a bear that giggles when you squeeze it.  The girls were delighted with their new stuffed animals but also loved the boxes that they got to carry them home in.  You have to give props to Build-A-Bear.  They understand all the little details that go into a fun experience.

We topped off the holiday experience with a trip to the movie theater to see the new incarnation of Annie.  This was Reese's first movie theater experience, and it is safe to say that she loved it.  However, we are not really sure if that was due to the movie or the tub of popcorn and M&M's that she appeared to be swimming in throughout the film.  Not a bad way to wrap up the holidays.

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas

The very day we returned from our trip to CT for Thanksgiving we headed out to get our tree.  Every year the goal is to get the tree up and decorated quickly so that we can enjoy it for the entire season.  The girls' tree-decorating skills are continuing to evolve, and no longer does Reese just hang all the ornaments in one location.  She understands the concept of spacing a bit better these days, and Callie can be trusted with almost any ornament...almost.  The true indicator that these skills have evolved is that Sarah had to do very little rearranging of those ornaments after the girls went to bed.

Another sign of growth this year came during our annual trip to the Ingle-Mayfield house so that we could see Santa and hang out with friends.  Last year was when Callie surprised us by wanting some alone time with the jolly old guy.  This year both Callie and Reese were willing to sit on his lap and let him know what they were hoping to see in their stockings and under the tree.  It was a fun night overall.

The tree was up, we had talked to Santa, and now it was time for candy.  Fortunately for us, the Johnsons were also ready to hang out and decorate a gingerbread house or two.  We divided up into two teams, and by chance it ended up being the siblings who got to work together.  Vivie Ann and Mason did a wonderful job and the landscaping around their house surely made their father proud.

Callie and Reese also worked quite well together.  Reese of course had to have on her Elsa dress she got for her birthday and she managed to do some decorating in the moments when she was not trying to eat all of the candy.  Callie took the task much more seriously and did her best to tolerate Reese's creative input that did not always conform to the plan Callie had visualized for the house.

For the second year in a row for Reese and the third year for Callie and Sarah, the next item on the Christmas preparation agenda was the Nutcracker at the Lexington Opera House. The girls got all dolled up and were looking forward to seeing all the great dancing.  They now both fully know the story and have favorite parts.  One of those favorite parts of course is the snacks that Sarah brings in her purse.  It has become a fun tradition.

After the show the girls checked out Triangle Park which is right near the Opera House.  This picture certainly highlights the girls' personalities.  Reese is demonstrating what has become a bit of a go to photo move and her zest for life.  Callie is a little bit more reserved and is not willing to be goofy for goofy's sake at the drop of a hat like her sister.  She needs to be coaxed a bit more, but don't worry, once she gets going she can be just as crazy.

One added activity that Sarah took part in was dipping chocolate with Kelly Abraham so that both families would have large amounts of pretzels, pringles, oreos, and ritz crackers dipped in chocolate that could be used as gifts or family treats.  The entire afternoon was fun and Kelly definitely has a system down to make sure everything gets done efficiently.  Sarah left the house with more than enough chocolate dipped goodies to go around.

Next up was the Christmas pageant at our church, and truth be told, this year was a little bit of a train wreck.  We have always loved the low-key aspect of it, but at the same time the Christmas story was always clearly told and the songs fit the story.  This year we are not sure how some of the selected songs made the cut, and if Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were there they must have been hiding behind the choir of cherubs.  Hopefully next year the whole production will be the result of a bit more practice and planning.  However, Callie made a cute, toothless angel and Reese made an adorable zebra hanging out at the manger.

Because the Abrahams were spending Christmas week with relatives in Cleveland we scheduled our Christmas celebration with them early on.  This year the get together reached new heights and we introduced the Abraham family to tape ball.  It was a big hit and here we see the girls showing off some of the fine gifts they won in the game.  The competition was fierce but everyone seemed to win at the end.  Perhaps next year we can avoid the crying or the show of disappointment when the anticipation of a great gift is shattered by the realization that you just got a jar of pickles.

For the past several years Lexington has put a skating rink in the middle of Triangle Park and rented out skates to all who wanted to come down and join the fun.  John, Callie, and Reese took advantage of a cold but sunny afternoon and hit the ice with the Johnsons.  The girls have never skated before and John hadn't skated in more than 30 years, so it was bound to be an adventure all around.

Reese loved it and after she got used to it a little bit wanted to try and do it on her own.  Of course she fell quite a bit, but she got right back up and kept on trucking.  Independence and persistence eventually pays off, and she has both of those traits to spare.  In the hour that we were there she only got off the ice for a couple of minutes and kept coming back on to test herself.  It was great to see.

Callie developed an equal amount of confidence during the course of our time there.  She started off slower and spent a lot of time hanging on the railing as she went around.  But by the end of the hour she was going full tilt across the ice at relatively fast speeds and using the boards at the other end of the rink to stop.  She probably would have stayed for another hour if it was possible.  Next year we will have to do this again and get the whole family out there.