Kicking off 2017

 One thing with staying local for the holidays is that you get assigned more cat duty.  The Chrismans were in Scotland for Christmas, so we were responsible for making sure that Lola and Lily got all the love and food they needed.  It's unclear how much Lola enjoyed the love from Reese at this point.

 Callie has developed a good rapport with Lily, though, so she always knows where to find her and how to make sure she gets love in the doses she appreciates.  And we took pictures to send across the Atlantic so that Sharon and Chris knew that the cats were enjoying the holidays as well.  Other photos that we sent involved us perusing their wine collection and watering the houseplants.  We figured those were less adorable than the ones pictured here.

 Although we didn't host a party this time around, we did want to get in the party spirit and so we decorated and got ourselves all spiffied up for the occasion.  The girls were happy to play along.

 The night's activities included a lot of tasty appetizers and some good old fashioned family fun.  It's always important to know that even if it is just the four of us we can still have a blast.

 The new year started paying dividends right away when we found out the girls were scheduled to go back to school on January 2 and UK was officially closed for new year's holiday.  This meant no kids and no work - so what better thing to do than to support one of our favorite local breweries.  And of course, why should we do it alone?

It ended up being a wonderful parents' day out as we were able to encourage most of our wine club members to join us for the day.  As quick as our smiles brightened our faces at 11:00am when our tour began, so did the smiles quickly fade as the afternoon drew to a close and we realized that we had to get our children from school.  It was a fun day and one we hope to repeat in future years.

A Christmas With No Travel

Because we had traveled so much during the year and the prices for plane tickets to California were sky high, we decided to spend our Christmas break in Kentucky for the first time since Reese was born and only the second time since we have lived here.  We were all excited, though the girls were clearly focused on Santa's arrival and making sure he was properly fed.

Christmas morning finally arrived and Santa returned the favor, making sure the girls were taken care of as well.  The stockings were unpacked quickly and they turned to the presents brought by the big man that didn't fit into the stocking.

This may come as a surprise to most of you, but not only was an alarm clock on Callie's wish list but it was also perhaps her most prized present of the day.  Little did we know how much she would enjoy setting her alarm every night in the days to come.  Maybe this is a sign of her maturity, or maybe she is just a little bit different than the rest of us.

Reese loved the kayak made just for Lea.  It is possible that they make a matching kayak for Reese, but we opted for only the doll size this time around.

Because we didn't travel it was an extra-big present opening extravaganza, and that meant it was also an extra big wrapping aftermath.  The picture here only gives a hint of what transpired on that fine Christmas morning.

For days leading up to Christmas, Reese had talked about her desire to be wrapped up like a Christmas present.  We had enough paper that we could piece together to give it a go.  Callie and Sarah worked together to fulfill Reese's dream.

The final product was all that Reese had hoped for, and it is possible we have started a new tradition.  This was one gift that was a bit more enjoyable to wrap than any other.  And she had fun unwrapping herself.

The Year the Tape Ball Fought Back

December 2016 marked year 3 of the Abraham-Bowes Christmas Spectacular, and John was determined to make the tape ball one to remember.  Kelly's Aunt Janet was in town and so we decided some more numbers to the mix.  In the end we had 36 different numbers encased within a ball made of newspapers and nearly four rolls of packing tape.  John was proud and the group was naive.

Since the Abrahams were spending the first Christmas in their new house they hosted, but we arrived in style.  At this point John still believed he had created the right mix of challenge and fun in the ball that would be at the center of the night's activities.  And he brought the ball in with a great deal of confidence, illustrating perfectly the maxim, "Pride goeth before a fall".

In a good tape ball experience, this is what we want to see - smiles on the faces of children holding up numbers they have pulled out of the mess of tape and paper.  Ideally, it is an activity that will take about 30 minutes or so and then we can get to the process of picking presents in order of our numbers.

On this night, however, most of the time was spent trying to break through the tape and paper that seemed impenetrable. Knuckles bled, fingernails broke, children got bored, and it took the better part of two hours to get to the last number.  Oops.

In the end, though, the Christmas spirit rose from the tattered remains of John's hubris.  We can't say enough about how much we enjoy spending time with the Abrahams, and this night was further proof of how lucky we are to have friends like them.

Annual Girls' Trip to the Nutcracker

 For the fourth consecutive year, which means it has become a tradition, Sarah and the girls headed to see the Nutcracker.  This year we went to the Singletary Center on the campus of UK, for a performance by the Bluegrass Youth Ballet.  This provided an extra bonus of seeing a couple of ballerinas that we knew through soccer and other activities.

 Because the performance was on UK's campus, Sarah did her best to get some candid shots of the girls in their Christmas attire.  Surprisingly, the girls were in great moods and willing to entertain this request.  It also made it nice that it wasn't too cold, so the photo shoot did not require too much bribing.

 We know that we are Callie and Reese's parents, but we think that these girls are growing up to be beautiful young ladies.  And when they are in good moods and smiling we don't want to hang out with anyone else.

This year Reese certainly caught the Christmas bug, and one day when the girls were out of school she was determined to turn herself into Rudolph.  The end result won't win any costume competitions, but it is pretty darn cute.

Reese turns 6

Reese's 6th birthday meant it was time for a destination celebration.  And Reese knew exactly where she wanted to go.  Just like her older sister before her, Reese wanted to ring in her new year at the American Girl store in Chicago.  Thankfully, Reese's birthday trip to Chicago did not have the same dramatic start that Callie's did when we had forgotten to book a hotel room and left our American Girl birthday package tickets at home.  This time we were even able to walk to the store.

Although the American Girl doll activities had a little bit of a change up from our last visit three years ago, our first order of business was selecting Reese's birthday doll.  Unlike her sister, who got one of the decade dolls, Reese had her eyes set on Lea, the girl of the year.  Lea certainly seems to match Reese's personality since she is an explorer with an adventurous spirit.

A new activity this time around was designing custom t-shirts for you and your doll.  Both Reese and Callie got in the game on this one.  Needless to say, our trip this time around was a little bit more expensive because Callie was aware of the opportunities and sought to capitalize on them.  Three years ago, Reese was just happy to be in the store with her sister.

They still do lunch right at American Girl.  Reese and Callie were joined at the table by their respective dolls and John and Sarah were joined at the table by their respective glasses of wine.  It made the experience for everyone. We also were very happy to yet again get a table on the outer edge of the room by the window.

The birthday cake they brought out was bigger than Reese's head, but she loved the attention.  We didn't skimp on any of the birthday trappings, which mean that the girls got birthday gift bags, hats, and much much more.

John consistently provides evidence of his great approach to fatherhood.  He truly enjoys spending time with the girls and is willing to take these adventures in stride and not be a naysayer.  In short, he put his Major Dreamkiller persona aside for the day and went with the flow.  This meant he spent multiple hours at the American Girl doll store, an experience he did not think he would have to go through more than once.

Of course we could not send Lea out into the world with her out of the box hairdo.  Reese knew that the American Girl doll store had a beauty salon and could not wait to get her opportunity to dictate Lea's fashion.  She's even talked about going back to get Lea's ears pierced.  We had to draw the line somewhere.  As you can see from this picture, Reese soaked up the experience.

Another great thing about the timing of Reese's birthday is that we got to enjoy Chicago during the Christmas season.  One of the places we knew we wanted to go was the Christkindlmarket in downtown.  The market has all sorts of booth selling ornaments and other trinkets.  It was a very cold day and even started to snow, but it was a lot of fun.

One of the highlights was the hot cider and mulled wine they sold in commemorative mugs.  The girls enjoyed the cider, especially Reese, since she is more of our hot beverage aficionado.  We must admit it was quite crowded, which didn't put her father in the best of spirits.  However, a moment that brought us all back to reality was when we were fighting the crowds to see on particular vendor and Reese dropped and broke her mug.  This set of a bit of a meltdown, to which the crowd responded with a great deal of sympathy.  Fortunately Reese eventually recovered and we still made it home with three mugs.

The day was not over, though, and we walked the streets of downtown while snow was falling and the Christmas spirit was in the air.  We found a great tavern for dinner and slid our way on the sidewalks back to the hotel.  At the end of a long and action-packed day the girls were still in good form, smiling and enjoying their matching t-shirts with Lea and Julie.

We had planned to leave in the afternoon on Sunday, but the forecast for heavier snowfalls forced a change in plans.  It did not stop us, however, from getting up early and finding another great breakfast place in the city.  We walked around a little bit, visited our friend the Bean, and bid farewell until our next visit to the Windy City.  It has always treated us well.

Christmas Festivities

December always brings a lot of fun activities and time with friends.  The very first weekend saw the Gipe girls came to spend time with Birdie and Pop to celebrate Sharon's birthday, which meant that Callie and Reese got some quality and quantity time with Libby and Lucy.  Sharon was prepared for a whirlwind of cooking and crafts.

One of the highlights of their time together was the time spent making Christmas tree rice krispie treats.  They were a gooey mess to make, but oh so delicious and they looked pretty good.  The girls were proud of their final product but were even happier with how it tasted.

Next on the family check list was getting a tree, which brought us to our usual spot right on Richmond Road.  There are always a good number of trees to choose from and we just have to be patient enough to find the right one.  Based on this picture it would appear Reese thinks we hit the jackpot.

This year we couldn't resist getting one of the pretty wreaths as well.  It's a family operation and they do a great job.  The girls certainly have become more involved in the whole process which makes the evening more enjoyable for everybody.

We were pretty impressed with the finished product.  Each year we have had to increase the size of the tree to fit all the ornaments that we have collected.  This year the tree had to accommodate the new ornaments from our family trip to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and St. Thomas.  If we keep doing things right, by the time the girls are in high school our tree will be one big travel log of our journeys together.

We had to document this first experience.  For the very first time the girls made a list for Santa.  The lists were not small either, and they also made a little mailbox they could use to exchange notes with Sam, their elf on the shelf.  Sam didn't necessarily mind the extra work, though it meant that he/she had to constantly be on the lookout for new notes.

Every year our church puts on a Christmas pageant with the kids in the starring roles.  For the first time since we have been members they performed it in the sanctuary, and it was quite a sight.  Both Callie and Reese were angels and seemed to enjoy learning the songs and the story.

Our friends the Prestons held their second annual caroling party as well, and we were all excited to be a part of it.  All of the kids got into the spirit of the occasion and ran from house to house belting out all sorts of Christmas carols to the neighbors.  It's a good thing Laurie has a past life as a drama teacher because she is able to keep some order in the midst of the chaos.  It's just one more great way to enjoy the season.

Girls on the Run

Throughout the fall semester of 3rd grade, Callie participated in a great program called Girls on the Run, or GOTR for short.  Every Monday and Wednesday afternoon after school she and her group got together with their adult leaders and did a variety of activities.  They were training to run a 5K, but the program is about much more than that.  More than anything it is about girl empowerment, believing in yourself, and supporting others.  In other words, it's a great program, especially for young girls.

The actual day of the 5K it was cold - very cold.  But Callie was excited to get out there with her friends on her team.  Some of them are pictured here.  Lydia, the one in the middle with Callie, ended up being her ultimate run partner throughout the race.

But Callie's true running soulmate was Sarah.  Each girl had to find a parent or other adult mentor to run with, and for some reason Callie chose the parent least prepared for the event.  Nothing says mother-daughter bonding like a 5K in cold weather with two people who needed more encouragement than they could give.  Of course, we all know that Sarah is game for anything, so this was just a little mind over matter kind of event.

It certainly helped that Callie and Sarah had the best cheering section out of anyone there.  John and Reese got to show up a little later and stay in the warm car a little longer, but when called upon to support Sarah and Callie, they were ready and raring to go.

Because GOTR is a district wide program, race day saw girls from all the elementary schools in Lexington.  That meant there were hundreds of girls there, which was awesome to see.  Needless to say, Callie ran into many friends, but loved seeing Janie and her dad, Coach Patrick, who has known Callie since she first put on a soccer cleats and couldn't stay on the field for more than five minutes without complaining about her tired legs.  She has come a long way.  Callie and Sarah finished the race strong, and showed they definitely have what it takes.

An Eventful Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving, Sarah and the girls went up to Connecticut for the entire week.  John had a night class on Monday nights, so he didn't join the party until Tuesday morning.  That meant he missed out on a number of things, including a trip with the Hannens and Sport to Mystic Aquarium.  The girls couldn't wait to spend the entire day with Zoey.  Since they had been to the Mystic Aquarium before, the girls were able to show Sarah around.

A big crowd pleaser was the California sea lion show.  Everyone enjoyed the acrobatic abilities of the sea lions.  But the favorite part of the show was when Reese found out that one of the sea lions was named Callie.  We had to take a picture of the two of them.

One thing about the Mystic Aquarium that everyone should know is that a good portion of it is outside.  So it's a little tough for the patrons who visit in the winter time, especially if you want to see the penguins.  However, we made the trek to do so, and the girls were all smiles.

John did fly in just in time for another big event, a book talk and signing at RJ Julia in downtown Madison.  Through the wonderful efforts of Nana Banana, John was able to get on the RJ Julia calendar, and happened to appear at the bookstore just a month after Lindsey Vonn and two months after Abby Wambach.  With his hometown advantage, John drew pretty well, but we don't think he managed to have more people there than came to see those world class athletes.

The book signing that came after was definitely a new experience for John, and the whole thing was a bit surreal overall.  He had several of his former high school teachers show up in addition to both friends and family.  He would do it again in a heartbeat.

Among the folks who took the time to listen and then purchase a signed copy of the book were Chris and Ed Dowling, who have known John long before he could even write his own name, much less a book.  It seems only fitting that they would come to this event since they were pretty much always at John's soccer games, high school plays, and other major milestones.

As a history professor, you don't usually get too many people excited to both buy your book and be in a picture with you, so you have to take advantage of every opportunity.  Kim and Pete Chorney, who John has known since elementary school, were another couple who made the effort to come out for the night.

And then there's Dr. Jason McBean.  After all the times that he has provided John and Sarah with his dermatological expertise, it was nice to repay the favor (to a very small extent) with some historical expertise.  Not sure that this is really a fair trade.  Does a book talk equal a knee infection diagnosis via iPhone?

When the last person in attendance had a book, the good folks at RJ Julia brought out more for John to sign that they could have in the store for later sales. Reese decided she could help out...so be sure to check the signature on any book you purchase from the store.

The very day after his book signing, John had the good fortune to spend an hour at his alma mater, Jeffrey Elementary School, talking to the fourth graders about American Indian history.  The visit was arranged by Kristen Skonieczny, so John got to share all sorts of exciting stuff with Ethan and his friends.  And he did it all in the same classroom he was in for 5th grade.  Mr. Brucker, however, was no longer there.  Jeffrey has produced some solid people over the years, and by all appearances it continues to do so.

The day after Thanksgiving we went with Nana Banana and Sport to Essex.  We had a great lunch at the Griswold Inn and walked around a little bit, but not too much since Nana Banana was still two months into recovery from her ankle surgery.  Essex is not the best town for a grandmother on crutches.  Of course you would never know the circumstances from the smiles on everyone's face in this picture.

Later that day we popped over to the Skonieczny's to hang out with Mike, Kristen, Ella, Ethan, and Eli.  We had a lot of fun hanging outside watching Mike and the boys try and build a fire.  Eli was showing off his outdoorsman skills and Ethan was showing how hard it is to just leave a fire alone.  We all ended up playing a couple of games of capture the flag, parents against kids.  It was pretty evenly matched, especially because Eli is sneaky and Ella has really long legs.

We also took advantage of having another person around to take a picture we have been talking about for a while.  We figured this would be the one time our heights aligned perfectly, and Sarah wants to make sure the girls will remember a time when she was taller than both of them.