Boyds Orchard

As fall approaches we get the opportunity to head back to the orchards that have put the summer berries and assorted other goodies behind them and put all of their efforts into apples and pumpkins. It is a very fun time of year, that's for sure. This year Callie needed no coaxing to take the plunge down the biggest slide at Boyd's Orchard. She and Vivie Ann raced to the top of the stairs and came flying down with huge smiles on their faces. They couldn't get enough of the whole affair.

Believe it or not, Reese was a little more hesitant and found excitement in the activities closer to the ground. She was particularly happy sitting behind the painted peach and sticking her head out for a picture or two. She also enjoyed the hay ride and running around in the maze with the other kids. It's amazing how well she keeps up with everyone. We have to keep reminding ourselves that she is not even two yet.

Although it was only September we couldn't leave Boyd's without a couple of pumpkins.  So each one of the kids got to select one to take home along with a tasty apple slushy.  It was a great day hanging out with the Johnsons and the perfect welcome to fall.

Of course, this by no means would be the only orchard visit.  But it was a great kickoff event.

Art, Music, and Dance

 Although summer was coming to an end, we still had quite a few activities up our sleeves. In fact, John's parents sent the girls finger paints a while ago and we had not managed to find the time or the space to fully indulge. You will soon find out that Callie and Reese approach painting the same way that they approach life. Callie tends to be neat, thoughtful, and organized in her approach. While on the other hand...

Reese has a tendency to throw herself headlong into whatever is in front of her. It was only a matter of minutes before we were able to capture the picture seen below.

We knew that the finger paint was supposed to be washable, but we weren't going to take a chance. Hence, Reese got to spend a little time outside sporting the latest in diaper fashion. The interesting thing is that this is just the aftermath of just painting a piece of paper. She never intentionally tried to paint herself.


The afternoon was a lot of fun just hanging out with the girls in the driveway creating some timeless art. Not pictured is a cool family tree that we painted with the girls also using the finger paint. In an elaborate process that Sarah enjoyed and in which John was a reluctant and nervous participant, we used the finger paint on the girls feet and then placed their footprints on paper to make leaves on a tree. It took some time and paint, but the end product was good and no paint ended up on couches or other household goods.

The girls truly do enjoy art, music, and dance.  In fact almost every morning includes all three in some manner, shape, or form.  Callie's love of dance in particular has often been a subject of posts on our blog.  But what has been increasingly evident is that Reese also has a strong desire to follow in her big sister's footsteps.  And like her sister, as you will see in the video below, Reese has a flair for the dramatic.  This is not your average dance routine.  There is clearly a lot of emotion that these dancers are seeking to convey.  And it is emotion not adequately captured by their music.  You'll understand when you watch the video.

Of course all of the above only hints at the numerous ways in which Reese and Callie have expressed their artistic passions throughout the course of the past couple of months.  Needless to say, they are fun to be around.

Pool Time

This summer we certainly took advantage of the Woodland Park community pool, and even bought a summer pass.  There were two big developments overall.  First, we discovered that Reese is a natural water bug.  We shouldn't have been surprised by this, but it still is remarkable how willing she is to simply jump into the deep end of the pool without a care in the world.  Of course, it means we have to constantly be on guard for spontaneous jumps.  Unfortunately, we also have to be on the lookout for when she takes her love of water to the next level and tries to drink it.

The second big development was Callie's growing comfort and independence in the pool.  There were probably two main explanations for this.  Number one, she got to spend a lot of time at the pool this summer.  John would pick her up early from daycare and the two of them would go for an hour or two.  Just as important, however, was the fact that Callie saw how much fun Reese was having and finally decided that putting her head under water was not such a bad thing after all.

Before too long she was telling her parents to keep their distance while she was exploring the pool on her own and having a blast.  It was so much fun to watch her gain confidence and we only hope we can build on that in the months to come.

As happens with all good things, the pool season came to an end, and we can no longer head out for a swim at Woodland Park.  Hopefully next summer we will be able to report even bigger developments in the aquatic adventures of Callie and Reese.

Picnic with the Pops

In the month of August, when we are not running through the streets of Lexington, we are taking in a night of good food, friends, and music at Picnic with the Pops.  We cannot tell you how much we have enjoyed this tradition, and 2012 marked our fifth year in attendance.  In previous years we swayed to the songs of Abba, marveled at the acrobatics of Cirque de Soleil, and moved our hips to the Latin beat of Tiempo Libre.  This year it was all about the Canadian Frank Sinatra.

For the second year in a row we had a fantastic table right near the stage.  And because this is our fifth year, our operation runs like a well oiled machine.  Within minutes of our arrival, Sarah had already mixed up several batches of this year's specialty drink, and the party was on.  Because Tommy Glover couldn't make it this year we were lucky to have Kirk and Kelly Abraham join us.

Of course, the tradition wouldn't be the same without the presence of the Chrismans.  We spend a lot of time with them on their patio, but Picnic with the Pops is a special night out for all of us.  Clearly Chris enjoys the opportunity to let his hair down.  Don't feel bad for Sharon, last year she was the one enjoying a fine Cuban cigar after a few mojitos.  The evening was fun through and through, even if the music didn't really get people dancing until the final few numbers.

In past years, we have had so much fun at our table that we forget to take a walk around and look at how people have decorated their tables and themselves for the occasion.  This year, with theme of Las Vegas, there were quite a few wedding chapels and interpretations of the movie, The Hangover.  However, one table, highlighting the Olympics instead of Vegas, gave us shots and gold medals.  And because we are no stranger to the Olympics, we know that any good medal-winner has a picture biting their medal.  We look pretty good, don't we?

Midsummer Night's Run

One of the things we enjoy about Lexington is the variety of festivals and events that take place right in downtown.  It is nice to know that the city has no problem shutting down some of its streets to encourage some good old fashioned community fun.  And that is certainly the case with the annual Midsummer Night's Run held the second Saturday in August.  It all begins with the Fasted Kid in Town.  Or as its known in the Bowes household, Crying Kids Running.  This was Reese's first year, and we had high hopes for her, especially since we recently described her as fearless.  But it was not to be.  Her run across the grass consisted mostly of John holding her and jogging while she cried.  We're not quite sure this is what is meant by getting your kids involved in a healthy lifestyle.

Now this was Callie's third year, and we talked about it for several weeks leading up to the big day.  Indeed, any time we drive by this open greenspace Callie talks about it as the place where she "ran her race."  For two years she was excited to run and then broke down in tears during it.  We are sad to report that the third time was not the charm.  You would think that we forced our girls to do this event.  But we promise, that at least in Callie's case, it was her idea and right up to the starting gate she was gung ho.  But we are eternal optimists, and there is always next year.

Of course, the most important race of the evening is the family race.  Or at least, our family ran the 5k together, weaving through the crowds of walkers, dogs, and multiple strollers to make our way finally to the finish line.

It was fun to be able to do it together, although we must say that if you ever intend to participate in a 5k as a walker we have two things to say.  Number one, start at the back.  And number two, don't walk shoulder to shoulder with five other people so that no one can get by you.  It is possible that next year we may run this with a cattle catcher on the front of the stroller to push people out of the way.  You just never know.

Ballet Under the Stars

Since Callie was young, she has very much enjoyed playing dress-up.  So it was only a matter of time before Reese got into the action.  And Ballet Under the Stars at Woodland Park was a perfect excuse for both of them to dress up in their finest tutus, grab their fairy wands, and head off for an evening of dance and culture.  

This was the first year that we attended this annual event, but we have a feeling it won't be our last.  Maddie's family invited us to sit with them, and they had done a great job of getting us prime seats in the middle of the lawn.

Before the Lexington Ballet Company took the stage, various kids from dance companies in Lexington put on a performance of Tinkerbell and her Fairy Friends for all of the children who were in attendance.  Callie and Maddie were both entranced by the show, and loved the costumes.  But most of all, they loved the fact that it was kids on stage putting on the show.  Who knows, maybe in a couple of years Callie will want to have the chance to be one of those kids on the stage.

Reese also enjoyed the show, but might have been more entranced by the number of snacks that we had packed for the event.  She kept shoveling grapes, crackers, popcorn, and oreo cookies (brought by Maddie's parents) into her mouth.  Because we had never attended this event before, we had no clue how long into the evening it went.  Although we tried to watch the entire show, we knew it was time to leave when Reese simply kept standing up, spinning around trying to dance, and falling down in utter exhaustion.  In short, a good time was had by all.

Summer's Greatest Hits

This year we managed once again to get together with the Johnson's to take in the Fourth of July festivities in Lexington. Needless to say, it was hot. The excitement of the parade was overtaken at times by the heat and the humidity.

Fortunately, there's no heat that can't be beaten by some Italian Ice and parental strategy about the angle of the sun and the tallest building in Lexington. In short, we managed to be out of the sun for most of the parade.

Despite the heat, Reese enjoyed Lexington's finest strolling down Main Street and showcased her spirit by waving the flag handed to her by one of the marchers. Although the parade seemed shorter than past years, it was still a good show. And it was nice to have a day like this to transition back to Kentucky from our Cape Cod vacation mode.

And once we returned from Cape Cod there were no travel plans for the rest of the summer. This meant, among other things, the opportunity to schedule much overdue playdates with friends like Maddie, who Callie has known since the two were three months old. They are inseparable at school, and were both very excited at the idea of spending extra time together.

Of course, Reese is now at an age where she wants to do everything Callie does. So if Callie is going to hang off the rings at the playground, than Reese needs to do it to. Not pictured here is the moment Reese let go before either of her parents were prepared to catch her. Fortunately, Reese remains one tough cookie, and brushed the wood chips off of her face and carried on.



Of course nothing says successful play date quite like a trip to Orange Leaf for some frozen yogurt. And the girls wanted to sit at the big table away from the adults.

All in all, everyone wins when frozen yogurt is involved.

Of course, we also have to take as many opportunities as possible to plug the NCAA Champion Wildcats and their head coach. It's kind of a state law/city ordinance. So here is the obligatory picture of the Caliberry flavor offered at the Orange Leaf near our house. We have it from high level sources that Coach Cal is one of the owners of this particular franchise. And of course we do what we can to support Big Blue Nation.


But we end the post with a status update of our youngest, Reese Harper. As you can see from this picture, Reese is constantly in motion. She will smile for the camera, but good luck getting her to sit still.

When this picture was taken she was a little over eighteen months old, and that provides us the opportunity to give you some statistics. She is 31 inches tall, placing her in the 30th percentile. And she weighs in 20 lbs 12 oz, which is right there in the 7th percentile. The old noggin is 47 3/4 cm, which is the 80th percentile. She is healthy as can be, but she is a wee lass. And if we had to pick three adjectives to describe her, they would be happy, fearless, and loving. We are very lucky.