A Santa, A Tree, and A Christmas Pageant

Santa at the Mayfield-Ingle house has never gotten old, and with every passing year the girls have gotten more and more comfortable talking to him.  This evening sets the tone for the month and lets us know that the holiday season is in full gear.  Callie was happy to talk to Santa, but didn't give him anything to work with, noting that she wanted to be surprised.

Another reason the evening is always fun is that we get the chance to see so many of our friends and their kids.  It is amazing to think that these guys have been together since they were only a couple of years old.  And they all look pretty dapper here as well.

The older they get the more they are willing to engage with Santa.  More to the point, they tend to have a ton more questions for the guy.  And to give credit where credit is due, this Santa is on top of it all.  He has an answer for everything they throw his way.  And they really do throw a lot his way.

Callie and Reese were willing to pose for a picture or two in front of the tree.  They still aren't willing to do a family Santa picture, but perhaps next year Reese will come around to the idea.  We will get to work on her to see if we can make it happen.

Next on the list was getting our own tree.  We went to our usual place on an unseasonably warm day and managed to find a few good trees we thought could work.  It actually didn't take that long to make a final decision, and before we knew it the selection had been made.

This is a full-service kind of place, so they bagged the tree and put it on our roof in a matter of minutes.  This is just the right speed for Callie and Reese, who were eager to get the tree home and start the next phase of decorating.

The annual unpacking of the Christmas tree ornaments never gets old.  And with the addition of new ornaments from our trips we get the chance to relive fun moments from the previous year.  This time it meant telling stories about Yosemite and Callie's birthday at the Great Wolf Lodge.  Of course, while all of this is happening John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas plays in the background.

After ten years of putting up Christmas trees together we were probably due for our first catastrophe.  This one happened on Sunday morning as we were getting ready for church.  We all heard a big bang and came downstairs to find this.  Fortunately we only lost a few ornaments and were actually able to repair some that had broken.  It is important to mention that the ones completely lost were some of the Christmas balls purchased by Sarah for our very first Christmas together - the very same Christmas balls that John rated a 4/10 when Sarah asked his opinion.

For the very first time we had the opportunity to witness the Christmas concert put on by Central Christian Childcare.  What an incredible experience to say the least.  The first group to "sing" were the two-year-olds, and we were fully entertained by two of the kids who spent their time on stage pulling their Santa hats completely over their faces.  It was hilarious and had the entire audience in stitches.

Reese had been preparing for this concert with her class for weeks and she had been singing the songs at home and in the car that entire time as well.  When her class hit the stage it was clear that they were the oldest class and were a bit more prepared to put on a show.  As an added bonus of the evening, Reese's drawing of baby Jesus in the manger ended up being the cover of the program.  Reese thought she was pretty special.

After the concert the school had a dessert reception in the assembly room of the church, and we had a chance to meet many of the parents of the kids Reese talks about so much.  They are a great group.  A little crazy, but a great group overall.  We were all definitely in the Christmas spirit.

Reese is an Official Handful!

As always, once December hits things start happening quickly.  For starters, we were approaching Reese's fifth birthday.  We have a picture of Sarah and Callie on her last night as a four-year-old so we wanted to capture the same moment with Reese. There is a lot of excitement in this picture.

For her birthday dinner Reese requested spaghetti and meatballs.  Apparently this is not because she knows how to eat it neatly but because she loves the taste.  And with Sharon and Chris in the house she certainly wanted to ham it up.  That is without a doubt something Reese has mastered in her five years.

After dinner Reese had the opportunity to open up presents from family and friends sent from all over the country.  This magnetic map of the United States came from Kate and Ashlynn, which provided a great visual aid when talking about where all the uncles, aunties, cousins, and grandparents live.

In the Bowes household you get your first friend birthday party at the age of 5.  Because Reese's birthday is in December we coordinated an indoor party at The Mad Potter here in Lexington.  Reese's birthday extravaganza included Olaf, hot cocoa, and all the fixings to turn a cupcake into a snowman.  On top of that everyone got to paint their own mug.

This was also the first time that Callie got to help out her little sister and all of her friends at a birthday party.  She did a great job making sure that everything was ready and that the little kids had the help they needed with all the different projects.

We had reserved the room for two hours, because we figured it would take an especially long time for the kids to paint their mugs.  Much to our surprise/dismay, they tore through this activity in about 15 minutes.  Apparently 4-5 year-olds don't exactly take their time to make sure every area is covered, and you can forget about the recommendation for 2-3 coats of paint.

Thankfully we had another activity planned for the group so that we didn't have to call for an end to the party after 20 minutes.  Each kid could pick from marshmallows, candy corns, pretzel sticks, chocolate chips, and icing to use to form their ideal snowman.  There were quite an amazing array of interpretations of this theme.  The kids did seem to enjoy the project, but enjoyed even more that they got to eat their creations.

The party seemed to continue at warp speed until we were looking for anything that might extend the celebrations to at least an hour and a half.  Sarah decided it was the perfect time to use the slo-motion video function on her phone to capture the kids jumping together.  So in the picture here she is showing them the video, not taking a selfie.

The good part about ending early on this day was that it was during basketball season and UK was playing.  In other words, most parents did not mind that they could head out early and catch more of the game.  And that meant Reese and Callie had more time to put the finishing touches on their mugs and reflect on the fun they had had over the previous two hours.

Another Bowes tradition is that when you turn five you can finally have chewing gum.  Outside of that one time in Chicago over the summer, which was certainly a special circumstance, Reese had not had any gum.  But here, on Saturday, December 12, 2016, upon finishing her swim lessons, she finally achieved gum chewing status.

Thanksgiving

Travel for the Bowes never seems to be easy.  However, our family seems to always take it in stride.  Sarah and the girls headed out to California early on the Friday before Thanksgiving, excited to know that they would get extra time with the folks on the West Coast.  Unfortunately their travel time included far more than they bargained for, starting with a cab ride from the Louisville airport to the Cincinnati airport Friday morning because of a mechanical problem.  Then after delays in Cincy and a few hours on the ground in Albuquerque they missed their final flight and were stuck in Los Angeles over night.  But boy was it fun once they got to Sacramento more than 24 hours after their trip began!

Grammy Gayle was quick to pick the girls up bright and early in the morning and our adventure started in Old Town Sacramento.  It included lunch, a trip to the park, and some cool old ships.  Sarah had to bribe the girls to take this photo which has become a much more common occurrence these days.

One benefit of spending more time in California is getting to arrange time with Auntie Lo, Kate, and Ashlynn.  This year we met up at the Jelly Belly factory where we took a tour and enjoyed tasting a variety of delicious candies.  It only took the girls a couple of minutes to get reacquainted, then they were off getting into trouble together. It means so much to Sarah and Lauren that these four get along so well.

After a wonderful lunch Sarah and Lauren didn't want the day to end so we looked up an indoor trampoline park so the girls could burn some energy and we could continue our great conversation.  If only we lived closer to the Perrones.  As you can see from the picture, the girls had a great time.

Then John arrived.  His travels were smooth, however, he was sick as a dog.  He self-diagnosed a sinus infection and we finally decided to give in to the fact that Reese's cough that had been around for more than a week was not going away.  John showed Reese how to cooperate with the doctor. His diagnosis was on point and it turned out Reese had bronchitis.  The Wednesday before Thanksgiving not only included a visit to the Urgent Treatment clinic but also the local pharmacy to get the medicine necessary to get us all back on track.

Grandpa Dan now lives in Sacramento as well, so we had a number of opportunities to spend time with him.  Grammy Gayle was gracious enough to offer up her kitchen for a playdate so the girls and Grandpa could bake some cookies.  A fun time was had by all and the cookies were pretty darn good.

Thanksgiving morning was filled with good intentions that crashed on the rocks of misery.  We signed up for the Run Against Hunger 5K in downtown Sacramento.  Who knew it would be the coldest day ever for that, and so we were not all that prepared for the 30 degree temperatures.  Nevertheless, attitude is everything is our motto, so we always expect the girls to get it together.  As you can see from this picture, that was not happening.

Zac and Brandi were doing their best to inspire Callie to tackle the course with some joy in her step.  And because nearly 30,000 people were doing this, we were walking the whole course.  That's a lot of inspiration required.  Needless to say, I guess we should at least appreciate that Callie actually walked.  Reese, on the other hand, insisted on being carried the whole way.

Fortunately, we did not have Thanksgiving dinner outside.  Instead we were hosted by the ever generous and loving GA and GU.  We can never say enough how much we appreciate the efforts they put in to creating opportunities for the family to get together.  It was a wonderful day!

There are a lot of kids at these gatherings now - seven kids ages eight and under to be exact.  What is great is some of those kids are now involved in the preparation for the feast.  Callie, Reese, and Skyler were happy to help decorate the tables and get ice water for each setting.  We look forward to day when they will be involved with the clean up as well.

Great Grandma Hazel was there as well, and like always she was game for whatever we wanted to do.  This year Haley outdid herself and not only got the girls birthday presents but also brought a family gift.  That gift was a game called Pie Face, which is essentially Russian roulette with whipped cream.  Almost everyone tried it, but Hazel was a fan favorite without a doubt.

With such good times comes exhaustion, but Great Grandma rallied when the girls came and surrounded her with smiles and cuddles.  Unfortunately this was only four of the seven little ones because Tyler and his family had already headed out.

Before the day ended, Ryan was kind enough to take some pictures of our branch of the family tree in the great setting behind the house.  This was the one thing that Grammy Gayle had requested we do on our visit and we were more than happy to make it work.  It only seemed fitting to put Brandi, Zac's girlfriend, and her son EJ in the picture.  This was great forethought since Zac proposed to her on Christmas day and now we will get to attend their wedding in September 2016.  And with all that said it is a pretty good picture that captures another great Thanksgiving.

Halloween

Halloween is not just for kids.  Finding costumes is a little bit trickier, and ultimately it comes down to what we can find in the boxes down in our basement.  Fortunately we had enough to make it a blue-collar Halloween with a car mechanic and beer delivery guy.  We didn't say we were going to be overly creative.

We got all dressed up for another night with our wine group, who happen to be a bit more creative than us.  Bob and Tracy came as Maverick and Charlie from Top Gun, and boy did they look good.  Kirk was Anger while Kelly was Joy from the movie Inside Out.  You can also see their daughter Claire was Sadness, but they could not talk their almost teenager Ella into being Disgust.  Brian was an old man while Jen was a Minion.  Needless to say we had a great night.

Reese insisted on being Princess Elsa for Halloween, and when the night arrived she apparently decided to be Elsa with an attitude.  She was very excited to get out in the neighborhood and put some candy in her pumpkin. This would be round two for Reese because she had hit the downtown area with her preschool class the day before.

We somehow convinced Callie to be a cat, which meant that we didn't have to get a new costume this year.  The power of persuasion/manipulation is a wonderful thing.  We do feel lucky that she still leans toward the sweet and innocent when it comes to ideas for Halloween.  She certainly did not express any desire to be a zombie cat, for instance.

This year we had the good fortune to make it a trick or treat extravaganza by having Kennedy and Harper join the crowd.  Their mother Laurie does some incredible work with make-up and costumes.  We will have to remember Laurie's skill set when Callie and Reese outgrow Pottery Barn and the Disney Store.

Rounding out the crew was Cooper, who came as Kylo Ren from the new Star Wars.  All five kids were eager and independent, which made the night even more fun for their parent chaperones who could simply walk along, monitor manners, enjoy their drink of choice, and chat along the way.  This year also marked a milestone in that Callie and Reese, with the encouragement of their friends, were willing to partake in the neighborhood haunted house.  It's an awesome neighborhood tradition, and you can even tell the person in charge what level of scary you want.

At the end of the evening it was all smiles as the kids sorted, counted, and traded their candy.  The parents taxed the children appropriately and everyone came out a winner.  And since it was a Saturday night we didn't have to break up the party early so that kids could be up for school the next day.  Now that is a fantastic Halloween!

Reese Joins Callie on the Soccer Field

Reese has never been more excited to follow in her sister's footsteps. She tried dance and that didn't really take. But after many seasons spent watching Callie from the sideline she was ready to join in to show the world what she could do on the soccer field.  Reese couldn't wait to put on her new uniform and get the soccer ribbon in her own hair.  She was looking good!

Her team was the Rapids and her coach was the same man who coached Callie during her first three seasons.  Coach Patrick is a great guy and his son was on the team as well.  The U5 games are definitely a sight to behold.  They have throw-ins, corner kicks, and goal kicks, but outside of that it is a bit of a free for all.

Reese showed early on that she had learned a thing or two from watching all of the games over the past several years.  That's not to say that she played flawless soccer, but at least she understood the basic concepts that Coach Patrick had taught - make goals, take the ball away from the other team, and have fun.  And she was a strong player.  In fact in one game she scored four goals.  And if you ask her she will be happy to tell you about it.

Reese also had an important and somewhat unique trait among players this age.  She always wanted to be in the game.  Sarah, who was the Assistant Coach for the Rapids, knew that Reese would be the first to jump in the game if one of her teammates was bored, tired, or crying.

As is the case with all five-year-olds, the post-game snacks and the end of the year medal were the highlights of the season.  Reese was extremely proud that she got a medal and not a trophy.  She probably would have worn it for days if given the chance.

All in all it was a great first season for the Rapids.  We tried to get a full team shot after the last game, but as you can imagine this was next to impossible.  We can't wait to see what the spring season will bring.

Meanwhile, Callie took the field for her third season with the Sharks. She has come such a long way from her days playing for Coach Patrick on the Sting, when she was one of the players whose legs were tired after two minutes and who often had to be coaxed to even get on the field, much less to try and get the ball. Now she is all over the field and always wants to play.

This season she too had a couple of goals, but that doesn't really tell the kind of player she is.  Her coach, also known as Dad/John, knew that no matter where he put her on the field she would know what to do and would do it well.  She played hard and is getting a feel for the game.  Now if only she would get more serious about using her right foot and not just relying on her left.  But that will come with time.

So here is a picture of the Sharks, version 3.0.  Our third season together and this time we brought in six new players, some of whom were playing soccer for the first time ever.  It was another character building season, that's for sure.  But the girls are gaining skills and truly enjoy the whole experience.  John feels very lucky to get to work with all twelve of these characters, and is hoping that all twelve will come back in the spring.