October 09

So, obviously, this month has been a busy one as I have not had time to update the blog. I really haven't even sat down at the computer that often and that's rare for me.

Early in the month, Bowden had a Boosterthon fundraiser at school. He had to ask people to make pledges and pay based on the number of laps he ran. He kept telling me he was going to run the most laps, and I kept telling him it was not a competition. (coming from our family, this convo was a lost cause) Thankfully, they put a 35 lap max on the kids, but apparently didn't hold to it. I went out to watch the day of the race and stayed for most of it, but had to leave towards the end to get to work. My neighbor later told me that Bowden actually did run the most laps. They must have not wanted to bust his bubble because I looked at the back of his shirt where they kept count and he ran 41 laps. I guess he takes after his mom in the distance department. Let's just hope he got Daddy's speed, too.

Towards the middle of the month, Jason and I took a trip to Grand Cayman. I don't have any pictures to prove it, unless I can get my hands on some other peoples' pics, so you'll just have to trust me when I say it's one of the most relaxing and gorgeous places we've ever been. The tide hit the other side of the island, so our side was completely smooth--no waves for the first couple of days whatsoever. It was really weird! People were water skiing in the ocean. We did a lot of snorkeling and a lot of relaxing.

Most recently, we, like everyone else, had a big time on Halloween. Bowden dressed as Ironman and, Pierce, as a puppy. Bowden is a real pro--we have a lot more coaching to do with Piercey-Baby. The doors would open and Pierce would try to make his way in. He doesn't meet a stranger. After some trick or treating, we headed over to our churches fall festival. It looked more like a fair. It was really amazing and the boys had a ball!

So, now we are rolling into November and things don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Hopefully, I'll get another update up sooner than the end of the month, though. Have a good one!

The Big Party!!

So, last night was the big party! Based on Bowden's reaction, after it was over, I'm guessing it was a big hit! He got in the car and said, "IT WAS THE BEST PARTY EVER!" and he hadn't even opened presents, yet. We had the party at Main Event. The kids got to bowl for an hour, then ate pizza and cake, and at the end, played games in the arcade area. It was a lot of fun! I should have designated someone to take pictures because I didn't get a ton, but here are some highlights.

This morning, we have built one Lego set after another, played Transformers, and now he's on the Wii, which he LOVES....Thanks to everyone who came to the party, called, texted, and sent gifts. He's had a great birthday!

Our Baby is 6 Years-Old!

Most recent pic, taken on Monday at the park.

Both of the above were in the threes....

I think this was somewhere between 18 and 24 mos.

This was before his first bath...Amazingly Tiny....I could eat him up!(:

Cherish every moment...I can't believe he is 6 years-old already. The time has flown by! Bowden, you light up our lives! We love you!

Follow-Up to Truamatic Tuesday & B's New Little World

So, the follow-up to "Truamatic Tuesday" was "Miserable Monday" and really all the days in between. We could just tell Pierce's teeth/gums/mouth were hurting. We called him the 'angry elf' as he just walked around mad at the world and not sleeping through the night. Anyway, the Monday following the accident, Pierce had a follow-up appointment with our dentist and he was able to pull the tooth forward, which I was very pleased about. As you can imagine, though, it was very painful for Pierce. Mom was in the waiting room and could hear Pierce screaming and crying from there and I was the one who had to hold him down. Yes, it was awful!! Now, we just have to wait and see. The dentist said it's pretty likely he will lose both front teeth. We are just hoping, at this point, he can keep them for another six months to year so the rest of his teeth can fill in, which are necessary in order for him to get fake teeth. If he does lose the two front teeth, the dentist said we would need to get fake replacements so that his speech would not be compromised, which I was also happy to hear because I was definitely prepared to do a little arguing if he said P would be fine without his front teeth until age 6 or 7.(: Since the appointment, he is doing so much better. I thought he would have been in pain or, at least, sore from his appt, but if he has been, it's not been enough for him to act upset--thank the Lord!

As far as Bowden is concerned, he is loving school. He seems to already have plenty of friends and comes home giving me the highlights of who's gotten in trouble that day and who he played with at recess. This week, my neighbor and I also started carpooling Bowden and Keaton, so several days this week, I've gotten to hear their conversations about school happenings, too. The funniest and most interesting one to me was B getting in the car the other day to tell Keaton and me that he had a girlfriend. To which, I asked, "what makes her your girlfriend?" and he said, "because she's pretty!" I said, "Does she know she's your girlfriend?" and he said, "No, and don't tell her." Keaton, of course, gets in on the conversation at this point and says, "She's not your girlfriend! Your haven't even talked to her!!" And they argued the rest of the way home about it. So funny!

It's amazing to me how much older he seems now that he's started school. He's matured overnight and I'm trying to find the pause button to all this and can't!! I'm very grateful that it's been such a smooth transition for him. I think being one of the oldest in the class definitely helps, which speaking of.....he's turn 6 on Thurday! I know--it's insane that he's that old. Jason and I are going to bring him lunch that day and eat with him in the cafeteria and then Friday is the party, so stay tuned!

Truamatic Tuesday

Well, Pierce had his first big accident yesterday. I was working and received a call that he had taken a pretty bad fall and I needed to come take a look at him. I got there to find that the fall was so bad that it had shoved one of his front teeth back pretty far. I immediately called Bowden's dentist and, of course, he was on vacation this week, so we took him to the dentist that was on call. On my way to pick up Jason, I looked back in the rearview mirror to see him asleep with blood running out of the side of his mouth. (yes, I was panicked and I don't normally do that!) We finally got to the dentist's office and she tried to move it back into place, but it didn't seem to do much in my opinion. She said it should try to move back into place as it heals, but the way it looks right now, I think that would take a miracle. I'm thankful that it wasn't worse, but, poor guy, it looks bad. He's pretty swollen today and his gums are bruised, but is seemingly okay. We are supposed to go back to see our dentist on Monday and see what he thinks. Say a little prayer for us--P won't let me get close enough to take a pic at this point, so I can only imagine what he'll do when the dentist tries to get in there.

First Day of School

UPDATE: Bowden had a great first day of school. I picked him up and he was covered in chocolate. Apparently, his teacher had given them a chocolate kiss before they left, so he now loves her. She's obviously pretty smart. When I asked him how it went, he said, "I had a great day--nobody picked on me, so I didn't have to punch anybody in the nose." Yes, he has received some coaching in that area and I won't name names. Ha, ha! i just pray that he didn't tell Ms. Pickett that. The other funny thing he said was (in his that silly ol' teacher voice), "My teacher said the person beside me and in front of me are my nieghbors, but they aren't our neighbors!!" He seemed to have paid pretty good attention, though. He told us all the playground rules, although now that I think about it, those are the only ones he told us about and I'm sure there were others. Ha, ha! He wants to go back tomorrow, though, and that was the goal of today for me. He enjoyed it and I survived--and actually enjoyed it when I got to

get some things done with only one child. Easy breezy!

Bowden and Ms. Pickett

Bowden and Keaton

They were very excited to have the same backpack.
It lights up just for me!

So, the drop off has taken place. It all went pretty smoothly. The only tears were mine and I kept them hidden until after we left his class. He was so excited saying, "I get to go everyday!" Here are a some pics from the big morning....

It's Almost Here....

School is almost here. Bowden will start two weeks from yesterday and I think we are almost ready. We've gotten school supplies, some new clothes, and have been waking up earlier to get ready for the new schedule. The only other thing we are missing is the backpack. I've had to restrain myself from buying the really cute one that I like at Pottery Barn. I'm not going to be that mom, though--it's his bag that he has to carry, so he gets to pick it out. He wants to get some kind of action figure one (its a different one everytime I ask), so we are going to Target pretty soon to get that taken care of. Other than that, we've just been trying to take advantage of the few weeks we have left before our world is spun upsidedown. We've been going to the pool, bowling, going on more ice cream trips, etc. B wants to go to a local water park, too, so that 's next on the list.
Next week begins a slew of events--Popscicles in the Park, where the kids and parents get to meet eachother, new student orientation is the next night, and later in the week is 'Meet the Teacher.' This is one that I've been praying really hard about because I just want him to enjoy school and have a great experience and I know the teacher that he gets will greatly impact that. I remember a couple of years ago laughing at a friend who cried as she talked about her little one starting school and her worries about it and now, I get it. I've been trying not to let myself think about it too much because I know there is not much I can do to change it and I guess that's the hard part--I can't control much of what's going to happen. B and I have been having a lot of conversations about choosing friends and being respectful, not making fun of people and standing up for himself if kids choose to do those things to him. He doesn't have mean bone in his body...you should hear the things my mom has been telling him to say and do if kids pick on him and she's a teacher! He says, 'Gigi, I'll get in trouble!' I'm trying to give it to God, but the anxiety keeps creeping in. And, trust me, I know it's just kindergarten, but there's no turning back now. Before we know it, the next fret will be over him leaving for college. At this rate, I'll be a basket case over that one.
On a lighter note, here are some pictures from the last week. I keep forgetting to take my camera with me, so they are all pics of us at home, but was still able to catch a couple of cute ones. Enjoy!

Yes, you are seeing that correctly. Pierce got a sunburn on his back and shoulders at the pool yesterday--sunscreen and all. I obviously did not reapply enough, though. You can give me my 'Mom of the Year' tiara later.(:
Soooo happy Daddy's home....

Brotherly Love

I laughed as I wrote the title of this post because both boys just got out of timeout for fighting. They love and enjoy eachother one minute and are fighting the next. Pierce does not understand sharing at all and has not liked learning about it, either. I have caught some pretty cute moments between them recently, though, so thought I'd share. I love this one! They are watching cartoons here.


Pierce was trying to figure out what was going on in the dishwasher. Bowden was explaining.

Anxiously waiting for the cookies to be done.

You should have seem them about two seconds before this shot. Pierce got behind Bowden in the chair and planted his feet on B's back and pushed with all his might to get him out. It's funny now, but I can only imagine what these fights will turn into once they get older!!

Toddler Law's of Property
(all proven to be accurate by Pierce Luce)

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks like it's mine, it's mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If I can see it, it's mine.
10. If I think it's mine, it's mine.
11. If I want it, it's mine.
12. If I "need it, it's mine (yes, I know the difference between "want" and "need"!).
13. If I say it's mine, it's mine.
14. If you don't stop me from playing with it, it's mine.
15. If you tell me I can play with it, it's mine.
16. If it will upset me too much when you take it away from me, it's mine.
17. If I (think I) can play with it better than you can, it's mine.
18. If I play with it long enough, it's mine.
19. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it's mine.
20. If it's broken, it's yours (no wait, all the pieces are mine).

The Great Poo(s) of 2009

I normally don't blog about such things as this, but what happened on my trips to and from Arkansas are really ones for the record books. I've been a mother for almost six years and have never experienced anything like this. Let me also preface this by saying that if you have a weak stomach, are about to eat dinner, or are too cool or proper to read about anything poo related, please don't read any further. I'm afraid you'll need to put on your big girl panties for this one.

So, like I said, the boys and I took a roadtrip to Arkansas this week. We actually left on Monday evening for about a three and a half hour trip to my hometown. It was pretty uneventful for the first two hours and we were making decent time, especially since it was raining. We had just passed through Mt. Pleasant, when Bowden and I both caught wind of a very distinct smell--the kind that stays in your nostrils for a while. I knew immediately that Pierce had a dirty diaper, but thought I would just change it once we got to a gas station in the next town. We continued on for another 10 minutes or so, when Pierce started fussing. I turned around to find him flailing his hands in the air with brown stuff on his fingertips. I then looked down to see the same brown stuff coming out of the leg of his shorts. I went into emergency mode, knowing that if I didn't clean this up ASAP, I was going to have a major mess on my hands (no pun intended). I drove to the next exit and pulled off to the side of an access rode. I got him out of the carseat and stood him up on the ground so I could shimmy his shorts off. With the first tug, a decent-sized portion of the poo fell from his shorts and landed directly on top of his flip-flop and settled right down in between his toes. Lovely. By the time, I got his clothes off and layed him on the seat, he had poo on his face, chest, back, forearms, legs, right foot, toes, and, of course, all over his bottom. I worked on him for what felt like forever, during which time, Bowden was commentating from the backseat. (did I mention that it was raining outside?)

The turning point in all of this happened when I was cleaning Pierce up. I turn back to give Bowden the 'not-another-word look' and see him sitting there with Batman hanging by his feet out of Bowden's nose. I died out laughing, to which he said, "What? It smells!" It was priceless!

After it was all said and done, Pierce came out relatively clean for a boy and we made it to mom's in one piece. So, you'd think this kind of thing could only happen to a mom once in such a short period of time, unless, of course, you knew you were traveling with a child with the stomach virus, which I did not. The boys stayed at Mom's for the next two nights after this with no other signs of a stomach bug. Now, granted, he didn't feel great, but it was seemingly runny nose and cough related. Well, we headed back this afternoon and were about 45 minutes from home when Pierce started throwing up. I immediately pulled over and found that he had had another explosion in his diaper!!! This time, I was low on wipes and just had to clean him up the best I could. We made it home and Jason had no idea about the second episode because my phone was dead. He's a good man, though. I walked into a clean house, he took over with the boys and had gotten me my favorite cupcake, Lemon Ginger from Sprinkles. Yum-O!!! And, now I just have two funny stories to tell from my trip to Arkansas in August of 09. Whew! Motherhood isn't for Sissies!

Things that make me laugh.....

Man, the boys have really had me going recently with all their funny business. Let's just say, we aren't short on laughs around here. We were on our way to church a while back and I said, 'you guys look so handsome!' Bowden said, 'well, I think Pierce looks kind of funny...' I had put Pierce in a one piece shortall and Bowden was not down with it. I still crack up thinking about it. Pierce, on the other hand, can just look at us and we start laughing. He has the most expressive face and he loves to put on a show. As you can tell from the pic below, he will give his 'mean' face to whomever will stand still long enough to look at him and, yes, those are Bowden's underwear on his head.

He's also been talking a lot more. I line them up for races and say, 'Ready, Set, and Pierce says, 'GO!' and they take off. (I have to hold the back of Pierce's shirt, though, so he doesn't cheat.)

Bowden is growing up so quickly and just blows us away sometimes with the things that he says and does. He's also becoming pretty quick-witted like his daddy. Oh my, I know! He had a pretty clever little comeback the other day. To set up the story, Bowden has gotten to where he will complain of a tummyache when he doesn't want to eat anymore. It's amazing how miraculously he gets over it when dessert comes out or a suggestion is made that we go to the dr. Anyway, the other day, Bowden was complaining of another stomachache and I asked him if we needed to call the WAHHmbulance. He said, 'No, but I think we need to call the MEANbulance for you because you're being mean!' All I could do was laugh. Well-played.

He does headstands a lot, too. He was doing one last week and I said, 'that's impressive, B!' So, now he says 'impressive' all the time. He said something else the other day and Jason asked him how he knew that. B's response was, 'I guess I'm just talented!' Again, oh my, what am I going to do with these boys!!

Whew!!

He's even tired!!
Mall Trip

He's tired, too!

End of the Season Party

What a month!! We have been running around here like crazy people for the last month and I have to say that I am to blame for it. I really over-scheduled us for the first part of the summer....Here are the highlights, we wrapped up baseball season mid-June. At the end of season party, Bowden and another little guy received "Most Improved Player" balls. We were so excited for him! Bowden attended golf camp and VBS after that and both boys started swimming lessons. I also started working two days a week. Nothing major--it equates to 8 hours a week, but are two more days that we have to get out the door pretty quickly in the mornings. I'm not complaining, though. I'm enjoying the balance.

After all that wrapped up, Jason and I ended up taking a last minute vacation with the Perry's to Mexico and it was a blast! The Perry's turned us onto scuba diving while there and we ended up doing 3 dives. It was so much fun! I highly recommend the resort, too. We stayed at the Secrets Capri Riviera in Playa del Carmen. The food, customer service, beach, pool, rooms were all excellent! We would definitely go back. (One of the best dives we did was a 2 minute boat ride from our hotel.)

On a much heavier note, last Friday, our friends, the Cruses, lost their son Connor to cancer. In light of Connor's condition before he passed away, I am happy for him. I hope he is running the bases in heaven as we speak and enjoying the presence of God. My heart aches, though, for Tait and Joy. I can only imagine the void that they feel. They are such a strong, God-fearing family, though, and are still determined to raise money to help support other families and for cancer research. To read more about them and their journey, visit connorcruse.com.

We are coasting for the next couple of weeks. In light of everything that has happened with the Cruses, my plan for the rest of the summer is to enjoy my boys as much as I possibly can. School will be starting before we know it. AHHHHH!! God has been so good to us and for that I am very thankful!!

Girls Trip/Amber's Shower

Where it all started....(The boys and I drove through campus on our way home)


This last weekend was such a great weekend! My college girls and I met up in Hot Springs and stayed in an awesome house on Hamilton Thursday night (Thanks, KT!). We ate, shopped, and talked our way through Friday. The perfect trip in my mind, especially with all my girls.

On Saturday, we threw a shower for Amber, Alan, and Miss Anna Beth. It turned out beautifully. They received some great gifts and it was fun to see everyones' little ones, too. The boys and I headed back on Sunday.

This week has already shaped up to be a super busy one. B is in golf camp and is loving it. We are also wrapping up baseball this week. I'll post picks of all this soon!

Girlies, I'm already looking forward to next year!