Menu for Birthday Party

We asked Alex tonight what he wanted to eat at his birthday party. What follows is a list of the foods he named (and the reasons why he wants them in some cases):

-Grilled cheese
-Mac -n- cheese
-Carrots
-Celery
-Veggies
-Lemon pepper (because uncle Dallas and Rah-rah {aunt Sarah} will like it)
-Fish sticks
-Ice cream sandwiches

I'm sure there will be more to come...stay tuned.

Frank B-Day Weekend Changed...

To those of you attending the Frank Birthday Weekend - -

the dates have been changed to November 13-15, with the party on the 14th. After talking with a few more people, we decided that this weekend would be better for everyone. :)

Haircuts!!

Well, we couldn't put it off any longer - Zach needed his first haircut (mind you, Alex had already had 4 at this point....)

After baths one night, this is what it looked like.....

Before the cut......

Alex before the cut.......

And :::::::drumroll, please ::::::::::::, THE HANDSOMEST MEN IN THE WORLD!!! Fresh out of the bathtub, clean-cut, mmmmmmm!!!!!!

We sat on the floor and had popcorn as a treat. Alex still screamed and cried throughout the entire thing, Zach smiled and even giggled during his. What gives?!?!

And a samplig of Zach's giggles - he's become very tuned in to the camera, so once he sees it, he basically stops what he's doing to watch it. There's a little bit of laughing, though. :)

Zach's 11 months and Alex's new shoes!!

Today Zach is officially 11 months old - my baby is gone, but I am so very happy with the little boy that he is becoming. We got a couple of great shots!

He's close to walking - he just needs more practice. He has four teeth that have poked through - the two bottom ones are fully in, and the two top teeth have just poked through. From what I can tell, there arent' many more on the horizon (or gumline). :) Zach loves fruits and veggies - many nights Alex and Zach are racing each other to see who can eat the last of them! I guess it's a good problem to have!

Alex got some new shoes in the mail from Grandma Le and Grandpa Dave - and they're Lightening McQueen!! It was so funny when he first put them on - he'd run three steps, stop to look at the lights, and then go three more steps. He was willing to run tonight as long as we let him look at it on the computer. :)

Have a great week!!

Birthday Wish Lists

We've had quite a few phone calls, e-mails, and text messages about things that the boys want for their birthdays. Here's a few suggestions:

Zach

--Clothing - size 12 months
--Toys - right now he's really into throwing balls (not like we have any of those around the house), and anything that will promote walking (he just needs to get his confidence up right now).
--Heavy winter coat, snowpants, boots (size 6 - shoes), gloves/mittens, hat
--Money for his savings account

Alex

--Clothing - size 3T
--Thomas the Tank Engine - any toys, movies, clothing, etc.....he loves it all! If you find something specific and want to double check if we have it, just give one of us a call - there's way too much to list on here! :)
--"Cars" figures (the movie) - he has Lightening McQueen, Doc, Chick, and Mack, plus the movie. He had mentioned that he wanted the sheet set and blanket when we were at Wal-Mart, he has a twin size bed, if you're so inclined.
--Heavy winter coat, snowpants, boots, etc. (shoe size - 10), hat, gloves/mittens
--Thomas magazine - more information at http://www.redan.com/, or else he loves any other magazine to do with animals. (he loves getting mail, too). If you do purchase the magazine, please leave a comment on here so that others also know that this one has been "taken". (we promise not to let Alex read the blog until his birthday). :)
--Money for his savings account

Both boys enjoy books - so that's always a safe bet. :)

By no means is this an exhaustive list, actually it's a bit skinny - but just go with what you want. The boys aren't picky - anything will be great! THANK YOU!

Also, in case you haven't marked your calendars:

Bowin family birthday weekend: October 30-November 1 (parties on the 31st)

Frank family birthday weekend: November 13-15 (parties on the 14th).

Our house is available for anyone who wants to stay here - remember that we only have two extra beds, however. Let us know if you have any other questions!! :)

Update from afar....

Hello! Once again life has gotten the better of us, and it's been a while since we posted.

The weekend after Labor Day we headed out to Colorado to watch the air show that Andy's hometown puts on. Grandma and Grandpa Bowin and Uncle Dallas all were helping with the air show, but we did get a chance to see Great-Grandma Marge, as well as Great-Gramdma and Grandpa Wagner. We didn't get to see anyone as much as we would have liked to, but we did have a great time for the little amount of time we were together.

The air show was amazing! It was super cold and rainy, but we had a canopy, so it was great to be out of the rain. We watched a parachuter, which Alex loved to see the ribbons hanging from her. They had a wing-walker, but they had to cancel their stunt because of the rain. (Yeah, I wouldn't want 100 mph hitting me as I tried to walk the slick wings of a plane....). They also had an F-16 there - that was breathtaking! I can't believe just how fast they can go - and I am sure we didn't even see half of what it can do! They advised us to cover the kids' ears when it would go by - and Alex needed it! Zach, however, fell asleep before the performance, and SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE THING!!! I held him, just because I wanted to be able to cover his ears quickly and comfortably. One ear was up against my arm, and the other ear was under a blanket and my hand.....yet he still slept. I guess I don't need to worry about Alex waking him up in the middle of the night.....do I? ;)

Here are a few shots of us at the air show....(I need to get better with the camera!)

Zach, amongst the dirt and hay. :)

Alex, Zach, and I on the blankets at the air show. (Alex ended up falling asleep on my lap like this)

Zach watching the WWII reinactment. (Alex was really scared, so he and I went to the car and ate cotton candy) :)

When we got back, Alex had a surprise package for being potty trained!! (If we didn't share that already on the blog - yes, Alex is fully trained - even at night! Hurray!!) In it, there were a number of wonderful Thomas things - including his new Thomas puzzle. (he needed just a *little* bit of help) ;)

Zach chooses the most curious sleeping positions. Apparently, he was dreaming about teaching a kickboxing class....or karate.....or the can-can.......or aerobics.....or he's just being our Zach. :)

It's hard to believe that such a little boy can cause such a B-I-G mess!!

This past weekend we had guests! Kyle, Amy and their son Micah, as well as Tim, Kari, and their daughter Lucy all came out to visit. The guys spent most of Saturday and all of Sunday morning looking for turkeys. Unfortunately, all of the turkeys could only be seen from a distance, so they came home empty-handed. We did all get to watch the Husker game Saturday night, and that was the only shot I took the entire weekend! (I HAVE to get better about this camera thing!!) :)

On the far left, you can see Lucy's pink pant leg (she's about 2 weeks older than Zach), then Micah (who will be two in March), and you can barely see Zach's blond head over Alex's head....Kyle is laying across the floor. He was the human jungle gym for a good portion of the evening. :)

We had a great time - we NEED to get together more often!!

And a video of the boys playing well together - it's happening more and more often now. Alex still has to be reminded (frequently, at times) that Zach isn't quite up to all of the rough-housing yet, but they do enjoy playing. We especially get a kick out of Zach's hair......it's crazy!

Senior Pictures and Dishrag Alex, plus a riddle.

Today's Riddle: How do you put siding on a house without a ladder? (see end of post for the answer)

Hey all. Just a quick update. Everyone here is back to 100% percent or at least close to it. Our short week is off to a good start and we are looking forward to a trip to Akron this weekend.

Now...on to our post. While we were eating supper tonight Zach struck a "senior picture" pose. We tried to capture said pose on film (see below), but we weren't able to capture it in all its cheesiness. However, Alex wanted in on the game, and was a little more cooperative.

Zach's pose (no, we didn't do anything to set him in this position).

Pose #1: It would look better on a beach, or in a lush green meadow, but you get the idea.

Pose #2: The classic senior picture pose, compete with the slightly pouty non-smile, non-frown.

Pose #3: I'm gettin tired of this, and it feels a little silly.

Tonight's video shows Alex flying around the house, courtesy of dishrag airlines.

Now, the answer to the riddle.

I don't know who these goofballs were, but they were working on the siding of the neighbor's house. This was taken looking out from the boys' bedroom window. I think I prefer a ladder....sometimes they do things a little "odd" here in Ord. :)

Labor Day Update

Sorry folks, no pictures or video this time - - just an update on how we're doing....

We had a good week last week, and were looking forward to a quiet weekend at home. At 2:30 AM Saturday morning, we woke up to Zach puking. Luckily, that was his only episode with the "vomits"......

Sunday afternoon (around 1:00), Alex then began his "bout". His was a little more violent - every 30 minutes or so for 6 solid hours. At 6:30 I called the Dr. (as I am freaking out about all of this H1N1/Swine flu crap), and he said to take everything away for at least 2 hours. (Alex was balling about every 5 minutes because he wanted water - that was the only thing we were giving him, yet he was still getting sick. So the doc recommended we switch to powerade/gatorade and to give as little as possible. That helped. Alex was feeling better at 8:30, and had kept the few swallows of powerade down, so we offered him a couple of crackers. He downed them in no time, so we waited a little longer - to make sure they stayed down - and then gave him a few more. Today, he's been back to his "normal" self. :)

Then, last night, as the boys were getting ready for bed, it hit me. Yuck and double, triple yuck. I was having terrible back pain, so that had me up most of the night. Today's been much better, with the help of my wonderful husband, who's taking care of everything! He made me chicken noodle soup for lunch, and has been the official "boy wrangler" whenever there's a dispute (which, with these two, is a very common occurance). Plus, he's battling his own "yuck" - he saw the doc on Friday and they diagnosed him with "pharyngitis" - which is an upper-throat infection. Luckily, he's feeling much better today, so I am very thankful for that.

Then tonight (about 10 minutes ago), Andy had Zach on the couch, went to let him down, and realized that Zach pooped UP his diaper - splattering Andy's arm, the pillow on the couch, a little bit of the loveseat, Zach's entire outfit, and the neighbor's car across the street. (OK, so not the car, but you get the point.) Andy's showered, and the house is CLEANED and Febreezed....

We'd better be done with the bodily fluids for a LONG time!!!!!

Have a GREAT week, everyone!

Alex's 2 yr, 10 mo. and a NEW roof!

Hello all!

Yes, we'll give you a moment to scrape yourselves off of the floor.....after all, it was just two days ago that we last posted.....

OK, now that you're back up at the computer...WE HAVE A NEW ROOF!

July 22 there was a "small" hailstorm that swept through Ord, and our roof was one of it's victims. Our roof was needing to be replaced in the next couple of years anyway, but once the hail got to it, we had big chunks and entire shingles laying all over our yard. SO, I called the insurance company and they sent out an adjuster....yep, it was totaled. So, here are the "before" and "after" shots....

The front of the house BEFORE....

The back of the house BEFORE......

And (drumroll, please...) the front of the house AFTER....

and the back of the house AFTER......

They even did the shed! (Insurance included that in their claim!)

We weren't too sure about the dark color.....it'll take some getting used to, but we think that it looks really nice.

Saturday night Alex and I baked a fruit pizza.....yummy!! (Although Alex ate more than he put on the pizza...as you can tell from the shot, he's about to put more pineapple into his mouth!)

And we couldn't have an "official" post without an adorable picture from the "Z" man. ;)

One other bit of news.....last night Alex pooped on the toilet for the FIRST TIME!! We are so proud of him! He had us in stitches, because right after he pooped and got up, he looked at it, looked at us, and said, "I pooped a BIG one!" We took the obligatory "poop" shots, so if you'd like a picture (we didn't feel right putting it up on the blog....we don't want anyone to lose their lunch/supper/meal), we can e-mail it to you. Yeah...that's just what you want filling up your inbox....it was a big deal for us, so....yes, we took pictures. He's our first, after all, so we're just going with it. :)

Happy September, all!

Zach's 10 month update, et al.

Wow.....it's been a while! (And that's an understatement!!)

Let's see...since August 3rd? Wow....can I even remember back that far? It's good that we have lots of pictures and videos, otherwise we'd have threats of physical harm from all of the grandparents out there. :)

We'll narrate as the pictures and video as we go.

Zach's "official" 10 month picture...crawling the halls of Sargent High School.....he looks so little compared to most of the kids I see walking through these halls! (Fortunately, I haven't seen any of the high schoolers crawling...although some days I wouldn't be surprised...)

We did go over to Sargent for their volleyball and football "soap" scrimmages. Both teams have the JV vs. the Varsity, and everyone brings a Powerade/Gatorade (used to be soap....hence the name) as their admission fee.

Now....WAAAAAY back to the beginning of the month......

Alex wanted to take a nap with Mommy.....here we are pretending to sleep. (We just ended up being silly - no naps here!)

Alex taking a picture of me taking his picture. (His didn't turn out....) :)

Earlier this month, our fridge started making funny noises. After a couple of phone calls to some reliable sources, we concluded that the compressor was ready to go. I kept checking the freezer, and noticed that our ice packs and the cardboard on some of the food was beginning to be soft. SO, we called a friend and she let us borrow their pickup for the night....so we went down to Grand Island and came back with this......

It was discounted about 40% because of some scratches on the side....but it's nothing that a little paint can't fix. We're especially liking the ice and water in the door. :) Ah, the little things.

Some shots of the boys.....

Alex being tickled...just LOVE the smile! :)

Zach getting into his brother's beloved trains! (as if he's saying, "Who?? Me??")

Although it looks like Alex is ready to throw the ball at Zach, he didn't.....this time, anyway. Alex is really into soccer right now, which is just killing his father.

The other morning we went into the boys' room to wake them up, and Zach was positioned like this....ouch!

This is a perfect example of "Monkey See, Monkey Do." And we certainly love our little monkeys.



Here's Alex playing soccer. One of his favorite lines is, "I'm a good kicker."

And Zach as we're playing......then with our next bit of news......just watch, you'll see!

Yes, Alex has been wearing underwear for a week now! His accidents are few and far between....and we still haven't mastered #2 on the toilet yet, but he's getting more comfortable with it. He loves his underwear...he has Thomas, James, and Percy from "Thomas and Friends", Lightning McQueen and Mater from "Cars", "Handy Manny" and "Elmo" underwear....so he likes to talk about how he doesn't want to get them wet, because he doesn't want to make them cry. Now we're starting to focus more on "They don't want to get poopy..." so we'll see if that has the same positive result.

Andy's been busy at work...he had to cover a while for one of his co-workers who went into early labor and maternity leave, but he's staying busy with nursing home coverage, home health, and his outpatient caseload here in Ord. He had a continuing ed course last weekend, so we didn't see him much (left at 6:30 Sat/Sun AM, and returned around 6:30 PM), but he said it was really good, so we're ok. :)

I've been in school for two full weeks now (with students.....plus two work days).....things are going well! It's been hotter than blazes (and I have no window for an air conditioner), plus my junior high volleyball gals and I spend 2 hours in the gym every afternoon...which adds to the heat. :) They are coming along nicely...our first game isn't until the 14th, and some have a ways to go, but they are a good bunch - it should be a fun season. :)

Other than that, it's just BUSY! Laundry, meals, cleaning, sleep, spending time together, that's pretty much our life. Take care everyone.....love to you all! :)

P.S. At the boys last Dr. appt (I can't remember when it was......a few weeks ago.......) Zach was 23 lbs., Alex was 32. Easy to remember, YAY! :)

Thomas, Zach's 9 month, MO vacation!

Hey All! We know it has been a little while since we posted, but such is life. Rather than try to give you a big sweeping recap of the past 2 weeks of our life, we will just let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy!



First, we have a few pics from our trip to Fremont to see the Thomas the Train. Very exciting for a certain little boy.

Our first glimpse of Thomas on his way into the station.

The accordion player, who entertained us while we waited for the train. Yes, Thomas fans...he did play the "Thomas and Friends" theme song.

The 3 amigos on the train. Sure daddy has a cheesy grin, but the look of pure excitement on Alex's face more than makes up for it.

The boys, watching the world go by at the speed of Thomas (about 4 miles per hour).

Thomas, up close and personal.

Sir Topham Hatt (pr. Top-um Hat), not so up close and personal.

Alex, who just realized there was a baseball field nearby.

Watching Thomas arrive from another run.

Now, on to our vacation pictures. Things happened to fall into place that Elly and Noah were available to get together, so we got together with the whole crew in Blue Springs. Its not very often the cousins get to hang out together, so it was nice to see the boys get to play together for a while.

Traveled 390 miles, played with trains. The boy(s) know what he(they) like(s).

More trains. Lots of trains.

Did I mention he likes trains?

Don't forget about me!! I'm still cute too, right?

The official Zach 9 month old picture. I'm sure that facial expression means something, but I don't know what.

Alex and Grandpa at the zoo.

Alex checking out the wildlife.

Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Frank, the gang got to spend a day out on Lake Jacomo on a pontoon boat. It was a very relaxing day, just hanging out and floating around.

Zach, playing with Alex's fishing pole.

Alex, "fishing" (no hook, no bait) with mommy's help. Soon after this picture was taken, the fishing pole found its way to the bottom of the lake (yep...it is still there).

Zach swimming with Aunt Elly's help. His little outfit is even less comfortable than it looks. Think a chunk of foam on your chest, and thin foam pillow under your head, and long, nasty, thong-like strap connecting the two. Just lovely.

Zach, enjoying his post swim crackers a little too much.

Alex, re-hydrating after a long morning of avoiding getting wet at all costs.

Nap time on the pontoon boat.

A life vest makes a good pillow.

Zach in his outfit-de-comfort. This was the only time he wasn't really crying about his outfit.

The whole gang.

Zach, helping grandpa pick his next fishing lure.

Andy spitting lake water at me (yes, collective "eeeeewwww")...after this I threatened to have him walk back to Ord.

While we were boating, we had some company......at first there was only one raccoon......

Then two raccoons....and the crackers we didn't quite get to the shore.

The raccoon....trying to get close enough to reach the crackers.....

We also got a chance to swing downtown to Crown Center, a little indoor shopping area in downtown Kansas City with some neat little shops and restaurants, including a Fritz's, a restaurant where your food is delivered by an elaborate series of trains attached to the ceiling.

Alex and Noah outside of Fritz's....aka "The Train Restaurant".....

Zach eating his lunch (fruit and fries). :)

Alex eating his lunch (grilled cheese and fries).

This is just a quick video of the train delivery apparatus. Yeah, the restaurant is about as loud as this video.

Saturday evening, the boys were playing in a pool in the front driveway, and we were able to snap a few pictures and a video as a water fight ensued.

The crew - (if you notice, Dan is getting Sarah with a water gun - Go Dan!)

Silly boys!

Noah, Alex, and Ruby share the pool. We got a kick out of Alex's "plumber butt" - - - his pullup was SOAKED!! He got his clothes off soon after this (Noah had just stripped)......

Zach - during the water fight. :)

Alex throwing a ball into the air - don't you LOVE the saggy pullup?!?! :)

A short video of Alex winning his own personal water fight with Ruby the Dog.

Finally, one picture we snapped on the way home.

As we were passing through Grand Island, we saw this cloud/storm. It looked pretty cool!

Happy August Everybody! We hope you enjoyed our pictures.