The Athlete

AJ started walking when he turned 10 months old. I remember Steve and I, sitting on the floor in our house in Florida, encouraging him, clapping for him, cheering him on as his fat little legs pumped away, crossing the hideous pink carpet of our floor. Back and forth, back and forth, sometimes he got going so fast it was as if his legs were carrying him away of their own accord and he just followed along, and tried not to fall.
About 2 weeks later, he was running. And he literally NEVER. STOPPED.
Our spunky little AJ walked for about 2 weeks, and ever since there he has jumped, skipped, hopped, or ran everywhere else. He could two-footed hop before he was a year old. He would jump off the back of the sofa and land on his feet by the time he was one and a half. He could beat his brother in a foot race by the time he was 2. Could hit a slow-pitched baseball by two and a half. We can't wait to see what AJ decides to do with his athletic abilities. Steve is gunning for baseball, I'm holding out for soccer. He'll probably play football. Or X-Games. Yeah, he'll be a dirt-biking, skater punk. He has the hair for it. :)

He's a genetic anomaly. He has blue eyes and blond hair. Steve-0 and I still trying to figure that one out. He has my energy and Steve's sensitive heart. And I'll just go ahead and take credit for his good looks and athletic abilities while I'm at it.

He is mischievous and funny. The family clown. Always silly, always looking for attention and a laugh. The quintessential middle child. :)

What a dork. :)


Don't ask.

Yeah, he's jumping AT me as I try to take his picture. Notice the cheeky sparkle in his eye. That kid is a real piece of work.

Intense, isn't he?

Color?

Or Black & White?
You decide.

And here he is in a rare moment of quiet with Steve-o.
Nothing beats a video game with dad on a Sunday afternoon.

So there you have it. A glimpse at the inner workings of my oldest boys....hope you enjoyed them
. :) I sure do.

well, most of the time anyway.

The Artist

True to my vow, I DID take photos of my other two children this weekend, lest the grandparents start to think we set them on the curb with a "Free to Good Home" sign and decided to keep (and photograph) only Tyler.

Here's Owen, and lately I've been quite struck by just how BIG he's getting. Last Thursday I had to take all 3 rugrats on the school bus with me as we traveled 3 hours to a volleyball game. A.J. stuck fairly close, and of course Tyler was in his carseat right next to me, but Owen? He climbed on that bus, cozied up to the girls and I didn't see him again for the whole bus ride there. Or the way back. At the game, he made his own sandwich, and confidently ran under the bleachers to fetch a player's fallen sandal. There used to be a time I wouldn't let him out of my sight for more than 8 seconds, knowing full well that in the time it would take me to dig my cell phone out of my bag he would be MIA, covered in something sticky, staining, or doing something naughty and mildy dangerous - like playing in traffic. And now I find myself talking to him and thinking of him as a big boy. Actually TRUSTING him to do things on his own, or act the right way or do the right thing. And it makes me sad and proud all at the same time. I can't believe he'll be five years old in November. *sigh*

Anyway, we fondly refer to Owen as the artistic one. Where there is markers, paint, glue, paper, play-doh, pencils, clay, legos, blocks, or canvas, Owen will be there.

Not sure what he's doing here...some silly creepy finger thing when he was acting silly for the camera. What a dork. :)



Wasn't sure if I liked it better in color or black and white, so I put them both up here....you decide. :)


Oops. Missed the focus on this one, but he looked so darn cute I had to put it on here anyway.


Owen has the BEST silly contagious laugh ever. Seriously. When Owen laughs, you can't help but laugh too.


I love this pensive look he gives me. Owen is SO handsome. And he's the spitting image of Steve-o. I've got GOOD taste in men, doncha think?? :)



Now, just so you can get the full appreciation of Owen's artistic scope, I've photographed a few pages of his sketchbook for your perusal. Let's get started, shall we?

Here we have a drawing of beloved babysitter (who we consider family) Erica. Quite obviously, she is pulling the boys in a wagon.



Next up we have a lovely blue train, one of Owen's favorite subjects to draw...


Here's where things get interesting. This is a drawing of, NO, not an indian. NO, not an overzealous drunken college student at a college football game -- it is a mere boy. Being attacked by aliens. Of course he's a little upset and crying. Wouldn't you??



Blast! I hate it when my umbrella doesn't work!



Here we have deceptively sunny skies and a beautiful rainbow, but wait! *gasp* ALIENS lurking about the skies again!! The little boy on the bottom left is a little concerned, and who can blame him?? Did you see what happened to that other kid who encountered the aliens??



Ah! But the sun comes out again! HEre's a group of relatively happy people - with no aliens in sight - although apparently the blue boy sees something of concern. He seems afraid and I'm expecting him to run off the page at any moment.

I've Been a Busy Bee

Whew! I've been busy tonight! Single-handedly put 3 kids to bed by myself in under 30 minutes, FIVE new posts on the blog, one wet-the-bed-incident taken care of, new pictures up on the photoblog, a client session proofed, and a lot of other miscellaneous work done! *clapping myself on the back*

I'm going to bed! I'm tired!

And so is Tyler!

Amy Lynn and Daniel - this one's for you!

I've spent the evening proofing pictures of Zac's birth, even though I should've been doing other sessions with higher priority. Lucky for you, I just couldn't help myself! :)
I should have everything ready for you this weekend, but in the meantime, here's another one that I really liked and wanted to show you.

First Breath...

Hey You! At the Computer. Yeah, YOU.

Have you met that red polka-dotted tree frog?

He tells The BEST jokes!

I VOW

To take pictures of Owen and AJ this weekend.

Friday Night Football

Steve-o is out of town tonight to do radio for an away football game (which he rocks at, if I may brag on my hubby a bit. which I can, because it's my freak'n blog). Anyway, I snapped this pic at last Friday's football game. You can Steve-0 up in the Tree-House, or Eagle's Nest, or Satan's Perch of Death - whatever they call it. It's at the top of the bleachers. On top of the Press Box. You have to climb a ladder to get there. On this particular Friday, my best bud Lisa had to climb Mount Danger to do a radio interview at half time. She was excited to rise to the physical challenge of fording through the fans, swarming gnats and mosquitoes, slicing her way through the scent of sweaty humanity for her 5 minutes of fame. click to enlarge. :)

What choo talk'n bout?

Hooray for the Bumbo

We bought Tyler this little foam-molded infant seat, called a Bumbo. Any baby that has head control can sit in it (although Tyler is still a little wobbly), and be able to chill with the fam and watch the world around them. Good news for Tyler since the hair on the back of his head was starting to thin slightly from laying in his crib, swing, or car seat all the time. He thinks it feels good to air things out and build up his neck muscles.
I frequently plop the seat on the kitchen counter while I'm cooking or making lunch for the boys, and last night he sat in the middle of the kitchen table while we all ate. :)
So....if you have a baby that can't sit up yet, or know of someone who does, this is a great find and a perfect gift.
Just my little plug-in for the Bumbo seat. :)


And now for some snapshots of Tyler for the grandparents. He has changed SO much in the last few weeks - he's definitely moved from the newborn stage to the baby stage. Isn't he big? He's cooing and wiggling his arms and legs around a lot - I suspect his first laugh will be coming soon. And I finally got some snaps of him smiling, so I had to show you those. :)

Spread the Word

Tyler wanted me to let everyone know that breast-fed babies DO NOT like spicy Kung Pow Chicken and Pico de Gallo (with jalapenos) for back to back evening meals.

Just so ya know.

Hello there Gorgeous

I just made my bed for the first time in oh...about 3 weeks.

It looks purty. :)

Joy Conquers

It has been a sad week around here (see previous post). Thursday morning dawned cloudy and grey with a viewing and a funeral on the day's docket.
I picture a chess game began in the greater scheme of things, in the spiritual realm, that Thursday morn.

Move:
Sadness.
Tears.
A Funeral.
Death.

Counter-move:
Anticipation.
Joy.
Birth.
New Life.





Beat that.

Sadness: On (not) Smiling Through Tears

Ever since Steve and I have moved here to Georgia, and been attending Sherwood Baptist Church, we've made up a fun game of nicknaming choir members. We have a HUGE choir here, and they're quite good, and Steve and I enjoy picking out members who remind us of someone and giving them names. Yoda-toad, Ray Romano, Uncle Rico....we have lots. One of our first Sundays here, a man came up to sing a solo with the choir and when he opened his mouth, a strong and beautiful voice burst forth and nearly blew us away. He was our first nickname - and we coined him Pavarati. His voice was huge, his execution flawless, the sound that poured from his mouth was intoxicating.

Later on we learned that he was the parent of Sherwood students - Steve teaches 2 of his daughters, they have a 4th grade son. His wife does the logo application on my team's jerseys. They are active in the school - booster club members, active church members, the perfect family. Or so everyone thought.

Yesterday, "Pavarati" was found dead in a rental truck, in a fast food parking lot. Suicide.

And even though I didn't really know him, had only met him once, have had a few brief encounters with his wife, I feel very, very sad. There's a dark cloud hovering over our house, our school, our church. I feel as though I've been punched in the gut, and if *I* feel that way, as a virtual stranger, I can't even imagine the heartache of his daughters, his son, his wife - it's unfathomable.

I've been thinking about it a lot. His last moments...the incredible agony that a person must be feeling to think that there's no other solution than to end your own life. I imagine him sitting in that truck, thinking, contemplating, resolving, resigning, ending it. And I wish I could have been there. That anyone could have been there. To have randomly walked by at that moment, to sit in that truck with him, and hold his hand, and say, "hey, it's not that bad. Nothing is that bad. You can make it through this and I will help. We will help. We will love you. No matter where you've been or what you've done, We. Will. Love. You". And yet, he felt as though there was no other way out. That he was unworthy of living life any longer. And so he left behind his family. His young children. The Perfect Family. They have it all. Or at least they have to pretend that they do.

Last night at the school, after the news had leaked out - I passed one of our volleyball players parents, and our friend, Amy. And as I looked into her eyes, and saw that she had been crying, I gave her a sad half-smile, which she returned. And later I wondered, why would I do that? Why do we (especially as Christians) feel the need to smile, even in the midst of extreme sadness? Why do we feel the need to put on a brave face, smile to the world, give the impression that "hey, I'm fine over here! I've got it all together! No need to see the innermost parts of me!" Why is it taboo to be vulnerable with other people? Why is taboo to make mistakes, to screw up, and actually think that others won't judge you for what you've done? For who you are? To be HUMAN? Why is there always the facade of perfection? Why do we exude it? Why do we demand it from others?

How are you?
I'm fine.
NO!

How about
How are you?
Not good.
My life is a mess.
I'm sad.
I'm infertile.
I'm going through a divorce.
I hate my parents.
My brother has cancer.
We just declared bankruptcy.
My wife cheated on me.
My child has autism.
I think my kid is snorting cocaine.
We just had a miscarriage. Again.
And it's not ok.
I'm in a dark place.
I'm depressed.

I'm thinking of killing myself.

Wait. Stop. Don't.
I love you. We can get you through this.

The air around here is thick. With Sadness.
It's Pervasive. And Hovering.
*sigh*

I don't usually say things like this, at the risk of sounding trite, but if you think of it today, say a prayer for this family.

Aydenismism

AJ has been up until almost 11:30 for the past 2 nights, thanks to a marathon family nap on Sunday afternoon that has permanently jacked up the boys' schedule. Nap during day, stay up late at night, drive mom and dad crazy, end of story.

We got Owen back in the swing of things, but AJ is up bouncing around tonight about 9:30 p.m. and we're settling in to watch Season 3 of House on Dvd. I don't consider forceful human vomiting or emergency colon surgery something that I care for our 3 year old to see on t.v., so we tell AJ to scoot off to his room so we can watch some of our movie.

"casey, wiw you pway wif me?" AJ asks of Casey.
"No, I'm going to watch the movie" he replies.
Being smartest mom ever, I suggest the most intelligent of ideas: "AJ, why don't you take Cooper to your room and he'll play with you?"
"OH! OK mama! C'Mon Cooper, wet's go pway C'mon cooper!"
After much cajoling, Cooper (reluctantly follows).

Steve-o starts up the movie, we get comfortable....and not 2 minutes later, AJ walks out. Steve smartly pauses the scene where the greasy teenager begins to have a grand maul seizure.
"Whatcha doin'?" I ask.
"Cooper's no wanna pway" he says, but then he catches sight of Nala (the cat) on the back of the sofa.
"Maybe Nala's wanna pway wif me!!?"
"yeah, ok. grab her."
He grabs Nala in a death grip around her belly and drags her to his room and shuts the door.
Not 2 minutes later, he's back....

"Doggies no pway, kitties no wanna pway mama. PEOPLES play" he says, waving his hands emphatically. "YOU wanna pway wif me mama?? PUH--leeasse??

Who could say no to that?

Steve-o takes Sports Radio By Storm

Steve-o has been asked to take on being the play-by-play guy for the Sherwood Football Games. He diligently vegetated on the sofa studied football games on t.v. to listen to the play by play commentary so he could be prepared and his first game was 2 weeks ago. I waited until he had a couple of games under his belt to announce that you can listen to Steve do his football 'thang via Podcast.

Introducing the voice of the Sherwood Eagles on TAG Sports Radio.......STtteeeeeeevvve Nowack!

TAG Sports Radio

Or, go to Itunes, click on Podcasts and do a power search with "TAG Sports" as the title.

Zebra

Would Sir Like for Me to Peck Your Eyes Out?

click to enlarge and get the full horror effect.

Don't Judge a Book....

This video gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.

1 Month 25 Days

Aydenism

This morning, I'm sitting on the couch nursing Tyler. The tv is off, Owen and AJ are playing in their room. AJ comes bouncing out to the living room, a car in his hand. The armoire is open and as he walks by the tv he notices his reflection in the tv.
He walks up to the tv and begins making faces at himself. He then begins this whispered conversation:
"hi. I A.J."
"wha? wha you say?"
"ok" (he looks over his shoulder left, right, then back to his reflection)
(whispering) "ok....you go that way (he points into the tv) and i'll go this way (pointing behind him). ready? go!" and he runs away from the tv, checks on his reflection in the tv and then runs back to the tv.
"you see the ghost?" he asks himself. "Nope. no ghost."
"ok...you go that way (points into the tv) and I"ll go this way" and he proceeds to do this about 4 times.
"nope. no ghost"
"bye!"

and he goes back to his room to play.

:) lol

Them

My brother and his beautiful family...

Rob & Manda, with Robby, Jonathan, Abby, and Kendrick.