Bowen: 10 years old

Bowen is 10!

He weighs 62 pounds and is right at 4 ft. 6 in. 

He is always up for adventure. He's agile and brave and we trust him to know his limits. We went rock climbing this year and he just flew up the walls to the very top. 

He went on a cruise to his first country outside of the US... the Bahamas! and in about a month, he will take his first trip around the world. Literally circling the earth! 

He loves to play (little games they've made up) with Miller inside. They play "the lego game", and "neighborhood" and "battle" with their animals. But he plays more with Grayson outside... football, basketball. 

He's currently working his way thru Harry Potter right now. He's currently flying thru book 5!

Hunter Renfrow left the Raiders this year, so he's no longer a Raiders fan... he recently decided to follow the Bengals. 

He chose to go to New York City with Pop Pop and Nona for his 10th birthday trip. They will tour the city, see a Mets vs. Dodgers game and possibly a broadway play. 

He is sweet and silly and fun and we love him so! 

Miller: 5 years old

Our baby is FIVE! 

It amazes me thinking of the difference in 5 year old Grayson and 5 year old Miller... Miller is still held often, and 5 year old Grayson NEVER was held.... he had 2 younger brothers! And just the whole different life Miller has, in running around with big kids. It's really crazy!

Miller seems like he has grown so much in the last few months! He seems to weigh more, seems longer and just so much older. He is weighing about 35 pounds (9th%), 3 feet 5 inches tall (20th%) and is still in mostly 4t clothes. 

He is still such a little snuggler. There are times where he just needs to get his little physical touch tank full. He will just wallow in our laps or need "cheek to cheek time" where he just hugs our neck.

He loves to meet peoples dogs and will run up and ask every time we see a dog "can I pet your dog?" (yearssss of training to ask before petting!). 

He graduated out of speech therapy with Ms. Milca a few weeks ago. He has come so far and I'm so proud of him!

He also graduated out of the toddler bed last week. He's got his own big boy bed in the boys room now!

He still loves playing with a fish. The smaller the better. He likes to play football and frisbee and can throw and catch pretty well (he plays with lots of older kids). He loves to ride his bike and listen to music and sing loudly. 

He will attach himself to people quickly. He might meet someone and 5 minutes later he's declaring them his best friend. He loves his people aggressively and we have lotssssss of conversations about self control and obedience, even when we are excited. 

If Chad is ever hugging me, Miller will snarl his face and growl and wedge himself between us and say "get off my mommy!"

He always asks "How many tomorrows until....?"

He wanted a baseball party for his 5th birthday because "baseball is my favorite sport". So we invited our families and had a baseball game! It was a beautiful day for it!

 Things he says that we won't correct: 

-"Damember"- for remember

-"fork"- for fort

-"the Trolt Lions"- for Detroit Lions

We love this little guy! He can still have us so frustrated with his whining one minute, and laughing so hard the next. Lord, may we point him to YOU, in the hard times and the good!

Bowen: 6 years old

Bowen turns SIX years old today! 

He is 40 pounds, size 6 clothes, and as bony as can be :) 

We are working on learning to read, but he isn't too interested. He is such a different learner than Grayson and I'm constantly trying to evaluate what is best for his learning style. He just recently has started wanting to write more or me spell stuff for him. 

He thinks he can just make up Spanish words. His most common used are "chi-os" for goodbye and when he counts in Spanish, he always says "uno - dos - tres- cuatro- cinco- seis- sirache- nueve- diez" It's like he combines siete, ocho and srirache into one word :) 

He will combine other words too... he told me he had on his "hot toboggy" the other day... a combo of toboggan and hot tamale. 

Some of his best friends are one year olds and he loves them so much. He is so sweet with little ones and truly loves being with them!

He has learned to show self control so much better over the last year. Of course, he still has some moments, but overall he is doing so well... and now we have another wild-man-3-year-old who has taken his place :) 

He lost his first 2 teeth (bottom middle) in the past 6 weeks!

He has started playing a lot of soccer in the cul-de-sac and he enjoys it and is really good at it!

He has amazed us at the board games he has learned and done well with recently (even though he doesn't read!) Some current favorites are Ticket to Ride, Monopoly Deal, and Pandemic

He loves playing with his brothers and friends, being read to, mac and cheese, getting one on one time with Chad or me, chopping with a hatchet 

Miller: 3 years old

Our baby is THREE years old! And he's still very much the baby :)

He is the silliest little boy and brings us so much JOY! He keeps us laughing and has so. much. personality. 

He is 27 pounds. He is our smallest boy at this age and wears all 2t clothes.

I think he has given up naps. I'm so bummed. G and B slept until they were 4.5, so this seems wayyyyy too soon. He's still pretty good about having rest time in his bed for about 2 hours and holding it together until bedtime without napping. In the last 2 months, he's only napped a handful of times.  

He says "undie-wears" and I will be so sad when he learns the right way. 

He LOVES fish. Especially "baby fish". 

He still sleeps in the pack and play.... but will move to a big bed soon. He sleeps great and loves his "little room in the bafroom" (he sleeps in our closet). Why mess with a good thing? haha

He is awesome on the balance bike, and I have no doubt he will soon jump on a regular bike easily.

Every morning when I get done teaching (I have lipstick on) and I pick him up and try to kiss him, he pulls away and says "nooooo, you have chap-stips on"

He earned himself the title of "first busted open ____" of any of our boys. He busted the back of his head open 1 week ago by jumping off the couch and hitting the coffee table just right. Grayson started screaming and when we rushed in the sunroom, we saw blood everywhere. Chad got the bleeding under control, and our friend (and nurse) Sammi who lives close came over and fixed him up. SO, SO thankful for her! It has healed so great and is almost cleared up. 

He wants to sing "Jesus Loves Me" every night before bed. 

He also has collected quite a few things he wants to sleep with and is particular in how he wants them tucked in beside him. He wants to be tucked in with his "little blankie, big blankie, then taggie on top". 

He is opinionated... especially about who brings him things. He wants me to bring his breakfast plate each morning (Chad better not try to put in on the table in front of him). But if one of his grandparents is around, he wants them to do things. 

Over the last few months, he has mostly sat with us through church services. I still can't believe we make it through. I have a bag of crafts and activities and they've all done so well, but Miller amazes me. We finish an hour and a half service where I didn't have to get up with him once during the sermon, and I'm amazed. (Now we are probably a little distracting to the people behind us, but kids have to learn, right?)

He loves his bros, riding in daddy's car, driving the gator, his orange Clemson hoodie, caterpillars and worms, playing with a fish, "Tiny" his stuffed dog, throwing stuff in the pond, playing cars, lego duplos, swinging

TWO is a an exhausting, non-stop age... but SO much fun and SO cute. We will miss 2 year old Miller but can't wait to see what 3 year old Miller is like :) 

Bowen: 5 years old + birthday

He is currently 37 pounds. 

He only naps every now and then, but has rest time in his room each day. He's quiet and still on his bed for an hour and then can play in his room for an hour. 

He loves to play outside with the neighbors and his bros. 

He's awesome on his bike and scooter and flies around the cul-de-sac. 

He loves one-on-one time with Chad and I. He is like a completely different kid when we have him by himself! It's crazy!

He has certain people (who he loves SO much) that he gets so excited to be around that it's like he loses control and common sense. It's like he's so excited he can't contain himself. It is intense to parent him in these situations and take lots of reminders to show self control and calm down. 

Nana and Papa came and spent the weekend before his birthday and we celebrated Bowen and Papa and had dinner at PF Changs. For his party this year, we celebrated with friends here in Charlotte and BOjangles :) Then the next morning, Chad and I left for a conference and my Mom came and spent 2 days with the boys. She spent Bowen's birthday morning (and afternoon) at the aquarium and a CFA lunch, and then Chad and I got back in the afternoon for his birthday dinner and cookie cake he made with Nona. He felt so very loved!

 

They even got to go "backstage" to see the big tanks...

and a few pics from the last few months of being four :) 

Bowen: 5 year interview

1. Nicknames? Bowen John, Bo Bo, Bo Bear, Bocephus

2. How old are you? 5

3. What is your favorite color? orange and black

4. What is your favorite animal? peregrine falcon

5. What is your favorite book? Curious George

6. What is your favorite TV show? Wild Kratts

7. What is your favorite song? Beat it up (a Bowen original) 

8. What is your favorite food? mac and cheese

9. What is your favorite drink? fizzy water

10. What is your favorite breakfast food? pancakes

11. What is your favorite snack? oranges

12. What is your favorite outfit? jeans and basketball shirt

13. What is your favorite game? Uno

14. What is your favorite toy? my police truck

15. What is your favorite thing to do? draw a picture for my mommy

16. What is your favorite thing to do outside? ride the gator and play with my friends

17. What are you really good at? playing basketball

18. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? my teddy bear, Curly

19. Where is your favorite place to go? Chick-fil-a

20. What is your favorite restaurant? Chick-fil-A

21. What do you like to do with your family? go places with them

22. What is a place you would like to visit? Clemson

23. What makes you laugh? my bros doing something funny

24. What do you like to learn about? reading

25. What do you want to be when you grow up? police man

Grayson: 7 years old

So much change in the last few months for our biggest boy! 

He currently weighs 54 pounds.

We moved from Clemson - to a missions house for 3 months- to our new home in Charlotte. 

He surprised me with how easily he transitioned to Charlotte. He was the one I was a little worried about. He misses his best buds, but hasn't really had a hard time otherwise.

He loves to read. If we go to the library, he spends the entire afternoon devouring all of our new books. Magic Tree House books are his current favorite. 

He loves to play outside and with our neighbors. 

He loves to get to go with us places one-on-one. 

He's lost 5 teeth. 

He just easily learns things at this point. School is pretty simple for us because I can tell or show him a new concept and he just gets it. I'm thankful for that. 

His 7th birthday was the BIRTHDAY OF THE POCKETKNIFE, that he's talked about for YEARS. Chad told him maybe when he was four that he could have a pocketknife when he was seven (because that seemed so far off) and man, did that sneak up fast :) 

Nona was here helping us get settled in our new house on his birthday and she made him a cookie cake that they decorated and then we also celebrated his (and Mackenzie's) birthday that evening with our small group. 

We decided and started talking wayyyy back (maybe in the Spring?) about doing a Great Wolf Lodge trip for Grayson and Rett's birthdays and I think it was perfect for this year. It was something to look forward to to see our best friends, they got to come see our new home, and it was just a fun memory. 

It's such a joy to watch him grow!

Miller's 2nd birthday

Miller turned 2 while Chad was in India. We missed him being around, but had a sweet day celebrating our big TWO year old. We invited family over for cupcakes that morning, had a hot dog lunch, and then went downtown Durham for icecream at the Parlour after dinner. Can't believe my baby is two!

I had to take him to the bathroom and give him a mini-bath in the sink. He went home in a diaper. He even had icecream all in his shoes... and he seemed to love every minute :) 

Bowen: 4 years old

Our middle boy is FOUR years old today! He woke up this morning and said "but Mommy, I don't feel any bigger". 

He is 34 pounds (29%), 3'3" (20%), 4t clothes, size 8 or 9 shoes

He naps most days. But there have been a handful of days over the last couple of weeks where he doesn't fall asleep.

He is sweet and considerate to others... especially ones younger than him. 

He buckles and unbuckles his carseat. This is such a game changer! 

He's recently gotten so much better at writing his name. 

His brothers are his best friends. It's neat to watch him play with Grayson (most of the time he plays with Grayson), but more and more he is playing with Miller too.  

He has done about 3 months of speech, has taken a break for last couple of months (maternity leave for his pathologist) and will start back soon. 

He eats just about anything. He loves a fried egg in the morning, fruit, and "noodles are my favorite"

He is such a fast runner. 

He's still a wild man, but there's definitely improvement on what we can expect out of him.

He still only has one volume... LOUD

I wish I knew how many times we've told him to ask for things or talk without whining. We will keep on telling him until he learns....

Happy 4th birthday to our Bowen!

and here are G and B at 4...