The Top Posts From 2010- Year End Review

This year has  been a great year for the Bowmans, full of adventures, mini-vans, and the news of another baby!  We are expectantly waiting for 2011 and all the things God is going to do in us, through us, and around us.  But for now, some of the years top posts....

Biggest Announcement of the Year: Read My Shirt!

Best Max story of 2010: Captain Adorable

Biggest Reaction from Readers:  Oh no, HE didn't!

Most Reads: A Day to Remember

Hardest Thing to Swallow: Changing My Theme Song

Best Chad story of 2010: The Super Sleuth and The Case of The Beep Beep

Top Funny Moment: The Hamburger

Grossest Story of 2010: TMI: The Poop Edition

The Closest Look at My Inner Psyche (Psycho): Reading Between The Lines

Worst Parenting of 2010: My Bud Light Dilemma

Best Revelation of 2010: What LIfe Would've Been Like

The only time I was wrong this year: This Really Just Happened

Best Gabe Story of 2010: Goodnight Love Girl

The Post I still get asked about: TRUE LIFE: Chad listens to Mariah Carey Christmas Year 'Round

First Blog Post Ever!: Top 10 Things I've learned since Aug 19th, 2009

Missing

I think there's a dark hole in my house... or a boogie man who lives under the bed and takes small treasures so that he can sell them for money... or a mouse family who has to steal stuff from us to decorate their abode... or a little 16 month old who never stops and puts things in secret hiding places that his mother has yet to discover....

But regardless, we have a long list of missing items, and the list is growing at a rapid rate.  And this is a problem for me because I'm a clean person, and organization freak, and the extreme opposite of a pack rat-- I do NOT keep anything that isn't still warm from body heat (proving that people actually use it), and I am Goodwill's favorite person, because I stop by every 2 weeks with more stuff from our house that was standing in the way of me and clutter-free.

The moral of the story- I know where everything is, stuff does not get lost, and I can put my hands on anything we own in .34 seconds.

Or I could, until the mysterious disappearances began!

[caption id="attachment_1226" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Missing the letter "p" from the alphabet magnet collection"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1229" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Missing the red ball from the Bright Star giraffe ball thingie"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1228" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Missing the circle magnet from the magna doodle"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1227" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Missing a corner edge piece from the floor mat puzzle"][/caption]

If you have seen any of these items, please contact me immediately.  You will be rewarded.

Merry Christmas 2010

Well at least I'm blogging about this while it's still 2010!  Christmas this year was great.  First of all, it included snow, like on the ground, visible, several inches, in GEORGIA!  The first white Christmas in a hundred and something years, seriously. But I didn't take any pictures-- I'm good like that.

Secondly, I started off the festivities a little behind the eight ball-- we got in town from TX and got settled in our beds by midnight, and I had to be at work 7 short hours later.  I got 2 solid work days in, some major house cleaning (thanks for the help, Chad!), a food menu planned, groceries bought, and finally, all the packages got ribbon, just hours before Christmas eve struck... but I did get done!  (I also didn't get my Christmas cards in the mail until DECEMBER 23rd-- this is so un-Lauren that there aren't words.... I'm the person who has them planned by September, addressed by October, and mailed the day of Thanksgiving...)

My parents and youngest brother, Eli, arrived on Thursday.  They mainly came to see Max, but did talk to me some.  On Christmas Eve, we visited with my Dad's parents and went to our Christmas Eve service at church before scouring the county for dinner... only to be left with frozen pizza... that I burned!

We woke up Saturday for Christmas... Max was the last one awake and I'm assuming this is the last year that will happen until his age ends in "teen".  And we unwrapped presents-- you would've thoughts that we had 34857 people at our house- but no, we just have 2 very loved (spoiled) little boys.  The first two presents that Max opened were such a hit (a new toothbrush and a new football) that we could've stopped there, but he was so much fun! He unwrapped stuff, and got excited, and even went into toy over load! After presents, we had Christmas brunch, and then it was my nap time :)  By this time, it was snowing-- it was perfect napping weather.  And then, late afternoon, we headed up to Dawsonville to celebrate with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  And due to the safety of the swagger wagon, we made it back home in the midst of the Georgia blizzard.









But Sunday, I was exhausted-- less from the Christmas weekend and more from all the events/ work leading up to it!  But after a 3 hour nap, I turned into scrooge and took down all the Christmas decor-- I HAD to in order to make room for all the new toys clogging up our paths!  We even had to re-arrange furniture and create a "playroom".  But it works :)





And Chad and I got each other/ ourselves a great gift-- finally, a big screen/ flat whatever, HD 42 inch BUYRH 823837, blah blah TV!! Welcome to the 21st century Bowmans!!  You're only about 10 years late....



And while we were at it, we did get to celebrate the birth of a baby that changed the world and our lives forever- Christ the Lord!  Thank you God, for sending your Son!

When "Nature" Calls

*NOTE: Certain pictures were removed after some disturbing online data

While we were in Texas last week, the temperatures spiked to over 77 degrees one day.  When we left Georgia, there was ice on the ground, literally, and we had been experiencing temperatures in the 20's.  Needless to say, we weren't exactly packed for summer weather!

On December 20th, we celebrated Christmas.  After a morning full of gifts, we had Christmas dinner-- turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc...-- and we ate it ON THE PORCH, picnic style.  The day was so gorgeous and sunny that it was actually hot.  After lunch, we all stayed in the yard and played.

Before I knew it, Max was dripping with sweat. So naturally, I took his pants off of him and let him run around with just his long sleeve onsie and tennis shoes.  But after chasing all the nerf balls, it was obvious that he needed to lose his shirt.  So Max wandered around the yard in just his diaper and shoes.... until I noticed that his diaper was really really wet.  So I took it off and allowed him to "air out" for a bit before putting another diaper on him.



It was so cute, that I just couldn't stand it-- so I ran inside to get a camera.  This was a kodak moment if I've ever seen one!  I was snapping pictures from behind when all of a sudden he squatted down-- apparently he needed to do a little duty, a #2 if you will.  He did his business, and did a little #1 to wash it off, and he stood right up and went back to chasing the nerf balls. Like nothing had even happened... like it was the most natural thing in the world... like this is where everyone goes #2!



Yep, that's right, he is such a boy, that without any teaching or prodding, he realized that pooping and peeing outside, was way better!  Maybe this means he'll be easy to potty train?!

Mr. Max, 16 months old!

On Max's 16th Month day (December 19th, 2010) we were in Texas, celebrating Chad's grandmother's 90th birthday!!  While we were the we also had Christmas and caught with up the Bowman clan.  But in the midst of everything, I missed the Max-man's day, and didn't get to blog about milestones, so let's pretend like this is a week ago:

Max, you are 16 months old-- and you think that qualifies you as an ad ult!  You walk (run) around like a man with a plan-- everything you do includes a butball (football) and you're really starting to put words together.  You repeat a lot of things- especially when we're reading books, and on your own, you've begun calling stuff what it is-- your snuggle is no longer a snuggle, now it is a buggle :)  And in order to go night night, you must have your buggle and a bassy.  Have you noticed the trend?  You love the B-sound-- so everything starts with a B!!  Butball, buggle, bassy, even Mommy starts with a B-- and has g's in the middle?! Boggy!  But with those eyes and those cheeks, I'll answer to anything!  And you call yourself "Baxks".  When I ask where's Mommy's baby, you point to yourself and say "Baxks!"Words that actually start with a B are clear as day- and your favorites are ball, bus, baby, and book.  This is a really fun stage- I just love it.



You still wear 18 months clothes, size 4 diapers, and size 4-5 shoes.  (I gave you my baby feet, sorry about that!)  You still sleep about 11 hours at night and take 2 two- hour naps during the day.  If our schedule is off and you only get one nap, then you'll take a 3 hour nap.  You have stopped crying when Maggie and Courtney show up in the morning which makes us all very happy.  You are still eating very well, although you must have a "dip" for veggies-- whether it's ketchup, ranch, bbq, or some other sauce, you're not picky, but you will not eat veggies without dipping them.  And you are SO messy that I don't even know what to do!  It would be easier to hose you off after every meal, but unfortunately, it's too cold outside for that.  With your 3 meals a day, your 3 cups of milk, water and the occasional snack, you're easy as can be.  But you have quite the sweet tooth.  And again, due to your eyes and cheeks, I give in a lot.  You've eaten quite a few candy corn, M&M's, donuts, and cinnamon rolls for a child that "doesn't eat much sugar".  Ha!  I guess that only lasted for the first year...



You LOVE and I mean LOVE your Daddy-- if he's home, you want to be playing with him and if he's not home, you are calling for him. And when you hear the garage open, you start bouncing.  You two wrestle ALL the time and play butball all the time as well. You like for us both to chase you but when we get close you turn around and run towards us, because you can't stand the angst and the excitement.  It's hilarious.  I need to get this on video.



You have recently begun asserting your opinion- whether that requires violently shaking your head "no", thrashing yourself about, or throwing a temper tantrum.  My personal favorite is when you gently lay down on your tummy, place your head on your hands and mope.  It's the "mature" temper tantrum. And have I mentioned that the word "no" breaks your heart?  You despise hearing it, you want nothing to do with it, and you cry like you're hurt after hearing it.  Seriously.  And when I tell my parents, Annie and Pop, stories like this, they just laugh and say it's pay back.  Apparently you're not only my mini-me physically, but emotionally, too.  Poor Daddy!!



You still love running errands with me, and anytime you're hurt or tired, you want me to hold you.  You throw your head back and your arms straight up, as if it's your silent way to beckon me.  If I don't respond quick enough, you'll add sound.  We're buddies, me and you.  You think I'm funny and I think you're funny, and I think you're the best, and you think I am too. You're old enough to cuddle with me now, and sit with me for brief periods of tv watching.  You let me rock you to sleep sometimes, and you still calm completely when I pray with you at night.  I tell you all the time that you're my best baby, and you know what?  You are!  I just love you and love you and love you.



I just want to remind you that my love for you will never run out.  Try as you may, I'll still have more.  That's just the way it is.  God made me that way-- because He made me in His own image.  Which means He loves you like that too- He loves both of us like that- except He does it perfectly.  There is nothing you could do, nothing, that will make Him love you anymore or any less.  You're just stuck with both of us-- God being God, perfect and heavenly and forgiving, loving you like crazy, and me being your Mom, trying to be more like God, so filled with love for you that my heart could just pop!

Happy 16 months my Max!

 

TMI: The Head Lice Saga

It's been TOO long-- one would think that nothing exciting or humorous or crazy has happened in our lives-- nothing bloggable-- but it's quite the opposite.  As Max is entering into toddler-hood and Gabe and Chad are as entertaining as ever, believe me, there is still plenty of entertainment in the Bowman house-- but I must blame it all on this unborn child-- it has zapped my energy and my ability to be efficient.  When I lay down at night, I begin writing my next blog post in my head, but I never make it past the opening paragraph before sleep overtakes me.... but when I wake up, all I can think about it making it to the bathroom on time, and there goes my next post... so where should I pick up?

Let's start with our infestation of head lice.  Yup.  Exactly-- EWWWW, GROSS.  That's exactly what I thought when I got the call that Gabe had lice.  Chad and I immediately recounted times in our childhood, when our elementary school teachers would put on rubber gloves, and sharpen two pencil and begin sifting through everyone's hair.  Apparently that doesn't happen much anymore in the school BUT head lice is rampant.  I began googling right away-- and found out WAY too much information- you'd think I would've learned my lesson with that, by now.  I did breathe a sigh of relief when I found something that says that lice happens to everyone-- not dirty people-- thank you insecurities!

Gabe's mom found the Atlanta Lice Ladies on the internet-- they come to your house and treat your head and check everyone in the family with all natural stuff-- which considering the bean in my belly and our little man-- not to mention, no one should really be having chemical placed on their heads!- - it was a great find.  The lady gave us TONS of information, including the fact that head lice is the second most contagious/ rampant thing-- second only to the common cold-- and that this time of year, between all the travel, Santa's beard, and hats, it's everywhere!!  She gave us a special comb to use every 10 days for the rest of ever on his head-- apparently, as long as kiddies are in school, they need checked constantly.  AND get this, it doesn't start itching until it's been on your head for WEEKS... because at that point the eggs have hatched and grown large enough to bite you- yup, exactly: EWWW, Gross!

She gave Gabe rules:  no telling secrets because of head to head contact, only give air hugs to his friends, don't play the telephone game, don't share hats, and he needs to wear mousse, everyday, all over his head-- this provide a barrier and doesn't let the nits (lice eggs) stick to your head.

After Gabe's treatment and all of our checks, we loaded up to head home but I was STARVING-- so I took our PJ-clad baby, Gabe, and myself by Five Guys for a quick burger-- remember that our heads had been treated and combed and brushed through with a foam and a gel-- we looked crazy-- like grease monkey, with crunchy bad hair dos.  And I was so hungry that I scarfed down food will Max sucked ketchup off his fries and Gabe filled up his cherry coke like 16 times-- the people there probably thought that we didn't have a home and that we were eating for the first time in months.  Check them out:





And no, I didn't capture any pictures of myself.  We also learned that they (the eggs) can't live off the body for more than 48 hours-- so since Gabe hasn't been at our house in 48 hours when this happened and none of us had it, our house didn't have any-- PTL!!!  We got new combs just in case, washed his sheets and hats, just in case, and moved on with our lives....

But always nagging in the back of my mind was the fact that those bugs had been in our house for several weeks.... UNINVITED.  The Lice Ladies always do a follow up too, and although the Atlanta Ice of 2010 caused us to have to reschedule, we found out yesterday that the Gabester is 100% lice-free!!!  And now you can bet your bottom dollar that he has mousse on his head EVERY day!! (Which is great news for me, because it makes his curls curl-up even tighter, and they're just adorable!)

 

Genius!!

Sometimes, I'm so good and so thoughtful that even surprise myself.  Yesterday was one of those days.  I got home from work with A LOT to do.  Max was already fussy, so we played for a few minutes, then I put him down for a nap.  I started working and when Gabe got home from school, I got him started on his homework and we worked together.

Meanwhile, Max never fell asleep.  This was very sad news for several reasons- 1) He was tired 2) He is still fighting a cold 3) I needed to run to the grocery store and I had a couple other errands that needed running and a fussy baby would NOT make that fun 4) Chad and I were going on a date so we needed him well-behaved for the sitter.  Even though I repeated all these reasons to Max, he did not sleep.

So once Gabe and I were done with work, and I couldn't put off the grocery store one minute longer (we had already eaten every single breakfast, lunch, and dinner option that I could scrounge together from our pantry) I loaded up both boys for something that wears this pregnant woman down quite quickly. I decided to combine all my errands into one and go to Wal-mart, along 38497593487 other people, and just make it a one-stop shop. AND then my GREAT idea hit... while I was putting Max's shoes on his feet, I had Gabe sneak over to the Christmas tree and pick 2 candy canes off of the tree and put them in Max's bag.  Genius!  Once we got to the store, I'd hand each boy a candy cane, we'd fly through my list, and be done before they could even finish.  The best part is that we have Gobstopper candy canes, which the boys LOVE.

It worked perfectly.  We got our cart, manned our positions, I handed out the "distraction" and we were off.

And then it backfired:





There was green everywhere.  Dripping down his chin, arms, hands, and chest.  Sopping the cart, smeared on my shirt, rubbed on Gabe's noes and glasses, streaked over the groceries, covering his white sleeves, and needless to say, all over Max's face.  It took 10 wipes to get him remotely cleaned up, just so we could go checkout and he still looked like the grinch.  One man even stopped me, appalled, and in no way finding the situation humorous and said "what IS he eating?"  And when I told him, he looked me in the eye and said "awful, that's awful" and marched off.  It was a 50 year old man, I kid you not!

Needless to say, I will pick my shopping tools better next time- thinking through all the ramifications and weighing my options.  And will someone please remind me that colored candy canes will not be a good idea, as long as we have children under the age of 8. Period. Sheesh!

The Unmarried Fat girl with a Toddler

So this gives me a serious complex.  I'm allergic to my wedding ring this pregnancy. Seriously. And when I googled it, apparently this is a normal side effect to pregnancy.  These darn hormones are smack crazy.  Wearing my wedding ring cause my finger to get red, swollen, flakey, and itchy.  And then it almost hurts. And itches. But hurts.

So I stopped wearing my ring.  And sometimes I wear a cheapo band from Kay Jewelers-- like the super skinny, plain band with nothing pretty about it. But even that makes my finger act up.  So most of the time, I'm an unmarried, fat girl carrying around a toddler.  And between my pregnancy acne and pony-tailed hair, honestly, I'm just fighting the men off of me.

But this ring thing really bothers me.  I don't know why this bothers me so much, but it just kills me when married people take off their ring.  I just think it should always be worn- always.  And for real, it's one of the first things I noticed about people-- are they married?  And I assume that if there is no ring, then they are not married.  And I guess I'm even naive enough to believe that everyone who is married treats is as a scared union, no others allowed, like I do.  So naturally, to me, rings say "off limits and off the market".  And I like it that way.

So my husband always wears his ring.  We got him to super duty ring, so that work wouldn't mess it up-- we wear told when we were buying it that if there was a medical emergency, that they wouldn't be able to cut it off. I knew immediately that it was the one he needed-- he uses his hands at work all day, he does the dishes a majority of the time, he golfs, plays, works out, etc... it needed to be tough to stick with him a lifetime.  And of course, I got the pretty ring.  It was brand new when we got it, but it looks like estate jewelry and I've never seen anyone with anything like it and I JUST love it.





But now that I'm growing a child, while carrying around a child, and I can't wear my ring, I feel SO insecure.  I worry about what others are thinking.  I feel judged.  And I just hope that I remember this is next time I start to "infer" about someone else's life.  And I can't help but wonder how Mary felt-- she showed up pregnant and had NOT even done what it takes to get pregnant.  I can only imagine how judged she felt.  And then Joseph- he was told to stick with her- despite what "it looked like"- and he did.  He stuck with his fiancee who was pregnant with God's baby.  I guess I just need to get over myself- does it really matter what others think?  And maybe it will open up a cool conversation-- maybe God wants to use this situation.  He used Mary's situation-- that's for sure!  He sent us a Savior- the Savior of the World!

Totally Illogical

When I take Max to the doctor because he's sick, and we have to use the "sick entrance" rather than the "well entrance", it makes me feel like I'm a bad mom.

Today I got to go to the grocery store ALONE- it was like the best reward ever.  This is huge, because I didn't have to entertain while I shopped or hurry or avoid certain aisles or get any of Max's "help". I even talked to Anna on my way to tell her about what fun I was about to have... and then while I was there, watching other moms with their children, I was wishing mine was with me.

Tonight, after dinner, we turned on Christmas music, while Chad and I were cleaning the kitchen.  I came around the corner into the living room and saw Max and Gabe dancing, hand in hand, and what did I do?  Cry.

We spent all last week in Indiana and my parents took WONDERFUL care of us.  They took care of the boys, cooked and cleaned up after the Bowman tornado, spoiled us all rotten, let the pudgy, sick, tired pregnant lady sit on her booty, and while I enjoyed every single second of it, I simultaneously felt guilty for not helping.

I know that my regular pants are going to hurt and send pains up my middle if I wear them.  Yet, I still wear them.

When people call me and start with "Hey, do you have a second?" I always feel like something is wrong or they have something bad to say.  On the other hand, when I call people, I start with, "Hey, do you have a second?"

Now that it's cold outside, I take Max's coat with us everywhere.  But I always leave it in the car, wherever we go.  I'm sure it's doing him a lot of good in there.

I have more crazy person thoughts and ideals, I just can't think of them now, so these will have to do.  And honestly, I can't blame the majority of these on hormones-- it's just the way I am.