Nothing else needs to be said

I've never laughed so hard

This post won't give the story justice but I just needed to document it.

Chase has been suffering from itchiness  in his private region.  So, yesterday I bought some jock itch spray and prior to going to bed we went to apply it.

Imagine a naked 8 year old with both hands protecting his most sensitive area.  I sprayed a test on his leg so he would know that it was going to be a little cold.  I then went to apply it but was having to fight through Chase's attempt to block the spray.

We were both having a good time and laughing at this "game".  I finally got a good shot in and he dropped to his knees yelling, "It is burning."  He was laughing while saying this and this caused me to laugh harder.

This spray has some sort of baby powder type property and when Chase stood up, looked down and in shock, yelled "It turned it white!"  I lost it and couldn't continue because I was laughing so hard.

Change Isn't Easy

Change does not come easy for the Dowdle boys.  It starts with me and I have passed it down to Seth and Chase.  So, when we started discussing moving them out of public school to a University Model School, the decision was hard for me because I knew how I would feel if I was them.

I went to 7 different schools before I graduated from High School and I had a secret desire that my boys would stay in the HEB system from pre-k to High School.  But, as circumstances changed, Shelley and I decided we thought it would be best if they were in private school.

Since the boys recently got out of school for summer they have had some sad moments as they realized they were leaving this school forever.  They also fear they will never see their friends again which may be true but it will only be if they choose so since we aren't moving and will still live within miles of their friends.

I feel for Seth even more because his baseball team is also breaking up.  Chase has been on the same team with the same coach since he was 4 but Seth has never had a coach for more than 2 seasons.  This last team looked promising but again, things change.

Now Seth is not losing his school but his baseball team.

I know God has great plans for them and he will get us all through this change but it is hard on all of us.

No More Car Seats

Another thing has moved into our past and that is the existence of car seats.  Seth has been without a car seat for a couple of years now but Chase has been using a booster.  But, one night last week when we needed extra space in the back seat we removed his booster and it hasn't been returned.  It looks like we have moved on.

It saddens me because it is another reminder that they are growing up.

Courage

Roller coasters, water slides and horse back riding.  What do all these things have in common?  They are things that Seth has done in the last week without any fear.  This is the boy who had so much anxiety that anything new caused great fear to the point he was almost paralyzed.

He has worked hard over the years.  He has attended many counseling sessions, various types of therapy and the results are showing.

I am so happy for him.

Happy Birthday Chase

It was 7 years ago today we got to meet Chase for the first time.  I still remember the moment I saw him the first time.  At that time I had no idea how cool this little baby would end up being.   He has made me laugh some of the biggest laughs I have ever had.  He is extremely hugable and has a laugh that is infectious.  He was the missing piece in our family puzzle.

Happy Birthday Chase!

Sounds of the Morning

Every morning as I am getting ready for work, music is blaring out of Seth and Chase's rooms.  It warms my heart to hear because they both fall asleep listening to our local Christian pop station, KLTY.  They both know the words to almost every song they play and they often quote their commercials.

It is good to know that as they sleep they are having a positive message poured into them.

That Dowdle Kid

The past few baseball seasons have been rough on Seth.  He just hasn't been able to become a part of a good team.  And when I say good, I'm not referring to wins and losses.  I am talking more about a team and that includes the coaches.

The past 2 seasons have been better because he did have a coach that cared.  But, we weren't blessed with many kids with any athletic ability.  Most of his team mates will find success in music, school or other areas but it won't be baseball.

This past season had a lot of ups and downs and some drama as well.  The boys did get a win, got a chance to play on the little league field at Rangers' Ballpark and went to a Rough Riders game as a team.  But, we had some tough losses as well.  The last 2 games were tough losses because the boys had started playing well and had been competitive in their games but the last 2 they got beat worse than they probably should have.  The boys seemed to have quit.

Seth took this hard but during the games he was one of the few that kept trying and was playing the game tge way it should have been played.  I couldn't have been more proud of him.

While all of this is going on Chase's team is going undefeated and taking 1st place in their division.

All of this has left us contemplating what we would do with Seth and his team for next season.  We have been praying about direction and wisdom.

(I know, this is a long story but it is going somewhere)

Last night was the end of the season awards where Chase was getting his 1st place trophy.  I knew this was going to be hard on Seth and we talked about him cheering loudly for Chase because there will be a day when Chase will be cheering for Seth's success.  And he did this including taking video of the trophy presentation.

Later that evening we get a call from the mother of one of Seth's teammates and one of Seth's best friends.

She recounted a story where the coach from on of those teams that beat us badly in our last 2 games came up to congratulate her son on his season.  He was mistaken by what team he was on but when they cleared it up, he remembered our team.  The mother then reached out to the coach and said they were considering switching teams and asked if he had any openings.  He indicated he might and even asked her son if he wanted to play in an upcoming tournament with his team.

He then went on to say that there was another kid he would be interested in having on his team.  He said I would like to have that "Dowdle kid, I think he was #18."

I don't know who this meant more to, Shelley and myself or Seth.

The Talk

It is time to have the "talk" with Seth.  We have danced around the subject and it has become more obvious that it is something Seth is curious about but yesterday he finally asked Shelley what SEX was.  There is no avoiding it now but I have no idea what to say.  I've researched it but nothing seems to fit the way I communicate with Seth.  So, I am going to pray and just use the words God will give me.

(this is 2 post in 2 days, I'm on a roll)

Happy Birthday Seth

I am a couple days late on this post but I still wanted to mark the occasion with an entry.

On Saturday Seth turned 9. He is really growing up to be a special boy.

We had his birthday party at Rangers Ballpark. I think everyone enjoyed it, especially me. We got a tour of the ballpark and got to see things like the press box, a suite and the underground hitting area. When we entered the hitting area my heart jumped a little because you could hear someone in there taking batting practice. Who is it? Josh, Michael Young, Mitch Moreland??? No, it was some high school kids whose Dad worked for the Rangers.

Despite that disappointment, it was a great tour that ended in the Rangers' dugout.

Seth had invited four friends to his party. Isaiah Brogan, Cameron Bitz, Mason Jordan and Holden Skinner. I got the duty of driving them around and having a car with five 3rd graders can be an experience. But, on the way home the boys started singing Chris Tomlin's "Our God" and then they went into Hillsong's "mighty to save." It really warmed my heart.

Having a 9 year old is making me feel old and I realize the time is going way to fast. It seems just yesterday when we were in the ICU unit feeding him with all these wires and sensors connected to him.

Seth, I love you.

Growing Up

Our boys are growing up and there is nothing I can do about it. It wasn't long ago (just a few months) that when it rained at night, the boys were getting in bed with us. I typically moved to the couch because there wasn't enough room and Shelley would often move to one of their rooms. But, they received some level of comfort by sleeping in our room even though neither of us were in there.

Well, last night we had some horrible storms with big lightening and loud thunder. They both stayed in their rooms all night. I happy they slept well but I already miss getting awaken at night.

Chase Rides His Bike

Yesterday I took Chase out to try and learn to ride his bike. It was going to be a nice day and we haven't given it a try in quite sometime so I thought it would be a good time to try. This was something Chase did not want to do. He has had a considerable amount of fear regarding this and I have had to practically force him to do it. He really was afraid of getting hurt so our past efforts were always very brief.

I knew that if he would ever give it much effort he would be able to do it because he was really close.

So, when I brought up what I wanted to do, he started to cry. He really did not want to go. I finally convinced him but he continued to negotiate. We were only going to try two times but I didn't give in to his demands.

Out we go with helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and gloves all protecting his vulnerable parts. I pushed him around a few times with him demanding that I don't let him go. Then Shelley took over and pushed him around just to give him a feel. Shelley went in so it just left the two of us out there. I pushed him and let go and he took off and went at least 20 feet on his in own. I was far more excited than he was because I'm sure he realized that I wasn't going to stop now that he had done so well. I sent him in to get Shelley and with her watching he rode his bike right to her. Again, Shelley and I were far more excited. He just wanted to get off and go inside to get the cookies Shelley promised to bake if he would just try.

But, he can now ride his bike.

A Poem

I haven't blogged in awhile but I needed to make sure this got documented.

Seth has started emailing a lot and he is using it as a way to express his feelings. Below is a poem he wrote and emailed me.

I love you so much,I love your heart.I will never forget you, never forget.

I love watching TV with you.

I love the Texas Rangers just like you.

I hope you like his poem,because I like you.

Father/Son Retreat

This past weekend Chase and I got away for a little Father/Son time. We went down to Glenn Rose, Texas and stayed at some cabins that Shelley, Seth and I had once stayed in. We had a great time and visited Big Rocks Park, Dinosaur Valley Park and Fossil Rim. We also did archery and went swimming.

I had told Chase at the beginning that this weekend was all about him and we would do whatever he wanted.

At one point I was trying to talk him into going and looking at something I wanted to see and he said he didn't want to.

Chase - "I don't want to, remember this is all about me."

Yes, it was all about him....

Happy Birthday Chase!

Today you are 6 and I can't believe it. I love you so much...

Piano Recital

This is just a note to Seth.

Friday night was another piano recital and I just have to tell you how impressed I am by you. You have worked very hard and it shows.

You have been playing the piano for a number of years and you have gotten very good. I know it has taken a lot of work on your part and I am very proud of you.

I love you

What Makes A Good Baseball Player

The best baseball players have been described as 5 tool players. Five tool players hit for average, hit for power, have speed, have a strong arm and play good defense. Well, I have been involved in the boys' youth teams since they have been playing baseball and I know have a new definition.

A five tool player doesn't complain, does what the coaches ask, plays with joy and excitement, are good sports and they try their hardest. I'm proud to say that Seth and Chase are both 5 tool players.

Reading

I just need to note this.

Last night I listened to Chase read Green Eggs and Ham for 20 minutes. It is amazing how well he can read. He reads the story with the proper emotion and I just love listening to him.

I know these moments go fast and I will miss them.

Riding a Bike

I have been working with Seth to learn to ride his bike without the training wheels. Yesterday he made great progress and was able to ride about 30 feet without any assistance from me.

Progress!

A Special Gift

Last night when I came home I was immediately greeted by an excited Seth carry a small gift bag. He was so excited Shelley had to tell me that he had bought me a gift. My expectation was that it would be either something from his room that he had just "gifted" me or something that was actually for him like a small lego set. But to my surprise it was a mug like the one pictured. He had purchased it from a store that has been set up at school to help the kids buy presents and he had picked it out especially for me. I was also shocked to find out he had spent $10 of his own money on it. This is a lot of money in a 7 year old's economy. It equals either 5 teeth or 2 months of allowance.

Seth has a very special heart and the mug will always be special to me.