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!

Quote from Seth

As we were walking along, Seth said:

"I don't think many of my friends know the true meaning of Christmas."

I am impressed with my little man and his concern for others.

A Quote from Chase

This weekend the boys went to the grocery store with me. As we were going down the frozen foods section aisle, Chase saw some TV dinners for kids.

Chase - We had these at Mama's and it was GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD. (A strong emphasis on good).

Always looking for anything they would eat, I made a step toward the freezer to pick out a couple when Chase continued.

Chase - But the only thing I ate was the pudding.

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.

Is Santa Real?

Shelley and I made a decision early on that we wouldn't lie to our kids and that included topics such as Santa Claus. We explained that Santa was just a character like the Easter Bunny. This caused us to take some grief from other adults but the boys seemed fine. Christmas still seemed to contain all the joy and excitement.

But, as Seth has gotten older, he has struggled with being one of the few in his class that doesn't believe in Santa. He doesn't like being different.

Yesterday, he told me he wanted to put cookies out for Santa this year to determine if Santa was real or not. If the cookies get eaten, then Santa is real, was his reasoning.

I asked him, "You don't trust Mommy and Daddy?"

He replied, "I just want to prove it myself."

Well, there you go.

3 Days, 3 Women, 3 Needs

We spent the Thanksgiving weekend in College Station, Texas and Houston, Texas. I will document that trip at some other time but we did have something happen that I wanted to document. I don't know if we will ever know the significance but I believe God was working in some manner.

On our drive to College Station, Chase had another run in with car sickness. This time he gave us enough warning that Shelley was able to give him a bag to get sick in. As the smell became a little intense, we sought out a random gas station to pull in and throw away the bag. As Shelley got out of the car, a woman with a small child asked if she could have some money for gas. I pulled out a wad of cash and gave it to Shelley.

On day two in Houston, we were staying in downtown and had gone walking to find something to eat. On our way back to the hotel, it had gotten dark and I was anxious to get back as quickly as possible. I had told the boys to walk with a "purpose". I noticed a woman with a stroller behind us and it seemed the faster we walked, the faster she walked. She finally caught us and asked for some money so she could get her kids some food. I reached in my pocket and gave her another wad of cash.

On day three, we were on our way home from church and were experiencing car trouble. I was pretty stressed and was trying to get my family back to the hotel before our car quit running. We were stopped at a stop light and were approached by another lady in a wheel chair asking for money. Again, I handed over a wad of cash.

I think God put these women in our path because they had a need and we could fill it. But, also, I had a need and that was a reminder of how blessed we are.

World Series

Well last night, the Rangers lost their first trip to the World Series. It was a great season and a great run in the playoffs. While I am sad the Rangers lost 4 to 1 to the Giants, I am greatful for the experience.

It was thrilling to watch my "little" Rangers make it to the World Series but it was even more fun to watch what it did to our household. Our household caught Ranger fever and I loved it.

Shelley and the boys all took an interest in what was happening and even got their own Ranger shirts. They also even watched some of the games with me.

But the biggest thrill for me is the interest the boys, in particular Seth, took in the Rangers. They both started learning the players and Colby Lewis became Seth's favorite Ranger (along with Michael Young since he got a Michael Young shirt). We would go out in the backyard and play the Rangers. Last night Seth was Colby Lewis, Chase was C.J. Wilson and I was Josh Hamilton. Then once it got dark, the boys would play in the living room. They were even including the Rangers in their prayers at night.

I will remember this World Series forever not because of the outcome but because of what we shared as a family. I hope the boys will have fond memories and maybe this will be the beginning of a new generation of Ranger fans.

Baseball

I have been a fan of baseball all of my life. I played it my entire childhood, either just pick up games in the park or organized baseball. My Grandma Dowdle loved baseball and it was one thing we connected on. She loved the Cincinnati Reds so I became a Reds fan. She talked to the players like they were her sons. She would call them Petey (Pete Rose), little Joe (Joe Morgan), and Johnny (Johnny Bench).

This has been a good baseball year for me. My TCU Horned Frogs went to the college World Series and now my Texas Rangers are going to the World Series. I have suffered a long time with my Rangers and I am enjoying every minute.

But, also the boys have been playing baseball and we have spent a lot of time playing catch and taking baseball practice in the backyard. I love this time we have together and I love watching them improve. I just hope they have fond memories of these times.

The Sports Weekend

This past weekend was setup to be a great sports weekend but turned out to be a bust. First, the Rangers had an opportunity to win the ALDS either Saturday or Sunday and lost both games. Then the Cowboys played at home on Sunday against Tennessee and also lost. My only win was TCU which beat Wyoming.

But, the two best games was Chase's braves versus the Blue Jays and Seth's Longhorns versus the Tigers. Watching their games are my favorite and they both are doing so well.

Chase has a lot of natural ability and Seth has so much heart. They both are out there doing their very best. I look forward to their games every week.

Quote from Chase

Chase and I were talking about the girls in his class and I was kidding him about getting married.

He replied "I don't know who I'm going to marry because I haven't met that many girls yet."

Retiring

We went to Oklahoma this weekend, and I took the opportunity to explore some of Marilyn's property. She has 100 acres, and our dream is that we could build a vacation/retirement home there one day. Here are a few pictures of where we might build.

Sound of Silence

Silence is not a sound we have in our house. There is a constant buzz of light sabre fights, brothers fighting, TV, video games, and many other noises. But, the other sounds I actually love are the sounds of little boys laughing and talking. I'm not sure how we got two boys that talk so much but we did.

Yesterday we went to the Ranger game and we had a long walk from the car to the stadium and I'm not sure if Seth ever took a breath. His mouth was going non-stop. Then during the game, we were getting question after question, commentary after commentary. While quiet is nice, I would much rather hear the voices of my little boys.

44

Today is my birthday and I'm not sure how I feel about being 44. I don't feel 44 but also I don't feel I have accomplished nearly what I hoped to by this time.

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school for Seth and Chase. Seth is going into 2nd Grade and Chase is Kindergarten. It is always a hectic day because we aren't in a routine yet for getting up and getting ready, everyone is walking their kid in so the parking lot is a madhouse, and the halls are full.

So, we took our customary pictures and video but I didn't get to savor it. It was partly because it was crazy there, and second because I was preoccupied with going to work. I know I will regret it.

I don't want these days to go by too fast. Shelley and I are doing everything we can to take these days in. We have a ton of pictures and videos so we will have plenty of memories. Plus between the blogs and facebook, we will have captured a lot of the memories.

I am not ready for my babies to grow up yet, though.

Why Me?

God, why me? Why:

do I have a wonderful wife?
do I have 2 healthy boys who are not suffering from a disease?
was I born in the US and not some third world country?
do I have a job when others don't?
do I have a roof over my head when others don't?
do I not have to worry about my next meal?
do I have reliable transportation?
do I have a great family?
am I blessed with a wonderful mother in law?


These are just some of the things I wonder about Why Me?

God is not Boring

Yesterday as we were walking into school for Meet The Teacher I guess Chase had school on his mind.

He said, "When I went to Rainbow School all we learned about was colors and God. Colors were boring but God wasn't."

Living Alone

I spent my first night last night alone and it has made me really appreciate my family and all the craziness that brings.

I got up one time and walked bare foot from the living room to the bathroom and didn't step on a single lego and I was really sad about that.

4 days, 11 hours until I pick up Chase. 5 days, 3 hours until I pick Shelley and Seth up.

Money, Money, Money

I have been stressed out a lot about money lately. And I also have been experiencing some of that green monster, envy. It seems like all my peers at work are driving new cars. I then heard this song and it really leveled my head.

Home Alone

I am home alone for then next 6 days and I already think I am going to go crazy.

Chase has been in Oklahoma for the past few days and I really miss him. Our family isn't complete without him and this hasn't gone unnoticed by Seth. Once during dinner, Seth said "dinner isn't the same without Chase." Then last night when we walked in to church, Seth said "something is missing? It's not the same without Chase."

This morning I dropped Shelley, Seth and Tate off at Alasso Ranch for a week of church camp. When I walked in the house, I realized being alone was going to be hard. I don't want to ever take for granted the blessing that my family is.

Homesick

Can you be homesick and have never left your home? Well, I am or at least preparing to be.

Yesterday Chase left for Oklahoma and will be up there for the next 10 days. Then this next Sunday I am driving Shelley and Seth to Allaso Ranch where Seth will attend camp and Shelley will volunteer for one week.

I am already missing Chase and I am not looking forward to dropping Shelley and Seth off this Sunday. I am going to be alone next week and I dreading it. I don't think we all have been separated for this long ever.

While I will be sleeping in my own bed, I know I am going to be homesick. I will be posting and updating on my "condition."

Economics 101

Chase came into a little windfall courtesy of grand mama. So, with his new found wealth he decided to go on a little spending spree.

Yesterday, he went and bought some Phineas and Ferb sunglasses. Today, I took him out to Office Depot to buy a #14 Tony Stewart Office Depot chevy NASCAR model car.

On our way into the store he told me he got more money yesterday.

Me- "where did you get more money from?"
Chase - "when I bought my sunglasses they gave me more money. Am I going to get more money today?"

I love his economic model.

Praises

This week at church the message was about glorifying God and being thankful for all he has done. This isn't the first time I have heard a message on the power of praise so here are some things I am praising God for today.

1. You sent your Son to die for me.
2. Shelley
3. Seth
4. Chase
5. Shelley's theme of family this year and how much of our family we have seen.
6. My job
7. Having a roof over our head
8. Our wonderful church
9. Good friends
10 Our health
11. I don't have to worry about where our next meal will come from.
12. I'm home this morning with my boys.

Friends

I was sitting behind the boys when the picture above was taken. As soon as it was taken I thought about one of those coming of age movies where they start out showing a picture of a bunch of boys when they were kids and then you flash forward to them all graduating high school together. I wonder where all of these little boys will be in 10 years?


In the picture from left to right - Nolan Givens,Cole Ladrew, Isaiah Brogan, Cameron Bitz, Alex Ladrew and Seth

These made me chuckle

End of another week

It's Friday and we are approaching the end of another week. This week was marked with the boys attending Vacation Bible School at Compass Christian Church in Colleyville. They both had a good time but Chase had a few rough spots.

First we had the incident of the black eye which didn't turn into a black eye but it was still a nasty little cut. Then last night as a wrap up to the week the kids got to try and dunk the pastors in a dunk tank. Seth was successful in his attempt but our little perfectionist, Chase, was not. And this "failure" crushed his spirit and we had ten minutes of tears.

So, the challenge is how do we make the most of his desire to be the best but still allow him to fail?

The rest of the week included the first week of Cowboy training camp and the Rangers took 2 of 3 from Oakland extending their lead in the west to 8.5 games and their magic number is 53 (lowest in baseball).

Black Eye

Last night while the boys were at VBS I got a text from Chase's VBS teacher that said:

"Chase got a booboo but he's laughing & smiling. Want me to send ya a pic?"

I replied "No that is ok. Thanks!" figuring it wasn't that big of deal.

She replied - "OK. Got bumped in the face & his glasses cut his cheek. But he's tough! :-)"

Well, when we saw him I was taken a little bit back and I know Shelley was because he had a nice little gash in his cheek under his eye.

I am not sure what it will look like this morning but we prepared him that he might have a black eye. We then had to explain that a "black eye" was just a bruise around the eye and his eye wouldn't be black.

I'll post a picture when I get one.

Exhausted

I woke up this morning feeling really tired. So tired that I decided to "sleep in" and not go running. But, even after "sleeping in", I was really tired this morning. Just dragging...

Well, I got in the car to go to work, looked at the clock at it said 5:00 am and not 6:00 am. I paused, tried to process that bit of information, looked at my watch and was really confused. Some how I had got up an hour earlier than I thought.

So, now I am sitting in the living room about to rest my eyes for 50 minutes before going to work. I am really losing it..

July 28 2010

What to blog about?

I've taken my blog private so I can utilize this blog more as a journal and document more personal information that either Shelley and I or the boys will find interesting some day.

So, what to blog about? I don't know...

The boys are going to vacation bible school at Compass Christian Church in Colleyville. This is their third VBS this summer. I never went to a VBS and they have gone to 3 just this summer. I wonder if they will have fond memories of these events?


The Rangers have an 8.5 game lead in the West. Will they make the playoffs?

Cowboys have started training camp and the talk of the camp is their first round draft choice, Dez Bryant.

My job is still a struggle and is not fulfilling. My prayers continue to be to find my true purpose and do something with meaning.

Parenting

This is just a note to myself to remember how hard this parenting thing is. I don't want to look back and think, "oh, it wasn't that hard."

It seems Shelley and I are never on our A game together. When one is over reacting the other is the calm in the storm. We never seem to be rationale together. :-)

I wonder what Seth and Chase will remember from their childhoods? It might be their bi-polar parents.

Sleeping with Chase

Last night was another night when Chase came into our room to sleep. Shelley got up and went to his room, leaving just the two of us. Sleeping with Chase is an adventure and I feel sorry for his little wife some day. He is all over the bed and for most of the night I have his foot in my ribs. But, then his little hand will reach out and we will hold hands and that makes it all worth while.

I just try and burn that memory in my mind because I know it won't last forever.

Family Secrets

We have had one family secret since the boys were born. It really isn't a secret but we have never talked to the boys about it because they weren't old enough. Well, that all ended yesterday.

The secret has been that I was married prior to Shelley. We have held off on telling the boys until we thought they would better understand. Lately, they have been asking more about divorce and marriage because they have some friends who have parents that have been divorced. Shelley and I felt it was time because we never want to deceive our boys.

So, last night we turned off the t.v. and gathered everyone in the living room. I was pretty nervous and wasn't really sure how I was going to start the conversation. I explained to them that I had been married previously and they both took it well.

Chase was more focused on his legos but Seth did ask some questions. He asked what her name was, where she lived and why we got divorced. I answered all his questions best I could and he seemed satisified and was anxious to start watching Stars Wars Episode I. A boy must keep his priorities.

Thinking About Going Private

I have had this blog for 5 years and my activity on it has been sporadic. I once was very active and monitored the number of hits I was getting. Now, I have no idea if anyone reads this.

So, I am thinking about turning it into a private blog. If you read this and would like to continue reading it, please email me at jefftdowdle@gmail.com and I will give you access.

California Vacation

This year our family vacation was truly a FAMILY vacation. We flew to San Jose, California with Shelley's mom and one of her aunts. We arrived and visted with two of Shelley's cousins that live in California, her aunt and uncle who live there and another cousin from Oklahoma who also flew out.

The trip consisted of us flying into California on Saturday, spending the night at Shelley's cousin Shannon's house. Then on Sunday, the four of us plus Shelley's mom and aunt Kathy drove the pacific coast highway to Santa Paula, California. We spent the night there and then got up and on Monday visited the Reagan and Nixon presidential libraries.

We arrived in San Diego at a house we had rented that was about 5000 sq foot and beautiful. Monday evening the rest of Shelley's family arrived. Her 3 cousins, 2 spouses and 5 kids. In total there was 16 of us.

Tuesday we got up and took a bus tour of San Diego and then toured the USS Midway. We ended Tuesday with a tour of the Harbor.

Wednesday was the San Diego Zoo, a miniature railroad museum and a hands on science museum.

Thursday was Legoland.

Friday was packing, cleaning the house, a children's museum and the flight home.

We saw a lot of nice things, stayed in a beautiful home, had beautiful weather but the best part for me was spending time with Shelley's family and getting to know her California cousins better. I also loved watching my boys play with their cousins and getting to know their family as well.

Happy Birthday Chase!

Happy birthday Chase!

Good information to have

Chase was in our bed and I was patting his bottom.

He said, "you know I fart every time you do that."

That was good to know.

Coaching Baseball

Out of default I have become the coach for Chase's baseball team. I have 11 five and six year olds and I have to tell you, it is tough. Getting them to listen and do what I say is not easy if not impossible.

I seem to spend all my time just trying to corral them it seems.

But, I hope somehow this will create a memory for Chase that he finds special.

Seth's Baptism

Tonight was a big night in our household. Tonight at church Seth was baptized with about 25 other kids. It was a month ago on April 22nd prior to going to bed that Seth asked Jesus into his heart.

We were so excited about his decision but he was a little nervous about the baptism. Tonight prior you could tell he was nervous but by the time for the baptism he was excited. Seth was excited to have Pastor Dave O'donnell baptize him. Pastor Dave has been his kindergarten and 1st grade pastor and Seth really respects him.

We had a group of friends and family which included Marilyn, Chris, Valerie and April there to cheer him on. He enjoyed the attention.

For me it was very moving and prior there were several times I was about to cry with joy. I am so proud of him and this decision he made.

Family

The past few days have been dedicated to family.

Friday I got to go on a field trip with Seth's class to the Fort Worth Zoo. We were able to spend the day together and we really enjoyed our time together. I am always impressed by what an awesome little boy he is. I was a chaperone over him and another little boy. While the other little boy wasn't much trouble, he did have a tendancy to go in his own direction. Seth was great because I would send him after him and he was a great help with my chaperone duties.

Then this past weekend we had a family reunion for my Mom's side of the family. This was an event that would never have taken place with out the hard work and deligence of Shelley. This was her party and she did a great job.

The reunion was about 3 hours from us so I got to enjoy a road trip with my family. I have discovered that I love taking road trips with my family.

Saturday was spent at the reunion and I saw people who I had not seen in about 8 years. Again, when I see my boys in an environment with other kids, I realize that they are very special.

I could go on about all the details of the reunion but just say it was a lot of fun and I hope we can do another one.

Praises!

Seth prayed and asked Jesus into his heart last night!

Sight Words

There was a note from Seth's teacher that he is moving on to 2nd grade sight words. Also they expect them to be reading at a level of I by the end of the first grade. Seth is already at a level J.

Way to go Seth !

Quotes from Chase

At Baseball practice - "Daddy, why in baseball is running called hustle?"

On the way home and listening to a praise song on the radio - "Daddy, they are singing about God and praising him. That's a good thing."

Happy Birthday Seth

Seven years ago today I became a father. Prior to that day I would have never guessed I would love being a father like I do. But, we were truly blessed by the addition to our family or actually the start of the family.

Seth, I love you and truly love being your father. I can't believe you are 7. It has been a great 7 years.

Happy Birthday!

Brave Diver

The boys are currently taking swimming lessons at an indoor pool. One benefit of taking swim lessons in the winter is it seems most people aren't thinking about swim lessons so we only have one additional boy in their class. So, we are getting private lessons at a group rate.

But that isn't really relevant to this story.

At the end of each lessons the boys take turns jumping into the pool. Last night I watched the boy in front of Chase jump into the pool and since he is a pretty good swimmer he chose to swim away from the instructor. So, when the instructor swam off to get his student I looked down for a moment. While I was looking down, I heard a splash and when I looked up, Chase was no longer standing on the edge and the water was rippling. Also, the instructor was still trying to catch up with his other student.

When I yelled out, "Chase!", the instructor turned to see the dilema and he and I got to the scene of the incident about the same time. I reached in, pulled Chase up and he helped push him on the ledge of the pool. Chase had a big grin on his face and I'm sure I was pale as a ghost.

We still aren't sure why he chose to jump in but one thing is for sure, he's not afraid of the water. :-)

Cowboys' Playoff Victory

The Cowboys' finally won a play off game this weekend. The last time they won a playoff game I was just 30 years old, going through a divorce, had not even met Shelley and the idea of having 2 boys was completely inconceivable.

For a die hard Cowboy fan it has been a long journey. I'm trying to savor it because who knows when the next victory will come.