Oopsie

Boy do I feel sheepish.  September was an all-time posting low this year at the Lowe Down.  We'd better pick it up if we're going to hit our goal of averaging two posts per week.  What have we been up to?  It's probably better to let our pictures do the talking...

Alli had her third grade field trip to the Botanical Gardens Butterfly Days.  I took the day off work to spend with her, and after the picnic I checked her out of school to hang out.  We had a beautiful day and a wonderful time!

Alli is now in 10 and under soccer.  She's on a new team (The Sounders) and she's improved so much. This level has referees and positions plus the field is about three times the size of her last field, so she has to work really hard! 

We've also got a roly poly baby at home that we're barely keeping up with, but more on that in her four month post.

And as usual, the pets are keeping us on our toes.  "STOP IT, LANDRY!" is our battle cry.

And our little equestrian is doing Leap of Faith shows and winning!!  She's improved so much in her riding and we are so proud.

So as you can see, September was a full month.  I promise I'll try to do better in October!!

Camping Out

No, we aren't camping out with Riley yet (or ever - I do NOT like eating or going to the bathroom outside.  Ryan can take the girls whenever he wants, and I'll visit the campsite).  I'm actually talking about all of the awesome camps Alli has already been involved in this summer.  We were very intentional about the timing of Riley's birthdate (as intentional as we could be, of course) so that I could have at least some of the summer off with both girls.  Riley timed her arrival perfectly, so I will have 100% of Alli's summer home.  But I knew with a newborn we would probably be spending a lot of time indoors, and there would very likely be things that Alli wanted to do that we wouldn't be able to do (movies, water parks, etc).

So this spring, I spent a lot of time looking into summer camps that Alli could attend periodically throughout the summer to make sure she was out of the house, around other kids, and having a good time.  With me usually at work and summer camps running from hours like 9AM-11AM, Alli hasn't gotten to do camps in the past very much, so it was a great opportunity for her and I hope she'll have fond memories of it.

The first camp on the agenda was horse camp at her barn, which happily coincided with the first week school was out AND Riley's arrival.  Riley was born on Monday, and camp started that Tuesday and was 8:30-3:30 until Friday.  It was absolutely awesome timing, because it meant Alli was around for Riley's birth, but didn't have to hang out at the hospital all day for the next two days.  I didn't get to go watch like I would have otherwise, but her trainer sent me tons of pictures.  The kids spent the mornings riding, and the afternoons swimming, doing crafts, watching demonstrations (farrier, vet, chiropractor), and playing games.  Alli also achieved two huge milestones at camp - she jumped and she cantered!

Alli is on Dice (the black and white pinto) 

The week after horse camp, we had soccer camp with Steve Oliver.  Alli has really taken to soccer, and I was excited for her to get some more coaching.  The camp was 5:30-7 Monday through Friday of last week, so Ryan, Riley and I went to sit in the shade and watch her.  I got some judgey stares from other mamas for having my ten day old out in the heat, but I just replied to their comments with "She's part of the family" and "My car is right there if she gets hot!"  Seriously, people, I have two kids.  The world can't totally stop just for one of them!!  Alli had a great time and learned a lot.  She is signed up for another soccer camp at the end of the summer that is part of pre-season prep.

And then this week, she's been going to Vacation Bible School at our church from 9-11:30.  Monday morning I got both girls ready and drove them there myself - my biggest accomplishment since I actually had Riley.  And we were only ten minutes late (again)!!  Alli has really enjoyed VBS, and she comes home bubbling over with information and singing at the top of her lungs.

We're also very fortunate that my sister is in town and works a flexible schedule, as she has come over to visit and even taken Alli to the Rogers Aquatic Center twice.  We've gone to our neighborhood pool a few times too.  There's a great covered area where Riley can chill in the shade while Alli swims and Mama gets some sun.  We'll be beach-ready before you know it!!

Quick Updates

I am falling so behind in my blog posting - I am never going to hit my 2 posts a week for the year goal unless I really turn it up!  We Lowes have been pretty busy getting ready for little Riley's arrival, attending soccer games and riding lessons for Alli, and just living!  Here's a few things we've been up to lately:

• Razorback Red White Game - My daddy and my brother came up this Saturday to attend the annual Red White game for the Razorbacks.  This year was pretty highly anticipated since we have a brand new coach and a new offensive scheme.  We were running late getting there, so Ryan pulled right up to the stadium to let us out.  A police officer started telling him he couldn't do that and needed to move on until Big Mama got out of the car.  At that point, the police officer sheepishly told Ryan he was fine, and then he was overhead saying "What was I going to say when she got out of the car?"  Special treatment?  I'll take it.

• Alli learned a life lesson - After the Red White game, we all went to eat and then I went to do a little nursery shopping while Ryan, Dad, and Alli went to the Razorback baseball game.  I went to bed before they got home, and the next morning, I asked Alli what her favorite part of the game was.  She didn't hesitate at all and announced, "Learning to spit sunflower seeds!"  Apparently her father and grandfather thought it was high time she learned how to properly eat sunflower seeds at a baseball game, and she caught on pretty well.  That's my little lady.

• Cash had surgery - I noticed a small lump on Cash's neck right by his collar, and when we took him in to the vet, they aspirated it.  They said it looked okay (he gets blocked sebaceous glands regularly), but they decided to send it to a lab in Little Rock to test it.  The lab called back and thought we needed to have it removed - apparently they saw some cells that they didn't like.  I've been pretty shaken up by the whole deal, but we knew it was best to tackle it head on and get it taken care of.  He had surgery last Wednesday and was doing really well until Saturday when he scratched open the stitches.  Ryan took him back to the vet, where they stapled him, but ten minutes after being home, he opened them up again.  When Ryan took him back the next time, they said he had opened his inner and outer stitches and would need to go back under to get fixed up.  That was Saturday, and now we're at Tuesday.  He's been spending his days in the crate with a sock over his foot and his evenings with me following him around saying "Don't scratch!!"  It's looking pretty good, but we still have about ten days of this to go.  Worn.  Out.  Ryan tried to create a solution, but our active boxer just can't seem to keep a bandage on.  So say your prayers that the results of the removal are positive (the lump is down in Little Rock getting analyzed, and we should hear something any day now).  

• Riley's room is coming together - Thanks to some major deliveries last week and huge strides in decorating, Riley's room is almost complete!  I should be able to share some pictures this weekend, but it's probably one of my favorite rooms I've ever done.  Seriously.

• Alli finished her first soccer season - Last Friday, Alli wrapped up her last soccer game.  She's made dramatic improvements since the beginning of the season, and almost made a goal twice!  She's also turned into quite the goalie.  We're so proud of her and can't wait to see her continue to develop through camps and fall league.

Soccer Stud

Thursday was Alli's first soccer game!  She started and got to play a lot.  She took some shots at the goal and was really aggressive going after the ball.  Her team tied 1-1, and most importantly, she had an awesome time.  I can't wait to see her back in action Saturday!

Soccer it to Me!

Today Alli had her first soccer practice.  She's started bugging me in the winter about signing her up for soccer.  I was a little nervous - she's done dance, gymnastics, and horseback riding, but this is an organized team sport.  Plus, at eight with no experience, is she already behind?  Thanks a lot, overachieving moms who put your kids in every single sport imaginable at the earliest possible age, for putting the pressure on me.

But luckily, our city runs a great recreational program, so I signed her up for spring.  Most of the teams were already formed from the fall, but they had some openings.  We got an email from her coach about a week ago giving us all of the information for her practice.  She's been beside herself.  We knew it was going to be pretty cold, so we dropped by Academy last night to get her some tights and a Nike DriFit turtleneck.

Today, she was pumped.  She kept calling it "my big game" even though Ryan reminded her over and over that it was just practice.  We got out to the field, and she knew two people on her team:  Jayden - who is in her class at school - and Georgianna, who is in her Sunday School class at church.

Alli had a great time.  I was really happy that we got the uniforms right when we got there (she had been worried about that), and I was really glad to see that she didn't stick out as the newbie.  Her coach knew her name and was prepared with lots of drills.  There were kids of all skill levels on the team, and Alli certainly didn't stand out as one who had never played before.

Then they scrimmaged with another team, and Alli played goalie for a little while and blocked a goal!  She ran up after practice red-cheeked, winded, and grinning ear to ear.  I am so thrilled her first practice went so well for her, and I can't wait for her first game (next week!!).  But I do need to brush up on my soccer knowledge.  Between the two of us, Ryan and I know next to nothing.  I am sure we'll learn...right?