Updates on Us

Marshall:
Friday was Marshall's 9 month doctor appointment.  He was 20 lbs 14 oz putting him in the 50th percentile for weight and 1 lb 2 oz lighter than Jack at that age.  At 29 in, he measures in the 75th percentile for height and is the exact same length as Jack at that age.  He received his first flu shot and we will return in 30 days for the booster.  We also traveled to Paris that day where he received his very first haircut over the weekend.  Would you believe I have no pictures to document it?  I have the hair, but it never crossed my mind to take a picture.  I'll blame it on 2nd child syndrome.  He did great and it was more of a trim that most people probably wouldn't even notice, but his hair was growing over his ears and driving Travis and me crazy.  Unfortunately, we returned to the doctor today for a left ear infection.  Poor guy has stayed sick all summer long.  He's pulling up on everything and starting to cruise around the furniture, which means lots of bumps and bruises.  Without a doubt, he's calling me "mama", Travis "dada" and we even think he's calling for Jack because there's a distinct difference in "dada" and "daaaaaaaaa".  Here's his latest favorite thing to do.

He sticks his tongue out at everyone.  Alesia's daughter, Shelby, was doing it to entertain him one day and it stuck.  Here's another favorite picture of mine.  Those pajamas make him look like such a big boy!

Jack:
It doesn't get much more "all boy" than this.

That is a frog he is holding.  Travis is determined to make encourage Jack to pick up every creature he encounters outside, which makes me shudder at the thought of what all will end up in my house one day.  Poor Kermit didn't quite make it to the front yard where Jack and Travis were going to release him before Marley snapped him right out of Jack's hands.  As a follow-up to the bully story, I want to share Jack's side of the ordeal.  Jack was playing blocks when the bully roared (not "war") at him.  I'm not sure how Jack ended up with the whale (big rubber fish), but Shamu caught the bulk of the trouble because he went to time out in the director's office.  Jack's star was magically raised back up after nap time and all was well because he got a treat from the treasure box at the end of the day.  We have now told Jack that he is to tattle on the bully rather than handle matters himself, which I have mixed emotions about, but that's for another blog post.  Right now Jack just wants to learn.  Every night we start the bedtime routine by doing a few pages in a preschool workbook he received for his birthday.  He can't get enough of it.  We are having a little trouble with him taking matters into his own hands with Marshall.  Again, another blog post. 

Travis:

This was in The Commercial Appeal over Labor Day weekend.

If you can't tell, Travis is on the left, Craig is the "little in the middle" (his words) and Craig's boss, Dave, is on the right.  Here's the caption that was under the photo:

Teams compete in second annual Bison Adventure Race: Travis Todd, Craig Jostes and Dave Gilbert run along the corn maze at Shelby Farms as the sun rises Saturday while competing in the second annual Bison Adventure Race. Started last year by Joe Coffelt and Frank Rehnelt, the event consists of about 25 teams of people who run through fields, bike through forests and wade across rivers to locate 31 map points across Shelby Farms using only a topographical map and plotting tool.

Travis got into working out again this summer and Craig talked him into entering this race.  It was a first for all 3 of them.  It started at 7:30 AM on Saturday and ended at 3:30 PM.  They mountain biked, ran, swam/waded and used a compass and a map to find checkpoints.  Talk is already underway about a possible 2nd adventure race in Arkansas in October.  The boys and I didn't even attempt to go cheer them on.  It was pointless since the majority of the race was in the rain forest (Jack labels all wooded areas as rain forest), but we are very proud of his accomplishment!  Travis is already envisioning the days when he and our boys can enter these races together.

Me:
Not a lot to report.  I have entered no races, refuse to document my percentiles and don't have any bullies at work, so it would seem that my life is just plain boring.  However, I'm ecstatic that football season is starting again, I'm loving the age of both of my boys right now and trying to find a way to slow down time.  Regardless of my daily stresses, when I lay down my head at night I know that life is so good and I am so blessed.