WWF preschool style

A hiking we will go!

Hiking has never been one of Christy Ludlow's hobbies. But after many years of breaking Christy Bowers now enjoys it (to a point). We had the great privilege of hosting Bill's friend (his family) and 4 single guys from Iraq. It took me several days to understand the different dialect, the noisy van and kids didn't help, but seeing people swim in the ocean for the first time was wonderful. These guys have worked so hard over the last year it was nice to be able to help them have a nice vacation. They are not hikers, my Bowers training kicked in as I pulled along their little girl singing the theme song from 'Dora'. We stayed in a monastery on the side of a cliff. The milestones: being there as they walked on the beach for the first time, and enjoyed their first McDonald's ice cream. Zaky was a bit sick and slightly cranky, but game for whatever we threw at him as long as he had his water bottle.

Jonas' First Year

Our little guy is One year old! He is such a special little man. He is passionate and expressive. He seems to not have taken after his mother's mellow tendencies. He loves everything Zaky, Zaky's toys, food, attention. He wants to cuddle until he doesn't, he wants to be carried until he doesn't. He is happy until he's not, or until he is hungry. He is a good little eater without one tooth in his head. His eyes are turning green like his daddy, his hairline is completly his dad and grandad, but he has his mama's nose. We are so proud of him. His smile lights up his face and anyone who sees him.

Catching up

Both boys LOVED to jump on Gramma Wanda while she "woke up" in the morning.

This summer has not gone by quickly, but as has been said by someone other then myself, the days go by slowly while time goes by quickly. After two months of moving, illness, poor internet, and a husband that uses the computer 95% of the time I am now committed to catching up on blog updates. Where to start? I never posted pictures of my mom's first or second visit. She came to visit in June and the end of August. She offered a nice distraction for the boys and gave me plenty of excuses to spend money both mine and hers: ) There was McDonalds and playgrounds galore. When Gramma Wanda came in June she bought Zaky a recorder and harmonica, and went with me to buy his first bike. When she came back in August he could play both instruments (he knows now how to blow into them not just spit) and on his bike he can "pedal real fast" (as he says it). Gramma Wanda "went on the airplane" but we will see her again "in America".

Bowers' Hair Cut

feeling his purple spiks.


3 generations of clean cut men
Three generations of Bowers men went for a haircut the last day the grandparents were here. I have never been the resourceful wife/ mother to cut my men's hair. But why should I when a good haircut costs 5$ with tip. The trendy thing now for young boys is spray color after gelling spiks. Apparently the barber whipped out the can of spray before dad and grandad knew what was going on. On their walk home grandad asked what will mom say? Bill was more worried about what grandmom would say.

Root Beer

This is for the Lykens family:

Growing up, I (Bill) went every summer to the Jersey shore where many customs, behaviors, and traditions were passed on to me. These included Groff's, watching the tram car...please, biking on the boards, floating on my back in the waves, digging large holes with even larger shovels, using dripping sand to decorate sand castles, and squeezing my two hands together to squirt people in the eye with water.

These days we find ourselves at the beach at least 3 times a month and while there is no Groff's in Lebanon I find Zaki picking up many of our beach traditions. The latest was to run through the foam left by the waves and to yell "root beer," despite the fact that he does not even know what root beer is because we do not have it here. I guess we can teach him next time we are in the States. Zaki is so into the "foam" he just now went to use the bathroom looked into the toilet to see what he had done and said "look bubbles, just like the beach."

Grandad Bowers

Grandad as he prefers to be called. Which often came out as Dum Dum Bowers. Such a special time was had. Dave had a shadow for two weeks solid. Over the past few months Zaky has become very clingy and VERY selective of who does anything with him. But a few days into their visit it was "NO, Grandad do it"! Which I gladly accepted and stepped aside. Grandad buckle his seat belt, grandad take him out of the car, grandad hold him to pee on the side of the road... Grandad and grandsons played baseball, built forts "farts", train tracks, ate ice cream while the rest of us grocery shopped (this one they got caught). Zaky was very bummed when they left, but then so was I.