First of (many) Lasts.....

I am a pretty optimistic person. I always try to be positive about things and not be such a Debby downer! Many optimistic people say "when one door closes another one opens"...well not me, not today. Today was the last "first day of preschool"...EVER! After this year, we will never have another child in preschool. Luci has been running at the speed of light towards growing and going since the day she was born. She had no issues with sleeping in her bed-and we are big co-sleepers-John William slept with us until Cooper came home from the hospital. Luci did not bat an eye when we took away her bottle-she seemed to think she could get her milk faster through a sippy cup. Right after her third birthday, she decided she was done with her pacifier because we told her when she was ready, the Pappy Fairy would bring her a prize and take her pappy's...(I didn't mean I wanted her to do it then) Potty training-a breeze-nothing like dealing with a little boy. So she has pretty much flown right through all the things that are pretty big milestones. And I have accepted them....but not this. I am NOT, I repeat not happy about today. Never again will we have the exciting first day of preschool-never, ever-no more little ones going off to preschool. Next year she will be at the big school with the boys and its all over!! I can't believe how fast time flies. I was looking at her sweet little self last night while she was sleeping (mind you it was after it took a spanking to get her to go to bed) and thinking how I could not believe they are all as big as they are. John William started 5th grade this year-5TH GRADE-is that not ridiculous? And Cooper is in 2nd this year-LAWD,I hope we all survive that! I am amazed at the little people they are becoming. They have their own opinions-usually strong ones-they have their own style and taste-they each have their own individual quirkiness. It is so wonderful how they are all so different and yet so similar. Many times reaching a milestone is a big deal-as is this one-but for me, it is kinda sad. They are just one more day away from flying the coop! (Although, we have John William convinced that the magic number is 40-he has to be 40 to get a girlfriend, 40 for a cell phone, 40 to get married, 40 to move out of the house, etc...)

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

A few pics from the first week of school and a trip down memory lane.....

John William's first day of fifth grade-would barely let me take his picture and there was not any goodbye kisses!

"The spirit is there in every boy; it has to be discovered and brought to light."
Robert Baden-Powell

John William's first day of kindergarten...2006

Cooper and his new 2nd grade teacher! He did let me kiss him but he didn't like it.

"Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable."
Plato

Cooper's first day of kindergarten-2009


Luci on her way in the school for the second time this week-i took her to school Monday morning and when I saw a lone teacher in the parking lot, I asked why no one was at school, to which she replied " Because we start school on Wednesday"...Luci was NOT a happy camper.

Luci and her last preschool teacher Ms. Barbara, who we had with Cooper and was wonderful with him. I can't wait to hear the stories she has to tell about Luci this year!

"Happy girls are the prettiest!" Audrey Hepburn

Long time coming...

So, once again, I have been absent from the blogging world. It always seems to get put on the back burner and this past year of school was the busiest we have very been. I am sure its going to be the same this year. So I will touch on a few things that have gone on in our family since my last post......

Cooper making straight A's for the whole year-first grade
(not making straight A's in the behavior department)

John William making A/B honor roll for the year-fourth grade
(He did however make straight A's in the behavior department)

Luci had a great school year too-only she is dying to be able to read-she doesn't understand why at four she can't read like her brothers

Cooper's baseball team was runner up in their league and he loved every minute of it. Soccer was great for him and will be better this year-he has decided he wants to play on a tournament team and go to tournaments that have hotels with swimming pools like John William

John William's soccer team won a soccer tournament in Tupelo in March-in the FREEZING, COLD, MUD!!! It was unlike anything I have ever seen and I completely gave my heart to soccer at this tournament! So yes, My name is Laura Dow and I am a soccer mom!

On April 2 ( almost April's Fools) my grandmother celebrated her 98th birthday! Its amazing how well she is doing for 98!

Luci had her first dance recital and I think she stole the show! She loved,loved, loved dance and her teacher and I am pretty sure they love her too! We gave her a bouquet of flowers with a ballerina barbie in them and you would have thought she got a diamond!

John William decided after 3 years of not playing, that this year he wanted to play baseball. Well, after the first game when he stood in the outfield for a while and struck out a few times, he said "this is kinda boring..." To which I replied-"this is baseball, it's not soccer where you are all over the field-be patient" And patient he was! It was quite a humbling experience for him-he's never NOT been good at something. He worked at it all season and finally hit the ball-let me re-phrase that -He got a home run! It was amazing-bless his heart!

We barely made it through the month of May. We had the end of soccer, baseball and dance all at once. We literally had 2 places to be every afternoon for almost the whole month. It was exhausting!

We spent the fourth of July with our friends Lesli and Mark and their kids on the beach! It was a great trip!

Cooper and John William went to Warner Tully camp this summer for a week. When we dropped them off, Luci cried all the way home. She woke up the next day and said "Can we go get my brothers?". She pretty much asked me that everyday until they came home.

Jay decided to keep the boys this summer instead of getting a babysitter for them. He can pretty much load them up and take them ot with him when he's going to see a farmer or going to a Sanders' location. His mom and my mom have been pretty helpful when he's had an actual meeting. He did say the other day, that he was really looking forward to them all going back to school...hmm, wonder why that is?

I am looking forward to TRYING to blog more regularly. I love reading peoples blogs and seeing their pictures and trying the recipes. I am going to try to do better.....I think I can, I think I can!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy....

Since school got started, we have been so incredibly busy! Not only are all three kids, playing soccer, this year, but Luci is taking dance and John William is also playing football. So this is how our weekly schedule goes: Monday-(aside from being Hell to begin with)We have had a football game every week at 6:00. Tuesday: Luci has dance at 5:00 and Cooper has soccer practice at 5:30. Wednesday: Since we weren't busy enough, Jay decided to throw in teaching soccer training to about 30 or 40 kids-that aren't his kids!!! Thursday: Luci has soccer practice at 5:30 while John William has football practice from 5:00 - 7:00-not to mention all the homework we have and tests to study for. Friday: we try to rest, but somehow we are always doing something and then on Saturday, we have 6 soccer games-that's right SIX!!!!! Thank goodness, we are winding down. Cooper's soccer is over, Luci and John William have two more weekends to go and we only have two more football games this year. So, needless to say, I am really looking forward to November. And yo answer your question-NO, they will not all three be playing soccer in the Spring!!!

Since we have been living in the car, I thought the this picture was appropriate! Cooper's class has a class pet named Melba the Monkey that each child takes home for a week. Melba kept us all even busier!! But we had a great time at the Hibachi grill with her!! The kids all learned to use chopsticks and enjoyed our "dinner and a show" evening!


Now, I just barely touched on football, but it really has consumed our life! And we are loving it!! John William is doing so well this year. He has figured it out and has really learned to tackle! And when I tell you that he made a great hit last week-let me just say that watching it made his Daddy uncomfortable!! Poor little guy on the receiving end! Mammaw and Papaw got him the black gloves in the picture below-he says they help him hold onto the ball! He is number 25 below.


Notice someone had to get involved in the cheer leading for her "Bubby" as she calls him!

I hate that right now I don;t have any soccer pictures of Cooper-they are all still on the card in my camera!! Luci was very excited about soccer at first-mostly the getting dressed for it part! You know, new shirt, new shorts, new pink shin guards, and black and pink cleats!

But when it actually came time to play, I think he play time consisted of about 30 seconds. And this is how she spent most of the rest of all other games...Poor Coach!


Jay and I got to have a wonderful weekend in Atlanta with Eric and Erica Ross for Eric's 40th Birthday! We left all three kids at home and loved having 7 hours in the car by ourselves to talk and sleep and listen to music!

Erica had wonderful BBQ delivered along with big screen TV's set up to watch the Florida-Alabama game along with every other football game that was on that weekend. The boys even moved a couch outside in front of the TV so they could enjoy the weather with their football. And as you can tell from Jay and Eric's eyes, they were very sleepy...
I enjoyed being able to get dressed for a party without someone interrupting me five hundred times! I think it took me an hour-just because I COULD!




Nice birthday present...

And last but certainly not least....the Oldest!

When you are the first child you get to experience many new things. New things for yourself, as well as for your "NEW" parents. Jay and I were the ones who said "Our child will never sleep in the bed with us..." Well guess what, he slept in the bed with us until Cooper came home from the hospital. He would not even nap in his crib. I remember cringing every time my daddy would come over and walk in his nursery cause he would always laugh about that expensive crib that I "had to have"-which, by the way, daddy paid for. He slept mostly on Jay's side of the bed every night. I think he was giving me a break of the 9 months of co-sleeping with my uterus.



John William has always been on his on time schedule. He was two weeks late arriving-and I was ready to kill him and my doctor when he finally arrived. And after such a hard delivery my dreams of a large family dwindled! Knowing his little personality now, I am not surprised he showed up on his own time line. John William has always-from day one- had no fear. He has never had reservations about going somewhere, or with someone. He never fussed when Jay and I would leave him with the grandparents or at daycare. He always just walked right in and acted like he owned the place. John William has the most independent spirit about him. I think he knew he had to make an impression on all of us right out of the starting gate since he was such a surprise to begin with.....YES, he was a huge surprise. Jay and I had not been married very long when we found out I was pregnant. Obviously, we were in shock! He was a honeymoon baby but regardless, we were so happy! Since I was adopted, I can remember when it first hit me that he would be the first person I knew that was actually related to me. He was the first person that I could look at and say ‘those are MY eyes’. It was the most incredible feeling. I loved my parents and brother, but I think when you’re adopted you always have a sense being a little different. My looks were very different than my family’s (and Lord knows I defiantly didn’t behave like them...). Don’t get me wrong, I was not un-loved at all- I was very lucky. But there was just something about holding John William and saying “He is truly part of me.”



John William loved to snuggle when he was a baby and toddler. Even to this day, he will snuggle with me and nowadays he is almost as tall as me and weighs 85 lbs. He promises me he will "always kiss me on the lips, even when he's old.... like 30 and married and has a cell phone."-which is the order I tell him that will all happen. He was so excited last year when he started 3rd grade because he said in 3rd grade you could get a girlfriend. His second grade teacher said 2nd graders weren't allowed to have girlfriends-I loved it! And yes, John William is starting to the love the ladies! My mom always said "He's such a lover!"

...Boys will be boys. And even that wouldn't matter if only we could prevent girls from being girls. ~Anne Frank


When John William was a toddler, like most little delta boys, he was obsessed with tractors! He would shout "Tractor!!!!" when he saw them. My daddy would come and get him and ride him on the big tractors. He loved it. He would fuss when he had to get off. One time, daddy took him to the field with him and he climbed into the cab with one of the "field hands" and rode for several hours with him-not knowing that man from Adam-he didn't care as long as he was on a tractor. I am so glad that John William has memories of my daddy. He still talks about Bubbs every now and then.

.....Don't wait to make your son a great man - make him a great boy. ~Author Unknown




When John William smiles, he sparkles! His little eyes twinkle and his smile can light up a room. He has the sweetest spirit of anyone I know. He loves his little sister and will protect his little brother from anyone that messes with him-ever heard that saying "He might be an idiot, but he's my idiot!!!!"-that’s John William and Cooper. I worry that we put too much pressure on him to do right and lead the way since he is the oldest. But then he will do something so wonderful for his siblings or something so responsible for me and it makes me so proud of him. He is growing so fast and I can’t believe that he has already been in our lives for 9 years and even more unbelievable is that in 9 more years, he will be gone. It is truly amazing that the time has flown b from a sweet little surprise to the young man he is becoming. I just hope I can let him go when it’s time!

......There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings. ~Hodding Carter, Jr.

My sweet, other child!

I grew up with one brother, so when I got married I told Jay I wanted 5 children. WELL.....after we had our first, we decided that 3 children was a more manageable number! And of course we wanted them close in age so we got pregnant with our second child when John William was almost two. We knew before he was born that his name would be Cooper Dow -regardless of the sex. We wanted all our children to have family names and knowing he or she would most likely be a middle child, (a combination of the older brother and whatever the little one may be) I thought it would be neat for this child to have a name from both of our families. Cooper was Jay's mothers maiden name and Dow was (obviously) my name and my mothers name and her grandmothers maiden name. His name is different and neat-very individual, like Cooper himself.

I worry all the time about Cooper being the "Middle Child". So much of what you read about a middle child is troubling-they can't find their place, they are often neglected or spoiled, blah...blah..blah... Cooper may be in the middle child in theory, but he is so much more of an individual than his brother and sister are. He makes up his mind about things, and usually there is no changing it. (Not always a good thing.) I try not to refer to him as the middle child, but Luci's big brother and John William's little brother. I wonder if he knows the special spot he has in our family-no pressure of being the oldest and first to do everything all the while not being the youngest who will have to do everything last and probably be spoiled(what a HUGE hurdle to overcome-believe me I know about this one)


Cooper has always had a very vivid imagination. A few years ago he had imaginary friends-Judy and Ron, both male. I got so upset when he first started talking about them-he said he had been to some man's house and hung out with him and his friend Judy. I didn't know what to think-hadn't we talked about "Stranger danger"? What was he thinking going into someones house-and where were his parents during this time? (He must have been in his daddy's care was what I was really thinking...) Finally I was able to breath a sigh of relief when I figured out that the people he was talking about weren't real ! Judy and Ron took Cooper on all kinds of adventures, owl hunting in outer space, spend the night parties at Chuck-E-Cheeses, all over!! Then one day I asked about Judy and Ron and he said, "Oh they got sick and died." (Dead Silence...)I was devastated-more so than he was!

Cooper also has the silliest little personality! I have very few pictures where he is just smiling. Most of the time he is winking or bugs out his eyes or sticks his tongue out! It drives me crazy! He is trying to wink in the picture below!

....A child is a curly dimpled lunatic. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson


Cooper has always been very interested in art. He will sit for hours and draw and color and paint. Loves it! I think he is so super creative because of that wild imagination he has. He is very detailed in his pictures. When I was pregnant with Luci, he would draw a picture of me as a stick person, and a circle on my mid section for the baby. He builds houses for his favorite toy, Blu Baby, to sleep in. And not only does he build him a house, but he decorates the outside too.




Cooper has also been my most sensitive child. He can get his feelings hurt so quickly and poke out that bottom lip! It's so pitiful! John William has always tried to "manage" him and Cooper caught on very quickly to this and did not like it at all. John William ended up getting smacked in the lip one day by his 3 year old brother and when we asked Cooper why he had hit his brother, Cooper replied "He was managing my manage." Enough said.

...We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher



Cooper loves to read! Oh my how he loves to read! He got an award in kindergarten for being one of the top readers in his class. He is also obsessed with Lego's. He will sit for hours and build things with his Lego's. I hope he's going to use all his brain power and hand/eye coordination for something wonderful like brain surgery! Of course, he could be an underwater basket weaver too! :)



...It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~Frederick Douglass

Before we had Luci, I got pregnant a third time. After 10 weeks, we lost that baby. I remember when I was pregnant with that baby worrying because i just did not feel like Cooper and I had bonded as much as I had with John William and I was so worried that he would get lost in the mix with a new baby. Well as we all know, some of God's greatest gifts are un-answered prayers. Losing that baby ripped my heart out, but it also gave me a chance to grow my relationship with Cooper. I clung to him as my heart was breaking with the loss of that baby and with the loss of my daddy and it made him that much more special to me. He was such a momma's boy. At that time, I remember thinking he would be living at home when he was 40 because he had no desire to do anything without me. He was not independent at all like his older brother. He wanted Momma and momma only. It's amazing how children grow and mature.

Now as I watch him in first grade, I am thankful for his quiet little spirit that saved me. I am thankful that he let me cling to him when I needed it the most. And holding him back some has helped him to become such an individual. His personality is that of a leader, not a follower. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for him. I can't wait to see the strong man that he is going to become-growing from that sensitive child

....You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes. ~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.

One by one...

So, I decided to focus on each of the kids and tell you all about their little personalaites! And of course being as Southern as we are, I decided it was only appropriate to start with our little lady of the house, Miss Luci.

Luci was named after my grandmother, Lucille and I just knew she would arrive with my dark hair and Jay's blue eyes. Guess what? Didn't happen! Exact opposite! While her hair got lighter and lighter, her eyes got darker and darker!

Luci came into this world with determination.Please feel free to refer back to her arrival blog! I knew when i was delivering Luci and she almost didn't allow me to have an epidural before she arrived, that she was always gonna be the child that did things her way. That still rings true to this day.


I have to say that after havig two boys, I really was ok with not having a girl. All the drama, all the mean girls in high school to deal with, the ridiculous shopping bills, and then there's the whole issue of having to worry about all the different and potential "boy parts" verses only worrying about the ONE your son has!! And I really thought I was safe because really, what are the chances that a third child will be the opposite sex? Slim! But I have to say that I think the Lord knew what he was doing in give her to us. I think Jay Madison would have turned inside out if it had been another boy-he really wanted a girl! And she is definately a Daddy's girl!!

...The father of a daughter is nothing but a high-class hostage. A father turns a stony face to his sons, berates them, shakes his antlers, paws the ground, snorts, runs them off into the underbrush, but when his daughter puts her arm over his shoulder and says, "Daddy, I need to ask you something," he is a pat of butter in a hot frying pan. ~Garrison Keillor



And what might you ask is worse than being a Daddy's girl-being her brother's "pretty princess"as he calls her! John William has been smitten with Luci since before she arrived. He is very responsible for her name! He loved it and pretty much insisted that we WERE having a girl and her name had to be Luci-he said we had too many boys already. I feel so sorry for any boy that has to go through John William to get to Luci! She loves her "Bubba" as she calls him. She will sit with him and he will hold her and hold her hand all the time! It's so cute!

...Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero. ~Marc Brown



Now don't get me wrong, Luci loves Cooper too. Luci and Cooper took a little longer to develiop their love affair! He wasn't real happy about this ">baby "gurl" stealing his thunder! However, over the last year they have really bonded. They have a love/hate relationship, but when they are loving they are "LOVING" and when they are fighting, it's WAR!

...It was nice growing up with someone like you - someone to lean on, someone to count on... someone to tell on! ~Author Unknown



Luci has been such a blessing to your little family. She can warm your heart in two seconds with her sweet little smile. And she is the funniest child you will meet! She is always saying something that makes us roll laughing! She is so prissy and loves to dress up more than anything. She is absolutely the girliest girl you will meet but tough as nails from living with those two knuckle head boys! I can see her in future bossing us all around and being the one to take care of our family!

 

When my daddy got sick I learned alot about the role a daughter plays in the family. I know that my boys will always play a big part in our family and I look forward to being a part of their lives and their families but I know that years down the rode, Miss Luci is going to be taking care of us all!

........A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart. ~Author Unknown

First

Lots of first’s from this week and last! Last Thursday was the boys first day back to school. Cooper is in 1st grade and John William is in 4th. I can not believe we have a 4th grader-it seems like they should still be sleeping in our bed with a pacifier!!



John William wasn’t too fired up about 4th grade as the summer was winding down, but since class started he has really enjoyed it. I think he was so glad to get back with his friends and he really seems to be off to a good start. Last year he kinda got in a funk and was very negative about 3rd grade-and sometimes that would show in his work....sloppy!! But he seems to really be taking his time and putting his best foot forward this year. What a difference a few months will make! Plus, we have a great 4th grade teacher this year!



Cooper is in first grade this year and we are super excited! Last year was a great year for him, but it was a little bit of a review for him. He would get done with his work so quickly, which sometimes was a bad thing, but it really pushed him to find something to fill his time. And what he found that he quickly learned to love was reading! That child read so many books last year. He was one of the top three readers in the kindergarten and got a little award at the end of the year. First grade will definitely be a challenge for him and just seeing the work he has brought home in the past few days shows that first grade will not be easy-but that’s exactly what he needs!



Luci actually started back to school on Monday of this week. She was so ready to go to school and cried last week when we dropped the boys off because she couldn’t go to big school with them. That reminds me of a story about my daddy. Apparently Luci wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to be left behind. My grandmother “Mammy” always told me that Daddy would cry every morning when Aunt Nell left for school, so she finally just let him tag along with her to school thinking he would eventually get tired of it and quit going. Well, Daddy never got tired of and because of his age, he ended up having to repeat 7th grade so he wouldn’t be so young when he graduated high school. That man had some determination! And so his little granddaughter... Miss Luci!


Miss Priss also started dance yesterday. She has been obsessed with all things ballerina for about a year now and this summer when she attended the Miss Mississippi Pageant and saw all the dancers, it set off a whole new level of obsession. A while back a friend of ours gave her several old leotards and old dance costumes. She has lived in them all summer. The day I told her I had registered her for dance (back in May) became my worst nightmare! As most people know, Luci talks a lot, like all the time..... I mean ALL THE TIME! So since I told her she would start dance soon, she began asking everyday “Do I go to dance today?” to which I would reply “Not today, you start in August”, to which she would reply with “I am never gonna get to be a ballerina!!! Never, Never, NEVER!!” She so dramatic, I don’t know where she gets it. Obviously, she loved her first day of dance and cried when we had to leave. And what do you think she asked me first thing this morning when I woke her up? Me: “ Good morning sunshine, ready to get dressed for school?” Luci: “Do I go to dance today?” Me: “ No honey, not today, you go on Tuesdays.” Luci “oooh, I am never gonna get to be a ballerina AGAIN!”. Dear Lord!