"This is Jeopardy"

Owen and I have developed a very interesting afternoon routine as of late. I have discovered that Owen has a weird fascination with Jeopardy. That's right Jeopardy. "I'll take weird for $1000, Alex." I just turned it on one day and he stopped playing and started watching, so now everyday we get home change our clothes, get our snack and watch Jeopardy. I like to think it is my way of enriching his intelligence, when in all actuality it could just be that he is tired and manages to sit through Jeopardy and catch a little rest. Either way I look forward to sitting with him everyday and watching our show!

Funny from Christmas - out of the archives

I just had to put this up here. Harper and I went to pick out Melissas gift on Christmas eve, and Harper decided that her Mommy just had to have some candy orange slices because "she absolutely loves them". So, when Harper and I got home I decided to let her wrap the orage slices by herself. The following is what ensued, pay attention to the tape:

(never got to put the video in, but Harper ended up using nearly half a roll of scotch tape, every time she folded a piece of wrapping paper, she got another piece of tape)

It came out looking like a gift wrapped with love!

New Year

This past year has definitely been very good to myself and my family. First our new addition, whom is growing into quite the little man. We moved to a new house, which gave us room to spread out. Harper Started Pre-K, which means my baby girls is growing up way too fast. Melissa got a new job, which made me so very proud of her! All in all this past year brought many changes to the Barlow family, a family which doesn't take change lightly. That being said all of these changes have proven to be for the better and I wouldn't change a thing, except for maybe my new found receeding hair-line (yikes). I look very hopeful into the upcoming year and hope and pray that our blessings are as plentiful as this past year, but I have my health, the health of my family, a good job, and more love than any man deserves! It don't get any better!

Holidays

I have to say that, hands down, my favorite time of the year is Christmas. Sure, putting up the lights and the tree and getting ALL of our decorations out is a lot of hard work, I love every minute of it. There is a certain magic that has been added to the season now that we have two kids, it is really cool to see Owen stare at all the twinkle lights and see Harper so excited to visit Santa. It has also been very neat to live in a neighborhood where people drive through to see your lights, which will push me to do it bigger next year.(didn't actually do it much bigger this year(2010), but I do have bigger plans for next year! (2011)

Making Bread

This afternoon Harper and I got to travel out to the farm and take part in the yearly ritual of "making bread". This is the term that Harper gave to harvest two years ago. Well her and I arrived around 4:45 and she was initially reluctant to go with her Boppy on the Combine. Then miraculously she remembered just how much she loves cutting wheat. It is wonderful to see how much she loves being out in the field watching the machinery and getting dirty. She also got her first crack at driving the combine. She did a great job and had a blast in the process.

Vacation??

This week I am at the OSU basketball camp, it is definitely a bittersweet experience. On one hand I get to sleep un-interrupted all night. This actually proved to be impossible last night, I still awoke around the scheduled feeding times. I get to spend the week coaching the sport I absolutely love, but I am also missing the three people I love more than anything. So, we will see how the next two days go. I have the joy of having Travis Ford's son on my team, a team which is pretty good! I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at camp, coaching the ACC kids (3rd-6th graders) is pure fun. And not to mention I have been the camp champions for my age group for three straight years now! I am one lucky alumni.

Two Kids

I want to start by saying that I feel like I have been greatly blessed with my two special kids.  I also never expected two kids to be so hectic.  When you have one little baby you are up a lot during the night, but when they are sleeping you can be sleeping, but with two, it's no longer the case.  It seems as if as soon soon as Owen falls back asleep after his 5:00 a.m. feeding Harper springs out of bed at 7:00.  Another difference in having two kids is that Owen seems to be growing a lot faster than Harper did.  With Harper we had the time to just sit back and watch all of her little moments.  I feel like life is as busy as ever and Owen will be walking and talking way before I am ready for that.  I also believe Harper is secretly praying for her brother to grow up so that she has someone to play with, her pretend students are about to outgrow her class I think.  One thing is for sure, I wouldn't dream of having it any other way.