Week of August 20, 2003
"Hello, it's me, Owey"
I was shocked to have Owen pick up his toy phone and starting talking into it. Periodically he'll talk into other things as well, in one case a stapler. This phrase is how we know the item he's holding is a pretend phone. He's getting so big!
This was the weekend of birthday parties. We were looking forward to having some free time, but Owen had a friend from daycare invite him to her birthday party and we felt unable to let our own social phobias interfere with his social life. Unfortunately, the birthday girl was turning 4, and it was a party at the toddler wading pool. Between being the wrong age, the wrong gender and wanting nothing to do with the water, there was the party, and then there was Owen wandering around nearby. He liked the potato chips quite a bit, and also the Clifford coloring book he got as a party favor. Fortunately another child from daycare was also feeling less inclined to mingle, and Owen was always her baby at Diane's. I think they had a good time seeing one another. Sadly, she's moving to a preschool in September, and her newborn brother will be taking her place. It's good for her, I know, but Owen will miss her. When did he become one of the oldest children there?
Sunday Scott's cousin turned 13. That was a family party, so required. As it turned out, Scott wasn't feeling well so for the 2nd time in my life, I attending a Bradley family function without our Bradley. Owen had a great time on the wood floors, and he's never one to turn down cake. I was free from having to mingle particularly since chasing Owen is a full time occupation. Fortunately Scott's niece Kristen was there so that when I was feeling particularly spent after a vigorous diaper change outside on the porch, I was able to run inside and wash my hands and grab a bite to eat. Bless her.
We had ordered a copy of James and the Red Balloon (i.e., from Thomas the Tank Engine) and it arrived while we were in Maine. This was our "welcome back home and back to your beloved Thomas stuff" gift to Owen, and he's been enthralled with it. It's not a bad DVD and so far, despite repeated viewings, Scott and I are pretty chipper watching it. Owen's been singing the Dockyard song in the car, and once I heard him singing to Taba Naba (from the CD of Wiggly, Wiggly World). We here him reliving the Thomas story as he talks himself to sleep once he's in bed, and we hear him on the baby monitor first thing when he wakes up.
His latest accomplishment is creating 15 and 20 car trains. They're amazing to see, but a little stressful because it's hard to navigate a train of that length on the track. There are inevitably derailments, and those cause tears when they're not intended. Scott and I are very clear on which cars are top heavy, and for some reason, those always seem to be part of the trains.
At daycare, Owen's learned how to play Hide and Seek. He's been playing with Eloise, and having a good time all around. I can't believe he understands how to hide, and I love watching the giggles as we flail around trying to find him (we have a very hard time finding his half-hidden self - those loud giggles just tell us where not to look). I wonder when they catch on that just because he can't see us, doesn't mean we can't see him. He must get it a little because he's hiding more than just his eyes these days. He's getting better at counting, or at least repeating numbers in order. It must be part of the hide and seek process.
There's lots of pillow play these days. It's fun to fall on them, stack them, rearrange them. One can pounce like a Tigger and fall into pillows, or cover oneself with them as one hides. I like it better when he's pouncing on the pillows and not Scott and I. He's a rough little pouncer!
We had Indian food one night. It's been so busy at work that we've been getting more take out than usual. To our delight, Owen sampled some chickpeas out of one of the dishes. I sucked the worst of the spicy sauce off of them, and he devoured them! I was shocked to see him eat most of the chickpeas off my plate. I'm sure we won't be able to duplicate this, but still, it gives us hope.
At my work place, we're waiting for new of The Big Move. Our department is moving into a new building, and though it was finished August 15th, they are waiting for the final inspection that will allow us all to move in. We were supposed to move on our Wedding Anniversary, but it looks like it will be delayed. We're hope its brief, school starting is fast approaching, and everything around us in chaos.
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