Week of September 24, 2003
Happy Birthday Scott!!!!
"Owey like cake"
"Mummy like cake"
"Daddy like cake"
"Pooh likes cake"
"Piglet likes cake"
"More cake!"
I don't think I've mentioned Owen's skill with opening CDs and DVDs. He started out fascinated with the pictures. He'd love to pick them up the cases and point out what's on them and foolishly, I indulged him. Then he moved on to opening them, and the disks often had pictures, and he'd look at those too. At first he was content to poke at the disks inside, or spin them, but then he figured out how to push down the center and get them out! He's now more skilled at it than I, and now I'm trying to figure out how to break him of the habit without making him feel squelched. I should have instructed him that they're off limits early, but I was indulgent. A lot of the disks are his, and he was looking at the pictures on them as much as improving his dexterity. I didn't want to put too much emphasis on his behavior in case that made it more appealing. And he was so darn cute. And now I'm sorry!We have fingerprints on many of our disks, and I'm trying to adjust my approach before any of them become too damaged to use. He's devoted to his Thomas stuff, so I think he'll understand the concept of protecting them, and meanwhile Scott and I are learning how to clean the surfaces. We just hope that none of the damage becomes permanent.
Although the skill with the DVD's is not our favorite trait, Owen continues to delight. His verbal ability is expanding constantly ("Compost!"), and Scott and I love to watch him master new bits. Owen is thrilled when he is understood, and his expressions are getting more confident and more elaborate. In the tub, he volunteered "Owey like cake!" (It's Scott's birthday this week, so there's been cake kicking around the house.) Then he moved on to "Owey likes cake! Mama likes cake! Daddy likes cake!" One morning it was "Pooh likes cake" and "Piglet likes cake!" I'll be a little relieved when the cake is gone and we can set our bad habits aside. In the meantime, we're watching Owen devour his small pieces with the gusto of a raven on road kill. There's chocolate all over, and he regularly has to stop so he can have "ha(nd) wash(ed)." Then it's back to the cake. Last night I made the mistake of having one (wonderful) bite left on my plate when he finished, and he eyed my piece and pointedly said "more cake" - and I gave it to him. That's in my job description, right?
We've made some progress on saying please and thank you. For a while I was worried that Owen felt "please" was a food noun. As in "more Mac'N'CheesePlease," but we try hard to set and example and remind him to say both. Please and thank you gets lots of praise, and faster results. This manners thing is going to be a challenge. I like the Fergie approach, with tiered layer of manners. I just hope I can manage to instill good manners when I know there's room for improvement with my own. Scott's Mom raised a very mannered boy, and I think it will be an asset to him to know the right things to do as an adult. I was always impressed that Scott walked on the outside of the sidewalk, and still without fail opens my door. I hope Owen's future dates can enjoy the same treat. We'll see, that's a long way away, and we have adolescence to get through. Maybe he'll file the instructions away under "how to impress my dates with my good manners" and that will at least let him retain what the right things to do are. Manners are about empathy and respect; they don't have to be about 4 kinds of forks and salt cellars.
One interesting side note, Owen's ability to chat is greatly diminished by the presence of others. He's a chatterbox with Scott and I, he's practically mute in front of my Mom. I think she's a little skeptical about our descriptions of his verbal ability, fortunately he'll sometimes forget he's being shy and lapse into reliving Thomas stories while he's playing with his trains. If not for that, I think she'd worry we make it up completely. It doesn't help that Owen's pal from daycare, Eloise, is very verbal. The grandmothers are friends so comparisons are inevitable. I don't think it's how fast you get anywhere that's important, it's what you can do when you arrive that's important.
And besides, no one can pack up better than Owen!
Habits this week:
We've been getting up at 5 or 5:30. We're making the most of our fountain time, we'll be sad when it's boarded up for the season. The good weather has flown by, I can't believe autumn is in full force already. I'm not ready for snow boots and winter jackets! He's been off muffins, but is pretty merciless about his egg. He's impatient until we get it, but doesn't actually eat it until we get to the fountain. Meanwhile, the mornings are getting kinda cool and the first thing he does when he's out of his stroller is fling off his jacket. He'll struggle with the zipper and we'd let him, hoping he'd give up. Instead, he's gotten better at unzipping, of course.
After work we've been inside more than out, he likes unwinding with his trains. We've been reading his various Pooh books as well, and watching a little TV. His obsession with the big rocks outside has waned, but he does like to wander about a little. We've been swinging and going down the slide as well.
Last weekend he had one of his best afternoons playing with two of his cousins, ages 9 and 13. The got more mileage out of a giant cardboard box than anyone has any right to. They got in and out, pushed it over with them in it, piled on top of one another, dragged it around. The giggling was delightful.
For Scott's birthday I actually made a cake, something I haven't done in years. We've taken the easy way out for years now and gotten Pepperidge Farm coconut cakes - yummy, easy and small portions. I thought that it would be nicer this year to make a fuss, since Owen is more cognizant. My "homemade" cake was just a mix, but hey, I haven't broken out my cake pans in a long, long time. While I'd love to have our homemade cocoa-pistachio cake, this was still more effort than we've made in a…I don't know how long. I wanted a fuss for all of us to offset the "where are MY presents" factor - a party is a party and something we can all enjoy. Plus, there's cake.
All the same, we did something that people have mixed feelings about: we bought Owen a present for Scott's birthday. Okay, it's something we wanted to get him anyway. And I'm fairly certain that Scott will be using all of his birthday money for Thomas stuff anyway. I know this is a slippery slope, but hey, he's our kid.
He was helping Scott unwrap his presents (tissue paper in a gift bag, easy for toddler hands!), and the first present unveiled was a Linux book. That was a dud in Owen's eyes. Things looked dark but the next thing had a promising shape….could it be….? Yes! The surprise and wonder in his eyes at finding the fuel and tar cars was phenomenal. One of the nicer moments of a very fine day.
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