Week of December 3, 2003


“Here Daddy, take this. Thank you Daddy”

”I'm sorry, HAT”
(repeating word we didn't understand the first time)”

“No, that way”

”I want go see Maggie and Bella”

“I want see Dragon. I want fish. I want Cows. I want popsicle”

“His name is Noah. Noah has ears. Noah has eyes.”


Owen seems so much like his own person that I'm startled. When did he get so old?

I know toddlers straddle the line between baby and boy, but at times, Owen catches my breath at his savviness. He combines his remarkable powers of observation with a prescient ability to make connections, in a way that can frighten Scott and I about the challenges that lie ahead. If he's like this at 2, what will he like when he's older!?

Other times I watch him decompose and I see the baby I've held in my arms so many times, completely overwhelmed with his experiences. But to be honest, I expect him to be overwhelmed a lot more than he is. He takes after Scott in this respect, not me; I can't imagine holding up so well with the vagaries of the world, with only 2 years of experience under my belt. Is it the toddler's faith that they can figure things out that squashes their befuddlement?

Perhaps it's the coming together of his more sophisticated level of understanding, but suddenly our family feels like it's made up of three people, rather than two people and this needy unformed being. Not only does he have individual wants and desires, but he can express them and communicate in ways that show his individual thoughts quite clearly. He's not just energetic, he's exuberant and silly and sly and savvy. Yikes.

This has been a week for “Cows on the Line” – a story of cows, and the trains Edward and Gordon and Henry. We don't (yet) have an Edward, and all of a sudden Owen is asking for one. This is the first time he's asked for any Thomas item (other than request to make a tunnel out of whatever we have at hand.) More and more he likes to re-enact stories from Thomas the Tank Engine. For many months, he's relived the stories to himself, but only in the last few weeks does he pull out all the appropriate engines and props.

We had been noticing his track play had lessened, and very seldom did we get requests for Thomas videos, and we'd wondered at this change in behavior. He still played with his Thomas stuff more than anything else, and it's all we read at bedtime now, but still, it was a decrease and we worried his TV viewing was inhibiting his interactive play. With Cows on the Line, suddenly Thomas is front and center again. Phew!

Owen continues to eat up a storm, and be tremendously active. His sleep over the last month has been fitful, and his rising times very early. We had three nights in a row this week where he slept all the way through, and Scott and I were thrilled. We wonder though, if it will be short-lived. Is he growing? He's at the edge of his 3T's, and 90's, and his limbs seem longer. His energy is coming just as the weather is cooling down. We'd forgotten that when it's harder for him to get out at daycare, it becomes even more important for him to get out in the morning with us. So this means gearing up for cold weather and less than wonderful circumstances, but we owe him a chance to run around if we can provide it. By the time we get home from work, it's too dark to play.

This past weekend was filled with lots of jaunts outside. Owen loves variety, in just about everything. Consequently we change his scenery fairly often, going on errands, walks, to the park – all things designed to keep him engaged and busy. It's not in a manic way, just in the way of someone looking for more stimulation. We aren't being driven by his bad behavior, so much as lured by his happiness when we break things up. It's good for all of us.

The weekend flew by, in spite of having 4 days with the holiday, and we're uncertain what we have to show for it. Two slightly exhausted parents, and one happy child. We had plenty of time to bond, and get outside, and even doing some cooking and puttering.

Owen likes this week


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