Playing catch-up

It's hard to believe I've let so many weeks slip by without any updates...not that our lives have been that riveting. *wink* So since our last post....

August 17th was Gi Gi's birthday--Owen recorded her this message:

August 18th was Gran and Pop's 40th wedding anniversary! It's overwhelming to think of the love, sacrifices, and commitment that have gone into those 40 years. Richie and I have both been blessed with parents who are still married. We are lucky indeed!

August 19th was Aunt Mimi's birthday! She is coping well with no longer being the baby of the Griffin family. :) Somehow she wound up with beautiful, thick blonde hair, so she doens't show any signs of premature greying. I'm trying not to be bitter about that!

August 24th Richie helped our friends Holly and Robert move into their first house while I babysat Dylan. It was a very sweet day--the boys are old enough to really interact with each other on the same level. We colored, read books, played with animal flash cards, played in the yard, ate snacks, and watched Word World. I am so excited to see Owen's friendships develop!

Sitting on the bar stools for an afternoon snack...what big boys!

Later that evening, we went to a 'baby daddy bbq' for our friends Greg and Leslie, who are expecting little Violet in September. Everyone was convinced that Owen had to be at least 4 and were totally shocked when told he was only two and a half (two and three-quarters, technically, but that is annoying). He was the only kid there and had a great time getting lots of attention.

On the advice of Owen's daycare, we really started encouraging him to potty train. So far it's not going all that well. I took him to KMart and let him pick out his first big boy underwear, and he chose Thomas the Tank Engine. Very cute! He is great about using the potty when we suggest that he might need to sit on it. But left to his own devices, more often than not, he has accidents. He started doing a little better last week, so I rewarded him with some Incredible Hulk and Spiderman underwear. My friend Jennifer suggested telling him that if he tee-tee'd on Spiderman, they couldn't be friends any more. That tactic hasn't been terribly successful either. But it has made for some great pictures of his cute little tushy!

All clean and dry, at least for a little while!

With all the emphasis on potty training, Owen has been asking more questions about body parts and has been identifying people as being a boy or a girl. Without a doubt, my favorite moment with Owen recently happened as I put him to bed one night last week. We were nearing the end of our bedtime routine (potty, wash hands, brush teeth, read books) and I leaned in to give Owen a goodnight kiss before turning off the light when he told me, "I love you, little girl." Oh, I love you too, little boy. So very, very much!

The light of my life...my funny, sweet, snuggly, smart boy