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

Peek-a-boo

Trying to hide under the cushions of the couch...simple pleasures are the most heartwarming!

Beach bums

We just returned from an awesome week at the beach with my parents (Gran and Pop), Minor, Miriam, and Katie. Talk about a fun vacation...every day we would wake up and eat breakfast on the balcony overlooking the ocean. Then we would put on our bathing suits, head to the pool and burn off all those waffles and donuts by playing in the water with Owen until lunchtime. After lunching and napping, we'd head back out to the beach to play in the sand and waves. At night, we took turns cooking dinner and would wrap up the day playing games, going to the playground, or getting out and about in Orange Beach. I think the highlights for Owen, in no particular order, had to be:
- getting a Spiderman floatie from Aunt Mimi
- going to see Wall-e, one of the best movies I've seen in a long, long time
- riding the ferris wheel at the Wharf (although it was preceeded by a major meltdown while waiting in line)

Owen also really enjoyed spending one afternoon playing with our friends Sydney (age 5) and Landon (age 3.5). He is usually the oldest kid in the playgroup, so it was fun to watch him try to keep up with the big kids. By the end of the afternoon, Owen had decided that he was a big kid too. Now he tells us repeatedly throughout the day that he is a big kid, he is eating a big kid sandwich, he is sitting in his chair like a big kid. We're just hoping that soon we can add using the big kid potty to that list!

On the recommendation of one of the parents at the pool, my parents got Owen a Safe T. Seal vest. It's kind of like a life jacket, but less bulky. It has small styrofoam panels in the front and back that you can remove as your child becomes a better swimmer. Owen was a little timid at first, but by the end of the week he was dog paddling around the pool like a pro.

Owen got lots of love and attention all week. He was generally very sweet and entertaining, with only a few toddler moments here and there. As soon as we made it home, he put on his Spiderman pajamas and arm band, grabbed his Spiderman frisbee and water bottle, and sat down on the couch to watch, what else, Spiderman. Here are a few pictures of our week at the beach:

Aunt Mimi's hat and the beloved Spiderman floatie. He even tried to feed Spiderman a corndog one day at lunch!

Just a swangin'

Pretending to nap with Uncle Minor, fake snoring and all

Catching bubbles with Pop...check out those new shoes!

Gran's birthday present, a hand-painted tote bag. That's a rainbow, in case you couldn't tell.