Genetics

All part of being a Lister...

Labor Day weekend roundup

Don't know why he looks so glum, but he soon perked up...

The twisty slide is his favorite--it goes fast and gives him crazy static hair!

I took a picture of Richie and turned around to see Owen testing out his Spiderman moves!
Yes, he got up there quickly and without a bit of help!

The Incredible Hulk undies were lots of fun until an accident happened in the backyard. Poor Hulk. We're just going to stick to pull ups for now, I think.

We went to a wedding Sunday afternoon. Yes, it was rather, um, warm, but we had lots of fun exploring and swinging. Check out the smocked outfit!!!

And lastly, we all let out a big sigh of relief on Monday after hearing that Gran, Pop, Minor and G. G. (great grandmother Griffin) had all made it safely through Hurricane Gustav. Now we just have to make sure Aunt Mimi and all the Shaws and Listers in South Carolina don't have any run ins with Hanna!

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.

Not so terrible 2s

Life with a very active, imaginative 2 year old has its ups and downs. Some days are tough...like Friday night when we loaded up for a family night of running errands. Forget sitting in a high chair or riding in a buggy...now Owen wants to sit in the booth like a big boy (don't even think about a booster seat either) and he insists upon pushing the shopping cart 100% unassisted. Needless to say, carting him from KMart to Bed Bath and Beyond to Target put us thisclose to having a collective meltdown. To be honest, though, these rough moments are few and far between. Sure, Owen is extremely opinionated on what clothes he wants to wear or what cup he wants to drink out of, for example. But he is really such a good-natured boy. Lately we've been getting a real kick out of all the quirky things he says and does. Here are some recent highlights:

• After reading our bedtime stories, he asked if we could get my phone and call Spiderman. I explained that Spiderman had already gone to bed, so we couldn't call him. He then asked, "Well, can we get Daddy's phone and call Spiderman?" Richie and I figure we might need to work out an arrangement with a friend so that we can call and say "Hi Spiderman" and just have them play along.
  
• Today, Barrett was giving himself a bath and Owen looked over at him and said, "That's nasty, Barrett. Don't lick your booty. Stop that!"
• Each night before dinner, we go check the mailbox and sing the mail song from Blues Clues. Pretty darn cute!

He has recently taken up golfing--yet another sport to add to his repertoire
(and check out that Star Wars shirt)

No make-up and hair's a mess, but he just looks so cute

...and then this happened about 5 minutes later. Sometimes life is just hard.

All decked out in his new Spiderman jammies from Gi Gi and Granddad! He's also wearing a new Spiderman "wartch" on his right wrist. You could say he's a fan.

Fasten your seatbelts!

What a month it has been! Since our last post, we celebrated Father's Day with a trip to the indoor playground at McDonald's for breakfast--okay, that place is awesome! Whoever came up with that idea is genius. We gave Richie a grill, which we have been using at least 4 times a week.

The obligatory Father's Day picture

We closed on our house on June 17 and started moving in immediately. Wouldn't you just know that the entire week of our move, Owen had bad diarrhea and could not go to daycare. Somehow Richie was able to completely unload the storage unit by himself while watching Owen. Talk about Super Dad! We got right to work fixing Owen's room up first. It started out a very bright purple, which we quickly covered over with a nice grey. Since Owen has almost outgrown his toddler bed, we didn't want to paint a color that was too tied to his baby bedding. Owen absolutely loves the new house! The first week or two, he kept running up and down the hall shouting, "This is OUR house! This is OUR houuuusssseee!"

Owen digging through his toy bin...notice all those unfilled racks and shelves. I wasn't kidding when I said the entire house has the most amazing closets ever!

We haven't hung anything on the walls yet, and these pictures were taken at night,
but you get the idea.

The window to the right looks out on a big, beautiful magnolia tree.

We've been spending the bulk of our time at home in the backyard. Our first weekend here, I sat on the back stoop with a cup of coffee, right under the magnolia tree, and watched Owen and Barrett run around the backyard. I have to say, it brought tears to my eyes, seeing Owen so happy with his new home. The next day while O napped, Richie and I set up our portable hammocks underneath the oak trees, read, and just relaxed looking up through a beautiful canopy of branches and leaves. We are so happy with our little home. We both hope to put our gypsy ways behind us and really plant ourselves here for a long time. (Plus, we are freaking TIRED of moving!!!)

Owen's first attempt at tree climbing--the aforementioned magnolia

June also saw birthdays for Gran and Uncle Jeremy! Aunt Gwyn threw a surprise backyard bonfire for Jeremy, which was a lot of fun. I'm kicking myself for not getting a picture of O with Uncle Jerm. Owen wore his t-shirt that says, "If you think I'm cute, you should see my uncle!" It was a big hit!

That Uncle Jeremy is such a ham!

The last weekend of June, our friends Craig and Martina (or Greg and Tina, as Owen calls them) babysat Owen so Richie and I could watch Gwyn's bellydance troupe's first full-length show at 12th and Porter. If you haven't clicked on Gwyn's link on the left-hand side of the page, I strongly encourage you to. She is one of those people who excels at anything she tries her hand at, but she has truly found her calling in dance. The night was an emotional one--it is a rare and beautiful treat to see someone you love very much fulfill a dream they have carried for so long.

The graceful and lovely ladies of Bodhicitta Belly Dance troupe
(Aunt Gwyn is second from end on the right)

On July 4th, we went to Holly, Robert and Dylan's for a cookout before heading out to watch the fireworks. Every year, we go to East Park in East Nashville with our friends and watch the humongous riverfront display. Owen was put off by the fireworks at first and complained that they were too loud and hurt his ears. But he was intruiged and sat in Uncle Jeremy's lap during most of the show. Dylan, on the other hand, loved absolutely every second of the fireworks. Every blast and boom thrilled him more than the last. The weather was mild and we were surrounded by so many good friends. I know it sounds corny to be moved by firecrackers, but watching the fireworks and listening to the Nashville Symphony Orchestra with our friends and family close by, I felt so much happiness and thankfulness for the amazing life that we have in Nashville. This city has truly become our home!

Photo came out a little blurry, but this is Holly, Dylan, Owen and
Holly's mom Agnes watching the fireworks display.

So all in all, we have had a wonderful few weeks. We are thrilled to have the move behind us. We still have some furniture that we need to buy (note: selling all your furniture on Craigslist and replacing it with new stuff may sound like a great idea, but it is actually really hard!) But the house is coming together, we are 99% unpacked, and we are just enjoying settling in. Next on the agenda: beach trip with the Griffins at the end of the month! We can't wait to see Gran, Pop, Aunt Mimi, Uncle Minor, and hopefully Katie (Kakey) too.

One last thing...I've added a new link to the Friends and Family section. Please take a look at Chocolate Funny Farm. This is Gi Gi's new chocolate company and it is absolutely adorable! She has put a lot of hard work and creativity into building her site and her business. We are so proud of how awesome it has turned out! Go, Gi Gi!!!

Parting shot of Owen just being adorable :)