Ducks and Trucks

Chloie had a super tough week following our latest Indiana adventure.  Thankfully, she seems back to her sweet self with four newly emerged teeth.  I'm hoping it was the teeth and not so much the traveling away from home that caused Chloie so much anxiety.  So anyway, last week was a very trying week with my baby which meant lots of outdoor activities.  We went to a little park with ducks one day, and it was so nice to see her smile.  Swinging and ducks made all of us happy for a good forty minutes or so....

 

I do realize how gross this seems that my children are laying on the ground next to this duck pond... but there was water from where they had just hosed off the cement... and they were just so into talking to the ducks.  It was a battle I didn't fight this day... and instead took a picture of it.

We had the Jeep worked on over the weekend, and Owen was very excited about the ramps and lifts used to raise the vehicles.  Monday he got out Matt's ramps all by himself and drove his little pedal tractor right up them to change the oil.  He asked for a "wrencher and screwdrive to check the oil."  And when he was finished with the job, walked over to the shop towels, wiped his hands (exactly how Matt would do it) and told me, "I'll take it for a spin to see if it's workin' good now." 

Our Farm

Well, my quick trip home was a bit less pleasureable than I had expected.   And that statement is filled with heavy sarcasm.  Thanks to God that Matt ended up going with me because I'm pretty sure I would have completely lost my mind with my beautiful children without him there.   I'm hoping Chloie is at the height of her stranger anxiety, and things can only get better from here.  Despite the four days of clinging and crying, sour looks and sleep deprivation, we did enjoy some fun moments. 

Out of nowhere Owen became every stranger's best bud.  He walked through the airport with his Lightning McQueen suitcase telling everyone, "I rode the blue bus.  It matches our blue plane.  We're going to see Grandma Peggy in Indiana."  My favorite moment though was when Owen took a turn for the cockpit and shouted to the pilot, "You flying this plane?  Do a good job." 

The kids both warmed up to Grandma Peggy and Aunt Emily while pushing dump trucks outside.  Just keep Chloie outside and away from the crowds, and she seemed somewhat like my happy baby girl.

The whole family got to play farm with Grandpa Davis.  Owen rode the combine with Grandpa, and Chloie and I hung with Dad in the grain cart.  Owen cracked us up talking on the radio, and Chloie definitely was Daddy's right hand girl.  She totally threw a fit complete with foot stamping on the roadside when Daddy went to the tractor without her.

We also got to help Grandpa Meyer combine corn.  It was a packed cab with Grandpa, Owen, Chloie and me.  I should have had Chloie in there all day since she sacked out about three minutes into the ride.  Owen kept Grandpa busy answering question after question... "Is your auger out?"  "Did you hit a bump?"  "Don't run into those trees!" 

So overall, we made some great memories... unfortunately, I didn't capture them with a camera since I constantly had a grumpy girl in my arms.  We did get some pictures of our farm though!  Maybe.... we'll be back to see it harvested in a few weeks.... or maybe not.... Chloie....

A New Bike!

Owen got a new bike yesterday.  After much looking at stores and Craigslist, we found the pefect Lightning McQueen bike for Owen.  The bike has nothing to do with Mr. McQueen, but it is red and matches his helmet so we call it his Lightning McQueen bike since this is what he really wanted. 

He is still very scared.  He thinks the bike is too big.   As you can clearly see, it fits him perfectly.  Yet, with the appropriate audience, he is quite brave.

Slow and stead is the name of the game for our little biker.

When he finally made it to the mailboxes, he would wait for applause from us and the neighbors standing outside watching.  If we weren't paying attention, he would wait and ask for the clapping until he was fully acknowledged for his great biking.

And what can be cuter than Chloie getting her turn too.

Manipulating Mama

Chloie is already so... I'm going to use the word smart here because manipulative just doesn't sound very sweet...  Anyway, Chloie is already so smart.  We were at our favorite "red store" (Target) checking out toys when Chloie wanders down the baby doll aisle.  I have to walk quickly between Owen's aisle and Chloie's aisle to keep them in check.  Well, when I turn the corner to check Chloie, she's taken down a little baby doll backpack roller.  She rolls it right up to me with the biggest smile and says, "Tank-ew."  And of course we went home with a new baby doll backpack roller...

I'm trying to get Owen to dress himself, but for some reason the art of dressing is taking some time to master.  Yesterday at Owen's post-nap pee, I told Owen to try to pull up his pants all by himself.  Uusually he is very enthusiastic about trying, but not so great at succeeding.  However, yesterday was not one of those days.  Owen lets out an exasperated sigh and says, "No, Mom.  I'm too tired.  I can't do it."  I laughed knowing this would probably not be the last time I hear the excuse he is just too tired.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Owen!

The saying is old and overused, but it is so true... time sure does fly!  I cannot hardly believe that my baby boy has turned 3.  Over the course of these past three years, Owen has changed from a completely dependent little creature to a very outspoken, comical little man.  He has added so much to my life... and most of that is joy, sprinkled with a few other not so great feelings.  Matt and I have been blessed by Owen and by all of the wonderful people in his life.  His friends and family are simply treasured by Owen.  He must know who is on the phone if I am talking and most of the time he must talk with them too.  If he sees a neighbor outside, he must run out to say hello.  So thank you to all of his wonderful family members and friends for loving him so much!

Owen's birthday started with presents, of course!  He was so sweet opening them and playing with them.  Even after making his favorite french toast breakfast, he could barely make it to the table for want of his new toys.

For lunch Owen got to visit Daddy's office (always a special treat!) and go out for pizza.  But yet again food was highly overrated in comparison to playing at Daddy's office.

However, food was not overrated when it came to cake!  Owen couldn't take a nap on his birthday because he so desperately wanted to help me make his cake (yes, it's a beauty, isn't it?).  He loves the birthday song.  He would request people sing it to him when they wished him happy birthday.

And then it was party day!  We rented a bounce house.  It took Owen a bit to warm up to bouncing... which is weird because he loves going to the bounce house.  But once his friends came over, everyone was in and playing until a giant storm scooted in with lots of rain and hail.  My favorite part of the party was when Owen ran in the house with some hail in his hand and exclaimed, "What the hail, Mom?!"  Thanks, Dad...... But don't worry, a rain storm in Arizona at your birthday party is very exciting!  I think it might have been the biggest hit of the party.

Thanks for my dear friend Jen for helping me make (or rather completely decorating it while I drank several Blue Moons...) Owen's special race car cake.  He'd only been asking for one since his cousin Nolan's birthday party back in May.  He was so delighted!

And I'd say this picture sums up his special day(s)...

Boiler Up!

Opening day of college football!  It took Owen and Chloie just a few minutes of the Purdue game to get in the spirit.  They were cheering for our favorite team and ready to start a game of their own.

I'm not sure Owen is going to be the star receiver anywhere....  a little timid when the ball is coming at him.

But he is ready to set up the offense and throw the ball down field!

Owen helps Chloie get suited up to run some plays.

But she'd rather just look cute and run with the ball.

Then Daddy comes in for a tackle.  This was definitely Owen's favorite part of football.

"Tackling is like monster jamming!"  Of course it is... isn't everything like monster jamming?

Hmm... who is under that helmet??

Pooper and Sweeper

Chloie has been telling me, "Poop," for about a week right before or after she poops.  This is super great for me because I really, really hate a poopy diaper.... I know, who doesn't?  But I hate them so much that I had Owen pooping on the potty at eight months old, which of course wasn't a consistent success, but still better than cleaning up every poopy diaper.  Anyway, when Chloie started coming to me and telling me about her poop, I was pumped.  I put her on the potty, but she resisted... until yesterday.  Chloie had her first big potty poop!  Owen was also super pumped about it too telling Chloie, "I'm so proud of you Chloie!"  Yes, it's the little things in motherhood....

Owen has been cracking me up this week with his sweeper salesman routine.  Don't ask me how I got sucked into allowing a sweeper salesman into my house for an hour and a half..... that part of the story is very annoying.... but Owen was evidently really intrigued by the whole experience.  Several days after the lovely sales call Owen found my electric skillet power supply and decided it looked like the hand-held vacuum attachment.  He comes over to me and asks, "Do you sweep your couch?"  I wasn't quite sure what he meant at first so I said, "Uh, yeah.  Why are you asking me that?"  Then he said, "Can I clean that for you?"  Ok, now I get it you're playing sweeper salesman!  He went through the kitchen and various rooms asking the same question, "Do you sweeep your cabinets?"  "Can I sweep them for you?"  Then after he would do that he'd exclaim, "Look at that dirt!  That's di'gus'ting!" 

And as a side note to the sweeper salesman story....  My chest got in the way I suppose when I was helping Owen pull up his pants the day after the sweeper salesmen were here so he started in about my udders... Chloie used to drink milk from there... bla bla bla.... Anyway, then he says, "Remember those two guys here sweeping our floor?"  I was glad we had seemingly left the udder conversation.  "Yes, I remember.  What about them?"  (The two salesman were heavy-set guys.)   "They had udders too."  Oh brother...............