We just got back from 5 days in Gearhart and I have absolutely ZERO pictures! Kate took a bunch, so hopefully she'll email us a couple good ones.
The vacation was good, but the weather was crummy - we've come to expect as much on the Oregon coast, but 50 degrees, windy, and raining? That's a bit much for August. Thankfully, Owen didn't care one bit and just loved chasing after the birds on the beach. He also had lots of quality time with Grandma and Aunt Kate, which was a treat for all involved. Now, if we could just convince Owen that vacation means sleeping in... a 6:30 wake-up is rough enough on the weekends, but on vacation? Brutal.
In standard fashion, we ate too much food, did lots of puzzles, read books, and of course, WATCHED THE OLYMPICS until way too late every night. This is my last Olympics rant:
Why did they show the women's marathon - IN FULL? Seriously, there were no other events to show during that 2 1/2 hours? Surely we could have been getting a recap of all the sports. How about showing the gold medal match in judo, the final set in table tennis, or the highlights from team handball? I do believe the Olympics also include field hockey, soccer, tennis, archery, fencing, wrestling, boxing, rowing, sailing, and probably a bunch of other stuff that I can't name. How come NBC won't do a daily recap and let us know what the other THOUSANDS of athletes have been up to while Michael Phelps is breaking world records? This is their time to shine too. Come on NBC, make Bob Costas earn his money and actually do some reporting from behind that desk.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Climbing
New Skill: Climbing
Mom's Response: 1) Yikes! 2) Grab the camera.
Onto the jogging stroller.
In and out of the box of pop. 
Not quite up onto the cooler. 
Hard to keep a straight face when you walk downstairs to this:
...and last he had both Scott and I laughing when he was playing with a bucket of water on the porch. Playing with water is nothing special, but add the new climbing skill. What do you get - BABY IN A BUCKET! 
Silly boy.
A couple other notes:
- I love the Olympics! Why are all the "prime time" events shown after 10 PM. I know that's when it's live on the east coast, but why tape delay it for the West Coast - we could be watching this stuff at 7 PM!! Urgh.
- Liz was here yesterday! She has a tennis tourney in Sunriver and drove down early to spend the afternoon/evening with us. I think the last time I saw Liz was at my baby shower a year and a half ago, but you would never believe it by how easy our conversation was. We took Owen to Drake Park for the last Munch n' Music, so Liz could get a real feel for why we love Bend.
- We leave tomorrow for 5 days a the coast. Hooray - bring on the sand!
Mom's Response: 1) Yikes! 2) Grab the camera.
Onto the jogging stroller.
In and out of the box of pop. 
Not quite up onto the cooler. 
Hard to keep a straight face when you walk downstairs to this:
...and last he had both Scott and I laughing when he was playing with a bucket of water on the porch. Playing with water is nothing special, but add the new climbing skill. What do you get - BABY IN A BUCKET! 
Silly boy.A couple other notes:
- I love the Olympics! Why are all the "prime time" events shown after 10 PM. I know that's when it's live on the east coast, but why tape delay it for the West Coast - we could be watching this stuff at 7 PM!! Urgh.
- Liz was here yesterday! She has a tennis tourney in Sunriver and drove down early to spend the afternoon/evening with us. I think the last time I saw Liz was at my baby shower a year and a half ago, but you would never believe it by how easy our conversation was. We took Owen to Drake Park for the last Munch n' Music, so Liz could get a real feel for why we love Bend.
- We leave tomorrow for 5 days a the coast. Hooray - bring on the sand!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Decision
We decided to go to the Husky game - and bring Owen.
Worst case scenario: He is a squirmy monster, throws a big fit because he is so exhausted from staying up late, and we have to leave the game early.
Best case scenario: He is stunned by all the energy, excitement, and activity, watches the game until he can't keep his eyelids open and then falls asleep for the second half.
Most likely scenario: He is stunned at first, watches part of the game, gets ancy and tired, I spend 30 minutes walking around the stadium concourse with him in the Ergo until he crashes aleep and then spends the sleeps on and off through the rest of the game until we load him in the car and drive 45 minutes to our hotel.
We also decided to spend the rest of Labor Day weekend in Portland (but that hotel reservation can be canceled at the last minute if the game is a disaster)... Wish us luck!
Okay, the game is still 2+ weeks away, but it feels good to get the plans sorted out. We have a 5 day vacation at the coast before then (hooray!), so lots of time in the car seeing new places these next couple weeks.
Worst case scenario: He is a squirmy monster, throws a big fit because he is so exhausted from staying up late, and we have to leave the game early.
Best case scenario: He is stunned by all the energy, excitement, and activity, watches the game until he can't keep his eyelids open and then falls asleep for the second half.
Most likely scenario: He is stunned at first, watches part of the game, gets ancy and tired, I spend 30 minutes walking around the stadium concourse with him in the Ergo until he crashes aleep and then spends the sleeps on and off through the rest of the game until we load him in the car and drive 45 minutes to our hotel.
We also decided to spend the rest of Labor Day weekend in Portland (but that hotel reservation can be canceled at the last minute if the game is a disaster)... Wish us luck!
Okay, the game is still 2+ weeks away, but it feels good to get the plans sorted out. We have a 5 day vacation at the coast before then (hooray!), so lots of time in the car seeing new places these next couple weeks.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Family Circus
For as long as I can remember, I have read the comics every day. Even in college, I would glance through the "funnies" while eating my breakfast. Only on occasion do I find them to be actually funny, so I have no idea why I keep reading - pure habit at this point. These days, I feel like my life often resembles a scene from the Family Circus. No, I don't have 4 kids that haven't aged a day in 30 years... However, Bill Keane often draws a strip showing the circuitous route little Billy takes to get from place to place - across the yard, over the wagon, under the slide, in the door, out the door, over the couch, etc. Owen is the toddler version of that comic. He is constantly winding a family circus path through our living room, dining room, porch, and kitchen. Nothing seems to hold his attention for more than a minute or two.* I dream of a day when he will sit and FOCUS for even a few minutes. When he gets tired at the end of the day, it just gets worse - he'll start wandering in circles, arms flapping, eyes darting, interacting with everything in his wake. Just watching him makes me tired! And I've been told he's only going to get faster?
Oy!
*We are working on keeping attention on one activity at a time. Reading books first thing in the morning is usually a winner for 10 minutes or so. The other day, we created a fun puzzle of "try to fit all the blocks into a wooden stacker," which kept Owen on task for a remarkably long time (20 minutes?!?). Someday I may be able to get dressed, cook, or use the bathroom without a shadow...
Oy!
*We are working on keeping attention on one activity at a time. Reading books first thing in the morning is usually a winner for 10 minutes or so. The other day, we created a fun puzzle of "try to fit all the blocks into a wooden stacker," which kept Owen on task for a remarkably long time (20 minutes?!?). Someday I may be able to get dressed, cook, or use the bathroom without a shadow...
Scott Turned 30!
Scott finally caught up to to me and we celebrated his 30th birthday. Since it was a Thursday, we had a little family outing to Munch and Music - a weekly free concert in the park downtown with lots of yummy food vendors. Owen seems to love these community events. So many people to watch and places to explore. It was a fun treat for us to have a family evening "out" during the week.
Happy Birthday Scott! Last year we celebrated his birthday with a take out pizza, a couple brave friends, and a tiny, tiny baby. What a year it's been! Here's hoping to another decade filled with new adventures.
This year, we celebrated with a legitimate party on the deck. We had yummy food, great company, brownies and ice cream, and even a Keg. You can imagine what was Owen's favorite part - shiny, just his height, and sitting in a bucket of ice and water. You can't pose these pictures...
Happy Birthday Scott! Last year we celebrated his birthday with a take out pizza, a couple brave friends, and a tiny, tiny baby. What a year it's been! Here's hoping to another decade filled with new adventures.
This year, we celebrated with a legitimate party on the deck. We had yummy food, great company, brownies and ice cream, and even a Keg. You can imagine what was Owen's favorite part - shiny, just his height, and sitting in a bucket of ice and water. You can't pose these pictures...
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