With Age Comes Wisdom

I have been lazy in writing these days. I spend hours on the computer reading other blogs, yet I don't seem to find time to write in my own. I should have lots to say considering that it has been months since I have managed to find the time.

Owen celebrated his second birthday on May 22...and May 12 (with his friends), and May 20th (with his Nanna and Poppa) and on June 3 (with his Bobbe and Popcorn - short for Poppa Gordon).

With age comes wisdom they say, and it appears to be true. This wisdom has manifested itself as a "creative" side in Owen. Owen has found creative ways to stay up later, encouraging you to read just one "more book". He sips at his milk every so slowly, or after finished one book he bats his eyelashes and says "mommy, more bad day" (which refers to Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Bad Day). How can you say no to reading a book. TV no problem - shut it off. But a book...that is different it would be like turning down a request for more apple, or watermelon.

Another night he proved he was ready for business school - well at least smart enough to begin negotiating. His favourite meal - pizza was on the line. He had already had two pieces and with his tiny tummy he should have been full. He said "more pizza"; we said sure one more piece. He ate that piece and said "more pizza". We said, no more and offered some Watermelon. He continued, "more pizza, more pizza!" When we said no again...he screeched "One more piece, Mommy!"

Just last night before bed time I spent five minutes rounding him up to go for his bath. Finally I had him crawling up the stairs, and what does smartie-pants do? He waves at the mess of toys he has left behind on the floor "bye-bye mess". He knows that after spending time chasing him upstairs there was no way I was going to make him clean up the mess...

While Owen has learned to put on the charm and negotiate - he doesn't always succeed in getting his way - but I suspect he will continue to try!

Thomas, Gordon, Percy and Duck

Perhaps without the word "Duck" at the end - you might think I am referring to some of Owen's classmates or playmates. However, any parents of little boys know exactly what I am talking about.

Thomas, Gordon, Percy and Duck are all trains from "Thomas and Friends". My parents gave Owen Gordon the train as a gift (chosen likely for its name, identical to my fathers first name) a few months ago. Ever since then Owen has managed to sweet talk his way into two more "Choo-Choo Trains".

Now everyday he has to spend five minutes in the morning, standing forlornly in the doorway waving at the family room floor. "Bye-bye Gordon", "Bye-Bye Thomas", "Bye-Bye Duck" - and then repeat. And repeat.

A week ago we went out to buy him something to put all his toys into, and we found one with Thomas on it. Again Sweetcheeks smiled his coy little grin, and began pointing at each train on the shelf - naming them - Percy, Thomas, James... We were so impressed by how smart he is that we didn't see that Owen had packed every piece of Thomas furniture into the shopping cart. We arrived home with a Thomas bedroom set, including a toddler bed, table and two chairs, a stool and the intended toy bins.

Personality

Every day Owen shows us more of who "he" is. Sharing with us his personality. he surprises us daily with his sense of humour, his kindness, and his easy going nature.

Since he was a baby he has always been very relaxed, a textbook baby that cried only when hungry, wet, tired, or hurt. He continues to be so easy going, often able to entertain himself with his own toys. Unless of course he is hungry, then he stands in the kitchen staring at you saying "eat, eat, eat" and he gets under your feet asking you to lift him "up - chair".

Owen is helpful. At school he is usually one of the first kids there, and his teachers will ask him to help take down the chairs off the toddler tables. He practically runs to help to do this. In the evening as we are cleaning up the dishes, he grabs his broom.

More and more I think he is a bit of a neat and organized child. Surprising since, Anton and I really aren't! After his bath he puts his toys away, when he spills cheerios he says "mess" - although he is slow to clean them up eventually he does. Today he was playing by himself, and I noticed he was taking his dinosaurs out and lining them up in a row.

The most amazing thing I notice is Owen's sense of humour. He loves to make people laugh. And he does it easily. Whether it is dancing and spinning in circles, laughing to himself, or jumping on top of mom or dad and giggling - he is regularly smiling. He will do the same "trick" over and over again of course if it gets the right response. Today we spend a good half an hour, where Owen puts a leaf on his head and says (hands up in a shrug) "Where'd it go" then he shakes, or spins, or jumps and the leaf falls on the floor. Then he says "there it is" and laughs.

While everyday he is learning something new so are we!

As Owen would say ** "bye bye computer"

** This week he has been saying "bye" to everything as he leaves a room. "Bye pen", "bye choo-choo" , "bye coffee" (my coffee), "bye mommy" "bye daddy"!

The Phone Thing

So the "pone" or phone as we call it has remained - for some time one of Owen's favourite items in the home. Whether a cell phone, a cordless, or a land-line phone he is intrigued. He has five "play" phones - but these don't have the same effect.

When guests visit, he borrows their cell phones and shows off by wandering around talking into it. Pausing. Then talking. My brother visited once awhile back - with a phone that doesn't look like a typical phone, yet - somehow Owen knew it was a phone and began his telephone comedic show.

The obsession continues. When the phone rings. He says "pone" and then runs for it. Today, I called home when I was out, Anton let Owen answer the phone. He said "Hi" I said "Hi Owen", he said "Hi Mommy". Does that count as a conversation?

Later on Anton's parents phoned and we asked Owen if he would like to say hi to Nanna. He got on the phone and said "Hi Nanna" then "Hi poppa" and then he pointed to the phone and said "In- poppa" - as if to say that Poppa was "in" the phone!

If the obsession continues - by the time he is a teenager we might need to get a second line just for him. Mind you, even without the obsession by then we might need one anyhow.

IQ 2007

I swore I wouldn't be one of those moms who is constantly telling people how incredibly brilliant her kid is, how speedy he is in putting together puzzles...or bragging about how many words he can spin together, or the latest and greatest - amazing trick he did that day.

But I beg your forgiveness as I do just a bit of bragging about Owen. He has got to be the smartest kid on the planet!

Over the last few months he has been learning more words every day, in fact it has increased exponentially every day... Owen may even attempt that word if we asked.

Today he said "got dinosaur book" - that is three words all together! Never mind that "dinosaur" sounded like "donsaur". He actually has names for various of his favourite books (he sleeps with three of them), for example "no book" is a book called Sadie's Snowman, "no" is "snow". The alphabet book seems to be known is " E I , E I " - and whenever he sees the alphabet he says this...

He can point to pictures in the book and say "sun", "kitty", and "apple". He can tell you what sound the animals make. Dinosaur - roar, Cow - Moo, Duck - Quack. He knows the number "2". In the Hungry Caterpillar book he says 2, when we count the fruit. He accurately names every mode of transportation (boat, train, truck, airplane, helicopter...) and then puts them correctly into his puzzle

While not brilliant he says "Up or Down" - yes both at the same time - when he wants to be picked up or put down. However, he has just said "Up the stairs" - so for at least this - he has dropped the down part of the equation.

Did I mention he sings? He sings songs to himself, he sings along with the TV. Sometimes he sings Ring Around the Rosie by himself and spins in circles. He gets the tune - but not the words - except for the word down - which he says emphatically and falls down!

Oh! No! Snow

Today we took Owen out to enjoy the snow. While I dislike the snow, it was worth the 45 minutes outside to see Owen have fun in the sled.

Like last year, not too many smiles - he just sat wide eyed checking everything out. He waved at dogs that passed by, and said "bye bye doggie" long after they were gone.

I believe, despite the lack of smiles, that he had a good time. An hour after we got home, he asked Anton to open the front door. Anton said it was cold outside. A few minutes later, Owen walks into the kitchen with his hat and mittens on, once again asking us to open the door!

Before bed I read him Sadie's Snowman which is about a little girl that makes a snowman, and then a squirrel steals the nose, a racoon steals the smile and the birds eat the eyes. Then of course the snowman melts, the little girl rebuilds him etc. Until the end of the winter when she freezes the left over water. Throughout the story Owen points at the snow and says "snow" and at the melted snowman " Oh no, snow down". When the squirrel steals the carrot nose he says, "Oh no, snow nose". He is such a genius.

Adding some colour

Owen got a brand new bedroom and play room today. Well, at least a new colour. Here is his beautiful new blue bedroom. It is the same colour as his old room, so he should feel right at home once we hang up his pictures.

We couldn't decide on a colour for his playroom, which will also be a guest room. So we asked Hannah's mom Jennie for an idea - and she said a buttery yellow. Great choice - it is pretty, fun and yet it can be toned down for a guest room. It is hard to tell from the photo, but it is more yellow than it appears here. When the guests come to visit - as you can tell we have a few things to move around or stuff into closets!

Owen helped us move all his furniture back into his room. Then he wandered around playing with each of his toys as though it was his first time seeing them! He even put some of them away without being asked!

And no need to be concerned (as if!) We haven't forgotten our room this time. While it didn't get a new paint colour - we did get some new bedding and a new wall hanging - thanks to some gift certificates... We finally have a "finished" room - we even have decorative pillows.

Lots of other things to do around the house, but Owen seems pleased with his colourful new spaces.

Now if only the house would clean itself.