Hallowe'en came early this year...

Family Time

Work has been unbelievably busy lately. I have been trying to keep up both of my blogs over the past few weeks - but obviously Owen's has suffered. It isn't that he hasn't done cute things or entertained us with new accomplishments - but when he does we seem to be away from home, and my laptop.

As I mentioned, work has been busy - events, planning, meetings galore etc. I worked a couple weekends on top of the work done at the office due to various events and consumer shows. You learn to appreciate the time spent with your family when you have to be away so frequently. Today I had a conversation with one of the younger managers at the office, trying to find a time to do some errands for our social committee. We were finding it difficult to locate a half an hour that was free for both of us, so he suggested we go after work.

I leave at 5 from the office. I arrive at 8, leave at 5. I am not a clock watcher but my time with my son is important so I want to have as much as possible with him before he goes to bed. As I see it everyday I already put in an extra 1/2 to 1 hr due to arriving at the office before anyone else. Not to mention the oodles of days I work on weekends (which I don't get time off for...). So am I going to stay late to do an errand for social committee?

No.

Of course like other young people at my office - this manager didn't understand. He is there until 10 some nights. Whoopidity doo. I said of course that I have a family and I want to spend time with them, in particular my son (sorry hubbie!). I said someday when you have kids - you will understand. He said, he doesn't think so, that he won't have a problem staying late even with kids.

I have run into this before, younger - no-children staff who don't get why you have to take time off occasionally when your kid is sick, or why you rush out of a meeting to get home in time for dinner... Perhaps my mind is fogged up, or hind-sight isn't 20/20 after all - but before I had Owen I never thought like this. I always assumed that a baby would change how my life was. I didn't know how, but I certainly wouldn't have made a statement about something I know nothing about.

Owen's Favourite Books (right now!)

1. Clang, Clang - known to most as Mortimer, by Robert Munsch

2. Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

3. Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Bad Day (or for short Bad Day), Judith Viorst

4. Alligator Pie, Alligator Pie if I don't get some I think I'm gonna die... Dennis Lee

5. Duck in the Truck - Jez Alborough

6. How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight - Jane Yolen

7. Bad Dog Marley by John Grogan

8. Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type - Doreen Cronin

9. Ugly Fish Kara Lareau

10. Colourful Mouse Golden Books

Language

I find myself answering back to my son in his own language. Twice this evening I caught myself.

Brushing Teeth:

As usual Owen says "Me Do It" and I say "No, me do it. Then you do it."

Book Reading:

He helps me read, filling in the word she knows. Polkadot becomes Cokeadot. And, what do I do? I say "right, Cokeadot."

Nice.

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Squishing Up My Baby Bumblebee

Uncle Jeff

My brother came to visit today. "Uncle" lives in London, England - so he and Owen don't see each other that regularly. The first time Jeff (the Uncle) met Owen was before he had moved overseas, and around the time Owen was a couple weeks old. Jeff wasn't keen on holding Owen. You can see in the picture to the left, he is looking over Kim's shoulder (Aunt). I believe that day we managed to get Jeff to hold Owen for less than a minute while he was sitting on the floor. As I recall it took quite some time before Jeff became comfortable to hold Owen. Owen must have seemed breakable.

We had to work Jeff in slowly into the role of "Uncle". Say to Jeff, "here you hold him". Or, sit Owen down beside him on the sofa. Later on of course Owen would do it himself. Sit himself down beside Jeff and hand him a book. Somewhere there is a picture of that. Jeff still stares at Owen - with this look of "Holy crap, what is that?" or "Why is that kid jumping up and down like that?" - but he is much more comfortable with him around. This picture taken in June, shows Jeff throwing Owen around in the back yard.

Today, Owen insisted on going with me to pick up Uncle at the Go Station. At the house Owen ran around like a mad man from one side of the house to the other, running to jump on Jeff - taking Uncle Jeff by the hand to the window to see a rainbow. "Come Uncle, rainbow". All in all Owen was being a bit of a show-off. "play with me, play with me!" A kid throwing himself at you is a bit harder to fend off than a possibly breakable 2 week old. But I think Uncle Jeff is enjoying the role. It is too bad that England is so far away.

Facial Expressions: By Owen

As seen this summer!