Hey Grandpa, Take the "2" Horse

For several months now, Owen's favorite number has been "2." Well, maybe I should clarify, Owen's only number has been "2." The counting game hasn't really caught on with him, but he's willing to say "two" at any time and to any question involving "how many" or "what number."

Grandpa L was in town this weekend, and to get through a rainy Saturday afternoon, we made the trek to Arlington Park for a little horse racing excitement. With the power of a blue crayon at his disposal, Owen the Prognosticator set out to pick the ponies...

...and guess what he picked. With Grandpa asking "What number should we take Owen?" Owen would reply, "Two." When Grandpa offered a little skepticism, Owen would adamantly defend his position by highlighting the data...with blue crayon.Therefore, on every race, regardless of the odds, Grandpa placed a $2 bet for the #2 horse to Show. Curious what happened? Well, with the odds heavily stacked against him in the fourth race, none other than the #2 horse sprinted to the finish in third position, earning Grandpa his money back and Owen the opportunity to emphatically holler "Go Go Go." By the time we left the track, the wait staff and the tables all around us were curiously watching the #2 horse in every race. Good times for everyone.

Owen had so much fun with Grandpa this weekend that even a day after Grandpa left, Owen was consistently asking for him. Thanks Grandpa L for all the entertainment.

Brothers? Nope, Buddies!

I think this reference has been made before, but it is still a pretty common occurence for people to ask whether or not Joey and Owen are brothers, particularly from new parents at the park.

Nope! As they like to call one another, they're just "buddies." Of course, in the past few weeks, they've actually started to drop the nicknames in favor of a first name basis. However, Owen appears to have changed his name to "Owey" and his buddy is "Joey." I guess that goes right along with Dadd-ey and Momm-ey.

Either way, with the antagonism they like to dish out at one another, they might as well be brothers. Here is Owen getting caught red-handed with his paw on the wrong side of the imaginary line on the stroller. Joey really appears to be pleased with Owen's sneak attack.

Just wait until Owen has another sibling in the back seat of the car. No really, just wait...a while.

Embarrassment?

Everyone seems to have a picture or two from their past that they would be willing to forget. Whether it involves clothes (or lack thereof) or a momentary lapse in judgment, the camera has been eyewitness to more than a few things that would be better left uncaptured.

Of course, there is also an entire category reserved for the pictures for which you had no say whatsoever, namely the childhood moments that parents find noteworthy. Undoubtedly, Owen will someday have choice words for this entire diatribe of his life caught and published for others to observe, but in the interim he can thank his mom for the following two gems.

Which is more embarrassing?

The prototypical bubblebath moment or the fatigue colored beater t?

You be the judge. In the meantime, beware of the parental paparazzi.

18 Months!

I generally find it a bit goofy to celebrate half birthdays, but I guess I'll make an exception this time, tossing out a few 18 month pictures of Owen.
Good day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Breakfast in bed...brunch downtown...playing choo choo all afternoon...

The simple things made this mother's day special for Brecken and the little dude.

Catch us if you can!

Growing up around Grand Rapids, there was a little tradition every spring that included 25 kilometers and an ad campaign with the "Catch us if you can...mmm.mm.mmm...time to get a move on...mmm.mm.mmm" theme song. Radio and TV ads turned the tune into one of those "just can't get it out of your head" songs.

Well, this year the tradition played out in a little more personal fashion. Beginning in February, Mark, Mike, and I embarked on a little training adventure with the goal of completing the 25K (15.5 miles) Fifth Third River Bank Run. It all came to fruition on Saturday.

Although an ankle injury limited Mike to the 5k, all three of us managed to participate in the festivities on Saturday. Mark turned in an impressive 1:57:19 time, averaging 7:34 minutes per mile and beating his goal of finishing in under 2 hours. Personally, I clocked in at 2:09:43, averaging 8:22 minutes per mile and just sneaking under my goal of finishing sub 2:10.

For me, there was also a little nostalgia involved in the race. As a little kid, I had the opportunity to watch both my mom and my dad complete the River Bank Run in '78 and '83.

Although I didn't manage to beat either of their times, it meant a lot to complete the same race along pretty much the same course. There is always next year to make up the time.

Look Mom, No High Chair

Owen and his buddy Joey spent the noon hour on Tuesday showing off their "big boy" skills at a local eatery. I'm not sure if it is a little resentment for consistently being referred to as half a person at restaurants ("How many in your party? 2 1/2?"), or if each little guy just wanted to impress the wait staff, but each successfully completed an entire lunch without the boost or constraint of the little kid chairs.

As proud as we may have been of this little feat, it is safe to say that this will not become an everyday habit quite yet. Instead, it is probably a good idea to take the worry out of sitting and focus our efforts on managing to get food into the mouth rather than the face, the hands, the arm, the table, the chairs, the floor...you get the point.

Yes Owen, I'm talking about you!

Mr. Sand-Man

One of Owen's favorite park activities is now available in the comforts of his own "back yard." The sand table from grandma and grandpa has become a big hit in recent days.
It's hard to say which of the three of us is having the most fun in the sand. Building castles, pushing around toys, and simply letting our imagination get the best of us. Good times for everyone.

While Owen is grateful for having the sand at home, Brecken and I are especially thankful for the opportunity to clean sand out of his ears, his pockets, his shoes, and his bedroom. Hey...at least this toy doesn't make a lot of loud noises. :)

Double Trouble

Owen's buddies Anand and Vivek slid into town on Sunday for a little time at the park and out on the town.

There was a time when Sunday evenings with their parents were reserved for gourmet club and crazy antics. I have a hazy recollection of plenty of sippy cups, but I don't recall any swings, slides, sandboxes, or storybooks during those times. Hard to say which was more fun.Good times for O and his buddies!