Trick-or-Treat

Halloween came a few days early in Chicago. All the little ones donned their costumes and warmed up their trick-or-treating skills along Southport on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. A year ago Owen took every opportunity to remove his Lion costume, but this year he couldn't get enough of his chicken costume.He warmed up by stopping by the table at the bookstore, politely taking one piece of candy and saying thank-you. After each stop he would come back to us and say, "One more."

On and on we flapped our wings between storefronts.

Apparently tired of the suckers, candy bars, gum, and taffy, Owen made a stop that I never would have expected.While Brecken nodded approval, I have decided to cut back on the number of mother-son outings. To think that I was only worried about this type of behavior from my yet-to-arrive daughter. At least he had the courtesy to pick up the lunch tab. Look at "Mr Proud of Himself". He woke up on Monday saying "Trick or Treat." I'm not exactly sure how to explain that he has to wait until Wed for another set of Halloween trickery.

A fun day all around for the family and especially for the little chicken man.

The Owen & Joey Show - A New Chapter

For the past 20 months, Owen has been joined by his sidekick and partner in crime, Joey. Whether riding side by side in the stroller or electing to run in opposite directions at the park, the two have shared countless adventures along the way. It is only fitting that the boys that chose to walk on the same day also managed to sell their houses on the same day. The two buddies will have more stories to tell in the coming months and years, but this weekend marked a transition for the two of them, as Joey and his parents made the big leap to the suburbs. Here are a few pictures from Joey's "new house / going away" party on Friday, as well as a few pictures to recount the past 20+ months.

Tattoos on each arm and paper streamers everywhere, these two find fun in everything...

...including doing a little dance for chocolate cake!

Here's a quick look back at some of the fun times and looks of the two boys, beginning with June 2006.To October 2006...Halloween.
March 2007May 2007
August 2007
October 2007

Spooky Pumpkin!

Thursday night, six days short of Halloween, Owen, Brecken, and I settled in for Owen's first pumpkin carving experience.
Following a little hesitation at the idea of reaching into the pumpkin, Owen warmed up to the task at hand, removing all of the "nuts," as he referred to the seeds.

As Brecken carved out eyes, a nose, and a mouth, Owen entertained himself with the pumpkin's "hat."
When it was all said and done, Owen wasn't really pleased when we turned the lights back on for a quick picture...

...but the idea of getting to go outside one more time before bed seemed exciting.

Truth be told, Owen only sat still next to the pumpkin for a brief moment and was completely uninterested in staying outside to see the glowing gourd. We'll try again tomorrow night.

Dancing on Command

From the moment Owen arrived, Brecken has been diligently working on the development of a little dancing man. Having witnessed my moves on more than enough occasion, she knew this would be a big challenge. As we close in on the big two year mark, I thought it would be good to check in on her progress. You be the judge.

Oh yeah...toss in a few animal noises for good measure.

23 Months

Sporting his custom-tailored, and very warm sweater from Great Grandma Shirley on this chilly October evening in Chicago, Owen took time to ring in 23 months by reading a book to his friend Mr. Bear.When Owen hears sirens from police cars, ambulances, or fire trucks, he usually covers his ears and states "I hope everyone is ok." In this picture, Owen is flipping through his "Emergency Vehicles" book. As he flipped each page, he would turn and say "I hope everyone is ok teddy bear."

For all of these quiet moments, there are also several energetic moments. For example, generation after generation, the sit-n-spin never fails to entertain.

And what is a kid to do when he can't be sure if the wheely cow or the dump truck is more fun...push 'em both.Finally, building out the choo-choo tracks is a classic standby to-do each evening.

Only one more month of referring to his age in months, but countless adventures await.

Sharing the Space

Having graduated four months ago, it only seems right to remove the GSB reference from the name of this site. We've been waiting for the right time or a worthy moment in life to justify a change. You can almost see the anticipation in Owen's body language...

The time has come. The anticipated arrival of a new child, a new member of the C family, seems like the perfect reason for a change. Brecken is due in early February. She and baby have been doing great, and for the first time this past week, all three of us were able to feel the baby kicking.

With respect to the site, the hard part has been settling on a new name. To the extent that his input counts, Owen insisted that he is the one and only Baby C. Therefore, his reference will remain, but going forward he will share the stage with his soon-to-arrive sister, The Little Lady.

In a private family discussion on Sunday evening, we broke the news to Owen about the new name of the site. Big brothers are supposed to be excited about their little sisters, but when it comes to sharing toys or space on a website, I guess he responded like any other two year old might respond...

Here's to hoping you enjoy the pictures and stories of Baby C & The Little Lady.

Big Changes

The site has been neglected for the past few weeks, but rest assured that new information and pictures will be coming soon. Stay tuned for some exciting new announcements and a likely change in the look of this site. Cheers!