It's official

We now have ourselves a 2 year old. Where the HELL did 2 years just go? I feel like I have 2 compartments in life: 1 is with Owen, the other is all the other crap. Of which, there is more than enough to give me blog fodder for decades..and that was just what happened this week!
Anyway, on to the positives:

~Owen is sleeping from 8:30-6:30 straight thru.
~Owen is not food phobic yet, and will try anything. He may immediately spit it out, but at least he tries.
~He is very vocal, and has an incredible vocabulary. Makes conversing with him MUCH easier than figuring out the screaming.
~His laugh is beyond infectious, and it comes from deep within the belly (altho, he doesn't have much of a belly, it must come from his hollow leg)
~The way he says "I LIKE IT" in Ed McMahon fashion to anything that is candy, cookies, or cake.
~He has no fear
~I'm his favorite :-) for now, anyway!

Here are some pics from this morning at the playground, snotty nose and all:

Getting ready for the adventure of the twisty slide:


WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!


Braving the Big Slide for the first time:



The Periennial Favorite, the Swing:



I just love how his hair looks in this one!



And this was just about 22 months ago....



A recent conversation with Owen:
Are you Mommy's baby?
~NO.
Are you a big boy?
~NO.
Are you a little boy?
~YES.

So that explains where my little baby went.

The Perfect Storm

...of germs, that is. Saturday was the Boy's 2nd birthday party, Sunday he had a raging cold, and by Monday afternoon, so did Mommy. All the little kids that were there were lucky enough to take home more than the John Deere Tractor Gift boxes.
:-)
Where's my NyQuil?

Book 'em, Danno

Today, for the first time in my *ahem* many years, I witnessed an honest to goodness drug deal. I was innocently at the neighborhood convenience store to grab a newspaper and it went down right infront of me. A young man got out of one car, and into another parked car. They exchanged baggies and a wad o' cash. Right there! In front of me!! And the best part? They were parked right infront of the stores doors, which are videotaped. What are those awards that are "given" to the idiot criminals called? The Darwin Awards? Yep, I would like to officially nominate those 2 boneheads.

I know drugs are out there. I know they are EVERYwhere. But COME ON!! at the local store? That just isn't right. It is less than a mile from my home, a very busy place, and closer than the other stores located on the same street. Well, after todays visual/legal/moral offense, I can safely say I will travel the extra .8 miles to not see that again.

Birthday Gala!

Pre-party set up:




The delicious cake:



The Birthday Boy trying to take it all in:



Still working on getting into it:




His favorite "gift"-the Tractor Cake Topper that he just snatched right off the cake...His favorite until we got......



THE TRIKE!!



Note to self: Goodness he is perfect!



He also received a great rocking Moose, which he mastered and just about tipped over in a few minutes~



It was a wonderful day, and thank you to everyone who joined us and made it so special!!`

Out of the mouths of babes comes this gem..

When I walk into a room, and Owen needs his "private time" (read:Take a poop) he waves his hand and says "BYE-BYE". If you are dense enough to not leave, again he says "BYE" and will add "RIGHT BACK".
He is so damn cute. I can't wait to recount these little conversations when he is 20 with him...

Just checking in

What a beautiful day!! After the torrential downpours and epic floods we experienced yesterday (I had so much water in my front yard, for the first time in my life I had waterfront property!) The crocus' in my yard are blooming, I have the uncontrollable urge to open all the windows and let the house air out (but, I live with a southerner, and that would freeze his little veins off..) I am a Winter weather junkie (insert eye-roll HERE) and still feel as tho we didn't get as much snow as I would like, but it was better than last year anyway. I do love winter, but I love spring, too. Not as much as winter, mind you. But still. :-)

I just mopped my kitchen floor and the house is filled with the smell of original Pine-Sol (can't beat that smell!) and thinking of what else I can do before Owen's big birthday party next Saturday that will save me some time next weekend. However, I only come up with one thing: Toilets. Gotta clean the toilets. But, will have to wait til stepson leaves, as he has such a problem with aim. Ewwwwww....

Hope you had a great day!

In Memorium or Morbid?

I need thoughts on this, as I seem to fall in the middle somewhere.

My mother in law was killed 3 years ago today in a horrific accident. She was young, energetic and full of vim and vigor, so to speak. It was completely devastating, and it started a chain reaction of terrible things in our lives.

Fast forward to today. Every year, my husbands family wants to get together, make her recipes, and remember her. We don't get together to celebrate her birthday, she is always generously remembered at all holidays and family events. She is very much still a very present driving force in our daily lives.

So, my question is this. Is it an honor to gather on such a solomn occasion (even tho, in all fairness, it is peppered with funny stories, good food, and focus on the positive things that have happened). Or is it rather morbid to remember such a horrific day?

Me? I understand gathering and remembering. But we do that EVERY TIME we are together for the most part. I personally would rather spend the time with my immediate family and tell them I love them, value them..because you just never know when it may be ripped away forever.

So..I guess the floor is yours now.