Last week while walking around Target Owen looked at me out of the blue and said "Mom, you're a good mom. I like you.". That was the best thing I could ever hear. I like you to Owen. You have no idea...
I love that kid.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Mickey Mouse's House!
For Owen's 3rd birthday we decided to take our first (big) family vacation. It is the only time we will get to do a trip as a family of three, and since Mickey Mouse is BIG TIME at our house, we decided to go for it. Hubby did a great job searching out hotel deals, making flight arrangements, and getting the whole trip planned and organized. We told Owen that we were going to Mickey's house about a month before, but we told him it wasn't open yet (after 24 hours of him asking if it was time to go yet every 15 minutes). We did our best to not mention it again for the next month. The night before we left I "called" Mickey and asked him if he would hurry up and send a plane to get us because Owen REALLY wanted to go see him. Owen was thrilled that I had a direct line to Mickey. The next morning we had to leave the house at 5am, so we woke Owen up and told him Mickey called me back and the plane was waiting for us! That woke him up fast and he was thrilled.
We were on the plane at 7am. I didn't know how he would react...would flying scare him? Would his ears hurt? Would he sit still and behave for the 3 hour flight? All I can say is HE DID AWESOME! He wasn't at all scared, and the pressure didn't bother him at all. He sat in his seat eating snacks, looking at books, and watching movies the whole way. Of course he didn't sleep at all, despite getting up at 4:30am, but that's my kid.
DAY 1
We arrived in SoCal at 9am and rented a car. We headed to the Pacific Ocean so Owen could see the "big water". It was cloudy and cool out, but we put on our jackets, took off our shoes, and walked along the beach.
The water was freezing and Owen enjoyed pretending the water was chasing him as is ran ashore. We didn't stay long, but now he can say he has officially seen the Pacific Ocean.
We drove around, got some lunch, went to the grocery store to stock up on snacks and such, then checked in to our hotel. We stayed at the Embassy Suites Anaheim North. Great location with a daily shuttle to and from the parks. Plenty of room, and fabulous full breakfast! That evening we had dinner with hubby's family.
Good times were had by all, and despite that he has been up for a zillion hours, Owen was a trooper and did great. We were back in the room and in bed by 9:30pm or so to get a good, full night's sleep. Whew. What. A. Day.
DAY 2
We got up, had breakfast, and took the shuttle to Disneyland. He hadn't been in the gates 5 minutes when hubby spotted Mickey coming out for a meet and greet. We ran over to get in line and Owen could hardly contain himself. For such a little guy, he did awesome waiting in line to meet his hero: THE Mickey Mouse. When it was our turn, we didn't really know if he would be scared or go in for a hug.
Owen was so excited and jittery and I really thought he was going to cry. He looked like a tween girl waiting for a date with Justin Beiber, and apparently Mickey Mouse is Owen's John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
When it was his turn he ran up to Mickey and gave him a huge hug. He looked up at Mickey and said "I Love You Mickey!".
It was so sweet that I did cry. We could have left right then and there and the trip would be complete. It was the highlight of the trip for all of us and we were only 10 minutes in.
We spent the morning walking around, checking out the site, and riding a few rides. I had never been to Disneyland, so it was all new to both Owen and I, and fun to experience it for the first time with him.
After lunch we headed back to the hotel and all took a much needed 3 hour nap. Then back to the park for more sights and rides. We left during the fireworks since Owen's wasn't loving the "loud". Overall, it was a successful first day at the park.
DAY 3
The third day of the trip, and second day at the park, we got a treat and Brian's 2 nieces Katie and Joanie got to go to the park with us.
Owen loved having other "kids" to play with. We started at California Adventureland where he got his picture taken with Pluto.
We rode a few small rides there, then crossed back over to Disneyland. By lunchtime Owen was over it. He was overly tired, overly stimulated, and generally acting a fool.
I took him back to the hotel and let Brian and the girls stay to ride the big rides. Owen and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon playing cars and watching TV in the room. He took a long nap, and we just decompressed from the long, exhausting previous few days.
We never went back to the park that day, which is what Owen needed to ensure we had fun on our last day at Disneyland the following day.
Day 4
Last day of vacation. Always bitter sweet. We once again headed over to Mickey's house on our trusty shuttle. More rides, more character sightings, more fun.
Overall, we had a great time. Owen saw Goofy, Minnie, Mickey (three times!), Donald, and Pluto.
His favorite part of the park was the Toon town area, which is set up like a neighborhood with all the character's houses. There a gazebo and fountain in the center, and shops lining the streets.
He had the most fun and just running around and playing. We spent half a day just hanging out there in Toon Town, then went over to Tom Sawyer's Island where he did some more running.
The last night we watched the fireworks (hands over ears, of course) and he actually liked them.
He fell asleep on the shuttle ride back to the hotel, and for the first time in his whole life, he didn't wake up as a carried him upstairs.
Or when I changed his clothes. Or put his jammies on. Or put him to bed.
HE.
WAS.
TIRED.
As for the rides, he wasn't really feeling them. A few scared him and he rode the entire ride with my hands over his eyes, but mostly he just didn't know what to think. My one complaint about the Disney experience is that the rides are TOO LOUD. Deafeningly loud.
My ears were ringing by the time we left each night kind of loud. Owen doesn't like loud sounds, so being on a boat/train/cart in a dark tunnel that is ridiculously loud while crazy characters dance around and sing was not his idea of fun.
Aside from the noise level, he didn't NOT like the rides, but he wasn't all smiles and laughs either. We had to force/bribe him to get on the rides, and for the most part he said he liked it after we got off, but then we had to force/bribe him to get on the next one. Chalk it up to his reserved personality and being just a little too young.
Our final day we got up, had breakfast, and leisurely got packed up. Brian took Owen swimming in the hotel pool for a bit, which I think was a highlight for O. We headed home, and again, Owen was great on the flight.
He did fall asleep on the plane towards the end of the trip. We got home late, exhausted, and so glad we went.
Happy Birthday Owen! I can't wait to go back in a few years with you and Baby Sister!
I love you my sweet kid.
We were on the plane at 7am. I didn't know how he would react...would flying scare him? Would his ears hurt? Would he sit still and behave for the 3 hour flight? All I can say is HE DID AWESOME! He wasn't at all scared, and the pressure didn't bother him at all. He sat in his seat eating snacks, looking at books, and watching movies the whole way. Of course he didn't sleep at all, despite getting up at 4:30am, but that's my kid.
DAY 1
We arrived in SoCal at 9am and rented a car. We headed to the Pacific Ocean so Owen could see the "big water". It was cloudy and cool out, but we put on our jackets, took off our shoes, and walked along the beach.
The water was freezing and Owen enjoyed pretending the water was chasing him as is ran ashore. We didn't stay long, but now he can say he has officially seen the Pacific Ocean.
We drove around, got some lunch, went to the grocery store to stock up on snacks and such, then checked in to our hotel. We stayed at the Embassy Suites Anaheim North. Great location with a daily shuttle to and from the parks. Plenty of room, and fabulous full breakfast! That evening we had dinner with hubby's family.
Good times were had by all, and despite that he has been up for a zillion hours, Owen was a trooper and did great. We were back in the room and in bed by 9:30pm or so to get a good, full night's sleep. Whew. What. A. Day.
DAY 2
We got up, had breakfast, and took the shuttle to Disneyland. He hadn't been in the gates 5 minutes when hubby spotted Mickey coming out for a meet and greet. We ran over to get in line and Owen could hardly contain himself. For such a little guy, he did awesome waiting in line to meet his hero: THE Mickey Mouse. When it was our turn, we didn't really know if he would be scared or go in for a hug.
Owen was so excited and jittery and I really thought he was going to cry. He looked like a tween girl waiting for a date with Justin Beiber, and apparently Mickey Mouse is Owen's John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
When it was his turn he ran up to Mickey and gave him a huge hug. He looked up at Mickey and said "I Love You Mickey!".
It was so sweet that I did cry. We could have left right then and there and the trip would be complete. It was the highlight of the trip for all of us and we were only 10 minutes in.
We spent the morning walking around, checking out the site, and riding a few rides. I had never been to Disneyland, so it was all new to both Owen and I, and fun to experience it for the first time with him.
After lunch we headed back to the hotel and all took a much needed 3 hour nap. Then back to the park for more sights and rides. We left during the fireworks since Owen's wasn't loving the "loud". Overall, it was a successful first day at the park.
DAY 3
The third day of the trip, and second day at the park, we got a treat and Brian's 2 nieces Katie and Joanie got to go to the park with us.
Owen loved having other "kids" to play with. We started at California Adventureland where he got his picture taken with Pluto.
We rode a few small rides there, then crossed back over to Disneyland. By lunchtime Owen was over it. He was overly tired, overly stimulated, and generally acting a fool.
I took him back to the hotel and let Brian and the girls stay to ride the big rides. Owen and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon playing cars and watching TV in the room. He took a long nap, and we just decompressed from the long, exhausting previous few days.
We never went back to the park that day, which is what Owen needed to ensure we had fun on our last day at Disneyland the following day.
Day 4
Last day of vacation. Always bitter sweet. We once again headed over to Mickey's house on our trusty shuttle. More rides, more character sightings, more fun.
Overall, we had a great time. Owen saw Goofy, Minnie, Mickey (three times!), Donald, and Pluto.
His favorite part of the park was the Toon town area, which is set up like a neighborhood with all the character's houses. There a gazebo and fountain in the center, and shops lining the streets.
He had the most fun and just running around and playing. We spent half a day just hanging out there in Toon Town, then went over to Tom Sawyer's Island where he did some more running.
The last night we watched the fireworks (hands over ears, of course) and he actually liked them.
He fell asleep on the shuttle ride back to the hotel, and for the first time in his whole life, he didn't wake up as a carried him upstairs.
Or when I changed his clothes. Or put his jammies on. Or put him to bed.
HE.
WAS.
TIRED.
As for the rides, he wasn't really feeling them. A few scared him and he rode the entire ride with my hands over his eyes, but mostly he just didn't know what to think. My one complaint about the Disney experience is that the rides are TOO LOUD. Deafeningly loud.
My ears were ringing by the time we left each night kind of loud. Owen doesn't like loud sounds, so being on a boat/train/cart in a dark tunnel that is ridiculously loud while crazy characters dance around and sing was not his idea of fun.
Aside from the noise level, he didn't NOT like the rides, but he wasn't all smiles and laughs either. We had to force/bribe him to get on the rides, and for the most part he said he liked it after we got off, but then we had to force/bribe him to get on the next one. Chalk it up to his reserved personality and being just a little too young.
Our final day we got up, had breakfast, and leisurely got packed up. Brian took Owen swimming in the hotel pool for a bit, which I think was a highlight for O. We headed home, and again, Owen was great on the flight.
He did fall asleep on the plane towards the end of the trip. We got home late, exhausted, and so glad we went.
Happy Birthday Owen! I can't wait to go back in a few years with you and Baby Sister!
I love you my sweet kid.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Talk About It...
Before I begin, I have to explain Owen's own little lexicon. When he wants you to explain something, or give him the details, he asks you to "talk about it". For example: We keep several episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse saved so they are available when he wants to watch them. When we sit down to watch one, he gets to choose which one he wants to watch so he says "mom, talk about the Mickey's". I tell him the names of the episodes, and he picks what he wants to watch.
So moving on...
With Easter coming up I bought a few bags of mixed candy for his Easter basket and party at school. The bags of candy were on the kitchen table, and of course he inquired as to what they were. I told him for his party, and not for now. He moved on to something else.
Later that night I noticed his toenails were getting pretty long (I still have to bribe Owen to let me clip his toenails). Now, I am not big on bribing kids, but he really doesn't like his feet messed with, so we do what we gotta do to get the raggedy toes cleaned up from time to time. As we talked about his toes, and I told him that if he let me cut his toenails the next day, that I would let him pick a piece of the special candy. This of course perked him right up! "Mom-talk about the candy" he said. "It's the special candy on the table...there are all different kinds", I say. He says "OK" but I can see that he is anxious, and curious, and really, really thinking about that candy. We continue getting pj's on and he finally bubbles over with jitters and with great angst he boldly pleas "Mom-PLEASE talk about the candy!!!" He just can't stand it. "Lets get our jammies on and go look at the candy, OK"..."OK MOM!"...and off we go....he examined each piece and asked all about them. The next morning the first thing he asked was for me to clip his nails and get some special candy. He knew exactly which one he wanted and had probably drooled about it all night.
I love that chocolate-loving kid.
So moving on...
With Easter coming up I bought a few bags of mixed candy for his Easter basket and party at school. The bags of candy were on the kitchen table, and of course he inquired as to what they were. I told him for his party, and not for now. He moved on to something else.
Later that night I noticed his toenails were getting pretty long (I still have to bribe Owen to let me clip his toenails). Now, I am not big on bribing kids, but he really doesn't like his feet messed with, so we do what we gotta do to get the raggedy toes cleaned up from time to time. As we talked about his toes, and I told him that if he let me cut his toenails the next day, that I would let him pick a piece of the special candy. This of course perked him right up! "Mom-talk about the candy" he said. "It's the special candy on the table...there are all different kinds", I say. He says "OK" but I can see that he is anxious, and curious, and really, really thinking about that candy. We continue getting pj's on and he finally bubbles over with jitters and with great angst he boldly pleas "Mom-PLEASE talk about the candy!!!" He just can't stand it. "Lets get our jammies on and go look at the candy, OK"..."OK MOM!"...and off we go....he examined each piece and asked all about them. The next morning the first thing he asked was for me to clip his nails and get some special candy. He knew exactly which one he wanted and had probably drooled about it all night.
I love that chocolate-loving kid.
Here's your Privacy...
We have been trying to explain the concept of privacy to Owen. Being only three, the abstract is still somewhat elusive to him. We explain that privacy isn't something you can see or touch, but it's when you want or need to be alone. "When others come to our home, they don't want you to follow them into the bathroom. They shut the door for privacy. When you want to play by yourself in your room, that's wanting privacy." "Ok mom" he says. So the other day when I went into the bathroom, he followed me in, but then walked out, shutting the door behind him. as he shut it he said "I am giving you privacy". Yay! He's getting it, or so I thought. When I came out of the bathroom he held his hand out to me (fisted up as if holding something) and said "here's your privacy, mom" as he hands me a fist full of air. Thanks Owen. We'll keep working on that concept...
I love that concrete kid.
I love that concrete kid.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Introducing Ligh-ming The Queen!!!
This past year Owen discovered his new favorite love (besides Mickey, of course!)....CARS (The Movie). His favorite is the main race car character, Lightning McQueen aka Lighming The Queen. So this year when it came time to create his fabulous mommy-made birthday cake, his choice of cake was no surprise....he wanted Lighming The Queen...and he wanted ORANGE cake. Yes, orange. His favorite color.
I researched how to even begin to create a car cake, and thanks to the internet, found some great pointers. Now, I know I could have done it the easy way and made a track out of sheet cake and put some cars on it, but that's not how this cake momma rolls. Nope, I gotta do it big.
This year I did remember to take pictures along the way so document to process...here are just a few...
I started by baking 2 sheet cakes the day before decorating so I could freeze them overnight. They are much easier to cut and sculpt when frozen. And yes..I dyed the batter orange just as Owen requested.
I then got to cutting and creating the car shape. YIKES! (I will say that this one turned out way better than my prototype from weeks before!) After getting the shape just right, I iced it with white frosting to get the base coat...then back into the freezer for a bit to harden. (That pic won't upload for some reason, but trust me, that's what I did ;-) ) This was the part when I asked Owen "Is it looking like your Car Movie yet?" His answer: "Not yet!!" Thanks son.
I used about 3 bottles of red food coloring to get the icing the perfect bright red color...then I was ready to tackle the cake!
I iced it all bright red, then again, back into the freezer. Once good and cold I was able to smooth it out to make the nice shiney finish. No fondit here folks!
Whew...it took several hours to get to this part, and I hadn't even started the features and real decorating that would make Lightning say KA-CHOW!
I used fondit for the windows and lightning stripes on the sides. M&M's for the eyes, hubcaps, and brake lights...Chocolate mini donuts for tires...Melted chocolate chips for the Rust-eze sticker on the front. I murdered a bag of chocolate goldfish in the blender to make dirt, and colored coconut with green food coloring for the grass.
I did the final set up there at the party...I think it turned out FABULOUS! I was very impressed with myself. And glad that I only have (almost) 2 kids so I only have to do this twice a year! It took a very long time, but it was all worth it. Owen loved it and it was exactly what he asked for. In fact, he is still talking about it. When we say we will do anything to make our kids happy, we moms really mean it!
I love you kid! Happy, Happy 3rd Birthday!
I researched how to even begin to create a car cake, and thanks to the internet, found some great pointers. Now, I know I could have done it the easy way and made a track out of sheet cake and put some cars on it, but that's not how this cake momma rolls. Nope, I gotta do it big.
This year I did remember to take pictures along the way so document to process...here are just a few...
I started by baking 2 sheet cakes the day before decorating so I could freeze them overnight. They are much easier to cut and sculpt when frozen. And yes..I dyed the batter orange just as Owen requested.
I then got to cutting and creating the car shape. YIKES! (I will say that this one turned out way better than my prototype from weeks before!) After getting the shape just right, I iced it with white frosting to get the base coat...then back into the freezer for a bit to harden. (That pic won't upload for some reason, but trust me, that's what I did ;-) ) This was the part when I asked Owen "Is it looking like your Car Movie yet?" His answer: "Not yet!!" Thanks son.
I used about 3 bottles of red food coloring to get the icing the perfect bright red color...then I was ready to tackle the cake!
I iced it all bright red, then again, back into the freezer. Once good and cold I was able to smooth it out to make the nice shiney finish. No fondit here folks!
Whew...it took several hours to get to this part, and I hadn't even started the features and real decorating that would make Lightning say KA-CHOW!
I used fondit for the windows and lightning stripes on the sides. M&M's for the eyes, hubcaps, and brake lights...Chocolate mini donuts for tires...Melted chocolate chips for the Rust-eze sticker on the front. I murdered a bag of chocolate goldfish in the blender to make dirt, and colored coconut with green food coloring for the grass.
I did the final set up there at the party...I think it turned out FABULOUS! I was very impressed with myself. And glad that I only have (almost) 2 kids so I only have to do this twice a year! It took a very long time, but it was all worth it. Owen loved it and it was exactly what he asked for. In fact, he is still talking about it. When we say we will do anything to make our kids happy, we moms really mean it!
I love you kid! Happy, Happy 3rd Birthday!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Grin, Giggle, Belly Laugh
Owen cracks us up on a daily basis. Here are just a few of the funny things said by a 2 year old:
Grin:
One morning when getting Owen dressed for school he stretched really big. I said "that was a big stretch, huh"! He responded "yeah, I am trying to get it all out!". HA!
Giggle:
One day I asked Owen if he wanted to be a big brother. He said "No!". A few minutes went by and he came back over to me and said "Mommy-I said NO!". OK, Owen, point taken. You're in for a big surprise come August though...HeeHeeHee...
Belly Laugh:
Owen was on his hands and knees playing trains in the floor one afternoon. Daddy came by and asked if he would take off Owen's shoes. Owen said yes, so daddy pulls his shoes off his feet, which pulled his legs out from under him (slightly-he didn't face plant to the ground or anything-that's only funny when it's an adult). As daddy pulled his legs Owen exclaimed "Daddy!!! Stop! You're falling me down!!" Yeah, I about fell over with that one!
I love that funny kid.
Grin:
One morning when getting Owen dressed for school he stretched really big. I said "that was a big stretch, huh"! He responded "yeah, I am trying to get it all out!". HA!
Giggle:
One day I asked Owen if he wanted to be a big brother. He said "No!". A few minutes went by and he came back over to me and said "Mommy-I said NO!". OK, Owen, point taken. You're in for a big surprise come August though...HeeHeeHee...
Belly Laugh:
Owen was on his hands and knees playing trains in the floor one afternoon. Daddy came by and asked if he would take off Owen's shoes. Owen said yes, so daddy pulls his shoes off his feet, which pulled his legs out from under him (slightly-he didn't face plant to the ground or anything-that's only funny when it's an adult). As daddy pulled his legs Owen exclaimed "Daddy!!! Stop! You're falling me down!!" Yeah, I about fell over with that one!
I love that funny kid.
My Dearest Boy...
Owen,
I planned to write you a letter when you were born, and every year on your birthday, but time slipped away from me somewhere in between falling in love with you by the second, and watching you grow into a wonderful little boy. That first year went by so fast, it seems like a blur of all my favorite days. My favorite moments were those that belong just to us. Those middle of the night conversations when I did most of the talking, and you slept sweetly on my shoulder giving me that sleeping baby grin from time to time. When I would sing to you so quietly that only your heart could hear me. Pure joy and sweetness.
Next thing I knew, you were turning ONE! At 1 you learned to walk and communicate with words and use more and more baby signs. Your personality took shape, and you made us laugh a lot.
By TWO you were showing us how smart you are, how cautious and observant you are, and learning more words by the day. (Your vocabulary exploded at 2.5, now there's no stopping you!)
And now, my sweet boy, you are turning THREE! I really can't believe it. Looking at you now, all the baby-ness is gone. You talk like a big boy-very advanced for 3! You're getting taller, and still oh so skinny ;-) You love to play cars and trains, and ball, and you say your best friend is "mommy". At home you are rowdy and silly and rough. Out in the world, you are shy, reserved, and cautious. You like to sit back and take it all in. You don't like playing at the playground because "there are too many kids". You love to run. Everywhere. All the time. I see soccer or track in your future! You are very smart, pay close attention when others are talking, and I can see you thinking and processing everything you see and hear. You question "why did you say that?" and "what are we going to do?" all the time.
You are a natural rule follower and don't like to get in trouble. You have a kind and soft spirit. You love to sing songs with me at night as we get ready for bed. Your favorites are "Home" by Bonnie Raitt, "You Got It" but Roy Orbison, and "I Will" by The Beatles. You love the movies Cars and Toy Story, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham. You can't wait for your birthday party at "Chuckin Cheese" and all you want is an orange "Lightming The Queen" cake.
My sweet Owen, as you turn 3, I look forward to all the fun and exciting new things this next year will bring. You just started gymnastics, and will begin swim lesson soon. You will be a big brother in August, and what a GREAT big brother you will be to your new baby brother or sister. There are so many wonderful things ahead of you (and us) in this coming year, and I look forward to each new day. I love you more than there are words to say. I love you all the way to the sky...and back down. Thank you for picking me to be your mommy.
I love you kid.
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