Tuesday, July 28, 2009

A Boy and His Stick

A boy and his stick

There's just something about a good stick. Owen's Grandpa Fawcett (my Dad) tells a story about how when he was little, his grandmother (Owen's Great Great Grandma Melissa Fawcett) amazed at all the toys available to her young grandson, told him that when she was a little girl they didn't have all of these toys. Shocked at how deprived his grandmother's youth must have been, Dad asked her the most pressing question on his mind, "Did you have sticks?" When his grandmother said that yes they did have sticks, Dad lost his concern thinking that as long as she had sticks, everything must have been just fine.

I think Owen is in a similar boat now. He has lots of toys, but his favorite is his stick. He's managed to keep the same stick for over two months now. The stick is his violin, his microphone, his baton, his horn, his chimney broom, his lollipop, his birthday candle, his ice cream cone, and his constant companion in all outdoor activities. It's not allowed in the house, but every time he goes inside, he puts the stick down in its bed on the windowsill. At night he wants to go outside and give his stick a hug and a kiss to wish it good night.

Someday he'll break this stick, and while I'm sure he'll find a new one, I think we'll all be a bit unreasonably sad at the loss of such a great stick.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Dentist

We've been a little nervous about Owen's first dental appointment as an introduction to our dentist last year didn't go too well (Owen spent most of the interaction cowering in Allen's arms). Moreover, we figured that the moment of reckoning regarding Owen's "be-be-bes" was upon us as dentists are notoriously anti-pacifiers and while we are loathe to go against a doctor's advise, we are terrified of what should befall us should we actually take Owen's sleep companions away. But Dr. Sheila Samaddar and the rest of the crew at the South Capitol Smile Center allayed all our fears. They quickly got Owen to sit in the big chair, allow them to put their hands in his mouth and not freak out when the big toothbrush tickled his teeth. After gushing about how well he did, their only comment was that he had a little bit of plaque on his front teeth and that we should keep doing what we're doing which means the battle over the "be-be-bes" has been deferred a bit. 

First Dentist Visit

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Time passed

Usually when we go a couple of weeks without a blog post it's because nothing particularly notable has happened in our lives. And while we're not above memorializing the mundane --we have blogged multiple times about Owen's diaper count, after all -- we generally like some hook to accompany our online ramblings.

The truth is that a fair amount has happened over the past two weeks, we just haven't found time to write a blog post about any of it: Owen started swimming lessons (and in order to enroll him in said class Allen and I made multiple phone calls, had some words with a Capitol police officer, drove around a street blockade, and begged); Owen went to a birthday party; Owen and Daddy went on a field trip to the Botanic Garden; Owen taught Grandpa the lyrics to Blitzkrieg Bop; Mommy & Daddy went to the Wilco show where Captain Slurry made a special appearance (thanks to Brad and the store which provided him both with the alcohol and the free tickets).

The main reason we haven’t had any time to blog is because Owen has decided to make our lives a little more difficult -- it seems someone might be less thrilled with the prospect of a sibling than initially appeared. Potty training has completely stalled. Tears are a frequent companion. Bedtime has drifted to what is considered late night in the Central time zone.

We haven’t quite found the right strategy to get potty training and bed times back on track. But as the baby is set to be here in seven weeks and we're running out of creative parenting strategies, we thought we'd open it up for your suggestions as to how to improve our current lot (and keep in mind that I'm not allowed to drink).

Sunday, July 05, 2009

Hazel Marina Pearson

Congratulations are in order for Chris & Elise, and their beautiful new baby girl, Hazel Marina Pearson, born on July 2nd. Head on over to their blog (mochi) for some great pictures of the new family!

Thursday, July 02, 2009

And the Band Played On...


Uncle Dave and Aunt Kara were in town for three full days last weekend. Despite the brevity of the trip, they managed to hit several museums, the Capitol and the Library of Congress. But probably most importantly, Allen and Dave formed the band, 2454, toured the country and earned a jet before breaking up due to artistic differences (as well as geographical ones). Expect a reunion tour come Christmas (assuming we can fit Rock Band and it's accessories in the minivan)...

(click here and here to see all the pictures.)

Lunch at Ten Penh