Visiting Great Grandma Wade

Our last stop in Ohio was to visit Owen's Great Grandmother, Francine Wade. She was so thrilled to see all of us and Owen was especially sweet to her. It's not often that he lets people kiss him, let alone an old lady that he doesn't really know. But it was a wonderful visit.

Batting Practice

As our time at the Property was coming to a close, Grandpa Wade and Uncle Andrew got in a bit of extra fun with Owen. They were teaching him about the awesomeness of wiffle ball. Our little slugger loved it. In fact, Owen likes just about all sports that contain a ball. There's bball, football, soccer, golf, and baseball. He plays them all with so much gust and enthusiasm.

More Time at the Property

After a night in Grandma & Grandpa's trailer, Owen was ready for all the family fun. Lots of Wades, Simpsons and Jeagers came for the family soiree.

Aunt Cat and Owen are best buds. Though they don't get to see each other that much, I make sure that Owen remembers her by showing him lots of photos. Aunt Cat loved that this time when Owen saw her, he knew instantly who she was. He had tons of fun playing in Aunt Cat's tent.
I think he thought the tent was like a mini bouncy house with the air mattress in it. While the photo above looks like they are being all lovey - they were really in the middle of a wrestling match!

All the guys did a bit of fishing, so Owen got exposed to that for the first time. Uncle Eric showed him the ropes. Grandma Kuder had a special fishing pole for Owen. He got pretty good at casting it out into the water (there was no hook on it).

Owen just loves that mower.

Tons of people, means tons of fun and games. Owen did a really good job at keeping up with it all. There was no nap and he pretty much passed out at bed time and slept great the entire night.

At the Property

When we got to Grandpa Kuder's property, Owen wasted no time getting rides with Grandpa on his "tractor" (otherwise known as the riding mower).

Owen and his cousin, Elizabeth, we like best buds. They played together so well. Some times we took notice of who was bossing who around. They both had their fair share of "rules" but got along great, nonetheless.

Owen's own Airplane Seat

We headed off to Ohio for a family visit. This was Owen's first flight since turning 2 years old, so he got his own seat. We decided to bring his car seat which worked out really well. Not only did it keep him from moving around all over the place, it also boosted him up so that he could watch TV on the little monitors.

It wasn't long before the white noise of the plane sent him off to sleep.

Hey Mom!

Owen has started calling me Mom on occasion. It sounds a little weird to me. I guess it's just another sign that Owen is growing up.

Boston Common/Public Gardens

We meet up with Danya and his family for a playdate at the Boston Commons. The boys loved the merry go round. Owen had no shyness this time about climbing onto his horse and enjoying the ride.
The boys enjoyed chasing the geese around in the Public Garden. We were all set to go on a swan boat ride (something we've never actually done), but the ride closed just as we got there. Oh well, another day.

Pizza as Big as Your Head

So Daddy's new office is across the street from a pizza joint that we like (Sal's), so on occasion he brings home a pie for dinner. Pizza is always a big hit with Owen, and he can handle the huge slices like a seasoned pro!

"Garbage, Trash"

One of Owen's many obsessions is the Garbage Truck and everything associated with garbage collection. It's funny that he always says "Garbage, trash" when he refers to any kind of trash.

Thursdays are trash day at our house, and Owen loves to help out. I know Daddy can't wait until he can do this chore on his own!
Owen has the recycling bin routine down. It's so cute when says "Whoa, it's heavy!"

It's funny how Owen is so into garbage. I've seen him sweep up packing peanuts with a dust pan and brush and dump it into a trash can. Then transfer from one trash can to another. Then he'll dump it out and do it all over again. What a silly way to entertain himself...but I'm not complaining!

Owen 2.5

Owen has turned 2 1/2 years old today, and I tried to mark the occasion with a little photo shoot...which is not a 2 1/2 year old's idea of fun. At least I came away with a few keepers.

Typical

We had a fun Friday afternoon playing around outside in our backyard. The above photo of Owen really seems to capture his essence...climbing around on the slide, looking all smug with his favorite little lawn mower in the background.

I was trying to get Owen to smile for the camera and had to resort to asking him to say cheese. The outcome is Owen's proof that saying cheese does not result in a smile!

Cuteness Campaign

Could these brothers be any cuter? It's pretty rare to get them in a photo together, as much as I try. So when I do get them both in a shot, I'm giddy.

Owen is just full of surprises these days. Always playful and chatty (unless he just woke up). He is full of personality and lots of energy.

Thomas Day at Edaville

Through a friend, we found out about a special Thomas the Train day at Edaville amusement park. Since Owen has a huge love for Thomas, we thought this would be a perfect thing to do over Labor Day weekend.

Thomas was there pulling a train that we got to ride. Owen was very excited to ride a real train.

There were lots of fun rides perfect for toddlers. It took Owen quite a while to warm up to the whole "get on a ride" thing. When we first got to the park, there weren't a lot of people there, but as the day went on, the more and more crowded it got. I think seeing all the other kids on rides helped him to overcome that initial timidness about it all.

But he did great and went on many of the rides (that he was tall enough for).

Then there was the merry go round that was one of the last things we hit. Previously he had not been a big fan of the merry go round, but this time was a different story.

He rode multiple times (and always wanted Mommy with him) and it was the cutest thing ever as he waved to Daddy each time it went around.

Morning Muffins

Owen was so excited to make blueberry muffins with me. He was so great about putting the papers in the tins, spooning the batter in and putting the sprinkles on top.

Owen has finally gotten the concept that things need to cook. Sometimes the patience are not always so great, but he understands that the oven gets hot and things get cooked in there. Here he is patiently waiting for those muffins to bake AND picking out which one he wants!

And then he got to eat one! Yum. It was also so charming the way he politely asked me for a second muffin and he said a genuine "Thank You" without even being prompted.