Whirring brainspace.

Bang-on description of what probably goes on in O's ever-growing brainspace.

Mic Guy

I knew my 30th birthday gift would come in handy down the road...

Sunday Tea

Owen and I had a Sunday tea visit with our previous landlady. She snapped these photos of O acting the fool, complete with cookies and milk.

Toddler!

Owen is officially a toddler at 18 months and a week old. He makes us laugh with all his new discoveries, like blowing bubbles, learning how to use a harmonica, saying "Oh no!" or "Ta da!" with a great flourish of hand waving.

Currently on his LOVE list are the following:

• Going outside
• Watching or blowing bubbles
• Splashing in puddles
• Exploring holes in the sidewalk with his left index finger
• Squealing at a high pitch
• Yelling "Go! Go! Go!" while watching any of the NHL playoff games
• "Rowing" his boat to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Singing his ABCs
• Falling down during "Ring Around the Rosy"
• Excavators, cars, big machinery, airplanes

Look What I Can Do Now!

First Mechanical Ride

17 Months of Hair Gone, Just Like That.

Big day around here...

Gone are those curls I loved so much, for they are now sealed in plastic and stapled to an official certificate congratulating O on his first haircut!

He loved his congratulatory balloons from mummy and daddy.

He was as pleased as punch to catch sight of his new 'do in the mirror afterwards.

A Hairy Situation

There was a little boy

Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of his forehead.

And when he was good,

He was very, very good.

And when he was bad,

He was horrid!

My curly guy is getting a haircut this weekend -- his first. I love his curls, but he is starting to resemble Nick Nolte's mugshot these days.

Indoor Days Are Not An Option

Staying inside all day, especially on rainy, rainy, rainy days, is not an option with a busy toddler. We threw on our rain gear and headed to Lighthouse Park Saturday afternoon. The tree canopies protected us as we trudged down the paths.

Sunday Brunch

Meeting of the minds at weekend brunch.

16.5 Months

Acting crazy with daddy...



Quiet story time with Uncle Joel...



Fort-building...



Freak-outs not entertained by mummy...



And another snowfall.

Makka Pakka, is that you?

As much as I would like to pretend that he is looking out the window, staring longingly at the happenings outside, the truth is this photo was taken while he was enraptured by In the Night Garden, most likely Makka Pakka playing his trumpet or Upsy Daisy kissing Iggle Piggle. He loves that show.

2010 Olympics: One Year Later

I was on mat leave during the 2010 Olympics, and living as close as we do to downtown Vancouver (25 minute walk/5 minute drive), we were so lucky to experience a lot of the Olympic Spirit, including watching the Olympic Torch run right past our living room window! Maybe this weekend we will be able to relive that spirit by checking out Illuminate Yaletown or the lantern aquarium. Sadly, Owen won't be reliving the spirit in his velvet hoodie this year.

Message in a Bottle

Aside from flipping the pages of a board book, looking at photographs, or watching In the Night Garden, this is the only time that O is completely, utterly still, allowing us to cuddle and smother him in kisses. He loves his postbath, nighttime bottle. It is our calming ritual.

A Reading Nook

It's not possible for us to have a library in our home, although I wish we could. It's not in our cards anytime soon, so we've carved out our own little nooks for reading. We are both big readers. We each have a pile of books next to our bedside, in the living room, in the bathroom.

We see this in Owen these days, although maybe it's just a phase, but we hope that he carries his reading gene from both sides of his parents' families. He is always running around with a book, sitting on the Persian rug flipping the pages with his pinky, searching for his favourite illustrations (usually a dog, cat, or child on a swing). And while he loves his trucks and balls, it's those books that he can't get enough of.

He has started using his Glo-Worm in his crib as a night light, and when we peek our head into the room, he is sitting up in his bed, book on lap, with Glo-Worm casting a warm...glow. I so remember doing the same thing as a child, which probably explains my extremely poor vision.


I cannot wait to get him his own chair, padded with with sheepskin, so he can sit in the living room by the fireplace and read all he wants next to mummy and daddy.

Pimples and Closed Doors

I see a teenager in this little guy's face in this picture. I suppose it's not too far down the road.

Sweet time with Mummy

Sometimes we have chocolate soy milk for a treat. Sh! Don't tell daddy!

Next Stop: Fun!

Sticking indoors with running, spinning, 15.5-month-old is pretty much a no-go these days. Heading outdoors is a new experience with a mobile little person. Everything is interesting: puddles, sticks, birds in the sky, garbage on the street, people (to whom he yells "Hi!").

When Owen was still crawling, the playground was fun in the sense that we could thump the poles with our fists and get a really clangy sound, slides were used for standing purposes, and sand was everywhere once we arrived home. Now that he wants to climb and run, my heart is stopping a few times an hour watching him explore all that he can do.

Moving Forward

When Owen was a baby, I would think about the day in the future when he would reach out and hold my hand and we would walk together.

Now that day is here and I am loving every single minute it, his hand clutching my finger, tottering along, and sometimes breaking away defiantly to walk ahead by himself. That kid of mine is pretty daring, but he always looks back to mummy.

I hope he always looks back at me as he goes forward.

Sorry for the photo dump! Owen has had a very busy month, attending concerts with Grandma, a week-long visit in Calgary with Grandpa, Nana, Aunt, Uncle, and cousins, Christmas, playing with bubbles for the first time, line-dancing, and sitting forward-facing in his carseat.