Nap Time

While some of his friends have dropped their nap, Owen is definitely still in need of one.  But this summer, nap time started to be more of a struggle.  Owen would spend the first hour (or more) singing loudly, having pretend conversations, repeating things we laughed about earlier in the day, getting toys out of his cabinet: anything to deter sleep.  When he finally did fall asleep, he would sleep HARD.  (Still does.)  Sleep like I slept in the 10th grade. 

He might finally succumb to sleep around 2 or 3pm, and then we have to go in to get him up around 5pm.  Here is one of those times, moments before waking Owen from a teenager-quality slumber:

And another:

(He's also about as happy to be woken up as I was in the 10th grade.  Or now, really.)

And then.  THEN.  Owen started getting very creative with his tactics.  He began using the diaper wipes as a means of communication for how he felt about having to take a (much needed) nap.  He would take a brand new package of Seventh Generation wipes, take them all out one by one, and press the moisture into his sheets.  (This renders the wipes about as useful as a dryer sheet on the next diaper change...)

I mean, seriously?!??

We would tell him not to and would try our damnedest to remember to put the wipes where he couldn't get them, but I think that just brought more joy to getting them and doing it anyway. 

So, at 5pm, feeling happy that he had fallen asleep, we would then walk into find this:

Thankfully, this trend ended along with Summer.  (Which is really good, because, while entertaining the first time, it was getting to be both maddening and expensive.)

Folly Flip Book

At the end of August, we returned to our lovely friends' lovely house on Folly Beach.  Owen and Jase had a ball running and romping together, as always (look at the next 4 pictures in flip-book style):

After playing so hard, it's important to take a break for a snack and some meaningful conversation:

Cutie:

The rest of us had considerably less energy thanks to the two newest members of the gang: Leo and Morgan.  Here, Travis sneaks in a 60-second power nap (Morgan - 6 weeks old - obliges):

Thank you for another wonderful weekend, friends!  New-baby exhaustion can't stop our party...

Time for School!

Every day in August, Owen would wake up and ask, "Do I go to school today?"  He knew August was the month.  We had had attended the ECDC Family Picnic; received a home visit from Owen's teacher, Ms. Stephanie; filled out reams of paperwork; picked up our parking decals and entry swipe cards; bought new clothes and new shoes; assembled a "nap bag;" readied the lunch box; and written "Russell" on everything we could think of.  We were as ready as we would ever be.  And, at the same time, we kind of felt like we might throw up.

Here is our baby boy on his first day of college preschool:

ECDC (the Early Childhood Development Center) is an amazing place.  It is the demonstration program and laboratory school for the College of Charleston's School of Education.  All of the classrooms have observation booth built in (sound-proof with one-way glass) and an open-door policy, so you can spend as much time in there as you like.  (The Director jokes that the observation booth is like a clown car the first week of school.)  And did I mention that my office is about a 2-minute walk from Owen's school?  Yep.  It is.  So, I considered it a major show of restraint that I only visited the observation booth three times on the first day.  And I only cried once.  (Bill and I walked him in together, handed him over to Ms. Stephanie, ran out of the school as fast as we could together, hugged, and I had a few quick tears on both our behalves.)

And here again, from the ECDC blog, is a collage of photos from the first day (Owen in the center with a big, green ball).

Shoe Swap

The day before Owen started his first day of preschool, we met up with Shayna, Jase, and Morgan at the James Island County Park Spray Play for some sprinkler frolicking.  Owen spent half the time running around in the water and the other half falling deeply in love with Jase's blue flip flops.  When it was time to get dressed, Jase happily agreed to put on Owen's green Crocs.  

Everybody smiling their heads off over a good trade:

How sweet are these two?  They are the best of friends...

The perfect last day of Summer.

Naked Blue

When it is Sunday and August and you live in Charleston, and your baby bun creases have a touch of redness, and you have just had a bath, there is no better time to get naked for a stretch:

 

Bruno has high standards for cleanliness.  So whenever I give Leo a bath, I apparently "miss some spots." 
Bruno generously follows up to remedy these oversights.

Pretty much the equivalent of the neon-lit Krispy Kreme sign that announces and beckons, "HOT NOW."
Yes, ma'am, I'll take the baker's dozen.

"No seriously...I'm totally fine to drive."

Whenever Leo is on the ground, Bruno stands guard:

Just lovin' the daylights out of this baby boy...

Owen Takes the Wheel

Owen's best friend Jase turned three in August.  Jase's birthday is always great fun, with the added benefit of getting us in the spirit for Owen's birthday.  We get to sing Happy Birthday, watch Jase blow out his candles, and see all the neat birthday presents Jase gets.  Jase demonstrates how it's done, and Owen starts gearing up to follow suit.

Speaking of neat presents: Jase was the proud recipient of a new Ford F150 truck.  Check out birthday boy Jase with his trusty navigator Owen (or, as I like to call them, Maverick and Goose):

Ever since Poppie taught Owen how to drive a car, Owen has started wishfully talking about turning 16 and taking every opportunity that presents itself to steal a few moments in the driver's seat (before we pry him out).  So let's just say that laying eyes upon this car -- a REAL CAR that his friend JASE was driving and that he might even have the chance to also drive -- this, THIS was A Big Deal.

(Below: absorbing the full gravity of the situation.)

(Below: seeing what the ole' gal can do.)

"I feel the need...THE NEED FOR SPEED."

And then.  THEN.  It was Owen's turn.  Sweet Jase got out of the driver's seat and let Owen get in: 

Only two problems: 1) it was time to go inside and eat, and 2) the car battery was dead.  Travis (Jase's Dad) said he would charge the battery while we ate and promised that Owen would be very next to drive when it was ready.  We tried our very best to get Owen to come inside and eat.  But he calmly and determinedly said he was going to stay in the car until it was his turn to drive:

I was rather charmed by his perseverance and let him stay out there (Bill and I took turns keeping him company).  From inside the house, it looked like this:

And then -- after one solid hour of Owen sitting and waiting in the car -- the battery had some juice.  Travis got it all set up, and Owen took the wheel.  Documentation of this scene as follows:

It was a glorious day, indeed:

While it would have been hard to have as much fun as Owen and Jase did, the rest of us managed just fine:

Our many thanks for the mind-expanding fun, Jase.  Happy Three!

Isle of Palms

The second weekend in August, we met up with Poppie, Alex, and my Dad's new lady friend, Gooche, at Isle of Palms.  Here is the house we miraculously found to stay in at the last minute - it was just perfect for us:

We spent a very relaxing (for me at least, probably not very relaxing for Poppie, Alex or Gooche since the wake-up time was 7am or so) weekend playing on the beach, going out to eat, lounging around, telling stories, having tea parties (tea for Madam and tea for Sir), showing Owen the wonders of silly putty, and enjoying the end of summer.

Here are some pics from the weekend:

(That's my brother with his palm beard above.  Don't you wish you had a palm beard on right now?  I do.)

Also, Gooche taught Owen how to do a somersault, which then evolved into the Isle of Palm Olympics:

...And don't think that Owen running out of the room at the end meant he was done.  He was just adding racing down the hall and into the room to the Olympic course, which he proceeded to do about 20 more times.  (After the Olympics, running around on the the beach, and lunch at Poe's Tavern with all of us plus Denise, Mike, and Mia, a 3.5-hour nap ensued...and when I woke him up, he wanted to keep sleeping.)

That's a Hunt for you: play hard, sleep hard.