Bribery

We've been working on "potty training" Owen, which is basically a lie for several reasons.  First, Owen is perfectly capable of wearing underwear and sometimes he decides to do just that (sometimes for several days in a row, and then we get really excited that This Is Really IT, but alas...it isn't).  But, other times, he decides he would prefer a diaper.  One time, I asked him why he preferred to wear a diaper over underwear, and he said, "Well, Mama...it's....safe."  He's got a good point there.

Second, this summer we tried bribing Owen with cookies if he did anything of...ahem...significance on the potty.  But the truth is that I wanted cookies and I was probably going to bake them anyway, but positioning it as a reward for Owen made it less yeah-I'm totally-whipping-up-a-batch-of-chocolate-chip-cookies-from-scratch-because-I-feel-like-eating-some-of-the-raw-batter-followed-by-many-many-baked-cookies and more whoa-we-are-really-in-the-trenches-of-this-potty-training-thing-Official-Parenting-Business.  Dark chocolate and/or cookies (the marriage of the two is a beautiful, beautiful thing) were keeping my morale high, especially when sleep was scarce and things that required great effort and great patience were plentiful.

So here we are one afternoon after I surrendered to my chocolate craving Owen earned his reward:

Also: I learned that bribery doesn't work long term.  Owen quickly became immune to my sparkly and tantalizing offer of a cookie in exchange for potty business.  Fortunately, this was around the time that Leo started sleeping though the night, so I could return to a recreational level of cookie use.

Praises and cookies be.

Four

At the Children's Museum sometime in August, I was strolling Leo around and responding to a work-related email on my phone, while Owen played happily at the chalkboard, painting with water.  Owen called my name and asked me to look at what he just wrote.  I looked up and saw this:

I was amazed that he knew how to spell or write Leo's name (only three letters, but still...pretty cool, I thought).  But it was also so touching that he chose to write Leo's name instead of his own, that his brother and his brother's name were in his mind.  We have Owen, and we have Leo, and then it's like an extra-amazing bonus (that I forget sometimes since we're still new at this) that they also have each other.  That Leo is and always will be a part of Owen and vice versa.  This was one of those times, and something about that moment made Leo seem more real.

In the first few months of Leo's existence, it felt so new and so different to have him as part of our lives.  Like it was us, but plus one.  I think I've officially crossed some sort of threshold, though, because now when I look at this picture of when we were three, it looks like something's missing:

It's all of a sudden impossible to imagine that Leo didn't exist yet in the moment above.  Or that neither Leo nor Owen existed yet in the moment below:

Anyways, we're four now.  Not just playing-around-look-at-our-new-baby four.  But for-real-this-is-our-family-and-we're-DOING-it-and-a-little-tired-and-a-lot-caffeinated-but-LOVING-it four.

Baby Einstein

At 3.5 months old, we (Bill) finally lugged the Baby Einstein down from the attic so Leo could take 'er for a spin:

He was a good sport about it and took his time checking things out:

 

He even experimented with lifting his feet up in the air and kind of swinging around in the seat:

This didn't work out so well:

"Uh, mom?  I don't feel so good..."

 But a few days later, he was an old pro -- squealing, flirting, and striking a pose while he Einsteined it up: 

***

A quick look back at Owen in the Baby Einstein:

The Competition

Magnum:

Le Tigre:

Blue Steel:

Watch out, Derek Zoolander:

Crunkletons in Charleston

Megan, Monty, and Hudson came to Charleston in July!  (The last time they came to visit, Owen and Monty were only children, still babies themselves, looking like this.)  With a grand total of FOUR baby boys (we were outnumbered!), much fun (and much chaos) ensued.

We ate: 

We worked (pictured below at the Charleston Fire Museum - Monty and Owen were getting this fire hose ready for action):

We played (pictured below at the James Island County Park):

We ran around:

We made plans (here, Megan works on lining up a special evening out for the two of us at Charleston's new award-winning restaurant, Husk - take notes here, folks: baby on lap, pre-schooler at large, iPhone in hand, smile on face...pretty much just kicking ass as a mom):

We got to catch up on everything (here Hudson and Leo exchange war stories: "...no seriously, man, they basically bind me up with an ace bandage sort of thing...I never remember what happens after that, though."):

Some members of the group (side eye Leo and Hudson) just lounged around all weekend expecting everyone to wait on them hand and foot:

Said persons made up for it by being exceptionally cute:

We marveled at how we ever thought we were busy before having two kids:

And, sometimes, we slept (Hudson could fall asleep with Monty using a wooden hammer mere inches from his head...no problem):

The Spray Play had a big sign that said, "No Lifeguards on Duty."  Got 'cher lifeguards right here, people.  Megan and I have been bringing our lifesaving A-game since our 1996 lifeguard training.  Below, Megan demonstrates an advanced rescue hold on Hudson (I didn't manage to get a good photo of Megan, Monty, and Huddy all together, but Huddy's expression in this one cracks me up...)

Megan was kind enough to snap this photo of Mom, Owen, Leo, and me (it was rather warm outside as evidenced by Leo being close to the color of Mom's shirt...but no worries, he's being held by a lifeguard!):

Love and miss you, Sister.  xoxo

Snugglebunnies

Here are a few of Owen and Leo at the end of July.  They are both excellent snugglers.  Owen is so gentle with Leo that Leo is unconcerned even as Owen's arm is draped over his mouth.  Leo loves looking at Owen and has started grabbing at Owen's face, trying to touch him.  

When the timing works out, both Leo and I get in bed with Owen and enjoy a bedtime book, the three of us.  That's the good stuff.

Smiles All Around

Aunt Heba and Uncle Ed have occasion to come to Charleston with some regularity, and we love getting to see them when they pass through town.  Here, Owen and Heba give the camera the good stuff...

Love you guys...

Evening Time

Just a run-of-the-mill evening at our house, after dinner, before bed.

First, some drawing:

Portraits by Bill from L to R are as follows: Leo, Bruno, Owen, Dada, Mama, Boo:

Then, some wrestling:

 

Then some resting:

Favorite books these days are Richard Scarry's Favorite Bedtime Stories, Dr. Seuss' ABCs, and the Curious George Dictionary.

**

Today, Wednesday, August 24, was Owen's first day at ECDC (the Early Childhood Development Center at the College of Charleston).  I have linked to the ECDC blog over in the right-hand column - they post school activities and happenings about once a week.  Click here to go directly to their photos of the first day!

Granddaddy

We're still trying to figure out who Leo looks like.  In the beginning, I thought he looked like Owen, but not so much anymore.  In the past few weeks, the person I have been catching glimpses of is my Granddaddy Mark.  

Grandaddy would have turned 94 this month (August 5), and, while I haven't seen him since I was 19, I know he would love the socks off his two great grandsons.

I just showed this picture to Bill, and he said, "You look like him!  You and Polly have his eyes."  (Can you believe this picture?  On a whim, I just typed Mark Wheless into Google while writing this, and it came up.  He was the General Manager of the Students' Supply Store at N.C. State, and this photo is in their archives.  I can't stop looking at it...)

I miss him so much.  And I love getting to see him in Leo's face.

Aunt Jean!

Aunt Jean came to visit us in July, and we did what we always do when we're together: talk, play, eat, drink, crack jokes, and enjoy the comfort and pleasure of old and true friends.  

Owen is head over heels crazy about Aunt Jean and insisted that she read him his bedtime story every night (you are the "it" person if you are selected for such an honor).  Leo had only had a brief time with Aunt Jean when we were in Chapel Hill in May, so they got to spend some quality time together.

We also called upon our adventuresome spirits and made a beach outing (Bill was at work) with a toddler, an infant, and a dark, foreboding sky.  (We gambled and won: it only started raining as we were getting in the car to leave anyway...)

We miss you, Aunt Jean!  Come back soon.