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Journal Key:

Green = Steve | George = navy | Janet = Purple | Evelyn = Black

6/27/13 (Thursday)

Walking into Cara's camp in the morning, we don't have shadows. They are behind us. Why are they back there? It's a mystery. This is fascinating stuff. Walking out of Cara's camp, we have shadows! Today, Owen did not, because he walked on my shadow. We had to cut across the lawn instead of following the sidewalk, in fact, because we could only walk straight. This was very funny.

Today was our second swimming class! It was actually pretty nice. Owen wasn't happy about getting into the pool, but the teacher held him for a while as she brought other kids across with one arm, and eventually he was on the wall with everyone else, having mostly a very good time. He jumped in at the end, and he got a sticker. It was a very successful experience.

Owen is under no illusions, though: he has very clearly told me several times that he does not swim, the teachers take him across. He does not know how to swim.

After class, we sat with Cara, who was coloring on some color wonder paper I'd bought for this occasion. We hung out with her and some other girls, and we all had a treat, and then she went to her class and I gave Owen a shower in the locker room and got him into his pajamas. Then he and I looked at a coloring book, put stickers on our hands, and discussed whether or not he would get another treat from the vending machine. He would not. We'll have to be very clear about that next week.

6/29/13 (Saturday)

Today Grandmom and Grandpop brought Griffin up to play! We were all very excited, and we'd started on Friday night to explain to Owen that Griff would be allowed to play with all of his toys. This somehow became represented by the idea that Griffin was going to touch Batman. Owen did not think Batman was particularly interesting-feeling.

However, when it actually happened, Owen didn't seem to have reservations about sharing his toys. The playroom ended up looking very well-played-in, because many bins were dumped. Griff really liked the guys and particularly our transformer, the fire truck/robot guy who turns out to be a Rescue Bot. He is slightly different from Griffin's own fire truck/robot Rescue Bot.

There were other transformers, which Steve showed Griffin: they transform when they crash into things.

We even got the kids to sit down for lunch, and they all ate things. Griffin had some of Owen's yogurt, though he had to spoon it out of a bowl instead of drinking it from the bottle, and Owen had some of Griffin's yogurt, which he had in a bowl because he only got half. Things were very fair. Everyone stayed at the table for a long time, at least, too.

I thought it would be fun to take the kids in the sprinkler, but Griffin was too interested in the inside toys. He and Grandpop stayed inside. "Transform!! Transform!! Tranfsorm!!" chanted Griff, still working with the robots. Cara and Owen came out with glee and ran through the water.

Owen had no hesitation this time and threw himself into sprinkler play. He ran through, crawled through, grabbed the sprinkler, pretended to grab the water. He flung himself onto the grass. Surprisingly, grass got on him. Not surprisingly, he wanted "A little help?" to pick it off.

Poor Cara was stung by a bee! Her finger swelled up, and we applied ice to it and popsicles to both kids. I tried bribing Griffin with one, but it didn't take.

Having him come up was great, though; I hope we can do that more often!

Later in the afternoon, Owen and Cara were playing together in the playroom with the Scooby gang. They somehow worked out any sharing issues they had, and they actually engaged in extended imaginative play together. I spied a little. They had the gang at the top of the Batcave. Scooby had fallen off, though.

Daphne/Cara: Oh, no! Scooby fell!

Shaggy/Owen: I'll get you, Buddy! (Shaggy dives down and returns with Scooby)

Daphne/Cara: Wow, Shaggy, you did it!

Fred/Cara: I've never seen Shaggy be so brave!

It was lovely.

6/30/13 (Sunday)

Having not napped yesterday, Owen took a long one today! We had a quiet evening at home. After dinner, we made popcorn and watched a movie. Well, we "watched" a movie. The kids played in the living room. They had some game going on that had them climbing all over each other on the couch. There was a lot of giggling and a lot of "look, Mommy!" and "Daddy, watch this!" They wrassled and shared snacks and even colored together.

We got Owen upstairs for his bath when Cara declared that she'd be faster than he was. Then they had a bath tea party that was eventually interrupted by Steve needing to actually wash Owen.

Now, I think Owen wants Cara to read him a book.

7/1/13 (Monday)

Although Owen is right at this moment forcing Aunt Claire to read his super hero book to him, we're enjoying a good-book renaissance. I've been getting to read The Circus Ship, Bad Kitty, and One Drowsy Dragon. Last night, during Circus Ship, Owen protested that I had skipped something: "You didn't say the dog word!" I was at a loss, partly because I hadn't been trying to skip anything. I looked more closely at the page. Then things made some sense: "Don't question me," barked Mr. Paine, "Just do as you are told!"

I read that line again. Owen thought it was pretty silly. "He barked like a dog!Woof woof!"

I did vaguely explain how the word barked can be used in a variety of ways, but I really don't think it was effective.

Tonight we continued our vague potty-training renaissance as well. I read Owen two books on the potty. He's becoming more interested in the process, and we discussed aiming and he seemed to be willing to consider it. However, despite twenty minutes of sitting and trying and thinking about it, despite having water running for inspiration, nothing happened. "I think I should just get in the bath," said Owen, finally. I agreed.

He stood in the bath. I held a container in front of him, because he always pees in the bath. Sure enough, he peed into the container. At least we could pour it into the potty!

7/2/13 (Tuesday)

Tonight Owen got home and asked where his "big homework" was. It turned out he meant the chore chart that Evelyn bought the other day. She had written in his tasks that he has to perform every day, for which he can get a star, which represents a book at bedtime.

The chart had an inauspicious beginning. Owen has spent the last few days scribbling on it, so naturally he wanted to do that some more--but now we really don't want him to mess up his chart. It was very tragic for him to learn this, and then we had to try to make him take his pants off and go on the potty.

But we did eventually get him to do both things. The potty trip worked almost exactly like it had done last night, and ended the same way, with him peeing in a cup while standing in the bath. I think we might need to set up a foot bath at the base of the toilet and have Owen stand in it. Evelyn suggests sticking water-filled cups on both feet.

Today was new library book day, so Owen has gotten a whole lot of new books. Another consequence of the potty being back in action is that he gets books on the potty, and ends up staying up pretty darn late. Having all the new books didn't help! But he's happy now.

7/3/13 (Wednesday)

A thing Owen has been doing lately: instead of asking "how come...?" he asks, "how become...?"

Another day with the potty...another cup peed in while standing in the tub.

Owen is very much in love with one of his library books, The Feathered Ogre, and has made us read it to him many, many times. I'm so glad we will be going on vacation soon and can leave it behind!

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