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Journal Key:

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

8/29/13 (Thursday)

Owen's shorts seemed to be falling down today. I figured out why! It's because he's in underwear. It makes his tushie smaller.

Tonight was Popsicles at the Playground at Lindeneau, the kickoff event they have at the end of every summer. I took both kids. Owen brought his Avengers in the car, and he and Cara played in the very brief drive over. Cara took Thor, who apparently had to return to Asgard. Owen, with the other guys, was anxious to continue the relationship. "Thor, if you need us, just come back to the Vengers Semble!"

That's ok, said Thor, I'm fine.

"Thor," the other guys asked, "where's your hat? Did you put it in the basement at Asgard?"

The playground at Lindendau was mobbed, of course! The place was teeming with children. Owen took me right into the middle of it. I'd brought him partly to give me something to do, but Cara took him by the hand and led him away. I stopped to speak briefly to another parent. When I caught sight of them again, she was lifting him onto one of those insane curved ladders; she proceded to run around to the stairs herself, to wait for him at the top. I got over there in time to spot him.

He did fine, though. Then she brought him across the top to the big slide, and they both came down. He did fine without her the next time. And the next. And the next. I was amazed not only at his climbing but also at the way he got himself across the platform at the top, which was crowded with bigger kids. He could work his way through the crowd, and he could wait his turn and manage to get onto the slide. He did like to know where I was, to wave at me.

After he'd been that route a few times, we met Cara again. Both kids wanted their popsicles. We went over to the table, where Owen got to make an O and Cara got to write her whole name on a nametag. Then they got their popsicles, the kind that are just frozen syrup in a plastic sheath. Owen and I sat on the grass to eat his.

Back at the playground, he returned to his routine. Suddenly, though, he deviated. He stopped at this giant plastic climbing thing, which is sort of triangular and has lots of handles. I was astonished that he managed to pull himself up it! Fortunately, when he reached the top, Cara happened to reappear and was able to climb up and make sure he was ok getting across to the platform. After she was there a couple of times, he did it on his own over and over.

After that, he found a big metal ladder. He climbed up it, but he couldn't get to the platform, so I took him down. He tried it from the other side, which was further away, and couldn't get to it from their either, astonishingly.

He somehow managed not to nap today--he may have spent naptime repeatedly going to the bathroom--so he did get tired. It was late. I was glad he knew that he was ready to go home!

8/30/13 (Friday)

We were lucky enough to get independent accounts of the weekend, which our children spent with their grandparents, from both Grandmama and Grandpapa! I'm presenting both versions, but as George's version nicely transitioned between days, Grandmama's version is used as bookends.

Owen did not want to leave Scooby for the fair, but once we got there he was mesmerized. While George and Cara stood on line for tickets, he began migrating towards the attractions, and by the time George thrust some tickets into my hand, Owen was leading me by the hand, drawn inexorably to the largest slide I'm sure he's ever seen.

The little guy barely grazed the height requirement, and they let me accompany him for free. To get to the slide we had to negotiate an obstacle course. This is the first time I've seen him climb a rope ladder (it took a while). At some point we had to make our way down a padded chute to a bouncy spot - we always spent a little time appreciating the opportunity to fling ourselves about. The scariest part was near the top, where we had to traverse two long suspended bridges. He ran the first one solo, but the second swayed more and he held my hand for that, every time. Finally, the giant slide; by mutual consent, I took him down in my lap, although he would have been safe on his own.

And then we did it again. And again. He did get on a couple of other rides, including a big ferris wheel, but this was unquestionably his favorite.

By the time we had used up all our tickets, it was dark out, and the kids were tired and hungry. We took them home for supper, where Cara had hot dogs and a peach, and Owen had yogurt and grapes, and we watched the end of the Scooby Owen had started, and read stories, and brushed teeth, and went to sleep happy.

Oh, and the little guy used the potty both before and after the fair, and stayed dry all evening.

Owen and Cara arrived at about five--immediately, Owen was on the couch watching Scooby-Doo. Cara was being informed of the evening's plans. 'We're going to the Fireman's Fair,' we told them both. We showed Cara pictures of the Fair from last year and she was enthusiastic. We told both kids we'd find something to eat at the Fair.

At least once before leaving, Grandmama took Owen to the potty. We notice he is reluctant to go when urged, but as the evening and the next day went on, it became apparent that for the most part he gave adequate warning. If he's not distracted on the way, he's a success!

At the Fair, Cara and I went one way (the Himalaya, the Fun House, the Ferris Wheel, etc.) while Owen and Grandmama went off to a giant slide--you climb up various ladders and rope bridges until you reach a great height, then come down an enclosed plastic tube. This was the biggest slide Owen was ever on, I think. It was so big that he had to come down in Grandmama's lap, several times.

Once we got back together, we decided that Grandmama, Owen and Cara would go on the Ferris Wheel. By then it was dark and we were down to our last few tickets. After waiting in line for a ...long... time, Owen went on the ride and I think he liked it.

In the Honda on the way home, the conversation was about bugs. 'I hate moths,' Cara declared. She'd spotted a flying insect in the car. 'I hate moths too,' said Owen. 'I hate them.' he almost screamed. Owen declared moths to be "yooky." We notice that somewhere, sometime, Owen has learned to communicate with shrieks. This was the conversation during the twenty minute ride home. It was as if there were alligators in the car.

We got home, all of us uneaten, and Owen said 'I have to go potty.' I took him to our downstairs bathroom and helped him with his pants and put him into position when he said 'No. I have to use the upstairs bathroom!' So, rather than argue, I carried him upstairs by his armpits and had Grandmama watch over him as he hit the target.

When he was done, Owen insisted on drinking three glasses of apple juice.

8/31/13 (Saturday)

With the predictable outcome.

Kids up at seven. After Janet took the sheets off Owen's bed, he said 'I have to go potty.' So he did. After a Scooby session (we lied to him and told him we'd pause it while we were away. Gullible child.), we put him into his swimsuit, gathered up our impedimenta and headed to the splash park in Asbury Park.

The forecast had been for clouds and storms but it turned out to be a wonderful day. Not too hot, just right. At the splash park, Cara started running around immediately while Owen began the day-long task of eating all the colored Gold Fish in a very full baggy. Not even half done with the Gold Fish after forty-five minutes he left his chair and joined the water fun. Once into the fun, he became soaking wet, from head to toe. He even laughed when water went up his nose.

He played every game he, his sister, and assorted other kids could play. This was my favorite. I was standing around, minding my own business, when I noticed Owen half-sneaking up on me with a big sneaky, semi-evil grin and a bucket of water. I thought to myself: 'My, he's become advanced on the mischief scale' when, instead of pouring his bucket of water over my kneecap, instead, he turned it back on himself and poured it over his tummy! Of course, he shrieked with pleasure.

Lunch time came and we headed to the boardwalk where we got hot dogs, french fries and water for the kids. Owen ate very little. Some organized group had a rock band nearby and a couple of guys walking around in Star Wars costumes. The kids had their pictures taken.

Later in the afternoon, we got onto the beach where Cara dug big holes and then became angry when the waves filled in the holes--like King Canute, she could not hold the tide back. When Owen was in the water, sometimes to his waist, he screamed with delight, time after time, while holding tight to my hand. He got very sandy, very salty and after a while, we went back to the splash park, just across the boardwalk.

More running around, more hilarity. More Gold Fish. Owen fell in love with our big red towel. He would not let it leave his sight. He lay on it, sat on it, used it to cover himself, all the while near a drain through which water flowed. The towel grew wet. The towel grew heavy. We tried to get the water out of the towel, but Owen would not be budged. He would not be distracted. 'I want the red towel,' he declared. Then, 'I have to go potty.'

I took him into the men's room where we found he could use the very low urinal. It was a new thing. He liked it.

Back to his towel. Grandmama and I noticed the Owen's cheeks were becoming rosy, despite the sunscreen we'd put on him earlier. By then, he'd finished all the Gold Fish. We decided it was time to go. But what about the red towel?

I forget how we managed to get the towel into the car and away from Owen's attention. I worried that, because the towel was so heavy, the car's front wheels would be off the road--but that didn't happen.

Owen had his guys for the ride home and I think he stayed awake until we got back to the ranch. Soon, Mommy and Daddy arrived in the Fusion after their own busy day, and were, I'm certain, shocked at the mild sunburns their smiling children wore.

And now Janet's version:

Saturday morning, after bacon and eggs and Scooby Doo, we packed everything into the car and drove to Asbury Park. The sky was gray, and I had my doubts, but optimism paid off and we celebrated summer's end with a day at the splash park and the beach.

Once Owen was thoroughly soaked at the splash park, he wrapped himself under a towel and became a puppy dog. It turns out that puppy food is exactly what I had packed in zip-lock bags for snacks: carrots, grapes, and goldfish crackers. Even when we went to a hot dog stand for lunch, the puppy ate only his official puppy food. He also woofed from time to time.

You just never know who you'll meet on the boardwalk. In our case, an Imperial Storm Trooper, along with several other costumed figures promoting an anti-hunger initiative. (Okay, the connection eludes me, but there they were.) So we put down our hot dogs to meet the storm trooper and take pictures. Owen was so excited by this encounter, after we had returned to our picnic table, he ran back to say hi again.

Well, being on the boardwalk gave us a good view of the beach, so after lunch we bought beach badges. The first thing on the beach is a set of playground equipment that definitely caught Owen's attention. He was all set to start climbing when he realized something important - Grandpapa had to take him to the men's room to make pee-pee! Once business was taken care of, Owen quickly mastered the little-kid portion of the playground, and moved over the the big-kid side. He ascended the climbing wall, went up some stairs, and found himself at the top of a long, twisting, enclosed slide. I took him down in my lap. He ran around and climbed up again. This time he told me, "You stay here," and down he went, solo, while I stood up top peering at the slide's end until his little feet emerged and around he ran to climb up again.

"You stay here," works on slides. When he picks up his bucket and heads for the ocean, however, I discreetly follow him. Actually, he first entered the ocean with Grandpapa - it was my turn to accompany Cara back to the bathrooms, and when we got back the guys were knee-deep in surf. Owen shrieked with every wave! Cara adopted her usual full-engagement approach to the water. Eventually both kids were as gritty as they could get, and we returned to the splash park, where Cara got into the shower to rinse both herself and her swimsuit. Owen just ran around in the clean water; he needed his hands to be clean so he could eat his puppy food.

When we arrived, about 11 a.m., George paid for parking until 5. Just a few minutes before 5 o'clock we packed ourselves back into the car, perhaps a little sunburned, to go home for dinner with Mommy and Daddy.

It was a GREAT way to end the summer!

9/1/13 (Sunday); 9/2/13 (Monday)

We have done so much stuff this summer. You may have noticed that my "Late August" photo page is really long--in fact, I think it's the longest photo page I've ever put on the site--and it still doesn't manage to cover the last couple of days of August. Summer started back at the end of June, when we went to the Youth Sports Festival in North Brunswick. Then there was Cara's march in the Milltown Fourth of July parade, followed immediately by a boat outing with the Loefflers, and a trip to the pool. Then we went to New Mexico. Then we went to Florida. There were multiple occasions of summer fun at Grandmama and Grandpapa's house. There was Cara's dance classes, both kids' swimming lessons, Cara's weeks of camp, a week-long trip to the Poconos, Cara's trip to the Liberty Science Center, another trip on the boat, and the kids' exciting Labor Day weekend with their grandparents. [Take deep breath.]

Which is all my way of saying that I don't have much to tell about what happened over the last couple of days, and frankly you shouldn't be expecting all that much. Ha!

To fulfill a long-held promise for this weekend, Cara went out with her mother in the afternoon to Michael's, where they purchased a bead craft kit. To her parents' astonishment, Cara sat right down and, without any assistance, immediately produced two perfect bead creatures. She had already done something like it in summer camp. But still, we were very proud.

Owen continues to progress at his potty skills. It has really been just this weekend that his ability to tell ahead of time that he has to go has developed. This of course is a very useful skill--though as Grandmama and Grandpapa have suggested, you still have to get him there quick, and nudge him, as he tends to get distracted on the way. We are still putting diapers on him when he goes to sleep, but he has woken up dry on several occasions.

Unfortunately he has also developed the habit of stalling for time and lengthening his awake-time by telling us he has to go to the potty after he is in bed. He has also been waking in the night and having to go to the potty, which still requires grownup assistance.

And--not to get too graphic, but--he's not very good at aiming. He appears to feel that a hand resting somewhere around the hip area is good enough, but it really isn't. Mostly he just gets lucky, and happens to be pointed in the right direction. He also tends to...dribble. Since he favors Mommy so much more than myself for potty trips, he hasn't had the level of male support that perhaps he needs. But! He's getting better all the time.

Tomorrow Cara goes back to school and so does Mommy, and our long, eventful summer turns into a crazy fall.

9/3/13 (Tuesday)

Back to routine! I barely saw Owen in the morning, because he slept until just a few minutes before I left.

When I got to YBR to pick him up, Owen and some other boys were very busy near a tree. I went over and found that they are busily picking the bark off. Poor tree! Owen and I went inside to get his stuff. "Just don't tell me about the nap, Mommy," said Owen. Of course, I asked why and what had happened. Based on his description, he may not have slept. Miss Vina and Miss Kathy, the teachers who were left, had been upstairs. They hadn't heard any screaming, though, so we figure nothing horrible happened.

9/4/13 (Wednesday)

I love this weather! Both kids were happily playing outside when I picked them up. I got Owen first. When we noticed the big blue pawprints painted on the sidewalk outside Lindeneau, he was absolutely confused. Was there an animal here? Why had it made footprints? I doubt that my explanations were effective. When we got home, neither kid wanted to come inside. They took off their shoes and played on the lawn while I made dinner.

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