Hair-cute

Ha ha!  See what I did there?  Anyway, just wanted to post some pics of Owen's new 'do, since I asked the stylist to give him a faux-hawk.  I thought it was pretty becoming!  Don't worry - I haven't attempted to do this myself yet, so he's just got a normal haircut now.  :)

Hot Summer Days

Some random pictures from the last week or so...  


He wants to be just like his daddy, right down to the clothes!  (he looked like a tiny wizard wearing a huge cloak running around)  :)

Playing with his buddy, Jacob.  This "sharing" thing is going to take a while, I think.

Just chilling in a box ("bock"), or in our house "the goal".

Every few weeks a friend inflates this thing in her backyard and fills it with water.  It's like a combination bouncy house/water slide, and the kids love it!  It's been fun to watch Owen graduate from the kiddie pool, to the kiddie slide, to the real deal through this summer.  That's Owen in the middle with the white hat on.

He was really having a blast in the bouncy part, which was also kinda wet and slippery.

Reactors and Lava and Babies, oh my!

This past weekend we had some friends stop in from Austin/Seattle to stay with us.  Unfortunately, the temperatures had climbed into the 90s during the day, so we decided to minimize outdoor time during peak heat.  That was just fine with Maria and Owen.

Though they did enjoy outdoor time in the sandbox!

On Saturday, we hiked the lava trails nearby.  This is the guys' pre-hike picture.

We ended up with dinner back in town and a quick tour of the falls.

On Sunday, we headed over to "the site" to see the world's first nuclear power plant.  It's in the middle of nowhere 50 miles away, but it was interesting to tour the museum and imagine the risks those pioneers took to control such powerful reactions.

I like how Owen and Maria are sizing each other up in this picture.  The frame behind John and Amelia protects the original signatures on the wall from those present on the first day of nuclear power in 1951.

The control room, complete with a Reactor Shutdown button.

Owen's trying out the "manipulator", the original of which was used to safely handle radioactive material.

We had a great time with our old buddies on this low-key visit!  Next time, we'll pick better restaurants, including a delicious cupcake shop that we neglected to remember.  

20 months

Should have just added this to the last post.  Oh well!


Current favorite activities: 

• playing with cars/trucks
• kicking any ball
• being chased by/buried under stuffed animals
• immersing himself in sand/rocks/puddles
• drinking milk
• reading books
• bathtime

New words:  

• not really new, but the two-letter word ("no") is definitely being overused now
• "bock" - box
• "aht" - hot (usually accompanied by a cautious, testing hand and copious huffing and puffing)
• "mmm" - done with a crazy inflection for a cow
• "bawk" - chicken
• "ooo ooo ooo" - monkey
• "rawr" - tiger
• "mew" - cat
• "bup" - poop (accompanied by a point to his rear)
• "buh" - chair, not sure how that started but he's patting his chair when he says it
• sign for helicopter/airplane whenever one flies overhead or the A/C turns on, or the neighbor starts his weedwhacker...
• sign for pillow/lay down when he's tired or finds a fringy pillow

New milestones: 

• does the stairs - kiddie slide loop at the playground all by himself
• had his first non-related babysitter in Idaho - he was totally smitten with her!  :)
• will eat filet mignon, BBQ pork, and small bits of other meats besides chicken, finally!
• points to body parts and identifies pictures when asked
• knows a lot more words than he says

Blackmail

Can't help it. This is his new favorite bath pose, and he likes to give himself a soap-tee. :) Had to share with the grandparents!

The Fun Never Stops

It's all fun and games here. This week, he's been playing in the water with his buddy, Carson. They look like they could be related, and they have finally reached the age where they interact! Very exciting for the parents!
Of course, playing with Daddy is his favorite daily activity.

And here's a snippet of Owen dancing to a band playing at the Community Night Out celebration. This boy likes music! Just wish I got a little more video coverage of it.

Down on the Farm

It's all about the animals, but first some random moments from the last week...

Soccer is much harder to do while carrying a body-length pillow

Playing with Daddy and being chased by stuffed animals

Car "zen" time. In this case, it looks like a traffic jam.

Sitting on animals (at the zoo and the mall, respectively)

Petting the animals at the local dairy's Family Day - shorn sheep

Baby goat - very calm and soft

Tons of piglets, some looked brand new!
We also saw horses, chickens, and cows, all of which he knew the sounds for!

P.S. You may have noticed I'm trying out a date stamp on my pictures. Trying to decide if I like it or not; let me know what you think!