Storyville

Because of the ear infections, we decided not to send Owen to school today. He had a restless night, and woke up really early, and determined he wouldn't be in a very good mood at school, and it probably wasn't fair to send him when he just wanted Mommy... So we did some laundry - Owen is a big help pushing the basket around the family room, while Mommy tries hard to fold it.

Then Mommy dug into the last of the Christmas presents and dug out a winner. Now that Owen is walking so well, I thought he'd be ready for his Hot Dog... And he was, it took him a few minutes to figure out the difference between pushing a toy and pulling a toy, but he got it. And walked his dog around the whole first floor. It was very cute, but made Sam Dog very jealous. This dog is very calm on the leash, and doesn't bowl Owen over or take his toys. Oh, and most important, this dog doesn't bark!

After a nice nap, we went to Storyville at the Rosedale Public Library with Ms. Robyn and Sofia. They got there before we did, because Owen had a tough time waking from his 3+ hour nap. But we got there and had a ball. The place is incredible. It's totally free, and geared completely to kids under 6. They have a grocery store, garden, theatre, post office, construction zone, "toddler bay", and even a house with a kitchen set. We were there almost 2 hours and didn't get to see everything. It's a great facility and so close to our house, I have a feeling we'll be there often!

Sofia and Owen had a ball exploring. Now that Owen is walking everywhere and has given up on crawling, he really enjoyed being able to explore. And so frequently we go somewhere and Owen is so shy for the first few minutes, but this time he opened up right away, he didn't cling to me at all, which is how he normally would react. I think he was overwhelmed at first but he wasn't scared, which I think is a positive of him going to school - the negative of course - recurrent ear infections.

But what a great place. Owen and Sofia really had fun. I can hardly wait to go back!

After Storyville, Owen came home and played some more before an afternoon nap. I've been trying to teach him how to jump. He knows how to jump on a trampoline at Gymboree, but he hasn't figured out how to jump on the ground. But you'll see this video - he's getting major air!

Despite the fact that he's under the weather, he's been a trooper and so much fun. I taught him today how to hit a ball with his golf club. He enjoyed chasing the ball around and hitting it over and over. Hmm, maybe a future Tiger Woods on our hands??? I am really enjoying this stage of his life. Seems that every day leaves me exhausted, but with great memories. I hope he's feeling better soon, so he can stop the moments of pain and just really enjoy himself.

We have a busy weekend ahead. Grandma is coming down to spend the day with Owen tomorrow while Mommy & Daddy head out for the day. She's in for a treat and a surprise when she sees how well Owen is walking. It's going to be a fun weekend, and hopefully Owen will finally get a good night sleep to enjoy it.