Category Archives: Owen
Len Christmas in July, Year 3
This year our celebration was at Rose & Jim’s cottage on Houghton Lake. The weather started out a bit sketchy—chilly and windy—but within an hour it was absolutely gorgeous! It was a perfect day with lots of delicious food, fun watching the kids, a fun gift exchange, and conversation!
I’m only posting this picture because it’s the first “in the wild” picture of me that’s been taken and…I had ZERO idea who it was when I first saw it!
Hitting a box of $5 garage sale golf balls into the canal—well, trying to get them across the canal onto the island but not many made it there. 🙂
This happened quite a bit!
Katie wanted to fish…but only for about 32 seconds at a time and then she was off doing something else.
Alex caught the first fish!
Feeding the ducks off the back of the pontoon!
Going out to hunt for turtles for turtle races!
Apparently the tradition is to kiss the first fish you catch… What a sport!
At first, Katie wanted nothing to do with the boat—she didn’t even want someone to set her on the boat! But after the second trip she was jumping onto the boat herself and loving every minute of it! Owen loved it, too!
They caught a previously-caught-and-tagged turtle—no one here is C.B. 🙂
Owen said fishing was boring—we told him yes, it was. He’s used to fishing at the Fish Hatchery where the fish pretty much jump in your bucket. 🙂
Aubrey tagged her turtle!
I lined the kids up for their annual shot and didn’t even realize until afterward—when Aubrey pointed it out—that I did it wrong! She told me “I’m older than Owen!” And I agreed with her and then realized they had been in the wrong order!
Nick is 12, Owen is 7. Nick had the slight edge on Owen last summer and it looks very similar again this year…though I think Owen gained a very tiny bit on him. We didn’t set them on flat ground so we can’t be 100% sure.
In the right order! Katie (4), Owen (7), Aubrey (8), Gracie (10), and Nick (12).
All of the cousins: Jessica (an upcoming senior), Alex (an upcoming freshman), then Nick, Gracie, Aubrey, Owen, and Katie.
Maggie was FASCINATED with the turtles!
Marge gifted all us girls with one of her ostrich eggs!
Turtle races!
Trying to scoop up the golf balls that rolled in the canal!
It was exciting for everyone when Greg caught this huge dogfish! (Katie is still talking about it days later!)
We celebrated Katie’s birthday a day early!
And Aubrey’s two days early!
Uncle Timmy diving for turtles!!
The second run of turtle races (after they went out on the boat to get more turtles)!
Owen’s turtle winning the second race!
And a Then & Now throwback picture:
The swing that was actually a frisbee.
Grandma Jean bought a swing for the kids and wanted to put it up somewhere in the yard. Unfortunately, there aren’t any good tree branches for it to attach to but we winged it.
Katie was the only one able to swing on it—Grandma Jean and I were going to except it was a little too low and Owen tried but wasn’t serious about it and kept “falling” off.
So the swing wasn’t a huge success…as a swing…but Gramma saw the positive and said “At least I bought them a frisbee on a rope!” 🙂
I can’t remember the last time I had to wait in a line!
I guess that’s what happens when a small town theater gets a big movie on the opening day (Secret Life of Pets) and the weather is questionable (it was supposed to storm and it was getting dark and windy). As a sidenote, Owen completely freaked out about the weather and wanted to go home. We are not sure how or why he has become so freaked out about weather.
Unfortunately, we didn’t actually get to see the movie—there were so many people that by the time we made it in to look for seats there were none available (definitely not six together and pretty much only single seats here and there—people were even sitting in the aisles and on the steps). So we got our money back and decided to go another day.
Knight Owen
He repurposed two Burger King crowns into this…along with his new Ninjago shield.
Who knew Pennsylvania meant pencils?
Driving through Pennsylvania, Owen says “I think I know why it’s called Pennsylvania. All the houses are made out of pencils.” 🙂
This just isn’t my kids right?
Since we had two days of rain over the holiday weekend, today I took the kids to the park where they pretty much sat there and played restaurant. Or did this.
As soon as we come home, what do they do? Run around the house like screaming banshees playing tag.
Kids.
Goofy kids going a bit stir crazy on this rainy 4th.
Other than a nice Saturday, the holiday weekend has otherwise been a bust—it’s been 65° and rainy for two days. Blah. Yes, the kids are still in their PJs at 4pm. 🙂
And a few minutes prior—I came downstairs to see this:
Today’s superheroes!
Family, fun, and fireworks!
We decided to try a new location for watching fireworks this year—the equestrian center just up the road.
Owen saw a first-grade friend so he played with us for a bit.
A perfect viewing ditsnce for the kids as it wasn’t loud enough to bother them!
She’s definitely my daughter.
I don’t remember loving the pool (and water) this much at this age, but I know I did later on. She has to be my daughter. I’m actually amazed at everything she does in the pool. Even just two weeks ago she couldn’t get a ring that had sunk to the bottom of the pool and now she dives down no problem! And of course, she still jumps off the side like a crazy person!
Owen took the camera. He has no idea how to hold it and every single picture has his fingers or hand in it.
Let’s go to the movies!
A shirt from the shopping trip I had with my friend a few months ago (that I haven’t worn yet) and one of my new XS (!!) Lularoe maxi skirts!
It’s still feels a little weird to be “dressing up” just to go to the movies, but this is what I wanted—it’s not really dressing up, it’s just looking put together. 🙂
Getting ready to see Finding Dory and splurge on delicious hot buttered movie popcorn!
We are for sure going to miss this pool when we move next year.
We’ve been going about 3-4 times a week since it opened. The lifeguards even know us!
Today we got pretty new white and blue chairs (and umbrellas)!
I’m not sure where she learned to do this but I love it.
Trying to get a serious picture.
But being silly instead.
Wrapping up Owen’s baseball camp!
He’s been going to baseball camp every day from 9a – 2p and loving it! They play games while learning and practicing baseball skills. (He learned to bunt this week!) Today was the last day and they had a little wrap-up session where they handed out [dollar store] bases and trading cards to everyone.
June photos are online!
Owen’s perler Pikachu
This was his project earlier today.
First day of summer break
The day started off okay but I may have wanted to punch both of them by noon.
Mom, I want a snack. Mooom, Katie spilled her water. Mom, Maggie stole my seat. Mooom, I don’t want to take a shower. Mom, I want to go somewhere special. Mom, I want a snack.
I take them to a neighborhood playground. Mom, it’s hot out. Mom, my legs are tired. Mom, I don’t want to play with Katie. Mom, I want to go home.
I tell them if the weather stays nice we’ll go to the pool. So every five minutes: I want to go to the pool. It’s not open yet. Mom, I want to go to the pool. Mom, I’m hungry. Mom, I want a snack. Mom, play a game with me. Mom, can I watch Netflix? Mom, Owen is in my way. Mom, I want to do rock painting. Mom, Owen is opening the door.
And on and on and on.
Sigh.
At least they had fun at the park for 15 whole minutes.
Owen’s last day of 1st Grade!
It was stormy this morning and raining when it was time for Last Day of School pics…so pics were taken inside.
I don’t often go to the bus stop with him…mainly days it’s raining. 🙂
First and last day of 1st Grade! The report card came home today and we officially have a 2nd grader!!
I dropped off teacher thank you bags today.
So took a few end-of-year pics. I missed one with Katie’s teacher Miss Heather so still need that one.
Owen’s pinch pot octopus
I forgot to post this when it first came home. I love it. I wasn’t quite sure what it was until I flipped it over and counted the legs. 🙂
He loves martial arts more now that he has the uniform.
And he’s so cute in it…
But…we’ve decided against continuing. And oh, the guilt I feel as he excitedly runs around practicing his kicks and showing Katie his moves and repeating his instructions and replying yes, ma’am to me. That said, the guilt just isn’t worth $160/month for 12 months.
Katie just asked him to do something and he said “No, I have to practice.” 🙁 And then he just bowed before he went into the bathroom and then into Katie’s room. And he’s been giving me yes ma’ams all night.
And this is what he did with his uniform:
Gah.
I know he’ll get over it soon enough…I just hope I will.
Thank you Mrs. Talley!
I suggested that Owen write his teacher a thank you note for the end of school. I gave him a few ideas, but this is what he came up with all on his own.
Translation (though the writing is much more readable these days):
Thank you for being a good teacher Mrs. Talley. These are my favorite things: recess, lunch, social studies, science, math, computer (MyOn) (Tumble), books, physical education (PE), music, read-to-self, balloons (end of the day popping tomorrow activity), art, library, Mount Vernon field trip.
I was very impressed when I first read what he had written—spacing, spelling, and content. I did, however, give him two brief lessons:
- Comma usage for lists (which he mostly understood). Though you can see a few extra commas, he did really well for being in first grade.
- How to draw parentheses. He had just drawn a C in front of the word so I showed him what it really looked like—but he had the idea all on his own before that!
Little boy people watching.
Yes, in his undies. He had been in the middle of getting his PJs on when he got distracted by the outside. 🙂
Kidisms 27
We were at the pool and they had started the grill for the cookout.
Owen: That smells like deliciousness!
Reading our initials on the wall:
Katie: J-T-O-K! That rhymes with Katie!
Katie wanted to leave her seat at the restaurant. I asked what she was going to do.
Katie: Some ballet on the carpet.
Owen: Katie, where did you get hurt? Your butt cheek?
Katie: No, my leg cheek.
Katie: Mom. Watch. I’m a ninja karate-r.
I was trying to teach Katie how to count from 20 to 30. She was getting the hang of it. Almost.
Katie: …twenty-six…twenty-seven…twenty-eight…twenty-nine…twenty-ten.
It’s been awhile…
Making tracks with friends
Every now and again we go down to visit our neighbors when they’re out playing and today it was about when Owen was coming home from school. So this happened:
The girls were running back and forth bringing Owen pieces and helping attach them.
The finished project!
Heading home.
They’ve been WAITING for this.
They love riding back from the pool in the back of the car but we haven’t been able to do it with all of Owen’s baseball stuff…but since baseball is over I cleaned it out!
Post-game pool fun!
More Marlins baseball!
Owen’s life timeline
This is so simple but I just love it.
