Ain't it great to be crazy?

So, I mentioned somewhere back there that I had several potential blog posts sitting around unfinished. Well, it looks like I'm not gonna get around to telling you about Owen singing "twinkle, twinkle little star" or about how he's learned to catch. I might have forgotten to tell you about how much he loves his new dinosaur bubble machine or how he over-dramatizes the sign for "cold" when he's eating his popsicles (frozen yogurt tubes). It totally slipped my mind to do a show-and-tell about our new little pool/slide configuration and how it's still too cold to be getting in the pool anyway. And, oh yeah, Owen pulled our wagon when we went for a picnic last week AND he looks great in a bucket.

Since, I'm obviously just not gonna get it together enough to tell you about all this great stuff, this video will have to suffice. Enjoy. For anyone that can't see the video, I'll throw you a bone with this picture.



















Oh, and the title of this post? It's from a favorite song, as featured in the video above. Don't know the lyrics? You can tap along with us right here.

Ain't it great to be crazy?

Happy Blogaversery

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Owen's World blog! I'd have to say it's been a pretty successful endeavor for something that started as a quick, basic way to keep family and friends in the loop. We're approaching 6,000 visitors in the last year and I am thrilled to hear about so many people who have Owen in their "favorites" list. Thanks for checking in, keeping up and sending the love. We'll try our best to keep you entertained in '06/'07 as well...I'll put in a word with the talent.

You've come a long way baby...













April 2005

















April 2006

House of Stone

This week, we added a 4th Stone to our midst. Grandpa Stone came for a visit and to become inevitably taken with Owen. He brought with him a special surprise for the little guy...his very own "garden" and gardening tools. Together, they planted some wildflowers for Owen to tend and a tomato plant for the patio. Great success!










































Of course, Owen was a little overzealous with the watering but who wouldn't be with such a fantastic watering can?!












If we're lucky, Owen will leave the "duht" (dirt) alone long enough to see some actual results from the planting. If not, it was certainly a worthwhile endeavor anyway.

We know that Owen had a great time with "Sone*" and if I had to guess, I'd say that "Sone" might have enjoyed himself too. What do you think?
























And if nothing else, the visit was worth this one spontaneous hug. Sweet kid.

*we speculate that Owen might be headed toward a future in football coaching or some such profession where you call everyone by their last name. "Hayuhl" and "Sone" are already on his roster.

Wow, wow, wow!

Alternatively, this post could be called:

That SEVEN is a Tricky Fellow

or even

One More Reason to Love Elmo

Allow me to explain. Sometimes when Owen gets a boo-boo, a kiss from Mommy just isn't enough. Sometimes it requires that Elmo come out of the freezer (yeah, we keep Elmo in the freezer) and help soothe the boo-boo too. Because Owen tends to not want to keep the ice-pack in place long enough for it to be useful, we've made up a little game. We count to ten with the ice-pack in place, and then Owen gives Elmo a kiss. Repeat. Over the last 4-5 months (since we bought the icy Elmo) we've done this, I don't know, 10 times maybe. Well, Monday was one of those days. We got Elmo out of the freezer and I started counting. Lo and behold, Owen joined in. I had no idea! Were it not for ice-pack Elmo, I would have never discovered (at least, not at this point) that Owen can count to 10! (Well, with the exception of that silly old number 7...he's a tricky fellow anyway.)

Of course, I have video documentation for you. In fact, just to be sure it wasn't a fluke, I have 3 sets of video.
Oh sure, one piece of evidence would have been sufficient, but I couldn't deny you the pleasure of seeing Owen tell me to turn the camera off...more than once.

This is the first time I tried to capture the counting on tape...hiccups and all. Notice I was ill-prepared and ran out of memory card space just as we got to 10. Good excuse to try again.

Take #2 at breakfast yesterday morning. Owen is a good sport for the first go round but tires of the counting pretty quickly. Has no problem asserting himself.

The final attempt (at lunch). Still trying to get past that tricky number 7. For those of you that don't know about "baby you", let me give the quick explanation. For many months, Owen would see pictures of himself and say or sign "baby." We would say "that baby is you" or something to that effect. Well, now Owen asks all the time to see "baby you." This means he wants to look at his blog, watch his picture slideshows on the computer or watch video playback on the digital camera. Pretty much anything that involves photos or videos of Owen as the subject is now "baby you." So in this video, "all done baby you" roughly translates as "stop filming me or else!"

19 months old, people. Someone please tell me that help is on the way.

Hayuhl was here!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have known that my grandpa was a great grandpa. From playing jacks in the middle of the kitchen floor to building me my own stilts, he was involved. From coaching my first softball team to making a firecracker-powered cannon from which I could practice catching fly-balls, he was the coolest grandpa I knew. Well now, he really is a GREAT GRANDPA. Owen's great grandfather, Grandpa Harrell, came to stay with us last week. Owen had so much fun playing with "Hayuhl" and it was really wonderful to watch the two of them together.

There was much exploring to do...












Some artwork needed to be created...





















Reading was on the must-do list too...












And even "Hayuhl" took part in the playground hoopla. Check out this video. Notice that aside from the mommy-mandated spotting, Owen is climbing the ladder all by himself (a shock to us all when we discovered he could do this last week!). "Hayuhl" doesn't do too bad himself.

One of the biggest highlights of the week was our first ride on the "choo choo tain." We took quite a ride on MARTA, Atlanta's above-ground "subway" system. What started out as a quick trip on the train, turned into a 3-hour tour. We rode all the way into downtown, changed trains a couple of times and finally had lunch at the CNN Center. Excellent excursion overall. And it goes without saying that Owen loved every minute of it. I think "Hayuhl" might have enjoyed himself too.





































Grandpa Harrell, we had so much fun and are so happy you came to play. Great grandpa, indeed! And a big thanks to Uncle Alan ("Ayan") for bringing "Hayuhl" to visit. Wish we could have seen you more during the week but even the little bit of time we had together was fun. Thanks for making the trip!

The Easter Bunny and The Cool Glasses

Ok, a little background information for you first. As many of you know, Owen loves glasses...sunglasses, reading glasses, big glasses, little glasses. Anyway, he loves glasses almost as much as cell phones. Starting when he was quite little, we would put a pair of glasses on him and tell him he looked so "cool." Well, it stuck. All glasses became known as "cool." Several months ago, we realized that he should probably learn, sometime before kindergarten, that they are actually called "glasses" in the real world. So, he learned "glasses" (well, really "gasses") but still never dropped the "cool." Now, all glasses are "cool gasses." Got it?

Well, since he has already demolished one pair, he no longer gets to play with my sunglasses. Last week, this caused a meltdown in the TJ Maxx checkout line. In a single moment of desperation and to offer some public explanation for my child's outburst, I simply said "maybe the Easter Bunny will bring you some cool glasses of your own." Words offered with little thought...over and done...didn't think about it again. Well, last Friday (Good Friday) I decided I needed to call the mall and check to see if they had an Easter Bunny available for pictures on Saturday (nothing like waiting 'til the last minute, Mommy). I'm on the phone inquiring about said bunny when Owen comes running in the room, "Cool gasses, cool gasses!" As soon as he heard the words "Easter Bunny", he remembered my empty promise. It took a few moments for me to make the connection. Needless to say, I promptly went in search of some kiddo sunglasses for the Easter Bunny to bring.

The "cool gasses" were a big hit! And I learned that I better not say anything I don't really mean.












Bunny inspired eyewear aside, Easter really was a great day in the Stone household. Having already done a "Bunny Brunch" and kids' extravaganza with Rob's firm, we decided to stay put on Easter Sunday and kick around the backyard on our own. So much fun. Owen's egghunting mood went from slightly puzzled to requests for "more eggs" to, finally, "more candy." See it here.

The chocolate bunny went over well...














As did the bubble blowing gun...



















And the big wheel rides...

As I said before, all in all, it was the perfect day. Want to see even more? Stone Easter 2006

A Very Happy Easter

Today was the perfect day. One of those days that you wish could just go on forever...the kind that makes you stop and take deep breaths just to be sure you take it all in. And we didn't even leave the house. I spent the day with my two favorite people and that was enough to make it the best Easter ever.

So much to share, there too many photos and videos to even touch right now. Don't worry, I WILL post later...for now, I'm still breathing in my day with family. Hope it was happy for all of you too.


Owen and The Bunny- 2006

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

That's what I've always believed anyway. So, what's the ultimate in flattery? Keeping a toddler by your side all day, of course!

We've already established that you must be very careful what you SAY around Owen. It will be repeated. I also now realize that I must be careful what I DO in his presence as well. Owen has become my little shadow, doing just what I do and watching my every move. Every day, there is some new mimic routine...some new discovery of how he can emulate Mommy and Daddy. Pretend play has begun.

At the last doctor's visit, he picked up the tongue depressor and pretended to file his nails! It must have looked much like the emory boards we use at home. A few days ago, he asked for a second "dink" of water. He gave it to Elmo. In the kitchen, he gets out a mixing bowl and whisk to stir things just like mommy.

A new favorite trick, and one that must be repeated each and every morning, is getting ready just like mommy...makeup and all. Rob tried to capture it a couple of weekends ago. Although in this video he's sitting with mommy, he normally initiates this on his own (and often when nobody is looking). The initial interest in "bake up" required nothing on our part. Fingers crossed that we're leaning more toward television anchor than drag queen.

And after several weeks of this same routine, you know it was bound to happen sooner or later (whether we liked it or not)...






































Owen has also taken to stomping around the house in Mommy's and Daddy's "boots." Apparently "boots" are any shoes bigger than his own. Check it out.

Finally, here is some footage I just captured today. I heard him talking in the front room and went in to find that I was interrupting mealtime. Feeding time at the bear exhibit.

I know, I know!

I am way behind in my blog updates! Several of you have made it abundantly clear...you want to see something new! I get it. And I'll get right on it. Cut me some slack...we've been a little busy.

I do have several posts just sitting there, half-finished. I'll get them up...promise. In the meantime, here are some photos to tide you over. He's still as wonderful (and active) as ever.