Owen has been going to Vacation Bible School the last few Wednesdays. He's been having a good time. I know that preschool in the fall will help but he's not been real receptive to doing what a teacher says. Story time at the library was never something he enjoyed, he would usually just refuse to do what the other kids were doing. He seems to be enjoying VBS, though, and actually following some instructions.

He's doing really well on counting, he can go pretty much to 29 by himself at this point. He's actually trying to read some words, mostly words he remembers but he tries to sound things out. He's so funny about sticking some random letters together on the fridge and asking, "What does X-T-Q spell?" His favorite book to read after we put him to bed is his "babotional," his preschoolers' devotional. He's really looking forward to school after Claire is born. Oh, which he can finally go to because he's potty trained! Yes!! During the day anyway. We tried to go to underwear at night because he was having trouble taking his pull-up on and off, but that didn't last long. It was funny, he was dry overnight for about a week and Cor and I were lying in bed congratulating ourselves, and the next day he was just soaked. He woke up just sopping wet for 4-5 days before we finally got a clue and went back to pull-ups.

He apparently told a friend of ours that he doesn't want a sister, he wants a brother. Sorry, buddy! I had him put his ear on my belly a few weeks back and see if he could hear Claire. He said he could. What is she saying, I asked? "She says, get your ear off of me! Now she's hitting me!"

He's been coloring more lately, he makes recognizable pictures of stick cats and two-legged figures. He loves to draw monsters, for some reason.

My mother-in-law is in a nursing home/rehab center for a few weeks while she recovers from some knee surgery. Owen has seen her every day and the other residents, mostly elderly folk, just light up when they see him. I should really take him more often. He is very patient with them unless they call him "cute" or a "little boy." "I'm not cute! I'm not little, I'm a big boy!" We were at the library yesterday and there was a little 17-month-old boy there. Owen was so good with him, he was very patient trying to help him build a tower with some foam blocks. "Let me show you." Even when the little guy knocked down the towers, Owen didn't seem to mind. I was so proud...and relieved. Hopefully some of that goodwill will extend to his little sister.

Dangit, he had said/done some funny things the last few weeks that I wanted to write down for posterity, and now I can't remember them! That's what I get for not doing it when it happens.

35 Days To Go

Barring something odd happening, 5 weeks from today I should be holding little Claire in my arms instead of my belly. I feel woefully under prepared. We have painted the furniture and moved most of the junk out of her room, which isn't really a big deal considering she'll probably be rooming with us for a few months anyway. I have a huge bin of pink and purple clothes. We of course have all the stuff from Owen, including a few new things. I'm still up in the air about bottles, do I risk her future health and use the Avents we used with Owen or get something BPA-free? Maybe I won't have to worry this time for a while and breastfeeding will be easier. This pregnancy has been just as easy as it was with Owen, though I'm getting more uncomfortable now. I'm still extra moody but that's about it. My doctor called me "boring," and he meant it as a compliment.

Owen loved the fireworks this weekend, he is still talking about it. He chattered all the way through, talking about the red ones and blue ones and oval ones. We went to a friend's house to watch, she has a 3-year-old that Owen has known since he was born. He had a good time playing with her until another of her little friends came and then she didn't want to play with him anymore. I think I felt worse about it than he did. How are we going to survive grade school? After the little girl's mom and I tried to get the other two to play with Owen, though, he wasn't interested, so go figure. However, later, during the fireworks, he wanted to sit by her and ended up on her grandmother's lap with her. She said they were cuddling and kissing.

He told me an interesting story the other night. He said that he used to be a star in the sky, and it was night. I asked him if he twinkled, he said no, but that Daddy and I sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and he came down out of the sky onto the grass and then he was Owen. Was he a baby, I asked? No, he was a big boy. I thought it was so sweet.