A New Angel

Lexi, please welcome her with soft purrs and licks; Nana P, please hold her gently on your lap and stroke her head. Our sweet, brave Ava had to leave us tonight and she's coming your way in Heaven.

We'll miss her so much.

The Really Important Questions

The big three year exam was today. Owen handled it like a champ - stood still on the scale, raised his arm to get his blood pressure checked, and sat patiently while Dr. Mike listened to his heart, peered in his eyes and ears, and gently thumped his tummy. Mom did pretty well too, as I got through the entire appointment and developmental checklist without any of my usual "Kaufmann" anxieties as to whether or not Owen was on track. Yeah for us both!

Thanks in large part to Owen's gymnastics class I could confidently answer yes to all the physical questions: can he balance on one leg, hop in place, jump over things, arch his back. He also recognizes at least four colors, stacks things, knows the difference between cold and hot, uses plurals and knows his first and last name. Just about the only thing I couldn't say yes to was if he can draw an "x" - he knows the letter but I've never asked him to draw it.

Owen is now 27.5 lbs (10th percentile) and a tad over 36 inches (30th percentile). Still a little guy but Dr. Mike isn't at all concerned as he is growing nicely at his own pace and is perfectly healthy overall.

So it's nice to have that done for another year, and of course I am thankful for Owen's continued good health and development, but I realize that they never ask the really important questions. Like

... does he help around the house?

(yep! here he's "watering" the flowers with his bubble machine)

... can he dunk?

(he figures out how to get it done)

... might he have a future as baseball player, and is he a leftie or rightie?

(um, the jury is still out on both counts)

... does he make me laugh every single day?

(oh heck, yes!)

... do his mom and dad love him utterly, completely, and with our whole hearts?

(well, I think you already know the answer to that one!)

We Aren't (Quite) Martha Stewart

After a morning spent at the duck pond and at the playground (where Owen crossed the wobbly bridge, slid down the big slide, and attempted the rock wall all by himself), I thought a nice, quiet craft project would be a good afternoon break.

I'd purchased this Martha Stewart pom-pom critters kit a few months ago; looked cute and relatively mess-free.


Owen chose to make the owl, and very carefully helped assemble him.


Somehow, he ended up a bit demonic looking (and missing a beak).


But for Owen the funniest part of the whole project was when he picked him up, and the owl lost his head! Yep, big laughs.


(sigh) Must be defective glue ... can't possibly be the artists!

For the Love of Ava

This is why I

... spend a small fortune at the vet
... give her 2 different medications, 3 times a day
... never rearrange the furniture (she's blind)
... have a litter box on the main floor (see above explanation)
... worry each and every time she seems a little sicker



Owen loves her, and she lets him. Enough said.

Weekend at Nana's

Quick trip up to PA to check in on Nana while Pop-pop was on a golf retreat, and meet up with one of my best friends dating back to 7th grade, Brette Reiman (a friendship started when she sat behind me in homeroom - she was Mathias to my Kaufmann back then, and cemented during Brian Dunleavy's pool party when neither one of us wanted to swim the butterfly in a relay race).

It was so much fun to sit and visit with Brette, to chat with her mom who joined us for lunch, and to watch her youngest Tess play with Owen. As I commented to my mom later that day, I think it's really special that my three best buds growing up - Brette, Bea, and Manda - are all women that to this day I respect, like, and would choose again as friends.

A Day of Play

While it may seem like Owen's birthday was a week long, his actual day of birth was last Tuesday, so Cearra and I took him to a local children's play place to, well, play!

Owen teeter-tottered, dug in the "dirt" pit, shot baskets, played with cars and trains (of course), typed an email to Daddy on a (pretend) laptop, tried to beat Mommy at air hockey (no go - I'm good), and my personal favorite - took care of a sick hippo. Yep, I'm going to make this boy a veterinarian yet!

The Family Birthday Party

As usual, Bob and I were too busy running around - grilling and serving up food - visiting with family - just being part of the party, to get many pictures of the party. Managed to get a few of Cearra and Owen blowing out candles and enjoying our traditional Carvel ice cream cake. And Cearra being very happily surprised when she opened her gift from us!

We are so lucky to have family close enough to come for the day (although we always miss those who are in far off lands like Spain ... or Wisconsin), and we had a wonderful time seeing everyone.

One of my favorite moments of the day came in the form of giggles and shrieks as Malia and Owen discovered the echo in the water drain. Nothing says happy like a child's laughter.

Happy Bastille Day ... and oh yeah, Happy Birthday Owen!

We have been non-stop busy, with both planned and unplanned events. I promise to post pictures from Owen and Cearra's Birthday Party very soon ... for now here's Owen's "official" 3rd Year portrait (try not to notice the watermark please!).

Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate, who sent cards and gifts, and who joined us in wishing our little guy a very happy birthday. I cannot believe my baby boy is three!!

Some Fireworks Fizzle Out

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? For example, knowing what holiday just passed, you might take a look at this shot:


and think, happy mom and her son, relaxing in a field of grass on a beautiful night, "oohing" and "aaahhhing" over fireworks on the fourth of July.

Um,

yes and no.

We were watching fireworks, and I was happy (and Owen liked them), but in reality we had hastily pulled to the side of the road behind a shopping center parking lot to catch the last five minutes of a show coming from some distance away.

Now this picture:


shows how Owen actually watched much of the pyrotechnic display - from his car seat!

Of course that wasn't the plan; we had gone to Nana and Pop-pop's for the day then to Uncle Rich and Aunt Cathy's for dinner. After a nice meal we loaded up and drove to what we thought was a prime viewing spot for a concert and fireworks ... only to be told by a security guard five minutes after arriving that the show was actually scheduled for Sunday night. Oops. Oh well, we did get to see some dazzlers, and more importantly we spent a nice day with family.



And I think this pic:


is just right for saying HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY to our beautiful Cearra!! We love you, and can't wait to celebrate with you in person!