Halloween pix

http://picasaweb.google.com/amyswint/2009_10_31#

Halloween afternoon = 
Wonderful visit with Niels!  Owen thinks Niels is as fun as big people get!
Beef stew baked in pumpkins and apple crisp for dinner!
Owen discovers leaf piles without prompting!  (Mommy, I'm laying in that leaf hammock!)
A cowboy and his horse discover the joy of begging for candy door-to-door!

Oh, and Owen decides it's fun to pluck poisonous berries off of a bush in the yard, eat some, and bring a pile to mommy to eat!  Parents are shocked and ashamed!  Child has never even come remotely close to such behavior before!  Child is OK, that's the important thing!

The Zombie-Makers

Happy Halloween from our little monsters!

Notable Owens

"Mrs. Ruth is a fun lady! She likes to play games with you! She doesn't have a hairy beard on her face." [Ruth is my *fantastic* group leader at the church program we attend midweek. This morning we were at a brunch with her where we had the kids with us and she gave it her all entertaining and engaging Owen and some other kids while most of us were busy with our younger ones. It was absolutely wonderful and made the event actually fun. And of course Owen loved her...what kid doesn't like one-on-one attention on their terms ;) The beard comment is because Owen is scared of someone we know with a deep voice and a big beard; so if he says you don't have a big beard it means you're approachable and not intimidating and he likes you :P]

"Owen is going to have an Asher in his tummy too!" Well, no Owen, only girls can have babies in their tummies. "No mommy, Owen can have a baby in his tummy when he grows up!" Nope, not even when you're bigger. You're a boy. Boys can be daddies. "Mommy, mommy! Owen is going to be a daddy when he gets bigger! And Owen is going to be a chef! I will wear a big hat! I will cook food!"

[Lightbulb flashes on above Owen's head and eyes widen] "Mommy! When Owen was a baby he sat in Asher's baby chair! When Owen was a baby he played with that baby toy! When Mommy was a baby she played in that baby gym! When grandpa was a baby he weared that cowboy costume!" And so on, and so on...

Anything associated with birthdays = cake (in Owen's mind). Me: Hey Owen, tomorrow is mommy's birthday. Owen: Everybody will have a piece! Mommy I want a big, big piece of that birthday!

Out of the blue while riding in the car: "Asher is so cute! He's a chunk!"

Me: Owen, Nathan is going potty now. He wears big boy underwear.
Owen: No he doesn't! Nathan wears diapers. He doesn't like the potty. Nathan likes to be a baby.

[Note to self: Asher 13 wks exactly. Very rough nap day; cried ~10 mins w/ 6pm bedtime after 20 mins walking around. Last naplet 4-4:30pm. Not bad!]

Pumpkins

Owen and Reuel went out yesterday and Owen came bursting in...'Mommy! Mommy! We got a GIANT punkin'!! And we got a tiny punkin! And we got some tiny, itty bitty to-MA-toes! And we ate ice cream! He was at level 10 excitement. Some speedy pumpkin-carving commenced (excitement does not necessarily create long attention spans when you're not yet allowed to use a sharp knife). Asher joined in by sitting in his exersaucer next to the table and giving the toys along the edge some really hairy eyeball looks. It took some convincing to get Owen to put himself into the pumpkin up to his armpits and pull out the slimy guts, but then he was unstoppable. Mostly he had fun poking holes in the pumpkin with one of the little pumpkin carving tools we have. 'Daddy, I'm poking holes!'

Asher E-is-for-easygoing Swint

Oh my. Bedtime and nighttime had reached crisis stage around here with Asher. I was trying to balance his bedtime with Owen's--both usually on my own--and was having to walk him around in the dark basement, making sure it was quiet, for a loooong time, and then most of the time he would wake up, need repacifiering 20 times and finally get to sleep 2 hours later. Let me tell you how much that is *not* compatible with trying to care for another child simultaneously. Asher also has not been napping well (swing magic is all worn off) and so that makes for a rough combo...extra tired baby does not fall asleep easily at night. I was waiting til hopefully he starts napping a bit better (they say around 4 months that happens, and it did with Owen) before I allowed him to go to bed by himself (translate: forced him to cry to sleep, yuck!) but I just ran out of options. So...night #1 he was still crying at the 1hr15min mark and I totally caved. Went in, but didn't let him see me, rocked his bed a bit and he drifted off amid sobs eventually. I was heartbroken and in tears. Also I was afraid all that crying had been wasted since I intervened in the end. Well, nights #2, #3, and #4 he has cried for 30 seconds, 0 seconds and 7 minutes respectively. WOW. That is some fast learning. He has also settled himself in the middle of the night on his own, sans pacifier, and let me tell you we'd been having some doozy nights of replacing that pacifier over and over and over. This is *way* easier than it was with Owen, further evidence of a very different temperament on this little boy! And even with all of these short naps, he is one happy kid (in general). Only one night after not a single decent nap all day did he really lose it...for about 5 minutes when I got him out of the bath. As soon as we get some independent napping going, it is going to be a seriously happy household. Now that the swing isn't working for us, I have been back to walking/holding that baby to sleep for 30-45 minutes each time, about 4 or 5x per day. Exhausting and nerve-wracking for both Owen and I. We can make it!!!

Cutetastic

Reuel

While I'm watching Dora with Owen on the computer (thrill!) I just remembered I had this picture of Reuel on file. Thought it would be interesting to compare it to our boys!