Owen Is Not ALWAYS Mischievious

Only 99.9% of the time.  Hence, why there have been no blog updates since his birthday.  What?  That didn't make sense?  Well, let me put it this way; his antics were not for sharing the past few months.

But, it's the dawning of a new era.  Owen started school three weeks ago.  And, get this ... his teacher LOVES him.  Actually, I shouldn't say that like it's hard to believe.  Everybody who meets Owen loves him.  Antics aside, he is one of the sweetest, most loving, and adorable kids on the planet.

In fact, that's what this post is about.  Owen being cute and not mischievious.  One of my favorite things about Owen is his knack for giving himself kudos in the 3rd person.  The other night at dinner, Owen reminded Peter that he and Elsa needed vitamins.  Peter got up from the table to get them and Owen says, "Good call, Owen."  I laughed so hard I almost spit the water I just took a sip of out of my mouth.  That's my Owen.

I will end this short post with a new picture of my Owen ... on a horse.  Thanks to Auntie Alex (because his mom would NEVER volunteer to go near horses, I wonder where Owen gets the 3rd person thing from), Owen was able to go for a pony ride.  The kids had so much fun.  And, Owen looks like a king ;)

Happy 4th Birthday, Owen Michael

Happy Fourth Birthday to my wonderful son, Owen Michael (and Elsa Jane, but this blog isn't about her).  What better way to celebrate Owen's birthday than with an updated blog posting?

It looks like it's been almost three months since I posted last.  You might think that Owen is maturing and isn't getting into as much trouble and he used to, you know, because he's four now.  Nope!  You'd be wrong.  The reason there hasn't been any blog postings is because I CAN'T blog about Owen's latest antics.  Obviously, I can't go into it here, just know he's been his usual unruly self the past few months.

Some of you may know, from hearing from us, that Owen has become somewhat of a food hoarder.  I don't know if he is expecting an apocalypse (it is almost December 21, 2012, afterall) and thinks his nightstand drawer will survive with all of his goodies.  Or, if he just thinks we will stop feeding him one day.  Either way, he stashes food in his nightstand drawer.  Mostly candy, though I did find cough drops in there last week (and six packs of gum).  What will a now four year old do with six packs of gum???

The best, though, is what I found in his underwear drawer yesterday.  It was a can of Kirkland's weight loss shake in chocolate.  First, gross.  He obviously must not have tasted it because, if he had, he wouldn't want to keep that.  Second, seriously?  A weight loss shake?  Why does he do this?  Can anyone explain this to me?  When I told Peter, he questioned whether it was empty or full.  Full, luckily, I can't imagine what all of that weight lossiness garbage would do to a four year old's body.

Last week, the boys had emptied their nightstand drawer and Peter noticed Owen was very protective of a box of crayons.  When he investigated further, he realized the box was empty of crayons, but did contain a large number of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup miniatures.  He brought said box to me and showed me the contents.  I started laughing.  Peter's comment to me was that Owen will probably be really good at hiding his "sandwiches" (for those How I Met Your Mother fans) when he's a teenager.  Great!

Last night, the night of Owen's fourth birthday, I couldn't help but think about how much this birthday will probably be similar to his 21st birthday.  Picture this; Owen in just his underwear laying on the bathroom floor complaining that he is going to throw up.  On the way to lay down on the floor, he hits his head on the toilet bowl and a huge goosebump forms.  How'd you get that bump?  Oh, you know, throwing up, toilet bowl, not a good combination.  His fourth birthday sickness was because of too many sweets.  I have a feeling his 21st birthday sickness will be because of something else, but I imagine the picture will be the same.

I will leave this blog posting with an actual picture.  Remember, he is only four years old (three at the time the picture was taken).  I didn't climb trees as a child so I don't know if this is normal for one so young.  But, as a mother, I did freak out.  He was at least ten feet off the ground and would only come down once I bribed him with ... yes, you guessed it; candy.

Seriously?

Today, while we were watching the U-M basketball game (yes, I know we were not watching our kids and this is what happens), Vance came up from the basement and said Owen was getting into trouble.  I went downstairs to find the toilet plugged with an entire roll of toilet paper.  Seriously??  Why?  It just doesn't make sense the things he does sometimes.  And, the worst part is that Vance didn't come to tell us until Owen had used the entire roll.  Peter said he thinks that Vance likes to see how far Owen will go before he tells on him.  I cannot believe he is only three years old and we have many more years of this.  Sigh  :(

Brownies

Last weekend, I made brownies, but we didn't end up eating them because Kate & Neil came up and brought homemade Snicker's.  I decided to put them on top of the cupboards because Morley, our food shark, was sniffing around them.

On Sunday, Peter and I were in the basement putting together our budget for the month when we heard what sounded like a bunch of mischief coming from the kitchen.  Peter said Owen was probably getting into something (surprise, surprise) and I said I'd check on him when we were done.  A few minutes later I come out of the office and see Owen innocently playing with his cars in the basement.  Ruh-roh.

When I get upstairs, there is Morley and he has eaten the entire pan of brownies.  Owen got them down from on top of the cupboards, ate some of them (if the chocolate on his face was any indication), and then left them on the counter because he couldn't put them back up.  Then, he had the nerve to tell us he "tried" to put them back.  He didn't understand that he shouldn't have touched them in the first place.

Fast forward one day and Peter decides to make a new batch of brownies since we didn't get to eat the other ones.  Owen, while he was alone in the kitchen, opened the oven door and took a spoonful of the not yet ready brownies out of the middle of the pan and was just about to put it in his mouth when Peter caught him.  Peter was furious and sent Owen to his room.  I went to talk to him and explain why his dad was upset, how he can't just open the hot oven door and stick his hand inside, etc.  I told him he needed to say sorry to his dad.  He yelled, "I don't like saying sorry" and slammed his bedroom door.

Awesome.

Deep Thoughts

Today, after listening to Vance cry & whine because he wanted to finish watching Cars before his nap, I said that "Vance really pisses me off". Well, I accidentally said this within ear shot of Owen because I hear him say, "Daddy really pisses me off.". I tried my hardest not to laugh, but I couldn't contain myself. At least he used it properly, right?

Target Trip

I love Target.  I really do.  I enjoy it when I have to make trips there.  Peter doesn't enjoy it when I have to make trips there because I spend money.  But, alas, there are times when you have to.

So, Peter and I had to make a quick trip into Target a few weeks ago.  When I go anywhere with the kids, I try to corral them in one cart so I am not chasing after anyone.  We did that during our recent trip.  The only problem is that Owen didn't want to be pushed in the cart; he wanted to walk.  We told him that would be okay as long as he stayed with us.  Of course, he didn't.  He stopped to play with toys.  He ran away.  He climbed out of the cart when we put him back in.  You get the picture.

After having enough of his mischief, I tell Peter I will take Owen to the car and he can check out with Vance and Elsa.  Owen doesn't like this idea.  The entire way to the car, while I am carrying him haphazardly, he is screaming "I WANT MY DADDY" and kicking me.  It absolutely looked like I was kidnapping him.  I can only imagine what the people who were walking into the store thought.

I get him to the car and put him down for a second so I can unlock the doors.  He darts off into the parking lot trying to get back into the store, while screaming "I WANT MY DADDY".  Luckily, there were no cars when he made his break.  And, that Peter came out a minute later.  And, most of all, I'm lucky no one decided to call the police.  That probably would have ruined Target for me.

Owen's New Favorite Thing

I know I haven't posted in a while because Owen hasn't really done anything outlandish recently.  Perhaps, he is maturing in his old age?  Doubtful, I know.  So, I figured I would post about Owen's new favorite activity.

I know it may be hard to believe, but Owen doesn't like to listen.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say Owen's least favorite thing to do is listen to his parents or Grandma or anyone else that is an authority figure.  So, when we are sitting at the dinner table and he's not eating, or feeding the dogs, or leaning back on his chair so it lands on the floor with a thud, or playing with toys at the table, or taunting his brother and sister, and we tell him he can either sit at the table or sit in his room, he chooses not to listen to us.  He continues with whatever it is he is doing that is not eating his dinner.  Then, either Peter or I will get up to move him to his room.

That's when he does his new favorite activity.  He runs away from us screaming NO!  Our living room has a circular path around our couch.  Owen uses this to his advantage and makes us chase him around and around, all the while screaming NO.  He doesn't say it.  He doesn't even slightly yell it.  He actually screams it, while he is running.  Are you kidding me?  And, of course, Peter and I chase him.  It usually takes us two or three times around the couch before we catch him.

Can you imagine that scene?  Owen has us, literally, running in circles.  And, he is laughing and screaming NO.  The worst part is that, at times, it is so ridiculous to me that I start laughing.  This is probably the reason he keeps doing it.  I just don't understand why he constantly has us on our toes.  Will this ever change?  And, when will that be?