trip to Portland

We took a trip to Portland over Labor Day weekend. We hadn't spent much time there yet, and wanted to explore the city. We got a hotel room in downtown, near the river, for Saturday and Sunday night. The hotel had an indoor pool, which was very warm and perfect for us.

On Saturday we went to the Saturday Market, Powell's Books, and an art festival in the Pearl District. On Sunday we took the MAX light rail to meet Susie and Laurel at the Children's Museum. The kids had a great time there with fun water, climbing, and digging exhibits. We enjoyed the waterfront and some great food, and had a wonderful weekend.

When we asked Owen about the weekend, he said he liked the big buildings and the train and the hotel.

more birthdays!

I mentioned before, a few weekends ago we celebrated both Richard's and Valerie's birthdays. Richard got a ping pong table for his birthday- Owen is catching on to the game fast. Valerie got a sand box for her birthday- this picture is Valerie and Laurel enjoying it.

timber frame cottage

I mentioned in an earlier post that my parents are renovating their cottage on the Chesapeake Bay. My father is keeping a blog with pictures of the work. If you are interested, here's his blog:

http://timbercottage.blogspot.com/

It's pretty amazing how much has already happened since we were there in July.

pictures of Owen

We had Livia Fremouw take pictures of Owen for his 2nd birthday. We met at University of Oregon campus this Saturday morning (which was also Richard's birthday). It was a much better experience than we have had at photo studios where Owen usually screams for the entire session. He liked Livia and enjoyed running around and playing with bubbles and toys she brought. We have only seen a sneak peak at the pictures, but these 2 are great. You can see them on Livia's blog at:


http://fremouwphotography.blogspot.com/

Look for the entry titled "Little O from Corvallis."

She has also sent us a link to view the proofs. This link may only be good until November, 2007:

http://www.fremouwphotography.com/proofs/owen/

After we took the pictures, we had a picnic lunch, then stopped by the Scandinavian festival on our way home in Junction City. Owen slept soundly in the car ride home, and for another 2 hours in his crib. Richard opened his presents, then we had cake with Owen and the Muhly's, then Richard and I went out for dinner for his birthday. It was a fun day.

Owen's birthday party

On Saturday, we had a small birthday party for Owen. We kept it to a block party for the houses on our street, plus the Muhly's and the Delos-Reyes's (whose daughter Valerie turns 2 next week). It was a nice opportunity to get to spend some time with our neighbors and to get to know them better. 5 of the 7 houses came, so we think the turnout was a big success.

We grilled sausages and dogs and tofu-dogs, and had some cut fruit and veggies, and I made a James the train cake for Owen (James is one of Thomas's friends- Owen has a fondness for him). Everything turned out really nice, including the weather. Next time, I may think twice before using red icing on the cake...

Owen turns 2!

After a week of practicing the "Happy Birthday" song with Owen, we put it into use last Friday when he turned 2. He had a wonderful birthday- I met him at school for lunch and we shared cupcakes with his class. Richard came home early from work and we opened presents and played with them most of the afternoon. We had spaghetti for dinner (we are guessing this is still Owen's favorite dinner) followed by more cupcakes and more playing with his new toys.

Owen loved all the gifts he received from our families- we are still making our way through all the new books. He is thrilled with all things Thomas, and got a new push train and book. He received lots of new craft supplies. One of the big hits was a birthday card from my parents with the "chicken dance" song on it. He brought it to bed with him, and at 11:00 at night, we heard him playing with the card- Richard went in and put him back to bed- without the card.

Richard and I got him a very little bike- it's a 12" blue Specialized, 12 speed. OK, it's not a 12 speed. But the rest is true. Over the weekend, Richard has gotten Owen comfortable sitting on the bike, but he is still learning how to pedal. We also got him a bat and ball, and made a T to help him learn.

Owen had a great birthday.

Owen got a haircut

After we returned from our trip out East, we decided it was time to trim up Owen's hair. This decision was not an easy one for me- his curls were so cute and golden blond. But it was getting a little out of control. We have hair trimmers, and went to town. The results took some getting used to, but I like it now.

Owen took one look in the mirror, post cut, and began to sob. Apparently, he had liked his hair long. He had received a lot of attention during our trip about his curls. The next day, Owen was still not happy with his reflection in the mirror, but now has gotten used to the new

cut. Maybe we won't do such a dramatic change next time.

Before and After: