Marley & Me

Released - December 2008. 

First watched - September 2010. 

At this moment - one of my favorite movies.  

Synopsis:  A young married couple, just starting their careers decides to get a dog, Marley.  Marley is a nightmare.  He is spastic, eats everything, and hates thunderstorms.  Most sane people would get rid of a dog like him, but not Josh & Jennie.  He becomes part of their family.  The movie follows their careers, family and life while Marley is with them. 

Why do I love this movie?  Let me tell you a story.  An eight year old girl and her little brothers want a dog, so their parents take them to the pound where they find a very happy puppy.  She comes home with them and they love her despite the fact that she chews through everything, including the wiring on their dad's cars, she won't stay in a fenced yard, she hates cats, and is terribly afraid of gun shots and thunder.  Her name was Goldie and she was my dog.  Nearly every morning and afternoon for over 5 years I got to take her on walks.  I had to go looking for her when she ran away, clean up after her when she chewed things to bits, and love her.  I really think that during that time she was my best friend. I always felt safe when she was with me and I was never really alone.  I loved watching her chase rabbits, prarie dogs, and cats.  I know that she was often times a difficult dog to have, but I loved her and I missed her when she went away.  This movie reminded me of that special bond that can be forged between a dog and his/her owner.  They really can be more than just a pet, they can be part of your family.  Thank you Marley & Me for reminding me of my Goldie and the special friendship we had.

Mommy Time

Being a stay at home mom is awesome!  Owen and I have been having so much fun together.  Today we walked to the park, holding hands and "talking" the whole way. Owen kept jabbering and I tried to understand him and keep up with what he was trying to say.  He kept pointing out all of the cars, and he thought they were all BLUE.  I don't actually think we saw a single blue car : ).  We've been working on colors, but so far, unless we specifically tell him otherwise, everything is blue.

After the park Owen had a bath, since he got quite dirty at the park.  His favorite bath toys today were his family of six rubber duckies.  He has two normal sized ducks and four small ones.  Today he gave them names: Daddy (the blue normal sized one), Mommy (the yellow normal sized duck), Me (translation = Owen), Owey (translation = Harvey, his best friend), Kayzee (I've been working on a afghan for my new niece and he keeps asking whose blankie it is), and Baby.  He also reminded me of his Grandpa Royer as he tried to stick all of the baby ducks to his tummy using suction.

Now we're waiting for Daddy to get home so we can have dinner and Owen is watching Dinosaur Train, one of his favorite PBS shows.  It has both Dinosaurs and Trains, so it is often asked for.  Thankfully, we have a DVR with our cable, so I can record the episode in the morning and watch it whenever Owen has earned TV time.  Somedays I can't imagine being a mother without modern technology.

Going to the Zoo

Owen and I went to the St. Louis Zoo yesterday.  He liked pushing his stroller around, seeing the animals, and being with Mommy.  His favorite place this time was the reptile house.  He loved being able to climb up the risers to see all of the snakes, turtles and frogs.  Here are a couple of pictures I took with my cell phone:

A Friendly Parrot along the path.

It's a snake - Owen was excited!

Mr. Lizard eating his lunch.

Odds & Ends

First of all, my son & husband are adorable.  Bryce is playing his video game "Zelda: Twilight Princess" and he's at a part when Link turns into a wolf and howls for some reason.  So, since Owen loves dogs - or anything related to a dog - he is excited about the game and is watching it intently.  Then, to my surprise, he sticks his nose up in the air and howl like a wolf, imitating the wolf in the game.  And not only is he howling, he's actually howling the tune that the wolf is.  Such a precious moment.

Next, Owen has always been a good eater and I am starting to transition him to his booster seat so I can put the high chair away.  I was able to take a few pictures of him eating his quesadilla and chips at lunch today, so here they are:

Lastly, (is that really a word?) I have decided to establish some projects for myself to work on while Owen takes his naps.  Here are a few:  turn my blog pages into a scrap book through Blurb, put together a website for my Dad, update Bryce's website, unpack and organize my new house, and beat the "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" video game.  Oh and does anybody have any good books that they would suggest?  Preferably fairly easy reads, since I don't have time to get completely lost in anything to complex right now.

Growing Up

This move has meant a lot of changes for our little family. One of the biggest involves me admitting that my baby is now officially a little boy. My coworker, Danay, was cleaning out her storage unit and gave us a blue, twin-sized, race car bed frame, so when we moved we chose to set it up instead of the crib. So here is a picture of my cute little boy sleeping soundly in his big-boy bed for the first time. Sweet dreams little one!