Hanging out with Owie

Owen and I hung out today. We went to ex-Mola Coffee, and met a young lady called Leticia (aged 21 mths) who kindly brought over the little bucket of crayons when she finished with them. I had my regular cappuchino – capucchino? kapootschyno? and Owie and I shared a croissant, sitting on the floor playing at putting crayons in the bucket and tipping them out again. Then we strolled down to Barnes and Noble, and looked at all the books, Owie being fascinated by the touch of them as we strolled passed. After that we headed back down Washington Street, picking up leaves to wave in the wind, till we came to the toy shop. In there, I bought Owie a box of wooden blocks in 4 colours, lots of different shapes, and he discovered the little table in the front of the shop which had bending wire with beads that you push over the bumps in the wire, like a roller coaster. He got the hang of it very quickly, then discovered that he could make them spin as well, (with sound effects: “WHEEEEE!!!”).

We strolled home via the playground, but didn’t stop off. Waving leaves in the wind, and helping the wind along with whooshing noises was enough.

Back home, we played with his new car (a traction car that goes like the wind when you let it go – or push it), then had lunch of chicken and sweetcorn with apple juice. Grace was here by then. Owie ran round the corner and came a cropper on the floor, which apparently hurt a lot, because he cried and cuddled, and we sat on the rocker and sang for a bit. I’m pretty sure he was asleep, but when I tried to put him in the cot he woke up pretty fast.

So, we played with the new blocks for a bit, and I noticed he stood up, squatted very deliberately, and then did a poo. Clearly he recognised the signs of impending poo and prepared for it. But was he prepared to then get a clean diaper on? No way, Jose! It’s mine, and I’m keeping it…

Some tousle later, back in the cot, (I eventually found a pacifier) he agreed to take a nap. That’s where he is now.

Here is Owen at the Bronx Zoo on Sunday, sharing some thoughts with the reindeer.