Sixteen and a half months. Give or take. His months and days are not divided and analyzed like hers were, by fledling parents, eager for any milestone. This time, we just sit back in amazement.
This boy can do so much.
Words and sentences, songs and stories.
"Oh dear! A mess. I'll clean it."
"Who wants breakfast? I do!"
"A piece of chocolate? Please?"
He sings and dances and tries on everyone's shoes.
He is solid and strong.
He can climb on just about everything. Nothing is out of his reach.
He has the most heartbreaking sad-face you have ever seen. But his laugh fills the whole room. And his little bear snuggles are so very, very sweet.
Now that Juni spends three days at nursery school, Owen and I have those quiet mornings to ourselves. Instead of the whirlwind that is having a three-year-old in the house, with Owen running to keep up or ducking out of the way, those three mornings are slow and contemplative. He takes the time to explore. To stretch and experiment and try new things. He sings his little songs and hugs the dog and talks to the birds in the backyard. And when he's through with all of that. When the house has had just about enough quiet, he says, "let's get Juni," and we head out the door.
In the last two photos, Owen is wearing his Quick Change Trousers (reversible!) from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings. The solid is a beautifully soft color-grown cotton that feels almost like a flannel but sturdier and bit more rustic. I love it. Next winter, he just might be outfitted head-to-toe in that fabric. The striped fabric is a crisper, home decor weight. Both are from NearSea Naturals.
*post titled with apologies to Mr. Robert Frost.
