Puddles, Cars, and Ice Cream Trucks!

Sorry in advance for the long post...there is alot to catch up on. It isn't even officially summer yet, but so far we are having a blast! A little over a week ago, a big storm rolled through and left quite a bit of water flowing down the street. Once it was safe to go out, Owen donned his raincoat and rain boots and had fun wading through the water.

He was carrying his snack bowl filled with Cheerios and thought it was really funny to throw a cheerio out and watch it float down the curb into the sewer. We came up with the idea to put the cheerios on a 'boat' (a leaf) and watch them sail, and he loved it. Later on (after a change of clothes) we went out again and this time all the neighbor kids were out. After about an hour of splashing through the puddles, they were all soaked head to toe. Owen was none too happy when we told him it was time to go in for his bath.

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Owen also had his first ever experience with the ice cream truck on Friday night. I was just about to head upstairs with him for his bath when we both heard some music in the distance. I instantly knew what it was, but Owen was very inquisitive - "What's that Mommy?". How could I deny him the ice cream truck on it's first visit this summer? We ran outside, just as all the neighbors were doing the same. Owen was mesmerized by the whole experience. It was if he were thinking, "A truck that rings a bell and plays music?? Amazing. But wait....a man just handed me a popsicle? Too good to be true." All the other kids ran off and played with their ice cream, but Owen just stood there as if he were soaking the whole thing in, commenting every now and then about the truck or his popsicle. It was too cute. I am now aware that every time the truck comes by, it's either a popsicle or a meltdown....but oh well! Here he is in his post-popsicle, pre-bath glory!

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On Saturday night Ben, Owen and I went to the local Route 66 festival here in Edwardsville. They were having a 'Classic Car Cruise' that I knew Owen would love. If you haven't been around him recently, then you may not be aware of how obsessed he is with cars. I don't think he would mind if I threw all his other toys out and just left his toy cars. He is getting to where he knows them by make and sometimes model. Everytime we're on the road he is quick to point out any Volkswagon (literally saying, "look mama, a VOLKSwagon"), Hummer, or Mustang. He loved the car cruise, especially because they were all "old fashioned" cars as we called them. He loves the movie "Cars", so he was comparing alot of the ones we saw to the ones from the movie. We gave him his first snow cone during the parade, so between turning for a bite of it, and trying to look at all the cars, he was busy and having fun!