From Two and Four to Eight and Ten

GEESH.  Just GEESH.  For no particular reason....just GEESH.  Below zero this morning....boys going back to school....my stomach still pissed at me for whatever reason....  Geesh.

However.....Ernie took Owen's birthday pictures yesterday.  Sadly, I must admit that we didn't do that last year----it was right when Judi was going into hospice and we didn't have it together.  We have all the other years though so now it's time to decide on this year's official birthday picture.  Me?  I'm overwhelmed with just looking at the little guy.....just overwhelmed.....

 

 

 

  

This one doesn't qualify for his official picture but it DOES seem to capture him:

 
 
 Yesterday morning when I got up Owen was patiently waiting to open his presents so I went to wake up Leo.  He was asleep and it was cold so I snuggled into his bed with him while he woke up.  We started talking about it being Owen's birthday.  I told him that when I was in the hospital having Owen, his Grandma and Grandpa had stayed overnight with him.  Hard to imagine now but eight years ago was a different time.  I told him how Eileen had brought him in to see us once Owen was born---I even remember what he was wearing...GOD he was cute.  I asked him if he remembered any of that and he said no.  We kept chatting and I told him about how he acted upon seeing Owen (a combination of disinterest and suspicion).  Then he said, "yeah, and two years later Dad ended up in the same hospital."  I looked at him and said, "I know, but Daddy's doing great now."  

I was so startled....but of course (as always) he is right.  The boys were just two and four when Ernie was diagnosed with cancer and started out his treatment with surgery.  So we talked about that a bit....I asked him if he remembered Aunt Judi bringing him to the hospital with Owen to see Ernie after his surgery.  I even remember what SHE was wearing....what the hell is wrong with me?  He said he didn't remember and then Owen popped upstairs wanting to open presents, Leo said, "Happy Birthday Weirdo," Owen's feelings got hurt and the day had officially begun....  

The week that Ernie had his prostatectomy Judi came out to stay with the boys while I was at the hospital, etc.  She always said that she thought that week bonded them.  For someone not used to dealing with kids, to take over not just any four year old, but LEO, and a two year old Owen must have been something.  The first day Ernie and I had to be at the hospital at 5:30 or something like that so she was in charge of getting them up, dressed and out the door.  She was going to bring Leo to preschool, first dropping Owen off at my parents so that she could sit in the waiting room with me for a little while.  She got the guys fed and dressed and headed out to the garage, planning to use our van with the car seats---but she couldn't figure out how to get the garage door open.  I hadn't told her where the switch was.  She ran around in circles trying to figure it out and finally bundled the boys up and threw them in the back seat of her car with no car seats.  Leo's eyes were HUGE.  When they got to my parent's house to drop off Owen, Judi was telling my mother about it all and Leo chose to THEN pipe up and say, "well my Daddy just used the button by the back door."  HA!  If he could have told her that EARLIER it might have helped!!  

And if Judi were here she'd be the FIRST to vote on his official picture.  I can just hear her voice when she would say lovingly, "those boys....oh, those boys."