Owen's Blog

4 Years Old

2011-10-17T08:36:00.002-05:00

Long time, no blog — been using Facebook for most postings. Little monkey is four years old today. Had a great time with family and friends this weekend, and he got to do a cyclocross race yesterday. Cupcakes at school today. Happy Birthday buddy!

3 Year Old Gorilla

2010-10-18T20:24:00.003-05:00

3 Years Old!! Happy Birthday buddy!! Time for a gorilla photo.

Click the "gorilla" tag to see all of his gorilla pictures.

2010-09-04T16:31:00.002-05:00

Took Owen to his first Minnesota State Fair. He had a corn dog, fries and some "cheese curds", which in Minnesota are deep fried cheese, not actual cheese curds. Had fun on the tractors and checking out all of the animal barns. He really enjoyed pointing out all of the animal poop.

Duluth

2010-08-19T10:00:00.004-05:00

Went to Duluth for a few days. Hung out by Lake Superior, went to the Great Lakes Aquarium, and Gooseberry Falls State Park. Owen had fun driving through all the tunnels on the east end of Duluth and up the North Shore. He didn't want to go in the water at Gooseberry at first, but once he did he didn't want to leave.

We stayed at Spirit Mountain Villas, which are these weird octagonal pods that are elevated about 15-20 off the ground. The "Fox Den" was where we stayed. Owen thought it was pretty cool. We also found a cafe in Duluth with a patio area that allows dogs. So, one morning we brought Zoe with for an al fresco breakfast at Chester Creek Cafe. Cool place.

2-1/2 Years Old

2010-05-26T09:15:00.003-05:00

Sorry folks, it's been a while. Here is Owen at 2-1/2 years old with his gorilla. Look at the posts tagged "gorilla" to see how he has grown.

Dinos

2010-04-06T09:58:00.002-05:00

"Raawwwrrr!!!"

Easter Eggs

2010-04-06T09:49:00.001-05:00

Children's Museum

2010-04-06T09:34:00.003-05:00

Still scared of the big T-Rex, but cool with the Troodon. Had fun building the Great Wall of China and crawling through tunnels and logs.

Sleepy

2010-04-06T09:32:00.002-05:00

Golden retriever alarm clock.

Pillow Fort

2010-01-23T21:07:00.003-06:00

Doesn't get much more fun than a pillow fort.

Dino book

2010-01-23T21:04:00.003-06:00

Grandma, dinosaur book, snack, and his Lightning McQueen jacket. Life is good.

Winter Hike

2010-01-23T21:00:00.002-06:00

Taking advantage of 20-degree temperatures after weeks of being below zero.

More Children's Museum

2010-01-05T20:39:00.002-06:00

Minnesota Children's Museum

2010-01-05T20:35:00.001-06:00

Not liking the life-size T-Rex as much as his toy at home.

Wisconsin Christmas

2010-01-05T20:33:00.000-06:00

More Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T20:31:00.003-06:00

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T20:26:00.002-06:00

Sleepy

2009-12-06T18:04:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I took Owen for a ride in the Burley. It was about 23 degrees out, but he was bundled up and out of the wind. He zonked out about 15 minutes into the ride, and slept for 3 hours. Today, we took him for a walk in the stroller. Still sleeping almost 2 hours later. That must be one cozy snowsuit...

Ghost dog

2009-11-30T09:59:00.002-06:00

Some day, Owen will realize just how patient and tolerant his dog really is.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T21:20:00.003-06:00

Owen was a real trooper today. Fought off taking a nap for a good 4 hours. Had fun playing Wii with Shannon and Uncle Stevie, then zonked out about 3 minutes into the car ride home. He did manage to hang on to the new Lightning McQueen car and stuffed animal he got today the entire time.

Football

2009-11-03T20:44:00.003-06:00

The new indoor practice facility.

After Dinner Races

2009-11-03T20:38:00.003-06:00

The scene in our living room every evening. Race time.

Halloween

2009-11-03T20:33:00.003-06:00

Everyday leading up to Halloween we had to pry the costume off of him. He'd chase Zoe around the house yelling, "Rawrrr!!" as loud as he could. So of course on Halloween he refused to put it on. Finally got him dressed and out to the neighbors and he had fun. M&M's are his new favorite.

Coloring

2009-10-21T21:23:00.003-05:00

Another rainy day, a perfect time to set up his birthday present from mom and dad: a dry-erase board/chalkboard easel. A few markers and a Lightning McQueen coloring book and you're good to go.

Second Birthday

2009-10-19T20:45:00.002-05:00

Nice cake, notice anything wrong?
Wondering why everyone is singing to him.
Scarfing down a cupcake.
Proud of a job well done.
A little ice cream to top it off.

2 Years Old!

2009-10-19T20:43:00.001-05:00

It's been a while, but the gorilla is back. Happy 2nd Birthday Owen!

Cars

2009-10-05T21:40:00.000-05:00

Goofing around.

Eagles Nest

2009-10-05T21:37:00.002-05:00

Rainy day fun at the indoor playground in New Brighton.

Race time

2009-10-02T15:41:00.003-05:00

Hanging out in the car before the kids race in St. Cloud.

First Haircut

2009-08-30T20:30:00.003-05:00

I liked the tousled mop-top look, but I gotta say, he's looking pretty suave with the new do. He did great!

First Bike Race

2009-08-12T09:56:00.003-05:00

We brought his "bike" with us (it's a Strider - no pedals) to my race at Buck Hill on Sunday. Owen did the Shimano Youth Series race. I've got the seat as low as it goes and he barely can stand over it. His helmet is also a bit big for him, but he doesn't seem to mind. He loves cruising around on this thing. He came in last, but he had a blast. Besides, all the other kids were quite a bit older than he is. I'm calling it first place in the Under Two age group. Nice job buddy!

Hyper/Sleepy

2009-08-09T21:28:00.002-05:00

Owen had a busy day. Went with to my mountain bike race and brought his bike with. Rode it around all afternoon and did the kids race (well, mom basically pushed him and he walked around on his bike). Zonked out in the car about 5 seconds down the road, then on the couch once we got home. After a smoothie and some dinner, he ran laps around the kitchen and living room. Wish I could recover that fast.

Bike Wash

2009-08-02T21:09:00.001-05:00

Cleaning the bike after another driveway derby.

Fun with Mom

2009-08-02T21:07:00.003-05:00

Goofing around before bedtime.

Tour de Owen

2009-07-16T20:32:00.003-05:00

I bought a Strider (a little bike without pedals that little dudes cruise around on to work on their balance) for Owen a few months ago, but I've never been able to get him to sit still long enough to get his helmet adjusted. The Strider and the helmet are still just a little bit big for him, but he didn't seem to mind. Before long, we had our own little derby going on.

Father's Day

2009-06-25T14:54:00.002-05:00

Owen mowing the driveway and giving me a hand with some gardening on Father's Day. His two favorite words right now are, "lawnmower" and "dirty".

Morning fun

2009-05-19T10:29:00.003-05:00

Having fun before heading out for the day.

Gardener

2009-05-13T20:52:00.000-05:00

Growing like a weed, and helping mom pull weeds out of the garden.

Rainman

2009-05-13T20:49:00.002-05:00

Ready for a rainy day.

Finally, a blog post...

2009-04-26T15:39:00.001-05:00

I've finally had a chance to post some photos. Enjoy.

Feeding the dog

2009-04-26T15:37:00.000-05:00

Owen enjoys feeding Zoe, one piece at a time. Good thing she's patient...

Sleepy New Waver

2009-04-26T15:35:00.001-05:00

Rocking the Flock of Seagulls look after zonking out in the stroller.

18 Months Old

2009-04-26T15:33:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe he's 18 months old already. Next gorilla photo in October.

Easter

2009-04-26T15:31:00.002-05:00

Playing with his new truck from the Easter Bunny.

Race Ready

2009-04-03T11:16:00.000-05:00

All he needs is a bike and he's ready to race.

Basket Case

2009-03-27T11:13:00.001-05:00

Having fun helping with the laundry.

Morning fun

2009-03-27T11:10:00.002-05:00

Nice drool, dude. He was having fun running around the house with his hat over his eyes. Amazingly, he didn't run into anything.

Zoo

2009-03-20T21:35:00.002-05:00

Jen took Owen to Como Zoo. The tamarins and fish were a big hit.

Shoveling it in

2009-03-20T21:32:00.001-05:00

Mealtime is always an adventure.

Finally, a blog posting...

2009-03-20T21:29:00.001-05:00

Yeah, yeah, it's been a while since I posted any photos. Here you go...

Harry Caray

2009-02-14T16:36:00.005-06:00

Having fun at Target.

Fun with Zoe

2009-02-13T17:56:00.001-06:00

Eating

2009-01-24T16:21:00.003-06:00

Later on he picked up the bowl, tipped it up to his face and dumped it all over. Classic.

15 Months Old

2009-01-24T16:17:00.004-06:00

15 months old and having fun.

Dog Collar

2009-01-23T08:56:00.002-06:00

Now all we need is a leash for him and we're all set.

New Backpack

2009-01-23T08:47:00.002-06:00

I scored this Sherpani Rumba Superlight backpack during the REI clearance sale. Retails for $159.99, got it for $59.99. This thing is pretty sweet. I still need to make some adjustments so it fits me better but Owen seemed pretty comfortable in it: he fell asleep about 10 minutes in and slept for over half an hour. Now if the temperatures can stay above arctic levels one of these weekends, we can break out the snowshoes.

Rocking Horse

2009-01-16T16:07:00.001-06:00

I think he likes the rocking horse.

Messy

2009-01-16T16:05:00.000-06:00

Getting the hang of using a spoon. Sort of.

Morning

2009-01-16T16:02:00.003-06:00

Getting ready to head out for the day, still a bit sleepy and disheveled (but still cute).

Sleepeating

2009-01-16T16:01:00.000-06:00

It's hard work creating that kind of a mess.

Snowman

2009-01-12T19:48:00.002-06:00

Helping dad shovel the driveway and throw snow at Zoe.

New IKEA rocker

2008-12-31T19:33:00.003-06:00

Went to IKEA today for some new shelves, this chair and how could I refuse the bin full of golden retriever stuffed animals? Zoe is going to be jealous.

Stylin'

2008-12-27T16:55:00.001-06:00

Christmas Eve, 2

2008-12-27T16:53:00.001-06:00

One of many, many presents.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-27T16:52:00.000-06:00

Having fun with his cousin Emma.

Future Winter X-Games Gold Medalist

2008-12-27T16:51:00.001-06:00

Morning Zoo

2008-12-27T16:50:00.000-06:00

Hanging with his new pal, Curious George.

The Van Ert boys

2008-12-27T16:48:00.001-06:00

Owen, dad and Grandpa Van Ert.

Voracious Reader

2008-12-27T16:47:00.001-06:00

The nightly ritual: dump all the books off the shelf for dad to put back. Repeat several times.

Dog Pile

2008-12-27T16:46:00.000-06:00

Tag

2008-12-02T21:30:00.002-06:00

These two were playing tag, chasing each other around the Pack-and-Play. Moments later, Zoe snagged Owen's cookie. The photo isn't the same without all the squealing and giggling.

Running Man

2008-12-02T21:28:00.001-06:00

Having a blast on Thanksgiving with his cousin Laura, running laps in the hallway.

101 Uses for a Dog

2008-12-02T21:25:00.002-06:00

Not many dogs would put up with this. Zoe is pretty awesome.

Baby Heff

2008-12-02T21:23:00.001-06:00

Monkey Hat

2008-11-25T10:02:00.004-06:00

Getting ready to head out into the crisp, Minnesota morning. The mittens came off in the car, the hat stayed on all the way to daycare.

Elmo

2008-11-17T19:56:00.002-06:00

Rockin' the Elmo Submarine he got for his birthday.

Walking

2008-11-17T19:38:00.002-06:00

I shot an awesome 30-second clip of him walking halfway across the basement -- or so I thought. I must have pressed the shutter an extra time. Stupid technology. Anyway, I did get this short clip. He was moving along just fine until he noticed the cat sitting up on the back of the couch. He's starting to get the hang of it (when he wants to).

Hi

2008-11-11T20:48:00.001-06:00

"Head...Paper....NOW!!!"
Obscure movie reference. If you get it, you get it.

Table Manners

2008-11-11T20:46:00.000-06:00

It's good to be a one year old.

Zoe & Owen

2008-11-11T20:45:00.001-06:00

I've been reading classic Calvin and Hobbes lately. Zoe is definitely the Hobbes to Owen's Calvin.

Grandpa & Uncle Stevie

2008-11-01T19:30:00.002-05:00

Grandpa & Uncle Stevie came up to play this afternoon.

Halloween

2008-11-01T19:21:00.003-05:00

Whoever coined the phrase, "It's as easy as taking candy from a baby", obviously never tried taking candy from a baby.

Leaves

2008-11-01T19:19:00.003-05:00

Swimming in the leaves.

Box Fort

2008-10-23T21:39:00.003-05:00

Who needs Xbox when there's cardboard box? (Nice drool, dude.)

Zoo

2008-10-23T21:36:00.001-05:00

Took Owen to Como Zoo today. No surprise, he enjoyed the primate exhibit the best. Checking out the tamarins.

Minnesota Children's Museum

2008-10-23T11:47:00.002-05:00

Took Owen to the Minnesota Children's Museum yesterday. He had fun in the Habitot exhibit, crawling and climbing. Got to play in the ball room, and then got to splash in the stream with the frogs. He got to put on a beaver costume and "swim" around the pond. Good times.

Fall Hike

2008-10-23T11:32:00.003-05:00

Got out for a hike last weekend at William O'Brien State Park, to take in some of the fall colors.

More Birthday Action

2008-10-18T20:39:00.004-05:00

Birthday Party

2008-10-18T20:23:00.003-05:00

The most sugar he's ever eaten in his entire life. He's certainly making the most of it. Good times at his first birthday party.

One Year Old

2008-10-18T20:21:00.002-05:00

He has become a gorilla himself.

Happy Birthday Owen!!!

2008-10-17T12:26:00.004-05:00

This was the scene, one year ago today. 30+ hours of labor. 3+ hours of pushing. C-section. Complications. Almost a week in the Level II Nursery, unsure when we'd be able to bring him home. That first week seemed like it took forever. The next 51 weeks flew by way too fast. Happy birthday little dude! We love you very much.

Busy day

2008-10-12T17:57:00.001-05:00

Fun day at the park with grandma, grandpa and Uncle Stevie.

High Chair Hijinx

2008-10-12T17:41:00.000-05:00

Having fun making a mess at dinner.

Pajama Warmer

2008-10-12T17:40:00.001-05:00

Zoe, waiting for Owen before bedtime.

Teething

2008-10-05T21:58:00.001-05:00

He's pretty much screamed and cried the entire day today, and much of yesterday. Poor little guy...

Zonked

2008-10-03T09:57:00.002-05:00

Sometimes the morning energy burns off quickly...

Shoes

2008-10-03T09:41:00.003-05:00

I thought he'd hate having to wear shoes, turns out he loves it.

Bouncy

2008-10-03T09:22:00.003-05:00

Full of energy first thing in the morning.

World's sweetest dog

2008-09-28T21:12:00.002-05:00

Owen turned Zoe into his own personal jungle gym, and she didn't move an inch the entire time. This went on for about 15 minutes. She really, really likes him to put up with that. Owen loves playing with her, too. He will hold out her toy in his hand and say "TAYGDTET!!!" (Take It!), which she will do only if his hand is out of the way and there is no chance she will bite him. If his hand is in the way, she'll start licking his face until he drops it, then she picks it up. Quality entertainment. Zoe, you are the best dog ever.

Trouble

2008-09-28T21:10:00.001-05:00

Zoe and Owen, up to no good.