3-0

Iowa (4-5) is 3-0 when the Aalberts men are in the stands. Time for Iowa Athletics to pony up with some comp tickets for their good luck charms? I think so.

Owen, meanwhile, is 4-0 for having a good time on our football-weekend trips to Iowa City. The weather was great over the weekend and we got in some good play time at the park and around his grandparents' house with the cat, the dogs, and two sets of grandparents.

Amy, Owen, and I left Illinois early on Friday and were in Iowa City mid-afternoon. Owen and I played at the park and took a long walk. He's very curious. We found a rabbit's warren, very similar to the one described in one of his books. We looked at all of the tufted nesting, which Owen thought was marvelous.

Owen was all over commanding the domesticated animals at his grandparents' house to "stop," "come in," "go out, " "go away," and more.

It was 32 degrees on Sunday morning, so we took Owen over to the play area at the mall when it opened to get some energy out of him and help him nap on our drive home. He had an amazing time climbing up and sliding down the slide (see Oct. 15) and running a million miles an hour around the perimeter. He gets a great look on his face when he's running, like he's trying to hold water in his smiling cheeks. I love it.

Amy is doing better. Her rib doesn't hurt as much, but at 18 weeks she is really showing. We've started buying some new maternity clothes (her warmest winter clothes from her first pregnancy in Arizona aren't going to get her much farther than the early fall); She even found a new dress to wear to my brother's wedding in December.

Speaking of, last week I became a "Reverend" last week through the Universal Life Church as Daniel and Erica are asking me and her sister Ingrid to perform the ceremony.

And, lastly, another highlight from the week for me happened at dinner last Tuesday. Amy was out with some mom friends and Owen and I were just finishing dinner when he asked for a lollipop. I gave him one for dessert, but his request got me singing the '50s song "Lollipop" by the Chordettes ("POP! Ba-dum-bum-bum). While I was singing, Owen looked at me with subtle amusement, as I'm always making up one-word songs. But when I ran downstairs for my casette of the Stand By Me soundtrack to play him for the original, he was astounded

"They wrote a song about my favorite food!"

Have a great week and a happy Halloween!