Christmas 2009

Here are a few pictures from Christmas this year, which was amazing! It's great to see Oden become so interactive with EVERYTHING that is Christmas. From baking cookies, to opening presents, to talking about Santa, he understood it all this year. We really had a lot of fun. Oden, was of course, spoiled rotten. I really think that he appreciated all of his gifts. He has played with everything he received! His favorite toy is his new Thomas the train table. He plays with it for hours everyday. As if we didn't need a bigger house already, now we really need some extra space (just for all of his toys)! We really had a great time with all of our family this year too. All of the Christmas parties were great, and the new traditions that we started will hopefully be lasting :) Thank you to everyone in each of our families for making this Holiday Season one to cherish forever!!

Oden in the coolest hat ever!!

Opening presents, by the end of them all he was a professional!

Riding his new tractor!!

The Thomas the train table!!!

Oden and Santa 2009

Oden went to visit Santa this past Sunday with Grandma DeeDee. Thank goodness she wanted to take him, otherwise he was just not going this year. Starting a couple of weeks ago, I had been trying to prepare him for any Santa encounters we might have this year. I bought him a Santa book and started reading it, and talking to him about Santa. He has a new obsession with sale flyers. He will find any flyer with a toy section, lay it out on the couch, point at what he wants (mainly trains or Handy Manny), put his hands together and say, "Please?" I started to tell him that he had to ask Santa please for the toys he wanted. Then he started pulling over our little rug with Santa on it, placing it next to the flyers, and saying please. It was so funny! I had to tell him not that Santa, the REAL Santa. Thankfully Oden is fully bribeable, for the most part. If you have candy, or tell him he can have something in exchange for good behavior, he will normally comply with your request. I told Grandma DeeDee about this, and suggested she used the bribery tactics. So she told him if he sat on Santa's lap they would go and get a Thomas train. She said he did good in the line, probably distracted by the kids and Christmas things. He held a sales flyer the whole time, to show to Santa. Then I guess the story goes, as soon as he got on Santa's lap he started balling! Poor Oden, he's just got ready for that scary, red guy yet! Then, Grandma DeeDee tried to go to the KayBeeToys in the mall and it was closed! She spotted a stand in the mall with a train in it, but it was for some stupid store that you have to order it and it comes in the mail. I guess Oden freaked out because he couldn't have it. She said it was a complete meltdown. They then headed for the toy section in Sears but found another stand where you could actually buy the Thomas toy presented and get it the same day. Overall, I think it was a fun experience for all involved. I think Oden even believes it was worth it, he has been attached to his new toy for the last 3 days. :) Maybe if I start preparing him now, by next year we might actually get a picture of him (and his sibling) smiling!

Christmas Monkey

As brutal as winter has been already, it has also brought some great Oden moments. This is the first year where we can actually talk to Oden about what's going on and he understands. From Christmas decorations, to the snow outside, he gets very excited about all of these seemingly new things. A couple of weeks ago when it first snowed at night, Oden and I were out visiting friends. We happened to walk outside as it started to snow pretty good and Odee shouted out with glee, "OOOOHHHH!!" To which I replied, "Yeah, pretty snow!" It was such a cute moment. Then I let him touch the powdery snow on our car. He looked and me bright eyed and said, "COLD!" It was such a cute moment. I will never forget it. He is also doing surprisingly well with the Christmas decorations. His only real interest is the Shrek candy canes on the tree. He is pretty much obsessed with Shrek, so when we saw these candy canes at the store I knew he would freak if I even attempted to put them back. I think he appreciated that purchase and my understanding, he held the box all day before we put them on the tree. This Christmas season has already been so exciting and memorable, I cannot wait to see what new memories the coming weeks will bring. I'm not sure if we will be taking him to see Santa this year. Two hours in a line at the mall for a $20 picture of Oden screaming his head off hardly seems worth the effort, or the trauma!! But we will see....

Here are some pictures of Oden in my favorite Christmas jammies ever! My baby monkey in baby Christmas monkey pajamas!!

Oden kissing his Christmas moose.....
.....Oden deciding the moose looks tasty.