Grandee, a.k.a. 'O'

"Grandee" is my mom, who came for a visit this past week, just a few days after Grandma (my mother in law) left from her visit! Yes, it was a bit crazy, but we love having visitors, and you never have to clean as much for your own mom! First, let me explain the name. My mom's name is Donna, and before Oliver was born decided that she would be called Grandee, as in Gran D, for Donna, but pronounced like 'candy.' Cute, huh? Well, we're not sure if it's going to take or not. Most of the time she was here, Oliver called her 'O' instead. No, she's not Oprah. Ready for the complex explanation of why? Well, somewhere in the past few months he has learned how to say "hello" like we do when we answer the phone. So he'll often pick up his toy cell phone or a remote control, a block, a sippy cup, or anything lying around, put it up to his ear, and say "Oh!" as his shortened version of "Hello". (I don't know why, but this reminds me of my grandfather who always answered the phone with something that sounded like, "Yellow!") Anyway, I talk to my mom on the phone often, and she always wants to speak to him and if he's in the mood he sits and listens intently and babbles back. As a result, anytime we see a picture of my mom, he points to her and says "Oh!," as in "that's the lady we talk to on the phone!" We talk to other family members on the phone too, so I don't know why he makes this specific association with her, but he does. So last week he'd point to each of us and say "ommy" (for me...he's dropped the first M), "dada" for Marty, and when he got to my mom, we'd say "Grandee" for him. But by the end of the visit, when he got to her, he'd point and say "O." I wonder which she'll end up being in the long run?

One of the highlights of her visit was a trip to Ikea! I've been wanting to go to look at a child's table and chair set that I adore there and in general to get other inexpensive Christmas ideas for Oliver. It was really hard not to look at all the cool home decor stuff, accessories, kitchen gadgets, etc that I have no room for in this tiny apartment. Maybe we'll have to make a trip back right before we move back to Iowa for those kinds of things! Oliver loved the children's section. We couldn't pull him away:

He adored those miniature pots and pans and baking things so much! He sat in that chair and just played and played. As a result, I bought him a set for Christmas. I'm going to set them up in "his" cabinet in the kitchen one day to surprise him. I'm hoping it brings him lots of hours of fun play and me lots of hours of peaceful cooking time!! By the way, the table and chair set that I wanted is the red one in the background (but I would have bought it in blue and green). Unfortunately, we just don't have room in our apartment, and while it was on sale, it was only available in red, and I hate red.

Oliver's second favorite part of Ikea:

Have I mentioned how much he loves ceiling fans? In the warehouse section where you find your boxes of unassembled furniture, they had the biggest fans I've ever seen. Oliver was quite impressed, if the "Ohwhoaaaaa!" he yelled out repeatedly was any indication.

I also got him some stocking stuffers and Grandee/O got him this chair. Look familiar?

 

Yup, it's the one he was sitting in on display at Ikea! My little modernist! He loves it and sits in it every evening. Yes, it's his Christmas gift, but she gave it to him now since we won't see her this Christmas.

Other than that, we spent time in the park, going out to eat, getting ice cream at the nearby farm creamery, and just hanging out. Oliver and I are getting very spoiled. We need a grandma here every week!! Who's next?? Here's some more pics from the weekend.

Running in the leaves at the park

Playing hide and seek with Grandee/O

Just hanging out