Christmas Eve

For Christmas Eve, we had a great dinner at the home of Marty's Aunt Donna and Uncle Dick. We had a lovely time, and Oliver enjoyed getting a few early Christmas gifts.

 Marty's Aunt Anita and Uncle Jeff brought a bunch of Thomas stuff that their boys had outgrown, which Oliver loves, especially this little portable train.

 And a Thomas book, read by Grandma.

Aunt Donna and Uncle Dick got him the Elmo Rockin' Road Trip book, complete with it's own radio. This has definitely become one of his favorite gifts. Here, he's showing Pop-pop how it works.

It was a little daunting coming into a house he didn't remember full of lots of people he didn't remember, especially after the long napless day he'd had already. But Oliver was mostly afraid of two things: their dog Jake and Uncle Dick. So Jake spent the rest of the evening in the sun room, and Uncle Dick decided to try to make friends by playing the "What's that in your ear?" game.

 At first, Oliver was hesitant. Okay, he was outright terrified.

 But somehow, he let Uncle Dick get close enough to check.

 And was shocked to discover that Uncle Dick could magically pull things from his ear . . . 

 Homemade caramels! Yum!! He did it again later with a quarter, and now I think Oliver has a friend for life.

It was a long day and night, and somebody was tired.

But we had one more thing to do . . . 

Put out cookies and milk for Santa Claus!

Snow Day

We had a beautiful snow fall in Kankakee on Christmas Eve, so we bundled Oliver up to go outside and play in the snow.

 He wasn't so sure about this.

 Coat? check. Hat? check.

 Mittens? check.

 Talking Grandma into getting dressed and coming outside with him? check.

Where's Grandma?

 Content that Grandma is no more than 5 feet away from him, Oliver stomps through the snow.

 I think he was pointing out his footprints. He just learned about footprints on "The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot about That." Hey, it's on PBS; it's educational. 

 Building a snowman with Pop-pop. 

 Unfortunately, the snow wasn't cooperating.

And the snowman turned out a little, uhm, provocative. They knocked it down for fear of upsetting the neighbors. (I can't take the blame for cutting Ken's head off this time...Marty took these shots!).

If you notice, Oliver keeps his mittens on until the last 2 photos. I think he took them off because they got wet. But then his hands got cold. So he was "all done!" I'm pretty sure we spent more time getting him bundled up than they spent outside.

Making Cookies

I know what you're thinking, "Stop! This goes against item #1 on your 2011 to-do list!"

Don't worry, I'm just starting my recap of our 2010 Christmas tour, you know, the one where I took 670 480 photos. With that many photos, it should fulfill item #4 on my list (to blog every day)! Nah, I won't subject you to all of them. Just a few highlights, told in a few photo stories over the next few days.

Our first stop was in Kankakee, to visit Marty's family. We got to spend a full week with them, so there were many exciting adventures. Up first: Oliver and Pop-pop make Christmas cookies!

 Pop-pop inaugurates Oliver in the annual family tradition of making Christmas cookies. Note that these cookies are so special that they come in a magical box!

 Oliver was a bit overzealous with the green sprinkles, so Pop-pop tries to even things out a bit. (Sorry for cutting off your head there, Ken. And sorry when it happens again in the other pics!)

 Oliver licks his chops in anticipation of the yummy cookies.

 Pop-pop teaches Oliver the proper sprinkling technique. 

 Ready to go solo, Oliver lines up the next batch. He's good at lining things up. 

 Pop-pop decides he's not ready to go solo on the sugar sprinkles. Oliver doesn't care, he's having fun!

All done! Can I eat one?!

11 for 2011

Happy New Year!
I believe I said last year that making New Year's Resolutions is just an exercise in setting yourself up for failure. So I'm not going to do that. I'm going to make a to-do list instead. I love a good list. Easy to make, fun to cross things off as you accomplish them, and those items that get left, well, you just add them to the next list! Here's my list of eleven things to accomplish in 2011:

1. Eat less and move more, otherwise known as the annual promise to myself to lose weight and exercise more. Note to self: read carefully. It does not say "gain weight." We already know you're good at that.
2. Be more kind to my husband, who often finds himself at the wrong end of one of my mood swings.
3. Be more patient with my son, and his two-year-oldness. Oh . . . and teach him to use the potty!
4. Write in my blog every day. I know (or at least, I hope) my readers will appreciate this. I was inspired by a "Mom's One Line a Day" book one of my friends mentioned that she wanted for Christmas. The idea is capturing the little things that you want to remember about your child as they grow up. The ones that don't make the baby book cut, or happen beyond the baby book cut-off age. I thought to myself, cute idea, but couldn't you just use a blank journal? Or a blog? Don't worry, you'll still get long, rambling, wordy posts from me, and way too many photos, but sometimes you'll also get a few lines of something funny/cute/poignant that Oliver said or did. Or maybe something I did. It's not all about him, is it?
5. Take fewer, but better photos. We just returned from an 11 day trip to see our families for the holidays (don't worry, you'll hear and see all about it soon), and including our own Christmas celebration here when we returned, I had 670 photos on my camera. Just from barely two weeks. I deleted 75 obviously bad ones right off the camera. I put them on the computer and then deleted 115 more, and now have 480. That is still way too many, so I need one more deleting session. Can I help it if I take so many great photos? Hah, I wish. Nope, just scared to erase memories.
   So, my goal is to be more critical, and more selective. And to learn more about my camera and photography in general so that I'm more comfortable taking good pictures. I've been wanting to take a digital photography class, but didn't find one here. I'm hoping to be able to do that soon after we return home to Iowa.
6. Take advantage of my job as a stay-at-home-mom and get some projects finished. I brought along a file of old family photos to scan into the computer, which I haven't touched. I need to make more photo books to catch up with Oliver, who grows faster than I can make them. I know I'll regret not getting to these projects when I have to go work a "real" job later this year. 
7. So I guess I better add "get a job" to the list, huh? I know I have the best, hardest job in the world just being Oliver's mom, but unfortunately, that doesn't pay off the student loans or renovate our new house. When we return to Cedar Rapids, Oliver will go into preschool, and I'll start working full time. What do I want to be when I grow up? Crazy thing to ask at age 42, but even crazier that I have no earthly idea. But I need to start exploring the possibilities.
8. Spend less time online. Well, unless I'm writing in my blog, researching job possibilities, scanning or downloading photos, or finding healthy recipes that is. So I'll revise that to say that I want to waste less time online.
9. Make a house a home. This is really my second (third?) job. You know that house we bought in May, but haven't lived in yet? We are finally moving home in July! We are planning to immediately do some renovations (new bathrooms, the back deck), and I need to plan all of that, plus pick some paint colors and other things to really make it ours. I can finally be my own interior designer! Then when we move home, I have to tackle the amazing backyard which the woods has been invading in our absence.
10. Live in the moment, without getting overwhelmed by everything I "should" be doing. Seems a little contradictory given the massive list I've just written, but I have a tendency towards anxiety about the future. I need to remind myself that things will get done, and everything will be fine, especially as it relates to moving home and all the changes that will be happening as a result.
11. Practice gratitude. I have an amazing life and a wonderful family, and I know I need to be more appreciative.

Merry Christmas!

I'm going on a blogging hiatus until the new year. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season filled with fun times, family, and friends. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Riding the train with Santa Claus

Oliver finally talked to Santa! And rode on a train with him! Seriously, could there be a better day in the life of a two-and-a-half year old?

On Friday evening we went to the Railroad Museum of New England, in Thomaston, where we rode the "Northern Lights Limited" train. The historic train was all decorated for Christmas, and it took us for a 90 minute ride to see Christmas lights in the area. It also made a special stop at Santa's Workshop, where Santa boarded the train and made his way though all the cars talking to everyone. It made for a fun Christmas memory for our family, especially because it was the first time Oliver talked to Santa (I'm not counting the time at 9 months old when he sat on Santa's lap in the mall and screamed.).

Mommy and Oliver outside the train, before boarding. Oliver really likes doing the cheesy grin these days!

The trip is underway, and Oliver starts to snuggle in for a long winter's nap. That train motion will do it every time. Didn't last long though.

Excuse the messed up lighting, but I actually think it made for a neat photograph.

Daddy and Oliver, striking the Mr. Cool pose

Looking out the window.

About 15 minutes into the trip, we stopped to pick up Santa. No, he wasn't in jail. This was where his workshop was located; I guess they have to protect all those presents with a chain link fence! We were lucky, the train stopped so our window was right where Santa came out, so Oliver got to see him getting on board.

Unfortunately, Santa then went to the back of the train and made his way from back to front, and we were in the front car. So we had a long time to wait.

But he finally made it into our car! Unfortunately, we had to wait for him to talk to other kids before he made his way to our seats. Oliver was definitely excited, but wary.

As Santa got closer, Oliver snuggled into Daddy more. He's not closing his eyes to sleep, but from fear.

Oliver knew it was a big deal to get to talk to Santa, so he could tell him what he wanted for Christmas. So he was very brave and when Santa came and sat down with us, he sat on his lap. But he refused to look at him. 

Santa was very nice and talked to Oliver in a soft, soothing voice. Oliver almost looked at him. He asked him if he'd been a good boy this year, but Oliver couldn't answer because his fingers were in his mouth. Santa just kept on talking about how he knew he was a pretty good boy, and even if he was bad sometimes, he was more good than bad. He got that about right. 

Santa asked Oliver what he wanted for Christmas, and what did he say--trains, blocks, puzzles, and cars? No, of course not. Without looking at Santa, Oliver whispered, in the quietest voice ever, "Ammo." Santa looked at Mommy quizzically for a translation, and Mommy replied, "Elmo." Santa was relieved to hear it wasn't ammo. Then Santa talked about how Elmo laughs and how laughter is what Christmas is all about and that's how you keep Christmas in your heart all year round. It was really sweet. 

I know Oliver liked it too, even if he wouldn't look at him because he was too busy eating his fingers off his right hand. 

Then Santa moved on to visit with the other passengers, and Oliver moved back to Daddy's lap. Then one of Santa's elves sat down in the spot where Santa had been sitting, in order to give Oliver a toy from his sack. That pushed Oliver over the edge, and he jumped on Daddy's neck and tried to climb down his back and started screaming. He didn't know what to do about this strange guy! The elf didn't seem to take the hint, and tried to offer him a toy of a little stuffed Santa, but Oliver threw it at Mommy and hid again, and finally the elf got up. Then Mrs. Claus came to the rescue, and told the elf to move along. She's so nice! I think Oliver had just had enough excitement, and was ready to be "all done!"

 

We returned to the station, and he recovered, and got very excited after the fact that he got to talk to Santa. The night only got better when we went to get pizza for dinner!

We might have one problem though. Santa has finished doing all his shopping, and I don't know if there was an Elmo on the list! Ack!

He's making a list . . .

I love that Oliver is old enough to understand Christmas this year! Ok, he doesn't understand completely, but really, the whole idea that some fat guy with a white beard watches him sleep and brings him presents because some it's some other dude's birthday is pretty confusing, isn't it? Try explaining it to a toddler. He's got the basics down anyway: he can identify Santa and knows he's supposed to be good, and he thinks the coolest thing about Jesus being born was all the animals that were there with him. He loves to see Christmas trees, and knowing that my mother-in-law will have at least two up in their house eases some of my pain about having no decorations in our apartment, aside from the beautiful pictures Oliver made in school. We haven't gone to see Santa yet, but the last time we were in the mall he hid behind me when we got near him. I hope to try again, because really, it isn't Christmas without a photo of a screaming child on some strange man's lap, right?

But Oliver's favorite part about Christmas is The List. I think I mentioned this before, but it all started last month, when he became interested in the ToysRUs ad in the Sunday paper. He kept trying to "pick" the trains off the page with his fingers, imploring, "This one!" So Marty got out his Blackberry and told Oliver we could put anything he wanted on The List, and if he was a good boy, Santa might bring him some things from it for Christmas.

A few weeks later, in an attempt to create an actual list for Santa and our families, we took him to Target to look at toys. Brave, aren't we? We explained to him that he could hold one toy at a time, and that anything he liked would be added to The List in Marty's Blackberry, but we weren't buying anything. Tantrum city, right? Nope. Amazingly, he did great. We went up and down the toy aisles, and he would point things out or we would show him something, and if he liked it he held onto it until he saw something else, then we'd put the first item back, and so on. We bought nothing, but it was ok, because he was excited about The List.

The best part has been the catalogs. I remember pouring over the Sears Christmas Wish Book as a child. I have no idea if I started doing it at two and a half though! Well, it's the same thing but for the new millennium. I must have gotten on some mailing list, because I've been getting all kinds of toy catalogs, and I must say, they have some really cool stuff out there! Oliver loves these catalogs. He studies them, finds his favorite pages, and shows me "this one!" all the time. A lot of the stuff is too old for him, or too expensive for us, but some of it are things we have gotten him for Christmas, and some things we've told Santa to get as well.

I took these photos one day recently, after returning from the grocery store. We got the mail, which Oliver now helps with by putting the key in the slot, opening it, and pulling out anything that might be for him. A catalog had arrived! We went inside, where he proceeded to plop down in the middle of the kitchen floor while I unloaded groceries, and peruse the latest offerings. Note that he is still wearing his coat--he couldn't be bothered to take it off! And the last shot, where he's looking at me annoyed that I have interrupted his studies!