Oden Adventures

It's good to have pictures (and with a new camera now, hundreds of them from all angles!), I'm realizing as I look through these, to remind oneself that a month that felt long and dreary (the post-holiday let-down) still had plenty of bright spots...

For Vianne, it meant hours of playing with new toys from Christmas!  She is mastering the art of jigsaw puzzles...

Vianne got her first "haircut" - just a little trim up front for the part that was getting into her eyes!  She sat very still for Mama & talked about it for weeks to come.  (She would point to her hair and say, "Is this my haircut?" :-) )

 After the haircut, San Dimas had a little sprinkling of rain, so V got to try out her new Strawberry Shortcake umbrella!  These photos by Daddy capture the personality of our little girl so well - enthusiasm pours from her pores!

 

January also meant hours spent packing for our "trips" to Oregon.  One day soon after returning from Oregon, Vianne said to me, "Can you show me how to use the baby carrier?  Because I'm having a baby soon." And once I recovered from that remark, I showed her how to use it.  Every day she then made multiple trips to Oregon (the living room) with packed backpack and suitcase and with "Baby Edmund" strapped to her chest/belly.  When she arrived in Oregon (the living room), she found Grandma (me) waiting there and I got to take care of Edmund (baby doll) while she unpacked.  As the month wore on, she employed more & more bags & purses from her room to pack things in until pretty much the entire contents of her bedroom wound up in the living room each day.

 Heading back to California (her bedroom)

 Mama playing with the camera's zoom feature

 Trying on her new coat from Granma - trip to Paris, anyone?

 And her new dress from Christmas

 We got to taste our first home-grown orange!  As Vianne said, "It tastes...like an orange!"  Clearly, we're really good at this growing fruit thing.

 One morning very early, Vianne (who quite often resists photos) handed me the camera and said, "Take a picture of me!"  I do not know how this morning person came from my body.

 One day after story time at the library, we detoured to the park.  I haven't been very brave about park trips since Oliver was born, but this day I was feeling up to it (or I was desperate for anything that might compel Miss V to sleep during nap time).

 I know.  Who is this huge grown up girl, right?!

 Fortunately, Oliver was tired which made keeping track of Vianne quite easy.

 She was a little nervous going up, so extra proud after coming down!

 Tried to capture the sheer bliss emanating from Vianne.  She was SOOOOO happy! :-D  Makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it?

 At the end of the month, we celebrated Dad O./Grandpa's birthday with festive hats...

 

 We take birthday parties very seriously in this family.

 Jon made us a wonderful "Northwoods Inn" dinner (without having to wrangle the toddler in a public place - just in the comfort of our own home).  Certainly rivaled the "real thing" - yum!

 Helping Grandpa open his gifts

 Blue frosting!

 On a warm day, some outdoor finger painting

We also spend a lot of time playing other people/characters that Vianne assigns to us.  I was often Bea and she was Margot and Oliver was Edmund and we were waiting for Vianne Rose to arrive.  She also spent a lot of time playing Sheriff Callie (her new favorite show) with Horsey playing Sparky.  She asks me which bandits are in the backyard that she has to lasso and then I tell her something like "The Candy Bandits!" and off she goes to capture them & bring them to justice.

There's a new Sheriff in the backyard. She's cute, but I wouldn't mess with her.

 New shirt from Rebekah!

 Hanging out on the last Saturday of the month...