Creative Day

I stopped by to pick up Owen a little early today and this is what I found...

A good portion of the table looked like this...I think Ronda is a saint!

He's Going to Hate Me for this One Day....

I caught this funny little clip tonight while we were trying to convince Owen to get his jammies on.  He loves to run around in his diaper, he loves to wear his bear shoes, and he loves his guitar.  I captured all three at once and it is pretty cute.  If only I wouldn't have held the camera sideways!!!

Enjoying my New Kitchen

Owen has really enjoyed playing with his kitchen these last few days.  Here are a few photos of him busy at work!

Mixing up a storm

Answering the phone

Hanging the utensils on the hooks

Trying to put the colander in the microwave

Getting Ronda all to Himself

Owen was the only one at Ronda's on Friday, so he had Aja and Ronda all to himself.  They had all sorts of fun! Fridays in the winter are jammie days, even for Ronda!

Checking out Ronda's Rudolph

Oooo!

They decorated these Christmas cookies with fruity Kix

A Kitchen, a LaLa and lots of Gabba!

This year was an extremely fun Christmas for us.  Owen is at an age where everything is new and amazing to him.  He was excited to see his cousins Emily and Tate, excited to open presents, excited to play with his toys...it was really fun to see.
Paul's mom's side of the family came over on Christmas Eve day.  We enjoyed appetizers, good company and fun times.  Owen was spoiled rotten!!!  He got a lot of Yo Gabba Gabba books, videos and toys.  He loved every minute of it!!!

Muno, Brobee and Foofa - or if you ask Owen, they are Gabbas!

A BIG Gabba!

On Christmas Day, we let Owen go into his playroom and there sat a play kitchen.  He went nuts!  He made food for us and his Gabbas.  Then we went to church.  Owen and our priest, Father Tony, love each other.  Father Tony visited and prayed with Owen several times while he was in the NICU, so I think Owen holds a special place in his heart.  Normally, Owen doesn't get to see him until after church, and then he runs up and gives him a big hug.  This time, we let Owen carry a little present into the sacresty for Father Tony before mass.  He gave him a hug and then wanted to touch his moustache. 

During mass, Deacon Richard invited the kids to come up on the alter to read a story with him, so I decided to bring Owen up since he was starting to get a little restless.  While sitting up on the alter, he caught a glimpse of Father Tony and started waving to him.  It was pretty cute!  Father Tony had a huge smile on his face.  Then Owen saw Paul in the congregation and said, "Dada!" really loudly!  I heard several people chuckle.

When we got home, Nana and Papa came to play and have dinner with us.  Owen enjoyed showing them his Gabbas and his new kitchen.  He got spoiled AGAIN, but his very favorite gift was his Lala (guitar).  He would not put it down the whole time!  He'd hold it in one hand and then play with another toy in the other.  He woke up this morning and said, "Lala?" 

Overall, it was a wonderful Christmas.  We were blessed to be able to spend it with our family and friends. 

A Little OCD

Owen has always picked up small threads or pieces of fuzz off the ground and handed them to us for as long as I can remember.  Ronda jokes that most of the time, she can't even tell if something is really there, so she just says thank you and has him help throw them away.  On Tuesday night, Paul was giving Owen a bath and Owen started to scream.  It was a horrible scream like the water was too hot or that he was really, really afraid of something.  I ran upstairs and was shocked at what was wrong!  Owen had worn dark socks that day and the sock fuzz from his toes was floating in the water.  He was pointing at it and screaming and crying hysterically.  Paul fished it out of the water to show him that it was just a fuzzy, but that would not calm him down.  So Paul took him out, drained the tub and tried again.  Owen was not having it!

We thought is was strange, but he'd never done that before, so we just went on with our nightly routine and didn't think too much of it.  I told Ronda about it the next morning.  That night when I picked up Owen, she said she knew exactly what I meant now.  Apparently three little, itty-bitty pieces of broccoli got in his applesauce at lunch and he freaked out, crying hysterically.  This is the kid who dips pomegranate seeds and animal crackers in ketchup!  She tried to get the broccoli out, but he wanted nothing to do with his applesauce anymore.

Last night, I was getting him changed into his jammies and he grabbed a wipe from the box.  He wiped down his crib, his changing table, his mattress, his knee and then leaned against the wall, balanced on one foot and while holding it up in the air, wiped his other foot.

I think he may have a touch of OCD....

Cocoa and Cookies with Lucy and Piper

Tonight our good friends Jen and Eric brought their twin girls, Lucy & Piper, over for a visit.  The girls were born prematurely and were about the same size that Owen was when he was born.  They will be 6 months old next week.  Time sure flies!  They are such sweet babies.  They cooed and talked and Owen seemed really interested in them....until Auntie Jen brought out presents!  Then it was all about stacking the blocks and making sandwiches for Uncle E with the cute little food set.

How did Auntie Jen know that Owen LOVES the nesting blocks at Ronda's???

What is it?  What is it?  He did really well opening the presents.  Good practice for the weekend!

Owen and Auntie Jen making sandwiches

Piper says, "What choo talkin' bout Paul????"

After some primping....

and thinking these girls are pretty neat....

This was about the best smile we could get.

Lucy, Jen and Owen

Merry Christmas Lavine Family!  Thanks for coming to celebrate Christmas with us!  And thanks to the Wiggins family for the cute jammies!  They fit perfectly - and he looks adorable in them! :)

Backsplash

We've had a few people ask us to post photos of the backsplash.  It isn't completely finished yet because 3 of the switchplates are on back order until the end of January, but this gives you an idea!  We are really happy with it so far.

Don't mind the cups...we always have cups drying on racks at our house!!!

Close up shot...

Christmas Tree

Due to the projects around the house, we couldn't put the tree up until this weekend.  I'm sad that it will only be up for a week, but it may have been a blessing in disguise, since Owen is pretty interested in the ornaments.  I didn't put many around the bottom, just a few that he made or are his.  It's a pretty sad looking tree this year, but he LOVES it!

Mama, there's a tree in our living room!  Am I dreaming?

I asked him to go stand by his tree so I could take a picture and he beelined for it, then stood so proudly. :)  He also really likes his nativity scene on the hearth.  He likes to bring us baby Jesus and the camel.

Helping Daddy

Over the last two weeks, we've been working on painting the majority of the lower level and also putting a backsplash in in the kitchen.  It isn't easy doing bigger projects like this with a curious little boy at your feet!  He instantly took an interest to daddy's ear protection and several times throughout the project, this is what we saw.....

Playing at Nana and Papa's House

Paul and I have undertaken a backsplash and painting project that I would really like to have done before we host Christmas.  I did some of the painting and we are hiring some out, but Paul wanted to do the backsplash.  It is very difficult to get much of anything accomplished with Mr. O around, so he went to Nana and Papa's to play.  He had so much fun (as always)!  They know how much I love pictures, so they took some of him playing in their big "box house."  Thanks again mom and dad!

Can you see Mr. Bear?

Welcome!

Peek!

Elmo and Mr. Bear in the house

Santa says HoHoHo!

All week I've been getting Owen ready to meet Santa today.  He can pick Santa out on our Advent calendar, in books, and on a photo from last year that hangs on his photo board over his changing table.  I've been trying to get him to say, "Hohoho," but he just giggles and won't say it.  Today he got to meet Santa and he did VERY well...even if he wouldn't say Hohoho! :)

Meeting Gruffy - Santa's bear

I have a bear too Santa!  His name is Mr. Bear

Two boys and their bears...

Is that beard real Santa?

High Five Santa! I'll leave a cookie out for you!

Playing in the Snow

Today Owen and I played out in the snow.  It was the first time we've gotten him all bundled up in snow pants and boots and played outside.  He wasn't so sure while he was getting dressed, but once we got outside, he loved it.  His favorite part was when Mama pulled him around the yard on a sled.

Owen's first snow angel

Hi!

Posing for Mama