The Beach

We went to the beach last week with our friends and it was so fun.  Oskar loved running into the water and had absolutely no fear, so I had to keep a good hold on him.  Going to the beach reminds me that not everything about California is terrible and annoying.

Oskar talks so much now and says some funny things that I've been trying to keep track of.

Sometimes he looks at me out of the blue and says, "Pretty Mama!" or "Princess Mama!"

Whenever I give him anything he says very enthusiastically, "Fanks, Mama!  Fanks!"

When he asks for something like juice or a toy or anything really and I repeat what he says such as, "You want to play outside?"  He'll say loudly like I'm really forcing him to do something, "OKAY."  Every time.

The other day Oskar ran into my bedroom where Joel was working and when he saw the vacuum cleaner, which he has a love/hate relationship with.

Oskar: Scary vacuum.

Joel:  It's not scary, give the vacuum cleaner a hug and a kiss.

Oskar: (After giving it a hug and a kiss)  That's fun.

Whenever there is something he can't do, like at the park if there is part of the toys that is too high or is for older kids, or if is requires too much fine motor skills he says it's heavy.  "That toy is a little heavy."  Or, pooping on the potty is too heavy.

This morning Oskar was snuggling up to baby so I told him to say some sweet things and he said, "Sweet things!  Candy Canes!  Happy Birthday!"

He says lots more funny stuff everyday that I need to write down because if I don't I won't remember and they will be lost forever and it would be sad because he is hilarious!

Oskar's 2nd Birthday

My big boy is 2!  Oskar continues to be very curious and busy and happy.  He is communicating really well, speaking in full sentences and carries on hilarious conversations.  He loves people and balls, rocks and dirt, and anything that moves on wheels.  He talks about his family members all the time and remembers things that happened months and months ago.  He drives me crazy sometimes and I love him more than I can say.

Christmas Vacation

The first week of our FOUR WEEK vacation (if I ever suggest taking a vacation longer than a week someone must slap me) was spent at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Grants Pass.  It was nice and relaxing for the most part since Oskar was the only child running around even though Joel wasn't there, Joel was in New York for this week speaking at a social media conference.  We got to spend some time with Granny as well because her foot was broken and she was staying with us.  Oskar loved to help her with her puzzles and boy was he helpful.

Oskar has to wait to get haircuts until we see my Mom because I don't trust myself to cut it and I think it's silly to pay for a child to get a haircut, I barely pay to get mine cut.  Here is the before.


And after

Of course is snowed in Oregon while we were there.  Bad weather just followed us on our vacation.  Oskar wanted to play in it so badly even after he realized how cold it was.  Nothing stops this kid.  I didn't want to take a step outside, luckily Grandma was more willing.

 

 

Here is my Mom's table of nativities at the Creche Festival in Grants Pass.  She even got an article in the paper written about her and her collection.  Oskar was super excited about it.

For the second leg of our journey we headed north to Seattle and stayed there for a week.  This week was a little harder since Joel still wasn't with us (he was in Utah getting ready for the Ackerman Family Christmas Party) and there were other kids, toys, and floors to brutalize.   Oskar loves his cousins so much though so he had a great time, except when he got sick.  He got sick about three times during the month we were gone, the first being when we were in Seattle.

 

 

 

 

 

Naya, Mari, Eva, and Grandma (Keri and I helped a bit) colored beautiful signs to welcome Kamron home from Russia.

Kamron meeting Oskar for the first time.  When Kamron left on his mission and after Oskar was born, Kamron specified in an email to me that I was to make sure and teach Oskar the difference between himself and Jordan. I believe he said something like, "Make sure you teach him that me and Jordan are separate and distinct personages." 

Oskar helped Kamron pull his suitcase all the way through the airport.  Once again he showed how helpful he can be.

The third and last leg of our journey where we spent half of our time was in Utah.  We stayed at Kelsey and Boyd's house and even though Joel was back with us it was probably the hardest time because Oskar got sick twice, one of those times was up screaming for five hours in the middle of the night, and we'd already been gone from home and routine for two weeks.  It's hard to be away from home for that long especially when you have a crazy two year old.  But once again Oskar had a great time and loved getting to play with all of his cousins.

 

 

 

 

Oskar was pretty sick on Christmas Even so we didn't get to do any celebrating but on Christmas morning he was feeling a bit better so he got to watch Joel, Carson, and Landon open presents and open a few of his own.  Then later we went to Joel's parents house for dinner and got to see almost all the Ackermans.

 

Here Joel is modeling his new pajama pants I got him.  We had another low-key Christmas this year as far as the gifts we got each other.  We got some movies and Joel got some clothes.  Eventually when we're rich Joel is going to buy me the moon, he told me.

Disneyland

We went to Disneyland yesterday!  One couple that we're friends here invited us to accompany them to Disneyland because they have free buddy passes that allow them to get two people in free!  We spent most of the day in California Adventure riding all the big kid rides, which I LOVED, and a few kid rides.  It was a long and exciting day for Oskar so he finished it up by throwing up everywhere, on multiple rides and me, he knows how to go out with a bang.

In front of one of the Christmas trees.  It just doesn't feel like Christmas when it's 70 degrees!

This is Heimlich's ride from A Bug's Life.  Oskar was way into it.

And the Mater ride in Cars Land.

We switched off with our friends who also have a little boy Oskar's age so one couple could go on a ride while the others watched the kids and then we switched.  This is the Tower of Terror, one of my favorites.

The "cast members" really get into it on this ride.  I was just taking a picture of Joel as the employee walked by and he stopped long enough to make the picture creepy.

It looks like Joel and I are posing for a family picture.  We didn't do it on purpose.  Although, whenever I go on a scary ride I end up laughing the entire time, no screaming, just laughing and smiling really big.  And Joel just shouts the name of the ride the whole time.  On the ride California Screamin' the entire time he screamed at the top of his lungs, "CALIFORNIA SCREAMING!!!" 

And this picture was taking at the end of the night when I had puke all over me and in my hair.  Oskar also christened the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Casey Jr.'s Train, and the tram that takes you back to the parking structure.