Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year to all of you!

Odin & I rang in the new year with a full week of activities! We took cousin Francesca and friends Rachel & Chance over the hill to San Jose to the Happy Hollow zoo and park! There were rides, animals, and many different playground areas with tree houses, mirror houses, boats, mazes and lots of good fun. We met cousins Jimmy & Jasmine and Bella and their dads, Mommy's cousins Daniel & Jimmy. With four adults and 5 kids under 4 and 1 6 year old, things were pretty crazy!




Yesterday, Ryan, Odin & I went up to San Francisco to the Bay Area Discovery Museum. Although the museum was kind of disappointing...more like a playground than a learning experience, we all still had a great time and even went down to Fisherman's Wharf for some hot wings at Hooters. (I'm not kidding, we really like the hot wings.) Odin spent the whole time saying "Football, Football, Football!" and checking in with everyone at all the tables.

Today, we had fun with Daddy in the morning at the party store picking out New Year's paraphernalia for the restaurant tonight. Then, Odin & Mommy hung out at home and had a nice day together that ended in a clean and organized house to start the new year off right! Then, Rachel & Chance came over for cookies & Champagne and LOTS of playing! We had SUCH a good time! Such good friends.

I hope that all of you are celebrating the arrival of the New Year! I can't wait to see what surprises it will bring and can only hope that each year teaches me to handle the unexpected with increasing grace and perspective. After seeing everything that has happened this last year, I will not even try to guess what to expect this coming year. Odin has gone from a true baby to a small adult in such a short time. A few stories from today...I was in the bedroom and the french doors were open and Odin was in the backyard. Ryan had gone to get a mocha from a nearby coffee shop. I heard someone knocking so I went to answer the door...it was coming from the back door at the kitchen so I went to answer it thinking Ryan was back and was locked out. Lo and behold, who was knocking but Odin! It was just too funny that he knew to knock when he couldn't open the door! Another one...I went in to get Odin dressed...I said, "Odin, what would you like to wear today?" Just because I now talk to myself all day and make it acceptable by addressing my nonstop commentary to Odin. I said."How about these red sweatpants?" "Uh-uh" came the response. "Well, what would you like to wear?" Odin pointed to a pair of surf shorts!?!?!?! Then, when I explained that it was too cold for the shorts and that he needed to wear the sweatpants and t-shirt, he ran and got a package of socks that he liked. I asked him which pair he wanted to wear, yellow or green, and he pointed to the green ones with much certainty. A fashion preference at 1.5 years???? He definitely has Ryan's fashion sense though! Here's a third story, I told Odin it was time for bed. We brushed our teeth, got in our jammies, etc. Then, after turning down all the lights so that it was darker to suggest bedtime, I was getting him some water to have before bed, I looked over, and there he was cooking in his kitchen and because it was too dark to play, he had TURNED ON the little play light that really works that is under the "hood filter" and lights the little cooking area!?!?!?!? Since when did this kid turn into such an independent little free thinker? Anyways, here's to 2008 and the all the unexpected surprises it will bring!!!!!