The Oh So Happy

The Oh had to have a rather extensive dental procedure the other day. Basically one tooth was pretty much a bad egg and it was drilled and crowned. The Oh was a brave little guy all the way from loading into the van to walking back to the room when his name was called.

Of course being The Oh when it came time to drink the sedation medicine it took his parents, the nurse, and the doctor to administer it. He didn't go down without a fight. But in no time he went from defiant to compliant and my cell phone was there to grab a bit of video.

The procedure went quickly and we returned home before 11 that morning. We were warned that the sedation medicine could cause mood swings for several hours, but that was only in 1 in 10 cases. Let's just say never tell us the odds because the Oh went from crying fits to happy, happy, joy, joy in seconds. Of course the doctor said he'd come home and probably sleep 2 or 3 hours, but again our little guy defied the odds and slept not a wink until bedtime. All the while insisting, that while tipsy on his feet, he was fine and could play. I'm just glad I didn't have to take away his car keys.

Tour de "The Force"

Soy cinco! (I'm five!)

Star Wars!

Light Saber Duel

The Oh turned five on Thursday. Five. To all those parents who said it would go fast--a tip of the hat to you.

On Thursday we went to El Toro "The Bull Restaurant" in Oh's lingo. On Friday we had a Star Wars Birthday Playdate Party. Fourteen of his buddies from school and his ever expanding social circle arrived with siblings and parents. Some of the girls had arranged their hair in Princess Leia type fashion.

A word about Star Wars. We didn't let the Oh watch it until he turned five. He and his preschool buddies this past fall started playing it at recess and throughout the fall semester pieced together the basic story in tidbits gleaned from parents and siblings. By the time his birthday rolled around there was little he didn't know about the story. Plus we could always count on an extending reading session if the featured book was a Star Wars book from the bookmobile. So Thursday Happy Elf and Dewdrop were bedded early and the Oh and I watched the first half of Star Wars (note: Star Wars purists recommended starting with the original Star Wars-Episode 4: A New Hope). Above is a picture of the moment that "STAR WARS" title appeared on the screen (not light saber in the background).


The Star Wars Playdate party was great. Sugarpop and I had made light sabers from swim noodles, cut in half, and then black duct tape wrapped on one end. Then the kids could decorate their light sabers. Thank the Maker that the weather Friday was perfect--72 and sunny. The previous night's conversation went something like this:

Sugarpop: So where do you think they should have their light saber duels?

Me: Hopefully the weather's great and we can be outside.

Sugarpop: I was thinking if it was raining they could have light saber duels in the family room and for those who didn't want to duel we could have a scavanger hunt with stuff hidden all around the house.

Me: [slow blink]

It turned out to be a grand party with great weather, lots of kids, and lots of fun. Oh, but the Oh. As the party was winding down he collapsed into sobs as he didn't want it to end. But that's our Emo Oh.

Happy Valentine's Day! -from your secret admirers

1-Word Wednesday

Snuggle

Fully Vespered

Sugarpop went to Millikin University in Decatur. She was involved in their choir and in her four years there participated in their long running annual tradition of Holiday Vespers.

On Saturday she took me to the 50th Anniversary of Millikin's Holiday Vespers. To say I was a not looking forward to it was an understatement. This weekend was a busy one with the Oh having three birthday parties to go to, the Santa Train at Monticello, Church, and then Sugarpop and I were to go to Ain't Misbehavin at Assembly Hall.

It was just too busy a weekend for me so to kick it off with a trip to Decatur, leaving Dewdrop with a new babysitter, just didn't light my fire.

Of course I moaned about going for two weeks, but when the sitter was settled and we were on the road to Soybean Capital of the World I knew I'd enjoy some alone time with Sugarpop.

We arrived in time for the reception and enjoyed the deli tray as well as the cookie tray. Sugarpop ran into several fellow alumni who graduated with her so she had fun catching up with them.

Soon we were off to vespers held at the Kirkland Fine Arts Center on the Millikin campus. Our seats were decent, about midway up and towards the middle. Soon the lights dimmed and the "show" began.

Long story short, Sugarpop wondered if I would be bored with the whole thing when in fact I was enthralled. The staging was magnificent and choir members appeared and disappeared throughout the theater. Up in the balcony, in the aisles, on stage. It was truly a beautiful site and a beautiful evening with my wife. It was an unexpected delight and one I shall want to continue as a holiday tradition.

It's A Beautiful Day

The last few days the Happy Elf has greeted me each morning by saying, "Daddy! Daddy! It's a beautiful day!"

None more true than Sunday when we awoke to a snow covered C-U. I immediately went into "storm warning" mode and was planning out how I was going to shovel the drive and walks, should I use salt?, and I needed to get over to my parents to shovel their drive.

Kudos to Sugarpop, who, with 90 minutes until she and the kids needed to be off to church, had the boys winterized and outside with me. Instead of shoveling the drive Happy Elf, the Oh, and I used our new snow shovels to shovel "roads" in the yard. We built snowmen, tromped around, and knocked snow off the branches of trees.

Did the driveway get shoveled? Eventually, but our time spent in the first snow of the season, true to Happy Elf's statement, made it a beautiful day.

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Rick Rolls the World!