NO!

Yep, she learned it. I don't know exactly when or where, but she's got it down. It all happend after Oda Mae went to go spend the night with Aunt Sis last week. (Now I'm wondering exactly what they did that night.) The last couple of days, Oda Mae has been running around the house saying "No...No...No...No...". "Do you want your juice?", "NO!". "Let's go change your diaper.", "NO!". "Will you help Momma pick up your toys?", "NO!". "Are you sleepy?", "NO!"

You get the idea.

Oda Momma told me yesterday that someone told her that if you can make it past 2, then when she turns 3, she would be really fun. Oda Mae isn't even 2 yet. I'm not so sure I'm going to make it that far!

On another, more fun note, Oda Mae had her first beater today....





On an even more happier note, me and Oda Momma are going to eat a piece of what that beater made while watching an episode of Smallville. Woo Hoo!!!


-OD

Since Nov. 13

Since November 13th I've been running and practising a lot. My chops are in pretty good shape now (first time since Oda Mae was born) and I've lost 25 lbs. The audition was Monday morning. I did not play as well as I could have. That's how auditions are, kind of a crap shoot. Sometimes you play well sometimes you don't. It wasn't awful mind you, but it wasn't good enough. I came home from D.C. a day early and about $300.00 less in the old bank account. (Auditions are expensive!)The good thing is that I know the person who won. I play as well or better than he does. It just goes to show that it's all up to who plays the best on that particular day.

There is another audition coming up in about two months for a group in Ohio. Over the next couple of weeks I'll consider whether or not I want to audition for them or not. It's a pretty big gig, so I'll have to really think about it.

In the mean time, I'll just keep doing this...

...it's not so bad really.

Tomorrow, Oda Momma leaves for a couple of days so it'll just be me and Oda Mae. Maybe we'll do a little photo shoot or something to make us all feel better.

That is all.

-OD

Snow Day!!!!

Maw

The "Oda" family lost someone very special to us last week. We know that she is in a better place now.

We love you Maw!

I like the Wizard of Oz...

I like the Tin Man.

-OD

Picture courtesy of Nonchalant Savant.

Cue End Credits

Today was the last day of class for The Little Gym this semester. I have to admit that Oda Mae and I were both a little skeptical about going to such a place back in August. We were going to be out some $$$ for a whole semester of "play" time. I was worried that we wouldn't really be getting our money's worth. Since I stay at home during the day, I can do all sorts of stuff with her without somebody telling me what we should do. Our first day, if you'll remember left something to be desired.

Looking back, I'm really glad we enrolled for the Fall semester. She has learned so much. She loves to run in circles now; she hangs on the bars better than anyone else in the class; she can almost walk on the balance beam by herself. All of these little tasks are great, but the real sense of accomplishment is seeing her become more and more social and seeing how much she can learn in such a short amount of time. I have to say also, that I've grown as well. Today at The Little Gym, I had no less than five little kids (besides my own) hanging around me want to play ball, look at bubbles, and sit in my lap. What a great feeling! There were a couple of sessions this semester that I would rather have been sitting in an office somewhere doing paperwork. There were times when I wish Oda Mae and I could have just stayed home, but I'm happy that we didn't. We have both adjusted very well. I'm not that weird man who comes to the gym with his kid and all the other mothers now. I'm "Allison's Daddy", and I'm okay with that.

Every week we also go to story time after Little Gym. The first few weeks Oda Mae was pretty restless, and now she pretty much sits and soaks everything in.

Next week we start the Winter/Spring session and we can't wait!

Oda Mae and I have started "school" at home. It's an organized time for us to work together on stuff like letters, numbers, phonics, pictures, simple words, etc. After some thought, I decided that while we've been working on this type of stuff for quite a while, I would be able to keep up with her if I had a set time and a set "curriculum" to work on every day. The last 2-3 months have been amazing. Allison learns so fast and picks up new things every day. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up with her now. For a while there she was having several "pouting" and "crying" sessions a day. I look back now and see that she was just bored and needed something to do. That's my fault. The last few weeks have been VERY positive. She just wants to learn.


-OD

2007

The "Oda" Family would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!