Vacation Wind Up

Oda Momma was on vacation this last week. When Oda Momma is on vacation, so am I a little bit. We get to share the Oda time.

On Thursday, we went to see some friends of ours in East Texas. Oda Mae got to see her friend Ellie Mae. On Friday we all went to a place called Kid Space or Kids Place or Place for Kids to Play or something like that. It was basically an indoor playplace. They had a section just for the little kids as well as the bigger kids. We started in the little kid section. Oda Mae loved jumping into the plastic balls. What she loved even more is picking up all the plastic balls that had gone astray in the other parts of the play area and putting them back where they belong. I suppose I may have spent a little too much time making her put all of her toys away.


Then we got adventurous. We went over to the bigger kids area to go down the BIG slide. Ellie Mae is a few months older than Oda Mae and showed her the ropes a little.



Then Oda Mae went up.

SHE LOVED IT!!!

She loved it so much that she wanted to climb back up. She got pretty frustrated when she couldn't. Then when Oda Momma and I went in to get her out and let her go up the stairs again, she pretty much didn't like it at all.

So we'll keep practicing on the little slides for a while.

Oda Momma goes back to work tomorrow and I suppose that I should go back to work as well. Lord knows that I've got enough projects to do around the house. It's back to watching Oda Mae all day again as well. Maybe some regular blogging also, we'll see.

-OD

A Tribute

Mahly
(1990 - 2006)

Today, my family and I had to say goodbye to Mahly. We finally made the decision that was very difficult to make. She had not been well for a long time. As a little tribute to her, I would like to tell her story.

After living by myself in Cincinnati, Ohio for about two months, I started to get a little lonely. I decided to go to the local animal shelter and pick out a little kitten to become my friend. When I got to the shelter I started looking a kittens. None of them "called" out to me like they wanted to be my friend. Then I just walked around a little bit, looking at all of the cats they had. I was walking past the cages and noticed a cat staying way back in her cage so nobody could see her. I said hi. She meowed at me in what turned out to be her typical little meow. She was a bluepoint Siamese. She was very pretty. I opened her cage to pet her and she started to purr. I then went up to the counter and told them that I found a cat that I wanted to take home. They said to go get her. I did and some other customers at the counter asked me if I had ever had a Siamese cat before. Of course I said no. I had never had any cat before. They responded with "They like to talk." I paid for her ($50.00 + Tax) and took her back to my little two room apartment in a box that said, "I'm Going Home!"



I originally wanted a boy cat so that I could call him Gustav, after the composer Gustav Mahler. But I came home with a girl cat; you can't call a girl cat Gustav. That night I called Oda Momma and she suggested I call her Molly, but spell it M-A-H-L-Y. So that I would still name her after my favorite composer. I said that was silly. The next day I called Oda Momma up and told her that I had named my cat Mahly. Mahly lived under the bed for about two weeks. I never saw her except at promptly 4am every morning when she got brave enough to scope things out. I woke up every morning with her staring at me as she sat on my stomach.

We lived in Cincinnati for a few more months before coming back to Texas. The road trip back to TX wasn't fun for Mahly. She had to go real bad, but wouldn't. She held it all the way to Arkansas. Then we had to stop and clean up.



I left Mahly to live with my fiance and her roommate, Princess Dedra, until we got married. Admittedly, Mahly wasn't a very nice cat. She liked to scratch people. Oda Momma and Princess Dedra took Mahly to be de-clawed. Mahly was the nicest, most loving cat in the world after that. Go figure.

When we got married, Mahly went to go live with my sister while we were on our honeymoon. There, Mahly learned the fine art of hiding from dogs and sleeping on someone's head.



Mahly was our lone pet until Abby and Fergus, our dog's came along. She wasn't going to put up with any of their shenanigans. She let them know that right off the bat. The dogs pretty much left her alone.



Then Oda Mae came along last year. Mahly was very intrigued by this new little person living in our house. After being a very non-sociable cat all her life, Mahly started coming out to see people after Oda Mae was born. This was the first time some of our family had ever seen Mahly. I think maybe she was a little jealous of the baby and wanted some attention of her own.



Mahly was a very good friend to lots of people. She was my best friend in Ohio. We got along very well even though we had a love-hate relationship there towards the end.



Mahly, thanks for being my first bachelor pet. Thanks for being there when I needed company in Ohio. Thanks for being a member of our family. We'll miss you.

-OD

P.S. To see Mahly with the Oda Family go to Oda Momma's Blog.

Just for GG...

Thanks for trying to play my game! I'll do better next time.
-OD

Okay, so nobody wants to play...

even after I put up a clue. I'll tell you who it is.

My Great-Great-Grandmother, Luticia Ballard was married to a man before she married my Gr-Gr-Grandfather. The first man she was married to was Ollie Partridge Roberts AKA, "Brushy" Bill Roberts AKA, "Billy the Kid".

Here's the story.

and now The rest of the story.

-OD

It's a little genealogy game.

I recently discovered that I am related (sort of) to this man. History buff bragging rights to the person who can identify who this is...



-OD

Emergency Room Visit #1

So Oda Mae and I had to make a little trip to the emergency room this morning...

Don't worry, everything is okay...now.

After our morning run, we wanted to play on the slide. So we did. A really big bee started to buzz around us so we moved away until the bee flew away. When we went back to the slide Oda Mae was climbing up and I did what I know not to do, and that I almost never do...I held her hands and picked her up onto the slide. Then I heard "POP"...what was that? Oda Mae started to cry.

Talk about feeling like a "BAD" daddy. I felt terrible. I tried to comfort her, but it must have really hurt. We went in to see Oda Momma and nothing seemed to help. It just hurt. Oda Mae wasn't moving her arm, but at the same time she wasn't screaming in pain either. We decided to go ahead and take her to the ER.

After some paperwork the nurses took a look at her and said that it looked like she may have pulled something out of where it was supposed to be. The Dr. came in and said that she had full extension, but he wanted to see some pictures just in case.

The x-ray ladies came in and took 2 pictures of each elbow so there would be a comparison. Oda Mae likes to have her picture made, so she was the perfect little model for them. Then the Dr. came in to tell us that everything looked okay. No broken bones or anything. Its possible that she dislocated her elbow, but that it had gone back into place. Now it's just sprained a little.

Then we came home and went "nite, nite".

So, the moral of this story....Don't pick Oda Mae up by her hands.

I'm sure I'll remember that from now on.

-OD

Happy Married Day, Oda Momma!

Eight years ago today I got to marry my best friend. She married me, even though!

Can you say "Hat"? I knew you could.

This morning as I was getting Oda Mae ready for our run. She said "hat". Just as plain as day. This is a new one for her.



It's starting to get difficult to remember all of the cool tricks she can do. Oda Momma and I were talking about that last night. She knows lots of words, body parts, and dances (more videos to come). Soon she'll know more than we do. She'll tell us that too.

-OD

"Planearium"

Oda Momma and I wanted to go to the "Planearium" today for our little vacation, but Oda Mae decided that she wanted to go to the Aquarium in stead. We got to see lots of cool fish...

What did Oda Mae think of the Aquarium?

I think she liked it.

-OD

Happy Birthday Oda Momma!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday Oda Mommaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Happy Birthday to you!

We Love you.

Oda Mae and Oda Daddy

Mentos and Diet Coke Extravaganza

Most of you will remember THIS POST...

As it turns out, my nephew Chris' car needs some work. He was willing to do just about anything for a few bucks to get his car going again. Being the supportive uncle that I am, I offered to help him out a little. THIS VIDEO pretty much explains everything.

Oda Mae had a good time as well.

-OD

Independence Day 2006

We had a very nice visit today with Gran, Maw and Aunt Macky. Had some 4th of July turkey and dressing and homemade chocolate pie and cake with strawberries and blueberries. Oda Mae had a very good time. We went out on Sunday to see fireworks at CITG so we came home tonight and went to sleep early after a long weekend.

I must say that Oda Mae is the prettiest little Independence Day girl I've ever seen. She is just so cute. See......




I am so glad to live in a country where I (a SAHD) can raise my kid how I want to raise her and teach her the things I want her to learn. You know, in some countries the government decides what your child will study and learn. We are so blessed to live in America!

Also, only in America can you get your 18-year-old nephew to swallow a bunch of Mentos and chug a Diet Coke and then post the video on the internet for the world to see. More on that tomorrow. :)

-OD

Questionable Parenting...

Tonight, I would like to pose two different sets of parents to my readers to see if there is a difference. Is one justified more so than the other?

Here we go...

Parent A: Parent A is seen at 11:00 pm in Wal-Mart checking out with her two children. One child is about 6 years old, the other about 14 months (give or take). Parent A is constantly telling her children (both of whom are standing in the shopping basket) to set down and stop messing with things. The items in the shopping basket consist of bathing suits for the children and dog food. The children get upset when told something they don't want to hear..."you can't have that" or "set down, we're going to the car in a minute". Neither parent or children seem to be having very much fun.

Parent B: Parent B is seen leaving a large outdoor family event at 10:00 pm with one child in tow (about 15 months old). The child is obviously tired, but is not fussy. Parent B and the child were both seen having a good time during the event with the occasional crankiness coming from the child since it was getting late.

Here are my questions. Should both parents have put their children to bed at a reasonable time, say 8 or 9 pm? Was it okay for parent B to keep the child up for a "family friendly" event. Was parent A just being stupid for taking her kids to Wally-World for seemingly unnecessary shopping? You can probably guess my opinion, but I'm curious to hear yours.

-OD

Oda Vacation!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

Yesterday, Oda Momma and I took Oda Mae to her Gee Gee's house for a two day and one night stay. This will be the first time Oda Mae has ever spent the night with someone. Yesterday, Oda Momma and I went to lunch "sans" baby. We had a very good time. Then we went to our rehearsal for CITG. Then we went to the library for some fun, hanging out time doing some genealogical research. (I know, we're nerds.) BUT then we went to go see SUPERMAN RETURNS at the 9:30 show. We got out after midnight and came home. Got to wake up this morning (on my own) and took the dogs out for a little run.

Now, yesterday, I sent Oda Mae to Gee Gee's house with a package of oatmeal for breakfast this morning. She likes oatmeal really well, especially with some maple syrup mixed in, but what do I find this morning on my e-mail...



Terrible, processed, fakey chocolate, sugar filled, make your kids turn into ADHD, television watching, video-game playing, hoodlums. :) Oh well, what are ya gonna do?

I think Oda Mae is having a very good time with her Gee Gee. They are having all kinds of fun. I have to admit, I miss her a little...JUST A LITTLE!

-OD

15 Month Checkup

Today, Oda Momma, Oda Mae and I went to the wee one's doctor for her checkup. She is extremely healthy and is in perfect form. She had to get three shots and a blood test today. She cried just a little bit during the second shot. The nurse said that she was very good and that she wished that all babies were that good.

While in the waiting room (for nearly an hour) we noticed a little boy just a couple of months older than Oda Mae. He sat very quietly in a little chair the whole time. Didn't get up to play. Didn't talk to anyone. Just kind of sat there checking things out. He was a very well behaved little boy. Oda Mae, while also very well behaved, was a completely different personality. She would go up to people and say "Hi". She wanted to play with the rocking horse and all of the toys in the waiting room. She never stopped. Come to think about it, if she is awake, she has got to be doing something all the time. She almost never just sits and plays. If we ever have a child that is content to play by themselves, we'll be pleasantly surprised. To the lady at the dr's office today. Your next one will be a surprise to you too. (hee, hee, hee).

See what I mean...


-OD

The Successful Breakfast

The successful breakfast for Oda Mae is the one where I do not get food in MY hair.

Are my standards too low?

-OD

Free Concert Tomorrow Afternoon

I will be playing my last concert tomorrow afternoon with The Perennial Brass Ensemble. The concert is at the Josey Ranch Lake Public Library and starts at 2:30 and will last about an hour. We are playing a concert of "Americana" music. Music by Americans of course. It'll be fun; hope to see you there.

-OD

Super-Duper Awesome Laser Firework Adventure Spectacular

Last night we went to see the Concerts in the Garden again. This time with Aunt Sis and Cousin Chris.

We got to hear music from all of our favorite super hero, space, kick-your-tail-with-a-light-saber movies. Except for E.T. and Mission Impossible, which by-the-way brings me to another subject...

Who's LAME idea was it to cancel E.T. and M.I. during the first half...
FIRST: Those are two of the coolest pieces that the orchestra was supposed to play.
SECOND: The 1st half was way too short.
THIRD: Intermission was way too long.
FOURTH: When the lasers started, it wasn't dark enough.
FIFTH: I REALLY LIKE E.T. AND M.I.!!!!!!!

Okay, I'm done.

When it did get dark enough, the lasers were really cool...

Oda Momma put the best pictures on her site.

Oda Mae also got a Super-Duper Cool Light-Saber-Laser Sphere that shoots lightning and fireworks at your interstellar galactic enemies. It also plays a cute little song. Cousin Chris got one too. They had a war and Oda Mae won.

Next Friday I'm on stage while Oda Mae is out in the crowd with Grandma "GiGi". Then we go out for the big 4th of July Concert.

-OD

Went swimming today...

We had access to a "friends" pool today with Grandma Gigi. So we went went in for a dip...

We all had a very good time. And Oda Mae got to skip her afternoon nap. Maybe she'll sleep 'til noon tomorrow?

-OD

Happy Father's Day!

This post was supposed to go up yesterday, but I was having some networking problems. Those problems are now smashed into little bits.

A year ago, Oda Momma and I made the decision that I would be a stay at home dad. I can say that it has been quite the experience. I wouldn't want to trade it for anything. Whoever said that being a stay-at-home person was the most difficult job in the world was wrong. They must have had a terrible other half, out there working and making their life miserable. I've had the best time. I don't always get the housework done, dinner isn't always made, but I give it a go anyway. But the most difficult job? I don't think so. Trying at times, frustrating every once in a while, yes. Maybe it's just me, but the rewards of staying home with Allison are worth it. I'm thankful as a father today because I have a very good little girl and an incredibly supporting wife. Thank you!

After seeing this post on NCS's website Oda Mae wanted to learn how to dance.
As a very special Oda post today, I made a little movie of her dancing. She's really good now.

CLICK HERE

-OD