So, I was supposed to get all these videos up on Christmas Eve as a gift to my in-laws.  Apparently Christmas Eve…and the entire week after Christmas…is a popular time to upload to YouTube.  We just managed to finish posting them.

So, Baka i Deda…these are for you.

For the rest of the world who may happen to stumble upon this blog post, sorry for the unabashed and extended video footage of the family decorating the tree on Christmas Eve.  But admit it, if you couldn’t be with your only grandchild for Christmas, wouldn’t you want the excessive amount of video too?

This first video is of Che on Chirstmas morning, dancing to the music played by a tree when shaken.  The tree used to vibrate so that the bells jingled…15 years ago.  I can’t believe the thing still works, but I’m glad that Che enjoys it.  Of course, I had to hide it after a day or two because I couldn’t take it any more.  The other voice you hear during the video is Feech on the phone.  She managed to be a part of our Christmas celebration despite the distance!

The next few videos are of Che and I decorating the tree Christmas Eve.  Baka sent a box of ornaments for our tree, including a box of handmade cookie ornaments.  Needless to say, once Che got a taste, he was hooked.  And yes, that is his Christmas present in the box behind the couch.  Christmas is so much easier when the child has no clue what is going on.  Next year will be quite different, I’m sure.

The string in this video is from the cookie ornament Che just consumed.  Glad I managed to catch it.   Don’t bother watching the whole thing, but go to 2:50 and watch for a few seconds.  Say it with me, “not a cookie.”   Or go to 3:04 and hear Che say “cookie.”  In case you are wondering, the tree lights are white LEDs.  They just look blue on video.

After a 15-hour drive, during which Che only cried for about an hour and a half (yea for Che), a week in transition housing, and a week of unpacking, we are finally starting to settle in to our apartment and in to life in our new state of Indiana.  We are grateful for all those who helped us prepare for the move from the Boston area and for all those who have sent us well wishes and inquiries about our new life since we have arrived.

The move went well enough, and I will forever be grateful to all those Relief Society sisters back in the Boston area who helped me pack and clean and provided so much emotional and temporal support as I prepared to leave my home and the region in which I had spent all of my adult life.  You know who you are, and I want you to know that your support was the miracle I needed in my life to make this move.

As planned, I see both my husband and my son more now that we are in Indiana, mostly because our commute is now 5 minutes instead of 40.  Che has adapted well to his new day care and enjoys his new ward at church.  His teachers at day care are smart…they already adore him!  And really, who wouldn’t adore him.

One of my favorite moments from the move was during the unpacking.  Despite the chaos of boxes and packing paper everywhere, and the disorientation of new places and faces, Che still found the energy to enjoy one of the simple pleasures of life.  He played in the packing paper!

This video reminds me of my sophomore year of college and the prank war I had with a guy in my student ward.  It escalated to my dorm room being stuffed to the ceiling with wadded-up Daily Universe newspapers while I was in class all day.  Fortunately, it was a Friday.  That weekend, my dorm room became the prime attraction as everyone wanted to play in all that paper.  Someone even lost her engagement ring while in there…yes, we did find it.  When I finally cleaned it out, I filled 16 32-gallon garbage bags with the newspaper.  Ah…those were the days, but they don’t even come close to the joy of playing in a pile of packing paper with my little Che!

Apparently, Teo frequently holds photo sessions with Che before I get home in the evenings. It gives them something to do. When Che decides he’s had enough smiling for the camera, funny things happen.

On Feech’s last night at home, Teo coercied her into playing another song for Che.  For some reason they picked Nirvana’s “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam”.  Based on Che’s reaction, I think he doesn’t like the song very much.  I think they would have had a much better reaction from Che if Feech had sung the diametric song “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam.”

You can judge for yourself.

…agree that Che is adorable, and that he needs to brush his teeth more often.  Two days after we started brushing Che’s teeth, he developed a fever that lasted for 4 days.  It was definitly tooth related, as his drool was never ceasing during the fever.  Che is better now, but I must admit that I’m a little spooked about brushing his teeth.  His top two canines still haven’t broken through, and I’m afraid that brushing his teeth will cause him to have a lot of teething related pain and possibly a fever again.

So, all my friends who have had children teething, what do you think?  Are the (hypothetical) dentist right?  Should I brush his teeth no matter what?  Or is there some truth to the theory that you shouldn’t start brushing toddler’s teeth too early in life?

I await your opinions.

There is a private freshwater beach about 3 kilometers from our house that is only for residents of the town in which we live.  We took Che there on Saturday, and I think we will be going back every Saturday through the summer.  He loved it, as evidenced by the video below.

We enjoyed the sun and playing in the water.  Che is starting to make swimming motions, though he still doesn’t like to get his face wet.  After he warms up in the water for a few minutes, he practically leaps out of my arms. I have to keep a good hold to ensure he’s not the fish that gets away.

Though I prefer the crashing waves of an unprotected ocean shore, I think I can be at peace with the local town beach.  It’s close enough to walk if we were motivated, relatively peaceful, and Che loves it.  That said,  I can’t wait to get him into salt water.  Maybe he’ll stop trying to drink it when he is in the sea.