Electric Piano

Ryan's last present from us was expertly wrapped covered in wrapping paper and tape, but he made short work of getting to the goods and then trying it out.

 

I had been looking for some sort of child-size piano since Ryan loves playing our big one but has to be supervised to sit up on the bench. I couldn't find anything reasonably priced until I went to Once Upon a Child in Sioux Falls. I picked up this Little Tikes Electric Piano for only $12. It's missing the microphone stand, but now that I read the review, that seems to have broken off for most people within hours of using it anyway. It isn't the most sturdy thing, but for now Ryan is loving playing the keys and the different beats and demos. Here are a few videos of him experimenting with it.

Iowa 1,2,3

 "Look, Ryan! You got a present in the mail from Daddy's cousin in Alaska! Let's see what it is!

It's a counting board book called Alaska 1 2 3 Colors and Numbers by Shannon Cartwright! Thanks Cousin Robbie & family!

I wonder why no one writes Iowa 1 2 3 Colors and Numbers?

Oh, this is why:

 Iowa 1 2 3 Colors and Numbers, by Cobo

1. One brown pony munching on some hay
2. Two black crows who have a lot to say
3. Three gray squirrels looking for nuts to hide
4. Four purple geodes that are really sparkly inside
5. Five pink pigs rolling in the mud
6. Six green pastures where cattle chew their cud
7. Seven Eastern goldfinch sitting in a tree
8. Eight white blizzards make it impossible to see
9. Nine golden walleye swimming in a lake
10. Ten red bug bites where mosquitoes did partake
11. Eleven Orange Monarchs migrating in the fall
12. Twelve degrees the average temp...it's chilly...wear a shawl

Sorry, I got tired there toward the end.

Copyright prevents me from posting the original poem in the Alaska book so you'll just have to trust me when I say it's closer to "much" than "slightly" on the "how much better it is than my Iowa poem Scale"

Feel free to share with other Iowegians, but don't try to publish it.

I'll sue your "Go Hawks" socks off.

Adam's Family

 Adam's bro and sister-in-law

 Aunt Kim, Uncle Andy with Ryan

 Adam's parents

 Grandma and Grandpa with Ryan

 Our best shot of a family pic with our little cheeseball.

For those of you who comment on how photogenic our son is, this is a better idea of what most of the shots on my camera look like. Thank goodness for digital deletes!

Tent and Tunnel

The first present Ryan opened was from Uncle Andy and Aunt Kim. He had a great time tearing off all the paper, but he thought sitting on the box would give him the best leverage to remove all that pesky paper and tape.

After all the presents were opened, we set up the tent and tunnels and let Ryan have at it! He loved them! At first, he insisted on going in through the window, Dukes of Hazzard style, but eventually he found the door and the tunnel entrances. He loved looking out the window and waving to everyone and giving Grandma kisses through the other mesh window.  This tent was very easy to set up and take down and comes in a handy carrying case. He's already played with it several times and giggles the whole time!

Sorry for the sideways view, but here's a super-short clip of Ryan's giggly crawl through the tunnel.



I like the style of this Playhut lil Explorers Crawl 'N Play because the tent is tall enough for kids to stand up completely and Ryan loves the windows! The tunnels can also either go on the two sides or be connected to make one long tunnel. It's available on Amazon and at Toys 'R Us.

Chances are this is a Catch Fail

Somebody needs to relearn the phrase "Keep your eye on the ball!"

Balls, Buses, and BIG BIG Boxes

Ryan had a blast opening gifts with Adam's family. Here's a few more highlights from the evening.

Ryan got a set of three Little Tikes balls from Uncle Andy and Aunt Kim. We love these because they're the right size and weight for Ryan (15 months) to throw and are soft enough that they don't hurt anything (or any dog) when launched at high speeds. The kid's got an arm. He spent a good portion of the night throwing these around and hasn't stopped since.

One of Ryan's presents from Adam's parents was a Fisher Price Little People Lil' Movers School Bus. He started clapping to the song right away and likes opening the door to put the kids in and out of their seats. He also got Fisher-Price Little People Sail n Float Boat that plays music and makes sounds, even when floating in the tub! He likes to play with the fishing pole off the back of the boat, which makes his daddy almost tear up with joy.

At the end of the night, there was one giant box left unopened, and guess who it was for?

 

It was a  Step2 Naturally Playful Sand & Water Center from Grandpa and Grandma! What fun we are going to have this summer playing outside! (Or possibly even playing water in the basement if we can't wait for the snow to melt)  We picked this design because it has a cover and a nice big umbrella.

It was a big night, but we had so much fun eating, playing, exchanging gifts, and laughing with loved ones.  We stayed overnight since I had to work in town the next morning and after Ryan went to bed we played our traditional game of Aggravation. We also tried a round of Scribblish and had a few more laughs before calling it a night.  2010 Christmas Party #1 was in the books.

A perfect Herkie

Don't tell his father I'm making cheerleading references.

Face it, though, the kid DOES like to clap.