Christmas Eve Performance from Valentino Valdez on Vimeo.

What a difference a year makes! Last Christmas, she bolted from the same piano bench. This year, she serenades the family with a couple carols (and one Old MacDonald)! We’re very proud that she overcame her stage fright. Now, if we can turn this into a lucrative singing career…

And here are a few pics from the magical evening. Yes, that’s her holding an infant!

Oren brought home her first gingerbread house from preschool last week. Not only was it a fine piece of work, it was delicious, too! And like most demolition projects, it went down faster than it went up.

A few weeks ago, Oren starred as an angel in her preschool’s nativity “play”. I missed it, but Mommy was on the scene. She sucked her thumb through most of it, but it looks like she had no problem with the costume. After all, she’s been in quite a few! Of course, seeing her dressed up as an angel makes me feel guilty that she isn’t baptized, yet.

All Aboard the Stoic Express Part 2 from Valentino Valdez on Vimeo.

Ok, the Ala Moana Christmas train is bigger, plays music, and has cars shaped like ice cream cones. Fun, right? Well, not enough to elicit any sort of reaction from our daughter. Even the volunteer train escort was surprised (check his confused look at around 00:26).

As most of you know, I’m a complete Star Wars fanatic. If you need a reminder, do a search for “Halloween” on this site. Anyway, when I heard the Pacific Outpost Fighting 501st Stormtrooper legion was appearing at the Honolulu City Lights for a Toys for Tots drive, I had to go! To donate a toy of course! Unfortunately, Oren didn’t have as much fun as I did, as she squirmed and complained most of the night.

Even when she was sorta coming around and asking “where’s Darth Vader”, Darth happened to take a potty break. No offense, but Darth Maul is just not as cool.

But it was a great time, and it was for a good cause. I hope the 501st was able to bring enough geek dads out to meet their Toys for Tots goal!

We took a rainy trip out to Hawaii Kai this past weekend to celebrate our niece and nephew, Tehani and Logan’s birthday party at the soon-to-be-closing Chuck E. Cheese’s in Aina Haina (also site of my 23rd birthday if you can believe it). Oren freaked at the creaky old-skool animatronic puppets (my wife was scared of them as a kid as well), but really loved the food – pizza and more pizza, even italian subs and french fries! We gave in and allowed her several cups of fruit punch as well (hey, its a party, right?) Then it was off to the arcade, where she b-lined for for the 1-token rides.

We had the most fun watching her attempt to play skee-ball, though. See the video below:

Silly Skee-Ball from Valentino Valdez on Vimeo.

By the way, Oren scored a grand total of 42 tickets, which allowed her a postage-stamped sized notebook, and a cheap, plastic bracelet.

All Aboard the Stoic Express from Valentino Valdez on Vimeo.

You would think a ride on the Pearlridge Christmas Express would bring joy to a child’s face. Granted, she has been on a mini-roller coaster. Guess Oren expects more from her railed rides!

Oren’s Magical Macy’s Tour from Valentino Valdez on Vimeo.

It was the first of many trips to the mall for us, as we hit Pearlridge Center for some Christmas Shopping. Here’s Oren, fresh from a visit to Hanai Bear (which is closing, by the way) giving us a tour of the womens apparel section in Macy’s. Watch her at the end of the video checking herself out in the mirror! She’s definitely my daughter!

Thanksgiving was relatively mellow this year for the Valdez clan. Instead of the traditional 2 or 3 gorge fests in various parts of the island, we decided to host my mom and sister at our quaint little townhouse in Aiea. Turkey was nicely kalua’d by the folks at Castle High School (thanks again, Aunty Jean) and the rest of the meal was prepared by Katrina (I take credit for putting a pie in the oven and stirring the gravy). We finished off the holiday with Wall-E (great movie) then chilled the rest of the night.

A few days before, Oren’s preschool invited parents for a Thanksgiving lunch. I missed her turkey dance, but got to see her in her “natural” setting for once. The hardest part was going back to work, as she mustered up the most sad face I’ve ever seen!

Anyway, hope everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving. More links to the photos below.