Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Introducing Finn!

 Last Friday, the Olson clan grew by 4 more paws. Yup! We adopted a new puppy and he is wonderful. As a family, we thought Finley would be a great name for him, but wanted to have eyes on him before making the decision final. He's definitely a Finley (Finn for short) and has quickly worked his way to the center of our hearts. 

Before I go into the details of Friday, a little backstory:

A number of months ago, Eric turned to me (rather out of the blue) and said, "I'm surprised you haven't suggested getting a puppy with all of us home during the quarantine" My reply was rather matter of fact, "Huh! I hadn't really thought of it until now. NOW I am thinking about it!" After a number of conversations about the merits of adopting another dog, we decided to pull the proverbial trigger and reach out to the rescue coordinator who found Huck for us last year. We were very low-key about it, just that we were thinking Huck would like a buddy, so if a good fit for our family crossed her path, to please let us know. On July 27th, she reached out to me via text and told me about some lab/shepherd pups (in TX) who were going to need a home and wondered if we'd be interested in one of them. It all seemed to fall into place. Once we got confirmation that he was a healthy pup, we told the coordinator that we'd like to adopt him. We were put in contact with the pup's foster mom, who was truly wonderful and gave him such a great home for his last couple of weeks in TX. She sent me so many pictures and updates, for which we were (and are) so grateful!

Fast forward to last week:

Eric and I had kept news of the puppy from the kids, just in case anything fell through. We didn't want them to be disappointed. Our plan was to keep the pup a secret until I arrived home with him Friday night. A few days before pick-up day, I told Eric that I was thinking it might be good to tell the kids so they could help weigh in on names and because there are so few things to look forward to right now (hello, life in a quarantine) and anticipating a new puppy would be a lot of fun for the kids. That night as dinner began, Eric pulled out his phone and had a pic of the puppy on the screen. He ooh'd and ahh'd over how cute this picture was and when the kids asked whose puppy was in the pic, we told them the news that he'd be ours in a few days. Needless to say, the kids were over the moon. (I now regret that I didn't think to take a video of us telling them so we could capture their reactions ... oh well!)

On Friday (8/14/20), Conor and I set out on what was the longest drive either of us had made in MONTHS (if not all year.... again, hello life in a quarantine). We didn't go straight to Olympia, where the rescue transport was going to do the puppy hand offs. Instead, we "swung" through Issaquah/Renton to pick up a knee scooter for my sister who broke her ankle a few days before (hi, Suzanne!) and then headed to Tacoma to pick up some chocolates from Johnson's Candy (get well gift for said broken-ankled sister), a socially distanced wave with our favorite priest (hi, Fred!) and to have a socially distanced coffee with my best friend (hi, Kate!). Then, we were off to Olympia to pick up our new up. Unfortunate for Conor and me, traffic was horrific from the time we left the house until we got to Olympia We got to our destination about 20 minutes late, which when you're anticipating picking up a new puppy, seems like FOREVER!!!

Not long after arriving at our arrival at the designated location in Olympia, we masked up were handed our new pup. 

Having Conor with me was a huge help in terms of getting Finn home. Conor kept Finn calm and as relaxed as possible, which was no small task considering Finn had no clue who we were or anything about what was going on!


Needless to say, when we got home, we were greeted by a very excited crew! Annika could barely contain herself and Eric could barely contain Huck and his excitement!! 


One disadvantage to Finn's arrival was the smell that accompanied him. After transporting 3+ days with many other dogs from Texas, let's just say, there's a little "ripeness". We were given a heads up about this potential, so had anticipated he'd need a bath that first night. Fortunately, he's small enough that the kitchen sink proved to be the perfect place to de-stink him!


Over the past few days, we have helped Finn figure out how to be an Olson and he has reminded us how to be a puppy family. There have been lots of belly rubs, naps (the dogs, not us), and snuggles. 







Welcome to being an Olson, Finn!! 

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Look Who Has Pierced Ears!

One of the rules in our family is no pierced ears before you're 13. Why? So the person is old enough to (a) know what they're getting in to and (b) so the person can take care of the piercings. 

Quite some time ago, I reached out to our kids' pediatrician asking whether she pierced ears (no) and, if not (she doesn't), where she recommends people go. She HIGHLY recommended going to a piercing/tattoo parlor instead of a jewelry store because the piercing/tattoo places have more health oversights and requirements in place. That made it an easy decision. After asking around, we received a few recommendations for Deep Roots on the Ave in the U. District. I made the appointment for the Saturday after Annika's birthday - done and done!

Saturday morning, Annika was a bundle of excitement and nerves. Not knowing what to expect made her a bit anxious, but not enough to want to back out of getting her ears pierced. Upon arriving, we donned our masks, participated in their health screening (ahh... life during a global pandemic!), filled out the required paperwork, and picked out the first non-magnetic/clip on earrings Annika would wear. 

I have to say, I was incredibly impressed with people who work there and their level of professionalism. Everything was clearly explained and the cleanliness/health standards were through the roof! 

The piercing artist (John) who headed up Annika's appointment truly did a great job. He was kind, made Annika (and me!) feel very comfortable, and clearly took a lot of pride in doing a good job. He was thorough and valued Annika's input on the process. Before we knew it, Annika's ears were pierced and she was sporting her new blue earrings!

After the fact, Annika said the anticipation was MUCH worse than the actual piercing. She is over the moon that she's now part of the pierced ears club! She has done a fantastic job tending to them and making sure she follows every instruction provided by John to the letter. 

Waiting for her appointment

Working on calming her nerves

All done!!

Pretty blue earrings


Pine cone-panions

 Recently, our kids were inspired to create a wide variety of creatures using pine cones they found on their various walks. Conor was the one who came up with the original idea (and the name of "pine cone-panions") but both kids have run with it.

Yes, we have had more pine cones (and a few random bugs) come through our house over the past two weeks than then entire time we've lived in the house (15 years this month!), but seeing the kids creativity take flight has made it all worthwhile. We've had everything from rabbits, birds, caterpillars, a T-Rex, a whale, and SO MANY MORE!

On Friday, Annika showed the creations to a few of the neighbor kiddos, who then bought the entire collection! (Yes, I checked with their moms, who ok'd the purchases). Annika and Conor wound up splitting $4.51 (Conor got the extra penny because it was his brainchild.) 

It sure is a good thing we live in an area that has a plethora of pine cones and I have a craft supply stash full of construction paper, glue, and googly eyes!


Friday, August 7, 2020

We have a teenager!

Yesterday, Annika officially became a teenager. Eric and I tried to dissuade her from making that change from pre-teen to teen, but she ignored our pleas and jumped from 12 to 13 with both feet.

Per Annika, it was a great day and, aside from the whole global pandemic/quarantine aspect to life, it was a very fun birthday. Annika was very hopeful for a rainy day and Mother Nature granted that wish. (Talk about a Seattle kid! Who else would ask for rain on her birthday???) Annika, Conor, and their nanny (Emma) went on a long bike ride up to Echo Lake to see what was there and to burn off some energy. They also did some fun projects at home, including their latest obsession with creating creatures out of pinecones, paper, and hot glue. 

Annika chose schnitzel and spaetzle for her birthday dinner (I snuck in some peas to ensure we had a veggie) and oreo cheesecake for dessert. So. Much. Rich. Food.

The moment she realized Eric pranked her. He put an Amazon gift card printout in an AirPods box, knowing she wanted AirPods. (Don't worry - we did give her the AirPods, too!)



She's an official "Quaranteen" now!

One of the items on Annika's birthday wish list was "fashionable sunglasses".
Thank you to the Frisch side of the family for fulfilling that wish!

Oreo cheesecake

Big smile, lots of candles
Annual birthday sign photo
(Huck just wanted the treat I was holding!)

Annika's Birthday Interview

How would you describe yourself?
    I am caring, enthusiastic, and creative.

What are you thankful for?
    My life

What do you want to be when you grow up?
    Maybe a vet

What is important to you?
    My family and my friends

What is your favorite song?
    "Past Life"

What is your favorite color?
    Seafoam green

What is your favorite TV show?
    SonicX

What do you like most about yourself?
    I'm optimistic.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
    I would go to Hawaii because we didn't get to do that in April

Who do you admire and why?
    I admire people who motivate others.

What do you want to learn more about?
    Animal health

How do you like to spend your free time?
    Watching TV

What were some of the best things about being 12?
    Getting to see my friends in person
    Going to Ireland with Bestemor and Bestefar
    Going to the Babysitters class at Children's Hospital
    Getting our dog Huckleberry