Hello, 9th and 7th grades

 It is embarrassing to admit that it has been over a year since I last posted here. Life during a pandemic is odd, let's just say that.

I'm using the kids' returns to school as the oomph I need to reignite my blog-er-iffic record keeping and notes about our comings and goings.

Yesterday, Annika had her first official day of classes at Bishop Blanchet High School. Last week, she had 2 days of freshman orientation AND she had all-student orientation on Monday of this week. To say she was EXHAUSTED when I picked her up from school yesterday would be quite the understatement. Her brain was complete mush. Her school has a block schedule system; yesterday she had Algebra 2/Trig, Honors Biology, Personal Finance, and Theology.  Today, she'll have English, Treble Choir, PE, and Community Period (akin to homeroom, but with the addition of community topics/social justice/etc.) She has met a lot of new people so far and has a couple of familiar faces from CKS in some classes. 

Conor begins his 7th grade adventure at Christ the King (aka CKS) today. He's quite torn - he's excited to see his friends on a regular basis, but he is also sad to say goodbye to summer. Yesterday, he and I went to the school's meet-and-greet event to drop off his school supplies and to meet the new 7th grade teacher. We were thrown for a loop because the 6th and 7th grade classrooms were flipped over the summer, so Conor wound up dropping off his supplies in the same room he was in last year. That said, he'll rotate rooms during the day based on subject. His electives for this fall will be drawing and board games (where were these fun classes when I was in middle school???)

In true kiddo fashion, both kids are already counting down to the upcoming Labor Day weekend so they can soak up a little more summer fun and relax. 

Project Complete

So, we had these portraits taken of the kids and we loved them (the kids and the photos). We used photos from this session as presents for the grandmothers at Christmas. I even had canvases of these shots printed for our house... MONTHS ago. I FINALLY got around to hanging them in our library and can't say how pleased I am with them there. Love seeing our kids' smiling faces whenever we walk down our stairs into the library. <3 p="">

Conor's Weekend Surprise for Us

Yesterday morning, Eric and I were slowly waking up and could hear the pitter-patter of little feet upstairs. We knew that Conor would soon be in our room to let us know he was awake... about a minute later, that's exactly what happened. What was about to happen, however, was definitely not on our radar.

Conor came into our room with a surprise for us ... he brought us drinks (a beer for Eric and a hard cider for me)  and breakfast in bed (1/4 of a pancake each  in a bowl). Conor decided to surprise his entire family with breakfast in bed and took it upon himself to do all of the prep.

He found only one pancake in the fridge (leftovers from the day before), so cut it into 4 even parts, microwaved it, and even topped it with some syrup. He knew the milk container was too full for him to successfully pour the milk into cups, so he opted for drinks that wouldn't spill (hence, the 7:30 AM cocktail hour attempt ... and, no, we didn't drink them ... they went back into the bar fridge).

After he served us our food, he and Eric took Annika's breakfast to her, so she could enjoy the treat of breakfast in bed.

Not only did Conor show amazing kindness and thoughtfulness, he also showed great problem solving and reasoning skills. So amazingly proud of our little guy!!

Soaked in Seattle

Originally, I thought of calling this post "Soggy in Seattle", but that didn't accurately convey how wet it has been around here lately. We have gotten hammered with rain storms over the past few days.... and the passes have gotten enough snow to make the skiers and snowboarders cheer with joy. (Snoqualmie Pass got 30 inches of new snow this weekend... crazy!!)

During a break in the weather, my mom and I decided to take the kids to Bitterlake Park to burn off some of their "we've been stuck inside for too many days and are about ready to start climbing the walls" energy. (Back story: Eric went to VA for 5 days to visit his brother, who at the end of last year, moved from Eastern WA to VA thanks to a promotion at work. Eric was supposed to fly out last Thursday, but a storm on the East Coast caused Dulles Airport to close... hence, cancelling Eric's flight. So, he rescheduled his travel and departed on Saturday instead. To keep me company and lend a hand get a grandchildren fix, my mom came up for a few days.

And now, getting back to our regularly scheduled program...

We took the kids to Bitterlake to burn off said "we've had a lot of rain" energey. They had a great time playing on the various pieces of climbing equipment, but the massive rain left many pieces of the play structures quite slippery... and the slides were boasting rather impressive puddles at their bases. I decided that pants could dry, so what was the harm in a little water getting on the kids, really? (Little did I know what was in our near future...)

Annika flying high

Conor having fun

"Look at me, Mama!"

Nana (aka Nanook of the North)

Annika in "jail"

Conor, the fellow jailbird

Annika running laps... sort of

"Help!! Unstuck me!!"
(Yes, I did help him, but not after snapping a few quick photos to capture the moment.
What're you missing here is the flapping of his hands and free foot. Now don't go calling CPS
quite yet... he was all of 2 inches off of the ground and in no danger at any point.)

After the second or third fall on the slippery equipment, that "protect your young, you dope" instinct kicked in and I was struck with the idea of having the kids run around on the massive lawns and ball fields instead of risking life, limb, and concussion in the playground. I challenged the kids to run hither and thither and they happily (and repeatedly) complied... especially when running through a group of birds was possible. (I'm sure the Canada geese were ready to call their union due to our children.... but decided to fly away after chasing Annika in return did little to change her idea of entertainment.)

At one point during the "hey kids -- run over there" game, Annika and Conor discovered the world's largest puddle. (It was so big, they called it a pool until I corrected them... even then, they weren't sure it wasn't a pool...)

They had a marvelous time splashing, wading, and making general merriment in the pool puddle. Even after Conor took a header smack dab into the water, they continued to show off their love of water and splashing. After a few more splashes and subsequently realizing they were, indeed, getting cold, we ushered them to my van so we could get home ricky-tick to get them in a warm bath. 

My plan of burning off their excess energy worked! Both kids wound up napping that day. Bonus!!!

Annika and Conor in the puddle

Run, kiddos, run!

Impact in 3 - 2- 1

Impact

And, spit

Big sister lending a helping hand

"Conor, we're leaving now!! Out of the puddle!"
 

Conor's first day of pre-school

Today marks Conor's first day of pre-school! The boy couldn't have been more excited if he tried.

(His parents were just about as excited... but for a different reason. We're thrilled to have one location to take our kids ... talk about simplifying our routine!!)

Was he excited about the new classroom? Sort of.
Was he excited about the new adventure? A bit.
Was he excited about having new teachers? Meh.
Was he excited about his Spiderman lunchbox? YES, NO DOUBT!

All morning long, he kept saying "Spiderman lunchbox!" in his gravelly superhero/tough guy voice. It was adorable and highly entertaining. As soon as I started filling his lunchbox, he wanted to leave... mind you, he was wearing his PJ shirt and underwear at the time, but that didn't matter to him in the least. He was all about traveling with Spiderman!

Big sister offered to show him the ropes and help him adjust to pre-school.

I couldn't help but reflect on Annika's transition to pre-school and how horrible it was. She had only been in the classroom for 1 visit, so everything was still very foreign to her. She sobbed.... my heart broke. Conor, on the other hand, is already very familiar with the classroom and teachers. The routines and expectations are still new to him, but having Annika there will definitely ease his transition.

Two Olson kids in one classroom ... may God grant their teachers the gifts of patience and humor!

Our beautiful babies

Can't say enough about how much we adore these sweet little faces!

Mud Boy Returns

Just in case you thought Conor's muddy face shown recently was a unique instance, I decided to prove that, in fact, it wasn't. Oour boy LOVES to play in puddles and with the wet weather we've had lately, he's come home looking like this more often than not. On an up note, we sure know he's having fun at daycare! :)

The kids in his class love the mud puddles so much that their teachers posted a sign on the classroom door that asks parents to bring LOTS of extra clothes, including pants and socks, for the kids to wear post-puddle jumping.

(Please ignore the funky color tone... I used my phone's camera to snap these pics.)

Conor Channeling Bill Cosby

Conor is practicing being 3. He's very good at it, in fact.

We are working hard to raise children who are self sufficient, able to make decisions, and know they are capable beings. This is a process. It is not a quick trip. No, no, no. In fact, it is more like walking across the country ... a few times. (Run, Forrest, Run!) (5 points if you get that pseudo movie reference.)

Lately, Conor has been asserting more independence, which is great. That said, he's a bit schizo (and I write that in the most loving way possible) in asserting it. He constantly reminds us of Bill Cosby's skit about Adam and Eve.... mostly the Eve part: "Come here, come here, come here. Go away, go away, go away. Come here, come here, come here. Go away, go away, go away." (If you are so young or unaware of the great Bill Cosby's skit about The Apple, click this link and listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs9WEExFT0g)

Instead of the "Come here, go away" dynamic, Conor has the "I can do it, I need help" dynamic.

Me: Conor, here's your pancake. Would you like me to cut it for you?
Conor: No, I do it myself.
Me: OK. Not even a little help?
Conor: No, I do it.
(At this point, he realizes that he might actually need a little help.)
Conor: Mama, I need help.
Me: Sure, I can help. (Taking the knife to help.)
Conor: NO!!! I DO IT!
(At this point, he realizes that he, in fact, still needs help.)

Conor: Mama, I need help.
Me: You sure? OK. (Taking the knife to help.)
Conor: NO!!! I DO IT!
(Repeat.... a lot)

This isn't just a pancake occurrence. Nope. It's a just about everything occurrence.

Ahh.... to be almost 3.

(Stop, Forrest, Stop!)

Introducing...Mud Boy!

Here in Seattle, it rains. Sometimes, it rains a lot. That doesn't stop us from living our lives. We don't huddle in the corners waiting for brief glimpses of the sun to have fun. Oh no! Quite the contrary, in fact. We embrace our wet environment and take it for what it is ... a never-ending resource for muddy puddles!!!

When I picked up Conor from day care yesterday, he and his friends were happily playing in a muddy puddle. Conor was armed with a shovel and bucket and he happily "tooped" water from the downspout's runoff into his bucket. As he forged ahead with his project, his friends decided jumping into the same puddle was loads of fun!! The kids took turns finding the highest point and then launching themselves into the several-inches deep puddle... cackling with glee the entire time. If I had my boots on, I probably would have joined them. :)

His yellow rain suit (Tuffo Muddy Buddy) is truly amazing!!! If you have little ones and rain in your life, I HIGHLY recommend them. Conor's layers under the suit were completely dry (aside from the parts poking out). Not only do they work well, they're quite durable; the suit shown below is a hand-me-down suit from Annika!

I couldn't help but snap a few pictures of Conor before peeling off his layers of clothing, dirt, water, and unidentified grime. Yes, I'm the cruel mother who wouldn't let her kid get into the van until I took a few pictures. Fortunately, Conor was having fun, so he didn't feel the need to call CPS. ;)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mud Boy!

This is what childhood in Seattle is all about

Mud ... head to toes

I asked Conor to show me his muddy face ... this is what I got

This is one of my new favorite pictures of Conor !

Island Getaway

Eric's parents recently got a new TV, which means Eric recently got a "Umm... can you please come up to the island and help us get it set up" request from his parents. We were happy to oblige considering going up  to their place is always a fun outing for us.

This being a three-day weekend, it was the perfect opportunity to spend a night on Whidbey and soak up some island-paced fun. As we packed up the van Sunday morning, Eric looked at me and said, "Do you realize this is the first time in over 5 years that we've packed for the island and haven't packed the travel crib??" We felt so liberated and oddly underpacked.

We easily made the ferry and as we waited to leave the dock, Annika proclaimed, "Look! A motor boat!" A moment later, she said, "TWO motor boats!!" She was right... and the second boat was a police boat apparently pursuing the first motor boat. We'll probably never know why the police were after the boat ... we'll just chalk it up to one of life's mysteries.

Once we arrived on the island, we quickly adapted to island time. There's a sense of ease on the island that we really enjoy. Things are quieter (until our kids arrive, that is) and slower paced. Even though Whidbey is only a 15-minute boat ride away, it feels quite remote in many ways.

The kids had a marvelous time running around Eric's parents' big yard while Eric addressed the TV/connectivity issues addressed. There is a grassy slope that Conor loves to scoot and roll down. (This is why we pack many changes of clothes!). He was covered in grass stains and dirt, but was so happy. It was great to see the kids running around the yard, pink cheeked, happy, and giggling. They took turns chasing each other and being the leader up the hill.

That afternoon, all six of us all packed up and headed to the local health club for a dip in the saltwater pool. We had a blast splashing and swimming to our hearts content. Annika proved what a fish she really is; she was here and there (always with an adult close by) and rarely needed any assistance. Conor had so much fun kicking around using a pool noodle for flotation. I don't think either of the kids stopped smiling the entire time we were in the pool. Three generations of Olsons had fun and emerged from the pool all pruny and tired.

On our way back to the house, we stopped in the meadow by the house and watch two deer nibble on some grass. I kicked myself for not bringing our camera with us, but was grateful that my phone's camera was close by. The deer kept an eye on me as I crept as close as possible for a quick picture.

Our final big project for the weekend was making bird feeders with Eric's mom. Annika's teachers helped the kids make feeders a few days before and kindly shared the recipe with me. We combined 4 c bird seed, 3/4 c flour, 1/2 c water, and 3 T karo syrup. After taking turns stirring the mixture, the kids, Eric's mom, and I pressed the concoction into cookies cutters, placed straws in the middles (future holes for the strings), and then baked the feeders at 170 degrees for an hour. Ta da! Instant (almost) bird seed buffet. After we got home yesterday, I hung the feeders (with the kids' guidance) on a big rhododendron next to our living room window. Come one, come all! I'm sure we'll be popular with neighborhood critters once word gets out about the feeders.

A special thanks to Eric's parents for hosting us this weekend ... we hope you enjoyed the visit, too!

Pink-cheek Annika

Pink-cheek Conor

Oh deer!

Keeping Busy

Kids have an amazing ability to keep themselves occupied in any situation. During a recent visit to the doctor for their flu vaccines, our kids decided to make use of the waiting room in a very clever—and entertaining— way.

Take a look!

Thanksgiving 2013

This year, we spent Thanksgiving on Whidbey Island with Eric's parents and had an absolutely marvelous holiday. My mom came up the afternoon before so we could get an early start Thursday morning... the goal being to avoid spending any more of the day sitting in a ferry line than was truly necessary. Fortunately, we made it on the ferry we hoped to take... win for the Olson family!

Most of the day was spent catching up, playing games (namely bingo, greed, and mah jong), and watching the kids run around like the little balls of energy that they are.... oh, and preparing an amazing Thanksgiving dinner.

During the course of the day, Eric and his parents started going through a box of family mementos, including old photos, my father-in-law's grade school report cards (anyone know what an "R" on a report card means??), and pictures from various generations. A few of Eric's baby/childhood pictures were discovered, as was the undeniable fact that Conor is basically a carbon copy of Eric. Eric's mom keeps telling me how much Conor looks like Eric, but I didn't really see it until I looked at the pictures from Eric's childhood. And now all I can say is "WOW, but does Conor ever look like Eric as a kid!"

Eric's dad took time to do a project with each of our kids. He took them to his workshop and helped them build boats using scraps of wood. The kids LOVED doing this with him and now have new favorite bath toys. Eric's mom also had a project for the kids: writing the name tags for each person's place setting. My mom also had shortbread cookie dough, so she and the kids could make some sweets. I adore the fact that our family members want to take time with our kids; they are providing opportunities for our kids to create lasting memories of our loved ones. Not only memories of the things they did, but also the realization that people who loved them wanted to spend time with them and make them feel special.

Our dinner was beyond delicious! We ate an amazingly juicy turkey, mashed potatoes, bread, asparagus, and salad. Yum wouldn't begin to describe the meal. The best part, though, was sharing it with some of our very favorite people!

For a safe, peaceful, fun, family-filled Thanksgiving, we are truly thankful.

Annika, Bestemor, and Conor making place cards for our Thanksgiving table

Jack and Charlene

Annika riding the antique rocking horse

Eric and Karen looking at old family items

Jack getting a chuckle out of his childhood report cards

Mmmm... deviled eggs

"I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie!"
(Pop quiz: Name that movie!)

We had a very fun mah jong marathon... and I'm not
just saying that because I mah jongged twice!

The eternal debate: are olives more fun to play with or eat?

Conor discovered the sheer fun that is olives on your fingers

Eric coming in for the olive swiping, but left empty mouthed after
Conor popped his pinky into his mouth at the last second

Olive Eyes Annika, olive you!
(haha! get it? I'm so punny!)

My mom turned into the human jungle gym at one point during the day
Just don't ask me why Annika is without pants... I have no clue

Nana and Annika playing bingo

What Thanksgiving is complete without a circus act or two?

Jack checking on the turkey

Did I mention the juggling?
Later on, he worked in a variety of citrus fruits for a colorful flair to his act

A bastin' we will go! A bastin' we will go!
High-ho the derrio. A bastin' we will go.

My mother-in-law makes the world's best gravy. I kid you not! Pure liquid Heaven.

Eric and his dad flipping the bird from the roasting rack to the carving board.
This was no small task! Success!!
(I'd like it noted that they were going to try lifting and flipping the bird; I was the
one who suggested putting the carving board on top of the rack and then flipping the whole thing.
They'd be lost without me. ;)

Our beautiful table
Note Annika's adorable handwriting on the place card