What I Managed to Capture in the Last 3 Weeks

It's been a lot of sickness and rain at our house...more than usual. I suppose it started with President's day, and our two snow days....all downhill from there. We've been sitting on the couch in front of the television for most of it. It's gotten so bad that I've been trying to avoid the TV altogether. It's still raining outside, but at least we're feeling better...venturing into town is like a mini-vacation!

Call me a bad mother...but when you aren't feeling well, the TV is a lifesaver. Don't get me wrong, I love that the times have introduced 24-hour preschool programming, but I get tired of watching it myself...all day. So, for the times I want to watch something, I change the channel and say "go find something to do!" But, with Synnove's current fear of being away from me for 5 seconds, finding something to do has been difficult...especially since Soren hasn't been well either. So, one day I trudged off the couch to make some play dough. It had been at least a year since I'd made it before, so it was welcome entertainment as far as the kids were concerned. I'm so thankful for the huge assortment of cookie cutters I scored at Goodwill several years ago!


Soren is very good at playing independently. If he's interested, he'll play for quite some time. While he was getting over one of his colds, I found him in our unusable tub playing with his "pirate garden." His poor face is raw from blowing his nose...

Synnove managed to FINALLY lose a tooth! This tooth had been hanging by a thread for the better part of a month. She would NOT pull it out...and was quite terrified. One day, when Soren was sick, I had my Dad pick Synnove up from school and she lost it on the 2 minute drive home. She already has another tooth coming in. AND, she lost the one to the left a week later. As far as I know, she didn't actually "pull" either of them out...they fell out on their own.

I look forward to life getting back to normal. It's sad that in three weeks, these are the only pictures I have. We're all feeling better, but Soren is still having a battle with his tummy/intestines. It's been going on for the better part of a year, and has recently turned into a full-blown issue. We're currently searching for answers...little luck so far.

100 Years Old!

From Sunday, October 24th:

On October 27th, 2010 my great-grandmother, Myrna Backe, turned 100! To celebrate, we threw a bash for her at her retirement home in Astoria. It's amazing, but she was living on her own clear up until 3 or 4 years ago! She's absolutely unbelievable! In the last year or so, her health has been going downhill, but she still has a lot of spunk. My grandma Barb (her daughter) has been spending every day with her and they are the best of friends. How wonderful is it that my 75-year-old grandmother still gets to hang out with her mom??

The party was great. There was a slide show, lots of food, and a giant cake (almost didn't make it!). Many of Great-Grandma's friends from the home came to celebrate as well as all of her family and a few friends.

Mother and Daughter; Myrna and Barb

A view of the crowded room

Myrna and her daughter and only grandsons Mike and Mark

Myrna and her Great-Grandchildren and spouses (not in order and missing Wendey)

Myrna and her Great-GREAT-Grandchildren! Getting them to all smile at once was a chore. There were several cameras to look at.

All of us that came who are related. The gentleman on the left with the red sweater is Uncle Leo (Myrna's youngest, and only living, sibling) and to the right of him in the back is Myrna's nephew (I think his name is Mike) and the woman towards the middle with the purple scarf is Myrna's niece (her name has escaped my memory).

First Day of School: Soren

My baby boy...


...is now in preschool. I'm so thankful for the little preschool we have out here. It's just plain wonderful. I love the people and I love the teacher. Fortunately, Soren gets to attend for 2 years! He's currently in the 3-4 year old class and goes to school Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was a bit surprised at his hesitation to go since he's been there so many times and knows Miss Kara well. At orientation, he was the only kid who wouldn't participate in circle! On the first day of school, he was so distraught at the thought of me leaving, that I decided to stay. Here's a few shots of the day...

The two boys that Soren is sitting next to are actually little brothers of students in Synnove's class!

Finding our eyes, ears, noses, and mouths...
Soren was pretty quiet all day. He wanted me to push him on the tire swing when we were out on the playground. He seemed annoyed when a little girl (Kendall) came to get a ride as well...

Then, when Abbie wanted a push as well, Soren was...well...his face says it all! LOL!

On Thursday I decided to leave him at school. I knew that he would be just fine after I left, but I was sad to go. Soren's face fell as I hugged and kissed him goodbye, and he even shed a small tear. As soon as I was gone, all was well and he went off to play. After I picked him up and brought him home, he was really proud to show me his apple project and recite the new poem he learned. So...for a guy that doesn't say much these days, I think he's happy to be a preschooler!

First Day of School: Synnove

5 short years ago...

Last week...

The school years are here and it's taking me a while to get into the swing of things. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was in elementary school...and here I am, all grown-up. I'm the one signing permission slips, volunteer sign-ups, and checks to the cafeteria lady....not my mom. For Synnove, this day has been coming for a long time. I don't think she really knew what to expect. How could she? She's never been there...then again, neither have I. Quite frankly, September 13th was my first day of school as well. AND, it was Synnove's teacher's first day of school! Mrs. Gantenbien is fresh out of college and just as timid as her students for her first day.

Teachers did home-visits the week before the kindergartners started school. Both Synnove and Mrs. Gantenbien were a bit shy when they first met.

I wasn't really expecting to get emotional, but as I walked towards the school and saw "Welcome Kindergarten" on the reader board, I felt a lump form in my throat. I walked a few steps further and saw the new principal...Mrs. Collier. Not only was Mrs. Collier my 4th grade teacher, she is also my parents' neighbor and long-time friend. It's always good to see a familiar face, and it was fun to reminisce with her about school. I wanted to get a picture of her and Synnove, but she tricked me and snapped this instead...

Once we made our way in, we found the bustle of school in full swing. Everyone else had already had a week of school, and the kindergartner's were standing around like lost sheep looking longingly at their proud camera-bearing parents. Synnove wasn't completely forlorn, as there were lots of friendly faces from last year's preschool.

The clock read 8:15, and the supervisor didn't waste any time lining all the kids up. Most of the classes went to their rooms to drop off their coats and backpacks. Synnove's class stayed and waited for everyone else to return to do their morning "sing-along!" I don't know which warms my heart more...the first day of kindergarten, or morning sing-along! Every morning the k-4th grades gather to sing songs, and, apparently, they've done it that way for years. Love it!

Sing-along

After sing-along I decided to leave. It was a bit surreal for me to leave Synnove at Elementary School for an entire day of learning. Yes...and entire day...8:15-2:15! This is the first year the school has done a full-day kindergarten. So far, I think it's going well. Synnove absolutely LOVES being a school-girl :)

Hawaii Day and Graduation

It's hard to believe, but the preschool year is over. And yes, I'm a bit sad. I loved Synnove's preschool. So very much has happened since she has started there! Not only has she leaned a great deal, but she and I have gained some wonderful friendships. In the last month the kids have gone on several field trips and have done many activities. In fact, there were so many that I decided not to try to catch up the blog with pictures. I figure Soren will be there for the next two years, and I'll have many more opportunities to blog in the future. However, last week was super special because it was the last week of school!

Miss Kara planned a Hawaii Day for the last day of school complete with hula dancing, coconut bowling, Hawaii "surprise" (plaster of paris with shells, sand, glitter, and glass stones), Hawaiian pizza, and pineapple smoothies (thanks Cassie!). All the kids dressed up in their best Hawaiian attire and they even got to make paper leis. All the parents were invited to come for the second half of the day to celebrate with the kids.

The kids were split up into groups to go to different stations. This is the hula station. Unfortunately, the CD player stopped working and they had to improvise the music.

It's really hard to get Synnove to smile...

On Thursday night, the kids were set to graduate. Miss Kara does such an incredible job with the kids! The program was priceless! Normally, I wouldn't put the entire event on videotape...but I did. The kids performed with big voices and hand motions. They sang various songs including This Little Light of Mine and Lord I Lift Your Name on High. Each one of the 24 graduating preschoolers (2 classes) memorized different verses from the Bible and recited them individually in the microphone. They had been practicing for a few weeks, and the practice paid off. Even Daisy, the shyest student in Synnove's class, said her verse. All of the kids have come such a long way since the beginning of the year.

Each student was presented with a certificate and their very own Adventure Bible. They also got to take home their cap and tassel (Knappa colors, of course). Synnove has since hung her tassel next to mommy's above the TV.

I had a few pictures, but many were blurry. I'm still using my old camera, and have decided to live with it until I save enough money to purchase a "fancy" one. Uncle Don came to the graduation and took some pictures of the program...but I still haven't asked him for them yet. I only have a couple of shots of the kids getting ready...

Synnove, Carlie, Grace, and Cody


Pre-Program-Pep-Talk

Preschool

It's official, my stay-at-home mom hood will never be the same. My little girl is starting preschool! Her "real" first day on school isn't until Monday, but there was an orientation on Friday for parents and students. Synnove has been beside herself with excitement. She has had her clothes picked out for a couple of weeks, and has had her little bag packed with school supplies for even longer. When her teacher sent her a card in the mail, she carried that around and pulled it out periodically to "read" it...it was precious.

She is attending Immanuel Community Preschool which is actually located in Knappa (the only one in town)...maybe 4 miles down the road from our house. We are very fortunate to go there since we were initially put on a waiting list. There were so many kids on the waiting list that they decided to create an afternoon class. She attends three days a week from 11:30-2.

We were only at the school for an hour on Friday to get all "orientated" and Synnove really, really wanted to stay. For such a po-dunk little town, this school is quite nice. I'm so excited for her to go there!

Her teacher "Miss Kara" (she's actually married) is going to be great!

Synnove was a bit shy...

Synnove's 1st Dentist Visit...and More

So, Synnove went to the dentist today. I had slacked in making an appointment for her, as I hadn't been in a couple of years and hadn't established myself with a dentist in the area yet. Back when I was in college, the dentist that I had had since I was 5 decided to take an early retirement. I was pretty bummed cause he always made my dental visits painless and fairly enjoyable. Yes, I actually liked going to the dentist! It wasn't until I went to the dentist a couple of years ago in Hillsboro that I became quite afraid of the dentist. Granted, I wasn't up on my cleanings/check-ups...it had been a handful of years...so, I was prepared to get some fillings and expected some discomfort. Anyway, I ended up with a crown (long story on that one...has to do with the braces I had for 9 years) and had a horribly painful experience that lasted for weeks. I recall the dentist and his assistant basically telling me I was a wimp and that I must have extremely sensitive teeth....all as tears are streaming down my face. This is all after he ground my tooth to a tiny nub and placed a permanent crown without any Novocaine. ANYway, my crown started to hurt a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to make an appointment with a dentist.

When I moved back into town I had heard that Dr. Smith (my childhood dentist) had returned from his retirement and set up shop back in Astoria! Hooray! He's kind of a goofy guy, but always takes great care in making sure his patients are comfortable and pain-free. I made an appointment for myself, and also for Synnove. I went a couple of weeks ago and told Synnove that she was gonna go too. She was so excited to get a bag of goodies (floss, toothbrush, etc.). Last night, however, she had a hard time getting to sleep as she was a little nervous for her upcoming appointment.

This morning, even though her appointment wasn't till noon, she had her toothbrush all ready and couldn't wait to go. I took my time getting ready this morning and did a few chores. It was 10 minutes before we were to leave and I went downstairs to gather the kids from playing. Both Soren's and Synnove's mouths were covered in marker!!! I couldn't believe it! Just before going to the dentist, of all places, the kids decide to paint their mouths...inside and out! The marker was semi-washable and I tried to get the remaining with a bit of rubbing alcohol with no luck. So, she went to the dentist with remnants of red marker on her lips.

Dad watched Soren and Synnove and I headed to see Dr. Smith. The hygienist was awesome (same one I had)...so gentle and sweet with Synnove. Synnove was a bit shy and non-responsive (as I expected), but there were no freak-outs and she did very well! The only difficulty she had was that she kept scooting off the side of the chair (moving away from the "scary" tools) and the hygienist had to ask her to scoot back probably 4 different times.

Synnove and Sandy, the hygienist

When we got home, she was so excited to start using her bag of goodies. I let her go in the bathroom and use the different things. As she did that, I went downstairs to write an email. I then went upstairs to find that both of the kids had painted their fingernails! Ugh! I don't know how many times I have told Synnove that she is not allowed to paint her own nails. First, marker lipstick, then gobbed-up fingernails. Oh, toddlerhood...

Soren's freshly manicured hands

First Fishies!

Since we didn't catch any fish before, we decided to wait a week and go right after the 3rd trout planting of the season. Yesterday, we had a little dinner gathering for my brother's 20th. So, after cake, Dad took Adam, Henry, Synnove, and Soren out to the lake to see if they could catch anything. Fortunately, they got some action and Synnove caught her first fish on her little princess pole! Soren snagged one too, but it got away. I posted two videos of the two events. I didn't post the video of Synnove reeling the fish in...but she did it all by herself...Dad just helped her get it in the boat. Sorry, you'll have to view the videos sideways, as the camera was in the wrong position.

A lesson on gutting a fish...

Synnove came in to show all of us at the house what she had caught!

The weather was decent again today, so Dad called me this morning wondering if we wanted to give it another go. We went out again at about 1:00 and trolled the lake with the kids' poles for at least 2+ hours...nothing...not even a bite. The kids were quite patient despite the circumstances. Two toddlers in a boat with no snacks, toys, or potty! Dad then decided to try something different, so we turned off the engine in the middle of the lake somewhere. Then Dad and I used the cast and reel method. We decided to give it 10-20 casts and then head back if we had no luck. At about that time, the fish started to jump and about 15 minutes into it, we started to get a bite here and there. We eventually got a fish and let Soren reel in and actually catch his first fish! The kids took turns catching fish till we caught 4. We were out on the lake for a total of 4 hours!! I can't believe Synnove didn't even complain about having to go to the bathroom! We brought the fish back, Dad cleaned them, and we took them home and ate them for dinner.

This is right when I snagged the very first fish of the day (after 2 1/2 hours of fishing!). I love how we were all SO excited. You can even see Synnove's fist as she's got both of them up...and squealing! This is right when I handed the pole over to Soren to reel it in.

He was very happy...hard to tell from this pic, but he was screaming with joy for like 5 minutes...literally.

Soren wouldn't touch the fish...and he didn't want to eat them either...he said, "dey have bodies, and mouths, and eyes, and no nose...I don't wike to eat fish, day're yucky!"

When we finally made it home...

Growing Up

Soren has been adjusting well to his new bed. He is so compliant and reasonable! In fact, he doesn't even get out of bed in the morning, or after nap, he just stays there and waits for me (or somebody) to come and get him. He doesn't cry/whine/beg...he just lays there and talks to himself. The only issue we've had so far happened on the second night. He fell out of his bed onto a bunch of toys...ouch! This is fairly hard to do, seeing as he has 2 bed-rails (one on each side). He managed to actually fall off the end of the bed. Poor guy. Both of my kids are very active sleepers and like to move around a lot...Synnove especially. They will probably both have bed-rails till they are in their teens =)

Soren's newest interest has been shaving. Sometimes Adam shaves in the evening so he doesn't have to do it in the morning, and Soren is fascinated by it. So, there have been a couple of nights that Adam has allowed him to shave too. Hopefully, he'll never get the urge to do it himself with Adam's real razor! I'm so thankful he's still 2 and not 15...when real shaving happens.



Synnove has been doing some growing up as well. Recently, she has re-mastered the art of not wetting the bed at night! It has been almost 1 full year! She started wetting the bed in the week before we moved here...that was 1 year ago this month. I never expected her adjustment to last this long...see story on bed-wetting from November. Unfortunately, that stint of dryness only lasted a few days, but it was an encouraging start. Since then, her bouts of dryness continued to get longer and more frequent. I thought that she was "cured" until she got the croup and started up again. That lasted for the 3 days she had the croup and hasn't been back since! Hooray!!

ANYway, For the last 6+ months, she has been begging for me to put together a toy that's been sitting in a box since Christmas 2 years ago. At the time she got it, she was too young for it, so I didn't bother to take it out...and fortunately, she never asked about it. It lived in the garage at the old house. I didn't want to forget that we had it when we moved, so instead of putting it in a storage room, I put the box in her room. She's been old enough for it for a little while now, but I told her last summer that she had to be a big girl and wake up dry for many nights before she could have it. She was quite OK with that arrangement...and even though she still asked about it, she knew what she had to do to get it. So, when we finally rid of the pull-ups/diapers she asked about it again, and I told her that she had to stay dry in her underwear for one whole week. She succeeded and we put it together on Friday.



The toy is a Spark Art Easel made by Fisher-Price. When I saw all the pieces, I was almost frightened to put it together. There were no crayons involved...only markers. Markers make messes! And these markers don't seem to be washable. They are the ONLY markers that can be used with the easel...not even regular dry-erase markers are allowed. It's disappointing that Fisher-Price would make such a toy...but they did. So far, we haven't had any big problems. She did get marker on my new slipcover (didn't come out very well), and Soren managed to get some on my new ottoman upstairs...but I think I got it all out. Currently, the easel lives in Synnove's room. Her carpet needs replacing anyway, and if she gets it on the walls I can just paint over it. From what I read online, I can't even have the markers in the kitchen cause the stuff just doesn't come off of ANY surface!!! On a brighter note, this easel is pretty amazing and fun. I'm glad I waited till she was 4, because in order to get the full use of the toy, your child needs to know what they are doing (how to use it). Hopefully, the markers have a short life so I don't have to worry about Soren destroying the house =)

My "Sweet Guy"

It's hard not to love my little Soren-Boy. He's sweet, thoughtful, articulate, cuddly, and cute. I always wanted a brood of boys because I knew that boys always had a soft spot for their mothers. And what they say is true. 

So far, raising Soren has been a bit of a breeze. He has a very calm demeanor and his thought process is very intricate. From the time he spoke his first word, he has made a point to build his vocabulary with perfect pronunciation. I must say, he is well versed in the English language and speaks in full, grammatically correct sentences. For instance, when he burps and you tell him, "say excuse me" he'll say, "excuse you" like he's excusing me. And when Synnove burps and you say to her, "say excuse me" she'll say "excuse me" and then Soren pipes up all mad and says to Synnove, "NO, say excuse mommy!!" LOL! He has the ability to build on, and refer to prior knowledge; and make connections that some 5-year-olds have trouble with. I know I'm a bit biased, but I truly think that Soren is an exceptional little boy.

I remember being a first-time mother, trying to figure out what my child needed by verbal cues or my unfounded telepathic powers. This would drive me crazy, as I am a personality that likes to be in control of my environment by using practical knowledge and skill. Well, sometimes, being a mom is more "magical" than practical, and I'm no magician! Anyway, when Soren came along, I found that caring for him was so straightforward. Maybe it was because I had already done it once before, but I believe it's because boys are just so different. He began talking quite well at around 1, and the rest is history. I suppose, with Synnove, there's so much more drama. Because he's a no-drama kinda guy, Soren's verbal cues are much easier to read.

Recently, Soren has concluded that he hates a wet diaper. In the last few weeks, he makes it a point to announce..."I peed!"...or even "I pee!" and then whines until his diaper is changed. Obviously, this is a sign that Soren is nearing the potty training stage.

A big part of becoming potty trained is having the ability to make it to the toilet when needed. Therefore, I'm a big fan of the big-kid bed. That way it's their responsibility to make it to the toilet in the morning...not mine. So, a couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and bought him a mattress. And, because Adam was making a big order to Cabela's and got a free shipping deal, he went ahead and purchased his bedding. I had already had his bedding picked out a few months ago and was just waiting for some money to magically fall from the sky so I could buy it. It didn't fall from the sky, but came from deep, deep, DEEP down in my pocket. The bedding finally arrived on Monday, so I spent yesterday morning putting his new big-boy bed together. I could tell that Soren was very excited, but I left his crib up...just in case. He said..."I love my new bed mommy" and my heart turned to mush. When nap time came around, he happily hopped into his new bed without a fuss and fell asleep within 10 minutes. Synnove, for varying legitimate reasons, had very difficult time adjusting to her bed. So, when Soren went down for his nap without a hitch, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. However, I honestly didn't expect any different from my sweet little man.

When Adam came home, I had him deconstruct part of Soren's built-in desk to make room for a different furniture arrangement. In that time, I also wanted to take down the crib. Part of me knew that I should leave it up for a few nights...but I just wanted it out of the way. I asked Soren several times, and in several ways where he wanted to sleep that night...in his bed or in his crib. I wanted to make sure that he understood that when he said he wanted to sleep in his big bed that I was going to put his crib away. He agreed and even helped with the disassembly.

When bedtime came around, he got in his bed...but not so excited this time. We discussed how big he was and how it was so great, blah, blah, blah. He agreed and gave me lots of smiles. It wasn't until after saying our prayers that he quietly and sadly said..."I want to sweep in my crib." At that moment, I honestly considered putting that crib back together to turn his puppy-dog face into happiness. But instead, I assured him that it was going to be OK and that he had all his animals, a sippy cup of water, and that I would leave his door wide open. I left and came back 3 minutes later to find him slowly crawling out of bed. This was not him being defiant. Rather, he was afraid and trying not to be. I put him back to bed, reassured him, and stood quietly by his door away from view to make sure he stayed. He did, so I went upstairs, only to glue the baby monitor to my ear for the next 20 minutes. He mumbled a few whines and played with his animals until I eventually heard deep breathing. He slept all the way through, and, for the first time in his life, I didn't have to come get him out of bed in the morning. He did it! And we snuggled and dosed in my bed, just like we do every morning. He hugs my arm like a teddy bear, kisses my hand, and cuddles right next to my body. When he gets restless and begins climbing all over me, playing with my hair and tickling my lips I'll tell him kindly to stop, he says..."but I like you mommy!" Awe...he's so my little "Sweet Guy"...as I so fondly call him.

A pic from Synnove's 3rd picture spree. She's getting better, but I need to hide my camera from now on!

1st night in his big-boy bed.

Giving Charlie kisses.