Where Has the Summer Gone?

The answer to the above question?... It's gone to lawn mowing, trips to the cabin, reunions with friends, great times with the grandkids, and growing older.  ( all great except for the last ).  We are still recovering from the last couple of whirlwind weeks.  We spent a week at the cabin with my sister and her husband and my mother. Fished a lot, ate a lot, played cards and games, and caught up on all the news from California ( Linda and Bob are from Sacramento).  We even got my 89 year old mother on the 4-wheeler for the first time in her life ( I ran a shuttle service from the cabin to the dock so she could go fishing). All in all a great time.  Then we came home on the Friday of Labor Day weekend to pick up the kids and take their mom to the airport.  She and Sean spent Labor Day weekend in D.C. as a celebration of Sean's Birthday, and the kids got to spend 5 days at Gramma and Grampa's house.  I think this is the longest they've ever been away from mom and dad, and I know it's the longest they've ever stayed at our house.
We had a great time doing all the things they wanted to do, including 2 movie nights, a trip to Choo-Choo Bob's ( a local model train store), riding on the carousel at the mall, a trip to the playground, a trip to great- gramma's house, 5 days of playing with every toy in our house, and their favorite of all, BATH NIGHTS! They love to turn on the "bubbles" ( whirlpool jets) and make bubble beards and moustaches, play with all their tub toys, and squirt Gramma and Grampa with their squirt bottles.  While happy to see their mom and dad, they weren't so happy about going home again. 
     Needless to say, we were pretty tired after our adventure.  I then was on for daycare duty the next day,  so I had 6 days in a row with the little darlings, and to be honest, a couple days off after that were welcome.  I spent most of that time putting toys away and putting our house back together.  One of the funniest things that happened was when Jack decided he couldn't sleep in the same room as Wes, so after a prolonged period of discussion, Jack ended up on the floor of the upstairs hallway with a quilt, pillow, blanket, nightlight and flashlight.  Of course he soon was sleeping crossways in the hall,blocking access to the bathroom and creating a bottleneck.  The next night he decided that he would be able to sleep in the bedroom after all.  The thought process of a 4 year old is inexplicable.
     All in all it was a great time, and one that we will remember with great fondness and humor. 

Catching Fish and Catching Up

It seems like forever since I've written anything here (actually only 4 months) and I have no excuses other than laziness.  I felt I had to write a bit about the grandkids first trip to the cabin this year. We had been talking about it for some time, and Jack and Wes were beside themselves with excitement for weeks in anticipation.  Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of Summer here in Minnesota - the first of many weekends when it seems half the state fights Friday evening traffic to head "Up North".  We have been lucky enough to be a part of that exodus for 25 years now, and we enjoy it even more now that the grandkids ( and of course Beckie and Sean as well) are able to join us at the lake.

I picked up great-gramma Fri morning and came back home to wait for gramma to get home from work.  We left the Twin Cities around 3PM for the approximately 4 hour trip  (3 hours when traffic is normal) to the Brainerd Lakes area. After a stop at Chico's restaurant near Onamia for their Friday night sunfish and crappie fish fry, we made it to the cabin, got everything ready, and patiently waited for the stars of the weekend to arrive.  Around 9:30, we heard the back door open and 3 sleepy kids came into their home for the next few days.  Jack remembered the cabin, but Wes and Elise were too little last year to remember much, so I gave them a quick tour of where they were to sleep, eat, and go potty.  They were way too excited to go right to bed, so we played and talked for a while ( Billy Bass and the gopher from Caddyshack were big hits except for Elise, who got scared when Billy Bass turned his head and started moving his mouth).  Then they reluctantly headed for bed, to dream about the fun they were going to have the next couple of days.

Saturday morning started the whirlwind of activities that they were determined to experience. ( of course they wanted to do everything "right now" as Wes would say, and telling them to have patience was like talking to a post) .  They all were able to:  dig in the sand and build sandcastles, play in the lake, ride grampa's "buggy" ( 4-wheeler ), drive grampa's speedboat, go fishing, have a fire, roast marshmallows and hot dogs, and swing in the tree swing.  Wes also reached a milestone on his journey to manhood when he peed on a tree for the first time.   Jack's favorite thing was to ride the buggy into the lake and try to get back out of the lake by driving through the "mud hole" without getting stuck. 

It was a wonderful weekend, and we are looking forward to the 4th of July, when we will participate in the boat parade and picnic and fireworks.  I can't wait to see the kids have another great time at the cabin.  I hope they will remember these days with as much fondness as we do.

Sorry for no pictures, but I'll post some soon.

SOME THOUGHTS ON GRANDPARENTING

Some thoughts on grandparenting from several folks more creative and witty than I.  ( Thanks to my sister-in-law Susan for these.)

What a bargain grandchildren are!  I give them my loose change and they give me a million dollars worth of pleasure - Gene Perret

Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild - Welsh proverb

A grandmother is a babysitter who watches the kids instead of the television- author unknown

Never have children; only grandchildren - Gore Vidal

Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you're just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric - Pam Brown

Grandchildren don't stay young forever, which is good because grandfathers have only so many horse-back-rides in them - Gene Perret

When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window - Ogden Nash

Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete - Marcy DeMaree

Grandmas hold our tiny little hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever - author unknown

If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first - Lois Wyse

My grandkids believe I'm the oldest thing in the world; and after 2 or 3 hours with them, I believe it too. - Gene Perret

Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old. - Mary H  Waldrip

An hour with your grandchildren can make you feel young again. Anything longer than that and you start to age quickly.- Gene  Perret

The best babysitters, of course, are the baby's grandparents. You feel completely comfortable entrusting your baby to them for long periods, which is why most grandparents flee to Florida - Dave Barry

I wish I had the energy that my grandchildren have, if only for self defense - Gene Perret

Grandparents are short on criticism and long on love - author unknown

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children -

One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new grandbaby around the finger of a grandfather - Joy Hargrove

It's amazing how grandparents seem so young once you become one - author unknown

Grandparents are like a piece of string - handy to have around and easily wrapped around the fingers of their grandchildren - author unknown

Grandchildren don't make a man feel old; it's the knowledge that he's married to a grandmother - G. Norman Collie

Give Him the Chair, Warden!

Our two year old, Wesley, ( or as he would say "doo" year old ) has reached a milestone on his path to manhood - potty training.  I was caring for him and Elise yesterday, and when I arrived in the morning at his house, I found him clothed in his "big boy" Mickey Mouse underpants, no pants, and no diaper.  I figured I was in for a nasty day of cleaning up accidents.  To my complete surprise and pleasure, however, Wes did great!  Three times during the day, he stopped what he was doing, said the magic word "pee", and he and I trotted to the bathroom, where his new potty chair waited in anticipation.  We were not disappointed.  He sat down, did his business, and with great delight emptied the cup into the toilet and flushed ( his favorite part of the whole process).  No crying, no wet underpants, and no cleanup for Grampa!  He then demanded his "potty treat" reward, as negotiated with his mother ( in one case a piece of gum, in the other two a piece of candy corn).  Each time we called his mom and gave her the good news.  He was a very proud little guy. ( I think his success had a lot to do with his babysitter, but his mom probably thinks differently.  Even if it is just good genes, I can still take part of the credit.)  I'm hoping that soon, I will be changing diapers on just one grandchild.  The next step will be to teach Jack and Wes the joys of peeing standing up, so they can begin using urinals and trees.  They can then officially join the Club of Men and be known as "stand up guys".  Way to go Wesley!!!!!!!

NEWS FLASH!!!! GRAMPA'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

News services from around the world have been flocking to my door after seeing this historic photo posted on my blog.  Proof positive that superheroes indeed live among us.   Superman and Spiderman are real, and not the same person.  The camera does not lie.  Stay tuned for further  breaking news!

The Littlest One is One

Our girlie girl turned one last Sunday with a party attended by siblings, family and friends.  The theme was chosen by her mom - a ballerina birthday.  The cake was cute, but paled in comparison to Elise's cuteness
( although I still think her mom is pushing the hair just a bit  - my motto is
" there shall be no pigtail before its time" )  Mom and the grandmas liked the cute clothes, Elise's brothers liked the toys, and Elise liked the cake. What great fun!!!!

Maybe someday Elise will follow in her mom's footsteps and join a dance studio.  Those will be some big tap and ballet shoes to fill.  In spite of the complaining I did while driving to and from lessons, competitions, costume fittings, etc, I wouldn't change those memories for anything.  One of these days, I'll dig out some of Beck's old dance movies and show the kids what their mom looked like when she was four years old and dancing on stage to the great classic "Litttle White Duck".

A Christmas to Remember

Well the excitement is over!  Christmas was lots of fun this year, with our little princess Elise celebrating with us for the first time ( she turns one this coming Sunday).

   Due to multiple families and the weather ( this is Minnesota after all) we actually had several Christmases this year.  Christmas Eve morning we had our traditional breakfast with the kids and grandkids ( great homemade caramel rolls, Gramma!) and then opened presents and let Jack, Wes and Elise play with their new toys. ( Jack and Wes love to come to our house at Christmas time, as Gramma turns our home into a winter wonderland of lights, ceramic villages and characters, and decorations).  Normally we would then have had my side of the family at our house for our Norwegian Christmas Eve dinner of Lutefisk, lefse, meatballs, etc.  We had a snowstorm this year that caused enough attendees to fear traveling that we postponed the evening tradition until Saturday.  While the postponement was disruptive to the schedule, it was actually nice to have a peaceful day with the Sean, Beckie and the grandkids.  We were able to enjoy visiting, going to afternoon church, and watching the kids play with their new toys.

 I got the boys a slot car racing set, which was a huge hit with both them and their dad ( as I told Beckie, it was a gift for all three of her boys. She also said she really didn't object to the gift.  I thought I'd be in trouble with her for getting the boys another big toy that is hard to store.)  The slot car set has a police car and a Mustang, or as Jack said, "the bad guys" and the chase was on for most of the afternoon.  Kudos to Sean for getting it set up and running.

  Christmas day morning, we got up and drove on the icy highways to my wife's niece's home about 50 miles south of us for her side's celebration. The highlights there were a new baby's first Christmas ( Brodie, who is seven months old), Lucy the beagle chasing Jack,  intimidating Wes, and fascinating Elise, the game of Pictionary with Christmas carol titles, and all the great food.

Saturday was the postponed celebration with my side of the family, with great-gramma, and all my brothers and their families. Pat's Lutefisk was great, and great-gramma's Swedish meatballs were once again a hit.   By the end of the day ( and the Christmas marathon ) we were all tired, and I think the grandkids were actually tired of being gone from home and their routines for three days.  At this stage of our lives, it becomes truly clear that Christmas really is for children, and we are lucky enough to be able to enjoy their delight and wonder during this special time of year.

     The  next big event is Elise's first birthday this coming Sunday, and I'm sure another post will be generated for this special occasion.

Who Said Scandihoovians Aren't Funny by Nature?

As a mixed breed Scandinavian, I celebrate certain Christmas traditions of the old country(ies).  One of those is Lutefisk on Christmas Eve.  A Christmas carol has been known to be sung to Lutefisk on this special night.
It is sung to the tune of O TANNENBAUM ( O CHRISTMAS TREE  for you non-Nordics).  Enjoy!

1. O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk, how fragrant your aroma
O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk, you put me in a coma.
You smell so strong, you look like glue,
You taste yust like an overshoe.
But Lutefisk, come Saturday,
I tink I eat you anyvay.

2. O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk, I put you in duh doorvay.
I vanted you to ripen up, yust like dey do in Norvay.
A dog came by and sprinkled you,
I hit him vit my overshoe.
O Lutefisk now I suppose
I'll eat you vhile I hold my nose.

3. O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk, how vell do I remember,
On Christmas Eve how ve'd receive our big treat of December.
It vasn't turkey or fried ham.
It vasn't even pickled Spam.
My Mudder knew dere vas no risk
In serving buttered Lutefisk.

4. O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk, now everyvun discovers
Dat Lutefisk and lefse make Norvegians better lovers.
Now everyvun can have a ball,
You're better dan dat Yeritol.
O Lutefisk vit Brennevin ( brandy)
You make me feel like Errol Flynn.

5. O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk, you have a special flavor.
O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk, all good Norvegians savor.
Dat slimy slab ve know so vell,
Identified by ghastly smell.
O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk,
Our loyalty von't vaver.

A true musical classic of the Season.

two of my favorite Ole and Lena jokes:

Whenever Ole went out with the boys, he always took Lena along. Ice fishing, playing cards, bowling - Lena was always there.  One day Sven asked Ole,  " Ole, how come you take Lena along vherever you go? "
"Vell Sven, dis vay I never have to kiss her goodbye."

Lena filed for divorce from Ole.
The judge told Ole  " I'm going to give Lena $400 a month for support"
Old replied,  "Dat's real good, yudge, and vunce in a vhile I'll try to chip in a few bucks myself"

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Nearing Christmas

We finished up Christmas shopping today.  Buying for the grandkids is fun, the rest is a chore ( I guess I shouldn't look at it that way, but I'm just not a crowds guy).  I bought the boys a special common gift this year, in hopes that it would enhance their "playing together" experience.  Their mom doesn't know what it is, and I plan on keeping it that way until they open it on Christmas Eve.  I'll probably be in trouble with Mom and Dad, but I know the boys will love it.  I'll let you know how it goes.

A Christmas Program for the Ages ( specifically 4 )

Last night we attended Jack's first Sunday school Christmas program.  He was definitely a standout for a rookie.  That's him in the center with the red tie and a blue star next to his head.  He is a handsome young lad.  His performance with the star-on-a-stick waving and bell ringing was first rate.  His singing still needs a little work, but overall he was a standout.  His great gramma joined us and had a great time.  This is one of those milestones for the kids and parents and grandparents that will be remembered for years, and will be used to tease him when he brings home his bride-to-be.  He's quite a boy, and a special first grandchild. 

A Happy Birthday for a Happy 4 Year Old

Jack turned 4 on Dec 6. On Dec 5 we attended his birthday party.  Both sets of grandparents, his great gramma, and parents best friends were there ( with their 5 boys!  Poor Elise is the lone female among the kids)  A great time was had by all,eating pizza, having Lego cake and ice cream, singing happy birthday, and opening presents.  Jack got a set of walkie talkies from Grampa and Gramma, so we can now play " Calling all police to catch the bad guys" with some real equipment.   Jack is a bright, imaginative and happy boy, and we couldn't be prouder of him.

EEE-HAW It's Party Time!

Saturday was Wes's "doo" year old birthday party.  Both sets of grandparents, one great-gramma, a great aunt, a second cousin ( also a new gramma) and lots of friends were in attendance.  Sloppy joes were enjoyed by all.  Wes is starting to get the idea about opening presents.  He now realizes that inside that colorful paper is the good stuff ( hopefully a toy ).  In keeping with his Fireman's Party theme, he got a fireman jacket and hat, firehouse and firetruck legos, and fireman party blowout favors.  He also got an electronic reading device and a couple of books to help him learn to read.  Clothes and a Thomas the Train lantern were also in the mix.  A nice haul for a sweet little boy.  The day went too fast, and Wes didn't want anyone to leave and the party to end, but he was a tired little boy by 7:30.  Monday is his 2 year checkup, so we'll see then how he's doing.  I still say that grandparenting is the greatest!

A Special Birthday

Today is my little buddy Wes's birthday.  Just ask him and he'll tell you he is now "doo" years old ( that's 2 in Wesspeak). His big party is tomorrow.  He's having a fire truck theme party.  With relatives and friends, he'll have a good time being the center of attention, which he loves.  His favorite thing to do is to make us adults laugh, and his antics always accomplish that feat. He's a sweet little guy who loves to climb "Grampa mountain", jump around a little bit, and then jump off the mountain, always being sure that Grampa is ready and able to catch him before he crashes to the floor.  He'll play that game until I'm either too sore or too weak to continue.  He's a great kid, and I can't wait to celebrate with him tomorrow.    Happy Birthday Wes!!!!

The Most Depressing Day of the Year

Yesterday was the most depressing day of the year.  We closed the cabin for the winter.  It's a lot of work, but we've been doing it for over 20 years now, so it has become a bit of a routine.  Pull the pontoon boat out of the water, winterize the outboard, load up the deck furniture, and haul it down the road to the neighbor's pole shed, where we store it for the next 6 months.  Hook up the ATV to the dock and pull it up on shore.   Cover the air conditioners, strip the beds, put out D-con and mothballs to keep the mice under control, make sure no food is left anywhere, and last, but not least, drain all the water out of the system to prevent frozen pipes.  Oh the joys of having a cabin in Minnesota, where the winters "up north" can bring temperatures of 20 degrees below zero.  The summers make it all worthwhile, though. It's loads of fun sitting on the deck in June, trying to shoot down the dive-bombing mosquitos with a 12 gauge shotgun. I can't wait until we open the cabin up again next spring.  I wonder how many more years we'll be doing this. 

Photos From the Train

Toy Trains are Still More Fun

Last Saturday the whole clan took a drive to Osceola WI to take a ride on a real train. I thought the boys would like to experience a real train, as they so enjoy playing with their wooden Brio and Thomas train set. Elise is kind of young to understand what was going on. Unfortunately, it was unseasonably cold ( below freezing) and the train cars were not heated. It was a short trip ( about an hour and a half) from Osceola, across the river to Marine on St Croix MN, and back again. I think Grampa enjoyed it more than the kids, but all in all it was a fun day. I think Jack was more excited about coming to Gramma and Grampa's house afterwards than he was about the train ride. The plan was to have the kids nap while the adults had lunch, but Jack and Wes were too excited to sleep, so they played until it was time to go home. We thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Norwegian Pride

I hesitate to talk about politics on this blog, but I can't help myself this morning. I am stunned beyond belief over the Nobel committee giving the peace prize to BHO. For what? A couple of speeches filled with naivete and maudlin rhetoric? A European vacation at taxpayer expense to apologize for all the perceived evil that America has done in the past? For not being George Bush? For being an empty suit?
I'll bet BHO has never even tasted Lutefisk!

I used to be proud of my Norwegian heritage, but this has taken away a big piece of that pride. I may choke a little on my lefse next Christmas.

When my grandkids are old enough to understand, I can reassure them that it's OK that they are thousands of dollars in debt before they are old enough to know what debt is. It's OK that they will not have the same standard of living that their parents and gradparents had. It's OK that they can't find a good job or a good doctor. That's all OK so long as BHO has won the peace prize and that he is praised as the Messiah in our public schools and liberal media. What hypocrisy!

A Tornado Comes to Our House

Last Friday we were were able to have Jack spend the night at our house. We had dinner at Sean and Beckie's, and at the end of the meal, Jack was informed that he was going to spend the night at Gramma and Grampa's. His first reaction was "We better get going, it's getting late". As I was driving down the freeway to our house, we came to one of many exits to downtown St Paul. Jack pointed to the exit and said "That's the way to the hockey game." I was blown away because he was right! It was the exit to get to the arena where the St Paul Wild plays their games. How in the world did he know that? i called Beckie to tell her, and she said that Jack had attended a game one time last year, and he must have remembered.
What an observant and smart little guy.....and only 3!!!!!

We got to our house about 8PM, and by 8:30 every toy in the house had been unpacked and played with. We had talked about him taking a bath in the "big tub" ( a whirlpool in the master bath ) with his new tub toy ( a tug boat with a hook for towing ) and he wanted to take his bath then and there. I convinced him it was too late and we should wait until morning. That was a decision I would later regret.

At five AM Saturday morning, I heard a little voice saying " Grampa, it's time for my bath"
He spent about an hour in the tub playing tugboat captain rescuing stranded boats, and squirting grampa with a spray bottle. At least he got good and clean, thanks to gramma.

After a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, milk and an orange, Jack had to choose between going to CHOO-CHOO BOBS ( a local train store with train tables to play on and lots of model trains to watch ) and the Jackson Street train museum. He opted for the museum and when asked why he chose that, he responded " because it's closer to your house". Again he was right ( How does he know these things?) We spent a couple hours wandering through the old train cars, ringing bells, driving trains, and playing on the train tables. Then came the coup de grace : a ride on a real train. We left the museum with a happy little boy.

When we finally got home that evening, the remnants of Tornado Jack were obvious in our house, and Gramma and I went to bed tired, but with the satisfied feeling of grandparents who had been given the gift of spending time with a great little guy who brings joy into our lives and reminds us of how lucky we are to have 3 great grandkids. We are looking forward to having Wesley experience a night by himself at our house, and also Elise ( when she's a little older ). You get a different perspective of the kids when they are outside their normal boundaries and sibling interactions.

Teaching the Boys to Be "Garage Guys"

I spent last Saturday helping Sean build a workbench for their new garage. Of course both Jack and Wes wanted to be with Dad and Grampa to "help" with the project. Wes had to nap first, but Jack helped from the start. He quickly became bored watching Dad saw boards, so he started checking out all the tools that Grampa brought along. He was enamored with my clamps, level, and square, and particularly liked the screws and nails. Once he found out his plastic hammer and drill really didn't do the job though, he became frustrated and went outside to watch the neighbor girls ride their bikes. He tried his best to get their attention and talk to them, but typical of girls in a group, they did their best to ignore him. He finally set up his own workshop in the back of my SUV, and had a grand time filling the back with sawdust and tools. About that time, Wes was done with his nap and raced to the garage to join the guys, and the process started all over again. Elise was also watching the action, and particularly watching me very closely - until I began looking at her and talking to her. Then she immediately looked to her mom for a safe haven. When she thought I wasn't watching, she'd check me out closely, but as soon as I returned her stare, she did her best to ignore me. ( Sounds a lot like my life story with women!) All in all, it was a fun day, although I don't know if either of the boys showed an interest or proclivity to be a handyman. We did get a nice workbench built, however.

Time With Jack

Yesterday I went down to the kids' home where I normally watch Wes and Elise while our daughter and son-in-law are at work and Jack is at pre-school. Since everyone but Sean was sick, Jack stayed home and I was able to spend a few hours with him, which I haven't done in a while. We were able to do one of our favorite activities, which is make up and tell stories about Jack and
Grampa. His favorites are about being at the cabin and having adventures in which Jack is the hero. A couple from yesterday were:

1. Jack and Grampa rescued a drowning man swimming in our lake. "Captain Jack" heroically piloted the pontoon boat to a successful rescue and towed the man to safety while Grampa wrung his hands and wailed "What are we going to do?.......What are we going to do?"

2. Jack and Grampa went for a buggy ride ( for all the "non-cool" readers out there, the buggy is our 4-wheeler) around the lake to a gravel pit, where atop a giant mountain of gravel were stranded his mom and his brother Wesley, crying for help and rescue. Grampa wrung his hands and said " What are we going to do? .....What are we going to do? I can't drive up there and rescue them." Jack the jumped on the buggy and said " I can save them" and proceeded to attack the gravel mountain and after extreme hardship and danger to himself, made it to the top, picked up the stranded pair, and brought them to safety. We all then climbed onto the buggy and Jack drove us back to the cabin, where we started a fire and had s'mores.

Jack used to sit quietly and listen to Grampa's stories and smile and giggle. Now, being a wise old pre-schooler, he is fond of correcting Grampa when something in the story doesn't quite make sense. He has become a very creative and thoughtful 3 year old; wise beyond his years and a joy to be around.

I'd love to hear from other GP's about similar times with their grandkids.