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Sun, Dec 16, 2007 10:23 PM
Our sweet Haakon boy is 3!!!
Can it be???? We had a fun birthday party yesterday to kick off his birthday celebration. Several little boys between the ages of 3 and 2 with some accompanied by younger siblings. Before his party I was reading up on Thomas the Train birthday party ideas. There were lots of over top ideas. I gathered just a few to make it extra special but there was no way I could pull off most of those ideas. Looking back there was no point in even trying. This group of kids had no interest in any of my games! The biggest hit was just playing with the toys. Haakon had requested a Thomas the train cake with Diesel, Thomas, & Percy. I got a late start on my cake and it did not turn out all that cute but it tasted good. It ended up being a version of the Island of Sodor with rich soil like in the RR Valley. Maybe next year I can make a prettier cake.
He sure got lots of lovely presents and birthday wishes! Thank you to everyone who sent such sweet birthday wishes.
Tonight just before getting ready to get the kids ready for bed, Marit comes up to me carrying my heavy clogs saying shoes shoes. I put them on and she goes running to the door. OUtside outside. We walk outside in the crisp night air and she goes right to the car and says bye bye bye bye. I told her we can't go without the boys. So we went back in and got Daddy and Haakon and we went for a little drive to see Christmas lights and finished off the evening with a little ice cream treat. What a good idea little Marit had.

I am really looking forward to this year with Haakon being three. I can only wonder what is in store. He sure amazes us and frustrates us and gives us more joy then we could have ever imagined possible!!!

Comments:
Candyce: oopss i did not take the time to read my typing i hope you understand my note i guess i need to go to bed.

Candyce: I think I am going to start one of these little sights. I was fun reading all of your stories. I think the one about before and after kids. How true is that. When I put my girls in the car they are clean but as soon as we get to where we are going someones dirty or both and someones hair is all over the place. I glad its not just my wild children. take care.

Lauralee: Happy Birthday Haakon!! you are so very special to us!! We love you!!

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Mon, Dec 10, 2007 10:42 AM
Happy Birthday to Auntie Sarah!!! We love you!

This past week two of my good friends, Sarah and Jackie, each sent me this forward about a Christmas Pageant. I think it was God's way of using them to prepare me for my Christmas Pageant disappointment. This is what it read...

"My husband and I had been happily married (most of the time) for five years but
hadn't been blessed with a baby. I decided to do some serious praying and
promised God that if he would give us a child, I would be a perfect mother, love
it with all my heart and raise it with His word as my guide.

God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next year God blessed us
with another son. The following year, he blessed us with yet another son. The
year after that we were blessed with a daughter.

My husband thought we'd been blessed right into poverty. We now had four
children, and the oldest was only four years old. I learned never to ask God
for anything unless I meant it. As a minister once told me, "If you pray for
rain, make sure you carry an umbrella."

I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each day as they lay
in their cribs. I was off to a good start. God had entrusted me with four
children and I didn't want to disappoint Him.

I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs on the kitchen
floor searching for baby chicks. I tried to be understanding...when they
started a hotel for homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me
nearly two hours
to catch all twenty-three frogs. When my daughter poured ketchup all over
herself and rolled up in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried
to see the humor rather than the mess.

In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers, never eating a hot meal
and never sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time, I still thank God
daily for my children.

While I couldn't keep my promise to be a perfect mother - I didn't even come
close...I did keep my promise to raise them in the Word of God.

I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told my daughter we were
going to church to worship God, and she wanted to bring a bar of soap along to
"wash up" Jesus, too. Something was lost in the translation when I explained
that God gave us everlasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to
give us his "last wife." My proudest moment came during the children's
Christmas pageant.

My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son
was a wise man. This was their moment to shine. My five-year-old shepherd had
practiced his line, "We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes", but he was
nervous and said, "The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes." My four-year-old
"Mary" said, "That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly. That's dirty, rotten
clothes."

A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an
angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing. I slouched a little lower in
my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down
the aisle crying, "Mama-mama."

Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men
arrived. My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown,
knelt at the manger and announced, "We are the three wise men, and we are
bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur."

The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing
ovation.

"I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one," laughed the
pastor, wiping tears from his eyes. "For the rest of my life, I'll never hear
the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur."

"My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest blessing," I said as I dug
through my purse for an aspirin."

(Funny thing was, I had smashed my finger in the door before leaving for the Christmas Program and had already taken a dose of advil before heading out.)

Yesterday was SUPPOSED to be Haakon's first performance in a Christmas program at church.

He was asked to play Jesus at age 2. I was told he was picked because he is so well behaved in Sunday school. Always sits quietly and does what he is told and never seems to act obnoxious or anything. (This is a Haakon I do not know)

I was reluctant to let him except this role but at the same time so excited and thrilled. I have always loved Christmas programs and could not wait to see my children one day be in one themselves. We began to talk about it every day and what his role would be and answer questions and talk about how special this was.

Saturday he had his first and only practice. All the other practices were for the older kids and they said he only needed to come to the dress rehearsal. Grant took Haakon because I have been sick. Midway through the rehearsal Grant called me telling me how crazy and uncooperative Haakon was being. (This is the Haakon I know)
I suggested that we offer to back out now. They still wanted him anyway.

Sunday evening comes; he is dressed in a solid (very hard to come by) pair of pjs and is to wear a head dress that the costume lady designed. We get to church early and Haakon starts out being quite good (as good can be when you are 2) He refuses to wear the head dress even with bribes. No worries we will put it on at the last minute and then scoot him up to his spot when he is needed. They reserved a spot for Haakon and me to sit in the second pew from the front.
Pastor Austin began to pray and Haakon began to be Haakon. Then I began to pray. "Oh Lord, PLEEEAASSSEEE help him to listen to me and obey and quit making all these obnoxious sounds"
We were sitting just a mere 5 feet away from Pastor Austin and Haakon is saying jibber jabbers and escalating them with every bit of me telling him to hush! Now I remember why I avoid sitting in the front at church.

After he started asking me (so everyone could hear)for the jiggle bells in the basket on the floor at the alter. I got up and walked out (down the main isle).

Grant said he did not come on till about 3/4 of the way through so we stayed in the nursery for awhile and then he insisted on going and sitting towards the back with Daddy and me. He was good for a short while but then when it was time for him to go up he would not do it. "I don't want to do it" he announced. At this point we are bribing, encouraging him to go with no avail. Then the director of the Christmas program get's Mary and walks over to where Haakon is (ALL eyes are now watching us) to get him to come up for his spot in the Christmas program. She even tries to bribe him. NOTHING! He was not budging. "I am not going to do it" he kept repeating. In that moment it seemed like forever. This stand off between us and Haakon. There was no budging him. He had made up his mind and he was sticking to it. He is not easily convinced and this time was no exception.
Thankfully another little boy was whisked in to volunteer as Jesus at age two. He put on the head dress with no grumblings and everyone cheered as he was brought up on stage. The program continued and Haakon and I slipped out. We went completely outside for a long chat on what just happened and how naughty he had been and how disappointed we all were. There was not much remorse. He just was not in the mood to act and wanted much more to play.
Who knows if he will ever grace the stage and perform in a Christmas Pageant or any other play for that matter. But I will not let him forget this day. Nor will Grant and I forget it either. I think what disappointed me more then him not wanting to go up and participate in the Christmas program was that he just did not listen or obey. Being a Parent is the hardest (in every sense of the word) but most rewarding and fulfilling job ever. I feel so honored and blessed that God has given us two beautiful children to take care of and raise. I just pray that they will learn to listen and obey. It is not easy teaching them this. I need to work even harder at it. I have hope though and by the Grace of God they will one day be obedient! That is my one Christmas wish and prayer.

Comments:
Nana: Honey, Never ever give up! Every new day is brand new, a fresh start with Gods help every minute of every day, they will learn and grow and know that they too can pray and ask God to help them to obey and to do right till the stars fall. Honey, that too is my Chrismas wish. I love you all, Haakon and Marit are so blessed to have you and Grant as their parents, no one can do this job better than you two. Praying always for you all.

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Fri, Dec 7, 2007 8:17 PM
The Elf yourself craze is in full force. It is just too cute! You must check out these links for a giggle!
Seeger Family: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1160923783

Lott Family: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1186826242

Jace Van Eps and cousin JT: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9634936414

Bonillas Family: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1210303671

Bihm Family: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1148433376

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Thu, Dec 6, 2007 10:35 PM
WARNING! This entry contains graphic content. Those with sensitive stomachs beware.

I have had it! Had it up to here! (refering to the top of my head) in puke. I don't know how much more I can take.
It all started last week. Can't tell you exactly what day it was, I just don't remember, Maybe Wednesday. I was at work and we had a new nurse class (training them on how to use the electronic medical record)One of our nurses said she thought she was going to be sick. Kim (co-trainer) encouraged her to leave and go to the bathroom. By the time I saw our sick nurse everyone else had left for lunch. She looked horrible. I encouraged her to call someone to pick her up and take her home. Upon talking to her she said she might faint. Thankfully I was able to catch her with a chair before she hit the floor. She was out for a good minute or so. I was holding on to the chair in hopes that I could keep it up. To make a long story short, we ended up sending her to the ER. Since then I have seen her at work and she is feeling much better. Later on that day I called Mom who told me how terrible she felt and how she had come down with the flu. YUCK! Poor Mom. (I think that makes 2 puking stories) That evening at supper I was holding Marit and she shoved too much in her mouth causing her to puke all over herself and me. After taking a bath and getting all cozy in jammies, her and I cuddled in bed to nurse before tucking her in. Haakon and Daddy joined us and soon there was lots of tickling and giggles. It must have been just too much for Marit because at that moment she puked all over herself, me, and the bed!!!!! (It only gets worse) In that very next moment Haakon being overcome with the awfulness of it all puked all over Grant, himself, and the floor in our bedroom. (I think that makes it 4 now) The next morning when I went to go get Marit I discovered she had puked in her bed too. The smell was really getting to me. The poor washing machine just did not get a break. It was on the extra soak and extra rinse and lots of detergent and bleach! I had a small break from puke, but by Sunday it started all over again. This time with Daddy! So for lunch I made sandwiches. I seem to almost always forget condiments. So upon the request of Daddy I went to the fridge to get some Mayo. It was a new bottle and never opened. The new bottle was not good enough so he went to hunt down an already opened one. I think he wishes now he would have taken the good kind I gave him instead of the old bottle. It was either old mayo or there is anouth spinach outbreak that caused him to puke like I have never seen before! (that makes 5) Yesterday morning on the way to work we were nibbling on cereal bars (Caribou Cofee bars). Marit pleaded with me to share so I gave her half. She ended up gagging again and piked all over herslef and the car seat. I spent the last half of our trip leaning over my seat cleaning her and her car seat up with wipes. Thankfully Monica had some new clothes for her.
This morning when I woke up to get Marit ready for work, there was that smell again, the puke smell! Sure enough she had puked in her crib. Oh Yuck! Off to the tub she went and there went the washing machine. I am just hoping and praying that this morning was my last puke insident.
On a funny note. As we were putting a way clean puke clothes Haakon asked me where his candy bracelet. I replied with I do not know Haakon, and you will have to check. The next few words that flew out of his mouth nearly floored me. "You're a lazy Mom"
I have no clue where he heard that or if we even use the word lazy so how did he know what it means? But sure enough, my almost 3 year old was calling me lazy because I was not going to stop what I was doing to find him some candy. Uff da, Where is the respect!

Comments:
Kels: Oh my goodness! What an awful chain of puking events! I'm so glad you were not one of them! But, I heard from mom that you are not feeling well now either! Mary was right, mothers do not have the luxury of being lazy OR sick! Hope you are keeping ahead of this bug so you can continue to be nurse and mommy to everyone else! Love ya!

Mary & the girls: Oh Rebekah! I'm so sorry...you poor thing. I will pray you are all on the mend and that YOU don't get it because as we all know, mothers don't have the LUXURY of being lazy! :)

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