Memories of 2011

Memories of 2011

By Allan Olson

In comparison to 2010, this year was loads better. One of the main reasons it was better was that we moved.

On New Year’s Day last year, we ventured out for a road trip on snow-covered roads. While the distance wasn’t great, it took considerable time, with the amount of snow on the roads. We found the house we hoped we were looking for in terms of size, price and location – very rural.

Fast forward just over a month, and thanks to the hard work of a couple businesses and individuals, we had signed the papers. We moved into a new dwelling that was more than twice the size of the three-bedroom trailer we had resided in for nearly five years.

While this house isn’t (still) without some kinks, we are slowly working some of them out and making plans to make it look even better.

Another change for us was going from having one kid in school to three. Time flies; our twins, Abigail and Marcus were officially school age.

With that adjustment, my wife and I decided that because of our move, which placed us equal distance between three towns, that we would send our children to Cass Lake-Bena for the new school year. The transition has been harder for Nikolai, who misses his old school and friends, but as the school year continues, the adjustment has been getting easier.

The children are growing up fast. This summer, the twins picked up where they left off the previous year in their desire to ride bicycles. By the end of June Marcus had abandoned his training wheels. Abigail didn’t feel quite as comfortable in that venture, but we removed hers by fall as well.

Once again this summer we ventured on a camping trip. Thanks to the State shutdown, our plans to visit another state park were trashed. After much searching, we came upon Fall Lake Campground (a National Forest Campground) near Ely. Turns out it was not a second-place choice; we had a great time, despite not catching any fish and losing Abigail at least temporarily on the bike trails. While in the area, we visited both the Wolf and Bear Centers, which were informative and enjoyable experiences for all.

Nikolai has continued his quest for knowledge of all things non-fiction. He enjoys his time on the computer, watching movies and playing with his new friends down the road. He loves his time with his cousins whenever that occurs, and being the bossy big brother.

Abigail is still our free-spirited girly-girly girl. She loves dressing up, getting her nails painted, playing with her dolls and other toys, and shopping. With all of that, she is also quick to do lots of other things – she enjoys fishing, going on hunting walks with dad, playing outside in the mud and dirt, watching movies with mom, and has a strong love of food. She has probably the biggest appetite of any of our kids.

Marcus hasn’t changed much; he still is our Mr. Serious. I’m not saying he doesn’t have a sense of humor; it’s more of a reflection on his attitude. He’s an absolute stickler for the rules, and unlike his twin sister, he doesn’t rush into things headfirst. He enjoys school and is already serious about homework; he even gets upset sometimes if he doesn’t have anything to do. Some of his favorite things to do are watching TV, playing on the computer, riding bike and reading his books.

Last and certainly not least is miss Alivia. She, too, has grown up considerably in the past years. Of the four, she is most likely the bossiest and most stubborn.While Nikolai largely ignores her bossiness, she has learned how to push his buttons as well. She likes to dictate the games they play, the shows they watch, and other manners of play. For some reason, Marcus and Abigail allow her to on most days, although on occasion they will remind her that she is the youngest and will have to comply with their rules. She is proving to be very tech-savvy. She knows how to navigate the computer, the Wii, the TV, and other electronics. She enjoys her time with mom alone while the others are in school, playing outside, being bossy, riding bike, and – like most kids – playing with her toys.

As 2011 has officially come to a close, my wife and I are looking forward to another year of our life together, raising our children, dealing with whatever joys and frustrations they send down our path in this new year.