Birthday Party Fun

Birthday Party Fun

By Allan Olson
Our family’s last birthday party of the year was held on Sunday afternoon – this one for Alivia – our soon-to-be seven-year-old. I think as parents, we have come to realize how fast time really does fly by. It doesn’t seem possible that my youngest child will be seven in just a week’s time.
In preparation for the big event we were cleaning the house Friday evening – and Saturday – and Sunday, as well – just so we could have kids over to mess it all up again. Go figure. I was really hoping that I would be able to sleep in on Sunday, with the extra of hour sleep thanks to the changing of the clocks, but that was just a dream. I was already awake at 5 a.m., then again for good at 7 a.m. While that would technically be two hours of additional sleep from my normal routine, it would’ve been nice to make it until 9 a.m.
This year, my wife came up with the idea of doing something different. Since we don’t go out trick or treating Friday, she thought it might be fun to have a costume party for the kids on Sunday. Alivia dressed up as Elsa – my wife took her senior prom dress and altered it to fit Alivia. Abigail was a gypsy and Marcus was Donatello from the Ninja Turtles. I wore one of my old cameras with my Canon T-shirt and spiked my hair up – that was as dressed up as I got. Nikolai and mom chose not to dress up. Alivia’s three friends that attended the party arrived in costume, and with all the family attending, it turned out to be a fun, chaotic afternoon. My wife planned a game for the kids, followed by cake and ice cream for all, and eventually it was time for everyone to head home. We were all exhausted that evening, and I know I was sound asleep by 9:30 p.m.
On Saturday, a few of us escaped the cleaning madness and headed over to the gun range at Cass Lake to check out the hunters eager to get their rifles ready for the annual migration to the woods this weekend. Nikolai, the girls and I arrived at the range late that afternoon; I figured I would be able to get some photos of people sighting in their rifles. Instead, it was all quiet. There was nobody there except the range volunteers, so Nikolai and I took out our rifles and did a little target shooting. Well, he did a little – after firing two rounds from his grandfather’s 30-30 and nearly hitting the bullseye with the open sights at 25 yards, he declared it close enough. I took a few more shots at 100 yards, and after some helpful advice from the volunteers, I dialed my scope in a little and was soon right on target. With that done, we headed over to Froggy’s to get Nikolai’s hunting license and then went back home to help with the cleaning.
This weekend will be the annual migration to the woods for me, and also this year Nikolai will try his luck at big game hunting for the first time. I’m still struggling to decide if he will be going with me on opening weekend, as previously I had decided he wouldn’t. And I have yet to decide if I will be hunting all three weekends, since that usually depends on how many deer we have managed to bag. Nikolai’s opportunities will be limited, too, since school and work schedules allow little time for hunting locally during the week. One thing is certain: November is going to be a busy month for us, with deer hunting, followed by Thanksgiving, plus a jam-packed school and work schedule.
I hope everyone enjoys the coming weekend. If you’re heading out hunting, best of luck!  
Please be safe while enjoying your favorite outdoor recreational activity, and on the lakes, and remember to take pictures to preserve a lifetime of memories. Remember to drive safely, and watch out for those buses carrying our children. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! For more of my columns visit: http://allan-crazykids.blogspot.com.

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