By Allan Olson
Just like that, another year has flown by. Life in my house
has not slowed down, but perhaps things have calmed down a bit in our house.
While my kids are not “cute and sassy” anymore like when they were little,
always coming up with funny stories, now they much prefer to be “correct or
smart-alecky” in their everyday lives.
This year my firstborn, Nikolai, graduated from high school
and enrolled in college… I am not sure where the time went. As parents often
say, “It doesn’t seem that long ago when my little boy was hanging on my leg…”
and now, he’s not hanging around his parents much at all, unless it’s for food
or use of the laundry facilities. Admittedly, his dad had a
harder time with him moving off to campus than did his mom. It just felt
“different” around here for me… I’m not sure there is another way to describe
it. Perhaps things are just a little emptier/quieter in our house. The irony in
this is that his mom sees him more often than if he was still dwelling in our
basement, as the proximity of her office to his dorm and classes makes it a
perfect spot to just hang out, and, of course, get some food from her. It also
works well for her, as sometimes there are errands she needs done, and she can
send him.
My twins have also grown up considerably this year. It seems
like they have spent just as much time away from home as they did at home.
Abigail had the opportunity to “nanny” with someone for a road trip, helping
wrangle a few little ones and just provide them company. In the process she got
to visit New York and Pennsylvania. She likes to remind me that she went to New
York and Times Square – places I have not been. Of course, I give her the
satisfactory sassy jealous response, which makes her happy. I truly am a little
jealous, because someday I want to say that I’ve been to all 50 states, so for
now that’s still on my to-see list.
On the flip side, I’m not sure she cares to go back. She was
very appalled at how dirty it was. She said there was garbage everywhere, and
of course, the large numbers of people did not appeal to her country roots.
She also continues to be my “backup” photographer (perhaps a
better description is “assistant” or maybe even “replacement.”) On occasion
Abigail will put the dog on his leash and both take him and her camera for a
walk, and capture images that I never would, simply because she has a different
artistic approach to things.
She is also one of the main go-to baby sitters for my
nieces. Even though they are two hours away, somehow, she manages to be the one
they call help. For my wife and I, it’s somewhat ironic how this role has
reversed – these same nieces were the ones that we relied on for help when our
kids were little.
Marcus has grown up in all sorts of ways as well. He’s the
one we tease that his “ego is bigger than his head.” He’s full of himself, with
a quirky sense of humor, and likes to be grammatically correct – but doesn’t
like it if we catch him “slipping up” on his own grammar. He’s also the biggest
of our kids, and still has a few years to fill out as well as stretch upward.
He has become the go-to “food truck” assistant for his aunt, who started a new
business earlier this year, mainly because of his strength and his ability to
catch on quickly. He likes his games and the comfort of his room – you know,
the place where parents don’t see him to ask him to do chores. He is also quick
with the quirky random bits of information – usually taken from some tv show or
movie that most of the family has seen and retained nuggets from – and when I
say most – it’s usually not me, or I forgot that I’ve probably watched it with
them, because frankly, tv is not my thing.
This brings me to Alivia. This young lady is no longer my
baby girl, but forever will be. She is also busy with her mom, helping her with
dresses and that business, including being the receptionist and scheduler
during busy times, and whatever else her mom tasks her with. She does these
things not always with great joy or results (like most kids), but she it gets
done. She also relishes the fact that she has access to her mom’s work calendar
and her phone – thankfully not her banking yet.
Alivia is also the only one with a real enthusiasm for
driving – even more so than Nikolai. She will literally drive anything she can.
Several years ago, she was taught how to drive a three-wheeler (ATV), and took
to that like a fish in water. Since then, it’s anything she can drive, she
wants to drive. This past weekend, I taught her to drive her uncle’s
snowmobile, and the last I saw of her, she was heading off down the road to
parts unknown. Okay, that last part isn’t quite accurate, but close. She and
her cousin both drained a tank of gas on two sleds, so Grandpa went to town on
Christmas day to get them more fuel.
She is also eager to drive my vehicles on any occasions –
even if it’s just in the backyard to the garage, that makes her happy.
As for my wife and I, we are still learning every day how to
manage our lives and the kids, and still have time to enjoy time together. We
both lead busy lives and occasionally forget to block off time for the two of
us, which sometimes results in a last-minute dinner out or movie, or on the
rare occasion wandering through stores, planning for future home renovations.
I am thankful and blessed to have her as my companion in
life, and for the family we have. In 2022 I encourage everyone to take a moment
to take a photo for a memento of where you were at that moment, whether it’s of
just yourself or with family and/or friends.
Wishing all of you a Happy New Year!
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