Questions and Answers from the Girls on Daryl's Birthday

1. What is something dad always says to you?

H: Leave your sisters alone
G: Hurry up Hurry up
E: Fruityville

2. What makes dad happy? 

G: Playing games with him
E: Helping clean up
H: Me not touching my sisters

3. What makes dad sad?

E: Not helping him
H: Bad news
G: When we three are angry

4. How does your dad make you laugh? 

H: Fruityville Stories
G: Fruityville
E: telling jokes

5. What was your dad like as a child?

G: Happy
E: Happy
H: Fast

6. How old is your dad? 

E: 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
H: 39
G: 31

7. How tall is your dad? 

H: 5 ft 20 in
G: 39 inches
E: 36 inches

8. What is his favorite thing to do? 

G: Play games with me
E: Watching the 'puter
H: Sing songs and be funny

9. What does your dad do when you're not around?

E: Play (I mean him go to work)
H: Study or work
G: Go to work

10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for?

H: Being a good worker
G: President
E: President

11. What is your dad really good at? 

G: Running
E: Playing games
H: Making people laugh

12. What is your dad not very good at?

E: Flying
H: Running everyday
G: Playing basketball

13. What does your dad do for a job?

H: He is the deputy chief information officer at Gordon-Conwell Technological Cemetery
G: Work at the seminary with I think five different jobs
E: Working on the 'puter

14.What is your dad's favorite food?

E: Mac N Cheese
H: A lot of foods
G: A Lot of foods. I can't name them all.

15.What makes you proud of your dad?

H: Funny and he tells good Fruityville stories
E: Fruityville
G: He is getting money for doing his work.

16. If your dad were a character, who would he be? 

E: Peanut Butter
G: Star Wars
H: Pa Grape

17. What do you and your dad do together?

G: Play games
H: Do stuff on the computer
E: A birthday today

18. How are you and your dad the same? 

H: Both have brown hair and we both like learning new stuff
G: Both have brown hair
E: We both have blue eyes

19. How are you and your dad different?

G: We don't wear the same style
E: Cause I don't have glasses and I'm a girl
H: He does a lot of work on the computer and I do a lot of worksheets at school.

20. How do you know your dad loves you? 

H: He gives me hugs and he says so
E: He plays games with me
G: Because he eats supper with me and he is right next to me

21.. What does your dad like most about your mom? 

H: I don't know.
G: Cause they kiss all the time
E: Hug so hard... a family hug

22. Where is your dad's favorite place to go?

E: To work
H: Places with the sun and no snow and room for picnics and stuff like that
G: To the vacation with me

23. How old was your dad when you were born? 

H: 30
G: That is like six years ago so... how old is he now? 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31... I don't know
E: In diapers

Interview with Hannah, Grace and Elizabeth for Daddy's Birthday

What does your daddy do for work?

H: Do stuff on the computer
G: Study sometimes
E: He asks something

If your dad were an animal, what kind would he be?

H: Penguin
G: Lion
E: Turtle

What is Daddy's favorite TV show?

H: People talking
G: Funny videos
E: a cow

My dad says the most important rule is...

H: Don't fight
G: Don't bite
E: No fighting, no biting, and no people do what you want

I love my daddy because...

H: he is nice
G: he is special
E: he not like you

What does daddy do best?

H: work
G: make cakes
E: bite

What makes your daddy laugh?

H: things that are funny
G: when we watch funny videos
E: bite

What makes your daddy sad?

H: when we are not kind to each other

G: when we bite people

E: bite

How tall is your daddy?

H: 30 inches
G: 3 inches
E: big and big

My favorite thing to do with my daddy is...

H: watch videos
G: watch videos
E: bite

Nobody is better than he is at...

H: playing games
G: playing games
E: potty

Other things to say about daddy on his 36th birthday...
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to daddy. Happy Birthday to you. Love Hannah, Grace and Elizabeth

(Pictures taken and selected by Daryl's daughters)

 

Thanksgiving ~ Day 19

Today is a special day in the house... Daddy's Birthday! Here 35 reasons to give thanks for Daryl Olson!

1. Laughter
2. Work ethic
3. Committed daddy
4. Loving husband
5. Good listener
6. Great thinker
7. Enjoys games
8. Takes the girls to the park
9. Puts the girls to bed
10. Arranges his work schedule so mommy can work at the church and he can stay with the girls
11. Makes his health a priority
12. Loves his family
13. Loves his in-laws
14. He's my daddy (Hannah)
15. He has a birthday party (Grace)
16. He's "that one" (Elizabeth)
17. He reads books to me (Hannah)
18. He plays blocks with me (Grace)
19. He's a good dad (Hannah)
20. People respect him
21. Sings funny songs
22. Takes care of car stuff
23. Helps keep the house clean
24. Demonstrates what a respectful man should be to our daughters
25. Involved with the girls' schooling
26. Plays "pretty pretty princess" (Grace)
27. Plays "Balloon Lagoon" (Grace)
28. Creative story teller
29. He's my only dad (Hannah)
30. Makes birthday cakes for the girls
31. Takes the girls bike riding
32. Because every year he turns a little bit older (Hannah)
33. He is a good griller
34. Makes great pancakes
35. He is the wonderfullest, Bestest, Greatest, Awesomeness Daddy and Husband for the Olson Girls!!!!

Happy 35th Birthday, Daddy Daryl!
Dana
Hannah
Grace
Elizabeth  

Gloucester Fisherman Triathlon

Today was the day of Daryl's race and we woke up to POURING down rain and LOTS OF wind. When Daryl went down to drop off all his gear, he noticed that there were WHITE CAPS in the harbor. Not an exciting prospect for a new swimmer, but he was committed. At just before 7, Daryl called (the girls and I were just heading out the door) and told us it was miserable and not to bother coming. The girls were so excited that I decided to head off for an adventure in the rain. We found a place to park the car along the boulevard in a great location to watch the bikers go by and settled in to watch from the van.

I was disappointed not to see the start of the swim, so I got out of the van and caught a glimpse of the swimmers heading into the water at the "GO GO GO" of the announcer. (Thank goodness the wind died down just before the race started. It is never good when even the kayakers are nervous about getting in the water!)

My heart was pounding when I knew Daryl was heading into the water. I found at later... his was too! But he did great and the next thing we knew we caught a glimpse of him sailing by us on his bike. Yeah, daddy!

The rain stopped (briefly) so I loaded the girls into the stroller and walked down the street a bit to see the riders coming around on their second lap. There was daddy and he was smiling!

After that (the rain stopping and starting and stopping and starting) we walked down the boulevard to the transition area. We were SOAKED, but Elizabeth decided it was a great time for a nap.

Here comes daddy into the transition area do prepare for the final leg of the race. Grace was SO EXCITED to see him. I think this was probably the first time she actually saw him.

There he goes on the final leg of his race... the 5K. He said that he had some major jelly legs after getting off his bike. After Grace saw him run by, she started crying "daddy, daddy." I think she thought he would stop.

We walked the final distance to the finish line. "Daryl Olson from Gloucester, MA" the announcer shouted and there he was... finishing just around 1 hour and 30 minutes. YEAH DADDY!

Daryl did great and we are SO PROUD of him.

Happy Father's Day

"Daddy, you are the most wonderful, greatest, best daddy in the world!" Hannah gushes.
"Thank you. Why do you say that?" Daddy asks.
"Because its Father's Day."

Sigh... we learn humility in the hands and words of our children. I think the girls truly do have the most wonderful, greatest, best daddy. Thanks, Daryl, for all you do with and for our girls. They are blessed to have you as a daddy and I am blessed to have you on this journey of parenthood.

Now for some pics of our Father's Day.

Daddy and his girls

Gracie prefers to push her own vehicle... always wants to be in control.

Trying out Hannah's balance bike

Hannah and her new bike

Water break!

We got Hannah a balance bike for her 4th birthday. It is suppose to help kids learn to ride easier than a bike with training wheels. Basically they learn how to balance the bike first and then learn to pedal. She was starting to get the hang of it by the end. As she gets more comfortable, she will push off and glide for longer distances. We'll see!

Happy Birthday to the Man of My Dreams!

November 19, 2009

Happy Birthday, Daryl!

Thank you for your...

authentic faith

boyish good looks

care for others

dedication to our girls

enormous heart

friendliness

great hugs

hugs

inquiring mind

jokes (sometimes;-))

kisses

laughter and love

marriage to me

notes at "just because" times

order

patience

quiet listening

respect

silliness

thoughtfulness

unique perspectives

volume (especially when laughing... its contagious!)

work

xcellent taste:-)

you

zest

I love you very much and so do our girls!

Growing up and Grover

My little girl is growing up. In one month from today, she will be 2 years old! Where did the time go? How is it possible that time could be going by so fast?!?!

There are never days that I want her to grow up faster, but there are moments. She is once again in a "mommy, hold you" phase. At those times she wants mommy to carry her around outside, to be the one (not daddy) to give her a bath, get her dressed, read her a story, do things HER way... Some of those moments I just need her to let daddy... it is getting exhausting to be pregnant and carry an almost 2 year old. But then, I realize that my little girl is not going to be so little for so long. She's going to stop asking mommy to "hold you." In those moments, I just want to wrap my arms around her, feel her little arms wrapped around my neck, and STOP TIME! Maybe it does... for a moment, but then I watch her run off and know that's my privilege as a mommy to watch her grow up, hugging her every step of the way.

Who's Grover, you may ask. Well, for some it is an adorable, fuzzy, blue monster on Sesame Street. Lately, in this house, Grover has become the new name for "Baby Boo." Daryl and I were looking over the SS list of names from the last century trying to settle on a boy's name (we think we are settled on our girl's name). He jokingly said we should call the baby Grover. Hannah picked up on it and now that is the baby's name (not for real!). It is so cute watching her "talk" to the baby. She will talk to my stomach saying "Baby Grover is sleeping" or "Baby Grover roll over." She did happen to feel the baby move one time and I think it kind of startled her. I don't know that she "gets" it, but it will interesting to see what she thinks when baby "Grover" really moves into her world.
---
I had to add a final Hannah story to this post. We have been going through a bit of an "attitude" phase with Hannah. We ask her to do something and she responds with a very saucy "no." Sometimes Daryl or I will sternly say "Hannah" and she will say "yes" and come do, reluctantly, the thing we asked of her. However, we would prefer that the saucy attitude would not be her first response, so she has had to sit in "time out" a couple times. Today, she was playing with her stuffed animals and we started to pay attention to what she was saying. She said (to her rabbit), "Rabbit said no" and with that she marched rabbit into her room and sat him on the chair. "Say, yes, rabbit." She told him. We had to chuckle. What a girl!

Trip to Atlanta

Last week, Hannah and I made a surprise trip to Atlanta for Poppi (my dad's) 60th birthday. We had a wonderful time. You can view some of the pictures from the trip by visiting our picasa link found on the sidebar of this blog. Check back on the blog as I hope to upload some stories and video from that trip later this week.

Till then, enjoy the pictures!

Cheese Factory and Home

Tuesday we got up to more overcast weather. The clouds thinned a bit before we left the hotel and we were able to get a peep at the cliffs that bordered the beach. This view was just outside our hotel window. The beach in front was where we had a campfire with s'mores on Monday night. Thanks Lorna for bringing all the needed supplies!
We headed farther down the coast to the Tillamook Cheese factory. It was fascinating to watch the pounds and pounds of cheese being cut and packaged. Hannah is watching everything from Poppi's arms. The other side of this big room had vats of the cheese at the earlier stages. We were also able to sample a variety of cheeses including cheese curds... YUMMY!!! I had never tasted them, but had heard about them from the Little House in the Big Woods book. I believe they are the step prior to pressing and aging the cheese. They really do squeak in your teeth! We also got to eat some of the Tillamook Ice Cream... creamy and VERY tasty!
After the cheese factory, we headed back to Beaverton to pack up (sigh) and get ready for our LONG flight back home. We were up at 3:30 am for a trip to the airport. Hannah didn't sleep much going back and she was VERY restless on the flight from Salt Lake City to Boston. We didn't have the room to let her get her wiggles out or to stretch out for a nap. When Amanda picked us up at the airport, Hannah could barely keep her eyes open. By the time we got home, she was so overtired and hungry we couldn't do much with her, until daddy laid her on his chest and she FINALLY fell asleep.

Reminds me of another picture after a "long" trip home:-)!

She was a trooper, but vacations just aren't the same with a little one. Thanks Waite/Hess families for your gracious hospitality. We look forward to more visits! How about the east coast?!?

Seaside and Cannon Beach

Our first stop along the Oregon coast was Lewis and Clark's last stop... the beach town of Seaside. This was my (Dana) and Hannah's first look at the Pacific Ocean. The weather was overcast and cool, but we saw the water.
We spent a couple hours browsing the shops and had lunch at a local pizza place. (left side of the table) David, Zeny, Hannah, Daryl, Shawn (right side of the table) Jon, Mo, Dad Hess, Mom Hess, Lorna.
My favorite stop here was watching Hannah ride her first Merry-go-round. She was very restless waiting for the ride to start, but once it got going, she really enjoyed herself. It was funny watching her looking for me and my parents each time she went around.
Our next stop was Cannon Beach. Goonies fans, you may recognize this rock. Cannon Beach was the location of the last scenes in the movie.
Hannah made her mark! She loved being chased by the waves. Poppi kept her out of the COLD water, but I think she would have rather dove right in.

The best activity on Cannon beach was renting the fun bikes. It took a little while to get use to them as you had to steer by leaning, but once we got the hang of it, we were off! It was a great way to explore the beach.Nana and Poppi racing down the beach.
Hannah even got into the action. Look closely, this was her reaction to the trailer. Poor Poppi had to listen to this down the beach. She was tired and hungry... probably not the best time to try a new adventure. Daryl pulled the trailer back and she finally fell asleep.
That night Jon and Mo treated the family to a seafood dinner at Moe's. It was delicious. After dinner we traveled farther down the coast before spending the night at the Sunset Motel... another special treat from Jon and Mo. Thanks for the meal and lodging. We REALLY enjoyed ourselves. Perhaps next time we will see the sunset!

Sunday ~ Exploring Portland

On Sunday, we headed into Portland for lunch. There was a Saturday market (why it is called a Saturday market... I'm not sure as it was still going strong on Sunday) with all kinds of food and craft booths, which were very interesting to explore. Daryl, Hannah and I meandered through the booths and then headed to the river front for a walk. There we found a public fountain where kids (and adults) were playing. It was a great place to cool off for a while.

We headed back towards the market and met up with the others in our group. While waiting for everyone to arrive I had the unfortunate experience of standing under a pigeon's bathroom. Gross!!

Some of the gang... (front) Aunt Mo, Uncle Jon, Hannah, Nana, Cousin Laura... (back) Poppi, Daddy, Colin (a friend of Jon's from High School) and Alan (a friend of Jon's from St. Louis). Zeny and David (Mo's parents) are missing from this picture.
That night we returned to Mo's family's house for supper and cake (very yummy again). Tomorrow... on to the Oregon coast!

Rehearsal and Wedding Day

Friday was HOT!!! Portland was having a record breaking heat wave on the night of the rehearsal and during the day of the wedding. Despite the temperatures, it was wonderful to meet Mo's family and to celebrate Jon and Mo's special day.

The rehearsal was in Maureen's parents' backyard. The photographer was on hand to get some more "casual" family shots. We don't have many pictures of the evening on our own camera, but this one is a great representation. Hannah was getting a bit tired by evening. She needed a little coaxing to smile for the camera. The Waite's had just the thing... the Owl! Here Hannah is giving one of her great hugs to the creature who brought her such delight that night.
The wedding took place at a local Lodge and Retreat Center. The ceremony was outside, but there was an air-conditioned building for the reception. Here Best Man Daryl and Aspiring Flower Girl Hannah (she didn't quite make the walking requirement to be the official flower girl) wait in the cool for the wedding to begin.
A picture of the family... many of the wedding pictures will have to wait for the official photographer. I can't wait to see them!
Mr. and Mrs. Jon and Maureen Hess cut their wedding cake. Notice the beautifully arranged flowers on top. Mom/Nana Joyce did a wonderful job! The cake was fabulous too. I was glad we had several more opportunities to partake of it over the next couple days. Although I believe both Daryl and Dad/Poppi Dave tasted all THREE layers during the reception.
Mr. and Mrs. Hess danced a salsa for their first dance of marriage. I was very impressed that Maureen was able to dance so well in her dress. It was fun watching them dancing. You could tell that they were enjoying themselves as well.
The ceremony went very well. I (Dana) had the privilege of performing the ceremony with Maureen's dad being able to legally pronounce them husband and wife. It was an incredible opportunity to be so involved this very significant event in Mo and Jon's life. May God richly bless this new couple. My love and prayers continue for them both as they live the adventure called life!

First stop ~ Seattle, Washington

We got up early Wednesday morning to begin our adventures to Washington and Oregon. A 7:00 am flight required a 4:00 am wake-up (4:30 am for Hannah). We got to the airport in plenty of time (thanks to Donna our early morning driver). We took off from Boston a little late, but we were not worried as we had a 3+ hour layover in Salt Lake City, Utah. Daryl and I could each check off another state from our states list. Does an airport layover count?

From Salt Lake City, we flew northwest. Hannah slept through the beautiful view of the Great Salt Lake and Sand flats, but she was looking out the window for the next amazing sight...Mount Rainer!!! The picture hardly does the view justice. God's creation is amazing!
We got to Seattle around 3:00 Pacific time (6:00 pm EST!) We were exhausted! Jon picked us up from the airport. We fed Hannah a little supper and put her to bed. Unfortunately mom and dad (nana and poppi) had to wait until the next morning to greet their granddaughter. The adults enjoyed a delicious lasagna supper, prepared by Jon, before collapsing into bed. Morning comes early when a 1 year old is still on an east coast schedule. Wake-up call was at 4:30 am (pacific time). We encouraged her to stay with us until almost 5:00, but at that point she was HUNGRY! Wake-up Uncle Jon!

Thursday, we got to explore downtown Seattle. Jon took us to Pike's market, which was filled with all kinds of yummy foods and beautiful flowers. We ate lunch downtown and then returned to Jon's apartment before heading to the Locks.
At the Locks, we got to see a boat pass from the Lake to the Sound and then we went to watch the Salmon climbing the fish ladders. Hannah, where did the fish go?
There it is! The King Salmon were fighting their way upstream to their breeding (and dying) grounds. We drew a crowd as we were encouraging and cheering the fish on. It was a lot of work!
That night we enjoyed some lively drumming with Hannah and Jon.
Followed by a walk to a lookout point for the sunset. Hannah had fun playing with Poppi.
Friday, we packed up (wedding flowers from Pike's Market and all our stuff) and headed down to Portland... actually Beaverton, where Maureen's parents live. A 3 1/2 hour trip ended up being MUCH longer due to a RV and grass fire that closed both sides of I-5. Thankfully, we were at a spot where we could turn around and meander our way through back roads to Mo's home. The next post will feature the next part of our journey.

There and Back Again

We are back in Massachusetts after a whirlwind trip to the Northwest. I can't wait to show you some of our pictures from our adventures. We had a wonderful time, although the weather made sure we didn't fall too completely in love with that part of the country (although the time with our family was great!). Record-breaking high temperatures for the first 4 days and rainy, cool temperatures for the rest of the time. Despite the weather, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thanks so much Aunt Mo Mo, Uncle Jon, Zeny, David, Nana, Poppi, and of course Oscar and Tootsie. Check back soon for a detailed account of our trip!

The Lesser Known Benefits of Being a Father

I think it is safe to say that now I am a veteran father. When my mother went to get me a Father's Day card this year, she originally purchased a "Happy First Father's Day!" card, forgetting that I am long past my first Father's Day and now, even my second Father's Day is behind me.

Speaking as veteran father, I thought it would be good to share some of the lesser known benefits I have discovered as a father. Sure, I figured there would be laughs and smiles, hugs and kisses, and such, but there are other benefits that usually don't make the baby books, such as...

No, It's My Toy Too!
Hannah has brought into our lives not only joy and laughs, but lots of new toys as well. Some are really cool. Take for instance the Ernie and Duckie boat that you wind the propeller up and watch it motor around the pool or tub. I would be lying if I said I didn't try it out during my bath time. Or the no spill bubbles Hannah got for a birthday present. They really won't spill...how do they do that! Bubbles are a lot of fun...especially in the house (Dana lets us play with them in the house! What a fun mommy!). Have you ever seen how big a bubble you can blow using a bubble wand? Or tried to catch a bubble on your tongue without popping it? Lots of fun! I can't wait for her next birthday!

End of the Sickness Mystery
In the old days, Dana or I would get sick, then pass it to the other person, and all the while a mystery would remain concerning who the evil person was who passed the bug to us. Well, wonder no more! Now that we have the human petri dish, we have found the source of all sickness in the Olson household. (Well, I suppose not all sickness can be attributed to her, but let's not get caught up in the details.) It is like Hannah was trying to get every form of sickness out of the way the first year! Not fun! Oh well, at least no more sleepness nights wondering who got us sick. Now its just sleepless nights caring for the one who got us sick.

Morning, Sunshine!
Remember when your mom or dad used to wake you up for school or for some other reason, and you hated that. My dad used to use the smoke alarm sometimes. Testing the smoke alarm that early in the morning should be illegal. The could call it "Daryl's Law." Well, revenge growing up was not a good idea. I don't think it would have went over too well to use the smoke alarm to rouse dad. So, all that pent up revenge sat for years....until now. Every once in awhile we need to wake Hannah up instead of letting her wake up on her own. Now I don't use the smoke alarm, but I must admit it is kind of fun to be the parent in this situation. I come in and speak gently to her, but boy is she a grump! I should feel bad, I suppose, but instead I fill a tinge of closure. My time has come...maybe Daryl's Law should stay off the books for now.

Tolerance for Grossity
When I got into this fatherhood thing, I knew there would be diaper issues, snotty noses, etc.. Not a ton of fun, but definitely provides a lesser known benefit - a higher tolerance for all things gross. I was in a bathroom at work the other day with a less than desirable toilet situation. Now the normal guy might not have been able to handle it, but I've dealt with worse. When you have been peed on a couple of times, what's a dirty bathroom?

As I venture forward towards my third Father's Day (with three Father's Days under my belt, what will that make me? What comes after "veteran"?), I am sure that more side benefits will come to light. But right now, I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the bubbles. Maybe you should pick up a bottle too.

- Daryl