Busy week

This busy week started with a pretty neat birthday party. Knut’s grandparents, Jorolf and Alice celebrated their 89th and 92nd birthday. (They share a birthday, which was actually on Tuesday.) All of the Ronneviks usually gather at the lake cabin weekly all summer long, but in the winter time we don’t get as many opportunities to come together, so this was a fun party. Several people were missing because of the flu which is currently running rampant in our area. Thankfully it has not hit our household yet!
On Monday, I (Gretchen) did the unthinkable and took a little road trip by myself, well and the kids, in pursuit of cheap furniture. We drove to the cities to pick up a secretary desk listed on craigslist. Although we decided not to spend anything on furniture for our new house, we decided that since this desk was only $75, I could spend birthday money on it, since I’ve been wanting my own desk for writing for so long.

So even though it’s not in perfect condition, I’m really excited to have my own writing desk. Moving day still creeps forward, and it still doesn’t seem real.
The kids have been as cute as ever. Silje has decided that when she grows up she will be a doctor, an astronaut, an artist and a ballerina. I then asked David what he would be when he grew up and he said very simply, “a car.”
There has also been progress with both the kids as Silje seems to have kicked her habit of getting out of bed 20 times after we lay her down. She now stays in her bed and falls asleep. This may seem like no big deal, but we have been working with her on this for over a year. It’s nice not to climb the stairs at night so many times to discipline her, and put her back in bed, and all without waking up David in the same room! The second bit of praise is David is finally embracing using the potty chair. I don’t have him on a schedule yet, and he’s still wearing diapers. But every time Silje goes, he will not be left out and he wants to go too. This happened one evening when David was telling me during a diaper change which side of his diaper was the right side, and which was the left. It left me thinking that a child who knows his right and left side can surely figure out what to do with a potty chair. That night before baths, I said “Okay, whoever wants a bath needs to go potty first.” Silje promptly went and hopped in the tub. David complied and sat his butt on the chair, but nothing came out. He stood up and clapped his hands congratulating himself for sitting there. I shook my head and said “no tinkle came out, so I guess no bath for you tonight. ” I starting getting him dressed again and he pushed me away and said with firmness as he pointed to the potty chair “make it wet.” He sat down with determination and made the potty chair wet. Ever since them, whenever I ask him to make it wet, he complies with enthusiasm. Apparently I was only using the wrong terminology for him. I feel like my goal to get him fully off diapers by the end of the year (besides night) is fully within reach. For those of you who have never potty trained someone, this may seem to be a very pointless story. To those who have, I know you’re cheering with me!