Post-Harvest Hangover

We’re in the thick of it here.  We made it through harvest.  It’s now wood cutting season.  After harvest is done, and Knut has made it through weeks of little social interaction he’s eager to get out and do things and be with people.  We’re going to a concert on Sunday.  Well, in his mind we are.  We still haven’t found a sitter, and as most of our sitters will be at the concert as well, I have no idea how that will work.

We’re going to town nearly every day.  I hate that.  I hate running to things here and there.  I’m not sure what to do about it.  We sat down to supper the other night, and I mentioned to Knut and the kids how all this running around is effecting our ability to do well here at home, and I thought we should cut back in the activity department.  So after Christmas I’ll hopefully have Wednesdays back home at least.  Whoever put the “home” in “homeschool” was obviously being optimistic.

Elias turns 5 this week.  I can’t seem to get over that.  Elias is our little Eeyore.  He was our preemie baby, slow to reach milestones, difficult to understand at times, and stuck between the big kids and the little kids.  He follows the well spoken oldest sister, and the super-athletic older brother.

He’s been in need of time with Knut a lot lately.  I think he rode with him during harvest more than any other kid.  His heart just ached for time with Daddy.

We’re going a little crazy for his birthday.  Not how you might think.  We don’t do large, elaborate parties, except maybe for their first birthday.  I like to do a big party for the first birthday often because only the first baby gets a baby shower and I really want a celebration with the extended family for the life God gave.  So I delay the celebration to the 1st birthday, and it’s usually pretty fun.  I didn’t do that with Solveig’s 1st birthday, though, because the whole family had the stomach flu.  We did it in spirit, though.  😉

In going crazy for Elias’ birthday, we’re having a simple party with his 3 local cousins coming over.  We’ll have cake and balloons.  The big surprise is Knut is bike shopping for him.  Extra care is being taken because the time has come for Elias to start learning how to ride bike, and he’s so easily discouraged by comparison to his older brother who can do nearly any physical challenge.  Knut is researching buying a really nice, easy to ride bike.  One that will make bike riding simple and satisfying.

Unfortunately, the bike may not come in time for his birthday.  I’m afraid the delay will make him feel like he was forgotten.  So Knut is pausing his much needed wood cutting time this weekend to take Elias to the bike shop and show him which bike is coming.  They’re going out just the 2 of them.  It melts me sometimes watching Knut be a dad.  He takes such care with their hearts.

David is making a big batch of paper airplanes to give Elias.  So far he’s folded 17.  Elias will be so excited about that.  Silje made some paintings where you scratch off the paint to reveal a crayon picture underneath.

It’s been busy.  I’m trying not to be consumed by it.  I think it’s just the post-harvest hangover.  We’ll catch up to normal life soon, I think.