Jul Dance with Santa

Happy Holidays

Happy December!

We've been very busy since our last blog, and time is flying by!

My brother, Jon, visited for two weeks.

We visited Arendal (southern Norway) for three days - while David visited a school.

We spent a week in Coasta Blanca, Spain. Our landlady, Siri, graciously let us stay in her vacation flat while David visited a Norwegian school. (A lot of Norwegians relocate to Spain, so there is a Norwegian school there.)

My mom and her friend, Sheena, visited for two weeks. We (all) celebrated Thanksgiving with some of our Norwegian friends. Also during their visit, David and I escaped to Dublin for two nights - without the kids! (A much needed hiatus for us!)

Getting out of the flat has become more cumbersome due to the cold, snowy (& dark) weather. By the time the kids are dressed, we're breaking in to a sweat! We then tote them in the double-stroller out in the tundra. When we return home, we're all exhausted!

FOR THE RECORD...MOM WAS RIGHT! If the temperature is 14 degrees (F) or below, you're not supposed to take small children outside for long. I poked fun of my mother saying that the kids' lungs could freeze, but apparently they can!

Munchkin Update:

• JR got into barnehagen - aka preschool - and he LOVES it! The teachers speak English (the children do not). They go outside almost daily, which he thoroughly enjoys! He is the oldest child in his class of 21 kids (8 teachers), and is sure to be a leader in his class.
• Evie has another tooth (4 total) and two more on the way! We can hardly get her to eat baby food as all she wants is 'real' food. She loooves bread and fruit - as well as any crumb she finds on the floor! She enjoys standing in front of the TV and turning it off and on. The more we laugh, the more she does it. She's such a ham!

We will be spending Christmas in Denmark with our friends, Marianne and Bjarne. We're looking forward to sharing the holiday with them in their lovely home. We will, of course, miss our family and friends, but hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and a blessed 2011! As they say here in Norway, GOD JUL!