Michaelsmas

The much anticipated Micha-els mass came and went. I was really looking forward to the day, since it has been so long since we have had celebrated a festival. Despite that the preparations have been so sporadic, yesterday turned out beautifully. Joshua and Ramona left us early this morning to fly to the States for a few weeks (to return, I told a very worried Lea, "don't worry, they will be back!"), so it was also a little combined Bon Voyage, and a Harvest Dinner for Autumn. I put the two of them to the task of making the centerpiece for the table. They dove into the mission with gusto. Beautiful.

Hardanger Autumn- apples, nuts, berries, leaves and pumpkins. And a kohlrabi. Oh and oranges.

We have been singing two songs the last month, which of one has been a perfect Autumn song, as we walk up in the mountains, we have been really experiencing the decent of Fall. Lea has been the most avid singer, bringing the songs into her play during the days and early mornings.

It's golden in the treetops, it's golden in the sky,

it's golden, golden, golden, September passing by.

rolled beeswax candles.

Sct. Micha-el  giving strength and light to Georg the Knight, on the Nature Table.

In the late nights of Autumn, on long September nights,
Micha-el sends falling stars, showing strength and light.
In the late night hours they fall, showering his starlight on all.
Falling stars, falling stars, shoot across the sky.
Falling stars, falling stars, bring to earth your light.

Dragonmas bread. 

Baking dragon bread was something we did right before making dinner. I had read this beautiful little story to tell while mixing together the ingredients, found in the "All Year Round" book. Starting with

"the fair land (mounds of clean white flour), which became dark and desolate as the dragon lay it to waste ( emptying the yeast mixture into the bowl).
The darkness fell on the land, bring ice and snow (salt and suger).
Micha-el saw this from above and had great compassion he drew stars from the firmament and threw down (raisons) which became burrowed in the ground, and then he took pure sun shine and let fall to the earth (an egg yolk).
He then lets seeds (sunflower seeds) fall, and urged the people to come aout and plant the seds in the barren ground, and harvest the grain, make the dough, mix and mix, and bake the bread in the oven til it is done. Then to eat it, around a table with friends and family, with love int their hearts and a song on their lips."

Our song we sing before every meal was given in English after this story, which I sang, and then we felt so much more connected to the Norwegian one all through the baking, dinner and after.

Here the harvesting and good defeats evil is all combined, so I opted to not tell any other story this year. I have be been reading several versions, trying to decide how and which one, this short one was hands on, in-motion, rhythmical, and fit Jasmin just fine. And sometimes it is better not to have too high ambitions, or expectations, but take a few elements, and simply realize and accept this is not a  Waldorf Kindergarten, I am a busy student, they were in Kindergarten earlier in the day and all is as perfect as one wishes it to be. Though next year I would like to do a a small puppet show, then Noa and Lea will also be closing in on four years old.

We sang around the dinner table together with the whole family, Ramona, Joshua and Jon Kristian included. It was a lovely experience for the all of us. 

The children all were shining in their crowns and capes, smiling and red-cheeked by all the warmth from the candles.

Jasmin's french braided festival hair, by Ramona.
And homemade rose-hip/ hibiscus marmalade to go with the bread seen here.

Lea sweeping after dinner, before cookies and dragon bread.

silly girls.

Couchsurfer and the Sea

We had Als stating with us a weekend a while back. She made us a killer green Thai curry and brownies, went on hikes and we took her to the beach to catch crabs, ate homemade buns and coffee on the Primus, while Anders went freediving.

Surfer Als (Alexandra). the sweetest British girl working in Oslo.

tide pool heaven.

Lea found the smallest crab we had ever seen.

Rain and the pox

Rain and the pox is it indeed. It has started to rain, and just as the twins were off into healthiness, and I was back to work, Jasmin gets bitten by bird fleas, which then become more and more, until we realize poor thing, she has chicken pox. So here we are again. Though tomorrow it is Anders' turn to stay home. And I am off to the library i think to work. In the rain.

Ramona and Joshua are the most gracious house guests you could imagine. We have been making exquisite food, with a lot of toasted nuts and veggies. Lentil soups, falafel, fish soup, fresh breads and yoghurt desserts, los of Tabouleh and pizza, fatayer and greek yoghurt.
Ramona and I did yoga and Pilates this evening. Wonderful to be two.

Apple season is in, if you are in the area, Steinstø Fruit farm sells the best fresh juice, thick as syrup, and tasty goodness.

House Guests

"Uro"- mobile #1.

apple season, picked at the ONE tree we have on old house property.

autumn nature table. 

So, we have visitors and a house full of guests is wonderful!

Now Ramona nd Joshua are here for two weeks to begin with. The children love it, and get to practice thier English everyday with someone other than me. They get to train on all those sticky social skills and how to just BE... THen they are off to California for a wedding but will be back mid-October. They MIGHT be staying through the winter, waiting to bike on, and get to experience the Norwegian winter. I think it will be grand opportunity to be with friends one doesn't se so often, and learn how to live together. It is actually easier to make dinner for 7, since there are more adults to help out. Looking

forward to meal planning and new recipes!

beautiful guests had birthday same day. 

Outside the Autumn is falling literally, and it is COLD. Anders put up a rope bridge a few weeks ago. Wonderful.

monkey jasmin.

finally a good shot of all three of them.

St. Michael.

Working, even from home, during the day causes all new dynamics in the home. I have found it necessary to plan and protect our waldorf-iness, lest it dissolves into everyday-ness.

I have been planning and preparing for Michaelsmas festival, on the 29th of September. Hoping to create a small littel celbration, with dragon bread and a combined harvesting/ Autumn festival, even though the season is early. We have been telling the story in various forms, we have been cutting sticks for swords and I have been planning their capes, to be made ready for them to get on the day of the party. I have an excellent little pamphlet on celebrating St.Michael written by a Inger Brochman, Used the resources for Autumn from Live-Education, Little Acorn Learning has a little and  the Rhythm of the Home website has a little piece on it, AND a pattern for making the dragon! We have been practicing singing Falling stars from a wonderful parent resource I would like to recommend: Sing a Song of Seasons by Schunemann. 

Falling stars, falling stars, shoot across the sky.

Falling stars, falling stars, bring to earth your light.

Seasonal songs in English, with a CD so I can learn the melodies first, usually when I am driving. Beautiful voice, lyrics and so easy for both mom and child to remember these tunees.

A new story book I stumbled over on Amazon: The Tale of Tiptoes Lightly, the first book in a series of stories about the forest fairy Tiptoes and her friends Jeremy Mouse and the little dwarves.

A wonderful collection of small simple, nature loving stories. It fits Jasmin perfectly, the two small ones drift off and play cats on the floor, as I read for her before bed time.

I am reading the first one in the series for now. Today I plan to read the one on of the Autumn stories,as it contains a story on Michael and the dragon, just another way to introduce it to Jasmin.

glimpses of sun in between

went on a great hike a week ago with some good friends.

tried to get a few "family shots" in, this one was the best.

We are wedged into the woods where we live now. So one minute and we are out in "the elf-woods" (where we build houses for the little people), or the "golden-money woods" (where the birch leaves have started to fall) or the swing down by the tipi.

Mushrooms! Anders is crazy about them, I am a little sceptic. I eat them, and enjoy their flavor when smothered in butter and thyme, but they are still... mushrooms...

noa the chef, they all love to cook.

am so looking forward to the new kitchen, designed for kids!

Indian summer

our spectacular view! we have had a few visitors lately, and we are constantly reminded how beautiful it is.

(and more to come, sweet ramona and her hubby (i think) are showing up next week!)

Friday gratefulness in abundance. The little ones have been "blessed" with vannkopper- i think the English translation is chicken pox- a mild strand at least . So they are banned from the Kindergarten, but other then a few itchy red spots all over, they are fine. So here we are. Enjoying the Indian summer at it's best.

We have been eating raspberries by the handful, not having the timeto neither make jam or bake. Put them on bread, in porridge, in yoghurt on on your fingers.

Last Sundays baking- little hedgehogs.

Not always so easy to wake Noa and Lea from thier nap...

Jasmin's new Kindergarten has been a blessing. Wonderful teachers, wonderful area and they are outside between 9 and 3. Collecting nuts this time of year is high priority, Jasmin has become quite a climber. And our shelves are overflowing with sticks,leaves and nuts from the slowly descending autumn. What to do with al these pinecones? Mobiles! Several Works In Progress!

Nuts on the nature table.

All comes and goes in phases, Anders is in a baking phase, which benefits all the rest of us. Cookies and croissants- which he completely succeed in. Pure French perfection.

I got him this t-shirt in on the street in Southern Lebanon. Doing what I am doing, it's pretty humorous to own a Hizbullah shirt. BUT I admit it was a little inappropriate with kids, I was not exactly thinking the day woud come when Noa asks: what is that? and points at the semi-automatic weapon in the emblem. Oops.

And since we are on the topic of Lebanon, my theses is going good. Amazing how much time it takes, how ultimately static it is too work in front of a computer and how fast the hours fly by.