Croatia and Montenegro

Hiking down the mountain.

Dubrovnik Old City from above

village of Cavtat, where we stayed

being brave. eating octopus. (a lot of restaurant etiquette practice on this trip...)

beautiful Montenegro, in the ancient Bay of Kotor.

Saint Stephens, south of Budva.

beautiful pink rock beach.

autumn focus roundup

Autumn Table- notice Jasmin's and Lea's Root Children all lined up to be hugged by Mother Earth again.

Even the bees and hedgehogs have gone underground.

This one HAD not gone to bed yet, but instead hung out with Noa and Lea for a couple of days around the sand box being fed snacks.

Hand picked Chanterelles, and Rasberry/ Apple Tart. Autumn indeed.

We found dragon fruit at the Arab grocers in Bergen. Opening it was like opening a dragon egg. What was inside?

Amazing. Who would have known.

We also found Lotus flowers

...which are supposed to be edible.

If anyone would have any tips on HOW to eat the, that would be appreciated. Saw I could stir fry the sliced stems... maybe later.

 

The air has turned cold, and we returned from a week in Croatia to all the leaves gone from the trees. Winter is coming. Funny how quickly the seasons seem to be going now. I can remember being a teenager and a summer seemed forever. Now, i f I don't get something done I simply say I will do it next spring. Sheesh, like the old woman who finally doesn't carry her Christmas decorations up to the loft anymore but keeps them under the sofa... Christmas IS just around the corner again. Which it actually is, but first the twins birthday. They will be four in a couple weeks, and the gift planning has begun... 

The rhythm of the days are different now. Jasmin gets home at 1.30pm. This is our time together, as she needs to be coiled down somehow and given a cup of tea. Then we read, she plays quiet, or lately, I take her running with me, she bikes, I run, then we pick up the little ones. Works perfectly!

 hot Bengal Spice tea and cold Carob Almond milk. Yum.

::this moment::

 

Scapes and rainbows

The landscape from the windows are constantly changing. The light flickers and then it is gone.

Happy St. Michaels Day, which was indeed yesterday, but the kids will never know. Have a few hours home alone to prepare today. Pictures to come. Wishing you strength and inner light as the days get shorter and we move towards winter. Light candles!

school

Jasmin had her first day of school. We are trying with a part time arrangement, part school, part homeschool. We shall see. She at the same time likes the class, and does not want me to leave in the morning. We leave the house at 7.30. Three days a week we deliver the twins up at the Kindergarten, and then walk down to school. An hour walk before school is great for her.

my beautiful big girl... on her first day of school.

Fish cakes

How to make fish cakes with frozen-hard-as-a-rock fish:

step one: make sure you have one (1) man and axe handy.

summer activities

As a cross posting to a post on the house blog, we cannot say enough how happy we are with the dutchtub we invested in. The best toy ever. Basically in use everyday.

On the other hand, the dutch tub is not just something you get considering the price. Alternatively, a black industrial rubber tub is infinitely cheaper, and MUCH more versatile. (see photos...). Can be used instead of taking a swim/ bath/ shower. Provides perfect comfort and privacy to read the few minutes the deck dries up in between the rain.

And can be stacked, built or arranged into trains.  Other ruses we have observed are soccer goals, chairs and pools to fish in.

noa's current pastime  is to be up-side down. boys.

 The second thing to do when it rains and are in doubt: bake. Lea is the natural cook. no matter what they are up to, if i ask her to come help make dinner or stir or watch something on the stove. she comes.

Noa sticks his fingers in it, eats a handful, and washes dishes. Equally fun I am sure. This particular day we were baking at 8am. Managed chocolate brownies, whole-wheat buns and Lebanese mana'eesh, which is a beautiful flattened bread spread with za'atar and oil stuffed with olives, spring onions and lots of mint, by 11. Just in time for the sun to show itself, so we raced to the beach for lunch and swam around for a couple of hours. Summer here is short. Have to act fast.

birthday sun-day!

birthday breakfast at 6am. jasmin had already been awake an hour. (new birthday crown this year. sunflowers, letter J and waves.)

six candles.

birthday party on the terrace. and the sun came out!

jasmin chose the kinky pinky cake from our danish cake cookbook. amazing how pink blueberry juice is.

cecilia the doll had a new crown as well.

noa survived 2 hours with 5 girls. and passed out in the dolls cradle at 12pm.

Distractions

Nature table from Whitsun or "Pinse"

 My home making is on hold. My house making in on high speed, with the moving into a house and all, but the "home-making" with the kids is on the hold. Sad.  We make dinners and life goes on, thank goodnesss, but the enery is drained and the creativity on the back burner. I am looking forward to being completely moved in, to be able to paint, and garden. To bake and just be. Just read a wonderful post from the Parenting Passageway. A reminder to be aware of all the small moments in the day they can actually be of use. actually feel they are an invaluable asset to the household. Working on helping, not because they are nice, not because they are helping ME out, but doing necessary steps to survive. Without their help, the household would fall apart. Well, that all works in theory. In practice, not so easy. The oldest has been entrusted with the job of always clearing the table. So far so good.

On the other hand, the three-some have turned a pivotal corner of play. They play. Together. They leave, go upstairs and play. Mostly bossed around by Jasmin. Mostly imaginative, and mostly involving every single blanket, sheet and pillow in the house, all piled in one corner. Nesting.
Or dollhouse constructing. Here from the old house:

Drove to Bergen today, listening to all the summer seasonal songs by Mary on "Sing a song of seasons". Just wait, I am back on track in no time.