cross-posting

The house in progress is a real beauty. Latest link on using beeswax candles.

Enviormental Housekeeping

One Small Change was the name of a project circulating on the web last year. Every month one was to make "one small change" towards the better, towards conscious living. We have done a few major changes and actually turned them into habits. This is the only way to make changes,  if you take upon yourself too many changes at once they will drown out and become nothing.

We have converted to using wash nuts full time. I mentioned these before in an earlier post, but now I can say for sure they work. It is just as easy, just as clean and actually cheaper. AND they work on everything. Wool, silk, cloth diapers. You name it.

Check out our house blog for more info on nuts in Norwegian, and where to buy them. 

Christmas and Candlemas

Christmas was short and sweet. My family came to stay, lot of snow and good food. Sad to say, very few pictures were taken. 

Our Christmas star in the window. Was taken done now at Candlemas yesterday.

Twin Birthday

The 23rd of November we celebrated an early morning birthday celebration for Noa Leander and Lea Noor. Three years old. Imagine that. Complete with the crowns their Kindergarten had made (which they denied to take off) fresh baked rolls, beeswax candles and gifts. 7am, by candle light, watching the magic unfold.

Out of the ashes II

Goodness. Where to begin?

Going to post an older draft here from early December. With January goodness right around the corner, though first our homeschooling quandary.

These past weeks I have been ever so present in the time I have had at home. When one is forced to be out and study so much, I appreciate all the more the time I am home. On a side note, the more time I am away from home, the more challenging time spent with the children becomes. Time spent with children is all about quantity , not quality, and if I have been away for days on end, I feel it harder to get in-tuned again, and then I misread signals and it takes time to fix. Hence, more time home, is all that is needed. We, Anders and I, are in the process of deciding to home-school next year or not. Living in Hardanger, with no Waldorf School, it has always been an option, and now the date is drawing near, when we have to decide. We are hoping perhaps the local school would let us do a part time solution, couple days a week option, so she would feel she was social and a part of the local community. The schooldays are relatively long, 8.30-13.30.
Without using this post as a pros and cons list, it will suffice to say that I am not unhappy about the Norwegian school system, nor do I think it will be unhealthy for our children to attend. It has to do with the time spent together with our children, and the amazing beautiful qualities a Waldorf appoach in the home could give them in lack of a local school. Sort of a two in one.
The major choice is simply Jasmin's well-being and my career, since it will be I who stays home. We shall see, inevitably a choice will be made, but the more I think about staying home, the happier I get. And the more I delve into my thesis and dream about fieldwork in Lebanon, the happier I get. Ahh, what a luxury problem. And what a wonderful life we have.

St.Nicholas visited us this morning( a day late I know, but Yesterday just didn't fit in with the baking. And they will never know....) The look on the children's face when we placed the shoes filled with carrots and straw outside the door last night was amazing. Oh, the glory of believing, really believing St. Nicholas will arrive on his white horse, and in exchange for the carrots and cleaned shoes, leave little gifts. We left cookies for him as well, and in return received "Anis kringler". (Which were quite tasty by the way. Almost made up for sitting next to the oven at a quarter to twelve waiting for them....)

Out of the ashes

Anders built a wonderful 'lavvo' in the garden, complete with bench, sheepskins, Christmas lights and fire outside.

Sunny days and cold. The days are exceptionally short. Light at 9, dark at 4. I think one sleeps more during the winter. At 6pm in the summers we would take an evening trip to the beach, swim and hang out. Now at 6, I am wondering how soon we can go to bed.

House building is on the agenda everyday. Article from the local newspaper. Due to the intense cold we are experiencing now, down to minus 12, progress has slowed down a bit.

Don't forget to follow the blog as well, here is a collage by Anders, taking the twins down to he building site. ( He still takes care of all the kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays, wonderful pappa.)

One needs competent experts to ensure the plumber has actually made holes in the pipes...

Happy First of Advent!

Quick update is in demand. The house building is moving along. For all interested in low energy house, passive standards, and environmental choices on water heating, solar panels and such, check out out house blog, Anders' actually, to see what it will look like. English summery of major posts is coming, I promise.

Our twins are now three years old, I have delivered my thesis and am preparing for the oral exam, and today we off to the  Christmas market at a Waldorf School outside Bergen, for the first time. I am really excited!

Where is Your Bicycle?: Before We Left Norway

Where is Your Bicycle?: Before We Left Norway: "We had a lot of fun during our 2+ weeks in Norway... Natalia and Anders manage to get out with their three kids every day, more than once, ..."

Early Winter Goodness

I have been working like crazy this week. Came home late last night after 48 intensive hours at the library. Was met with a pristine, cleaned house, wool clothes laid out for today's swimming and incense burning in the hall. Happy me, and happy husband (though equally exhausted.)

the last autumn table. look at those sunflowers! saved in from the snow and blooming!

Building Day 1. Kids and Lunch with Dad.

Our view.

small glimpse at our outer facade. will publish the digital 3D one asap.

Today was a day off. Recuperation for all of us. A lot of sleep, swimming, warm lunch and books. It now gets dark already at 16.30. A wonderful adventure, if you just embrace it. The children and I made hot Roiboosh Lion Tea, packed the cashews and headed to the playground, in the pitch black. We all have our own headlamps, so the night is as as light as needed, wherever we turn out head. Wonderful. Sometimes I feel like we are living on Svalbard or somewhere more arctic than here.

Jasmin's doll Cecilia had a birthday earlier last week.

Jasmin silk-foot.

Purple girls on purple Monday. Jasmin is kind enough to show Lea her "glansbilde" collection. (Thanks to Bestemor) An old Norwegian tradition.

help with dishes.

First snow in OCTOBER!