moving on.

So we moved. finally. check out the blog for more formal updates. we see porpoises from the breakfast table and are ultimately happy. beautiful. more to come.

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!

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.

Mabrouk!

Congratulations. The contract on our new house is signed. They start digging tomorrow, and expected to be able to move in March! Amazing. Hard to believe we will have a house on that grassy slope of land we own.
It has been a long and tedious job, of which Anders has had to carry the load pretty much alone.
But as it looks now, insha'allah, we will have a brand new, passive-house with breathing walls, organic paint, solar panels and recycling systems on water and heat.
More to come. We are in the process of setting up a house blog, and I am in the process of finishing my paper. Thus, the lacking activity here. Deadline 20 Novemeber, so I will be back in time to document the twins birthday and the beginnings of Advent. I am really looking forward to that. As it is now, I escape to the office upstairs as soon as they are asleep, and have no time to prepare any activities.

Our good friends Ramona and Joshua are stranded in California for a while, resting and healing a broken foot. We hope they come back asap, as the kids ask about them everyday, and their room is awfully empty. Here is a link to their bicycle blog, adventures across Europe. And a little cross-blogging as well.

We have already had snow, ice and sledding. It is going to be long winter...

::Work In Progress Wednesday::

I am felting all the kids little easter eggs, for Easter Sunday next week. I had been wanting to for a long time, something organic and natural, and I found a great tutorial on Rhythm of the Home. Will post some more pictures next Wednesday. Have finished one so far. As I was working on that, Jasmin wanted to felt too, she does best at flat, dry felting.

Yellow hearts everywhere.

I am also making a dolls blanket for Cecilia, Jasmin's doll.

Funny pictures of Noa in girls clothes show up everywhere. Not so easy to understand for him WHY he is not allowed to wear a dress, so I say he can. Hoping that will not damage his masculinity...

House plans.

Spring is upon us! Thank goodness. The winter had been famously long, stabile and cold. Spring will be absolutely divine. The house plans are moving forward. Beautiful, functional.

Ode to Love

These last weeks have been a little tough. They have all been taking turns laying sick on the sofa, the weather has been damp, the spring happiness has been a little clouded by tiredness and housework duties, kindergarten projects and outdoor adventures have been limited to around the house, simply doing the rhythm of the home, everyday, is a joy. Luckily we have the morning rituals, the nature table, and the songs to remind us when and what is going on outside.

We have been blessed with amazing architects for the house. They are creating an amazing house for a family of 6- organic, modest, at the same time functional, and modern and aesthetic in form. As such, the evenings have been spent working on these, and Anders is doing an amazing job with the bureaucracy and insurence company that follows a fire.

We are blessed with the status quo.We work a minimum amount of time away from the home. Our children are here, with us, happy, and we are utterly aware of it. Acknowledgment and awareness is half the happiness.

Ode to Anders for finding the driveway.

Ode to two little ones.

Lea loves daddy. No doubt.

All the love, all the love.

Note on t- shirt: If you do NOT know Banksy, DO. He did the all important "Girl with Balloons" on the illegal built wall of segregation in Israel/ Occupied Palestine. He does some amazing stencil art, which is technically graffiti. I recommend a book of collected photos. Or see "Exit through the Gift Shop"

Winter Wonderland

4 hours of daylight. Rest time is at 12, so the time allotted to out is minimal, but lovely.

Christmas flashes from 2009

Tableaus from our first Christmas in our own house. Anders father and wife came up, and it was simply wonderful. I thought I would miss the Mom's-home-Christmas (which I did mom!) but, it was wonderful to be at home. So calm and simple, we got to decide ourselves what and when and how. Something we plan to repeat.

Christmas tree cut down on our new property. Decorated with handmade glitter-pine-cones, felted apples, and gold balls. And hand rolled beeswax candles, in holders from Anders' childhood. This house's living room was great for the tree right in the middle.AND as you can see, I did finish the first time ever felted donkey, and all the other characters involved.

How lucky to be two.

Outside our house, in front. Great for bikes and Anders hung up two swings.

Lea is the boss, but being the feminine one, she has an incredible love and care for "little" Noa.