Yes, unfortunately, I am having a lot of trouble sticking to this little blog! I still really want to capture our family's experiences here, and it is especially important to me to be able to give the kids recorded memories of our life in Norway, but I just can't seem to make the time to blog regularly. I even made a New Year's Resolution to blog--I'm embarrassed to type this--once a week. Yikes. I guess I won't make any promises, as we can all see how well I've fared in that department lately. Instead, I'll try to catch up so that I can move along...
In October (October!!), we took a trip to Bergen. It's a four hour ferry ride, and let me tell you, those were four of the longest, most uncomfortable hours I have ever experienced. Those who know me well know that I tend to experience motion sickness in certain situations, and Meredith seems to have inherited that unpleasant little trait as well. I suspected that it might be a problem, so I did have children's Dramamine along for the ride, but I also remembered having read an entire book on this ferry the last time I traveled to Bergen, so I decided not to give the kids the medicine...until five minutes into the journey, when it became clear to me that we ALL should have had medicine. It was near impossible to walk the aisles of the boat without falling over, the sea was so rough. I quickly slipped the kids the Dramamine, but it was too late. Joel got sick first, then Meredith, and then it was my turn...twice. The last time I was sick on a ferry was on a trip to Indonesia, and while it wasn't pleasant then, I didn't have two kids to take care of. At least Meredith slept after getting sick. Joel only wanted Mom, and he screamed and flailed in Ryan's arms for almost twenty minutes before he finally gave up and collapsed in exhaustion. I wanted to help, but I honestly couldn't lift my head up off of the seats. After what seemed like much longer than the four hours it actually was, the ferry stopped, and we were in Bergen. I was fine once we stepped off of the boat. The three of us took Dramamine for the return trip, and all was well, minus being a little loopy from the medicine.
Our time in Bergen was short, but great. We ate delicious fish and chips at the fish market (those of you who know me well also know that I do not typically enjoy fish...however, this fish was so fresh and yummy, and hey, a little deep frying never hurts, either!), rode the Floibanen up the side of a mountain for spectacular views of Bergen, toured a few museums, visited Edvard Grieg's home, and just enjoyed walking all over the city. We stayed in a great hotel right on the water, less than a fifteen minute walk from the ferry terminal. I would love to go back to Bergen before we leave Stavanger...though I wouldn't mind driving or flying next time!
Meredith has had a fantastic first semester (and then some) of preschool. Ms. Joyce, her teacher, has been teaching preschool at ISS for years, and she is absolutely wonderful. She is great with the kids, and Meredith just loves her. Some of Meredith's favorite school activities include playing in the sandbox, baking on Fridays, playing dress up, and learning to write. I am blown away by how much she is learning. She recognizes all of her letters, and most of their sounds. She has learned so many new songs and rhymes. A couple of weeks ago, I got to visit her classroom for the preschool cafe. The kids sat behind little booths, "selling" various food items, counting out kroner (Norwegian currency), and then trading places with us so they could practice being the shoppers. Meredith loves going to school each day, and Ryan and I agree that having her right down the hall from us all day everyday is one of the most incredible blessings of this adventure. If only Joely were old enough for preschool...
Speaking of Joel, he is doing great as well. His beloved Graciela left for Australia last month, and saying goodbye to her was difficult for all of us. She took such wonderful care of him, and he really, really loves her. Fortunately, we have found another wonderful woman to take care of Joel now that Graciela is gone. Trine, who I mentioned in my last post, takes great care of him as well, and because she has her own little boy Joel's age, he finally has a little friend to play with! He spent the first several weeks pitching a fit every morning when we dropped him off, but he has since decided that he really likes it there, so he has cut way back on the drama, which we appreciate! Again, this is a temporary solution, as Trine will be sending her son to barnehage in the fall, and won't be doing in-home care anymore...but it's ok, because our son FINALLY has his personal number, meaning that he is on the barnehage list, too! There is a barnehage that is literally on the way to school, so we could put him in the stroller and walk there every morning, and then go on to school. Of course, I don't want to get my hopes up, but everything has had a way of working out for the best thus far, so I pray that will continue! In any case, we know that Joel will be attending a barnehage somewhere in Stavanger this fall. Since he still isn't really talking yet, and because, of course, it is Norwegian barnehage, we are beginning to think that his first language will just be Norwegian. Stay tuned for updates on that.
One highlight that absolutely should not be overlooked is that Ryan obtained his Norwegian driver's license in December! While I really didn't have any doubts that he would pass the test, it was still a nerve-wracking experience. I, of course, haven't gotten this out of the way yet, and unfortunately, I stress about it almost every day. There is nothing I can do at this point. I am on the list for a test, but in Norway, being "on the list" might mean that you don't hear anything about your actual status on the list for months, so I am just waiting to hear from the driving center. I was actually texted by a woman who was to be my driving instructor, and I had been given a test date of February 14th, but we were in Rome on the 14th, so I had to give up that spot. Who knows how long it will be before another spot comes available? It's crazy to me, actually. In the US, you call and make the appointment for the day you want to take the test, and you go and take it. If you pass, you pass, and if you fail, you sign up for another test. It is quite the process here. Mostly, I'm stressed because it is a very high-stakes test. If I fail, I have to "start over" as if I were a Norwegian teenager--I would essentially have to redo driver's ed, to the tune of 30,000 NOK (for those of you who aren't up on the NOK to US dollar exchange rate, that's roughly 5,000 US dollars, aka, never going to happen, so if I am not deemed a "safe enough" driver, Ryan will be the only driver in our Norwegian household.). I do take comfort in the fact that all I have to do is prove to the examiner that I am "safe enough" driver--that is seriously what it says on Ryan's test page--so provided something unthinkable doesn't happen on the day of the driving test, I should be ok. Prayers would definitely be appreciated!
We had a wonderful visit with Nathan and Megan over Christmas vacation. It was so great to have them here for Christmas, and the kids loved getting to spend so much time with their aunt and uncle. We had a fun getaway to the mountains for a couple of days while they were here. Ryan and Nathan skied, and Megan and I relaxed and watched the kids. Megan will most likely tell you that relaxing and watching kids is an oxymoronic phrase, and she is absolutely right! In any case, I think we all had a fabulous time.
So, I've skipped too many of the day to day adventures that make this experience so great, and for that, I am regretful. I can only aspire to making this blog more of a priority than it has been thus far! Next up, I need to write all about our incredible trip to Rome before I start forgetting too much about that as well. I will leave you with this little tidbit, however...Joel's new nickname is "Logan", as in Logan from the old movie "Logan's Run", about the dystopian society where your only hope of surviving past age 30 is to run from the bubbled community. Where did Joel run, you ask? Away from us, in the crowded, crowded Oslo airport last night as we were going through security. The mother of two small children was, of course, stopped for the random body pat-down (seriously, people, the only things I'm packing are leftover pounds from the births of said small children), the father of the children was collecting our items from the belt, and so little Joel took it upon himself to stir up some excitement. It was only a matter of moments before he came running back to us with a security guy, giggling and pointing, but those are moments I don't care to EVER relive!
I really, really hope that a next installment will be written SOON!
