Picture time

Since I last wrote, we have "moved" to Oslo. We are now living in a student dorm, me and Rebekka in one room and Steinar and Tobias in another. We have a shared kitchen, and a small fridge there we get to share with an other woman. So we are doing excellent. We get to do what we want when we want. Internet is slow in our room, so right now I'm sitting in the kitchen.

Rebekka and her friend putting on a "puppet-show".

Rebekka has learned some marching skilles.

The weather is so amazing, we have had sunny days with just a few clouds here and there. Me and the kids have been out playing, and Steinar has been working, so that is also kind of perfect, since I like to be outside, and Steinar doesn't.

Rebekka and Tobias climbing high.

They got some money from a friend, and this is what they bought (still have some left, don't worry Hildegunn).

The kids have been climbing, running, learning about signs along the roads, taken a subway a trolley and we have been out to see my sister. Rebekka has also made friends, one of the girls she met is from India, and is visiting grandparents in Norway now, so that was kind of perfect.

Playdate at Rebekkas Indian friends house.

Tobias high up.

Rebekka can now ride a bike.

Over to the east

Last week we left Steinars mum and we traveled to my brothers house, there we ate a lot of good food, got to relax for a few days and just enjoy a Norwegian small town with houses all painted white, you can google "Skudneshavn" if you want to see what that looks like, as I didn't take many pictures.. Is rain a good excuse? It was raining a lot (at least for us Chinese people).

We left my brothers house to drive for almost 10 hours to get to my parents again, and the next day the kids were "left behind" while the parents went to a retreat/counselling place for the week. So that is where we are now. You can google "Norwegian woods" if you want to see what it looks like (actually don't do that, that is a Beatles song and a book..). You can rather just imagine a lot of trees, the Norwegian word for this would be "skog".

We are enjoying ourselves, and we are missing China and our kids all at the same time.

Traveling

We have finished celebrating 17th of May! If you haven't heard of it, it is Norways national day, and it is a mix between childrensday, 4th of July and the Disney-world parade.. Do you think I must be exaggerating? Well, "bu keneng".

An old firetruck got to start off the parade.

We have also gotten to reconnect with some of our old friends from Kunming, as we watched their kids over the holiday that was last weekend (you have heard about Pentecost?, yes we get a national holiday out of it!). But since we have "every day" off, it didn't make much difference.

Norwegian barbeque, it was like 10 degrees outside.

One thing we are feeling being back here is that Norway is a beautiful country. We do enjoy the nature, and the freedom of sending our kids outside to play while we do other things.

Have you ever seen such a blue sky?

Snow on the mountains, a quiet road at grandma's

So back to 17th of May. We started off with a breakfast including salmon, and egg. Then we went to church, then to the parade (we ate our first ice cream watching the parade), then we went home and had some sour-cream-porridge, and some meat (see picture). Then we went to a school and played some games, before we went home to relax, and had lasagne for supper.

Walking to Church, see the band to the right.

The priest, and the flagg.

Our niece marching, 2nd on the right line.

Children are the center of the parade.

The "russ" are also important. High-school graduates.
In Norway they spend the month before exams partying and acting silly. 

Kids collect their "cards", personal "buisness-cards" with jokes on them.

The meat and biscuits that go with the porridge.

Potato race..

Happy 17th of May.

The weather has changed

We started off last week with wind, rain and cold'ish weather. It made me miss our lovely Y spring, but now we have caught up! Sun, shorts and skin that is starting to get that red'ish color.

Playing with ropes.

How do we get up this big rock?

We made it to the top! Hurra!

This week we have not done much. The kids and I have been on a hike with grandmother, and we have walked around a bit. But the last two days we have just stayed around in the neighborhood playing and bathing!! (It was like almost 20 degrees).

Dinner outside.

We have also been shopping. The kids got 500 kr each and Rebekka wanted a blue Cinderella dress. Tobias got some toys. So here you se Rebekka in her new clothes, a "leather" jacket and a blue Cinderella dress. 

A cool princess.

Celebrations

This last week, our favorite Dad had a big birthday (at least in China standard). He turned 36, and got a cane... Candy cane. He was very pleased, and gladly passed the day over to his nephew who had a Confirmation.

Old man, new cane..

A very nice ceremony.

So Saturday we all put on beautiful clothes and went to celebrate our oldest nephew. He had a great day, and so did we.

Our oldest nephew with family.

Yes, we all have national costumes (but the kids ones are borrowed).

Rebekka has had one more birthday celebrations where she got even more dresses. So her mum thinks it is enough now, but Rebekka feels like she is still lacking a few dresses. especially a blue Cinderella dress.

Rebekka in new clothes, opening yet another dress.

Two things are a bit hard here in Norway, one is avoiding snacks, we get snacks all the time. The other is that we have turned the time to much.. We wake up between 8 and 9 now, but we feel we should get up at around 7 (since Steinar should start work at 8..). Oh well.. We are also more international when it comes to dinner-habits and eating routines in general, so when my mother in law wants to put dinner on the table at 3.30 in the afternoon, I don't always feel ready for it, but hey, somebody is cooking us dinner, so we better come eat.

One of the games played at the Confirmation-party.

Back in Norway

Are we out of jet-lag? No, but we are getting there :)

Last week we got to meet up with some friends, have dinner with others, and then finally pack and leave for Norway. For the first time ever our luggage was checked all the way from Y. to Oslo, and for the first time ever we wished it wasn't.. (We would have missed our flight if it hadn't been checked through, 1 1/2 hours on each airport)

On our flight from Y. to Beijing. Rebekka managed to spill coke all over her self. So she was wet. Ofcourse we had packed an extra pair of pants for Tobias, and since Rebekka and Tobias are only 2cm apart (meassured yesterday) she could just wear his clothes. But, no, we had only packed underwear, and no pants... So Rebekka had to stay wet. We convinced her that it would be ok, and promised that on the next flight she could just sit in her underwear with a blanket.

On our flight for Beijing to Sweeden Tobias had a bad tummy, so his seat got stained, and some even dropped out in the aile. Luckily we had wet napkins. He was wearing a diaper, but it got out! Luckilly we had another diaper and he had boxers on top, and then he had mums sweater wraped around like a skirt.. Jepp, a perfect flight.

In Norway we have had lovely weather, but it is cold, it has even snowed.. Hilt, you can tell that to Will and Ryan, they will feel so sorry for us. Yesterday we went to the health station and the dentist. Rebekka has two loose teeth, and other than that they are fine. Tobias is tall (over the 97 procentile), so nothing new there. Next time we will have pictures.

6 år!

Det største som har skjedd denne uka er jo selvfølgelig at Rebekka ble seks år. En annen ting er at blomstene blomstrer, men de er vel i ferd med å visne igjen også... De varer bare ca to uker, så allerede er de fleste blomstrene på hell.

De bygger visst en park på andre siden av veien.

Men la oss begynne fra onsdag sist uke. Da passet jeg Wesley i noen timer, det har jeg vel gjort tre ganger denne våren, når det har passet seg slik. Veldig gøy for de to guttene. Rebekka går tilbake i barnehagen på onsdager, så da har jeg jo plass til ett barn til.

To gode gutter med hver sin kake.

På torsdagen ville våre gode Australske venner ha oss med ut å spise. De hadde ni års bryllupsdag og de syntes ikke vi hadde feiret godt nok, så de tok oss med ut på Kempinsky på buffet der. (hvis du ikke vet hva Kempinsky er, så prøv å google det).

På vei på dobbeldate.

Fredagen var det overnattings bursdagsfest. Fem jenter totalt. Alle sovnet mellom 21.30 og 22.00, så det var vel ok. De våknet igjen i seks tiden. Rebekka hadde det veldig kjekt, og det er jo det viktigste. Tobias fikk sove nede hos en kompis, så han hadde også sin første overnatting borte helt alene.

Pizza er jo god bursdags-middag.

På lørdagen hadde vi da gjester frem til 12, og klokken 14 skulle vi ut i parken med Steinar sin jobb. Da vi kom hjem i seks tiden var vi ganske slitne, heiv i oss middag før Steinar hadde spillkveld her klokken 19. Da var det fult hus, mens mor prøvde å roe ned to overtrøtte gode barn.

Pynting av muffins.

Søndag var det litt etterpåfest for Rebekka med litt venner.

Rebekka fikk koffert.

Mandag var det barnehage og middagsgjester, da vi reiser til Norge snart er det mange som ønsker å se oss en siste gang. Vi skal jo bare være borte i tre mnd, men det er visst mye for mange.

Tobias ville være sånn stilig bilde mann (Modell?).

I dag har Steinar jobbet hjemme med å ordne alt som burde ordnes før vi reiser, Marianne har fartet rundt for å møte folk og handle det som må handles, slik at vi kan fikse grillkrydder. Vi har det travelt, men godt.

Nye opplevelser

Det er litt komisk noen ganger når jeg ser over sist ukes blogg og gjør meg klar for den neste. Det føles som over en mnd siden Deborah reiste hjem igjen, men det er bare litt over en uke. Så vi har vel mer enn nok ting vi holder på med. Noe annet som spiller inn er vel at vi var en tur til Xinjiang (den mest nordvestre provinsen) i helga. For et nydelig sted.

Flytur, med flotte fjell når vi går inn for landing.

Frøkna lader opp til fjelltur, du må zoome inn for å se ho, ho er ca der buskene starter der oppe.

Rebekka og Tobias syntes det var gøy å få klatre

Det er vel ikke helt greit å si at for meg føltes det ikke som Kina, det lignet ikke på Kina, men det er jo Kina. Maten var annerledes, minte oss om Uzbekistan (pilaf, kebab, sur yoghurt, nan..). Folkene lignet på Uzbekere, skrifttegnene lignet arabisk osv.

Rosiner, dadler, og kniver.

Tobias med rotta som heter Mr. Mouse.

Slike vogger hadde de i Uzbekistan også.

Vi hadde 10 års bryllupsdag på fredagen. Da var det kjekt å være på et sted som minnet om Uzbekistan, siden vi var der bare noen mnd før vi giftet oss. Vi fikk også med oss en fjelltur, handlet litt krydder og hatt litt kjærkommen familie-tid.

Det var snø på fjellet, så Rebekka koste seg.

Tobias fant også en måte å kose seg på.

Så nydelig var det på fjellet, bekken kom opp fra en underjordisk strøm.

Merkelig uke

Siden jeg skriver på tirsdag/onsdag, så blir ukene ofte litt forskjøvet. Så denne uka begynte ganske varmt, med over 20 grader, barna orket ikke å springe så mye i varmen, da det ofte er veldig tørt her også. I går var luftfuktigheten nede på 23%. Men uka inneholdt noe som visst nok kalles Wacky week. Så barna kledde seg ut og hadde det kjempe-gøy. Jeg viste jo to bilder sist uke.

2x Cat woman + en Water guy.

Susanna (forran) var Barbie, hun er jo en helt i alle filmene sine.

Det de ellers skulle kle seg som var flerlinger (mange i like klær altså..), deretter var det helter og skurker og så var det crazy den siste dagen, men da rakk vi ikke å komme.

Det gøyeste som fins, en haug med jord.

På onsdagen fikk jeg og barna oss en tur til landsbyen igjen, siden Deborah var her, måtte vi jo ta oss en tur nedover. Torsdag fikk jeg passe de to små i tillegg til egne barn fra 12 på formiddagen, mens jeg skulle forberede middag til gjester. Da var jeg takknemlig for norsk-posemat, og ferdige rundstykker i fryseren.

Blomstringstimen er her. (Onsdag)

Lunch med venner.

Fredag kom Kirsty og jentene hit for å overnatte et par netter. Vi hadde planlagt en tur ut på lørdagen, men så snødde det plutselig! Det kom vel en 15 cm, noe som er ganske mye. Vi skulle ut på middag den kvelden (Steinars jobb), og på veien ble vi slushet ned. Ikke så ille for oss voksne, som kun ble våt på buksene, litt værre for barna som fikk snø og vann helt opp til nakken.

Oi oi oi, det snør (lørdag formiddag)

Lørdag ca klokken 14.

Søndag hadde vi en hel gjeng på besøk frem til lunch, og da sa det stopp for ho mor i huset som har tatt ca to dager til å "slappe av" etter det. Barna hadde fri på mandag, så helt avslappende ble det jo ikke.