Unfriending

Nothing personal,
but in an effort to be more social I have decided to un-friend people on facebook. Not everyone, but people that I shouldn't need a social network to keep in touch with.
But I will write down email addresses, just in case.
Because I shouldn't need to be online friends with my neighbors (anyone within walking distance) and Davíð's immediate family to keep up on things, we should just talk more.
No offense intended.

ungreen thumb

For about 6 weeks my little greenhouse box has been sitting in the windowsill, getting light, heat, water,
and still nothing has grown, not even a tiny sprout.
I think today am admitting defeat.
Defeat to the tiny tomato plants.

Growing and changing

Leópold is, like any baby, growing up very very quickly.

Last week he got his first tooth.

He has now not only perfected his crawl to a racing speed but has also started pulling himself to standing up on chairs, couches and everything else, including the dishwasher. This has led to many heavy items, like the stools, being put into storage.

Besides oatmeal, now mixed with raisins, he will also eat pureed carrots and apple. A bit of variety.

I let him chew on a teething cookie, I don't think I ever saw him more happy. In hindsight it was a little more sugared then he should have been having.

He can say dadadadadada

And he waves goodbye, with a closed fist, and it involves shaking his whole arm around, but you can see what hes trying to do.

Sometimes it is almost hard to recognize him from the baby I had nearly 7 months ago.

Dreaming of home

Its days like these that I really miss Canada.

Looking through the window at an ashy sky.

When I am sitting at home for the millionth night in a row because Davíð is studying for exams or is too tired from exams, to watch the kids.

When Kasper's workers ask me when the last time I went downtown was, and I think they mean going out for a cheeseburger or something. I answered that sometimes Kasper and I grab lunch after his tanning. I later realized that they meant going out at night, with friends, not my kids.

When I remember that I have not seen a family member in nearly four years,

I feel rather lonely.

Looks like

The hospital of Reykjanesbær, or the town itself has sold my personal information.

I do not make this accusation lightly, and I admit I could be wrong but this is a more then a little suspicious:

Last fall I had a little (not so little) baby boy. By Christmas I received a new book in the mail on how to be sure that I do not spoil my kids. No big deal, it was free, appeared to be from the town and besides a waste in taxpayers money, harmless.

Then last week I received a personalized flier in my mailbox, congratulating me on my new little boy and would I like to buy him some Disney book? I don't recall letting Disney know of our new addition.

And today I received an envelope, again addressed to me and my baby, from Nestle, full of information on Nestle products that I might like to start giving my son, because he is 6 months old now. Good to know that Nestle is up to speed on my kids milestones? No.

Now I am a little annoyed because these companies are getting rather personal information about me from somewhere, and I worry that it is from a source that I should be able to trust.

On the fridge.

Long before cell phones and text messages, sometimes we had to wait to tell someone something. If a family member was coming home when you would be out, you might write a message.
You probably would have used a magnet to hang this message on the fridge, knowing it would be seen when the recipient opened the door.
It would also be seen be everyone else.
Today I looked at my fridge and thought how lonely it looked.
I think I might write a note.

Whose friends are you anyways?

I am having a little problem with a neighborhood kid.

First I should make it clear that I am not calling the kid a problem.

The problem is that this boy is Kasper's age, in Kasper's class and is sometimes friends with Kasper.

The rest of the time this boy is friends with Stefán, Kasper's little brother.

This leads to a lot of arguing between my sons, arguing that I do not like to see.

It also leads to a lot of hurt feelings between my kids.

So I dont know what to do.

Part of me, a big part, wants to be really controlling, get in there and tell this boy that it doesn't work like this and make him pick one friend or go home.

But I know things don't work this way.

Part of me thinks I should let them sort this out on there own, but because of Kasper's delayed social skills I am a little defensive and feel that I should be looking out for him more.

Either way, my boys know that it is very important to me that they remain good friends, so if this arguing continue I think I might have to step in.

Ah, I don't know.


Who knew parenting had so much drama?

p.s. still have not been able to upload pictures :(

Lysi

At Leópold's 6 month check we were told everything is going great andf now it is time for him to strart taking Lysi everyday.
Cod Liver Oil!
I found it strange enough giving it to the two older kids, but now to a little baby who is still not that good at getting anything off the spoon, leading to a fishy smell following him around all day because it drooled all over his bib.
The funniest thing is, that he likes it.
I mean really likes it.
Sometimes we even add it as flavoring to his oatmeal, and he thinks it is great.
But he won't eat banana's?

Volcano Update

There are some amazing pictures here, and you can see the lava started here.
You can also see some ash predictions here.
And tomorrow we expect our first really ashy day here.

He's just that good, but the pay isn't

Times are tough in Iceland.

In Reykjanesbær alone there is more then 200 unemployed electricians. That means 200 that didnt get a job doing something else.

But today Davíð got a summer job, YIPPEE!, so he is not in the list of 200.

This is good for him to get his hours counted towards his education.

The only bad thing is that while the price of living has been shooting up, food alone has risen 36% in the last 2 years, the wages have been sliding down.

So Davíð's new job will pay 350kr less then he was making before. The 1250kr an hour is equal to $10.00 CND. Seriously.

Shortage?

I am guessing there must be a shortage of doctors in Reykjanesbær because when I asked for a telephone appointment to get Kasper's prescription refilled they told me it would be in a week and a half, for a telephone appointment.
And they told me to plan ahead better next time.
I assumed that when the doctor said to just call in for a refill he meant to call in a few days before I ran out, not weeks in advance.
My mistake I guess.

Gullrass

Kasper found a cats collar outside today and brought it in.

Pretty thing, even had rhinestones on it.

But when I read the tag I nearly died laughing. Gullrass means Gold Ass. What kind of cat name is that?

I bet this particular cat ran away from home and ditched to collar to make sure no one ever tried to return him.

Poor cat, must have been seriously embarrassed.

Rakakrem

Today I learned that, in Icelandic, shaving cream and mostirizing cream are called the same thing: Rakakrem.

I was a little worried when Kasper asked why the doctor want his to put shaving cream on everyday, he asked if we were planning to shave him, I worried that I may have bought the wroing stuff, even if it did look like just regular cream.

Anyways, I asked Davíð and he assured me that it was mostirizer and not to worry Kasper was not crazy, that Rakakrem can mean either thing.

Good to know.

Couch-Surfing Mania

Thanks to the pesky volcano eruptions, everyone is stranded. Including my couchsurfers.

Last week a mom and her son, Kasper's age, came to see us from London, then on the day of there planed arrival, the volcano blows, closing the airports.

Today they left to get a hotel for a few days, since they had been with me for a week, the house is really full, and we all need a break.

Tomorrow three more are coming. Two American girls and one German guy, they don't know each other. The planned flights for Monday morning are all, most likely, canceled. So no one knows how long they are staying.

So tomorrow we should all cook something together and have a bit of a party, and you are invited.

Doing Great!

In Iceland when someone asks how you are doing, there is really only one answer: Allt Gott or All Good!

When really, I want to say something else. In fact, I nearly have to bite my tongue to keep myself from launching ahead and telling how things really are.

Like this scalp problem. My scalp has been super itchy all week, so I have been scratching it and then my hair is all flaky. I think I have dandruff. Hard to say for sure because I have never had it before, and I do not want to pay 2600kr for a Doctor to tell me to buy some Head and Shoulders.

Really, I wish I could just ask someone, but I guess that is not how things are done.

So I bought some special shampoo from the pharmacy, for a small fortune, and hope it does the trick.

Then next week I hope that when some one asks how I am doing, I will not have an erg to start talking about my hair.

Uploading Problems

All week I have been having problems uploading pictures.
I really have had a lot to say and pictures to put, but my connection has been so bad, but enough excuses, even if I can not get any pictures uploaded, I will write, because really, there is just so much going on!
Later tonight - more coming!

On Calcano's

When Kasper was small he used  to play Volcano all the time. Every time we went to the playground a fill of sand was built for a volcano. Play-do volcano's were built, they were everywhere. And he had a serious speech issue, so he called then calcano's.

Now we live in Iceland, and volcanoes have taken up a lot of the news coverage for the last while. The most recent being from yesterday, much bigger (disrupting flights for all northern Europe), mask warnings were put in place, then revised.

But dont worry,

Everything is fine, for now :)

And the joke of the day:

To the British and Dutch Governments: There is no C in the Icelandic alphabet, so when you ask for Cash, all you get is ...  ASH!

My New Address

Not Really, but I wish I lived on Air Force Ave!

Exhausting

Yesterday, after a city trip with a friend to Megastore, I found myself thinking of home.

First of all I was dead tired from walking around this huge store looking at everything, it was really actually very overwhelming, after I amalized, in my mind, every product in the store.

Megastore is some American Store, everything  one price, like a dollar store but a 298 kr. (just over 2 dollars) store. Seems cheap right?

Well a lot of the stuff is crap, goes without saying. Most of it is made in India, probably by small children. But it is not these things that I go to Megastore for, although the 298 clothing is a little tempting to at leats look at, I dont.

I go for the odd seriously Canadian items that can be  found. Not necessarily made in Canada, but just a brand I recognize from home.

Yesterday they had Betty Crocker instant pasta and Kool-Aid. Real Kool-Aid! Actually 298 is a lot for a pack of Kool-Aid so I didn't buy any, but I kinda regret it.

So, while the bright lights, pushy people and shopping causes one kind of exhaustion, the wave of memories that wash over me (and bout of homesickness) that come from looking at the only available Kool-Aid in the country, Orange Flavor, causes another.

They are growing so fast

Leópold learned to sit up on his own.

Stefán lost his first tooth.

and learned to stick his tongue out.

Leópold is really learning to love food.

Some things are worth learning to crawl to get too.

Extra's

Leó, with the cool hair

Kasper, well, Kasper  :)

Volcano Watching

Here on a web cam

Easter Pictures - Take 1

Kasper, relaxing with a comic

Stefán

One of the paper monsters the boys colored, then ripped out because we didnt bring scissors. Paper Monsters = Paper Dolls for boys.

The poor stuffed animals, the things were tied to shoes strings and swung around the cottage.

Einar, crazy kid :)

Einar and Stefán

Tired, yawning and not too clean, Kasper.

Sunset pictures never turn out for us, but we always keep trying.

Kasper, with an Ice Gun, shooting at a jeep that got stuck trying to get to the volcano.

Some stupid guy that thought his jeep was better then everyone else's and ignoring the sign drove ahead to get stuck in front of everyone.

Kasper on the black sand of Vík.

No matter how many times I tell these guys to be careful, they always get wet.
But they were having fun.

In Vík, on the beach.

Kasper, watching the waves.

Vík, the town.

Kasper, by a mountain.

A broken water pipe, now surrounded by ice, shooting water everywhere.

Some waterfall, can not remember the name.

The boys at Skógafoss.

Einar and Stefán

Skógafoss

Davíð and Leópold at Skógafoss

Again.

Piled in a car. (Roberts actually)

Leópold and Kasper at the cottage.

Davíð

This really cool high chair they had at the cottage that turns into a little car with a tabletop.

Leópold perfecting his slide across the floor.

 and our little Rósa, best doggy ever.

Easter Holidays 2010 - Side Notes

Every year we ave tried to take an Easter Holiday. Some family time away from it all, time we just have to spend together.
Regardless of time or budget constraints, and we did it again.
Welcome to Easter Holidays 2010.

Highlights of the trip:

We rented a cottage about 10 minutes from Hveragerði, in a set of cottages called Gljúfur.

On the first full day we started by driving to Skógafoss, following a rumor we might be able to see the volcano from there, but we couldn't, only steam. Next we drove to Vík to see the amazing stones, black sandy beaches and  huge waves. And last back up towards some other place people said you could see thew Volcano, but that wasnt true either. So back to the cabin we went, exhausted.

The second day was much more relaxing. Davíð was gone to his parents so I had the place alone with the boys. I caught up on a bunch of reading, Leópold learned how to drag himself around rather quickly on slippery wood floors and the boys ran everywhere, including in and out of the hot tub.

The third night was really stormy and I woke up several times in the middle of the night. One of these times I realized that the reason we were so cold is because the door had blown open.

The third day, today, we headed back, after cleaning our own cabin. It is much more reasonably priced if you clean it yourself.

Now I am home, happy, tired and ready for a good sleep in my own bed.