Norwegian Wood: Christmas Message 2017

2017 seems to have vanished in a flash. Life is hectic but good. With number three and various activities for the older boys, progress on projects is slow and time for oneself has to be squeezed in, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

The year started with us sharing 50% parental leave at home with Kai. Having invested in a decent sports buggy, I spent many happy "sleep times" out running and as a result I am on course to pass 1000km for the year and have posted my best half marathon time and improved my 10km time for the 4th year in a row.

Kai did not start Barnehage (kindergarten) until after the summer holidays. Even with 54 weeks paid leave we then still had to scrape together holidays, time in lieu and take a few weeks unpaid leave to manage.

Mari enjoyed her time at home with Kai and also got plenty of fresh air and kept herself fit (although not to the same extremes as I did!). Saying that, I think she was quite ready to get back to 100% work after the summer.

Yet again, it seems climate change is real, we had a very unstable winter and there was hardly any decent skiing possibilities locally. We did get skiing at Easter though. We stayed with Mari's Mum's in her timeshare chalet in Beitostølen. Even up in the mountains there was relatively little snow and we had to drive to ski, but not so far. We treated the oldest boys to a day on the slalom slopes and now it's not just that 9 year old who has the measure of me. Liam, only 5 at the time, had full control and I didn't always dare to follow his lines!

For the summer holiday we enjoyed a very nice rented house together with my parents in West Wittering. The 3000km round trip through Europe via the channel tunnel went over all expectations. We made the journey home part of the holiday with 2 night stops in both Aachen, Germany and in a camping chalet in Horsens on the east coast of Denmark.

Both Une and Liam are very keen dancers. For the first half of the year they both danced Hip Hop and Break once a week. The term culminated in 4 performances of Alice in Wonderland with Liam and Une dancing as Flames (Hip Hop) and Furniture (Break). This autumn they both continued dancing Break and Hip Hop and Une also started dancing house. Next term they will have to drop Hip Hop, but we are really looking forward to them dancing Break and Une dancing House in Willy Wonkas Chocolate Factory.....

Une continues to enjoy learning the Piano and is working on the Associated Board Grade 1 pieces with a thought of taking the exam next May in Oslo. He has swapped the Baritone for the Cello, which he started after the summer. He played with the cultural school's orchestra for a Christmas concert, O come all ye faithful with a cello part arranged for open strings!

Liam Started school in August and seems to have simply glided into it without any issues. He is doing well, and other than a tendency to leave his clothing exactly where he takes it off (not sure where he got that from), we are very happy with his progress and the way he is handling the change.

Kai, who will be 2 in March, having helped delivering and fetching Liam for many months before the summer, seemed to feel at home in Barnehage right from the start. He now loves it and is proving to be a little charmer, doing all the right things, most of the time, and only some of the wrong things some of the time!!!! We're now at a really exciting time of his development with new words coming almost everyday!

In the house we have at last finished the new office upstairs in the extension. We have moved in there, and our old bedroom is now divided into two guest rooms which are well one the way and should be ready not to long into the new year. After those are finished, the plan (for now) is to start work on our new bedroom and en-suite. The need for two upstairs bathrooms is becoming more and more pressing for every passing year!

Sadly, Mari's Dad passed away on the 7th of June shortly after his 91st Birthday. He suffered a bad fall and had a stroke shortly after.

There is, as always, so very much more to tell, but if those of you who have read this far would like to know more then drop us a line or come to visit, then you can get the stories first hand !