Well, we are almost halfway through another week...so far, so good!
Sunday was a low-key day after our busy Saturday. We went to church, picked up takeout Thai food at Phad Thai (a little place near the apartment,) and took the kids to swim at the office pool for a little bit.
Then, time to start another week of school! This week, we decided to try out the bus! Monday went great - the kids rode both ways! Today, not as smooth...it was messy rainy this morning and we headed out and waited for the bus...and waited...until it got to the point that they were going to be late and I wasn't sure the bus was coming. We literally jogged over the garage to get the car out only to pull into the school right behind the bus. I guess he was just running behind and I gave up about 3 minutes too soon. They did ride it home though, so we will give it a go tomorrow. I would like to get them (and me!) comfortable enough that they can do it all on their own. One thing about Norway, probably because it is so safe, they are very open to letting kids take off on their bikes, walk to school, catch the bus, etc. all on their own and at a pretty young age. The bus stops are very close to the apartment so that is a big bonus!
Yesterday while the kids were at school, I headed over to find a swim cap for Brendan
(required here for swimming and kids will swim in PE class!) and decided on a whim to stop and inquire about a haircut at one of the "frisor" shops at the mall. I have been watching every time I go by and they seemed competent and professional, so I asked the girl if they had experience with short, curly hair...It just so happened it was slow that day and she could take me in right at that time, so being the spontaneous (HAHAHA) person that I am, I went for it! Lillian did a super job and I now have a hairdresser here! She was so sweet and chatted with me the whole time! My hair looks just like it should and I am so happy! What a load off to now have that detail figured out! I then made a super quick run through the store and headed over to have lunch with Spencer at the office cafeteria. The food there is great AND cheap!!!
Today, the mission was to find a casual brown leather belt and beige dress socks for Spencer. For a change of pace, I headed over to Kvadrat (the BIG mall) and decided to wander around a bit. Mission accomplished...found belt and socks and several other places I had heard about in the mall. From there, I accidentally took a long way home since I missed my turn, but it all worked out! I then took a little detour over to the Harley-Davidson shop to pick up some t-shirts for some of Spencer's buddies and my dad. The guy there had a collection of H-D shirts from all over and I told him I would hook him up with a couple and he ended up giving me one of the shirts I bought for free! As we have mentioned, the taxes here are VERY high - the guy was saying that the taxes alone on a motorcycle here are the same as what you pay for a bike in the US! Crazy!!!
This evening there was a deal at the school called the Leisure Fair. It was basically a chance to see what activities are available in and around town for kids, parents, and families to sign up for - everything from sports to music classes to swimming to yoga classes to scouts, etc...and more! It was a good opportunity to see what options we have for the kids to get involved in something outside of school. The really nice thing, several of the activities are immediately after school and are held at the school - very convenient!!! Sports here are basically soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball in the spring. Kyla is interested in a little dance class being offered too. I found some walking groups and possibly a yoga class to take during the day.
Spencer is heading back to Oslo tomorrow for his weekly meetings there. He is also turning the rental car in tomorrow, so we officially become a single-car family. I have been driving the Ford a little more and it really is easy to drive.
Weather report here...rainy...and traffic is extra heavy this week due to the ONS Conference (some big oil and gas deal.) Hopefully the weather will clear a bit tomorrow. I think I have gotten spoiled with the good weather we have had!
Until my next edition...oh, and here is a picture of the kids from the first day of school. I don't think I ever posted any!
