Been Away Too Long...

Hello All!

I realize it has been awhile since my last blog...but really, you would be so bored with my rambling on and on about our daily activities. Work, school, groceries, laundry, cooking, cleaning...not that exciting I'm afraid! We have had some lovely evenings with friends and the kids continue to enjoy tennis lessons. Things are really going well and the kids' last report cards were even better than their first, so we are pleased!

This past weekend, Spencer had "Daddy Days" from Friday morning until Monday evening since I was on a little getaway with 13 other fabulous people! I think Spencer and the kids enjoyed their weekend too, though! This was the weekend of my long-planned trip to Budapest with other COP spouses and a few other friends! What an AMAZING trip in a BEAUTIFUL city! I took about 275 pictures of Budapest - it has much to see and do and a very interesting history! So, I guess the next several blogs will be my Budapest memories with photos!

The trip started early Friday morning with a ride to the airport with my friend, Wendy. Her husband was kind enough to drive us both! We all gathered at the airport and took off for our first leg a little after 7 AM. We made it to Oslo and then boarded our next leg about 10:45 AM and arrived in Budapest about 1:30. We only had minor delays on the flights and no problems! We all managed to retrieve our luggage and get Hungarian Forints (the local currency) and then meet up with our driver in our chartered minibus for our trip to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel - ahhh, beautiful - The Kempinski Hotel Covinus, complete with day spa amenities! Oh yes, and you can bet I was the first to book an hour-long massage! Everyone got checked in with their roommates and it was time to get acquainted with the city. I took the opportunity of the open time to enjoy my massage while some of the others wandered around a bit. After my massage (which was awesome!), I went over the the big square a couple blocks from the hotel and checked out a couple stores and enjoyed the music from a gentleman playing water glasses, yes, glassware filled with varying amounts of water that he played to a prepared music track. Turns out I saw him out in the square each evening. He was amazing! We all met up in the lobby about 6:00 PM to head over to our first organized activity - a dinner cruise on the Danube River. We enjoyed a lovely buffet of traditional Hungarian foods with lively music from a group of three gentlemen and an amazing view of both parts of the city, Buda and Pest.

Following dinner, many of us stayed down in the hotel lobby and enjoyed an after dinner drink and conversation. Then it was off to bed with big plans for the morning - the first of our two half-day tours with our private tour guide, Andrea.

Meanwhile at home, Spencer was watching a movie with the kids and hoping Kyla's puny attempt at dinner, a slight flush, and feeling a bit warm was nothing more than that...luckily, a children's ibuprofen and a good night's sleep seemed to be the cure! Whew!

Here are a few pictures to wet your taste buds - there will be more to come in the next editions :)

Haircut, Slumber Party, and More...

Sorry - it has been a while!

So, I left off last Tuesday and will pick up with Wednesday.

After school and Girl Scouts, I picked Kyla up and we headed over to the mall for her big haircut - she was beside herself with excitement and was just bubbling! I didn't actually measure it or anything, but I bet Lillian cut about 4 inches off her hair! It is just below her chin and lightly layered. She is now wearing it curly like her mom! We wet it in the mornings and put a little gel in it. She is happy with it and it looks very cute!

Friday rolled around and it was slumber party night! By a pure stroke of luck, Brendan was invited to his buddy, John's house for a sleepover on the same night - AWESOME! He was happy, Kyla was happy, and it made for an easier party night for us too! The party went as well as we could have hoped for! Pizza, bead jewelry making, cake and ice cream, presents, movies, popcorn, playing...they finally gave it up about 12:30 and slept in until about 7:45. We then had pancakes and bacon and they played some more and watched part of another movie. I must say, we chose a great little group of friends for this adventure! Kyla loved all her presents which included a lava lamp, walkie-talkies, and a 1000 piece puzzle - all neat gifts from her friends! She also got movies, clothes, a beginner guitar book, earrings, and money...not bad for an 8-year-old!

Sunday we had a group of friends over for dinner - we have really enjoyed having people over and it is a good way to introduce friends to one another in a casual situation. I made a big pot of potato soup - my 2nd try - and it was even better than the first I am proud to say! That along with a variety of snacks made for a great evening.

The week started as usual and the kids had their second tennis lesson on Monday afternoon. They really seem to be enjoying it and picking it up relatively fast! I am so glad! We definitely needed an activity for them and tennis is great!

I also made my second trip to the gym I recently joined. So far I have taken 2 classes - both "spinning" or here they call it "Xycling" - never would have thought I would like it, but I totally do! It is especially more fun to go with a friend which I have managed to do both times :) I am planning on going again in the morning.

Spencer has now officially moved offices to the new building the project he is on is housed in. He is in the process of getting it all figured out and adjusting to the new people, information, schedules, etc. He heads over to Bergen tomorrow for the day for a meeting.

Other little tidbits...Spencer finally went and "traded in" his license and now has his temporary license here. He now has to wait for his letter so he can get into the practice driving classes. I start my practice driving this week...yea...I really just want to get it over with and take my driving test at this point - the stress and buildup to it is just silly, but about half of the expats fail the first time they test, so I am preparing myself...but hoping for the best!

I am including some pictures of the new hair and the slumber party. Kyla's friends are Catelyn (darker brown hair), Abigail (short blond hair), and Anouk (light brown hair).

This week at the Beard Bungalow...

So since the last post...

Saturday, Spencer ran over to the meat market for our beloved thick-sliced bacon - mmmmm! I then ran to the mall to meet a friend for coffee (well, coke for me :). Spencer and the kids met me over there because I was starting to feel claustrophobic from all the stuff everywhere...I had seen some "modular" stackable boxes that I thought may work in the kids rooms to help with organization and space. We ended up buying 6 for Kyla's room and 4 for Brendan's. They are certainly not fancy and not the most sturdy, but the bedrooms do look better! It also freed up some plastic containers which I used to store some things and put up out of the way or in the storage room in the garage! I think things are back in order!

Saturday afternoon we met some friends to go ice skating at the new indoor facility. It is really nice - there is an outer track for things like speed skating, a curling area, a hockey rink that doubles as the ice rink for open/free skate time and then a short strip to get on and off the rink. The prices were fairly reasonable I would say, even with skate rentals. I am not sure if the kids had ever been...maybe once before...but they did pretty well. I think we all took a few tumbles (except maybe Spencer) and had some sore spots, but I think one of mine was the worst...a HUGE bruise on my leg. I would take a picture, but it is too gross. It is one that will turn all shades before it goes away! Good thing it is too cold for shorts, because this is one that needs to stay hidden!

Sunday we headed out to church and then on the hunt for a restaurant...Spencer and I were dying for "out to eat" food. Unfortunately, Sundays are slim pickings around here since most stuff is closed. We settled on Peppe's Pizza, which the kids were thrilled about. I guess if pizza is our only choice then Peppe's is the place to go. I have to say, it was pretty delicious!

Monday morning, I met up with a couple ladies to start back on our Monday walks. The ice hampered us...despite the above freezing temps and rain this past week, there is still a thick sheet of ice on the trail. Even with spikes to hook on your shoes, it is just too slippery for any real walking/exercise. Bummer!

I did end up joining the gym called Elixia that is in the mall across the street. I have lots of friends that work out there and finally gave in and signed up. They have a wide variety of equipment and machines, but also offer a good selection of classes. I will go on Wednesday for the first time... :)

Monday the kids had their first tennis lesson! My friend, Stephanie told me her daughter (Kyla's friend Abigail) had been taking lessons but she was looking for some kids for a smaller, more semi-private lesson. I said that we would love to try it out! I am pleased to report that both kids seemed to enjoy it and I am thrilled! It is slightly pricey as is everything here, but combined with the "semi-private" aspect, it really jumps up, but I think we will give it a go for the spring. We certainly needed to find something for Brendan to do and Kyla only has the little Girl Scout thing going until February when the dance class will pick back up for a couple months. The great thing about tennis - life-long sport! And, bonus...I know how to play too - the only sport I am sort of decent at! It certainly made me wish I was out there on a court!

Today, Tuesday, yoga started back up! YEA! They offer yoga at the gym, but I think I am going to stick it out with Mia through the spring. I just love her class and the ladies in the group. I was really debating since I am now also paying for the gym, but I enjoy Mia's class a lot!

As for the weather here...I now have a better since of what "typical" Stavanger weather is really like and why folks complain about the "dark winter days" and rain. We are in our second week straight of almost no rain-free days. The sun has only poked out a couple times and it is really just miserable outside. Today started with non-stop rain that by this afternoon turned to sleet and then snow. YUCK! But, you have to get up and get out! If I didn't, I would surely crawl back into bed every day! Hence, another reason I joined the gym!

I guess the other big thing...I called and have started the process of taking my "driving lessons" so I can take the driving test and get my Norwegian license. I go next Thursday, so the instructor "...can see what I can do." Yes, that is a direct quote...I am pretty sure I drive as well as any person here and quite possibly, better :) But, you have to drive with an instructor for about 6 hours, pay astronomical amounts of money (which we will be reimbursed for by COP, thank goodness) and then arrange to "rent" the traffikskole's car for the test (oh and this costs too), then pay to take the test, and also pay for the actual license. Yes, I am serious.

Tomorrow is Kyla's big hair cut day! Friday is her slumber party - busy week!

I am including some more pictures from Prague. I failed to take a camera with us when we went ice skating...sorry! I am sure we will go again though! I also did not take it for the first tennis lesson, but that will be remedied next Monday :)

Christmas...and back to routine

We celebrated Christmas pretty much the minute we walked in from our trip - Santa had left a few things for the kids and they opened what we had...a few things were waiting for us at the post office!

They were very excited with the things they received - who knew Dr. Pepper and A&W Root Beer would be a request! It is amazing how excited they were over those little treats! We did manage to keep Christmas relatively small since we have been taking really amazing vacations and plan to do more in the spring!

The rest of the holidays consisted of sledding, playing, relaxing, enjoying new Wii games, and really just hanging out. We were really very lazy and even Spencer (the man who can't be still/bored for long) enjoyed the lazy days!

New Year's Eve was spent hanging out with friends at Peter and Helen's house. Before that though, we had actually been invited to another party as well, so we stopped off and Bill and Christine's before ending the evening with Peter and Helen. We had a great time visiting and enjoying the company! We did find out that New Year's Eve is a BIG deal here! There is a variety of fireworks displays, both personal and professional - each community here does an elaborate display at midnight, so if you are in the area, you are likely to see any number of shows. Plus, it is popular to set off the small ones. The good thing...no worries about fires - way too wet around here for that to be an issue. I think the main one this year was the wind!

Sunday evening was spent with Lamont and Wendy - we were invited to dinner at their apartment and had the pleasure of meeting two of their three college-aged kids that were visiting for the holidays. We enjoyed seeing them!

Monday was back to work for Spencer and the kids last day off from school. I think Spencer would have liked another day or two, but duty calls...he had a very busy week trying to tie up loose ends with the previous position while getting a handle on things for the new position. The kids headed back to school Tuesday - Kyla was very excited, Brendan, well, he was less so, but I think he ended up being glad to be back too. It was good to get them back on a routine, although the week had its ups and downs as everyone readjusted to bedtime and wake up time!

Otherwise, it was a pretty regular week - haircuts for me and the boys, COP Spouses' Coffee, volunteering at the school, meeting friends to visit...today I went with my friend Peyton to get a manicure and pedicure at the place she found. It is actually a school, so the prices are much more affordable - about half of what you would pay anywhere else here - But here is the aside to that...this kind of stuff is definitely considered a luxury here where in the states there is a nail place in every strip mall. They are not ever in a hurry and it takes an exceedingly long time. And in reality, the manis and pedis are really just average. I can definitely say I will be visiting the nail salon a couple times this summer when I am in the states visiting!

This evening, after some discussion between Spencer and I, we decided to give Kyla her BIG birthday present - a guitar. She was so thrilled and excited and her daddy has already taught her to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star! We know it is a week early, but she has chosen to have a major haircut for part of her birthday and a little slumber party here with 3 little friends next weekend, so we thought she might like to enjoy it this week.

Can't think of anything else going on...I will post pictures of Kyla's new "do" next week!

Prague Day 7-8

December 27 in Prague...this was our last day in this beautiful city and we had one more tour to do - the Prague Castle Tour that included entrance into St. Vitus Cathedral and St. George Basilica as well as the various courtyards and the Rosenberg Palace (yes, I would like to think that Rosenberg, TX has some connection to the Czech family that died out hundreds of years ago!)

Before our tour, we made a quick run over to the glass store to pick up Brendan's handywork and drop it off at the hotel room :)

We once again had a fabulous tour guide - this one was a slightly older gentleman who certainly knew his way around the palace! We started the tour with the changing of the guard - we had seen this earlier in the week, but got a second chance to enjoy it - and then started making our way through the various courtyards. We eventually entered what is probably one of the most celebrated places in Prague, St. Vitus Cathedral. This building dates back to 1344 when the first stone was laid! It is here that saints, archbishops, and noblemen are interred and coronations of kings and queens took place. There is also an entrance to the chamber where the Bohemian crown jewels are kept! The stained glass is absolutely phenomenal!!! There are probably a dozen chapels within the cathedral and huge ornate carvings, statues, and one made of solid silver!

After our tour there, we went over to a smaller chapel called St. George Basilica which dates back even further! It is a much more "monumental" chapel - smaller with hand-painted ceilings.

We also got a glimpse of the "Golden Lane" where the famous writer Franz Kafka lived and wrote at one point. Unfortunately, this lane is closed for repairs and renovations.

As we made our way down from the castle, our next stop was Rosenberg Palace. The Rosenbergs were a noble family during the Renaissance time. The building later house unmarried noblewomen and is now houses administrative offices for the Prague Castle and Czech President.

From here, our tour would have taken us back across the Charles Bridge, however, our tour guide suggested we might be interested in taking the kids to the Toy Museum that was in the area. We took his suggestion and very much enjoyed the Toy Museum! They had an extensive collections of Barbies and other actions figures as well as toys and displays of toys that dated back to the 19th century! I am including a picture but will post more on another blog sometime!

By the time we finished there, the kids were "starving" and we kept our eye out for a restaurant. We came upon one that looked nice and was serving authentic Czech food - we had a winner. Oh my goodness!!! We were rewarded with this choice! Brendan ordered pork knuckle, of course. Spencer ordered the soup and Kyla and I went with what was called a "kitchen pan fry" and was a specialty of the house. Let me just say...that was a little bit of heaven right there and was enough to feed 4 easily! So, between the pork knuckle and the pan of pork, chicken, ham, fried potatoes, onions, and melted cheese we ate well!

After that, we made a quick side trip over to Wenceslas Square...we had spied a luggage store and decided to pick up a piece of luggage - a rolling duffle bag. The prices in Prague were quite reasonable! I also had picked up a pair of hiking/tennis shoes earlier in the week :)

Then, back to the room to re-pack and get ready for our trip home.

December 28 was our return trip day...luckily, it went off without a hitch - two easy flights that were basically on time! We made it home about 7 PM! Then...it was time for the kids to get their presents and see if Santa Claus left them any treats!

Prague Day 6

Today is actually Monday, January 3rd - Spencer returned to work today and it was the last day off for the kids. They will head back to school in the morning. It is time to get back on a regular schedule! Plus, I am ready to rejoin my social life! LOL! Today, the snow came back and the kids worked hard outside to build a snowman. I took some pictures but will save them for a blog after I have finished writing about Prague - I have too many pictures from the trip to share :)

December 26 was a very snowy day in Prague! We started the morning heading out to do some wandering and a little shopping and came across a glass and crystal store that had a sign out front that advertised live glass-making demonstrations. We thought that sounded neat and since Prague is known for its crystal, art glass, and Bohemian glassware, we figured it was worth a stop. That turned out to be a neat little stop! We went back into a little room in the rear part of the store and a lady was telling us about glass-making and such and we then walk into this area with a few chairs and there was a guy making glass! It was a fairly small area so he mainly made small decorative pieces - birds, fish, etc. - although he was a glass-blower as well. The space here did not allow for large blown glass pieces to be made or cooled. Those things we were told are made in larger factories.

The lady then asked Brendan if he would like to make something and give it a try, so he went back with the man and made a piece of glass - it ended up looking something like a hershey's kiss when he was done, but what a totally neat experience! It had to cool overnight, so we were told to come back to the store the next day and we could pick it up. We, of course, did and purchased several other small items we would be able to bring home with us!

A little later that day, we were scheduled for our river cruise tour. We joined about 10 other folks and our tour guide and went aboard a small river boat where we enjoyed a dessert and beverage while our guide pointed out various sights and told us interesting facts and stories about the history of the city. We met a lovely young couple from California who were living in London for his work and chatted with them a bit too! After the cruise, the tour wasn't over! Our guide walked us through the Jewish Quarter and told us about some of the synagogues and the history of the Jewish community in Prague. Our guide told us about one of the Jewish graveyards (I included a picture) where there are foot-stones instead of headstones and once the space was full, they would add another layer on top, each time raising the foot-stones of the previous layers. Very interesting. She also told us about some very unique WWII items that had been found that are very representative of the horrors that the Jewish community faced during that time.

We then headed over to Old Town and the Astronomical Clock. I can honestly say, this was one of the coldest days overall while we were there - on this particular day, it snowed almost non-stop! After our tour ended, we headed over to one of the TGI Friday's (yes, we had scoped these out on previous days!) and proceeded to order a blissful array of "American" dishes. Spencer and I always laugh that we feel like we need to explain that we haven't had good American food in quite a while since we appear to be ordering half the menu!

After dinner, we walked back through the market area and I grabbed another one of the yummy trdlenik (or some spelling like that) which is a delicious sweet bread kind of thing and Spencer got a piece of the Prague ham he had been eye-ing and we made our way back to the hotel for the night.

I am, of course including some pictures from this day...:)

Prague Days 4-5

Today as I write, it is Sunday, January 2. We attended church this morning and we were also blessed with a beautiful sunny day, so we got the kids out on a much needed walk to burn some energy and soak up some sun. We headed over to the Three Swords - the walking trail was still very icy and slick, but we managed without incident and enjoyed the outing. The water by Three Swords is still frozen especially closer to the beach area, so we walked out a little ways. I actually took a picture on my Blackberry with Spencer and the kids standing out in what is usually water with the swords behind them. The kids thought that was pretty cool. Brendan's comment..."I am walking on water...like God!" Ha! Clever little thing!

Anyway, back to Prague...

So December 24-25 were the Christmas holidays for the city. Their main day of celebration is actually the 24th, so most things were closed with the exception of some restaurants and a few souvenir-type stores. We spent the day wandering a bit and taking in some sights. We walked over into the Jewish Quarter and then made our way over to Charles Bridge from the Old Town to the Lesser Quarter. We did make an attempt to walk up the steps to the huge metronome (to represent Prague being the home of classical music) but it was just too slippery to go all the way up! There were plenty of tourists and site-seers out and even some tours going on. It was a pretty wet weather day and the kids were ready for a little break so we found a nice restaurant that was open. One thing about many of the restaurants, especially some of the ones that serve traditional Czech food and are a little more expensive...they are actually built into underground cave-looking areas. This particular one was this way and when you opened the door, you immediately took a staircase down underground. It was a lovely restaurant and gave us a chance to warm up and get a light lunch. The kids ate the potato mushroom soup served in bread bowls and Spencer and I shared a bowl of the traditional carp soup - it was delicious!!!

From there, we headed back over the Charles Bridge and enjoyed checking out all the statues along the foot bridge. One we had heard about from our tour had a part that was supposed to bring luck to those who touched it and made a wish. We were able to easily spot it because of the bright spots on the statue where the shine came through from all the wishes!

A little later that day, we headed back over to the Hard Rock for our Christmas Eve dinner. They had told us the day before they would be open and the kids wanted to go back, so...they had a limited/special menu for the day, but that was all good with us - we had plenty of great things to choose from! I had a sirloin steak and mashed potatoes and Spencer and the kids had burgers!

Shortly after dinner, we had tickets to attend a concert in the library of the St. Michael's Monastery. We had seen fliers for various Christmas concerts and such going on and this one caught our eye. It included a soprano, a harpist, a violinist, and an organist/pianist. It was a combination of traditional Christmas hymns, Ave Maria, Czech songs, and some classical pieces as well - what a treat! It was a beautiful way to end our Christmas Eve in Prague! On a funny note...Brendan discovered he had a loose tooth shortly after we left for our trip...he lost his tooth just before the concert began here at St. Michael's. He was quite pleased, needless to say. I think we are keeping the tooth fairy in business lately! He received 20 Czech Crowns with a note and promise for some NOK upon our return home :)

December 25 was another holiday for many places, but more things were open on this day. We had reservations for dinner at a restaurant on the other side of Charles Bridge so we took the day to walk some other areas and ride the funicular up to one of the highest points in the city where there is a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower. Once at the top, there was a playground area that, despite being covered in snow, the kids enjoyed playing on. We also went through a "mirror maze." We intended to take the elevator up to the top of the mini Eiffel Tower, but at the time we were there, the elevator seemed to be having issues, so we just enjoyed the view from where we were.

After our trip to the funicular, we decided to head over to the restaurant we had reservations at to see if we could eat a little earlier. On the way over, we passed by the famous John Lennon wall full of graffiti art. Kyla was, of course, quick to pose with her hands in the "peace sign" for a picture.

Luckily the restaurant wasn't too busy and could take up sooner, so we settled in for a nice early dinner. Brendan and Spencer had pork and I ate roasted duck. Kyla tried the goulash. It was a great meal - oh how we love Czech food!

On our walks around town, we had noticed several Black Light Theaters around and one kept catching our eye. We stopped in to see if we could get tickets and sure enough, we were able, so that evening, we enjoyed a show called "Aspects of Alice" in the Black Light Theater. It was a bit of an odd show, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

By the time it was over, it was time to get the kids to bed! The weather had been getting really cold that evening and by the time we left the show, it was basically snowing ice crystals and things were getting pretty nasty out. I think that was the coldest the weather was the entire time we were there!

So, despite the holidays, we managed to keep ourselves busy and found plenty to do!