My big little man

Aidan, you're so yummy! You've learned to give kisses and hugs and are very loving and sweet. You pucker up for kisses often, and think it's so much fun to be a part of our family group hugs and kisses. You even try to hug Ricky the kitty, in a surprisingly gentle way. You love softly head-butting with Ricky, which is a cat's way of kissing and hugging. We're pleasantly surprised at how you and Ricky are with each other--you're very gentle, and Ricky's very tolerant. You're incredibly observant of everyone and everything, and I continue to be amazed at how much you understand. You're only 22 months old and have what seems a sophisticated understanding of emotions, technical things and a great sense of humor!

Christy and family

Our sweet friends Christy, Sam and Katherine are leaving Oslo tomorrow after 3 months here. They are from Texas and were here on business. Sam worked on a project here, and they lived not too far away from us. We met at "Åpen Barnehage," a playgroup for little kids in Majorstuen near Frognerparken. We were invited to a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at the International Baptist Church that Christy and her family attended while here, and had a really nice time. Aidan made an adorable arts & crafts turkey with the guidance of the pastor's wife, a lovely woman from Tennessee, and we ate lots of good home-made food.

Here's a great picture of Katherine and Aidan, all dressed up:



It's been lovely to get to know Christy and her family. They are wonderful. Christy's a fantastic person. In the short time we've had to get to know one another, Christy's depth and strength and fun have meant a lot to me. And Aidan loves Katherine. We're going to miss them!
Christy told me that there were a number of women here in Oslo, mainly expats, who did not take an interest in getting to know her (or any others in her situation) once they heard that she was only here temporarily. One woman explained that it was too painful to lose contact once people leave. I personally find it enriching to get to know people and connect, no matter how long or short they will physically be in your lives and I'm glad we got to know Christy and her family!

The haircut

Aidan's hair was getting long, at least in the areas that there was hair. He had long waves in the back and one long and thin strand in the front. Mommy (aka "Nonny") clipped it while we were relaxing and reading books, and here's what happened:

Fall fun

We decided not to put Aidan in "barnehage" (govt. subsidized daycare) this year, and I wondered and worried about how we would keep a curious and social little boy busy on our own. Well, no need to have worried. We have fun days together going to the "open barnehage," a play area for young children to come with a caregiver and play with toys, eat together and participate in various activities. We also go to Child Planet, a fun toddler gym with lots of climbing opportunities for young and old (I think I qualify for the latter title :), various playgrounds, and meet up with friends and family. We've been meeting other Americans with young kids and getting together with them, which is really nice for us.
Aidan's open and adventurous, and although he is sometimes a bit cautious at first it doesn't take him long to warm up. He's interested in other people and loves seeing new places and learning new things. It's fun to talk to him about whatever we're doing, and he learns quickly. He's learning colors now, and loudly says "rød" (red) whenever red cars or busses pass by. He saw a purple car today and called it red, and cracked up at the word "purple" when I told him it was purple. It IS a funny-sounding word, come to think of it! He's putting two-word sentences together, and trying to pronounce big words. He's big into kisses now, and gives us kisses if we hurt ourselves. What a cutie!

Aidan has a fun sense of humor and laughs easily. It is so much fun to be with him, as he observes everything and brings it all to life.
He loves looking out the window on the bus trips we make almost every day into the city, and loudly says "cow" and "horsh" when we pass by the King's farm here on Bygdøy, the section of Oslo we're in.
He loves finding imaginative things to do with stones (throw them into the nearest pothole or find cool ones and put them into his pocket), sticks (uses them to make patterns in the sand or to tap against fences while he walks or is in the stroller), and blocks (put them in a row and make them move like a big train), and he's not so into playing with toys in the usual ways. He'll find something extra creative to do with them, and wants to know how they work.
He LOVES trains, and has discovered that YouTube has some great Thomas the Steam Engine videos. So now we have 3 people competing for our one computer :)
He understands almost everything, even complex step-by-step sequences (like, "we're not going to stop at the playground now but we'll pass by it, go to the bus and go shopping, but we'll come back later and play there"-- he won't cry to play there, like he would if I didn't tell him that, because he understands what I've said), but usually says one word at a time, occasionally two.
Aidan started music school yesterday, and will go once a week for two months. It was great, a lovely Italian woman with a great voice led the class, and played piano, drums and other instruments with the kids, danced, made a choo-choo, and more! Aidan LOVED it, and it was fun to see how enthusiastically he participated!

Inside Sarah's uncle's tractor. Aidan's having a blast.

Aidan's finger fit perfectly into the raspberries - a favorite of his.

Aidan, Sarah, and Taylor. Taylor is our friends' Kelly and Tonje's daughter born 8 months after Aidan.

Tall boy Aidan

People comment all the time on how tall Aidan is for an 18 month old. He is very agile and loves climbing and running--he runs everywhere!
He's a sweet-natured, fun loving kid. He's learning new words and makes funny sounds. He's always looking to laugh and wants to play with us all the time. Actually, we wish he'd play by himself more sometimes. He is very curious about how things work. He loves to play with soap at the kitchen or bathroom sink. Nice to know his hands are frequently clean!

Oslo in July! Here we are near our home by the sea--on a rainy day (what day isn't rainy here?) in early July

May-June 2007--Hi everyone!! I love you!!

Here we are about to leave Lawrence--a great place that we leave with great memories of lots of adventures and wonderful people!

Goofing, etc.

Spring 2007-trip to the Flint Hills

The beautiful plains of Kansas!! We had a fun trip! It was HOT in April!!

On being a mom

What a glorious experience being a parent is!! Every day is a new adventure, and contains another new slice of glorious, fascinating life. Every person that has ever been born is more precious now, because I know how intensely that person has been loved and what it took to birth them. I know unconditional love, and it is the richest love that exists. It is a love that transcends everything, clarifies the deepest philosophical questions, and gives meaning to it all.
The mundane tasks of parenthood are fun, joyful and beautiful to me because they sustain and nourish a little soul. I am more patient, more trusting, more open and more confident, because I have learned that I can go through sleepless nights, childhood illnesses and intense neediness and thrive and grow as a person. I can give even when I don't feel I have more to give. I am more than I thought I was, and I'm glad for everything I have given, as it is an investment in an ever-growing bank account of rich love.
The laughter of children is life-sustaining. The knowledge that my child will soon grow up gives me the perspective I need to prioritize my days. Cleaning the house is not where it's at. Laughing, reading and playing together while the laundry piles up--that's it.
Little intimacies, learning about my child's interests and helping him to develop them--what a gift! Seeing my child's love for animals and his softness with them, that is joy. Making muffins together and watching them bake in the oven, what fun! Making silly sounds and cracking up, yahoo! Sharing family good times, yay!
Aidan, I love you!! Thank you for coming into my life!
V=

Wild names in the wild (mid)west!

Here are some of the names in the baby groups/library story times, etc. in my neighborhood:

All first names, of course!

Cline (boy)
Keegan (boy)
Charisma
Utah (boy)
Poppy (girl)
Arabella
Miracle
Amadeus
Aristotle
Campbell (girl)
Alto (boy)
Levi
Skye
Pippin (girl)
Salem (boy)
Chosen (girl)
Patience (girl)
Indigo (girl)
Jupiter (boy)

Aidan learns to use the computer!

Aidan is our competition for using the computer these days!!

Video!

First birthday!!

Aidan's birthday was great fun. We had the whole Kansas family plus Mormor who had just arrived from Norway, over at our house for a woof-woof (Aidan's first word several months before and his great love) themed party! Mormor made a yummy cake, and everyone made a poster board of handprints and cute messages together. Aidan loved the cake, and a good time was had by all!

Costumes, farms and fun!

We went pumpkin picking with Jeanine, Jacob and Madeline, and Mormor made Aidan a Viking costume for Halloween!! We also went swimming with some of the family, and it was great fun. Aidan loves the water!

In Kansas!

We moved to Kansas in August 06, and lived with Grandma and Papa Waters for 4 months. They love you and we love them! It was great to meet the whole family and get to know Lenexa, Overland Park, Mission and Olathe. You love Pumpkin and Patches, the adorable cats that live with Grandma and Papa, and you explored every nook and cranny of the house. You took your first step at 8 months there, learned to crawl up and down stairs, and said your first words ("woof-woof," "bird," "na-nam," "dada" and "mam") on 101st Street!

Navnefest, or Welcome Fest!

Instead of a circumcision or baptism, we made you a navnefest (in Norwegian it translates into "name festival") to welcome you! Lots of friends joined in, Mormor arranged for the beautiful cake, and we had a great barbeque at Frogner Park! Dad, mom and Mormor all said a few words. Mormor wrote a poem about seeing all the generations in your eyes. Dad also wrote a poem that spoke about our desire to guide and comfort you with all the love and understanding you may need. Mom talked about how important it is to give you the "Five Freedoms" that Virginia Satir talks about, and we all wrote a poem-song that everyone sang.