Mother's Day

We had a nice, quiet, low-key Mother's Day last Sunday.    

After Rory's afternoon nap we walked to the city center to get Chinese take-away.  We took the long, slow route through Old Stavanger - stopping at a couple of playgrounds along the way.  Rory had a great time running down the cobblestone streets and playing.

  

  

Fredag

Another cruise ship came in to the harbor today. This one was not as big as the first, but it did have a face painted on the front/side of it.  We all walked down to the harbor to take a closer look at it.  

Tonight we ate supper on the terrace for the first time.  It is very nice up there, but with the wind it is still a little too cold for me.   

What a day!

Yesterday (Monday, May 11th) was quite a day. A cruise ship out our window, Lille Gym and a school band marching down our street. 

There was a cruise ship outside our window early Monday morning.  Throughout the summer cruise ships stop for the day in the Stavanger harbor.  It was huge!  I didn't think to take a

picture until it was leaving though.  

On Monday mornings, Rory and I attend Lille Gym.  It's sort of like a Gymboree class - with a warm-up song, free-play on

various activities such as trampolines, climbing structures and slides and ending with a game and songs.  Rory has a great time and  it's an opportunity for me to meet other moms.  Rory got a t-shirt the day we signed up and wore it to class  yesterday.

While we were eating supper we heard the sounds of a marching band and Stepler looked out the window.  There was a band marching down the street - a busy street.  They had no escort other than their teachers and no regard for the cars in the street.  Rory really enjoyed the band and wanted more.  We think they were practicing for the parades on Sunday to celebrate Norwegian Independence Day.  We're planning on going to watch the parades.  We've heard it's quite a celebration.   

Picnik collages

Rory's first hair cut -- April, 9, 2009

Easter 2009

Hanging out at the Detroit Airport -- April 15, 2009

Enjoy the weather – Sunday, April 19, 2009

The beginning and end of the nice weather said a Norwegian yesterday.  I hope not.  But we have enjoyed great weather this weekend.  On Saturday we had lots of errands, but we walked to all of them so it was quite nice.  I learned that I cannot get a cell phone (pushing for an i-Phone!) without at least a temporary work number.  That’s quite a downer as it expected to take four-six weeks to get that.  Saturday night we went to Chris’ birthday party and met several other ex-pat couples.  With our hosts’ okay we brought Rory along and she was the only child there so I’m sure they were all glad that we were the first to leave.

Today we enjoyed a walk to and around Mosvatnet Lake in Stavanger.  At our leisurely pace and not knowing exactly where we were going, it took about two hours.  After lunch we played at our apartment’s playground and then tried to put Rory down for a nap.  Not successful with that because she’d napped a bit at the end of our morning walk.  Stepler gave me a driving lesson in the Marathon building’s parking lot.  We’ve rented a car with a manual transmission because we’re considering buying a manual.  I’m going to need lots of practice to get my skills back.

While waiting for our Thai take-away we played at a playground made from old parts of oil rigs.  It’s mostly for bigger kids, but Rory did enjoy crawling through the pipeline.  Tonight Rory's bedtime routine was right on schedule as if we were living our normal life in Houston – which we have not done for a month now.  So we’ll see how the night goes.  All in all she’s adjusted really well to the big time difference and to all the other upheaval of late.                      

The third time’s the charm -- Friday, April 17, 2009

Monday was the day.  The day we were to leave for Norway.  We loaded up the cars (yep, it took cars to hold all our stuff!) and headed for the Tallahassee airport.  There was some serious rain and tornado threats cancelling our flight to Memphis.  So we loaded back up, this time stuffing everything in Mama’s car so Ali could go home and went back to Cairo.  This delay did allow us to have our Zaxbys meal that we’d been wanting.  Mmmmm – wings & things. 

On Tuesday we tried again.  This time our flight out of Tallahassee was still a go, but it had been delayed.  We were getting nervous….but were repeatedly reassured that we’d make our flight to Amsterdam.  Then we were repeatedly told they’d hold the flight for us because there were eight of us on the plane that were going to Amsterdam.  Arriving in Memphis we could see our plane to Amsterdam – by far the biggest airplane at the airport.  I kept it in my sight as we got off the plane and walked inside, it was still just parked at the gate.  But as we ran through the Memphis airport I was pretty sure that I saw it start moving.  Stepler got ahead of me in the race through the airport (I was carrying Rory and a few other things) and he made it to the gate before me.  The plane had not been held and was off for Amsterdam without us.  

So we spent the night in a Memphis hotel and on Wednesday morning flew off to Detroit.  We made it to Detroit with plenty of time to spare – we had lunch and watched a dancing fountain.  Then we boarded our plane and were finally on our way to Europe.  Business class is not the same when flying with a baby, but it still loads better than economy class – where I’m sure I’ll be flying for all subsequent trips across the Atlantic – except for the last one home that Marathon pays for again.  Rory was very good and slept during the sleeping part of the plane ride and even through breakfast right up until just before time to land.  Once in Amsterdam we relaxed a little in the KLM Lounge and Rory had breakfast.  She ate like she hadn’t eaten in days - and hasn’t eaten that well since then.  The flight to Stavanger was easy and then we had to collect our seven bags.  Our taxi driver thought he wouldn’t be able to get it all in his minivan, but somehow it all fit.  We were met by Rita with the relocation company when we arrived at our temporary apartment.  She helped us get our stuff in and showed us the apartment.  She also arranged for a portable crib for Rory because our air shipment was delayed and is not here yet.  Thank goodness for the crib because Rory slept for 14 straight hours on Thursday night.

Stepler went off to work this morning around 8:30.  Rory and I met him and his co-worker Chris and Chris’ wife, Liz, for lunch today.  And now Rory and I are back at the apartment and she’s napping.    

people are curious?

I'm going to try to really get started at this blog - we are getting settled in so I should be able to make some time for it.  I hear "people are curious."  Ha!  Two people.  

Rory and I went to a Marathon wives' lunch today.  It was a nice chance to meet some new people.  Now Rory is napping!  She needs it though since she didn't go to bed until 10:oo last night.  So unlike her.  We're all going to check out a car tonight (everything is open late on Thursdays).  We've got a rental car for now, but our time with it is running out.   

I did write some posts back when we were in our temporary apartment and didn't have internet access.  And didn't have boxes to unpack.  I'll get those up too.