tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38546508855907426592024-03-14T03:30:55.216-06:00So, What Happens Now?Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.comBlogger538125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-88474439320892240502019-08-26T13:46:00.003-06:002019-08-26T14:05:14.557-06:00Act 4: Deseret IndustriesThis post marks my fourth act of service, as well as the 10% mark of my goal of 40 acts of service before I turn 40 next summer. It feels good to be plugging away towards my goal, it feels good to be looking beyond myself a little, and it feels good to know that I am contributing in whatever small ways I can.<br />
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One thing I have begun to enjoy as part of this project, is trying not to hyper-plan everything, and sometimes leaving a little space to see what service opportunies arise as I go about my day. Sometimes that works really well (like donating to Tim's Tiny Toys in my first week), and sometimes that means that I get all the way to Thursday or so without having found a way to serve someone yet. That was what was happening the week before last, and, as I was getting ready for the day, things were feeling a little dire on the old service front. I wanted to do something, but I just couldn't figure out what! That was when I happened to walk into my closet to get dressed, and thought: "there's a lot of stuff I don't wear in here. Why not go through it all and donate what I don't use?"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in my closet with the 26 lbs of clothes I donated to Deseret Industries. </td></tr>
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<span id="goog_933549276"></span><span id="goog_933549277"></span>Friends, I spent the next couple of hours sorting through just about everything in my closet, and I pulled out about 26 lbs (or 12 kg - yes, I <i>absolutely</i> got on the scale with that big sack of clothes!) of clothes that I don't want or wear anymore. And that's not counting the pile of clothes that were too worn to give away. I rediscovered a ton of clothes that I forgot that I owned, and have been enjoying wearing them again. It feels a little funny that instead of feeling like I lost 26 lbs of clothes, I ended up feeling like I gained a lot of new outfits, but such is the human brain. Or at least this human's brain.<br />
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Okay, I'm feeling the need to clarify at this point exactly how I came to have almost 30 lbs of excess clothes just sitting around in my closet. The simple answer is that I keep my clothes for a long time. Case in point: the shirt I'm wearing in that photo is about 7 years old, and the skirt is.... 17 years old. I've always done my own thing style-wise, so my clothes are never really out of style, because they were never actually in style in the first place. So clothes get a much longer shelf life when the only thing you're worrying about is if they are whole, clean and still fit. But it does also mean that things have a tendency to pile up in your closet. Or <i>my </i>closet, as the case may be. The other part of the equation, of course, is that I've had four babies over the lifespan of this particular wardrobe, so my body has been a lot of different shapes and sizes over that time period. As it naturally should.<br />
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I debated a little back and forth about whether or not this "counts" as an act of service, when it clearly benefits me so much, and must just be a drop in the bucket for an organization as big as <a href="https://www.deseretindustries.org/" target="_blank">Deseret Industries</a> (more about them in a minute), but I don't think there is a rule that service can only be a good thing for the recipient, and not for the giver. I quite like the idea of a service transaction where everyone comes out happy. It feels like it sort of balances the scales somehow, if that makes sense.<br />
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I debated a bit back and forth about whether or not I was going to donate to Deseret Industries, given that they are <i>the</i> go-to thrift store and donation point in my area, and I did look around a bit for other organizations to give to. But in the end, convenience and familiarity won out when I found myself on the same street as my local DI with my sack of donations in the trunk. They have a donation <i>drive-through</i>, guys.<br />
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I am happy to support Deseret Industries in their efforts. They're a thrift store, which is just a good and useful thing for any community to have (imagine all of the unnecessary waste going into landfills if we didn't have a way to pass along the things we didn't personally need anymore), and they also have programs that help people prepare for, and find their way into the workforce. They also do a lot of worldwide humanitarian aid. You can r<a href="https://www.deseretindustries.org/what-we-do" target="_blank">ead more about the work Deseret Industries does here</a>, and if you live in the Western United States and want to donate something, you can see their <a href="https://www.deseretindustries.org/donate" target="_blank">donation guidelines here. </a> I should mention that DI is run by my church, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng" target="_blank">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints</a>, but anyone is welcome to donate or volunteer with them.<br />
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All of my service has been fairly anonymous and comfortably faceless up to this point, and I have to admit that I kind of like it that way. I'm nervous that people will think that <i>I</i> think I'm somehow better than the people I'm trying to help, and I'm also just an introverted soul who gets a little uncomfy outside of her comfort zone. In the words of The Animals (although, let's be honest, it will always be <a href="https://vimeo.com/2313954" target="_blank">Nina Simone singing it</a> in my head): "I'm just a soul whose intentions are good, Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood." <i>But</i>, I'm going to try to challenge myself a little bit to serve in ways that are a little more visible and interactive. And outside of my house. ;)<br />
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Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-52839874808295846412019-08-13T12:00:00.001-06:002019-08-13T12:15:10.601-06:00Act 3: American Civil Liberties Union<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">This post is a little late because I found it a little difficult to write - and life is just busy!</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We're down to our last week of summer, and our days are going <i>fast,</i> so we're trying to squeeze in whatever fun we can before school starts in nine days (not that I'm counting (I am <i>totally</i> counting)). We've played in the river up in the mountains, had a picnic in the garden, planted roses, made some art, watched a lot of Avatar, gone to the movies, had lots and lots of friends over and just about eaten our way through a Costco-sized box of ice cream. It has been pretty great!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This past week was busy enough that I probably could have given myself one of the 12 passes I've allowed myself for this year-long project, but I've been distressed enough about the ICE raids and detention centers at the southern border of the United States that I felt like I had to do something. As an immigrant and a non-citizen myself (I'm a permanent resident of the United States), I tend to keep my head down where politics are concerned, especially immigration politics. I'm uncomfortably aware of the privileges I enjoy as a white European immigrant whose foreignness is more charming than it is threatening. The Americans around me have met me with nothing but friendship, love and inclusion, and I am reluctant to come across as an ungrateful or critical guest - which, at the end of the day, is essentially what I am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But it hurts to see families being separated and people suffering in inhumane conditions. And I feel such a need to do <i>something</i>. So I donated to the American Civil Liberties Union. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Listen, I originally wrote quite a long post about my thoughts and feelings in regards to the current immigration situation. But it didn't feel quite right somehow, so I let it sit for a few days while I tried to work out why, and this is what I came up with: I don't want to be divisive. I see a lot of problems in our society stemming from our propensity to divide ourselves into "us and them," and it causes nothing but more hard feelings and bitterness. I know the loveliest people on both sides of The Great American Political Divide, who say the unloveliest things about people on the other side. But we're not going to improve <i>anything</i> by pointing fingers, dishing out blame and "othering" our neighbors to the point that we can't talk to each other. We need to build bridges across the divide, find common ground and a common purpose to work towards. To go a bit John Lennon: "it's easy if you try."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, back to the American Civil Liberties Union. I chose to donate to them this week because I believe they are an organization that is genuinely seeking to bridge that divide. In essence, the ACLU is an organization that works within the court system and legislature to "</span><span style="color: #423a38;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country". They are both non-profit and non-partisan. </span><a href="https://www.aclu.org/about-aclu" style="caret-color: rgb(66, 58, 56); font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">You can read more about the ACLU and what they do here</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Sometimes I completely agree with the cases they take on (voters rights! Privacy protections! Religious </span>freedom!<span style="font-family: inherit;">), and sometimes </span>they're<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>defending<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the rights of </span>individuals<span style="font-family: inherit;"> or </span>organizations<span style="font-family: inherit;"> that are completely reprehensible </span>beyond<span style="font-family: inherit;"> comprehension to me (like the Ku Klux Klan...). But I admire that they are willing to work to ensure that no one's </span>constitutional rights are being violated and that everyone is treated fairly. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #423a38;">As someone who believes laws and fairness, they are an organization that really resonates with me. So, you can imagine, that when I learned that they are working to protect the rights of immigrants, I felt really good about donating some money to ensure that everyone gets a fair hearing. I like that the ACLU are working towards both helping individuals have proper representation now, as well as seeking longterm solutions through advocating for necessary changes in legislature. I'm happy to add my small drop to that bucket. <a href="https://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights" target="_blank">You can read more about immigrants' rights from the ACLU here</a> - and I recommend that you do. Being informed is key. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #423a38;"><b>Bonus!</b> One of my friends from college is now a teacher and an education advocate extraordinaire. Her hard work and passion for helping her students is nothing short of inspiring. So when she posted on her facebook page about preparing for a new school year with 36 kids in her class, many of which come from <span style="caret-color: rgb(66, 58, 56);">pretty tough backgrounds, I sent her a little donation for "pencils, Kleenex and Diet Coke". Teachers are incredible people. Go love on one today. </span></span>Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-61612455591286534592019-08-02T15:20:00.002-06:002019-08-02T15:20:11.685-06:00Act 2: House of Hope<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four babies' worth of maternity clothes.</td></tr>
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This week I donated my maternity clothes to the <a href="http://www.houseofhopeut.org/" target="_blank">House of Hope</a>. Let's briefly put a pin in the implications of any woman giving away her pregnancy wardrobe (I promise I'll get back to that!), and focus on the ladies at the House of Hope for a moment.<br />
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The House of Hope is a non-profit, residential treatment facility for women dealing with substance abuse. What I find particularly valuable about the House of Hope is that it is a facility where the women are able to bring their children to stay with them while they receive treatment. Keeping families together whenever possible is so vitally important, and must take away so much stress and anxiety for the women, allowing them the necessary headspace to focus on their treatment. I especially love that the kids receive therapeutic care too. So many of them have been through so much, and both need and deserve to address the challenges that living with an addicted parent has brought to their little lives.<br />
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I don't have a lot of personal experience with substance abuse addiction, but I have felt its effects close enough to know how devastating it can be for a family, especially for children. And I do know what an ongoing struggle it can be, both for the addict and for everyone who loves them. So when moms and their little ones decide that they're ready to fight this dragon, I feel like the least we can do is help and support them in whatever small ways we can.<br />
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I first discovered House of Hope several months ago, when a neighbor was collecting donations for them. I didn't participate then, but looked at the <a href="http://www.houseofhopeut.org/get-involved/in-kind-donation/" target="_blank">wish list</a> on their website, and noted that maternity clothes were on it, and decided that that's what I wanted to do with my own pregnancy wardrobe when the time came to pass it along.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First baby!</td></tr>
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Although we have felt for a long time that Elijah is our grand finale, it has taken me a while to fully make peace with the fact that I'll never those maternity clothes again, because I'll never be pregnant again. I'll never meet a brand-new human and hold them in my arms, knowing that they are <i>ours</i> again. No more quiet moments with a sleepy newborn. No more watching my older kids fall utterly head-over-heels in love with a new little sibling. It's a lot to say goodbye to.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were so excited and so ready! to be parents. </td></tr>
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And yet: it's time. Both for all of the logical reasons I know in my head:<br />
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<li>That's a lot of 9 lb babies and c-sections for one body! </li>
<li>We're getting old and that window of fertility is just getting smaller and smaller. </li>
<li>I can't keep having babies just because I love newborns. </li>
<li>One high-risk pregnancy was plenty.</li>
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and the reasons I feel in my heart:<br />
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<li>It feels <i>great</i> to own my own body again. </li>
<li>I'm excited to see what life holds for me after the tiny kid stage. </li>
<li>It just feels like we're complete now.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After baby number one we went from professional maternity photos to selfies in the bathroom.<br />No less excited and delighted about adding each new little person to our family, though.</td></tr>
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So while it is a little bittersweet to say goodbye to those special clothes and everything they symbolize to me, it feels like a gift and a privilege to be able to pass them along to a group of mamas that are fighting such a tough and valiant battle. I'm so impressed and inspired by the efforts and sacrifices they are making to give their babies a better life.Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-25157608864009483472019-07-28T21:24:00.002-06:002019-07-28T21:43:05.963-06:00Act 1: Tiny Tim's Toys<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you, Tim's Tiny Toys!</td></tr>
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I entered into this week with a solid plan for an act of service I've been wanting to do for a long time, but then that didn't quite work out the way I thought it would, and I found myself casting about for a new way to make myself useful to someone.<br />
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I made it all the way to Friday before finally settling on what I wanted to do. I think the combination of it being my first week and wanted to start things well, and the service I had planned to do not quite panning out was throwing me off a little. It was hard to find something that felt like just the right thing to kick this off this year of service. Which is silly, because all good things are good things, right? Every drop in the bucket counts!</div>
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In the end, instead of me finding "just the right thing", just the right thing found me. </div>
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I took the kids out to lunch on Friday, which is pretty unheard of, because I try at all costs to avoid taking them anywhere on my own. But on Friday I just wanted a salad and to not have to make anyone another ham sandwich, so I loaded them all up and took them to Culver's where we were all happily snarfing down our lunches when a very nice gentleman came up and introduced himself, and asked if he could give the kids some toys. He then went on to explain that he was a volunteer with an organization called <a href="http://www.tinytimstoys.org/" target="_blank">Tiny Tim's Toys</a>, and their sole purpose is to make toys and give them to kids. He clarified that they usually bring them to kids around who don't typically have access to toys, as well as to children in hospital. And sometimes, they like to give them to local kids, just because. It's all volunteer run, and no one gets paid. Obviously, (although this gentleman didn't even so much as hint at it) they rely pretty heavily on donations to keep it all going. If you're local, you might also like to know that they invite volunteer groups to come in and help them make the toys. </div>
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After my three lucky kids had each been given a nicely made wooden car, I knew that supporting <a href="http://www.tinytimstoys.org/" target="_blank">Tiny Tim's Toys</a> would be my first act of service. So I looked them up online, found that they accept donations via PayPal and sent a little love their way. Who doesn't love an organization whose sole purpose is making kids happy? </div>
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Before Tiny Tim came along and saved the day, I did a little research into ways to volunteer and serve from home, and found a lot of ways to contribute. There are <i>so</i> many ways to make a difference and opportunities to do good, that it is honestly a little overwhelming! Fortunately, I've given myself a whole year and a minimum of 40 opportunities to try some of them, so it's really just a matter of picking something and making it happen. Here's a little taste of what I found:<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>I started with Just Serve. <a href="https://www.justserve.org/" target="_blank">Just Serve</a> is a service opportunity hub where organizations can post their volunteer needs, and volunteers can see where and how they can serve in their communities. You should know that the website is run by my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), but you should also know that it is available to anyone, <a href="https://www.justserve.org/about" target="_blank">regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation</a>. There are a lot of opportunies to dig into there, although I did notice that a lot of them are looking for ongoing volunteer relationships, rather than one-off service opportunities. </li>
<li>Operation Warm (a great organization that I will be looking into later) offered this list of <a href="https://www.operationwarm.org/blog/25-volunteer-jobs-to-do-from-home/" target="_blank">25 volunteer jobs to do from home</a>. A few cool ones that stood out to me: transcribe historical documents for the Smithsonian, knit or crochet afghan squares for Warm Up America, write a note for someone undergoing chemo therapy, volunteer to translate for Translators Without Borders. At 25 items, it's not the most comprehensive list out there, but it's got some items that seems both fun and worthwhile. </li>
<li>Smiliar to Just Serve, <a href="https://createthegood.org/" target="_blank">Create The Good </a> connects volunteers with volunteer opportunities. Create the Good is run by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), so there are a few things I'm not old enough for (ha!), but otherwise there is a good variety of ways to get involved. </li>
</ul>
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I'll leave it there for now, but hopefully I can come back with more volunteer ideas and opportunities as I go. See you next week!</div>
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Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-38067715859609275802019-07-17T12:02:00.001-06:002019-07-17T12:02:36.237-06:0040 Acts of Service<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhForCV0IkFex5pjgXlavJ7zL6-4I70-ea_T8UfGmvSfOgrqdMzV42DofvKP98eHVu9RXnPd-QHTZtQcRFmSaU7SK-3CwuEY0ZpjkwBlRAzT8DHg_RY4nFiedaBUxRdWMoy3i9Z6F6bWsE/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhForCV0IkFex5pjgXlavJ7zL6-4I70-ea_T8UfGmvSfOgrqdMzV42DofvKP98eHVu9RXnPd-QHTZtQcRFmSaU7SK-3CwuEY0ZpjkwBlRAzT8DHg_RY4nFiedaBUxRdWMoy3i9Z6F6bWsE/s400/IMG_5271.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my face, preparing for The (slightly less) Big 39.</td></tr>
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I'll be 39 tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Birthdays always make me a little contemplative and navel gazey, but this one even more so. Of course I've been thinking about getting older, noticing more little lines on my face that I know will only get deeper, and knowing that I'm well on my way from being a young person to a middle aged person, regardless of how old I actually feel.<br />
<br />
My uncle (who is in his 70s) says I'm still young, so there.<br />
<br />
Having accumulated a degree, a husband, four children, a house (and a mortgage!) and am impressive array of household goods, I feel like I've managed to check the majority of the boxes you're "supposed to" have done by this point in life, and I have to admit I feel quite good about that.<br />
<br />
Mine is a good life, and I am so very grateful for it. It hasn't always been an <i>easy</i> life, as just having celebrated the third birthday of our little boy who is no longer here reminds us, but oh!: it's a <i>good</i>, rich and beautiful life I have been given.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to the biggest thing I have been thinking about in regards to my birthday: when I have been given so much, what am I giving back? I believe in service. I believe in taking part in your community and giving back where you can. I believe in "if not me, then who? If not now, then when?" As a Christian, I believe in " Inasmuch as ye have done it into one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me*". I believe that that world is not going to get any better unless we stand up and do something.<br />
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So I have decided that my 39th year is going to be my year of standing up and doing something.<br />
<br />
I want to celebrate my 40th birthday next July, knowing that I have made a contribution to this world, and that I have made service and philanthropy part of who I am. I want my children to see that part of being a human is stepping up and taking responsibility, maybe especially when it's not glamorous or fun.<br />
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I'm throwing it back old school with a good old-fashioned Project Project project (remember when I used to do those?) where I will undertake something and then write about it as I go.<br />
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Here is the plan:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I will make this coming year, leading up to my 40th birthday a personal year of service. </li>
<li>Over the space of that year, I will perform at least 40 acts of service of varying size and intensity, at a rate of roughly one per week (that leaves 12 opportunities for life to get busy, or for an act of service to stretch over several weeks if necessary). </li>
<li>When a cash donation is the best way to support a cause or organization, I'll give money. However, I am making it a rule for myself that I can't just give money every week. Giving money is easy, and I want to engage more deeply with the various people and organizations I come across this year. I'd like to learn, to get involved and get my hands a little dirty. Also our finances might not be able to handle me giving our money away every week. </li>
<li>Each act of service has to be a new one. If I fall in love with an organization or a way to serve along the way and want to keep working with them, that's wonderful. I'll keep doing that. However, I will not be counting an ongoing relationship as a new act of service. I want to find 40 <i>new</i> ways to serve. </li>
<li>Every time I serve, I will write a blogpost about it. I'll do this so I can have a record of what should be a pretty memorable year, so you can follow along if you're interested, and also so I can highlight a number of organizations and individuals trying to make a difference in the world. Maybe this could even help some of you will find an organization that you'd like to work with too?</li>
</ul>
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And that's it!</div>
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Before I end, I really want to highlight that I'm not doing this so you'll think I'm wonderful. I'm doing this to fulfill a strong desire that <i>I</i> have to contribute. Serving others makes me happy, and has been a lifeline to me at several difficult stages of my life. I'm happy when I'm busy, and happy when I feel useful. So while you could say that this whole thing is almost a little selfishly motivated, say that because I'm doing something that I love, not because I'm trying to attract your attention to how great I think I am. And hopefully, once your attention has been attracted, we can quickly deflect it to all of the great ways that you serve too. </div>
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Thanks for reading! I'm excited for you to help keep me accountable in the year to come. And if you happen to know of any great organizations that I might want to look into, locally or globally, please let me know. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Matt 25:40</span>Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-30486650361115139622019-04-01T11:36:00.001-06:002019-04-01T11:36:46.791-06:00Elijah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw3qYOXfCZjtuaUxF9vvmNEw9rwH02tQWNd1xyzCMTZO5B762EsfLKhhBdrS6EhVekiCSri8shurf0oenOQy-xiYk4KcCBIKmtXbIeyU2l2KSvCsaQDSPrmcRxzDnv0aLvC9MGrJ2UKc/s1600/IMG_2686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw3qYOXfCZjtuaUxF9vvmNEw9rwH02tQWNd1xyzCMTZO5B762EsfLKhhBdrS6EhVekiCSri8shurf0oenOQy-xiYk4KcCBIKmtXbIeyU2l2KSvCsaQDSPrmcRxzDnv0aLvC9MGrJ2UKc/s640/IMG_2686.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elijah at eight months old. </td></tr>
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<br />
Before I can write about much of anything else around here, I have to tell you about our newest family member: Elijah.<br />
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He's somehow already eight months old, and planted solidly at the heart of our family. We absolutely adore this happy, wild little kid with his easy smile and goodnatured little ways. Espen half-jokingly calls him "The King", which, considering the way we schedule our days around his needs, sneak around quietly while he's napping and let him eat from our plates, is really not too far from the truth. Fortunately, Elijah adores us right back, and is never happier than when his siblings include him in their games and make him one of the gang. He loves singing, tickling, roughhousing, walks in the stroller, taking a bath and going to bed. Above all, Elijah loves food and eating and all activities that include those two things.<br />
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In other words, Elijah is a pretty standard baby. But what feels completely non-standard (although, of course, most of us feel this way about our own kids) is how much sheer joy and happiness this little person has brought into our lives. I rejoice in being his mama each and every day.<br />
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And that is something that has felt different this time around: now that we're not completely overwhelmed by the terrifying newness of parenthood, or utterly exhausted by having two tiny people under three to chase after, having a baby is actually a genuinely delightful thing. Okay, at this juncture I feel like I need to clarify that <i>all of our babies </i>have been delightful little sources of enormous joy, and being their mom has been my absolute favorite thing in life. But this feels like the first time in my journey in motherhood where I a) am not utterly overwhelmed by other little people that need constant care and supervision, and b) I just feel comfortable and confident in my own abilities as a mom. I know what I'm doing! I've got this! And I think that a happy and comfortable mom makes for a happy and comfortable baby, so we have just fallen into a routine that is, well... happy and comfortable.<br />
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Of course it's not all sunshine and rainbows: Elijah' nap schedule is constantly getting messed with because I have to wake him to pick Gwen up from school or to take kids to their after school activities. Sometimes he wakes up at 4 in the morning for no discernible reason and decides to squawk in his bed for the next 90 minutes. Sometimes I don't get a shower because I have to hold my teething, and therefor, screaming baby <u>all</u> <u>day</u> <u>long</u>. But, I know how to do those things. Even when it's hard, it's never actually impossible. Sometimes I do have to call in the cavalry (which usually means Nick) because I just can't be multiple people in multiple places at once, but nine out of ten times, I find a way.<br />
<br />
It has to be said that Elijah gets a lot of the credit for all this happiness and contentment around these parts. He is just an unusually happy, chill and easy baby. He gets fussy when he's hungry or tired, but other than that, he's really just a remarkably "good" baby: he's friendly and loves people, he loves to eat, he's happy to play on his own, he's been sleeping through the night since he was about 4 months old, he actually gets excited when we put him in his carseat, and the list goes on. 90% of the time, Elijah is just a joyful little soul, and the other 10% is generally when we've kept him awake for too long, or he's hungry*. You know, user errors.<br />
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So, that is our Elijah. At a stage in our life when so many of our peers are raising teenagers and squaring up to the possibility of becoming grandparents in a few short years, we feel so happy and lucky to back in the world of nap time and diapers. Being a parent has been such a huge blessing in my life, and I absolutely love that we get a few more years in that priceless "little kid" phase before they all grow up on us. Elijah is our grand finale, and we couldn't be happier he's here.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Also, when I don't let him play with my earrings. </span>Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-54823054034716908742019-03-07T11:35:00.002-07:002019-03-07T11:35:11.154-07:00Pottery Analogies and The Enemy of Good.Okay, gang: I am just going to sit down and write something, just so that I have written something. I've thought about writing a new post pretty much daily since my last post six-ish weeks ago. I have this problem, you see, that I want the things I write to be good and beautiful and engaging and funny and wise, and when I am a mere mortal who is woefully out of practice with this whole writing/blogging thing, that can be a tall order.<br />
<br />
Honestly, this is a common theme in my life: I don't like to do things if I can't do them well, so I don't do them at all, and guess what that means? <i>I don't actually do any of the things I want to</i>. Which is kind of a rubbish way to live.<br />
<br />
Someone once said that "perfection is the enemy of good", and someone else said that "perfection is the enemy of done", and I have been thinking a lot about the truth of both of those statements. Because what good is always striving for perfection, if it means that your lofty goals are so paralyzing that you don't actually accomplish them, or even anything like them? What good does it do me to aspire to be a person who writes, if I don't actually write anything longer than my own signature?<br />
<br />
There are ways to deal with this, I think. I've been taking a pottery class for the past 18 months or so, and I can promise you that exactly <i>nothing </i>I produce is like the flawless ideal I have in my head. I'm getting better as I go, but there is a definite wonk to just about all of my pieces. Sometimes that's difficult for someone like me who struggles with being bad at things, but I enjoy pottery so much that I'm willing to not be good at it, just so I can keep learning. There is so much value in being good at being bad at something, and it's a skill I really want to learn.<br />
<br />
Here's the kicker, though: I'm actually not a bad writer. If I may be ever so humble, I would even go as fas as to say that writing might be one of my few natural gifts. I started writing for my own enjoyment more or less as soon as I could write, and I really haven't stopped until just a few years ago, when <a href="http://www.tamsinnorth.com/2017/03/piran.html" target="_blank">life</a> knocked my feet out from under me to the point that it has taken me years to find them again. But I am so out of practice now, that it <i>feels</i> like writing is something I'm no longer good at. I suspect that those same principles I'm learning at my pottery class apply to writing as well: just like the wonky pots I produce at the pottery wheel, there are going to be some wonky posts while I relearn how to do this thing.<br />
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Hopefully this means that at some point I'll write an actual post, instead of just a series of posts about how I'm going to write a real post "sometime real soon, guys!" I feel as self-conscious about putting this out into the world as I do about showing anyone my pottery (which probably explains why I have given away exactly <i>one </i>bowl to a friend who is as loving and supportive as they come), but I think it has to be done. So consider this post my somewhat wonky offering to you, my loving and supportive friend.<br />
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<br />Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-19381976187590014322019-01-18T14:00:00.001-07:002019-01-18T14:00:30.173-07:00Writing Again<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtUEy2JiRkIrXCli3o6ncJxa9ENrS7NXHkxzuE6flCxgAK2CWUNsvWsSP-49DMUXjg-nVqB6RUpm8VKz9J5AeR_r6pevMzccBNPb0NzK2K51uBWrqNPvSEd8ntGkdVzoTQREap2wzhyphenhyphenk/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtUEy2JiRkIrXCli3o6ncJxa9ENrS7NXHkxzuE6flCxgAK2CWUNsvWsSP-49DMUXjg-nVqB6RUpm8VKz9J5AeR_r6pevMzccBNPb0NzK2K51uBWrqNPvSEd8ntGkdVzoTQREap2wzhyphenhyphenk/s400/FullSizeRender.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still here, still posting makeup-less selfies. </td></tr>
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I have a quiet house to myself on a January afternoon, which seems like as good a time as any to shyly and slyly mark my return to writing and blogging after an absence so long that we have had time to add a whole other human to our family (the run on sentences are still here, though, don't you worry). More about him soon - he <i>is</i> pretty great.<br />
<br />
I haven't been writing because I haven't known quite what to say. I've been in doubt as to whether or not I actually have anything worthwhile or constructive to contribute to the never-ending conversation that is the internet. I have certainly left behind any aspirations I ever had to be a lifestyle blogger (you know, like an influencer, only five years ago) and guide you all with my sage opinions about succulents and how to style a bookshelf.<br />
<br />
But here I am, after everything that has happened and all the time that has passed since this blog was a pretty substantial part of my everyday, tentatively brushing away the metaphorical cobwebs and wondering if <i>now</i> might possibly be the time?<br />
<br />
I never stopped writing in my head. I thought about sitting down and typing words into this computer for weeks and months and probably even a couple of years. The words kept on forming and chaining themselves together in my mind, even when I just allowed them to leave as simply as they came.<br />
<br />
I want to start keeping some of them now. I want to catch hold of some of those words before they drift away and see if I can turn them into something worthwhile. I don't know what that's going to look like. I feel out of practice, like the words are all stiff and not quite my own yet. But I want to <i>try</i>. I might write three blog posts and let this whole thing drift into hibernation again. I might start an internet revolution with my prolific and inspirational wordsmithery. I might write a book. I might fail a lot, but I'm going to try even more.<br />
<br />
Whatever this becomes, this is where it begins. Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-47136190593180751892017-09-20T12:20:00.001-06:002017-09-20T12:20:05.393-06:00Here we are! Now where?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObwlJkj5K2zauwK6UW8bcKY6yVEo26SZKwTP2gtAeK0p9GuKwNBRaD5XWCp3oHaiyK9RVezFJ4SroNMTh-M3XFsH8jCRFP8RMh0HFQq7EgJDoEBkkFtwsjU0cVyAqjZfbb5cxItLO4xY/s1600/IMG_7941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObwlJkj5K2zauwK6UW8bcKY6yVEo26SZKwTP2gtAeK0p9GuKwNBRaD5XWCp3oHaiyK9RVezFJ4SroNMTh-M3XFsH8jCRFP8RMh0HFQq7EgJDoEBkkFtwsjU0cVyAqjZfbb5cxItLO4xY/s640/IMG_7941.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, it was either going to be a picture of me or a mood-setting photo of a keyboard.</td></tr>
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<br />
Writing this second post after breaking a long silence feels a bit like recording that all-important second album: some performance anxiety, a little bit of an identity crisis, and a strong sense that just about anything is better than nothing. If I can just put <i>something</i> out there, I can start cranking out blog posts like Frank Zappa released albums in no time.<br />
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One of the trickiest things is deciding exactly what it is I want to write about. On the one hand, I am still thinking about and processing a lot of things in connection with losing our son, but I'm apprehensive to write too much about that here. I'm afraid that people will read my writing and think I am in a much, much darker place than I really am, and consequently worry about me (or be afraid of me!), when really, most of the time I am fine.<br />
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On the other hand, I don't want to write fun and frothy stuff and then have people think that I got over the loss of our baby like it was no big deal. It's not something I'm ever going to "get through", "get over" or "put behind me". It's something that will always be with me, but I have learned a lot about how to carry it during these past 14 months. But that doesn't mean that I don't want to be able to write fun and frothy things if that's what I feel like doing. I have learned that I am a fundamentally happy person, and I can't be afraid to let that show.<br />
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<u>Summary so far</u>: I don't want to be too dark, but I also don't want to be too light, but I also-<i>also</i> want to be able to be light <i>or</i> dark as the mood strikes.<br />
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"But Tamsin", I hear you saying, "your blog is for you, and you shouldn't care what people think! Write what you want to write!" I agree completely. And yet blogging is a fickle beast. As much as I tell myself that I am just writing for me, the reality is that I know that everything I post here will be read by an audience of a few hundred people. And I have chosen that! <i>I have a blog because I want people to read what I write. </i>If I wanted to write strictly for me, I would keep a journal or a really big, angst-ridden document folder on my laptop.<br />
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(The irony of writing a post this incoherent about how I write to be read is not lost on me, PS.)<br />
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<u>Bottom line (or at least bottom paragraph)</u>: I've been through a life-changing event, so my blog is going to have to change with me. I <b>promise</b> it's not going to be all doom and gloom from here on out, but I also promise to talk a little more about the experiences I've had and the things I have gained from them. There will be knitting posts and food posts and maybe some travel posts. There probably won't be a lot of Pinterest worthy tutorials or posts about how you too can be as amazing and put-together as I am, because heaven knows the last thing you need is one more woman on the internet telling you how to live your life.<br />
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I will try to be fair and truthful and kind in my writing, because heaven also knows we could all use a little more of that.<br />
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I'll write again soon! xoxTamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-79433504889496160182017-09-07T17:10:00.000-06:002017-09-07T17:10:14.417-06:00A beginning<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEtpoYxiNr3K__08ArVpHsYMUwLC4_9idjuU-DNNbQfdf6KIj92dx7_7E_Bg9B08GFZCJvT6pnoMbz2gIDp2G80dejzSGxBogh2KXaHJ4hTRfqIC3aYZlxQZkDuK1tsJ_Jbrj7gtMmeY/s1600/DSC07295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEtpoYxiNr3K__08ArVpHsYMUwLC4_9idjuU-DNNbQfdf6KIj92dx7_7E_Bg9B08GFZCJvT6pnoMbz2gIDp2G80dejzSGxBogh2KXaHJ4hTRfqIC3aYZlxQZkDuK1tsJ_Jbrj7gtMmeY/s640/DSC07295.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling happy in a garden in England.</td></tr>
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I have a little quiet time to myself today, and I am using it to write. I've wanted to write again for such a long time, but haven't felt quite ready. I think I'm ready now. <div>
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When our little son Piran died, I took a big step back from my life. In order to survive those first days and weeks and months, I had to keep everything very small and very simple. Just the basics of being a mom to my children and, once I gained a little strength, a wife to my husband. Occasionally a friend. That was all I could manage. </div>
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Now some time has passed and I am feeling ready to take that step forwards into my life again. To be interested in things, to take on projects and to say yes to so many things. I have put up a lot of walls and barriers in the past 14 months and kept a lot of good people at an arm's length, but now I believe it's time for those walls to come down and for me to start reaching out a little bit again. </div>
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It's scary. </div>
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It makes me feel a little vulnerable, and I <i>hate</i> feeling vulnerable. But I have spent so much time over the past year feeling fragile and broken and lonely, and I don't want to feel that way anymore. I don't want to be a living ghost, and I don't want to be a passenger in my own life. </div>
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We spent five weeks as a family in England (with my mum!) this summer, which is a separate and genuinely happy story. We had a <i>wonderful</i> time. But I mention it now because there were a few moments on that trip that became little turning points for me. One was when we were walking along the street in London together, and I just suddenly felt completely <i>present</i> in myself. For the first time in months and months, I was part of that moment and able to do and enjoy everything that we were doing. Even though we weren't doing anything actually physically incredible, in that moment I just felt strong and capable and whole again. And it showed me that I didn't have to stay fragile and broken for ever. </div>
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There were other, similar experiences like that: Playing on the beach with my kids and feeling completely happy. Discovering a new garden (like in the picture above). Hiking along a windy clifftop path and watching the moon rise with my husband. All little moments of joy, contentment, discovery and wonder that made me feel whole and like I was exactly where I wanted to be.</div>
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I think these moments would have happened at home too. But an extended trip away with the people I love most was an excellent catalyst to help me return home with the sure knowledge that my life is here for me to claim and live and love. </div>
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So, that's what I'm going to try to do. Our little boy isn't here with us, so there will always be some hard days. We miss him <i>so</i> much. But there are so many other days to fill with family, friends, love, learning, passion, interest, goodness and life. That's where I'm going next. </div>
Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-80213795020710991252017-03-10T11:06:00.001-07:002017-03-10T11:06:43.182-07:00Piran<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyLtFljO2bXA0v-0prbMlPQJ7dG8pDZCducvUnVYoofYwNj8qD-2lAH55gD85KXLVK728HN1N2GgjMpIycjYXn3s6kxEHnlRtWR1kAZM1_LkcM7K6cYpqrJjuf2Xhaj3SNKWw-Pi6mdk/s1600/North.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyLtFljO2bXA0v-0prbMlPQJ7dG8pDZCducvUnVYoofYwNj8qD-2lAH55gD85KXLVK728HN1N2GgjMpIycjYXn3s6kxEHnlRtWR1kAZM1_LkcM7K6cYpqrJjuf2Xhaj3SNKWw-Pi6mdk/s640/North.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
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I have been writing and rewriting this for months now. Trying to find the words that have failed me for so long while simultaneously sifting through all the words that need so much to be said. I have so much to say, and so few words to say it with.<br />
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Our son died.<br />
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Our sweet baby Piran came into and left this world so quickly and quietly, he slipped through our fingers like a little ray of sunlight. He was born one day and gone the very next.<br />
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My life and everything I loved was torn into a million pieces that day. That is how it felt. Grief filled every inch of our existence. The pain of losing our little boy was so intense it was physical. Seeing my two older children experience grief and pain <i>that I couldn't take away</i> <i>or protect them from</i> was beyond unbearable. I couldn't see how I, my family or our life could ever be whole again.<br />
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But as the minutes grew into days and the days into weeks, I saw that the best things in my life were unbreakable. Our little family pulled together and carried each other through those darkest days. Sometimes we cried and ached together, but mostly we learned to live and laugh and be joyful again. If possible, I love my children (all three of them) more deeply than ever before. My husband and I realized quickly that losing Piran would either bring us together or tear us apart, and we chose to turn to each other. And we continue to choose each other as we make our way together through this world that will never be quite the same again. I am quite private about my faith, but it belongs here, among the best things in my life. It has carried me, held my head above the unrelenting waves of grief, shown me that there is light in the darkness. When I have needed it, heaven has been so, <i>so</i> close.<br />
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It has been eight months now. Most of our days are good days: normal, happy and busy days filled with normal, happy and busy family life. We make Piran part of our conversations and include him in our every day.. He is ours and we love him. But not a day goes by where I don't ache for him. I often cry and cry for the little boy that I hold in my heart instead of my arms. If that is troubling to you, please remember that <i>he is my son</i>. What else could I possibly do? But just as I am learning to make room for myself to feel and to grieve, I'm also learning to set that aside when I need to. It doesn't help or honor Piran to lose myself in sadness. And sometimes I just need to dry my tears, wash my face and pick Gwen up from preschool. Life keeps on happening, and I want and choose to be part of it.<br />
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The worst thing that could ever happen has happened to our family. It hurts so much, and I was afraid it was going to destroy us. But it didn't. It hasn't. It won't. We are still standing, and we stand together. <i>All</i> of us.Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-89393463994264322972016-03-11T17:59:00.001-07:002016-03-11T18:00:30.026-07:00Espen's Science Birthday Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Seeing as we're already in birthday mode, I thought I'd show you some pictures from the kids' birthday parties that both happened over the last few months. First up is Espen's science birthday party!<br />
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The theme of my life right now seems to be that I need to learn how to simplify things. I'm just too tired and grumpy to be really fun right now! So Espen's party was definitely a bit scaled back in a lot of ways.<br />
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To start with, instead of designing all of the invitations and party decor myself (or with the help of design savvy friends), I came across this fully printable, <a href="http://www.paperandcake.com/products-page/anytime-parties/science-printable-birthday-party/" target="_blank">science party kit from Paper and Cake</a>. The design was much closer to what I had in mind than anything I was able to find online (a lot of what I saw seemed to imply that you either have to be mad or nerdy to like science, which is honestly kind of lame), and I liked that it was such a complete package that I ponied up the cash and thanked my lucky stars that we have a decent printer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsprf0cggf_P6EWEojcqWHyr3uHNW0k1zyvRgudi9tofCjaEiAjaZe9Qet_XGe0rl3xM628XPQSrYP7H41tReAuHMGWrs4K78ZtjwA6FGL3FjHz_IEpMbb-tjph0Ii59uqEJahv2R5nw/s1600/DSC06055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsprf0cggf_P6EWEojcqWHyr3uHNW0k1zyvRgudi9tofCjaEiAjaZe9Qet_XGe0rl3xM628XPQSrYP7H41tReAuHMGWrs4K78ZtjwA6FGL3FjHz_IEpMbb-tjph0Ii59uqEJahv2R5nw/s640/DSC06055.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Birthday Boy himself liked his party, so that's a win. </td></tr>
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We kept the decorations really simple, and didn't really do much beyond this banner and a few signs here and there. In the past, we have always done helium balloons as decorations and party favors, but Espen and his friends just seemed a little too old for that this year (sniff, sniff). The kit comes with a million billion cute things you can cut out and make decorations from, but we just didn't feel the need for a 90 minute party for a gang of kindergarteners. As long as there is cake and friends, they're happy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FGVT_8yV9mAVbye-7g-hsGU27Vpi6e2u1JSsky_RdKvikKmVi20WCMheRKcoBusVNQHzAO-5HnhVOVLjKOjBDCx6hWokavvbu2D26B-67OAL2FpcOwCgEvc_Aq8iITk0dNZ8k6csi4M/s1600/IMG_1239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FGVT_8yV9mAVbye-7g-hsGU27Vpi6e2u1JSsky_RdKvikKmVi20WCMheRKcoBusVNQHzAO-5HnhVOVLjKOjBDCx6hWokavvbu2D26B-67OAL2FpcOwCgEvc_Aq8iITk0dNZ8k6csi4M/s640/IMG_1239.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodness, this picture is <i>awful</i>, but it does show you what the banner looks like!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavIUx8IueJV2Q6pFqCNZqKyzFHalm0KMp4FAu2OwSudqhs3KPfwIbRnHjnQoJ-D0PDN18is2fa4Ytlm5YgzSte4kQRU1tsDvGC30XIKid8tyaUtZkfl6-K6BBljBEi1ueTlErz5i4hWA/s1600/DSC06059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavIUx8IueJV2Q6pFqCNZqKyzFHalm0KMp4FAu2OwSudqhs3KPfwIbRnHjnQoJ-D0PDN18is2fa4Ytlm5YgzSte4kQRU1tsDvGC30XIKid8tyaUtZkfl6-K6BBljBEi1ueTlErz5i4hWA/s640/DSC06059.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacteria blobs: jello and sprinkled in petri dishes.</td></tr>
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While we kept our party decor simple, we did put some thought and effort into the food, including all the hokey names on the little labels. I tracked down some food-safe petri dishes (like these ones on Amazon, except I found them a little cheaper locally) and filled them with jello. Then we added sprinkles while the jello was still setting, so the colors bled and left a kind of cool, bacteria growth-looking effect. These were definitely the hit of the party!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginK15CFwpVXle3jmB6uj9tMrMVBNIy6ezwWgc5KDKC0hGbPjEkVOB_5QwM5IX3sisQCLp2UTYDXQu3dvXyR3xT972oulK1XdKuPb-L-jO8_gTeqKLLx_bODZ5N_RDIp0_2MNzbnuxIKo/s1600/DSC06063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginK15CFwpVXle3jmB6uj9tMrMVBNIy6ezwWgc5KDKC0hGbPjEkVOB_5QwM5IX3sisQCLp2UTYDXQu3dvXyR3xT972oulK1XdKuPb-L-jO8_gTeqKLLx_bODZ5N_RDIp0_2MNzbnuxIKo/s640/DSC06063.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rice Crispy Clones.We just cut them as similarly sized as we could, and that made them cloney as could be. </td></tr>
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Our family also loves rice crispy treats, so we whipped up a quick pan of those, and they were gone before we knew it. I may, or may not have had a lot to do with that!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmDzNHTESc58vxuUTHUn1Po3rr9KjilXC2wQkt-PLrSc06Gk7INyb_CXW10n9rZmc7X8JGFpf5tuGQPN3sIZ6Tj0VhEzv5IquSgh0TN0CGnR-svCRZOB7VW4jOu56jhZEdGpJ_Qa5Fu0/s1600/DSC06067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmDzNHTESc58vxuUTHUn1Po3rr9KjilXC2wQkt-PLrSc06Gk7INyb_CXW10n9rZmc7X8JGFpf5tuGQPN3sIZ6Tj0VhEzv5IquSgh0TN0CGnR-svCRZOB7VW4jOu56jhZEdGpJ_Qa5Fu0/s640/DSC06067.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple protons: grapes. We removed the stalks so they would be easier to grab and look more sciency. </td></tr>
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I always like to add a lighter, healthier option, so we went with a bowl full of grapes. The kids didn't eat a ton of them, but the grown ups at the party (lead by the two pregnant ladies and Gwen) polished them off pretty quickly. I didn't get a picture, but we also had a bowl of popcorn (Molecular Munchies!) to counteract all of the sweet stuff. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGDEEo40BWi3uKvcttua6PWCkUlnIlGQCHvTOK7FiOh6Mzf_Iu6tkLtqs9Nor_N_pYxVnNjaKYUXrYk0aai-ugMRG1brSwFr6VY4HLBLtM4eYzm_q48SudPCLXpgbj8gzpQANuqUBrLM/s1600/IMG_1246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGDEEo40BWi3uKvcttua6PWCkUlnIlGQCHvTOK7FiOh6Mzf_Iu6tkLtqs9Nor_N_pYxVnNjaKYUXrYk0aai-ugMRG1brSwFr6VY4HLBLtM4eYzm_q48SudPCLXpgbj8gzpQANuqUBrLM/s640/IMG_1246.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's an Erlenmeyer flask! Apparently. </td></tr>
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Espen is really into citrus flavors these days, so I made him a lemon cake with layers of fresh strawberry jam (homemade, you guys!) and covered the whole thing in whipped cream. Then I babbled some instructions at Nick, who deftly drew this Erlenmeyer flask design and decorated it with sprinkles. You should know at this point, that one of my best friends in the whole world is the <a href="http://sweetmimsy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">most incredible cake decorator</a>, so I always feel like a complete idiot when I post pictures of anything I bake, but I'm going to declare this cake a success anyway. It was cute, fun, on theme and completely delicious, so I was very happy with it. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSnBcAZi3EsJkLFb9lzemT_epFf1XUlZWcrL5veTx6sV88drFHRC8P8BvW68nTG3T6JMrJpgXNO4WezT6J36R-yoO-1C2UDUPPFI4Z24isyo0AFMoZPhWqt5Znv0pS8QLIe0CgBO4BWo/s1600/DSC06057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSnBcAZi3EsJkLFb9lzemT_epFf1XUlZWcrL5veTx6sV88drFHRC8P8BvW68nTG3T6JMrJpgXNO4WezT6J36R-yoO-1C2UDUPPFI4Z24isyo0AFMoZPhWqt5Znv0pS8QLIe0CgBO4BWo/s640/DSC06057.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break from the partying for cake and snacks.</td></tr>
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At 12 kids, this was the biggest birthday party we have thrown to date, and while Espen and his friends definitely loved it, it was kind of a mixed bag. On the one hand, they needed zero entertainment and were happy to just play and run around for the duration of the party. On the other hand, 90 minutes of rampaging five and six year-olds is enough to bring anyone to their knees! We had planned to do some fun science experiments with the kids, but quickly decided that it would be too hard to try to gather 12 kids and hold their attention long enough for anything other than cake and presents. So I think we'll keep activities like that to smaller parties in the future!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbA6FCruzuMsUo1qvLGixv3_WUBM1subbRmpffOlDjt0iQBaG7TO9kEI9Gf-RPOxipaGKKEvAol6rqBCDxW7DVy5PLgXgagdvz_aWCnPKxUWeG4xe9-pPTbwYoblFWW_kLexNrKRGJxQ/s1600/DSC06058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbA6FCruzuMsUo1qvLGixv3_WUBM1subbRmpffOlDjt0iQBaG7TO9kEI9Gf-RPOxipaGKKEvAol6rqBCDxW7DVy5PLgXgagdvz_aWCnPKxUWeG4xe9-pPTbwYoblFWW_kLexNrKRGJxQ/s640/DSC06058.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many kids! Espen got a Lego kit as a gift, and everyone wanted to help build it. <br />
So they all took turns placing one brick at a time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CmEkN3cURNd2P8UlNol0gBioSTSGtCSQK2iP_dXeSIyfIlspsA_8nIO9aWZ3vZSbBXFI9_ZWm5JF_u-Ha3NaWKM2gbO62jJ4ATWi9JKQY0gWGVg_jMm36jbFP7XDbQCh66ttEYQ3Y_c/s1600/IMG_1242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CmEkN3cURNd2P8UlNol0gBioSTSGtCSQK2iP_dXeSIyfIlspsA_8nIO9aWZ3vZSbBXFI9_ZWm5JF_u-Ha3NaWKM2gbO62jJ4ATWi9JKQY0gWGVg_jMm36jbFP7XDbQCh66ttEYQ3Y_c/s640/IMG_1242.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for coming to Espen's laboratory!</td></tr>
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When it was time to go home, we rounded everything off with party favors. My favorite part of those were these test tubes (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Plastic-Test-Tube/dp/B000F8XF6S/ref=pd_sim_sbs_328_7?ie=UTF8&dpID=419dFGF0xVL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=15T3TW5FMQ55R1SZHDDS" target="_blank">These are similar</a>, but again, I found them much, much cheaper locally). You can't really tell from the picture, but they're actually pretty tiny. So tiny, in fact, that the jelly beans I had planned to put in them wouldn't fit, and we had to go with M&M Minis instead. I love how they look, and also like that the kids got to take home something they could play with and reuse once the candy was gone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrADVTM55XW8PmtD0YMLE_Kl-MT1MEVtIHLDAU62fR0ajGrLToIYV8sLjOvy-Ndfk3CyRGplUqhUP1lHiYs_YpeztSEX_poWZHbj7nPOCmLUceyLEi_48Z37DCl7vLpysvqJh0XjFYMSE/s1600/IMG_1243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrADVTM55XW8PmtD0YMLE_Kl-MT1MEVtIHLDAU62fR0ajGrLToIYV8sLjOvy-Ndfk3CyRGplUqhUP1lHiYs_YpeztSEX_poWZHbj7nPOCmLUceyLEi_48Z37DCl7vLpysvqJh0XjFYMSE/s640/IMG_1243.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for coming!</td></tr>
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Then we bagged them up with a few other sciency little things, like glow sticks and little maze toys and a few other bits and pieces and slapped on a quick laboratory label and called it a party!<br />
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As I mentioned earlier, it was definitely a lot simpler than the parties I have thrown in the past, but I am learning that turning myself into a complete stress ball over these things isn't always the best thing. I do sort of regret not taking more and better pictures, but at the same time I don't regret that not picking up the camera meant that I was a much more present mom for Espen's party. My family loves it when I make an effort to make their birthday special, but they don't love it if it means that I'm grumpy and preoccupied for days before the party. So I'm learning to find that good balance!<br />
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Most importantly, Espen got to have a fun party with a lot (a lot!) of his friends and enjoy the special day he'd been looking forward to and planning since his last birthday. And, almost as importantly, we're off the hook until Gwen turns four in November - when she has decided she wants a Superman party!<br />
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<br />Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-72938367421688839422016-03-02T10:33:00.002-07:002016-03-02T10:33:48.478-07:00Gwen is threeMiss Gwenyth Josephine also had a birthday a while back, but because I was in the depths of despair/morning sickness at the time, she didn't get her annual birthday picture post. So here it is today!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodcn29s7NKNpSl5sbGq-qd0EzXWDtH07WoPe2FQpFtMLny0KHpVYcuIw2ZPBzFukVknYQUHa7RiMCUMCUcVd0dxU4jhk5NZU0d41cXBLKYFsD6m7DRxTK6twpmWIhNsistxjNc6H-vbk/s1600/IMG_1016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodcn29s7NKNpSl5sbGq-qd0EzXWDtH07WoPe2FQpFtMLny0KHpVYcuIw2ZPBzFukVknYQUHa7RiMCUMCUcVd0dxU4jhk5NZU0d41cXBLKYFsD6m7DRxTK6twpmWIhNsistxjNc6H-vbk/s640/IMG_1016.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">2012</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwk5ps98pzfZgSnDqqVN4HsP5EeJl3pcANo-olOn6dc5jM_QNae-INopFGiCKr3My24FVkJR_C0PRn0PWLoQ_0wuH30S88Fv0brxi8g_wZA7sW542pg8-eHA0zOQnLqYOkxmY1eNKWYK8/s1600/DSC03040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwk5ps98pzfZgSnDqqVN4HsP5EeJl3pcANo-olOn6dc5jM_QNae-INopFGiCKr3My24FVkJR_C0PRn0PWLoQ_0wuH30S88Fv0brxi8g_wZA7sW542pg8-eHA0zOQnLqYOkxmY1eNKWYK8/s640/DSC03040.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">2013</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzRXgJAaWqnTrJKmD1hX9w_j4sr0WCicO5JQWSy96ILL1mHNXFHqNqBwGTYKJicfk2L3GFEAJDuk35k0XOCaDQaXDwO8lIY15B7JbgwI4GQTgmydvChAeENBR4ccozUu7iM-Fn6eEus8/s1600/DSC02312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzRXgJAaWqnTrJKmD1hX9w_j4sr0WCicO5JQWSy96ILL1mHNXFHqNqBwGTYKJicfk2L3GFEAJDuk35k0XOCaDQaXDwO8lIY15B7JbgwI4GQTgmydvChAeENBR4ccozUu7iM-Fn6eEus8/s640/DSC02312.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">2014</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86VkvHp58zyxrFuZKD-yItX_vBvZvlXXc1uSkjCpmKh8VedU4H9zSI8HfW1KvFw7TEHjAekolzJ7jKPo6gmxfXCm7QCwgQau6lM7QSN2YTBGbD06sYAS94T3g0STZkBBRD9G_a861_hw/s1600/DSC06026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86VkvHp58zyxrFuZKD-yItX_vBvZvlXXc1uSkjCpmKh8VedU4H9zSI8HfW1KvFw7TEHjAekolzJ7jKPo6gmxfXCm7QCwgQau6lM7QSN2YTBGbD06sYAS94T3g0STZkBBRD9G_a861_hw/s640/DSC06026.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">2015</span></b></td></tr>
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Oh, our Gweny! It's hard to even put into word what this little person means to our family: she is happy, funny, silly, busy, outraged, indignant, stubborn, and ever so independent. She jumps up and down when she's excited or happy. She throws herself on the floor with despair when we tell her "no". She is constantly making up songs and likes to perform them while running around the kitchen table at full tilt. She loves to make her big brother laugh. She is either giving everyone hugs and telling them how much she loves them, or refusing kisses and shutting herself in her room to be alone. Everything is done with passion and determination. And we love her so much.<br /><br /></div>
Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-64166230916076020372016-02-22T10:20:00.000-07:002016-02-22T10:20:13.315-07:00Espen is sixGrowing up before our very eyes:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V4E9BHFaezY/TaOrCTnlv-I/AAAAAAAAADI/qPuY52n-eZM/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V4E9BHFaezY/TaOrCTnlv-I/AAAAAAAAADI/qPuY52n-eZM/s640/IMG_0146.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2010</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2011</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8lyqSFFvRKE/T1T7r_Xon9I/AAAAAAAAC9U/Xor5kWEOfFE/s1600/IMG_1474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8lyqSFFvRKE/T1T7r_Xon9I/AAAAAAAAC9U/Xor5kWEOfFE/s640/IMG_1474.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2012</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDq-pvM7TnF7dlPS3PBAb_clF5gqTrdmRkRkBitIr7KnmU23MGkL_hBpQxxhEy_fqLlJ1nF4AAV61lLevkBI9o_B7ZA-vNBdL5-zkxbH21DINj7KqAPY98OfZ3obs_k9Hanzu43RY5maI/s1600/DSC01024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDq-pvM7TnF7dlPS3PBAb_clF5gqTrdmRkRkBitIr7KnmU23MGkL_hBpQxxhEy_fqLlJ1nF4AAV61lLevkBI9o_B7ZA-vNBdL5-zkxbH21DINj7KqAPY98OfZ3obs_k9Hanzu43RY5maI/s640/DSC01024.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2013</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rysgvTYWluaOSF15UqNp9hL7k_IfqDil4JSWZt8bIMXuIGZd518PtZHR1ZU509Ipt-kPjOLeyxK4CFZ9PstFSP1ZZfRLQVbM_nzK1QLWOL7VpwZCyBMIMeavVojI9eV0tc6v9tPkYPQ/s1600/DSC03691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rysgvTYWluaOSF15UqNp9hL7k_IfqDil4JSWZt8bIMXuIGZd518PtZHR1ZU509Ipt-kPjOLeyxK4CFZ9PstFSP1ZZfRLQVbM_nzK1QLWOL7VpwZCyBMIMeavVojI9eV0tc6v9tPkYPQ/s640/DSC03691.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2014</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIzQ__Ee58vDy7OGn7ss_VBh-L4ZdOrb0u1MweRvOrXf-HmdxCbsOg4sLW-WsSXxDQsGFvyI0NHo9vAkSBFm_fTKWVGyYybMY6Jae-InSzIshErkiIm1fSR_2tIR9KQYF43Cf18apTDI/s1600/DSC02669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIzQ__Ee58vDy7OGn7ss_VBh-L4ZdOrb0u1MweRvOrXf-HmdxCbsOg4sLW-WsSXxDQsGFvyI0NHo9vAkSBFm_fTKWVGyYybMY6Jae-InSzIshErkiIm1fSR_2tIR9KQYF43Cf18apTDI/s640/DSC02669.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2015</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjvC0wEbFaDIwR8VE-WHCl6j1qw08_rU1qvQY-hjX9TgYaM5_T83bQqx4MTpwQ5UFet5WBmwuDe8c30F2zjQzlVmbI59JXAQW3O-h9PocJDTsnoH4z55T2S9AvAFP_wN1OxveLiOPcAY/s1600/DSC05483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjvC0wEbFaDIwR8VE-WHCl6j1qw08_rU1qvQY-hjX9TgYaM5_T83bQqx4MTpwQ5UFet5WBmwuDe8c30F2zjQzlVmbI59JXAQW3O-h9PocJDTsnoH4z55T2S9AvAFP_wN1OxveLiOPcAY/s640/DSC05483.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2016</b></td></tr>
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People always talk about how kids grow up so fast, and how childhood is so short, and they <i>do</i>, and it <i>is</i>. But at the same time I just can't believe that this funny, thoughtful, kind and crazy kid has only been with us for six short years. Was there really a time when Espen wasn't part of our family? There must have been less laundry and more leaving the house after 7:30 at night, which sounds nice, but there would also have been less bedtime stories, spontaneous snuggles, helpless giggles and philosophical pondering from a busy little brain that always wants to know. Espen, thank you for bringing so much to our family, we are so happy you're ours.<br /><br />Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-79144509169559479862016-02-11T10:50:00.001-07:002016-02-11T10:50:15.962-07:00Resolved<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/12510486_10156466737435311_6507355580634840832_n.jpg?oh=25213a6e8153029f999a84d83777077d&oe=56FB7A2A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/12510486_10156466737435311_6507355580634840832_n.jpg?oh=25213a6e8153029f999a84d83777077d&oe=56FB7A2A" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Find this happy print (and others like it) at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/244241579/happy-floral-print-hand-lettering-az108?ref=shop_home_active_18" target="_blank">Alexa Z Design</a>.</span></td></tr>
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It's mid-February, and one of the busiest times of the year for our family between Valentine's Day (with all that entails now that we have <i>two</i> kids in school!), Espen's birthday and a three-day weekend, so <i>naturally</i> what I want to write about today is New Year's Resolutions. What, we're not still doing those? Psha.<div>
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I only made two resolutions this year, and they are as follows:</div>
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<b>1. Make the world a little better. </b></div>
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It is possible that it was just me (although I really don't think so), but didn't the second half of 2015 seem like a really dark and troubled time for the world? And I'm not just talking about Donald Trump running for office (ba-dum ching). Between the situation in Syria and the middle east, the global refugee crisis and terrorist attacks and all of the rhetoric and hate speech, I began to wonder what sort of a world is this to be bringing a new baby into. What sort of a world is this to be raising our little family in? I've already had to explain war, refugees, homelessness and the fact that some people aren't safe for children to be around to my sweet five year-old, and it hurts my heart to think about all of the hard conversations we have ahead of us. I so want the world to be the beautiful place filled with kind and generous people that my kids naturally assume that it is!</div>
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Then the thought occurred to me that if I want to see a change in the world, then I have to be that change. I can't wish that other people are going to be kind and generous without being those things myself. How can I expect other people to stand up for the things that are good and right in this world if I'm not willing to do that myself? </div>
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So this year (and hopefully for many, many years to come), I'm going to try to reach out more, give more, do more to make this world a little more like the world I want for my children, your children and everyone's children. </div>
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<b>2. Make the time to play with my kids.</b></div>
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I have to admit that this one actually kind of sprang from a twinge of jealousy: if you were to ask any of my kids who is the fun parent, and who is the boring parent, then hands down, every time, they would say that my husband is the fun one. Which makes me the boring one. And guys, I'm not boring! I'm not! I'm just... busy. Although I'm here with the kids more or less 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I generally spend most of that time either trying to clean our put away our belongings, making or shopping for food or trying to eke out a little time for myself where I can clear my head and just breathe for 10 minutes. On top of all of the regular "home and family" stuff, being pregnant just makes me tired too! And so I find myself dodging requests from tiny people to play dollhouse or build Doc McStuffins' clinic or play Minecraft or boardgames, just so I can get to the end of the day feeling like I have accomplished something. </div>
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To be honest, I don't feel like it's my job as my children's mom to entertain them and keep them happy at all times, and in all things and in all places. I believe in teaching them to be happy in their own company, and to be creative enough to make their own fun without me having to do it for them. I believe in the virtues of being bored and having to problem solve their way out of it. But I also believe in spending time with the kids to create memories, build relationships, take opportunities to teach and just have <i>fun</i> together! And nothing in this world makes those little faces shine brighter than when I take the time to play with them (and put away my stupid phone).</div>
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I've already discovered that it doesn't take much. Sometimes it's enough to make a game out of getting them out of the bathtub, and sometimes 20 minutes of building Lego is all they really want. I spent five minutes making a puzzle with Gwen earlier this week, and she was happy as a clam (why are clams so happy?) after that. I let Espen teach me how to play Minecraft on the iPad (<i>so</i> not my thing!) a little while ago, and he still talks about it daily. I'm really learning that it takes so little, but means so much, so I'm planning to make this a longterm habit too. </div>
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Like the quote at the top of this post says, being happy isn't something you stumble across by chance, or are dealt by fate. It's a choice and and an action and a habit. So I'm choosing to make a few small changes that I know will make a difference for me. </div>
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Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-45935697531602920302016-01-07T10:48:00.000-07:002016-01-07T10:48:18.949-07:00A Thursday morning in January<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuvOvCei94belyuAJQ24NdffOgmYpyUQVfKO1UyMdWK3NvZiqpRR3XIfq9vP7OWlAMS3McdIZ1VwAsQbjySVvAvEECEnCCttHzkzslBDxSCHg8v4-Z2AhyphenhyphenoMfzDW7izDQPwtlOsw1iL4/s1600/DSC05993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuvOvCei94belyuAJQ24NdffOgmYpyUQVfKO1UyMdWK3NvZiqpRR3XIfq9vP7OWlAMS3McdIZ1VwAsQbjySVvAvEECEnCCttHzkzslBDxSCHg8v4-Z2AhyphenhyphenoMfzDW7izDQPwtlOsw1iL4/s640/DSC05993.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The usual suspects.</td></tr>
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I typically try to avoid writing blog posts that start with "ohmygosh, guys, I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last post", because let's be honest, that would be roughly every other post around these parts, but...<br />
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Ohmygosh, guys, I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last post!<br />
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These are my top three reasons for being a bad, bad blogger of late:<br />
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<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">Time</u> Between two young kids, school, karate and everything that needs to happen in a day, I've just found it tough to find the time and the head space to sit down, have something worthwhile to say and then say it (hopefully in a way that will be interesting to someone other than me and my immediate family). </li>
<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">The Holidays</u><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Friend, I don't know about you, but the holiday season really took it out of me this year. Between hosting Thanksgiving and spending Christmas with family at a cabin (both of which were lovely and fun and exactly what we wanted to do!), I feel like I haven't had an extra ounce of energy to spare since about Halloween.Which, of course probably has something to do with reason number three:</li>
<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">I'm pregnant!</u> Yup, we discovered in mid November that there is another little North baby on the way, and are all <i>completely</i> delighted. Maybe especially the kids, (which is saying something seeing as this little person is already as loved and wanted by his or her parents as anyone could hope to be) who have been doing happy dances and making plans since we told them. But as delightful and exciting as a new baby is, there are a lot of weeks and months of feeling sick and exhausted to slog through before we get to the fun part of actually meeting our tiny little human. Morning sickness is typically pretty tough for me (although not as bad as some ladies I know, who end up in the hospital or on bedrest because they can't keep <i>anything</i> down), and so I've been pretty useless since about Thanksgiving onwards. But we're getting close to the second trimester, so I'm feeling cautiously optimistic that I'll start feeling like a human being again soon.</li>
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Another change that has come about is that Gwen started preschool this week. I realize that this might not seem like the most earth shattering of events, but it does mean that I get just over two hours to myself twice a week when both kids are in school. This is <i>momentous</i>! It will only last until the end of May, and then not again until we ship our new little sproutlet off to preschool in about 3-4 years time, so I'm going to enjoy it while I can. In fact, I am enjoying it right at this very moment! And, I should add, so is Gwen, who instantly loved both preschool and her teacher with a fiery passion from the very moment she walked in the door. </div>
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So, hopefully I'll be back next week! There's lots I want to tell you about, a few things I want to show you and one or two things I'd like to ask you about. But before all of that: how was your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa*/Winter Solstice/Three Kings Day?</div>
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<i>*If you celebrate Kwanzaa, you are hereby morally obligated to tell me all about it, because I've never met anyone who does, and I genuinely want to know. </i></div>
Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-23640877819244906472015-11-01T21:42:00.000-07:002015-11-01T21:42:43.892-07:00Halloween 2015<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNQr00VjqzEsKOGlGgCLFGWVWsyh0_3vLN7DwtGDD2p395iwt1LPZDKIZUIKJKIs71A8vEnrp1jbk2F3TDRMRqK7MUF3SQjdg3siCEcGBeO1EYVNOqPi-4f-43-gPo-adXwZUKy4br-4/s1600/IMG_0383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNQr00VjqzEsKOGlGgCLFGWVWsyh0_3vLN7DwtGDD2p395iwt1LPZDKIZUIKJKIs71A8vEnrp1jbk2F3TDRMRqK7MUF3SQjdg3siCEcGBeO1EYVNOqPi-4f-43-gPo-adXwZUKy4br-4/s640/IMG_0383.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween 2015: a witch and a ninja.</td></tr>
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Yesterday was Halloween, which for our family entailed all of the usual suspects of dressing up, trick or treating, soup for dinner and watching the classic <i>Peanuts</i> Halloween specials. Halloween also fell on a Saturday this year, which made for a much more relaxed celebration for us. Instead of quickly shoveling dinner into everyone and rushing out the door to go trick or treating before bed time, we were able to go at a much more leisurely pace which is so nice when you have small children. And, because we weren't juggling work and school and bedtime schedules, we were even able to accept a Halloween party invitation this year! This family-friendly party was brilliantly scheduled to start before everyone went out trick or treating, and involved actual, real dinner, which was such a lovely way to start the evening. I'm definitely tucking that idea away for future years. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In no specific order: Halloween 2010-2014</td></tr>
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One unexpected side effect of Halloween this year was the wallowing pit of nostalgia I kept throwing myself into at every opportunity. A lot of it was, of course, for the kids and their decreasingly chunky cheeks stuffed into various adorable costumes over the past five years that we have been celebrating Halloween as parents. I mean, look at them! Have you ever seen anything sweeter?</div>
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But I also found myself mooning over Halloween photos from college and high school and waxing nostalgic over years gone by. I suspect that the reason why is the fact that Halloween is a day for taking pictures, so it's sort of a fixed point in time that you can revisit every year and see how things have changed. Or less esoterically, it's a day for having fun, so looking at pictures of yourself or your friends and family being happy and having fun is naturally going to have you breaking out your nostalgia pants. </div>
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Deep thoughts for not-the-deepest of holidays! How was your Halloween?</div>
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<br />Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-76158116045783065172015-10-19T20:27:00.001-06:002015-10-19T20:27:56.465-06:00A very Norwegian kulekyse for Gwen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBUCanPrC2BVpzV6EdDBj7rPu1k8FT1uDiiI0VuDr25th9CbwexCSrVgQYkZ1os5jxVbIIDYmzswfzwPKBUItCmfP7NiSVTUIEYMi1HHZ9u048jUQS4AqweTPPKRV2OCfNvlvsFgOFF4/s1600/DSC05946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBUCanPrC2BVpzV6EdDBj7rPu1k8FT1uDiiI0VuDr25th9CbwexCSrVgQYkZ1os5jxVbIIDYmzswfzwPKBUItCmfP7NiSVTUIEYMi1HHZ9u048jUQS4AqweTPPKRV2OCfNvlvsFgOFF4/s640/DSC05946.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made the pretty hat and the pretty girl wearing it! Aren't I clever?</td></tr>
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In a somewhat surprising, and certainly unprecedented, turn of events I've written two knitting posts in a row! While I don't think Project Project is in any immediate danger of turning into a knitting blog, I did finish the hat I was working on for Gwen and felt happy enough with the result that I wanted to show it off to you. Isn't it cute?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzNSf0iDHDxmwbphmkJpdGao9-Zhr40u4UQnZ84hwM3k2iZo2DzXKlzsuBOJl1sJPYycgQPSVQddAw9MVkKVSSRUPvSpQD_wOfQ5RaBN51PhqjA9Hwoif6gze9r38eDaavrRCEInivUI/s1600/DSC05930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzNSf0iDHDxmwbphmkJpdGao9-Zhr40u4UQnZ84hwM3k2iZo2DzXKlzsuBOJl1sJPYycgQPSVQddAw9MVkKVSSRUPvSpQD_wOfQ5RaBN51PhqjA9Hwoif6gze9r38eDaavrRCEInivUI/s640/DSC05930.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It never ceases to amaze me that this blue-eyed blonde is actually mine.</td></tr>
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A friend at the monthly knit night I attend showed me the pattern for the adorable hat she had made, and I immediately knew I had to make one too. It reminded me of the type of hats that little girls used to wear when I was growing up in Norway. And then I realized that the pattern was actually in Norwegian, and it was a done deal!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7BhrLeEtj_RwB5SDhuuUoM8nrJL_AkyUJsaBWfhglBXJ4ixcTxKe3kJovso_2HRxQw1Y9D_-bTmUMNQxAi28IJ6Yd22r0Hg97z8A6th34xnQkWqRJC4bRTi8C20kn4DHUJ_uYg-35kM/s1600/DSC05931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7BhrLeEtj_RwB5SDhuuUoM8nrJL_AkyUJsaBWfhglBXJ4ixcTxKe3kJovso_2HRxQw1Y9D_-bTmUMNQxAi28IJ6Yd22r0Hg97z8A6th34xnQkWqRJC4bRTi8C20kn4DHUJ_uYg-35kM/s640/DSC05931.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She devised this little pose all on her own. </td></tr>
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But then I couldn't find the yarn I wanted to make the hat. I knew it had to be something really soft and non-itchy so Gwen would agree to wear it (there is nothing sadder than spending weeks working on a project for someone, only to have them not wear it because it's not comfortable), and I knew it would have to be just the right shade of blue. Something cool and icy and feminine to really make her eyes stand out. So I looked around a little bit locally, but couldn't find the right thing until the kids and I were in Norway this summer. We happened to venture into a small yarn shop, and after a little poking around (and exercising a lot of restraint to not buy up the entire store!) I found <i>just</i> the thing. It is a silk/alpaca blend, and is <a href="http://www.dustorealpakka.com/garn-sortiment/fin/turkis/" target="_blank">the softest, most buttery smooth yarn imaginable </a>from Du Store Alpakka. It was a little on the spendy side, but seeing as I only needed one skein and it was <i>perfect </i>(and it was my birthday!), I snapped some up, downloaded the pattern and started knitting it right away. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the back. I love that it comes to two little points!</td></tr>
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The <a href="http://ministrikk.no/produkt/kulekyse/" target="_blank">kulekyse</a> (or <a href="http://ministrikk.no/en/product/bubble-bonnet/" target="_blank">bubble bonnet</a>, as it is delightfully called in English) is a fun and pretty quick little project. I'd never tried knitting anything like this bubble pattern before, and it was a little nerve-wracking seeing as it involved letting a stitch drop down four rows before picking it back up and knitting it twisted! But after some trial and error, I figured it out and then it was pretty smooth sailing from then on. In Norwegian, at least, the pattern is quite clear and straightforward in its directions, which I appreciated, especially after the problems I'd had with the last pattern I found online. My only complaint is that they only let you download the pattern a limited amount of times, so even though I've paid for it, I can't print a new copy to replace the very worn and raggedy one I've been using to knit from. Kind of miffing, but not the end of the world.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gwen didn't especially want to pose for pictures - unless her fairy wings could come too.</td></tr>
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Gwen was very interested in the whole knitting process, and was quite eager for me to finish her hat. I showed her the finished result on Sunday morning, when she decided that she had to wear it to church. She was already wearing a dress that my mum had knitted for her, so off she went to church, decked out from head to toe in homemade knitwear. She looked very demure and proper in her little bonnet, and I had to smile at how fancy she obviously felt.<br />
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I love how the bonnet frames her face, and I am delighted with how that shade of turquoisey blue really brings out her blue eyes. I also like that she can wear it with a dress for "the more formal toddler occasion" or with jeans and a shirt for every day. And it's not something that every other mom in the neighborhood has bought at Target for their kids - it's always fun to have something a little different.<br />
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Also - I ended up buying two skeins of the yarn I used, just to be sure that I had enough (imagine how frustrating it would be to run out of yarn that you bought in another country!), so now I have a whole extra skein and a bit of this gorgeous yarn. What do you think I should make with it?Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-83515502810074126972015-10-13T15:18:00.001-06:002015-10-13T15:18:37.196-06:00A sweater vest for Espen<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing off his new knitwear.</td></tr>
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Wonders never cease - I actually knitted something! I sort of unintentionally put away my knitting when Gwen was a baby, and then didn't pick it back up again until earlier this year when I started working on a sweater vest (or pullover as I secretly call it in my relatively English mind) for Espen. Then the weather got too warm for knitwear and life got busy and I hardly picked up a knitting needle all summer long. But recently I've been bitten hard by the knitting bug, and have had a hard time putting down the projects I've cast on. I just want to knit all the time, you guys!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sassy little man and his sweater.</td></tr>
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My first completed knitting project was a sweater vest for Espen. I used <a href="http://www.freevintageknitting.com/free-sweater-patterns/hilde55/boys-sleeveless-sweater" target="_blank">this free pattern</a> that I found online (courtesy of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boys-sleeveless-sweater" target="_blank">Revelry</a>!), and while it wasn't without it's issues along the way, I'm quite happy with the result!<br />
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A few notes:<br />
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<li>As is sometimes the case with free patterns that haven't been professionally tested or edited, there were a couple of typos and unclear instructions that had me stumped. I got a bit frustrated and discouraged a few times, but was generally able to reason my way through it in the end. </li>
<li>I thought when I was starting the pattern that I could probably easily have knitted it in the round, but didn't trust myself to get it right. But the further into the pattern I got, the more obvious it was that even I could have adapted the pattern to be knitted in the round, which would have been both quicker and easier. So I think I need to have a little more faith in my knitting skills!</li>
<li>It's a great fit for Espen, but I do wish I'd added an extra inch or so to the length. It'll probably still fit him widthwise in a year, but I suspect it might be too short by then. He's just a long, skinny kid, and I need to remember to adapt my knitting accordingly. </li>
<li> This was my first time knitting a v-neck, and I struggled! I had a hard time picking up an even amount of stitches on both sides of the center stitch, and keeping my decreases even and in the right place. I wish the pattern had been a little more clear about what exactly I was trying to accomplish, but with a lot of counting and concentration, I got there in the end. </li>
<li>I similarly struggled with picking up the right number of stitches around the sleeves, but I tried and failed enough times that the end result is <i>flawless</i>. I'm seriously happy with how neat and tidy it was in the end. </li>
<li>Because I'm still not an expert knitter, it didn't even occur to me to do a stretchy decrease on the collar, and so it's a bit uncomfortable going over Espen's head when he puts it on and takes it off. Blocking it helped a bit, but I really should have done a looser bind-off, or looked up how to do a stretchy one. Next time!</li>
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Having said all of that, though, I'm actually quite delighted with it. It fits Espen really well, it keeps his skinny little body warm, and most of all, he likes it, so I'm counting it as a success - as long as his head doesn't get any bigger! </div>
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And now I'm onto knitting a hat for Gwen! And after that I'm making a baby blanket! And after that, and after and after that!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_n3Bxsdv0_c8xpwBYS_Dm6JIFmPk1W6ZRX7DEPl0abN2bxyVwWvYsu1-3S7r78WPUozbtqGsedVNMPGsWgkEfTNHcgrziZWhwjKGgZjfvYZVuq7ZNCJmku7cB4uRPXT9Njbl1bu59r1U/s1600/DSC05920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_n3Bxsdv0_c8xpwBYS_Dm6JIFmPk1W6ZRX7DEPl0abN2bxyVwWvYsu1-3S7r78WPUozbtqGsedVNMPGsWgkEfTNHcgrziZWhwjKGgZjfvYZVuq7ZNCJmku7cB4uRPXT9Njbl1bu59r1U/s640/DSC05920.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheeky face!</td></tr>
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<br />Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-18733085118068610202015-09-11T17:02:00.001-06:002015-09-11T17:02:58.788-06:00Parks, picnics and pasta sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11064772_10156086683075311_7607901281565936278_n.jpg?oh=aab2359ceea20885ffe2fefe305c1cf1&oe=566C3A5C" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11064772_10156086683075311_7607901281565936278_n.jpg?oh=aab2359ceea20885ffe2fefe305c1cf1&oe=566C3A5C" width="640" /></a></div>
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With about half an hour to go before school got out at lunchtime today, I was moving over some laundry and plotting how, exactly,<i> </i>I was going to go grocery shopping and give the kids lunch and still make it home in time for Gwen's nap and to do all of the other things I had on my list today. We could grab lunch while we were out (Wendy's is <i>very</i> conveniently next to Target), but Espen had already chosen to make chicken and fries for his dinner day tonight, and there's only so much fried chicken you can eat in a day, y'know?<br />
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Then inspiration struck. Today was one of those glorious early September days that Utah does so very well, and I decided to capitalize on it and pack up a quick picnic of juice, sandwiches and a handful of cookies and run out the door. Gwen and I pulled a very bewildered and excited Espen out of his carpool, and then headed off on our picnic adventure.<br />
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The park was more or less empty at lunchtime on a Friday afternoon, so we had a nice little lunch beneath the shade before the kids ran off to spend a happy half hour or so on the playground. As I watched them bask in the glory of having the entire playground to themselves, I knew that there was absolutely no way I was going to be able to do all of the things I had planned to do today. But I knew I had to (as Espen so enthusiastically belted out in the bathroom at Target a little later) let it go, and just make that time in the park with the kids my priority for today.<br />
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I forget that sometimes. In the rush to check things off my list and get things done and organized and into shape, I forget that the whole and entire point and purpose in life is to be with the people we love. To serve others and allow ourselves to be served. To love them and to let them love us. Isn't that why we're really all here?<br />
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I got another reminder of that after we got home. Espen was in the backseat of the car, telling me that he could unbuckle Gwen from her seat "so you don't have to waste your time doing it, mom. I don't want you to have to do lots of work today." It was meant as a kindness and I so appreciate his good little heart and willingness to help, but it felt a little bit like a slap in the face. <i>Waste my time?</i> Is that really what I have been teaching them? That things I do to take care of them are work and chores, and that anything that takes a little while is wasting my precious time? That my time is somehow more important than them? Oh, I <i>hope</i> that's not what they're learning!<br />
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I was too stunned at the time to say much of anything, but what I should have said, and what I will say to Espen tonight when we snuggle up in his bed after his bedtime story is this: "Taking care of you and your sister is a gift, and if I have ever made you feel like any of the things I do in a day are more important than you, then I apologize. There is a lot of work involved in being a mom or a dad, or just a grownup in general, and sometimes there are things that just <i>have to</i> happen, like making our food, doing laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning up... But those things never, ever matter more than you or Gwen, and loving you and taking care of you is not a waste of my time, even if it just something small or not very fun like unbuckling a car seat or changing a diaper. If I ever make you feel like I care more about unloading the dishwasher then I do about you, please tell me, and I will be happy to remind you just how much I love you, and how much you really do matter to me."<br />
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Two more little events: yesterday afternoon I put Gwen down for her nap and then started to head downstairs to make a large batch of pasta sauce when the thought popped into my head to invite Espen to join me. I popped my head inside his bedroom door and asked if he would like to keep me company while I cooked, and his whole little face just lit up. He came downstairs and spent the next hour or so perched beside me on the kitchen counter, chatting about school and helping me with the occasional cooking task. It was so nice to and easy to just spend time together like that, and I felt like such a doofus for not thinking of it before. Which is exactly the reason why, when Gwen asked me to play Lego with her this morning when I was really planning to go upstairs and do some laundry, I said yes. And sure, I spent some time cleaning up the playroom around her while she played before I came to my senses and actually played some dang Lego with her, but I got there in the end, which help both of us remember that she is infinitely more important than even the longest to do-list.<br />
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So: yes to taking ten minutes to play Lego with Gwen before I go upstairs to do the laundry. Yes to letting Espen help me cook, even though it's messy. Yes to putting away the iPads and having a tickle fight. Yes to first things first. Yes to family first.Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-52189785321235381722015-09-09T14:59:00.004-06:002015-09-09T14:59:53.440-06:00In the middle of the week<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/l/t1.0-9/11988460_10156069258075311_2441381283322339551_n.jpg?oh=c8a733f8ad442c0e9954c938fb837f32&oe=5670F2BE" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/l/t1.0-9/11988460_10156069258075311_2441381283322339551_n.jpg?oh=c8a733f8ad442c0e9954c938fb837f32&oe=5670F2BE" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the apples!</td></tr>
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I have just successfully put Gwen down for an early nap (sing, choir of angels!), and Espen is playing at a friend's house, so I have a few minutes to spare before it's on to the next thing. How are you?<br />
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Espen has been in kindergarten for two weeks now, so we're starting to really get the hang of our new schedule. As much as I <i>still</i> don't like getting up in the mornings, I do like getting an early (for us!) start to the day, and really like being able to get the bulk of my errands and whatnot done before lunch, which frees up the afternoon quite a bit. Not that I do anything very exciting with it, but I have steam cleaned the couch and put together a couple of storage shelves for the basement, so things are happening, and I'm happy about that.<br />
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A few things I've had on my mind lately:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Gwen's naps. She still takes a nap most afternoons, but is often grumpy when we wake her, and then has a hard time getting to sleep at night, which isn't easy for anyone. I'm <i>really</i> hoping this won't be the end of nap time for Gwen, so we're experimenting with this and that to see what works. Today I put her to bed an hour earlier than usual, and I'm going to wake her after 90 minutes instead of her usual two hours, so we'll see how that goes. Any wise words would be much appreciated!</li>
<li>Nick's aunt and cousin stopped by this weekend with a huge box of freshly picked apples. What a great gift! So now we're trying to work out what to do with them all. We've made a few batches of<a href="http://www.realmomnutrition.com/2013/10/04/recipe-apple-cinnamon-fruit-leather/"> apple fruit leather</a>, and I think apple muffins are next on my list, but that barely scratches the surface. At least apples store well, so we have a couple of weeks to use them all!</li>
<li>Nick and I started watching <a href="http://apathappears.org/film/">A Path Appears </a> last night, and it has given me so much to think about. The first episode was about sex trafficking in the Unites States, and while it was so shocking and quite hard to watch at times, I really do believe that the more we know about a problem, the better we can solve it. So now my mind is buzzing with things I can do and ways to help. If you're interested in watching the series (I highly recommend it) you can find it on iTunes, Netflix and Amazon. </li>
<li>Reading time with Espen. We've been working our way through the books his preschool gave him (about 60 short books that get increasingly challenging) and now he only has three left! We're hugely proud that he has plowed his way through all those books, but now we're trying to figure out what to have him read next. So now I'm looking for something simple enough for him to be able to read, but fun and engaging enough for him to <i>want</i> to read. Suggestions? </li>
<li>Starting a new blog! A friend and I have a fun idea for a blog in the works, so I'm thinking through all of the nuts and bolts involved in getting that particular party started. Hopefully we'll move from the thinking to the doing stage pretty soon. </li>
<li>Knitting! I've got a couple of projects going at once right now, so hopefully I'll have something to share with you soon. For now you can get a preview of the hat I'm making for Gwen <a href="http://ministrikk.no/produkt/kulekyse/" target="_blank">here</a>. </li>
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OK, time to wake Gwen and start thinking about dinner. Enjoy the rest of your week!</div>
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Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-71102392749150109552015-09-02T15:40:00.000-06:002015-09-02T15:40:12.956-06:00Espen goes to Kindergarten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's got his new backpack and he's ready to go.</td></tr>
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Last week was another big milestone in our family when Espen started kindergarten. He's done joy school and preschool, so it wasn't our first first day of school, but now he is finally one of the kids going to the neighborhood school.<br />
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It's bittersweet, of course. There were tears when I dropped Espen off for his first day, and they weren't his! On the one hand it's scary and hard to send him off to a school with hundreds of kids to fend for himself (and it's <i>every</i> day!), especially knowing that he's a sensitive little guy who sometimes gets his feelings hurt. I worry about him making friends and kids being mean, and will his teacher "get" him and all of that motherly anxiety-ridden stuff. But then I'm also so excited for him to make friends (his preschool class was all boys, so we are <i>super</i> excited to make friend with girls!) and do all of the learning and growing that comes with going to school. Education is such an essential part of growing up and being human that I can't wait for Espen to fully experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AXJ3cfMtJROSGxoqDylGhxar7PZMIjlE26chaJElgXN44utyGoGIAtbZIWENqj8KwN_ee7l8hvtjyys0TUfYERY7ixBNJv-P4LwOFeuh6KMRIAQsO0GqB7M3zRLRRoRGUym20-6xwTY/s1600/DSC05824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AXJ3cfMtJROSGxoqDylGhxar7PZMIjlE26chaJElgXN44utyGoGIAtbZIWENqj8KwN_ee7l8hvtjyys0TUfYERY7ixBNJv-P4LwOFeuh6KMRIAQsO0GqB7M3zRLRRoRGUym20-6xwTY/s640/DSC05824.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took a risk and let him pick his own First Day of School outfit. <br />Other than this being a 90 degree day, I think he did pretty great!</td></tr>
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He's had a few nervous moments, of course, but mostly Espen has been happy and excited about going to school. His favorite part is playing with his best friend at recess, and he's already had a new friend (a girl!)over for a play date already, so socially he's very happy, even if he was a bit shocked that a girl in his class had been "mean" to their teacher yesterday. And academically he is just fine. The pre-school that Espen went to last year was pretty academically focused (I mean, for a bunch of four-year olds!), so he already knows his numbers and can read or sound simple words already, so he's a little ahead of the curve - for now. But he's happily learning the alphabet and numbers all over again, and treats everything like it's valuable information to him, so if he's happy in the classroom and not getting bored, we really can't ask for anything more. Besides, a little review never hurt anyone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHbQJZBl_ODXr4Pnq4QvtWrAvNDNUqEF39iamNIuYa69W77FsWxW7Vgcpw86Q1F7K5V6QHMvbX1Xn_1wjnxO1UncKC8pn2oafKPT0l67DsUNG4UZ6IiDWt0IsC-4odbaq2cQZIOaQJss/s1600/DSC05818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHbQJZBl_ODXr4Pnq4QvtWrAvNDNUqEF39iamNIuYa69W77FsWxW7Vgcpw86Q1F7K5V6QHMvbX1Xn_1wjnxO1UncKC8pn2oafKPT0l67DsUNG4UZ6IiDWt0IsC-4odbaq2cQZIOaQJss/s640/DSC05818.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this kid. </td></tr>
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So... so far, so good! Our days start a little earlier and our mornings are busier, but I feel like we've quickly settled into our new routine. Gwen and I drop Espen off at school at nine and then go and run errands and go shopping until it's time to pick Espen up at lunchtime, so I've had a lot of productive mornings! On Monday I was positively elated to have all of the week's grocery shopping done and dusted by 10 AM, which basically never happens at our house. And with our mornings being so productive, I've had more time to do other things in the afternoons; like working in the yard, reading, blogging, playing Lego or even painting with the kids. I really do feel so lucky that I am able to spend all of this time with the kids while they're small, and having more un-rushed time where I'm not constantly feeling guilty about all of the other things I should be doing is honestly pretty priceless. My least favorite thing about being a mom is when I feel like a stressed-out, snarly head case, so any time I don't have to do that is golden.<br />
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In conclusion: we're one week in, and school is great! Espen likes his school, we like his school and his school seems to like him too. I'm sure the time will come when things aren't as quite rosy at school as they are at the moment, but until that day comes, we're grateful that Espen is off to a good start.Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-17994742080742096982015-08-20T06:00:00.000-06:002015-09-14T21:14:56.027-06:00Ten Years<br />
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We are back from our cruise and our busy summer is officially at an end. We've had a few North Family Milestones since my last, including Espen's first day of pre-school and our 10th wedding anniversary. Ten years! How did that happen?</div>
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We decided very early on in our marriage that we wanted to really celebrate our anniversaries, and seeing as we both like to travel, we decided that an annual trip would be the way to do it. It didn't always have to be big or expensive or even very far, we just knew that we wanted to escape the everyday and spend a little time away, just the two of us. And so far we have done a pretty good job of managing just that! Some of our anniversaries have been in faraway places (Venice!) and some of them have been a couple of hours away (Cedar City!), but what they do have in common is that they have all been such happy occasions, as well as a perfect opportunity to stop the world and remind ourselves that we are still the people we fell in love with years ago.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2005</b>: Married for about six hours and seriously happy about life. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2006</b>: First anniversary in our first apartment!<br />
And then a day or two later, we hopped on a plane to spend a few weeks in England and Norway.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-w/02/cf/5d/64/providence-inn-bed-and.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-w/02/cf/5d/64/providence-inn-bed-and.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>2007</b>: We don't have any of our own photos of this trip, (s<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g57105-d82432-Reviews-Old_Rock_Church_Bed_Breakfast-Providence_Utah.html#photos" target="_blank">o I borrowed one from Tripadvisor</a>) but for our third anniversary we ventured north and stayed at the Providence Inn near Logan, UT. We slept in, wandered around the town, went swimming and just generally enjoyed a long weekend together. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>2008</b>: Utah Shakespeare Festival. We watched lots of plays, stayed in a seriously cute B&B and fell deeply in love with baked brie and each other.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPFrJ9MzWBEc3c59IN7tP1BXBp6nsJ3lKkCMFXH0f9Yyh-SeNh1IAOh1hp18_G-ctsEm0B8kpFpS8OAGLMonMM8pqqjNwGWHCEYk8eK0R1WebvCS8JxkAThKNDVp2WaJGpYDgX80GOq8/s1600/Tamsin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPFrJ9MzWBEc3c59IN7tP1BXBp6nsJ3lKkCMFXH0f9Yyh-SeNh1IAOh1hp18_G-ctsEm0B8kpFpS8OAGLMonMM8pqqjNwGWHCEYk8eK0R1WebvCS8JxkAThKNDVp2WaJGpYDgX80GOq8/s640/Tamsin.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2009</b>: This year we combined our anniversary trip with a babymoon to Stockholm! Sadly, most of those photos disappeared in The Great Photo Loss of 2010, so we will have to make do with a pregnant photo of me in Gamla Stan.<br />
I promise Nick came too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VuMj8GKmWT8sATNaQBB_34BdBCG_C18NelOOnFhf8QLmlZctiBrxL3kn5O6NqJh9JhHoCm6i3B4B73hKesV2qg2-q7aWFwevba1-SJJa_f1HrcMldfSFAfhvQB1uDhf-iLJ6qJapWAM/s1600/Cody+%2526+Espen+8+20+10+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VuMj8GKmWT8sATNaQBB_34BdBCG_C18NelOOnFhf8QLmlZctiBrxL3kn5O6NqJh9JhHoCm6i3B4B73hKesV2qg2-q7aWFwevba1-SJJa_f1HrcMldfSFAfhvQB1uDhf-iLJ6qJapWAM/s640/Cody+%2526+Espen+8+20+10+042.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2010:</b> Back in 2010 we didn't post our every move on social media, so we actually don't have any pictures of our fifth anniversary trip. But we do have this picture of Espen swimming with Grandpa, which is how he spent his weekend while we went back to the same place we stayed in when we got married. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vvIojPY5biw/TwN5ERJP9uI/AAAAAAAAGn0/OrTZPNMDZsk/s1600/IMG_1365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vvIojPY5biw/TwN5ERJP9uI/AAAAAAAAGn0/OrTZPNMDZsk/s640/IMG_1365.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2011</b>: Nick's beautiful Grandma Jo passed away just before our actual anniversary, so we replaced our plans for an anniversary trip to Las Vegas with a visit to Las Vegas for her funeral instead. Life got very crazy for us that fall, but we managed to sneak off for a few days after Christmas, just the two of us, and went hiking in Zion National Park (and stayed in a posh-ish hotel).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOcrXhbmOD9G_0XUkbhDN0QxMLUd1MYf8ylixc6mMwtgtgrEohYoUx9yGto_hYahk9IQdsrPJjdfecT7GWuCZu-zFYGBvUwZ5o0II_57929iMafxsHzNawfNx-0i2ARCUEJBgYLgrBjQ/s1600/IMG_0634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOcrXhbmOD9G_0XUkbhDN0QxMLUd1MYf8ylixc6mMwtgtgrEohYoUx9yGto_hYahk9IQdsrPJjdfecT7GWuCZu-zFYGBvUwZ5o0II_57929iMafxsHzNawfNx-0i2ARCUEJBgYLgrBjQ/s640/IMG_0634.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2012</b>:Six months pregnant with Gwen and enjoying a quick break in St. George while Grandma and Grandpa took care of Espen. The heat was ridiculous, but we enjoyed tasty food, a show at the Tuacahn theatre and spending time together.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2013</b>: Our babysitter cancelled last minute, so we scaled back our plans and made our eighth anniversary a family affair.<br />
(A friend offered to watch the kids for us that night, so we did manage to sneak off to dinner and a moonlit ski-lift ride in the mountains, so no harm done.)<br />
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<a href="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10376148_10154520844205311_1300406993505231203_n.jpg?oh=b6319342d51cdbdd783bb2ace53f3cf7&oe=568110AA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10376148_10154520844205311_1300406993505231203_n.jpg?oh=b6319342d51cdbdd783bb2ace53f3cf7&oe=568110AA" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2014</b>: Our anniversary was also Espen's first day of preschool, so celebrations were low-key.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2014</b>: But we did celebrate a month earlier with a trip to Venice, so romance was not dead.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTleU3RevAAphtrz0GRtFeZjhg0jKl0x32vajWus2jgCtR5BFrPWtHjk9wzQw3GP3Vxbwfgd1buU3FYTQMkUtHG8GG32Jhpfmw_CMy_ogyPqa2ye8upwkr6h-KzC5q-x2azLRP9ggdikM/s1600/DSC04037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTleU3RevAAphtrz0GRtFeZjhg0jKl0x32vajWus2jgCtR5BFrPWtHjk9wzQw3GP3Vxbwfgd1buU3FYTQMkUtHG8GG32Jhpfmw_CMy_ogyPqa2ye8upwkr6h-KzC5q-x2azLRP9ggdikM/s640/DSC04037.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2015</b>: Ten years! We went on a cruise to Alaska and celebrated the actual day canoeing across a lake near Ketchikan.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2015</b>: Back onboard the cruise ship, we celebrated again with a fancy dinner and eversoverymuchtoomuch dessert.</td></tr>
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Happy anniversary to us! I can wait to see where the next ten years take us. </div>
Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-80848980551592010972015-08-04T16:57:00.005-06:002015-08-04T16:57:44.571-06:00Back from Norway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgD9ZmW5aS_8Bb-mYorzUswCkZNHATPZR1T3UMj1XemGLlQEOz8A1FKN3kk0Nx7tnB3mQ8bBwpUmdnVz4n7omfNiBZYiJklLssfaGEPy0ztp8614VRIc7e-UbG4pDSQpW4wD01iHBzaQ/s1600/DSC05388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgD9ZmW5aS_8Bb-mYorzUswCkZNHATPZR1T3UMj1XemGLlQEOz8A1FKN3kk0Nx7tnB3mQ8bBwpUmdnVz4n7omfNiBZYiJklLssfaGEPy0ztp8614VRIc7e-UbG4pDSQpW4wD01iHBzaQ/s640/DSC05388.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An extremely jaunty walk to get the mail. </td></tr>
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The kids and I are home again from our trip to Norway and getting settled back into every day life. We miss granny and uncle Jeremy and all of our favorite Norwegian people and places, but my goodness, it's good to be home! Home where my bed and my pillow (my pillow!) are, home where my kids sleep peacefully in their beds, home where I don't have to live out of a suitcase, and above all, home where the love of my life is! Good gravy, we missed our Nick/husband/daddy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9_DtKjHniZOrgQCCk079e4TaaGYhu05RkCBMe_sr_L1ihQ5uFOZJUQPjBef2Gn9SMZh798r2HcRYc_F3h0SwSyqQM7HvqRJroV8ehMf68G7FVmvH80T7-iKt6cBVzwN7A_rDgSfE3Vo/s1600/DSC05309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9_DtKjHniZOrgQCCk079e4TaaGYhu05RkCBMe_sr_L1ihQ5uFOZJUQPjBef2Gn9SMZh798r2HcRYc_F3h0SwSyqQM7HvqRJroV8ehMf68G7FVmvH80T7-iKt6cBVzwN7A_rDgSfE3Vo/s640/DSC05309.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing by the lake. </td></tr>
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Whenever I talk to people about our trip, they always express that traveling such a long distance with two small children on my own must be really hard. But to be honest, the actual travel part wasn't too bad. Our kids are seasoned travelers that know how to hunker down, get comfy and make the most of being stuck in a seat for hours (and hours and hours), and I am endlessly grateful for that. They're rock stars! But what was hard (besides the first couple of nights of jet lagged kids) was the realization of what a gaping void there is in our family without Nick. All of the countless little things he does in a day to keep our family running smoothly suddenly weren't happening. And the kids, who usually love being in Norway so much that they don't want to go home, were counting down the days until we could go home to Daddy. Our family is just not our family without him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVwTbp4Gb4A1CxEXNtB3kcPoye6ydDJV9cmiYxmKnapJ0iaf63UKXVnByfXXfY7J8bqbIypd44T_ZC12A0sP0_BYmFp-E0MAHjUFaYfrz_4b2BRbygEBPj2YdAQfbDn_ILU20MZl6n20/s1600/DSC05365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVwTbp4Gb4A1CxEXNtB3kcPoye6ydDJV9cmiYxmKnapJ0iaf63UKXVnByfXXfY7J8bqbIypd44T_ZC12A0sP0_BYmFp-E0MAHjUFaYfrz_4b2BRbygEBPj2YdAQfbDn_ILU20MZl6n20/s640/DSC05365.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A visit from my grandmother and the kids' great-grandmother. With my mum standing in for my dad, we've got four generations on this sofa and ages ranging from two to ninety-four. </td></tr>
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That being said, we had a wonderful time. We spent hours and hours outside in Granny's garden and adventuring in the forest and along the lanes nearby. We discovered a wild strawberry patch and picked as much as we could find. We caught up with old friends and made a few new ones. We went swimming in the lake and splashed in the paddling pool in the garden. We ate lots and lots of ice cream and tasty Norwegian food. Espen discovered a love for salami, meatballs and fish cakes. Gwen spent every waking moment asking for ice cream, cookies and chocolate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiip7JeWf5wOHVGIV949FCe7iTsCgxLRa4jR5G7l3bfZrCHQ68culsFIh7iZ84MPkyeYD5VLM8NIt81uyEivE2toDIUH0df2K0YCnBmPdugeEi4iYGelz3lkiftiG7X1tmFlkNBa39iZ9I/s1600/DSC05334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiip7JeWf5wOHVGIV949FCe7iTsCgxLRa4jR5G7l3bfZrCHQ68culsFIh7iZ84MPkyeYD5VLM8NIt81uyEivE2toDIUH0df2K0YCnBmPdugeEi4iYGelz3lkiftiG7X1tmFlkNBa39iZ9I/s640/DSC05334.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I gave Gwen one of my old bridesmaid dresses, and she immediately declared herself Princess Gwen. <br />
I'm rather inclined to agree. </td></tr>
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We had tea parties and made a playhouse in one of Granny's outbuildings. On rainy days we played with Lego from my childhood and drew the children's outlines on big rolls of paper. We picked wild flowers and jumped up and down in muddy puddles. We made leaf rubbings and had epic games of hide and seek all around the garden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnkoNYeO223QhxduwqJcYt0GQIJHX3K8Syj66P1Oo4QIrI3Yv412IloX0-XwwlUdPuoilBeS7OdN6X6Un4ggFRGgm-0op-1dgoIzRjXOl-qM37pE7T2IbLL-7EPNCl9Am_rKilsrxuak/s1600/DSC05344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnkoNYeO223QhxduwqJcYt0GQIJHX3K8Syj66P1Oo4QIrI3Yv412IloX0-XwwlUdPuoilBeS7OdN6X6Un4ggFRGgm-0op-1dgoIzRjXOl-qM37pE7T2IbLL-7EPNCl9Am_rKilsrxuak/s640/DSC05344.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went for lots of walks up and down the lanes.</td></tr>
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Lest this is sounding too idyllic for words we also stayed up too late, threw epic tantrums, made big messes, lost some of Granny's belongings and spent way too much time playing on the iPads.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaI9nWo0jTpHn5eqdFiBCdXuUW1gC-RqGA-dzmKQTUwJnyg_znb_jhJwC1jsdgGD4sz5-TmUbLj9_5soVNdDWAmyWPMJdXBBCNcK_DDJ1IxNsO3uXijA5yKz3UWjbuYHt_COR8KH9wt-w/s1600/DSC05351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaI9nWo0jTpHn5eqdFiBCdXuUW1gC-RqGA-dzmKQTUwJnyg_znb_jhJwC1jsdgGD4sz5-TmUbLj9_5soVNdDWAmyWPMJdXBBCNcK_DDJ1IxNsO3uXijA5yKz3UWjbuYHt_COR8KH9wt-w/s640/DSC05351.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were wildflowers (and their tiny tenants) everywhere.</td></tr>
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For me, the theme of the trip seemed to be getting out my comfort zone. I drove a car with manual transmission for the entire month, something I haven't done in well over a decade. I repaired the lawnmower and figured out why the vacuum cleaner wasn't sucking. I read instruction manuals and wielded power tools. I drove to places I had never been before without a GPS, and I drove the entire family on a road trip to Sweden. My comfort zone is my happy place, and I'm never especially interested in leaving it, but I will admit that there is something to be said for making it a little bit bigger. I didn't especially want to know how to clean and replace a spark plug, but now I do, and it doesn't sound so foreign and difficult anymore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dSP-CG1P-oWwotbVd565oXtm-DQlOkVxDhXoPV72WV-9a0FG4GmS1Ugbu3mlsiL7B1zdONn3x6zUwQDJ6XKYSOqC4VutHNpY512YZst1JMVOA3Wck703_RTLrWQAFu4gvL_1JGME5k0/s1600/DSC05431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dSP-CG1P-oWwotbVd565oXtm-DQlOkVxDhXoPV72WV-9a0FG4GmS1Ugbu3mlsiL7B1zdONn3x6zUwQDJ6XKYSOqC4VutHNpY512YZst1JMVOA3Wck703_RTLrWQAFu4gvL_1JGME5k0/s640/DSC05431.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pancake brunch with my Norwegian Bestie. We love our Annika!</td></tr>
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Of course the whole reason we went was so we could help my mum while she recovered from hip replacement surgery. When we got there a few days after she was home from the hospital, she had to use two crutches to get anywhere, and was frustrated because she couldn't even carry a cup from the kitchen counter to the table. So to begin with I cooked and cleaned and did the dishes and drove her to appointments and ran errands and mowed the lawn and did all of the things that she just couldn't do for herself yet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDgtLCcflSla73DEzQUbzaCYUIekLEfVcU5radSmZ-ov1HDp51HI2KNkbLo4dcxqxKk10ZL5ohGRG0WEqtdSnChYac0Sv5cV7a4G4Jrse0ChCc07_S-U6xfI69vmC9c3591KQoLHsFrU/s1600/DSC05439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDgtLCcflSla73DEzQUbzaCYUIekLEfVcU5radSmZ-ov1HDp51HI2KNkbLo4dcxqxKk10ZL5ohGRG0WEqtdSnChYac0Sv5cV7a4G4Jrse0ChCc07_S-U6xfI69vmC9c3591KQoLHsFrU/s640/DSC05439.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annika is the director of an <a href="http://www.kirsten-flagstad.no/English/tabid/4221/language/nb-NO/Default.aspx" target="_blank">opera museum</a>, and therefore wins all of the Best Dress-up Box awards. </td></tr>
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As the days turned into weeks, it was really great to see my mum recovering more and more each day. Over the course of the month we were there, she went from needing two crutches to get anywhere, to mostly getting around the house unsupported and only using a walking stick in one hand if we were going somewhere. She was even well enough to drive the car into town before we left, which made me feel like we weren't leaving her completely in the lurch. And now she just had her first day back at work!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GcUmcSyPTWvDqIr_dIp4j_yM4jVNzrOqHwlKL0S-xWftd9sSYm-XPfzY142akIF6KL9t4-2-tI5hFiccISLY9_Gt9ynLJKvvBMnNXQ3WsGAvblLf7MFrOgu8sCkzvAqdXVubxvb6vlw/s1600/DSC05586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GcUmcSyPTWvDqIr_dIp4j_yM4jVNzrOqHwlKL0S-xWftd9sSYm-XPfzY142akIF6KL9t4-2-tI5hFiccISLY9_Gt9ynLJKvvBMnNXQ3WsGAvblLf7MFrOgu8sCkzvAqdXVubxvb6vlw/s640/DSC05586.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">My lovely Mumsy<br />
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My mum and I have always been good friends, so just spending time with her was great as it always is. I know I'm very lucky in that regard, because not everyone gets along as well with their mum as I do. She does have an absolutely frustrating ability to be right about things, but other than she's lovely. We did a lot of chatting and knitting and shopping (so much shopping!) and sorting through old photos and just spending time together without doing anything very significant in that way you can only do with your very nearest and dearest.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-dkx0A2Gi7C6opfDT9dZ0cWN-8lMy8Ax857cfEOSzKIgM5RWrJwtAo8m-hhAPZXbG1oNazCNHaCLYswB1L8XZFkvc0rvWIWYtUo_6tGzLyW-wQFWH8iqFH7a1IJQvjb_zz8k6aowMfjI/s1600/DSC05497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-dkx0A2Gi7C6opfDT9dZ0cWN-8lMy8Ax857cfEOSzKIgM5RWrJwtAo8m-hhAPZXbG1oNazCNHaCLYswB1L8XZFkvc0rvWIWYtUo_6tGzLyW-wQFWH8iqFH7a1IJQvjb_zz8k6aowMfjI/s640/DSC05497.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Visiting the cows and breaking in their news boots.</td></tr>
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There were other good things about being in Norway too, besides just being able to help my mum. One of them was that we were able to spend some time with my brother, which doesn't happen too often. He starts a new job next week, so had a few weeks off to spend with us. The kids adore their uncle Jeremy (he was getting bedtime hugs and kisses whether he wanted them or not!), and I suspect that he's pretty fond of them too. I won't tarnish his manly image by telling you exactly how sweet he can be to a two year-old with a bumped foot or a five year-old in need of a man-to-man talk, but it made my heart happy to those relationships develop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVA9-e0lr_Gvi-BKEVO7Jkw4G21q4ZiOj2xDeSzIOU7VFLShPrbqoOv1aiVjGEpZLKFj37gIHsT2w3cFIJNWW9DMkS8pIb2q7x2DK9QrZnx_zhz2UjhDZwFr-Tcb1KWFR3hkc-Gy48c5g/s1600/DSC05512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVA9-e0lr_Gvi-BKEVO7Jkw4G21q4ZiOj2xDeSzIOU7VFLShPrbqoOv1aiVjGEpZLKFj37gIHsT2w3cFIJNWW9DMkS8pIb2q7x2DK9QrZnx_zhz2UjhDZwFr-Tcb1KWFR3hkc-Gy48c5g/s640/DSC05512.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washing Granny's car. </td></tr>
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And I was able to enjoy some time with Jeremy too! We went for walks and talked a lot, and discovered that we are equally nerdy about Dr. Who, so almost every night after the kids were in bed, we'd pile onto the couch with my mum and watch some vintage Dr. Who or an old movie. He was great at helping out with the kids and did a lot of stuff around the house in general, which I really appreciated. He's going to make some girl very happy one of these days!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTF1IgVXfGMqjUiOg9y1toZgoU-yd0YS6QqsOS2o7WYaqHyQN8MAhoQKS64V9hy_QoNNZWgxsiqPPtXuw6TZN2BKUOB7VuSZWgCr2SYhaMxSWPFR8WM0iFWzAbMckxrNmZpYqYN0QeOtA/s1600/DSC05522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTF1IgVXfGMqjUiOg9y1toZgoU-yd0YS6QqsOS2o7WYaqHyQN8MAhoQKS64V9hy_QoNNZWgxsiqPPtXuw6TZN2BKUOB7VuSZWgCr2SYhaMxSWPFR8WM0iFWzAbMckxrNmZpYqYN0QeOtA/s640/DSC05522.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooling off with popsicles in the paddling pool. It's a rough life!</td></tr>
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Spending time with friends is always a great part of being in Norway. Some of my friends have kids of their own now, which is great because it gives my kids someone to play with while we chat and catch up. And it's just fun to see how children aren't really all that bothered about not sharing a common language. There's usually about a 15 minute warmup period where everyone is figuring each other out, and then they just play. And Espen and Gwen always leave a play date in Norway with a few more words in their Norwegian vocabulary than when they came, which is wonderful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAP9uZVC51jAcYqNHnGUquEgZzGkSnyt5kKi8dO22UTphqOzr9lSDSZAX-2tp9S1rGxKkCHz0QPABBinenXw06Df9OLOxBQhDzS4IPnSLsMAYHB2qGUV88uUQZcO4TirgI6sjrimNtYv4/s1600/DSC05526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAP9uZVC51jAcYqNHnGUquEgZzGkSnyt5kKi8dO22UTphqOzr9lSDSZAX-2tp9S1rGxKkCHz0QPABBinenXw06Df9OLOxBQhDzS4IPnSLsMAYHB2qGUV88uUQZcO4TirgI6sjrimNtYv4/s640/DSC05526.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picking wild strawberries.</td></tr>
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Being able to spend time with my own friends is great too. We met up with one girl (lady, I suppose!) that I have known since I was four years old. Even though we haven't seen each other very much at all in the past 20 years, there is still something so comfortable and familiar about spending time with people you have known for practically all of your life. I also saw three other women who have all held the title as my best friend at some point in my life - and on some level still do. I think that unless there was some clear and obvious falling out that ended the friendship, then a best friend maintains that level of closeness and love no matter how many years have passed since the last time you saw each other. Some friends you just pick up with where you left off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEt04s6iVR5IBJbv70qnjGHRXJhbd43DuctMW3GmCSM3v9fqMUAtTtR6HZS92wucj1I9SNkDKlklbVXWyR3zkZ_AZpuh6wTgiSbZO9OOl2_GvUiw39FTYq_nMptzb9JJ48M8EWKpEeNg/s1600/DSC05550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEt04s6iVR5IBJbv70qnjGHRXJhbd43DuctMW3GmCSM3v9fqMUAtTtR6HZS92wucj1I9SNkDKlklbVXWyR3zkZ_AZpuh6wTgiSbZO9OOl2_GvUiw39FTYq_nMptzb9JJ48M8EWKpEeNg/s640/DSC05550.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many tiny tea parties.</td></tr>
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I also spent my 35th birthday in Norway this year. Until last year I hadn't celebrated a single birthday in the same country as my mum for a decade, so being able to spend it with her and my brother for two years in a row was a really special thing. She helped Espen and Gwen chose presents for me (some favorite Norwegian chocolate and Marimekko-print napkins, respectively), and I took her out to lunch. My brother gave me a much beloved TV-show from our childhood on DVD (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMf8A9gpKC8" target="_blank">Vi på Saltkråkan</a>), and my mum cooked a delicious dinner for us and a few friends, one of whom had just happened to fly in from New York that morning. My sweet friend Annika baked a cake and played games with my kids, who just can't fathom how you could possibly have a birthday without party games. I really feel that, for me, are less and less about cake and presents, and more and more about the people around you and the kindness and love that they express through the efforts they make for you. I probably missed Nick more on my birthday than on any other day the entire time we were gone, but it was still a special day where my family and friends just made me feel so loved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWFOPk1bPW6e-c-kLVtMiEOEh0_vIN7ygsqRFFx8yxY0gyw-u5xvycVd0pV4To9CituT-iFw3VEKPioOuRMurVxbtaC8ZOWWrpFXTHx0eQ2pcYs75uXGsyCXDhQsYdspLfgmpqtawVRE/s1600/DSC05566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWFOPk1bPW6e-c-kLVtMiEOEh0_vIN7ygsqRFFx8yxY0gyw-u5xvycVd0pV4To9CituT-iFw3VEKPioOuRMurVxbtaC8ZOWWrpFXTHx0eQ2pcYs75uXGsyCXDhQsYdspLfgmpqtawVRE/s640/DSC05566.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who even knows? </td></tr>
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Now we're home and everything is getting back to normal again. It took a few days of trying to put my foot on a clutch that wasn't there, but I am finally getting used to driving my own car again. I was a good girl and unpacked our suitcases quickly (within a couple of days, which is pretty great for me!) and have integrated most of our new belongings into our home already. It makes me happy to see our new tablecloth on the kitchen table, and the cute little dish I found holding tomatoes, like little splashes of Norway here and there. And it has to be said that we left with one suitcase and returned with three, so there was quite a lot of putting away and integrating to be done! (Did I mention we did a lot of shopping?)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgiB-p8CVQJGM1_NhwsRKVAoEI1Yt6rUTR9CFRvoYMXr8nZ1h-36Ke3PemgMb55NdCpR3tnuxsyWSGruqBElVod0nS9ftexWjqXzRdE9uuf7LOsqfYS87rB9vbfWfuwigoijeGDrr2gQ/s1600/DSC05568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgiB-p8CVQJGM1_NhwsRKVAoEI1Yt6rUTR9CFRvoYMXr8nZ1h-36Ke3PemgMb55NdCpR3tnuxsyWSGruqBElVod0nS9ftexWjqXzRdE9uuf7LOsqfYS87rB9vbfWfuwigoijeGDrr2gQ/s640/DSC05568.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy and handsome.</td></tr>
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The next thing on the agenda, of course, is our upcoming trip to Alaska, so our travel bags won't be packed away for too long before we hit the road. And the air. And the high seas. The kids will have a fantastic time staying with grandma and grandpa while Nick and I can hardly contain our excitement to go on our very first cruise! Then, a few days after we get back, Espen starts kindergarten, by which time I suspect we'll be happy to sink into a nice little family routine again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cKRUa9VyC-PVxWHb4Qqr2BNIO7az_drvK28vY5DDzQlnGBXDqBz55OGHFI6Sla9hVk9qojzLB9tgQ3HYYVV5U2sHc_WGfRqG5entdjeNEjQyZYrhyphenhyphen2LzkMCJ166rT0o66I1Y1r46LTI/s1600/DSC05578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cKRUa9VyC-PVxWHb4Qqr2BNIO7az_drvK28vY5DDzQlnGBXDqBz55OGHFI6Sla9hVk9qojzLB9tgQ3HYYVV5U2sHc_WGfRqG5entdjeNEjQyZYrhyphenhyphen2LzkMCJ166rT0o66I1Y1r46LTI/s640/DSC05578.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with mama and uncle Jeremy's old Lego.</td></tr>
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How has your summer been so far?<br />
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Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3854650885590742659.post-69852326720340251232015-06-19T16:36:00.002-06:002015-06-19T16:36:39.280-06:00Recalculating...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVntIPMKYg4cw54ckPxBE1IsU4_I-ZhATLOlUmUrD7SUlhE1Eidf70nOI7UJ0Cmxaw_FXHWB7WG7WGAkARVtOnFDZxcm7K5txDaX1-bYTAn0LkXwokuChdRtpQMfchRf47IaDwzLcTtss/s1600/IMG_0582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVntIPMKYg4cw54ckPxBE1IsU4_I-ZhATLOlUmUrD7SUlhE1Eidf70nOI7UJ0Cmxaw_FXHWB7WG7WGAkARVtOnFDZxcm7K5txDaX1-bYTAn0LkXwokuChdRtpQMfchRf47IaDwzLcTtss/s640/IMG_0582.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our house, where I thought I'd be spending my summer.</td></tr>
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At least that's what my GPS says to me when we all thought we were heading in one direction, but then I suddenly throw everything off by heading down a different path than the planned route. And that's kind of what is happening to our summer.<br />
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When we got back from our trip to Florida and Disneyworld on May 1st, I thought that was sort of it as far as traveling went this summer. We'd had our big fun trip, and had nothing else on the cards beyond maybe a long weekend with Nick's parents as far as the eye could see. The rest of the summer would be spent at home, playing with friends, doing a few day trips here and there and mostly trying to beat the heat.<br />
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But then there was the question of our anniversary. We will have been married for 10 years in August, and always planned to do something big to celebrate. Although that was going to be tricky/nigh on impossible with two small kids, unless we took them with us, which wasn't really what we had in mind. At this point some friends and family kindly offered to take the kids so we could maybe swing a long weekend in San Francisco, and we thought that was going to be it. While it wasn't quite the Grand Adventure we'd always envisioned for this milestone, we love San Francisco and were definitely happy to spend a few days there.<br />
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Then Nick's parents, angels that they are, offered to take the kids for a week. <i>A week!</i> Suddenly the world was quite literally our proverbial oyster, and we started thinking what might be really fun. We knew we wanted to stay within North America so we wouldn't spend half our time traveling and adjusting to time changes, and we knew we wanted to go somewhere neither of us had been before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're going here! On this ship!</td></tr>
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And now we have booked a cruise to Alaska in August!<br />
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Neither of us have been on a cruise before, and neither of us have been to Alaska before, so we are very excited to check it all out. We did our research and booked all of our shore excursions, and were more or less just enjoying the rest of the summer at home until...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9o1Wf9X7kZf0_SGgr7Bf6TM7KL6p7ztXjNz_XZnxvns6ex_PQEYljAjJHundjKfIYx9TIdWPTHfvUi2uk927USzdkW8_dzYm6XVR6VIqbbeYVrghTOzkkyxTFgonoTqOWM75akJtbZU/s1600/DSC01115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9o1Wf9X7kZf0_SGgr7Bf6TM7KL6p7ztXjNz_XZnxvns6ex_PQEYljAjJHundjKfIYx9TIdWPTHfvUi2uk927USzdkW8_dzYm6XVR6VIqbbeYVrghTOzkkyxTFgonoTqOWM75akJtbZU/s640/DSC01115.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're going to see my mum!</td></tr>
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My mum needed to have hip replacement surgery. We knew it was coming, but it wasn't until two days before her surgery that I fully realized how tricky recovery is going to be for her. She will be on crutches and won't be able to drive for six weeks, and was sort of wondering how she was going to manage. Long story short, she had her surgery on Wednesday, should be headed home on Sunday, and the kids and I are flying out to Norway on Monday.<br />
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I am freaking out just a little bit. We booked our tickets just a week before leaving, which is the shortest amount of time I've ever had between deciding to go on a big trip like this and actually leaving. And I'll be flying with the kids by myself for the first time ever, which is pretty daunting. I'm actually not dreading the actual flights as much as the travel surrounding them (when I think about getting myself, two kids and our luggage onto the train at the airport in Oslo, I kind of want to cry just a little bit). But I know we can do it, and that things are rarely as bad as I imagine them to be. It'll be a hard day getting there, but it's only one day, and when we're done, we're done.<br />
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The hardest part by far is going to be leaving Nick for a month, because I am crazy in love with him. And he's helpful and lovely and we share a brain. And the kids love him and he is the other pair of hands that takes over when I'm doing something else. And we haven't been apart for more than about five days at a time in the 10 years we've been married. Oh, I'm going to miss him like cray-cray. (See?)<br />
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But! I get to spend time with my mum and my brother, I'll be able to see some of my favorite friends (and I'm really hoping my 94 year-old Nana!), I'll be in Norway, I'll get to speak Norwegian and hear Norwegian and read Norwegian and be Norwegian for a whole month! And I get to eat Norwegian food! Ohhh, it's like finding a gas station in the middle of nowhere when you weren't sure you were going to make it to the next town. So unexpected and just what I needed! And most importunely, I will be able to actually be useful and helpful to my mother which, given the geographical distance between us, doesn't happen very often. I feel very lucky that we were able to make it work.<br />
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So, goodness knows when I'll be able to blog again. I'll be keeping up with the small health changes I've made, but not adding anything new until we get back (although I am hoping I can do a good amount of walking while I'm in Norway and it's not 97 degrees outside). I'll be Instagramming up a storm while I'm gone (I even convinced Nick to get an account!), so if you're interested, you can find me there. My username is <a href="https://instagram.com/tamsin_north/" target="_blank">Tamsin_North</a>.<br />
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I'll be back in a month, if not before, at which point I will surely start blogging about frugal living and austerity measures after I have spent all our money traveling the Northern hemisphere.<br />
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Bye for now!<br />
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<i>Image borrowed <a href="http://www.visualitineraries.com/VisitPoint.asp?location=3927&title=Star+Princess" target="_blank">here</a>. </i><br />
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<br />Tamsin Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14546493924320998563noreply@blogger.com2