Konfekt Dag at Unimerco

Jule Decoration Dag

The day the washer died....

Our poor overworked washer...finally coughed its way through the last cycle, giving up before completing its last spin. We knew it was bound to happen...being that we do load after load after load. No matter how sad we were...the benefits of our new model...well are numerous! The best part of our new set is that we have the option to have the screen display in ....ENGLISH! Nothing like being able to know what cycle you are running...before you run it! Also...we have cycle times from 30 minutes. At last the ability to do a laundry load quickly! You see cycle times for laundry here a minimum of an hour at best! I am not kidding. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention...this model has a larger capacity! Who would ever guess that you could get so excited about such simple things! ;)

Taekwondo

Two guys and a girl...the latest thing to hit the mats in Taekwondo class in Holing...

Philip, Max and Bailey began Taekwondo two weeks ago and absolutely love it!

They practice on Monday's and Wednesday's, not to mention the hours that they showcase their moves at home! Fortunately Finn had participated in Taekwondo for 12 years and can give useful tips when they are ready for them!

Banko night at skole

Every year to begin the Christmas Season, (yep, I said Christmas - it is still ok to celebrate Christmas here! ) Herning Friskole hosts a family Banko night with proceeds benefitting the SOS foundation. (The SOS foundation is similar to what we know as Unicef.) Banko is the equivalent to Bingo and is played in the same fashion. Numbers are called out, and whether it be a row or the entire card, the winners raise their voices and hands and are awarded fantastisk prices donated by the families at the skole and area businesses. Some of the prizes were hammers, pans, sport bags, candy, wine, towels - you get the idea.

The entire skole turns out for this event. It was unbelievable! Their was ice cream for the kids, dancing in one room, a movie upstairs and the Danish Christmas staple, Æbleskiver and Gløgg- which is like apple pancakes shaped into a ball dipped in jam and powdered sugar, and mulled wine for the adults. Cocoa was served for the children.

After our Bingo experience at Kelli's we thought we were seasoned Banko professionals...that is until the caller began calling! We translated, began looking through our cards, just in time for him to move on to the next number! It was a frenzied hour or so, and after we were ready for treats! We didn't win a single thing, at least anything that could be measured! I was so unbelieveably proud of the kids! Bailey finally got to warm and left to cool off, really I think it was to see the movie upstairs with the girls ( Flushed away in Danish). Sophie fell asleep in my arms. But Max, he hung in for the entire evening. The best part of the evening by far was that even though we won no prizes, Max stayed in complete control. I know he was bummed, but really I think he enjoyed the hunt for the numbers too! Yep, I was really, really proud!

One of the funnier moments in the evening was when they played Swedish Banko, which is where everyone stands on their chairs with one card and only sits down when a number is called that is on their card. The last people standing have not had a number from their card called and win the prizes.

Sophie...the artist

Aw man...I think I am caught...

I guess I can't deny it when the evidence is as plain as the ink on my feet!

You think that is cool mom...check this out


Yes, that is her back! She said it was easy...I just looked in the mirror!

So as you can see in Denmark we have brought a love of the arts into our home. Which is why Sophie spent the day embellishing...herself. It only took her ... well...minutes actually, to do such lovely art. Too funny!

boys will be...boys

One of many evenings that Max and Philip get creative and amuse themselves and sometimes us too! This evening they had decided that they would be middle aged hunters (note the pillows) having a disagreement over what to hunt. They would stuff pillows in their shirts and run toward one another bouncing off and laughing hysterically, while trying to stay in the tuff hunter mode. Our poor pillows!

Philip's shirt was slippery so he had the most difficult time keeping his pillow where he wanted it!

Bailey the baker

For about two weeks Bailey had been looking for something anything to bake. She looked through many a cookbook until she finally found the winner - buttered crescents with either jam or cinnamon filling. By the end of her baking, I would say she was wearing just as much flour as there was in the cookies!

She debated how to get the exact size required for the squares, until Finn brought out a ruler and demonstrated the best way to divide the dough. It was funny because since it involved cookies she was totally into measuring and dividing. She was actually doing math and enjoying it! Will wonders never cease! ;)

They turned out really yummy and disappeared within 24 hours.

Halloween in DK

We are so pleased to say that Halloween was a super success! I was a bit nervous, and crossing fingers and toes that the evening would live up to the kids' expecations and fortunately...it worked! Kelli and Mads had our family over for a Halloween party and as you can see they went all out! We played Ghost bingo, decorated cupcakes and drank yummy hot cocoa with monster teeth marshmallows! Kelli would call out a number in danish and the kids filled in the correct spot with Halloween themed markers. It was good fun!

Here the kids are selecting prizes out of the prize bin for getting a GHOST bingo!

Before we went to Kelli and Mads' home we went to a local church that had pumkin carving as well as a church tour. We climbed a million steps to the bell tower, only to go down again quickly when we discovered that the bells would be ringing within minutes...

Our first trick or treat guests! All along we had planned on trick or treating in our neighborhood, but we never expected that we wouldn't be the only group! It was great! I can only imagine next year!

Bailey, Philip, Max and Sophie aka,

The pirate/sorceress, The grim reaper, Gangsta man, and the Spanish dancer with Vampire teeth.

Soph wanted her own pic taken with her new jumprope. She had just bought it herself with her allowance!

The finished products! I really think that they turned out well!

Max was happy to watch while I scooped all of the goo out! ´He wanted nothing to do with that!

Philip went to town and began carving his first Halloween Jack -o-Lantern.

The trip to get our pumkins was so close to a typical Michigan October day that I had to capture it! The bike path was scattered with leaves, and the leaves that were still clinging to their branches were multi-colored.

The winners!