Easter 2009

Easter Sunday was quiet, but sunny, and nothing really beats waking up after the Easter bunny has visited. Thank goodness he was able to find us in Denmark! We had had the family celebration the day before and everyone came over. There was a chocolate candy hunt, yummy food and tasty desserts. Unfortunately, no pictures...the camera woman was sick. That is right, I was sick the day before Easter and for the week following. :( NOT the greatest timing, but Aunt Karin ran the Easter candy hunt on Saturday, and Finn took the helm as chef. Sunday morning we enjoyed an egg hunt and topped it off by a walk around the neighborhood.









The last egg


One more for the boy


One, two, three


The Easter Egg Hunt

One fish, two fish

Over Easter break we took the gang to Herning Fiske Sø (Herning Fishing Lake) to test our luck. We spent the first part of the day replacing power bait on all of the hooks, either it would fall off, or sneaky fish would swim by bumping it off to have a tasty treat. Daniel stopped by to give Bailey some pointers and drop off chocolate that he had purchased for us in Germany. Nothing beats a day outside fishing, and eating chocolate...well almost nothing. Catching a fish was first and foremost on the agenda. Who would be lucky? Would it be the fish or the kids? Max and Philip changed spots continually, with Max getting his hook stuck in the trees at least 3 times. Bailey took a more relaxed approach, she even set her pole down unattended every once in awhile to look at rocks and bugs. Sophie found a frog and decided that one lake needed more water so she took buckets of water from one to the other. I am certain the the people fishing around us loved how peaceful and quiet we made the lake that day! ;)

We bunkered down between two of the lakes and set up camp with the boys on one and the girls on the other. Sophie found a cozy nook and asked me exactly how long it really took to catch a fish. I responded by saying I was certain we would have one soon...thinking to myself that we would have to call it a day soon because everyone was getting discouraged. Then to everyone's suprise...Sophie felt a tug on her line. Finn hurried over and I ran to get the camera. (Big bummer camera battery died after taking the shots here - we have a cell pic of the fish though) Sophie and Finn struggled a bit and then there he was... a big, beautiful trout. She was laughing and happy...that is until Philip promptly made certain that the fish wouldn't suffer and killed it. To experienced fish catchers,(they might even be called fishermen :)), this is of course the natural procedure, to the newbies - myself included, we were rendered silent for the first time that morning! That is until Max suddenly announced that he had a bite too! Another flurry of activity and then Max's fish was up and out, and in the next bucket. Sophie had still not uttered a word. I, of course felt like a horrible mother for not preparing her, tried to explain that we would be eating the fish later and that it is ok to kill fish if you eat them. She was NOT convinced. True to my word, we went home, I cleaned my first fish and we bbq'd and consumed the freshest Lake Trout I have ever tasted. Yet, the peanut vows to never fish again. Sigh.


Max focusing on the best place to cast his line.



Finn and I had brought coffee with the idea that at some point we would have the opportunity to sit and drink it. With all of the bait changing and hook switching, I think that we ended up drinking coffee at home!

The girl in braids

The braids that have been a Bailey trademark when since she was photographed by Kat Foley with her little brother at four, have accompanied her to DK. In these pictures Bailey is giving Danish fodball a go. She shortly thereafter decided to focus her attentions on Taekwondo again, but we were glad she gave it a solid try first. (When she first signed up we were unaware that the games would be on Saturdays, as well as, Wednesdays...which is Taekwondo night.) She is doing so well with Taekwondo she simply didn't want to give it up!






Coaches and Bonus Far

"this is about Sophie's BESTEDE Birthday at the BOWLING ALLEY, and it was very FUN, and I got a strike and it was good, yeah!"

Sophie Gloria

Simone stopped by and dropped off Sophie's gift before going to work...as you can see it was huge hit. Sophie ended up wearing the costume at the bowling alley, and then slept in it! She is certain that the costume is the real reason she got a STRIKE that evening!
The cake she and her siblings decorated.


IF receiving one package for her birthday was amazing, can you imgagine what it was like to receiving THREE???
One of Sophie's "bestest" friends from home, Sydney, sent a care package full of love inside! Beautiful pictures of the two of them, cool Littlest Pet Shop paint-on guy, a homemade card, and last but not least...Mac-n-cheese! She couldn't have been more excited!!

Last but certainly not least was a package from her daddy! She was soo excited to receive the lego set that he sent...it was exactly the one she wanted! Not to mention the cool flip flops from Aunt Michaela and gang! Nothing like being able to change your flip flops to match your outfit! ;) Oh, and the Polly Pockets that come apart from Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Russ where a big hit too! They don't have those Polly's here yet! The boys love them too...they make good casualties when the three of them play Polly's and Army guys!

American Girl for an American girl

Much to her suprise...Sophie received a package from Grandma Sugar and Papa for her birthday. What was inside the package was something akin to baseball and cracker jacks, s'mores by a campfire, or apple pie and ice cream...yep thats right...an American Girl doll for an American Girl!!!

She was sooo excited and carried her around where ever she went that day and the days that have followed. She is most impressed by the purse with coins and necklace that came with her doll, not too mention the long blond hair. She wondered, "Oh my gosh mom, that is exactly the one I wanted! How did grandma know?"

***
We all learned a valuable...and I do mean valuable lesson with this present...if you have a loved one in Denmark and you would like to send them a gift...do NOT include the original online shipping statement if it does not include taxes! :) The purchase of the doll had one fee, the mailing of said doll another, and the collection from the post office yet another. (When you order items online many items are shipped without the accrual of tax - the Danish postal system requires that taxes are paid on items shipped regardless of where they are paid. If there are no taxes paid documented...Danish taxes are applied) So to give a ballpark figure...the retrieval of Sophie's doll was over $50 American dollars.

Popcorn words and an email

While being the youngest child in the family can have its drawbacks, there are also perks too. More experienced parents being first and foremost on that list! Knowing when to test limits and when it is in everyones best interest to step back and call for a time-out!

Traditionally children in DK begin børnehave classe (kindergarten) at the ripe old age of 6 turning 7 throughout the year. Being an 100% American mom, and having had two children who had just plugged through the transition from pre-school to kindergarten (ok, so what if we had to physically drive Max in to the am session, b-cuz he would have had a breakdown waiting til noon):), soooo the peanut (aka. Soph)went to school too. She has friends, has playdates and loves gym, and math. She enjoyed field trips and snack time too. However, what she didn't care for...everyday classtime. She said it was boring and even started singing outloud, to herself in class. :) My peanut is a stubborn and hardy sort, and she had taken a stand. I respected it. After talking to her teacher, the pricipal, the fritid leader and countless hours of talking to other parents. The unanimous decision was reached...the peanut would be better served by waiting until the next fall and go to class with children her age. (Not to mention the fact that her seatmates would be spared her songs while trying to listen to their teacher) However, she had mixed emotions and would not speak of it for weeks. We began homeschooling the American way - the only way that I know. Math, reading, and science experiments. We planted seeds in glass jars, watched the life cycle of the frogs, and have created beautiful masterpieces for the seasons. We have tried handball, tækwondo and now we are on to soccer. She has grown leaps and bounds and often out-eats her siblings. Because of that we have seen her shoot up and grow not only physically, but emotionally. Her temper tantrums have diminished, and her negotiation skills improved. She has learned to blow bubbles, tie her shoes and we are now on to two-wheel training. She is a determined and tenacious little firecracker.

Being no shrinking violet myself, I questioned the educators, as well as, the motives of my daughters behavior. Was it that the school was simply unaccustomed to the idea of having a 5 year old student, or were they acting pro-actively in Sophie's favor. I no longer question the decision. Without a doubt it has been a sound decision, with the obvious benefits displayed in Sophie's emotional comfort.

Initially, I questioned whether these issues were due to the move, and of course wondered whether we would have experienced similar difficulties in Michigan. There will obviously not be answers to those questions, but what I have concluded is this:

1. I am a prime example of a kindergarten do-over, and seem to have survived! :)

2. There were days in MI where taking Sophie to pre-school neccesitated feats of great strength and stamina. One day even testing her resolve by taking her to school in her pink footed jammies. (I used the "Love and Logic" parenting practice there - thank you Saline community ed! :)

3. Evaluating all of the information presented and making the best decision for my daughter that I believe possible is all that I can do!

The peanut and I have enjoyed the last months, and the time that we previously not had together. I had always felt torn about the peanut, because I was not able to remain home with her like I had with Bailey and Max. I had felt that she was somehow the one who had "missed-out" so to speak. I no longer feel that guilt. We have quality time learning together, and I feel so fortunate to have had these moments!

We meet with her new class next week for coffee and ice cream at the school, and get a tour of a campus she is already comfy with. It is a good system, a good school, and we are anticipating good times to come! :)

***
The pictures above are a series of popcorn words that are on Sophie's wall that we use in conjunction with reading. She is typing her first email to her grandparents -thanking them for her b-day package.

A visitor from Texas

Mads, Kelly and Kelly's daughter Jessica stopped by for a visit over Jess's spring break trip to DK so we could finally meet. We have learned sooo much about her through Kelly's blog, and from Kelly firsthand and it was a pleasure to see her "in person"!

She immediately found favor with Sophie who placed herself next to Jess and didn't leave her side! The kids all enjoyed hearing her impressions of Denmark, accompanied by her southern drawl and Texas charm. She was a breath of fresh air, and has captured the hearts of this American/Danish family...like mother - like daughter! ;)

A birthday for Philip

Our sweet Philip! Our guide to all things Danish at a firsthand level. The translator, playmate, confidant, fellow frog catcher, fort builder and late night popcorn and candy eater. The boy who has learned the English language in the blink of an eye, puts up with his "kylling mor"/"bonus mom", and entertains us all. The once youngest child who now has grown into and wears the title "big brother" with no difficulty.

To quote Max, "One of the best things about moving to Denmark is that I get a big brother"! The kids were all outside playing when Max stopped, looked Philip in the face and made this declaration yesterday. I am not sure what was better, the look on Max's face when he said it, or Philip's when he heard it! Bailey, being the girl she is met my eyes and we both smiled! You see the added benefit for Bailey is that my artsy-fartsy girl has more time to herself, and less fist-o-cuffs with her bored little brother. Even the peanut has developed her own connection with Philip, and in recent weeks I have seen him stop and make sure she is caught-up, and included in the events of the moment.



The traditional "Cagemand" covered with slik (candy) and the Danish favorite Marzipan!

Philip woke up to a ragtag parade doing our best with the Danish Birthday song, bearing gifts and candles to welcome him to his last year before the "teen years"! Ok, so everyone knows the song but me! It is customary for Danish children to wake up to their family singing, and open all of their presents! Every child we have spoken to is horrified to learn that in the US children customarily wait to open presents until after dinner!


The screaming as Philip "beheaded" the cagemand echoed throughout the kitchen! :) The kids think this is one of the most hilarious birthday tradtions!

Bailey's Fødselsdag fest - Bailey's Birthday Party

Our version of the "Danske cagemand"(danish cakeman)without the marzipan!!




Proper Chocolate etiquette

1. Freeze chocolate bars
2. Place on plates with forks and knifes in their proper places.
3. Attempt to consume the Chocolate without using fingers.
4. Defeat the opposite team and eat the most chocolate!


The tradtitional solution for whose present gets opened first is by utilizing the spin the bottle technique...Bailey opted for the same twist Max had...it was spin the Bailey instead! :) The boys in Bailey's class are considerably bigger than Max's and sent her spinning. It was funny to see them take a turn at being the concerned friend making sure she wasn't too dizzy before sending her spinning again!




A pesky little brother and buddies were promtly escorted outdoors! ;)

3 Belles baking Boller

I know I have shared the traditional birthday party fare of eating Bøller med smør eller/rather Rolls with butter before, so I thought that I would give you a birds eye view into the "day before the party" activities! These lovely blonde beauties are "bonus sisters" to Max's friend Niki and daughters to our friends Carmen og Thomas. Sara Louise (pronounced Sara Louisa) and Victoria. (Sara Louise is 6 and Victoria is 9)

The three girls had a great time helping out and left the easy stuff like cleaning to me!