Pretty is the queen that rules our land. ~Carrie Latet

Margrethe II Queen of Denmark























































There are a few moments that I can say I won't forget easily, being a few feet away from the Queen of Denmark is definitely one of those moments! YES, we are Americans, yes, the President is the Fearless leader of "our" country...but maybe that was why it was so extraordinary to witness the Queen of Denmark riding in a horse drawn carriage through Herning! Imagine being that close to The President of the United States!! It would never happen. It is a shame, because what we witnessed was pretty outstanding.
The crowds of school children, families, educators and senior citizens that lined the route the Queen would travel were smiling and laughing, and there was the sort of excitement in the air that you read about in books, but never really get to experience. It was really wild!

The wait was torture for the kids, but fortunately perfomers traveled from one part of the street to the other providing a temporary break from the waiting for all of the kids. In a few pictures you can see the reactions of the kids...Soph is not quite sure she likes the performers...but like a train wreck - she can't take her eyes off of them! SO funny!

Max and Andreas amuse themselves with Andreas' latest game on his PSP.

The rain came in about 10 minutes before the Queen arrived, but fortunately there was an equivalent to the Dollar Tree accross the street so I ran over and bought a few umbrellas...they were a big hit!

First came the black horses, then the white horses with trumpeters...and then... there SHE was! The lovely Queen of Demark, riding in a horse drawn carriage, just as it should be. It was the stuff of fairytales, and honestly we have all ranked the experience as one of the absolute best we have had since we moved to Denmark!


Sovereign: Margrethe II Queen of Denmark (Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark, April 16, 1940).
Daughter of Frederik IX King of Denmark (1899-1972) and Ingrid Princess of Sweden (1910-2000)
Succeeds her father Frederik IX King of Denmark (1899-January 14, 1972).
Inauguration: Christiansborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark, January 15th, 1972.
Motto: "Gud hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke" (Gods help, the love of the people, the power of Denmark).
Religion: Lutheran Evangelic. The Queen is head of the Danish Lutheran Evangelic Church.

Married (1967): Henri (Henrik) de Laborde de Monpézat (1934).

Titles:
The Queen is Her Majesty, Queen of Denmark. A male heir to the throne is Royal Highness, Crown Prince of Denmark. Queen Margrethe used to be styled as tronfølgeren (heir to the throne) and wasn't called Crown Princess. The children of the sovereign and of the heir to the throne are Royal Highness, Prince/Princess of Denmark. The other members of the royal family are Highness, Prince/Princess of Denmark. On 30 April 2008 it was announced that Queen Margrethe II has decided that her sons, their wives and children will get the titles Count and Countess of Monpezat (Greve/Grevinde/Komtesse af Monpezat), in addition to their existing titles. The title will pass on to future generations in male line.

Succession:
The throne is hereditary in male and female (since May 28, 1953) descendance of King Christian X. However in each generation the men have priority over the women. Marriages must have the approval of the sovereign and the parliament.
***That is the men HAD priority over the women until the year 2009!!! A change was just made within the last month to allow the first born child assume the monarchy...regardless of sex.

One girl, on two wheels

The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard.
~Sloan Wilson












While Bailey and Max explored the East Coast of Denmark at camp,
Sophie took her turn "exploring" too... her newly "two-wheeled" bicycle. The main focus of her first attempts was balance. (Er, em after we lowered the seat a little! Poor lil babe is vertically challenged like her mom!)

She spent time pushing off and dropping her feet until she was sure that she had her emergency plan established. With that lesson under her belt, she began pedaling...and pedaling...and pedaling! Really, she didn't stop.

The most defining part of it all was that she did NOT want me to run beside her holding on. Not Sophie. She wanted to do it all by herself...and she did! She actually pointed out acceptable places for me to stand that were a good distance away from her while she practiced. Before I knew it...she was off. It was only after she was riding that she even allowed me to get closer, and then only on her left side a bit behind her.

The next sentance out of her mouth took my breath away, "Now, I don't need you anymore mom!", in the most proud tone I have ever heard her use!

Man, is this parenthood gig ever bittersweet! I shed just a few tears...without her knowing of course...and hope that she will always allow me to get "close enough" for the both of us! ;)

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah

When I found out that the kids at Herning Friskole take a camping trip every year...initially the "kylling mor",in me or "chicken mom" in me was really nervous. How would the kids do, or would they feel cozy? But, I took my cues from the kids and kept my nerves to myself. They never hesitated and both Bailey and Max packed for the trip with enthusiasm! They had received sleeping bags as birthday gifts from Lydia and Svend, so in that respect they were totally ready, but rain gear was a necessary requirement, so off we went to collect supplies. Rubber boots, and rain pants and coats, and they were ready! The best part of the trip, was that Bailey's and Max's classes were attending the same camp at the same time! It couldn't have worked out better for their first class trip!

We packed snacks, some candy for cozy time and then they were off! The trip lasted for two nights and they returned on the third day. They had a great time, although I am not sure that there is any sand left on the beach where they visited, because Max came home with it in his ears, and all over his hair. Oh, and I won't even say a word about the condition of his feet! While Bailey came home telling tales of shooting bows better than any of the boys, and beach combing for shells.

All I can say is that this momma was happy to have her big kids home, although...while they were away...Sophie had a few of her own exciting "happenings"!

...But you will have to wait for those adventures til the next blog!