Room Redecorating & Solo Parenting in December 2018

2018-12-01Hrefna's family, Us, USA Standard

[Photos taken on 01 – 15 December 2018, posted online on 02 June 2019. We’ve had two weeks straight of gorgeous weather, and it’s not even been that cold. The north of the country is still freezing though. Quite unusual.]

Enter December, the month whose only saving grace is that the sun begins being visible for slightly longer each day towards its end, oh, and fireworks!

Anna kept pushing for a new bed, so we used the opportunity while Finnur briefly touched down between work-trips to perform the big bed-switch-a-roo between Anna’s and Emma’s rooms.

Myself and Anna found ourselves repeatedly resting at a cafe while Bjarki did gymnastics, Finnur departed for a 2-week-long stint in California, yule-lights were bought and installed on multiple fronts, food of varying quality got eaten, I went to see a Baggalútur-show, we all went to see a movie, Bjarki had his yule-tide recital, work was busy, and my brother Bjarni competed in body-building! (50-ish images total)

Saturday 01 December 2018

The big bed switch-a-roo was this day’s big project. At the end, Anna’s bed had been successfully transferred to Emma’s bedroom, and a new clothing storage had been acquired!
Of course, we had to begin the project by tidying up the mess in Emma’s room. Yes, she has too much stuff, but I still haven’t quite worked up the nerve to Marie Kondo it… Also, it’s helpful to have all sorts of toys for when younger kids show up at parties.
To speed things along, Finnur took Emma elsewhere, and me and Anna attacked the mess. Finishing this task was a prerequisite to her getting a new bed, so Anna was highly motivated to help!
So. Much. Random. Stuff.
Happily we were almost done by then. Emma’s old bed had already been transferred to my brother’s place for his youngest. Excellent timing!
The old bed is pull-out-able, which we used while Anna was smaller and had friends over. Then she began needing a real mattress, and the extra mattresses went on loan elsewhere. They now live in house #2.
Emma helping out.
My favorite feature of this bed are the big drawers underneath. They are quite excellent in containing (a portion of) the zoo of dolls we’ve amassed of the years, and costumes.
My brother’s kid also inherited Emma’s clothing storage which had become too small for her clothes. Thus, measurements were taken to try and find something suitable at Ikea.
Anna came with me to Ikea, as we were also going to buy a new bed for her.
Headboard awaiting assembly.
The new bed being assembled, at 10:30 pm at night by myself and Anna. It just barely fit in there, but barely was deemed enough! She slept in it that night!

Sunday 02 December 2018

After all the action on the previous day, Anna and I eloped to enjoy some peace and quiet at the cafe where I’m actually writing this post some six months later!
The view out the window at 3 pm. The sun was baaaaarely making it above the horizon. That night some friends come over for dinner, but no photos were taken.

Wednesday 05 December 2018

Having barely caught his breath from a work-trip to the UK, Finnur again went traveling, this time to California for work. He took the bus to the airport, and it was completely empty!
As a result, dinner was, predictably, eaten out! (Yes, taking the kids to the sushi train place is ridiculously expensive, but I usually balance it out with dinner at Ikea 🙂 )

Thursday 06 December 2018

This poem showed up taped to a wall at work. It referred to a 4 hour long taping of drunken and horrid bar-rants by six parliamentarians, who basically should have immediately resigned, but instead went into full victim-mode (illegal taping!) and refuse to budge.
I went scouting for outside yule-lights again after work.
I liked this one best, but found it rather expensive ($130!). As I stood there talking to the staff about options, one of them mentioned that there would be a yule-light sale starting the next day!!! I thanked him to the skies and back, and bought these the next day for a much more reasonable price!
Six leds per bulb, in warm white. Check!

Friday 07 December 2018

Us peons at work listening to a choir and some entertainment, before the annual yule-tide gift-cards were handed out.
At the Bistro at work, piling awesome food on our plates. Yes, I showed up in a dress!
So good!
Late afternoon, I met Adda at the (11th?) annual Baggalútur yule-tide show. I had planned to go with Finnur, but he was in California! The show was great fun! These people are such pros!

Saturday 08 December 2018

I went to shuttle Bjarki between locations on group-gymnastics fun-day. I think they played capture-the-flag among other things. Such a great facility!
The second destination was a bowling alley, that the gymnastics kids completely overtook for a while.
Two lanes for the boys, the rest for the girls. 🙂
Yule-lights up!

Sunday 09 December 2018

Anna and Emma delivering yule-tide gift-tags that the kids in Anna’s class designed and sold to finance their graduation trip (which begins tomorrow as this is being written!).
While Bjarki was at a gymnastics practice (and Emma with her grandparents) Anna and I waited for Bjarki being done at the cafe-almost-next-door. Anna needed to learn about European history for an upcoming test, and she came to the conclusion that wars are stupid.
Next up, a trip to the movies to see Ralph 2.
Waiting for the post-credits scene.
The credits were super long!
We bumped into these movable puppets on the way out of the mall.
Meanwhile, Finnur sent snapshots from California. Here he is by the mother-ship.
By our last abode in California. So many good memories.
Our old daycare, and a sad Google bike.

Monday 10 December 2018

I was Super Short on time to get dinner ready that day, so hot dogs it was!
Slightly healthier fare also got bought though!
Conscience veggie pieces in place as the hot dogs were warming up.
The reason for the time crunch: Bjarki was playing a song at the yule-tide recital at his music school.
Bjarki playing Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer.
Emma came along and did pretty well sitting still.

Tuesday 11 December 2018

Emma’s hair getting long enough to braid!
Yule-lights up at work. Note the lack of snow. It was a dark December!

Wednesday 12 December 2018

Excellent teamwork, covering the keyboard of a coworker with discarded wrappers as he was away on a work-trip. 🙂
The only person born in Iceland to have gone to space came to give a talk. He’s had quite the life!
Slightly fancier hot-dogs being cooked than two days prior. I’m such an ambitious cook… not!

Saturday 15 December 2018

For the first time ever, I attended a body building competition because my youngest Icelandic brother (center) was competing, and I figured I should do the sisterly thing and take photos. It’s a bizarre event, but the amount of hard work on display is staggering. He didn’t win this time, but he’d been in Italy about a week earlier where he did win!