[Photos taken 11 – 28 February 2023, posted online 14 October 2023. There’s a bit of white stuff on the ground, it won’t last.]
We had no sooner arrived from Tenerife than it was time to prep for Emma’s 10th birthday! She ended up getting three parties, one with each family-wing, and one with her classmates.
As February went on, I took an annoying number of selfies in the gym, the weather did all sorts of things, yule lights came down as the daylight stayed for longer, the yard got a bit of attention, and we managed to make sure the summer house was ok. Then February was over!
Emma with her birthday cake #2, made by Anna.
Saturday 11 February 2023
Spooling back in time a bit, the day before her birthday began with me frantically looking for gifts for her. She had helpfully listed a few ideas of her own.
It had been very windy the day before, which toppled this tree outside that morning’s cafe shop. I sent a notice to the town about it, and got a reply that this had been the tree’s last chance in that spot, this was the third time it had toppled over!
Art supplies!
More art supplies?
Fluffies… which ones to pick?!
Bjarki grudgingly vacuumed. He’s reached the seemingly unavoidable no-tops-at-home stage teenage boys seems to have to go through.
Ready for tomorrow!
Sunday 12 February 2023
Party-purchases! These self-checkout-counters are becoming the norm, unless if you want to buy stuff that’s hidden behind the counter.
About to open her presents from us.
The audience.
There was happiness.
Later in the afternoon we received Finnur’s family for a small birthday bash.
Emma with a present.
Guests.
Anna made a cake!
Getting sung for!
The singers.
Nom, nom!
A happy girl, after a fun day.
Later that night…
Monday 13 February 2023
I collected a lot of photographic evidence that I attended gym sessions, to be included in a gift massage certificate raffle at work. That’s 90 kg.
A sweaty mess.
Tuesday 14 February 2023
Arty gym photo…
Wednesday 15 February 2023
My Andy-Rooney-length hair that I pulled out of my eye-brow! Whoa!
Parent-kid-teacher meeting at school. These steps at school have sayings on them, that I’m sure not all of the kids understand, like “nobody becomes an un-bashed/beaten bishop”.
Back at it!
That evening, we got snow. Again.
Thursday 16 February 2023
Ooop, when you discover that you’ve hijacked keys from the wrong car. Thankfully, the other set was accounted for and functional at home!
Another sweaty mess.
Work hosted a “game day” in conjunction with Amazon Web Services. I signed up, knowing I knew almost nothing about AWS.
The food was good!
I lucked out with team-mates, many whom were AWS experts, and managed to not screw up my role too badly (I still screwed up though). In the end, my team was victorious, and we got swag!
Friday 17 February 2023
Emma and a few other girls in her class with close birthdays, co-hosted a birthday party for all the girls in her year/class. We arrived a day or two after the trampoline park had switched its name from Rush Iceland (trademark from the UK) to Skopp, as it had changed owners. Emma was not happy with this seemingly pointless change!
All the girls emerged unscathed from their hour of jumping around, and gobbled down some pizza before heading home.
Saturday 18 February 2023
My usual cafe underwent changes, as the bakery company booted out the company running the cafe, renovated a bit, and began offering its own cafe service. I’m writing this from “my table” in the space in the far left corner.
“What veggies do we have?”
Sunday 19 February 2023
The Nettó store took forever to open that morning, by 10:06 the doors were finally opened, and I felt sorry for the little boy who was patiently waiting. I think the staff had arrived, they just forgot to open the doors!
That afternoon we received some of my family to celebrate Emma’s 10th birthday.
More baking had happened, Emma had made muffins, and Anna made two cakes!
More people!
Three brothers and an offspring.
Mother and daughter.
We opted for lazy pizza.
Three generations, and four siblings as the party wound down.
After the party, it was time to whip up some cream puffs, as the following day was creme-puff day!
They didn’t collapse, but they didn’t really expand to make a hole inside either. Not sure what exactly went wrong, but they were edible.
Monday 20 February 2023
Eating cream puffs at work, yum!
It was getting bright out for longer, this was at 6:20 pm.
Tuesday 21 February 2023
There’s no food-producing kitchen at work. Instead we can order subsidized food from various restaurants. A weekly menu is published on Thursdays, and every day has choices from four restaurants. That day I’d ordered sushi.
Wednesday 22 February 2023
For this Ash Wednesday, aka the Icelandic Halloween, one of the gym members did her squats in costume! We thought it was pretty apt with all the anti-women rhetoric in the US news.
Yours truly visible.
Thursday 23 February 2023
Early-morning gym play, this was a 100 m dash, and that is a pretty decent speed!
Arty photo of a sweaty mess.
Rainy rain. Goodbye snow?
The yule lights were still out!
… but not for much longer.
Sushi-train time.
There’s something very satisfying about sorting the plates by color!
Enjoying music in the car together!
Saturday 25 February 2023
I managed to go out and tidy up the shrubbery.
On to the %”$& roses.
All packed for a summer house trip.
Dreary?
Work ongoing to double a busy road, but they forgot to account for space to add trees. It gets REALLY windy there.
We found some wind-damage on the roof. The boys fixed it!
Skyjo!
Dinner time!
Halli seemingly buys a new game each week!
Sunday 26 February 2023
The outside couch was still hiding inside.
Sisters.
Bjarki getting assistance with math homework.
Hot tub time.
The big kids joined in.
Emma started on a birthday present.
We drove home at 5 pm. The road down the hill had some weather damage.
Monday 27 February 2023
The friendly bar.
It’s like a foreign language!
Began feeling poorly, but that’s just a borderline fever… :/
Tuesday 28 February 2023
Bjarki playing on the piano. He’s growing up fast these days.
