Wanderlust Redux (PT.3)

July 2008 was quite a month for travel and I can't believe how smoothly it all went! Magnus and Sophie were so well-behaved and we were so proud of how well they held out during our such exhausting travel schedules.

Before we left for Prague on the 13th we spent one day and one night in Oslo's city centre. We didn't do too much shopping but did however get to IKEA and order our new kitchen. (Which should hopefully be here next week!) We had planned on meeting with our friends Atle and Noril but there just wasn't enough time and Atle wasn't feeling too well. At least I managed to pick up a few of the items I had been watching out for and mapped out a plan for our returning trip in Oslo.

Prague was great despite the two days of light rain and the one day when my stomach died. We shopped, took the kids to the zoo, and even managed to squeeze in some time for antiquing. We picked up the usual gifts of incredibly inexpensive alcohol and chocolate, soap, and cosmetics and skincare. The little extra money that we saved went towards mini-sprees at IKEA and antique shops. This did not include Ørjan's independent splurge at one of his stamp shops but I decided to let him decide what a fair amount would be. The zoo was fantastic! I didn't realize that it was rated as the world's 7th best zoo in 2008 until we did some research just prior to visiting (a few hours maybe?) but were so surprised and satisfied with our visit. Magnus loves animals right now and it was very special for him. He was however extremely tired and threw a few tantrums, but as soon as we managed to walk to the polarbears and the Indonesian Jungle his mood completely changed and he morphed back into the boy we all know and love. It's a very good thing that we opted for renting an apartment for the week because I'm not sure how the kids would have handled the trip. We needed the privacy and space and having an entire apartment with all the furnishings and ammenities that a regular flat has really helped. I didn't really take too many photos this time and was slighlty surprised I didn't take any pictures of our apartment, but we still have many great memories. It was sad to leave our favourite city behind, but I'm sure we'll be back again soon... without the kids!

The last couple of days we spent in Oslo were bittersweet. The shopping and sightseeing were great, but god was I disappointed about how badly that wonderful city is deteriorating. It didn't matter which street corner we had stopped at, or even which park we crossed, the streets were filled with panhandlers or drug users that were either obviously high or so sick that they were either vomiting or passed out. Sadly I am not exagerating any of these facts. I lived in and just outside of Toronto for many years and Oslo was 10x worse in my opinion. It's a great bustling city but I don't think I would want to take my family (my children) back there very soon. It's too bad. Although I live in an incredibly small town (are we more than 1200 now?) I'm still a city-girl at heart, but jeezs, Oslo is definitely not my city.

With our last few remaining days we went out to Onøy/Lurøy to visit his grandma. We refer to these trips as visiting his "grandma's island". Magnus has been a couple of times but this was Sophie's first visit outside my womb. We had gorgeous weather, spent some time with the grandparents (Magnus and Sophie's great-grandparents), and I of course went for a couple of walks and took some photos.

Now with vacation coming to an official end today I'm not sure how I'm going to handle Monday. Thankfully we still have the weekend ahead of us. With it now being over I just realized how badly I need another vacation as soon as possible!

Wanderlust PT.2

Ahhh... thank goodness for wireless in our hotel room. It's even more wonderful than a hot shower after two hot and sticky days. It took me half the day to shake off the feeling of the motion of the train. After 14 hours from Mo i Rana to Oslo I almost fell over at one point while changing Magnus' diaper. At 6:30 this morning we walked off the platform, ate breakfast, stored our luggage, and then took on the city. We went to House of Oslo to kill a few hours, made it to IKEA for some brief shopping, and even managed to walk around the city for as long as we could. Just imagine if you will two small ones (Magnus is 17 months and Sophie is 5 months) coming off the train at 6am and only napping for 1-2 hours at IKEA while we waited for the shuttle bus. They did so well and we were so proud of them. It was a long and exhausting day for everyone, but we achieved most of what we wanted. I wasn't able to hit many of the stores I wanted to at House of Oslo but I did however pick up a few steals at Åhléns. Items were 50%-70% off! I knew I couldn't buy too much because I want to keep the weight of our suitcases minimal for our departure to Prague tomorrow. IKEA was a complete success! We ordered our kitchen (Nexus gulbrun), ordered our bed in mellombrun (I was so disappointed that they didn't have the Hemnes bed I really wanted!), and even managed to sit down to a satisfying lunch. I was so proud of Magnus since he ate around 80% of this kidsmeal of meatballs. I ordered what I always order - IKEA's take on falafel and couscous.

I should really get some sleep. We have to get up early and get to the station and take the express train to the airport for our 11am flight. I can't wait to get to Prague. We really need this vacation. An added plus that had completely lapsed is that we have half a day both next Friday and Saturday to shop in Oslo. I can't wait to come back and hit up the shops I missed today.

Despite the wonder that is technology and free wireless, I am choosing to refrain from net usage while on vacation if I can manage it. This means my posting will resume when we return to Oslo next week. See everyone later!

I love my kids so much.

Flickr just got alot more wonderful. VIDEO! Now I'm glad I renewed my pro/paid account.

A Day of Rest

Ørjan's mom is here for the day (and maybe the night?!) so that I can get some rest while she's watching after Magnus. I can't tell you how good it feels to get in a nap! I haven't had one for days and this morning it really hit me hard. She took Magnus out for a walk and a visit to his great uncle's, and I ended up getting in 30 minutes of rest before Ørjan came home for lunch. Now I have no idea what I'm going to do with all this extra time to myself. I know I should really be resting, but I want to get some things done around the house. While I am completely grateful and appreciative of Ørjan's mom's effort to help us, I'm still slightly hesitant about letting her take the reigns so much. I can see that she's spoiling Magnus a bit and it starting to interfere with the rules we're trying to put down at the moment.

Anyhow... time for a shower. It feels great knowing I can get in a shower without stressing out.

Satisifed and accomplished

I feel slightly accomplished. Not because I necessarily think that I've managed to achieve or complete a handful of tasks, but because I've actually completed what I had set out to do and finished it while being satisfied. Some weekends I think, "Ok I'm really going to clean this kitchen" but then only spend an hour doing the dishes and reorganizing the fridge, but this weekend was different. I felt better, slightly more rested, and I didn't bother to make my usual TO-DO list.

We haven't really had a weekend to just relax and actually feel relaxed. Satruday started off rough (partially due to the suspicion that Magnus has more teeth coming in) because Magnus wouldn't go down for his usual naps, Ørjan was off playing Hemnesberget's 24-hour tech support (helping someone configure their new net connection), and I couldn't help but feel extra heavy due to my growing stomach. Thankfully Magnus slept through the night without any fussing, Ørjan and I managed to squeeze in some very good sex, and we all slept in until 9:15 - it was wonderful. During lunch I actually said, "I can't remember the last time I actually felt this good and I'm smiling!" because I couldn't get past the fact that I woke up on a Sunday feeling rested and ready.

I also spent some quality time calling my mum for a couple hours (which I haven't done in a while since I don't accept calling her at work as quality time) and it felt good. I mostly let her do the talking but I suppose it was good for both of us. Mum sounds quite excited about joining us in Prague this summer for our little vacation. Of course she's excited to come out and see Magnus (and the new baby!) but I think the idea of travelling has fired a spark within her. I also sat down and went through my lists for christmas cards and packages in fear of being overwhelmed if I put it off any longer. And while on the subject of Christmas I should probably also mention that Christmas Cookie Madness has officially begun. I started my first batches of Christmas cookies and goodies this afternoon - check it out here.

The laundry never got washed, the bathroom and shower stall still need to be scrubbed, and I never managed to clean out the fridge, but I'm completely happy with not having done it. If I had attempted to fill my weekend with cleaning I'm sure I would have done it half-assed and complained about it later. At least this weekend I managed to accomplish my few tasks with satisfaction, spent some quality time with my mum, and had a good time with my husband and son.