Made in Reykjavik: It takes a village

One amazing thing about parenting in Iceland is the power of community. A couple of years ago, I started to notice the way people here talk about their choice of neighborhood in relation to parenting, it would always go something like this, "Oh it is so nice to be in (fill in neighborhood) because the kids can go to school at (fill in school) and then play sports together at (fill in neighborhood sports center). It's just so good that they can do things together with their friends outside of school!" The thing is, I heard this about the neighborhood where I live, but I am sure that people say it everywhere. And then I realized how strong a sense of identity comes from the neighborhood (we're not even talking town here, just the borough) Icelanders are raised in. It doesn't take long in the course of conversation to hear where a person was raised. My sense of this at first as an outsider was "that's super weird." After all, when I was a kid, there were friends at school, different friends at dance, different friends across the street, and then the imaginary friends, trees, baby brothers and other playthings. I've never seen this whole neighborhood thing in action before until very recently, and let me tell you...it's fucking awesome.

For instance, on Friday I was picking up my kids from school. I know a lot of the parents and other kids in the classes, and have had conversations with many of them and talked with their children. In a few cases, playdates after school have morphed into dinner, and I have realized the pure bliss of building friendships with parents of your kids' friends...it's so much fun! So, as I was picking up my kids last Friday, there were all the familiar faces, bundling their little ones and saying goodbye to the teachers, and have a good weekend and all that. Then they started to say, "See you tomorrow!" and I realized that all these small people who are with Elsa in school are also signed up for gymnastics, just like she is. So this is how it goes, you take your kids to gymnastics, and sit and have coffee with the parents. You talk about parenting things (which feels like therapy!) or work or the kids school or things that are on your mind. While chatting, you realize that you actually know a lot of other people who have also dropped off their kids. This place is so small, maybe I have just lived here for enough time that I've acquainted myself with a critical mass of people, and now I always see many people I know when I leave my front door.

On Saturday morning, I saw all the parents I like from the kids' school, of course...and an old neighbor who was visiting the pool and works at the Nature Conservancy who was once my beloved jogging partner, and a mother of a little girl who was in Finn's old school who owns an organic hair salon downtown, and the neighbor who lives above us at our new house, and a lady I work with...They all know me, and they all know my kids. This sense of community is so new to me, and it's something I really appreciate about living and raising children here, especially when my family is so very far away.

After gymnastics, we rode the bus back to our house with one of Elsa's best friends and her mom and little brother. We ate sandwiches and played and then took a walk downtown together. It was so much fun! Clearly good for the kids and also good for the mamas....that evening the kids and I watched a movie and ate pizza and then vacuumed the house. On Sunday, we had a visit from Amma and Afi and then another family from school came over to play at our house. It was a cool, rainy fall day so the company was cozy. Then we took a shopping trip with Amma and had dinner at their house with Gunnhildur and Bjorn. It was a very full weekend, everyone was tired and happy when it was over.

Then there's another thing about this community. It is hard to put a finger on it, but I'll start by saying that it's an easy place to live. I walk the kids to school, which is right next to the local pool, ice-cream shop, bakery, florist and where they are building a new cafe. Just past that is a big sports and community center where the kids will probably have soccer practice and music lessons when they are older. We can hop on a bus and ride for 10 minutes and be in another neighborhood, with an even bigger pool, gym, and sports center (where the kids have gymnastics now). I can walk to my job downtown. The primary school where the kids will go is two blocks away and the middle school is a block beyond that. The University of Iceland is about three blocks in the other direction. Nothing is very far away in Iceland, but something about living on this old quiet cozy street and seeing the same faces at school, on the weekends and getting to know these people makes me so glad that I live here. I am starting to build this sense of neighborhood that I've never had before. I love it.

I've decided to take a few random pictures of little things I see everyday...trying to piece together an image of life at the moment. They are boring, but I like them...like this little snapshot of my kitchen window...

We took Elsa to her 4 year old well-kid check up. This is how they tested her eyesight...Pirate style!

These two are in constant motion. Pillow fights are a common scene.

Some parents spend money on bath toys for their kids. We made boats out of foil. How many scoops until your boat sinks? What happens if you make the bottom bigger? Oh yea, we know how to have Friday night.

We also know how to have Saturday morning!

I call this one: Toddlers scare neighborhood cat while waiting for bus in the beautiful fall

Elsa on a monkey swing while Finnur was in gymnastics (he goes for an hour with the other kids born in 2011, and then she goes after that...quality time with each kid!)

Elsa is an excellent flower hunter

These were on the hill Elsa found to roll down

Walking back to take Elsa's turn at gymnastics

A visit from Hafdis Hanna and little baby Finnur!

The boys...Finnur Atli and Finnur Gunnarsson

Little boy alone with curtains.

Heading out to conquer the town. Elsa and Johanna are peas in a pod. We think that one will be president and the other prime minister.

Elsa gives the dinosaur the best ride of his life! Wahoo!

Elsa and Roskva watching the Incredibles...Roskva is so brilliant she doesn't mind that it's in English. Given the amount she can already speak and how interested she is to learn more, I'm betting she'll be fluent before she starts school...the girl is amazing!