My future's so bright I gotta wear shades!

There are few things cooler than spring in Iceland. After months and months of deep, sad, darkness, spring feels like it happens to you all of a sudden. Maybe one day you notice a couple of buds on the trees, and then the next, BOOM! everywhere you look is green. You think to yourself, 'Hmm, it seems like it is staying lighter longer these days' then BOOM! it's light at 10 or 11 at night. We have been lucky to have a bunch of bright sunny days (not too incredibly cold) in a row, and I am starting to get used to this.

The kids are doing well, as are Tumi and I. Elsa is talking up a storm, and making her preferences known in a very 2-year-old fashion. Finn is almost walking by himself. He hovers for a few seconds without holding on to anything...and motors around the apartment with great speed both crawling and cruising. They are almost the same size...feels like I have twins sometimes!

We went to a summerhouse a couple of weekends ago with Gretar, Erna, Una Lilja and Davið, and had a fabulous time. Can't wait for our next trip out to the country!

I'll let the photos speak for me this time... it's too nice weather to be staring at the computer :)

Finnur Atli and Elsa María held hands on the way home

The ladies playing in the hot tub at the Summerhouse.

Not a bad view, eh?

Finn's one millionth piece of toast

Strainer? Hat? Why not?

Too much sunshine!

And then the water goes 'Whooosh' and shoots up from the ground! (explaining a geysir to a 2 year old)

Elsa got a big bonk

Elsa's head bonk

Footballs don't roll round like other balls. They wobble all over and some of us think this is quite silly!

Elsa showing Finn how to point at pictures

I told her to smile, and this is what I got! Love :)

Heeeeeeere goatgoatgoatgoat....Heeeere goat. 

And on Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one cupcake, and one WATERMELON!!! 

Why, how do you do your hair for the bath?

Out for a ride in the sun in their cool new stroller!

Elsa´s 730 days old party

I´m not sure if you knew this already, but turning 2 is kind of a big deal. When you are 730 days old, you know what is going on in a way that you don´t when you turn one. Elsa knew the song we sang to her. She knows she used to be one year old, and now she is two years old. She sings the birthday song to herself all the time, and I can tell it makes her very happy. We celebrated the day before her actual birthday, so she got an extra-long party. Her staff at her playschool made her a crown with her picture and some sparkles on it. It´s a big favorite.

Now we are getting back into the swing of things after a long break for Easter. Here are some pics of recent good times had by all! (and her new video!)

Playing at the swings by our house

Somebody found out how to open the door with the flour in it. Caught him white-handed!

Dear Valgerður Rún, I swear to you my eternal and undying love. Finn.

Fun with playdo!

Kiddos eating at Elsa´s Birthday

Getting ready to sing to the birthday girl, and her sushi tiger cake!

Elsa listening to her birthday song :)

Born górdjuss.

And then it was March

Everybody is settling in. Elsa just started a brand new playschool across the street from Finn´s daycare (which is about three houses down from our house). As a parent, I find myself in love with Reykjavik. She seems to be thriving there. After a couple of days spent getting used to it, she is all set. She eats and naps there, and came home with a scrape on her knee. My baby is almost 2!

Finnur Atli seems to really like his daycare, too. I am glad that he landed in a situation that is calm, and cozy, as opposed to a playschool environment like the one Elsa had when she was first starting out. They always say how every child is different, and I find that to be true with mine. Finn is calm and laid back when compared to Elsa. He is curious and quiet and happy. He likes to listen to songs and singing, and snuggles like crazy. Daycare feels like a better fit for his personality than a loud chaotic school. At least for now.

Happy place.

Elsa María Kolbeinsdóttir. Pleased to meetcha.

Finnur is now the age when he pulls all the books down on top of himself. He´s really good at it.

Smartypants in Mamma´s old gasses

We hang out every morning. Life is fantastic.

Elsa put a fork in the camera.
Elsa and Pabbi knús :)

Classic.

Some people have to try so hard to look good...others are just born with style.

Some more about Iceland

My new country is strange. And cool. And always finding new ways to amaze me. I think it is time I started to share some of this amazing weirdness with you poor unfortunate souls who have never been here, or have not had the pleasure to live here year-round...

So when the rest of the world is celebrating Fat Tuesday/Mardis Gras/President´s Day (if you are American) in Iceland, we do things a little differently. On Monday this week (the 7th week before Easter...or whatever....) we eat puffy buns filled with cream and topped with chocolate. They are luscious. Then on Tuesday, we eat nummynummy salty meat and bean soup until we explode. On Wednesday (known in more pious places as Ash Wednesday) little Icelandic children dress up in costumes and go to local business establishments and sing silly songs and get candy...like trick-or-treating on Halloween, without the death and scariness factor.

Elsa dressed up for the first time as a Barcelona FC supporter. She was very cute. Maybe someone in Tumi´s family will finally share his love of the game?

She is sick, which was expected since she has started at a new school with all new germs. We are just trying to delay passing her illness on to her little brother...it will happen soon enough I am sure.

Feverish Elsa snuggled up with Sushi the tiger on the couch. Feels so yucky to be sick!

All of my most favorite people!

Made some blueberry pancakes last weekend for breakfast and Huckleberry Finn enjoyed them on his face and in his mouth.

Bathtime!
Why, yes Mamma; I do enjoy reading. And my sideways hat makes me look so very handsomish...

My menfolk.

She does love that little Sushi tiger!

Finnurface!

The joys of childcare

Today was a big day for our little family. Elsa started at a new playschool, and Finn went to his ´daymamma´for the first time. I think it is a miracle that both kids landed in good child-care situations...let me expand upon the wonderful series of coincidences that led us to this good fortune.

Elsa´s current playschool only has kids up to 2 years old, so she was on the wait list at several ´big kid´schools in the area. A few weeks ago, we got a call from Skerjagarður, a lovely playschool that said they could offer a place to Elsa. We let her current playschool know that she would be leaving, and they said we may need to play for all of February if they didn´t get a child to take her place from a daymamma. A few days passed, and they let me know that they had gotten a kid from somewhere, so Elsa could leave in the middle of the month. That night, I got a call form daymamma down the street saying they had a place for Finn! I hadn´t expected him to find a place until at earliest the summer....Apparently, the little boy who was leaving their place was going to Elsa´s old playschool and filling her old space!!! The childcare ecosystem aligned in such a way that that totally benefited our family. I am happy.

Now we are in an adjustment period. Tumi will go with Elsa the next few days, and I will go with Finn while they get used to being in their new places. I hope they will both be happy...I think we´ve found them good fits.

Cool new video of Elsa and Finn on the piano!

We just had a visit from Ryan and Kyle. Finn taught them how to play football

Elsa showing Martin her favorite videos while Anna and Finn chat together!

See Finn´s new beautiful sweater that Gunnhildur made? Handsome guys!

I showed Elsa how she looked with her glowing suit...this is the face she made knowing how shiny she was in her cool outfit.

Elsa´s friend Moritz came over for dinner!

He´s a virtuoso!

Cheeze ham face.