dabblings for the future

When I was pregnant I got really into gathering tools and information for birth, way beyond what I really ended up using, but I couldn't stop myself...in some ways I'm totally a collector.

And I got really pumped about these things I found, because they're just really amazingly cool and super useful and helpful. And I started to think about getting certified to be able to hold classes with this stuff, especially in Taiwan where it is not set up to give women good birth experiences.

But it was just kind of a flimsy fanciful thought, for several reasons (one being I'd have to head to the states for a short while to get certified, another being I'm kind of stuck in the corporate mindframe...and perhaps it's easier to be a minion than to be an innovator/concept initiator).

But I have found my passion for this hasn't abated. Every time a friend of mine is pregnant and shows an iota of interest in this stuff, I inundate them with emails and sharings. And now one of these recents has suggested when we move back to Taiwan we should discuss me holding classes in a studio place she is opening.

And so my thoughts have started to rummage around the idea again.

Here's the thing: I'd want to create a course that consisted of the hypnobabies hypnosis and relaxation techniques, and that incorporated the useful knowledge in the Pink Kit, as well as other practical information, especially about interventions.

The other thing I would like to do is get RIE certified, and create a space where there could be some RIE-type play-groups that I could facilitate. I see this as being a natural continuation for the groups of birthing-class parents and kids actually - for those who'd be interested at least (of course).

The final thing I want to do in Taiwan is open a small Norwegian-waffe shop. Totally serious. I even have it (almost) all planned out :)

[I took this on the uber-cold fall walk we took up by a lake on the island. Leaves already starting to turn brown and trees already starting to become naked. Went way too fast.]

.

Leona @ 17 months

She consistency boggles our minds at how much she knows and understands.

• She loves to participate in daily life. Clean. Put away dry dishes and cutlery. Hang up and take down laundry. Dance. Basically anything and everything we do.
• She loves to have a sense of control in her life. You sit here beside me. I want to nurse - no, not here, on the couch. This. That. And the other.
• She is super aware of the routines in her life. Often more aware than us, in fact, as for example once before dinner my mom came over to us on the couch for a little kiss, Leona subsequently happily waved good-bye. Suddenly I realized that that is the routine. Have a kiss with mormor before mormor goes home. She knows. (So my mom explained that she was not leaving yet, just that she had wanted a kiss :P).
• She is still happy to putter around alone in the livingroom for an hour or so before waking Judge up - I observed one of several reasons for this the other day: it is her alone-time with his transformer (tablet), which she otherwise is not allowed to touch or watch ;)
• Whenever she is exceptionally quiet and hunkered down somewhere I know that she has found my phone (also something she is not allowed to touch or watch, as it is a 'screen')
• She has gone from not wanting to wear socks, ever, to requesting not only to wear a pair, but often two at a time, and sometimes plus her moccasins (thank goodness, as we're heading towards winter).
• She totally understands most of what we say, whether it be in Norwegian, English or Mandarin. That being said, she's pretty good at ignoring whatever she doesn't want to do.
• She's started to work on saying 'blue' as of last weekend when Judge bought her another little duck - a blue one (she now has six as my mom also bought the last missing color...that's a lot of little ducks to always carry around with her, but luckily she's not got the hang of grasping three in one hand, so it's perfection, really).
• She has created a new sign all by her lonesome for tissue/TP (flat palm up to nose...for wiping/blowing nose)
• I believe this is the second sign she has come up with by herself, the first being for cell-phone (pointing to cheek-bone close to ear)
• She started to love her little car (which she previously practically ignored) - would get on it and scoot around the house several times a day, especially while she procrastinates before bedtime:

[Oh how I love little bodies in PJs!]

And a few 'highlights' about my mindframe - more to remind myself than anything else:

• I try to always use the phrase "this is not for you to use" rather than "this is not for you to play with" when she is trying to get (or has gotten ahold of) something we do not wish for her to use
• I have realized 'play' for me holds connotations of minimizing what she is doing...though technically play can and is directed and purposeful, I still feel that she currently doesn't play so much, per say, but rather investigates, tries out, figurs out, explores...and by using the word 'play' here it does minimize what she is doing
• Though it is a negative ("is not for you"), if I just say "this is for me to use" it doesn't technically exclude her using it, so I feel odd if I'd just say that
• I try to always be 100% present when I am with her (meaning try to leave the cell-phone on the shelf...the computer doesn't come out until she is in bed anyhow, and the TV never on before then either)
• I try to always 'unruffledly' acknowledge her feelings, especially the 'difficult' ones of frustration, sadness ... all crying and screaming related ones I guess - meaning put words to what she is experiencing without getting my emotions caught up in it as well; be there as a support and anchor for her, so that she can safely make it through the rough seas knowing that is natural and healthy
• I try to not interrupt her when she is focused on doing something - anything (unless it is something she is not allowed to be doing).
• I try to always allow her space to struggle and to find her own solutions - and if needed to give a small suggestion or acknowledgement (for example, when she is struggling with putting a duplo piece on top of another, and holds it out to me, I say something like 'you are trying to put it on top' rather than accept it and complete what she is trying to do for her)...
• ...but I also give her space to be a little baby - help her, hold her, etc., when it is clear that she needs it (like when she is tired or a task is too far beyond her current abilities).
• I let her lead activities, often just there observing mostly, and of course responding when she engages me.
• I try to always let her know what is coming before it comes, whether it be a kiss from me, a diaper change, me picking her up, anything.
• I try to not 'test' her (Can you say...? What is this? etc.).
• I try not to give her abstract compliments (that can also lead to invisible pressure) like 'you're so smart', so pretty, so this, so that, but give more concrete feedback.
• In terms of EC I try to always respond to her signs/requests, while leaving it light and non-pressury, as well as take her to the toilet when I think she needs to go even if she doesn't sign.
• I try to always let her explore and manage her interactions with others without guidance/interference from me.
• I try to not add 'ok?' at the end of statements of what we're going to do (so as to not make it into sounding like I am asking her, as then she has the right to say 'no').
• I try not to comment or interfere with how Judge is a parent when his ways differ from mine - though when it is something I feel strongly about I do bring it up of course.
• ...and more.

'Try' being integral in all of the above.



.

my non-Norwegianness

Sometimes I totally recognize myself in this here Norwegian culture - like when someone who is supposed to arrive for a meeting calls to let me know they will be a couple (and that is literally a couple) minutes late. The expectancy of being on time (not early, not late) is huge here.

Then there are times that I totally don't. I was almost flabbergasted when my long-time child-hood friend (who just happens to be the most awesome, inspiring, how-everyone-should-get-to-experience-communal-care kindergarten educarer) told me how the children are placed in their strollers, which are then placed outside, for their afternoon naps - during the winter as well. This is because breathing cool, fresh air when you sleep is super good for you. That I get. But I was still a little bit drop-jawed when I heard about it.

For one, how the kid can be placed in the stroller and then peacefully fall asleep is totally foreign for me, as Leona was super far from that kind of kid (I know it's all about what you get used to, but I just don't see it being possible for her from when she was tiny unless we had accepted a lot of crying, something I am not comfortable with).

But it doesn't stop there. If a parent is out with their baby (in a stroller) and the baby falls asleep, the stroller will be left outside the restaurant or café or store door - as long as the parent can keep an eye on it through the window. This is not only totally acceptable, it is in fact expected. I was told by my co-worker that if she is in a café and she sees a baby in a stroller in there she gets fully annoyed about the space-hogging and lack of consideration towards others. Wow.

And it keeps going. It is common to have the same kind of nap-scenario at home too, on your balcony our outside your door - and most shockingly of all (to me and Judge) is how our ground-floor 'neighbors' in our apartment complex follows this habit so severely that if it is raining, instead of placing the stroller on their balcony (which is also ground-floor and super accessible to passerby's), they pace the stroller on the mezzanine - in complete un-view of themselves as they are inside behind the closed door:

The thing is, no-one is concerned for the childrens' safety here - that's how safe society has been. Not worried a dog will come and make mischief as dogs are always on a leash or with their owner close by. Not worried someone will walk off with their baby. Not worried a druggy or drunky will come by and do some kind of harm. Not worried that the baby will freeze during cold days (because really you just dress and bundle them for the weather...easy as that). Just not worried. At all. Mind-boggling.

.

ridding oneself of dead weight

Sometimes one holds on to things even when they are just continuing to cost you and not providing you with anything anymore, basically just because of the time and effort (and sometimes money) one has already put in.

The thing is, those are all sunk costs and shouldn't actually be taken into consideration when evaluating the value going forward.

Despite knowing this, acting on it is a fully different beast.

For me, this current 'thing' is my Certified Management Accouting designation.

The cost to get it is a moot point, as my then-employer paid for it. The time and effort it took to get it is also a moot point, as though I put it in, and it was effort, it wasn't anything overwhelming (I've always had this type of relationship with school...and work I guess). Once I got it it was more that it was got than a huge sense of excitement and achievement. I'm not sure if me moving to Taiwan the day after the big, final Board Presentation had something to do with it, meaning I was not getting a new and better job because of finally achieving this, but rather just putting it aside to go explore another part of life.

In fact, the designation itself has not really done much for me in and of itself in terms of gaining a higher salary, higher recognition, be a value-enhancing stamp for me towards my employers or others, or anything of the sort, as I have only worked in Taiwan and Norway since then, and neither of these countries know anything about the CMA designation.

It did, however, serve a huge purpose in that it allowed me to get a working permit in Taiwan before I got my masters, as well as allowed me to actually enter the master's program there, as both government and university alike accepted it as an 'equivalent or better' than a bachelors. Something that was oh-so necessary as my next-level-down education is only a two-year diploma.

The thing with this designation, however, is that it costs money every year to maintain your membership. Sure I get half-price since I'm not living in Canada, but that is still big moneys in the long run (especially when the moneys are earned in Taiwan, but also just in general) for something that served its purpose already and that I don't forsee bringing me any more value in the future.

But to give it up, to not be a CMA anymore, when it isn't necessarily an quick and easy thing to get, seems wasteful, like closing the door on potential future opportunity.

Our plans are to stay in Norway and Taiwan though, never head back to Canada and get a job or start a business, and so it truly shows a lack of smarts, I guess, to keep on paying for it year in and year out.

So I think I have made a decision.

Next year, when it comes time to pay the membership dues again, I will write in and say I reneg my membership. And it truly, truly, doesn't have to change anything, not even my resume, as nothing has changed, per se. I still did get my designation back in 2005. It is still the semi-equivalent of a master's degree. The only difference is I can no longer add 'CMA' at the back of my name...something I never, ever have done anyway. And of course the other difference is that it will not continue to be a black-hole I shove money into each and every year.

Not the sigh of relief I thought I should feel after making the decision, but still fairly confident it is the right one.


.

scared

We've lead quite a sheltered life this past year, so Leona hasn't come across much that has had the opportunity to make her scared. And if we did come across such opportunities, they never seemed to come to fruition in her.

Last weekend, however, we visited some friends who we've visited before and who have a dog - and she would seak him out and follow after him around the living-room, but freeze up or duck away when he came close. I made sure I was close to her the whole time, trying to ensure she felt like she had control of the situation, but he would get some licks in and be a bit eager for her taste.

When it was apparent she was scared, I would double-thump my chest with a closed fist (like a heart-beat) and put words to it ("You're scared."), and whaddayano, after a time or two, she would do the double-thump on her own without my initiation when she was a bit overwhelmed by his closeness.

This double-thump is a sign I have thought about before, as my sister-in-law and her son used an open hand to pat her chest to sign 'scared', but this of course was already taken to mean 'need to go potty' by Leona. Figured the closed fist was hopefully different enough.

Now comes the interesting bit (as if that is not interesting in itself...hah): That evening and the next couple days she would sometimes out of the blue double-thump her chest. I wasn't 100% sure she wasn't perhaps just enjoying a new sign and that she hadn't linked it to 'scared', but I thought that perhaps she was thinking about the dog, so I would say a few words about the dog that she had liked and that she had been scared sometimes.

It wasn't until a few days later, though, that I became certain she had the link between the sign and scared. See, our friends also lent us a baby-bathtub that day ... as Leona's been taking a bath in a little blue wash basin...and been enjoying it just fine, but they had one to lend out for now and we figured she could enjoy a bit more space:

[Side-by-side: Big Whitey's the same size as the one we used in the old house]

Since we got it she's been a bit hesitant to get in - but usually just for a little bit, and then she will climb over the edge. I was thinking maybe because it's a bit more difficult to get in than her old one.

Two nights ago, though, I had removed the plug while she was still in it ("noooo" I can hear you exclaiming), as I could tell she was basically done and thought I'd start letting the water out. She was fine until the water was almost all out, at which time she stood up and tried to get out pretty fast, get away from the drain, and I suddenly remembered how small kids can get scared of this as they don't understand that they are too big to fit through the hole, and think they may disappear into the unknown just like the water is. Talked a bit about it, then dried off and on to bed-time.

Then yesterday, as I was filling up the big tub she shook her head and then went and pulled out her little one, so we started to fill it up instead. After a little while, though, she tossed her rubber ducks into the big one, and climbed in it, and was totally fine.

Today it went a bit different: She started to climb in the big one before there was much water in it, hesitantly, got one foot in, but then got stuck (fear wise) and I helped her out of the tub. "You're scared." I noted. Double-thump, she went, before she pulled over her little tub again.

Inside, I shook my head in amazement.

.

the life i lead

I sometimes hear about people building a house or watch about it on TV (and then of course it is awsome, amazing, cool oh-so-comfortable-to-live-in houses) and envy the feeling of knowing one will be living in that same place for the next few decades. The sense of settling roots, of connectedness, of constancy.

I also often feel a sense of betraying bosses and landlords, who of course want you to stay as long as possible as it makes life easier and better for them, and as I - during interviews - tell them my then-plans of staying at least a few years (not said in each instance of course, but several both in Taiwan and here in Norway now). I feel that even when I stay out the original contract of a year, that they are depending on me to stay on and I am letting them down when I 'out of the blue' cut things short, so to speak.

And today it all got hit home really hard. Me and our newly started admin and finance manager were discussing finding a job here in Tromsø - as we are currently hiring on a new admin assistant so I can focus fully on finance - and she claimed it's super easy to find a job here and that's why we haven't gotten too many candidates to choose between. I begged to differ, as I hadn't experienced getting called in to many interviews. She proceeded to say "Yeah, if I got a resume like yours across my desk I wouldn't call you in for an interview either."

Slap. In-my-head drop-jaw.

And she continued to say that it was because she wouldn't expect me to stay long enough to make the investment in me - to train me up etc - worth it. Wham.

And of course what could I say, when I am, in fact, going to submit my resignation at the end of this month? (Standard in Norway is a required three months notice...T.H.R.E.E.!).

I don't feel completely bad, as I am in fact completing my original contract with them (which was until end of 2012), have done a bang-up job (of course), and have really saved them some NOKs because they haven't had to hire in a finance person until now (with me going over into the position rather and hiring in a new admin instead) - while if they had had a straight-up admin girl they'd have had to hire one on many months ago.

Plus they have been underpaying me, in my perhaps-not-so-humble opinion. And a final big reason I can sleep relatively ok is that I now have a greater understanding of my new finance role and I have realized that it is still way too non-challenging.

Anyhow, it still didn't feel any bit of nice hearing her say that, as me leaving now is just confirming my feelings of not being someone that can be counted on long term, and it's going to make my resume look even worse.

That just means there is even more of a reason for us to make this move be the right one - to come back to Norway in a few years our own masters, with an awesome product and concept (those pre-fab eco-friendly houses Judge's dad has on the go...and I mean on the uber-success go).

When we make this work for us, then the non-constancy can become comfortable again.


.

'finished'

One of the seriously useful signs Leona uses is 'finished'. It totally helps lessen frustrations and increases our ability to respect her desires.

For example, when she is done in her high-chair she doesn't need to start fussing or tossing stuff around for us to know she's done (though she has just started practicing the actual act of really tossing stuff around, which is not something I'm particularly looking forward too in the high-chair-sitting department).

Also helps in the ECing department, as she knows that she can come off the potty or toilet right when she says she's done - there's no second guessing about it (yes, we're still ECing). And by done I mean she's done sitting there, not necessarily that she's done any actual business on there.

And then there's her own additions to the usage of 'finished' - for example if we are doing something she doesn't want us to be doing, she uses this sign. Like when we hug. That's right folks - Leona is not a fan of PDAs between me and Judge and she's not shy about letting us know with a sharp 'Ah' and then 'finished'. It's pretty hillarious.

Another example is as she's nursing and switching sides, she requires that the side she just finished gets covered up again right quick - otherwise there's a firm shake of her head and 'finished' sign, then pulling at the bra, and only once it's all nice and covered is she willing to nurse on.

She's most definitely a girl who knows how to orchestrate the world around her to follow her rules and wishes - and we are generally totally fine and happy to follow her 'turtle-hairedness' (as we say in Mandarin), because she's just so darned cute - and because it's no real put-out on our end of course.

[Leona loving one of her favorite past-times: strolling with a bag pulled behind her along our mezzanine]

.

stricty-mc-strictersen

First, two more shots from our bilberry trip that my mom captured that I just love:



-----------

Sometimes when we're out and about and see some young kid eat icecream or chocolate or some other kind of sweet or candy, Judge will ask me how old Leona will be when I allow her to eat it. See, since we don't go out much, and aren't around other kids, we (I) pretty much get to keep her super sheltered from the world of sugar, and am totally happy about it.

So far, the sweetest thing she's had are fried bananas with a drop of honey (once - all subsequent times no drop of honey), buns we've gotten for free...which I am sure have sugar in them but are more cinnemony than sweet, and in total three kornmo crackers (whole-wheat and where you think there is no sugar, but when you read the label you see there totally is...thus the kornmo cracker train has come to a halt for now as well)...and then of course fruit, which can be super sweet in their natural state.

She's also only every had my milk, 'replacement' milk (during the day when I first started working and didn't have a place to pump ... and was actually glad as she was totally old enough to eat and drink other stuff than just my milk), and water...oh, and soups of course. No juice whatsoever, no other kind of milk, no nothing.

This may seem militant, but I really think sugar is the devil just bad - not that I boycott it for myself of course. And since we are in a situation where we can easily avoid it, I am so cool with doing just that for as long as we can.

Anyhow, I've already become a lot more lax in my strictness than I was before / planned on being, seeing as she eats bread and flour stuffs (on the 'restricted list' originally as they get transformed into sugar in our body). Oooooooooooo, crazy-lenient, I know.

.

social butterfly

We did our Saturday treck to town again today, and hit up the library as per usj. Lo and behold we walked in on 'Bokfest' (book party), right in the middle of story-time.

I have to say this guy was good! Everyone sat there with rapt attention, little kids and adults alike. But as we are not at the story-book stage yet, we just snaked our way through the throngs of people and got to our little kids books' corner.

After checking out the kitchen nook again, and flipping open a few books, Leona once again started walking right up to people - bigger-than-her kids or adults, no matter.

It fascinates me not only that she does this, just open and trying to interact with others (and not all smiley when she does it, just straight forward), but that most people kind of just look at her, not quite knowing what to make of her overtures and then precede to ignore her.

Some did kind of interact with her though. For example, a kid about 7 (?? totally no clue) first looked at her, then at us questionning almost, and then turned away from her to ignore her. However, she's not deterred so easily, so as she persisted, he took the cup she was offering and then just dropped it on the floor, then when she came back with a plate he took it and just set it down, then finally took a book she offered and put his book down and started flipping through it.

Then, when she spotted a mom and two kids eating buns, she b-lined it over to them and stood about a foot away from the mom and signed 'eat' with a very adament 'ah!' added in. The boy who was a little older than her kept acknowledging her ('baby, baby') but the mom looked around, I caught her eye and smiled, and she kind of wrinkled her brow and semi-not-really-smiled smiled and then ignored Leona. Perhaps she felt like Leona was demanding food from her or something. In any event, rather than continue to let Leona work out these social instances I asked Judge to just bring her back over to where we were sitting....kind of fail on my part but so be it.

Anyhow, she was hungry, obviously, so I got up to go find a place nearby that sold buns, and saw that they were giving them away free (which is where this mom had gotten them from) naught 10 meters away from us. Yay!

Out of everyone, there were just two adults who not only acknowledged her, but spoke with her, accepting the book, and interacting a bit more before moving on.

Oh, and one little girl, 15 months old, who was eager to grab Leona's sippy-cups that were just laying there...of course promptly stopped by her mom. Actually, this same little girl was sitting close to us, and suddenly Leona had stuffed a piece of bun in her mouth before I could stop her - her mom was cool with that though, thankfully.

On the way home it started raining a bit, but Leona was knackered from all the hub-bub and fell asleep despite the wet cold (and it is really cold these days!):

PS. I added the following picture to the 'boot fail' post as it belongs there (courtesy of my mom):

.

animals galore

A few weeks ago we had some friends over for dinner, and one of them mentioned how her sister had done baby signing with her kids, and how one time pre-verbal they had gone to the zoo, and the toddler was madly signing away for all the animals, and it hit me: we should do more signs for the different animals as Leona's soooooooooooo into them right now (kind of a forhead-slap moment).

So we did. Couple that with all the animal books we've been borrowing from the library, and Leona and Judge reading hours on end together, we now have a girl who went from dog ("woo' woo'") and duck (her hand kind of doing 'yapyapyap' like if she thought we were talking way too much) to quickly adding about 13 more to her repertoire, most of them perhaps unrecognizable to anyone but me and Judge as we're the ones who've made them up (and we have started coordinating between us, so she doesn't have two signs for each...not that it confused her when we were uncoordinated as she has three spoken languages she differentiates/understands as it is).

Reading the books consists of either her pointing to an animal and looking at us and we do the sign and say the animal, or she does the sign/sound and we say the animal, or sometimes us pointing and her doing the sign/sound (and then us saying the animal):

• Bear (from me): clawed hand swatting
• Giraffe (from me): tongue sticking out (to grab a leaf to eat...see, there is logic behind these, I swear!)
• Penguin (movement from me, sound from Judge): tip side to side (like a waddling penguin without walking) while saying 'tak tak tak'
• Lion (from Judge): lunging at you with clawed hands while saying 'rar'
• [and 'finished': hand open palm out by face]

• Fish (from Judge): and swimming wildly forward (until it hits her stomach) and saying 'psiiuuuuuuu' [my version which she loves when I do is a fish mouth...she has tried this a few times as well, but now the 'psiiuuuuuuu' and hand motion has stuck]
• Rabbit (from Judge): fingers on head doing rabbit ears [my version is wrinkling a bunny nose, which she does by squinting her eyes and then moving her mouth]
• Points to cat (this is one she is not interested in signing at all for some reason...I use the standard baby-sign for cat and say miao)
• [and 'come sit here': patting the spot she wishes you to sit]

Other animals on the current:

• Turtle (from Judge): really reaching breast-stroke motion with arms
• Rooster (from Judge/me): fully open hand on top of head like a mo-hawk
• Sheep/goat (from me): baaaa (innovative, I know)
• Cow (from me): pointing fingers on top of head as horns, bend forward and say mooooo (he uses closed fists)
• Pig (from Judge): pouty lips outward and hard breathing in and out
• Panda (from Judge): flat hands on cheeks (like if you were surprised) (we tried hand in a circle over eye but it just didn't take)

And some that haven't yet caught on:

• Horse (from me): loose 'flappy' lips as breathe out, you know, like a horse
• Crab (from Judge): sissor hands
• Seahorse (from Judge): 'cobra' arm

These are all I can remember at the moment (I think I've noted the majority of them, if not all).

So interesting to see which animals she picks out and which ones she slides over.



.

boot fail

As mentioned previously, Leona has one type of shoe she is willing to wear, and one type only - you know, those leather moccasins. Well, yesterday on our berry trip I knew the ground was going to still be a bit wet from the previous days' rains, so dug up some boots that are about her size and a water resistent fall-suit she could wear.

When she saw the fall suit she was totally hyped, wanted to wear it right away, so I slid the arms on her and she walked around with a pink and gray penguin tux for a while before we headed out the door.

After hiking up to the spot we decided to start picking for reals, we took her out of the carrier, and I tried putting the boots on her.

Not a popular decision in Leona's books. At all. She stood there, feet planted firmly in the ground, 'a a a'ing to let us know this was not cool, reaching up for me to pick her up. I tried to lure her into trying them out, you know, maybe she'd surprise herself and find out it wasn't so bad, so I scooted just a little bit away and explained I wanted her to try and take some steps in the boots.

It was like they were nailed to the ground, then slowly she lifted them - like she was wearing some kind of magnetic boots and was walking on steel, and took the necessary two steps before she let me know that this really was not happening.

And that was that. 'twas a warm sunny day, so warm in fact that no jackets were necessary (!), and just a little moisture in the ground, so I decided she could just get a little damp and then we'd change her after.

A mighty good decision, as we then got to enjoy the splendid afternoon that we did.

bilberry trip

Today we had our one day of summer...just in time for fall. And what a glorious day it was, as we packed small buckets, lunch and something to sit on and headed into a vally of bilberries.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but nature up here is impressive once you get off the island - something that we don't do too often. Luckily, thankfully, my mom lives here and is more than happy to go on excursions with us, as otherwise Judge would nare catch even a glimpse of it.

After we picked berries for about an hour and a half it was time for a nursing break that slid into a delicious outdoor nap.

...and then lunch:

...before more berry picking:

[she sat with my mom for a good long time, just picking and eating]

[sat on her own for a bit as well - so focused...and I just have to say I absolutely love this photo!]

[totally love this one too, how it fully captures her concentration]

Judge was the only serious picker amongst the four of us. While I ate 95% of what I picked, he not only saved 95% of his, but went on a full-out picking spree, filling two of these buckets worth:

[he's got the hands to show for it]

.

a Hamnadagen coup

Today we headed over to our old hood (Hamna) for 'The Hamnda Day' festivities at the elementary school, and most importantly for us, its communal garage sale. And boy did we score!

Our first win was a little rabbit (NOK 10):

With Leona's affinity for animal books lately, she's picked up a lot new animal signs: Fish, bear, penguin, lion, and:

Next huge score was this awesome lounger: 

Price...are you ready for this?...NOK 20. Yes, two-zero. And boy does she know how to use it:

The next were plastic stuff - a plate, a spoon, a fork, a knife and a spatula (she's into kitchen stuffs) - all for NOK 1 each. Not too shabby. Could have gotten more of each, but we felt like this totally suffices.

The last item was a necessity but not a coup - the toque she's wearing in the first lounger picture. Practically new, water and wind proof (essential for arctic weather) and lined with wool (also essential). We lost her winter hat last easter, so this is a good find for sure, and it saves us money from having to buy a brand spankin new one, but it was not a garage-sale price at NOK 50.

And at a total of NOK 85 that left us with a nice little NOK 15 profit. Yep, that's right, as we were walking to the school, I picked up a 100-kroner bill that was just laying there waiting for me. Probably dropped by some poor kid...thought of trying to find a lost-and-found to hand it in to, but then laziness got the better of me [cue a nagging conscience].

.

night-time signing

Our night-time routines has been changing these past few weeks, as I found I felt like I was done nursing every couple hours (every time Leona would wake up), and so a few days before the new routine started, I explained to Leona how it would be, and then when it started I continued to explain it to her - short and sweet - so she knew what was coming.

The routine: No nursing after 'last nurse' (the one when I go to bed and she wakes up...because she does every time) until morning. I would also mention during her last nurse that when she woke up at night, she could just lay there and relax, close her eyes, and go back to sleep (ha!).

We kind of tried this last spring, and had a total fail - just utter heartbroken screaming, writhing, frantic milk-signing on Leona's part.

This time was totally different. She would sign milk, then cry, I would ask if she wanted me to hold her, she would sign 'hug', I would sit up and hold her in a hug, she would sign milk a few more times while still crying gently, I would acknowledge she wanted milk and that she was sad, remind her that there was no milk until the morning, and then - still crying small-kine - she would sign sleepy-time, and I would lay her down, and she would roll over away from me and go back to sleep. Crazy huh? Ok, perhaps not crazy, but pretty darn cool in my books :P

A few days ago I even slept 6 hours straight (!!) because each time she woke up she just went back to sleep on her own.  First time ever. We haven't had a repeat, but some teeth are coming in, so I'm just rolling with it.

However, we've come across a little hick-up. With the midnight sun gone, and our nights actually dark again, when she wakes up at night now I have no idea what she is asking for while she's crying - because when she knows there's no milk, she still cries small-kine, and wants something else to help make her feel better. Sometimes it's that hug, sometimes it's her sippy-cups, sometimes it's her tooth-brush. But with the room finally completely dark again (which does help with the sleep quality), I don't see what she is signing. And when I try the 'deaf-and-blind' method of feeling her hands while she signs she gets annoyed because she really doesn't like people touching her hands. Oy ve.

But no matter. This no night-time nursing is pretty major in our house, and I believe that it really is helping her (and me) sleep better overall...little by little...eventually...once this teething streak is done ;)

[And with the return of the dark nights, fall is suddenly upon us]

.