The sun was shining yet again today, which puts everyone in a most euphoric mood around here, including me. I only wish I would have had time to go for a long walk to enjoy the fresh air, but I was a little bit “opptatt” as they say here (“busy” is the direct translation but it sure sounds like “up tight” to me when it’s spoken – which is also very descriptive of the times that word would be used.)
After school today Kaleb had his classmate Håvard over for a play date (see photo). This was the first opportunity they have had to spend time one-on-one together so they had a bit of an awkward start and I had to help the process more than I expected. They weren’t sure what to do with themselves and although they could speak basic things back and forth in Norwegian, we learned quickly that Håvard is right up there with Kaleb in many areas – including an advanced vocabulary – which doesn’t work well in our household when it’s an advanced Norwegian vocabulary. Håvard is one smart cookie (he asked how we felt about our new president and then wanted to know WHY we felt that way). Like Kaleb he’s a fast reader and is the best in his class in math (excluding Kaleb.) Kaleb was able to teach Håvard some algebra today because they both were done with the big math test early (it was just doing the times table up to 8.) Håvard caught on to algebra lickety-split and liked it a lot so Kaleb was proud to be his teacher and show him the ropes.
After school I could see they needed to do something constructive so I gave them some challenges to work on together. I got out my “Destination Imagination” book and let their brains go to work for a while. (Destination Imagination is a program designed for gifted kids but all kids can do it. It’s an after-school activity where kids compete in different challenges with simple goals using limited resources and a short amount of time to accomplish the task. Kaleb loves the program. We were involved with it before we left America.) So today Kaleb and Håvard were building structures as tall as they could using only straws, paper, toilet paper rolls and a little tape. Kaleb won the first "challenge" so the next go-round I had them work together building a structure that could support weight. They could only use straws, large marshmallows, paper, toothpicks and a little tape. They had a good time once they realized that if they bit off part of the marshmallow, it would stick incredibly well to the hardwood floor and create a sturdy base they could work from. And this is why I didn’t get in a walk today. The marshmallows stuck very well and the boys were off kicking soccer balls and throwing rocks in the water down at the beach before anyone realized what a mess they’d left behind. And we had company coming for dinner. All in all the boys had a great time together and I am so thankful for Håvard. He has a big desire to learn English so I think he’s partially drawn to Kaleb for that reason, but he doesn’t know it much now so it forces Kaleb to speak more Norwegian – so it’s a win/win. And they do have a lot in common so I’m hoping they spend more free time together and become best of friends.
Between going to school myself, helping the boys after school and making dinner for company, my day was done. We had Kory’s two cousins (who are brothers) and their wives over, plus their mother – our dear Tante Kari. Both cousins are brothers to cousin Odd. We’ve had Odd here many times but the two brothers (Ketil and Rune) don’t live as close so they are a little harder to pin down. We had a wonderful time visiting with them and catching up on what’s new in their lives and telling them all about the happenings in ours. They both have stayed with us in America and we got engaged in Ketil’s house 18 years ago so we have a lot of history with these guys and it was a very comfortable and relaxed evening. They are both now on wife #2 (as is their brother Odd) so we had to fill in some of the blanks for the new women. Tante Kari so loves all her new daughter-in-laws that she said if her boys get divorced one more time she is dumping them and keeping the women. She’s so funny. Last Sunday after church she told Kory he has old fashioned glasses and he needs to be a little more hip and modern (she is 80). She went around taking glasses off different people and putting them on Kory to see which style she liked best on him and then she gave him marching orders to go buy new frames. She laughs all the time and thinks everything she sees and hears and tastes is just the best there is. She took a bite of the Chicken Marbella tonight and screeched out a compliment as she thought it was just so incredibly good. Then Ketil said, “She could eat a plain boiled potato with nothing on it and have the same reaction because she thinks everything is incredibly good.” Now there’s a legacy to leave behind.
After school today Kaleb had his classmate Håvard over for a play date (see photo). This was the first opportunity they have had to spend time one-on-one together so they had a bit of an awkward start and I had to help the process more than I expected. They weren’t sure what to do with themselves and although they could speak basic things back and forth in Norwegian, we learned quickly that Håvard is right up there with Kaleb in many areas – including an advanced vocabulary – which doesn’t work well in our household when it’s an advanced Norwegian vocabulary. Håvard is one smart cookie (he asked how we felt about our new president and then wanted to know WHY we felt that way). Like Kaleb he’s a fast reader and is the best in his class in math (excluding Kaleb.) Kaleb was able to teach Håvard some algebra today because they both were done with the big math test early (it was just doing the times table up to 8.) Håvard caught on to algebra lickety-split and liked it a lot so Kaleb was proud to be his teacher and show him the ropes.
After school I could see they needed to do something constructive so I gave them some challenges to work on together. I got out my “Destination Imagination” book and let their brains go to work for a while. (Destination Imagination is a program designed for gifted kids but all kids can do it. It’s an after-school activity where kids compete in different challenges with simple goals using limited resources and a short amount of time to accomplish the task. Kaleb loves the program. We were involved with it before we left America.) So today Kaleb and Håvard were building structures as tall as they could using only straws, paper, toilet paper rolls and a little tape. Kaleb won the first "challenge" so the next go-round I had them work together building a structure that could support weight. They could only use straws, large marshmallows, paper, toothpicks and a little tape. They had a good time once they realized that if they bit off part of the marshmallow, it would stick incredibly well to the hardwood floor and create a sturdy base they could work from. And this is why I didn’t get in a walk today. The marshmallows stuck very well and the boys were off kicking soccer balls and throwing rocks in the water down at the beach before anyone realized what a mess they’d left behind. And we had company coming for dinner. All in all the boys had a great time together and I am so thankful for Håvard. He has a big desire to learn English so I think he’s partially drawn to Kaleb for that reason, but he doesn’t know it much now so it forces Kaleb to speak more Norwegian – so it’s a win/win. And they do have a lot in common so I’m hoping they spend more free time together and become best of friends.
Between going to school myself, helping the boys after school and making dinner for company, my day was done. We had Kory’s two cousins (who are brothers) and their wives over, plus their mother – our dear Tante Kari. Both cousins are brothers to cousin Odd. We’ve had Odd here many times but the two brothers (Ketil and Rune) don’t live as close so they are a little harder to pin down. We had a wonderful time visiting with them and catching up on what’s new in their lives and telling them all about the happenings in ours. They both have stayed with us in America and we got engaged in Ketil’s house 18 years ago so we have a lot of history with these guys and it was a very comfortable and relaxed evening. They are both now on wife #2 (as is their brother Odd) so we had to fill in some of the blanks for the new women. Tante Kari so loves all her new daughter-in-laws that she said if her boys get divorced one more time she is dumping them and keeping the women. She’s so funny. Last Sunday after church she told Kory he has old fashioned glasses and he needs to be a little more hip and modern (she is 80). She went around taking glasses off different people and putting them on Kory to see which style she liked best on him and then she gave him marching orders to go buy new frames. She laughs all the time and thinks everything she sees and hears and tastes is just the best there is. She took a bite of the Chicken Marbella tonight and screeched out a compliment as she thought it was just so incredibly good. Then Ketil said, “She could eat a plain boiled potato with nothing on it and have the same reaction because she thinks everything is incredibly good.” Now there’s a legacy to leave behind.
