2nd day of Christmas

We celebrated the second day of Christmas at Merete's place - a new Qvistgaard tradition. We had crawfish the Swedish way with toast and cheese. It was fun.

December 24

With 6 billions souls to please Santa is busy so he has to get an early start. When we woke up this morning the kids found bunches of gifts under the tree - thanks to Grandma & Gary, uncle Paul and family and Uncle Rick and family. And Santa had found just the right things - the newest album from Metallica, wii games and legos. Thanks all.

Well, now it's Christmas and this advent calendar has come to an end.

We wish all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

December 23

The tree is up and decorated. So now we just count the days.

December 22

It's a tradition for us to take a drive before Christmas to look at Christmas lights. This year we came upon this house where a father and son has set up a fantastic show. It is unusual in a Danish context. They have build the computer controlling the lights from scratch as well as the FM transmitter sending the music to the radio.

You can see a video of the show here.

December 21

3 days until Christmas and I managed to fulfill a year old promise to the children - ice skating downtown. It was a first for all kids. Rita was magnificent. She had hardly got the skates on before she was flying about. The boys were quick learners too. I could certainly feel, it was ages since I had had skates on. I believe it was as a sophomore in Waukesha. I managed and fell only once.

December 20

We had one big concern: "Will it fit?" There is nothing as frustrating as a tree that does not touch the ceiling when you come home.

December 19

One of the more peculiar finds I stumpled over the other day - snail caviar. Ellen has already declared it is not an item for Christmas dinner. But what about New Years.

Further description is here:http://www.caviar-escargot.com/en/caviar-escargot.html

December 18

Serious business. Axel found a webpage where we could view videos of the fireworks we can buy for New Years Eve. This is an important task that takes a lot of deliberation and planning.

December 17

Now we are done with all the Christmas preparations except for getting the Christmas tree. Merete and her two girls came over to make marcipan and chocolates. Yummy!

December 16

Christmas concert in Rita's music class

December 15

"Klejner" is Erik's favorite Christmas cookie. It is also the most laborintensive cookie. The dough is very tough and sticky (it contains a lot of eggs). It has to be rolled out paper thin. We usually say you have to be able to read a newspaper through it. Then it is cut and braided. Finally, it's deep fried in palm oil. As mentioned it is laborsome and time consuming. I had hoped we could talk Erik out it this year, but he was persistent. So we took time yesterday to make a bunch. And they are good. Crisp, crunchy and sweet. Yummy.

December 14

It's hard to make a daily update. Nonetheless, this is a Christmas calendar so here it comes. The post for yesterday, that is.

I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and it was not because of the drink we served Saturday.

While in Malaysia I went to a grocery store and bought a few special items although only items labels in English. Adventure has it limits :-)

Some of our relatives with closer relations to Asia might have heard of this drink. To us it was all new. It looked like cola except for the sediment! The taste was a bit like diluted molasses - with lumps - which I assume was grass. I'm proud to say all kids gave it a try. But cola is preferred to the grass jelly...

December 13

The Christmas lunch is a age old Danish tradition. It's kind of a party which often takes place at work. We have always had our own Christmas lunch at home. We keep strictly to tradition. So we start with a variety of fish - pickled herring, fried plaice, caviar and eggs. Then comes lunch meat, pate, meatballs - all the meat. And in the end cheeses.

Erik made this sandwich of liver pate, bacon, pickled beet and raw onion. An uncommon combination to the Danish palate. Perhaps it is his American genes playing in. But as a teenager a bit of unorthodoxy is allowed and although he looks sceptical he loved it.

December 12

Noodles for breakfast! Axel couldn't wait to enjoy his calendar gift. For once he was the first out of bed and ready to set the table.

December 11

Rita fell at gym class and bruised her ancle. Rita and I took a day out of school to rest the leg. So we took time to bake sugar cookies.

December 10

Bourbon balls! Ellen made a double recipe but something happened on the way. The cookie jar just didn't seem to get filled.

December 9

Rita thought she had to practice her flute. There probably was too much noise in the living room so she took her notes to the kitchen where she practiced "Jingle bells". We are getting more and more ready for Christmas.

December 8

I can't remember we've ever had a mistletoe hanging in the house. However, Axel really thought we should have one this year may be it's associated with all the girls he's befriended :-). Axel just loves getting "caught" under the branch with a big hug.

December 7

Is this St. Nick?

December 6

St. Nick found his way to Smørum. Ellen had been a bit worried because we had put up the socks before December may be St. Nick
would have become confused. But he did come and brought with him all sorts weird stuff: Chips with bbq ribs flavor, India pale ale, cookies, mackerel in curry sauce, honey and chili chutney and strange fruits like the one Erik's showing. We have no idea what it is. Any suggestions?

December 5

A short clip of Rita's class singing a Christmas song which their teacher, Lars, had made.

December 4

Axel had in home economics learned how to make creme filled rolls. And now he wanted to try it at home. He and Rita went at it alone right after school yesterday. I tell yea, the rolls were very good but both livingrom and kitchen were covered with flour, spillings of creme and what not. But who's to complain when they had this much fun.

December 3

The stuff Christmas is made of.

December 2

Christmas decoration is serious business. Rita and Axel has done a tremendous job getting the house ready setting up all our julenisser. We have stickers in the windows. Stockings on the stair. And Santa hanging from the curtain holder ready to carry Christmas into the Qvistgaard household.

December 1

Finally we've reached the first of December. At least Erik, Rita and Axel thinks so. This year all 3 children has a full advent calendar with gifts. 72 packages in total. It took 35 meters of string and a whole roll of aluminum foil. We are curious to see what they will think. It is not all candy. There are things they can use as well.

Kitchen hand

This year Axel has cooking classes at school. Last Tuesday he made a bread but killed the yeast in the process. He wanted to do it right. So yesterday he baked two very delicious breads. Seems like the Qvistgaard baker genes aren't wasted.

Kitchen aid

It was big cooking day yesterday. Ellen was away at school and Rita had asked for lasagne for dinner. She also wanted to cook it herself. She really laughed when I told her to add tomato puré to the sauce. Turned out she thought I'd said "tomato puha".

41st Birthday

Yeah I know it doesn't lokke like it, but yesterday I turned 41. Ellen took this nice picture of me trying on this nice sweater I got from Mary and Gary. Thanks.

I always try to take the family out to eat at a well recommended restaurant. I think it's important for the kids to get a taste of a different cusine and better quality - and then not the least I love to do it for myself :-) This year we ended up at Cofoco. We had an excellent dinner of scallops, veal with grilled thymus (there must be a less clinical name but that's what google translator came up with - it was good) and creme brulee. Rita had fish and I had cheese for dessert. It was all very good.

First snow

Yesterday, we had the first snow of the year. Rita and Axel woke up really early. I guess it was the light from the snow which arose them. In a split second they dressed and down stairs. No breakfast. No nothing. Just on with boots, gloves and jackets and out!!! Wish it could like that on school days.

T-day

I know there's a couple of weeks to the US Thanksgiving. We however celebrated it this weekend. We had 17 dinner. It took 2 turkeys, 4,5 kg. potatoes, 1 kg. brusselssprouts, 2 pecan pies and 1 pumpkin pie plus of course breadrolls, cranberry sauce and stuffing. We managed to make it all at home. It took a bit of scripting to work it out with only one oven and the microwave. But it did. We all were full and happy when done.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Handsome guy

Erik got his braces off to day. He really looks good. He's got a wire in white gold glued to the inside of his teeth to hold them together. I tried to convince him that he now had a brilliant pick up line. Something like "Can I share my gold with you" or something like that. Erik didn't appreciate it.

Trumpeter

Axel is really into film music. I believe his teacher thinks it's fun so he gives Axel all the musical scores he can find.

- - -

I forgot to add that last weekend we had a transcontinental concert when skyping with Paul and family. Isaac played his guitar - "Smoke on the water" while Axel did the theme from "Jaws". Pretty impressive.

Fomelhaut b

This is just awesome. The first pictures of a planet in another solar system! If you haven't read about it, you can do it here.

Halloween

Yeah, I know it's been a while but we've been busy. This tired witch was captured at school after a spectacular Halloween party which some of the parents in Rita's class had arranged. The kids had blue potatoes and ghost fingers (hot dogs).

Make up

Another picture of Rita and friend - this time Maja. I don't know what happened. Maja and came to play and in a split second the two girls changed the living room in to a beauty parlor. Now, I worry about when Ellen comes back from her weekend school because - seriously- I don't know where they got the make up from :-)

Rap R.I.P.

Last night we witnessed a great tragedy. Rita's pet beettle "RAP" died. RAP was part of a school project where Rita became responsible for 3 mealworms. She immediately named them Rip, Rap and Rup - Danish for Huey, Dewey and Louie. And she took good care of them. Two of them made it to cocoons and one broke out as beetle. In fact, he broke out so much that he wandered out of his box. It caused a bit of panic because we didn't know where the beetle had gone. Could it be in the kitchen? But - alas - Rap ended up drowning in the aquarium.

Old maid

Obviously, it's not Rita I'm referring to. Rita and Axel enjoyed a good game old maid on our vacation. It was a bit unorthodox though because Rita did her best to get the maid and not to get rid of it.

Indoor camp

We have just returned from fall vacation in Sweden. We had five days in the "new" summerhouse. The weather was fantastic. We had the low hanging fall sun illuminating the multicolored leaves in the forrest. It was really spectacular. I don't know how much the kids appreciated the view but they sure enjoyed it when we let them roast marshmallows in the fireplace.

Get me a dentist

Rita and Cecilie made chocolate muffins. We caught then digging too much into the chocolate. They had fun.

Bearlet

We went to the first show at the Royal Theatre with our seasonal tickets. It was a ballet for kids. The "star" of the show was a huge yellow teddybear called "Bamse" - known from national public tv. The story was that Bamse was to learn "bearlet" as he called it. The performers were all children from the royal school of ballet. They were wonderful and so gifted. Erik was too old an audience, so instead we had invited one of Rita's friends, Cecilie. I wasn't able to get a picture of the the two of them in the theatre so here is one from before the performance.

According to the theatre a video should be available on the homepage. I can't find it, but you can see pictures of the performance here.

Doorstep

So this is the doorstep. Axel and I had fun figuring out the right exposure. We had a bit of false light from the living room. So Axel placed himself in the window to shade for the light.