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Category Archives: Childhood

Nostalgia at the funfair

04 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by Anne in Childhood, Good Life, Italy

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Bibione, Childhood, Funfair, Italy, Memories

First time I was in Bibione was in 1990. It was our first time in Italy and I was only five. I remember loads from the time there. “Italia ’90” – the FIFA world cup (football, yes) was going on at the time. Italians took football crazy to a whole new level. I’ll never forget.

I remember some of the people we met. Some of them we still keep in touch with and visit every time we’re in Italy. Some were my brothers’ summer flirts, and probably people they never want to be reminded of ever again. The ice-cream, the swimming pool, the food, the heat, the beach, the sea. It was fantastic.

One other thing that clearly stands out is the funfair. I went back some time, probably in the mid nineties, and this year I returned again. And it had not changed a bit! This time I was standing in the shadow of my Son. It was fantastic! He’s younger than I was when I was there for the first time, so he didn’t care as much for the same rides that I simply loved, at age five. I was a little too handicapped to be able to try anything much, but I had my camera with me and stood cheering on the side.  I also walked around and had a look, breathing in the same smells from years gone by and noticed details from a world preserved for decades.

Board games and wee children

29 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by Anne in Childhood, Cosiness, Good Life

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Boardgame, Games for children, Snakes and ladders

20120822-165951.jpgEarlier this week a local newspaper had an article on the benefits of playing board games with children – and there are quite a lot of them! I imagine many parents took their time to sit down with their children to play board games that afternoon. For me it was good to get a reminder of what I can do with Son that doesn’t require too much on my part (growing a baby and a bump is something parts of my body disagrees with to some extent and has made me rather handicapped). We had actually bought a board game for Son earlier that week, thinking that he now would be old enough to get the point of some of the simpler games. This is the ‘ladder game’, or what is probably ‘snakes and ladders’ in the English speaking world. Son loves it and has had no hard time grasping the concept of the simple game – I guess we’ve underestimated him a bit. But I haven’t tried beating him yet, and that includes a wee bit of cheating on my side…

A’hoy matey Chocolate cake

16 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by Anne in Baking, Childhood, Cooking

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

3 years old, Birthday, Birthday boy, Birthday cake, Chocolate cake, Food, third birthday

I have to show off this cake from Son’s third birthday. As mentioned earlier he’s in a pirate period of his life and nothing in this world is cooler than scimitar-wielding, one-eyed, shanty-singing bandits.   For this cake I made a simple chocolate cake, drew an outline of the hull of a ship, cut out two identical pieces from the cake, and placed these on top of one another. Then the rest of the cake was used to make the bridge and quarterdeck. Afterwards the cake was covered in icing and decorated with various types of candy.

The cake was an absolute success and Son has already wished for the same cake for next year’s birthday party.

Being three and going on holiday

01 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by Anne in Childhood, Good Life, Travel

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Flying, Italy, little gentleman, Pirates, Travel, vacation

Imagine being three. The most exciting thing in life is pirates and swords. Several times a day you sing sea-shanties and talk about pirates. Your parentes have been talking quite a lot about Italy. They say something about going on holiday there. It’s supposed to be warm and there are pools in which you can swim, and you can also swim in the ocean. It all sounds a bit odd, you’re not sure if you like it being warm, and swimming in the sea or in a big pool sounds a little scary. It’s been two years since last time you were by the Mediterranean, and although you remember some things about visiting family in Spain, most of it is at best a blur.

Italy is supposedly quite far away. You can only get there by plane, or by driving for days. We are flying this time. You have flown before, but that too is quite some time ago. It feels like it’s the first time. Before the first flight mom and dad are quite nervous. They’re not sure how you will react. Your calm nature surely have them amazed. You’re a little excited when the planes takes off, but by the time the plane reaches travel height, you are so calm and quiet it seems like flying is something you do every day. You’re a perfect little gentleman for the entire flight, and also for the second flight, and the third. During the second flight nobody understands what you’re saying, so you pick up a few foreign words. “Danke” and “tschüss” makes the flight attendants smile. During the third flight they speak another foreign language, you quickly pick up “grazie” and “ciao” and end up getting extra service and the double amount of snacks from the flight attendants.

It’s midnight by the time we get to the hotel. Since the south of Germany you’ve only seen large airports and dark skies. You wake up in a strange room. It’s cool and quiet and rather dark, but as soon as the door opens you’re blinded by the bright light. Outside terra cotta red, dry earth dominate the picture before you. It’s warm and a t-shirt and shorts are perfect. Downstairs someone has made breakfast for us. Much of the food is quite similar to that at home, but yet slightly different. A couple of women hustle back and forth out of the kitchen, both smiling, touching your hair and talking to you every time they pass. You smile back, say “grazie” and smile. The attention is fun, but there’s very little else to see and do at the hotel. Mom and dad find a car, not at all like the one at home. You prefer the one at home. The car seat is too small and you can’t see anything out the window. You quickly fall asleep.

The next thing you know you’re outside a big, lemon coloured building. After a bit of waiting while dad talks to some people a man carries all out luggage onto a golf cart. He talks to you, but you don’t understand anything. You smile and say “ciao”, that always make them friendly. Sitting between mom and dad the man drives to a different part of the big building. Carries all the suitcases into a lift, pushes a button and leaves us there with a quick wave with the hand, a smile and a friendly “ciao”. The lift moves and takes us to a floor higher up. Dad unlocks a door using a card and opens the door for you. You don’t expect much and walk in with calmness and quiet curiosity. Mom and dad wait by the door, looking at you, waiting for a reaction. You stop in the middle of the room. Your gaze travels from one corner to the next, until you have taken in every detail of the room. “Oi!” you say, suddenly and turn around to look at us. “It’s a ship”, you gasp, “we’re living in a ship!”. “There are pirates in Italy too!”

Visiting the violent past

04 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by Anne in Childhood, Norway

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Childhood, Museum, Pirates, Swords, Vikings

I’m quite weak when it comes to swords. Of course physically, when compared to a sword, but also how I am very fascinated with swords and how they were made, used, etc. I even own a few myself. This is a little odd as I am very much against having weapons in the house, and I guess I am as close to being a pacifist as one can be, but without making much of an effort to promote my views.

Old swords get my attention. The new-fashion types that are designed to look like something bizarre out of a fantasy novel do not catch my interest at all. A claymore on the other hand, with its 140cm, and a design that was developed based on its use and the preferences of the individuals who wielded them – then we’re talking! Or the swords of vikings, where some of the metal came from far away and was mixed with the local sorts, in order to make the metal exactly as hard and flexible as it needed to be. With carvings and decorations that told stories about the sword’s wielder. Fascinating!

Son is now in a pirate phase. Everything pirate is amazing in his eyes, and he roams around every day singing songs that sound like sea shanties and threatens family members to walk the plank. I don’t mind this craze, I know it’s temporary. But I am guilty in trying to steer him towards my own interests, without taking him too far away from his own. Or, I don’t really want to steer him onto anything, but now that he is interested in pirates, I thought that was a good chance to introduce him to vikings. So on a Sunday afternoon I took him to the archaeological museum in town to show him these beauties (see photos). And he did love it, almost as much as I did!

The world through the eyes of a toddler

07 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by Anne in Babbling, Childhood, Good Life

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Camera, photos, Son, Toddler

Occasionally I am spellbound by what Son manages to comprehend, observe, ponder and reflect upon. Those wee people of no more than a few years in this world really have a lot to teach us. And they should never, under any circumstances be pushed aside, underestimated or ignored. Because of their inability to express their opinions verbally we often forget, or often aren’t aware of, their ability to listen, understand and consequently reflect upon and further develop the thoughts and meanings they hear from the people around them.

I am blessed with a son who speaks a lot, he has an ear for language. He is rarely quiet for more than a few minutes, and he even talks in his sleep. He has been able to express himself quite intricately for a long time already, which has really helped me understand how he sees the world, what scares him, what he appreciates, and not least, how well reflected a two year old really is.

Lately we have sometimes let Son run about with one of our cameras. He runs about and takes photos from his height the way he sees the world. Afterwards we sit down with him and let him guide us through the photos, he tells us what he has been able to capture. There’s always a lot to learn from such a session, and also from observing him as he runs about with camera in hand.

A lot of time was sacrificed trying to get a photo of our cat. Quite a few shots included a tail, a paw, or simply just grass, where Son had tried to take her photo but not succeeded. This furry little creature means a lot to Son but unfortunately the affection is not always returned.

The stairs that he’s not allowed to climb. Seen from a different angle than I usually see it from.

Documenting the hard work of his father, which Son helps out with the best he can.

And to round of: a self-portrait. Notice the smile 🙂

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