Two Moms and a Norwegian Girl

Facebook exchange between me and Mia's mother....

Hallo Natalie.

I just want to say hi and ask how you all are doing.... It`seams as if everything still goes wery well. Are you still in the "Honeymoon-stage"???Atleast it sounds as if my daugheter are haveing a wonderful time , thought hectic -:).Hope the boy`s still "loves" Mia and that she have some time for them. Frome the pictures it seams as if the enjoy eachother. You have to wonderful boys. I really hope Mia have/take time to do her school-work properly , and that her grades are good.

Here in Kristiansand we have sort of adjusted to the fact that Mia Elisabeth lives with U and I`m starting to getting used to just haveing one child at home.BUT - it helps to look at the storries and pictures on your blogg ore Facebook , and Mia`s Facebook , to "see" that she and you are doing fine.Take care please give my love to Mia and best wishes for you all

Vibeke

ps hope you don`t mind me not useing the Dictioanry to write English , I have over the years , writing to my Sisterinlaw , stoped useing it because I stoped writing because of the time it took to look up the spelling of english words.




Hi Vibeke – Thank you for writing! Things are great with Mia. She is doing very, very well. I don’t mind that you aren’t using a dictionary when you write. I’ve been able to understand you so please don’t worry about your spelling.

You’re correct – Mia’s schedule has been very hectic! I’m not sure I can say we ever experienced a honeymoon stage. Our family is very casual and laid back and we haven’t gone out of our way to act as “hosts” to Mia. We treat her like a family member and she’s fit in very well so I don’t think Mike and I have felt like our life has changed that much since having Mia. We do a bit more driving and shuttling back and forth to activities but that’s about it. Her grades at school are good. She has homework almost every day but she is usually able to complete it at school. She’s taking seven classes and has A’s and B’s (the highest grade is an A) in all of them except one. She has a C in fashion/sewing. She is a little surprised about this so she is planning to ask her teacher why.

Mia’s schedule has been very busy with soccer but her season ended yesterday. She’s taking a few days off and on Monday, she starts swimming. Although swimming will last for several months I don’t think it will be as time consuming as soccer. Her soccer practices were every day (except Sunday) from 5:30-7:30 – right in the middle of dinner. Swim practices are either before school or right after school so she’ll be home earlier than usual. I’m hoping we’ll have more family dinners together.

Her social life has really taken off in the last couple of weeks. She’s done a lot of activities and shopping lately. Most have been with girls from the soccer team so it will be interesting to see if activities will still be planned now that soccer has ended. She’ll meet a whole new group of girls now that she’s joined the swim team.

Mia had a fun weekend. On Saturday, she got her hair done and then went shopping at the mall with a friend. She took the bus from the hair salon to the mall. It was her first time using the public bus and I think she enjoyed the independence. Usually she has to rely on Mike or me to drive her places, although she has a friend that takes her to school every morning. Saturday night, Mia and the rest of the soccer team spent the night at a teammate’s house. They went teepeeing. This means they took rolls of toilet paper and threw them over trees, draping and covering the branches. They did this at houses belonging to members of the boys soccer team. It’s a fun thing that teenagers do and I think Mia enjoying participating. Sunday we went as a family to the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon. It’s an annual celebration re-creating the fall festival started by French settlers and Native Americans in the 1700’s. It’s held in Lafayette once a year. Sunday evening, we went to my in-laws home for dinner.

This Saturday we’re going to another Indiana University football game. I don’t think Mia is going to go though. She received an invitation to go shopping in Indianapolis with some friends. Hopefully, Sunday will be a day we can relax and sleep in.

The boys LOVE having Mia around. They will be devastated when it’s time for her to return to Norway. I don’t even want to think about the tears we’ll all have. There will be many, for sure.

I know I haven’t been posting as many pictures on facebook or on my blog. We’ve been so busy! But I’ll try to do better. I know Mia’s been on facebook a bit more so hopefully she’s writing you. I do know she was wondering if you’ve received her recent phone bill. Tonje got hers and I guess it was quite expensive. Mia is worried. We downloaded Skype onto our computer so she can talk that way and not use her phone.

I think that’s all for now. Thanks again for writing and for sharing your wonderful daughter with us!

Best,
Natalie