Danish Springtime!

Happy June! May was fantastic and we can't get enough of this awesome, totally perfect weather. We even got a great thunderstorm. We're trying hard not to let the beautiful days go to waste.

Even the misty, rainy ones are amazing!

* * *

Of course, some evenings, we don't really have the option to sit outside and enjoy the last hours of the day. Danish classes are twice a week and we have to be inside for those instead of relaxing on the terrace, but our classes are going great. We are learning a lot and it's a really wonderful group. We were learning about how to describe recipes and cooking terms, so our instructor thought it would be fun if we all made something from our home country and then told the class how we made it.

It was a hard assignment mid-week, so I decided to try making Rice Krispie Treats for the first time in Denmark. They have Rice Krispies, butter, and marshmallows, but as I've mentioned before, the marshmallows are definitely different here, so I didn't know if they'd turn out the same.

They did. They were great. Some people had never had them before and they were baffled at how easy they are to make. The Americans were happy to have the nostalgic treat. It was a good time.

Our teacher brought rye bread slices and topped them with curry sauce and curried pickled herring. He sliced raw onions and hard-boiled eggs on top. He said that it's meant to be eaten with a glass of beer or some aquavit (and he brought both). Even though the mere sight and smell of hard-boiled eggs makes me retch, I decided to be a big girl and eat it. I mean, he went to a lot of trouble to share it with us.

It was, surprisingly, the best pickled herring I've had thus far. That's not saying much, I guess, but I have tried three types since moving here and I've disliked them all. I do think the taste of the beer brought out the best in the food, so maybe that's been my mistake in the past.

Anyway, classes are going really well. We say more things in Danish with confidence now. I completed an order and transaction at the bakery without speaking English for the first time. We are making progress, even if it's slow.

See those pastries in my basket? I ordered them in Danish. Eeee!

* * *

Han and Marabell aren't often featured in the blog, but they're doing great, despite the sheer number of ticks I have to remove from them each week. I'm getting better at it!

Han got a new dog bed, and even though he was pretty tentative about it at first, he's really come around. It's a nice indoor/outdoor bed, too, so we can drag it around with us and he can be close by.

I've said it before, and I will say it again: Marabell is living her best life here in Denmark. She's pretty much the most content cat in the world.

* * *

Speaking of animals, the Copenhagen Zoo had a baby boom, so we (minus Kaden because he's too cool for babies) went to go meet them all.

The baby hippo was our biggest draw, and we brought Hip-Hop along because he was excited, too.

But there were lots of other babies, too. We saw the baby zebra, baby capybaras, baby meerkats, and baby mongooses.

Baby capybaras!

We were not able to see the new little ring-tail lemur or the baby chimpanzee, but the baby tiger that was born a couple months ago was finally available for viewing!

I'm really liking our zoo passes. It's nice to go and know that there is no pressure to see it all or do it all because we can always go back another time. I'm calling them a good purchase.

We spent a lot of time staring at anteaters. Because we could.

* * *

My own "babies" are growing up fast (and tall). Kaden, Khloe, and Harrison are having a pretty good time living the Danish life, too, these days. Don't get me wrong - you can still frequently find them slouching over screens watching Netflix (Khloe), playing Minecraft (Harrison), or playing Call of Duty (Kaden), but they are doing plenty of active things in their free time as well, so I don't say much about that other stuff.

Kaden recently attended his friend's confirmation party. Confirmation is a big thing here in DK. It's an entire industry, kind of like the wedding industry, I guess. Confirmation in the church is kind of like a rite of passage from childhood into adulthood and a way to re-affirm a person's commitment to the church. Most kids here have a confirmation in the church when they are in their early teens, and I think I read that about 70% of Danish teenagers will have a confirmation. First, there's the actual confirmation classes and the confirmation ceremony in the church, and then they have a big party at home. Kaden just went to the party, but the kids dress nicely and give their friend money and have a nice time.

Kaden and his friends started getting bold as the weather warmed up, and they would go swimming in the lake after school. Zac and I walked past one of the docks on an evening walk and saw them in the distance. I wanted to sneak closer and take a good picture of him having fun with his friends, but Zac wouldn't let me be creepy, so I settled on a photo from a distance. It was pretty, and at least *I* know Kaden is having a happy time in the background.

He and his friends also discovered the new outdoor basketball hoops in Hørsholm, so they practiced their dunks.

He still likes going mountain biking with his friends, too. Once in a while, he sends me a picture or a little video, and I think it's sweet that he thinks of me and our readers. Here's one of his mountain biking clips:

Khloe has been practicing bass, guitar, and ukulele (secretively, and mostly in her room, but still). She likes to take pictures of flowers and sunsets and the pets. She goes shopping with her friends, attends social events that the school organizes, and practices her drawing.

Harrison has been enjoying his long evenings outside. He has a great imagination. He likes to jump on the trampoline, dig holes, build things out of sticks...normal kid stuff. He's missing a bunch of teeth these days and is trying to grow his hair out.

Playing with some vintage cars and trucks from Grandpa Wade!

I'm super happy that the kids are starting to thrive here. I worry about them a lot because I want them to be happy and have positive experiences. Right now, they're living it up!

Actually, Kaden just went to Poland on a class trip. Khloe is in Bornholm on a class trip right now, and Harrison had a fun-filled class at Skovskolen! Harrison's blog about Skovskolen is in progress, and I'll see if I can convince the other two to write a little something about their 4-day adventures out in the world.

* * *

All my kiddos were here for Mother's Day though, and it might've been one of the best ever.

Harrison picked me some tulips and made a really wonderful card.

Khloe wrote me a song and drew me a picture of Guido, and Kaden made a cute tulip gift card holder with a sweet gift certificate for a massage.

Father's Day in Denmark is actually tomorrow, which is a Wednesday, and also Constitution Day (Grundlovsdag). Maybe we'll wait and celebrate on American Father's Day so all the kids can be around. Tomorrow, we'll just all enjoy our day off in the middle of the week!

* * *

Zac and I got a nice Saturday in Copenhagen together a couple weeks ago. Our goal has been to get back to Sound Station and buy some new records. Well, Zac wanted records. I wanted the tote bag. I've been going to Sound Station for years, and every time I go, I bring my own tote bags and tell them that I would love to have a Sound Station tote. They always said they weren't really merchandising, but lo and behold, they finally made them!!

My colleagues all have great recommendations for tap houses, breweries, places to eat, castles to see...they're fantastic at helping me make lists of places to visit.

Vibe had recommended La Vecchia Signora when Zac and I were lamenting that we still hadn't found a really good place to get Italian-style pizza, and her vote was seconded by the Italian-Danish food tour guide we walked around with in April. We walked in, got a table, and enjoyed the best pizza we've eaten since arriving in Denmark.

I also recently completed an Apple Map plot of all the drinking establishments my colleagues have recommended, so Zac and I decided to walk from place to place after we bought records and ate amazing pizza.

First stop was Godt Øl (a recent addition to the list). I waited for a weird amount of time to try to get a pic that captured the sign and the entrance and the lovely side street, but this guy came out and stood right in the way turning this way and that and staring at his phone, so I gave up. I got this as we were leaving. I am not a patient photographer.

After a beer at Godt Øl (Good Beer), we walked to Taphouse. They have over 60 taps with local brews and they're always tapping something new. I tried a very opaque and fruity...I don't even know what it was, but it was strong and delicious. Zac had a more traditional IPA, and we got to sit and sip them from our window seat as we people-watched and chatted up a really nice older couple from Great Britain.

It was getting a little late, so we had decided to just head to the train, but on the way, we passed the Palads Nordic film theater. This iconic building looks a little out of place in Copenhagen because of its pink, blue, and purple-y facade, but it's been a staple since the early 1900s. Recently, I read in the news that they are going to tear it down and build a multi-purpose high-rise. I am super disappointed. I never even got to go there once.

As we walked to the train in the dark, I realized we were walking right past it, and there was a gin bar in the bottom!

I told Zac we had to go in. I had a refreshing gin cocktail and sipped it on a swanky couch in a nearly-empty room while Zac went to use the bathroom. When he came back, he told me the bathroom is in the theater lobby and that the lobby is amazing. It was the most beautiful cinema lobby I've ever seen. I want to see more of the building before it disappears forever, and I cannot believe this is going to be a shitty high-rise in the near future.

Anyway, it was a fun evening. We rode the train home, and even though we were back in time to catch a late bus, we decided to walk part of the way home since it was such a warm night. We hopped on the bus just before we got home and rode it the rest of the way.

Lest you think we abandoned our children to let them fend for themselves, we did this on the night Kaden was at his friend's confirmation, and Khloe and Harrison took their own little excursion into Birkerød!

Zac and I actually got to go to Copenhagen the week before as well! We got some new clothes and tried a Mexican place we had wanted to eat at for a long time now. It was a long time between clothes shopping and Mexican food though, so we stopped for a coffee and then I grabbed a Danish hot dog before we headed into the metro station.

Ketchup, dijon, remoulade, pickles, fresh diced onion, and French-fried onions.

Hija de Sanchez - Nordhavn

* * *

We are a little farther north on the globe than we used to be, and it's a little shocking how early the sun rises and how late it sets. Zac gets very upset at the obnoxious birds that start their cacophony around 4 a.m. because we like to sleep with the windows open to cool off the house. I'll admit, they're really loud, but I tend to fall right back asleep.

The bonus is that we have long, beautiful evenings! We bought some lounge chairs that we can tote around outside, and we've really been enjoying them.

I guess it's a little rough on work nights when the light is still streaming in at 10:30 p.m. and we want to go to sleep, but we make our peace with it since the weekends are so fun.

* * *

Quick pics to share!

Super hyggeligt dinner at Vibe's with friends!

Harrison got to try Arthur's VR headset and he really enjoyed it.

The canteen at work helped me level up my Danish-ness: Koldskål!
It's like a vanilla buttermilk with little cookies (kammerjunker) added in, and it's a popular summer treat in DK. Yummy.

I finally got a new bike! It's so smooth. I still ride to work almost every day!

Zac has perfected the BLT. We are so spoiled by his dinners.

The popular soda brand, Faxe Kondi, made a special edition soda called Faxe Kombi, with a surprise flavor. There were six possibilities with different probabilities. Most were delicious, like coconut, passionfruit, etc., and there was an 8% chance of getting SALAD. We got salad on our first can. We agreed it was pretty good for a salad-flavored soda.

Look at this phenomenal bug!

I successfully got my welcome orchid to re-bloom!

Kaden and Khloe played football together! Sometimes, they get along.

Harrison made a pizza at school, and he was so proud. He said his was the biggest of anyone's because he took his time to work the dough and stretch it like he has seen Zac do in the kitchen. How sweet!

* * *

We hope everyone is enjoying the springtime like we are. Whether we are spending relaxing evenings on the terrace, listening to music surrounded by cozy candlelight in the house, or exploring our new home, we wish you were here to enjoy it with us!