Update

For those still checking in, a rare update. It's difficult to write much here because the daily routine has taken over and the winter seems to drag on. Here is a picture of Anya in the nifty backpack we got from some friends. We still use the stroller too, but this is a nice way to get out and about. The train station is in the background and some signs of spring (yellow flowers) are popping up from the ground. Summer still seems a long way off.

The car situation is nearly resolved. We shopped around and found the second estimate to be $500 lower than the first. Happily we received a contribution toward the repair costs (not insured) from the apartment dwellers where the New Year's Eve party took place. All in all it was kind and generous of them to help out since they had no legal obligation and the police dropped the case. As for the police, I shouldn't have expected them to go all out with swat team and helicopters to find the perpetrator, but they could have at least put a stamp (or return address) on the letter they sent to inform us that they had dropped the investigation. The letter arrived in a plastic bag with a note that we could open the letter and be obliged to pay 25 kroner (more than $4.00) or return the letter to the post office unopened and pay no fee. Suspecting the letter might relate to our car situation we opened it only to be disappointed to hear that the case was no longer being pursued. Anyway, the car is being fixed (slowly) and should be ready next week. The windshield had to be imported and the first one arrived damaged. If all goes well, we'll be on the road again next weekend and hopefully all of the road salt will be washed away by the recent and upcoming rainy weather.

Two new businesses are opening down the street. Mo's Pizza and Bagelman may work their way into our routine if the food is palatable. The closest pizza shop has crust like crispy pita bread and it always rains when I pick up orders from our favorite pizza shop (not sure why). The bagel shop will be a nice option. With the pizza and bagels, Alexa said we might as well be living in Brooklyn.

Anya has turned one year old since the last post. She is growing up before our eyes, developing some picky eating habits. It seems her favorite foods in order of preference may be banana, apple, and broccoli. Hopefully the broccoli stays on the list. The food not on the list sometimes ends up on the floor, but is usually eaten grudgingly after she's convinced herself there is no banana (or apple or broccoli) left on her tray. She definitely has her own ideas about what she wants. One example is that she doesn't want her nails cut, so we've resorted to sneaking into her room a half-hour after bedtime to trim her nails while she's asleep. Maybe there are parents out there with better solutions, but that's working for us for now.