Ode to The Princess - a (long) photo essay

The Princess is Mr T's cousin's daughter. I really miss being able to use the word whanau in Norway! Her mother was also my first friend here, and about halfway through last year they moved into the top floor apartment of the house we were in so we saw each other all the time.

She is an absolute ray of sunshine, always happy and often hilarious. She is incapable of walking from one place to another, it is always some sort of jumpy hop skip dance and she is always in constant movement. Lots of dancing. When we moved I bought her a colouring book and some pencils to use here as she loves colouring and I thought it would give her Mum and I some time to talk. No such luck, she prefers to colour with me or Uncle Frode, not alone. But you know what? Colouring is kind of fun! She is very good at drawing and writing and can get quite worked up if she goes over the lines.

This is when I fell in love with felting. Her grandmother felted this jacket for her - isn't it gorgeous! This is the Aunt who is teaching me to knit.

National Day last year, with beloved cousin Ella, who is also Mr T's goddaughter.

Trouble brewing! We were having a few days together and had great fun but she thought it would be hilarious to start yelling "Mama!" in the park really loudly so people thought I was kidnapping her. But with a wicked grin the whole time. Very funny.

Monkey see, monkey do. Monkey is actually one of her English words. And Uncle Frode is, apparently, a monkey.

With beloved Tante Grethe (mother-in-law), the source of all chocolate and spoiling! But look at that hair - so blond.

One of the most favourite things ever is helping Catrin cook dinner. And eating pretty much all the veggies while she helps. Apparently raw courgette isn't bad, but sugar peas are better. I remember this particular day quite well because she plunged her finger deep into some raw chicken and then in her mouth "just to taste it" and was quite perturbed at my horror! She said it tasted good, but curious as I was I declined to follow suit. And when her mother came home I wailed "I've poisoned your daughter!"

Friends again. She would often come down and I would give her a bath (they didn't have one upstairs) while her Mum went to the supermarket or had a shower herself.

This was a little after a low point in our relationship. She had chicken pox so I was looking after her - it is the only time I have seen her very whiney. I decided it was time for a nap and she disagreed so I carried her screaming "Catrin I don't want toooooo" up three flights of stairs only to find I didn't have the keys so back down, then back up again with renewed screaming. Then more screaming in bed (that worked up hysterical I will never actually sleep unless I pass out screaming). So I got her up and we cuddled a bit, but then as soon as we went back to the bedroom - again, with the screaming. So the nap was taken on Mrs T, on the sofa. After one and half hours it was nap time over, because I really needed to pee!

Watching fireworks with my brother at New Year.

Chilling with Uncle Frode. She has started rolling her rs quite dramatically, so now it is Uncle Frrrrrrrode. And Catrrrrin. They have a great relationship and big chats. He is good at listening! I love watching them together - I think the first child he ever really interacted with much was Miss Georgia, as she hardly gave him a choice, and The Princess got to benefit from that. Now he is just so comfortable hanging out with her and looking after her. I think it has also helped him chill about having a little person around as he has learnt they can be rather fun.

Oh how she loves the camera.

Hanging out on my birthday looking at photos. I got a lovely picture (of a princess funnily enough) and a cake she helped Mormor (mothersmother) make. When I get exhausted trying to follow fast Norwegian conversations and need some time out it is nice to go and chill with her. She really helped with my Norwegian early on, as she didn't speak English! And taught me words that I didn't really learn at language school. Like poo, diaper and yuck. We bumped into her with her Grandparents when my sister and brother in law were here and she went home and told her mother that she had seen me but it boring as I was speaking English.

And reflecting on the post, I will say that my photography could use some work. But the odd formatting is not my fault.