Thursday, 27 March 2008

JA JA JA... I ser rigtigt!!!!!

Noej hvor er det pinligt at have en hjemmeside vi gerne vil have jer til at foelge med os i - og saa opdatere vi den saa SJAELDENT = 4,5 mdr. siden. FLOVT!!!
Naa men NU skal det saa vaere... Mange ting er jo selvfoelgelig sket "siden sidst": November... til nu.:Vi er faldet rigtig godt til i vores dejlige dejlige hus, vores omgangskreds udvides "little by little", Frederikke begyndte at gaa da hun var 11 mdr., hun blev 1 aar i Januar, hun gaar i "Mothers day out" (her har mange kirker vuggestue/boernehave op til og med boernehave boern i rigtig fine forhold 1-3 gange om ugen om formiddagen, 9-14, saa moedre - vel primaert... kan have et par timer for sig selv til at goere de ting de nu skal og har lyst til;-) 3 dage om ugen og eftersom vi efter alt for mange udskiftninger af paedagogerne i den boernehave som Benjamin startede i, og som ligger taet paa hvor vi bor og virkede rigtig fin, besluttede at han skulle skifte skole fik vi muligheden for at han kunne komme til at gaa samme sted som Frederikke, dog naturligvis i en anden klasse. De er begge EKSTREMT glade for at gaa der og smiler og vinker farvel saa snart de er inden for doeren - stoerre glaede kan man jo ikke have ved at aflevere sine boern, vel:-) Fra september i aar starter han saa i pre-school (samme sted) og skal til at have et mere skemalagt dagsprogram, det bliver spaendende, og han skal til at gaa der hver dag (fra 9-14) mod nu hvor han er der 3 dage om ugen, lige som Frederikke.
Vi har lige haft besoeg af mormor og bedstefar i lidt over 3 uger. DET var luksus og SUPER dejligt - isaer for os, men efter sigende skulle mormor og bedstefar ogsaa have nydt opholdet:-) Det gav mig (Britta) muligheden for at foelge med min kaere mand til et ledelsesmoede i Singapore - for nu var bedsteforaeldrene der jo til at kunne RAA-hygge og forkaele ungerne mens vi var vaek - en mulighed vi overhovedet ellers ikke ville overveje! TUSINDE tak for det, selvom det tog tid med jer fra os!! For mit vedkommende var det forrygende sjovt og herligt og hyggeligt at ses med de "gamle" venner derudefra - og SKOENT var det at ALLE havde tid, lyst og mulighed for at moedes. Saa et stramt men godt program ogsaa for mig i de 4 dage vi var der - ja hvor er Steen i alt det: han var jo til moeder;-) i hvert tilfaelde det meste af tiden og naar han ikke var vi dog sammen;-)
Naa, men da vi saa kom tilbage til Houston eller rettere sagt: League City, som jo er her vi bor - ca. 45 min. koersel fra downtown Houston, pakkede vi lige om og tog alle sammen endnu en tur til San Antonio og SeaWorld. Der er super hyggeligt og en helt anden atmosfaere end her i Houston. Ellers hyggede vi herhjemme, tog paa smaa udflugter til stranden og parker etc. og noed at vaere sammen. Vejret var lidt koeligere end forventet (hvilket VI som bosiddende her er/var ret godt tilfredse med) saa det var ikke just shorts og t-shirts der blev brugt mest i den periode. Men det er jo som sagt ikke vejret der bestemmer om man hygger sig eller ej.
Nu er det varme foraar saa ved at saette sig godt fast og jeg begynder igen at fornemme den lurende lummerhede som snart saenker sig over os og Houston omraadet, med den kommer nu ogsaa alle tornadoerne for saa at gaa over til de enorme maengder regn der kan falde om sommeren med oversvoemelser (hele aaret) og igen til efteraaret orkanerne der bevaeger sig i disse omraader - oev oev og atter oev... Vi forsoeger at tage vores forholdsregler, men det er jo lidt svaert naar vi (HELDIGVIS!!!) ikke har oplevet det reelt endnu, og saa tager vi ellers til DK paa lang ferie fra Sankt Hans til slutningen af Juli - ahhh.
Steen knokler paa med sit job - han har faaet sin sag for med de mange og spaendende udfordringer et direktoerjob medbringer - men er rigtig rigtig god til at dele arbejdsliv og familieliv lige!!!
Jeg er ved at vaere faerdig med min uddannelse som registreret massage terapeut (24. April) hvorefter jeg skal have 50 timers praktik i skolen klinik inden jeg kan gaa hen og faa mit certifikat. Det har vaeret en droej men spaendende omgang og min uddannelse er jo kun lige begyndt:-) Forhaabentligt naar jeg at blive HELT faerdig med denne del af uddannelsen inden vi tager til DK i slutningen af Juni - saa jeg rigtig kan slappe af, saa tryk tomler for mig!
Jeg ville have lavet et kort nyhedsbrev, men 1) I kender mig;-) 2) 4,5 mdr. kan ikke goeres kortere - der er formentlig nok en del jeg alligevel ikke har faaet med;-)
Saa med dette slutter vi for denne gang og vil - endnu en gang - forsoege at opdatere vores hjemmeside noget oftere end hidtil.
Tak for jeres taalmodighed - og kom snart og besoeg os, vi har masser af plads og hjerterum:-)
Knus fra Frederikke, Benjamin, Steen og Britta

Wednesday, 7 November 2007

San Antonio and Halloween






Time is running fast here in Houston and we are “almost” settled in, in our new house. This was our first month without Candy and no doubt that life has changed. We, and especially my dear wife, are busy with taking care of Benjamin and Frederikke, washing clothes, cooking and cleaning up after all of us. Its fun but hard work and you are probably just thinking that “finally the Frost’s are in the same boat as everybody else”.

Frederikke has started in daycare. Actually it is a church (and the programme is called “Mothers day out”) and she goes there 3 times a week (9.30-14). Benjamin is learning new stuff every day. They are counting – both in English and Spanish (yes – we are close to the Mexican border) and they are learning the alphabet A like Alexander Alligator, B like Betsy Bee, C like Connie Cow, Desmond the Donkey, Ellie Elephant and this week Freddie Fish. He will be so smart and Britta and I are very proud of him.

Britta has started on Texas School of Massage, three nights in a row from Tuesday – Thursday. I am impressed that she manages to go after a day with diapers, screaming kids, cooking etc. The course ends in April and she become a licensed massage therapist. I have been on a business trip to New Orleans and will next week travel a few days to some meetings in Dubai, Middle East – poor Britta – according to her J

In October we went on our first longer sightseeing trip around (some of ;-) Texas – to San Antonio. It takes about four hours to get there. We stayed in Downtown San Antonio a very nice town compared to the cosmopolitan Houston. You are actually able to walk around and along the river. Our main purpose of the trip was to visit Sea World, a mix between Zoo and Tivoli. We saw shows with killer whales and acrobats and there was a touch pool where you could touch and feed dolphins. They also have great play area for kids and we bought season passes for the rest of 2007 and 2008. We will definitely go back. On the way back from San Antonio we went by a whole village of factory outlets (San Marco) – they had all the well-known brands but it is not a place you stay long with two tired kids.

Last week on October 31st. it was Halloween. Benjamin was dressed up as a Pirate and for Frederikke we had bought a Minnie Mouse Costume. We first celebrated Halloween at Benjamin’s school and later we went “Trick or Treat” at the local fire station and at our housing agent’s house. Later we stayed outside and handed out candy to the children who “Trick or Treated” at our house until a mummies came by – then Benjamin did not find it funny any more.

We hope you are all fine and healthy and we are very much looking forward to seeing you all here in Texas.

And as they say all over over here in God’s state, Texas: “God Bless”

Frederikke, Benjamin, Britta and Steen

Thursday, 27 September 2007

Nyt hus - nyt liv




Kaere alle


Beklager den lange ventetid (?) med at opdatere vores blog. Energien til pc arbejde har hos moar her vaeret lige 0 siden vi flyttede. Men nu begynder jeg igen at kunne se lys derude i horisonten og synes det er paa tide med bare en lille opdatering med seneste nyt:

Vi er nu flyttet ind i vores dejlige hus (jeps, vi har koebt hus... taenk sig at vores foerste huskoeb skulle blive her i USA!) og vi har selvfoelgelig vedhaeftet et billede;-)

Vi bor i en saakaldt subdivision til League City som er en "forstad" til Houston. Houston er kaempe stor, ja ALT er kaempe stort her - isaer afstandende, men man vaenner sig faktisk hurtigt til at skulle koere til alting. Vores subdivision hedder Magnolia Creek. Torben, min bror, spurgte om det var noget der mon svarede til Farum Park og paa hans beskrivelse kunne det maaske godt lyde saadan... til dels. En masse huse rundt om en stor laekker golf bane og vi har eget rekreationscenter (fitness og svoemme poel) og boernehave:-) Man har alt indenfor en rimelig afstand saa vi bruger faktisk ikke ofte at koere ind til Houston by (som tager ca. 1 times tid- dog var vi faktisk i tirsdags inde og se og hoere en musical: Andrew Lloyd Webbers Whistle down the wind. Den var fantastisk!!!)

Benjamin gaar i boernehaven her: Childrens Light house, hedder stedet og ligner selvfoelgelig et fyrtaarn:-) De huser boern i aldrene fra 6 uger (ja, de har ikke laenge barselsorlov her!) til skolealder. Alle er delt ind i klasser svarende til deres egen alder, og han er rigtig glad for at vaere der.

Steens job gaar bare derud'a og han er ogsaa rigtig meget glad for det!

Frederikke er herhjemme ved mor og det er hun til dels ganske godt tilfreds med. Dog er hun lidt irritabel hvis der ikke sker noget hele tiden - isaer naar storebror nu er ude og have det saa sjovt hele dagen uden hende... Hun er en super glad og smilende baby der bare gerne vil det hele paa den halve tid. Det der med at kravle er hun ikke for glad for - det tager ALT for lang tid i forhold til at kunne gaa (det kan hun jo se at man alligevel skal - det goer storebror jo;-)
Men vi kan se at hun alligevel har fundet ud af at hun hellere maa i gang, for ellers er det ikke altid hun kommer nogen vegne;-)
Og mor her, ja jeg knokler med at pakke kasser ud, ordne boernenes vaerelser og ikke mindst mentalt at forberede mig paa at Candy rejser fra os paa denne kommende soendag - pruust! Selvfoelgelig lige som jeg havde faaet mig taget sammen til at komme i gang med en uddannelse. Well, det klarer vi jo ogsaa (andre foer os har jo kunnet saa kan vi da ogsaa:-)

Desuden har jeg valgt at gaa paa aften undervisning for at vaere vaek fra boernene mindst muligt (og ja, ved godt at det saa gaar ud over Steen.... sorry darling, heldigvis er det kun 6 mdr.)

Ja, og ellers saa trives vi jo ganske glimrende!

Vi har dejlige soede naboer og der er mange, rigtig mange, boerne i omraadet saa det er herligt. Jeg har kontakt med et par moedregrupper i omraadet og der er mange aktiviteter at tage sig til saa jeg behoever ikke kede mig. Har ogsaa faaet et par nye veninder, men alting tager jo tid - heldigvis har vi jo proevet udstationering foer og ved nu denne gang hvad vi skal forvente og det er jo noget af en fordel:-)

Well, nu vil jeg i seng. Klokken er naesten midnat og da vores boern jo ikke gider sove igennem saa forventer jeg at skulle op mellem 2-3 gange inden kl. 6.30 hvor vaekkeuret igen ringer.... tja, hvis ikke af andet saa bliver jeg da kun gammel af for lidt soevn:-))

Knus til jer alle fra os alle 4
Frederikke, Benjamin, Steen og Britta

Sunday, 12 August 2007

New photos/nye billeder:-)




Kaere alle (english version below)
Saa har vi i det mindste faaet vores gamle pc op og koere og har kunnet downloade nogle billeder til jer:-) Vi har faktisk ogsaa billeder af vores (forhaabentligt!) kommende hus, men da vi endnu ikke har faaet godkendt vores laan vil vi vente med at saette billeder og flere nyheder paa indtil det er paa plads - hvilket forhaabentlig sker her i den kommende uge!

Vi har det godt men glaeder os gevaldigt til at faa vores hjem op og staa.

Benjamin er startet i ny boernehave og efter en foerste lidt haard uge i sidste uge er vi spaendte paa hvordan han reagerer paa igen at skulle derhen i morgen. Dog er vi alle optimister for han virkede ret tilfreds i fredags og det var trods alt kun hans 4. dag.
Frederikke er en super glad pige og hun er, 7-9-13, saa smaat ved at blive bedre til at sove om natten og hun er rigtig god til at falde i soevn af sig selv (kommer i seng ved 7-8 tiden og sover til 7-8 tiden om morgen - nogen gange med 4-6 opvaagninger zzzzzz - andre gange kun med 2 :-)))

Naa, men mere nyt senere.

knus og kram fra os alle 4


While we are waiting for the last details about our house to fall into place we have got our old computer on track again and have downloaded some new photos. Photos of the house we will post when the last details are granted and we know for sure that we will get the house.

Benjamin has started daycare and seemed to find it ok after his 4th day so we are all optimistic about tomorrow (even though we of course know that the day after a weekend is most likely to be a bit hard;-).

Frederikke is such a happy and pleasant baby - a real charmer (just as her big brother;-) and has finally started to be a better sleeper. She still is good falling a sleep on her own, it's the nights that sometimes plays us a game. But it's fortunately getting a bit more often that she only wakes up a few times at night - so we hope for the best:-)

More news when the house details are ok, which should hopefully be during this upcoming week.

Cheers and hugs from all 4 of us

Friday, 27 July 2007

Waiting continues

Been here in the US for about 2 weeks now a lot of things has happend - and then again not so much:

1) Life here without a car is simply NON-existent!!! - or at least not at all very funny.
2) Still in a rented house with some rented furniture
3) Entertaining now 2 very active kids while trying to find a nice and decent daycare for Benjamin

Answers:

1) As it takes me a while longer to decide on what car I want we have now rented a car for me so we can get around a bit more than walking alows (which is REALLY good as there is absolutely NOTHING in this neighbourhood - except for a quite nice pool area, that in no way can reach our old Singapore standards but never the less is very very nice and clean - to do besides from looking at houses and empty playgrounds). I have a 7 seater Jeep Commander right now - to me that is quite a large car but that was what was available so that's what I am driving... Today the kids, Candy and me even tried our luck to find our way to Ikea... Took us more than 1,5 hours, some u-turns and in the end a call to Steen to get us there - and about 2 hours to get back as to another u-turn and some very heavy Friday afternoon traffic made life a bit hard on us. Well we did it:-)
2) Bought a very nice house with its back yard in to a beautiful golf course - only separated by a black metal fence - so we have a wonderful view from our patio (when we have had such one made;-) So now we are ready for all your visits... and firsts ones will be Britta's cousin, Mathilde and her friend Mette here in August just a week or so after we have moved into the house. They already planned a trip to Texas before they knew we should move here - so we are looking forward to their visit!
3) And as we now know where we are going to live we have intensified our hunting for THE place for Benjamin to stay. Its hard though. Daycare is very much more different than back home and also from where he was in the Danish Kindergarten in Singapore - much more structured here - which of course can be good but it seems like all places only have out-door time 2 times a day and only for a very very short periode (half and hour) at a time: morning and afternoon. Anyway have found one that is a bit more relaxed with the kids and lets them being more kids than other places - we might go for that. And that is also not too far away from home! Well, will just have to check out a few more before deciding.

That was another little update from here.
Kids are doing very well (except from that it seems like WE get all those kids that don't sleep well at night when they are babies.... so that the rest of you guys can have those small easy-goers...;-) But other than that we are all happy and enjoying.

Take good care and stay in touch.
More news soon again;-)

Saturday, 14 July 2007

Arrived Houston

Safely arrived in Houston the family is now together again - LOVELY!
We have a nice house for the first periode here in Houston and the kids have coped quite well with the jetlag. In the flights the kids behaved extremely well and we are getting into this US time zone well.

Will write more a bit later when we have got internet installed.

Take good care and looking forward to talking to you guys again soon.

Love from the complete Frost Family:-)
Britta

Wednesday, 4 July 2007

UPDATE - Getting Started - HOUSTON TEXAS

Hi Everybody !!!!

Thanks a lot for all your kind e-mails and comments.

I would like to share some of my experiences from Houston, Texas after 1 ½ week in Houston, Texas.

My colleague Pernille took hand of me when arriving in George Bush International Airport. She had arranged with a car and we went direct to my corporate apartment in the Galleria area. I had been staying here last time I was in Houston back in November last year and enjoyed the area, especially Westheimer and Galleria Shopping Mall.

It takes me approximately ½ an hour to get to work. There is a lot of traffic but I have only experienced traffic jams if there is road work or accidents.

As it has been raining a lot and the risk of flooding is quite significant I will definitely buy an SUV – probably a Ford Explorer. Flooding is also quite important to take into consideration when buying a house. I have located some different areas Southeast of Houston which are close by our office in Pasadena. Close by means 15 to 30 minutes drive. We can either invest in a completely new house or a second hand house which could be up to 15 years old. Considerations will be risk of flooding, safety, re-selling options and daycare. But no matter which house we buy we will get plenty of space.

If you want to know more about flooding you can visit http://www.tsarp.org/viewmaps.html which covers the greater Houston area.

Houses in the Houston area are very spacious – so we will probably get something around 3,000 square foot which equals approximately 280 m2. So there is plenty of room for all of your visitors.

Measurements in the US are totally different from Europe and Singapore. So I have used http://www.onlineconversion.com/ a lot.

All Americans are kind and very open. I still have problems getting used to everybody instead of saying “hello” greets you with “hey – how are you doing?”. This greeting is used no matter you are in the supermarket or meet at work in the morning. I am still unsure whether they expect an answer or not J.

Last week everybody was talking about the release of Paris Hilton and the launch of Apple iPhone. All TV-channels was talking about whether it was okay to focus so much on Paris Hiltons 40 days behind bars. A lot of the “experts” were against – and then they could spend hours talking about NOT focusing on Paris – Funny.

Else TV-programs over here are focusing on Sport – it seems like baseball is the big thing at the moment - and religion. You can always be sure to find 4-5 local channels with church people praying and preaching.

Britta, Candy and the kids are arriving next Thursday and I am really looking forward to be together with them again. Its tough to be separated for so long time from my dear wife and my two lovely children and I am looking forward to show them and experience Houston and Texas together with them. We have now been “on the road” since April 1st. and we are really looking forward to settle down for the next 3-4 years – at least.

All the best to all of you both in the Southern part of Jutland, Copenhagen and Singapore (I still miss you guys and Sushi….).

4th. of July – Independence Day

Steen