Jem has been on two work trips, to various Scandinavian destinations, in which we at home went into lock-down, get-through-until-dad-gets-home mode. Then I had to fly to Muenster, Germany for a work conference (with a classic swap-the-kids routine, where Jem flew back home on one evening and I flew out the morning of the next day). We have been in mourning for my grandmother, who I still can't believe is gone. I've also had some kind of dreadful lurgies and sicknesses in the last month, and have spent two longish periods on the couch with high fevers and no energy for anything. Mikus' kindergarten moved house a couple of weeks ago, a future blog post in itself, which has meant a whole new drop-off, pick-up, public transport routine. Somewhere in the middle of all of this we have managed to celebrate the 18th November, Latvia's independence day, and have started preparing for Christmas. (The picture from above is a highlight from "Staro Riga", an annual light festival that is held in Riga in the days around 18. November).

While all this has been happening to us, nature has been doing its thing as well, bringing in the pre-Christmas freeze and dumping snow all around. The long darkness has begun, and we are hurtling towards the shortest day with conviction! As a catch-up post, here's a couple of pics of the last month. By the way, Jem has been involved in a great website project where you post one photo a day for a whole year. He has kept it up admirably, and is now 25% of the way through, or something. He is using the project as a way to improve his photography and knowledge of our SLR camera, but a great visual diary is also starting to form in his pictures. The address is http://365project.org/jeremysmedes/365.

Another favourite for the boys - icicle hunting. Knock them down with a broom handle and then you've got popsicles for the rest of the day. Doesn't matter how many times your parents tell you that its probably not good to eat the icicles.

For the last few years we have made an advent calendar for the boys. It always takes a different shape and has a different way to open the "doors". First year the boys had to rip tissue paper stretched over the ends of cardboard tubes which contained little trinkets or lollies. Last year they had to unpeg and untie small fabric bags from a line strung across the room. This year they have a more classic row of windows. After the first year, and a considerable investment of time and funds, I decided an easier option for the following year would be to buy the small cardboard and chocolates calendars you can buy at the supermarket - but unfortunately I created a monster - the boys exclaimed sadly at this thought, and now the expectation is to have a home-made advent calendar every year. Not that I'm complaining - it's fun for us to buy little bits and bobs to put in the calendar, and to think of different ways of delivering the goods. And the main thing - seeing the excitement and happiness in the boys' faces every morning in December is totally worth it. Spoiled darlings :)
Jem was away in Sweden this year on 18. November so we celebrated with a good friend and her sons (their dad was also away playing in 18 November concerts) making a red-white-red Latvian flag cake with all of our boys. Tasted good, very sweet, and quite crumbly, we ended up holding it together with skewers! Didn't stop us from eating most of it in a night though. Afterwards we raced back to the centre of Rīga to watch the fireworks.