New Year's Eve 2010

Some would say you're supposed to be out partying, having a good time, drinking until you puke. Hmmm..well, I used to do that...when I was, shall we say, a bit less mature than I am today.

We took it a bit more low key today.

Today, well, was the first day that I ventured out of the cabin because well, I hadn't really been out OUT during the whole week. I mean, with a cold and headache and so on, it just didn't seem like the right thing to do. But, today, I thought we only have a couple of more days left to our winter vacation here and I REFUSE, I REFUSE to leave here without having gone out sledding and having a beer at our favorite little eaterie.

We did our sledding, we ate, I had my beer...I came home and basically almost had a relapse. My head was killing me....sinus congestion. The beer about made me keel over. I slept for over an hour and half...barely pulling myself out of bed...to check on the family, I mean, it was New Year's Eve after all.

After chugging down a few Tylenol sinus congestion pills...i felt much better and then could partake more in the festivities -- watching a DVD, eating lots of cheese and crackers and other snacks, kissing my hubby just as the clock turned midnight.

Not anything to write home about in the grand scheme of things, but I thought that it was a perfect ending to the perfect year and am looking forward to all the great things to come in 2011.

Happy New Year, Everyone!





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Lego fun for grown ups (or maybe not so grown)

Taking a little nap

Sniffle, cough, sneeze...

Uh...I am miserable. It all started last Thursday, the scratchy throat, the low voice, watery eyes...I thought it would go away, I mean, I just DON"T get sick. At least not very often.

It didn't go away. No. It went from that to losing my voice on Friday and so now I sound like an almost dead frog with a really stuff nose. I can't breathe. I'm stuffed up with snot. When I bend over, my head hurts, I'm so stuffed up. Drugs don't help. I probably don't have the right kind of drugs. I would just like to get a colonic done on my nose/ sinuses. That would clean everything right out.

No workout for me today, unfortunately. Just a little bit too tired from a coughing fit of a night. I tried to work while Per went skiing. He put me to shame. He skiied approximately 17 km while my ass was on the couch.

Check this picture out:


Isn't he handsome? I am so impressed. It's about -10 degrees out and the man went and did 17km out in the freezing cold.

Of course, we had to have some fun... here's the little one shaking some booty...
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Christmas festivities continue

It's been a fab Christmas so far! Here we are, in super duper cold winter (-23 degrees celsius, that's -5 degrees F for all of you in the US), enjoying the heck out of the holiday season.

I've unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, for Per, have lost my voice. My voice box cackles like a sick duck and I'm coughing like I've smoked 4 packs of cigarettes a day. I try to cure the cough with a cognac or even a vodka soda today..all to no avail. It works for a few minutes and then it's back to the same wracking cough again.

Meanwhile, the husband has been fabulous. He's cooked all the Norwegian meals, cleaned up like a champ and just all around been the best husband that any girl could ask for.

Shame we're supposed to go back to work tomorrow. Good thing we can work from here though. Here's to more Christmas festivities!



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Christmas in the mountains

Eek! Christmas is here!

OMG, what a loser I am. I can't believe that it's been a little over one month since I've made a post. Where has the time gone? What the hell have I been doing? I mean..last post was November 20?

I have no excuse. It's just been super busy. We had a great time in Houston, but the time just flew. And on the last day, right before we were going to leave, Keira ended up getting sick. It was a doozie of a ride home, let me tell you. The plane was cramped. No leg room. She was miserable and had fever and was on top of me the whole trip back. Poor her. Poor me. Poor Per. Just a bunch of poor us's all the way around.

She held in well, though. What a little trooper. Then, when we did get home, that's when all hell almost broke loose. Both of us were working like crazy and had to take turns doing it from home because Keira was sick the whole week. That was tough. Come to find out that she had the flu and some RV virus which can give little kiddos bronchitis.

She's better this week...and then contracted pink eye of all things. urg.

In the meantime, we have our tree up and decorated here at home! It is sooooo beautiful and Christmasy.

It is butt freezing cold here. I mean really cold It's -15 degrees celsius, which is 3 degrees F here.

COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD.

Today is your birthday...

Today was the girls' 9th birthday and our first day in Houston. We woke up to a gorgeous day and with our tummies rumbling. What's the first thing we did? Why make it to IHOP for birthday pancakes of course!

Here we are on the way...

Making the order...


After birthday pancakes, then I went and got a great deep tissue massage, courtesy of Judy as my birthday gift.

Then, we went home, hung out, played on the jungle gym and enjoyed the great weather. What a great first day!

Houston, the bird has landed

Yeah!!!! After weeks of angst and worry, we are finally in Houston. And, I have to say, all that angst and worry was for nothing...well, almost nothing.

My biggest worry has been that Keira would not handle the trip very well and then I would be experiencing the long trip from hell. But, I have to say that this little one was a trooper. She was well behaved, happy, slept, enjoyed watching "Bolt" on her little TV and basically charmed all the staff.

When we landed in Newark, albeit an hour and half early, which really helped the stres levle, I thought that she was going to start acting grumpy and all, but she was a picture of charm and happiness. We played chase, she had a chocolate milkshake and watched the planes take off. Toward the end of the plane ride from Newark to Houston, she was tired and wanted to be held, but other than that, she was fine.

My sister met us at the airport and by the time we got home, Ms. Keira was enjoying the heck out of being the center of attention with her four little cousins.

The girls and James love being with her and they all fight for the chance to sit next to her, get her attention and push her stroller. What more could a girl ask for! :)

So, all in all, a fine trip and a great start to a two week vacation.

Videos from the weekend

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Getting quite relaxed

If I may say so, myself.

We're at the cabin this weekend. It's about 10:45pm and i' m sitting in front of a waning fire, which was bright and warm only just a half an hour ago, enjoying the last bits of warmth on my chilly feet.

It was a shorter drive last night than normal to the cabin because there wasn't much traffic, but still, it was a long 3.5 hour drive. Ot was cold and dark and we were so tired from the week. We went to bed at midnight and our lovely daughter got up at 5:30am. I was in he'll..let's just leave it at that. I was so tired I thought that I was going to die. It was only big cups of Joe that kept me going.

Although I love this cabin, I don't always relish the thought of coming because the drive is a bit overwhelmingly long, or I'm tired or I feel like we've just got such a long list of chores at home to take care of -wash, groceries, cleaning, cooking, baking,etc. The chores never seem to end and we just get more and more tired. The worst Saturday chore is the grocery shopping. I hate to grocery shop on saturday. Everyone and I mean everyone goes out to do their shopping on a Saturday. The stores are crowded, jam packed with people pushing every which way. It can be summarzed in two words -damn stressful!

We ran our errands out here today in the country. People were nice. There were no crowds. No pushing and shoving and getting run over by baby stroller upon baby stroller. There was even groceries left on the shelves, imagine that!

I never thought that I would say this, but I am getting a bit more relaxed. I don't know if it's the change of the scenery, the lack of city folk, or what, but I admit that I can almost understand why people would leave the hustle and bustle of the city to live in the country. It's good for the soul to get away every once in a while.

Halloween!!!

I've always thought that liking sweets and chocolates was something that one LEARNS, not something that one is BORN with. I am very relieved to find out that this is true...at least in our family. Keira got to open her first chocloate lollipop and a regular lollipop and as you will see....it wasn't as big of a hit as one would think. Whew! Escaped that one for now!

Birthday fun

What a lovely evening my wonderful husband had planned today.

Whisked away in the middle of the afternoon by two friends to get a lovely spa treatment. Then to dinner at a swank little Chinese restaurant called Nodee. Great wine. Lots of laughter and good friends. What better way to spend your birthday?

Cleaning up the yard before winter oct. 24 2010

Reading a good night story

Well, it's the second night for Keira in her own room in her own bed. Here's Per reading Keira a good night story before bed. So cute.
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It has begun

Well, we've gone and done it. Or, actually, I should say that Per has now gone and done it. We bought Keira a toddler bed this weekend, Per installed in and she is now sleeping in it as I write this post at 8:15pm.

The nap was pretty uneventful, although she only slept for a little over an hour.

When she went to bed this evening, that pretty much happened without a big fight either...so far. It seems that she acts much better when her pappa takes her to bed than she does when I take her to bed. What is up with that?

I have to say that I haven't been very supportive of this initiative since I have been so extremely selfish and have enjoyed having her in the same bed as me. Per has enjoyed it too, although he complains about it. He says that she kicks him in the face all the time. Funny how I don't notice that. Ha! Ha!

We'll see how the night goes. She always cries out for mamma sometime in the night and she always wants to come and snuggle around 5'ish in the morning. So sad that I won't get to experience that anymore.

I've told Per that since he's taken this initiative, then every time she cries in the night..then he's the one that gets to get up to her. Otherwise, we all know how this is going to end up. I'll go in to her, she'll say mamma, I'll be so tired and want to be cozy with her that I will sweep her up in my arms and bring her to bed with us again...

:) Looking forward to the thought.

Here's some nap time pics:

Wow.

Yepp. That sums it up in one word. WOW.

We went to dinner last night at a friend's house that we have seen in soooo long. And, in typical Norwegian fashion, this did not disappoint. When we entered the house, I could already tell that the hostess had spent a lot of time and effort in getting ready for this dinner party.

The table setting was so lovely - dressed in orange and grey with matching napkins - those napkins didn't come from Rema, I can tell you that.









We started with a lovely and delicate fish on top of a pepper root mash, served at the Swedish princess Victoria's wedding, then we moved to a roasted lamb with rosemary, garlic and other yummies which was served to the King and then a pannacotta with strawberry fill on top for dessert.

Here we are getting ready to leave for the party. All dressed up and someplace to go...


And no party is complete without dancing...
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Reliving my childhood?

It's kind of funny now that we have Keira in our lives. I do things with her that I never got to do as a child. One of those things is watching Winnie the Pooh.

I used to think that Pooh was such a lame little character (keep in mind that I didn't know anything about Pooh because I'd never watched the film)...I just thought he was so sweet, and cute...and well, really, I was more into watching Speed Racer, the Flintstones, the Jetsons...oh...am I dating myself or what?

Just a couple of weeks ago, on a whim, I purchased the original Winnie the Pooh DVD in a grocery store because it was CHEAP. I think that it was only 89 NOK or something...vs. 199 NOK for a DVD. I wasn't exactly sure that Keira would like it, but hey, it was sitting there staring at me at the checkout counter and it was cheap, so why not?

I had very low expectations for the film. I mean, really, a yellow, fuzzy, dorky bear who was probably quite passive (which turned me off)..how exciting could this film be?

This film is a delight. It is creative, clever and entertaining. Keira watches it over and over and over again...and I have to admit, I am drawn into watching it with her. Everytime we watch it, I find little nuances and clever sayings which escaped me before. I get so tickled every time I find something new...it's like, why didn't I hear that before? isn't that cute? isn't that clever?

I highly recommend this film to all young kids. I was so enamored with this film that I even bought Tigger...and that film is just as clever as Winnine the Pooh.

TTFN (ta ta for now!)

Two blog posts in one day

Well, ok, the two videos that I just posted perhaps don't really count as a blog post, per se, just blog activity, I suppose.

I don't know what's been happening with me lately and the whole blogging thing. After a 3 week hiatus from the computer during July vacation, my blogging skills seems to have poofed out the window. I've been so busy with work, Facebook, working out, work, Keira, that it's difficult to find the time to sit down and really write something.

I used to blog first thing in the morning when I got to work while hugging my fantastic cup of Nescafe cappucino...but it seems that I've now replaced blogging with checking out the progress of fellow P90X'ers on the internet.

Every morning, like I always do, I open FB to see what's been up in the night while I've been sleeping. It never fails that someone who has just finished P90X shares their video. I love to watch how they tranformed themselves from big ol' fatties to slim and muscle-y types. It gives me such inspiration to watch these videos and read their stories because I know how difficult it is to "Press Play" every single day. There are so many days that I find it a challenge to even put on the DVD and do the workout, but I do it because all these guys have done it.

I just finished P90x a couple of weeks ago. My results were no where near as good as the guys that post their videos on YouTube or FB. Although there were so many times that the thought of an hour and 15 to 30 minute workout was daunting, I can say that I felt great. My body felt good. I felt strong and my back was rarely in pain. I could sleep in several different beds (don't get the wrong idea), I meant while traveling..and I didn't have pain. Before P90x, i couldn't switch to any new bed without feeling it the next day. Traveling was tough.

After the two week rest, I had planned to start Insanity this week. I took my Fit Test and body fat percentage and I started on Monday. I pulled my back on Wednesday. I could feel this really strong burning pain in the lower part of my back and it was kind of hard to lift my left leg after I felt this little stretch when I stood up from the workout on Wednesday. I went to the chiropractor yesterday and he absolutely forbade me to do Insanity. Too many quick movements, he said. I was supposed to be strength training. Because I'm so flexible, so he says, all the quick movements like this will make my back go crazy. Damn.

So here I am. Kind of bummed out, really. I had my heart set out on doing this crazy cardio thing so that I could burn off the fat and see some muscle. As it turns out, I am back to doing P90x. Nothing wrong with it. I love P90x. It's just that I had been pysching myself up for 2 weeks to do this program and now I can't. Actually, for the next few days, I pretty much can't do a damn thing, it hurts so much.

Well, I promised myself that I would be better with the diet on the second round of P90x and so I guess it's time to start on Monday. This time, I'll even be better with my pics. The first time I did the workout, I was too chicken shit to take pictures of my scrawny, flabby body. This time, I'll try to do better (although flying to the U.S. and eating Thanksgiving turkey dinner and all my dad's good food kind of falls right smack into Phase 2). Ah, well.

And, I'll try better about the blogging. I really will.

Videos from Summer Vacation

As the fall is setting in, I'm still dreaming about summer time. Here's some videos that I've finally gotten the time to upload:
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Still reeling from last week

I have to say that I am still reeling from the drama of last week. What drama, you ask, especially since I didn't really post a darn thing.

The drama is that our precious little baby had a 104 degree fever (40 degree celsius) for almost a week. It all started the Saturday before when she peed in her pants five times in a row with a span of 15 minutes in between each pee. I just kept thinking that she was having a relapse on the whole potty training thing or something.

On Sunday, she did it twice.

On Monday evening last week, we went to a parent teacher meeting at her daycare, we come home and we "think" she has a little fever, but think nothing of it.

On Tuesday, she goes to daycare, they call me at 11:30am and tell me that she keeps complaining that she is cold and she has a slight fever. Of course, I go to pick her up and bring her home. She seemed totally fine during the day with a slight fever, but then in the evening, it all started.

Her fever spiked up to 101, then 104. We kept her home on Wednesday and just kept giving her ibuprofen and paracet. Her fever would go down for the first four hours and then straight back up.

She hallucinated about ants on Wednesday night and we were up 24 hours straight that night. Poor little thing. She couldn't get comfortable. She was hot. She couldn't sleep.

On Thursday, same thing. Then, she started shivering...shivering so much and her skin felt like a popsicle. More ibuprofen. More Paracet. Paracet is shit, by the way. It doesnt' work worth anything.

We were able to manage it with those two drugs, but by the evening, she started the shivering thing again....we ended up taking her to the emergency room at the hospital close to midnight. They did their tests and we found out that she had a urinary tract infection. A urinary tract infection!!! What two year old child gets a urinary tract infection!!!??!

Well, we came home that night and had to force her to take her antibiotics and I thought that she was getting better...stupid me, I guess. How could she get better with one spoonful of antibiotics? On Friday morning, she started shivering again...saying how cold she was. When I brought her down to the kitchen to give her her medicine, I saw that she was blue in the lips. I am not kidding. Blue, Blue, Blue in the lips. Her skin was ice cold.

Talk about being scared shitless. I was scared shitless. Everything is OK now. Thank goodness.

Key learnings for next time?
1. See the doctor for 40 degree fever if it continues for two days
2. Paracet is crap. Don't use it for fever. Ibuprofen is the best.
3. Hallucinations? Bad thing - see doctor immediately

Quality time

Life is wonderful – and sometimes it’s the most peculiar situations that turns out to also be the most special. After 2 weeks of coughing like crazy myself, Keira started to have a fever yesterday, and Jennifer had to go home from work and pick her up from Barnehage. Today I’m the lucky one that has to stay home with our little angel. It could probably not have been a worse day to be away from the office. We have tons of deliverables today at work. But here I am, sitting next to Keira and watching Winnie-the-pooh (Ole Brum) on TV. And she is learning to say Pooh bear and Ole Brum – smart kid. And she is letting me kuddle and pamper her – because she is not feeling so good. And I’m just feeling the moment is so precious. It is after all, maybe those moments that makes up the list of worlds best.

Another classic

Another one that just cracks me up

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This always make me laugh my ass off

Brekkie before barnehage

Weekend fun

Here's a few pics from our weekend. Per had to work on Saturday so us girls went shopping...We didn't find too much, but Keira got to sit down for a few minutes to enjoy a popsicle.


On Sunday, Ms. Keira wakes up bright and early to make brekkie:


The weather wasn't so nice on Sunday either, so we had to make some boller of course...


Enjoying "101 Dalmatians" and popcorn...ahhh...Sundays

And, we had to clean the house a little bit. What a little helper Keira is...

My new found goodie

Praise be the Lord. I have finally finished two audio books! Two! Can you believe that?

I have to say that audio books are AWESOME, especially for someone who doesn't have the time to pee, much less sit down and read a book. I'm sure a lot of my friends will say, yeah, DUH, didn't you know that? Audio books have been around forever!

Per has been telling me for months that I had to listen to the books in the car and on the way to work. He loves them and swears by them (when he's not on the Kindle or the iPad).

Last year...I mean LAST YEAR November, I downloaded the second Stig Larsson book on my iPod to listen to on the way to the U.S. with Keira. The reader was sooooooooo SLOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW. His voice was boring, he sounded like he just got out of remedial class for English speakers. He didn't change his voice to match the characters, there wasn't any excitement building and frankly...I was bored out of my skull...it seemed that I always found something else better to do. I ploughed through the audio book because I thought that the first book was so great (which I read in Norwegian, mind you) and wanted to finish the series. I just finished it last week.

This week, I started on a David Baldacci book, called True Blue. It had been burning a hole in my iPad since last year also, but I couldn't exactly begin a new one without having finished the old book. Let me tell you. Listening to this book has changed my whole outlook on audio books. I was so down on them because I had such a bad experience with the Stig Larsson book.

But this one, on the other hand, held me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. When I heard how quickly the guy read and how he changed voices according to the characters, I was so very pleasantly surprised. And the piece the resistance was when the music came on at the end of every major section...it was this crescendo building music like what you hear in a soap opera right before they go to a commercial. I found myself feeling mildly irritated when the music came on because I half expected that a commerical break was coming. Of course, there wasn't a commercial break, but that's how it felt.

Baldacci wrote in some shooting and bombing scenese and even car chasing scenes and the sounds matched the scene. I felt like I was actually there when one of the characters was about to get her ass kicked by a drug gang.

I am sold on audio books. So, last night, I wanted more..more and more. With great hesitation, we downloaded the last Stig Larsson book "The Girl Who Kickced the Hornet's Nest." Why? Because if I didn't listen to it as an audio book, then I probably will never finish the book. It's about 24 hours long. A painful, slow 24 hours long. I'm not looking forward to listening to the guy, but I am looking forward to hearing the story. It may turn out that I can't stand him anymore and just try to read the book.

On the other hand, we've downloaded a new Baldacci book and I can't wait to get started. I just can't decide which one I should start first!!!

Decisions. Decision. :)

Past couple of weekends

Yeah, yeah...I have just been crap at posting since we've gotten back from vacation in July. Once I get off schedule, it just seems to take a couple of months to get back into the practice of posting.

Since we've been back, our days have been filled with activities...but, for the life of me, I can't off the top of my head remember what those activities are!

Some things to note...

Last weekend, we were at the cabin with some friends and had a great time! We biked, we fished, we gathered wild blueberries to eat straight from the ground and we even made a little campfire outside.





This weekend, Per's parents have been with us since Thursday. It's been great fun hanging out with the grandparents.



Wonder what next weekend will bring?

First day at Gullhaug Barnehage

The dreaded day has come....my little baby starts at a new daycare today. I had butterflies in my stomach walking into the barnehage. What would it be like? Were the people nice? Would Keira be happy?

What a pleasant little surprise I got today. Not only were the caregivers nice, but it seemed like they really liked Keira and really knew about how to care for children.

There are a total of 3 caregivers in Keira's "class". There's a blend of kids from 1 years old to a little over 2 years old in her group. There will be a total of 5 girls and 4 boys. All the girls are approximately around Keira's age and all the boys are a lot younger.

We are currently now going through a three day orientation period where the purpose is to get Keira integrated into the system as gently as possible and to make her feel safe and secure.

Today was the first day where we were with her from 9:30am - 12:00pm. Tomorrow, I'll be there an hour or so and then leave her for two hours. On Friday, she'll be delivered around 7:45am and then I pick her up at 2pm. She'll be taking her first nap there on Friday. Then, next week, it's business as usual at the new barnehage.

Here's crossing our fingers that everything goes well.






Lunch time!

Drinking milk from a "big girl" cup