1. How do you say no when a 4-year-old takes your face in her hands, tilts her head just so, bats her long eyelashes, and says, "pllllleeeeeeeeasssse, Grandma....."???? The answer is, you don't!
2. This is how I woke up this morning: all three kids are crawling in, on, around, over, and under my bed covers while I'm trying to create a warm and cozy moment that can be remembered for some time in the future when Daniel says in his sweetest little-boy voice, "Grandma, remember your rule about no screaming?"
I say, "Oh Daniel, you remember!"
He replies with, "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGAAAAAA" at volume 10!
3. As Emma and Daniel are arguing about one of the finer points about family rules, Daniel thinks he's made the deciding point by saying, "Daddy says so!" And ever-wise Emma says, "That's just a rule Daddy made up. It's not really a rule unless Mama says it." End of argument!
4. Yesterday we went for a walk. Not much walking got done as I stood back and watched all three kids hunched over as they made their way up a hillside to pick wild blueberries and strawberries. After every mouthful of blueberries, it was a contest to see whose tongue was the bluest. I called them Heidi 1, Heidi 2, and Peter. This doesn't happen in Utah. And there I was without my camera.
5. We went for pizza earlier in the week. Sounds like a simple family outing, right? Wrong! Since the car only seats 5, somebody had to take the bus there. It was raining like crazy, but Torbjørn and Amanda headed for the bus while the rest of us headed for Os. We all met at Peppe's, sat near the fire looking out at the open sea, and consumed 2 pizzas, 2 beers, and 4 sodas for about $135. After some negotiation about who would take the bus home (Jamie agreed to do it), we started back with Grandma driving and Torbjørn in the co-pilot's seat. I'm sure I was making him cringe (he kept using an imaginery brake pedal and leaning heavily right or left around every curve), but since I'm not a beer drinker, I became the logical designated driver. Meanwhile, Jamie was being accosted at the bus stop by a crazy lady and had to call for moral support. Torbjørn was rethinking his decision to have a beer. And still the rain poured down. I won't be taking for granted the ease and convenience of going out for pizza again.
6. I read to each of the kids individually every night. It's my favorite part of the day because they're calm and easy and oh-so-sweet. Amanda likes to hear fairy tales (she cried when I told her about Hansel and Gretel), then we sing each other a song. Daniel's into the Magic Treehouse books and has a hard time sitting still while I read. He's constantly playing with something else, but he knows in a heartbeat if I say something that doesn't make sense.
Then I get to go to Emma's room. She's deeply involved with the American Girl series and says Native Americans are her favorite people that ever lived. This was a surprise to me because it's something that seems so far removed from her life here. When I stumble over phrases like "Katsee-yow-yow" and "Aa-heh, tawts" Emma says, "Grandma, when you come to those, you can just tap me on the shoulder and I'll say them for you." I love reading at bedtime!
That's just a sampling of my daily routine. I'm having a great time.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
From the Land of the Midnight Sun
So here I sit in the late afternoon sun (which will STILL be late afternoon sun at 11:oo p.m. tonight), typing on a computer that has at least two extra letters that clutter up the keyboard, and knitting socks just like an old Norwegian lady! And I feel strangely at peace and at home (except for the obvious fact that my other half is in America).
I've never been one of those people who gets depressed in the rain, and I'm more and more becoming someone who hates the heat, so the fact that it rains here almost every day isn't a problem for my psyche. I guess that's easy to say when I only have to deal with it for a few weeks at a time. Who knows? An entire year here might drive me stark raving mad. I'll tell you what DOES drive me stark raving mad....it's not being able to understand what people are saying as I pass by them in stores, or when they have conversations when I'm in the same room and I feel invisible or stupid (or both) because I don't have a clue what they're talking about. I fear even my grandkids think I'm a little bit stupid because I don't understand both languages like they do. Even Amanda, who just turned 4, says, "But Grandma, how come you don't know what they said? I know what they said. Emma knows what they said. Daniel knows what they said. Daddy know......" Yeh, Yeh, Yeh, Amanda, I get it!
So I figure I need to set myself a goal. Am I too old for this, or can I learn a new language at this late stage of my life? For the first couple of days that I was here, Amanda would only speak to me in Norwegian. Apparently, Mom is the only adult she speaks English to. It's fine when they come to the States because they can all switch to English on command, but I do plan to come here to visit, and I can see it's becoming more and more difficult. And it's not one of those languages like Italian or Spanish or German where you can buy tapes and teach-yourself books at any Costco or Barnes & Noble. So....I'm seriously on the prowl for someone who knows Wegie talk. Any old viking will do.
I'd attach some pictures, but you know how it is when you switch to somebody else's computer and you don't know their system and such. As it is, I'm having a hard enough time not putting one of these "æ" or "å" or "ø" in the middle of my words because they're located right where I'm used to finding other letters.
So anyway, you'll just have to believe me when I say it's lush and green and beautiful in Norway. Every square foot is some shade of green, and every hillside has water running down it somewhere. Almost every bend in the road offers a lake, large or small, and flowers bloom until midnight. Women over a certain age always have short hair, and no one wears shoes in the house. Food is spicy, but salt and pepper donæt (see???) usually show up on the table. Fruits and vegetables are plentiful, and fish is served as a main dish, a casserole, a soup, or a pudding. You never drive if you're going to have even one glass of wine, and dinner at a restaurant requires a no-limit credit card. Virtually everything is recycled, and you go to the market every day except Sunday (because they're ALL closed on Sunday). The roads are narrow, and roundabouts are plentiful, but you better know what you're doing or people will honk you off the road. It doesn't cost anything to see the Doctor, but they all go on vacation at the same time, so you'd best not get sick in July. Moms love their kids, and kids love their grandmas. That's the best part......at least for me.
Emma thinks I'm always cool; Daniel thinks I'm okay unless I want to hug and kiss him; and Amanda tolerates me most of the time except when she's honery and says, "I don't like you much, Grandma!" But I know she doesn't mean it, she loves me through and through......or else!
I've never been one of those people who gets depressed in the rain, and I'm more and more becoming someone who hates the heat, so the fact that it rains here almost every day isn't a problem for my psyche. I guess that's easy to say when I only have to deal with it for a few weeks at a time. Who knows? An entire year here might drive me stark raving mad. I'll tell you what DOES drive me stark raving mad....it's not being able to understand what people are saying as I pass by them in stores, or when they have conversations when I'm in the same room and I feel invisible or stupid (or both) because I don't have a clue what they're talking about. I fear even my grandkids think I'm a little bit stupid because I don't understand both languages like they do. Even Amanda, who just turned 4, says, "But Grandma, how come you don't know what they said? I know what they said. Emma knows what they said. Daniel knows what they said. Daddy know......" Yeh, Yeh, Yeh, Amanda, I get it!
So I figure I need to set myself a goal. Am I too old for this, or can I learn a new language at this late stage of my life? For the first couple of days that I was here, Amanda would only speak to me in Norwegian. Apparently, Mom is the only adult she speaks English to. It's fine when they come to the States because they can all switch to English on command, but I do plan to come here to visit, and I can see it's becoming more and more difficult. And it's not one of those languages like Italian or Spanish or German where you can buy tapes and teach-yourself books at any Costco or Barnes & Noble. So....I'm seriously on the prowl for someone who knows Wegie talk. Any old viking will do.
I'd attach some pictures, but you know how it is when you switch to somebody else's computer and you don't know their system and such. As it is, I'm having a hard enough time not putting one of these "æ" or "å" or "ø" in the middle of my words because they're located right where I'm used to finding other letters.
So anyway, you'll just have to believe me when I say it's lush and green and beautiful in Norway. Every square foot is some shade of green, and every hillside has water running down it somewhere. Almost every bend in the road offers a lake, large or small, and flowers bloom until midnight. Women over a certain age always have short hair, and no one wears shoes in the house. Food is spicy, but salt and pepper donæt (see???) usually show up on the table. Fruits and vegetables are plentiful, and fish is served as a main dish, a casserole, a soup, or a pudding. You never drive if you're going to have even one glass of wine, and dinner at a restaurant requires a no-limit credit card. Virtually everything is recycled, and you go to the market every day except Sunday (because they're ALL closed on Sunday). The roads are narrow, and roundabouts are plentiful, but you better know what you're doing or people will honk you off the road. It doesn't cost anything to see the Doctor, but they all go on vacation at the same time, so you'd best not get sick in July. Moms love their kids, and kids love their grandmas. That's the best part......at least for me.
Emma thinks I'm always cool; Daniel thinks I'm okay unless I want to hug and kiss him; and Amanda tolerates me most of the time except when she's honery and says, "I don't like you much, Grandma!" But I know she doesn't mean it, she loves me through and through......or else!
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