a new beginning

I don't know who follows this blog anymore, but I think there might be some family and friends out there, especially here in the US who'd appreciate just some daily life updates from Norway once in a while after we're there; Lilly and I and eventually Lilly and I and Elle. So I am re-committing to my writing and posting of pictures here. With my credit card points I was able to get a new digital camera that I can bring along to Norway so that Leighton/Elle can keep the one we have here and I can bring the new one to Norway to shoot pictures with and post here.

In case you didn't already see this on Facebook, I got tickets for Lilly and I to fly over to Oslo January 7th. We have a friend picking us up at the airport and can stay in her sister's apartment for the first two weeks while said sister is away. This apartment happens to be in the region of Oslo where it so happens that we have better chances of getting in to a good daycare/preschool, and I have applied for openings there. After our arrival I will have to find us an apartment to live in in that area. And a job. Unless I land one before that. I had a Skype-interview for a job there this morning and it went very well. Crossing fingers.

very brief update

Sorry we haven't posted in a while. It's been busy here. Actually my computer broke, and that kept me off the internet in the evenings. Anne's book launch has kept her occupied and even away for extended periods.

It sounds like some people still check this blog, so perhaps I'll try to post updates more often. Now that Anne got a new laptop and gave me her old laptop, I hope to be more active online again.

I've added a new photo album in the sidebar. Below is short video of Lilly jumping hurdles at a Halloween event hosted by the athletic department and sports teams at one of the local colleges.

spring-summer update

Sorry for not posting here for a while; we've just been too busy doing other good stuff! Leighton keeps getting praised at work (and given more and more work and responsibility); Lilly is thriving at her Montessori preschool (the school keeps a photo album of their activities here); and I'm looking forward to the fall publication of my book on feminist porn.

We had a lovely Memorial Day weekend, spent one day family birthday partying, another day at the beach, and a final one at our local Memorial Day service followed by a local afternoon baseball game. We barbequed on the sunny days, sipping margaritas, and felt quite lucky about our lives. (Beach day pictures here.)

Lilly got her first two-wheeler this spring (hand-me-down from good neighbors). Pictures from our first family bike ride outing are here (confession: Leighton and I had to bike really slowly... But it was so much fun to bike together! And we all enjoyed our lunch and ice creams afterwards at the cafe in Welch village.)

I've been teaching Lilly ballet since this past winter when she first expressed interest. Then it got boring for her with no other kids around. In March, she joined (as the youngest student in the entire school) a class that had been practicing for the spring performance since January. I'm proud to say Lilly did wonderfully at the final recital at the high school theater Friday a week and a half ago. Not afraid of being on the stage at all! Just so happy to have her mom and dad there watching her and cheering her on. More pictures here.

It's just wild to us that Lilly will be finishing her first year of preschool on Friday; in three days! Thank you family for your financial support with that. And to think she will turn FOUR two weeks after that (BTW Cheryl: ladybug-swimsuit still fits!). Lilly is writing and reading letters, excited about the pool opening on Friday (goggles are on her wishlist), and speaks enthusiastically about our vacation to look forward to this summer. She is grateful for her friends (and so looks up to her older ones), in love with her mom and dad, and totally into changing clothes every ten minutes, especially dresses. It's that stage. And it's very cute.

Oh, and we got new IKEA patio furniture last week! And we are so into barbequing and eating outside on the porch. Lilly is loving her (cold) hotdogs with ketchup (Leighton and I prefer both those and our chicken grilled). We got a big nice umbrella too for some shade when it gets too hot.

Here's to a good summer to us all!

new haircut, starting ballet, first letters, and a book deal!

We're in the midst of a series of milestones over here. Lilly recently had her very first haircut, she's started reading and writing letters, she's learned her first ballet moves, and I've signed a contract with a publisher that will release my first book sometimes this fall.

Lilly's hair didn't really start growing until around when she turned two. But by the end of last fall, it had gotten really quite long, and a bit unruly. We've been holding on to those baby curls though. However Lilly's hairdresser assured us that her curls wouldn't go away from a little trim, and we're please to say they haven't.

Lilly has always loved music and dancing and recently she announced that she wants to be a ballerina (and a fisherman, she added). With no end in sight to her ballerina craze, we decided to make a commitment to ballet lessons. She got fitted for ballerina shoes, and we got her a leotard and ballet tights too. Ever day after school and lunch, I give her a short hour ballet lesson. It's been fun for me to refresh my ballet memory and it gives us something to do together other than just playing all afternoon (which is not always so rewarding for me).

We also spend a good chunk of time reading books each afternoon. And we practice writing. Obviously, I love writing, so it's been a real joy to share the wonder of letters with Lilly. She's always loved books; we've always read lots to her; and even on her own she will often enjoy looking at her books, many of which she knows by heart. But that she now can point out what certain letters are, and that she even knows how to write many of them, is just so amazing to me. I didn't learn how to write until I started elementary school at age 7. That didn't necessarily deprive me of anything in the long run, but Lilly is clearly enjoying exploring this new chapter in her life opening up. She loves making her own books (a new author in the family!), and she has a passion for mail, collecting and writing letters.

My writing and Lilly's writing (her name) in my notebook.

And to conclude on the topic of books and writing: I this week signed a contract with a publisher for my book, After Pornified: How Women Are Transforming Pornography & Why It Really Matters. The publisher is Zero Books, a UK-based publisher with a transcontinental focus: half of its authors are based in the US. I'm really excited to be joining their team of authors whose discourse is "intellectual without being academic, popular without being populist." Zero Books is the Culture, Society, and Politics imprint of John Hunt Publishing, which has several other special focus imprints in addition to their General Topics imprint O-Books.

I'm sure there are many other firsts I could mention. We took Lilly to see her first feature film in a movie theater (the new Muppets movie, which she loved for all its singing and dancing). Last weekend, Lilly went to her first unattended-by-her parents birthday party, providing Leighton and I with the opportunity for a little date. And yesterday, Lilly had her official Early Childhood Screening that is done by the public school system in town; I was very proud of how well she did.

And then there all the things Lilly's learning in school now, doing lots of good work.

Cooking class at school (every Thursday)

I joined Lilly's class before Christmas to teach the children a Norwegian Christmas carol, singing and dancing around some evergreen boughs, replacing the tree.

Å jul med dine glede -- Oh Yule with your joy

And in January, the children celebrated Chinese New Year, including by doing a Chinese New Year Lion Dance:



Please visit Montessori Children's House Community page to access their online photo album (regularly updated with more photos) where you can get more snapshots into Lilly's life and work at school.

A Winter Start

We don't have pictures, but this last weekend we all went sledding. DOWNHILL sledding. And while Lilly was hesitant at first, I think she had a good time. It helped that, as we were pulling up to the sledding hill, friends of ours just happened to be doing the same. Lilly went down with papa; she went down with mama; and she went down with friends too. Never alone, but we think she was very brave.

We end up leaving because she was cold. And hungry too. We were all hungry after all that fun and cold, fresh air. Before settling in at the table for a special helping of mac & cheese, Lilly warmed up on the couch with mama.

Rosy cheeks!

After lunch, we all went out as a family to shovel snow. Lilly has her own snow shovel and did her fair share. And while papa shoveled the long driveway, mama shoveled the front sidewalks. (It all goes a lot faster with help, I can tell you that.)

Mama and Lilly made the first snømann too. Although, I think that's debatable. I could say they gave a good and creative go at it; I'm still a proud parent, after all.

See the blob to the right!

Then, after all the fun with snow--and not wanting to to end the fun-- we went out as a family to pick out the perfect little juletre a whole two weeks early. (We've even decided to host our tree party before the holidays this year.)

The traditional and only accidentally ironic monkey on top!

We brought up the holiday music, and had a fire going. A good start to winter. All after the first big snowy day.

summertime!

Drinks outside this spring

It's "summmmertime" as Lilly likes to say whenever the sun is out. We've been enjoying hanging on the porch again, planting in the garden, playing outside. It's so interesting to see what a difference a year can make. Whereas last year, we found ourselves constantly worrying about Lilly running out into the street, we can now let her play outside some by herself, close to the house (with a frequent eye on her). She'll find her toys in the garage: her trike and chalk and bubbles. She'll play in the sandbox. And slide a little. Look at the growing plants and flowers.

Mostly, of course, she prefers us to play with her, or, rather, that the girls next door come over to play with her. They are both ten and Lilly so enjoys their attention.

Sorry we haven't posted much here lately, but it's been a busy time. Leighton's gotten more hours at Laura Baker, giving me less time to write. The time that I have been getting, I've devoted to polishing my book manuscript, putting together a proposal to lure the interest of an agent to help me find the right publisher, and developing my three websites: two blogs and an online resource center, which Leighton has been helping me with a lot: we envision it as a family business down the road.

Though we've been busy, never feeling like there's enough time, we've also been feeling truly blessed by the generosity of friends and family in the last few months. First, dear friends decided to bestow upon us their super nice Subaru. Then my parents offered to buy us all tickets to come visit them in Norway this summer. -- We're leaving on Wednesday, and the same friend who gave us her Subaru is taking us to the airport. Are we lucky, or what?

For Easter, Lilly got a garden kit from grandpa Kent and grandma Cheryl. We planted the seeds in the pots outside last week, and she worked so carefully to do it right. -- And fortunately, her idea that stirring the soil again after planting the seeds, did not kill the spirit of these hardy plants: radishes, carrots, beans, peas, lettuce, and spinach are already sprouting.

We've been planting together in my garden too, and though her helping me sometimes feels like it's undoing what I want to get done (or at least slowing it down significantly), her joy in helping me do real work is definitely worth it.

We return from Oslo just in time for Lilly 's three-year birthday, the day after which she'll begin preschool at the Montessori children's house in town. Preschool summer program that is, but still?! Such a big girl. Not a baby. Not a toddler. -- A preschooler.

Big girl on her trike this spring

Other recent landmarks include me not having to lie in bed with her at night till she's asleep. Though putting on pajamas and brushing her teeth are not among Lilly's favorite things to do, as soon as we're through with those tasks, we can go to bed, nurse and cuddle a little, and then I can get up after ten minutes or so, usually by 8:30 P.M. and with her still awake (she always wants the door ajar, just so, just as I remember wanting it as a child: precision is key). -- As opposed to before when I'd have to lie there for up to an hour, waiting for her to fall asleep (and often falling asleep myself).

It's pretty amazing to me how smoothly this transition evolved; she was just ready for it. Though it was exasperating at times before to lie there with her for so long in the evening, I'm glad we never did the cry-it-out (or monitored crying) method.

In July, Leighton turns thirty. A big day that deserves celebrating in style (please: any creative ideas?).

Speaking of parties; Leighton and Lilly are at some friends for one as I write this post on this warm Memorial Day holiday, giving me some peace and quiet to enjoy myself on our porch. And smell the fresh grass being cut by our neighbor; the lily of the valley in full bloom and the few lilacs holding on. Not a bad holiday.

At the pool last summer

Also to look forward to, is summertime at our city's pool. It opens the weekend we get back from Norway. We've purchased our summer passes and I look forward to picnics and playful (hopefully also some lazy) afternoons there this summer. It's been a wet, cold spring, so I foresee plenty warm summer days. Hey, it's summmmertime, you now?!

thanks be to hubs, good friends and family!

Thanks to Leighton, good friends and family, I've been treated to quite the birthday celebration this year! It started Friday a week ago when I found a little gift bag by the coffee pot with six tickets to see a theater performance of Sunday on the Rocks that same night. Leighton had been emailing with a group of my closest girlfriends in town to meet me up for dinner at my favorite restaurant in town, Chapati, serving yummy Indian food, before going out to see the play. We all had such a good time. One had brought a chocolate cake for dessert and I got many nice gifts (on top of their treating me to dinner and drinks), including a journal for all my thoughts and a gift card to work one morning in a coffee shop while Lilly would be at my friend's house.

The festivities continued on Saturday when we had friends over for dinner and then Sunday night we finished my birthday cake. First thing Lilly said to me Monday morning, on my actual birthday:

Lilly er så glad i mamma. Og sjokoladekake.
Lilly loves mama so much. And chocolate cake.

We all went out for lunch for the free birthday sandwich Hogan Brothers Acoustic Cafe offers. Lilly was sick with a cold, so other than our lunch outing, I was home with her all day, but it was a good day still.

And then, get this, on Tuesday morning we drove up to the cities to pick up a new car that our dear friends Nancy and Stephanie offered to us as a gift! A super nice blue Subaru Outback station wagon from 2000. WOW! So now we have two cars, which is so nice for us, especially since Leighton's been working from 4-6 p.m. lately, leaving Lilly and I fairly house bound. And this car is such an improvement to the old Volvo that has all sorts of problems, which we haven't had checked because it would have left us carless while being fixed.

I got the cold Lilly and Leighton have been having later in the week, but I also got a couple of writing gigs. With that on top of all the rest, I can't really complain, now can I. Thank you all dear friends and family for thinking of me with sweet wishes, cards, and gifts. I am so grateful!

holiday season chapter four: Happy New Year!

We've had a jolly good time with the holidays, from Halloween through Thanksgiving, Christmas and then celebrating the beginning of a New Year.

I think to Lilly the tree was the most magical part of it all, and she was so sad when the garbage truck came to pick it up last week, still processing that one.

Lilly helped me bake Hershey Kiss Cookies, unwrapping the chocolate kisses and then putting them on the half baked cookies (before eating some! These cookies were her favorite kind, I bet because she helped make them, and probably the chocolate had something to do with it too).

Christmas eve we had friends over for a traditional Norwegian yule celebration.

Since we're half American around here, we also had a busy Christmas day opening gifts Santa had left in stockings and around the tree (thank you all!).

We had a traditional Norwegian Christmas tree party around Epiphany: Lilly's friends, and ours, came over and we sung and danced around the tree while eating the remaining cookies and snacks, sipping gløgg (Scandinavian mulled wine). Lilly still breaks out singing "Å jul med din glede," "Jingle Bell," and "Twelve Days of Christmas" several times each day.

 

New Year's Eve has always been significant to me, so I wanted us to have a fine night. And indeed we did. We all dressed up and I made a very nice meal for us all with Sockey salmon, saffron risotto and salad.

 

 

Happy New Year to you all!

fall fun

We had a fun packed weekend with a visit to Sogn Valley Craft Fair on Saturday and the Nerstrand Big Woods on Sunday. Family excursions have become so thoroughly enjoyable now that Lilly's gotten so big that she can understand and do and remember so many things. She's still talking about how she danced at the craft fair and that we bought the pumpkin sitting by our entrance door there. And the river and all the fallen leaves she saw in the big woods. In the below video snap she's dancing at the craft fair:



And here she is as we're about to leave the big woods:



As I'm at it, I might as well add some more videos. Here she is on the couch surrounded by all her stuffed toy and doll friends:



And here she is playing on the couch with her best friend Anna:



Finally, at one of the local playgrounds, this one by the river next to the farmer's market, playing with our neighbor's son:

fall and back to school

As soon as we were on the other side of Labor day, we were hit by fall. After just a gorgeous spell of sunny summery days, it got cool, leaves started turning color, and now we've just had a record rain fall that's caused us to get water in the basement (as of 11 a.m. this morning, a state of emergency has been declared for for out town). Still, though you last found me holding on to summer, I've enjoyed the change of seasons. Leighton and I started taking turns working again, so I could finish revising my feminist porn manuscript which I've now submitted to my editor. That mission accomplished, I'm back being full time with Lilly again, except on Friday mornings when I pay my friend Mary to have her. Leighton packs a lunch and is gone all day at the library, working on his thesis, which is due November 15. This is a glimpse of everyday life for Lilly and I.

Monday: Lilly's in school! Well, sort of. From 8:30-10, she's in the "Terrific Twos" class offered by the public schools' Early Family Childhood Education (ECFE) program. From 9:15-9:50, it's separation time when the kids have a snack and then their play of choice while the parents meet in another room for group discussion. I was dreading this part in particular, but so far so good.

Lilly in the parking lot outside of "school"

Lilly in her classroom

Several of Lilly's friends and their moms, my friends, are in this class; we've been going out for coffee after to debrief, which has been really nice.

Tuesday: My friend Daisy pays me to have her daughter Bella from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. She's 19 months and with a lot of energy, so there's a lot going on in the house those days, especially since she's going through potty training (four accidents within two hours last time) and has a huge appetite. She and Lilly play well together, despite the age difference, so that's a good thing.

Wednesday: Toddler Rhyme time at the library 10-11. The first half is dedicated to reading books and singing song, the other half to play. We missed it this week, because we toured the Montessori preschool in town that we'd like Lilly to be in as of next fall. She, and I, loved it there! A great space, both inside and out, wonderful staffing, and I really like the child focused approach to learning.

Thursday: Mary and I child swap for yoga. Her daughter is Lilly's best friend Anna, they're in ECFE together on Mondays and Lilly's with Anna and her mom on Fridays, so it's been working really well. Except that right now sharing is a real challenge for them. Like yesterday; Lilly has two chairs, a white and a blue. Both wanted the blue one and there was nothing I could do to have Lilly give it up for Anna to have a turn to sit in it, causing a wailing Anna.

Friday: Lilly's with Anna at Anna's mom from 8-12 so I get some time to write (on my sleep question book, and now this).

We thought for a while that Lilly's been done napping, but this summer when she was with me all day and had that consistency, she'd nap, and she still does. So after lunch it's about books and quiet time, then she naps, and then it's time for snack before I make dinner. She has an art class at the YMCA in the late afternoon on Mondays. Leighton goes to yoga Monday and Thursday evening, I go for a walk with my neighbor in the evening on Tuesdays and then yoga Wednesday evening. We still have fresh fish from the Co-op for dinner every Friday and I go to yoga Saturday morning and for a walk Sunday morning with a friend of mine.

We're creatures of habit, and it's a good thing. Summer was fun to be free to be spontaneous and leisurely about things. Now it feels good to be back to a routine. We're at a good place. I'm really enjoying my time with Lilly. I love how it's not all about care taking now, but also teaching (words, numbers, tasks, songs, etc.) and fun play (she's displaying a real sense of humor, tickling us or making fun of herself and then saying, "Lilly silly" or "Lilly tuller"). Her language's exploding, both in Norwegian and English. She loves to turn on the music and dance, play her instruments, and sing (her favorites right now: "Happy Birthday," "5 Little Ducks," "Twinkle, twinkle," "Mockingbird," and "Fader Jacob"). She likes to read books, draw and color, and make little things out of pieces that fit together, blocks and lego. 

It's a good thing she also likes to pretend cook and feed her baby Millie, because we spend a lot of time in the kitchen, seeing that I'm in charge of all meals and snacks (except Leighton's lunch and snacks; he packs his own food). She's taking to sitting on the kitchen counter where she has a better view and easier access to food to snack on and me to talk to.  

summer time

and the living is easy. At least right now it is. We're in a good rhythm. We've had our little Duluth vacation, and a day at the Walker, playing outside, listening to live music while enjoying our picnic.

And for the rest of this month, I'm taking a break from work, spending full days with Lilly, while Leighton gets to either work on his thesis or help out a friend with some cabinet/furniture work. While I've been with Lilly at the pool, or played in the park, etc.

I've given up the struggle with naps; some days she naps, other days not. Yesterday she did not, but then went to bed in a minute, around 8, and slept till 8 this morning. Nice. Since the nap and bedtime thing have gotten to be so frustrating for me, we decided around her birthday to make a change. First we decided I'd be with her all mornings and then Leighton would take care of the afternoon with naps. Mostly she wouldn't nap then that second part of June. But now with me, she sometimes naps. She clearly still needs it. But it's ok when she doesn't. She's still very sweet to be with.

Another thing we've tried is, as of Friday, both Leighton and I have go in to bed with her at night together and then I leave after she's nursed, and he's there with her till she sleeps. So far so good.

So, we're trying some new things, being a little more relaxed with things, not so much following the clock as much as how Lilly seems, and how we're doing. And it's working really well. At least for now.

gardening

We've enjoyed so much tending to our garden this summer. It's amazing how rewarding the work is, including weeding and watering. And we're learning lessons. Like I planted so many things too close together, especially the radishes and green onion, not giving them enough space to grow. And I had no idea a couple envelopes of lettuce would produce THAT MUCH. We do eat salad with all of our meals, but it's too much even for us. Also next time, I'm going to spread out the seeding of the salad seeds more. And I'm going to be more patient with the perennial flower seeds ...

Nonetheless, much to be proud about. Compare these pics, taken just a few weeks apart:

EARLY GARDENING STAGE:

MATURING GARDENING STAGE:

The best part about it is how fun it is to garden as a family. Leighton clears land, cuts down branches, mows, and waters; Lilly walks around with her bucket and spade, points to the growing plants saying "blomst," and picks twigs and rocks; and I plan the garden beds, purchase the seeds and seedlings, sow seeds, plant seedlings, weed, tend to the garden, and harvest. We've already savored bountiful amounts of salad, arugula, cilantro, basil, parsley and chives. Yesterday and today our first HUGE cucumber (with Greek salad and tzatziki yesterday; Norwegian cucumber salad today as a compliment to salmon). The hot peppers, bell peppers, and tomatoes are coming. Today all three of a poppy, cosmo and zinnia came into bloom. The purple and yellow UW pansies (from seeds dated 2008) are in bloom. As are marigolds (as you can see). And more. Hostas, day lilies, lambs ear, campanulas, iris and more plants in the two flower beds behind the garage, most received as transplants from friends. The hostas in the front of the house facing east are not included in these pictures; they're just there tending to themselves. As soon as the lily is in bloom though, we'll include a snapshot of it too where it stands among the hostas and ferns.

summer vacation in Duluth

We're home from our little vacation up north and while it was a short three-night visit, we were able to fill it with lots of good stuff. The weather was fair, mostly sunny with short and T-shirt temps, though a little cool at times. It was so nice to see wide open water again. Lilly loved playing at the beach, especially the rocky one in Canal Park where she even got into the water quite a bit.

The vistas of the long stretchy sand beach out on Park Point, the world's longest freshwater sandbar, were amazing, but the water was a little dirty there.

Lilly was fascinated by the Aerial Lift Bridge which goes up and down allowing ships to enter the harbor all day long. Every time she saw it, Lilly would say "opp og ned, opp og ned."

One day we took a ferry cruise, learning more about the lake, city and harbor.

And another day we took the scenic route up along the north shore to Two Harbors, providing more amazing lake views. 

While we had brought a cooler full of food, we ended up splurging with our meals, dining out except for breakfast. The day of our coastal drive, we stopped at the much raved about New Scenic Cafe (on the North Shore Drive) for dinner on our way back to Duluth.

Upon arrival in Duluth, we enjoyed margaritas at Mexico Lindo adjacent to the historic Fitger's complex. The restaurant has an amazing deck high up in the air over the boardwalk that stretches along the lake. While we were a little nervous there with Lilly chasing around, it was spectacular.

Then we had dinner at the Fitger's Brewhouse (with yummy beer) before we went down to the stretchy boardwalk where Lilly loved spending time, throwing rocks, exploring, climbing around.

Before heading back to our motel room we stopped at the Portland Malt Shoppe for dessert (Lilly like her papa has a sweet tooth for chocolate shake, ice cream, gelato, cake, all of which she's had within the last couple of weeks ...).

We celebrated our anniversary on June 30th with lunch at Va Bene (a neighbor of the Malt Shoppe)--we had such a good time there!--on its deck overlooking the lake, and dinner at Hacienda Del Sol which has a tree-house feeling deck in the back but we opted for the second floor inside which also has a view of the lake.

The last day, before heading back home, we visited the Great Lakes Aquarium and had lunch at Sir Benedict's Tavern, across the road from Va Bene.