Today I decided to step out of the tornado and sit outside to write. It’s been a while since I’ve aired out my head. I’m learning that it is not selfish for me to take out time for myself but rather NECESSARY in order to be who I need to be for my kids and my husband. Right now I am sitting outside watching red, orange, and gold rain down all around me. The evening light catches the leaves at a perfect angle and illuminates the tree like one grand, stain-glassed window in this outdoor Read More
Home
The night before Gracie was discharged from the hospital, Haley asked a very practical question. "Do I say 'Welcome Home' when Gracie comes to this house tomorrow? Or should I wait until we go back to the other house?" Hmmmm...For a moment it made me sad that our kids don't really know where they live, but it allowed Haley and I to have a good conversation. After the talk, I was reminded about a chapter in Tim Keller's book, Prodigal God (if you've not read this New York Times Read More
You can take the man out of the U.S., but you can’t take the U.S. out of the man
I love me a good burger! I'm talking Five Guys in a paper back with fresh cut fries style. Although there are many tasty food delicacies I have grown to love in Iceland (Vinarbrauð for example) it's not always easy to come by a burger of Five Guys quality. About a month ago I went out to lunch with an Icelandic friend of mine who lived in the states for a long time and we hit up a little burger joint right by the school we go to for language class. I was quite pleased with the burger and tore Read More
Getting the disease
I am a certified, licensed ESL teacher. I spent three years teaching English to foreigners in a public school and have done private teaching since then. In college, my degree was in ESL and I learned all about how to be sensitive to and teach a Second Language Learner. The last year of my life, the roles have been reversed and now I am the Second Language Learner, sitting at the desk, experiencing everything I'd been trained in. I hadn't anticipated this experience, and it has caught me off Read More
Rewind
In January, Colby and I started going to a Framhaldskoli. Basically in Iceland, Grunnskoli is the "elementary school" where you attend from ages 6-16 (Haley starts that in September). After that, your compulsory education is over, but there are Framhaldskolis you can choose to attend that continue your education (KIND OF comparable to technical colleges). Okay, so we go to a Framhaldskoli to learn Icelandic and are in class with 16 year olds and 17 year olds. It has been like reverting back Read More
Clint Clifton Saves the Day…
The last time I purchased soda was October 1994. It was at an Oktoberfest carnival in LaCrosse, WI where I purchased a Mountain Dew and a bag of Cheetos. Shortly thereafter I rode the tilt-a-whirl and got so sick that I vowed never to drink "pop" again (Yes, I'm a Yankee). My cross-country coach also convinced me that drinking soda would slow me down, so I have not consumed much of anything carbonated for over a decade....that is, until recently. When Clint came in December, he bought a 2 Read More
Confessions of a Pregnant American Living in Iceland- Part 2
For the past few months all we've been hearing about is Hangikjot. Hangikjot is smoked lamb that is always prepared during the Christmas season. Because of how much it was talked about, I had pretty high expectations. When we finally attended a Christmas party here, we were served the COLD meat that had a STRONG smoked flavor and I was a little thrown off. Colby wouldn't let me ask to use a microwave, so I endured in silence. Upon finishing my virgin hangikjot experience, Icelanders Read More
Confessions of a Pregnant American Living in Iceland- Part 1
Oh, yes...I think I forgot to mention...I'm pregnant. When I was in my first trimester with my second pregnancy, Colby took me out to the German restaurant on Route 1 in Stafford. The moment the food was served, I knew I was in trouble. The new smells, the different flavors...after just ONE bite, I was done with my meal. The rest of the evening was spent with one hand covering my mouth and one hand covering my nose. The last 2 months have been like LIVING in the German restaurant. In the Read More
þorri
Right now in Iceland the country is celebrating something called þorri (pronounced 'Thorri'). Every Icelander that attempts to explain it to me has described it as "Old Food Month." For a whole month Icelanders reflect on the way their ancestors used to survive by eating foods such as dried fish, sheep head, rotten shark, ram testicles, lamb jam, kidneys, liver and fat. This is not a joke. Colby and I went to the flea market and witnessed this first hand. After eating some dried fish and Read More
Haley is 5!
I feel like I have committed a crime in the blogosphere by not blogging about my child's birthday. Yes, Haley turned 5 last month and is now officially a little woman. She never ceases to amaze me and I cannot get over her brains and beauty (the killer combination). Haley has made a few friends the last 9 months and it was fun to invite them and see them all play together. She wanted to play Go Fish and Old Maid, so those were the party games. We made a creative, Read More
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