American in Norway

I have to admit it kinda CREEPS me OUT... FREAKS me out... when someone from (one of) my hometowns shows up on my blog.... (I don't tell people I blog...) What is even creepier, FREAKY-ER ... is when you search for me by my entire name....& social security number .... (not really my ss#... but my last name...like how do you know that?) maiden name..yes... but married name.. hell, Norwegians can't even spell it... DING DING DING... you found me... I guess blogging & being in the witness protection is NOT a good combo?! YOU..from Silver Springs MD...looking for me... SHOW YOURSELF!.. (Ok now I am picturing myself like some zit faced World of Warcraft Player...) Seriously... if you know me just say HEY Tree! Cool blog .(unless this is crazy x-boyfriend from college...EEK..). searching for me with everything but my thumb print kinda makes me NERVOUS... Ciao Chica's

Sometimes .... Bjørn amazes me.. Like last year when he took charge of Dane's birthday...threw together a cake in 1/2 hour & played laser tag with the boys... although the party was over at 3...the guests stayed until 8 pm.... & Dane exclaimed "Wow- THAT was my best birthday party EVER..." (really? what about all of the hand painted motorcycle cookies to go with the Harley Theme that I stayed up until 5 am making the year before last ? never mind...) Or how he can calmly ask the kids to do something & (gasp) they get up to do it ..... Or how he can make them feel better when they are sick... ( as long as poop & puke are not involved...) Maybe...just maybe HE IS the BETTER PARENT ? But then I remember the time I came home & he had our 5 mo. old strapped to the lawnmower ... (so he could watch the baby AND cut the grass...isn't he CLEVER) It was a real show for the neighbors... which was weirder, the Norwegian with baby on the mower or the scr

Yes... Tightwad... that is what my family (sister's/mother) would call me... Bjørn on the other hand just calls me G O D D E S S .... So you know we have this trip to Rome planned for March with another couple...NO KIDS... The other couple booked their trip first.. & we are tagging along... We were able to get a GREAT deal on airline tickets... approx. $150 per person round trip- (I know, your hating me now aren't you?) So when I went to book a room at their hotel I was a little surprised to find the rate at 230 euro per night... CRAP... ($309 US) HELLO? Ouch! Bjørn told me to go ahead & book it. First I was really impressed that hubby was willing to splurge on the hotel... but the more I have thought about it, the more it seems like a waste...(yes, this is where the TIGHTWAD, CHEAPSKATE comes to mind...) How much time are we really going to spend in the room? (this isn't a honeymoon...) I plan on being out & showing my husband ROMA.... drinking wine...buy

I have started planning /obsessing about our family vacation for this summer... I THINK we have agreed/decided on a 2-3 week camping trip through Europe... I was all excited until Bjørn said something like..." thats ok , you don't need to shower EVERY day..." "Um, yes I do..." I loved roughing it when i was 19 & broke, back packing through Europe... it might not be so much fun with 2 kiddos in tow... & no hotties to pick up. So I am trying to get a general idea of where we want to go... & what we want to do... I hate to admit it, but I am the Clark Griswold of the family... Bwaaa haa haa ... "only 5 hours to the worlds largest ball of twine..." I have done that on several occasions.... "Oh look honey, we are only 2 hours from the ancient Viking burial ground" Not even the locals knew where it was.... So after 4 hours of looking... we found a big pile of dirt... with a marker..."Viking Burial" (if you make it to Giel

So on a lighter note...**sigh** We had a nice LAZY weekend... seems like I am having lots of LAZY days of late... We did NOTHING... around the house... we did manage to get out & do some sloppy sledding... WET... WET... WET... the weather was between snow & rain... but we figured we better get out & sled while we could... ( Dane ended up sick & home from school yesterday...maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all...) LadyFi has published volume 2 of the Strange Shores expats blog carnival . and I was given a super sweet shout out on... so if you are interested in reading about ex pats life abroad go on over & check it out... Finally please keep my sup-ah star friend Kat in your prayers... Sunshine and Lemonade Many of you know that Kat's husband, Michael, had an aneurysm this weekend... please go give her some love-n... you know she needs all of the strength she can muster right now... Gotta run get the kids up & off to work... (is it Friday

*** Update of sorts.... I found her lawyers email address... I thought about emailing her... explaining who I am & just forward my info on to H. I am pretty sure that she will at least get the message about the phone etc. If she chooses not to text me/email me back, I will mind my own business.... I just wanted to let her know that I KNOW & am praying for them.... I feel so helpless... yet I don't want to come off as "Creepy Mc. Creepster" So, after a weekend of stewing & worrying.. I called her office first thing this morning... (they know me there... so it isn't like I am some random stranger off of the street...) I asked if she had gone to the if she was already in the states... "yes"... do you know where? "NO..." As an American I think that is weird... you have had to go over seas & seek medical treatment & no one knows where you are? I asked if she had a way to contact her... "no..." "You don't have a

So I woke up to this little diddy this morning.... Anonymous has left a new comment on your post " Power of Prayer.... ": "you sound like and idiot! if you CARE about somebody DO something, GO and ASK, your dilemma is idiotic! PS. From my experience, cancer doesn't respond to prayer, don't be naive, be smart, and if you can, do something tangible." So my first impulse is to delete it... but instead, decided to let it be & thought about it.... Perhaps I don't always explain myself clearly...although I think most of you "get me..." OF Course if I was living in America... & this was a co worker, friend, neighbor... I would be hopping on the band wagon like everyone else.... can you imagine this happening to someone you know? What would every one's reaction be? We would have meals ready... we would be writing letters... we would be sending gifts or trying to relieve the parents... we would be taking up collections.... anything w

Ohhh ya! Good times here... Poor little pumpkin Eva was up ALL NIGHT last night... Normally she is the BEST sick child in the world... never wants to put you out... happy to suffer in silence...but not last night.. I tired EVERYTHING... but she was in serious pain...I suspected it was her ear drum about to rupture.... sure enough at about 10:30 this morning, it did.... at least when it pops, they feel 100% better... we just have to be careful for the next 6 weeks... Have I told y'all that we have the BEST DR. E V E R .... even though she is at home... with her preemie baby... she answered all of my questions ...(she is a close friend as well...) I was a bit concerned that Eva has been sick a lot... seems like every week she is down with something... usually a cold.... but I started worrying that it had something to do with the Lyme's disease from the summer.... (nope... not to worry....) it is just that she is 4, in daycare, & it is WINTER in Norway... there are going

It's Friday, It's Friday, Thank Goodness it's Friday!!! YIPPEE!I'm playing Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta Finish again this week .So after you're done here, go over there and check out who's playing thi s week!!! I know... LAME photo ... maybe you are wondering what it is? Yes ,these would be my shoes covered in plastic bag- thingies in the dentist's office.... you will find these nice little accessories when you go to schools... govt buildings..stores... where ever they don't want to have to clean the floors... ahem.... ( blurry photo because I was laughing, taking pictures of my feet... with some lady looking at me...) It is probably more a European thing rather then just Norwegian.... You never wear shoes in your house... (or anyone's) kids have to have inside/outside shoes for school.... (I have to admit..I get grossed out when I watch TV & see people running around inside with their shoes on... ewwwww) I have saved a fo

Yesterday I did a FUNNY... today I am doing a N O T F U N N Y... Why am I bringing this up today... other than just needing something to bitch about? Because of the FREAKING ring tones, songs... games... the video's that are being advertised on TV a l l of the t i m e.... We have grade school children who don't even speak English...running around screaming "Silence...I kill you..." Hardee... har... har.... My 9 year old thinks it is a RIOT... Or maybe he just enjoys seeing mommy get red in the face telling him to turn it off.... (he has been warned... if any achmed-ANYTHING turns up on his phone it will be GONE..FOREVER...) I am amazed at the adults who think this ACHMED crap is funny.. & Jeff Dunham.. NOT FUNNY... Becuase I am American they seem to always ask me... Do you know who Jeff Dunham is (me rolling my eyes...) "Oh he is great! really funny.." REALLY? Ben Stiller...FUNNY... Eddie Murphy...Funny... Achmed the terrorist? not so m

Unless it is Diamonds, Cash or a vacation somewhere, I do NOT like surprises.... So last night as I am curled up in my college sweats...(not grey) catching up on all of my American TV... (Gossip Girl) the phone rings.... at 10:30 Hubby is on the other end...(the one coming home today from Germany....) "Surprise Honey! I got an early flight & I am en route from the airport....!" SHIT..... Not that I don't love my husband very very much... not that I wasn't excited that he was home safe & sound... but the fact that GOSSIP GIRL was on, I was curled up in sweats...wet hair & as I discussed in an earlier post, hadn't done a thing since he left.... Me..." Oh GREEAATTTT ! Where are you? How long till you get home? bout 45 min? Suuuuper see you then...drive safe... SLOW DOWN...roads are slippery you know... SLOW WAAAAAYYY down..." ( Bjørn knows that I hate it when he comes home unexpected... so I think he really LOVES catching those early flights

Hee hee... I stole this from my little sisters blog... I thought this was funny...

Lets say it together, shall we? L O S E R ... L A Z Y LOSER....that would be me... I complain all of the time about never having enough time to get things done... I complain about not being organized... bla bla bla bla .... so yesterday I had a day off.... what do you think I managed to get done? (----crickets---) Kick my 9-year olds ass on Nintendo Wii ....again..& again..& again... (while he was at school & couldn't defend himself...) Now on the bright side ... I did finally get on the wii again... where i was greeted with a "Hey fatty, where ya been? You have gained 5 lbs...." I did some cardio ...little balance (soccer where I FINALLY kicked Dane's butt...) OK I played for 1 hour & 20 min.s (but at least I was moving & not blogging right?) So I Wii'd , I blogged...(no wait, I didn't) I did 2 loads of laundry & that was it... I even ordered pizza cause I was too lazy to cook.... (I had home Eva home sick...she's still home)

Sooo another mortifying moment in the life of Tressa.... For this moment we have to go back to Jr. year in HS.... Oh yes... I was the new girl... a Texas transplant sent to a Catholic H.S in Delaware.... mom & dad thought that it would be a good idea.. never mind we weren't Catholic... Things were fine... You could barely pick me out of the crowd as being the "NON-Catholic" until our first assembly of the year... I can't remember what is was for.. it was probably a pep rally/Mass... who knows... What I do remember was that they were giving communion.... "Holy ¤&%/" Each student had to walk up on stage & take communion, in front of the entire school.... Luckily my best friend, Song for Whoever (the CATHOLIC) was sitting beside... with beads of sweat running down my forehead, I asked her what i was supposed to do.... (I figured if I faked it & took communion I would probably end up going to hell....) Kelly calmed me down & told me to wa

Did y'all know it was DE-LURKER week? No, neither did I.. I think it is a FAB..idea, but seeing as i missed the damn thing, can i have a do over? Please? Can we make next week a de -lurker week as well... So you are probably am wondering why I a m calling ol ' Carina from Carina the Blogarina out... She is NOT a LURKER .. for sure... This is a great blog I found today after she started following me... (#76 thanks chick...) lets not forget #75 Sarah's Smorgasbord of Sweets .... (yes Kat... I know, you are rocking almost 300.. have I told you lately that you are a SUPAH Star?) So anyway, I clicked on over to Carina the Blogarina to say Howdy... that is where i saw the de -lurker week announcement.... Me wanting to play by the rules, am of course going to leave a comment... Um... but I am unable to... I thought it was because I was on my work computer... (not that I blog from work.. I would NEVER do that... because blogging on the company $ or kroner is just WRONG

It's Friday, It's Friday, Thank Goodness it's Friday!!! YIPPEE!I'm playing Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta Finish again this week .So after you're done here, go over there and check out who's playing thi s week!!! Yesterday Eva had a very Happy "Un-Birthday" at pre-school... See, poor little pumpkin turned 4 while we were in the states this summer... in the midst of her aunts wedding... & her birthday was kindda no big deal.... (birthdays are always HUGE...HUGE for us...) Well huge for everyone but Eva.... because her birthday is in August, we are almost always gone for her big day... There have been a lot of birthdays at school as of late. & Eva was feeling a little left out... so I talked to her teacher (the really nice one) & asked if we could bring a cake for Eva to pass out... sure no problemo..... My little tom-boy even asked if I would bake a Princess cake for her... (I think she was just trying to butter me up...) only condi

So I thought I would do something different today....something totally out of character... I was going to tell y'allwhat I am thankful for.... ** just a note... I have been planning on doing this post all week...& it wasn't brought on by someone implying that I might be a negative WHINER on my blog... who MOI? I was waiting for Thursday so i would have the whole TH--- thing working for me... TH ankful .. TH ursday .. you know? 1.) I am sooo THANKFUL for my wonderful & loving Husband & Children... (yes the ones I complain about making me CRAZY...) 2.) I am THANKFUL for the warm home I have...(yes, the one i bitch about having to clean all of the time...) 3. ) I am THANKFUL for my job...(the one, which sometimes i am sooo tired, I complain about having to get up.) 4.) I am THANKFUL for Bjørn's job...(although I complain about him traveling all of the time...) 5.) I am THANKFUL for the messes I have because the kids both have friends over...(It means they are s

Ok , so about last night.... I had a blind date... I didn't want to say anything in case I was stood up. We agreed to meet at the American womans meeting.... I have to admit, since I started blogging I kind of thought my first "encounter" would be with...Kelli from Mads & Kelli , actually, I was kinda saving myself. But due to the fact we live in different countries, & she is always off on some European roadtrip somewhere..& I am stuck at home balancing work & kids... we haven't made it happen.... Then last week I noticed a new "follower" (ya, I know it seems like I have been stuck at 73 FOREVER..hint,hint....) I checked out the blog & discovered Corrine from Northern Natterings .. she is a newbie to Norway... Maybe it was all of the years of watching my mother as president of of "The Welcome Wagon "... but I just felt like reaching out to the new girl... I took a chance & left her my email & phone number & then t

So of course while mommy was enjoying her girls night out...(more about that later....I had a blast) My baby boy was having his heart broken....sigh...& I wasn't home..... I made it home at about 2 am this morning... Bjorn's alarm went off at 5: oo ...I rolled over & asked how Dane's "Boy" Scouts went last night (here in Norway boys & girls do scouts together until they get to a certain age....) "Ugh...not good... Amalie broke up with Dane & he burned his hand in the fire...." Me..."Shit..." last night was the first meeting after Christmas... Dane was SOOOO excited to get back & see this little girl... my mother had sent him a Hannah Montana bag from the states to give her for Christmas.... I suggested he waited to see how it went, before he gave her the bag...(Thank you lord....) So this morning after he woke up, he crawled into bed with me & said "Mom, Amalie dumped me..." I asked what happened & said

Wooo Hooo ... Mommy is getting a night out...(yes, this mommy...) & better yet... it is a night out with a bunch of other American Mommys ..... y'all can't possibly understand how nice it is going to be to have a night with only ENGLISH.... & Americans.... (don't be hating on me, all you Norwegian mommy's out there who want to be my friend... your time will come...I just need a little taste of the USA... ) Wouldn't it totally suck if they were mean uptight women too? I mean, after my last social event not sure I can take much more! I am on my way out to hear a speaker with the American Women's club... at this point I could care less about the topic... the point is it will be with other ex pats... ( I have never been before... ¨'I am sounding like a huge ol ' dork now, I am aren't I) Oh well ... I think it is well deserved don't you? P.S. Grumpy mom hasn't said anything to me yet.... P.S.S. someone asked in my previous post, about No

Oh yes...I am at it AGAIN... showing the world just how bright & wonderful i am .... So we had this Christmas Party last night for Eva's pre -school.... um...can we just say UNORGANIZED? & I am NOT taking responsibility for the lame party because A. I don't do Christmas Tree Parties... B. I am not Norwegian... so I am off the hook... Basically at these parties all of the kids dance around the Christmas tree & then yell for Santa to bring some goodies.... When i arrived, I asked the other class mothers if they had any music... DUHHHHHHH ? Um, NO... no one had arranged anything... (well Grumpy, one of the mom's, did have a few CDs but no cd player....) Finally...my time to shine...to save the day.... I know the family across the street from where we were having the party... I ran over & asked them if I could borrow their CD player.... no problemo ... So we get the music going... is was a Norwegian Children's Christmas CD... so it should be all good righ

It is Jan 11 th & you are S...T...I....L...L going to Christmas parties! On the third month of Christmas my true love gave to me...... (please sing) Nothing ...because I am soooo #%"&##&%& over Christmas now! I kid you not ... The Christmas parties started in Oct. ...& are still going ... (I have a co worker who is going to one NEXT weekend.) I know we have, danced around the tree for the last time this season.... For all of y'all who actually stop by American in Norway, to read about life as an expat.... go check out _Paddy K_ Strange Shores #1 I received a mention...yea, how cool?! & also, there are sooo many cool expats out there, guarantee you can blow your entire evening reading about all the international adventures... (make sure you tell Paddy I sent ya OK?) Ooo & thanks for all of the feedback on the unwelcomed / opps , I mean uninvited house guests. I think it does have to do in large part, culture... I don't think I will g

Your opinion matters... I want you to be honest...seriously... I would even like all of the lurkers to comment..because I really..R E A L L Y want to know... is it Norwegian, American or just me? For 12 years Bjørn and I have had a disagreement... which I doubt we will E V E R... E V E R..agree on... The problem with being a multi-cultural family is this... anytime there is something you don't like... it is very EASY to say that something is VERY NORWEGIAN... or AMERICAN... but then again it could be just me.... There have been a lot of things I have disliked here(in Norway) which I have muttered under my breath ... "that is sooo Norwegian..." when in all actuality... it is just " soooo my husbands family...." (I am sure he thinks the same about Americans/my family....) OK the question is this..... What are your thoughts on people dropping in on you unexpected? Bjørn thinks it's KOSELIG ... (nice)... I think, its.... RUDE ... & it pisses me off.

Yes... today is a fun day... the day i PROMISED hubby I would put all of the Christmas decorations away... alone... because after all, I am the one that got them all out... ahem... So the first little surprise I should find is my Nutcracker.. Which I bought from the Hofbrau Haus in Munich, Germany When I was 19, backpacking through Europe.... Eva confessed & told me where she was hiding the missing limbs..... Sigh..... Surely it isn't something a little wood glue can't fix right.....? So as I continue packing all of my Christmas treasures away with TLC.... I move over to the nativity.... My nativity.... Which was started for me when Bjørn & I were married.... (very cool wedding gift idea BTW...) & what before my wondering eyes should appear but 3 broken items...... Holy Mary... Sigh...Not sure you can fix Crystal with wood glue... ? I know this is a discontin ued Nativity set... am I able to get them replaced? Well one attempt on google & YES... Yes I can.

Remember this whole Karma thing? Well now my Internet is D O W N... What have I done really? I am a pretty nice person...most of the time... first the broken tooth & now this... I am not going to be fun to live with this weekend.. my apologies to the family ahead of time.... So if I don't have Internet how am I posting? I am an Internet pirate... ARRRGHHHHH ... I am the one your mother warned you about... tapping into your line to BLOG... Seriously, not sure how long the connection will last... I am sitting in the laundry room trying to keep the connection... lets all say PATHETIC together... you know you are addicted when... So if I go M.I.A.... A G A I N ... you know why... it isn't because my life isn't extremely exciting (because it is...) or because I don't have anything witty to write... (because I do...) it is because Karma is a bi- otch & I am being punished for something....

It's Friday, It's Friday, Thank Goodness it's Friday!!! YIPPEE!I'm playing Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta Finish again this week .So after you're done here, go over there and check out who's playing thi s week!!! I am really missing my little sister this week... maybe it is because all of this Fashionista talk? I am also mising all of my little American girls.. ( my beautiful nieces...) I think baby sis might be missing her big sis, because today she posted pictures from her trip to see me... ali explains it all... another photo I took on our Norwegian road trip. a gorgeous...

Oh..please let me pretend to be a Fashionista just one more day.... What a FUN post... I loved how everyone was explaining what & why they wear.... ladies.. you could wrap yourself in S aran wrap ... i don't care.... I just don't want any "Hungry Butt" in my face.. mmmm K... I am pretty sure my fashionable little sister is rolling out of her chair as I PRETEND to know what i am talking about... Look up FRUMPY-" ISH " & you will probably find a goofy pic. of Moi... I just know what I THINK is W R O N G... (and that would be wearing grey sweat pants out of the house... anywho ...) In case y'all don't read through all of the comments when you post... I have to share a few of my favorites from yesterday.... #1. WheresMyAngels said... "I've got one of those never satisfied hungry asses. I'm always trying to pull food out of its mouth. It would eat and eat and eat, if I let it, til my cuffs are up to my thighs.Yep it sucks having a

Hey you, Hungry butt!!!! .... First thought that played through my mind as I stood behind the woman in the GREY SWEATPANTS in line at the post office..... Hungry Butt is what my little sister & her friends say when referring to what in my day, was called a WEDGIE ..... "Hungry Butt" just fit the large bottom , which was gobbling its underwear in front of me.... Ugh.... the sight of her butt was burning into my mind as I waited in the ridiculously SLOW line at the post office.... No longer able to stand the site... I put my boxes down... and did the neighborly thing.... I pulled her underwear out of her butt.... You should have seen the SHOCK & SURPRISE on her face ... Ummm , OK I didn't do that... I tapped her on her shoulder & in my best AMERICAN accent announced to her & the rest of the post office... that she had the picture perfect HUNGRY BUTT... cause it was gobbling everything in sight... K... I didn't do that either... I just stood