Buy the course at a discounted price of $30 by following this link: https://www.udemy.com/danish-for-beginners/?couponCode=youtubefest
My goal with the course is for you to learn real Danish and be able to use it when you are done!
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Danish for Beginners
Want to learn Danish but don't know where to start?
Buy the course at a discounted price of $30 by following this link: https://www.udemy.com/danish-for-beginners/?couponCode=youtubefest
The course consists of video lectures, with supplementary materials that reinforce the concepts you have learned. It addresses all the basics in language learning and will not only give you a large vocabulary, but also provide you with the tools you need to understand and articulate basic conversational Danish, while feeling confident in your grammar and pronunciation.
My goal with the course is for you to learn real Danish and be able to use it when you are done!
Buy the course at a discounted price of $30 by following this link: https://www.udemy.com/danish-for-beginners/?couponCode=youtubefest
My goal with the course is for you to learn real Danish and be able to use it when you are done!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Cruise baby!
Growing up with Loveboat on reruns I had a certain idea of what a cruise was like. Boy was I wrong! Haha...
When looking for a honeymoon Binni and I looked at a few cruises. We ended up going in a different direction (Croatia) but haven't been able to let go of the idea of a cruise so 4 years later we decided to go on one. And it definitely wasn't the last cruise we will go on.
Our ship the Carnival Magic
Just boarded and Markus and Binni are on their way to our room.
It didn't take long for Markus to learn how the 24 hour Ice-cream and Pizza worked
First night Markus started dancing. He won a dance competition and didn't stop dancing until the boat was back in Texas... He made his mamma proud!
A few days later this happened during dinner and the rest of the cruise Markus referred to dinner time as: "ned og danse med piger" (go dancing with girls) time! His daddy was so proud!
First stop: Jamaica!
Beautiful beaches, best chicken ever and nice, friendly, fun people!
Markus had a blast on the beach!
The ship had great food every evening and I didn't have to cook, so I had time to do my hair! :)
Second stop: Cayman Islands
The turtle farm was AMAZING!
We all got to handle the turtles and even swim with them!
Just see how much Markus loved it!
Third stop: Mexico
The Temple ruins of Tulum. Even though a review on trip advisor said that "the ruins had seen better days" (really, they are ruins) we thought they were AMAZING!
And how convenient that the temple was located right on the most beautiful beach we have ever seen!
Even though eating out every night was great. We all enjoyed some free room service as well. Put on a movie and a pretty easy sell for Markus to stay in bed.
Friday, April 19, 2013
My son bites, he is NOT a biter.
I know that my blog normally has a much lighter tone, but this is something that is on my mind and it was either writhing it here for the whole world to read (because my blog is THAT famous), or in my journal. But since the computer was closer then my journal you get to hear my thoughts.
It is really hard being the mom of a kid that bites. It is not something that is generally talked about or proudly announced by other moms. It is embarrassing, hurtful and frustrating for the parent and in most cases also for the child that bites. And unless you have a really good network of other parents that are open to talking about and understanding this behavior, you can easily feel like your kid is the only one in the world that has this problem.
But he isn't! Biting in toddlers is actually extremely normal. But for some reason parents tend to look with more horror on a child that bites then a child that hits or kicks. Although the actual "damage" is virtually the same (gone after a couple of hugs and kisses).
To be fair, I completely understand the reaction from parents that have kids that are bitten. Especially if biting is an unknown phenomena to them. If my son had never bitten I really don't know how I would feel if he was bit by another kid. In a civilized world it seems wild and barbaric. I completely understand that. But my son just happens to occasionally bite and that forces me to look at it in a different light.
The truth of the matter is, if you haven't yourself had a child that bit, you simply can't understand.
I have read countless of books, articles and blogs about toddler biting. Some really helpful and enlightening and some not so much... it amazes me the comments that some parents have. As if there somehow must be something wrong with your child or that if your child bites it can only be because you, as their parent, simply is too lazy or uncommitted to fix it!
In my opinion part of the problem is unfamiliarity with the issue and under education, even self education. I think most parents can agree that you should never treat a child as bad but rather the action as bad. So why is it that this notion seems to go out the window when some monster child bites your baby. I guess it is our protective gene as parents that kick in. Again a reaction I can relate to perfectly.
So why do kids bite?
There are many theories. My son started biting right after we made a move to another country and left behind everything and everyone he knew and loved. It was a way for him to vent his frustration. Very understandable for a 20 month old.
But why he still bites I can only guess at. Keep in mind he is 2, there is no easy way to ask a toddler why they do the things they do. But one very common theory is insufficient communication skills. Even though he speaks 3 languages and is doing remarkably well at separating them it must be confusing at times to get the right words out at just the right time, especially when you are under pressure. In any case, research shows that biting in toddlers is a normal way to react when his or her communication skills just aren't sufficient to explain how they feel. And biting usually does a really good job at explaining that "this is my toy, I was playing with it and I feel bad inside when you come and take it away from me", or "I don't like what you are doing to me, please stop it".
When there is an episode I can get really upset, especially when it hasn't happened in a while. My husband is really good at talking me down though, and helping me feel that it is something that will pass with time. We can choose to either get really upset and make a BIG deal about it or try our best to deal with it in a calm way. Which is true. Not many people go to collage biting their classmates (and if they do it is usually by choice of some vampire lifestyle...).
Like I stated in the beginning, it is hard being a mom to a kid that bites, and I don't know what I would do without understanding women around me.
All this being said, my son is awesome! There is no other kid on the planet that I would rather have then him. He is energetic, silly, happy and so loving. He does puzzles sings and dances. And he happens to snap at other kids when he feels threatened. We all have our talents and challenges, some are just more easily noticed then others.
So please, if your kid is bitten. Step back and consider the whole picture. Showing concern and understanding for the biter (and his/her parent) is not the same as condoling the behavior.
The action is bad, not the kid and EVERY parent of a kid that bites knows that biting isn't ok.
It is really hard being the mom of a kid that bites. It is not something that is generally talked about or proudly announced by other moms. It is embarrassing, hurtful and frustrating for the parent and in most cases also for the child that bites. And unless you have a really good network of other parents that are open to talking about and understanding this behavior, you can easily feel like your kid is the only one in the world that has this problem.
But he isn't! Biting in toddlers is actually extremely normal. But for some reason parents tend to look with more horror on a child that bites then a child that hits or kicks. Although the actual "damage" is virtually the same (gone after a couple of hugs and kisses).
Also, even though it is just wording the label "biter" really rubs me the wrong way. If your son's soccer team lost a few games in a row would you call him a looser? No! I think giving a kid a label like that only adds to the misunderstanding of the whole issue and labels the kid as bad instead of the action being bad.
To be fair, I completely understand the reaction from parents that have kids that are bitten. Especially if biting is an unknown phenomena to them. If my son had never bitten I really don't know how I would feel if he was bit by another kid. In a civilized world it seems wild and barbaric. I completely understand that. But my son just happens to occasionally bite and that forces me to look at it in a different light.
The truth of the matter is, if you haven't yourself had a child that bit, you simply can't understand.
I have read countless of books, articles and blogs about toddler biting. Some really helpful and enlightening and some not so much... it amazes me the comments that some parents have. As if there somehow must be something wrong with your child or that if your child bites it can only be because you, as their parent, simply is too lazy or uncommitted to fix it!
In my opinion part of the problem is unfamiliarity with the issue and under education, even self education. I think most parents can agree that you should never treat a child as bad but rather the action as bad. So why is it that this notion seems to go out the window when some monster child bites your baby. I guess it is our protective gene as parents that kick in. Again a reaction I can relate to perfectly.
So why do kids bite?
There are many theories. My son started biting right after we made a move to another country and left behind everything and everyone he knew and loved. It was a way for him to vent his frustration. Very understandable for a 20 month old.
But why he still bites I can only guess at. Keep in mind he is 2, there is no easy way to ask a toddler why they do the things they do. But one very common theory is insufficient communication skills. Even though he speaks 3 languages and is doing remarkably well at separating them it must be confusing at times to get the right words out at just the right time, especially when you are under pressure. In any case, research shows that biting in toddlers is a normal way to react when his or her communication skills just aren't sufficient to explain how they feel. And biting usually does a really good job at explaining that "this is my toy, I was playing with it and I feel bad inside when you come and take it away from me", or "I don't like what you are doing to me, please stop it".
When there is an episode I can get really upset, especially when it hasn't happened in a while. My husband is really good at talking me down though, and helping me feel that it is something that will pass with time. We can choose to either get really upset and make a BIG deal about it or try our best to deal with it in a calm way. Which is true. Not many people go to collage biting their classmates (and if they do it is usually by choice of some vampire lifestyle...).
Like I stated in the beginning, it is hard being a mom to a kid that bites, and I don't know what I would do without understanding women around me.
All this being said, my son is awesome! There is no other kid on the planet that I would rather have then him. He is energetic, silly, happy and so loving. He does puzzles sings and dances. And he happens to snap at other kids when he feels threatened. We all have our talents and challenges, some are just more easily noticed then others.
So please, if your kid is bitten. Step back and consider the whole picture. Showing concern and understanding for the biter (and his/her parent) is not the same as condoling the behavior.
The action is bad, not the kid and EVERY parent of a kid that bites knows that biting isn't ok.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Valentines Day
We don't really
celebrate Valentines Day in Denmark or Iceland. We know what it is, but don't
really do anything special about it. So when yesterday rolled around I we
didn't really have anything special planned. And didn't know that you were
suppose to have little "valentines" to pass out on the playground. We
will know that for next year. ;)
However, Markus still
got a few. One that especially made his day was a little glow stick. He thought
it was cool when he first saw it but then when he accidentally cracked it and
it started glowing it was even cooler. :) We then went into Binni's and my
wardrobe, closed the door behind us and Markus made a light show...
Therefore Markus and me
decided to have a little valentines party of our own. We had some melting
chocolate, some fruits, pretzels, cheerios and so forth. And we had a party.
And here is the result
for the parents...
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYBODY!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Life in Texas is just life
I keep meaning to update my blog with all the new things we do but first of all, we don't really do that many new things all the time. Binni goes to school, does homework and spends as much time as he can afford playing with Markus and me in the evenings. As for Markus and me, a usual day consists of getting up at around 7:30 or 8, drinking milk (Markus), and getting dressed. At 9:00 we watch Super Why and Dinosaur Train on TV while we eat breakfast. Then at 10:00 we go to the park. Home again for lunch at 11:30 and then nap (Markus) from 12-14:30/15:00. At 15:00 we have snack time and usually go out somewhere to a friends house or the grocery store or somewhere else exciting. Then at 18 we have dinner and at 19 Markus goes down for the night. If Binni is home yet at this point he then usually studies for another 4-7 hours and I do the housework and watch a show or something. And that is how most of our days are. Of course not all days are exactly like that but you get the drift. So life in Texas is just life. Not that much more exciting then life was in Iceland or Denmark for that matter although the weather here tops both of those places... Right now for example. It is 13:20, Markus is sleeping and I am sitting outside, by the pool, in shorts and a T-shirt. It is November 20th and it is freaking 27c !!! That is beyond amazing!
Second of all (I think I started this long paragraph with first of all) I just don't get around to it. So now I have made up my mind not to try and catch up on all the things I wanted to have put on here but just post stuff as I get it done. So here comes a really cute video of what Markus does when he finds a Qtip:
Here is also a picture of Markus after him and I decided to wash the car one afternoon a few weeks ago:
To end this post let me just tell you how excited I am for Thanksgiving on Thursday! My first real Thanksgiving with a real American family in America! Haha. So many people have been so sweet to have invited us over to spend Thanksgiving with them and we are so grateful! But we are going over to our friends Cara and Mike and their little baby girl Liby! Markus is excited too because they have a little dog who he plays with all the time. All in all it is going to be a really great day! So excited! :)
Second of all (I think I started this long paragraph with first of all) I just don't get around to it. So now I have made up my mind not to try and catch up on all the things I wanted to have put on here but just post stuff as I get it done. So here comes a really cute video of what Markus does when he finds a Qtip:
Here is also a picture of Markus after him and I decided to wash the car one afternoon a few weeks ago:
And here is a picture of what a normal Sunday during church looks like:
And here are just two pictures of the family having cozy times!
To end this post let me just tell you how excited I am for Thanksgiving on Thursday! My first real Thanksgiving with a real American family in America! Haha. So many people have been so sweet to have invited us over to spend Thanksgiving with them and we are so grateful! But we are going over to our friends Cara and Mike and their little baby girl Liby! Markus is excited too because they have a little dog who he plays with all the time. All in all it is going to be a really great day! So excited! :)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Zombie epidemics start early and other important things regarding life in Texas
So I know my blog is extremely overdue for an update so just for those of you who don't know here are the basics of what has happened over the last couple of months:
- Sold everything we own except what could fit into 9 suitcases
- Jumped on a plane to Austin Texas, USA
- Currently living at my cousins house while looking for a place to live for the next 5 years while my husband goes to UT.
- Still have the most amazing little boy in the whole world. Still madly in love with my husband and I still love the color pink about 200% more then any other color.
All in all the move has gone great! The flights were so easy. We made all of them and Markús did so good. As soon as we arrived Binni pretty much started school and all of our post immigration paperwork right away and is going strong. He is like a machine! - "Love you Binni"
I on the other hand feel a little stuck in Limbo. I'm not on vacation but I'm not home either, I don't even have a home. It is a bit of a strange feeling.
The first 2 weeks I spent most of my time tending to Markús, who as I said earlier handled the whole actual move so amazingly!!! After we arrived, however, he seemed a bit off, a lot more whiny, and confused and frustrated then normally and he started biting. So after a few days of this I tried simply decided to try my hardest to keep him on his usual nap schedule, let him play with his own toys and not take more then one outing a day. And it helped a lot! He is doing much better, he is happier and calmer but he still bites... Less then two weeks ago, but he still does it.
He doesn't bite to be mean or when he is angry or to get his way. Most of the time he bites when he is happy or bored. And I am not exactly sure what to do about it. Yes, kids do that and he is teething and all that. I know it is normal enough, but today we were at our first playdate, and it was SO MUCH FUN! There were like 10 mommies there and more kids then adults and most of them right around Markús's age. How wonderful. And Markús was having a great time. BUT... At one point him and this other little girl were playing in the other sitting room, running back and forth and jumping up and down couches. And then all of a sudden she releases an earthshattering scream and starts crying uncontrollably and my Markús had taken a huge bite into her arm, deep teeth marks and all... So we rush over there and calm them down and no one is bleeding or anything. The other mom was really nice about it and that was really nice but still.... Does anybody have any good advise for how to teach your 19 month old that biting other people is bad??? If you do I am all ears.
All in all though, I think I could really get settled nicely here in Texas. The weather is great, the people are really nice and as soon as I get something more routine to do and people to do it with I am sure that my butt will get out of limbo in no time... :) (But if you have any suggestions for what to do I am also very open for ideas there) ;)
Important American things I have done/seen so far:
- Gone to the Cheesecake Factory
- Gone to 5 Guys
- Had Texas style BBQ (a few times) ;) (already gained about 3 lb)
- Gone to the UT campus
- Gone to the Texas Ranger museum in Waco
- Turned right on a red light
- Gone to Walmart!
- Seen my dear mission President and sister Haines
- Had a pedicure
Have a great day everybody!
And to all my Icelandic and Danish friends, I miss you!
- Sold everything we own except what could fit into 9 suitcases
- Jumped on a plane to Austin Texas, USA
- Currently living at my cousins house while looking for a place to live for the next 5 years while my husband goes to UT.
- Still have the most amazing little boy in the whole world. Still madly in love with my husband and I still love the color pink about 200% more then any other color.
All in all the move has gone great! The flights were so easy. We made all of them and Markús did so good. As soon as we arrived Binni pretty much started school and all of our post immigration paperwork right away and is going strong. He is like a machine! - "Love you Binni"
I on the other hand feel a little stuck in Limbo. I'm not on vacation but I'm not home either, I don't even have a home. It is a bit of a strange feeling.
The first 2 weeks I spent most of my time tending to Markús, who as I said earlier handled the whole actual move so amazingly!!! After we arrived, however, he seemed a bit off, a lot more whiny, and confused and frustrated then normally and he started biting. So after a few days of this I tried simply decided to try my hardest to keep him on his usual nap schedule, let him play with his own toys and not take more then one outing a day. And it helped a lot! He is doing much better, he is happier and calmer but he still bites... Less then two weeks ago, but he still does it.
He doesn't bite to be mean or when he is angry or to get his way. Most of the time he bites when he is happy or bored. And I am not exactly sure what to do about it. Yes, kids do that and he is teething and all that. I know it is normal enough, but today we were at our first playdate, and it was SO MUCH FUN! There were like 10 mommies there and more kids then adults and most of them right around Markús's age. How wonderful. And Markús was having a great time. BUT... At one point him and this other little girl were playing in the other sitting room, running back and forth and jumping up and down couches. And then all of a sudden she releases an earthshattering scream and starts crying uncontrollably and my Markús had taken a huge bite into her arm, deep teeth marks and all... So we rush over there and calm them down and no one is bleeding or anything. The other mom was really nice about it and that was really nice but still.... Does anybody have any good advise for how to teach your 19 month old that biting other people is bad??? If you do I am all ears.
All in all though, I think I could really get settled nicely here in Texas. The weather is great, the people are really nice and as soon as I get something more routine to do and people to do it with I am sure that my butt will get out of limbo in no time... :) (But if you have any suggestions for what to do I am also very open for ideas there) ;)
Important American things I have done/seen so far:
- Gone to the Cheesecake Factory
- Gone to 5 Guys
- Had Texas style BBQ (a few times) ;) (already gained about 3 lb)
- Gone to the UT campus
- Gone to the Texas Ranger museum in Waco
- Turned right on a red light
- Gone to Walmart!
- Seen my dear mission President and sister Haines
- Had a pedicure
Have a great day everybody!
And to all my Icelandic and Danish friends, I miss you!
Friday, June 15, 2012
A little bit of everything wonderful and amazing!
It has been quite a while since I last posted on my blog and since my little one does something cute and amazing pretty much every day I now have a little collection of videos I have to post to catch up.
Here he is:
Binni called me from the other end of the apartment and as I walked closer I heard this hysterical laughter coming form both of my men. And this is what I found when I got all the way into the bathroom:
A few days ago I was sitting on the computer while talking to my mother-in-law on the phone and all of a sudden I hear this immense laughter from my son. He (who up until this point has been very afraid of the vacuum cleaner) had faced his fears and discovered just how much fun a vacuum cleaner can be:
Stripping down Sunday after church is always fun! Especially when you can throw around your clothes on everyone!
Following in his dad's footsteps:
What can I say, he likes to cook (and eat):
And just the last one that made his mother proud!
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