Wednesday, July 7, 2010



Last night was exhausting.
Late in the afternoon I could feel this horrible pain starting again at the top of my abdomen and in my back. And since I had experiences the excruciating pain before I knew immediately that it was another gallbladder attack. Yep, you read it. Another! See, I had one a couple of weeks ago that landed me in the ER in a matter of minutes. Docs released me later that same night and put me on waiting list for a gallbladder removal (surgery).
Well, back to last night...I took some pain meds and hoped it would go away without me needing to go to the ER. Well...it didn´t. It just kept getting worse and worse until Hjörtur finally told me that I would either go with him in the car to the ER or he would call an ambulance. I agreed on driving there ourselves. Hey, guys. I have an ancient Ex who drives the ambulance and I DO NOT want him picking me up when I´m crying and vomiting from pain.

While I was getting dressed and ready to go we heard horrible screams coming from out in the street. Katla (5) had fallen of her bike and straight onto her face. She started swelling immediately and was obviously in a lot of pain. We rushed her into the car and headed for the ER. You can imagine the surprise of the nurses when they saw us both coming in but for completely different reasons. I just told them that we just thought it was more economical to do it all at once ;-)

Katla was sent right off for a CT scan of her head to rule out bleeding and/ or swelling of the brain. I stayed behind while the docs did some bloodwork on me and gave me morphine to manage the pain. I HATED not being able to go with her, but was very glad that at least her dad was there. I know that he´s just as good as I am but still it broke my heart.

This is what she looked like this morning, and the swelling is still getting worse.

P.S We´re still 3rd in the Radisson competition. Please keep on voting http://bit.ly/5elves Your help is amazing!




Monday, July 5, 2010

As many of you may have noticed I am competing in the most awesome competition to win 365 hotel nights with Radisson Blu, to be spent over a 5 year period anywhere in the world. Out of more than 7000 participants, I am currently in 3rd. place!!! http://bit.ly/5elves

How cool would it be, if we could take our 5 little elves on an awe inspiring road trip to cities such as Paris, Vienna and Rome? Cities, we can hardly dream of paying for 2 hotel rooms in.

Our most amazing friends and supporters have joined our Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113602562018685&v=wall&ref=ts. Maybe you´d like to do that too?

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

To the end of the world

There aren´t many countries in the world I wouldn´t like to visit. I don´t recall ever having read, seen or been told something about a country that didn´t in some way intrigue m. Fact is, I LOVE traveling. Seriously, I do! I know I´m not alone, and that most people love going on holidays but I also know that many people love coming back and get all warm and fuzzy at the thought of "finally" sleeping in their own bed again.

That´s my point! I never get tired of traveling. I never reach the point of: "O.k. now, it´s been great but I´d love to be AT HOME again." Home is where your heart is, which in my case is with my children and husband. So as long as I´ve got them all with me, I´m "AT HOME".

We´ve been extremely lucky and have been able to travel pretty extensively with our children, considering that 4 of them were born while we were still both in school. One of the greatest trips so far was a European road trip. We drove from Denmark through Germany to the Czech Republic, where we stayed for a few days in the beautiful city of Prague. Therefrom through Austria and Slovenia to Zagreb, Croatia, where we stayed for a few nights before we drove all the way down the gorgeous coastline of Croatia, staying in Senj, Split and my favorite eastern European city, Dubrovnik. From there on we continued into Bosnia and onwards to Hungary where we spent amazing days with friends at Lake Balaton and in Budapest before heading back to Denmark.

Our family has grown by two since then, but, oh, how I wish we could go on a road trip to France and Italy for instance, and that is why we signed up for the "Greatest Holiday in the World" http://www.greatestholiday.radissonblu.com/inga-ros-antoniusdottir/862003/

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The Neverending Story

Twice in the past two days have I been asked whether we will have more children, and once actually been told that we indeed will have more children, despite my negative answer. Why exactly is it that people somehow seem to believe they have a say in how many children other people have?
I have friends who have no children, either by choice or not. The reason shouldn´t matter though. It´s none of your business!!!

As a mother of 5 children I think I´ve heard just about every response there is when I told people about my pregnancies.

I was 15 when I got pregnant for the 1st time and 16 when I had my son. Granted, friends and family thought it was too soon, but most were supportive. However, a few people offered me and my mother their condolences. What? This is my baby, my mothers first grandchild and you´re telling us you´re sorry in the same way you do when a life is lost?

Second time I was pregnant, I was 18. Still happy with my first baby´s father (and still am 16 years later). We were both in school, living on our own, hubby (boyfriend at that time) working and we were doing pretty well. Very committed to each other and our children. People´s response: "Why make the same mistake twice?"- Wow, just wow!

Third time was a charm, probably the only time a pregnancy didn´t spark strange or rude comments of some sort. I was 24, still studying, hubby was studying and working, we owned a house and people who knew we wanted more children felt THIS was the right time.

Fourth pregnancy- that´s when the fun started for real. Comments and questions such as " You guys know about condoms, right? - Are you going to keep on going forever? - Trying for a soccer team?" started rolling in. A friend of mine, also with 4 children had experienced the same.

Fifth pregnancy - Go figure!

Now, that we have these 5 children, the same people keep asking about a 6th!!!

I should add, that these were not our close friends or family. All of them were very supportive, loving and wonderful.

So, why is it exactly that virtual strangers feel they´re entitled to voice their opinion on other people´s childbearing?

If you are someone who keeps telling childless couples to have a baby, parents with an only child to give their child a sibling, or someone with many children to start using contraceptives THINK BEFORE YOU TALK.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Saying hello to summer





There´s not much to say about these photos, and I´m not feeling very well, so here goes, without explanation.




Pouty face, but still so cute ;-)

Planting strawberry plants

Katla picked straws and took them home to keep in a vase.

365 nights!

My plans for July 24th? To win this competition http://bit.ly/a2AbeP and take my family on one hell of a road trip :)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Cha, cha, cha, changes

Count me in as someone who usually loves change! Change of scenery, change of pace...
This summer? - Marks a lot of change in our household.

After having worked almost full time + been a full time university student I am now looking forward to 8 weeks vacation. I don´t think I have ever been as exhausted in my life as I was last month. Last winter was tough, in many ways, and I was glad to see it over. Unfortunately, living on this island under the North Pole means summers are short and winter will be here again in the blink of an eye. That is why I´m going to enjoy every day of summer we have and immerse myself in the hot, burning, spanish sun we will be seeing come July. I need the sun soooo badly!

But back to changes...Jökull (2) has just changed day care centers. He loved the old place and his friends there are therefore my heart was quite heavy when we made him change, for our convenience. You see, it only takes two minutes to walk to the new place while it took 10 min. to drive to the old place. AND the the new place is where Katla (5) goes too and in the same building where Hrafnhildur (8) and Saga (13) go to school. What parent in their right mind wouldn´t want all their children to be in one place, right? RIGHT?
His first day at the new school was tough. He was trying so hard to be a big boy and so he sat on the floor with tears in his eyes (without crying though) and not even wanting to make eye contact with the grown-ups there. That made for a pretty good mommy guilt-trip.
But guess what? My kiddos deal with change pretty well too, thank you very much. On day 2 he kissed me bye-bye and ran off to play with his new found friends.

His big sister (Katla, 5) wasn´t quite as happy though. Although she was looking forward to going to pre-school, she had been waiting for her baby brother to come to her school so she could take care of him and help him around.

The biggest school change of them all belongs to Antonius (15). My firstborn graduated from elementary school and will be off to high school/college in the fall. Now, how can that be when I´m only 25? Lol. It seems like such a short time ago that I was 16 and new in high school and pregnant with him. So short, yet so much has changed.

This summer, both Saga and Antonius have jobs. My kids are both working while I get to enjoy the summer on my patio. Now that´s nice, for a change!




Saturday, June 12, 2010

I´m back - for now!

I started this rainy saturday morning by going for my daily blog "walk". A new post from the amazing Jenny at www.charitymom.blogspot.com got me thinking and revived my interest in blogging. What better way to start a new blog era than by listing 100 things that make me happy?
So here goes, in no particular order:

1. My childrens laughter
2. Singing
3.Sitting on my patio with sushi and a glass of wine
4.Kissing my hubby
5.Walking through Copenhagen
6.Roadtrips
7.My best friend
8.Dark chocolate
9.Massages
10.Spending time with old friends
11.Watching my children perform
12.My 107 year old piano
13.Fresh flowers
14.Tapas in Spain
15.Sitting in front of fireplace with hubby
16. Heart shaped pendant my mother gave me (last gift I got from her before she died)
17.Newborns
18.Disneyworld
19.Rock concerts
20.Walking through old cemeteries (I even got engaged in one)
21.Flowers in my garden
22.Pineapple on a stick in Xi´Shuan Ban Na (China)
23.Hot chocolate at Christmas
24.Watching hubby play with kids
25.Stroll on the beach
26.Remembering my mom
27.Weddings
28.Spending time with my siblings
29.My youngest adoration for his granddad (my dad)
30.Sevilla
31.Birthdays (another year to celebrate)
32.My students
33.Chocolate dipped strawberries
34.Candlelight
35.High heels
36.Daydreaming
37.My neighbors
38.Handmade cards
39.My 5 year olds toothless grin
40.Icelandic water
41.It´s a small world
42.Debating politics with my 15 year old
43.Quiet time with a glossy magazine
44.Squirrels
45.Children playing in our garden
46.My 2 year olds chubby toes
47.Mickey Mouse magnets on the fridge
48.Hubby´s enthusiasm and happiness after hiking a mountain
49.Text message from 8 yr old saying: "I love you"
50.How happy my dad is with his new partner
51.Northern Lights
52.Memories from Kuwait
53.Hearing oldest daughter (Saga) learn to play the guitar by herself
54.Girls trip only to NYC
55.Writing this list
56.Summer dresses
57.Eyeore
58.My grandparents
59.Painted toenails in open shoes
60.Hotel California
61."Reading" through Atlas with hubby and discussing where to go
62.Long, hot showers
63.Alone time with each of my children
64.Picking fruit from trees
65.Build A Bear
66.Piccadilly Circus, London
67. Beer with friends at Austurvöllur
68.Musicals
69.Baby kicks in utero
70.Being and aunt
71.Sleeping in
72.Santa Claus
73.Dinner for two with hubby
74.Ladybugs
75.Singing Carmina Burana with my choir
76.Street musicians
77.Sloppy kisses from toddlers
78.Waterparks
79.Sunflowers
80.Fruit markets
81.Gay Pride festivals
82.A sleeping dog
83.When hubby thanks me for our children
84.Spontaneity
85. Seeing Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig live on Broadway with girlfriends
86.Lollipops
87.Benches in Central Park
88.A silent house late at night
89.Love letters
90.Rainbows
91.U2
92.Seeing old couples holding hands
93.Fantasmic
94.Skyr with cream and blueberries
95.Adoption blogs
96.My rocking chair
97.Pretty sunsets
98.Being read to
99.Singing children
100.When hubby and I finish each others sentences :)

I´d love to read about the 100 things that make you happy :)