Not exactly a stellar job

We're sick again.

A's cough just never let up, and finally we brought him to the clinic, and they gave him antibiotics...so now his cough and runny/stuffy nose are getting better, but he's got the runs. Yikes.

I went back yesterday and the doc gave me some antispasmodic/probiotic stuff for him, so hopefully that'll help the little guy. I don't know WHY he didn't give it to us in the first place, especially since T asked for it specifically when they were there! Hm.

Baby G has a cough and a runny nose, too, which is doubly difficult since she has rejected me as a source of nourishment. If she was still nursing with any regularity she would be getting my antibodies, and would maybe get better faster!

...then again, I'm not feeling so hot myself, so apparently my antibodies are lazy and/or weak anyway - maybe she doesn't want 'em. Our immune systems really aren't doing a very good job these days.

I actually cancelled the cleaning ladies today, yes we have cleaning ladies thank goodness, b/c I didn't have the energy to get the apartment tidied up before they came. If I don't tidy up there are no surfaces to clean...! Also I like to get out of their way while they're here - and I honestly couldn't bear the thought of making myself presentable and going out. I might later, but not this morning...

On the upside, the cleaning ladies could come on Monday instead, which is actually better since the in-laws are coming to visit that day, and staying for a week.

Silly me, to almost feel thankful for germs! Scratch that - I mean: Good on me, for finding the silver lining! (Yup that sounds much better!)

Hee hee...

I bought A some new sweatpants a couple of weeks ago, and the logo stumped me. I just couldn't get what they were trying to tell me. In the end I let it go, and figured it would come to me in time. Sometimes I come by things easier if they sneak up on me when I'm not looking, so to speak.

This one took me a while, I have to admit.

Got it yet?

~~~

"Product of"?

I bet you're either smiling or rolling your eyes right now....or maybe both?

Didn't quite believe me, did you?

Well, I'm about to prove it. Please note that the following blog post contains disturbing and graphic images...

You know how I said T is completely lacking the remotest resemblance of a housekeeping gene? (I mean, even more than I am?) Well, yesterday I left the house after dinner, and before the kiddies' bedtime. The Norwegian Seamen's Church (which I really want to call Sailor's Church, can I? Please?!) had a sort of unofficial grand opening here in Okpo, with a little seminar on expat living. I went, and it was really good! I was glad I'd gone...but when I got home, what was waiting for me?? This:

da-da-da-daaaaaaa! (=ominous music)

I should have offered a big fat prize to anyone able to find room to set down a glass, on any surface but the floor...

In his defense, he had had a hard time putting the youngest to bed, she's been fussy in the evenings. And he DID apologize to me for not having cleaned up! So at least he knew. And another thing: did I clean up? Nope. I left it for this morning, as you can see by the daylight outside, after some half-hysterical giggles and a lot of eye-rolling and head-shaking.

But then, it was ten thirty in the evening. Time for bed...

Usually I stay up until around midnight, but not last night...I ran away and hid under the covers!

It looks much better now. Not 100%, but still. Good enough for me to sit down with a cup of coffee and write about it. I mean, how often is my place so messy that I actually feel the need to take a picture of it?

Wait -- I don't want to answer that...

(PS: We live in a furnished apartment, I take no responsibility for the decorating style; walls, floors, kitchen and furniture included.)

My next wedding cake

I love this! I'm not sure I would have had the heart to eat it, though.

If hubby and I ever renew our vows, I have to get this cake. It is just too cool. I wouldn't even care if it tasted good...! I'd just want pictures of it from every angle, haha...

A peaceful Saturday morning.

We all like those!

Hubby works Saturdays, half days, while we're here in Korea. Of course once he's at the shipyard it takes very little for a half day to look more like a whole day. So we spend Saturdays waiting in suspense to see when he'll be back...

Sometimes we call him and ask, but where's the fun in that???

Baby G is having her first nap, I just fed her some banana for the first time so I'm expecting either sunshine and lollipops for the rest of the day, or wailing and gas and maybe even explosive diarrhoea...we'll see. Always exciting. Aaaah, the joys of motherhood! Still, since I have two young'uns, you can tell that the good outweighs the bad, right? It does, trust me.

Still, I REALLY wish babies were born with the ability to help out around the house. Or at least with the ability to NOT make a mess???

Of course if I was married to a man who didn't live in the fifties things would be a lot easier. I can say a million good things about hubby, but "He's good about helping out around the house" has never come out of my mouth. I think I would choke to death laughing (or crying?) if I tried to get that great big whopping lie through my lips! Seriously, if I put the trash bag by the door, so he can't avoid seeing it on his way out, he will actually move it out of the way to get out the door. It's not that he doesn't want to help out (I think), but he is physically unable to identify the following:

1. trash bags by the door

2. dirty dishes, no matter where they are

3. objects that don't belong where they are/that need to be put away

4. laundry not in the hamper

5. work papers not at work (strewn about the apartment, like that's where we want them??)

- you get the idea. He never tells me no, either, when I ask him to do something - but nine times out of ten he forgets before he does it. *Siiiiiiigh...* I guess I'll have to accept that he is the breadwinner, not the breadbaker, around here. So much for women's lib. But this is also the reason that I've requested to reduce my hours when I go back to work in November...

Also, I'm already grooming A to start helping out...he's not bad, not yet, but he hasn't understood that it is actually "work"...once he gets that, I'm going to have to start bribing him with an allowance probably...good thing he won't know the value of money (for the first few months anyway - he's a smart kid, he catches on pretty quickly).

He's watching Playhouse Disney on the TV just now. Like I said, a peaceful Saturday morning. So far...

I should really be tidying up. I'll just finish my coffee first...

Speaks for itself...

Things like this make my day!!! Koreans are nuts, lmbo!!!

(I know I posted this pic further down but it bore repeating, heheh.)

Language issues

Do you know what really bugs me? That the "toolbar" at the top of my blogger page is in Korean.

I didn't write www.blogger.co.kr

I wrote www.blogger.COM!

Yes I am apparently the type of expat who lives in a foreign country for years without learning the language...but what would I have done with A while I was in class? And now that we're moving back home in a few months I feel like the window of opportunity is closing. I would have LOVED to have learned Korean, more than a few select polite-isms, but it hasn't worked out that way, unfortunately. And I will probably always regret it. I KNOW I'll always be ashamed of it.

But in my defense, at least I don't expect everyone here in Korea to speak English. A lot of my expat companions are downright irritated at the language barriers they encounter. I try to tell them gently that "Um, excuse me, but you've moved to Okpo; not London, or New York..." It's arrogant and wrong to expect everyone to speak English. (Imho.) The funniest/saddest part is that these are often the same people who get all huffy about foreigners coming to THEIR country and refusing to learn THEIR language.

Perspective is an elusive thing sometimes. Trying on someone else's shoes can be really good for you once in a while.

(Just be careful you don't get athlete's foot!)

Hey, check me out!

I am being pretty domestic today after all - for one, I've baked Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Well -- OK, they were pre-made, frozen, ready-to-bake by Otis Spunkmeyer, but I heated up the oven, put them in, turned on the timer, and took them out again when they were done...and I ate a couple, too...mmmmm-mmmm-yum!

Alright that kinda was cheating, trying to take credit for Mr. Spunkmeyer's work.

But now I'm making Chicken Spaghetti for dinner!!!

Okay, okay, it's just about the easiest dinner you could make, but still, it counts!

I even remembered to do that laundry I mentioned. I even hung it up to dry before it was half-dried in the machine...AND I threw the doormats in the wash too before I called it quits!

Needless to say I am feeling very housewife-y today, although A did have a friend over earlier and they did make quite a mess...sigh...nevermind! I'm not letting that retract from my feelings of domestic bliss.

So what have you done today?

Snow day! & other small talk

Well here we are, in Okpo, South Korea, and today is a snow day! I'm as surprised as anyone...especially since it seemed to everyone that spring was coming on full speed. So A is on the couch eating Cheerios and raisins watching "Cars" - baby G is having nap #1 - and I am contemplating having coffee #2.

Oh and before I forget, I'll do the housewife-ly thing and go put on a load of laundry...

///






So this is what snow in Korea looks like. Pretty much the same as any other place! :) I wonder what the roads here are like - I don't feel particularly safe on Korean roads on a GOOD day, today must be complete chaos.

While we're on the subject of Korea, here are a few photos I took yesterday while out and about:



I assume they mean Mother's touch?



A toothbrush stuck in POO next to a fake toilet bowl - I don't even know where to begin, hahaha! The worst part is, I didn't BUY it - what's up with that??? I have to go back to that store ASAP and get a couple of those things. I'm not particularly fond of poo-humor, but this thing was just too weird!

I have more examples, and I will continue to post them here once in a while, but right now that coffee is calling pretty loudly.

And don't be too shocked now - but I forgot the laundry before - I better go do it now, before I forget, again. Yes (*sigh*) I am domestically challenged...

Reluctant indeed

Well I have finally sent A back to school after keeping him home for two weeks. He's been (as I've mentioned) sick as a dog. And what do I do, when I finally have a day to myself? (Well I don't, not really, because baby G is here with me too...but at least she's fairly predictable still, and she naps occasionally.) Do I get some of the chores that have piled up over the past two weeks out of the way? Laundry, bills, freshen up A's room, tidy the living room, get the kitchen under control?

Nope.

I sit on my butt (which - due to the babyfat situation - should really do anything besides sit) and chat online with a friend. And curse internally at the workmen drilling holes in my ceiling (and in my head). I DID go to the store though, that must count for something...? Unfortunately I bought Easy Cheese, which won't help shrink my butt any more than sitting on it will.

***

I got interrupted writing this entry by a neighbor who popped by, so another half hour has passed drinking coffee and chatting (in real life this time!).

And now there's only about ten minutes left til A gets home from school. Just enough time to sweep up the cracker crumbs, put the Easy Cheese in the cupboard, and rinse out the coffee cups. The coffee break is over...



At least I can console myself with the fact that things haven't gotten WORSE around here!

Amusing!

I just did a search of Google Blogs, and I found that I am far from the only Reluctant Housewife out there. But then I never claimed to be the first, or the only; and I never claimed to be very original or creative, so I've decided to leave it. I hope the other Housewives don't come after me armed with their disused frying pans and rolling pins to discipline me for my unintended plagiarism.

For the curious among you...

I am not new to the "art of blog". Since we moved to Korea I have been trying to chronicle our adventures here:

The Borsholms' Space

The first part is in Norwegian, but after a while I started using English just in case anyone outside the family would want to see what we were up to. Although to be honest I doubt anyone outside the family will find this very interesting! Just as I don't really think anyone outside my head will find this blog very entertaining. Still, it's good to empty said head every so often.

Why is it...

Some things are just SO unfair.

A has been home from school for two weeks, he's been sick, and man has he had everything - here is a list of his ailments in chronological order: coughing (wounded seal type noises), technicolor snot, fever, vomiting, an ear infection, diarrhoea and now pink eye. The cough and snot are still hanging around too.

Anyway he's been home for the past two weeks, and since he's been a little tired and therefore happy to sit on the couch it hasn't been TOO bad...but still, it is boring for him. Besides which I have my day full up with little G who has decided she doesn't like or want breastmilk, but hey - that's a story for another day.

Let's just say I think I may be developing an ulcer.

Keeping two kids happy all day is really really hard! Especially when one of them is really sick, and one of them is a little sick, and mommy's not feeling so hot herself...

Today little G had a really bad tummyache, so she whimpered all morning until nap number one. Then she woke up with a banshee-wail, and proceeded to scream at eardrum-piercing levels for an hour and a half, at which point she fell asleep again (from exhaustion most likely).

Enter Dad (he works half days on Saturdays).

I had decided I wanted the pediatrician to look at A's eyes, so A and I jumped in the car and sped down to the clinic. I was thinking PHEW, let Dad handle the screaming infant for a while...(evil chuckle). So we went to the clinic, and the pharmacy, and Dunkin' Donuts, and took our sweet time doing it too (I'm not ashamed to say!).

Long story short; A got his eyedrops, G slept the ENTIRE TIME we were gone (almost three hours total!!!).

Dads have all the luck.

I LOVE good customer service!

If anyone ever decides to read this blog on anything resembling a regular basis, they will find that I am frequently VERY excited about things that seem very minor to everybody else. I live in the details.

That being said, I think I am guilty of selling a lot of people/businesses short by perpetually expecting poor customer service. But as we all know, when we have low expectations, we are more often pleasantly surprised!

I have never been "good" at complaining about my purchases - I sort of figure that if it breaks, I broke it; or if it's not as good as I expected, then I'm the sucker who bought it, nobody twisted my arm...but lately I've been getting better at standing up for myself and my poor almost-melted credit cards. (What this really says is that I'm getting meaner and more ornery with age.)

A few weeks ago I got out our Prince Lionheart Slumber Bear. I had bought it for A, and though he didn't get very attached to it, I figured I would try again with little G. Alas, the poor bear was dead...I changed the batteries and everything, but not a spark. I wrote to Prince Lionheart explaining the situation, not really expecting to hear anything except that I could always buy another sound box for it...

Today I received an email from Prince Lionheart though, and here's what my new friend Denise wrote:

"Hi Karen,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us. I’m sorry to hear about your experience with the sound box. If you can please reply to this email with your mailing information I would be more than happy to replace the sound box for you.
Thank you for choosing Prince Lionheart!
We wish you and yours the very best,
Denise"

I am waiting to hear whether or not they can ship the sound box to us here in Korea...but regardless of shipping issues, I am impressed and grateful. Yay Prince Lionheart!

The Red Cross

My blog will be mainly in English, but from time to time there will be Norwegian content, as in this instance -

here is a link to the Norwegian Red Cross, please consider making a donation.

Many people around the world need our help at any given time.

First post!

Well, I'm up. This is my first post here, and I'm sure one of my kids will wake up any minute to join me (and distract me from my "work").

I am 36 years old. I have stopped dyeing my hair - and it is currently growing grey at an alarming rate!

Yup there comes A, my three-year-old, one of my greatest loves and one of the reasons my hair is turning grey. He must have sensed that I'd made coffee and was getting ready to busy myself with something...he has a freakishly accurate radar when it comes to things like that. I have now parked him on the sofa and popped in a DVD - we've been sick here lately, that is, we're on the mend now, but are still being very couch potato-y. The rainy dreary weather outside doesn't help...

But anyway back to me...I want to get me out of the way, because me is not what I want to write about here!

I am married to T, he's a year and a half younger than I am. We met in 2001, married in 2004, had A (our boy) in 2006, and G (our girl) in 2009. We are based in Bergen, Norway; but since May 2007 we have lived in Okpo. This is a small city on the island Geoje, on the southern tip of South Korea.

I grew up in California and Connecticut - and moved to Norway (kicking and screaming) in 1989 at the age of 15. I liked it fine, although I didn't tell my parents that of course... After a few years of college (Aquaculture) in a small town in Norway I moved to Sydney, Australia in 1998 to get my Master's Degree (Science), and while I was there I realized I was NOT homesick for the US anymore, I was homesick for Bergen! Huh. Who'd've thunk it.

So back to Bergen I went with my fancy education, and until we moved to Korea that's where I've stayed. I work at the hospital in Bergen, in the Pathology department, at the Histology Lab. People tend to think it sounds positively grisly. I don't think so...but I have no idea who's right, me or them! It's very interesting work and I can't wait to go back this November. What with a couple of births and our stay in Korea I haven't worked there since December 2005 - but I hope things haven't changed TOO much.

I guess that pretty much covers me...

If you want to read more about me and my family check out the page titled "Our Pack". It'll be confusing and disorganized though...you've been warned!