2. You are not done once the book is published
It all started with an idea, as most things do. I struggled with finding modern, simple-looking children’s books that could help teach my son about colors. So I decided to make my own during my second parental leave.
I teamed up with my best friend and illustrator, and together we started the process of creating a children’s book series including a yellow book, a blue book, a green book, and yes, you guessed it, a red book.
Naive Journalists
It was an incredibly fun project, and we had a blast making the books. Once it was published (self-published), we patted ourselves on…
Even in snow and rain.
You might have heard about Scandinavians and their obsession with fresh air. It’s a tradition that goes way back, and it starts early. Get fresh air every day, and stay outdoors as much as possible. There’s an old saying that goes, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” Meaning, dress up (preferably in layered wool) and get outside.
Latte-Parents
It is not uncommon to see newborns bundled up in their stroller and left outside to nap. Some parents even go as far as leaving the baby in their stroller outside a cafe with a baby monitor while they…
No, I was not home-schooled.
I went to public schools from first grade until I graduated high school. They were all good, suburban schools, and I was lucky to have teachers that really cared about their students.
The report cards
In the U.S., most children in public schools get their first report card in kindergarten, some in first grade. I have a son in first grade, and the report cards he brings home every quarter are intense. Today’s report cards go way beyond the simple letter grades. Now, the schools send home detailed accounts of each subject’s content, student progress, social behavior, work habits, learning skills, and much…
You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.
This is usually something that’s said in connection to relationships or when you lose someone. It can also be the loss of a job, wealth, or something in that ballpark.
For me, it is all about a city.
Include them but be the boss, also no diet talk, plus more
I’m a mom of 3 wild kids, and the past six years feeding my children has taken a big chunk of my time and energy. On and off they have all been through phases where they eat little or next to nothing and where they all seem to want something different. To say those moments are frustrating is an understatement.
On a brighter note that’s not our typical day. …
The benefits of gardening are not only environmental.
Last year I planted a vegetable garden. I do not have green fingers. My garden project was more out of desperation and boredom, I just need to do something, Covid-hobby, more than than anything. But what do you know, slowly, those seeds started sprouting.
The upside
The fact that I actually managed to grow something green surprised me. I have never been able to keep as much as a single plant alive. It was satisfying picking my own vegetables rather than buying them at some random grocery store.
Also, the environmental benefits of growing your own food are priceless. You know exactly…
And it was a break from the world I know.
To this day I am not sure what this place is called.
My sister, my husband, and I were supposed to visit Kjeragbolten, one of Norway’s most famous (and very, very Instagram friendly) landmarks. We blindly followed Google Maps and it directed us to the wrong side of the fjord. Instead of the touristy destination, we ended up in what I think is the most secluded and untouched place I’ve ever seen.
There were no road signs, no commercialism, no stores. Not even schools. Just beautiful nature, a handful of homes, some cows, and a flock of sheep.
Two cold-blooded killings shook an entire nation 21 years ago, and they might have the wrong person charged for it.
May 19th, 2000: The two friends Stine Sofie Sørstrønen (8 years old) and Lena Sløgedal Paulsen (10 years old) went swimming in a small lake in Baneheia, located in the outskirts of Kristiansand, Norway.
They never made it home.
Hidden under leaves
The two girls were found raped and killed two days later. Hidden under leaves and blood-stained bushes out in the woods. With their hands locked behind their backs. Their swimsuits were found soaked in blood, in a drainage pipe nearby.
And you need a Bachelor's Degree from the Police Academy to become a police officer
Why is policing so different in the US?
I’m looking at Norway. A tiny country with a population of just a little over 5.3 million. More than once I’ve heard the arguments “well you just can’t compare the US to Norway. It’s a fraction of the size. Crime rates are lower. It’s just too different.” Maybe so, but I’d like to think that the US can change for the better when it comes to police shootings.
In 2020 alone, 1,127 individuals were killed by the police in the US. Two individuals were killed by the police in Norway. …
That, my son, is complicated.
When I was in elementary school, 25 or so years ago, we would go on field trips and learn all about where our food came from. Where milk comes from. We would visit dairy farms and if we wanted to, the farmers would let us try to milk the cows.
Soy and cows and oats and stuff
So the other day as we were eating breakfast my son asked me out of the blue: Mommy, where does the milk come from?
I started thinking. My default would be to say that the milk comes from cows. But that isn’t really the full truth anymore. The dairy industry…
Sara Melissa Frost
Journalist. Mom. Wife. Norwegian in the US. I usually find myself writing about Scandinavia, Parenting and Food. Minimalist-ish.
