What Would Leo Do?

Light

2012-02-07T13:19:00.003+01:00

It's quite a treat when you haven't seen it for a while.

Did You See The Hunger Games Trailer?

2012-02-06T20:27:00.007+01:00

I cried. But I'm pathetic and you can't take anything I say into account. Still. I don't cry for everything (insert giant AHEM from husband here). So I'd say it's looking pretty good. And, on another note, that book has some of the best names. Katniss Everdeen. Brilliant. Ok, it's Monday night, I have oatmeal coming out of my ears and I'm rambling. Will go make a fire instead. Good night and may the odds be evah in your favour.

Sea Of Good

2012-02-03T10:56:00.006+01:00

I've been a little off track. It can happen, I guess.
Though when it happens to me I always get really surprised.
But I think I'm back.
I think I'm me again.
Hoping for new and improved version.
Or same old, same old. That would be fine too.
When the kids are having a period of more drama than usual we always refer to it as an utvecklingsperiod. A period of rapid development.
A period of learning new things and adjusting to all that new.
I've decided that that's what I've been having too.
En utvecklingsperiod.
And just as we do with the kids, I sigh deeply and say Pray God, it's over.
No more utveckling for a while.
Let me just stay in this feeling.
Let me just keep swimming in this sea of good.
I'm tired and I need the rest.
Happy Friday, everyone.

Happy Happy Happy

2012-01-31T12:04:00.006+01:00

She is a hugger and a kisser and a let me just stroke your arm for a million minutes kind of girl. She told me sternly to lie down on the kitchen sofa yesterday so she could brush my hair "just like they do at those places" and I died of happiness for the five minutes it lasted. She needs to touch and be touched, she needs to be in the middle, always, she needs to kiss and hold and feel and talk and sing. She's five years old today and a major drama queen with a tendency to cry in front of the mirror ('cause the bigger the audience the better). But mostly she's all about love. Happy birthday, mitt hjärta.

Nothing To Say Really

2012-01-27T12:46:00.003+01:00

Just had to knock that god awful picture of myself (and lovely BFF) from number one. So I give you Bird In Snow. Enjoy this little fellas footsteps (claw steps?) and your Friday too.

Service Provided Twentyfourseven Threesixtyfive

2012-01-26T22:15:00.005+01:00

Can you imagine us years from today
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange to be seventy...

Simon & Garfunkel, Bookends

These Are The Days

2012-01-24T10:23:00.004+01:00

I think it finally happened. I think winter came.
The kids are loving it and I'm feeling a little bit of both.
I'm glad for the light. Glad for the snow covering all that was ugly.
But morning routines are longer and the snowy sleepiness seems to creep into our house and into our bones, making energy as precious and scarce as chocolate when you really need it.
There's a fire in the evening. Most days.
And clothes and boots drying in front of it. The smell of smoke mixed with wet mittens and socks. It's a good smell.
Last night it was impossible to do anything but watch the flames, drink the tea, think about bed, iphone in hand.
Today I've dropped the children at school and day care, come home to send out some work and have another cup of tea, before I change into work clothes and head to town.
It's pretty outside and the air and light will help me fight the tired, sleepy, yawny, stretchy part of me. The part already thinking about tonight's fire.
But first. Tuesday. Work.
I hope you have a good one. I think I will.

Turns Out It Never Hurts To Ask

2012-01-17T11:22:00.009+01:00

Wendy and Tyler of Blue Lily Photo travel the world with their children, taking photographs of other families and exploring everything from Brazil to Japan as they go along. They are coming to Norway to do a session on June 2:nd this year, and when I asked them about doing Stockholm some time they very kindly said Why not right after Oslo?

Wow. Really? Yes, really. So if there's a family or four out there dreaming of having their picture taken without looking like morons, let me hook you up! Take a look at their work here, comment or e-mail me and say that you do do do. Pricing and printing info from their site below.

Wow again. Did not see this coming. I've always felt that it really does hurt to ask, but never again. Thanks and yay, Tyler and Wendy.

PS. SOFIA, look it's your wedding pictures all taken care of!

PPS. Nooo, I didn't take this photo. They did. But you had already figured that out, right?

THE PHOTO, $475 (USD):

Includes 35 edited, high resolution digital files with a print release*

-45 minute session

- you'll get pictures of your family, individuals, siblings shots, and much more.

*this means you can keep the files on your computer and print to your heart's desire. Sweet!

Please inquire if you are interested in a video session!

Cause He's My Lion

2012-01-16T20:40:00.007+01:00

The sound of little feet on the landing.
So quiet, so careful, those naked feet on white painted stairs, holding on, barely moving and still.
Still, I can hear every tiny step, every inch he's moving. I can hear it, I can feel it.
And the voice, younger than in daytime, tired, curious, just one more question, just one more thing to think about before falling asleep.
And the hair, that hair, that makes him look like four years old again, a curly lion's mess from tossing and turning the world and his blankets upside down.
Sometimes those steps, that sound of little feet that on other nights make you sigh and say go back to beeeeeeeeed, sometimes those steps sound right through me.
Sometimes the sleepy breath of this eightyearold standing on the steps with just one more question makes me smile a smile that may look tired from outside but is a loud roar of joy on the inside.
Because i know that this is it. This, right now. This is it.
Roar.
Roar.
Roar.

Test-Blogging From Bed And Phone

2012-01-13T23:35:00.001+01:00

So this is just a test. Testing testing. But while I'm at it, are you watching Homeland? Seriously addictive. I know it's not Sorkin or anything. Or Downton Abbey. Or The Wire. Or Big Love. But still! Still very good. And good tv I like. Good night.

When It Rains And Every Other Day In The World

2012-01-12T20:55:00.006+01:00

It's a good thing to have a home filled with dirty socks and lego. No view to talk about and too much traffic, the lawn looking like a mudwrestler's dream come true, paint needed front and back, ugly Christmas curtains still up, puddles of melting snow in the hallway, sand and gravel under every pillow you turn over on the couch (don't), bed linen needing to be changed, dish washer slowly coming apart, tired worktop going to pieces and did I mention the lego? It's a good thing to have a home like this. This place where we live. Where it rains in January and you haven't been able to locate the chocolate in four days. Where that person whom you've been loving for a million years is lighting a fire just now and there are actual real children that you've made together sleeping upstairs. It is oh so good.

And then to top things off: You guys.
Thank you for coming. Thanks for reading. Thanks for saying hi. Thank you thank you thank you. You too are oh so good.

Space

2012-01-09T15:17:00.003+01:00

Great plains, endless ocean, mountains that go on and on, untouched forests, quiet lakes big as the sea. Space. I'm thinking one day. One day we will live where the sky is wide and the land just goes on and on. Maybe just for a week. But still. A week of space.

This Week Starts On Wednesday

2012-01-08T21:46:00.005+01:00

Tomorrow is just a test run. I'm thankful. Good night.

Insert Witty Headline About Time Or Something Glasses

2012-01-05T22:38:00.006+01:00

We're still on holiday here. That is, I worked today and Tuesday, and J will work tomorrow. But there's no school or daycare until next Wednesday, so officially we're on leave. And it's oh so good. Funny how easily I adapt to lethargy. And minus the mandatory total mayhem breakdowns that come of four people spending every waking hour together and watching too much tv (we're on a screen stop now) (no, this doesn't count) it's been brilliant. This I know for sure: I love it when we're all together.

And we've done a little more than just watch too much tv. We spent Christmas up north, skiing and reenacting the Last Christmas video, minus the heart ache and the matching sweaters, plus four children and more food than George Michael could've imagined. Thanks to our friends we actually managed some skiing as well, so big shout out to heroes Stellan och Hedda. They were magnificent.

I've chosen my word for 2012. Have you?

And can I find you on Instagram? I'm seriously hooked.

New Year New Wear

2012-01-03T15:16:00.001+01:00

I need go get back into running gear.

Between The First And The Last

2011-12-30T18:17:00.004+01:00

This year. Such a brilliant year. Could not have asked for more.
But I do.
At the end of a year that brought me more than I thought possible, I find myself dreaming bigger than ever.
And I wonder if it's greedy.
Or brave.

Happy New Year!

Of Comfort And Joy

2011-12-21T23:18:00.004+01:00

I'm taking a blogging break over the next days and hope to see you again (as in really hope) after Christmas. Until then I wish you all a peaceful holiday. And some comfort and joy too. And eggnog. And warm feet.

Love,
A.

PS. I'll still be on Instagram. 'Cause it's the law.

Mixed Feelings, Mixed Days

2011-12-21T14:21:00.003+01:00

I opened the door and they ran right by me, laughing, screaming "We're going to watch tv!"
So they are. And I'm back to fretting over a work problem that I don't seem to be able to solve.
But we're all here. In the middle of the day. One fretting, one cooking, two watching.
And that is also Christmas.

Profound

2011-12-20T13:56:00.002+01:00

Things I've pondered today:
What if I didn't work at all?
What if I only worked and did nothing else?
What if my feet were made for high heels?
What if Downton Abbey was on every day?

For The Love Of Lisch

2011-12-15T09:14:00.009+01:00

So. Work is a little crazy right now NOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING, LORD, hence the meagre posting. But this I had to show you. Now, if by chance you are Canadian HELLO MY DEAR or American HELLO ELIZABETH you've probably already seen this, but if you're say British HELLO JO HELLO PINK SHOE or maybe even Suisse SALUT CHERE COUSINE or Danish FOR FANDEN JENNIE or idunno, Swedish? You might not have seen it. And then I feel it my duty to show you. See how pretty this is? Look at that fox in skinny boots! En garde! Now, I haven't read it yet, so can't promise anything in that department. Other than that it seems very promising. So, link here. And if anyone of you have read it, will you tell if you liked it? This post was brought to you by the society for WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE ENJOYING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNGSTERS BUT NOT TWILIGHT, where my dear friend Lisch is president. This seems to be a book right up her alley. Just look at these illustrations! Oh my.

Now back to work.

Oh, it gets even better. They're husband and wife.

And Jonathan Safran Foer likes it. So that's that.

Now back to work.

Friday Night Is For Feeling The Love

2011-12-09T21:06:00.003+01:00

I was feeling small. And this guy kept coming into the kitchen, talking about chicken and Pokemón. Stroking my arm while I made a salad, putting his arms around my waist and pretend-sighing over the fact that he could see my underwear between my jeans and my shirt. We talked and laughed and discussed the pros and cons of Fridays vs Regular days (agreeing on the Total Awesomeness of Friday night). I was feeling small and this tiny person was bigger than ever. Be still, my beating heart.

Thursday Is For Thoughts Of No Importance

2011-12-08T21:07:00.003+01:00

The cold came today, with promise of snow tomorrow, and Emi and I have been texting each other with fur reports all week. Today it was on, for both of us. Grraouur. The apples of August seem very far away.

Out Of Office

2011-12-07T20:53:00.004+01:00

This morning Blanka spotted my old boss out the car window and suddenly asked "Mom, do you not have any work friends anymore?"
It's a good question.
And well put, since work friends are important in a way that colleagues are not.
So it felt good to be able to tell her that, yes, I do.
I don't see them everyday, like I used to.
And they don't know everything about me, like they used to.
But they are beginning to feel very much like friends.
And there are places where I'm starting to feel very much like home.
So, yes.
Out of office.
But not really an outsider.
I like it.

Snowflakes And Poodle

2011-12-06T23:25:00.003+01:00

Nutcracker at the Royal Opera today and the kids surprised with a day off. ("Is it Saturday? Why are we still in bed? Can we watch tv?!") No photos (hence pictured egg sandwich above), but lovely anyway. Wilhelm fell asleep at the end and I had to constantly bribe Blanka with candy the last thirty minutes, but as a first I think it counted as a good one. Plus: Dancing snowflakes. In white tutus. And a live dog. Yep, it was a good one.

Last Week, You Say?

2011-12-05T12:59:00.005+01:00

Last week we got stuck in flu-land (and I'm not sure they're planning on letting us go anytime soon). But with a little help from aspirin and friendly neighbours we still managed some baking and Instagramming. And a lot of whining (not thanks to friendly neighbours, no, that I can do all by myself).

Some giraffes were left too long in the oven, others didn't get enough sun, but we've eaten them all by now. All but one (see below).

I've still to go out and find me some green moss of the perfect shape and kind. Until then, these fellas are keeping the candles company. They live under constant threat though, the children aren't convinced they're not for eating.

When Sunday night fell and temperatures were still rising we said you know what and decided on McDonald's for dinner. Probably our best decision all week ('cause really, who bakes when they're sick? who does that?! it is dumb). This week I'll post everyday. Just to show you I'm back on track. Did I hear fake 'til you make it? Thanks for stopping by.

And don't forget Instagram! All the cool kids are doing it!

Monday Is For Making You Read Back Catalogue

2011-11-28T20:43:00.006+01:00

Sometimes I forget that it's been less than a year. A year of life lived differently. I remember handing in my notice on October 2oth, and how I couldn't tell you about it but also could hardly breathe with excitement. And then I told you and you were brilliant about it, of course (thank you, all of you). I remember leaving the office just before Christmas, saying goodbye, a little surprised about how that goodbye turned out. And then, diving head first into the new way, the new me, the new everything, and feeling oh so good about it. Yes, it's been less than year. But what a less-than-a-year it's been. Thanks for being around for every twist and turn in the way. You are patient and kind.

Hello Friday

2011-11-25T17:32:00.004+01:00

W is sick. I'm having dinner with my cousins. We're all really tired. Christmas starts on Sunday. Talk to you tomorrow? Thanks for stopping by.

Knitting

2011-11-22T10:06:00.004+01:00

My dear friend Ebba called and we talked forever about the big things (crying at the office, epilepsy, vampires) and the not so big (laundry, IKEA, ambitions). Ebba said something brilliant about having dreams, and how they most of the time seem impossible to get around to, even just to get started:

"I like to think of it as knitting" she said (not that she knits). "It's like, you do a little bit today and then you might leave it for a while and then you pick it up again, knit a few rounds, put it down again, and all the while life goes on around you. And then one day you pick it up and, bam! A sweater!"

Bam. A sweater.

Monday Night Lights

2011-11-21T21:30:00.004+01:00

B had a temperature today, or rather last night, and we spent the day on the couch watching hours of tv. Richard Scarry and Charlie & Lola and Little Red Tractor and all kinds of animals: birds, sheep, pigs, dinos, you name it. (Take a moment to consider the sheer amount of animals in childrens literature and tv. It's crazy. Like Noah's Ark at the zoo.) When night fell I was actually relieved to go to school for a meeting with the PTA (not really the PTA, we don't have that here, but it's the only word I can think of. Which makes me think of Dolly, darling Dolly, and Harper Valley PTA, such a great song. Oh, I digress.) Anyway, meeting was good and now I'm back at home, enjoying my 21th century Ingalls family evening (fire burning, children snoring upstairs, tea at hand, husband stroking his beard, apples in store, computer in lap). Best there is.

I've been stuck in Instagram since Thursday, it really is quite addictive. And I'm getting better (less awful). Join me if you can stand it.

It's getting late and I just wanted to stop by. I know what I want for Christmas, by the way. A book, a fox, a pair of earrings. Will get back with details. Do you have a wish list, or do you consider yourself too... something? J and I tried a "only gifts for the children" Christmas a couple of years ago, and it was evident within three seconds of me spotting the tree and realizing NOTHING UNDER THERE IS FOR ME that we're not doing that again. No, let there be gifts. Let there be wrapping paper and tissue and a kiss or two when noone's looking. Even Caroline Ingalls wouldn't mind, I'm sure.

Couldn't Live With All The Brown

2011-11-17T21:45:00.003+01:00

This is also a bad photo, but at least it's possible to decipher what's pictured. Less brown. So I'm signing out with this instead. And with a quote of the day and a link. Here goes:

Wilhelm wanted to talk about "You know, eh, that word, you know... You know, what it's called when you put the baby inside the woman? That word?" And when I didn't answer immediately he looked at me incredulously, raised his eyebrows and sighed: "Ooooh, mom, you KNOW you've done it!" I give to you my son, Chandler Bing.

And the link. You see, I could embed this, but my Swedish readers (all two of them) would find me incredibly not-cool, since this is old news. Real old. Like three weeks or summat (that's my Emmerdale impersonation, never mind). But I know for a fact that someone very dear to me has a daughter who's a Robyn fan. And I'm thinking that she has probably not seen this version of Call your girlfriend, performed by three Swedish girls singing in harmony and drumming on (empty) cottage cheese containers. It's pretty fantastic. But you know, a bit old.

Ok, that's all folks. Night.

So Not A Good Way To Announce This

2011-11-17T21:34:00.003+01:00

But I'm throwing caution – and more importantly this really lousy photo – to the wind to let you know that I'm now on Instagram. And if you'd like to you can follow me there. I'm annaander (clever, huh). I'm hoping my skills will improve (vastly) so the whole sharing thing will be less embarrassing. Ok. Bye. Thanks for putting up with me.

Dear Husband

2011-11-16T14:44:00.004+01:00

This is a trifle.
Never to be confused with tripe.
Never.

Sorry, forgot: I did not take this photo. Nor do I know who did. Sorry, unknown trifle master.

Hi From Sunday Night

2011-11-13T21:10:00.003+01:00

This weekend we did better. Last one we nearly died of overload, but we live and we learn. This one much improved. We realized a couple of years ago that what we need when Friday comes is No Plans. But last weekend was Wilhelm's eighth birthday so No Plans, not so much. Sunday night found us like beached whales on the couch, too tired to even turn on the tv or make a decent cup of tea. (And we were no beauties Monday morning either.) Tonight much better. So, a bit of random before I stuff myself with the last of the seasalt chocolate:

PanAm (the series). Boring, to start with. I mean, really boring. And stupid in a way that I didn't think tv was stupid anymore. The "ugly" girl is a redhead? The blonde sister is naïve? Seriously? And Christina Ricci's so skinny it makes me want to cry.

Rick Perry (Republican candidate). Oh wow. Need I say more? There's hope for Obama yet.

November (the month). Rushing by. Incredibly fast and incredibly warm (both of these things make J very happy, me not so much).

Bolognese (king of food). Tonights was lamb and pork (from left over salsiccias). Holy macaroni, even my mother-in-law was blown away (and she's more into "traditional" food).

Church (place of worship). Went today for the first time in long. The choir sang Duke Ellington and all was good. So glad to be there.

Father's day (today). We made J a pancake-cake and brought him breakfast in bed. I called my father and sang him a homemade song and talked about butchering (literally). They were equally pleased.

Good night, dear you. I hope you had a good one. Thanks for reading.

Lost For Words

2011-11-12T23:20:00.003+01:00

Ok, almost lost for words. But seriously.
CAN YOU IMAGINE.

Not For Realz (But For A Minute)

2011-11-10T09:47:00.004+01:00

There's a part of me who wants to live somewhere else. Somewhere greener and quieter. Surrounded by mountains or at the border of the sea, on a green hill or in the middle of great big field. I imagine our life there as simple and beautiful. Polished wooden floors, chickens and chestnuts. Warm in the summer, cold in winter, exploring the seasons together. I probably knit. And ride horses (with red hair blowing in the wind). There's a creek close by and the children get wet all the time and have to hang their socks to dry in front of the fireplace. At this part of my fantasy I usually get back to my senses (you'd think that the hair blowing would do it, but no). When you look around and realize your stuck in Enid Blyton-land it's time to get moving.

Things You Didn't Know

2011-11-08T10:29:00.010+01:00

Turns out Ginny Weasley's mother is none other than Laura Linney! Who would've thunk it.
(Thanks to Hank for helping me turn two photos into one, this is so not my field of wizardry.)

I Trust In The Kindness Of Strangers (Not Necessarily Family)

2011-11-07T22:03:00.006+01:00

My grandmother yesterday, while looking at photos from this summer:

"Oh, Anna! Your daughter is turning into something alarmingly pretty! She is just beautiful that little one, just beautiful! Such features on a fouryearold, it's amazing. And Wilhelm. Well, he looks just like you."

This is even more funny if you know my grandmother, who's always had a thing for beauty and once stopped me in the middle of a deparment store, right in front of the escalators, to apply concealer to a spot on my chin. I was eleven. Nearly died of shame.

Oh The Love

2011-11-07T17:49:00.004+01:00

The holy moly ramma lamma ding dong love.
I cried the other day. Over dreams that never amounted to anything. Dreams that died of fear and insecurities and notknowingbetter. I cried because somehow I've taught myself that I'm a quitter. A lazy quitter.
When the truth is this:
The big one.
My one big dream, the really huge one, my only true wish, you know the one, that one, the one.
I never gave up on that. I never settled. I never made do.
I went for it all the way.
I went for it all the way.
Oh. The love.
Turns out I'm no quitter.
I'm a go getter.
Here I come!

November

2011-11-02T15:24:00.004+01:00

Working late, folding laundry, eating egg sandwiches.
Yes, November, you've made your point.

And It Was Plain To See

2011-10-27T11:06:00.006+02:00

It's a good thing, knowing where your heart is.

There was a time when it wasn't so easy, when I kept wondering where I'd put it.
Like a pair of gloves left on the bus, or the keys to your house hiding in the wrong jacket.
I'd search a little and move on, hoping that it would turn up.
Hoping it wouldn't be at some place really bad.
Hoping that my carelessness wouldn't break it in half or scratch it, mark it.
Make me lose it.
But it was ok.
In the end it turned up.
Pretty much where I'd left it the first time.

It's a good thing, knowing where your heart is.

All Work, All Play

2011-10-26T18:15:00.003+02:00

It's a busy week. The good kind of busy.
Such a good feeling, working when it's not feeling like work.
I wish there was a way of applying this to my running.
Run run run, I guess that's pretty much the only way to do it.
Maybe tomorrow.
Ahem.
If there's not too much work.
Ahem.

Reach Out And Touch Faith

2011-10-24T09:38:00.006+02:00

I spent the weekend singing.
It changed pretty much everything.
Now, can I please go to sleep for a week?
This whole baring-your-soul-thing is exhausting.
Eva, Marith, Stella, Tove, Linnéa, Maria, Åsa, Kristina, Annicka, Elin, thank you.
Thank you forever and ever.
You changed pretty much everything.

Have A Good One

2011-10-21T19:27:00.005+02:00

It's Friday night and the fire is lit and dinner is finished.
We are watching a little tv, some of us, and drinking our coffee
and enjoying the quiet, some of us.
Wilhelm wanted something to drink and Blanka just surprised him
with lukewarm tapwater. In a sippy cup.
To each his own.
It's Friday night and we are tired and it's raining and it's perfect.

Twelve On Tuesday

2011-10-18T22:06:00.006+02:00

Picked W up too early from school, forgot all about art club (sorry, miss Liselotte!).
Wrote something really good.
Let J read it without embarrassment.
Made it to bookclub (had some excellent chocolate as well).
Worked hard at pilates. Still fell down from the damn ball.
Enjoyed it just the same.
Read to the kids while they were drawing.
That's drawing and reading in front of the fireplace. Major Laura Ingalls moment.
Thought about Christmas.
Thought about Wilhelm's birthday.
Thought about calling grandma.
Decided it was time for something else (can't remember what now, so I think we can safely say that that "something" was nothing more than me procrastinating).

Still, it was a good one. Thanks and goodnight.

Hello From Over The Hill

2011-10-17T12:33:00.005+02:00

I'm feeling very homestead-y these days. Very Laura Ingalls (or Caroline, more like it). It's the change of season and all the getting ready, I think. I'm stocking up on things to do when the weather's making us stay inside. Card games, glue that actually works, new pens. I'm filling the shelves with applesauce and cider, with jars of dried mushrooms, with gazillion boxes of Barilla pasta. We live five minutes from the supermarket, so the need to stock up has nothing to do with logic or even sense. I just like to do it. Wrapping apples in newspaper, so they'll last until Christmas. Buying a whole lot of potatoes, just to make sure we don't run out. I know. I sound so boring, it's amazing I have any friends at all. But here's the thing. I've always been like this. Always. I was the same at seventeen and at twentyfive. The difference is, I just don't feel the need to hide it anymore. Yeah, it's good to be a little bit older. Especially for a sixtyfive year old bird like meself.

(And since having kids I can consistently blame my flee market finds – a scale! for playing store! a cardboard game! four old books! – on them. They help a lot with making me seem like a normal person. Thanks, you guys!)

Hot Chocolate Instagram

2011-10-13T19:44:00.004+02:00

The cold came this morning. The first frost this weekend. Lists have been made, with some things crossed off and others waiting to happen. We're getting ready. The last two winters have been fairytale winters, if you're feeling that way, or nightmarish, if you're leaning towards the other. Starting early, lasting long, masses of snow, temperatures dropping to Russian levels. So this year we're getting ready. Gearing up. Making the lists. And I can't help but wonder, will this be the year when we have nothing but darkness and rain for four months? Oh well. We'll know soon enough.

And Then A Hero Comes Along

2011-10-11T19:51:00.005+02:00

Yes hello, this is me doing my "It comes very natural to me, being both serene and fabulous while looking into the great unknown accompanied by this snow leopard" look. All for the benefit of my reader(s). Enjoy!

Yes, well, sorry about the Whitney Houston. No wait, let me rephrase that (why should anyone ever be sorry about Whitney Houston? Sorry for, maybe, but's that's another blog post entirely). Let's start over. Sorry about the cheesy headline (yes, much more appropriate), but MAN did pinkshoeknits save the day today. Man! You see, I had just given up. I was just about to finish this thing up and then BAM! New and appreciative reader appears as if sent from above. Deus ex machina! (This little piece of Latin is for my beloved Ansjo, who enjoys a literary high school reference once in a while. Not that she ever reads this blog, but I digress.) Anyway. There I was, feeling sorry for myself and the fact that my humongous literary talent (not to mention the very artsy iPhone photos) (iPhone 4 that is, as you probably can tell, even sadder, huh?) is all but being ignored by the masses and thinking that enough is enough and let's call it a bloody day already. And then BAM (as previously stated), there she was. BAM BAM BAM. And so here I am. Back and back and back and you can't stop me and I will NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT. God, you hate her now, don't you? Poor pinkshoeknits. But I love her! I will always love her! I will be saving all my love for her! It will be the greatest love of all! Oh, I wanna dance with somebody! No, seriously, I do.

Just realized that if "Then a hero comes along" isn't a Whitney Houston song, this post pretty much lose all the "fun". Especially the discography of the last sentences above. Oh well, can't be helped. My love is your love and so on.

As Previously Stated PART 2

2011-10-06T20:19:00.004+02:00

You can't really tell from this picture, but this day the waves were big and came crashing in with a magnificent thunder and we jumped and surfed and jumped and surfed and laughed so hard we almost couldn't breathe.

Oh, and there were sheep and chickens and a few cows in the olive grove right behind the hotel. And kittens. Yep. That place had it all.

Everyday held at least an hour of this. Siesta. Magic word, magic time.

Vue Panoramique Obligatoire. Am tourist. Will shoot from balcony.

The weather took a turn for the worse on our last day, but we didn't mind. It made for interesting light.

And it didn't stop us from swimming. Yes, we swim now.

Goodbye Crete! It was lovely. Hope to see you again.

Our Greek Week In 12 Really Bad And Very Touristy Photos PART 1

2011-10-06T18:41:00.005+02:00

The inflight entertainment: One Nintendo, one hedgehog. Oh, and Wilhelm got to shake the captain's hand before takeoff. The hedehog hoarder was more into folding her tray up and down.

From plane to pool, where we spent most of our Greek week. This is the only photo I can show you though, since Blanka sported nothing more than her birthday suit for most of the time and I simply cannot expose you to our Swedish indecency like that.

The kids made friends in like two minutes and (thank you, Lord) the friends' had very nice parents who took all sorts of good care of me. Thank you, Lisa and Johan!

Please don't fall into the abyss, child of mine. Your father will be most upset with me.
Oh, how I wish that I could show you the beach and the waves and all. But all photos contain naked Swedish children, and half of them aren't even my own, so no. You'll have to picture the sand and the little crabs and the shells all by yourself.

It was a very good week. A brilliant week. The iPhone photos taken in 34°C heat and blaring sunlight don't do Crete any justice at all. But trust me, it was good. Ok, stay tuned for part 2 of Our Greek Week In 13 Really Bad And Very Touristy Photos!

Patience

2011-10-06T16:58:00.004+02:00

It's not that I don't have it.
It's more of having used up so much in the last months that it's now wearing very thin.
And all of a sudden I just want to snap.
I feel an actual urge not to be patient.
Yeah, I know.
It has backfire written all over it.
So I take a breath.
And then we start all over again.
It's getting old. It's really getting old.

You Know It's Bad

2011-10-06T10:04:00.002+02:00

You know it's bad when your mother calls you up and says there's something wrong with the blog. Sorry. Had to take a break and forgot to let you know. Will be back this afternoon with more than you've asked for, you poor bastards. Posts will fall from the sky like chestnuts plopping out of their shells. Watch them headz.

We're Home Sweet Home Again

2011-09-26T21:50:00.004+02:00

And tomorrow I'll download all the photos from my phone and share some really bad sunsets and Moby Dick's with you. (The white whale? In a bikini? Yeah, that would be me.) It's been a very good trip. And I'm very tired. Just wanted to stop by and say hello. Hello. Hello, dear you.

The Aforementioned Update

2011-09-20T19:31:00.003+02:00

Her present kingdom has no internet.

But we don't mind.

Wake Up Call Is Four Fifteen

2011-09-15T21:47:00.004+02:00

Leaving soon very soon and don't know what my internet possibilities will be, but will post if I can. Not that you'll be sleepless without updates, I know, I know. But still. If I can, I will. Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening. Thanks for stopping by and saying hello from time to time. Thank you.

Sorry For The Cheesy Picture

2011-09-14T14:00:00.004+02:00

But I have an excellent excuse for not taking photos.
You see, I'm packing for a trip.
CAUSE WE'RE GOING TO CRETE ON FRIDAY!
To Crete, I tell you!
Jez like dat.
Me and the kids, flying to Greece and the sun and the sea, one sad husband staying behind, carrying the world of advertising on his shoulders.
(My office will be closed. No shoulders there.)
But can you imagine?
I almost can't.
I'm practically jealous of myself.
Have book, have Big Love season 4 and 5, have sunscreen.
Also have fouryearold who's in tantrum season, but let's not focus on that shall we.
Have sevenyearold who finally can swim and loves Harry Potter.
Have running gear.
Have a little heart ache (see shoulders carrying things above).
But mostly, have cannotbelievemyfuckingluckfeeling.
Tallyho, Annie Apa.
Let's go!

First 10 K

2011-09-12T10:09:00.008+02:00

Now that's a sentence I never thought I'd write.
First 10 K.
And I didn't die! Not even close!
I just might do it again.
Not tomorrow, mind you.
Or even the day after that.
Or this week.
But maybe I'll try it again. Just to see if I can.
And I can.
I just can.
That feeling again, that feeling of look at me go.
That feeling of see how strong I am?
That feeling of moving.
Forward.
Hello new.
I like you.

On This Thursday In September

2011-09-08T19:06:00.003+02:00

I just wrote a post that signified all that is bad with blogging.
Erase erase erase erase erase erase erase erase erase erase erase .
That's better.
Thank you for your patience.

Nobel Prize In Parenting

2011-09-05T11:55:00.004+02:00

We celebrated the kids not being sick with taking them swimming.
Yes.
We are such intelligent people.
Really, we are.
So Wilhelm had a temperature again before I could say "Put your shirt on".
Blanka felt bad for her brother and decorated his dinner plate with flowers.
Can't say he appreciated it as I would have.
He thought it looked like vegetables.
The horror.
Vegetables when you're sick.
Like there was no love in the world.
Yeah, that was our weekend.
Still a pretty good one.

My Life's Ambition

2011-09-02T13:04:00.004+02:00

I can't make up my mind on whether it is to live in a house on the beach or to live in a house on the beach with a pool.
But I'm leaning against the pool. (If you have a goal in life, might just as well make it big.)
I think we're going to have to move to the States for a while.
The pool thing, I can't really see it happening in Svedmyra.
Do you have any life ambitions?
Or a life list?
I think I'm going to have to revisit mine.
The pool goes on top.

PS. This photo is from our week in Porthleven, Cornwall. We had sun for about ten hours that week, but boy, those ten hours were good.

I Have A New Reader

2011-09-01T14:45:00.007+02:00

That calls for some sort of celebration!
So here's some Mariekex for y'all. Enjoy.
And say hello to Eva! (Hello Eva!)
Eva is very tall and talented and her hair never gets frizzy. Never. She's also slim and a little artsy and a mother of three and has a really scary cat with weird hair. (Again with the hair, I'm getting obsessed.)
How I know she reads this blog?
She was kind enough to email me and let me know.
(I know, huh! Highlight of my day!)
If you're into cats (I'm not) and great illustrations (I am) and fluent in Swedish (sorry) you can learn more about Eva here. Brilliant stuff.
Moving on.
How about RSS, people, are you feeling up for it?
And I'm trying to get those little Love and Hate button things to work, but no, they don't.
So feel free to, you know, comment.
Should you Love or Hate something.
Ok, that's it.
Thanks for lending me your ear.
(I will never give it back.)
Muahahahaha.
Sorry, it's just one of those days.

September Started On August 31st

2011-08-31T13:02:00.005+02:00

How do I know this?
The kids are home sick today. It's season première of Sick Day.
And my mother left the comfort of her own bed at 4.40 this morning, to be at the train station before six, to be on our doorstep at eight o'clock. For me and J to go to work and do our thing, while she takes care of our children, nurses coughs and colds, hands out icecream and limits the nintendo playing and the whining, makes an apple tart, kisses dirty cheeks, coaxes down medicine.
My mother, the superhero.
She has also very kindly offered her apartment to a woman in need, which means she will spend tonight on the floor in our study.
On a mattress, but still.
If anyone would like to report me now for neglect and abuse of loved one, I'd like to tell you that it isn't always this bad.
Sometimes we do take care of the sick young'ns ourselves, and sometimes my mother drinks champagne and eats marmalade while I pull my offspring home on a sleigh in a storm.
Not very often, no. But sometimes.
It must have happened at least once.
And now someone is bringing me a latte on a tray and I really must go.
(I'll bring her home something nice for dinner, shall I? And cook it too?)

Around The House

2011-08-30T16:07:00.004+02:00

Today turned into something other than expected.
Still good, just not what was planned.
It's like a theme song around here lately.
My running shoes have not been in use since Friday the 19th.
So I have to run today or forever be a quitter.
Can't have that.
So running it is, and making fish for dinner. And working.
Also eating chocolate from the "secret" stash in the kitchen when the kids aren't looking.
Will I paint the walls in the bathroom this weekend?
Surprise J, who's spending four days in Barcelona "working"?
Probably not. Paint the walls, that is.
Probably rent crappy movies instead and make the kids sleep in the big bed with me.
Oh, come on. It's the least they can do.
Have I told you about my husband? I've known him since I was eleven.
He had a very cool bike back then.
My parents are coming to town, and if you've been here before you already know what's coming next: It makes me happy.
Yes, it does. Sorry about the sappiness, but it does.
I know they're happy in Midsomer and I'm happy when they're happy but when I'm really happy is when they are where I am.
In town.
Yes. Did I mention I'm an only child?
So. Are you having a good Tuesday?
It is getting awfully quiet here again, isn't it?
But maybe you're just like me.
Maybe your days are turning into something other than expected too.
Hope it's still good.
Just not what was planned.

Here's What Happened

2011-08-29T15:17:00.005+02:00

I've discovered Wordfeud.
And it has practically turned into my new Facebook.
It's seriously addictive.
These guys above have nothing to do with it.
They're just enjoying their pizza, munching away.
But WordFeud.
Man.
It's good.
Yes, I can honestly say that I'm way more excited about Wordfeud than I am over Beyoncé's baby.
I can't stop.
Can you?

Who Run The World (Girls)

2011-08-29T12:09:00.003+02:00

Ugly-happy about Beyoncé's baby! (Well, this photo is actually me being ugly-happy about something else, but still.) Excellent news. Chills. Yay. Hooray.

It's The New Season And We're Not Done With The Old

2011-08-25T13:05:00.004+02:00

School started yesterday.
So now it's all back to Normal.
Normal my ass.
More like "normal".
We're not done with summer yet.
We need more sun, more swim, more sand.
We need longer days and shorter nights and lazy afternoons.
Not this.
Not the packing of tiny rucksacks.
Not the laying out of clothes.
Not the homework.
Not the drama.
Not the mornings.
Not yet.

Can we opt out?

This One's For Me

2011-08-22T12:00:00.006+02:00

She cried so she couldn't breathe when I left her today.
And I sat in the car and I cried too.
So this post is for me.
I need to look at this picture for a while.
It will all be ok.
It will all be ok.
It will all be ok.

Turns Out Our House Is A Home Away From Home

2011-08-19T11:53:00.004+02:00

Who has been sleeping in my bed?
Jennie has!
And her whole family too!
Just take a look at this.
While we were in Cornwall freezing our butts off, they were in our garden drinking up the sunshine. I'm so very glad.
See, the internet's a beautiful thing.
Blog friends, huh?
Who would have thunk it.

Bounty

2011-08-18T15:48:00.006+02:00

So I just incidentally showed a whole lot of skin to the twelveyearold art director sitting next to me.
Ok, so he's not twelve, but the innocence is the same.
And there I was, talking browsers and showing him the lion part of my ample bosom.
God Dear Lord God.
And, being me and being deranged, I obviously pointed it out.
"Oh, dear me, here I am showing you all this skin!"
Yes.
I know.
God Dear Lord God.
The awkward silence. Can you hear it?
This is how I pass my days.
Should stick to working strictly from home.
Fully clothed.
As if they didn't think I was nuts already, now with the skin also?!
God Dear Lord Dear God.
He probably thinks I was trying to seduce him.
He'll tell his girlfriend the story tonight with HORROR.
I'm Mrs Robinson.
Oh kill me now.

Obvious Perks With Not Working From Home On This Particular Thursday In August Anno Domini 2011

2011-08-18T13:59:00.006+02:00

lunch
the day I marinate myself some tofu and serve it on a bed of roses is yet to come
company
hooked up with best ever Lisch for lunch, the perfect treat
conversation
see above and add a few HAHAHA laughs for full effect
dessert
two Pärlans sea salt toffee (come to mommy, little one)
running
not actually doing it, but talking about it and looking forward to tonight's run
coffee
with said Lisch to Johan's for an after lunch brew, talked football, tennis and marriage
coincidence
bumped into three former colleagues (not at the same time!), one of them very very happy
favourite client
this one has got to be one of the nicest (evah)
noise level
at this moment there are two sevenyearolds, two eightyearolds and a fouryearold at my house (all taken care of by a hunk of a 37-yearold, but still)
bike riding
rode my red devil into town this morning (go legs, go!)
coming home
it's so much better when you've actually been somewhere else during the day

Just Like That

2011-08-17T12:47:00.006+02:00

I was picking Blanka up from daycare and the sun came out and I wasn't late and my legs were moving like Lance Armstrong's and I suddenly felt like such a force.
So strong.
So happy.
So much like myself.
I wanted to pick up the phone and call Jesper and TELL SOMEONE.
But the feeling was too good, there was no stopping or phoning, I just continued to ride my bike, legs firing away.
So strong.
So happy.
All of a sudden me.

State Of The Art

2011-08-16T14:26:00.003+02:00

Tate, St Ives, July 2011. The young'uns are now officially works of art. Not only in the eyes of the proud parents.

Major Soft Spot

2011-08-16T11:03:00.003+02:00

tide |tīd|
noun
the alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun : the changing patterns of the tides | they were driven on by wind and tide.
• the water as affected by this : the rising tide covered the wharf.
• figurative a powerful surge of feeling or trend of events : he drifted into sleep on a tide of euphoria | we must reverse the growing tide of racism sweeping the country

Sorry About That

2011-08-16T10:31:00.003+02:00

I got stuck in my ego.
I read so many blogs every day that are brilliant.
Inspiring, well written, beautifully photographed.
Funny. Important.
And somehow I started feeling a bit bleh about my own.
What's the use? Why bother? Do I really have anything to say?
Yeah, I just might have been feeling a little bit sorry for myself.
But I'm done now.
And I'd like to apologize.
There are actual people that come here everyday to read.
You!
And I haven't given you anything this summer.
I'm sorry.
It doesn't matter that these are all iPhone photos.
It doesn't matter that WWLD isn't Big.
I love this place and I love you for coming here.
I mean, you actually come here. It's nothing short of amazing.
So, sorry.
And thank you.
And see you tomorrow?

Love,
A.

What I Didn't Know

2011-08-04T22:49:00.003+02:00

These are my favourite people to travel with.
And tomorrow the itinerary says 45 minute car, 5 hour train, 15 minute cab, 50 minute train, 5 minute cab.
I should be all set.

Platform 9, Kings Cross Station, London

2011-08-04T22:42:00.002+02:00

If you know why this is big, I love you even more than before.
Wilhelm was in awe. "It's right HERE, mom!"

It's Not That It Isn't Pretty

2011-08-04T22:36:00.003+02:00

It's just that it's November.
In August.
Bleh.

Kind regards,
Worlds Most Spoiled

This Is England

2011-08-03T23:43:00.007+02:00

All is well, but the weather.
Cambridge experienced its' coldest July since 1980.
Porthleven is in storm.
This pretty much sums up our English Adventure.
We are hiding under blankets, daydreaming about Home and temperatures above 17°C. (29°C this morning, apparently.)
And it really shouldn't matter, what with all the great things we've done and seen, and all the time we've spent together and all the laughs we've shared and all the
Well, it does.
It matters and it is driving me up the wall.
So that's that.
I'm shallow and spoiled and cannot focus on what's important in life.
Sorry about that.
All is well, but the weather.

Best Of British

2011-07-26T11:14:00.002+02:00

Milk delivered at the door.
Very Paddington.
This we like.

July 18 Duxford Imperial War Museum

2011-07-21T23:24:00.003+02:00

Nothing says holiday as Imperial War Museum. Right? Oh, sea and sand, you say? Ye of little faith. This actually turned out to be very good. (And we couldn't go to the beach, could we? Being stuck in November, all of a sudden.) The Imperial War Museum (the Brits are terrific with the grand names) is situated in Duxford, on one of the airfields where the Battle of Britain actually took place (ok, it took place above the airfield, but you already figured that out).

Here's Wilhelm being patriotic (on behalf of his new homeland, the UK) in front of a Spitfire. We both agreed that war does seem a little exciting at a distance. DISCLAIMER: This was in regard to spies and what they wore and if in the French resistance, would you actually carry a baguette and wear a beret and a moustache or would it be better to just be dead quiet and pretend you couldn't talk at all? This was not in regard to anything real. We are not awful. We just have vivid imagination.

At the end there was Churchill everywhere, so of course I cried (see, not awful, most compassionate). And there was a photo of a little girl being rescued from a bomb site in London that had Blanka in tears and asking about her for hours afterwards. We went home to English pork sausages for dinner, though, and by her fourth she was ok again.

And all the while the rain kept falling.

July 16 Stockholm – Cambridge

2011-07-21T23:22:00.004+02:00

Good morning and welcome to Great Britain! This will be your weather for the next three weeks!

Cats And Dogs

2011-07-19T23:35:00.006+02:00

I wanted to take a picture of the sky actually being blue for five minutes. I got this instead. Back with update on our English adventure tomorrow. But for those of you who questioned my sanity when I told you about our three weeks in the UK: You were right. It IS raining cats and dogs.

It's still lovely, though. Just a little wet, cold and grey. Ahem.

As Roadtrips Go

2011-07-13T21:10:00.004+02:00

...this was one of the very best. Just look at my co-driver, chocolate shake in hand courtesy of moi.

As photos go, this trip features some of the worst I've taken. The kids were very pretty, though. And many.

Becks's house in the country is more estate than cabin. It has everything. Plus the view. (No, you can't tell from my photos. See note above about worst-ness.)

Which suited us and kids just fine. Poolside champers, anyone?

Marylove and I showed our gratitude by skinnydipping in the quarry. Becks may or may not have appreciated the splendour of our gesture. The kids barely raised an eyebrow.

A lovely time was had by all! Thank you, darling Rebecca!

Roadtrip With Mary

2011-07-06T10:19:00.005+02:00

She said she would like to leave at 8.30 a.m. "So probably around nine, right?"
Right.
It's 10.30 now and apparently they're "on their way".
Right.
WAIT THEY'RE HERE!

I Love Their Focus

2011-07-06T10:10:00.004+02:00

I could get used to digital displays announcing my presence in a meeting.

Bye Midsomer (For Now)

2011-07-03T19:59:00.005+02:00

Dear Mom and Dad,
Thanks for a lovely ten days.
It was good.
So very good.
Just like you.

First 5K

2011-07-01T12:51:00.001+02:00

Did not die.
Did not wish to die.
Am greatest person ever.

Nekkid, I Tell You

2011-07-01T12:49:00.001+02:00

Again With The Showing Off

2011-06-29T18:44:00.004+02:00

I'm a Swedish person, condemned to a lifetime of snow and darkness and electricity bills going through the roof. Therefore I have the right to once a year brag about sun and temperatures rising over 15°C. So please indulge me. In this post I will continue to talk about the weather we're having. It's only going to last until Friday, and then we're back to normal Swedish summer and this blogg will be gloomy again and all will get back to normal. But for now, dear friends, indulge.

So here's how hot it is today.

It's so hot that I've had coffee three times and tea twice, all in the name of staying-awakeness.
It' so hot that the kids went straight from the beach (though "beach" is probably stretching it and also planting a way to glamourous picture in your minds) to the pool (though "pool" also is stretching it and again with the planting of the picture).
It's so hot that I sanctioned a naked dinner (kids, not me) (NOT DAD), and if you know me at all, you know that this is big. (Not even underwear! Naked, I tell you! Nekkid!)
It's so hot that we've had ice cream thrice and I'm pondering a quadruple. (Yeah, I know you can't say that, but I'm on holiday and so is grammar).
It's so hot that I've turned the tv on just to keep them out of the pool ("pool"), where the sun still lingers and threatens to burn my young'ns to a crisp.
It's so hot that I opened the freezer just now and stuck my head in it. That was really uncomfortable.
It's so hot that my father's taken to practising the tuba (the horn? the tutilur?) in the cellar.
It's so hot that friends and family stuck in town keep texting me with their hallucinations, involving cold drinks and nakedness and other unmentionables.
It's so hot. I'm so happy.

There. Thank you for your patience. If this post made you irritated (and I can totally see why it would), feel free to read any posts labeled "winter". Then come back and say you're sorry and understand my need for obsessing over this day utterly and completely. Thank you.

Raspberry Sorbet

2011-06-29T11:40:00.004+02:00

I'm no longer wearing the hula skirt. I'm wearing sorbet. Though I must say, Blanka does it way better than I.

Showing Off

2011-06-28T23:25:00.003+02:00

This really is a terrible picture, but I just had to get it out of my system. See it's now eleven thirty at night and I took this photo fifteen minutes ago. Yep. We have no daylight for nineteen months and then we get this for about three nights every summer and go loco bananas. I'm wearing a hula skirt as we speak.

She's A Size 26

2011-06-26T14:13:00.003+02:00

But we're working with what we've got.

Midsummer In Midsomer

2011-06-26T13:58:00.004+02:00

We danced around the maypole. We ate lax and strawberry cake. We wore flowers in our hair. We ruined our shoes in the rain. We were a little cold. We met and greeted summer friends and family. And when we had danced and eaten hotdogs and bought candy of the kind they call homemade, we went home to meatballs and sill on knäckebröd. Night fell very late on the longest day of the year. And we fell asleep with grassy feet and dresses still on.

Carpe Diem Is More Of A Sport Up North

2011-06-23T22:44:00.004+02:00

Today it rained for about a hundred hours.
Then this happened for ten minutes.
Weather like this makes for a strange people. Proof of which will follow tomorrow, when we celebrate Midsummer.
That's Midsummer in Midsomer, for the hardcore WWLDonians.
Stay tuned.

Ludacris

2011-06-22T23:00:00.003+02:00

First run today.
Met two deer and scared them away with my panting and non-elfish moves.
And the BABY I CAN SEE YOUR HALO bellowing.
Laughed out loud with the sheer ludicrousness of it all.
The same feeling I have when I'm in the car.
Just look at this person with the driver's license, maneuvering her vehicle.
Look at this person with the legs moving forward and the rest of her body trying to follow.
Look at her.
Look at me.
Look at me go.

Just Look At That Kiss

2011-06-22T19:18:00.004+02:00

After twelve years of love Emilia and Fredrik are now Mr and Mrs! In (almost) total secrecy and with their sons as witnesses they got married at the drop-in weddings at Skansen during Pentecost. (Like your friend Emi did last year!) Veil and flowers and pretty shoes and yes, diamonds are a girl's best friend. Moments after the ceremony they sent me this picture and I was so surprised and so happy that I had to go outside and hide by my bike to cry in private. I've loved this girl for fifteen years. And I have been protective of her in ways that haven't always been as subtle as they could. But if I've been wrong before, please let me be right this once when I say that any marriage starting with a kiss like that is something out of the ordinary. Just like you guys. So good luck, bonne chance and God bless. I'm so very happy for you.

Summer Starts Here

2011-06-21T21:38:00.003+02:00

So this is it.
We're off.
The kids and I are on summer leave for a million billion weeks.
Yesterday, Day 1, was grey and cold and filled with nag nag nagging.
There was a little swimming as well (indoors, mind you) and some elder flower cordial making.
But mostly nagging, sighing, frowning and frowning and nagging again.
Today was a little better.
And the million-billion-eons-of-timeliness of it all makes it easier to let go.
That and old age.
Yep, I'm definitely getting smarter.
That and humbler.

Saturday

2011-06-18T14:04:00.003+02:00

I went for coffee with my best friend.
She bought me a 1$ skirt.
I love her.

Check And Check!

2011-06-15T22:11:00.006+02:00

I DID IT. I got my driver's license. As of this morning, I'm not only suburban mother of two, I'm also a licensed driver! YES. That's me. I'm only a sports oriented kid away from full blown soccer mom. I can drive a car. I'm allowed to drive a car. I'm not a menace to society, driving that car. (Actually, my first solo drive in life was pretty far from perfect, but I blame that on exhaustion and total giddiness.) I sat in the car by myself laughing out loud. Drove 2 k and made a million mistakes. And noone but me to see them. Ha! Such a relief. Such a joy. I picked Wilhelm up from school, dangling the car keys in front of him, and he jumped up and did a little dance, screaming "You can drive? You can drive now?!" And I kissed him and said that I could. And I can.

Then we went to pick up B ("Are we taking the car? Where's daddy?") and came home, safe and sound the three of us. And I practically fell asleep making dinner. I'm about as tired as I've been after giving birth. It's crazy, I'm so exhausted. So good night, y'all. And thanks for your support. I feel like I can do pretty much everything now (again with the post-delivery feelings). But it will all have to wait until tomorrow.

These Are The Days

2011-06-11T22:51:00.005+02:00

It's eleven fifteen at night and every window, every door, in the house is open.
Night has yet a long time to fall.
Jesper's outside, painting the fence.
The neighbours are finishing their dinner.
I'm in the study, fighting away a moth that is drawn to the computer, it being the only light on the house.
The elder flower, covered in lice, haunts me through the open window. The smell, sourly sweet and more June than any other.
Yes, it is night, but noone seems to know.
It's still light.
It's still 22°C.
The birds are still singing, the blackbird showing off from the tv antenna.
It's impossible to wrap this day up.
These are the days that we will talk about.
These are the days that will be Summer.
These are the days that will seem to good to be true.
These are the days.

Getting Ready

2011-06-08T17:09:00.010+02:00

New shirt (finally flowers for a boy)? Check.
Pink jumpsuit (with lingonberries for my girl)? Check.
White knee socks? Check.
New sandals? Check.
Gifts to teachers? Hm.
Fake vans instead of smelly sneakers? Not yet.
Doting grandparents? Check.
Garden in bloom? Check.
Dandelions f-g everywhere driving me crazy? Check.
Proud mama? You bet.
Ditto daddy? Indeed.
About ready to be ready with school? YES.
Really bad photo? Oh yes.
Loving the fact that you're here, even when you don't say much? Amen.