Happy Happy Happy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Insert Witty Headline About Time Or Something Glasses

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

I need go get back into running gear.