greenbranch

2009-12-31T13:39:00.002+01:00

The year is coming to its end. 2009. A good year. A fantastic one actually. I can only hope 2010 will be as good as this past one.

This blog is also coming to its end. It's been inevitable really. For many reasons I don't want to write here any more. It's not that I don't have things to say, but the time has come to say goodbye.

I'm on Facebook, and update there quite regularly.

Thank you blog. You have been wonderfull, but your time is up. Until I find a way to archive what I have written here, I'm leaving the blog the way it is. There won't be new things. It feels good. Liberating actually. Quitting writing doesn't mean I'm going to quit reading others' blogs though.

Goodbye blog. Goodbye readers. Thank you.

Vaccination

2009-12-01T11:20:00.004+01:00

Sohoho, ho ho ho, it's December 1st (again) and while NaBloPoMo has wrapped up without my participation, another month has come and gone. Not that it was a borning month.

But I shall rather not digress and focus on the aforementioned list.

Vaccination. H1N1. Swineflu. Bacon fever. Call it whatever you want, here at casa Greebranch, by now, we've all seen and felt the needle. Except the cat of course. I assume it would be just a tiny bit over the top to drag the kitty to the vet to get the shot, no? Is there a H1N1 shot for cats anyways?

See, now I did digress.

About 3 weeks ago, Jonatan and I were invited to get the vaccination done. After a long struggle back and forth, should we or should we not get vaccinated, we decided to do it. For several reasons, the first and foremost was that since all children under the age of 3 were not to be vaccinated though belonged to the highest risk group, we were going to minimize the risk that she'd catch the flu from one of us. Once we had made up our mind, it all was rather simple - cueue, push forward left arm (if you are right-handed), needle in and out, wait 15 minutes for possible allergic shock, continue with daily business, wait anxiously for possible side-effects to kick in. No side effects here, except a sore muscle where the needle had penetrated. Not too bad.

It all was really kind of weird, all of Malmö suddenly seemed to get vaccinated during one week since all 30-39 year old got the vaccination during the same week and we really know almost only people in that age group. Almost a bit of a "end-of-the-world"-feeling. Me pushing Stella in her stroller through a storm with leaves and small branches falling over us didn't help remove that feeling. Storm warning...

It was also during that time that news emerged that all 0.5-3 year old children could be vaccinated. So, Stellas turn was yesterday. It was drama. A butcher doctor, with no empathy for childrens fears and crying, a neede, a shaking mother, but thank you god for Püppi. She saved the show. Once again.

So far the Stella is doing just fine.No side-effects. Yet. I guess when you are that young your arm doesn't hurt from vaccination, right (or not)? Or is it that children are just stronger when it comes to pain? Or are we adults just whuzzes when it comes to needles and pain? Most probably.

block

2009-11-13T08:46:00.007+01:00

Gosh, it's been ages since I blogged. It's not a new thing for me to let quite some time pass between blog posts, but this time it's totally unintentional. I WANT TO BLOG. I even have stuff to say, I just can't do it somehow. Some kind of blog-block.

But pragmatic as I am, I'm going to resolve the blocking - listwise.

Here's what want to/am going to write about soon. Soon = by the end of Novemeber:

-- I'm becoming a doula. Best thing in a long time I have done for myself. Long post ahead.
-- Trip to Germany. Pictures ahead. Man I wish I had a back-yard, with trees, and leaves, and veggies, and that stuff.
-- I still have not found a new job. Despite quite som efforts, I don't get anywhere really. Very very frustrating. Alarming in fact.
-- H1N1 (bacon fever) vaccination. Back and forth. Forth and back. And forth again. Jonatan and I are getting the shot next week, Stella is too young to be vaccinated. More on that.
-- Christmas. I almost don't dare to write it, having been the Christmas grinch the last 20 or so years, but I am actually looking forward to Christmas. I might even use the word "long". Yes, ok, I am counting down the days until Christmas. 41 more days. 17 more days until Stella can open the first package of her Adventskalender. Exciting. Christmas get's a whole new meaning once there is a child involved.

Reading

2009-10-05T10:08:00.002+02:00

There is a lot of reading going on here at casa Greenbranch. Stella in particular has a new-found love for everything Barbapapa. It all started with her getting a cute little dress with a Barbapapaprint from her aunt Josefine. Since then all we hear is "Barbaklänning"*. You ask her what she wants to wear and she exclaims Barbaklänning.

So we lend some Barbapapa books at the library. That triggered Stellas understanding and knowledge of colors. I am so impressed that she knows not only all the names of the barbapapas, she also knows their respective colors. It's so cute. Wherever we are, if something is very very red, she'll point out - Barabastark**. Orange - Barbabok***. And so on.

And I am amazed how up-to-date the Barbapapa stories really are. The ones we are reading were written in the beginning of the 1970s, but they could not have been written more educational now. Right now, the Barbapapas are teaching us, that polluting our planet is a bad bad thing, and that we need to clean up our planet. Good point.

I'm reading a fabulous book as well. Actually the first really really good one since Eat Pray Love (which by the way I learned is being made into a movie with Julia Roberts). My friend Lisa gave me Gut gegen Nordwind and I just couldn't put it down. It does bring a lot of memories back from when Jonatan and I met - online. More than 9 years ago now, but I guess one never forgets falling in love with his/her love.

By now I'm reading the sequal to Gut gegen Nordwind - Alle sieben Wellen. I'm again totally captivated and can't wait to read if Leo and Emmi finally will find to one another. If you are German (or want to read a really good book in German), go and get those two books. I highly recommend them.

I'm also reading some really interesting specialist literatur, but more on that later.

* Barbaklänning = Barbapapaklänning = Barbapapadress
** that's what Barbabravo is called in Swedish.
*** Barbalib in Swedish.

Home alone

2009-09-17T10:26:00.003+02:00

Home alone. That's what I am. Jonatan is at work, Stella in pre-school, and I am sitting here at my desk with a lot of thoughts in my head. It's all quiet if you disregard the city noise outside the oppen windows.

I want to find a job. I need to find a job. I worry. Somewhat.

4

2009-09-12T20:33:00.004+02:00

So my blog turned four years old yesterday. I have been blogging 4 years. Man. That's quite some time. Things were very different four years ago. My life was different. I was different. I even had a different name back then, as did this blog. I was a couple of pounds lighter back then and had less grey hair. I was living at the same address in an smaller apartment. With a lot of shoes, the kitty and Jonatan, who was going to be my husband less than a year later.

But I wasn't the Mrs. yet and not mama either. I really love how those things turned out. I love being the Mrs. and being mama is the best thing ever.

Four years ago I was struggling quite a bit, quite often. I was daydreaming about what my life would be four years from then. Only in the very best of daydreams could I imagine that it would be like this.

Well, enough of that sentimental stuff. Let's look forward. What's ahead? Four years from now? I have no idea, but I sure hope it involves being the Mrs. and mama.

Happy anniversary blog.

Cha Cha Cha Cha Changes....

2009-09-05T19:57:00.002+02:00

Last post I wrote about late summer. By now, a week later, late summer is so over. It's autum. Fall - if you want to call it that. The leaves are, indeed, falling. The babe picks them up as if they are some grand price and proudly carries them around town. Sweet. Fall is sweet. At least in the beginning, when you still remember the warm summer days. By the end of fall and the beginning of winter I'm so over the wet, dark, coldness that I just wish it was summer again. Fall triggers melancholy, every year. The days get shorter, darkness looms. But fall also means tea with milk, rain, staying inside, cosy afternoon naps. And the wind. Storm at times. Every year my hairdo turns into some weird white-chick afro. Not so nice. Enter the straightening iron. My loyal friend. Best-buy of 2003. What would I be without it. But I digress.

This week, Stella started pre-school. So far, it's going so-so. Not too bad actually. We had some shy advancing towards some toys, a majoy break-down involving a toy clown and some major clinging to mommys leg. Here in Sweden children usually get a soft introduction to preschool. Parents follow along for a period of time (usually something in between 1-3 weeks). This week, we spent 4 days á 1 hour at pre-school. Next week, we are hoping to increase the time spend there by Stella and decrease the time spend there by me. Once the initial preschool introductory time is over and Stella feels confident to stay there without me (or Jonatan), she'll be at there 5 days a week from 8-12 am. 4 hours. She'll be fine, and I guess we'll be too. Our girl is once again getting more independent.

I am unemployed as is no secret and by now I am actively searching for a new job. It's turning out to be more tricky than I thought. I don't seem to be too patient and am preemtively worrying about loads of things connected to being unemployed. Money. Career. Self-esteem. I'd love to work part-time. 75% ideally. 50% would be great too.

Jonatan is back at work and that is that. A big change. We have been so so fortunate to having had the opportunity to spend the last 7 months as a family of three at home. Poor - yes. Happy - more than ever. It was so worth it and I know both Jonatan and I will never ever regret that we decided to spend this time together. It has brought us even closer together.

But but, everything must come to an end. Jonatan is working again, Stella is starting pre-school and I am hopefully finding a new job shortly. The cat will be happy once we're all out of the house and he can have some peace and quiet.

For now, I'm going to enjoy our lördagsgodis* and watch Sweden play football against...ehhh...Hungary. Yes, right, had to look at the TV, had already forgotten who they played against. I'm listening to the rain outside and watch the kitty sleep. Earlier this evening I watched the babe dance to Kent and the Moonbabies. And Britta & Dean. I know I might jinx my luck writing it, but - I am so very happy.

Have a nice autumn/fall!

* Lördagsgodis translates into "saturdaycandy" and is a Swedish tradition of eating candy on saturday (as opposed to eating it during the work week).

Berries of blue.

2009-08-28T21:05:00.004+02:00

Nothing more says late summer to me than Swedish blueberries. I love them. Everything about them. They are smaller and darker than the big ones one usually finds in the shops abroad. They aren't as sweet as the regular ones, but they are just perfect in every way. Or maybe it is this "leaving summer feeling" I connect with them that makes me feel sentimental and excited at the same time.

When Jonatan and I were newly in love, back in the beginning of this century, millenium actually (ha that sounds weird), we visited his parents on the Swedish countryside. It was blueberry season, and a fantastic one that year. Blueberries everywhere, behind the house, in front of the house, in the woods, everywhere. Jonatans grandfather and mother taught me how to pick (and eat) blueberries. I loved it, and still do. I love to eat them right from the bush (plant?), turn them into jam, pies, pancakes, cupcakes, anything.

The babe, loves them too. Ever since she ate the first ones last summer.

So to all our joy, Jonatan brought home from a trip to see his parents and sister, a jar full of blueberries freshly picked behind the house by Jonatans mother. Mmmmmm. The next day, yesterday, I made blueberry pancakes. Stella loved it and I did too. Mmmmm. I think I'll turn the rest of them into a pie this weekend. Mmmmmmm. Yummy!

Stella eating her blueberry pancake. Fall we are ready for you, if you come with blueberries.

Weddings & adult time

2009-08-26T20:21:00.005+02:00

My parents just left after having spent the 9 days with us. 9 days mostly with Stella (and of course some with us too).

Jonatan and I had been invited to two weddings, two weekends in a row and needed a babysitter. Since my parents stayed the week in between the weddings, Jonatan and I took the opportunity to take a 2.5 day mini-break. Adult time. We went to Berlin.

Both the weddings were lovely. As lovely as weddings can be. I shed some tears of happiness and one timy one for not being able to marry again. It's a bit sentimental. I'm so happily married that it's a bit sad that I can't marry Jonatan again. I guess we'll have to have a huge 10 year anniversary party.

Marina & Pär's wedding:

Pauline & Fredik's wedding:

Berlin was of course fantastico. Best was the baby free time. Talking, not talking. Sleeping in. Eating a meal in slow-motion. Going out for a drink at night. All with my husband. By day three, we were missing Stella terribly. So much in fact that we made friends with a cute little one year old at the airport on our way home. The girls mother asked us if we were on a child-free vacation. It was this obvious that we were missing our babe. :)

While we were away Stella had the time of her life with Omi and Opa. She got spoilt rotten, of course. In a good way. I guess that's what grandparents are there for, spoil the child so that the child doesn't forget the grandparents when they leave again. Stella learned many more German words. It was just good for her to hear some German conversation instead of just me talking to her. My mother took the usual gazillion of pictures but I have none on my PC. So those have to wait. For now, here's a little collage of our trip to Berlin. Click on the image to enlarge.

20

2009-08-11T20:28:00.013+02:00

20 months. Almost. I have wanted to write an update about our babe since she turned one and a half years old, but as usual life was too busy to really spend time blogging. But I'm going to make an effort now. I draw a lot of blogging inspiration from friends who write updates about their babies and babies turned toddlers.

But oh my where do I start?

Maybe a little recap? Here's Stella at 6 months. And here at 12 months.

At 18+ months our daughter is all about talking. She's so good at it. I am deeply impressed. She masters both (German and Swedish) languages, although she focuses her efforts on Swedish right now. By now she builds sentences. Two word sentences and even a couple of three word ones (Pappa läsa boken*). She's very ambitious when it comes to talking and learning new words. Her eyes can be transfixed on our lips, while her mouth is trying to say a certain new word as correct as possible. This often works, though sometimes not, making for some fun wording. Jonatan and I have more than once giggled about the cuteness of Stella making up new words while trying to say something. Also, Stella can repeat a newly learned word about 100 times, in addition to repeating everything we say. We really have to watch what we say these days.

One of the most interesting things about the babe right now is that she "get's things". She understands rather complex situations. She makes connections between things and amazes us many times every day, i.e. while strolling in the city, she can point at the same stroller she has and exclaim that her friend Filippa (who at the point of strolling is not with us) has the same stroller as well. That's rather complex, especially since there are a gazillion different strollers on the streets here in Sweden. Also, she loves to compare things and point out similar things. Colors, shapes, textures, food, all is up for comparison.

We have started to teach her colors. She has initiated this actually since she's been obsessed with the color purple - lila, ever since we bought her beloved purple shoes. Purple she knows really well now and points it out a lot. Blue she knows too, black also and bajs**. I'm working hard on green and red, but they seem difficult.

Funnily, every time I do these big blog updates about Stella I write that she just went through a growth spurt and that I am somewhat exhausted. No different this time, only that she still seems to be in the middle of the growth spurt. Or as some people would call it - terrible twos. Only that she is not even close to two. So, growth spurt it is. And growing she is. Physically our babe is such a big girl. She's in the boy's league length-wise but still on the slender side, although no longer as skinny as she was after the several rounds of sickness during the spring. The last time she was on the scale and measured, which was at 17 months, back in the beginning of June, Stella was 10845 gram (24 lbs) and 84 cm (33 in).

A toddler at 18+ months is such a different person than the baby we had during the first year. And of course we are different parents too.

Our babe is still the very active girl she's always been. Re-reading the previous updates, it is clear that we have a high-energy child, which is fantastic, amazing, interesting and fascinating, the shear endless energy she seems to have sometimes. It is also exhausting at times. Luckily our girl is still such a good sleeper. She sleeps about 11-12 hours per night (7pm-6:30am) and one or two 1.5 hour naps during the day. We are just transitioning from two naps per day to only one. Some days it works just fine not taking a mid-morning nap and some days Stella is so tired by 9am that we let her cuddle in her little bed for an hour with her stuffed animals and of course Püppi.

Stella still shows so much love for her dolls and stuffed animals. I am still amazed by it and have several times shed a tear watching her lovingly play with her dolls. Stella got a doll stroller from my grandmother for her first birthday and we finally unpacked it now. It's her new favorite thing to play with. A lot of doll strolling going on in the apartment.

Playing. It is so different now to what it was just half a year ago. Play is mostly initiated by Stella these days and she can really entertain herself so well. She loves her new Lego (duplo). Big(ger) girl Lego. Endless possibilities. Endless playing. Not sure who likes playing with it more - Stella or Jonatan.

Reading books. Mollan. Miffy. Molly. Her absolute favorites at the moment. After a period of not reading so much during the late spring (while focusing on walking, running, climbing), Stella is in a reading period again. Nice. Cozy, especially when you are the chosen one to read to her. We have also bough and borrowed some children's DVD's (Miffy, Pingu, Molly), but Stella isn't too much into the whole TV watching thing. 5 minutes max. We think that's ok. Great in fact. I guess sooner or later she'll be begging us to let her watch TV "just a little bit longer".

Food. No big change there. Luckily. Stella is still a wonderful eater. So much interest. Trying everything. Disliking very few things (amongst them Feta cheese and Avocado). I was a picky eater as a child, and still have several things I really dislike (cheese amongst others). My daughter is so different in that respect. I love it. Stella-food-lover.

Pointing out body parts is of course fun and Stella is really good at it. Hair, ears, mouth, teeth, fingers, hands, belly, etc. all has been found and is accounted for on a daily basis. She's also discovered her little female private parts and rather enjoys “playing” with it. Very innocent. Very sweet.

Stella has had a potty since she was one year old. She has mostly played with it or used it as a chair. She has now peed on it once. A grand total of one (1) time. Ha ha. It's funny really. She runs to the potty, sits on it, points to the toilet exclaiming "mama kisser***" and concentrates. While I sit next to her peeing, there is nothing happening in the potty. I guess we'll be buying more diapers for a while. It's totally ok. Stella is a very determined child. When she is ready, she'll decide it's time for the potty, and she'll sit on it and pee. It's like that with everything. Stubborn, determined, and interested.

I guess once Stella starts day-care she'll see lot’s of other kids use the potty and she'll be intrigued to do the same. Which brings me to - day-care. Stella will start day-care on September 1st. Wow. I'm still unemployed (loooong story of how I didn't get into the Master Program I applied for), so Stella will be home with me a bit too, but it'll be nice for her to play regularly with the same group of kids. Jonatan will start working again on September 1st. I'll write more about all of that in a separate post soon.

Being one and a half during the summer is really fun. Swimming in the ocean, playing in the sand box (for hours) and just running around without 50 or so layers of clothes. We are really really longing for a garden, and right now I'd give my left arm for a little patch of grass and our own swing. Well well, soon it's the Swedish 8 months winter again and I'll be glad we live right in the center of the city with all things within close proximity.

Of course there is so much more, details I could write about. But I think I’ll stop here. This post is already getting veeeery long. You get the picture. Stella is growing. Thriving. Big girl in a big world. Ready for it. Don't forget to check out the pictures at my flickr site.

* Daddy read the book.
** She pronounces the German word Weiss (white) like the Swedish word bajs (poo).
*** Mamma pee!

Öland plus more...

2009-07-30T20:59:00.008+02:00

I know I've been a bad blogger and I'm not even attempting a really long and deep kind of post. Instead I'm following my dad's request for some vacation pictures.

I uploaded quite many pics to my Flickr account. Click here for an overview of the pictures or view them as a slideshow here.

Once you are done looking at all of them, enjoy some pictures of our little beachgirl taken yesterday:

Oh and before I forget, here are two pictures of Stella playing with her dollstroller that she got from her great-grandmother. Too cute!

But, I do have a long post with depth in the pipeline. I just need to get it written.

One and a half

2009-06-30T19:38:00.003+02:00

The babe is one and a half years old today. Hooorrayyy for our big girl. She really is, such a big girl. By now the baby in her is all but gone. She is a tiny little person, doing lot's of grown-up things, like drinking from a cup, eating from a plate (both very messy, but hey many grown-ups have terrible table manners, right?).

And don't even let me start about the talking. It's hilarious. This morning, when she woke up (at 6:10 am) and Jonatan went into her room to pick her up to cuddle in our bed for a while, she greeted him with "goooodmorrron*". Never a boring moment with the babe.

Here's the babe today at öppen förskola outside.

Stellas ocean-swimming debut on Sunday. Malmö - Ribban. Life is good.

And finally one that Jonatan shot on Sunday late afternoon while barbequeing on the beach. Summer is fantastico!!!

Happy one and a half years baby. You are the light of my life.

* "good morning" in Sweden

Beachlife & catlife...

2009-06-26T20:06:00.004+02:00

So summer has finally arrived here in Sweden. And as it seems it is going to stick around for a bit. Lovely.

We have been hanging at the local beach these past days. The babe looooves the sand and the water and everything connected with beachlife, especially ice cream. Who can blame her?

After having been on "vacation" for almost 2 months at Jonatans parents place, our hairy boy, aka. Tiger is back at home with us. One really get's attached to ones pet and we missed our boy dearly. Especially Stella. Not sure though how much Tiger missed her. "Don't chase Tiger around the apartment" can be overheard more than once a day at casa Grönkvist these days. Poor kitty. At least he comes out of hiding after the babes has gone to bed for some purring action, much to might delight. I van never overdose on cat purring...

strawberry rhubarb

2009-06-22T19:22:00.001+02:00

Midsummer

2009-06-21T13:37:00.005+02:00

We've been away to celebrate midsummer with Anna and Erik plus kids in Särö this weekend. 4 adult, 4 children, one cat. Lovely as ever. See for yourself...

On the way to Särö, pit stop at the Köttclown's

Maj and Stella playing with strawberry boxes :D

ficka...

2009-06-01T20:44:00.003+02:00

This morning, while all three of us were cuddling in our big bed Jonatan was teaching Stella some new Swedish words. She's in such a verbal phase right now, she tries hard to repeat any new words we teach her. So here's what I overheard this morning while I was in a sleepy state of bliss.

Jonatan: ....put this into your ficka*. Ficka. F-I-C-K-A
Stella: Fitta**???

Ops

* pocket
**pussy

Put your helmet on and hold on tight...

2009-05-15T21:22:00.003+02:00

...because we are going biking.

Stella loves it!!!

Older

2009-05-10T21:15:00.005+02:00

Today is my birthday. Happy birthday to myself. I have always liked my birthday. Somehow I find the idea of my special day nice. And of course the idea of eating cake without remorse. And ice cream. I had plenty of both today.

Today was not only my birthday but also Mother's Day. Not here in Sweden though. But I'm not a Swedish mother anyways, so I indulged in my Mother's Day/Birthday cake made by my husband while I was out at girlsnight last night. He's a keeper :)

Stella admiring my birthday balloons

Stella standing in our very slippery chairs admiring my birthday balloons...

Stella unpacking my present

Stella eating my birthday cake (rhubarb/apple/ginger)

Stella admiring my birthday balloons with a spoon full of birthday cake

Stella and me in our mini-me/mother-daughter/look-alike Lollopard dresses, presents from Jonatan for Mother's Day (please disregard my so-not-matching pink pj pants).

Lunch at Slottsträdgårdens kafé. Last year we also ate lunch at the exact same cafe on my birthday. I still look the same (plus some laughing wrinkles), Jonatan still looks the same but Stella has grown quite a bit. Last year at my birthday, she was just over 4 months old and had recently discovered her toes and how much fun it was to put them into her mouth.

May 10, 2008

You think my girl is taking over my birthday with all the balloon admiring, presents unpacking, cake eating business? Probably! Do I mind? No.

pass the dust cloth please...

2009-05-06T20:07:00.005+02:00

Since the beginning of the year we had planned to visit my parents in Germany for this years Easter celebration. We had plans to wear a cute pink dress (Stella) go egg hunting (Stella), meet friends (moi), eat a gazillion chocolate eggs (all of us) and enjoy being spoiled rotten by my parents (Stella).

If you are a FBfriend of mine, you know that none of the above really happened and that the entire trip turned into one big misery. I don't even want to go too much into detail about it now, but we all were sick a hell. Urinary tract infection (Stella), vomiting and diarrhea (Stella, Nina, Jonatan), dehydration (Stella). 10 days of misery despite my parents best efforts to create Stellas first real memorable Easter and the fantastic spring weather. But we got home and got better. Thank You!!

We took some pictures but looking at them I see mostly sickness in our eyes. Here's a small selection though, they turned out rather ok actually.

After the whole Easter misery (10 freakin' days) I really kicked myself in the ass and finally stared selling my handmade children clothes and accessories. I posted about Stelline in my last post and may I just say that I am really really really loving making clothes and selling them. Although, it did take a while to make the first sale, it eventually happened and I danced a little happy dance, feeling really really proud. I might need rethink my pricing strategy once more possibly, but otherwise I'm just really content with Stelline.

Last weekend we ventured back to Germany (not my hometown though) to celebrate my grandmothers 85th birthday. Nobody got sick - Thank you, and Stella indulged in watering my grandmothers flowers in her garden. Pictures below:

So, if I'm not blogging frequently these days, it's due to the fact that I'm busy with Stelline, and/or enjoying the spring here in Sweden.

My shop

2009-04-26T21:25:00.005+02:00

I'm a seller. Selling real things. Not second-hand or vintage stuff on a flea market. I made things and am now selling them. Am proud of myself and scared shitless. What if nobody wants to buy what I sell? I will just wait and find out, right? Click on the below images to come to my shop.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
stelline.etsy.com

Earth Hour

2009-03-29T14:04:00.006+02:00

March 28th 2009, 8:30-9:30 pm

Read more about Earth Hour here and here.

Where to start?

2009-03-22T21:46:00.014+01:00

It's been a month now that I have been unemployed, or rather I still find myself in the period of notice, still employed but not working.

It's been a crazy month, fantastic, busy, sick (flue again, poor Stella ear infection), traveling, etc. I made big plans, but have yet to fulfill them. Right after I posted the last post (the one before the Swedish "Tävling" post), Stella got an ear infection, was ordered to take Penicillin, and luckily recuperated quickly. End of story. Luckily she was very very cooperative when it came to swallowing the disgusting Penicillin three times per day. She quickly understood that taking the Penicillin meant eating kaka kaka kaka and ice cream.

I finally finished the cardigan from hell - as I lovingly call it by now. I'm really really satisfied with how it turned out, it's cute and fits well, but it was such a pain in the ass to knit. Moss stitch sucks. At least in the long run. It takes forever. F O R E V E R. Unfortunately I don't have any better pictures since Stella is constantly on the move. The color is dark chocolate brown and the yarn is my favorite yarn Baby Cashmerino. The pattern is from Baby Cashmerino 3. I love Debbie Bliss' patterns and yarns.

We've been visiting Jonatans parents in Småland. In fact we took Tiger with us, and left him there for a couple of weeks, during which we will be doing several smaller trips to Germany etc.. We had a great time in Småland, walking a lot and playing with farmors toys. Also, we met Fröken Krahner and her lovely family. In fact, I got to hold little 3 weeks old Hjalmar. Of course he had that famous and fantastic baby smell. He is such a lovely and mellow little baby, holding this little bundle brought back a lot of memories of tiny baby Stella. Babies grow up way to quickly. While I was smitten with the baby, Stella had yet again found a 3 year old girl to follow and admire. Selma is at least as lovely as her tiny brother. I guess you all can guess where
Selma learned how to make funny faces? Some pictures from our whole trip below (Click on the collage to enlarge):

Since coming home, I miss my kitty terribly. Living with a cat is very special. Somehow our quite, black/white hairy fluffball is the center of our home. Don't know how that happened but I guess his love, hair and purr infiltrated bit by bit and as a bonus, he makes my daughter smile and excited. He cuddles me and purrs like nobody else can purr (not even my husband :)). I miss miss miss my kitty.

Now that we are back home and all healthy, we are busy with the daily stuff that needs to be done, i.e. washing, knitting, blogging, applying for university, sewing, sewing, sewing. Oh, and I've taken up baking again. It's been ages that I baked the last time, if you don't count all those carrot cakes I made throughout the past years. Yesterday we made Bagels and today Scones. Both turned out really really yummy. Not very beautiful, but yummy.

And to overdone of Picassa collages, here's one from pictures I took today. I just love tulips, my second favorite flowers, right after Gerberas. There is nothing that says spring more than tulips in our home, oh and dirty windows that need cleaning.

I have sewn quite a bit lately, here Stella is modeling a bib in oilcloth. I love sewing, and I missed it a lot. With my new sewing machine though, I think there will be a lot of summerish outfits sewn for the little star.

Off to bed now to cuddle with my husband. Do you think I can teach him to purr the "right" way? I miss my Tigermannen.

Visit of my parents coming up this weekend.

Tävling (på svenska)

2009-03-19T13:26:00.004+01:00

A first for me: blogging in Swedish. Please disregard slightly wrong grammar and spelling mistakes.

"Jag är med o tävlar om ett hemligt paket från Moonkids till ett värde av 600kr hos Tant Ulrika. Tävla HÄR du oxå!"

Jag är ingen tävlingsmänniska direkt. Men när det gällar gratis barnkläder. Gratis barnkläder av märket Moonkids så vaknar mina tävlingsinstinkter. Jag vill vinnar. Jätte gärna, för jag gillar Moonkids kläder. De är söta och passar bra, iallafall vår lilla stjärna. Och jag har aldrig vunnit någonting...om jag inte minns fel.

Ps: Ha, nu har jag även bloggad på svenska. Det gick väl ok. Ingen dog.

Fablerus weekend!

2009-03-09T20:43:00.005+01:00

I'm so so so tired of being sick. I'm actually better by now but poor little Stella is really sick, coughing, snotty and some other kind of pain that makes her cry and feverish. Might be her ears, or a throat ache, maybe some more molars coming in. Probably everything at once. Poor little baby. But but I think (cross fingers) she is going to be better tomorrow. I hope. Please please please let this be the last cold in a long while. But enough lamenting now. I'm actually really looking forward to writing a post that includes no mentioning of sickness, vomit or snott. I'm hopeful it'll happen soon. Perpetual optimist.

Completely unrelated to the above was this past weekends visit of our friends - the Fablers. It's been more than one and a half year since we saw each other the last time, and a lot has happened since then. A lot. Like, this picture wouldn't have been possible 18 months ago...

I had such a wonderful weekend. I loved the kids noises, the running around the apartment, the playing, talking, cooking, and everything involved with having good friends over for the weekend. Stella loved having our visitors too. Märta in particular. Stella just loved this little josa (rosa) 4 year old girl. She followed her, smiled at her, imitated her and just admired everything about her. It was the cutest thing and made my little mamma-heart extra happy.

I'm amazed what a wonderful family our friends are. Three children is most definitely more work than one child. But there is so much fun and love and laughter too. And more dirty clothes.

A little potpourri of the weekend below

bullet points...

2009-03-05T14:07:00.003+01:00

I colored my hair yesterday. Turned out crap. Almost a bit reddish. Jonatan tells me it's nice. Not convinced though. Need a hair-change soon. I think I know what I want. It involves bangs. I miss my bangs.

Winston (the car) didn't make it through bilprovningen yesterday. Apparently a gasoline leakage. Dangerous, expensive, unnecessary.

Stella and I have a cold. Again. It's actually the fourth time I'm sick this year. And it's barely March. We are on the mend though.

I made an Elephant. It's just a prototype. There will be more, and they will be sold.

Where is spring? It almost made a big entrance in the beginning of the week. It's gone again.

We booked flights to my Germany for an extended Easter visit. All of us, minus cat.

We are awaiting finbesök this weekend. We'll be 4 adults, 4 kids, 1 cat. I know where the cat will hide. I'm excited.

Boxes and stuff

2009-02-24T20:27:00.003+01:00

I feel this post will be a colorful mix and match of things that we did and bought and other stuff. No order to anything though.

This past weekend I went ice skating with some "former" colleagues (now friends) of mine. It was fun, although I must confess that I didn't skate more than 5 minutes. It's just not my thing - ice skating. The whole scary ice part, the freezing and the ugly and uncomfy shoes. I much rather ate the subsequent chocolate cup cakes that Åse made. Stella didn't find the whole experience too interesting either, but the "kaka, kaka, kaka" she liked too. Just like her mother...

Today I bought two boxes. In Sweden the pastry chefs put all their precious pastry in little (or larger if so needed) boxes that everybody carries around while walking through the city, almost as if carrying around a bag containing a gazillion dollars worth of designer clothes.
-"Look here people, I bought a piece of cake from Konditori Katarina (or any other bakery)".

So I carried my little package home with pride (and hunger) today and devoured the contents. Fettisdagen demands its Semla.

Stella will have to show off what the other box contained.

Oh and besides it being Fettisdagen, Victoria seems to be tying the knot. So unnecessary, so expensive, so boring. Yawn.

Eat Pray Love

2009-02-23T13:36:00.003+01:00

I have finished it. The first book since I don't know when that is not related to pregnancy or raising children. I guess it's been before I even got pregnant that I read the last novel. Long time.

Nevertheless, when Maria gave me Eat Pray Love I read it immediately. I really really liked the book, some parts better than others, but overall I found the idea of reading about another woman's journey, so different than my own chosen journey, appealing and interesting. Peeking into another kind of world. I'm not a person to write book reviews, in fact I have three different book review posts in draft for this blog, which I know I will never post. Book reviews are just not my thing. But I wanted to write something about Eat Pray Love, because it marked something special - me rediscovering reading in bed at night, almost falling asleep. One of the my favorite times of the day. So instead of writing myself, I just copy my favorite part of the book:

"I keep remembering one of my Guru's teachings about happiness. She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.If you don't, you will leak away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments."

Elizabeth Gilbert, eat pray love

Walking on sunshine!!!

2009-02-19T19:32:00.003+01:00

The baby walks. Steps. One foot in front of the other. It's such a milestone. And it makes us so immensely proud. Our little sweet tempered baby walks. And she looooves it. She is proud too I think. Out of nowhere really Stella decided that this week is the week she'll get herself places using her two feet.

Enjoy:

There is lot's of other news, like how I suddenly find myself without employment and back home with my husband and our now walking daughter. Or how I bought myself a new sewing machine today to mark the occasion. But this post is all about Stella and her walking skills. Besides, I'm too busy sipping Champagne right now anyways. More soon though.

2009-02-18T12:26:00.003+01:00

There is news. Oh there is, but I can't tell you more. Not right now. But, oh oh oh, there is news....

For now, here's a picture of us three walking in the sun today. Sunny winter with snow in Sweden is fantastic.

Gurkies....

2009-02-17T21:30:00.003+01:00

Back in the days when I lived in Maastricht with Katja, we ate many Gurkies im Mantel. For the sake of our honor, I'm not going to tell you what Gurkies in Mantel are, just know that Stella apparently has inherited a certain predisposition for Gurkies.

Sauer macht lustig!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While I am at work....

2009-02-13T22:42:00.005+01:00

...the babe and husband are enjoying themselves. Unbelievable! What are they thinking?

Blahhhhh....

2009-02-11T17:05:00.003+01:00

I guess a little post is in order. Not that there is much to report, because I have been at home the past 3 days with Norovirus, which my lovely daughter gave to me. Poor baby started vomiting on Friday evening, but is better now. However, some of her molars are coming in so that she seems to be in some pain from teething. Some molars I write, because quite honestly we can't put our fingers into her mouth or she'll chew them off. So, we try to see, guess, feel as much as possible and I think there are at least two if not three molars kicking in. Poor baby.

Poor me too. Norovirus struck me down on Sunday. Didn't know that fancy shmancy English word for it. Vinterkräksjukan the Swedish word is much better. Although, it really doesn't hint on the diarrhea. Magen-Darm-Grippe, the Germans bring it to the point again. Both stomache and intestines infected. Yes. Hell. Enough of it already. Just a few weeks ago I was in misery land and now again. I blame day care, which funny enough, Stella hasn't even started yet. Sometimes we visit öppen förskola, some kind of parent/children daycare, where you meet other children and their parents. Stella picked it up there, we assume. Strangely though Jonatan hasn't gotten any of it, since I was at work and he followed Stella to öppen förskola. Last man standing.

Which brings me to a completely different topic. Work. Yes. I have been back almost two weeks, now, but this week due to the above mentioned norovirus I haven't been able to go to work, or else I might have passed on the infection to my colleagues. They would have loved that of course. Not.

Thus, for some obvious reasons (and some less obvious maybe), I won't discuss my return to work here, but let me just say that I miss Stella terribly. I knew that though. She has a blast with her father at home, at least as long as they are not busy getting strange stomach viruses.

Spring is in the air...

2009-02-01T20:34:00.004+01:00

...or not really. Today it snowed actually. And it's freezing cold. bbbbrrrrrr....

Nevertheless, I wanted this blog to have a more springy appearance and so the snowman had to go. Time for tulips, which I love.

Some pictures from the weekend (Lykkes 1st birthday party), shot by the fantastic Ina. Tack!

The Pro's

2009-01-29T09:01:00.012+01:00

As you possibly have guessed I am having a major case of anxiety about returning back to work on Monday, after more than 14 months at home, of which 13 with the babe. It's not work itself I am anxious about. It's not being with my daughter that makes me sad. I know she is in the best hands and probably having the time of her life with her dad, so I'm not at all worried about her (yet, just wait until she starts daycare in the fall...). I'm worried about the things I will miss, I won't see, I won't cuddle, I won't do with her. I I I I.

Self-centered you think? Maybe... But things aren't just looking totally dark. Even I have to admit that going back to work also has some good parts. Or at least I try to tell myself that. I'll list them here, so that when at work I can consult this list in moments when I'm missing Stella the most.

The Pro's of being at work and not being on parental leave (no ranking):
- I don't have to deal with shitty diapers, since they mostly happen during the late mornings.
- I don't have to carry the baby plus oftentimes a gazillion kilos of grocery shopping up three flies of stairs to our apartment on the third floor every day and sometimes even twice per day.
- I don't have to be spitted on when Stella decides she doesn't want to eat more lunch. Missile food.
- I can sit on the loo in peace and quiet, without little baby hands flushing, or doing other distracting things.
- I get to have clean clothes on - all day long (as long as I keep them clean myself of course).
- I can have a whole conversation with a grown-up without baby-talking in between.
- I can listen to my iPod when driving to work. That iPod hasn't been used much the past 14 months, and it is yearning to play some tunes. I'm yearning for some very loud singing along while driving alone in our car.

Whom am I kidding. I'd trade any of the above items in for more time spent with the babe, shitty diapers and all...

Ps: Today I went to my workplace to have a look and discuss some things. On the drive there, I listened to my beloved little pink iPod Mini (an antique almost it seems), in fact I listened to a well-planned but never much listed to Playlist called Förlossning (labor and delivery). Big memories. Here's what's on it:
Help - The Beatles
A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley
Live Tomorrow - Laleh
Kanon - Pachelbel
Release Me - Oh Laura
Push It - Salt-N-Pepa
Loose Yourself - Eminem
Kids - Robbie Williams (with Kylie Minogue)
Stop Your Crying - Spiritualized
At Last I am Born - Morrissey
In the Future When all is Well - Morrissey
New Born - Muse
Wishin' And Hopin' - Nancy Sinatra
Panic - The Smiths
Someone New - Eskobar

add insult...

2009-01-26T12:59:00.002+01:00

So, to add insult to injury, things turned for the worse. As if misery wasn't enough.

I spent last night vomiting. Constantly. Sneezing and vomiting even. Me and the toilet seat, we almost melted together. Oh exponential misery.

Jonatan is at home today. VAF - vård av frugan. I'm no longer vomiting (thank go*d) but I needed support today and to sleep a bit, so my husband is taking care of me and the babe. Off now, to watch Oprah and lick my wounds.

Misery...

2009-01-25T19:39:00.006+01:00

Yes well, after I had written my last post things turned for the worse. For me, not for the babe. But before you read on, just be warned that if you don't feel for reading a pathetic self-pitying post than skip this one.

Friday night was nice, Jonatan and I indulged in an always yummy Pasta&Pesto (homemade of course) dinner, followed by eating kaddkaka while watching På Spåret. Nice. Stella slept and dreamt sweet dreams, as she usually does.

Saturday we went to the one and only varuhus, which of course was a huge mistake. I'm not sure why I disregarded our "never-to-Ikea-on-a-saturday"-rule, but by noon we found ourselves amongst 20 Million (or so it seemed) other shoppers. Exhale. We only shopped what was on the list and even skipped the Köttbullar...

After that my cold, which I thought I was on the mend from, returned with a vengeance. I started to feel all dizzy and really ill. So I went to bed. During the middle of the day. I don't think I have been to bed during the middle of the day since Stella was born.

After waking up, I'm pretty much coughing and sneezing. On top of that I'm plagued with a mild case of insomnia during the nights which started when we moved Stella to her own room on January 2nd. I know I know, most parents start to sleep better once they move their child into his/her own room. I sleep worse. Maybe I can blame the cat who is sooooo happy about the fact that he has the bedroom for himself (and us) that he needs to walk all over us during the night and purr. Walnut brain.

So here I am. One week of maternity leave left. Tired, sick, miserable. As of tomorrow morning I am going to feel better though and stop whining (so not me to whine). I want to and need to. There are lot's of things I want to do this coming week, being sick is not going to be one of them.

Hope your weekend was any better?

We didn't even take any pictures this weekend. But I filmed Stella on Friday walking with her lära-gå vagn. It's so cute. She has finally started to show interest in the walking thing. Walking on sunshine our little girl.

Today...

2009-01-23T21:58:00.004+01:00

I want to write about stuff. "Other than baby stuff", but both Stella and I have been sick this week (a bit better today), so there is really not much to tell other than that. By now, I'm suffering a bit from cabin fever - lappsjukan and am looking forward to a weekend with my lovely husband and daughter.

I have one more week of parental week left (next week) and then I have to return to work. It's feeling more and more ok. Still I'd rather be home with the babe, but I have started to accept the situation. It's ok.

When we celebrated Stellas first birthday party, besides her receiving a gazillion presents, my friend Mia gave me a book to thank me for lending her my pregnancy books. The book she gave me is called Eat Pray Love and I have a hard time putting it down (I naturally put it down after 20 minutes or so because I am so tired in the evening). It's the first non-pregnancy/raising children book I am reading since..eh...forever...eh...since I have been pregnant actually. And it really makes me think - a lot. For one, I am making a concious effort to enjoy the now, the present. Be happy for the happy times I am living right now, instead of whine about what I don't have (which really is nothing) or lament the past. Or the future.

The present. It is this happy happy happy time. Every night I go to bed happy. And one more thing I take from Eat Pray Love - I do deserve to be this happy. Everybody deserves to be happy, and I will just be this happy.

Today, it had been rainy and grey all day long. I didn't even notice if the sun went up at all. Stella and I stayed in (recouperating from the flu) and cooked, baked, ate and played. Good times. Who knew it's so much fun ripping apart toilet paper?

To buy or not to buy?

2009-01-18T21:49:00.002+01:00

I really really want to get a new camera. A digital reflex camera. Digital SLR (single-lens reflex) as they apparently are called in English. Systemkamera in Swedish and Digitale Spiegelreflex in German. You get what I mean?

We are thinking of buying the Canon EOS 1000D (Canon Rebel XS) for several reasons. One, all our cameras are Canon and the lenses of the non-digital cameras work on the digital ones as well. Second, we like Canon and their whole paradigm of how the camera works. We have used it and it works just well for us. Third, it's affordable.

However, there are a couple of other cameras out there, particularly Nikon models that we like too.

Any recommendations? Suggestions? First-hand advice? We'd appreciate that a lot.

New Room!

2009-01-11T20:30:00.004+01:00

Daily collage: Stellas new room! Finally (almost) done. Finally some pics. We are very very very nöjd with how it turned out. Stella too. The gigantic Miffy picture was painted by my lovely husband for my sweet little daughter, who upon seeing it for the first time, couldn't fathom her great luck, and just exclaimed "titta, titta, titta, titta" pointing at the picture. Happy baby! Miffy rules our house.

Party Party...again

2009-01-09T23:05:00.003+01:00

A small collection of pictures from Stellas first birthday party last week Sunday with 6 kids (age range 0-6) and the corresponding sets of parents. It was such a success and I was very very happy afterwards (and during of course). Stella too I think, at least if one takes tired eyes as a hint on fun at the party. Already looking forward to next years party.

Och tack alla för de fina presenter och tack Mia och Raul för att ni tog så fina kort.

A year has passed...

2009-01-05T20:15:00.006+01:00

Many times I have wanted to write this post. I find it difficult though to structure my thoughts and have many times before opened a new post in Blogger and started to write, just to delete the sentence or two I had written and do something else instead.... but now....

I find it difficult to grasp that I have been a mother over a year now. One year and 6 days to be exact. A lot has changed since then, some things more obvious than others...

I don't think there are words that really describe how being a mother makes me feel. Most of all I am so surprised. Surprised about the power of feelings and emotions. I was not expecting that becoming a mother would change me so much. Change who I am. But it has. I am profoundly changed. My life is and it is wonderful.

When we celebrated this past New Years Eve (2008/2009) I couldn't really get into the celebration mood, in fact I was rather emotional the days surrounding Stellas first birthday. I was a bit (understatement) sad to let the year 2008 go. It was the best year of my life. Easily. I find it hard to imagine sometimes how 2009 could get any better. But it probably will be at least as good as 2008.

I have never been this happy my entire life. I have become emotional. Openly, I might always have been emotionally. I feel so fulfilled. I feel so loved and boy am I glad I have my little girl to love every day because otherwise the husband and cat would get a love-overdose. I don't know what I was expecting of motherhood and family life, but without a doubt I wasn't expecting me liking it this much. I love being a stay-at-home-mother and dread the day that I have to go back to work. I do not miss it at all.

I have spoken with quite some women on parental leave like myself and almost all of them do find the prospect of going back to work, at least some days per week, appealing. I don't. I would love to stay at home with Stella and be a homemaker. At least a year or two. But Jonatan and Stella do deserve some one-on-one time without me interfering all the time. Jokes aside, I am so glad that Jonatan has the opportunity (thank you Sweden) to be a stay-at-home-dad. July and August of this year we three will spent together off work, with 100% focus on building Lego towers and destroying them, dressing dolls and reading books containing less than 30 pages.

I start working in the beginning of February, 4 days a week, 80%, and I am slowly but surely starting to panic. I haven't been at work since November 2007 and I haven't missed it. Maybe things would be different if I had a different job, but right now, with only 3 more weeks of maternity leave I feel that I will miss my baby so much and that she might not miss me at all. I'm so not ready to leave her. She is though, ready to let me go - to work at least some days a week.

Stella is such a wonderful baby. Actually she's not a baby any longer, more like a toddler. Not walking yet but doing everything else (it seems at times). She's perpetually busy, active until her eyes almost shut themselves at 7pm. She now sleeps in her own own room, which turned out so nice. Pictures soon. Jonatan and I have our bedroom for ourselves again. The cat sleeps on my side of the bed again and I have started to read in bed again. But we are struggling a bit with the separation. Jonatan and I are, Stella just sleeps well wherever we put her down at night and doesn't seem to be missing us one bit during her sleep. Surprise. Not.

Now I'm almost done with this post, and it didn't turn out at all the way I wanted it to be. But I think I might not be able to really express what I feel. Motherhood has just changed me a lot, transformed me. I'm a better person now I think. I'm so much happier, I see a direction, purpose and a goal. I want to be happy and make my little girl happy. And Jonatan of course.

I feel how I get tense just thinking about going to work, but I also know that earning money is necessary :). I hope that once I'm back at work, it will feel ok again. The best part about going to work in the morning is coming home to the babe and Jonatan at night. I will rush home. Working overtime is a strict no no. Fridays will be off work. This past year has flown by and I am afraid that the next years will not pass any slower. Taking as much time off work as possible right now seems sensible in our opinion. I really don't want to have any regrets when Stella is all grown up that I didn't spent enough time with her when she was a child. And besides that, I love love love spending time with her.

Luftschlangen...

2009-01-05T09:59:00.002+01:00

And now on to a new segment on this blog - daily collage....or at least "daily" until I loose interest in making Picassa collages. For now it's highly addictive.

Preparing for Stellas first official birthday party...

2009-01-03T23:16:00.001+01:00

I know other have before, but I just discovered this fantabulous "collage feature" in Picassa. I think I might become a collage addict...here's one of the three of us...

First Birthday

2009-01-02T14:14:00.002+01:00

My baby is one year old, I can't believe it really. The day went by like a whirlwind. Stella was delighted by all the presents and attention. Of course. Here's a small collage of the day...

White Christmas

2008-12-27T21:05:00.007+01:00

Unbelievable, but it started snowing on Christmas Eve around lunch and by 4 pm the outside was covered in a nice layer of white powder. FANTASTIC. It's been quite a while that I spend Christmas in the snow, besides living in Sweden...where snow is supposed to be a winter-thingy. Global-warming.

We spent a 4 day Christmas celebration at Jonatans parents place about 3.5 hours north of Malmö, in the depth of the Småland-forest. It's quiet there and peaceful. We ate a lot of typical Swedish Christmas food - julbord and are also quite typically so over it by now, even if it was very good.

Stella enjoyed her first Christmas, of course. She got the most presents, of course. She loved the Christmas tree and particularly fancied one blueish ornament that she lovingly pulled off the tree and carried around. Thank god it didn't break. Stella had her first snow-experience and wasn't too keen on it. All in all it was a very nice Christmas which just seemed to have flown by. Picture proof below:

Cleaning out the drawers...

My favorite blue ornament....

...snowing...

Julbord

Kalle Anka (Stella totally mesmerized by the TV, something she is not used to at all :))

On the way to the villages Christmas tree...still snowing

after we danced around the tree....exhausted.

Opening presents

pulka/sledging

finally Mamma took off my gloves to I could "feel" the snow :)

My favorite blue ornament :)

2008-12-22T09:37:00.006+01:00

I have been a bad blogger. And really I have no time to blog now besides there being lot's of blogging material - i.e. the worst earthquake in southern Sweden since 100 years. But I didn't want to leave without saying

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

to all of you. I hope you'll enjoy some nice days amongst family and friends and have time to relax and recharge your batteries for the new year.

Instead of posting text, here some December pictures:

Where has the time gone?

2008-12-01T20:03:00.003+01:00

It feels like it's been a hundred years since I posted. Has it? But I've had good reasons for not posting, despite the fact that I ambitiously attempted NaBloPoMo even this year. So, I really sucked at NaBloPoMo. Bad.

Now on to the list of excuses: I have a really ambitions moss stitch knitting project going on for Stella for Christmas, which is only 23 days away. Not to speak of the doll clothes I have to make for the so-far naked doll Stella will get.

Also, our internet had been down almost a week, which was...cough cough....my fault. I violently pulled the internet cable out of its contact (not on purpose), which made the contact go kaputt and left us disconnected from the outside world. Argh. But it's fixed now, I'm online again and back to blogging. We also had the big/small renovation and move of Stellas room going on which turned out just lovely. Before/after picture to follow.

Lastly I've made an Adventskalender for the star, it being her first Advent ever and Christmas and her first birthday coming up too, I thought it might be a good idea to train Stellas present-opening skills :). Today she was alowed to open the first package and she got herself a sweet little overall that makes her look even cuter than she already does (in my littlle, tiny, mother, skewed opinion).

Speaking of Stella, yesterday she turned 11 months old. Only one more month and my baby is a year old. Where has the time gone? Has it been a year that I, big and fat, went went to a Kent concert in Copenhagen? A year ago we were getting ready for the biggest adventure of our lives. She truely has changed our lives forever, only to the better. Life without her is unimaginable now. She makes me laugh and smile every day and fills my heart with pride and so much love. Stella still isn't too interested in learing how to walk, but she's into talking - a lot. By now, she very clearly says da/där (there) and titta (look) and Tiger (less clear but she means the cat no doubt). She can also make the sound of an elefant if asked what sound the elefant makes. It's too sweet really, she presses her lips together and pushes out air. Out comes somthing that resembles the a baby elefant yelling for its mother :).

Today is World Aids Day and just the other night, while at a girls dinner at the lovey Åses place, we discussed that it is strange how little attention the media gives to hiv and aids here in Sweden (and Germany too for that matter) now as compared to 10 or 15 years ago when there were commercials for safe sex everywhere and free condoms were given away at any public party. It's not that the problem of hiv/aids has disappeared, the contrary really, why is there no more public attention to it.

XXI - snow

2008-11-21T22:15:00.002+01:00

Today it snowed, a lot. Stella was amazed by the white flakes that fell from the sky. I like snow too. The world turns light and bright. Of course, taking a step outside the apartment is hellish (as long as you don't live on the country side) where snow doesn't melt into greyish slask right away. But it looked nice and exciting from the inside, and that's where we stayed all day long today (due to floor renovations - more on that another day).

XX - Hello?

2008-11-20T22:18:00.002+01:00

I'm wondering who this person/these people are from Finland who read my blog so extensively. Not that I mind, but it'd be interesting and nice to know who you are. Leave a comment, if you don't mind. Yes you!

Oh that said, any lurkers are at all times welcome to leave a comment (fishing fishing) to introduce themselves. Or continue lurking, that's ok too.

Tomorrow, big one-room-one-day renovation. Stay tuned for dust and the smell of paint.

XIX- Kisses

2008-11-19T20:01:00.003+01:00

The other night, Stella discovered that she can kiss us...ehhh...or whatever she was doing really :)

XVIII - Tick Tack

2008-11-18T19:58:00.003+01:00

Everybody has some sort of tick, right? Something that makes them a bit weird although probably nobody ever will know about the tick or notice it. I'm right, right?

Well, if the above is true and everybody indeed has some sort of tick, let me tell you about mine.

Number 1 - I have dealt with my entire life, I think. I chew the skin around my nails. Sometimes until it bleeds. Then I stop. My dad does it too. Jonatan gets mad when I sit next to him watching a movie and the whole time I have my fingers near my mouth as well as the chewing action. I know I know. It's terrible, but really it isn't harming anybody. Unless of course myself, but I wouldn't just file this tick as self-harming. It's self-eating somehow. It's inherited and I'm OK with it. Poor Jonatan gets a bit frustrated, especially when he's with me and my dad.

Number 2 - The handles of all cups in our kitchen cupboards have to face the same direction. Crazy I know, but it's my tick. I'm actually working on this one, i.e. trying to have the odd handle facing the "wrong" direction once in a while. Poor Jonatan has learned to live with this one I think and respects my need for all handles to orderly face in the same direction.

Number 3 - Wiping. The counters in the kitchen. Wiping and wiping and wiping. A gazillion times per day. This tick only developed gradually during the last 5 years or so, and it is starting to annoy even myself, not to speak of my husband....hmmm? What am I supposed to do, leave the crumbles, food stains, water, etc. there without interfering with the wipe and kitchen spray. IMPOSSIBLE! Poor Jonatan....

Oh well, what do you think? Is there hope for me? Want to share your ticks? Maybe I share poor Jonatans ticks next time?

XVI - Grrrrrrr

2008-11-16T20:29:00.005+01:00

All weekend Jonatan and I have been busy preparing our apartment for the one-day-one-room renovation that supposed to happen on Friday. The hardwood floor in our work room is been stripped of its current layer of crappy paint/polish and get a nice new coat of color/polish. Nothing too big, though we have to get all the furniture out and since we are transforming the work room into the babyroom once the renovation is done, we had quite some things to do. Sort, pack, throw out, file, move to attic, take down from attic, sell, etc. But but, we got some things done and are almost ready for the flooring people to come and do their magic.

Today we also took our opportunity to do some laundry (in Swedish rental buildings one has to "book" a laundry time for the machines in the basement) while the rain outside poured. Our time slot ended at noon and when I came down to the laundry room at 12:10 (slightly delayed) I found a little letter from one of our neighbors (who chose not to sign the letter with his/her name) saying the following:

- Hur får du för dig att du kan ta min tvätt tid som är mellan 12 och 16?

I was 10 minutes too late. 10 minutes. Come on. Honestly? 10 minutes. If it had been an hour I'd understood, but 10 minutes? The person doing laundry after us had a grand total of 3 hours and 50 minutes left to do laundry. I replied:

- Förlåt. Jag hämtade alla mina saker kl. 12:10. Om det är något mer problem ring mig på 07xxx.

No call. Idiot-neighbor. He/she almost ruined my day. On top of that I have PMS. Bad day to fuck with a PMSing woman with bags and bags full of dirty clothes (that are all clean now by the way :)). I didn't overreact did I?

Grrrrrrrrrr

XV - Bobby

2008-11-15T20:03:00.003+01:00

When Stella was born almost one year ago (oh my g*o*d), she got soooo many presents. More than any little newborn baby could ever use, need or want I thought then. Surprisingly however she did use, need and want all of them.

My aunt Jutta and her family sent us a big box containing a big red Bobby car. So far it had been sitting in its box on the attic since Stella really wasn't in the car-driving-age yet. This changed today.

Today we picked up the box and its red content from the attic and Stella and Jonatan built together the car. Future mechanic? Race car driver? Judge yourself.

Stella "helping" her pappa...

XIV - ...not much...

2008-11-14T23:57:00.002+01:00

...that's what I have to come with today. Not much.

I'm getting sick I think. My throat feels sore and I'm generally "hängig". Jonatan is at Emeralds release party for their new CD and I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself for not joining despite the fact that a very friendly person offered to watch the babe for some hours.

I need to jump into the shower and go to bed I think....or watch BBC food. Hmmm?

It's strange that oftentimes I remember some particularly exhausing or difficult week that we had with Stella. This past week has been one of the very best, if not the best, ever. Stella is just soooo much fun. She's clever, stubborn, cuddly, curious, lovely, adventerous, sweet and generous. She now crawls really well and fast. She loves animals, and met a small dog today for the first time eye to eye. The dog even licked her face. She laughed and thought it was hillarious. I just love being with her and dread the day that I will have to go back to work. But but, that's still some time unitl then.

Oh well, off to the shower now. What's up with you?

XIII - CV

2008-11-13T20:48:00.003+01:00

Am updating and translating my CV as we speak...eh...as you read this. Baby steps. Pretty much lost in translation.

XII - Flashback

2008-11-12T19:40:00.005+01:00

Some years back our friends Tobias & Charlotta hosted a Christmas party in knytkalas/potluck style. Everybody had to bring one dish and the preparation of desert - Ris à la Malta (ricepudding), fell on Jonatan and myself. Although I love cooking and eating and almost everything else to do with food (minus hunting and doing the dishes) I had never eaten nor prepared that kind of pudding. A typical Swedish Christmas desert that is eaten in a different variant in Jonatans family.

But but, no problem. My ancient cookbook (from 1945) never fails to inform, show and guide me through the weirdest of recipes. Our ricepudding truned out quite tasty I think, only problem was that we made Ris à la Malta for probably 40 people whereas there were only 20 guests there. We should have gotten alarmed when the recipe stated that we should use like 4 litres of milk and 1 litre of cream. I mean I had never seen that amount of milk before in my life except at the grocery store. But oh well, we never got to see the bottom of the gigantic bowl really, and froze a gazillon portions of ricepudding. Since then I think I haven't eaten ricepudding.

Tonight I made peasoup for Jonatan and myself and approximately 20 more people. Not sure who those 20 people should be, but there is soup en masse. Soup and more soup. Soup for everyone. I'm having a bit of a Ris à la Malta déjà vu. Anybody hungry? Come on over for lunch tomorrow. Thursday is peasoup-day in Sweden. Just be prepared for Würstchen in the soup, call it my German-twist. Würstchen-twist.

Peasoup during making, and...
...finished dish,

XI - Rain rain rain

2008-11-11T22:05:00.002+01:00

Rain. That's what we had to deal with today. It poured the whole day. Whoever tried to bribe the weather-god to have the sun shine onto us, did not succeed. Not at all. Stella really didn't mind and care though, she's too busy being active and crawling around and standing up and doing stuff. Amazing how busy babies can be. Her latest party trick is to pull down my pj-pants while in the kitchen with me in an attempt to pull herself into standing position. Once standing she does...ehhh...nothing, just standing there, while I can't move. So now in between all her standing-attempts and letting her stand holding on to my legs, I jump away before she can pull herself up just to make sure get some of the "cooking tasks" done that we came to the kitchen for...

Here's her all pulled-up in the living room. While taking these pics she was very busy filling her diaper. Too sweet really. And stinky.

VI, VII, VIII, IX, X - Motherland

2008-11-10T19:21:00.003+01:00

I'm so not doing the blogging thing every day this year. I'm lacking ambition and seriousness for it. It's quite nice though that I don't care for it too much. I'm making it more of a NaBloPoMoWhe - NationalBlogPostingMonthWheneverIHaveTheTime.

And I didn't have time these past 4 days. All of us have been visiting my parents in Germany. The weather was really nice for the most part, Stella played with leaves, toys, her grandparents and went to her first Sankt Martins Zug (Jonatan also for that matter). Exciting. We even visited my grandmother, who at 84 had one of her hips replaced two weeks ago and is already doing remarkably great at the rehab fascility she is staying at. Mind you she's a pro at it, already having had both her knees replaced 6 years ago.

By now Stella is somewhat of a traveling expert but this time was the first flight during which I didn't nurse her to compensate for oxygen pressure changes. That combined with a bit of flu made the babe suffered from pain in her ears during the flight and ergo crying/screaming/passing out in my lap 10 minutes before landing. Poor thing. But the flight home yesterday was much better...

Lot's of picture from the trip at our Flickr site.

V - Obama

2008-11-05T12:22:00.002+01:00

Congratulations America.

You did it. Well voted. I couldn't have done it better myself. Let's see what good Obama brings. And I hope he brings lot's of it.

IV - Updates

2008-11-04T21:27:00.004+01:00

It's only the fourth day of NaBloPoMo and I'm already writing an "update" post. Lot's of things going on then? Not really...but hey maybe you are interested to read that we have the car seat safely installed in our car. Not that we did any of it ourselves really. Jonatan went to the store where we bought it and they installed it. 10 minutes. And guess why I couldn't do it in an hour two days ago? The manual didn't actually contain the correct instructions. Apparently, freaking rotationsspärren isn't even needed if you do it the way it should be done. Too bad, the explaination of the way it should be done wasn't anywhere to be found in the manual... Grrrrr. Any advice from my side, if you buy a car seat, go to the store where you bought it and let them install it. But, do keep and eye on them doing it.

Now on to Stellas allergy testing. Since about two months she has had a rash in her face. Mostly around her eyes, and nose but even some around her mouth. It doesn't seem to be itching, her eyes aren't teary and Stella doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all. But, it looks terrible at times and other times it's hardly noticable. It has become gradually worse though. So, while at the pedi yesterday for Stellas 10 months checkup, he ordered us to do allergy tests today for the following substances:
- cat hair (and guess who in her mind already convinced herself that it of course was cat hair allergy and that Tiger will have to move away and I was going to die without my kitty)
- milk
- egg
- carrotts
- flour
- cod
- soy
- tomato
- and one more that I don't remember now.

She didn't show signs of allergy for any of the substances. Tiger is staying.

May I just say that both Jonatan and I were terrified for how the test would be performed (10 small cuts in her arm, nurse advised us to be prepared for screaming, fighting and panic). Once there, Stella was such a champ following with big curious eyes what the nurse was doing that the whole procedure went by without a single tear or scream. It might also have been for Püppi who held Stellas hand and comforted her during and afterwards. 15 minutes later we had the results and went to the toy store. Big fat stones fell off of our chests. Big sigh of relieve.

Still we don't know what causes the rash, I assume there will be more tests soon. New appointment with the pedi next week Wednesday where I'm asking for a referral to a skin specialist.

Here some pictures of today. Notice Püppi following along :)

I *heart* Püppi

Reading a book, waiting for the allergy testing results

At home, washing off the testing markings.

III - Cake

2008-11-03T21:05:00.004+01:00

Yesterday we visited one of Jonatans colleages, Ola, his girlfriend Rebecka and two months old baby boy Felix. Besides almost living next door to them, I had never met them and it was such a pleasure to hold a sleeping 2 months old baby in my arms again. It's amazing how quickly one forgets that they once were this tiny and fragile. Mind you even at 10 months they are fragile but just not this tiny and helpless.

Ola and Rebecka served us a cake that still makes me drool just thinking of it. Oh it was good, so good. Heavenly. Devine in fact. And I am a sucker for devine cakes. Though I don't have a picture of the actual cake to convince you of its greatness, Rebecka was kind enough to share the recipe with me and I just need to share it with you because not sharing it with you would be a crime.

Apple-rubarb-ginger cake
100 gr butter
2 dl sugar
1 egg
2 dl flour
Mix together for dough

3-4 apples
400 gr rubarb
2 teaspoons ginger
Mix apples, rubarb and ginger and put into paiform.
Place dough on top.
Put into oven at 225 degrees for 25 minutes.

Tomorrow Stella will be tested for allergies. The nurse told me to come prepared to tightly hold my child while she puts needles into her arm to test different kinds of substances. Needless to say I make Jonatan follow along to the appointment. Poor baby. Updates tomorrow....

II - Carseat from hell?

2008-11-02T20:51:00.008+01:00

Why is it that infant car seats are almost impossible to put into ones car unless one is a trained professional? Trained professional rocket scientist for that matter.

Last weekend we got a new - big girl - car seat since Stella is just that, a big girl. Slim and slender but loooong. Her head looked rather squeezed into the top of the baby car seat and it became obvious that although she still is far from weighing the max. 13 kgs that she was getting too long for the baby seat. So we bought a seat that'll last until she's at least 4 or 5.

But why oh why is it sooo difficult to put this thing, by now lovingly called MONSTER into our car? And don't even let me tell you about the horrible manual. Because, once I managed to get the thing in and the belt almost perfectly strapped around it multiple times as explained, I couldn't for the life of me pull the last piece of strap through the rotationsspärren. The belt just didn't fit though the tiny crappy thingy. Aaaargh. So, while trying to do what was explained in Figure 34 (which implicates that I already did what was said in Figure 1 through 33) the belt snapped back and ohhhhhhh shiiiit I needed to start all over from the beginning. That's when I locked the car and went inside. The seat is now partly installed and freaking rotationsspärren is in the way of making my installation project a sucessfull one. Aaarghhhh.

I'm almost ashamed of saying it, but the freaking rotationsspärr beat me to the mat. I am calling the baby great store first thing tomorrow morning to tell them that my husband will drive there after work to have THEM install the freaking seat. Fuck yes. Why I'm not going there myself? Oh well, since we don't have an installed car seat I can't take the babe, can I? Fuck you rotationsspärr.

But, Safety First. Master of Rocket Science next. Hrumpf.....

I - Nablopomo

2008-11-01T14:04:00.004+01:00

It comes quite naturally. "What" you ask?

- Nabopomo.

After having taken part in it the past two years, it's just natural for me to do it again this year. Again I take it as an opportunity to be witty (or try at least), boring (oh that'll happen sooner or later), bitchy (just unavoidable) and philosophical (that's been a while).

This year is a bit different though, I have Stella and she's in my tiny little humble opinion the best thing to blog about, even though I know reading endless stories about her can be quite tiring for other people. If I'll insert the odd bitchy comment, my readers attention span should be secured, no?

This months you will be reading about:
- possible renaming of the cat
- a trip to the mothers motherland
- food
- arrogant and unfriendly sales staff at our local babygear store. And why we still shop there.
- my thoughts on returning to work
- Stellas bok
- study/babyroom renovations and moving the baby into her own room
- knitting

There's more of course, but that'll come to me in due time....

Total lycka...ehhh...total Lykke!!!

2008-10-30T22:03:00.006+01:00

Today Stella-Propella is 10 months old. 10 freaking months. She's growing up too quickly, I do want my little baby back. Or wait, no not actually, I want my 10 months old baby. Just the way she is (as famously said by Mr. Darcy in Bridget Jones). She's too darn cute. She now claps her hands, it's hilarious really. And she has a running nose. Unavoidable really in these times of cold and wet fall weather here in Sweden. I just got word that there even is snow falling not too far from here....

This week we met Ina and Lykke a grand total of three times. Monday, Tuesday and yesterday. Stella and Lykke really start to know and recognize each other, even though I think Lykke was rather relieved when I put Stella down for her lunch nap yesterday and she had all of Stellas toys for herself to play with and some peace and quiet. Some kids are bullies (mine) and some are easily pushed over (Inas)....oh well, they are only 10 and 9 months old, things are most definitely going to change anyways, so no need to worry. But all jokes aside, I think Stella and Lykke like each other, or at least they don't mind each others company, which is nice since Ina and I feel the same way, I think.

Some pictures of our babes...

Bumping into clouds...

2008-10-29T14:26:00.006+01:00

I need help!!! To be more exact, I don't actually need help but I want help. Desperately.

Our office/work room/study is being renovated (new polish, paint, etc. to the hardwood floors) in three weeks, and after that it'll be turned into Stellas room. Our work place will be moved to the room that is Stellas tiny little baby room now.

I really want to make her "big girl" baby room something special. We are as we speak looking into wall decorations and fun carpets. I also want to transform her baby bed into something really sweet and a bit less white and more colorful and less "babyish". I would love to buy this new cot bumper or even this one, but they cost more than our budget for cot bumpers allows :S. Sohooo, I thought, I'd sew one myself!!!!!

Well, I feel utterly uninspired to design and sew one, and quite honestly I'm not sure it'll turn out well anyways unless I put 20+ hours into this project. And I don't feel like doing that either.

I do have the fabric I want to use. It's the same as the cloud draping (sänghimmel) I sew before Stella was born. The fabric is by Gunilla Axén and really beautiful and I still have lot's of it left.

Now, is there any of you that has a well-proven pattern for sewing a cot bumper (the bed is 55x115 cm)? Ideas, hints, tips, words of encouragement, etc. are very welcome. Oh and did I mention my sewing machine is about to die and probably will do so when I try to use it the next time :S

I just feel so uninspired, and at the same time I do want the babes room to turn out nice and beautiful..... I think I might just need a big fat kick in the behind...

Anybody? HELP!!!

Berry of the month?

2008-10-27T09:24:00.005+01:00

Last night, under our duvet the following conversation could be followed. (Under the duvet to not disturb the sweet sleeping baby in her bed besides ours...oterwise we do tend to do things above the duvet as well).

- So, is lingonvecka* over?

- You mean lingonmånad**? Yes, it's finally over.

- Ohh, hmmm, that's nice.

What's with the reference to red berries when talking about ones period, aunt flow, crimson bitch? Why so prude my dear husband?

Nevertheless, I am happy the crimson bitch decided to make a much less dramatic exit than she decided to make an entrance about 5 weeks ago at the big fat Greek wedding we went to in Greece when I found myself covered in blood down there in the midst of the bride and groom dancing their wedding dance. Bloody hell that went on for 5 weeks. What's with that? Is that normal? Maybe it was just the shock of seeing all that blood 9 months after giving birth and about 18 months after the last lingon season here at casa Greenbranch.

But things are back to normal now, my body is doing what it's supposed to be doing - berry week once per months it is. And berry week is over for this months.

I know I know, this post is clearly one in the category "too much information" but I just needed to complain a bit - purely therapeutic post. Exit egoistic me. Oh wait, this is myyyyyyy blog. Enter egoistic me again.

* lingonvecka = cranberry week.
** lingonmånad = cranberry months. This really doesn't exist, unless you are stuck with the crimson bitch for a month.

Babybjörn?

2008-10-25T11:38:00.001+02:00

Cha cha cha changes...

2008-10-22T21:28:00.005+02:00

Things will change around here.

Stella had her own blog previously, but somehow I don't want to have one blog for her, one for myself and help me g*o*d yet another one. So, I'm reviving this blog to make it my blog again, where I blog about whatever I want to. And I'll bitch and complain and swear. I miss writing "fuck". Fuckety fuck. Insert Jonatan rolling his eyes :).

At the same time I will discontinue to blog on Stellas own blog. The posts there were getting soooo boring that besides monthly updates there won't be much going on over there. I'll frequently update our flickr site with new pictures of the baby though.

Soho, what do you think about the new title? The new blog header? Pretty cute, right? Oh and I promise there will be less of the semi-sharp, half-crappy mobile phone pictures.

2008-10-19T11:28:00.001+02:00

Now it's really autumn around here.

2008-10-15T16:52:00.001+02:00

Autumn is here, and so is the new åkpåse! Life is good...and warm!

2008-09-19T16:55:00.001+02:00

Mayhem and distruction - Elvisstyle!

2008-09-18T21:53:00.004+02:00

Y'all knot how much I loooove Elvis. In fact, we are Elvis and Hedvig and apparently the "liten" fits right into it too. Not to forget Sonny!

Source: elvisthecomic.com

Me and my purse

2008-09-16T08:20:00.001+02:00

While stella sleeps....

2008-09-10T14:08:00.001+02:00

2008-09-02T19:51:00.001+02:00

Late summer

2008-08-31T11:55:00.001+02:00

King of the castle...

2008-08-19T13:42:00.001+02:00

... Today the new ikea catalogue came... Heaven.

2008-08-15T10:56:00.001+02:00

Going to the zoo...

Home again!

2008-08-09T20:10:00.001+02:00

New stroller:)

2008-08-05T20:38:00.001+02:00

On the way home...

2008-07-31T19:32:00.001+02:00

Frapé

2008-07-27T16:14:00.001+02:00

Thinking of Sofia!

Swing

2008-07-27T15:27:00.001+02:00

Two babies swing four adults watch...

2008-07-25T13:36:00.001+02:00

In the park. Sunshine. Summer. Wonderful.

2008-07-24T11:52:00.001+02:00

2008-07-24T11:49:00.001+02:00

Ikea!

2008-07-21T11:48:00.001+02:00

I scream icecream!

2008-07-19T21:30:00.000+02:00

Safe!!

2008-07-16T16:44:00.001+02:00

Flyinvasion in the park.

Second wedding anniversary - today.

2008-07-15T21:23:00.001+02:00

Torup castle and park

2008-07-13T12:47:00.001+02:00

Barcelona!!!

2008-07-12T14:40:00.001+02:00

2008-07-11T19:03:00.001+02:00

Swing

2008-07-08T16:57:00.001+02:00

In the sky...

2008-07-01T16:18:00.001+02:00

Half a year old today!

2008-06-30T13:55:00.001+02:00

It is hard to grasp but the star is half a year old today! Wow

CurryWURST....

2008-06-25T19:29:00.002+02:00

in preparation for the football game (Germany - Turkey) tonight we ate a "real" German Currywurst in Malmö. Lucky us there was an international food festival in town today :)

Knitting...

2008-06-05T15:43:00.001+02:00

Summerdress and flipflops. Heaven!

2008-06-03T16:01:00.001+02:00

In our backyard...

2008-06-02T17:31:00.001+02:00