Excited about new school

Illïus went to meet his new classmates at his new school 'Vasa skolan'.  Named after King Vasa, the guy that sunk his battleship...  pretty tragic and silly story.  The king got a real nice ship built, but was not happy with the amounts of cannons on board.  He added a few extra and sunk the ship in the harbor.  Good going King Vasa.

 

 

The school is in the far back, that pink building to the left of the yellow houses.  This is a typical street here.  Xavier was allowed to come as well.

 

Illïus doing what he loves the most.  Climbing around on monkey bars at the new schoolyard.  He is soooo happy to be there, and is quick to try new tricks.

Cotton candy bliss

Believe it or not, we actually missed the faire in Nyköping.  I felt so bad, because Anïas, Illïus and Xavier had been looking forward to the cotton candy more than anything.

 

To our great surprise, one of the largest faires came to our new time this autumn about a week after we had moved in. We found out about it from all the helicopters flying around and I went online to learn 'what may have happened'.  On the city's newspaper feed it told us that the faire was in town.  We quickly headed down and oh joy! cotton candy.

 

 

Illïus got his cotton candy first, and he laughed so hard.  It was gigantic and looked like a smurf hat bobbing when he shook it around.

 

Xavier was speechless over his over sized cotton candy... enough said.

 

Anïas thought his might have been on the smaller size.    Dear me...

Welcome home away from home Liam!

Finally!  It has been a long wait for everyone to get a visit from older brother Liam. Illïus and Xavier came with me on the train to Stockholm, and oh boy!  that was a ride and a half!

Our family (except for dad) gets real motion sick and more likely than not, one of us will throw up on a journey. Illïus threw up a few times on the train to Stockholm, and continued on the train to the airport. Thank goodness for the abundance of plastic bags that are attached to every seating row. Xavier's fleece cowboy hat also helped Illïus from images zipping by his eyes.

Illïus and Xavier on the roof of a toy train at the train station.

Needless to say we hit the drugstore immediately when we arrived at the airport, and the ride home was smooth as butter.

Through the years, we have picked up Liam and Duncan at the same exact spot for obvious reasons.  This time however; we moved clear across the arrival hall to prank Liam.  Illïus and Xavier stalked him so he was not lost :)

 

Welcome home Liam, WOW you grew tall!

WE MISSED YOU!

Preschool day + cowboy = Spiderman

Sweden celebrated preschool day today, and he went as a proud American jeans loving cowboy.  He came home with a Spiderman face :)

With bugs come silly boys

It is time to go look at spring bugs, but not until they check out what I have up my nose.

Walk towards the light...

Anïas, Illïus, Xavier and me were trekking on our bikes through the woods next to the children's school (Fokusskolan i Nyköping) when the sun was setting.  We took this surreal photo with the iphone.  Walk towards the light children hehe... or alien abduction?

Happy mother’s day all!

I want to wish all great grandmothers, grandmothers, mothers, sisters and daughters a happy mother's day.

(My son Xavier wanted to pick me all the flowers, but we decided on taking them home in a picture format.) 

One of the most beautiful blessings in life is the presence of a child.  No matter if the child is biological or not, being around a child as it grows up is amazing.  The funny thing about time (for many) is that time has the ability to soften memories of hardship and struggle while enhancing the cherished ones.

My husband and I have come to the agreement that our youngest boy Xavier will be the last child we have.  My eldest son Duncan is turning 18 this year, and it just goes to show that time stops for no one.

It is sometimes hard to choose to be present with people I love.  I might be there, but my thoughts and actions are elsewhere.  It is a bad habit that we should get rid of it post haste and treat like the bubonic plague.  I work on seeking out moments of joy with people I care about on a daily basis, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem at the moment.  As I have recorded them, these moments have become a large treasure combined.  It takes a lot of effort to include and invite people into activities and chores.  How many times do we get-to-it by ourselves because it seems faster, easier and better that way?

Well, I will continue to refuse to hop on the grind train, and will not allow people and time to pass through my life as if I was in drunken haze, only to come up for air and a memorable view every decade or so.

Our family were forced to start anew when we moved to Sweden.  All we previously knew came to a halt and was done away with.  We were given an opportunity to recalibrate our path through life.  Our family gained a focus on appreciating each other; deal with each other justly and with love and respect.  Jeffrey and I decided to care more for eachother and work more as a team.  When our children see us together, they know with certainty that we belong.  We are one.  All have a voice in our home, all are seen and heard. Our time best spent is with each other.  We chose to raise a family by being active examples; talk and preach less - actively interact more.  We live by the phrase "talk is cheap" and "walk the talk! Give it a try.  It is good stuff for all.



Happy mother’s day to all important examples out there!  Take a moment to write down and document a cherished memory and keep it safe.  You will not regret it.

Spring fixin' things

Jeffrey was keeping the boys busy today with fixing them for spring.  Tire changes, lube... you name it.  This brought some neighbors around with their bikes as well, and with them came their children.  In the end it was a bike shop on the lawn. 

 I stayed busy in our garden because I was finally able to direct sow some seeds.  Our rhubarb was ready for a picking which in turn became a very nice pie to to round off this busy family day.

Getting pumped up!

The kids got bored waiting for the school BBQ to start so they went crazy on a taxi toy for 30 minutes. People were gossiping about my kids as theirs were quiet and non-participating onlookers. It did not phase the boys, they did not even notice.

Hurray for happy and carefree moments.

Xavier has become an example with his flower friend

It is very apparent and humbling to me, to see in action how my actions affect people around me.  People tend to talk too much.  People pay lots of money to hear other people talk.  We read lots of books and print about talking the talk.  We go listen to inspirational pick-me-up- talks.  Many of our misfortunes and anxieties would end if we would just: do what has to be done; change what has to be changed;  stop looking at the life of others and live in ones own.

There are many people of ALL ages, that cruise past this one single flower.  Not ever seeing it, not stopping to appreciate it.  The norm of what I have noticed here is lack of respect for living lants and animals by many.

Xavier has not so much been told about flowers, animals and small things as shown by me and his father.  How we act now mimics his behavior towards the same. We can now see with full joy of our hearts, that our actions has had a very true impact in his young life and behaviors.  Here he crawls into thick flowery bushes to hop onto a rock so he can cradle this one spring tulip.



He is so excited and loves how big, bold and beautiful it is.  Xavier gently pets the flowerpetals for a while and tries to cradle it like an old friend.  He talks to it and we visit this one flower for a couple of weeks until it's life came to a rest.  Xavier and I wished the flower a good sleep, and we hope to see it again next year.

A stick is never to big

So Illïus and Xavier hauled a huge stick the size of a tree into the house to 'keep' for later. It just cracks me up. All my five boys (the eldest is now 17) have grown up with a love relationship towards sticks.

Here I am asking my youngest boys to promptly carry the 'small' stick outside.  Illïus thought it was a good idea to just save him some trouble and toss it over the balcony railing.  I managed to stop them before it fell over.

Xavier apparently needs a lance

Xavier got a new present from grandpa' Bob and grandma' Bram.  It is an awesome used bike we found on the Internet.  We biked on my bike to where previous owner lived a few miles away and Xavier proudly biked it all the way home.  On the Monday following, Xavier found an 'awesome' stick according to him and wanted to bring it home post haste.

THANK YOU GRANDPA' and BRAM!

A lance for all..!

-Xavier, wait a minute.  What the heck are you doing with that tree?
-It's not a tree, it's my stick.
-Where are you taking it?
-To my new bike!
-Xavier, you are NOT taking that with you home!
-Yes I am!
-No, there is no way... drop it!
-But mooooom, I can put it on my bike (in the bicycle basket).
-No Xavier, it won't fit!
-Oooooook, mom... :C
-Thank you honey.


I had  to convince him the stick is happier at his school.

Mom... I am stuck... moooooom?!?

 Xavier in a crafty mood + paper + glue = good times

It's crrraaaaaazy!

Winter finally dropped in on Nyköping, Sweden about a month ago.  Studded bicycle tires, lights, helmets and reflector vests for all is a given.  That is the easy part.  Having Anïas, Illïus and Xavier and myself getting dressed and ready in our tiiiiny hallway - that is the hard part.

As we huff and puff to get ready, one tends to overheat and step on eachother.  Tired and stuffed like winter padded sausages, the kids were sent outside one by one.  In the end I am the only one left, feeling like i just went for a jog.

As I mutter to myself over the cramped dilemma of the hallway, my attention turns to the kids outside as I hear their large group cheer and a chorus of laughter and excited voices.

To them the hussle of the morning has already been forgotten as they are greeted by their favorite apartement maintenance man that ALWAYS takes time for them.  I hear them all laugh, sharing a heartfelt moment.  All too often one meet people, young and old, without taking time or interest in creating a genuine meeting.  This man is very special, because he is one of the very few I have met in Sweden that takes time to actively meet people around him with great interest.  If one would ask Anïas, Illïus and Xavier what they think about this man Per it would be:  He is sooooo nice, always stops to say hi, is very cool, has the biggest coolest trucks which makes him awesome.

The cause of  the cheerful commotion is this new snowplow, with a big, ooooold, stinky and worn CrazyFrog on the roof.  This mans coolness factor just shot to the stars.  The kids talked about this beat-up old frog on the truck, all the way to school, and I am sure their classmates now know all about it. 

It's the small things that makes life beautiful.  I am grateful to witness how simple it can be to share a joyous moment.

The Cake does not lie

When we got home from school, Illïus was the first one to pick up our mail.  He skimmed through it the way us parents do, and pulled out a Valentines day flyer.  As he scurried off into the kitchen I could hear him say "This is good, we have to make one.  Let me check what we have in the cabinet."

Now Illïus can't read yet, but he clearly read the flyer. His index finger was tracing the text as he announced:

Chocolate love cake (recepie at the bottom)

• One needs eggs, flour, sugar, salt and lots of butter.

Diving into the cabinet and fridge he pulled out all that he needed to make his interpretation of the recepie, and proclaims to the household  'TIME TO MAKE CAKE'.

Who can refuse baking time after that kind of displayed vigor and statement. So here it is good folk. Illïus and his Chocolate love cake, with the assistance of Xavier. Enjoy!

-This is the one! You don't need to tell me what to do.  I already read it.

-Yeah, he already read it mama.  We are going to make it.

-I will get the butter now.  You can get the cookie cutter now for the cake.

-Which one do we use?  I'll put all of them on the table... wow, too much stuff on the table!

-This is sticky mama.  It doesn't feel like butter.

-The cake will be happy now mama when it doesn't get stuck...

-Wow, look at that egg... it hopped in super fast...

Illïus laughs out loud at Xavier and the egg.

-Ok Xavier, I hold this like this  -pause-  and then you poor not too fast.

-Ok

This was the hard part to just be an innocent bystander and not actually participating in this project.  Great fun.

-Scoop more, scoooooop Xavier scoop...

-Ok

-Hey mama, I am doing it... 

-Yes you are honey, you are doing it!

-I want to do like plants vs. zombies and make the dough go splat.... hahahhaaa!

-No honey, you keep that spatula in check!

-Ok mama, I won't be 'clazy'

-That's my cookie!

-Wow! They made this cake themselves. It looks amazing.

-We make the best cake!

-yeah!

So in the end, the cake was served with happy love to their older brother Anïas and dad Jeffrey.  We always have an extra piece for our older brothers Duncan and Liam who live in the States. 

Chocolate love cake
150g butter
1 dl cacao powder
100g dark chocolate (we just used 0.5dl more cacao)
3 eggs
2 dl sugar
2 1/2 dl flour
1/2 tsp bakingpowder

150 degrees celsius
Blend sugar, eggs, melted butter and cakao together.
Blend in flour and bakingpowder. 
Shake baby, whip baby and stir.  Finished

Keep it in the oven in the middle until it is not jiggly or soft.  it took about 50 minutes for this cake that is about 2 inches tall.

Good luck and happy munching.