Outside

Today was a beautiful sunny day and where were the boys? Yups... playing video games. Anyway, after the usual conversation that started with "You know, when I was your age....", all three boys were kicked outside the house and onto our street to play... play anything!!!! This is proof that they were actually removed from a screen for more than an hour. Also, considering that Oliver is the only one lately that has any patience for my photos, this is also proof that I still have three boys ;)

Happy Saturday! Tomorrow, we have family over for Easter but I will try to actually get a decent blog post written. My apologies for being so uninspired lately. It is the end of the semester and I feel like I am stuck in quicksand ;)

xox

Musings on a Monday

1) Why do Sundays always seem so darn short? Mondays, like today, seem to drag on forever but Sundays fly by...

2) Am I the only person in the world who is really terrible at putting on mascara?

3) Why do women put their make up on in the train? As per musing 2, how on earth are they able to do it without looking like a raccoon... or without making the strangest facial expressions?

4) As per musing 3, some women actually do make the strangest facial expressions... but probably don't care... or think that it can be amusing for others... which it is ;)

5)  I am not sure why some people insist on using the possessive (ie: 's) to indicate plural (ie: the boy's went to the store). Maybe they know that it bugs me ;)

6) Maybe I shouldn't let other people's grammar bother me so much ;)

7) Lately, I am really into the colour pink. It could either be the result of a long winter... or living in a house full of boys!

8) Why is it that bills always seem to fill up my mailbox... but there is a clear lack of cheques?

9) I need to get a haircut (translate: someone else who will wash and brush my hair)...

10) Andreas bought me a gift card for a local spa for Christmas. I am dying to use it for my spring pedicure. I need bright pink toe nails.


Hope you all had a good Monday xox

Why I blog...

I get asked why I blog fairly regularly and wish that I had a good answer. Actually, it was a combination of lots of factors. Over the years, I see my blog as both a way of connecting with others and therapy ;) Giving it some thought, here are my reasons:

1) I used to post a ton of stuff on Facebook... well, I still do... but I used to post a TON. Anyway, one year when I was in Sweden, a friend of mine commented (joked, I hope!) that I was clogging up his thread with my photo spam. I figured that I could put all my spam into a blog and you could choose whether you wanted to see my pictures or not. Yes, without clogging your thread. PS: I don't know if you will read this but it is you, Peter ;)

2) I like to take pictures but I never knew what to do with them so... here they are ;)

3) I never kept journals. I am lousy with photo albums. OK... I am REALLY lousy with photo albums. I also sucked at keeping the baby books up to date- sorry to Oliver because I think I never even started yours ;) This blog is my attempt to document our family, in real time, so that they can go back and see what we did, what our life was like, what our day to day consisted of. I wanted them to read my thoughts and be able to read about themselves... the good, the bad and the ugly ;)

4) We have family and friends that we don't get to talk to every day. Sadly, it is not only people that live across the ocean but some of them are also just a few kilometers away. This is a way that they get to see what we are up to... and maybe remember what we look like ;)

5) One day, shortly after Oliver was born, I googled some random search terms so that I could find a store that I liked in Copenhagen (funky baby clothes) and found myself on an awesome blog (Brinja). Compared to a lot of the blogs that I had previously visited, she was so unpretentious and real. Brinja offered a cool way of seeing her world, almost like you were there. It was so cosy... kind of like having coffee with a good friend. I have since had the opportunity to "talk" to her via email and Instagram and she continues to inspire me with her pictures and creativity. I have even met other people from visiting her blog (like the wonderful Ageeth, see here).

6) Bribery! If I ever need to threaten to show baby pictures to future girlfriends, all I have to do is give them the link to this blog ;)


Happy Thursday to you all! xox


Here is some photo spam from the time I first started this blog... 849 posts ago!!!

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Oliver-ism

This is a true story:

During the spring break, a local hardware store offered a daily building activity for the kids (it was even free!!!! BONUS!!!). Oliver and his friends like to build so, during the week, this activity became a staple in our list-of-things-to-do-that-did-not-involve-a-stupid-screen. This saviour of a hardware store is called Home Depot (pronounce as Home Dee-po... yes, this is actually important... the "t" is silent).

Anyway, on one of the days, we were taking care of one of Oliver's friends so we brought both of them to the daily build session. Oliver, the day before, decided that Home Depot should be pronounced Home Dee-POT (and heavy on the last syllable) so, in the car, he says to his friend "Are you excited to go to Home Dee-POT? I am!" His friend responds "Ummm... Oliver, I think that it is pronounced  Home Dee-PO... The "t" is silent." Oliver, true to form, responds "No, it is Dee-POT. There is no place for silence in my life."

How could you argue with that one? ;)

Happy Monday xox

By the way, I DO have 2 other sons... they are just WAY less willing to appear in my photos lately :( 

Sunday food preps

I love doing a big Sunday cooking day. Given that some weekends are filled with total chaos, I appreciate the weeks when I can do groceries, find interesting ingredients and have the time to actutally put it all together. There is something totally satisfying about cooking multiple meals for the week ahead. It goes beyond feeling organized, I feel relaxed and happy to be putting good food together for our family. Today was about making a beef stew in the slow cooker, roast chicken, curry eggplant and flatbread pizzas for Monday lunches. I also cut up a bunch of vegetables and will be making a fruit salad. If I still have time later, I might attempt some more bread. We also picked up some fresh Zeppoles at the bakery (and Oliver's favourite mini cupcakes... that is OK... more Zepole for me ;) ) to have with afternoon coffee (for Swedish people: yes, for fika). With sun shining through our living room windows and a vacuumed floor- another miracle!- it has been a good Sunday so far.

Hope you are all having a good Sunday too xox!

Today

Today was snowy again but, luckily, it is not really accumulating on the streets and sidewalks... just on the grass and previous snow piles. At least the temperature does not hurt my face and I can actually walk without raising my shoulders to ear level ;)  It is also a treat to come home in daylight ;) I can feel spring!

Hope you all had a good day xox

Memory Monday

Sometimes, when I am on a break at work, I like to take a look at old pictures. I found this one today... I cannot even believe how fast time flies! Thank goodness for videos... just to freeze a moment in our lives like this! A treasure!

Happy Monday to you all! xox

Sunday

Today was a day to take it easy, finish remaining homework, take a long walk and get ready for the week ahead....  oh yeah... and make sure that all the clocks said the same time ;)

Hope you all had a great Sunday xox

Beautiful mail

Usually, when I open my mailbox, I get a few bills... advertisements and, on occasion, a package from Ebay (bummer that the bill comes later) ;) Yesterday, in the post, I was delighted to find an envelope... a beautiful envelope... with actual writing on it... and stamps from the Netherlands! What a treat!
You see, I have a very clever and creative friend, Ageeth (her blog is here). One of the things that I love about Ageeth is that she invests time and thought into her beautiful crafts, crafts that become works of art that she sends to people in the mail. A bit of loveliness that can brighten up the darkest and crappiest day.... and, yesterday, I was so lucky to find one sent my way :)

Thanks, Ageeth! Your thoughts mean a lot! xox

Break day

Today, I decided, was a break day. Given that this coming week is technically March break where I work (and for the kids too!), I thought that I would take this Sunday "off" and do nothing... of course, only after I took Nicka to soccer and finished a review for a journal. Funny thing is I spent most of the day feeling like I forgot to do something.... and, no, I didn't leave Nicka at soccer.... he is at home ;) It feels like I should be doing something for work... even though I took the day off.... terrible, no? Remind me to work on that work/life balance thing... So, to make up for the feeling like I forgot to do something for work, I made bread for home instead. Honey and Oat. You know what? It was a pretty good way to spend part of the day and the boys appreciated it too ;)

Hope you all have a good week ahead! xox