Next best thing

Andreas loves camping.. I mean, really loves camping. While I won't complain if we are out, I have to say that I prefer a place with a bed and bathtub ;) I guess the bigger boys like it too but are not so fond of hanging out with their parents anymore ;) Oliver, on the other hand, enjoys camping and doesn't seem to mind us so much either. So, last night, Andreas set up a tent in our backyard and the two of them did the next best thing to actual camping and slept outside.... and I got to watch my cheesy tv shows without anyone else complaining ;) 

Guess it will be another backyard summer 😉

The glow of the tablets. Good thing about backyard camping: internet access ;)

Art with Oliver

This morning, I found a Concordia University alumni newsletter (yes, I went to our "other" English university 😉) that highlighted an online art class. I thought it was a cool idea (Oliver was less enamored) but I signed us up anyway... He did really well (better than me!) and had a good time. Bonus was that I got to feel like one of those productive mothers for the 45 minute session... bigger bonus was that I didn't even have to do anything for it... just log into Zoom. Darn.. should have thought of that one earlier 😉 The session was a bit like the Wine and Paint nights... but in the daytime... and without the wine... and with a shorter companion. Maybe mine would have been better if I had poured a glass 😉

Happy Monday! Love being sent to you <3

Ollie in action

Oliver's work of art

My work

Walk

This afternoon, I went for a walk with Andreas at a local nature park.... and we were kid-free ;) Not that we wouldn't have brought the boys but the big ones gave us a funny grunt when we asked if they wanted to come and Oliver was at a friend's house. Anyway, at least no one asked us how much further we had to walk for ;)
We are lucky because we have a really nice nature park about a 15 minute drive from our house (Cap St Jacques... see here). You can rent cross country skis and snow shoes but we opted to go for the simple walking trail. It was really nice because the sun was actually warm and the sky was super blue. The mid way of the trail hike even had a little sugar shack with good coffee (always a bonus in my books). We're going out for dinner tonight so the walk was a good way to earn some wine and desert ;) It is all about balance ;)

Happy Saturday! xox

Kid swap

You can always tell when it is Spring Break... suddenly, all school-aged children decide that sleep-overs are an awesome idea... at least, that is what happens with my boys. Some mornings, I have to make a mental note of which children are here and which ones are not. Inventory 😉

Count from last night: Minus Oliver and Alexander, Plus Nicklas and friend.

As much as it grosses me out (do people still say that?), I have learned to live with kids sleeping in yesterday's dirty clothes and not brushing teeth. All part of the fun 😉

Happy Thursday xox

Looks calm but there is actually chaos inside ;)

Tradition

At the elementary school that my boys go to (went to), they have an annual tradition for winter carnival where they build a wall made up of ice blocks that each of the children make (flashback here).The few weeks before the ice block making time, we spend time 1) remembering to buy milk in a carton, 2) remembering not to put the said carton into recycling, 3) remembering to buy food colouring, 4) remembering to wear gloves because I always seem to have green or blue fingers the day after making the ice block, 5) remembering to actually make the ice block and 6) remembering to actually take it to school on the wall building day. Quite a process! 😉

This year, it was actually good wall building weather. In the past, it has been either super warm and rainy or super cold and just terrible to be outside kind of weather. Yesterday was just right 💜

This is also the first year that Oliver is the sole boy at the elementary school (Nicklas is now in high school with Alexander) so he gets to be the star of the yearly ice wall pictures.

Wishing you all a happy Wednesday xox

Glimpses from a good boy day

While I was working at home today (my Friday was not as productive as I would have liked it to be), Andreas took Oliver and his friend to a local festival. With bouncy castles and beautiful weather, how could you not have a good day? ;)

Happy Saturday! Andreas and I have a date night later on...  Imagine! Kid free time ;) xox

Pictures by Andreas because I was not there ;)

Back in Copenhagen pt. 2

Actually, I am cheating because I am already back in Sweden. The time in Copenhagen was (too) short but sweet... During my last 2 days there, I had the chance to walk around a new development, which is essentially "recycling" an old warehouse district of Copenhagen (Aarhusgadekvarteret). It was very close to where I used to live when I first moved there (on Aarhusgade). The architecture is very cool and the whole concept of the development is very smart. Then I biked along the coast, up to where we used to live when Alexander was first born (in Charlottenlund.... the not so rich part of it 😉 ). It is a really pretty area and has a lovely marina nearby where I met my friend for coffee (Skovshoved). The day ended with a beer/dinner out with a very old and dear friend of mine (the friendship is old... not my friend 😉).
I always get very sentimental when I visit Copenhagen: we had a very good life there (we still have a good life but you know what I mean) and I appreciate every moment and person which was a part of it! It was sad to leave but, on the other hand, it is hard to be without my boys (even though I could really get into some of those moments of pure silence 😉).
The bus trip back here was fine... wifi on the bus, no one sitting beside me, plug to recharge my phone :) All in all, it was a great few days of "me" time!

Hope you are all having a good summertime so far... Now, please excuse my photo spam...

Bye bye, Denmark! Vi ses!