4 Generations.

This morning we left only 15 minutes later than planned! (A new record maybe!) Especially considering how much we had to do. Not only to pack to leave for this weekend and for our flight to the US, but to have to empty the living room and clean it. They are definitely fixing it while we are away (the fireplace), but we don't know when. But it should only take a week. We are SO excited to have it be fixed. But last night when we started emptying the living room, we decided to switch the living room and dining room. At least give it a chance and see how we like it.


The day in pictures::

A stop for lunch at the Swedish hamburger chain, mAx.

Leia isn't so fond of french fries.

With final approval from Pappa, Leia got to play in the balls for a few minutes. She loved it!! :)



A stop at Leia's great-grandfather's apartment. He was very surprised and happy to see us!

Much faster to eat with two hands than one!!

Munching on grapes.

Quality time with great-grandpa.

Yummy milk!

Taking out the trash with Farmor.

She's a fast little devil.

Yummy water!

4 generations.

A stop along the road for a snack.

Running around in Farmor and Farfar's yard.

A fun day!

Leia and I had a fun day today, even though we did lots of cleaning and packing.


Leia woke up a bit earlier this morning than normal, so she was tired and well ready for a nap today!

But first we had to change her diaper!

Leia trying to change her own diaper, which she happens to refer to it as "apple." ???

Leia loves to run around with her netted clothes hamper over her head. :)

She has easily outgrown her wagon that she got for her first birthday from Mormor + Morfar.


We hope to leave at a good time tomorrow. It just takes a lot longer with a child.. :/ And we have SO much to put together still that we can't do tonight. And collect the last garbage and put out the garbage can. Fredrik mowed the yard today and I cut out the last of the tulips because it will be a nasty mess by the time we come home.

We have emptied most of the living room. Might try to empty a little more tonight and only leave Leia's toys, so she has something to do while we are packing and fixing everything tomorrow morning.

Poor Leia, she is going to be so confused with everyone speaking English and not hearing any Swedish. I can't even imagine what is going on in her little head concerning language stuff. Doesn't help either that I make her watch Baby Einstein in French and Spanish and she watches the Teletubbies in Danish and Finnish.. :D The poor child is never going to talk!

Tomorrow we just want to have everything with us we need, we don't care how well it is packed. We're going to have to repack everything at Farmor and Farfar's anyway..

Okay - it is pretty late, and we want to move some more furniture into the dining room! :)

Better later then never..!

Yeah - so here are some pictures from January! It took me awhile to put them all together.. :/ And I am still a bit behind with doing the other months.. :/ I'll eventually get it done.. :)

Goodbye, Caesar!!

Last night we said goodbye to Caesar. Fredrik woke up very, very early this morning, so that he could drive Caesar to the summer house, and then drive to work. So we hope that Caesar enjoys the next 3+ weeks at the summer house. :)) It is his most favorite place to be. :)

I'd say packing is pretty under control. Even though we did about 6-7 loads of laundry at the summer house this past weekend, I still need to do a couple more and wash up Leia's stuff that we use all the time. It is very difficult to know what kind of clothes to take for her.

I bought her a shirt the other day (a very light weight tank-top type shirt).. and what size did I have to get that would fit her?? A 4-5 toddler!!! (104-110) I held it up and Fredrik said that that wouldn't fit her, thinking it was a dress, and then I told him it was a shirt.. :))

We'll go shopping tonight to get food we need to take on the trip wtih us, like packages of välling and gröt to have while we are in the US, and jars and boxes of välling and gröt to have on the airplane with us (single serving portions), and snacks and stuff like that. I'm stealing back Leia's stash of diapers at daycare today, to have for the trip.

We'll try to leave as early as we can on Saturday, and Farmor has said they are visitng her father that day, so we are going to try to meet them at his apartment and visit with Leia's great grandfather.

Now on to more packing, laundry, dishes, and cleaning!

First Spring harvest.

We cut rhubarb today! Beautiful, isn't it??
I ended up with 5,5 kg (12 lbs)!
All washed, chopped and divided into freezer bags and in the cellar freezer.

I left the majority of the smaller stalks, hoping that they will get a bit larger by the end of the week, and then I'll try to cut what I can on Friday before we leave for our trip!

We got out the suitcases today. Going to start with 2. :) I'm trying to talk Fredrik into taking 4 (since we have 3 tickets, we are allowed 6 suitcases). I told him that no matter what we say about not buying anything - we are going to anyways.. :P So why not have the suitcases to bring the stuff back in, instead of shipping boxes..! :)) I think my reasoning is pretty good!!

Fredrik and I don't plan on taking many clothes, but we have to take plenty for Leia. I am going to sit down tomorrow, and make a list of things we need to have with us in the cabin. Leia will need extra clothes, and it doesn't hurt if Fredrik and I have at least an extra shirt, in case Leia gets sick or really makes a mess, etc.. How many diapers we might need, how much food for Leia, etc.. etc.. We plan on having a bag with extra Leia clothes, Leia food and snacks, diapers, etc.. And then a book bag with tons of books and stickers. There isn't much that you can take with you on a plane that is appropriate for a toddler.. :/ Everything she wants to do just involves running around, making messes and making lots of noise!! :)) Everything you can't or shouldn't do on an airplane. :)

It is a relatively short flight, though. The flight itself from Arlanda (Stockholm) to Newark (New Jersey/NY) will be about 8 hours. And usually the international flights end up arriving at least a little earlier than planned.

Then we have a very SHORT 2 hour layover in NY.. :/
But some good things: most everyone will be visiting when we go through immigration. That means the US citizen's line is always empty. Fredrik gets to join Leia and I in the US citizen's line, since he is the father of my baby and he enters on my US customs papers, instead of foreigner custom papers.

I think we are allowed at least 6 carry-ons too.. :/ :) Which is a bit excessive! (Not including the stroller!) But we are going to try to keep it to 2 carry-on bags, my purse as a personal item, and then Leia's stroller which doesn't count as any baggage at all.

So get off the plane, get Leia in the stroller, get to the immigration and customs area, go through immigration, get our luggage, go through customs, give our luggage back, enter the airport, find out gate and get to our gate.. yeah.. we'll be able to do that in 2 hours !! :D hehe
I'm thinking we should be able to handle it and look around a little in the airport too.

Hmmm.. I'm thinking that Farfar will drive us to the airport Monday morning, pretty please??? :)) But when we come home, they will be on vacation, so we'll have to take a taxi, and order one with a car seat.

Hmmmmm... Fredrik has to go back to work tomorrow.. :( He almost should have taken this week off so that we can get things ready for our trip.. :))) Need to clean up and mow and get things ready. On Friday we will have to empty the living room, since the fireplace should be getting fixed while we are away.

Leia goes back to daycare tomorrow.

I realized something, though!
When we are in the US, it will be the first time that she's EVER heard another child speak in English !! I think it will be very strange for her. We've decided we're going to send her daycare postcards while we are away. I just need to remember to write down their post address.

But that is enough for tonight!

Yesterday I baked:
- 8 medium sized quiches !!
- 2 loaves of bread
- 1 banana-nut loaf
- and some of Fredrik's favorite cookies

Tomorrow and the rest of the week, I plan to make more bread.

Fredrik has bought plenty of toys lately, though.. :P
He bought a neat little gadget that our neighbor has - to pick dandelions! It is pretty practical. And then we finally bought a plastic box to keep outside for all of our outdoor stuff that we don't want to get wet, like seat cushions, etc.. A good place to store Leia's outdoor toys, too.

Okay, now it is bedtime!

Summer house.

We went to the summer house on Thursday, since Fredrik had the day off, and Farmor and Farfar were there for a visit. (Thursday was a "red day" - or a holiday day in Sweden.) Fredrik would have had Friday off as well, but he just had too much work to do, so he went in and worked for most of the day. Then we went again today, to spend another day there.

So, of course, I have tons of pictures. :))








Fika #1





























Fika #2


Leia napped very well on both days! She slept in a "big girl bed" both days! Her first time. :)

Some pictures from today:





















So we haven't done much the last few days. Lots of driving. Lots of running around outside. Farmor fixed some very yummy food for us.

Tomorrow the plan is to try to clean up the house plenty before our trip next Saturday. And I am going to try to make as many quiche as I can, to put in the freezer.

I am still sick. :( Not very much fun. I have no energy at all, and tonight I have a bit of a fever. So I am hoping to sweat it out tonight, and feel better tomorrow.

Also might try to start planning our packing for our trip. Next Saturday we are leaving for Stockholm, and then our flight leaves on Monday. Crazy how quickly time has gone by. Still not sure how many suitcases we are going to take with us. Need to figure out how much stuff for Leia we should take on as carry-on baggage.

I haven't really thought or worried about how she'll be on the flight. If she does cry or complain about something, it is usually pretty easy to get her over it, but that is usually after some horrible screaming and crying. :/ :) We are NOT going to be popular, but not much we can do about that.

Okay, now I need to sleep. :( Very, very tired.

Horrible, I know.

I have just been awful with blogging.. :/ Honestly, I'm losing a taste for it. :( I've had a blog consistently since late 1998..! I guess I am a little tired of it.. :D

We've.. not done too much. Trying to keep up with yard work. We finally decided to leave Caesar at the summer house while we are away during June. We couldn't find anyone that could/would keep him for 3 weeks. Especially since he wants to be outside all the time. So we'll leave him at the summer house, and the neighbors and friends will keep an eye on him and make sure he has food and all that stuff. :)

The neighbor will come and water the plants, so that is good! We still have to put a hold on our mail. Fredrik filed for his VISA Waiver to be able to enter the United States. Luckily Leia and I don't have to worry about that.

I received my passport back from the US Embassy. So we just have to finalize packing plans, and then I think we are almost ready to leave!

Leia has completely gotten rid of her aggressive behavior! It makes us so happy. :) We have a little routine at night where she gives mommy and daddy tons of kisses and each of us a big hug. But unfortunately she always lunges at me open mouthed.. :/ I don't want the open mouthed kisses... :D

She is a pleasure to be around and she is enjoying us. :) She is great at daycare still. It goes back and forth on if she eats or not, and then she is the same with sleeping. Sometimes nothing, sometimes an hour, etc.. but she is happy either way. :) I've tried putting her down for a nap then after she gets home, but that usually ends up making her more cranky.. so we don't do that anymore.. :D

The trip is coming up so close. :/ A little scary almost how quickly time has flown by.. :/

Leia had her first popsicle of the year!
Fredrik thought that I was daffy for stripping down to her diaper.. :))














And then during dinner, she got to feed some of her chicken to Caesar:





She definitely loves spicy food and chicken. Rice can be popular too. She very much just decides if she is going to eat what is offered or not. Without even trying. So if she eats, she eats well, whatever it may be.

Oooh..! And we can't leave Caesar at home while we are away because the fireplace fixing guys are going to try to come while we are away and fix the fireplace then! So that would be wonderful. But something else to think about before we leave: We have to completely empty the living room. It will be a bit dusty. :) Will be wonderful to have it finished. Then it has to sit and dry for 3 months, be tested, and then we can use it. Yay!

I still have my cold. Ugh.. it won't go away. :/ The coughing is getting better though but it is taking forever.

Fredrik and I are trying to figure out all the movies we want to see while we are in the US. :) Lots of great movies are going to be out then. And our dear friend Carie is planning a flight from Kansas to Ohio so that we can all see each other - how awesome is that?! So we'll get to meet her new daughter, Lillie, and she'll get to see Leia again. It'll be great. :)

I swear to God I spend half my day washing dishes and half my day picking up after Leia.. :/ She ate cat food today. :/ Pretty nasty if I do say so myself.. :/

The weather has been beautiful! Warm and sunny for the most part. But of course the first evening that we put out the water sprinkler...... it rains that night. :D Of course. :) And it has been raining off and on since then. *sigh* Isn't that always how it is??

I am desperately procrastinating studying for my Swedish driver's license. I think for the most part because it is SO silly that I have to take all the tests. If British people can exchange their licenses.. then you would think that we would be able to -- at least we drive on the same side of the road as Swedes ! It has to do with agreements between countries and all that. Grr..

Hmm.. Trying to think of some other stuff.. :/ I'm sure there is plenty. I think that is why it is difficult for me to write. :/ So many little things happen during the day that I want to share that it just becomes too much and overwhelming.

Okay - I've been writing this for awhile now and it is WAY past bedtime.. :/ I'll try to not be so bad about writing.. :/