Belly dancer in the making.

Reason #563 for NOT having children.

I was trying to get ready this morning. Then I heard a *bang* *crash* and glass shattering. I walked 2 feet to the living room and then a baby started to scream, and this is what I found --







Shattered lamp. Broken vase. And one dead orchid.

I love my orchids. There aren't many things that I am good at taking care of, but I am good with my orchids. I don't use special lights or special food, but they bloom all year round.

I cried.

Busy day.

We had a very busy day today!
We started by leaving for Säffle after 08.00, so that I could give blood. I am officially a Swedish blood donor. :) Leia enjoyed the experience. :)) She would come and peek at me around the corner and stand and look at me. She was VERY good while we were there. :)









(And yes, she does always have a banana in her hand.)


Then we went to Lidl and looked around some since there is one in Säffle and we had some time to waste. We had never been in a Lidl before. It is a very, very, very cheap grocery store where most of their products are imported from Germany. They do have other products as well - and actually many products that we buy. So we will make sure we go there everynow and then.

After that we went home and Fredrik took the car for its big service check-up. Ugh. :)) Luckily today we found out how much Fredrik will get back in taxes. :)) But there was nothing major that needed to be done (like brakes or anything). Oil and spark plugs, etc..

After Leia woke up from her nap, we got all my stuff together to renew my passport. We went to the photographer and we got some pictures. Then we went to the bookstore to get a new notebook for all of Fredrik's papers. Then we went to the bank to get a money order (postväxel) to send to the Embassy for payment of the passport processing. Then to the grocery store to get some more milk and diapers.

Ugh... :)
Then to the house to drop off the milk. Then we went to the post office to mail the passport application. :) Then we went and had some dinner. :)

It was 17.00 by the time we got home.

Then we enjoyed some time outside in the VERY nice weather:





Pappa and I fixed better supports for our cherry tree. Leia had to help of course. :) We used sticks that Fredrik uses for work. And he has a neat "little" (extremely heavy) tool that he uses to knock the sticks into the ground, when he has to mark heights for the ground.







I guess we must have been pretty loud... :D because pretty soon we heard, "Leia! Leia! Leia!!!!" come running down our road. :)) Leia's daycare playmate that lives 3 doors down, My, was running towards our house, with her mother close behind. :) They were outside and had a few minutes and came over to say "hi." :) So that was really nice. :) The girls were confused and excited to see each other. But when they got next to each other, they just stood and looked at each other. Then they just started randomly running around and doing their own thing. :)) It was sweet and Fredrik and I were so happy that they came over for a few minutes. :)











It is going to be fantastic for them being so close to each other. :) We're hoping that they get to play some together this summer. My is a few months older than Leia, probably no more than 5 months or so.


While in the car today, as we were listening to Metalica as usual, Leia started "singing" along. :) I did my usual questions, "A sheep says..?" And then a "Baaahhhhhh!!" from Leia. :) And "A dog says..?," and for the first time she said, "Rooof rooof!" ... :D Leia is slowly learning her animal sounds. :) In English at least. :)

Morning headache.

Ugh. I woke up with a horrible headache this morning. A TMJ headache and I must have clenched a lot last night because I didn't sleep well at all. But the headache left by midday and we were able to continue with our Spring Cleaning. :)

Pictures as promised:

Spring Shoe Shopping.

While out shoe shopping yesterday, we ran into one of Leia's little daycare friends. :) Nili. :) She was very, very confused to see us somewhere besides the daycare. :)) Nili is a sweet little girl and always gives Leia and I a hug when we show up to daycare in the mornings.

Which reminds me -- the Saturday that we all got really sick, we ran into one of Fredrik's workmates at the same store. It is only his 2nd workmate that I have gotten to meet since we've been here. (The first was Dan, the workmate that Fredrik adores, but moved because he couldn't stand living in Dalsland ----) But the woman was really nice, she had her 10-11 year old daughter with her. The woman was very, very excited to finally meet Leia. :) Most all of Fredrik's workmates (not with his company - as he is the only worker - but his workmates that work for the mother company) are women 40-60+, only a couple of men.

But now for a piece of rhubarb pie and then more Spring Cleaning.
More pictures later.

Spring fever.

Today was a fantastic end to a fantastic week. :)

Today I cleaned up the grill and Fredrik brought it out from the cellar and we enjoyed our first grilled meal of the year. :) Hamburgers of course. :) Leia had her own little hamburger. :)) She loved it too! She had a hamburger and a bun with a little bit of ketchup.

I spent the day cleaning, well most of it anyways - seeing as Leia slept 3½ hours today and she behaved so well that I was able to get plenty done while she was awake. We had a very nice walk this morning and she had her mellanmål while we walked on the walking/bike path through the forest.

It is crazy how well she sleeps. It is the same for her nap as for bedtime. She drinks her välling and then brush her teeth. I hold her and sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (her most favorite song). I give her a kiss and tell her goodnight, and just lay her in bed at 19.00. And that is that. Never a peep or a sound until usually around 07.00.



After dinner, Leia discovered Mommy's shoes ::






















Fredrik's watching Fight Club and I wanna watch Jarhead instead...... :T *hmph*
So I'm gonna go to bed.. :)

Shoes.

At least we know I don't have stinky feet... :P

Inseparable.

The weather has been unbelievably beautiful! Spring is definitely here. Today it was at least 16,5 degC in the shade (62 degF). So we have been enjoying our walks and spending plenty of time running around in the yard outside. :) Caesar is enjoying the warm weather too, and has resumed his favorite position on the deck, in his sleeping corner.





Fredrik is happy to have nice weather again - makes it a little more pleasant for when he has to work outside. He was in Ed all day yesterday. Measuring plenty of stuff here and there. Another "workmate" is quitting. The guy hired in after Fredrik, but he works a bit South and on the coast. And his boss will soon be leaving to go on maternity leave (even though she's not even been working for a year). So another one of Fredrik's workmates is going to take her place while she is gone. So they are going to need 2 replacements now.. :/ Anyone that has been hired around the same time or after Fredrik has stopped working here. We really didn't think it was that bad, but I guess they really meant it when they said that they have a problem keeping workers.





Hmm.. trying to think if there is anything else.. :P
But I'm tried - so I guess it is bedtime..

Fun in the sun!

Reason #1 for owning a dust-buster.

When your 17½ month old decides the tree in the hallway needs to be repotted.





-- Sure.. a broom works too.. but a dust-buster (hand held vacuum) is more fun!!