Almost a year ago

Time surely flies when you're having fun! Grégory, je t'aime et je t'adore!!!

Julie climbes everything

Julie is so curious and she climbes everything... couches, stairs, the stove... but she hasn't figured out yet to get down in a safe way. In this video she succeds to land properly because the floor isn't so far away. Amazing girl!

Super moms part 2

Here comes the comments that I promised from the previous post. Just to list a few of the things that annoyed me about the Super mom documentary which was shown at the Swedish tv (svt.se) on the 19th of July:
*To be nominated a super mom you must belong to a church and be married which means that you're not a super mom if you're not religious, single parent or homosexual.
*The moms felt that they were totally sacrificing themself for their family. Some of them were very bitter that they had given up their career for their children.
*The moms didn't get any appreciation or a clap on the shoulder from people in their surrounding.
*The moms didn't share the responsibility and fun with other adults including the dads
*The presentation of why they should be the next American Super mom had to be exactly a certain number of minutes. Not a second more! The presentations became very clichéish so that the Super moms started crying. One woman said that a real Super mom should prioritize God, her marriage and children before herself...no comment!
*It was too much sobbing and American dream...

I'm still curious of what YOU thought of the movie! Please let me know!

Are there such things as "Super moms"?

The other day I watched the American movie about so called super moms and it triggered so many buttons in me. Frankly, I became really upset! My fingers itched to write down my thoughts and share them with you... but before I post them here I'd like you to see the movie and let me and others know what you thought it.

Are there such a thing as SUPER MOMS/DADS?
What's a super mom/dad for you?
Do parents need an award?

I'll post my thoughts here on Wednesday the 5th of August!

Picture: Julie, Chien blanc and her super big eyed mom!

We've had some warm days

June and July haven't been exceptional this year here in Stockholm but we've had some great days... unfortunately at the same time we were in Biscarrosse ;-)!

For our little miss sunshine, however, there is no difference if it's sun or rain as long as she can play!

She really loves the water and once in a while I'm considering going to a course in baby swimming with her... but now when she's a big girl maybe we can go together with her friends and their mommy's instead?

Picture: Julie in her bathtub in our kitchen!

Julie recommends

If you wake up and feel tired and sad although you slept THREE full hours try Julie's HAPPY morning face mask. You mix children's porridge according to the instructions on the package and rub it ALL over your face, hair and clothes. It sure makes wonders for Julie and I... it makes us laugh, puts wide smiles on our faces and we feel alive here and now. The fact that we both slept too little and everything else seems to be small problems when we laugh together!

If it rejuvinates your skin is left to see!

Needless to say, she'll end her spa-session with a nice bath;-)!

Nez, nez, nez vs. Nä, nä, nä

When two words in different languages sound similar but have different meanings there can be a problem...

My husband G has a game with Julie where they touch their noses and say: Nez, nez, nez!
(French for Nose, nose, nose!) Julie then bubbles with laughter and then they start over again. Nez, nez, nez...

However, when I say: Nä, nä, nä! (Swedish slang for No, no, no!) when she's putting her fingers in the electric socket or pulling my hair really hard she bubbles with laughter too!

It took awhile for me to understand why she became so happy when I said no! Maybe I'll have to say No in other languages?

Finnish: Ei!

Albanian: Jo!

Somali: Maya!

German: Nein! Maybe the most effective ;-D?

A minivacation to Kalix

In the middle of June we went up to celebrate my cousin S's graduation and visit my wonderful grandparents in Kalix.

We enjoyed so many things...
my grandma's delicious cooking (such as palt, omelette with chanterelles, all kinds of berries, fika), the light at night, the walk along the river (G ran ;-)!), the visit to Kukkolaforsen, the adventurous search for elks and deers, my grandpa's garden and his statistic book of his harvests since 1972, the first tomato, Julie and the dogs (she especially loves white dogs), the wine and goat cheeses in the evening, the folkdancers, the animals (we laughted so hard when the goat loudly and surprisingly went: Bäääääääähh!)...

Julie's first passport

Now our little sweet pea have got her first passport! She was very fascinated with the camera and the situation didn't allow me to tickle her so that she'd smile on the picture. Where the holder's signature should be it says: Not able to sign!

It wasn't so easy to get a Swedish passport because both parents have to be present at the Police station. To make a long story short... we had booked tickets to Bordeaux and needed a passport pretty fast so to be effective Julie and I went there to fix it while G was working. We filled in the papers, took the photo and paid but still G had to come by and sign the papers. It's very good from a security point of view so that one parent doesen't apply for a passport and leave the country with the child but very annoying when you want to be effective ;-).

The day after Julie and I met up with G to finish the application. But since G doesn'thave a Swedish identification card we had to ask a third person to confirm that "he was he". It wasn't enough that we're married! Well, well... now we have received it in good time before the vacation!

Thank you my dear cousin S for helping us!

Baka, baka liten kaka...

Means *Bake, bake a little cake and it is a common Swedish children song where you roll the child back and forth (like a dough), add lots of raisins everywhere (tickle, tickle) and then put her "in the owen". Julie loves that song already!

Today Julie will help me to bake chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon buns for my birthday picnic next week that we'll enjoy together with my superMama friends and children. I keep my fingers crossed that we can be outside... but having a fun adventurous picnic in our warm and cozy living room while it's raining outside isn't so bad either!

Chocolate-Chip Cookies
(recipe in Swedish but I can translate for my chocolate lovers. Let me know by posting a comment below;-)!)

3 dl mjöl
1 tsk salt
1 tsk bikarbonat
190 g smör
4½ dl farinsocker
3/4 dl strösocker
1 tsk vaniljsocker
2 ägg
6½ dl havregryn
350 g grovhackad mörk choklad

*blanda mjöl, bikarbonat & salt i en skål.
*Blanda farinsocker, strösocker, vaniljsocker & smör i en annan skål tills det blir krämigt.
*Vispa äggen lätt. Häll i dem & havregrynen. Rör om. Tillsätt mjölblandningen och arbeta väl förhand. Rör till sist ner chokladen. Klicka ut kakorna på smord plåt.
*Grädda dem i 150-180 grader i 8-12 minuter beroende på storlek

*The full version of the song:
Baka, baka liten kaka.
Rulla, rulla, liten bulla.
Mjöla den
och pricka den
och SHUSSSSSS in i ugnen!

Our little chihuahua

Do you see any similarities between this crazy dog and our cute little chihuahua Julie below?

The Swedish national day

Today it was the Swedish national day!

We dressed Julie in a Swedish top, ate Kalles Caviar and sang the national hymn. The great sunny weather that we've previously enjoyed was unfortunately gone so we stayed at home... and spoke about how good the weather was last year on the same day when we had Maman et N here with us and all the great things we did together. That day it was 28 degrees and we took the ferry from Slussen till Djurgården, ate soft ice cream with sprinkles, waved to the king and queen after the national day concert at the city zoo called Skansen, walked back along the harbor to Kungsträdgården and ate dinner at A taste of Stockholm which is a food festival. Today we lived on those memories ;-)!

The tradition of celebrating this date began 1916 in honour of the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523, as this was considered the foundation of modern Sweden.

In 2005 it became an official Swedish public holiday!, taking that honour from Whit Monday. This change led to fewer days off from work (more working-days) as the 6th of June will periodically fall on the weekend, unlike Whit Monday, which was always celebrated on a Monday. This has in turn led to complaints from some Swedish unions.

My grandma's neck

This is a dialogue between my little cousin A 4 years old and our grandma:

-Grandma, what do you have on your neck?
-What, oh this, well this is a birthmark!

My cousin A is quietly thinking before saying:

-Grandma, do you need a birthmark to be born?

I think it's such a cute comment. Julie got a birthmark on her left hand so she had a "ticket" to be born!

Picture: A picture of Julie's left hand! (Soon to be published)

Julie 6 months

Date: 2009-05-28
Weight: 7720 g
Length: 70 cm
Head: 42,5 cm

Recipe for a perfect day

We (and Julie) are getting better routines. Many consecutive hours of sleep. Just came home from the gym, had a thai lunch with G and now Julie and I are on the balcony. I'm in the sun studying for my theory test tomorrow and Julie's playing in the shadow next to me. We've planned to run this evening and then visit the place where we migt have our wedding party next year.

I just want to stop the time for a moment. Take a deep breath, enjoy and reflect.

Aaah, LA VIE EST TRÉS BELLE!!

Picture: Julie on her way to university with mommy (month of may)
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Footnote: In the evening we ran in the drizzling warm rain and visited The place but we think it was too small and much better for a baptism. Now we'll continue our hunt for The Wedding Party Place ;-)! Any ideas?

Our little sunshine

This little film shows Julie 2 months old and full of happiness!

Our stolen sign is now FOUND!

I feel really good driving and I hope to get my driver's license now in June. Please keep your fingers (and toes) crossed! It'd be so great for the daily life as well as for the wonderful vacations that we've planned in France. I'll do the theory next week and some weeks later the practical test.

Now to my little dilemma. Yesterday, however, I forgot the sign "Test driving" (Övningskör) on the car and this morning it was stolen. According to the Swedish law I'm not allowed to drive at all without it and I'm too economical to buy a new one when I'm so close to my goal. Little annoying!

Question: Does any of you have a spare one that I can borrow for a short while?

Footnote: My husband later found the sign in the car ;-). It's good with a confirmation that I'm not loosing my memory totally! The end is good everything's good... (Slutet gott allting gott...)

Courious Julie explores the world

Julie is sooo curious and moves to eveeerything she finds on the floor. Usually it's toys that we've put around her but now she finds things that we've forgotten to take away. It's definately time to child proof our apartment and we've learnt alot this spring while we've had visitors with young children over.

This time, however, daddy planted his favourite Belgian chocolate (Bouchée Cart d'Or) in front of Julie. That was very brave of him! She headed right for it and tried to find a way to open it. She was so focused that she didn't even blink when I said her name. Daddy got a little nervous that she'd finish it before him so he had to step in ;-)!

Julie 6 months old goes to university

In February this year Julie and I started a course called The professional conversation (Det professionella samtalet) at the Stockholm university. Julie was only 3 months old during our first day of class and she ate, slept and charmed our classmates when she was awake. I really wanted to take this class because I have many individual conversations with the participants at my work and I wanted to develope a better structure and get new tools to lead the conversation forward. It was, however, Julie who decided if it was possible or not. Now we've attended all the obligatory days and are about to finish the last homeworks and the home exam so we're almost in goooal!

To be able to take this course during my maternity leave means sooo much to me both personally and professionally. It has given me so many new thoughts (surely have keep my braincells alive) and I have met many wonderful people (nice to see the world outside ;-)).

Thank you my little one, my big love and my classmates for making this possible!

Pictures: Top: Julie with mommy's glasses (6 months old) Bottom: Julie on the way home from at day at the university (PS. her mother looked more tired ;-) DS.)

Aaatschooo!

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