Realisation

damn it I forgot to add the egg!! Hopefully they will be ok anyway. That's what happens when you try to do too many things at once.

I did it!!!!!!!!

I joined the gym tonight and did 55 minutes of exercise.

Fan-bloody-tastic!!!!

Tuesday. Washing day.

Swedish communal laundries. I wonder how many funny, irritating or totally crazy stories people have to tell about their laundry experiences. I wonder how many foreigners have written home about their experiences, usually in the basement of their apartment building.

Today was washing day and I used this beauty to wash a blanket too big to fit in the normal washing machine. She is probably about 100(!) years old and still servicing the few people who dare to use her. She moans and groans when turned on, but works like a charm.

Monday. A frosty start to the week.

Promises of warmer days that never come.

Ginger to the rescue

In an attempts to keep the colds at bay in this household I decided to make "tea" with the bucket load of ginger that also came in Eco-veggie box. At first I wondered what on earth I would do with all this ginger - and then Kieran lay with a fever for two days and I found my answer. I didn't manage to get him to drink that much but the rest of us have. I grated the ginger and added boiling water to it, sweetened it with honey and diluted it to our liking. Makaila and I love it sweetened with sugar and served cold - hey if you can't buy ginger beer in the supermarket this is the next best thing. And Ty has been drinking it hot in an attempt to get rid of his cough-cold.

Again, I forgot to take my own photo but found this one online and a great liver tonic (click on the picture) which I am now very tempted to try. Sounds quite delish - I love ginger!

Saturday. Artichokes - why I love my veggie box.

An American friend first taught me to eat artichokes, by dipping the leaves in melted butter. Another friend has served them when we've been there for dinner - thanks to his American mother. 

But despite having seen them at the market I have never ventured so far as to buy them and cook them myself. Until three arrived this week in my box of eco-veggies.

Easy to cook, delicious to eat and when I was searching for a photo to "borrow" (forgot to take one) I discovered they also have cholesterol lowering properties! Hopefully that makes up for all the butter consumed with them. YUM!! I'm officially addicted and the kids love them too.

Fairy Bread

What is a party without it? Apricot Log too. And pass the parcel with Aussie animals dropping out.

Thursday. An Aussie trivia quiz

has been written (in Swedish of course) with little stations designed around the place to help them answer the questions. Question Nr. 6. What does a koala eat?

A little taste of Australia

Makaila is having a little party on Friday night and introducing her friends to the land down under.

My morning view

from the kitchen window. The sun still lies on the frozen earth, which the sun is now gradually defrosting.

Monday. The very talented Klara

held a vernissage for her exhibition on Saturday. Too enchanted to take my own photos I am using one of hers. Have a look at more of her work from the Water exhibition at Nytida Swedish Silver.

A beautiful day

for a Sunday drive and a play in the snow.

Four lovely children eating together

 Chatting over dinner.

 Cheers, to friendship and spontaneous meals together.

Cheers to the camera.

Couldn't help but add all the photos today.

Love looking out the window

on a grey day and seeing snow flakes falling from the sky - NOT!!!      It's March - we're done with snow!

Thursday: Chimney inspection

After smoking the place out our fireplace was deemed safe. Yay we can continue having fires.

Washing away months of winter grime.

Spring is here! It was time to go through the car wash. My funny kids love car washes and think it is all very exciting. Feels great to get months of grime off the car.

Basketball anyone?

It is still going to be a while.

Parent-Teacher Meetings

are a colorful affair. Tonight even we got to paint.

The Natural History Museum

of Stockholm is a great place to hang out on a grey day.

Saturday - my tennis star

closes his eyes when the ball comes at him. I look forward to being able to play tennis with him one day.

Stockholm subway on a Friday night.

After midnight. As busy as ever.

Thursday, snow drops

Not sure which was more pleasurable, seeing the snow drops or the kids' reaction to the first signs of spring.

Fishing

seems to be dominating our life right now - between that and looking for fossils or bells in trees we all seem to be going to bed way too late....

Fat Tuesday & International Women's Day

Firstly - Happy International Women's Day! Today is in fact the centenary of the day 19011-2011.

 

I didn't know there was a website and thousands of activities around the world dedicated to this day. There was however only one event here in Stockholm - the launch of "SCA's yearly global Hygiene Matters Report 2011 with focus on women." Doesn't sound too exiting to me. And I'm surprised - women are much stronger and more equal here than either Australia or Canada, but I would have thought that Women's groups would still considered it important to organise events...

Secondly Happy Fat (Shrove) Tuesday. Hope everyone got a semla today. 

I love semla but I resisted..... Not even Fat Tuesday is enough of an excuse to break the diet I started yesterday. Haha tomorrow might be a whole different story!

The slush is upon us

Milder days mean melting snow. Filthy snow. Wet kids, puddles on the floor and gravel being tracked around. Blah!!!

Spring is in the air.

Have sun will sit outside. Seven (English speaking) kiddies sitting outside in the sun eating their lunch.

Saturday: A day at the rink

We ended up with the entire rink to ourselves for the last 45 minutes, then we sat and watched the figure skating competitions on the other rink with competitors from all around Europe.

Friday: Animal Crossing Addiction

Strange how people say "if even Nicole has a Wii then we can get one". And yes now its an addiction. The kids and I love this game. But the best thing of all is that it has forced Makaila's reading in English ahead in leaps and bounds. She loves playing it and if I don't sit with her she has no choice but to do all the reading herself.

Funny how I've even found her sitting and reading English books the last few days.

A beautiful blonde floor

was put in our bedroom this week. Made from solid pine treated with lye with white pigment - very Swedish, very "love it"!!!

Vinterkräksjukan, Stomach flu

a tummy bug or gastro - call it what you will, it runs rife at this time of year and my kids have now had 4 bouts of it between them. 

There seems to have been more of it around this year than usual - possibly because of a long cold winter. Hopefully we are done with it, for now.

Free Dental Care

For all children 18 years and younger.

And Folktandvården - our local government run dentist has the latest equipment. This fancy x-ray machine showed all the teeth under the gums, fully grown and ready to make their way out. It even showed the wisdom teeth forming in the jaw. Fascinating!

Monday 28th. Classroom cleaning.

Being a Waldorf parent means we are required to clean the classroom once a year - an hour or two of our time and a chance to have a good look around and see what they have been working on.

Sunday 27th. Wii dancing.

Ok, so anyone who knows me knows I'm anti computer games - but I will confess - Wii is fun and I'm ok with it. Everyone loved the chance to get up and dance - kids and adults alike!

Saturday 26th. Happy 6th Birthday.

Happy Birthday Kieran! He has been waiting since Makaila's birthday in February, the last of the four of us to finally have a birthday. Very happy to be turning 6, getting pressies and having friends over for a party. Boys only!