Safety Town

Elina receives her graduation kit

To people in Norman Safety Town needs no explanation. It is part of summer for 5 year olds. A [free] one-week course, one hour per day, [free] bike helmet, and [free] t-shirt and diploma on the last day and lots of bike riding (with training-wheels for all, mind you). What do they learn? Bike-safety, pedestrian conduct, basic traffic rules and other safety issues related to visiting an ambulance and a firetruck.

There are lots of people at Safety Town and many volunteers. The first day nice, nice Tyler walks around with his hand gently on Elina's shoulder for the entire 20 minutes of bike-riding, in the hot Oklahoma sun while Elina chatters without drawing breath about everything and nothing. She has reached some emotional block against bicycling that was not there last year! A soon as he removes his hand, Elina stops pedaling and cries in anguish: "You have to hold me!" This was repeated with a different volunteer each day. I apologized and thanked him and was assured Tyler had done this with many kids.

Isak viewed Safety Town as a racing track and all thoughts of safety were sacrificed in the interest of speed and style - at least a few times.

Elina helped by Tyler.


Isak, having just crossed a double yellow line at great speed...


Isak, left, waiting at the red light. Good that he knows some of the rules

Swedish Midsummer in Dallas

According to Fisher Family tradition, we packed ourselves in the car and went down to Dallas to celebrate Midsummer this weekend. There is a fairly large Swedish population in Dallas (compared to Oklahoma City metro) largely because of the Ericsson plant and IKEA. Not all of these Swedes participate in these celebrations, but some do. We go down twice a year: Midsummer and Lucia (Dec 13th). The kids LOVE it. I need to mention that Helene Honeybone and other wonderful women from SWEA (Johanna Davis is president) are key in arranging these events. They have been extremely welcoming to us Okies.

Several things happened this day:

1. We danced around the Midsummer pole and played the traditional relay games associated with Midsummer.

Helene helps Elina in the potato-on-the-spoon balancing relay.
Helene's daughter Emelie looks on.

2. I, Victoria, sang with the SWEA choir at both the Shawnee Park and at IKEA later in the day. (Free lunch at the cafeteria was the incentive, ha!)


SWEA kören på IKEA from Victoria Akselsen on Vimeo.

The choir downstairs at IKEA, Frisco. Elina, future choir member, participated.

3. Anja took her first real steps. Sure, she has taken three or four steps here and there for some time, but even though we knew that she could walk if she wanted to, she has not been confident enough in her own ability until Midsummer Day. Video footage shows first the finale of the Midsummer dances (which is the human rocket, or firework, depending on translation) then the camera pans to Anja who is doing her own thing.


Midsommar raketen och Annias första steg from Victoria Akselsen on Vimeo.

4. Isak, almost 6, lost his first tooth Saturday night. Well, lost... I finally pulled it. The new tooth has been coming in behind it since before we left Sweden, over two weeks ago. It was about time. He placed it in a glass of water and put in on the window sill, according to Swedish tradition. Over two or three days money builds up in the glass. You get to keep the tooth. At least, that is how my mom did it, so it has to be right. My mom is seldom wrong.

Click to enlarge and behold the wonder of tooth-lessness

5. A kind, older Swedish lady at the Midsummer celebration told Isak he must pick seven different kinds of flowers, place them under his pillow on Midsummer Night and he would dream about the one he will marry. (An old Swedish wives tale). Isak, who has been concerned about his single status since age 3, did exactly that. Elina followed suit. At church he suddenly remembered about the flowers and frustrated realized that he could not remember his dreams from last night at that point...

Summer Games

Summer is officially in full swing. Swim lessons began on Monday and it rained/was overcast, but on Tuesday it thundered and lessons were canceled. Since we were already in our swim suits we went to the splash pad, and we were the only ones there because of the rain. It was only, what 78 degrees (25 C), and I guess most people deemed it too cold? It was heavenly.

Today Anja got to swim in the baby pool for the first time and loved it. It has to be at least 82 (28 C) degrees in the water for the baby pool to be open, I was told, so today was the first day. The olympic pool was 80 degrees. I could not help but think back on the beach in Sweden where we were just two weeks ago, and the water was 62 degrees and no one complained. Isak and Elina swam for two hours, then had to be forced to get their butts back on land. Anja played in a slightly warmer puddle (68 degrees?).

Elina in action

Isak

Anja the ball lover. That is Elina's hair, as straightened by the water! Wild!

the splash pad

Elina taught Anja how to do this: Pull out drawer, climb in on top of the bed spread that is stored in it, and lay down. I walked in on them : Elina and Anja were both sitting in the third drawer from the bottom, (has quilts in it). I could not believe the IKEA quality held up for that kind of weight. I thought the bottom would fall out. Elina has promised not to do it again, but Anja did not. She does it all the time.

Sweden Withdrawal

It takes me about a week to "land" when I come back from a long trip to Sweden. But at this point I would have thought about uploading some recent pictures from Oklahoma (our pretty flower bed for example, which I planted, but which had not surfaced at all before I left for Sweden in April, and which is now LUSH with flowers). However, I left the camera uploading cord at my parent's house. While I wait for it to arrive in the mail (my sweet mother mailed it already), I am adding some previously unpublished, but already uploaded, pictures from - you guessed it - Sweden.

My dad, grandma, grandma's sister, Elina and I. Waiting for the graduate (my sister)

My mom and Annia after swimming

Annia on the deck

checking out the rhubarb crop

Elina and Isak on the ferry

Elina, Annia and I, at Styrsö

Back in the US of A - Travel Log

The last picture taken on Swedish soil, Arlanda airport - notice no stroller...

I am always asked about the length of flights, what connections et c., I have, when speaking of my Sweden trips. Here's the low-down of the return trip home.

Was deprived of my stroller at check-in because of security precautions ( I normally gate-check it). Was promised an airport-stroller at the connection. Had to carry 1-year old Annia, my backpack, and well-filled purse, while 4 -year old Elina and 5-year old Isak pulled their roller bags through security check and to our first flight. Hard.

At first connection, Stockholm, I walked nearly a mile carrying Annia while Elina cried and was tired and sad about leaving, wanted to be picked up or at least be given some help with her bag. I asked at three different information desks about the promised airport stroller.

"We discontinued those a long time ago."

I saw that ALL THE OTHER parents got to have their strollers, and they were TWO parents and ONE child.

"It is unfair!! You are being mean to my mom!" Elina cried angrily at anyone that looked like airport personnel. She also said at one point, to someone completely innocent: "Jädra unge! Du har tagit min stackars mammas vagn!"

Was reassured when boarding the plane to Chicago that I would get a "meet and assist" at the gate upon arrival.

Endured the nine hour flight to Chicago, thanks to "Horton Hears a Who" and "The Water Horse". Was informed upon arrival that Chicago does not have "meet and assist."

Walked down umpteen ramps, hallways and escalators, stood in line at passport check point. Then retrieved my 7 (seven) suitcases with the help of hired help (paid him with Swedish money, which was a better deal for him since the dollar is so weak), finally got my stroller, went through customs, and then checked the bags again.

Took the elevated transit train to terminal 2. Went through security check TWICE because we were guided to the wrong area. Stood in the sweaty line, placed all the bags, jackets, shoes, stroller etc on the conveyor belt, twice. Kids not overly happy.

Was informed that the 2.55 p.m. flight to Oklahoma City was delayed until 4.55 p.m. (We should have originally been in OKC by 5.)

Went to the awesome playground and killed time. Discovered that Chicago O'hare has no AC. Let the kids play topless.

Then our flight was delayed until 6.27 p.m. Thunderstorms to blame. "Ma'm, the plane has not yet left Omaha, so boarding will not be until apx 6 p.m."

Took the kids to the playground again. Gave them the last sandwich I had packed, and fed Annia the last jar.

Came back to the gate at 6 p.m. Was informed our flight had left at 5.30 p.m.

"Ma'm we did announce it over the radio."

As if I could have made out a single syllable of the constant static, echoing, chattering of that inter-com over the kid voices at the playground.

Had to go to United ticket counter. Elina cried. Stood in line. Isak broke one of those seat-beltish line-separators that they also use at banks. Was re-booked and set to leave at 8.01 p.m. Had to switch concourses for the second time that day.

"No ma'm you may not take the shuttle because it is down 2 flights of stairs and you have a stroller. There is no elevator. You may walk."

"Sir, I will be taking the shuttle!"

Nice Americans helped carry the kids' roller bags and the stroller down, and later up again, the two flights of stairs and on and off the shuttle.

Flight to Oklahoma City at gate C8 was delayed until 10.00 p.m. I placed the kids to sleep on a bench. Annia slept in the stroller. I made phone calls to keep from nodding off.

Boarded the tiny plane, which must have had a ceiling height of 5' 9" (I am 5' 10 1/2"). Discovered our seats were not together. Made perfectly nice passengers move so we could be together. Anticipated fly time 1,5 hours. After 3 hours we landed in Springfield , Missouri because of storms. Waited there for 30 minutes to re-fuel and try again. A nice lady gave her banana for Isak and Elina to share. Everyone was rightfully amazed at my well-behaved kids (in fact, better-behaved than some of the adult passengers).

Arrived in OKC at 2.30 a.m. - 9, 5 hours late.

"Sir, was there a gate-checked stroller?"

"Oh, right, yes... I'm sorry, we accidentally sent it to luggage claim. You can get it there."

Had to walk down steep steps, baby in arms, two rollerbags in one hand, purse over my arm, then a ways on the platform, then up a flight of stairs to a gate-tunnel, the FARTHEST gate, then all the way through the airport to luggage claim, where Mark was waiting. Only one suitcase was missing.

Am I deterred about traveling there again, alone, with three kids? Not in a million years. I would go back next week if we could afford it (and my poor parents could endure it, and my husband spare us).

on the 9 hr flight, wearing t-shirts I bought at Arlanda airport

during the 10-hr lay-over at O'hare, no AC, very sweaty

Blue Water

This is a sorry excuse for a blog. I never write very much, just post pictures. Summer is all about water, though, and here are more... pictures.

We took a trip to Styrsö last week. It is an island in the archipelago where my great aunt lives and we frequently go to see her. She is my grandmother's sister and lives on the island which is a summer paradise.

I am also including some pictures of swimming. I would like to add that the water was perfect by Swedish standards. The summer we got married, 1999, Mark received a freezing shock as he followed my then nine-year-old sister who had just declared the lake water "luke warm." He only got as far as his ankles by the time Daniella and I were done stripping our clothes off on the beach, Swedish style, and were changed into our suits and dove in. Mark never did swim because of the temperature and he has relived the experience many times. (Nothing to compare to swimming in the ocean at Narvik [northern Norway] when snow is still on the nearby mountains). I wondered if Isak (who takes after Mark in many ways) would follow in his father's footsteps and refuse to swim because the water was only 60-62 degrees Fahrenheit. But I should have known better. The kid was born in Borås, for goodness sakes. He swam for 45 minutes, long after I had dried off, when I finally forced him out of the water. Elina and Annia, both born in Oklahoma, had no fear either. I should explain that the water does get warmer later on in the summer. 70-75 is normal in June-July, but I have experienced 80-82 degrees on rare occasions in shallower lakes.