Boomer...

We've battled a strange stomach flu these past two weeks. It doesn't go away. Everyone has had it in the family, and I was the last one to get it, and the last one to shake it. I have now been sick for over a week. Mostly fetal position and very little sleep. Today I ate only crackers and bananas and felt well enough to sit on a chair and hold a parking sign. Isak did half my shift, thankfully, and parked 3 out of 10 cars. Not bad for a 6 year old. He earned a dollar doing it, going towards a Lego set that he wants which is $20. He has to do 20 jobs. He's crossing off a chart. Only 12 more to go. Every time he gets a new job he's SO EXCITED. He never complains about how long it is taking or that regular chores don't count.

Anja doesn't speak much, but she's developing other talents. One of those is a great sense of order. She sees a toy in the wrong toy bin and she corrects it! Today it was a "Little People"-car in the baby toy box. She spontaneously cleans when it gets too messy. She also comforts Elina and Isak any time they cry by patting and hugging, something Isak and Elina don't do for each other, that's for sure.

We were done parking early and I took Isak and Elina to the Mormon Institute where I sat on a chair fending off waves of nausea while they played on the Moon Bounces for an hour. A great success.


The kids got free cotton candy. They had to have it. Then they recalled that they don't like cotton candy. They tried it once when we went to the circus in Sweden. The outing ended with Elina receiving a near-mortal wound to her toe. We had to go home and get a Band-Aid.

Elina occupies the top bunk. Here she is with Finuds the Cat. Isak sleeps below so he has easier access to the CD player and can choose the audio book, control the volume and chapter etc.