First Day of School

Elina started first grade at the brand new neighborhood Primary School, instead of the Elementary where she attended Kindergarten (they split the Elementary school into two, because of the huge number of students). This new school will host pre-K through 2nd grade, so Elina will go two years here before going to the Elementary which now houses 3rd, 4th and 5th grade.

 This somewhat sheepish smile is because she did not want to show her 'hole' of missing teeth... 

Those first graders!

The question "how will families with kids at both schools handle pick-up?" was indeed raised at the pre-pre-pre construction meeting with the answer "we have not figured that out yet" - that continued to be the answer while drawing the plans, constructing the grounds and building the school, until two weeks before school started when the logistically idiotic solution arrived giving me a near-hernia just thinking about it.

But the school itself is great and Isak and Elina got great teachers this year. Elina's classroom is very pretty and the school smells SO good. Everything is BRAND new, obviously. So overall we are very thankful and excited about this year. The new playground has astro turf (konstgräs) which is awesome.

 Very tense.

Nerves were at an all-time HIGH last night and this morning. Elina had zero appetite, Isak wanted to double check his backpack and then triple check it. They both said they did not feel well. I gave them allergy medicine and that seemed placebo enough to get them out the door. Isak wouldn't hold my hand where anyone could see, (of course!) while Elina didn't want to let go. Isak posed for pictures in the hallway, but nowhere NEAR his classroom. The super-cute girl that had a crush on Isak last year and who (can be seen in the Christmas program video wearing a black dress and wreath in her blond hair), together with some other girls, was very aggressive at pursuing Isak during recess last year much to his STRESS, is IN HIS CLASS this year. Isak has been very nervous about this, but I reassured him that she would likely not be brave enough to follow him around now that they are in the same class.

She's at an all-boy table, it seemed. Elina's teacher in the striped dress.

Wouldn't smile - too nervous.

There she is, dead center at the far away table. 

She knows one girl in the class from last year.

Isak's classroom has a cowboy theme (while Elina's has a Luau one).

The classroom entrance is around the corner to the left beyond that little saddle. 

He would not pose where anyone could see him, bless his 3rd grade heart!

Last Day of Summer Vacation

I feel like this summer slipped through my fingers. Going to school full time during June didn't help. I love having the kids home and am always a bit sad when they go back to school. Here are a few glimpses of our last day of summer:

Feeding chickens.

August Fun

 Damian, Elina, Anja, Eoin, Christian, Isak and Gavin

Here is a small sample of some of our August activities. Can't believe school is around the corner. I am not ready! Love having the kids home. 

We had 8 kids for over Wednesday-Thursday at our house. Eoin (Owen) spent the week with us while his parents went on vacation, and Tami Reall and her 3 boys came through and spent the day and one night and part of the next day before heading to Missouri.

 

 If it isn't one brother... it's another! 

(In 2007 it was the older brother who declared his love for Elina)

Julia eating free ice cream after the BRAUM'S Factory tour. 

The whole family went and we enjoyed it very much. We are huge BRAUM'S fans.

We went to a huge train exhibit. The kids got to use the remote controls and 'drive' a train. 

Launching soon. They had a great time.

Soccer with a beach ball.

Elina with sunscreen face. 

She spent most of her time swimming, though she had good control of her kayak.
And Isak before getting into his kayak. He's got boat in his blood, that kid.

Julia's usual smile. And Anja.

Our Scout

Because Isak turned 8 this summer he has become a Cub Scout. These are pictures taken before his first activity. He's excited about it and received his Wolf Book today at church which he immediately started to read.

It Came Out!

I like the caricature effect of this picture. Yes, she has goldfish-teeth (from a recent snack), but as you see the loose tooth as dropped (two minutes before this picture was taken). And she pulled it out by herself this time. SO much is happening with Elina these days.

Anja keeps saying she has a loose tooth as well. I hope not. Will someone PLEASE stay small around here for just a little bit?

Julia too, in such a hurry to grow up. Today she brought out a soft baby version of a soccer ball. She clearly identified it as a soccer ball because she walked around the room KICKING it in front of her. I am not kidding. She has not witnessed kids playing soccer since May, but she knows what to do.

Another Rite of Passage

Elina got her ears pierced! She has wanted to do it for a long time and used ALL her lost-tooth money to accomplish this (with some help from mamma and pappa). We had the NICEST people doing the actual piercing. In the end she said it didn't hurt at all, but the nerves were enough to almost make her change her mind when they got near her with the guns. But she did GREAT!

My little girl is reading and writing words and sentences on her own (in English and Swedish both), adding and subtracting single digits. And now this. Sigh. First grade here she comes.

She picked the 'rainbow flower' 14K gold earrings,

and is very happy with her choice.