Sewing THE Costume

Because the world has seen much greater seamstresses than myself, I am starting NOW on the important Halloween project to ensure that it will be complete in time. It is a head-to-toe Obi-Wan Kenobi outfit as seen above, complete with the Jedi robe with hood in brown fleece, the Jedi tunic in beige linen, the dickey (underneath the tunic), pants, belt, and faux boots of my own design. I bought the fabric a while ago but have been very daunted at the prospect of making this thing because all the child size Jedi-like sewing patterns are out of print.

Anja is going to be Yoda!


With the left-over fleece from Isak's robe I patched together a blanket for Elina. That is what she wanted. (Still don't know for certain what she will be for Halloween). I made the blanket yesterday and after every seam she asked if I was done. I don't know how I am going to be able to make this costume, except late in the evening hours because between Elina and Anja I have more help than I need. Elina randomly reverses for me without warning, and suddenly helps me accelerate by crawling under the table and pressing her hand on the pedal. "I want to help you do it faster!" Anja's favorite is stepping on the fabric I am cutting or on the pattern paper. She's 15 months old and knows that she is not allowed. So she sticks out one foot at the time, slowly, then the other. She's very sneaky, but what can I expect with two older siblings to teach her the ropes?

Expect pictures of the finished product in October some time. Probably the 30th, at midnight.

Something funny: Elina said today she wanted to eat "Chevrolet." After some inquiry on my part she climbed onto the counter top, opened the cabinet and pointed to a can of Ravioli.

Ankdammen

Second Day of School

There's a tradition in the Fisher family that we always take pictures the second day of school, rather than the first. (You get better pictures without the swarms of parents, plus the student is usually more relaxed). So, too, this year. Granted, I did bring the camera at pick-up yesterday, a deviation from former years. Anyhow, here are two pictures taken this morning at drop-off inside Isak's classroom. He didn't really want me to do it. Wanted to go in by himself. How different from two years ago when he clung to my leg and had to have several hugs and kisses before I could leave. Sigh.

The teacher called me at 9 a.m. YIKES! What is wrong? But all she said was that Isak was cold, having left his hoodie with me after sweating while walking to school this morning. The AC is really cold in the school. When I ran errands half an hour later I dropped off the hoodie and found a completely quiet class in rapt attention at Mrs. Neff's instruction. No one moved. Not even the-student-who-should-have-had-an-exorcism from Isak's Kindergarten class last year. I'm very impressed with this teacher.

The new early morning wake-up takes its toll on all family members. This is Anja, below, at 10.00 a.m. My plan was that she would nap when Elina goes to school, at noon. Fat chance! Elina re-configured her limbs and played with her while she was asleep.

At noon it was time for Elina to go to class for the second time. She took her new girl friend (green dress and pig tails) firmly by the hand and told her where to sit. I have not seen this side of Elina before.

Första Skoldagen

Elina visar stolt upp sin ryggsäck och sin hund

Glada "Madison Bulldogs" efter första dagen i skolan

Isak började första klass idag, och Elina började pre-K. Isak går från 7.55 på morgonen till 14.40, medan Elina går 12.00 till 14.40. Elina stegade glatt in i klassrummet och var den naturliga ledaren för den grupp flickor som "lagade mat" i lek-köket. Hon var noga med att instruera den flicka som föreslog att de skulle ha te-kalas: "Bara ört-te, då!"

Jag vet inte vem som mest nervös, jag eller Isak. Jag var ganska lugn tills jag fick se Isaks läroplan i måndags kväll på back-to-school night, upprop ungefär. Läroplanen är ett tjockt häfte som delades ut till oss föräldrar med allt de kommer att lära sig under 4 stycken 9-veckors perioder, plus så kallade "sight words" som de ska lära sig utantill eftersom engelska inte har några konsekventa stavnings regler. Isak ska redan kunna läsa enklare böcker, vilket han kan, men ändå! Matematiken är det också stort allvar med, likaså OÄ och samhällskunskap. De kommer att få läxor hemskickade i en pärm varje måndag som ska lämnas in på fredagar. Och det värsta av allt: De får BETYG! De får betyg i allt möjligt, hälften av vilket är baserat på uppförande och arbetsetik, olika moment som tex "listens attentively," och "cooperates with teacher," "stays on task," "cooperates with peers," och "produces neat work," "completes task on time." Plus allt det akademiska som ska utvärderas. Varje fredag har de stavnings-prov. Det känns bra att han får en bra utbilding, men samtidigt lite överdrivet när han är så ung. De långa skoldagarna känns jobbigast. Men de har en hel timme musik eller idrott efter lunch (musik 2 gånger, idrott 3 gånger per vecka, och tvärtom följande), så det är inte bara stillasittande vid skolbänken.

Utav 5 stycken första klasser i skolan lyckades Isak hamna med de två elever som vi bad att han skulle få slippa. Man får lov att önska sådant i slutet på läsåret men pga att vi var i Sverige glömde Isaks lärare att nämna just våra önskemål vid klassuppdelningen. Vi får se hur det går. Isak var i alla fall nöjd med den första skoldagen, och det var Elina också.

Hemvägen.

"Jag vill visa alla barnen min fina hund!"

The Swedish Olympic Team of Norman

Christian 2, Daniel 5, Hannah 0, Benjamin 7, Anja 1, Isak 6, Elina 4, Max 2, och Jonathan 3

Fishers in the water

Almost every night in June and July we go swimming. I brought the camera for once. But only Isak and Elina got in the water. Mark was putting in a new alternator in our van and Anja and I remained dry on land so we could take pictures.

Election Year

This is not supposed to be a political blog. But it seems I get a fair amount of anti-Obama emails with you tube clips featuring Barack Obama as the anti-Christ, anti-American, radical Muslim, terrorist friendly, etc. It is also apparent to anyone who has spent just a few minutes searching reliable and fair sources that none of that is true, AND that the makers of said you tube clips very well knew this when they made the clip. This same strategy was employed against Mitt Romney during the primaries featuring him as everything from a polygamist to devil worshiper. Only the ignorant are swayed.


On a humorous note, this video says it ALL, and equal portion to both parties. Hope it works. If not you can find it here.

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hello, china?

Here's two of Anja's true loves: phones and dolls. (She also loves purses, books and balls, any size.)

Alingsås

I kväll innan Elina somnade sa hon, "Jag känner i mina lungor att jag tänker på Alingsås, jag känner det i lungorna, mamma, här!" (pekar på bröstet medan hon ligger på mage i sängen). "Kanske de kunde skicka ett paket på flygplanet som vi kunde öppna, och när vi öppnade så kunde hon komma ut."
"Vem kunde komma ut?"
"Mormor. Och så kunde vi öppna paketet och så kunde hon komma ut och då kunde vi leka med henne. Då kunde vi leka att hon var en bäbis, hihi, och byta blöjor på henne och på Morfar också, hahaha!"

Where's the swimming?

Some recent pictures. But as I upload these I wonder, "Where is the swimming?" The OU pool dominates the Fisher summer but I never bring the camera because of the wet. Well, this week I will bring the camera, so swimming pictures and maybe even a little video will be posted by next weekend.

Above: 1. Uncle Craig, ever the favorite. Anja clung to him. 2. Elina in her boots and dress from cousin Eliot. 3. The trio wearing shirts from Mormor and Morfar. 4. Elina and bosom buddy, Clarissa. 5. Isak painting the horse shoe gold, that he got from Sweden when we went with my aunt Hanna the blacksmith and watched her work. Elina got one too, and they are both golden now.