San Antonio

 Last year's pool (view from condo).

This year's pool (view from room).

For the second year in a row we are celebrating Thanksgiving week in San Antonio, Texas. Last year's trip went un-blogged. Julia just turned on Mexican music on the radio and is dancing to it while the three 'big' kids and Pappa are swimming in the pool, which I was told needed to be properly documented. We've got some real pool fans in this family. Now we are off to Sea World. Happy Thanksgiving! Oh, and Thanksgiving Dinner will be eaten at Golden Corral or something like that.

My Birthday

Early this morning - really early. My alarm went off at 6.35 and I got up to wake the kids - something I normally don't have to do because Isak has his alarm set for 6.25 and gets himself dressed, wakes Elina and then comes and gets me. I thought he must have forgot to set the alarm. He has slept the past 5 nights in Elina's room making regular routines a bit different, because we FOAMED the house last week, and the attic/storage space next to Isak's room is open to let it dry completely.

But I found empty beds when I got up and then saw the car gone from the drive way. Can't believe I didn't hear anything! I'm such a light sleeper. They must have been very quiet.

Then at 9 am I get a call from Mark to go and check the mailbox. He had taken the kids to get birthday cards for me. Here is what I found (I will with keep Mark's card for my private viewing). But here are Isak and Elina's own chosen ones that they wrote completely without any input or help. I should also add that I took these pictures with Mark's work camera because our own only works sometimes, and less and less is the pattern. My super-kind parents are getting me a new one that I can go and pick out today!! THANK YOU!

Kuvertet

Kortet. 

(Vi har dansat till "Hay Un Amigo En Mi" som jag älskar, över helgen - 

vi hade lånat Toy Story 3. Jag antar att detta var inspiration)

Här är Elinas:

De har tränat sina telefonnummer i skolan på sistone.

Lägg märke till julkrubban...

Framsidan.

owys = always

The School Bus

We were told at the beginning of the school year that we only live 1.49 miles away from the school. If we lived 1.5 miles away Isak and Elina would qualify for riding the school bus. I frankly think it is too far to walk every day - we did it occasionally last year, but I would never send the kids by themselves because they have to cross Main Street. This year they attend two different schools (a couple hundred yards apart) and I never figured out how and where to effectively retrieve them both on foot and walk home. So I drive them to and from school. But I kept seeing the school bus in our neighborhood, for those who live far enough away, and I finally examined the issue more closely. I discovered that google maps said we live 1.6 miles from the school. Well, google is not foolproof, so zeroed the odometer and drove it. 1.6 miles. Then we did it with the other car. 1.6 miles. Then Mark brought a surveying tool from work and we measured the distance in feet: 8480 feet = 1.61 miles. I then contacted the Bus Barn again and challenged their software that claimed we live 1.49 miles away, and two days later a nice man came and drove the distance in his car. 1.6 miles.  That day the kids were issued bus passes. Yay!

So now we walk to the 'bus stop' 0.3 miles away in the mornings and everyone loves it, especially Sadie.

I took this picture about an hour ago:

Trick or Treat 2010

 

 No comment. 

Okay, I'll comment. Isak - Indiana Jones (last year recycled), Mark is a surfer (his white sunblock covered nose is not so white here, but he does have a 'Hang Ten' shirt), I wore part of Elina's costume from last year, Anja repeated her much applauded Pippi costume, and Elina is a Jedi knight. The picture is typical of our family picture efforts.

Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, so we will not be Trick or Treating this evening. We did, however, attend the annual Balkman Trunk or Treat (which had an insane amount of people this year) and yesterday (Sat.) we went to S. OKC (after attending a costume birthday party) and Trick or Treated with dear friends there because their city re-scheduled Trick or Treating for Saturday, unlike where we live. Tomorrow we will stay home and hand out candy for a change. In the past we've always ended up just placing a bowl of candy on the porch with a note: "Take one!"

Below: Julia and Anja in Isak's classroom. 
Can you tell Anja wanted the car Julia has in her hand?

 Left: Three Jedis and their Master Yoda. 
Right: Frida, Elina and Sofia - all with Norwegian blood.

Below: Line-up at Sam's birthday party.

Our kids with Samantha - 

the brave and talented young woman 
who took care of them while I was in school 4 weeks in June.

My dear friend Debra and I (the mother of Samantha above) during Trick or Treating.

We've known each other since our sons, Isak and Brady, were tiny babies.

The Trick or Treaters afterwards (Julia shedded her costume).

The annual 'candy dump.'

 Isak was the leader to every house (Brady to the left).

 Prettiest Jedi in the New Republic and adorable Pippi. Anja really enjoyed Trick or Treating.

 Our modest carving effort. Me and Elina, left - Isak and Mark, right. 
Anja thought it was too slimy.

"It's all mine!"

Pumpkin Patch 2010

In the labyrinth.

A Billy goat.

Mark has a soft spot for these guys. (his belly)

The corn maze was really big this year (except it wasn't corn).

Really cute ponies (below).

Really big trikes!

It got almost dark before we left with our chosen pumpkins.
Compare last year's Pumpkin Patch visit HERE.
It was sunnier last year, but this year was less windy and warmer.

Hur Julia kommunicerar

Vid 16 månaders ålder uttrycker hon sig väl lite under medel jämfört med andra barn, men hon följer sina syskons kurva ganska bra, och vi tror att det har med tvåspråkigheten att göra. Här är några av de ord som hörs mest.

Mamma.
Pappa.
Deddi - Sadie.
Wavf - vov, hund.
nänä - näsa.

bi-bi - bäbis. Detta ord används flitigt med många upprepningar. Speciellt syftar det på hennes egen docka som hon måste ha när hon sover. Men det används också så fort hon ser en bäbis på bild eller i verkligheten (dä bi-bi!).Hon pussar sina bäbisar mycket, och kommer gående med bäbisarna och munnen i hopknipen pussform och säger "Mmmm" för att vi ska pussa bäbisarna också. Och det gör vi ju så klart.

zshu - shoe. (uttalas nära franskans jour) Skor är det viktigaste plagget tycker Julia och hon vill gärna sova med dem också. Det är ett evigt tjat om skor - ordet upprepas i olika tonlägen och intensitet beroende på om det som menas är "Jag har skor på mig, mamma!" eller "Vi kan inte glömma skorna!" eller "Ta på mig skorna NU annars får jag ett anfall!"

Aja - Anja. Används ofta som både tillrop och utpekning (t ex på bild).

Ija - Isak. Nu ikväll ropade hon på honom säkert tio gånger för att få sin kram. (Mycket kärlek mellan de 2).

Lala - vill ha. Används för det mesta om mat, upprepas tills mamma fattat exakt VAD det är hon vill ha. Vi undrar om det skall utvecklas till "Lal ha" som Anja sa så länge om "Jag vill ha."

Tutu, Tuti - törstig. Kan gälla allt som kan drickas, men hon använder det också för att beskriva vatten i största allmänhet, som en kran med rinnande vatten, ett bad, en sjö, en pool.

Hon är rätt smart, ändå. Jag roas alltid av hur hon rycker till när jag ertappar henne med att rita i en av mina böcker, eller plocka i min plånbok. Hon härmar allt vad resten av familjen gör, på gott och ont. Och hon tål nästan vad som helst av fysiska påfrestningar. Om det låter som om hon håller på att dö, då är det oftast för att någon tog hennes bi-bi eller hennes skor, och det blir tyst samma sekund som får tillbaka det stulna. En natt förra veckan hittade jag inte rätt docka vid läggdags. Då vaknade hon vid 2 på natten och skrek "mi" (som betyder min) i flera timmar. "mi bi-bi" Det borde väl alla föräldrar förstå att man inte kan ta vilken bi-bi som helst när man ska sova?

The Zoo on Fall Break is... a Zoo

What was I thinking? Four kids ages 8-1 by myself and a 3 year old among them who won't sit in the stroller. Actually, our kids did just fine, it was just all those other people... :) The camera shut down at the best photo ops, of course. The kids got completely wet in a little creek and waterfall. And we saw lots of animals. But mostly we saw throngs of people. We were going to go to the Science Museum, too, but I saw the parking lot and we drove home.

Anja climbing.

Sliding in the Children's Zoo.

"Carson & Barnes" Circus in Town

I love the circus. Seems like I went once a year as a kid. My mom, AKA Mormor, instituted the circus as a must-have childhood experience for our family in May 2008 when we were in Sweden. See more HERE for details about that fabulous first circus occasion.

Our second circus visit was to a truly tiny circus: small tent, where the same girl that did the 'multiple hoola-hoop act' also sold popcorn in the break. They had one large horse and one llama, as I recall. But the kids loved it and the acts were impressive.

Tonight we had our third Circus visit (Anja's first). Mark and Julia stayed home. It was the Carson & Barnes Circus - one of the largest tent circuses in the US and I have to say it was a complete CLASS ACT. And the clown was great - which is what makes the performance, after all. We went with fellow Swede, Malin, and her 5 yr old Jonathan. It was great. Isak and Elina learned how to be a great live audience and clap a lot, but they needed no pointers on how to be attentive. They were completely GLUED to each act. Even Anja was immersed. Sadly, attendance was somewhat sparse, due in part to poor marketing combined with a competing Carrie Underwood concert.

It was so hard to take pictures in the tent. Only a few acts were successfully captured.

Jonathan och Malin.

Check out how Malin and I framed these pictures almost identically, background wise! We must both have that photographic gene.

Mamma, ser du Barbie dockan (den som vi letade så efter)? Hanna hittade den i farmors lägenhet och skickade den. 

Den kom fram idag. Tror inte hon släppte taget på 8 timmar.

Vi köpte mat och matade llamadjur, getter, och en liten oxe. 

Det fanns också flodhäst och zebra. 

Isak konstaterade att getterna var bäst att mata för de åt inte upp maten så snabbt.

 

 Anja started her own performance sliding down the rail and climbing on and off it circus-performance-style at the end. It could have been labeled the last act.