I just had to write that I suddenly came into this lovely christmas atmosphere, after a "fika" at work with clementines and some small buscuits that smelled pepparkakor! I'm on my fifth now, so lovely!
This year we're going to Sweden for two full weeks; it's going to be so much fun and we can really take the time to meet family and friends.
I might even go out and party with my sisters on the 25th, but I'm not telling my husband yet since I know he's not going to like it. Schh!
torsdag 30 oktober 2008
måndag 27 oktober 2008
Yatouland (L)
Hello again!Yesterday we went to a huge indoor playland for kids, called Yatouland. My best friend Ella came with us, and we had a great time!
There are lots of things you can do, and there was even a small area where Victor could play with balls and go on a slide!
I like to climb......and so does Victor
And Ella had fun too!
The drunken horse
This is a little story that happened to my boss' wife recently.
As a Swedish newcomer in Geneva, she spent her time between her French lessons, driving her daughters to the international school, and taking care of their pony at its new, french-speaking, pony club.
As any horselover would know, most horses don't like to be alone, and tend to be nervous if they're out on their own. Accordingly, she wrote a note to the stable personnel, but mixing an "e" up with an "o" in the french word for alone (=seule). So, the stable personnel were kindly asked: "Please dont let our horse out drunk"
As a Swedish newcomer in Geneva, she spent her time between her French lessons, driving her daughters to the international school, and taking care of their pony at its new, french-speaking, pony club.
As any horselover would know, most horses don't like to be alone, and tend to be nervous if they're out on their own. Accordingly, she wrote a note to the stable personnel, but mixing an "e" up with an "o" in the french word for alone (=seule). So, the stable personnel were kindly asked: "Please dont let our horse out drunk"
söndag 26 oktober 2008
Running (L)
Last Saturday I participated in my first running competition. It was organised by my school and almost all children I know were there!
I ran with my little friends that are the same age as me, and we made half a tour at the stadium. Since it was the first time for all of us, nobody really understood what to do, and there were a lot of parents and older kids on the lane, which was even more confusing. But suddenly I saw mum running at the grass on the other side so I started running after her. Anyone who has seen me running knows that I like that and I run pretty fast, so soon mum shouted at me to stop and take the medal somebody wanted to put around my neck. A nice man told me I was the first girl at the arrival, but then some other mum came up and shouted that her daughter was the first one. My mum wasn't sure what had happened since there were so many people on the lane, but she said that she will look out next year to be sure nobody takes my first place!!
Unfortunately I have no picture to show me, since mum took pictures with her phone but cannot transfer them from there (she said a lot of new funny words to her phone by the way).
So you'll have to imagine me with my nice medal!
I ran with my little friends that are the same age as me, and we made half a tour at the stadium. Since it was the first time for all of us, nobody really understood what to do, and there were a lot of parents and older kids on the lane, which was even more confusing. But suddenly I saw mum running at the grass on the other side so I started running after her. Anyone who has seen me running knows that I like that and I run pretty fast, so soon mum shouted at me to stop and take the medal somebody wanted to put around my neck. A nice man told me I was the first girl at the arrival, but then some other mum came up and shouted that her daughter was the first one. My mum wasn't sure what had happened since there were so many people on the lane, but she said that she will look out next year to be sure nobody takes my first place!!
Unfortunately I have no picture to show me, since mum took pictures with her phone but cannot transfer them from there (she said a lot of new funny words to her phone by the way).
So you'll have to imagine me with my nice medal!
torsdag 23 oktober 2008
How to understand the French - lesson 1
For those of you who think being French is sitting on the terrace of a nice little café, sipping red wine, watching a few old men with caps playing boule, shouting some nice words of encouragement to Jean-Michel and René, all this with lavender fields and the Mediterranean in the background - I'm sorry to disappoint you but that is all wrong. That picture - you will only get it in films (and that is American films - French films are more likely to show Gerard Depardieu dressed as a woman swimming around in the sewer, or a hysterical Louis de Funes slipping about in chewing gum factory).
Real French people are very different, and if you want to learn more - please read the following lessons with great attention.
Lesson 1:
Don't try to positive me!
French are genuinely AGAINST everything that is new in general, and everything that might lead to some kind of change in particular. "Change" isn't necessarily some world transforming project, it can also be minor things like putting your shoes in a new place or taking the hangers out of the wardrobe when you take your shirt off it.
So: everything that is new, and that hasn't been made up by the French person himself, will be welcomed with more or less vivid negativism. You must understand that this is not always intentional, it's just natural.
To try to understand this, please read the following quotes, and try to imagine the respons:
1. Swedish wife: "our lovely neighbour just gave me her old twin pushchair, so now I can go for long walks with both kids, isn't that great??"
French husband: "oh, another thing to fit in the garage!"
2. Swedish wife: "I just bought 50 kilos of ecologically produced potatoes delivered to our door, so now we don't have to carry it home from the shop any more and it was even cheaper than the shop price!!"
French husband: "We've never done that before, why would we start now?? And I'm sure they've hidden all bad potatoes under the first layer."
3. Swedish wife: "I've tried a new recipe!!!"
French husband: "And what if I don't like it?"
4. Swedish wife: "I've created a blog!!!"
French husband: "yeah but nobody will connect"
and so on and so forth...
Real French people are very different, and if you want to learn more - please read the following lessons with great attention.
Lesson 1:
Don't try to positive me!
French are genuinely AGAINST everything that is new in general, and everything that might lead to some kind of change in particular. "Change" isn't necessarily some world transforming project, it can also be minor things like putting your shoes in a new place or taking the hangers out of the wardrobe when you take your shirt off it.
So: everything that is new, and that hasn't been made up by the French person himself, will be welcomed with more or less vivid negativism. You must understand that this is not always intentional, it's just natural.
To try to understand this, please read the following quotes, and try to imagine the respons:
1. Swedish wife: "our lovely neighbour just gave me her old twin pushchair, so now I can go for long walks with both kids, isn't that great??"
French husband: "oh, another thing to fit in the garage!"
2. Swedish wife: "I just bought 50 kilos of ecologically produced potatoes delivered to our door, so now we don't have to carry it home from the shop any more and it was even cheaper than the shop price!!"
French husband: "We've never done that before, why would we start now?? And I'm sure they've hidden all bad potatoes under the first layer."
3. Swedish wife: "I've tried a new recipe!!!"
French husband: "And what if I don't like it?"
4. Swedish wife: "I've created a blog!!!"
French husband: "yeah but nobody will connect"
and so on and so forth...
tisdag 21 oktober 2008
Water (L)
Water is an important part of my life!
I love the bath, and nowadays I often have the pleasure of having Victor with me in the tube, which is very funny. But Victor is a bit wild and spend most of the time rolling around or wanting to stand up!
I also love to wash my hands under rinning water. I probably wash my hands ten times a day. The best thing is when my hands are really dirty and I can use a lot of soap, because then I can rince them for a long time!
I love to drink water. Especially when I'm out playing in the garden, and I can ask mum for a glass of water. Drinking is important when you play, at least every five minutes!
Drinking water is of course important before you go to sleep. Especially if it can make mum or dad come up to my room and give me an extra kiss...
...and by the way Grandma: Mum has cut my hair now so you don't have to think that I look "ovårdad" :-)
fredag 17 oktober 2008
Love
Sometimes it's as simple as this - four hands linked togetherTwo protective - two admiring
Two caring - two appreciative
Two from the big sister - two from the little brother
Singing a song,
dancing a little dance,
saying a prayer without really understanding the words
but with great seriousness
Love takes many shapes
every day
Real friends and others
Do you talk to yourself?
No?
Never?
I kind of thought there was something strange about me doing that. And that is why this blog might be good therapy for me, since I can actually talk to somebody (or at least pretend that I do, depending on how many people will actually read this :-)
It is wonderful with kids, because you're constantly reminded of a lot of things about yourself and your childhood that you had completely forgotten. Like the possibility that there actually is someone under your bed. How difficult it sometimes is to separate fantasy from real world. The importance of eating with a special fork. And how fun it is to jump in water puddles.
But one thing I hadn't forgotten, is how useful it is to have imaginary friends, when the real ones are not around. What I didn't however, and what Lisa does, is to name them. After having spent time with her cousin Emilia...
... her imaginary friend was called "Ilia".
We've had a bunch of names like that, but I still haven' figured out where the name "Matsla" came from. Apparently it's a girl. And she's hanging in.
Mostly they're all nice friends, that play, and eat, and go to sleep, and have good ideas. Sometimes they need to be shouted at, and Lisa is mostly the good girl (of course!).
My imaginary friends don't play, or eat, or sleep. They don't even have ideas, they just listen. And I might want to specify that I don't actually talk to them, I just think very loudly (ok and sometimes move my lips a little). I think my brain would explose if I didn't organise my thinking in some kind of recital, and I would probably bore my friends to death if they actually had to listen to it all.
So I will keep my imaginary-friend-therapy. According to Lisa it's ok.
No?
Never?
I kind of thought there was something strange about me doing that. And that is why this blog might be good therapy for me, since I can actually talk to somebody (or at least pretend that I do, depending on how many people will actually read this :-)
It is wonderful with kids, because you're constantly reminded of a lot of things about yourself and your childhood that you had completely forgotten. Like the possibility that there actually is someone under your bed. How difficult it sometimes is to separate fantasy from real world. The importance of eating with a special fork. And how fun it is to jump in water puddles.
But one thing I hadn't forgotten, is how useful it is to have imaginary friends, when the real ones are not around. What I didn't however, and what Lisa does, is to name them. After having spent time with her cousin Emilia...
... her imaginary friend was called "Ilia".
We've had a bunch of names like that, but I still haven' figured out where the name "Matsla" came from. Apparently it's a girl. And she's hanging in.
Mostly they're all nice friends, that play, and eat, and go to sleep, and have good ideas. Sometimes they need to be shouted at, and Lisa is mostly the good girl (of course!).
My imaginary friends don't play, or eat, or sleep. They don't even have ideas, they just listen. And I might want to specify that I don't actually talk to them, I just think very loudly (ok and sometimes move my lips a little). I think my brain would explose if I didn't organise my thinking in some kind of recital, and I would probably bore my friends to death if they actually had to listen to it all.
So I will keep my imaginary-friend-therapy. According to Lisa it's ok.
Magic Doors (L)
I love to play with doors and lamps. Every time I see a lamp, I need to switch it on, or off, and back again. Every time I see an open door, I need to close it. Closed doors must be opened.On - Off. Open - Close.
Many times, with all lamps, and all doors.
It drives my mum mad.
What mum hasn't understood is that there is something magic about doors, and lamps. Everything can change, with a little switch, or a little push. There can be a magic world behind a closed door. I can imagine that it is a castle, or a swimming pool, or a forest. I can walk into the magic world, and then out again. But I must close it in between, to make up new stories, and to be excited about what is behind.
And the world changes with the light. The rooms change and become something different. Shadows disappear. Colours transform. Why have two, or three lamps in a room if you can't light them all?
Sunshine has absolutely nothing to do with lamps, both are needed in my magic world. But it's difficult to make mum understand that.
torsdag 16 oktober 2008
Ice Cream (L)
Ice cream is all childrens favourite - right?
So I will just keep on asking mum about it, on and on and on again. And when she has finally agreed to giving me some, at a certain point of the day (like goûter), I keep on asking for confirmation that I will REALLY get it, so that she doesn't forget. And if there are some changes of the plans for the day (like: I don't sleep in the afternoon like I usually do) I keep on confirming that this won't alter the goûter plans. I make sure what kind of ice cream I will get, what bowl I will eat it in, and if it's with a big or a small spoon. If mum is going to eat or not. And confirming that Victor cannot have any.
But - when I'm sitting with my ice cream, mum goes into the kitchen. And eating ice cream alone isn't that fun. So I give Victor some. Mum says no. But Victor smiles and says bababa. Then through the window I see Ella in her garden. Can I play with her? Mum says yes, after the ice cream. But what if Ella goes inside her house again - I'd better stop her. She wants to play - I can come to her house. Mum says yes. But - what about...?
Mum finishes the ice cream.
So I will just keep on asking mum about it, on and on and on again. And when she has finally agreed to giving me some, at a certain point of the day (like goûter), I keep on asking for confirmation that I will REALLY get it, so that she doesn't forget. And if there are some changes of the plans for the day (like: I don't sleep in the afternoon like I usually do) I keep on confirming that this won't alter the goûter plans. I make sure what kind of ice cream I will get, what bowl I will eat it in, and if it's with a big or a small spoon. If mum is going to eat or not. And confirming that Victor cannot have any.
But - when I'm sitting with my ice cream, mum goes into the kitchen. And eating ice cream alone isn't that fun. So I give Victor some. Mum says no. But Victor smiles and says bababa. Then through the window I see Ella in her garden. Can I play with her? Mum says yes, after the ice cream. But what if Ella goes inside her house again - I'd better stop her. She wants to play - I can come to her house. Mum says yes. But - what about...?
Mum finishes the ice cream.
onsdag 15 oktober 2008
Christianing
A wonderful day, a wonderful atmosphere, and most of all: two wonderful children.
Victor with his godparents...
... and Lisa with hers.
The Christianing took place in the Chapel Saint Léger in Geneva, where the Swedish Church has its activities.
Hannah sang Sång till Friheten.
And our lovely priest Per Harling sang one of his own songs.
Our children are now part of an enthralling community!
Victor with his godparents...
... and Lisa with hers.
The Christianing took place in the Chapel Saint Léger in Geneva, where the Swedish Church has its activities.
Hannah sang Sång till Friheten.
And our lovely priest Per Harling sang one of his own songs.
tisdag 14 oktober 2008
I did it!
I finally created my own blog!
Thank you Marie for the inspiration, I got so tempted when I saw your wonderful site with all your fine thougths and reflections that I had to do something about it myself.
God knows where I will find the time to take care of it, but that's a problem for later...
Thank you Marie for the inspiration, I got so tempted when I saw your wonderful site with all your fine thougths and reflections that I had to do something about it myself.
God knows where I will find the time to take care of it, but that's a problem for later...
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