Saying bye to Hägersten.

H and me were packing late last night. We didn't think we had that much stuff but its amazing what an enormous amount of little things, toys, clothes and items we actually have. Just all the single socks and mittens gave me a anxiety attack - where does all the socks and mittens end up?

Anyway, the girls took their last bath in their beloved bathtub last night and they waved goodbye to the business apartment when we walked to daycare this morning. A new chapter begins...

Here comes the sun...

Yesterday after daycare the girls were in a state of chock (a happy chock) over seeing the sunlight on the wall in our apartment. It feels like years since its been here...

Preparing for the suburb...

Necessary for us but bad for the environment and our economy. It's mixed feelings when you buy a car... Andréa showed her opinion by vomiting all over the backseat during our first little outing.

WE'RE MOVING! Twice...

After living in a business apartment for over a year it's about time to move on. We knew for some time that we couldn't stay here and it's never been a permanent home for us so it felt natural to look for something else. After a few months of looking around, swearing about the house prices in the Stockholm area (it is SICK, SICK, SICK!) we finally bought a nice little house northwest of the city and we're moving in the 22nd of March. We're all so excited! It's just a tiny detail, we only have this apartment until end of February so for 22 days we're staying with good friends not to far from here... So we have a small adventure ahead, first trying out life in a collective living and then in our own, new house in the suburb.

Meanwhile I'm trying to get rid of a nasty cold while eating up all our goodies in the fridge/freezer (I mean the less to bring the better - right?)...

My first necklace.

When I picked up the girls today I was prepared for the ususal "chasing Lovisa until I get pissed of and then take her by the ear and force her into her winter clothes" procedure but imaging my surprise when she instead came running into my arms and then told me she made me a necklace. She made a few necklaces and bracelets before but none of them were specifically devoted to me so I feel quite honored  Her teachers told me she missed me today and decided to make me a gift. In a few years I'll probably have a bunch but this one I'm going to treasure close to my heart. Thank you Lovisa, you made my day.

Just finished a course that I hope I'll never have any use for...

The last couple of days I've been busy attending a course and I'm now an instructor in CPR for children. I don't even want to think the thought that I one day would have any use for it but if I do I'm more prepared than most people. And it feels very good to have fresh knowledge about how to prevent children from choking, and if it's come to that, CPR. Something for all people to consider to learn. You could make a difference. Read more hear.

Could we start over?

Terrible night because Andréa woke me up way to many times. My planned morning workout at the gym cancelled since I was to tired and instead me and H argued for breakfast (why have hard discussions after a sleepless night when you're both stressed? Why???). At work a vomiting patient and stressed colleagues. A forgotten key forced me to go back to work when I finally left and then I had to rush to daycare. Lovisa greeted me with her usual "I don't want to go with you mum!" Fixing supper while Andréa took a record in whining beside me on the floor. She cried her way through supper tonight. Lovisa ends the day by sitting under the kitchen table repeating the phrase "Fuck it" (yes those exact words, not Swedish or French but in pure ugly English!). Could we just start this week over?

Now I'm going to bed with my book. Over and out.

My skin (again)...

To give you an update regarding my skin I now stopped using the products from here all together. During December and January my skin has been more dry than ever, with constant outbreaks. Even if I have to admit those are probably the worst months of the whole year for my skin with lack of sun and cold and dry air it's not fun to have a face like a dry orange shell that's about to burst. I didn't have time or energy to go see a dermatologist like some of you recommended but I did change strategy regarding skin products. I'm going to try very gentle, ecological products for sensitive skin to see if I can improve this damaged face of mine. After using the very strong products from above mentioned place it feels like my skin is very imbalanced and "week". And no wonder when the products I've been using can bleach fabric! Now, you don't need to be a dermatologist to understand that this might not be the most gentle product for a face... Anyway, a few days back I'm using this facial moisturizer:

And this facial cleanser:

Only after a few days my skin feels much less irritated, more "calm" and not half as dry as before. I'm going to keep you posted while I'm crossing my fingers that this is a product for me...

This weekend in pictures...

 Pizza in the making...

The result.

 In the firetruck at the mall...

 Taking a rest in the big swing.

 My big girl dresses herself...

 At the park!

Look out!

Cuddling time...

Happy Valentine!

Ok maybe not the best snack after interval training but it is after all Valentines.

Longing after work and daycare.

A good sign to know that my girls are ready to go back to daycare after being sick is when they start to be a real hassle to be together with. Today Lovisa's been everywhere, eating, drinking and talking, getting pissed off at me numerous of times and asked 100 questions about everything. I do hope we can finish this working week where we started - at work and daycare.

Definitely better...

The parcel just arrived!

My mother-in-law has been asking if we received her Christmas gift for months now and today it arrived! Posted the 19th of December I'm a bit curious where it's been... Around the world in 50 days? But now it's here and it was treats for all of us in it! The girls are going to be so happy tomorrow morning...

Thank you mama, grandmama. We miss you too.

VAB again and again and again...

Lovisa came in to our bedroom around 2 am with 40 degrees fever all delirious. Nothing else to do but to stuff her with "Alvedon" and put her quickly in the shower because she was burning up. I slept around 3 hours totally this night and had to call my boss this morning with a non existing voice: "Yes, now it's Lovisas turn. I have to be home with her today...". And my boss is understanding, she knows I have to take care of my children - family comes before work. But still I can't help feeling like a terrible employer and colleague  It feels like I spent more time at home with sick children than at work so far this year. But it feels worse than it is because the truth of the matter is that I was suppose to work 27 days total so far this year (that's excluding weekends/vacation etc), but I've been home 8 days with the girls which means I worked 19 days out of 27 possible. Couldn't I just give myself a break and realize that this is my life right now?

My poor little sick mouse...

A tired family.

The long winter and the infinite darkness has begun to leave its mark and I'm wondering if I ever will feel rested ever again. I'm trying to remember the last time I felt totally rested but it's impossible. I think it has to be sometime before I gave birth to Lovisa but I can't remember. Lovisa is almost 3,5 years old. That's a bloody long time to be more or less exhausted. Sometimes it feels like that's the most common thing H and me discuss nowadays, how bloody tired and exhausted we are, like it's some kind of competition - the degree of exhaustion, how tragic is that? Tonight when I finally got Lovisa to put on her PJ she suddenly said "I'm so pooped!" as she could read my mind. Andréa still coughs a lot and could certainly need a good night's sleep but she doesn't seem to understand that just yet. We're one tired and whiny family...

Our tired family by Lovisa 

Evening snack!

One of the benefits of running is that your body needs more energy. Early tomorrow morning I'm running to work and that's why my body needs a yummie and healthy snack. One of my favorites right now...

Fresh berries, cottage cheese and cashews topped with cinnamon...

One weekend.

One weekend with a mother/grandmother that turned 65 years. Filled with laughter, cake, hugs, tantrums from a soon to be 2-year old, champagne, old toys and memories... Now back home trying to bring order to chaos...

When the handy man shows up...

I'm dragging around in a PJ having a bad hair day after another more or less sleepless night filled with fever and cough. Andréa dressed herself, a purple dress with pink PJ pants and red socks. That's when the doorbell rings and a handy man comes to change our radiator filters. Even if I got information about this I totally forgot about it and I don't know about You but I always feel weird when a total stranger enters my messy home. Poor guy to walk around in our mess trying to be efficient and nice. But he was and now it's done.

Today's outfit...

Home with a sick, tiny toddler...

And here we go again. Andréa woke up with a high fever and a terrible cough and it's nothing else to do but stay home and try to get well.

Andréa has developed enormously the last months and it's amazing to see how much she talks and understands. She says 3-words sentences and likes to babble a lot. Of course it's still a lot of nonsense coming out of her little mouth but almost everyday she says a new word or several. She's very stubborn, just like her mother unfortunately, and if she doesn't get her way she gets furious. Her face is like an open book and the expressions she makes are priceless, it's so often we just can't help laughing when she's pissed off because her whole body and face are screaming out discontent.

She loves to pamper and sits long periods with her dolls and stuffed animals, talking to them and taking care of them. Her biggest idol is, of course, Lovisa and she does her best to impress her sister which is usually a pretty hard task...

If it weren't for her lazy mum and dad she could probably be without diapers now, she's very good in telling us when she needs to pee or poop and she loves sitting on the potty. Our tiny toddler is getting big!

My new companion.

After running 10 km in sleet home from work today  I feel quite happy to have my new treat on my arm. This is going to inspire me to run faster and more and it almost looks like a regular, sporty watch so I intend to use it as that too, only that this little bugger comes with a built in GPS and a heart rate monitor... A runners dream...

"Mello"

And so it's that time of the year, when most Swedish people gathers in front of the TV to watch our beloved sing and song writing contest "Melodifestivalen"...

Sometimes I miss a car.

We decided to go to dad's place, it was a sunny day and he lives so beautiful just beside a lake. We took the metro, the tram and then the train. One station before dad's the train broke down and we had to continue by bus. Only that about another 100 people were in the same situation and the buses only left every 20 minutes. So we decided to skip going to dad's since it was going to be to late and we took another bus back to a metro station close to where we live. That was a major mistake, the bus stopped every 100 meters (it felt like!) and it took us an hour to get to the metro station. 3 hours after we started our little trip we were back home without seeing dad...

Just before falling asleep on a very long busride...