Not a day too late.

Yesterday my boss called me to talk about my work hours when I start in September. Since that call I've realized that my maternity leave actually is coming to an end. And it's not a day too late. Because the girls are driving me insane. I don't have any patience left. If the weather doesn't allow us to go outside we turn into three monsters, whining, screaming and argue about everything. It can be a tiny thing, like and apple in the toilet that freaks me out.

A thunderstorm made us stay inside this afternoon. The comfort is in the oven, an applepie made of apples, speltflour, oats, maple sirup, cinnamon and butter. I believe it's a tiny bit more healthy than the regular pie made from flour and white sugar, don't you agree?

Out of energy.

Monday morning. Girls totally out of control. I've been on the phone all morning and it's like they have a sensor. When mum is on the phone let's make a little hell here! Screaming, crying, climbing, there's no end to the mischief they come up with...

Anyway, I've now talked to my insurance company, I've talked to two other companies about bills that where wrong, I've talked to another company about an order that wasn't right and I've booked a dentist appointment for me and Lovisa.

Now the girls are fed, Andréa's napping and I'm boiling the bouillon for tonight's supper, feeling rather exhausted. It's just lunchtime...

Rascals...

The lovebed...

We packed our bags and made a picnic and took the boat to visit the beautiful Stockholm archipelago. The boat took us to Fjäderholmarna which is one of the closest islands from the mainland. Once again we experienced that this world of ours isn't that big after all. H met a wooden artist from Quebec that lived in Sweden for over 40 years and has his own little craft store. They chatted away, H happy to speak some Quebecois. This guy was really excited over his master piece that had a central place in his shop. When I first laid eyes on it I would never have guessed what it was - a lovebed. You just fold it out and voila, there's your own little love nest...

Feeling stupid...

I was watching the Olympic opening ceremony the other evening and I have to say I really like the Olympics. So much talent and will gathered and so many countries united for this peaceful event. But I can't help feeling rather stupid seeing all the countries marching in, where does all these countries come from? Who invented them and how could I have missed them all (considering that geography actually was one of my best subjects in school)? Is it just me or did you ever hear of: Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Palau... Weird...

Alone again.

My mother went home yesterday evening. So now the girls has no extra bed to jump on in the livingroom and I'm going to miss the extra help. Fortunately it's not going to be that long before we see each other again, it was much worse when we lived in Canada, then we never knew when the next time would be when we said goodbye, would it be months or even years? This is one of the hard thing with moving abroad - separating from your loved ones. That's why I really appreciate my family right now, they're precious and they're always there.

Eyes in my neck.

Me and the girls have been hanging out in our beautiful, big park with a paddling pool all week. It's been really great but I have to say it's bloody nerve wracking to take two toddlers to the park as a single adult. For example the other day Andréa did a big poop in her swimming suit so for a minute or two I lost focus on Lovisa and of course she took off when I was wiping her sisters butt... So there I was running around the park (and it's a pretty big park) with a naked Andéa in my arms. I don't know how many times I told Lovisa to never, ever, take off so she's out of my sight but when she's caught up playing she's in another world. She goes deaf and even if I stand one meter from her, screaming her name, she doesn't hear me. That's one of the reason I'm very happy that my mother arrived Wednesday. She's the eyes in my neck.

 A focused Lovisa

 Playing together

 Andréa's happy, playing with grandma

Mum's leaving this weekend and than it's two more weeks until the daycare opens. I hope we'll all be alive and sane then.

Supper time!

We offered her salmon with new potatoes and white whine sauce but she preferred this. Go figure...