Ten days now until my due date, which means that the babe should make an appearance within three weeks, at the outside.  I’m really hoping that s/he’ll decide to come this week, rather than later, both because I’m so, so, so sick of being pregnant and because, for some reason, we’ve got a lot of… Read More Impatience

Last night Helena came to stay with us for a little while, and Olof and I wasted no time in pressing her into baby-sitting service today. Our cupboards were all but bare, and the temptation to leave the kids at home and go grocery shopping on our own was just too great for us to… Read More Saturday

Today I concocted my very own version of the traditional Swedish Fat Tuesday delicacy. Behold, the pumpkin/maple-nut semla (purists may wish to avert their eyes): To make your own, you’ll need the following: 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons warm water 1/2 cup pumpkin purée 1/4 cup (50g) butter softened 1/4 cup dry milk powder 1/4… Read More More fun with pumpkin!

Pumpkin waffles with maple syrup and whipped cream. Try it; you’ll like it.

After asking me last night if it was okay, Lydia brought her friend, Sandra, home with her after school today. Olof and I had made plans earlier to go to take the kids to town for dinner, but Sandra told me that her mom was going to pick her up around five, so all systems… Read More Earning my “good mother” stripes

Just past six o’clock this morning, Olof and I were wakened by nightmare-induced yelling from Petra, who sleeps in the room next to ours. “No, no, no!” she yelled. “No, Tage! No!” We called out to try to wake her, but when that didn’t work Olof got up and brought her to our bed. I… Read More Mine!

In the fall, Tage will be starting the Swedish equivalent of kindergarten, so he’ll be leaving his pre-school. This was to be expected, obviously, but we’ve encountered a little problem in the fact that he’s the only kid his age at his pre-school, so there won’t be anybody he knows at his “new” school when… Read More Looking ahead

This late stage of pregnancy always gets me to thinking about whether or not this particular pregnancy will be my last.  For the last several years I’ve been saying that four kids was my ideal, and while I still think it’s a nice number, the possibility of there being a number five has been sneaking… Read More Rumination

Seriously, are there any parents who thinks it’s a good thing when restaurants hand out balloons to their kids?  Honestly?