Heading back to America

Moving into a new home goes through stages.   The first stage, unpack boxes, organize draws and cabinets, find a home for the basics.  Second stage, rearrange furniture, hang pictures, set up all electronics.  Third stage, where I am now, make it your home.  I am debating whether to put curtains on the windows.  The landlord left the blinds, which are not very pretty, but they do solve the problem of keeping the light out in the early morning and evenings while we're sleeping.  Since it's that time of year where it's dark when we wake up and dark long before we go to bed, the  blinds are kept up in just about every room.  Remember, we are on the 4th and 5th floor, so nobody from the street can see into our apartment.  My dilemma, should I spend the money on the curtains and make it cozy?  The reason I'm debating, we only signed a one year lease.  Our landlord is in the states studying for a year and there's a chance she will come back and want to move back in.  Steve and I are hoping that her boyfriend proposes and she stays.... we actually considered tracking him down and offering incentive.    Along with the curtains, I also needed a duvet for my bedroom, some type of cabinet for the wall of our 1/2 bath... the smallest bathroom of all time.  There are some men that won't fit in this bathroom it's so tiny.  Claudette has so graciously offered to help recover our kitchen chairs, and I finally bought the material.  I've been shopping the streets of Stockholm for all of these things, however, haven't had much luck.  So.... Ikea.... here was the venue.

I realized that the bus to Ikea wasn't going to work for me this time because my items were too big and I was not in the mood to tackle the chore of dragging all of it home.  I decided to use our carpooling system, Sunfleet, and reserve a car for Monday.  I persuaded Lori and Claudette to come along.  I'm not sure I was brave enough to go alone.  I have never actually picked up the Sunfleet car, that has been Steve's job here in Stockholm.  So.... I dropped the boys at school, met Lori, and we took a train to the garage.  Let me explain that first you have to locate the car and decide which garage in Stockholm you would like to pick it up.  Since I'm only able to drive an automatic, my options are not as abundant.  Sunday evening, I did manage to find an automatic in Sodermalm, Claudette's island.  So the plan was to get the car, pick up Claudette, and head to Ikea.  Sounds simple right?  Steve suggested, actually demanded, that I google map the garage beforehand because sometimes they are difficult to find.  Why did he demand, because he had meetings the next day and he knew that I would be calling him all morning asking for help.  :)  The garage I chose happened to be on the same street as our corporate apartment that we lived in for a week, so I was very familiar with the area.  We headed to the square where google maps said I could enter the garage.  Steve gave me a shortcut route, but we had a fallback plan if the shortcut didn't work.  After walking around the building 3 times and asking a lady who claimed she spoke English (but then panicked when I actually started speaking), we fellback and followed google maps.  I'm clearly not ready for the shortcuts!  We found the garage, however, at the door, had no clue how to get in.  I was convinced that the Sunfleet swipe card would allow access to the garage, but there was no place to swipe.  So.... when we saw a car pulling out, we acted like teenagers and ran in behind it before the gate closed.  Feeling very proud of ourselves, we easily found our car, jumped in, and off we went.

We typed Claudette's address into maps and started following the lady.  As we crossed the bridge, Lori said, "wait, why are we going onto another island"?  "Claudette lives on this island".  Right you are Lori.... but I don't know what to do.  We pulled over and realized she was using the iphone maps, not google maps.  That app is horrible here in Stockholm..... it will surely get you lost.  We quickly switched, rerouted, and picked up Claudette.  Did I mention that I almost killed a few pedestrians on the way?  One tricky part about driving in Stockholm, there are crosswalks on all major streets.  Some of them have a lighting system and others don't.  If there isn't a light, then once the pedestrian steps onto the white crosswalk, the automobiles must stop and let them cross.  I am very good at remembering this as a pedestrian, but not so much as a driver.  Needless to say, thank God so many people were paying attention while they were crossing the crosswalk.  Maybe they saw CLUELESS AMERICAN all over my face and knew that I wasn't going to stop.  Don't worry...by the end of this journey, I was an old pro at city driving.  Lori and I noted to remind our kids not to assume that the driver will always stop. There are a lot of tourists driving on the streets.  We navigated our way to Ikea and the shopping began.

We seem to treat Ikea like Target here.  It's our go-to when we need basics.  They really do carry just about everything you could possibly need.  I picked out some really fun material for the kitchen chairs, found all that I came for, and even had time to venture into some of the surrounding stores.  Where Ikea is located, there are many outlet stores.  I could have spent 5 more hours shopping.  All the Christmas decor is starting to come out, but we still had to get back to Stockholm, drop all of our purchases off at each of our apartments, return the car, eat lunch, and be on time to pick up the kids.  So, we decided that we would make this a monthly outing.

 I also had to pick up a package that was sent weeks ago from our house cleaning service.   For some reason, this package went to ICA (grocery store) quite a distance from my house.  Steve actually rode his bike there a week ago to pick it up and because he didn't have his passport with him, they wouldn't let him have it.  So, we decided since I had the car, I would stop by  and pick it up.  It was a great plan,  Claudette and Lori would sit in the car while I ran in... and I wouldn't have to stress about parking. Great plan, until I got in, with my passport, and the girl couldn't give it to me because it was addressed to Steve.  Here's my favorite part of this story.... if I had Steve's passport with me, then I could've picked it up.  One never knows the rules of the postal system here.... it all depends on who is working behind the counter!

We managed to drop all of our packages at each of our apartments.  One person stayed with the car while the others ran the goods up.  We also managed to find the garage and at that point we realized where Lori and I went wrong on the pickup.  We were trying to enter the garage at the exit, hence, why there wasn't a keypad.  I parked the car... well... I think you can call it that.  The spots are so close together that I couldn't get out on the driver's side... here's a picture of me exiting on the passenger side.

Cruising through the city

Tuesday was wet and cold.  The boys didn't have school because it was Parent/Teacher conference day.  I only had one conference that day because I managed to schedule the other two on Monday after school.  Steve had a meeting downtown so we were able to meet him for lunch.  Chase was invited to his first play-date at Maria's house.  Maria's mom, Veronica, is a friend of mine.  She's from Mexico originally, but they lived in Hong Kong before their placement here in Stockholm.  I love seeing everyone's apartments and admiring their decor.  Veronica has an amazing view of the city, overlooking the water.  She lives less than a mile from my apartment so it would have been an easy walk for Chase and I.... however, it was raining.  We still managed to get there and with the right clothing, we weren't even wet.  Chase did mention how he doesn't like walking in the rain because the water goes in his eyes.  We were the first to arrive, and soon after, more of his little buddies joined us.  One of his favorite buds here in Stockholm is Pedro.  It seems that the feeling is mutual based on the big hugs they gave each other at the door.  Pedro's family is from Brazil.  There were two other children there and I met their moms for the first time.  One of the ladies was from Mexico and the other from England.  One of my favorite parts of living here in Stockholm is meeting so many new people and learning about their cultures and their journeys up to this point.  I am always amazed by the women that have to learn English here in Sweden, because their home language is not spoken.  At least I speak a language that most Swedes speak... unlike these women from Mexico, Spain, Italy, Brazil.... that have to learn English at the same time they are trying to understand Swedish.  I've said this many times, but I have a new appreciation for the immigrants in America.  I often feel inferior to these women that I'm meeting, speaking only English.  We Americans are lucky to speak the universal language, and even have a bit of arrogance that goes along with it.... me included.  But then you come here and realize how smart and fearless these other people are.  The gift that they are giving their children is priceless.  At Veronica's house alone, all of those children spoke at least two languages.  Amazing!!!

Speaking of languages.... I was completely clueless on the train the other day.  I take the same train to the school each morning so I've learned the stops and actually know what is being said on that route... until today.  I was sitting on the train, at the Odenplan stop, which is two stops from Hötorget, the school stop, when the doors didn't close.  The man said something over the loudspeaker and we all just sat there.  I looked around, trying to figure out what was happening based on others' expressions.... but nothing.  Nobody was fazed by it.... many just kept on staring straight or continued checking emails.  So I too, just sat there and waited.  Another minute went by and he came on again... I'm sure he said the same thing... and once again, nobody flinched.  I try not to stand-out as the clueless American everywhere I go.  It's nice to know that while I"m quietly sitting somewhere, everyone around me thinks I'm a Swede.  Until things like this happen and I'm standing out like a sore thumb.  Well... another minute went by, the man said something, the doors closed, and off we went.  To this day, I have no idea what happened.   Glad it wasn't an emergency or this girl would've been in trouble!

After my workout today, I walked over to Saluhall for a salad and to buy pork chops for dinner.  I love buying pork chops here, they actually slice them off as you're standing there.  You can choose to make them as big or small as you like.  After my purchase, I jumped on the bus and went home.  While I was sitting on the bus, with my packages, I realized how normal life is getting for me in this foreign country.  I remember when I first arrived, I would sit on public transportation and admire other people as they entered and exited with packages, school bags, workout clothes etc and wished for that normalcy in my life.  I never thought I would feel confident enough to go to new places and rely on my sense of direction (well... google maps too) and have the guts to go to a butcher and ask for the meat I wanted, or workout at gyms with new people, or just walk around the city discovering new things.  The exact things I took for granted in America were gone the minute I entered this country.  I am also so proud of my children for their confidence and their willingness to join a new soccer team, to confidently ride the train each day, to meet new friends, and to learn a new language.  They are growing in leaps and bounds and sometimes I don't see the big picture... but today, for the first time, I saw it.  And... I can't forget Steve.  I'm amazed at how he started a new job, in a new country, with all new people, and never let up on his family responsibilities.  He travels the world with such confidence... (and his territory incorporates some scary countries).  Overall, this experience has been great for us as a family.... and I'm confident we made the right decision!

Today the boys' school celebrated United Nations Day (UN Day).  It was an amazing experience for not only the students, but for the parents as well.  Our school represents 61 countries and many different languages.  To quote my friend Michelle, "Each day they (SIS students) find common ground, respect & embrace each other's differences."  Each student had to dress in the colors that represented their country.  The students paraded the grounds of the school (which is also a public park). The students marched together with others from their country.  The pictures didn't come out as clear as I would have liked... but I posted them because it was so moving to see all the colors of the flags.

The U.S was proudly represented

Some of the many flags

After the parade, the primary students put on an assembly.  The fourth graders led the entire production and our very own Jake had a speaking part.  He was amazing!  I was so proud of his confidence and lack of fear.

The other two boys had a part as well.  All three of my boys did a great job.

Unfortunately, Steve missed the show because he had an appointment at Vårdcentral.  He has been fighting a virus all week and before he gets on the plane Saturday, he wanted to make sure he wasn't contagious.  Doctor said he''ll be fine without medication and is not contagious.  Steve convinced her to order a strep-test.  According to the doctor, they don't test people for Strep here as standard procedure.  Vårdcentral is the equivalent to our primary care physician's office, only the entire family uses the same doctor. Whenever I pass them on the streets, they remind me of Minute Clinics in the U.S.  Luckily we have one about 50 steps from our front door, so we can pop in anytime.  An appointment is usually necessary, but there are rare occasions where they will take walk-ins if they're not busy.  They don't seem to do well visits here for the kids.  I'm still trying to figure that system out.  I am taking Chase for his four year old well check when we are back in Atlanta this December.  The appointment was already scheduled and I feel more confident with my pediatricians, Dr. Overcash and Dr. Wilkiemyer.

Speaking of doctors, we almost had a serious problem today.  Chase and I were on the escalator heading to school and somehow he tripped and his foot got caught on the steps as we were going down.  I didn't realize he was stuck and I pulled on his arm.  He let out a loud scream and when I looked over, his foot was in a weird position and he was crying.  As luck would have it, my friend Sandy was coming down the escalator at that exact time.  Since we were already running late for school, she took the older boys to school for me while I carried Chase all the way home.  I was convinced we were heading to.....  actually I have no clue where I am supposed to go for x-rays and broken bones.  Once we were home, it took Chase a while to remove himself from my lap (he was so pitiful), but when we convinced him to take a few steps, it seemed like it wasn't broken.  He refused to walk on it again though.... I think he was scared.  I was a bit panicked because the boys were performing in an hour and I had no clue how I was going to get Chase to school with me.  It's a good thing I frequented the gym as often as I did back home, because I carried him to the bus stop and then all the way to school.  The highlight of the day, when I put him down to take a few steps, and we both fell in the muddy grass!  Can you imagine what I looked like when we arrived! Ms. Jeanna kept an eye on Chase all day and said that he hobbled a bit on his foot, but when he wasn't paying attention to it, he seemed to walk okay.  I'm thinking it's a bruise and it hurts when he walks... but we don't think it's anything more than that.

Friday I spent the day at SIS planning and volunteering in the kids' classrooms for their Halloween/ Fall parties.  Today was the last day of school for a week.  Everyone in Sweden, possibly Europe, goes on holiday this coming week.  My boys are obsessed with zombies as much as mom and dad.... check out their costumes.  One quick sidebar before you get to see the pictures..... in my frantic stage of packing and moving a few months ago, I came across the costumes that Eulyn (the amazing artist/designer on Walking Dead) personally made for the boys last Halloween.  Thinking that we wouldn't be celebrating Halloween here, I put them in storage in Atlanta.  Well... wouldn't you know, the boys wanted to be Zombies for Halloween this year.  So... my very talented hubby came up with these....

 

Eating Spider Man

How cute are these ghost cookies

The 4th grade spread.... 2 more tables of goodies

 The next series of pictures are of Chase putting on a show for his class......

Smith and his bud

Jake and his friend Pascal

We are heading back to the States Saturday for some family time with Bebop and Kiki.  The boys are so excited to see them, to play in the pool, and to spend Halloween in America.  I can't figure out if the Swedes celebrate Halloween or not.  There are decorations in the stores, some costumes to be found, and even parties at our school... however, they don't partake in the best part of the holiday.... TRICK OR TREATING!  We, however, will be able to do it this year.

I'm sure Bebop and Kiki are wondering what on Earth is in all the boxes that have been arriving at their door since early October.  Well... Amazon is and always will be my favorite "store".  I've been making lists of all the things we need here, searching Amazon, buying and shipping to Florida, and then we'll arrive with two empty suitcases to haul it all back!  I am also very excited to shop at Walmart.  I never thought those words would come out of my mouth.  Instead of paying 40$ for razors and $10 for toothbrushes, and $20 for boy's underwear, we can actually load up on some essentials for reasonable prices.  And.. of course, I am counting the days until I get a manicure/pedicure.  One where there is a big spa tub, where I don't have to pay an additional $15 to get my nails painted, and I can get gel.  I think I'll go twice while I'm there.  :)  

This is a random thought... but it's something I'm amazed by.  There don't seem to be any restaurants that have really good soup.  When the weather gets cold, soup is my favorite thing to eat.  So many times I've entered these quaint cafes, with fire places and cozy chairs, hoping that a variety of soups will be on the menu.  A few times they have a soup, but never a good hearty one.  What is the deal?  In a country where the weather is cold more often than it's warm, why wouldn't there be soup cafes on every corner.  If anyone is looking to open a business here in Sweden, Soup Nazi is the job for you!  Now, I haven't been in Stockholm long enough, and there might be an amazing soup cafe here already, so let's hope I find it in the next two years!  They do have amazing salads available for lunch though.  This was my lunch today.

Tonight we promised Jake we would go to O'Leary's for dinner.  It's not fancy, it's a sports/bar restaurant that is very American.  It's not my favorite place in the world, but the boys love to watch soccer on the hundreds of televisions all over the place.  When we arrived, again, no hostes, Steve tracked down a waitress to see if we should just seat ourselves in one of the many tables that were vacant, or if we had to wait to be seated.  She replied with, "we are full".  Steve pointed out all the tables that were open and one in particular.  She told him that their was a reservation on that table in 45 minutes.  She was not friendly either.  So, Steve asked why we couldn't have that table and 45 minutes  later, when they arrive, they can have a different table.  Her response was no... and we were soon on our way to another place for dinner.  It was dark, late, and cold, but the boys were troopers and we found another place to eat, there was even a game playing.  It's times like these that I scratch my  head and wonder where the logic is.  Again, they are on salary, so they don't care if we leave, and they don't care if tables sit unoccupied.  They will make the same amount of money.   I did get to wear my new, fluffy, white coat though.... so all is well in the world!

I will end with one last random comment.  My friend Nancy showed me this picture today.  She snapped it while shopping at her local grocery store.   It is dead.. but very real!

Does it get any more bizarre than this????