I'm a bit behind on my blogging these days. Life has thrown us a curve ball and now it's time to readjust our swing. Our landlord, who was studying in the U.S., has decided to move back to Stockholm in August. We have spent the past week looking at various apartments around the city deciding where to move. The apartment/home search here in Sweden is a lot different than in America. We work with a company, similar to a realtor, who's job is to find us a home. Since Ericsson provides this service, we don't have the ability to search on our own. Thanks to local friends here, I've been able to view some apartments that are not yet on the market, but will be going on in the next few months. There are a few sites that we can search, however, they are all in Swedish making it that much more time consuming. We are told that three and four bedroom apartments are VERY difficult to find in the city, so we walk into each new viewing with a very creative mind, figuring out how we can make it work for our family. I laugh when I think of how far I've come..... my expectations have lowered, and my needs have changed. One year ago next month, I flew to Stockholm to search for an apartment. I had no idea what to expect, but I did know what I was used to. I lived in a big house on a cul de sac, with friendly neighbors, and a wonderful school a few minutes away. Back in May, Monique, our realtor, told me to meet her the next day to look at five apartments. The next morning as I was getting dressed, she called and said all five apartments were rented and that she had to start the search all over. Long story short, on my very last night in Stockholm, Steve and I viewed one apartment, the one we are living in now. I no longer had the ability to be picky... I took what they had available at the time. Now, a year later, I'm on the hunt again. However, this time, I'm much more knowledgeable and aware of locations and the parts of town that will and will not work. The amazing thing is how different my priorities are now! I've learned that I can live in a smaller space, that we don't need all the "stuff" that we had in our Atlanta home, and that buses and trains are vital to my existence here... so I must have access to those. I've also learned to ask how far the recycle containers are.... and when the answer is, "in the building", to realize that this place is a keeper. I've learned.. or I'm learning, how to get creative with furniture arrangements and that sometimes a table will work in a room that I normal wouldn't dream of eating in. I am learning that my boys like small spaces and that a closet most definitely can be used as a bedroom . I now ask questions such as, how far is the closest grocery store, because I know too well how difficult it is to shop and walk home with a few days worth of groceries. I ask about storage space in the building, is there a place to put our bikes, are there other children in the building that make noise, and are there take-out restaurants within a few steps of our place for those nights that we need to order food and we don't have time to walk far. The first thing I notice when I enter an apartment now is the amount of windows and natural light that we will get. During the dark winter months, having windows is vital to our happiness and mental health. I also immediately look for a washer AND dryer. I'm am very proud of myself for learning how to live a simpler life. :) I'm so happy that I no longer have these really high expectations about insignificant things... and that we as a family are starting to live more of a "European" lifestyle by spending good quality time with our children on the weekends instead of rushing around trying to get errands completed. This has not been easy for us, but we are slowly learning how to do it. It's not in our nature as Americans to sit back and relax. It still amazes me each Saturday and Sunday morning when I wake up and look out my window to see the many families in the park just relaxing, and playing, and enjoying their weekend. Oh yes, did I mention that our new apartment MUST have a park in very close walking distance? I will SO miss this park across the street from my living room. I will no longer be able to yell out the window and call the boys in for dinner.
Since I've started writing this blog, we found an apartment! It meets many of the needs above. It's bigger, with lots of windows, in a great part of the city, with a park across the street. Our landlord called us personally to let us know that she "chose" us to live there. hahahah We move in the first week of August. For all the guests that are visiting from May until August, you will be staying in our current apartment. The day we leave London with the Kenney's, we will begin our move.
In between house hunting, I of course found time for some fun! Going back to St. Patrick's Day, where my Swedish cooking friends and I met at Meg's beautiful apartment for a great lunch. It was a very snowy, cold day, but we girls figured out how to enjoy it and stay warm. Wine and champagne were a great help!
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| A delicious fish dish |
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| yummy dessert |
It was a snowy week in Stockholm, so we were thrilled to be heading to London for the weekend. Steve was in London working all week so the boys and I flew in on Thursday afternoon and met him in Kennsington. Upon arriving, we headed to an English Pub for some good ol local food. The boys were in their glory watching soccer and eating chips (translation... fries). We woke up the next morning and took a cab to London Dungeon where we did the scary tour. Steve and I are" parents of the year" considering they didn't recommend that children under the age of 11 go in. Jake and Smith were really excited about it, so we decided that they would be fine. The tour scared the pants off of all of them, but in the end, they all loved it. I really enjoyed it too. We learned a lot about London history and Steve was chosen to have his organs removed in front of the group. Too bad I wasn't allowed to take pictures.... it was very funny!
After the tour we headed to London Bridge
where we walked across and went to the HMS Belfast, Imperial War Museum.
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| beautiful sky and an amazing ship tour |
Lori mentioned that her son Cody loved this when they visited London so I thought we should check it out. Vacationing with boys is a lot different than with girls. I personally would have walked past this ship without even a glance in its direction. But now I vacation with "boy eyes" and I knew we had to see it. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot about naval life in wartime. Smith was in heaven!!! He climbed and crawled and explored every aspect of that ship. He couldn't get enough of it. Jake really enjoyed it as well. Chase was so excited to be doing it with his big brothers. We spent quite a few hours in here and Steve and I were so happy to be 2 for 2 with our London expeditions so far.
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| Jake blending in with the exhibit |
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| All three boys under the canons |
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| The top |
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| They were intrigued |
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| where are the boys?????? |
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| Beautiful skies and a fun family day |
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| Chase in the sick ward |
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| lots and lots of ladders to climb |
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| sweet man working in the museum loved to talk about history |
We ventured into an Indian restaurant since London is known to have really good ones. We were not disappointed. The boys have grown to love Indian food. That evening they all crashed within a few minutes of each other. We woke up the next morning, headed down for breakfast and began our journey for the day. Did I mention that the Hotel Indigo Kensington was fabulous. The carpet throughout the hotel reminded me of my house growing up. It was black and white houndstooth. I had a couch in my t.v. room on Harvest Lane with that exact print. The breakfast was very good, however, on this day, they must have been short staffed, because it was a disaster. We didn't get our drinks until the meal was over, we all received the wrong meal and at different times. We were trying not to complain, but it was so ridiculous. I also learned that morning that the next time I order milk for the boys, I need to specify
cold milk. She brought all three boys warm milk. We all had a good laugh when Smith announced that he loves warm milk, it puts him to sleep. That evening when we returned to our room, waiting for us on our table, was this:
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| a table full of cupcakes, fruit, and chocolate |
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| a happy boy |
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the boys ate almost the entire plate
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Prior to our cupcake surprise, we spent a few hours at the Princess Di Memorial Park. I loved this park, it was ready for Spring with the pretty colored flowers beginning to bloom, people running and walking along the path, children playing on the playground, and a general mood of happiness as we were all excited to be outside.
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| climbing the pirate ship |
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| crossing the bridge |
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| all three heading to the top |
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| a museum that we didn't have a chance to visit |
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| We called this giant dog the "runner dog". We kept seeing him running with different people |
After the park, we took a taxi (did I mention how cool the taxis are). The back is big enough for all of us to sit and face each other. If you ask the boys their favorite things about London, the taxi rides will be on the top. Daddy and Mommy were not so thrilled with the amount of money we spent in these really cool cars! I've also comes to the conclusion that if I had to drive here, I would most definitely be a danger to society. Driving on the opposite side of the car and road.... quite confusing.
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| they fought over who would sit on the pull down seats |
Before the game, we grabbed lunch at a pub in Notting Hill. While the boys ate and watched the Chelsea game, I had an amazing time touring my favorite store.....
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| It has been 8 months since I've shopped here |
It's a good thing I didn't have any room in my suitcase, because I would have bought many things. I did manage to buy myself lunch, and the boys snacks for the weekend and plane ride home. It was so nice to shop in a grocery store where I could read EVERYTHING and have conversation with people without feeling guilty that I didn't speak their language. Visiting London the second time, as a European resident and not an American, was a whole new experience. To be honest, I didn't love London the first time I came, back in 2000. This time, I really liked it. The weather was much nicer yes, BUT, I had a new appreciation for the english language!
After the game, we went to the Charlton vs Burnly game. We had great seats, front row, and the boys loved it. Steve thought we should start with a small game before being introduced to the crazy English fans at a Man City game. hahahaha The fans were pretty loud here though. We particularly "enjoyed" the family behind us including their son who was only a few years older than Jake, as they yelled more "F Bombs" then a Sopranos episode . All in all, the game was a blast and the boys were thrilled that we went.
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| they actually do love each other |
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| great seats for the game |
The journey home from the field was an adventure. Apparently taxis can't be found near the stadium and despite everyone telling us that prior to the game, we didn't believe them. Thank God Steve is a great navigator because he figured out the train system and we were able to make it back to the city. We stood like sardines for a good twenty minutes and I had the pleasure of having a couple that apparently couldn't keep their hands (or lips) off of each other, standing right next to me. For those of you that know me, I hate PDA! I was about to scream (or say something really nasty to them) but thankfully we got off at at the next stop.
All in all our time in London was amazing! It was a short trip, but we are heading back over in July with the Kenney's for a longer visit in this fun city.
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| Jake with a street performer |
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| in front of our hotel |
A new pastime for the boys (Steve and I are loving it too) is the app Face Swap. It's hysterical and as you can see, we had some good laughs with ours.
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| me and Smith |
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| Steve and Chase |
As all vacations come to an end, we don't look forward to the daily routines that lie ahead. For me, laundry, grocery shopping and homework are the three tasks that I love to get away from for a while. But once back in to the daily routines of life, we quickly adjust and it's life as usual. I found out that I missed the licorice festival while we were in London. Oh, how I love licorice. It was probably a good thing because I don't need any more of it in this house.
I really miss being a group fitness instructor. I miss the people that I would see two and three times a week in my classes, I miss the workouts, and I miss the gym. I'm having a difficult time finding a place to teach here. There are a number of gyms, but the philosophy of some of them don't fit my personality. I want to teach Spin again. I really miss it!! I haven't taken or taught Spin in over eight months. There is a new gym opening up on my new street so hopefully they are in need of instructors and I can find a job. I'm ready to start again! Despite the fact that there is no phone number or email address that works, we are determined to join! Lori and I are still working out in the park a few times a week and I love it! Now that the weather is warmer (snow is hopefully gone) I'm running outside again too. I plan to run the Stockholm half marathon on September 13th. I contemplated running the full marathon in May, but then decided that I don't want to dedicate that much time to it... AND, I'm not sure my knees, back and neck can handle another 26 miler. The half is a nice race and it's a great route around the city during a very pretty time of year. Marci, Dee... care to join me?
Last week the Out and About club visited the Långholmen Museum. It's a former prison from back in the 1800's. This prison adapted their system based on the US prisons. It originally was a mansion back in the 1600's and then became a prison in 1725. It took 20 years for the Swedes to make the decision (hahaha.. if you are familiar with the Swedish culture, they are known for not being speedy decision makers) to shut it down. In 1975 (yes, many years later... apparently another difficult decision), they turned it into a hotel and a museum.
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| Prisoners being transported wore iron chains that weighed 40 kilos |
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| common attire in prison |
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| me behind bars |
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| prison cell |
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| a very interesting place |
The cells are now rooms for guests. They were a good size and quite cute. Anyone visiting us this summer want to stay the night? heeheheh There is a very good restaurant in there too. We actually all stayed for lunch after our tour.
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| lunch in jail |
Weeks ago (as I said, I'm really behind on this blog) I went to a premier of "Welcome To Sweden". It's a new series here in Sweden written and produced by Greg Poehler and Amy Poehler (his sister). The evening was a lot of fun. Some of the girls and I are now famous because our picture was featured in the Local. We met his family, watched his stand-up routine, and then viewed the first show on the big screen. I was surprised that I laughed as much as I did. The only two shows that have ever made me laugh out loud were, I love Lucy and Threes Company. (Shut Up Steve) This show was very funny and I could relate to all that Bruce, Greg Poehler's character, was experiencing in his relocation to Sweden. I will not comment on the next three episodes because I want each of you to come to your own conclusions. NBC has picked it up and it will air on July 10th in the US. I'm sure no thanks to Amy.... hahahaha I am curious how they will edit it to meet US standards because as you know... anything goes here in Stockholm. There are no rules when it comes to language and sex on t.v.
Smith was super excited when he received his birthday package from Aunt April, Uncle Mike and Blake. They sent a yummy package of all of Smith's favorite things. As you know he's gluten free so there are many snacks that he misses out on here because of his allergy. Aunt April knew just what would make Smith smile. Here's a picture of Smith carrying the box home. Even though it was big and bulky, he was determined to carry it himself.
He now hordes his snacks and won't let anyone near that cabinet in the kitchen for fear of someone eating what's his!!!
That weekend was a sneak peak into Spring. The weather was absolutely perfect. Smith slept over Aaron's house Friday night while Jake, Chase, Steve and I had pizza night. This has become Jake's favorite thing to make. He's really good at it too.
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| meat pizza |
Saturday morning, Cecelia, Aaron's mom took the boys to the park across from my apartment. They live down the street from us. Smith spent the entire day outside. The only time I saw him was when he came in for water and bathroom breaks. Of course I watched him from the window of my apartment while I got the house ready and cooked for the dinner party we were hosting that night. Don't worry (family in FL), Cecelia was with them the entire day. That evening Åsa and Jimmy and Kattis and Nicholas came over with all the kids for dinner. These are the families that we went skiing with back in February. I forgot to snap pictures that night..... but we had a great time! We always have fun with them!
Jake's fourth grade class started a unit called, "Shaping Up". For the next few months the kids are only allowed to bring healthy snacks to school (this should be everyday, however, everyone doesn't follow this rule). Each Thursday, the kids and teachers go to Humlagarden Park and run 2Km. There field trips all involve exercise as well. The last trip was rock climbing. I'm not sure how my children got the gift of climbing, but Jake's teacher told him that he's a freak of nature when it comes to climbing. He hasn't seen Smith climb yet... what will he think Smith is? Maybe Spiderman? Jake loved it and we promised them that we would all go back as a family and climb some rocks!
That was the week Steve had the pleasure of traveling to Russia and Mongolia. I've said this many times, but I'll say it again. Steve amazes me on how he can travel to these crazy places where they hate Americans (although Mongolia welcomed him with a smile), manages to find his way and communicate, take red eyes two and three times a week, and still manages to come home and keep up his daddy duties. We are very lucky to have him! I'm also looking into how he can get a physical. This lifestyle can't be good for him. :(
The spring temperatures we've had were a tease... and nothing else. Lately we been having snow and rain more often than sun, but thankfully nothing is sticking. It's just wet and cold here. My big winter coat is still a regular part of my wardrobe even though I'm so tired of looking at it, and I really want to pack it away for a few months. I wouldn't dare though! Today I walked home from my haircut in very cold rain and as I look outside I realize that we are a long way from pretty flowers, green grass, and leaves on our trees. Our first visitors are Sandi and John and I'm praying that by the end of May, when they arrive, that the big, black, winter coat is gone from sight.
I'm finally ready to post this blog that has taken me over three weeks to write. The days have been super busy with this and that and I couldn't find enough
alone time to sit and write. We spent the entire weekend at Jake and Smith's soccer tournaments. Steve has posted a lot of pictures on FB already, and most of you know the results, but there are some that read my blog that are not on FB, so I'll only repost a few pictures. Smith played amazing all weekend. He scored four goals in two days and Steve and I are so proud of him. He has come a really long way from day one in Stockholm. He went from a timid boy who had little confidence with his teammates to a true leader on the field. His coaches can't say enough about how much he's changed. Smith has always been one that takes a while to warm up and feel "safe" enough to open up. He's never been one to jump right into a new situation. But, through a lot of perseverance, and a lot of "coming out of his comfort zone", he has truly amazed me. I'm so proud of not only how his game has improved, but how he has grown as a person.
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| Smith in action during one of his games |
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| The trophy |
Jake's team won the entire tourney and of course we are super proud of him as well. He had a hat trick in game one (final score 4-2) and then scored a few more goals throughout the rest of the tournament. Jake has always been the one that is not afraid to join a new group. He jumps right into new situations and quickly adapts. I hope he continues to have this same confidence as he journeys through life.
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| Not sure why they hold up the #2.. I'm sure it means something |
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| Tournament champions |
As for Steve and I, we spent the weekend literally running back and forth between games. It was so cold both days, it took me hours to thaw out afterwards. The fields were about 30 minutes apart so we reserved a car through the carpool service we use. Steve did all the driving.... and parking..... and we came home with $400 worth of parking tickets. It was a VERY expensive weekend for the Paynes. It's a good thing the boys won! This is even more incentive to learn Swedish.
I do have a tutor lined up for us to learn the language. Lori and I will use her for the next five weeks and then over the summer, I will hire her for the boys. I'm hoping that after this summer the boys will be able to understand their coaches a lot better, and be able to make small talk with their teammates. Swedish cartoons will become a regular part of their day too.
I will end with this...... on our way home from dropping Smith at practice, Chase and I walked past dumpsters that were overflowing. Chase turned to me and said, "Mom, look at all the rubbish in the rubbish bins". Oh my... have we been in Sweden too long?
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| My monkey having fun at the park |
We are heading to Amsterdam on Friday for a quick visit and then flying to Florida to visit John and Barb (Kiki and Bebop) for a mini beach vacation. I'm looking at the the weather forecast for the week and it says rain for most of the days. Why can't I find sun???? I need sun!!! I'm paler than I've ever been in my life and I'm not liking it. Let's hope something changes in the next few days and the sun makes an appearance.
Happy Easter everyone!!!
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| Easter weekend 2008 |
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| Six years ago at Bebop and Kiki's |
