Bye Bye America.... Hello Sweden

Our last night in Florida

Jake swiped this out of Bebop's draw

Reality just kicked in for me as I walked home from the grocery store with Jake and Chase in tow.  I had to take both boys with me because Steve and Smith were at an AIK pro soccer game with Smith's team.  Since we were gone for a week, I needed to restock the kitchen with the essentials.  I was dreading it with all of my being.... mainly because I had to take the boys.  It's hard enough without them!  As we're checking out (3:30pm), I glanced out the door to see dark skies and rain.  Wow, three days ago we were lounging by the pool, enjoying the beautiful sunshine and 80 degree temperatures..... bye bye sunlight!  Thank God Jake was with me after all,  my cart was completely full, my arms each had two heavy bags attached, and I was pulling Chase along.  Jake carried a heavy bag for me all the way home.  When we were in the elevator, after we had lugged the heavy cart up the stairs, I thanked Jake for all his help.  I told him I wouldn't have been able to do it without him.  No sooner did those words come out of my mouth and I hear Chase saying.... "and me"!  Well, yes, Chase, you did help to slow us down a bit.  hahaahaha

We arrived home Saturday around 11am, after 20 hours of traveling.  I always feel like the jetlag on this end is worse than the jet lag going to America.  We miss a whole night sleep this way.  Well... some of us do....

Chase asleep in the Delta Crown Room

Smith joined him a few minutes later

Jake finally caved and joined his brothers

By the time we walked in our door, it was noon and Steve and I started unpacking, straightening the house, and doing everything possible to stay awake.  Jake walked in the house, washed his hands (only because Mommy demanded), climbed in my bed, and slept for three solid hours.  Chase and Smith were wired... they played, wrestled, and ran around for a solid three hours!  When Jake woke up, we had a Biggest Loser Marathon.  Jake loves watching that with me.  That night we ordered take out from the yummy Thai restaurant downstairs, had family movie night, and we all crashed by 9:00.... Chase and Smith didn't make it past the opening scenes.  The next morning is when the problems started.  We all slept until 10:00 and 11:00, which doesn't make for a good situation in the evening.  All three boys were wide awake that night.  Jake didn't fall asleep until 1:00am.  Imagine what it was like waking them up at 7:00 for school!

All of the jet lag was well worth it because we had an amazing time with Bebop and Kiki in Florida.  We spent the days lounging by the pool, in their beautiful backyard.  We weren't on a schedule so the boys rode their scooters and skateboards, swam every moment they could, and we even snuck in a few "Payne Family Soccer" tournaments.  One of the highlights of the week was when Aunt Dee Dee and Uncle Jimmy joined us.

The boys can't get enough of them and of course Steve and I love them just as much.  They joined in the soccer fun too.  Smith wasn't so sure about Dee Dee's soccer abilities..... but he loves her just the same!  Dee always has a way of making everyone feel happy and loved.

Bebop helping Chase

Smith was a natural

Chase took off and rode for hours

Halloween was another highlight.  New Smyrna Beach had a downtown parade and all the vendors were out giving candy to the kids.  Thanks to Pop Pop and Gamma, Chase was able to dress up as Robin.  They sent some of his birthday presents to Florida so he could open them early.  He seemed a bit confused at first, but all the worrying about it not being November 20th yet, went out the window when he saw his cool presents!

presents waiting to be opened

OH YEAH!

Oh the small things in life that make me happy these days!  I had a to-do list while I was in Florida.  For those of you that know me well, NUMBER ONE on the list, get a tan.  The weather was perfect!  Sunny skies with temperatures in the mid 80's.  For my Celcius reading friends, 30 degrees.  

Chase enjoyed it as much as I did

I sacrificed getting two manicures, so I could enjoy the sun.  Of course I wasn't leaving America without one mani/pedi.... and it was wonderful.  When I told the nail tech how much they charge in Sweden, I thought he was going to fall off of his chair.  He immediately told everyone in the salon.  He also said he might move to Sweden and open up his own nail salon.  Next on the list, eyebrow threading.  New Smyrna is not known for their threading choices, so I drove 10 minutes up 95 to Port Orange.  I was pleasantly surprised by the Super Target next door!  Two hours in Target without children..... how could this day possibly get better!  Well it did, when we took a family trip to Dick's Sporting Goods.  Who needs a mall when you have Target and a good sporting goods store.  We finished off with a meal at BJ's.  Steve and I were thrilled to be back home receiving great service.  The waiter actually spoke to us, visited us frequently throughout the meal, refilled our drinks, and didn't mind explaining dinner items.  The meal was good, but not as good as all the food Bebop whipped up this week.  He is an amazing cook and he spoils us rotten whenever we visit.  

One of the first things Smith said to me when we arrived in the Atlanta airport (we connected there... and when the boys figured this out they begged us to call all of their friends to meet us there.  If we had more than 30 minutes in between flights, we might have considered it) was "Mom, we are in America aren't we?"  I wondered what clued him in to this... because there were so many things that gave me the warm and fuzzies... so I asked him.  His response, "The bathrooms are normal".  I couldn't have agreed more!  I have often mentioned my sincere hatred for European bathrooms..... but it's funny to see my seven year old feeling it too.  

The car situation was an emotion that surprised me.  I obviously loved having access to a trunk and the freedom to whip up to a store and be back in less than 20 minutes, but I will admit, I missed walking.  There's something to be said about being active and walking around each day.  Speaking of cars, we are selling my 2011 Buick Enclave.  If anyone is interested....

Returning back to Sweden was strange.  I will admit, I had a moment of "not wanting to be here" when I first arrived in the airport.  Back to not understanding the language, rude people, cold weather, missing family, and not feeling like this is home.... really hit me hard.  Monday morning, taking the boys to school, working out, and seeing friends, helped a lot.  I'm settling back in and feeling much better.

Speaking of friends..... Claudette volunteered to tutor me on recovering chairs.  Lori came over to help as well.  It took us a few hours.... lots of chatting about our trips (Claudette went to Copenhagen and Lori went to London) and it was great to be back with these ladies again.  I picked a fun pattern for my chairs, one that I would never normally choose.  They turned out great.

Claudette finishing chair #1

Food will definitely hide in this pattern

We picked up the kids from school at 3:30.  By 4:30, it was dark.  Considering the darkness has only just begun, and in a few weeks it will be dark when we leave for school and when we return to pick up, I will enjoy these last few weeks of daylight.  The sky has been beautiful these last few nights though.  Here's a picture Steve took on our rooftop balcony.

This was taken the night we came home

 I came home to a phone call from our local grocery store saying that I had a package.  Usually we get a text alert that we take to the store to pickup our package.  I asked why I was getting a phone call... the girl told me that the package has been there for 14 days and it was going to be returned to sender.  She wanted to give me one more chance to pick it up.  Since I never received any alerts or notices, I had no idea there was a package waiting for me.  I rushed over to pick it up and were so happy when we opened it.  Marci and the Kenney kids (and Doug too...  :)) sent us a care package with all the kids favorite snacks that we can't get here in Sweden.  My favorite part of the package.... the amazing photo book that Marci made of our last beach trip together.  Thank you so much Kenney's!  This couldn't have come on a better day.

It rained Sunday, but Chase really wanted to play at the park.  Jake and I decided it would be fun, so we put our rain gear on and went across the street.  The smile on this little guy's face is priceless.  I love that we are no longer let the weather dictate our fun.

Speaking of Chase, we were walking out of the school building today as a group of students and a teacher were entering.  Chase looked directly at the teacher and said, "Hej då".  I asked who he said goodbye to and he looked at me with a "duh mom" face and said, "my Swedish teacher".  I love his Swedish speaking confidence.

You may or may not remember that the moving company accidentally packed our tennis rackets and all of our tennis gear and put it in storage back in Atlanta.  We don't have access to that storage unit for a few years, so we moved here without rackets.  Since finding a tennis team has been nearly impossible, I haven't worried about buying a new racket.  When we saw Dee and Jimmy in Florida, my awesome sister and brother-in-law, brought Steve and me their extra rackets for us to borrow until we buy our own.  They even had them restrung and regripped!  This motivated me to find a team.  First, I called KLTK Tennishallen.  Apparently this club has been around since 1940 and is quite exclusive.  I spoke to one of the pros there for about 20 minutes, she explained how the leagues work, the schedule, the cost, and we even discussed private lessons.  At the conclusion of the conversation, I asked her what the next steps were in order for me to become a member and start playing.  She then informed me that there was a waiting list and that I wouldn't get in right away.  I was okay with waiting a few months and hopefully getting in after the holidays.  She said, "well, you won't be able to become a member for two years."  I was sure something got lost in translation, so I said, "you mean two months right?"  NOPE!  She meant TWO YEARS!  The good that came out of that conversation, she recommended two other tennis centers that I could actually get in to.  I called one today and spoke to a pro and it sounds perfect.  From the way she described it, it sounds like tennis in Atlanta.  I will meet her on Wednesday, play with her so she can evaluate my level, and then be placed on a team.  They also have cardio tennis... which Steve and I love.  I'm so excited to finally be playing again.  Dee and Jim, thanks for the rackets!!  You pushed me to find a club.

Today was a great day in that Marci and I carved out 90 minutes and had an awesome chat.  I miss her so much.... and it was fun to catch up and plan our New Years festivities and our summer trip.  We went from seeing each other everyday, watching each other's children regularly, spending holidays and vacations together, to only talking a few times a week and seeing each other twice a year.   I am so thankful for technology though...  that we can talk, Face Time, and text whenever we want.  Thanks for waking up early for me today Marci!

My funny moment of the week, buying stamps.  Yes, the simple act of buying a book of stamps, something I took for granted in the states.  I saw them advertised at the grocery store as I was checking out.  I figured these were good to have in case I needed to mail letters or cards.  I was hoping that they actually were stamps and not something else.  I took a chance and asked the cashier for a book of stamps.  She looked at me strangely , so I pointed to the picture.  She said, "oh stamp".  I wasn't sure if she was repeating me to learn the word, or if they actually call them stamps.  Regardless, I got my stamps and went home.  Pondering over my purchase, I realized that I didn't have a clue how many stamps were required to mail a letter.  Since I have a few friends at school that are native Swedes, I decided to make a complete fool of myself and ask a really stupid question.  "Hi Sara, are these (holding up the stamps) what I use to mail a letter?"   The many situations I found myself in that make me feel like a three year old.   It turned out that  TWO stamps are required to mail a letter or card.  

I'll end with this amazing quote by Chase.  The last night we were in Florida, Chase, unprovoked, looked at my father-in-law and said, "Bebop, I really like having you as my grandpa".  Out of the mouths of babes!!!

Chase and Bebop

last night of movie watching with Bebop and Kiki

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????

Busy Week

I can't believe another month has gone by....WELCOME to October!  One of my favorite things about living in Atlanta, was Autumn.  The colors, mixed with the hilly landscape, and the cool weather, was amazing.  I didn't realize that Stockholm has a beautiful Autumn as well.  Yesterday was our weekly walk around Djurgarden and the scenery was amazing.  The weather was chilly, high 40's, but the sun made it feel a little warmer.

Lori and I stopped for a quick photo on our favorite walking bridge

It takes us about two hours to walk from the school and then around the island.  We always stop in the same cafe afterwards for fika or lunch.  Twenty American women in a small cafe.... well... you can imagine the noise level.  This week there were four Swedes eating in there was well.  The men at the table would not stop staring at us.  I'm absolutely certain they were in shock by the amount of yapping taking place.  Whenever I'm surrounded by Swedes, you can hear a pin drop.  They are not a chatty bunch.  I'm sure these people will NEVER come to this cafe on a Friday again.  (They did not know we were taking a picture of them.. Lori was posing in front of them.)  

It's not a clear picture... but look at their faces

Last weekend, Steve and I were able to go out to dinner ALONE for the first time in months.  Oh how we miss our wonderful babysitters back home.  The International School provides a babysitter list that only family's from the school are allowed to use.  Many of them are teacher assistants.  They all have references as well.  We also have a friend here that has a regular sitter she uses.   Sam is her name and she's  in college here in Stockholm.  Sam is originally from France and has lived here for three  years.  She was available last Saturday night, so we used her.  She was so good and the boys really liked her.   We are so grateful that we found Sam.  We were missing our date nights.

This was our view from the table

Trattorian on Kungsholmen is where we ate.  The food was delicious.  Something we are slowly getting accustomed to here in Stockholm is the service when we're out to dinner.  In America the waiter comes to your table as soon as you sit down.  They take your drink order, talk to you a bit about the menu, then leave you for a while to make decisions.   We sat down, marveled at the view and the fact that we were alone for the first time in three months, and were excited to order a glass of wine and chill out.  Twenty minutes later, we still had not met our waiter.  Our bliss wore off and we were starting to get antsy.  The manager comes over and asks if we would like to order a drink.  When he walked away, I looked at Steve and wondered why the manager came over before the waiter.  Steve looks at me with a smirk and says "because I was eyeing him down....and he finally got the hint".   Our drinks arrived, we waited another ten minutes or so and our waiter finally came to our table.  A quick hello... and "are you ready to place your order?"  A much different experience than we're used to, but.... still a great time.  We were not rushed, the dinner was delicious, and we were able to sit there for as long as we wanted.  They expect you to stay....where as in America, they'll push you out the door if it's a busy time.  Reason being..... American waiters work on tips and Swedish waiters work on salary.   I will mention, after he brought our food, we did not see him again.  We had to track him down for another drink and the check.  hahaha

The bar/lounge attached to the restaurant was really cool.  It was a very chilly night outside, so walking into Orangeriet, with it's warm and cozy atmosphere, was perfect!  We tried to snap pictures, but they didn't do it any justice.  In the center of the room was an enclosed fireplace with all the crackling and coziness that comes with it.  Surrounding the fire, were groups of couches and tables, depending on the size of your group.  The entire lounge was enclosed with windows overlooking the water.  We loved it so much, we had a drink there before and after dinner.  This will be a must-see for our visitors.  We hear that in the summer, it has a different vibe with tables along the deck surrounding the water.  

Post dinner cocktail at Orangeriet

We loved that we could walk to and from the restaurant.  It was quite chilly on our walk home.... but I actually enjoyed it!  

Steve left for London on Monday so I was solo again.  Soccer is my only stress when I'm alone.  Jake's practice is a ten minute train ride and then a mile walk once off the train.  It starts at 6:30 and ends at 8;00.   Dragging Chase to his practice at night is horrible.   It's tough after a full day of school to come home, eat dinner, and head out into the cold.  We are trying to figure out a bus that will drop us closer to the field, but haven't been able to do that yet.  Normally, Steve takes Jake and I'm home with the other boys.... but when he travels, it's another story.  This week one of Jake's coaches offered to drive him home afterwards so I didn't have to wait there with the boys.  Rumor has it, they practice outside through out the winter months because their fields are heated!  

We have been using a carpooling service called Sunfleet.  We pay a monthly fee and  reserve cars online whenever we need them.  We have our own access into the garage where we pick up the car when we're scheduled.  It has been great so far.  We use it mostly on weekends when the boys tournaments are outside of the city.  I was going to reserve a car this week to take the boys to and from practice until I learned that most of the cars here are NOT automatics.  Those of you that have seen me drive a stick shift (going up the hills in Buies Creek in Steve's Tercel) know that  this is not an option.  Steve actually wants me to practice so I can drive here.  hahahaha... I think he forgot how much damage I did to his car in college and how everyone got whiplash when driving with me.  For now, I'll be walking the distance!

After a few days alone with my boys, I usually need some type of therapy.  This week, my therapy was shopping!  I needed (or maybe just wanted) more sweaters.  Lori and I hit the stores all day on Wednesday.  It was not only fun, but did the trick of rejuvenation .. I was then able to handle the rest of the week without Steve here.  We laughed about how different the customer service is when shopping.  In the states, you can't even peek your head into a store without the sales person attacking you with the daily sales and offering her help.  I was always slightly annoyed by this...but obviously very used to it.  Here, it's the complete opposite.  We actually had to run after one of the sales girls for help, and both Lori and I swear that she looked at us quickly  and picked up her speed as she walked away.  Maybe she heard us talking and felt intimidated by having to speak English.  Many people I talk to here mention in the course of conversation how terrible their english is.  I am amazed by this.... because I think they speak great english.   I'm so envious of all the people  I meet that speak more than one language.  

Of course we stopped for tea in our travels... coffee and tea cafes are EVERYWHERE.  The one problem I'm having when shopping all day.... finding the restrooms (or toilet... which is the appropriate word for it here).  There are very few public toilets in Stockholm.  They are not advertised like they are in America.... AND... when you finally find one, you had better have at least 5 Kroner.  Yes, toilets are not free!  This makes for an interesting time with the boys.  There have been many times where they are about to pee their pants in a store and I'm searching through my bag for coins.  Did I mention that at restaurants the restaurants are often coed?  There's no going to the restroom with your girlfriend and chatting while you put on lipstick.   I have to share bathrooms with boys at home.... the last thing I want to do is share them with strange men!  Yuck!!!!

Wednesday, was supposed to be Abba Museum day.  Yes, I love Abba.  The Dancing Queen album was a hit in our household growing up.  Now I live in Abba country!  Our children go to the school that the Abba family attended.  There is a huge picture of them at the front entrance of the office.  Claudette's sister is visiting from D.C so Lori and I decided to tag along with them since we have never been.  The museum opened at noon and I had to be at fika with the parents of Jake's fourth grade class at 2:00.  Since 90 minutes is all that is needed in the museum, I decided I could make this work.  I volunteered in Chase's class that morning, during Orienteering.  I ran home quickly, showered, and planned to take the bus to the tram and meet the girls in front of Abba at noon.  All was going according to plan, until I jumped on the bus going the wrong way.  I have NOT mastered the buses yet.  I've learned that you need a sense of direction to master this task because you have to know which direction to take the bus.  That is my big downfall.  I was actually so confident that I took the right bus, that when I realized I was on the wrong bus, I almost started to cry.  So now, I'm further away from the museum and I had to be there in 30 minutes.   All the routes according to my phone said 45 minutes.  I called Lori to tell her I wasn't going and she suggested jumping in a cab.  Why didn't I think of that!  I was standing next to a cab stand so I jumped in with a lady driver.  Of course, my luck, she had only been driving here a few months and had never been to Abba.  Guess who had to show her how to get there?  She cut my fair in half because she felt bad.    I arrived at exactly noon and I was able to jump to the front of the line with the girls.  I was so excited as we were waiting, listening the music.  We go inside the shop, only to grab a number.  I ask Claudette why the number.... she laughs with a "you have to take a number to buy your ticket".  The swedes love a number ticket!  We were numbers 19-22.  By the time we got to the front, the first tour was sold out.  We had to wait until 12:45 for the next showing.  What does that mean for me?  I can't go in because I had fika at 2:00.  I was so sad!!!  I missed the fun!  Of course Steve won't be caught dead in an Abba museum, so I'll have to wait for my first visitor.  Hurry.... someone come visit me!!!  

I mentioned that I volunteered during Orienteering at school this week.  This was so fun and such a great way to teach kids navigation and team work.  Each grade does this a bit differently, but the general experience of the day goes like this.  The children are split into groups and given maps.  There are various locations on the map that they have to find.  The older students had a more advanced experience and their orienteering lasted the week.  The elementary students did it for a few hours.  They left the school and walked to a park where the course was already set up by the volunteers.  I experienced it with the preschool children and it was so cute!  I took some pictures of Chase reading the map with his friends and finding the animal pictures that were hanging from various tress on the course.  

Ms. Jeanna passing out the maps

Chase and his friends found the horse

Chase and I waiting for instruction

After all of this activity, one would think that a certain three year old boy would crash at the end of the day and fall asleep without any problem!  Not my little guy.  He's in bed by 7:30 and still awake at 10:00.  The boys are all sleeping in the same room.  Their bed times are staggered, so up until this point, the sleeping arrangements have not been a problem.  Now that Chase has decided to not sleep, when Smith and Jake get into bed, it's a big party.  The other night, Steve was in London, I was so tired from a long day, and the three of them are having a wrestling contest on Jake's bed.  Needless to say, I was not happy and gave them all a piece of my mind (I'm putting it kindly) which then helped them go to sleep.  This new trend is driving me crazy!  The boys have not had screen time in quite a while.... and it won't return until they learn how to go to sleep at night.  It's times like these that I miss my house!

Thursday was Chocolate Festival Day!!!  A group of us went to Stockholm’s Chokladfestivalen.  I took lots of pictures to give you the full effect.  Lakrits (licorice) is so popular here.  It's the real deal though.... not twizzlers.  True, black licorice... and I love it!  There were so many things to taste and look at.   As we walked around... this is what we saw:

dipping marshmallows in dark chocolate

 

White chocolate fountain

how about some wine tasting in the afternoon

These truffles were AMAZING!  Very unique flavors

These next three pictures are all candy!

I know I have mentioned Östermalms Saluhall in my past blogs.  This is my favorite place to shop.  The food is so unbelievably fresh and the butchers remind me of home.  It's very crowded. With the number of mini restaurants and cafes though out, many people eat here for lunch as well as shop.  There is also an amazing juice bar that sells mostly organic food and snacks.  Each time I'm inside, I realize that I need to shop here more.  It's not a direct path for me so getting here is not easy.  But... well worth it once inside.

fresh produce at Saluhall

Yesterday I bought pork chops on the bone.  They are huge and so fresh.  They also have prepared food if you're in a hurry or don't have time to cook that day.  I bought hummus that had great flavor, not garlicy at all.  I wish I had brought my cart so I could have bought more.  We went after our walk, so we bought only what we could carry home.  The walk home for me is about two miles.  I walked halfway and then jumped on the subway.  I need to find a direct bus route so I can shop here in the winter months too.

Amy, my American cafe owner/friend  is still open each day.   She hasn't sold it yet.  I love her soups.  I pick up a cup every day as we walk home from school.  She always gives the boys treats from the bakery.  Yesterday was Kanelbullens dag  here in Sweden.  These are Smith's favorite!

Throughout the city, the fresh smell of cinnamon buns was inhaled by all.  The school had them fresh and hot for all the students.  Yum!!!

Friday afternoon was "shop for warm winter coats day".  I have been shopping alone looking for the best stores to buy the boys' coats.  I settled on Lindberg, a store dedicated to warm weather clothing.  Shopping with my boys is always a challenge.  It's on top of the list of things I hate doing.... right next to cleaning bathrooms.  We did manage to find coats for Smith and Chase.   One thing positive I will say about shopping with boys, they know what they want and they don't change their minds.  I on the hand, can't make up my mind when I shop and tend to buy one of everything OR walk out the door with nothing.  :(  Everyone has been talking about Hestra gloves.  They are the warmest around and a MUST for the brutal winters here.  I still have to buy a pair for Steve an I, but I found a pair for each boy yesterday and swiped them up before they sold out.  They are quite pricey... over $50 a pair so the kids will not wear them to school.  Many of the moms I've spoken to have this same rule.   Chase got his full mask hat, which he refers to as his Super Hero mask so he's all set for winter.

We were meeting Steve at T-Centralen after work to shop in one more store and then get dinner.  Central Station, in any city, is huge and busy and here in Stockholm it's no different.  I get turned around every time I'm there.  So, the boys and I walked in circles (large circles) for about 20 minutes in the cold until I could figure out where we were meeting Steve.  They were all starving and tired so you could imagine what we looked like.

One of my goals this week was to find the tennis center.  I went running and finally found it.  The best part of this story is that I had passed the street it's on many times and never realized that was the building.  I decided to stop in and get some information in person, always easier than translating over the phone.  The man at the desk was not friendly and shoved a pamphlet in my face and told me to go to the website.  GREAT!!!  Now I'm on my own again.  I really miss tennis and I'm hoping to one day find a team.

My goal this week is to go into SATS, the gym here that I'm interested in joining and possibly teaching at.  I'm a bit intimidated to workout in a Swedish gym.  I want to take classes but I'm afraid of looking ridiculous because I won't know what anyone is saying.  I also don't know if they will want an English speaking instructor.

Random thoughts and comments:

1.  Check out the fancy garbage trucks they have here:

2.  Jake's class is studying food and healthy choices right now.  His classroom teacher and IT teacher had each student set up their own Pinterest page.  They are posting all types of food, recipes, and things related to healthy eating.  It's such a great idea!

3.  In music, the fourth grade is learning to play and sing the song, Wavin Flag by K'NAAN.  He loves when he gets to play the drums.... April, maybe he'll take after you.  :)  Needless to say, this song is permanently stuck in my head.  

4.  We (Jake) hosted our first Swedish (non English speaking) friend.  He is a brave soul to come over to our house knowing that nobody speaks Swedish.  The boys had a great time.  They always do when they're together.  Liam and Jake have had a few play outings at his house because his parents speak both languages.  My favorite part was when Liam came over with an iphone with google translate downloaded.  He actually used it a lot.  Here's a picture of the crew playing Play Station.

Jake and Steve are at Jake's soccer tournament today.  I missed it because Smith woke up with a fever and sore throat.  I'm hoping this will go away on it's own.  If not, I'm sure my next blog will be a good read after having to find a doctor and figure out how to make an appointment.......