Soaring, flying...

Do you have High School musical stuck on your brain now too?

"...there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach"

Well, that's not what I want to tell you about today. I want to tell you about my little fairy. E put her fairy wings on H earlier today and it looked really cute so I let her keep them on. They didn't seem to bother her. I had every intention to take a picture before they came off, but that didn't happen. Something else happened though. My baby went flying through the air. No, you didn't read it wrong. 

 I was sitting on the armrest of our couch, talking to my husband on the phone about something landlord related (we have an apartment available for rent btw, just thought I'd throw that out there) and just as we hung up I looked up into the playroom and saw E holding H by the armpits high up in the air. Well, holding might not be the right term here. I'm sure she was holding onto her at first and then started swinging her. But when I looked up H was in the air for two seconds, then landed on her back with a bump.  And a thump. Then came the tears and the running mamma. While picking up my crying fairy from the floor I had the stern mamma look on my face, calmly, but very firmly, telling E she better go to her room right now! 

 H calmed down as soon as I picked her up. She was ok. E on the other hand was crying in her room. I knew she didn't throw her sister up in the air to purposely hurt her so I found something to distract H with (snack food) and then headed to E's room for a talk. We sat down and I asked her what just happened. I expected to hear something along the lines with "I was swinging her and dropped her" to which I would've explained why she is under no circumstances to try to swing her ever again. I mean, c'mon, we have a 'no carry H rule'. I would think swinging her would be included in that rule. Maybe I need to specify every possible carrying situation. Anyways, that's not what E told me.

"I just wanted her to fly."

I couldn't keep it together. I started laughing so hard that even though I turned away and covered my mouth there was no hiding it. My whole body was shaking. New rule in our house. Never, ever make H fly. Never thought of that one before.

Frustrated?

I love being a mom and I love my little girls. But sometimes they (mostly the older one so far) are the reason I find myself quite frustrated. I don't like that feeling. And I definitely don't like how I respond to that feeling sometimes. Here's an article I read at least once a week to help me be more Christ like in my response.

Playground happenings

We tried a new playground today. It was an older playground but it was still nice. There was a ton of shade, but a little buggy. I definitely want to go there again. Here are a few things that happened there:

• I was pushing E on a swing and she fell off backwards. She hit the ground scraping her lower back and she bumped her head pretty bad too. Poor girl!
• E wanted to go down a slide. The boys wanted to be helpful and make her ride a really cool one so they kept adding lots of dirt all over the slide and on her feet. She wasn't too happy about that. The boys couldn't understand why. So I told them she doesn't like dirt. She's a girl. Then D said: "Only boys like dirt." =)
• We were the last ones to get to the playground today and we were also the last ones to leave. E was playing on a toy and when she got off it she said she was going to go play with her friends. Then she just stopped and looked around. Everyone was gone. She started to cry. But we played on the stage coach together and she was happy again.

These were just a few things that stood out to me today. She had her bath and is laying on the couch drinking almond milk and watching Boz now. H is sleeping but I should wake her up to feed her. First I'm going to snuggle with E for a few minutes though.
(Oh, they just prayed on the show and she prayed along with them. So precious!)

It only takes a second...

We went to Lowe's today to look at some lights for the kitchen. E was getting bored and was wandering the isle. I didn't think too much of it. She was checking out different lamps. All of a sudden we hear someone on the speaker saying "Hello!". We turn around and there, at an empty desk, is our daughter with a phone in her hand. The whole store just heard that. Big oops!

You turn your back to your child for a second and that's all it takes. Like when E was sitting on the couch holding H while eating a black twizzler. I went to get something in the kitchen and she bit off little pieces and probed them into H's mouth. She also managed to get a spoonful of toasted onions into her nouth at one point while I was busy putting the bag of said onions back in the pantry. Like I said, it only takes a second. So I don't even want to think about all the seconds that have passed while I've been blogging... (No worries, really. Max and Ruby is on.)

What's your opinion on these three things?

I have three things I've been googling a lot lately, reading reviews and trying to figure out what to get. The first thing is a high chair. We never got one for Ella. I fed her in her swing or bouncy seat until she could sit in her booster seat. This time I want a high chair, but I have no idea which one to get. I want one that is easy to clean, doesn't cost a fortune, easy to strap and easy to remove tray. Any ideas?
The next thing is a sit and stand stroller. I was hoping I wouldn't need one, but E freaks out when we put H in "her" stroller, plus I like going for walks when it's warmer out. Not sure E would walk as far and fast as I would... Still not convinced that I need one, but also not convinced that I could do without one. I found these two that I like that are compatible with our car seat. The first one is the Joovy Caboose Ultralight. The second one is the Mia Moda Compagno. (It only got 1 star on this site, but it only got rated by one person and I've seen good reviews on other sites.) The problem is I would like to try them, but they are online only items. If you have any experience with either of them let me know what you think.
The third thing is a new car seat for E. She has 3-4 more pounds left in the roundabout before she's too heavy for it. I think I like these two the best, but then again it's from reading only so I value any experience anyone has. The first one is the Sunshine Kids Monterey and the second one is Britax Monarch. I also like the Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat, especially the price, but not as much as the other two. Hopefully E won't gain too much weight too soon. I want her to be closer to 4 years old, b/c right now I feel a little uncomfortable letting her use a regular seat belt. I know that some high backs come with a 5 point harness, but they are wicked expensive and the ratings aren't as good usually.

I would really like your input on these things. Puh-leeeeease!=)

ramblings...

We're almost back on schedule now. It's still hard to stay up past 10 at night (or even 9) but 10 is a pretty good time to go to bed so maybe we should just land here.

We went to Target yesterday. I spent a little more than I thought I would, but they had so much cheap stuff so I got a bunch of fall clothes for E. I think we might be all set for this season now. They had pants and shirts for $3-5! So I guess in the end I saved b/c now I don't have to spend twice as much or more at other stores.

We went to Walmart today to pick up some art supplies for the curriculum we're starting, probably next week. I also bought a birthday or Christmas gift for E. I have been doing that all year long. Last year was so hard coming up with everything all at once, and I'm not talking money wise really, more like ideas. I also have a list where I write down any gift ideas that pop into my head.

We have a wedding to go to tomorrow. I bought a dress yesterday. It makes me look huge! But then again I'm not one of those people who get a tiny little bump when they're pregnant. Nope! I get big!!! Just ask the doctor. I gained 8 lbs in 4 weeks. She was a little concerned. I blamed it on my Sweden trip, that I was eating all my good food. But my mom told me she didn't think I ate that much. And the same thing actually happened with my last pregnancy too. All of a sudden I just started to gain a ton of weight. So I guess that's me... I get fat when pregnant. Oh, well. Nursing will take that off again I hope. It worked the last time.

We still don't have a name for the next kid. I wonder if we ever will..... Is #2 a name? I suggested several Swedish names, but C didn't like any of them. I don't think he will agree with anything that doesn't sound American. In fact he keeps clinging to this unisex name I really liked for a boy...

Naptime is almost over. I cleaned out the misc. toy drawer. Only half of those toys made it back. I hope E won't miss the rest.

Well, #2 is resting comfortably on my bladder so I have to go...

Kids-talk II

The last time I blogged about this was in June. I just found another one to share. Once again, the names are fictional... =)

Alan asks Miss Bianca...
Alan: So is your husband's name Mr Bianca?

Charles: Where is Danielle?
Emily: Her name is up there, on the board.
Charles: No, the real Danielle with the bones.

Alan is sitting on a mat. Danielle sits down on a mat next to him. Felicity comes up to me, looking very sad.
Miss Swamerican: What's wrong?
Felicity: (Points to Alan) I just love him!
(She wanted to sit next to him.)

During movie time Gilbert walks over to the the Hermit crabs, then he walks over to Holly.
Gilbert: Holly, one of the hermit crabs is moving.
Miss Swamerican: Gilbert, leave her alone, please. She's watching the movie.
Isaac: (Thiking I was talking about the hermit crabs) They can't watch movies!

Alan: Miss Swamerican, I love your heart necklace. I'm going to buy you heart earrings. And flower earrings. And a Winnie the Pooh hair tie. Won't you love that?

We had oranges for snack. Jane had mandarin oranges from home. Alan was comparing the different kinds.
Alan: What kind of oranges are these?
Miss Swamerican: Fresh oranges.
Alan: I love fresh oranges. I love the word fresh with anything we eat.

Alan is eating a snack. All of a sudden he turns to me.
Alan: Miss Swamerican, why are you so young?
(Yes, my eyes teared up.)

I got a phone call from the office. After I hung up Isaac asks...
Isaac: What did they say?
Kelvin: It's none of your business!
Isaac: Yes, it is!
Kelvin: No, it's not!
Isaac: Yes, it is!
Alan: Kids don't have businesses!!!

I was telling Gilbert that I was going to cook fish for dinner that night. Gilbert told me he did not like fish. I told him he might like mine since I cook it the way we do in Sweden.
Gilbert: No, I don't like sea creatures... or ocean creatures... or lake creatures. (pause) I don't like anything that lives in water.

The children are talking about numbers. Somebody mentions infinity and another friend says that infinity is not a number.
Isaac: Yes it is! It is one, one, one, two, two, two, three, three and three.

During circle time...
Miss Lydia: Why can't the flag touch the ground?
Matt: You would hurt America. (so cute!!!)
Danielle: No, because it will hurt you.

Nate shows me a picture he made at school of him and his girlfriend getting married.
Miss Swamerican: Are you going to buy her a diamond some day?
Nate: Yes, ha ha!
Miss Swamerican: Some day when you're working and have enough money, ha?
Nate: I almost have enough right now.
Miss Swamerican: How much money do you have?
Nate: About $45!
(Hopefully he will buy her a magnifying glass at the same time.)

I brought in a yogurt.
Alan: That makes you burn fat and lose weight! I heard that on TV.

holding an angel

Tonight made me think of when E was little, very little, and her reflux was really bad. She had to sleep in her carseat to be elevated. She slept OK in there, but she could not fall asleep there at night (in the car she would, but not in the bedroom). I guess I would have a problem falling asleep too if I was basically sitting up and not being able to move. Anyways... because of this I used to sit with her and sing to her until she fell asleep in my arms. A sleeping baby in your arms is one of the best feelings in the world! But I must say that I'm glad that the reflux is under control and that she loves her crib. As soon as we walk in to her room at night she leans towards the crib and I put her down, we pray and she goes to sleep. It's nice that she falls asleep on her own. But every once in a while we have a rough night. Usually because she's not feeling well. That was the case tonight. As soon as we walked out of her room she would cry. She would not stop and it would sound like she had trouble breathing. So I sat down with her on the couch like old times. And after awhile she fell asleep in my arms. I would not want this to be an every night thing, but I sure do enjoy having my little angel sleeping in my arms every now and then.

3 for today

1. I just finished my cardio and my ab workout. The accountability here really helps motivate me. I still haven't found my weights, but I have a feeling I won't need them for a little while. The cardio workout went a little bit better this time. I kind of got the first half of the steps down. The other half still frustrates me. But I have hope...
2. I got my allergy shots again. E plays so well there. I got to read a magazine. And I found a couple of neat things. The first one was about teaching your children to eat right using the "helpful hand method". Make a fist... this is the amount of carbohydrates you should eat. Spread your fingers out. This span shows you how much fruit and veggies you should eat. (You are allowed to eat more.) Look at your palm. This is your protein portion. Finally make an OK sign with your thumb and pointer finger. This is your fat limit. Pretty cool!
3. The other thing I read was a funny thing to do with your phone number... First step is to multiply the first 3 numbers (not your area code) with 80. Add 1. Multiply with 250. Add the last 4 digits of your number (as a four digit number). Add them again. Take away 250. Divide by 2. What do you get? Also pretty cool. At least if you enjoy math as much as I do.

That was my 3 for today.

a new night time habit?

So for about a week now this has been our night time schedule:

• regular bed time routine
• put E down
• everything's ok for a couple of minutes
• E whines to let us know she has a wet diaper

This means we go through two night diapers every night. What do I do? Do I put her in a regular diaper first and chance her falling asleep and leaking through, or do I keep wasting an expensive night diaper?

babyfree night update

So we hired a babysitter last night for the first time. When we picked her up E would not even look at her. But by the time we got home she emptied out a whole drawer in the kitchen and handed all the items to her one at a time. (And then, being such a good girl she put it all back.)

She didn't cry at all when we left. The only time she cried was when she went to bed. She cried for 5-10 minutes and the she was fine. So she had a pretty good night I would say. Thank again, S! (She was clingier than usual this morning, but that's understandable.)

So how did I do? Did I call every 5 minutes to make sure she was ok? Well, I meant to call after her bedtime to see how things went, but I had so much fun that I forgot all about that. My first time and I didn't make a single phone call.

For the very first time, well, kind of

The only one that has ever babysat E is my mom. (Well, my father-in-law has watched her a few times in various waiting rooms, but I'm in the same building so that doesn't really count.) But we actually hired a babysitter for tonight. I'm so excited. And a little nervous, I have to admit. I have total confidence in S, but E doesn't know her so I might have to leave my house hearing a crying toddler. I'm sure she will calm down shortly after we leave if that is the case. I guess I'm just nervous b/c this is as new to me as it is to E. I'll let you know how we both do.

Oh, I just got Clicky. It's at the bottom of this page. They told me to let you all know. So now you do.

You're not old enough

E gets into my makeup box EVERY day. She brushes her hair with my makeup brushes, tries to unscrew the lids on the eye shadow, "sponges" her face etc. All in front of a mirror that happens to stand on the floor. This morning, as I was trying to get ready, she climbed up on the toilet seat to get to the makeup again (I have to get a shelf for it soon) and I decided that I had enough. So I moved the box to the kitchen table. Like that would stop her! She climbs up on a chair and continues up on the table. So I move the box again, to our bed. And I walk back into the bathroom to brush my hair. But something isn't right. It is way to quiet. I run in to the bedroom and E is sitting on the bed with lipstick all over her face, the pj's, the comforter... you name it. (Pictures to come soon on FB and MS)

Chewing gum yesterday, makeup today... Girl, you have to wait until you're a little bit older.

3 things on my mind

1. I want to start with commenting back. B commented on my last blog and I was going to send a comment back, but I might as well do it here since I have a few things on my mind. So here's my comment back... No, I'm not dieting! I don't have that kind of self control. I'm just trying to get away from the daily chips diet. As far as my shape, well, thanks, but I'm not in great shape. I can really feel how out of shape I am. I have not worked out (routinely) since... well, I can't even remember.
2. The next thing I want to do is sum up a conversation C and A had earlier today. It's funny how some (many) Hollywood celebrities tell us that we shouldn't vote for McCain b/c of the whole gun thing. If they are so against guns they shouldn't use them in their movies! I would definitely vote for McCain if I could vote. If you can vote you should!
3. Last but not least I have some prayer requests...

• Pray for E's friend M who has 2nd degree burn on his hand.
• Pray for E's friend A who lost a tooth after falling down some stairs (you can read more on her mom's blog - bootcampchallengebrook - see link to the right).
• Continue to pray for my mom's recovery. Thanks for all your prayers. I told her about all the people praying for her and she was moved and said she could feel it.
• My brother D is moving to Norway. Pray for him and for my mom b/c this is 2 of 3 kids that leave the country.
• We still have a lot to do at our house and winter is getting closer. We just need prayers about staying calm, not freaking out and continue to trust in God.
  

3 wonderful things

Today we celebrated our second 6 years anniversary. Not many people can say that, ha ha! I didn't have to cook at all today. After church we had lunch with the M's at Red Robin. I had a chicken tortilla soup with a matching salad. Yummy! For dinner dad took us to Outback where I had salmon and steamed veggies, and lots of bread! And ice-cream with toasted coconut and homemade chocolate sauce. Delicious! But I have one question... How come steamed veggies always come well buttered? It defeats the purpose.

This wasn't really what I was suppose to write about, although it was wonderful. I was giving E her bath when I thought of something worth sharing. If you know me you know that I have very sensitive skin and eczema. And if you know E you know that she gets all those things from us that we didn't want her to get (like eczema and asthma). So we've tried our fair share of skin products and here's my top 3... (not in any particular order and not including the prescribed ointment we need when things get really bad)

1. Eucerin - of course. I should get paid by them since I recommend them so much. I actually import some of their products that are not sold here (shampoo and shower oil). We use the "plus intensive repair"-lotion. It takes a little while to soak into the skin, but it works wonders. Their hand lotion is another great thing. Aquaphor has to be mentioned here too since it's a Eucerin product.
   
2. Mustela - sold at Babies R Us, a pretty pricey product, but it lasts a long time. Their newborn foam shampoo is great. E never had cradle cap! She now uses their regular baby shampoo - also great. Since we have eczema we use their Stelatopia line. It's for eczema-prone skin. Awesome! I actually use E's body wash and lotion for my face. Great stuff!
3. Tripple paste. E had the worst diaper rash when she was little. Nothing worked. I had to take her to the doctors twice. It was awful. But doctor G recommended tripple paste and it took care of it right away. Also a little pricey, but I'm willing to pay for products that actually works.

Well, that was it. My 3 wonderful products. Time to pay attention to the movie - 27 dresses. It's cute. And my wonderful hubby bought it for me. Love him!

garage sale

Today was the city wide garage sale here in M. It was a rainy day so I don't know if I would call the 5 or so places we found city wide. But we still managed to find a couple of things for E. One of them was a sit and spin for $2. I didn't know exactly how it worked and when I asked I got this question for an answer: "Don't you remember sitting and spinning on one of these when you grew up?" Hmmm... I didn't know that the sit and spin have been around for that long. I saw my first one about a year ago and thought, hm pretty cool, new toy. So I explained to the lady that I didn't grow up in this country. I guess my accent wasn't too obvious today. (Eller så var hon bara så typiskt amerikansk att hon tog för givet att resten av världen fungerar precis som den gör här - en ganska vanlig amerikansk föreställning, vanligare än du kan tänka dig.) Sorry, if you didn't understand that. I didn't want to offend you b/c I didn't mean anything bad, but the written word lacks a tone of voice that makes it very easy to misinterpret.

My husband worked around the house today and got alot accomplished. He did a great job, especially with the roman shades. They came out great! Now it's movie, pop corn and snuggle time...

how rude

I got my allergy shots today again. E likes to play in their play area. But when we got there today there were two other girls already playing so at first she was a little shy. That didn't last very long though and she went over to play. That's when the youngest girl started to yell NO to E every time she tried to touch anything. She was rude the entire time. E tried to share things with her and she would slap the things out of E's hand. And what did her mother do? She just continued to read her magazine. How rude! It breaks my heart when other kids are mean to her. I did give the little girl some killer looks (a little childish of me perhaps, but it felt pretty good to be a little mean back to the one who hurt my little girl).

precious moments (and some others too)

Today I have watched my daughter...
*go on rides
*dance to the Wiggles
*fall backwards b/c she was sitting on a stool (I caught her just in time)
*smile
*have fun in the pool
*hold hands with her cousin
*have some (but not many) temper tantrums (mostly when she didn't want to get back into her stroller)
*being kicked in the head by some big girls (but she didn't cry)
*being very excited
*laugh
*fall asleep in her stroller
*explore
*fall in the water without being scared
*have tons of fun
*being the cutest little girl ever
*being totally happy by the end of the day when we got home and she got to see her daddy

namntjuvar

Så jag skriver på svenska eftersom jag behöver skriva av mig, men inte vill att alla ska kunna läsa. En av mina kompisar här (eller bekanta stämmer nog in bättre) har precis fått en liten pojke. Hon har, som de flesta amerikanare, vetat om att det skulle bli en pojke sen hon var ca 18 veckor gravid. Men hon och hennes man har inte velat tala om vad han ska heta, utan det skulle de vänta med att tala om tills han var född. Idag när jag kollade mina email så såg jag att där var ett från hennes man och jag förstod genast vad det handlade om. Mycket riktigt. Han emailade för att tala om att deras lille (eller faktiskt ganka stora) pojke hade anlänt och att hans namn var... Neeeeej! skrek jag när jag läste det. De hade valt samma namn som jag har velat använda om vi någonsin får en liten pojke. Jag var fjorton år när jag valde det och har fortfarande inte ändrat mig. Fy, vad besviken jag blev. Hmmm, jag hoppas att de inte har något emot att deras son kanske inte blir den enda med det namnet för jag vet inte om jag kan ändra mig. Det är faktiskt ganska svårt att hitta namn som passar på både engelska och svenska. Jag hade ett annat pojknamn, men det kan jag inte använda här i USA för då kommer de andra barnen garanterat att reta honom. C förstod min besvikelse och försökte trösta mig med att vi kanske inte behövde komma på några pojknamn. Hmm. Inte mycket till tröst, men det var ett sött försök. Jag har nog redan valt ett annat flicknamn om det skulle behövas, men jag är fortfarande lite besviken över att de "stal" "mitt" namn.

Lost and found

We just got back from an unnecessary appointment at the allergist. They couldn't test E today b/c she had Benadryl yesterday morning. Which I told them yesterday when we set up the appointment. So I had to schedule another one and still pay for my little chat with the doctor today of course. Grrr! (No, I'm not a tiger or any other wild cat. I'm still trying to figure out what letters to write when I'm frustrated.)

On our way home from the doctor's I realized that Teddy was missing. I call the office and they look for it and tell me it's not there. So I stop the car to search for this pink, little blanket with a teddy head on top. I can't find it. E likes to snuggle with her Teddy before she falls asleep and this particular Teddy isn't made anymore. Of course I can by a new one... on ebay for $40. I head back to the doctor's office and walk over to the play area, open up a cabinet in the little kitchen and there is Teddy, packed away so nicely by my 19 month old. Yay!!!

It's now passed E's naptime by an hour and we head back home. She falls asleep in her car seat and I can't wake her up. She's out. 2 minutes later I pull into our car port and she wakes up. Ok, I think. She only slept for 2 minutes. She'll go back down again. Yeah, right. I can hear her talking in her crib. Or whining. Hrmm! (No, that's not the letters I'm looking for either.)


Ok, I just got to say this... My life isn't half as bad as it might sound here. It's just that it's the frustrating things in life that I try to get rid of by blogging. That way I don't have to bother anyone with my negative thoughts. I get it off my chest anyways. Besides... we found Teddy. That's a happy thing!