Showtime!
Cuckoo!
Not only was it Max birthday yesterday but it was also Bella's show day!
She participated in two numbers and she made her parents burst of pride.
I honestly think she brought stardom to that stage...
I know that every parent thought their own child was the most beautiful, amazing, skilled and shining star but yet I believe my daughter was a little bit more than everyone else...;)
A little bit more shining, more together, more performing...
Just more of a star.
It must be in her genes:)
Tjingeling
Hipp hop hooray!
Cuckoo!
Today is a big day here in Cancun!
Today my youngest son is turning 17!
My beautiful, softhearted, messy and kind son is growing up...
This poor child has totally given up the idea of having a "normal" birthday at home since we almost always are traveling during his big day.
But instead my son is embracing it and thinks it is kind of cool to be able to celebrate in different places around the world.
I hope he feels how loved he is, how proud I am to be his mom and how happy he makes me just being who he is.
I hope he knows how many good qualities he owns, how many doors ( both to hearts and future) that are waiting for him to unlock and that his happy-go -lucky attitude always will be accompanied by good energy..
Otherwise I will tell him.
Again!
Love him to the moon and back!
Hipp hop hooray for Max today!
Tjingeling
Same same but different day...
Cuckoo!
Are we having a good time?
Is there sand in the desert?
This seemed to be what we all needed...
Even the wifi is apparently taking some time off but that is just accordingly to the pace here:)
We eat, we sleep, we walk and we talk.
We sweat, we swim, we sport and we spa together.
We explore, take pictures, hug each other and laugh...
We are definitely on the road of reconnection.
Yup, what more could I have asked for?!
Feeling grateful...
Tjingeling
Hmmmm, what can we do today...
Cuckoo!
Its funny how easily you adapt to a new pace.
The only thing that would make me rush is if the restaurants are about to close...
Luckily this would not happen here since every need is covered and they have like back up restaurants if one is closed.
So in this slow pace we decided to start exploring what the hotel offered.
It was not too much of an effort to walk from A to B but still enough.
'We don't want to tire out ourselves.
And then add the effort of deciding and making a choice of what watersport to do...
Phew, that was just about what we managed yesterday:)
Today is another blank day.
Can't wait to fill it again with warmth, sunshine and togetherness!
Tjingeling
Hola!
Cuckoo!
We are here!
Yesterday we arrived to the sun, the warmth and the upcoming relaxing days.
Knowing that it was going to be brutally cold and a snowdump back home it felt even better :)
Excited, grateful but very tired we only managed to drag ourselves from the restaurant, to the beach and back to the food.
At 9 pm I crashed in my bed.
We are missing one child and one dog but not even that will stop us from indulging in whatever sport activities, desserts and virgin pinacoladas they offer.
Today is a blank day and I can not wait to fill it with everything but "musts".
Tjingeling
Vanity fair...
Cuckoo!
Since I a couple of years ago had to realize my own eyes were not enough in reading situations I started to buy my reading glasses at the supermarket.
Cheap, fun design and very functional and they have worked well ever since.
My "hubby" needed more advanced glasses though so I went with him to the eye doctor and got persuaded into buying a pair of extremely expensive and fancy prescription glasses.
The funny thing is I can't see anything with them!
I get nausea, dizzy and everything looks foggy and kind of round around me.
The doctor said I will get use to them eventually but I don't even know if I'm willing to go on that journey.
I do like to look at the world through a soft lens but risking to throw up doing that does not seem tempting.
But now I actually have both a pair that looks good on the table and one pair that I can look through...
Vanity fair...
I think I'll stick to the supermarket "fair" :)
Lol!!!
Tjingeling
Let it snow...
Cuckoo!
Today it snowed a little.
Just very little but enough to create winter feeling and Christmas spirit.
I have kind of secretly been wishing for the world to be wrapped in a soft white blanket, that did not happen yet but at least we got a slight color difference on the ground:)
'It's funny how some flurries can achieve such change in my at the moment dark mood.
I immediately looked at life with brighter eyes and broader smile.
Like when the first mild wind caress your cheek in the spring or the first smile from a baby or when you find an extra bar of chocolate when you thought everything was gone...
Yup, even for just that hour it snowed it kick started something positive in me.
Sometimes it's just that easy:)
Tjingeling
Women, wine and gingerbread houses
Cuckoo!
Yesterday I was invited to a gingerbread house making and cocktail party.
It was such a wonderful idea that really boosted the creativity, the reason to giggle and the Christmas feeling.
The mom who hosted it had spent weeks of baking, cutting out and putting the houses together in preparation for this evening.
Tonnes of candy arranged in colors were displayed on tables and just waiting for us to dig into and start decorating the houses.
Drinks, candy and creativity filled the tables while laughs and Christmas songs filled the air.
Women, wine and gingerbreadhouses!
What a wonderful way to spend a Thursday night!
Tjingeling
My wintery flower arrangements
Cuckoo!
Ok, so the Christmas spirit has finally arrived to the creative side of mine.
Change of pillow covers, flower arrangements and small groups of Christmas decorations here and there together with christmas lights in the windows, appropriate music for the season and a visit to ikea for some Swedish Christmas food and the right ambience will soon have been taking over in the house.
Are just throwing in a little teaser of some of my flower arrangements before showing more of my Christmas decoration:)
I combined pine tree, eucalyptus, peonies and other unknown ( to me) fillers to make a more wintery bouquet and I must say I was very happy with the result.
So now I have beautiful spots in the house that is not only filled with christmas spirit and winterfeelings but also loaded with energy lifters, love and childish expectations.
Only waiting for the Christmas tree to arrive to kind of fulfill the spirit.
And the snow of course…
Tjingeling
Here we go again...
Cuckoo!
Here we go again!
I'm taking another course to enrich, fulfill and complete my "career".
This time it is about home staging and redesign which I thought would be a good marriage to my feng shui.
The rain just poured down today so there was no excuse for not digging in to all that material.
And it's a lot.
Not even the search for Christmas inspiration blocked that door to my future...
I kind of already know about the interior part but this course also teach me how to start my own business.
And of that I have absolutely no idea, I'm so lost it's a joke.
But, I'm slowly digesting all the information, advices and tips so hopefully when I'm done I will feel confident, strong and ready to "conquer the world"… :)
Or at least conquer my closest friends, who hopefully will be willing to show some mercy, and let me play around a little in their homes to get my business starting.
Yup, a cup of tea, a lit candle, the sound of falling raindrops and some studying.
There was my Tuesday in a nutshell:)
Tjingeling
Some swedish Christmas ideas...
Cuckoo!
Since I'm lacking inspiration of how to decorate my home now for Christmas I browsed the Swedish "market".
Im leaning towards a simple and natural way of creating that spirit that I only seem to find in the Scandinavian countries.
( picture from Elle decoration)
Love that just a branch, some greens and sheep skin can create enough coziness to make me want to stay ( i would add a hot chocolate with whipped creme in my hand though) a little longer in that environment.
Although I think this style is a better fit for my summerhouse I still think I can borrow some ideas from this home.
And ta-da, in this very moment some inspiration was born:)
The Christmas decoration story will continue...
First of advent...
Cuckoo!
A week of holiday for the kids is over.
Friends, family, food and fun has been mixed with arguing, walks, disappointments and pride.
A little late I started with my Christmas decoration so I only managed to make one advent candleholder.
Started to also work on my sideboard in the kitchen trying to make a table of joy.
Lacking a little bit of inspiration but I'm sure it will hit me anytime soon...
Just randomly put things on the sideboard to try some ideas.
Will see what comes out...
This week the rest of the decoration will also find it's place in my house.
The Christmas lights for the windows, the pinetree garlands, more candles, Christmas music and some baking are on the list to kickstart the feeling.
Meanwhile I will light the first candle in the adventcandleholder and enjoy the beauty of the flame and hope it will sparkle not only inspiration but also energy for my mind to "clear it's clutter".
Tjingeling
Grateful...
Cuckoo!
Yesterday I was grateful!
Grateful for my family, for my beautiful friends, for the sun, the seasons, the birds, my house and all new experiences.
I was grateful for the laughs, my bed, my car, the trees, all new things I learn and my cup of tea.
Grateful for a fireplace a cold day, the cool breeze a warm day, my health, the food and my chocolate.
I was grateful for togetherness, for love, for supporting each other and for having my grey roots covered.
Grateful for the girls making an apple pie for yesterday's feast, and for my neighbour inviting us to our first american turkey dinner.
I was grateful for friendship, for new friends to make, for my purple nailpolish and for clean clothes.
Grateful for everyday, for a good book, for routines and the spontaneous.
Yup I was grateful for just about everything.
And today I'm still grateful:)
Tjingeling
The pool again...
Cuckoo!
So now the pool is in its place!
One still need a big portion of imagination to picture how it will look in the future but luckily I don't have any problems with that:)
Lights, patio, stairs and more will be added and of course the non existent lawn will be properly landscaped.
A couple of nice sun chairs, umbrellas and small tables have to be included in the picture.
Then we are only waiting for the sun, the warmth and the kids joyful play in the water and we will hopefully be able to call it picture perfect:)
For now it's my dog's paradise.
Mud, dirt and new openings everywhere...
Im so happy every stage in this process is being appreciated at least by someone:)
Tjingeling
It's going to be a good week!
Cuckoo!
Family is reunited!
My oldest is back from college and we have the pleasure of having him (and his girlfriend of four years) around for a whole week.
Hugs, hikes and heartwarming moments are added extra to the daily schedule:)
The family dynamic is back to what it used to be.
The fridge is filled with the kind of food my son used to ask for.
Bella gets her quality time as it used to be.
The older ones get their dose of teasing, just like it used to be.
It is going to be a good week!!!
Tjingeling
"The sad story at Colorado college".
Cuckoo!
A little while ago Bella's grade had their writing celebration.
They had been writing on a "small moment story" and now was the time to share that with their parents.
Little did I know I was in for a tear filled road down memory lane...
She had written about when we dropped her big brother off at college, the candle ceremony and the farewell hugs and tears.
She wrote about her feelings at that moment and how she wondered how she would be able to live without her beloved big brother...
Even the teacher said she got a lump in her throat reading it.
Bella had really managed to capture those moments in her text in a very touching way.
Luckily I was able to press my lump in my throat further down with a bagel...like the food became some sort of bandage on my feelings.
I was so impressed with her story, her thoughts and her detailed emotional journey on those papers.
The good thing is that those sad feelings we felt back then will tonight change in to happy feelings since Alex is coming home for a week.
Maybe Bella will get new material after this week to create another emotional story!
We shall see!
Tjingeling
Instant love
Cuckoo!
In a previous blogpost about creating a better world I suggested to increase the love dose for each other.
I meant between human beings but I actually want to include the pet in that lovestory...
It is unbeliaveble how easily and quick a heart can be filled of that special love one only can feel for a dog.
That instant and powerful feeling took me by surprise although I welcomed it.
For six weeks now he has contributed to the family dynamic, to the happiness and to the activity level.
To always be greeted with so much love whenever I've been gone , even if I only been out with the trashbin, really makes my heart warm and smiley.
That look of connection he gives me now and then to check where I am makes me also feel I'm never lonely anymore.
Yup, puppy love can definitely be part of that love storm I suggested to make people kind, caring and understanding.
I can prove it:)
Tjingeling
The pool story continues...
Cuckoo!
Our frontyard looks kind of funny at the moment!
With some imagination one could easily think of the ark of Noah, waiting for everyone to board before the big wave...
Our pool, misplaced between the trees like it was dropped from above, definitely caught some attention today.
It blends in perfectly well with the fall colors though and makes our garden look happy:)
The tempting deep blue inside got the kids start dreaming of a cool and refreshing dip on a hot summer day so I guess as soon it is placed in its hole at the other side of the house the dream will have come just a little bit closer to reality.
But for now we have a hole in the backyard and a bathtub in the front yard.
'We are in for an interersting continuation...
Tjingeling
Dancing light
Cuckoo!
I'm continuing on the grateful theme...
I just love to watch the morning light dancing in my rooms.
'It gives me such beautiful start of the day.
Bella even felt the need of creating her own personal tanning hut just to be able to enjoy the light in full:)
And despite dirty windows, signs of everyday chaos and present cleaning equipment the life-giving light was able to pass on its message that it will be a bright and positive day.
Let it shine!
Tjingeling
Fur, forest and favorites
Cuckoo!
Sometimes I get struck by the big gratefulness!
So grateful for family, friends, the sun, the season, health, a smile, a cup of tea and life.
Just walking in the forest with the two youngest in my family gives me so much satisfaction that I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.
To walk, jump, crawl, learning about directions and how to read trail signs, run, climb and laugh seem to be a perfect activity on the weekend that not only is giving us fresh air but also a beautiful experience, wonderful memories and many smiles.
Fur, forest and favorites sprinkled with sunshine...
Grateful!!!
Tjingeling
