To just be...
Cuckoo!
Sunshine, ocean, beach, food, boat, seasickness, beauty, sand and waves.
Pool, lazy days, sandals, ice cream, mosquitos, melon, sunburn, walks and barbecue.
Smiles, warmth, conversations, reading, bonding, surfing, butterflies and exploring.
All the above words are just another way to say that we are so enjoying, so love it and so having a beautiful time!
Due to the bad internet I'm forced to disconnect from cyber world and I must say it puts an extra level of relaxation to our time here:)
It is so good to just be...
Tjingeling
Landed...
Cuckoo!
Here!!!
And as I feared the internet is not what I was hoping for...
Have a lot of pictures that just won't download especially on my little birthday girl.
But I'll share when wifi and I are friends again.
Approaching the island...
Our pool above the cliffs...
On their way down from the pool.
Yup, that's all the photos Ive got so far so be prepared on a photobombing later...
Even though I'm lacking pictures I'm not lacking the lifegiving sun, the endless sea, wonderful food and beautiful company.
Life is good:)
To be continued...
King Winter came to visit...
Cuckoo!
Today King Winter decided to greet us again, just like that.
From warm spring days to a world wrapped in white.
Even though I love spring I'm easily charmed by the white beauty.
A wonderful but ironic ending of the week leading into our spring break...
Happy Friday !
Tjingeling
Playa bowl passion.
Cuckoo!
My older daughter has a new food passion.
Luckily the object of her love is located not far from us...
Playa bowls is apparently serving the most delicious Acai, dragon fruit, green, oatmeal and coconut bowls a teenage girl can wish for:)
Accoding to the restaurant itself they offer "bright bowls mixed with adventurous combinations of unique fruit" and that really seems to be a winning concept.
The place was packed with young adults and teenagers eating organic and healthy alternatives to all the fast food chains.
A mom's ( mine) heart took a happy jump seeing that so many humans of our future made this better choice.
And when picky little sister swallowed everything with a satisfied smacking I sent a thankful thought to the owner who decided to leave the beach for Montclair:)
Tjingeling
Elvis...
Cuckoo!
Today I'm dedicating my post to my furry family member Elvis.
So much lojalty, love and laugh in one packet.
For five month he has been part of our daily life and definitely put a silverlining on the very same.
No matter in what position I catch him but the urgent need of just burying my nose in his fur or cuddling him like there would be no tomorrow immediately strikes me.
He is just adding to my life quality.
Tjingeling
Bella the star!
Cuckoo!
Yesterday our first gymnastic meet took place.
Weeks of preparations and determination culminated in those hours in that hall.
One hour car ride one way, four hours competition and five medals later Bella decided that this was definitely something she could think of doing again...
With her tounge helping her to stay focused she mastered the floor, beam, bars and the vault and she loved it.
She was so nervous in the beginning I thought she would cancel everything but she kept together and made herself and her parents extremely proud.
We were not allowed to go close on some of her routines so no pictures but we have everything saved in our hearts:)
This little package of joy!
How lucky are we not?
Tjingeling
Another day in the city...
Cuckoo!
The bubble has bursted.
My few days in the concrete jungle is over but safely stored in my heart.
I never get tired of this city and it is always offering new experiences and new angles.
Friendship, tea, art, scenery, walks, smiles, fun and love are the words that summon up the days in the big apple.
I feel spoiled and extremely grateful that life allows me to enter a different world now and then...
And to be in the company of a beautiful friend just puts an extra silverlining on life:)
Tjingeling
New Yorking...
Cuckoo!
Just checking in to give you a brief update of my doings:)
Escaped the everyday life for a visit to another world.
The one in the big city.
As always we are able to squeeze in jumping, "Central parking", photographing, laughing, walking, cabbing, hairdoing, art exhibitioning, "Time squaring" and dining.
And on top of everything we sprinkle some love:)
Tjingeling
Flowers, friend and fun
Cuckoo!
The days are passing too fast!
I do not find any time to write either so just giving you a brief update.
The new week started off with new flowers, a new beautiful visitor and new energy.
Despite being busy with family duties we found time for kids, art and tea drinking...
A lot of laughing, some cleaning, admiring of arts, lots of talking and listening, eating, picking up and dropping off kids, hugging, dog petting, thunder storming and love.
All of the experiences sewn together like patchwork creating this beautiful blanket of friendship.
Grateful, yes!!!
Tjingeling
Days of sisterhood
Cuckoo!
A couple of days filled with sisters, laughter and sightseeing have come to an end.
Short and intense, fast and furious but packed with love, togerherness and sisterhood.
Love love love to have my family here.
Sunshine, skyline, a few of New York's landmarks, favorite mall and shops, jumps and some other "musts" were ticked off.
Everything was tied together through that wonderful feeling of safety and comfort you only get with people that knows each other very well and loves you for the very same reason.
Days that definitely went straight into that memory bank I always carry around in my heart:)
Thank you sisters!
You really made my days:)
Tjingeling
Sisters visit...
Cuckoo!
At the moment I'm busy enjoying the company of two of my sisters! ( Malin you are missed)
We talk, we laugh and we hug.
We walk, we eat and we giggle.
We go both for walks in the forest and in the concrete jungle.
We listen, catch up and make plans.
We dream, give advices and understand.
I feel so grateful being together, being close and being sisters!
Tjingeling
My other half...
Cuckoo!
I just feel I have to share for a moment my other half with all of you.
He is not that tall but there is definitely room for a big heart.
He compensates me and makes me a fuller human being.
He encourages if I hesitate.
He pulls me up if I'm down and he also pulls me down if I'm flying too high...
If I feel i have failed he gives me perspective.
If I feel ugly he says I'm pretty...
He gives me flowers, he gives me jewelry
He gives me attention and he gives me loyalty
When I'm tired he is keeping my flame alive
When I am falling apart he is building me up
Where I am confused ( almost always) he is sorting out
If I'm talking he is listening
Where I am a coward he is the tough guy
When I'm dancing he is playing the music
When I feel lonely he is reminding me that I at least have him...
Love is beautiful!
Tjingeling
The pool story continues...
Cuckoo!
This is our pool situation at the moment!
They finished covering the area around the pool with tiles, finished the steps down from the patio and has moved the excavator a few yards, which in my world means they used it for something...
I must say I really like how it's coming together.
I love how the stairs turned out.
How the puzzle finally does not have any missing pieces...
To be continued...
tjingeling
Fun in the forest
Cuckoo!
This weekend offered sunshine, warmth, wonderful walks in the forest and as always some sister fighting.
These days have been so warm and almost hopeful despite some mental clouds.
All the snow is almost gone and I could hear the sound of buds bursting, at least in my mind:)
A slow pace all through while Bella was recovering from her virus attack.
House has been full of the older kids friends which brought some uplifting energy to the otherwise quiet days.
I'm so happy for that little piece of forest we got just around the corner from our house.
It offers trails, brooks, cliffs and freedom and is just perfect for both dog and kids to get some energy out.
A few moments of ventilations of thoughts normally fits in too...
One can almost say we get both therapy, leg works and some fun at the same time.
That is quality time at its best:)
Tjingeling
Fourth time's the charm
Cuckoo!
Today was love day and what is more suitable than celebrating it with my dear other half:)
A restaurant in the city we had tried to get into three times before was booked so this time we did not want traffic or carsickness to stop us. And we made it!!!
Did not want to miss this reservation again so climbed up the stairs with the long leg first:)
'I almost never do selfies but here it happened!
A mirror selfie in the ladies room.
Akward...
Swedish rye bread on a heart plate!
So much love.
As always a visit to the big city makes my blood run a little faster in my body and it just added to the wonderful lunch experience.
Like a cherry on top...
Loved my day this love day!
Tjingeling
Max the pilot
Cuckoo!
Max sent me pictures the other day from a flight to Sweden we did 6 years ago, and asked me if I remembered.
Do I remember?!
Is there sand in the desert?!
One of the previous flights we did before this one was a terrible experience for us with wild turbulence and screaming stewardesses crawling on the floor while the bar cart went up in the air.
So when this flight ,mentioned by Max, started to feel a little shaky I called the flight attendant to get some external help to get Max calm down...
'The stewardess arrived and just told us to wait a minute and disappeard.
A minute later she came back with the captain.
He then invited Max to the cockpit ( without mom).
An hour later Max returned, full of confident and "know how" and with a smile from ear to ear.
Ever since, whenever he is riding a dancing plane, he digs out from his memory bank what he learnt during his experience in the cockpit and happily distributes his knowledge to the rest of us shaky family members.
That pilot will forever have a safe place in my heart.
That pilot's uniform hat will forever remind Max of what tremendous impact a nice talk "man-to-man" can have.
Tjingeling
Choose happiness!
Cuckoo!
Yup, sometimes I have to remind myself I actually have a choice.
I do believe in feeling connected with my "dark" side now and then and experience sadness, feeling low and depressed or just "out of order".
I also believe that I can steer my mind in a certain direction.
It is of course so many reasons why one would feel all of the above but for now I'm only talking about me and my general moodswing caused by life.
So i allow myself to feel sad but only for a short period of time.
After that I start trying to find something positive to cling on to. Wheather it's the sun, soft daughter arms wrapped around my neck or the fact that I'm healthy, it really is what my mind, at that very moment, feels appealed to...
If I can't find something to feel happy about I just wait and rest in the thought that something will occur that I can use to change my mood.
To be honest only that last thought is kind of positive and is sometimes enough to make me choose to feel happier.
Ok, that was my Friday wisdom and it might not make any sense for some but...
I am so happy I actually have the choice to be happy!
You have too!
Tjingeling
Candle, tea and pillows
Cuckoo!
In Stockholm we did not go for big shopping at all.
Candy, tea and a visit to the next door interior design shop was inevitable though...
Mostly it was all about dreaming but a few things did cross the "pond" with me:)
Pillows, scented candles and tea ( actually from the hotel) plus a trivet in gold metal are in this very moment putting a very superficial silver lining to my life.
Sometimes things are better than nothing...
So the plan is to rest my tired head on that pillow while having a cup of tea surrounded by a fragrant sensation of wellbeing.
Yup, that's the plan!
Its kind of a good plan for a tuesdsy night:)
Tjingeling
We did it!
Cuckoo!
Congratulations to the most angel like eyeservant one can find for graduating the basic skill class!
He has done all new tricks in excellent manners ( at least at school) and easily became the "show dog" in the class.
So the question is where all those obedience skills go while at home?
The special day called for flowers and a flag.
I'm so frickin proud of my fluff ball, despite him being "imperfect".
The eagerness and the want-to-please mentality easily make up for any sudden change in behavior ( especially when being distracted) and make me forgive him in a blink of a second.
Im well aware of that part of the success came from the pockets in the trainers pants in the form of tasty treats so I'm definitely going to hold on to that winning concept as long as needed.
Next step will be the "advanced" level and according to the trainer Elvis is more than ready for it.
'Hopefully I will be too...
Tjingeling
Good bye Stockholm...
Cuckoo!
So our time here in Stockholm is over.
Tomorrow we are going back to sick kids leaving this bubble behind.
Im filled with love from friends.
Some I have not seen in years, some are new but all of them so beautiful and I feel so grateful our roads have crossed and I got to experience them.
Then I of course one of the highlights was seeing a couple of my sisters.
'Do I need to say my visit here felt fulfilled?!
So much fun, so many laughs and so much sisterly togetherness...
I am grateful!
For my beautiful friends, for my sisters ( one was missing) and for life!
Tjingeling
