In the last couple of days I’ve taken to making vanilla Cokes with flavored coffee syrup and already it’s gotten out of hand. Since yesterday morning we’ve gone through nearly an entire half-liter bottle of the syrup. When I bought the bottle on Friday I expected that it would last a couple of weeks or… Read More A bit about beverages

We had our second appointment with the midwife this morning. It was more or less uneventful, which is probably a good thing. We got to hear the heartbeat for the first time, which is always nice (although somewhat less dramatic after already seeing the ultrasound). I’m right about halfway through the pregnancy now–we have three… Read More Thursday

Have I mentioned that I hate winter? I have? Really? Hmmm …. guess I’ll have to come up with something else to write about. Seriously, though, it was a cold bitch out there today (-15°C/5°F) and instead of being home in front of a crackling fire with a big mug of tea warming my hands,… Read More Frigid

Last night I had the worst night’s sleep I can remember having in a long time. Really, it’s inaccurate even to call it “sleep” — rather, it was hours upon hours of tossing and turning, broken up by intermittent catnaps. Making it worse, Tage had fallen asleep at eight o’clock in the evening and stayed… Read More Monday

I am struck lately by a bone-deep homesickness. After more than four years living abroad, the missing of family and friends is familiar to me, as is the occasional longing for a Hershey’s bar with almonds or a plate of Chili’s Southwestern Egg Rolls, but this recent longing for home is something quite different. It… Read More Show me the way to go home …

Just now Tage was sitting at the table having a snack and he started telling me that he wanted to eat. “What?” I asked. “You are eating.” “No,” he said. “Not eating. I working.”

Today’s visit to the orthopedist was sort of a “good news/bad news” kind of affair. The “good news” is that he confirmed my family doctor’s opinion that it’s nothing serious (that is, nothing potentially crippling or requiring surgery). He gave a tentative diagnosis of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, or “Runner’s Knee.” He said he’s pretty sure… Read More Tuesday

A couple of days ago Lydia invited her friend Sandra to come over today to bake and have a little Valentine’s Day party. When Sandra got here just before eleven this morning, Lydia wasn’t yet home from her overnight at another friend’s house but Sandra had come prepared with her apron in hand, so the… Read More Monday

I’m doing my very best to resist the urge to go to bed right now. Though I didn’t get up until eleven o’clock, it’s been a very long day. I’ve done a good bit of housework, cooked a tasty dinner, and written my articles for Mosaic Minds and, really, that feels like plenty of activity… Read More Sunday

Lydia’s just gotten done putting the finishing touches on her Valentine’s Day cards and Olof will shortly take them to the gas-station-cum-post-office to be sent for delivery to her friends’ mailboxes on Monday. Valentine’s Day isn’t a big deal in Sweden–yet, that is–but every year my mom sends Lydia a box of kids’ Valentine’s cards… Read More Holiday Preparations