Julafton

It has been a few years since we saw Donald Duck on Chsistmas Eve. A nice tradition to pick up again. Leon and Gideon, the girls cousins, stayed for a couple of hours before they joined their mummy.

Mini made the day for the girls.

Father Christmas came. Olivia thinks it was Simon, because he had to leave the party for a while and Santa had exactly the same kind of shoes as Simon.

We really have to find a prettier face for Santa.

Mei-Mei was very pleased with her new princess dress and her pink dog..

Happy New Year!

Wishing all friends and family a happy new year ... we will have a very quiet evening here in Houston. Mats works full day and we have no party to go to. Still suffering from jet lag and colds. Looking forward to an early evening at the hotel room. Hopefully we'll have some nice food and champagne before bedtime at around 9 pm!

Blog message from Mei-Mei

Olivia loves Vera-Mei.
Mummy loves Mats.
I love you.
Mei-Mei loves little Iona.
Karlsson.
Karlsson.
The tomato runs out in the street. Ketchup. The tomato loves ketchup with eyes.

Framme

Our first day in Houston has been dramatic enough. The fire alarm at the hotel went off at about 8 am and we were told to evacuate. The fire brigade came and searched our floor. It was burned food that caused the alarm and it smelled awfully. We were allowed to return to our room after 45 minutes.
Mats is working and it's raining out side. We feel a bit trapped at the hotel. We have been exploring Houston's downtown tunnel system for a couple of hours but the girls are tired and grumpy due to jet lag. Mats finish working at 5 pm and we will then go to a grocery store and buy some food. There are so many restaurants here in Hosuton but I already feel tired of eating out. Maybe because it has just been Christmas and I feel as I have put on loads of weight ... or maybe my jeans has shrinked?
Oh, enough complaining. Time to take some more pain killers - did I forget to tell I have a new cold? Probably caught it on the plain, was sitting next to a guy who was sneazing and blowing his nose constantly for ten hours.
Talking about the flight here, they have a new law for incoming flights since the terror attempt the other day. Now, everyone has to sit in their seats with seatbelts fastned for one hour before landing. You are not allowed to have anything in your lap and you are not allowed to go to the toilet during this hour. Sounds reasonable, but what do you thing the staff do? Supervises? No, they take a long, nice break behind the curtains. After about 15 minutes several passengers were tired of sitting down, so everything went back to normal. Visits to the toilet, handluggage opened, legs streched. A terrorist would have had every opportunity to assemble a bomb.
New report tomorrow!

Good bye, Sweden

Sunday morning and our last day in Sweden.

Our American adventure starts tomorrow!

We will be back in Europe in early June.
The taxi pick up time will be at around six tomorrow morning. We will change in Frankfurt. Hopefully everything we go smooth, the terror attempt in Detroit yesterday might lead to longer queques at security ... no time for delays.
Anyway, almost all Sweden had a white Christmas this year. Lucky them. A little part on the west coast called Varberg had a traditional green/brown Chrsitmas instead. It snowed a little yesterday but it was all gone this morning. Our last chance for snow this winter. I just had a look at the weather forecast and they promise sun and rain and sun ... and around 10 degrees.
Todays palns include saying good bye to aunt Ulrika and granny Kerstin, packing, cleaning the house and more trips to the recycling station. I am used to UK, were we put everything in one clear bag which is picked up in the same way as the garbage. I don't really know what happens with it later. In Sweden you have to sort everything yourself.
And one more thing on todays to do-list: I have to buy a pair of soft trousers, I won't survive ten hours in an aeroplane seat tomorrow otherwise. My jeans are suddenly very tight, the Swedish water must have made them shrink. Or, have I put on a few kilos due to all tasty food and no training for weeks?
Tonight we will have the last supper with my mum and Douglas. If we are lucky, we will see grandad for a short wile too.

Tomorrow's Cristmas Eve!!!

The girls' cousin (or rather my cousin Jesper's son) Oscar came to visit this afternoon. The children played very well in the snow, until almost all of it was used up and the snowballs were almost black.

Oscar's grandparents dog, Nikki.

Douglas, my mum, Stefan, Nikki and Eva.

Oscar stayed for a long play date. Here, Olivia and he are playing Wii. Aren't they cool!

Olivia and Mei-Mei are now in the bath, preparing for tomorrow. We expect our guests from two o'clock. Father Christmas will arrive at around 4.30.

Finally snow!

Do not open until Christmas!

I write this in English as it probably makes reading easier, am at Mats' computer lacking the beautiful special Swedish letters.

Yesterday afternoon it finally began to snow. The girls and I made the most out of it as we knew it would be milder today.

Fingers crossed colder weather is on it's way and we will have a white Christmas tomorrow - the first one in many, many years!

We will have a big party here tomorrow, in Sweden we celebrate on Christmas Eve. The girls can't wait for Father Christmas to visit us!

Dan före dan före dan

Utsikten från köksfönstret. Fint, eller hur! Det är supermysigt att sitta och spana ut över havet och kolla in alla promenerande varbergare som tar sina dagliga turer runt fästningen.

Farmor är en uppskattad gäst. Flickorna låter henne inte vila många minuter på dagen. I dag ska de baka pepparkakor. Jag ska plugga, men först efter bloggning så klart!

Uffa kom och hälsade på med Maja och Greta. Här är Maja och Mei-Mei i bubbelbadet.

Uffa och Greta.

Saker som bara händer i Sverige (eller i det här fallet Varberg): En raggarbil full med tomtar och julmusik på högsta volym. Det var alltså sju minus. Sådant gör mig glad!

Vi klädde julgranen i går förmiddag.

Stjärnan i topp, duktig Mats!

Vi hade julfest i går, Douglas hade bjudit sina barn och barnbarn. Här är han med sina yngre söner Viktor och Leo.

Mormor och Farmor studerar en Herman.

Alla barnen: Gideon, Olivia, Mei-Mei, Eric, John och Leon.

Några av de vuxna: Simon, Viktor, Leo, Douglas, Mats och Anna-Lina.

Barnen var ganska vilda ett tag och vi försökte lugna ned dem med tv. Det höll ett litet tag. Lugnt blev det inte förrän de gick ut och lekte i snön vid åtta på kvällen - ja, vi har äntligen fått ett par centimeter! Så mysigt att bara kunna släppa ut barnen. De hade superkul.

Mei-Mei och Leon.

Simon, Daniel och Viktor antog utmaningen att få upp den stora byrån till andra våning, och lyckades.

Mei-Mei i dag på morgonen. Hon tycker det är poänglöst att låta strumporna hänga och vänta på den amerikanska tomten, som har lovat att titta förbi under natten till den 25. Mycket roligare att hasa omkring i dem!

Livet ar orattvist

Livet ar lite motigt just nu. Mina musar ar enorma och jag undviker att vistas ute nar det ar ljust. Vill inte skramma sma barn i onodan. Dessutom tvattade jag mina jeans i gar, enda brallor som foljde med till Sverige, och de ar inte torra an. Min kara mor kom hit med skidutstyrsel som hon tycker jag ska ha pa mig nar jag agr ut, men dar gar allt gransen. Da riskerar jag att bli insparrad over jul.
Mats ar pa vag till Angelholm for att hamta Farmor Kerstin. Flickorna ar sa lyckliga over att de ska fa ha bade Mormor och Farmor. Hoppas bara resan gar bra. Det snoar pa Gotland och det snoar i Skane. Det snoar i hela jakla landet, det snoar till och med i sydostra England och forra arets fantastiska vintervader har ater drabbat Sevenoaks med totalkaos som foljd. Kort sagt: Det snoar overallt utom just har.
Och jag som alskar sno! Det ar inte rattvist!

I korthet

x Huset är jättefint och det har varit roligt att packa upp och ställa i ordning. Skulle förstås gärna göra om en del, men inget som är akut.
x Fortfarande förkyld. Överläppen pryds nu också av två gigantiska munsår. Känner mig ful.
x Barnen ska åka skridskor i dag. Det är de värda, de har haft sådant tålamod med mig i går och i förrgår när jag packat upp och plockat i ordning.
x Snön lyser med sin frånvaro just här på västkusten, tyvärr.
x I eftermiddag kommer Mats. Med gemensamma krafter kan vi förhoppningsvis ställa i ordning det sista och inleda julfirandet!