Busy weekend days, that is. We had a birthday party for Martin today: 10 kids for 2 hours. It went really well, because we had a schedule, of sorts, and Anders kept the kids entertained for at least half an hour with Engineer Lindström’s Experiment Theater. He showed them how to make a wave machine, a water microscope from a milk carton, how to make a milk carton blow smoke rings, how to make an egg sink in water, and magic tricks to boot. 🙂 Then we had the di rigeur “hotdogs with bread,” whipped cream cake and a candy fishpond. There are some parents of Martin’s friends who have had THREE-hour birthday parties for their kids…I think they’re insane. 2 hours is so just right.
No rest for the weary afterwards, though (or before either, of course, as Anders finished tiling the little bathroom this morning) as we had a Glögg party this evening with the AWC. Good time, good food. Now we’re home and this is the FIRST chance I’ve had to get online. aaaahhh. heh.
We talked a bit at the party about how if we don’t make an effort, our kids won’t know any of the traditional American games and songs. One woman commented that she taught a bunch of Swedish children recently how to play “Anka, Anka, Gås” (duck duck goose) and I mentioned the CD of patriotic American songs I had my mom send me this summer. Turns out that apparently, very few Swedes know the words, after the first line, to their national anthem…whereas every American in the room knew all the words to at least the first verse of The Star-spangled Banner. I could tell everyone was itching to sing it, and had it been the 4th of July, I’m sure there would have been an impromptu concert, but as it’s nearly Christmas we restrained ourselves.