Category: general

Fighting with my daughter seems to be becoming an integral part of our lives. 🙁 We just butt heads constantly. I know that I have control issues, but I also find the stubbornness and tenacity of my daughter completely over-the-top. She finds it necessary to fight EVERY request, every order, everything. I’m so tired of it I could scream. Last night was horrible and this morning wasn’t much better. After doing a LOT of thinking about it, trying to figure out what to do to change my attitude and my reactions, which, let me tell ya, ain’t easy, I had...

Baby ferns are uncurling in the roadside ditches. The sun has touched the tops of the rapeseed with gold, they’re glinting at the top. The rapeseed, after a mere two weeks, is already waist-high and blooming. With the rape and the dandelions, and the daffodils still gamely hanging in there, the world is highlighted yellow everywhere you look. Up the long empty slope of Odarslövsvägen a novice learns how to drive a motorcycle, his instructor standing hands on hips, watching as he rockets slowly away. Marda loved the design for her flyers and we’re getting together soon, probably tonight, so...

Why am I sad and mad and bad? I do not know, go ask your dad. Reasons For Bailing Out of the 5K Walk Last Night: 1) bruised knee, 2) allergies from hell, 3) pouring rain. Okay, it probably wouldn’t have stopped dbrus but I freely admit I’m a wimp. Happy Birthday Wishes to same_sky and montfort! Things That Might Help Stop the Grumpiness Before It Gets So Thick I Have to Chip it Off With a Fork: Eating all 10 of the fun-size 3 Musketeers bars my boss gave me this morning Keep thinking: The sun is out! It’s...

In the courtyard outside the daycare, blossoms are peeking pinkly among the unfolding new leaves of the twisty apple and pear trees. Spirea bushes shoot lacy arms out and daffodils cluster, talking amongst themselves. A tiny tabby cat runs purposefully across the street and disappears under the red currant bushes. Forsythia bonfires are roaring soundlessly over garden gates. Spring is burning down the house. It’s also burning me down. I can’t remember the last time my allergies were so bad. All this beauty is pure torture because the longer I’m out in it, the more my eyes itch, and the...

The fields and trees are swelling with life, you can almost see them expanding as you watch. Trees flame with green candled tops and chestnut blossom stalks are wearing long green skirts. Dandelions polkadot the pastures and gather in the ditches, round trees and all along the roads like they’re watching a parade or cheering on the passing cars. 2 riders on glowing brown chestnut horses cause vehicles to slow, swooping out widely as they pass to avoid startling them. There are numberless, countless, infinite shades of green everywhere you look. One of the slopes behind our neighborhood is packed...

I’ve always sung to the kids, ever since they were babies, and I frequently replace names and pronouns in songs with theirs. (to the tune of Bicycle Built For Two): Martin, Martin, give me your answer do…I’m half crazy all for the love of you! (to the tune of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang): Karin-bean is a little beanie-ween girl, little beanie-weenie, I love you, and I know my little beanie-ween girl, little beanie Karin loves me too. Me: (singing, while putting clothes away in my bedroom) Martin, Martin Martin, Maaaartttt-iiiiin, Martin Martin: (from the playroom, thinking I’m calling him) What...

Yesterday, Karin’s little boyfriend Jonatan was over at our house playing for a bit and when he left he loaned his Bionicle to Karin (who slept with it clutched tightly in her hand all night) and forgot his bicycle helmet in our laundry room. So we took it with us this morning to daycare to return it to him. On the way across the playground, Karin held the helmet up to her face and sniffed in deeply. “It smells like Jonatan,” she said. “Ehggg,” I responded. “Jonatan smells GOOD,” she informed me and smiled. Beautiful Sign of Spring: Singing Robin...

If I was meeting you for the very first time and I wanted to give you an idea of what kind of person I am, but couldn’t actually tell you in so many words, this is the baker’s dozen things that I would put into a box* for you to look at, read, listen to, and taste so that you could get to know me. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary mix tape with a homemade cover containing (among others) The Carpenter’s On Top of the World, Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, Smash Mouth’s Walkin’ On The Sun, Peter Paul & Mary’s If...