Tagged: martinbean

13
Jan
2006

OBITER DICTUMING WITH A VENGEANCE

Topics of Discussion Between Martin & I During Our Evening Walks Yesterday & Today: Greek, Indian and Norse Mythology, Whether Trickster Gods are Good or Bad, Why Some Kids Are Bullies, Which Book to Read Next After Oz3, Whether Watching Harry Potter Would Scare Him Now Since Narnia Didn’t. I’ve always loved Greek mythology. I took several courses in it, along with Art History, during college, and still have several reference books on my shelves. I think my love goes back to a particular book (although it could just be because of Wonder Woman on TV when I was an...

11
Jan
2006

HEART PARTS

Help! Help! I’m being oppressed! By cloud cover. Actually, it’s too thick to merit a thin, just stretched over top, short little name like cover. I’m being oppressed by cloud duvet. By cloud quilt. By cloud down comforter. It sounds very cuddly and warm, doesn’t it? HA! Sweden in January is anything BUT cuddly and warm, I assure you. Had another toss-and-turn, mostly sleepless night last night. (Have since heard, right here on my computer, that several of YOU didn’t sleep well either, what’s up with that? sympathy insomnia?) Anders didn’t sleep well either (and NOT because of any alleged...

10
Dec
2005

ALL IN ALL, A GOOD DAY

When you have children, birthday parties come with the territory, and birthday parties for children usually mean having your house invaded by 10-20 hyperactive, sugar-buzzed maniacs who trash the place, snub the food, and forget to say thank you until prompted by their parents, who look remarkably relaxed, which really should come as no surprise considering THEY’VE just had a 2-hour break from their offspring. muahahaha! Not this year! We took the hyperactive maniacs to Andy’s Playland instead and let them sweat their little hearts out running like lab rats mad through the labyrinth, bouncy castles, trampolines, ball pit, etc....

07
Dec
2005

MED BLOMMOR OCH BLAD

Martin is in bed, tucked up in his red-white-and-blue American quilt, with his new Animal Fact Book propped open upon his knees. He’ll read in bed until he drops off around 10. Karin, after being tucked in, turned off all her lights except her lava lamp and proceeded to “read” a book using a flashlight. She fell asleep within minutes. It’s traditional in Sweden to wake up the birthday kid with presents in bed before getting up to face the day. I find this a bizarre tradition since the last thing I want to be is cheerful at 7 a.m....

13
Sep
2005

MY CHILDREN ARE FREAKS

You’d never guess it by the picture-perfect photos that I usually post (hahaha!) or the ones that Tracey has just posted, but my children are FREAKS OF NATURE. I could get them on Stupid Human Tricks! My sister can turn her arms all the way around and inside out with her palms flat on the table, and I used to be able to vibrate my eyes (now it gives me a monster headache), but I don’t know where my kids got their freaky freakishness. The apple may not fall very far from the tree in most cases, but this time...

21
Jun
2005

CALLING CALDECOTT! NEWBERY! PULITZER!

Martin Ek, aged 7.5, would like to invite you to an exclusive web premiere of his masterpiece novel. As his mother, I’m eagerly donning my best prodigy agent-slash-manager hat. My kid blows me away! Prepare to be blown away yourself! On the Road, or literally, “Out Traveling”

12
May
2005

PERSEPHONE RETURNS

do do do be do. La la la tra la! You should see the sky outside right now. It’s 9:30 p.m. and the sky is EXACTLY the same color as a robin’s egg. You can see some here at one of my favorite websites if you are not sure EXACTLY what color I mean. The cool thing about evening skies is how they shade down from cobalt to BLUE BLUE BLUE…this deep, rich blue that you could suck on like a popsicle to a rosy-golden-fireorange glow along the black demarcation of the horizon. Sort of like a darker, more glorious,...

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