Tagged: martinbean

22
Mar
2015

WHERE’D THE WEEKEND GO?

Anders made dinner tonight and it was so delicious that I’m sharing the recipe. He has been using an app he found called Kokaihop (there is a website too, but it’s all in Swedish) which is chock full of fantastic recipes and this is just the latest. Pasta with Garlic & Crayfish Tail Sauce 1 package of crayfish tails in brine 3 dl creme fraiche 1 bunch parsley 4 cloves garlic 1 cube vegetable bouillon 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 400 gram tagliatelle noodles 1 TB olive oil 0.5 dl water Cook pasta according to directions while making the sauce. Peel...

16
Feb
2015

WORDS, MORE WORDS, SOME MARTIN, AND MEMORY

It’s so quiet round these here parts, with half our family gone for the week. I’m sure Martin is loving it: getting to sleep in and play WoW as long as he likes without having to wrestle his sister for the computer. He doesn’t get to wrestle me for it, because if I say I want it, I get it. Snap. Last Friday I bought season 5 of Downton Abbey (which I’m pretty sure I have typed as DownTOWN Abbey every single first attempt at typing it, ever) and we are already done, plus we found the Christmas special online...

08
Feb
2015

HOW IT WAS THEN

It’s official, I’m addicted to Quizup. What is it about iPad games that is so alluring? It’s probably just because I miss playing Trivial Abuse Pursuit with my family so much. I tried to get Karin to play with me and she promptly challenged me in World of Warcraft. *rolls eyes* I forgot to mention that Martin was elected co-editor of the IB school newsletter. He’s been a staff writer this past term and then decided to apply for the editor job. It was 3 people, and he and one other girl got the job. He had to answer a...

18
Jan
2015

TREASURE HUNTS

I probably wrote about these back when we were doing them, but I was cleaning our bedroom today (spring-cleaning! in the winter!) and found this little stack of tiny notebook pages. Upon further investigation, I realized they were the treasure hunt lists that I used to make to entice Martin to go walking with me. We’d walk around Flyinge with this tiny notebook and he’d check things off as he found them. I don’t remember how old he was but it has to have been when he was pretty young. 9 maybe? Give or take. Usually I would make up...

17
Dec
2014

MIRROR OF THE MIND

I know, I know, using my blog to write to-do lists is the ULTIMATE in lame. And yet. Who else should I share the most important things in my life with? You think my husband and children give a rat’s ass about my to-do list? It’s short. Or at least it is from this end, when I haven’t actually started it yet. Write Christmas cards Buy stamps Mail Christmas cards Post online Christmas letter Bake Christmas cookies Check gift pile status…are the kids’ presents balanced? If not, remedy Clean the freaking house Buy Christmas food, Swedish and American style Work...

07
Dec
2014

HOME SWEDE HOME

I bet you thought I’d NEVER get back! It actually felt like longer than 2 weeks away. Weird how time distorts. I had a lovely week of vacation at my sister’s new (temporary) place in Connecticut, just hanging out and enjoying the American bounty of Thanksgiving and family. Sarah and Mom and I binge-watched the entire first half of Season 1 of Outlander while it snowed outside. We avoided the malls on Black Friday but ventured out Saturday and things were just as crowded. Eek! Mom and I left Sunday for Boston and I had a good week working and...

21
Nov
2014

GUEST BLOGGER

Since I didn’t want to just toss out another throwaway post, I asked Martin if I could post his latest article for his school IB newspaper. This is the third article he’s written, though this one was a collaboration with a friend. The first article was about indie music and the second about Halloween costumes for those who want to avoid store-bought witches, vampires and sexy cats. So, here you go, an extremely well-written article (if I do say so myself) by MY SON (and a friend) which will be PUBLISHED in a (school) NEWSPAPER. American Horror Story—Terrifying tales specific...

19
Nov
2014

BAD START, BETTER END

Had a bad start to the morning. Got totally stressed out, yelled at the kids, was late to work. Have had a borderline headache for several days. Advil holds it at bay, neck massager helps but only temporarily, then it comes crawling back up my spine to rest at the base of my skull. Karin was home sick with a sore throat (again!) for 2 days, but she went to school today. However, she’s been complaining that her throat is even worse now…nothing seems to help. Martin came up on the bus to my office after school to ride home...

08
Nov
2014

GOOD NIGHT

I just drove Martin in to Lund to drop him off at the train station (he’s going to a movie with a friend in Malmö) and it was nearly pitch black out… the streetlights weren’t on yet, but light was nearly gone from the sky. They WERE on when I returned back through our village at 5 o’clock. And it’s still nearly two months until the shortest day. UGH. Every year, the darkness of this time of the year gets harder to bear. The only respite is the month of December when everyone’s windows are lit up by advent candelabras....

06
Nov
2014

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT

For some stupid reason, Martin’s school did not do individual school photos this year. Or else he missed the day and didn’t find out if there was a make-up day. I have heard from two other friends with kids his age that their schools didn’t do photos either. WTH? Now I have to find time to take him to a photographer if I don’t want to have a gaping hole in the parade o’ school photos that every child’s life (at least in the Western world) is not complete without. Warning: this post is going to be all over the...

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