Nice sunny Tuesday!

Today the day went exactly the way I hoped. I spent it with the kids, did no cleaning and nearly no cooking, the kids were happy almost all day, it was warm and sunny. The only negative was that I burnt my chest in the sun, not good. In the morning we went to the local outdoor swimming pool. It was the first time for Isak and Jakob hasn't been there for 3 years I think. Isak was a bit scared at first and after putting his legs in the water he walked around as if he had wet his pants. After a while he got more and more confindent and stayed in the water with Jakob for about 45 minutes.

Moa and Lucas came after a while and the boys played with cars and also ran around looking at the minigolf. We left after a couple of hours to go home and have lunch and for Isak to have a sleep. While he was sleeping Jakob played soccer and then watched tv for a bit. I watered the plants and relaxed in the sun.

The rest of the afternoon and evening Jakob played soccer with the kids on the street non stop and he just love it! Especially the fact that he is playing with boys that are 9 and 10! We took a break to buy some take away pizza that we ate next to a playground. Very nice.

Before bedtime the boys had a nice bath and got scrubbed and their hair washed to be clean and ready before grandma and poppa come tomorrow!

Yesterday

Soccer in our backyard last night.

Vilmer is trying out our sandpit!

Tired from travlleing

Two days after we got home from the car trip the kids were still a bit tired especially in the morning. This is Isak who didn't quite want to wake up even though it was 9.30 in the mornning.

This is Jakob when he went back to sleep in our bed at 9.30 in the morning.

Summer holidays!

Only two more sleeps before grandma and poppa come! Jakob is couting the days and Isak very clearly says: Isak sleep up poppa. He pointed out how it was going to work to Adam yesterday: Poppa in the single bed, grandma on the couch and himself in the double bed! Isak is a clever boy. Anyway, he will have to sleep in his room and in his bed I think...

The last few days since we got home has been all about unpacking, relaxing, cleaning, playing etc etc and today I borrowed a trailer and took lots of stuff like old doors, some furniture, remains from the sauna room renovations etc to the dump. Jakob and Isak have been playing outside all day long and even though Isak slept until 9 this morning and had a 2 hour day sleep he was happy to go to bed around 7.30. He is a freak. We also have new neighbours with two boys that are 9 years old and Jakob played soccer with them for a long time. Mormor was here all day helping when I had to go to pick up the trailer, do the dump, grocery shopping etc. Åsa, Micke and Vilmer came over to pick up the trailer and stayed for a while, Vilmer is gettint so big! Busy day today but very productive!

Today Isak used the Swedish word for love for the first time. He asid: Mummy, Isak loves doll. And then: Isak loves tractor.

Tomorrow my plan is to do something fun with the kids, haven't decided what yet. Maybe go to the beach if the weather is nice, or to Hägnan?

Day 9

We all slept really well in the hotel and had a nice breakfast in the morning. Isak was a bit crazy and wanted to run around in the breakfast area so it wasn't very relaxing but still nice.

The last day of driving we only did 270 kilometers and we stopped once on the way in Piteå for a quick fika/play with Moa and Lucas.

Around 3pm we were home again after a great long trip. The kids seemed happy to be back and Jakob ran straight to his friend Tindras house and I didn't see him much until he came in to go to bed around 9pm. Adam finished work early which was nice.

The whole trip went over all really well, the kids did much better in the car then I thought they would and I really enjoyed the driving, didn't get tired or sick of it all. But after every trip away it is always nice to come home!!

Day 8

Isak who is obsessed with babies got to hold Erik in the morning.

One last group photo of the kids before we started driving again

After driving just over 600 kilometers in rain we got to the hotel we had booked in Umeå. It was a really nice hotel with a big family room. The kids had sandwiches in bed for dinner, they loved it.

Day 7

After a nice sleep in until 8am, breakfast and cleaning out the cabin (mum did most of it) we packed the car and started the trip towards Luleå again. This is at the first "fika" stop we had.

The night we spent at Karins and Stefans place in Västerås. After a nice dinner cooked by Stefan Karin and I took the kids out to play for a while (when he very nicley cleaned up and prepared dessert). I had to move the car so Jakob pushed Isak in the pram we borrowed. He is getting so big!!

Group photo of all the kids. Isak, Gustav, Jakob and 3 months old Erik.

Day 6

The main reason for going on this trip was to be part of Andreas and Karins sons Christening.

Andreas, Karin and Elias

Isak sat still through most of the service but was a bit loud at times. For example when he thought he saw an ant on the floor and starting shouting: Mummuy ant, mummy ant!! and had to get down and try to find what he thought was an ant.

Jakob is old enough now to understand that he has to sit still but at the end he had "ants in his pants" and we let him and Isak go to a playroom close by.

Jakob helped pouring up the water and I held Elias in the beginning. Isak also wanted to be part of it all and sat down next to us cuddling his doll.

After the church we all went to Karin's parents place for a yummy lunch. Jakob, Isak and another girls played hard all day long.

Elias together with parents and grandparents.

Isak looked so cute in his new outfit! In the morning stress before going to church I decided to give the kids a haircut. I made a big mistake with Isak and cut his sides far too much....

The kids wanting to be in the middle of opening presents!

And Elias was happy all day, what a calm little baby he is!

When back at the caravan park Jakob was dying to play minigolf. I played 18 holes with him and I have to say he is getting really good! Straight after he started talking to a couple who was just about to start playing and don't ask me how, but all of a sudden Jakob was a part of their game and they took notes of his score as well. He ended up playing another 18 holes with them and after they gave him an ice cream.

Tired boy at the end of the day about to watch a dvd in bed.

Day 5

Last Saturday I had organised for me and Jakob (mum stayed at the caravan park with Isak) to visit Susanna and Ayisha who live just about 30min drive from where we were. Susanna and I became good friends in Adelaide when she lived there for a few years with her husband who was Australian. Susanna also gave birth to her daughter Aysiha during that time and I haven't seen them since they moved from Adelaide about 6 years ago.

Ayisha is now nearly 7 and very cute!

Jakob and Ayisha played together the whole day!

In the car on the way down to Uddevalla Jakob noticed that he was about to lose a tooth! he was really excited and the new tooth had already started coming up behind the other one. On Saturday night, when he was about to go to bed, it finally came off! Jakob was very happy and proud!

Day 4

Day 4 was cloudy and a bit rainy so we just took it easy around the cabin during the day and went for a drive to Lysekil in the afternoon.

Day 3

After a good sleep we had breakfast at the hotel before hitting the road again.

The one and only stop day 3 before reaching the final destination!

After getting organised at the caravan park and doing some grocery shopping we went to Karins parents for dinner. They lived just 10 minutes walk from where we were staying in a really nice spot with ocean view!

Jakob and Isak were very interested in little Elias and they bothe wanted to hold him. Isak tried to take him from Jakob saying: My baby, my baby!

Finally!

Day 2

Day 2 we spent at the animal/fum park.

Jakob and Isak got to pat goats and sheep.

But liked climbing on rocks even better...

The highlight according to Jakob was little boats that took us around a small track in the water. We did it two times and Jakob could have kept going.

Another fun thing that we didn't know before we got there, was that the kids tv program Wild kids is filmed here on a small island. Jakob loves that show, where to teams with children compete against each other.

Balancing on a log when the other team is trying to push you down with sand bags...

Sometimes Jakob takes care of Isak reall well. Sometimes he doesn't.

After a day in the park we got in to the car, drove around 350 kilometers to Örebro where we had booked a hotel room for the night. Since the kids were not at all tired (they both had a late sleep in the car) and it was 25 degrees in the evening, we went to a really nice park/playground and had take away pizza on the grass. Very nice.

Jakob makes friends wherever he goes, here he is playing soccer with a dad and his 3 boys.

Isak starting to get tired... and also his mum...