Blogging to stay in touch

Happy night-time voter

Ezra at 5.55 am, on the legendary night exactly a week ago, just a few minutes before the new president's speech.

ps. More pics, also of the little brother, over at Flickr

Halloween treats of different kinds...

The pumpkin carvers – one day too late as the big Halloween party with the American group of friends were tonight. As a poladroid here, and here.

Had to post a picture from Leo's first movie date... They went to see Laban the ghost – accompanied by one father and one mother. She'd told her parents that she and Leo got married yesterday, and that she wanted to take him to the movies today. What can you say...

(they're carrying little bags pf roasted pumpkin seeds that we made today. ribboned. romantic.)

Leo the Birthday Prince

In a birthday crown made by mom, with a pirate tattoo on his arm, and his beloved flowers in his hand, he was the sweetest birthday boy one could ever dream of. Thanks to everybody who made this, his 3rd birthday, so special and memorable. This time he for sure knew that he was the center of attention :)

And most of all, thanks to Leo Oscar, my amazingly lovely little son. I'm so proud of being your mommie. Happy 3, my little big boy! I'd be ready to give you all the pink Princess Cake in the world!

Some feel-good stuff (at least for mothers and grandparents)

OK, I'm back earlier than I thought. I'm too tired to go to bed, but also too excited about all the fun and amazing things in life; like blogs and Facebook and kids thoughts and so on...
Here follows some of Mr E's lines from today:

Ezra, contemplating over flip-flops as he, after the tubby tonight, wore the ones that we bought for him in the Miami airport:
– Florida is the world of flip-flops!

And talking about flip-flops, Mr E really doesn't like the Swedish winter which he keeps reminding us of.
– Florida is always sunny. We should go there now when it's always winter here! Are we going for the Holidays?

The Mother:
– Unfortunately I don't think that we can go this winter, but ...

Given that answer, Mr E thought that the least thing a mother can do, is to write a note to the grandparents –  which he had me do. I now have the following written down on a little advertising booklet called "Christmas in Malmö City", every word spoken out loud by the Little Man, wandering around the kitchen directing what I should write:

– Mama Jojo, I love you so much. Come here another day. Thank you.

...and this is the message that followed for Abuelo:

– Come here another day. I love you. Maybe you want something for the holidays. I don't know. I love you very much you also have to say (I suppose he meant that I shouldn't forget to write that he loves Abuelo so much). Thank you. I love you."

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I also feel energized by a few little things that happened the last couple of days:

A very elegant fur-clad old lady, who was waiting at a bus stop supported by her walker, smiled at me as I passed by with my double stroller and two kids, and told me that I was doing a really good job! (thanks little old lady, it warmed my heart that you even saw me, struggling with the stroller in the dark November afternoon :)

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While we were having dinner tonight, Ezra told me that I am the prettiest woman in the whole world. Twice.

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Ezra keeps talking about "Mothers Day" as "Happy Mother's Day" which has made me think that I really want to work on being a happy mother for him (and not just an exhausted and grumpy one. I should shut down the computer and go to sleep. Now.)

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Philosophical or just simply "I'm out of here"?

This conversation between Ezra and "the Malmö Santa Claus" (who already yesterday moved into his little cottage at Gustav Adolf's Square) took place this afternoon.

Ezra to Santa:
– You have a looong beard!

Santa:
– ...so Ezra, what do you want for Christmas?

Ezra's immediate reply:
– I'd like a door so I can go in and out!

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The photo above was taken at Gustav Adolf's square, but obviously not today considering that Mr Ez is wearing a T-shirt. I picked the photo because I think it represents Mr Ez well; his free spirit, and somehow even the conversation that he had with the slightly surprised Santa at the square today.

Pippi's still alive—now also on YouTube

In 2007, parents "YouTube" with their kids instead of reading good old story books... Tonight—it's really my first time doing YouTube with the kids, and it wasn't my intention at all, I promise. I was just going to secretively stop by FaceBook (my god, even worse) when searching google for a Pippi Longstocking-picture for Leo, waiting impatiently on my lap. It all led to us watching a few Pippi movies on YouTube... To Ezra's amazement this one—his favorite—was dubbed in English. We also found another favorite, especially dedicated Auntie Becca. Enjoy, Becca-Jane!

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Pippi was in everybody's minds all the way to the tubby (half an hour delayed because of YouTube-ification of kids and mother.

Ezra:
– Pippi's mother is dead, right?

Mom (thinking: "Oh, no, why does he have to talk about absolutely everything, and especially that D-word that I almost can't even pronounce in my mind since I had kids.)
– Yes, she is. She's been ddddddd-dead for a long time.

Ezra:
– Yeah, she fell down from heaven, and she forgot to put her wings on so she died. And she was also shot by an arrow.

 

Simply.

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The picture above shows Pippi and her dad, played by the great actor, author and musician Beppe Wolgers.
Here you can read what some Aussies thought of one of his most famous stories/films, Dunderklumpen, and about the fact that they apparently "connect with the Arctic kindred spirits literally diagonally through the planet". Beautiful.

      

Unfortunately, Beppe is not alive anymore.

A tree grows in...

On an ordinary Tuesday afternoon when the crisp fall air starts to get chilly for real, the walk back home from preschool becomes an hour-long adventure. There are picnics to be held on the walking path that goes along the canal (and that takes us home – eventually), there are fences to climb to almost fall into the canal, and there are little bushes to hide behind. There are pigeons to chase, there's a fountain where you can push the buttons and run the water show yourself, there's Raoul Wallenberg's briefcase made in bronze and placed just like he forgot it there a long time ago. There are friends and a little brother to chase, there are still a few chestnuts to pick and fill up your pockets with, there are a few teenage Goths sitting on a bench to check out with admiration, and there's a young tree with thin branches to climb. All this in a tiny park called Raoul Wallenberg's park.

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ps. for those who are not familiar with the title of this post, there's a famous novel called "A tree grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith. Unfortunately I lost my old copy that I got at a stoop sale in Brooklyn somewhere along the way, so I still only have read part of it, but some day...

Beach - and (almost) blog - premiere 2007!

Alright, if there's anybody out there who ever pop by the blog these days after months and months of total quiteness from here... Well, I don't even want to get into how busy things have been since we came back from the US in December - and still sort of are. But at least, what freed me up a little is that I, after a long time of considerations and reconsiderations moved back "home" to my own office again - and to a new one, even closer to home! It's great, and I really love being back especially as business is going really well at the moment! The backside though, is that we don't have so much time to spend all of us together at the moment, but last weekend  when summer came to Malmö, we just had to escape the hot and stuffy office for the beach! As you can see, the boys are growing, and except for Leo having a few bouts of coxitis the last couple of months they're doing very well. Ezra's turning into little Picasso when he's not obsessed with bows and arrows, and Leo's talking more and more, and LOVES to dance! Voilà, le bébés!

ps 1. We miss you all over there and hope to see you soon!

ps 2. Pictures are clickable to be viewed bigger.

How wonderful to have a beach in the middle of the city!

Three goofy guys - and a cute godmother (Leo's) in the background.

At first a little bit hesitant, but finally swimming like a sea serpent...

Mr Charming - but in this case just because he wants to be the master of the camera...

Yes, they've started fighting...

...and another summer picture - we got a grill to put in our courtyard, and try now to have our meals outside as often as the weather allows us to. The picture, though, is from our friends backyard.

And finally - maybe not so summer-ish, but at least i can never get enough of those sleeping beauties...

I enjoyed being back - hope to be back soon...

Lots of love,
Liza

Soccer fever & heat wave

Neither Sweden nor the US has been doing so well in the World Cup soccer so far. But those minor things don't matter to two little boys who are totally immersed in the world of soccer balls anyway. Ezra calls every shirt he owns a "football shirt", all his socks are "football socks", and tonight when Leo was wearing his Brooklyn onesie (the one that Ezra got from CC & Vanessa when he was a baby), that was Leo's soccer shirt.

Despite the not so good soccer results, the joy is big because we're finally enjoying real summer in Malmö! Allegedly this is going to be the hottest week in 30 years in Sweden according to a link Ulrika sent me today..! The beach is within walking distance and that's probably where we have to head tomorrow afternoon if this heat wave is going to linger! At 11 pm actually all I can wear in the apartment is a bikini and that doesn't happen very often in this country of wool socks and sweaters more or less all year round. Well, that's also the thing about attic apartments, they do get pretty hot but it's still nothing compared to a humid and muggy summer in New York so I'm definitely not complaining. Instead, I'm going to take a walk around the block (not in a bikini) and enjoy the warm night. We usually don't get many of them here so I better enjoy.

Just in time for the World Cup, Leo got on to his feet! He's been standing for about a week now and doesn't want to do anything else. Well, walk...

Big boy Leo today (photo taken with mormor's - grandma's - camera). Leo's been sitting for almost two weeks now (he's been taking breaks) and a new world opened up for him. Late night. More photos will be posted sooooon.