Mommy afternoon

James returned home from his travels late Thursday night, and Ah Mah left on Friday morning. It was great having here - she was so helpful with cooking and cleaning and shopping and baby care and anything that needed doing. I'm so glad she was able to stay with us through both of James's trips - it was the first time he's traveled since Leif was born, so it was a big adjustment for us all. The toughest part, which I hadn't anticipated, was how much August needed me every evening. By dinner time every day, he had to have me with him - which made putting Leif to bed very difficult (to say the least). Thankfully, Ah Mah handled Leif with aplomb when I had to attend to August (and of course, she handled August with aplomb when I had to attend to Leif). Thanks for helping us, Ah Mah!

In the afternoon yesterday, James stayed home with Leif while I went to school to pick up August. As it was Friday, his face was painted. He said he was a cat, and I'll take his word for it.

For reasons I've not yet discerned, James didn't leave the stroller at school when he dropped August off in the morning, so we took the bus home. August loved sitting in a seat without the stroller!

We went to the church, where there's an English-speaking playground on Friday afternoons, but it was packed and neither of us really wanted to go in. So we played outside.

Chaos with a shovel

August loves school. Today when I arrived to pick him up he said, "August stay at school." Yesterday when I picked him up he went a little crazy playing with a shovel while I waited to help him get dressed to go home.

Evidence:

The preschool streaker

When I arrived at dagis to pick up August this afternoon, one of the teachers was getting a small group of kids ready to go outside to play. August was one of them. When he saw me, he decided it would be a great idea to take all of his clothes off. So, right there, as all the other kids were getting their winter clothes on, August was getting down to his skivvies.

Thinking we'd had enough fun and knowing that his diaper was full and ready to be changed, I took it off. And off went August!

He found a pathway through open doors and ran circles around the preschool rooms completely naked. Another mom there picking up her daughter tried very hard not to laugh. She laughed.

It took me about fifteen minutes, and promises of Ah Mah-cooked brownies waiting at home, to corral him into some clothing.

He's crazy, but I love it.

Psychedelic bathtime

I'm soooo tired....

James was back for a couple days between his two work trips, and Ah Mah has been fantastic with helping take care of the boys (and us!), but I'm still sooo tired. I've been getting up at about 5 every day (August demands me in the morning if James isn't here), and Leif's sleep has gone all weird so I've been up with him 2-5 times every night, so I'm probably sleeping 4-5 (nonconsecutive) hours each night. It hurts.

Oh, the fun things you can do with photos....

Just a couple pics to let you know I haven't forgotten about you.

Morning piggyback rides

August got a free ride from Ah Mah this morning...

We signed!

Oh my goodness, we are homeowners!

Totally unrelated cuteness:

Rolling around Gamla Stan

Yesterday morning we visited Gamla Stan. We started our trip with hot chocolate and a super-decadent Valhrona chocolate ball with whipped cream. August was in fine form after that, as you can see below.

In other news, Ah Mah arrived this afternoon for a visit of nearly two weeks! August is SO excited to have her here. James will be going to the US and Spain, which is why she came to help us - I still feel totally overwhelmed at the prospect of caring for Captain Chaos and Major Dumpling on my own.

At the cafe with Major Dumpling:

Captain Chaos getting revved up:

I have no idea why he started rolling around on the ground. It reminded me of his first trip to the sea last spring:

And then again on the subway:

And then he tried to crawl into a building across the street:

My kiddos

Not much to report around here...we had two gloriously sunny days that have made everything fresh and new again. Still no news on the apartment, we're waiting on some things.

August was still sleeping when I arrived at dagis to pick him up today - look at that mane:

4

Return of the light

You guys, I have the best news:

Do you see that? That tiny little sliver of light? For about twenty minutes today, there was light in our apartment! We had about two weeks of grey days, wet with rain and snow. By the time the clouds lifted, the days had grown nearly an hour longer. James and I both feel so different - our small, cramped, dark world feels a bit more expansive now, our home less like a cave, us less like troglodytes.

And this guy - oh, this guy. Sigh...

I am so, so lucky to have these boys in my life. All three of them. 

I think I've shared this with you before, but here it is again. It always cracks me up: An Immigrant in Sweden. These are so funny and so very true. I'm also loving how absolutely luscious this blog is: Modern Hepburn. So often the images here give me pangs of inchoate longing, for fresh sheets and foamy lattes and crisp white shirts and puppies.

James and I are neck-deep in the anxiety and hand-wringing of mentally preparing to buy a place: will we like living there? is it a good investment? will the boys like it? will we be too isolated? will we love living on the water? And also: it will be so nice to have a dishwasher! and to do laundry whenever we want! and to wake up to a sea view every day of our lives! and to immerse our boys in nature, nature nature!

Oh my goodness, how does anyone ever buy anything? There's just so much to consider - and we're doing it in a foreign country in a foreign currency. Yikes.

But, we have these two little squirts to keep us occupied:

Reaching four months

A couple days ago (or is it a full week already?) Leif reached four months old. Not much to report - he's so very close to rolling over back-to-front but he isn't quite there yet. He's been playing with sounds a lot lately, pressing his lips together and humming, and making a gorgeous squeal-purr, and sometimes just plain shouting and shrieking. He's very good at reaching out and grabbing things (which he must be learning from his brother, who snatches everything out of Leif's hands if we aren't watching, and often even if we are!). When he's well rested he's as happy as can be, just waiting to share his chubby smiles with us; when he's not well rested, which can happy all too easily as we chase Captain Chaos around, he shares his screams and squirms with us.

Teaser: we're hoping to give you news about a home in the next week!

First, a totally unrelated photo of Augie and James finger painting with homemade finger paints:

(Here's Augie at four months.)

I love that he looks a little terrified, a little confused; and just look at those tiny hands!