August the entertainer

We took a spontaneous train trip yesterday afternoon - August wouldn't nap, I was going crazy, so we decided to go to the nearest (commuter) train station and take the next train to the end of the line. We ended up in Södertälje and found our way to the most wonderful museum/experiment hall/play place, called Tom Tits Experiment (great name, right?). August loved it. James and I loved it. Not sure how Leif felt about it, he didn't have much to say. August's favorite part, I think, was a room with a giant marble run. You take a billiard ball and climb a (safe) ladder to the ceiling, then drop your ball into a track, and it makes its way down the track around the entire room, doing a loopty-loop on one wall and ending in a basket. August would drop his ball in and I'd carry him down the ladder and we'd run across the room together, him shouting "It's going! Oooh! The ball!" And I do mean shouting. It was so much fun to watch him having so much fun.

Sadly, I don't have any pictures of that - it was just too much fun in there to get the cameras out.

But, I do have pictures of Leif's favorite part of the day - watching August in the stroller.

He had so much fun watching August look around and point out what he was seeing and laugh back at Leif. I love watching them interact.

Videos at outdoor cafes

The title today pretty much says it alls.

From last weekend, August's first ice cream cone (he's had ice cream before, but never in a cone).



While Leif can't sit up unsupported for very long, he does well in chairs now. But maybe August doesn't think so:

Trains with boys

Still so tired, but trying to get some pictures to you. 

We've been on lots of trains lately. 

A very tired boy:

Latte with mama:

Augie shots

We are slowly, slowly adjusting to European time. After the nearly sleepless flight home, we've spent hours awake each night as the kids adjust to being back here. Last night was the first night that we haven't had any major overnight wake-ups (of course Leif woke a bunch of times but quickly went back to sleep after nursing or patting). We're drained.

Which is unfortunate, because we're also trying to buy a car, pick a new preschool (more on that another day), pack our things, buy all the furniture we need for the new place, get car and home insurance, etc. Oh, and move. So I probably don't have to tell you that posting on the blog falls pretty low on the priority list right now. I'd like to promise you more regular posts, but I don't see that happening until we get settled in the new place. I'll do better, though.

But, a few recent pics. This is August after I woke him up at 9:30am on Saturday to try to get him back into a normal rhythm:

I love him in primary colors. He looks great in red.

Goofy family pictures

Our flight back to Stockholm was rough: the kids barely slept and James and I didn't at all. Our first day back, yesterday, is a complete blur - I don't know how it passed or what happened, but it's suddenly Wednesday evening. I do remember Tuesday overnight - that was rough, with each kid up for at least two hours at different points. Hoping things start to bounce back to normal tomorrow.

These are the first pictures that we have of all four of us together. It's hard to believe that it took more than six months to get us all in a photo, isn't it? And they're very goofy; I was hoping to have at least one nice one, but we'll have to try again for that - hopefully before Leif turns one!

August was thrilled about the idea:

Grandma's ingenuity

Leif is at a difficult stage where he's not happy on the floor for very long, but he can't yet sit up. Grandma found a great solution:

Leif and his great uncles

It was a joy to introduce Leif to the rest of the family and the rest of the family Leif. My uncles came to visit for a day and we were so glad to see them.

(Sorry, couldn't get one picture with everyone looking good and in focus.)

Getting ready to go

We're heading home tomorrow (if we don't miss our flight again!), and I'm trying to post more pictures from our two weeks here. Sorry about the low resolution on these.

Silliness with cousins

I still have a lot of photos of August and Leif and the cousins to share, even though they left a week ago. I have a feeling it will take a while to get them all posted.

Shenanigans in the backyard on the nicest day so far this spring.

My favorite part of this series is watching how August gets engaged and starts jumping with us:

August at the Air Zoo

So, we're supposed to be back home in Stockholm now, but we missed our flight (James's flight from Portland to Chicago was delayed 5 hours, arriving just after our international flight left). So we have another few days in Kalamazoo, as the first flight we could get back home is on Monday.

Last week Grandma and Grandpa took all the kiddos (and Uncle Ben) to the Air Zoo while I drove to Indiana to visit my dear friend Sabrina.

Going on the Ferris wheel with Uncle Ben and Gwenn:

Just running around:

Happy Easter!

On Sunday morning, we did a little Easter egg hunt with August. Grandma gave him a basket, I hid the eggs, and off he went. He had so much fun finding eggs, and then just as much fun eating the chocolate and stuffing the coins into his pocket.

August hasn't yet learned that chocolate melts in your hand if you grip it too tightly.

The day before Easter we went to my Aunt Jill's house, where my cousins and their kids did an Easter egg hunt.

Here's August hunting for Easter eggs: