Afternoon at the beach

Last weekend I took the kids for small outdoor adventures both days. On Sunday afternoon we went to one of the local beaches, where they had fun splashing around.

I love the hands-in-pockets look on babies:

Leif carries the crane truck

Remember how I said everything was going surprisingly well with James gone? Yeah, that was until I got sick last Thursday while driving back from Stockholm and threw up - while driving - all over the neighbors' car (we had traded cars so they could pick up the kids from dagis). Thank goodness the kids were already with the neighbors, who were available to help that night. Agneta even put Leif to sleep while I was with August!

When I took the boys to dagis the next day and told the teacher I'd been sick, she closed the gate and told me to take the boys home! I'm embarrassed to say that I just starting crying -- I couldn't imagine how I could look after two wild animals while feeling so awful. She took pity on me and let me drop them off, and I went home and rested. And the neighbors unexpectedly dropped off dinner that night (though other friends had already made us a meal, so we were well looked after!).

I have to admit that it's only gone so well because we have such wonderful friends and neighbors. Though none of them read this blog, I have to thank them for everything they've done (and are continuing to do this week -- we've already had two dinner playdates!).

Totally unrelated, here is Leif's current cuteness: carrying around the crane truck. Just because it has wheels doesn't mean he has to use them:

Getting by without Baba

I'm pleased to report that so far everything's going well in James's absence. The kids have been getting along, and we've spent lots of time with friends and neighbors. Even the nights have gone without a hitch thus far. I'm certain that by writing this I've jinxed myself.

More playing-doggie-eating-raisins-from-the-floor silliness:

Hopping around Breviksbadet:

Our first morning without Baba:

Taking a picnic at the flagpole before school:

Settling down to watch something together. I think the peace lasted for about 45 seconds:

Eating raisins from the floor

James left yesterday for two weeks (two weeks!) in the US, leaving me to fend for myself with the wild animals we call children. Proof that they're wild animals: they ask to eat raisins off the floor:

I LOVE this:

A picture of Leif's little curls. His hair is getting so long the curls are disappearing! Time to cut it, I suppose.

Experiments in processing photos

I mentioned in a previous post that we got new photo editing software, and I've been spending a lot of time working with it. I feel like I've only scratched the surface of what is possible, but I wanted to share a couple photos with you.

I intentionally made this one heavy in shadows so that the focus is more on the shape of his body than the expression on his face. I love those little shoulders, the belly, the almost-pouty cheek...

I used a generic preset (which made specific changes to the coloring) and then tinkered with it to get this one:

And here's a great before-and-after of something that I worked on for quite a while. I was really disappointed with the first shot, because I love that little smile of his but the picture was so off - bad lighting, snot everywhere, etc.:

But I'm quite happy with this, even if it's a bit heavy on the white:

Throwing rocks in the sea

Pics from last week, when the weather was still cold and we had snow four days in a row! (It's now been in the 60s four days in a row or more -- hurray!).

But before we get to that, August with two of his airplanes:

Now to the sea:

And a day last week with a wild sky:

The boys and their wheels

Sorry for the recent absence - we've just purchased a new photo editing software (Lightroom, it's fantastic), and I've been spending a ton of time learning it. And we're in the middle of a five-day weekend here (Ascension Day or something today, so might as well take a holiday tomorrow too).

I love how moody August is here:

And how cheeky Leif is here: