More pics from our camping excursion

Way back in July, at the beginning of our 5-week family holiday, we went camping on Ljusterö. I'm finally getting the rest of the pictures from that trip posted.

Tomorrow, August goes back to dagis, James catches a flight to Baltimore until Saturday, and Leif and I go back to doing whatever it is that we do all day. Summer's over, just as it's finally getting started weather-wise. I suspect it's going to be a rough transition for all of us in the next few days, especially August. This morning after we read some books in his bedroom, I told him that tomorrow he starts school again, and also that James is going on a trip for a few days. He seemed fine with it, but then he walked into the living room and started crying.

We are so lucky to have had this time together--five weeks of hanging out as a family, going on trips, going to the beach, being at home. It's a part of the Swedish lifestyle that we hope to take with us wherever we go.

Now, back to camping.

Notice the falling carrot!

August's first sail

Our neighbor, Henrik, took us out on Sunday for a quick sail. Agnetta, his wife, took care of Leif while the rest of us enjoyed a beautiful, calm morning on the water. I was worried August wouldn't like it - he hasn't enjoyed his previous boating experiences - but he really enjoyed himself. I was surprised that he was so comfortable. James had a primer in Swedish sailing terminology and signage, and I hoisted the jib. Now I'm working on ways to get us more invitations out onto the water...

He fell asleep sitting on my lap on the way out, so we laid him down below; he promptly woke up, of course.

Fishing for banana peels:

The way home:

My beach babies

I keep meaning to tell you how much we are loving our new place and the nature we're immersed in. We go for nightly nature walks, looking for slugs and snails and toads and ducklings. August loves it. Saturday it was finally warm enough (finally!) to go to the beach. (Our beach isn't quite ready yet, they are still landscaping the property, but this one is a short walk down the path from us and almost visible from our balcony).

Leif loved feeling the sand in his fingers (and between his teeth), and August loved running in and out of the water. It was such a joy to watch them playing and exploring outside.

Ahhh, life in the Swedish countryside...

The boy in the background, probably a bit older than August (maybe three or three and a half), was running back and forth in the water, pulling his boat behind him. There was another boy, maybe three or four years older, lying on the rocks and casually watching him. Shortly after we arrived, the two boys packed up their things and walked off down the path. They were at the beach alone! Totally normal in Sweden, but I'm sure their parents would have been arrested in the US. And we would have been reprimanded for letting our little boy play on the beach naked.

Pool time!

Today was our first trip to the pool here at Canal Pointe (the condo complex where we live). The weather was gorgeous and warm, though the water is still fairly cold. It took quite some time for Augie to get used to the water - he clung to me like a monkey for the first 5-10 minutes - but eventually he acclimated and had a great time.

Warning: Pictures of pregnant woman in bathing suit follow. Please proceed with caution.

This is the monkey-clinging part of the afternoon

But some toys got him excited:

We pulled him out of the water when we realized he was starting to shiver, and then I got to cuddle with him in the sunshine. This stuff's the best.

9.5 months - To market, to market

From our trip to the farmers' market last weekend:

9 months - Family swim time

I somehow convinced James to knock off from work a bit early so that we could have family time at the pool. We haven't loved living in an apartment complex at the margins of town (understatement), but we've maximized the utility of the place by playing lots of tennis on the courts here (pre-baby) and swimming for much of the summers (the pool was a lifesaver when I was pregnant last year and it was too hot to even go for a walk). But really, we're only just beginning to discover the joys of having a pool now that we have a wee one around.

First, we get our gear on and stroll around poolside:

To make sure everyone has an opportunity to notice the guy who can pull off a hot pink shirt, we take our time strolling to the water:

But we gotta stop to see who's checking us out from behind:

He's too sexy for his hat:

Always test the waters before getting in:

But when you hit the water, man, you just gotta let go and have fun:

And everyone has to try a new Instagram effect now and then:

This is the last weekend for the pool, as Labor Day marks the end of summer. I'm glad summer's over, actually: it's always too hot to play outside, and even Augie gets a bit irascible in the heat. Autumn's coming, the most luscious time of the year, and I'm looking forward cuddling up with my boys, wearing plaid scarves, and lingering over bowls of lentil soup with red wine. What are you looking forward to?