Keeping up with the Karlssons

Retreat

2012-02-02T04:33:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, after our bout with stomach flu and a few rough days at home with a willful know-it-all toddler, I became a flight risk. I daydreamed of exotic beach vacations in Central America, even going so far as to browse travel sites. Did it have something to do with my (self diagnosed) seasonal affective disorder? I was antsy and restless, and literally at my breaking point. Cue my Fairy Godmother (a.k.a Kerstin), who graciously offered to take the kids overnight for the weekend so that Mattias and I could do something just for us.

We felt kinda guilty. I mean, the boys did sleep over at their place the weekend before. I didn't feel like I even had the right to feel antsy, given my time away from home while at work, and all the additional support we get. After some thought, we realized that (almost) everything we do is for the kids. They are constantly at museums, playgrounds, cultural (and not-so-cultural) events, making crafts, and playing make believe. When we are with them, we are really with them and being present in the moment. And all that being "present" can drive you a bit crazy. When you wage the war of parenthood, sometimes you win, but a lot of times you lose your sanity. We didn't need to surrender, but we needed to retreat.

After some quick research we decided on a trip Gettysburg, PA. We wanted to do something that the kids wouldn't appreciate, something that we wouldn't be able to enjoy fully if they were with us. So we found a quaint little cottage right outside of town and travelled 2 hours north in the first serious snow this winter.

After resting a little bit we head out to the Gettysburg Visitor Center, which houses an impressive collection of artifacts, and a fantastic exhibit that covered the Civil War and exacting details of the Battle of Gettysburg. Upstairs there is a cylindrical mural set above a diorama, aptly named the Cyclorama, depicting Pickett's Charge.

Before heading inside I payed my respects to President Lincoln.

My favorite part of the museum was the section on Civil War medicine. For all you folks complaining about our current health care situation, just be happy we live in a time of antibiotics, sterile surgical instruments, and fast acting pain killers. Just looking at the instruments they used for amputations made me gag.

After getting a nice overview of the importance and events of the famous battle, we went for a sunset drive around the battlefile. Below are the Penssylvania Monument, and the areas near the "High Water Mark" (the northernmost position of the Confederate Army on Union soil).

There were so many monuments, it's amazing to thing that each represented just a few of the 50,000 people that died in those 3 days of battle. I was especially touched by the soldier below, with a single icesicle at the tip of his musket.

We then went into the historic downtown area. Mattias is standing in front of where President Lincoln put the finishing touches on his Gettysburg Address.

There were a couple of cute business that could only survive in a place where Civil War reenactments took place.

The following morning was spent watching a rom-com (romantic comedy) in bed, after being served breakfast by our wonderful innkeeper. There were a few stops left on our battlefield tour, so we stopped at the spot where Pickett's Charge began, on the Confederate side of the battlefield. We took a few moments to contemplate the bravery of all of those men marching across an open field in heavy fire. It made me think of people everywhere, who believe in a cause so much they are willing to die for it. It made me think, in the long run, who's to say who's "right"? We feel like the country is divided now, think of how divided it was then.

In my everyday life, my internal dialogue revolves around feeding & wrangling the kids, maintaining my personal hygiene at minimally acceptable standards, and convincing myself to exercise more often. It was nice to contemplate such a big moment in our country's history, and just goof off with my favorite partner in crime.

Slow Down

2012-01-27T04:09:00.000-08:00

After Christmas I vowed to slow things down, not plan too much, and take it easy. I had a lot of help while Mattias was in India, but the extra workload took it's toll. Almost immediately after Mattias returned we were hit with a Karlsson-wide stomach flu, keeping me away from human kind for a full week. Magnus' molars (all 4) started to erupt and the I-won't-let-go-of-mamma's-leg phase began. Clearly, no one in the family got the "Let's take it easy" memo.

I bitch and moan, but there have been a lot of happy little moments tucked into the chaos. The boy's love of rock and roll continues to grow, and music time with Mattias is always a hit. Another new development is Linus' favoritism towards Mattias. He constantly says "I love you best pappa. You're my best friend." And when I'm being stern and enforcing household rules, he cries "I want pappa!!!!"

Magnus has begun to walk in earnest, still preferring his funky one-kneed creep. When he does walk he goes with the hands in front zombie-walk.

His fascination with all things mechanical continues to grow. Diggers are his favorite, but he calls anything yellow with big wheels or tracks a "digger!" The only thing he likes more than diggers? Me. And I will fully admit that I lavish in his admiration and devotion, getting a tiny ego boost every time he peels off Farmor or Mattias to come to me. He's just so soft and sweet, and perhaps I realize this phase is short and transitory, I definitely appreciate it more than when Linus was in the same stage.

Just last weekend we finally got a dusting of snow, followed by some rain, resulting in a crunchy sheet of ice. Doesn't matter to the boys, it was white outside so that meant they could use their sled.

We're still taking it easy (in our own terms)-- no plans for the next 2 weekends, no crazy craft or garden projects on the horizon. But knowing me, I'll find something to fill that time.

India trip

2012-01-20T12:05:00.000-08:00

I figured I would use the blog to post some pictures from my recent India trip. Ellie was a super wife/mom and let me go on this mancation while she stayed home and used the Jedi force on the kids.

The flight there was really long, and I didn't arrive in Mumbai until 1am. After a crazy initializing cab ride where the driver's car kept breaking down, I got to the hotel where Hillel was staying. The next morning we checked out of the hotel and took a long cab ride down to the train station. I didn't spend much time in Mumbai, but I can say this: the city is huge, and like much of the county, it looks like it's either in a perpetual state of being built or torn down.

We took a long train ride out to a really awesome World Heritage site-- Ellora and Ajanta caves. These ancient temples were carved right out of the mountain, taking hundreds of years to complete. We were pretty awestruck.

We spent two days exploring these beautiful temples, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

The mixture of ancient architecture and wildlife was really cool too. There were monkeys climbing all over the place.

After the first day of temple viewing, we took an auto-rickshaw ride back towards our hotel. For those of you who haven't experienced this mode of transportation, it's basically a small moped with a crappy metal enclosure to sit in. It's probably the cheapest way to get around, and you always have a feeling that you are about to die. The driver decided to pack three extra people in his little vehicle (in addition to me, Hillel, and himself). It was a long, cramped ride, and we became well-acquainted with the other riders. They turned out to be really cool-- they were MBA students on break from school, and they were exploring their own country much like we explore ours. We ended up spending the rest of the day with them, exploring a really cool fort that was partially in ruins.

After the second day of temples, we took a public bus to a medium-sized (and extremely dirty) town called Jalgoan. The bus ride was an awesome experience-- it was really crowded, dirty, and confusing, but it felt nice to travel the way everyone else did. We ended up befriending a group of students that wanted me to take pictures of everything we saw out the window. I think they were more interested in my camera than in us!

When we got to Jalgoan, we quickly learned that our overnight train back to Mumbai was 7 hours delayed. The perpetual state of disorganization and unpredictability of India's train system is something to get used to. We decided to take a sleeper bus instead, and we were lulled by the constant sound of horns beeping and the smell of exhaust all night. The next morning, we were back in Mumbai and we met up with Mel in the Bandra neighborhood. Here is a picture taken from the beach. Not a great place for swimming (the beach looked more like a garbage dump), but the weather was really nice and we walked around for a few hours.

That evening, we got on a plane to Delhi, and crashed in a hotel that looked like it was entrenched in a war zone. Mel was not happy about his choice in hotel, but it was clean so whatever. Mel and I got up early the next morning to take a train to Agra (where the Taj Mahal is located). The Taj did not disappoint.

Mel and I spent the whole day pondering the awesome architecture, and we took some trippy long-exposure photos in a nearby fort.

It was a really fun day, despite coming back to Delhi after midnight (it was New Year's eve) and missing out on the celebration. By this time, Hillel's friend Mike Soskis had arrived in Delhi and we met up with them at a bar.

The next day, we had a chance to explore Delhi a little. We decided to walk around the city's main bazar area, which was full of crazy alleys and shops selling everything you can imagine.

At one point we heard some music in the distance and decided explore its source. We ended up in a big colorful tent with a bunch of people participating in a Hindu ceremony. We sat down (initially on the side reserved for women, which was really embarrassing) and enjoyed the amazing live music. It was entrancing.

We were itching to get away from all the pollution, trash, and people, so our escape out to Corbet National Park that evening came just in time. Once there, we met up with our guide, Ramesh, who was really knowledgeable about the animals in the park.

We spent two days exploring the park, but the most exhilarating part happened just one hour in: we saw a huge male tiger while riding on the backs of scared elephants! Somehow, during all the jostling from the elephants that were freaking out, I got a picture of the tiger. He was not happy that we had crashed his party.

We also did a lot of birdwatching in the park-- Mel was definitely in his element. One of my favorite birds was the Kingfisher (shown below).

We slept in the park one night inside a perimeter with an electric fence to keep the tigers out. We woke up early for the sunrise and did some more birdwatching.

We finished off my last day in India walking along a beautiful river, and we ended up at a really cool temple build on top of a steep rocky outcropping.

I was sad to be leaving so soon, as the rest of the guys stayed longer for more adventure. The experience was truly memorable, and my lasting impression is of how warm and inviting the people there are. Despite the hardships people endure there, many seem to just float above it all. Enjoy!

Merriment in the Making

2012-01-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

Now that Mattias is home safe and sound from India I finally have some time to tell you about our fantastic Christmas weekend. It's hard to believe that was 2 weeks ago, a sign that we should all try to slow down and regroup during the month of January.

It was a gorgeous day on the 23rd so we decided to go downtown to spend to morning at the National Aquarium. We parked next to the Washington Monument, a structure that Linus loves to point to anytime we're driving. While we can see it from the end of our block in Arlington, Linus was still really excited to be standing so close. The little aquarium is such a great place for small children, with lots of viewing platforms to stand on and space to run around. The big attraction was their new albino alligator.

Afterwards we took a 1 block stroll past the White House and over to the National Christmas tree. It was a little shorter this year than in years past, but I'm short and stout so who am I to judge? The best part about the tree is not the tree itself-- it's the villages and railroads on the ground surrounding it. Kids love model train displays and can watch them for hours (even when it starts getting windy and cold).

We started out our Christmas Eve celebrations at the elder Karlsson's house, where we hung out with Jonas & Lauren who were visiting from Chicago. I had a great time making marzipan pigs and frogs with Linus, while Magnus sat in his reading chair with a few books.

We had Christmas Eve dinner out our place with a traditional Swedish spread featuring homemade gravlax, pickled beet salad, and Janssons frestelse (a potato gratin with anchovies), along with Swedish ham, meatballs, and pickled herring. This Christmas dinner was particularly challenging because our normal supplier of Swedish food (IKEA) decided to stop selling a lot of necessities. For years we eargerly drove to IKEA to buy the staples, so we were shocked to see a bunch of generic products that are generally less scary to the average American consumer. Believe me, I was outraged and so was Linus. He yelled "Shame on you people! You're ruining our Christmas!" in the middle of the Food Shop several times. Moving on...

Unlike last Christmas where Linus was discouraged from trying different (fishy) foods by his own relatives visiting from Sweden (you know who you are), this year he took a few bites. You don't have to like it or eat a lot of it, but you do have to try it.

After our feast Jultomte came for a visit. In Sweden it's traditional for dad (or a designee) to dress up and knock on the door to deliver the presents. For $30 on amazon.com the tradition can be yours, too! Here is Mattias getting ready in the basement.

Linus was thrilled by the visit and immediately offered to help place the presents under the tree. We were shocked because Linus usually goes completely mute around strangers, and was sooooo talkative around Jultomte.

When we got around to trying to find Mattias to hand him a gift, Linus pointed up to Jultomte and said "You're pappa!" I guess he wasn't fooled for one minute. Gus and Sophia on the other hand were freaked out and barking the entire time.

After the gifts were sorted into different reciepient piles (see Linus' obscene pile below) we got around to opening.

Linus' favorites were his light saber, police uniform, and rocket ship.

Magnus loved opening gifts too, and tinkering with his new things. There were so many presents eventually the kids got tired of opening them and had to go to bed. The rest were saved for the next day.

We hope everyone had an equally wonderful Christmas as well. Thanks to those of you who took the time to send a holiday card or a gift for the boys!

Silly Fun

2011-12-31T11:56:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Day, Auntie Lauren taught Linus about the joys of the Photo Booth program on her iPad. Just aim (the screen is the viewfinder) and shoot, and if you will, apply special effects. The fun can last for hours, if you let it.

We got a couple of got shots of the boys showing some brotherly love. On the left, that's a hug not a headlock. Although the lines between those gestures of "affection" are starting to blur in our house...

And we even got a couple of not-so-silly-just-cute pictures in.

As some of you know, Mattias is currently off adventuring in India with his buddies. Me and Kerstin and Magnus are working as a team to care for the 2 boys, but with the cold it's getting harder to keep them entertained. On an afternoon when we didn't have much going on and the boys were starting to self destruct, I remembered "Doesn't my MacBook have a photo booth?!?" YESSS instant entertainment!

Nightvision

Pop Art

Comic Book

All kinds of fun house stretch effects... these always give us the most laughs.

Sometimes I feel like I've lost my head...

Mirror

We've heard a few times from Mattias and it sounds like he's having an amazing time. He saw the Taj Mahal yesterday, explored the cities of Mumbai (Bombay) and Dehli, and checked out ancient caves. While he parties it up in Dehli, we will be spending a quiet evening at home with a few small fire crackers for the kids. I will force him to post pictures and stories when he returns.

Happy New Year everyone!

Extreme Christmas

2011-12-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

My hyperactivity reaches new heights at Christmastime, starting the day after Thanksgiving. I don't waste any time with the memory making, people. My craziness started in November when I decided I wanted to make a felt advent calendar of heirloom quality. Rather than buy the calendar from Pottery Barn for $60, I went ahead and spent $100 on 100% wool felt for the project. Then between Kerstin and I we spent hours cutting, embroidering, and sewing-- the results will be in pictures later on. Anyway, there is a long list of Christmasy things we Karlssons need to do in the month of December. Making our gingerbread house (out of a kit from IKEA) was the first activity crossed off our checklist.

The following weekend we baked pepparkakor from scratch. I've been doing this since way before the kids were born, so it's nice to have a little helper. In addition to the traditional boys, girls, and pigs, Linus cut out some dinosaurs.

Then last Sunday morning, we drove out to Poolesville, MD to cut down our Christmas tree. We like that a fresh cut tree lasts longer, but we also love that getting a tree is a whole day outdoorsy affair. Getting trees from local farmers also encourages tree planting, so it's a win-win all around. We packed hot cider and fresh bullar (cinnamon buns) and drove down a gorgeous country road.

At first Linus talked about not wanting to saw down a tree. He is a gentle soul, so perhaps the whole idea sounded a bit violent. But as soon as we got to the farm, and especially after he saw the bucket of saws, all inhibition was out the window.

Magnus loved trekking around in the wagon while sipping on warm cider.

The trees were quite short at this farm so we picked the tallest one we could find. It was just barely taller than me :)

We met the Harris family there, and Linus and Finn had a ball running through the rows of trees together.

Then we went on to visit the farm's animals...

... before strapping the trees onto the car and finally heading home.

A couple of nights later we got around to decorating our tree. It's been cold lately which makes Mattias a little happier-- he loves making wood fires in our fireplace. It definitely makes the house feel real cozy. Magnus clearly looks like he's nice and cozy.

This year Linus got to put the star on top of the tree, but he knows that next year is Magnus' turn.

Here's the finished tree, with our family advent calendar on the wall.

This past Friday I hosted our playgroup's second annual cookie exchange, which we augmented with a traditional cheese fondue spread. Everyone brought amazing cookies and we had so many of them to share! The kids oogled at the cookie spread, but knew they didn't get to eat any until after dinner.

The babies chowed down on snacks and worked together to trash the toy area.

Us moms didn't care because we were enjoying our warm pot of melted cheesy goodness.

Wow, I'm tired just writing about all the stuff we've done. People often ask, "How do you make time to do all of this?" And the answer is: I neglect other things, like housework. Until this morning our floors were so dirty I felt uncomfortable walking barefoot inside the house. I have piles of laundry that still need to make their way back into the dresser, and piles of toys that always seem to reappear no matter how often I put them away. I'm old enough now to know that I can't have it all. So I say "Fuck it."* and bake my cookies and make my crafts and send my cards, because these activities bring me enough joy to make up for the little bit of sanity I lose with a temporarily filthy house.
*Not around the kids, of course!

Linus has finally reached the age where he understands and even anticipates all the fun Christmas traditions. He's written his letter to Jultomte and loves to sing Christmas carols. He finishes his dinner so that he can have a chocolate coin from the advent calender, and cozies up to the fire with the rest of us. While Magnus can't appreciate traditions, I know he is enjoying all the time we are spending together. And that, to us Karlssons, is what Christmastime is all about.

Prom Revisited

2011-12-09T10:32:00.001-08:00

Thirteen and a half years ago Mattias and I went to the Milpitas High School Senior Prom together. I wore a green satin dress that I made in sewing class, Mattias wore a Men's Wearhouse suit with a matching green tie (also made by me). A large group of us had dinner at the Hungry Hunter, then danced the night away at the Decathlon Club in Santa Clara. The after-party was at the Karlsson's house where a group of us goofed off and sat in the hot tub. It was good, clean, innocent fun and a great way to end our senior year.

Last weekend we had the opportunity to relive Prom Night, at Mattias' annual office holiday party. Here's our official posed photo op:

Looking back at our archives, I'm shocked that I have never blogged about these parties-- they are epic. HHMI knows how to throw down and this party has become a must-do tradition for us Karlssons. The on-site hotel allows employees to rent rooms for the night, and the daycare center offers childcare during the event. The entire first floor is transformed into an amazingly decorated space, and is filled with fantastic food stations and open bars. With an unlimited supply of sushi, fresh seafood, and booze, this prom surpassed our '98 experience pretty quickly.

The cafeteria was transformed into a gymnasium with a couple of rented bleachers and basketball hoops. The decor was quite simple this year: hand painted posters and tons and tons of balloons.

Yay for champagne punch fountain! Since I wore 4-inch stiletto/platform heals, my dance moves were a bit limited. Our friends Matt & Andrea and the elder Karlssons joined us on the dance floor, too.

We got a call around 8PM that Magnus was not too happy with his first babysitting experience, so I had Mattias go upstairs to check on him. Just as he left, the cheerleaders came out to perform. That's right, HHMI hired a troupe of under aged Catholic school girls to dance in front of drunk men. (See me shaking my head.) Afterwards, they announced the winners for a company wide photography contest. Guess who won Best in Show? Mattias! Too bad he wasn't there to receive his prize.

It was a lot of partying to pack in to 3 hours, but it was well worth it. The proof? Our parting shots at the portrait booth. The scary part? We were on our way to pick up the kids.

The next morning we woke up at the butt crack of dawn (literally) but were greeted with this serene view from our hotel room.

The kids loved the cookies and balloons we brought them, and we weren't that hung over. Prom night 2011 rocked.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-27T11:45:00.001-08:00

While I should have collapsed hours ago, I am so energized by the wonderful weather and experiences we've had this Thanksgiving I just had to stay up an extra 15 minutes to share. Our feast was small and simple, boasting an 11lb turkey with dressing and lots of veggie sides. The turkey was so good I'm kinda wishing I got a standard 18-20lb bird so that I had more leftovers. Here Linus and I are sporting our pilgrim hats.

Both boys approved of the feast, and followed it with a movie, "Gnomeo & Juliet".

While lots of people braved the malls, we spent all of Black Friday at playgrounds. We had a little scare in the morning at Clemyjontri Park, where Linus decided to dart off. There were so many people there it took about 5 minutes to find him (and I swear Mattias sprouted 5 new gray hairs in that time). Later in the afternoon we stayed in our neighborhood and took Linus' tricycle out for a ride.

We rode to the "Dinasuar Park" and took it easy. Magnus is finally mobile enough to play on the big kid equipment. He's great at cruising, and we think he'll walk in the next month.

On Saturday the gorgeous weather continued and we were determined to 1) get the boys out of the house before they trashed it and 2) take a family photo for our Christmas card. The annual train display at the National Botanical Garden was already open so we drove into DC early to beat the crowds. The setup is impressive, and every year they build new structures made entirely of plant materials.

Right after taking our picture in front of the miniature Capitol, we went outside (just across the street really) to take pictures in front of the real thing. We won't spoil our Christmas card by showing you the family shot, but we'll tease you with these shots of our "Capitol Cuties".

While we faced a lot of challenges this year, I know that our growth was proportional to these hardships. All told, we are not completely broke, we are all healthy, and despite what the news says, our futures are bright. For all of you who have given us encouragement and support, we give thanks.

Karlsson Kare x2

2011-11-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

When we first found out we were having Lille Magnus, we automatically assumed we would increase Linus' days at daycare to 3 days a week from 2. Even though we all know Kerstin is"Super Farmor" we didn't want to overload her with 2 moving targets. Without us bringing it up (and before Magnus was even born), Kerstin offered to take both boys one day a week. She bought a double stroller (we call it "The Hummer") and brought it back here from Sweden, and readied the house for some crazy boy action.

While Mattias and I feared the worst of having 2 kids, it's actually not that bad. At times it's more than twice the work of having one, but a lot of times it feels like half the work of having one. I think this collection of Kerstin's iPhone photos shows why: Having fun with 2 cute boys is not really work at all.

Summer day at the park

Kerstin mixes it up with different activities, even bringing out Linus' inner Swedish Chef. His cooking style does resemble the chefs in Regular Ordinary Swedish Mealtime.

On days when Kerstin is alone with Magnus, they spend a lot of time outside on strolls. The park, grocery store, post office, and fabric store are their favorite hangouts.

Mattias and I think (for the most part) that we're good parents, but sometimes Kerstin puts us to shame. Art projects and seasonal crafts are regular occurences at Farmor's house.

It would be scary to calculate how much we would "owe" Kerstin for her quality childcare services, but that number would be irrelevent compared to the happiness she's given our boys.

Tittut! (Peek-a-boo in Swedish)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:26:00.000-07:00

Months ago Linus told me he wanted to be a choo choo train for Halloween. I smiled, said "Woudn't that be cool!" but on the inside thought "How the hell am I gonna pull that off!?!" It turns out that all those saved Amazon.com boxes in the basement were begging to be reincarnated as this year's hottest costume. Add $8 in acrylic paint, $6 in craft foam, some hot glue, and a lot of work/engineering by both parents, and we give you... The Karlsson Express! It was "express" because Mattias and I recycled costumes from a few years back, giving us more time to invest in the trains.

I can't take all the credit because Linus chose all the color combinations and the numbers for the boxcars. Linus was absolutely thrilled with the result, having the best costume at his school costume parade. Magnus blew on his little train whistle, and Linus marvelled at the smoke made by some dry ice Mattias stole from work.

Going around just 2 blocks took an hour! Those little legs walk slowly, and all the houses had lots of steps to the front door (which are difficult to navigate if you're a train, duh!)

We came home with more candy than Linus will eat in an entire year. Magnus' bucket was pretty full too, but I'll be collecting that as a "surcharge" for my costume construction skillz.

Happy Halloween from the Karlssons!

The Wonder Years

2011-10-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, while washing my hands in the bathroom at work, I looked up at the mirror and thought "What the f*ck. I left the house looking like this? And Mattias didn't say anything?!?" Two well groomed eyebrows were replaced with ornery tarantulas, parked right above my horrified eyes. Later on in the week I got home and swore that some kind of atomic toy/dirty laundry bomb had gone off in the house. And even though we got back from our business trips weeks ago, there are piles of stuff reproducing in our bedroom like a bad science experiment! Poor Linus made the mistake of crawling under our bed only to tell me later "It's dirty under here, Mamma."

"What happened to me?" I now ask regularly, as I try to remember that put-together-everything-has-it's-place-Ellie of yesteryear. Remember her? My usual answer is "I've become a loser." I've become that person, who doesn't send thank you notes or even emails after receiving a gift. That person, that shies from committing to an invitation or bails last minute on plans. Yup, that would be me.

Mattias being the good friend and husband that he is always says, "Ellie, you are the last person in the world I would call a loser." And looking back at the past few months of photos shows me why:

Our kids are thriving.

It really sucks that I have to put aside my pre-parenthood habits more frequently than I would like. I would love to maintain better grooming/hygiene, set a better example of etiquette, and be that person who is always up for going out. But if I tried to be my pre-parenthood self, would I have time to take Magnus to the National Arboretum for a stroll?

Would I have time to go with Linus to tumbling class every week?

If I were busy trying to keep the house clean, would I miss out on a morning hike around Great Falls?

Or a trip to the National Zoo to the see the lion cubs' 1st birthday party?

I can't say yes or no definitely, but here's what I do know: these are the Wonder Years. I will forever look back at this time as one of the most magical and joyous times of my life. So what if the house is always a huge mess, and that I spend most of my time cooking and cleaning, and chasing, and being generally busy? The sad truth is that this time is short lived, and that soon enough these boys will have lives of their own, forgoing outings with me for hanging out with friends.

I can always wish for more time and energy, but the Time & Energy Fairy might not visit for a while. So until then, I have to accept that my eyebrows will be bushy and my house will be messy.

His Mother's Child

2011-10-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up I had a really hard time smiling for pictures. In fact, going through old pictures for this post produced a good number non-smiling-Ellie examples. For a while I just couldn't get the smile down and grimaced instead (bottom left). But for the majority of the pictures I was just plain unhappy (bottom right).

Last week when we opened up Linus' school portraits, Mattias immediately burst into a cry/laugh. Linus being his mother's child, looked into the camera and thought "I am NOT happy, and I WILL NOT smile even for a second."

Linus and I, our faces never lie.

First Trip Around the Sun

2011-10-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to think that just a year ago Mattias and I made the journey to the hospital to deliver our baby Magnus. Yesterday we celebrated him with a small party at the house, but before our friends came over we had a quiet traditional celebration over breakfast.

Magnus seemed really interested in his gifts, climbing them at least. Linus was a helpful big brother, kindly opening most of the gifts. Farmor and Farfar got him a big boy chair, and we got him a soft down blanket. Magnus felt so much love from his family from afar- gifts arrived from Chicago, California, and Sweden. Thanks everyone!

Soon after wards, friends and family streamed through the doors to help us celebrate.

Fish themed invitation

The brunch spread was a true team effort. I made the birthday cake and open faced Swedish shrimp sandwiches, Mattias made Swedish pancakes, and Kerstin made a fish-shaped deli selection.

What a difference a year makes! Lille Magnus used to hate parties and chaos, but this year he seemed happy to have so many people over.

We even had a nice little craft thanks to Kerstin. The kids decorated their own fishbowls.

Then came the main event- singing (in both English and Swedish) and cake. We didn't even attempt o train Magnus to blow out his candles.

The celebration was short and sweet, but special nonetheless. Thanks to everyone who made it to the party, or just called to say "Happy Birthday!"

Stor Bror & Lille Bror

2011-09-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

As Magnus approaches his frist birthday, it's been really beautiful to watch his and Linus' relationship develop. While Linus has been caring and sweet for the most part, there are times when he can get physically rough especially if it involves sharing toys. Both Linus and Magnus get a lot of attention from so many people, that jealousy is very rarely an issue. But the most exciting development to watch is the two boys playing together. Here we are at a playground in Sweden:

The sillyness is also sweet. This is on our way to the Gothenberg Airport.

Just recently the boys have started to annoy each other, in the car no less. The tantrum Linus was having began when Magnus kept waking him up from his nap with all kinds of silly/random noises. Don't press the play button unless you really want to hear our child screaming.

I know headlocks and wedgies are just a few short years away, so I'll enjoy these moments as much as I can.

Sommar i Sverige: The Home Stretch

2011-09-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a couple of exciting weeks here in the Karlsson household. First, we experienced a pretty strong earthquake, followed by a hurricane that left a huge mess in the yard. Just recently we had several days of down pouring that caused flash flooding and left our basement flooded. The kids don't care about all the added work these acts of nature create, so they just go on as their normal, mess-creating selves. Honestly, it lookes like an earthquake/hurricane/flash flood hit the inside of our house! But now I have a minute to fill you in on the rest of our trip.

Looking back on our trip it's amazing how much we did The events at Pallarpfest alone created memories equivalent to an entire vacation! Fortunately, we had some down time with Mattias' sister and her family before the long trip home. Before driving south, we carved out some time with Mattias' grandfather, Sune.

Jonas, Sune, Mattias and Magnus

Just recently another Karlsson came into this world, so we took a short drive to Goteborg to meet our new family member. We took a short detour to Fiskkyrkan, an old church converted into a fresh fish market, to grab some lunch.

We got to Mattias' cousin Jenny's apartment to find a sleeping baby Olle strapped in the BabyBjorn. At only 3 weeks old, the little guy was still getting used to life outside the womb. After our seafood lunch, he was ready for a little socialization.

Anders was able to come home during his lunch break to meet us, too. We followed our meal with coffee and bullar.

I got some baby-holding time in, and was amazed that Magnus was this little just 10 months ago. It was a nice reunion and beautiful to see Jenny and her family grow.

The next day we packed a picnic, took the bus into town, then walked to this awesome playground.

Sara and Anton were so patient with a very cranky Linus, so we rewarded them with an end-of-summer ice cream. Both kids started school the following day :(

Even though the skies were often gray, we always found a way to have fun.

On our last day went to the Borås Zoo, and luckily the weather was just perfect. Before getting to the animals, we strolled through a small dinosaur exhibit. Linus approved by giving his best T-rex impression.

The place was set on a hill which made for gorgeous views, and difficult climbs. We took breaks and I got some help from Linus.

The African Savannah was my favorite exhibit, which combined many species in one enclosure. (Minus the carnivores, of course.)

We liked it so much we parked ourselves and had lunch in front of the giraffes.

I don't know why Mattias looks so disgusted at this chimp scratching his butt hole. He does it at home ALL THE TIME.

After saying goodbye to the bison and bear cubs, we went home to pack and get ready for the long journey home.

The ride home wasn't bad at all. On our first leg, Linus threw a major tantrum and screamed "I want to sit in the FRONT ROW!" for a good 20 minutes. Don't know about you, but I feel like that everytime I board a plane. On the long leg we got upgraded to economy plus because we requested to sit in the front row for the kids. Booze was included, we got real silverware and Swedish crystal glasses, and Magnus (and me) had a huge area to crawl in. I will be flying Scandinavian Airlines again... Thanks Mattias, for being the designated-parent on this flight. I owe you one!

Before I end, I just had to share something with my fellow Americanos re:gas prices. It cost us almost $80 to buy about 9 gallons of gas-- that's about $9.00 a gallon. We thought we had filled up the Ternholts' Saab, but it turns out it was just over half tank and we reached the credit card limit on the pump. But, the roads sure were nice and there were a lot fewer cars around, too. I also did not see a single ginormous SUVs or pick up truck either.

Being with family like this was so wonderful and rewarding, despite the hardships of traveling with the the boys. Coming home, I feel inspired to live more like the Swedes-- keep things simple and enjoy the small things, put family first, be outdoors or active whenever possible, and learn to be happy without having a lot. I feel like their mentality can be summed up by this road marking.

So, if it's not raining where you are, take the time to go on a walk with someone you love.

Pallarpfest 2011

2011-08-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

After leaving Örebro we traveled south to the town of Eksjö, in Småland. Sweden is divided up into cultural regions so to speak, and Småland is where our family is from. It is also the home of Astrid Lindgren (creator of Pippi Longstocking) and Ingvar Kamprad (creator of IKEA). Eksjö is a beautifully preserved wooden town with buildings dating back to the early 1700s. We stayed at a hostel located in the middle of the town, a textile production building from the 1800s.

This was the nicest hostel I've ever stayed at, we even had a lovely canal right outside our window. Our family had essentially taken over the hostel, and the kitchen area was large enough to fit all of us.

The town itself is small and charming, with a nice main street filled with shops and restaurants. We took many strolls in those few days, and Mattias took these shots during a 6AM stroll with Magnus.

The following day Magnus was kind enough to drive my mom and Alvin to the Glasriket, or glassblowing region. Swedish hand blown glass and crystal is famous for its artistry and quality, and Småland is the home Sweden's glass industry. Here's a typical open country road.

They chose Kosta Boda, since it's one of the largest producers, happens to be our favorite, and there's a seconds outlet associated with the factory. No rails keeping you far away from the kiln here, just you and the artists.

I wasn't there but I think they were making vases that day. Check out the little girl trying her hand at molding molten glass. This would never happen in the states, too much liability.

After wards they went to the museum and shop.

That night we had all members of the Karlsson family together for the first time since summer 2008. It was so nice to hang out, make fun of each other, and drink. We didn't stay up too late though, we had to rest up for our big family reunion that was happening the next day.

For all the rain we got in the week prior, this one perfect Swedish summer day made it all worthwhile. The day of the party was gorgeous, putting all of us in the mood to celebrate.

Pallarp is the name of the location of our reunion, and how it got its name I don't know. Here's what I do know: The main house used to be a rest building located near the railroad tracks (where Sune worked his entire adult life). When this building was being torn down, Sune and a group of friends saved the disassembled parts and re-erected it next to this small lake in Småland. The building and surrounding area are owned and maintained by Sune and the original group, an association of sorts.

We were greeted by this beautiful family tree, crafted by Kerstin.

We all took a few moments to soak in the sights, it was really breathtaking.

It didn't take very long for us to hit the water.

I was in charge of crafts, so I brought a tie-dye kit and some face paints for the kids.

Magnus had plenty of people to play with. Here he is with his second cousin, Oskar.

There were many ways for the kids to burn energy, even a trampoline.

After all that play, it was time for us to gather around the table for fika. Here's the definition from Wikipedia:
"Fika is a social institution in Sweden; it means having a break, most often a coffeebreak, with one's colleagues, friends, date, or family. The word has quite ambiguous connotations and can mean anything from taking a break from work or other activities, to going on a date - always including something to eat accompanied by a drink, such as cookies, cakes and even candy. This practice of taking a break, typically with a cinnamon roll or some biscuits or cookies, or sometimes a smörgås or a fruit on the side, is central to Swedish life, and is regularly enjoyed even by the government."

Kajsa had a few wonderful words for our guest of honor, Sune, and thanked everyone who traveled from near and far.

Then we all gathered for a family picture.

Before dinner we had a nice game of Tug-o-War, followed by more relaxation by the lake.

It wasn't very long before we were called to the table for a fabulous potluck dinner.

Magnus captured this amazing picture at sunset. No Photoshop here, this is as peaceful as it gets.

Once the sun set and the kids were in bed we got straight to business. Party! There weren't many pictures taken of the partying that went late into the night, we were too busy having fun. Let's just say there was a whole lot of acoustic karaoke, cheap American whisky, and most importantly, laughter.

The majority of us went to bed at 3AM, mostly camping out around different parts of the house. Poor Mattias was up at 6:30 with Linus.

Pallarpfest was epic, to say the least, and definitely a day that I will remember. It's so rare to be with your entire family, and even more rare when you are a mix of 2 very different (and geographically distant) cultures. While getting there and traveling with the kids was a lot of work, the experience was more than worth it.

Sommar i Sverige: Part 2

2011-08-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

After our weekend in Borås we went north to the city of Örebro, where Kerstin and Magnus have an apartment in the city center. Magnus x2, Mattias, and I drove, while the rest of the crew (including my mom and Alvin) took the train. Here we are at one of the most beautiful rest stops I've ever been too.

In a little more than 3 hours we rendezvoused at the apartment. There was sunshine so we immediately ditched our stuff and went for a walk around town.

Here's the city hall (I think) and a bridge that takes you to the city's castle, Örebro Slott.

There was an outdoor art exhibition going on, hence the giant upside down bunny in the town square. The rule is, if the sun is shining the kids get ice cream. Yes, the sun is that rare. And no, it's not a real rule.

Örebro Slott, with one of the sculptures in the mote. I really thought those were real seals in the water! We even found a couple of native Swedish monkeys in the trees!

Lille Magnus really loved all the extra attention from his cousins, Uncle Alvin, and Lola.

The following morning we celebrated my 31st birthday the Swedish way-- with the whole family waking me up with singing and gifts.

We even got to eat Princess cake for breakfast.

Shortly after, we walked into the city's park, which was voted one of Europe's most beautiful gardens a few years ago. It was so serene and lush, a tranquil space in the center of the city.

Then we continued into Wadköping, a little historic area filled with wooden buildings from the 18th century.

This was my mom's very first time in Europe, so I think she especially appreciated how well preserved these old buildings were, along with the cobble stone streets.

We ended the visit with fresh bullar (cinnamon buns spiced with cardamom) and a visit to the playground.

For my birthday dinner I was treated to a traditional Kreftfest, or Crayfish Party. We've been doing these back in Cali for years, but this was my very first Kreftfest in Sweden. These critters used to be abundant in Swedish lakes, but populations were decimated by overfishing and some kind of plague. Today, they are imported from Spain and China. To do the crayfish party properly 1) you must drink a good amount of ice cold Aquavit, 2) you should have some other kind of filling side dish (them suckers are tiny!), and 3) ideally you would be outside celebrating late into the evening sun.

For the non-seafood lovers of the group, we got another Swedish favorite-- Kebab pizza. It is a thin crust pizza with tomato sauce, beef kebab, topped with lettuce, cucumber, and tomato, that was invented after a large influx of middle eastern immigrants came to Sweden. You can also top with with a garlicky yogurt sauce for good measure.

On our last full day we walked over the the city's "Children's Island", a small amusement area for children that is open during the summertime.

You had to pay 10kr (about $2) for a "ferry ride" to the island, about 100 feet away.

Once there, you can rent peddle cars to drive around the city. They even had little electric cars, which Linus loved to drive.

Every 15 minutes a little train goes around the island, a trip that takes 10 minutes.

Then the same dudes that operate the train walk over to run the little handbuilt carousel, which also goes every 15 minutes.

It started to pour right after this photo was taken, so we decided to take the long way home by foot rather than wait for the "ferry". Just after we crossed the river I saw a sawboard sign that said "Fresh Fish & Vegetables" pointing to a tiny boat docked at the end of the bridge. We met this fisherman (who looks exactly like you would imagine a fisherman to look like), who had live Gös that was filleted on order. Magnus insisted this was an amazing fish so we bought enough for everyone for dinner.

The result? Broiled gös with dill and breadcrumbs, potatoes, and sauteed summer squash.

We are stateside now and dealing with some serious jet lag, accompanied by the demands of 2 jet lagged munchkins. It might be a while, but check back for the next post on (seriously) one of the best parties I have been to in my life-- the Hartman family reunion a.k.a. Pallarpfest 2011.

Sommar i Sverige: Part 1

2011-08-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

Both kids are taking their last naps in Sweden, so I thought I'd take a quick moment to share how we've spent these past 2 weeks. We had a pretty uneventful flight over here and were greeted by our gracious hosts, the Ternholts. Mattias' sister's family moved to the Southwestern part of Sweden to the city of Boras about 3 years ago, and this was my first time visiting. They have a great house in a quiet neighborhood surrounded by forest-- the perfect place to raise 2 active kids. They had just ripped out their entire kitchen to begin renovations, which made it a little like camping, but the kids loved the new "play room".

The following day our big goal was to go into the town center. Since the US credit rating was just lowered (and Sweden's economy has been doing quite well) the dollar is weak compared to the Swedish kronor. A regular latte at a cute cafe would have cost us $8!!! So where did we go when we needed a boost of caffeine? McDonalds-- but this ain't no run-of-the-mill American McDonalds! It actually looked like a restaurant you would want to sit down it, furnished with hip Scandinavian tables and chairs.

As we left we saw this guy pushing his baby stroller while riding his bike. With gas at almost $9/gallon, you learn to be resourceful I guess.

After our caffeinated recharge we strolled along the waterfront which is full of sculptures. Linus especially liked the naked ones and said "Huh huh, butt-butt."

Linus loves his cousins

But he was especially touched by the Linus-sized one below, after we told him the baby was lost and looking for his mamma. We were only out for a couple of hours, but we considered it a great success given our jetlag.

After our naps we took a stroll in the woods near the house. We wanted to check out the nearby lake for lake-monsters, and Linus brought his laser.

Summer is short here in Sweden, but it makes up for it with its abundant natural beauty. The flowers are small and a deserve a close up look because the beauty is in the details.

We came almost at the peak of wild raspberry season, and snacked plenty along the way. We tried our hand at mushroom hunting (also a favorite Swedish past time) but were a little too late for the edible kind.

Although the laser was meant for the lake-monster, Linus ended up aiming at other targets. Sorry slug.

We had no luck finding the dang monster at the lake, so Linus shot his laser into the dark waters for good measure.

Children here are so lucky to have these resources. Sweden is completely covered in lakes both large and small, and everyone has an appreciation for nature. The lakes and forests seem to come straight from a fairy tale. They are damp and covered in moss, and with spare time and a little imagination, you can create a whole world of adventure and wonder.

10 Months of Magnus

2011-07-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

Our "Little Crouton" has reached 10 months this weekend, and in the midst of this month's craziness reached a number of his baby-benchmarks. Self-feeding lots of solid food? Check. In fact, little kiddo isn't so crazy about nursing anymore, which means my wardrobe is expanding to tops that aren't so "easy access". Sorry Mattias.

Magnus is all about cruising, climbing, sleeping through the night, napping at the same time as big brother, and lots of laughter. He also is starting to play with toys in ways that don't involve sticking them into his mouth. He loves making his own music.

We were also thrilled to get Magnus' new glasses. They don't have corrective lenses, nor do they help dampen the nystagmus (not that it seems to affect his vision).

They're meant to protect his normal eye from a very real and present threat-- Linus. With all the throwing/wrestling/running going on, it's common practice for kids with microphthalmia to wear protective glasses. My tiny nerd is ready to melt some hipster hearts.

Next benchmark is this week-- first international flight! Next blogs will cover our trip to Sweden and our huge family reunion.

Cacaphony

2011-07-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

Back when I was studying for the GRE, I learned about the word "cacaphony". For those of you lucky enough to have missed out on the GRE, here's the definition:

Noun: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds: "a cacophony of deafening alarm bells"; "a cacophony of architectural styles".

That pretty much sums up my life. Don't believe me? Watch this video.

This past month has been one big obstacle course-- we had to find new tenants for our SF home, we prepared for (but didn't end up getting) a new roommate, we worked like crazy, got colds, dealt with extreme heat, and still somehow managed to keep our home in livable condition and put food on the table.

How do I deal with all the craziness? Well, sometimes I have to block it out by any means possible. Even if it means locking my kids outdoors. As a disclaimer, Linus knows that if he acts like a wild animal, then he has to be outside where the wild animals live.

But seriously, we can't complain. The Karlssons are on the up and up! We celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on 7/11/11. I felt it was a particularly ominous day and convinced Mattias that we had to buy lottery tickets. (We were in financial dire straights and were anticipating more lost income if we didn't find new tenants after all!) And did we win? You bet! $102 cash in our pockets, and a new anniversary tradition for the books.

Another way we cope with the crazy? We escape! Kerstin and Magnus are super troopers at taking the kids on a regular basis, and Mattias and I get to hang out like the kids we used to be. This past weekend we strolled through Georgetown, ate sushi, gawked at rich white people on boats, and learned about the C&O Canal.

Now I am serious preparation for the big trip to Sweden, where we will reunite with Mattias' entire extended family. Gotta go and pack...

Brothers Karlsson

2011-07-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

Magnus is well over 9 months old now and his personality is really starting to shine through-- so much so that his differences with Linus are so blantantly obvious. I know, you're not supposed to compare, especially when they really are like apples and oranges. Or apples and bananas. You get the picture...

In a nutshell, Magnus:

is laid back
but is extremely sensitive to noise (both while awake and sleeping)
doesn't cry much or hold a grudge
is not much of a talker (yet), and prefers to communicate with his sweet smile
is a really good eater
tans really easily (and is now a nice caramel brown)
has curly dark brown hair with Mattias' hairline
has a shorter, muscular body with my feet

Linus:

has a temper like mine and can hold a grudge all day
is a master sleeper and doesn't wake up with most noises
sure knows how to throw a tantrum
has always been a talker/charmer/clown
is a finnicky eater
tends to have paler skin
has stick straight chestnut brown hair with my hairline
has a long, lean body with Mattias' flat feet

But because of these differences in personality, the Brothers Karlsson get along swimmingly. I guess they get along as well as their parents do! We already know that this is just the beginning of a lifelong friendship. Photos courtesy of Kerstin.

Just look at how much Linus loves to entertain Magnus.

In other news, Magnus' motorskills have really taken off in the past 3 weeks. Not only has he learned to crawl, but he now sits, and goes from crawling to sitting seamlessly. Now he's working on climbing and standing, before we know it he will be walking. Check out this cute video of Magnus headbanging-- kid sure loves his music.

Independance Day

2011-07-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our nation's birthday with our annual trip to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC. Both Mattias and I have been working like crazy, so we were excited about starting our 3 day weekend with a relaxed outing.

Going early has its advantages, it's a bit cooler and the water lilies are still open.

It rained heavily the night before so there were pools of water settled in the large lotus leaves- beautiful!

Kerstin packed a picnic lunch that we enjoyed on the boardwalk.

And we even had time for a family picture.

Living near the Capitol gives the Fourth of July new meaning. People really relish in traditions here, and it's easy to feel patriotic when you see the Washington Monument and the Capitol building every day. We passed on the large crowds and opted for a neighborhood parade here in Arlington.

We parked ourselves on the corner with snacks. Linus was so excited for his very first parade.

At 10:00AM sharp the band came marching down the street, followed by floats, kids, a fire truck and an ambulance.

Linus loved all the candy being thrown out, and watched the entire parade intently.

Let's not forget the most American of traditions-- BBQ! Mel came over later that afternoon for some slow cooker ribs and minor pyrotechnics.

When it comes down to it, I feel like our little family is the embodiment of what is American. Our parents immigrated here to pursue their dreams and give us a comfortable life. Mattias and I met in a little melting pot of a town, worked hard in school and eventually landed the jobs of our dreams. What we have is modest but secure, we know as a fact that this country is still a place of great opportunity. Our biracial kids will know both their Swedish and Filipino sides, but will be in the end, American.

Linus Turns 3

2011-07-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

Last year I made the mistake of throwing Linus a birthday party that included both a homemade cake and pinata. We all know that setting standards high from the get-go only creates more work in the long run, but I went ahead and did it anyway. After deciding on a dinosaur themed party, I had my heart set on making Linus a volcano cake covered in plastic dinosaurs. I watch enough "Cake Boss" that I could just figure it out, right? After baking the cakes in pyrex bowls, I used lava-red buttercream frosting as filling, stacked them high, and secured the layers with skewers. After a nice crumb layer, I slathered it with chocolate ganache.

Cue Mattias, my creative director, who is the vision behind all my creations. Mattias dressed up the cake with dinosaurs, trees, and textured it with cake crumbs.

Here we are hard at work, and with the final product.

The big event was the next day, and we prepped and decorated the house while Kerstin took the boys to the park. During the week Kerstin worked hard on all the dinosaur silhouette decorations you see around the house.

Then it was party time! Magnus worked hard grilling all the kabobs. We made hoisin glazed pork kabobs and flank steak kabobs with peanut sauce (in case you want the recipes, Mom!)

We finally got around to eating and drinking, but it wasn't long before the kids wanted to open the pinata.

We don't have pictures documenting the creation of my triceratops pinata, but it was more or less the same as last year. The main difference is that I used even less paper mache (it was quite soft) and added a head and appendages. Gracie and Israel sang the pinata song while we all took turns whacking the triceratops.

After several rounds we decided some adult assistance was required. I took a turn with lille Magnus, which weaked the poor thing, then big Magnus worked with Linus to deal the final blows. They hit it so hard poor Linus might have gotten whiplash!

After the big kids took all the candy and toys, Magnus had his way with the carcass. Look at that happy kid!

Then onto the cake! Linus was very serious while we sang (even though he was so excited about it during the week before) and refused to blow out his candles.

Linus' friends were kind enough to bring a few presents, which he loved. He got his first T-ball set from Maben, washable sidewalk paint from Sam, a collection of dinosaurs from Elizabeth, and a funky monster building set from Finn. It was a fun party and glad that Linus' friends could be there to celebrate.

The following Tuesday was Linus' actual birthday, and we woke him up with presents and a song in Swedish tradition. Since Linus takes after Mattias and is the grumpiest morning person ever, he threw a tantrum and kicked us out of his room. It took a few presents to convince him this tradition was a good thing.

We all decided to go into work a little late, so that we could open presents at a relaxed pace and enjoy Mattias' specialty Swedish pancake breakfast.

Lola sent Linus a real firefighter suit, complete with water spraying backpack!

We're pretty sure Linus didn't have a real appreciation for all the hard work we put into his celebration. How we stayed up late wrapping gifts, decorating the cake and pinata, or all the time spent cooking and cleaning. But then again, he's only three years old.

All I know is that he's sure that he's loved.

Westmoreland Annual Trip

2011-06-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we drove down to the Northern Neck of Virginia to enjoy a weekend of outdoor fun with our friends (a.k.a. "Wednesday Playgroup" even though we now meet on Fridays). With a little bit of planning and our cars full of stuff, we converged upon Westmoreland State park and occupied 2 cabins almost overlooking the Potomac River.

The above picture looks a little bit like a Subaru commercial, but I guess we are those outdoorsy-dog-loving-hippy types that tend to buy Subarus... We got to share our cabin with the Polak family which worked well since Linus and Hartley both have a lot of energy and play well together. Here's a view of the Potomac River.

We spent one morning at the Westmoreland Berry Farm. If you read my blog regularly, my love for recreational farm labor needs no explaining. The goat on the left is part of a herd belonging to the farm, which had an intricate climbing apparatus just for the goats.

Linus did well eating raspberries from the "buffet" but later moved on to picking morning glories. Mattias stayed in the shade with Magnus, who also chowed down on raspberries.

He worked so hard picking this bouquet for me. He may be crazy a lotof the time, but he sure has his way of making me forget.

I picked a good half bucket before giving up and heading to the blueberry bushes (which also happened to be in the shade).

While picking, Amy found this bird's next in a blueberry bush. Inside were 2 almost featherless chicks. Cute!

It started to get really hot, so we called it a morning and cooled off with some ice cream.

While the bigger kids napped we got a chance for some hard to come by quiet time with Magnus. He enjoyed his first dip in a baby pool, too. That boy is always so cheerful.

The Navarro and Cody families started preparing for the evening's Mexican Feast.

Just as the kids woke up from their naps a huge storm came, bringing drenching rain and lightning. Good thing we brought "Fraggle Rock". Two positive outcomes from the storm: the bugs died/went away, and the temperatures dropped, making for a comfortable evening.

Things cleared up pretty quickly, so Israel fired up the grill, and the kids were let loose outside. Here he is about to grill his "Locally known, internationally respected chicken wings."

The kids had a fantastic time looking for bugs with Mattias. Here they are eying a caterpillar Maben named "Grubby".

Mattias about to lift a log to find bugs.

After putting the kids to bed, we spent the rest of the night hanging out by the campfire, drinking, and telling stories.

The following morning, Mattias made a large stack of Swedish pancakes for everyone to stuff full of fresh picked berries and Nutella. Then, we had to pack it all up and head home before the traffic got bad. Here's the kid crew before departure.

As you can see, our brood is growing. It's so awesome that while they are growing up together, us parent can share the joys (and pains) of parenthood. The outdoors, wonderful food, and happy kids all make the effort worthwhile. Until next year!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Mattias takes care of the kids by himself

Dad, thanks for putting up with me all those years. Now that I have a mini-me, I know I must have been a lot to handle. Magnus, thanks for raising a wonderful son, who is now an amazing father. And Mattias, stop surfing the web and do the dishes!

Movement

2011-06-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

As the mother of 2 boys (4, counting Gus and Mattias) my life is all about movement. From the time that I wake up until about 9PM, I am in constant motion. Just about daily you can find me crawling on the ground looking for the random lost item of the day, or you can see me running after Linus on the driveway. We jump on the trampoline, tumble in class, stroll to the park, and trek across Costco. No wonder my life seems like a movie in fast forward.

Now I have one more reason to stay mobile-- Magnus just started crawling and sitting up on his own. This means we have to sharpen our childproofing skills...

Linus too is just as active as ever. Mattias took this sweet video of him in preschool, when his class had a small recital. I just love how he's so into following directions (when he's not at home). The second video was taken during a heat wave a few weeks ago, of Linus and his friend Hartley playing in the pool.

Welcome Penelope May Harris!

2011-06-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

I am elated to announce the safe delivery of Penelope May, daughter of Melissa and Matt Harris! After a relatively quick and uncomplicated labor, Penelope was born yesterday afternoon in Rockville, Maryland. Melissa and I have been friends for many years, and are so lucky to be able to share this phase of our lives together.

The darling little miss was sleeping in Melissa's arms when I arrived.

Not soon after I arrived, someone came in to take portraits. Those tiny fingers! That sweet baby smell!

This morning I made good on a promise I made months ago: to bring Melissa Italian subs from a specialty shop in Arlington. Ivan (Melissa's brother) was there, and he brought the most amazing cannolis.

At one point Melissa asked if I wanted to hold Penelope again, to which I answered, "In a bit, I'm eating a cannoli." That's why she took this picture of me, with said pastry.

May (Melissa's mom) was also in town for the delivery.

Melissa's already getting the hang of caring for 2 kids, making sure to give Finn some extra mommy time.

Finn seemed happy about the baby, and enjoyed marvelling at her tiny feet. Below he's making his "Linus face".

Here's a hearty congratulations to the Harris family, a complete and beautiful family of four!

Modern Farming II

2011-06-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been warm and sunny, giving our garden plenty of energy to grow. It's funny that Mattias and I love working on the yard together, something we didn't know about each other. After 16 years together, it amazes me that there are things left unknown. But this is our first time living in a house together after all. There's nothing like heading into the yard after putting the kids to bed, and working side by side in silence, meditating on the days events or our plans for the future. The simple act of cleaning and maintaining a yard clears your thoughts, but also builds teamwork in a quiet and satisfying way.

The small 5ft plot in the back has abundant lettuce, arugula, beets, and swiss chard. The yellow squash in the back is exploding, and hopefully we'll have green and red onions.

Mattias' shade garden is doing well now that we've put down a layer of mulch.

We also started a small herb garden on the side of the yard: catnip, chives, oregano, and mint.

Our front yard has a good number of veggies already. Sweet peas, green beans, and up next is tomatoes.

Mattias' first major building project was building me this raised planting bed. Right now we have 3 tomoatoes, 2 eggplants, and 3 peppers. It even comes with loops so I can tent the bed and grow veggies in the winter. You California folks will never understand my enthusiasm for winter veggies.

The best part? Having Linus pluck fresh veggies and eat (at least try) them for dinner.

And don't forget we're growing children here, too! Magnus is so close to crawling, he is so wiggly and is never content with staying in one place for too long. He's even taken to watching his storbror Linus play with his toys.

Linus has also grown into a rowdy little boy. His potty training is coming along great, now that we reward him with stickers and Matchbox cars. Farmor Kerstin got him a potty watch that sings at intervals to remind him to use the potty. Success at last!

Modern Farming I

2011-06-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

Just an hour drive outside DC, lies a huge area dedicated just to agritourism. Loudon Country, Virginia has farms, wineries, and farm-to-table restaurants all catering to city folk like us who want a taste of country life. Last Friday, we decided to take the playgroup on an outing to Great Country Farms in Bluemont. We took Linus there 2 years ago, but he was just a baby then.

We planned our visit for the peak of strawberry picking. Go child labor! Here are Linus and Maben waiting for the hayride to the fields.

The fields were filled with ripe strawberries perfect for picking. Our gang of pickers treated the field like one big strawberry buffet.

But it was nearing 90 degrees, so after just half an hour of picking we caught the next hayride back to the farm.

Notice most of them have strawberries smeared across their faces.

Kerstin and I did pretty well with a full flat of berries. I had plans for jam later that night.

We found some shade and settled down for a picnic lunch.

The kids ate quickly so they could catch the cow train-- a bunch of plastic barrels painted as cows and pulled by a small tractor. Each cow was named after a different cheese. Cheesy!

While the big kids were away the babies had at their leftovers. Magnus skipped the food and went straight for the grass, his new favorite snack.

There was a lot of other things to do at the farm, including visiting all the animals. There were lots of mammas with their babies, and Linus' favorite was the mother hen who protected her chicks under her wing.

The miniature cow and calf intimidated Linus at first with their deep "mmmmooooooo" but he warmed up enough to offer them some food.

One of the sweetest things for me to witness was how Linus and his friend Elizabeth interacted with each other. Just a year ago they were "frenemies" who aggravated each other at every opportunity. But this year? Check out Linus sharing his grain to feed the ponies!

See how well they're playing together? I guess this is the wonderful part of the terrible-twos, watching their social skills really start to take off.

By the end of the day, we were over heated and over tired. Both kids napped in the car, conveniently awaking as we pulled into the driveway. This mamma was beat by the end of the day, but the smiles (like the ones below) were well worth the effort.

My Lovebird

2011-05-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

At 6 months old, his very first picnic

In this last flurry of activity I've neglected to post a blog just about Magnus. It's hard to believe that Magnus is now wrapping up his 8th month. Just 100 diaper changes ago he was a squirmy little infant, enjoying the first picnic of the season. In these 8 months he's also earned a few nicknames-- I like to call him my little "Lovebird", Mattias says he's a "Critter", and Linus usually calls him "Funny Lillebror".

His first meal of rice cereal

My Lovebird grows and changes so fast, I don't have time to tell him to slow down. At a little over 6 months he started to eat solid food, and I'm already sensing his boredom with breastfeeding (yay!) While he's not crawling just yet, we'll randomly find him in yoga poses on the floor (especially plank and downward facing dog). The talking has accelerated, along with his need for constant stimulation.

Future Heartbreaker

It's a little sad how the second child just seems to be along for the ride. That ride called "Let's chase after the crazy toddler" makes it very difficult to snap pictures. One reason is the lack of hands, I unfortunately only have 2. The second reason in the lack of time-- even with a DSLR camera, catching those money shots takes patience and a little coersion. In the coming months I'll have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy Magnus' baby-ness, because it won't be around for much longer.

Magnus On a Mission

2011-05-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

There's something magical about being with a baby, that translates into healing power. Their soft skin, those bright eyes, and wide toothless smiles all send a message to your body that no matter what's going on, the world can't be that bad of a place. A few weeks ago, Magnus and I went on a mission to share his healing powers with my dad out in California. Some of you might have heard that he recently had surgery to treat prostate cancer. The visit was planned before my dad's surgery so that he had something to look foward to, but was scheduled weeks after the actual surgery so that he had some time to recover. He had to be well enough to hold a baby, after all.

Lolo was so happy to see Magnus.

Lola was pretty happy, too.

The weather was gorgeous the weekend we visited. (It usually is, so I think California is trying to lure the Karlssons back home.) I decided that I wanted to check out the Hakone Japanese Garden in Saratoga for some zen feelings and a Vietnamese sandwich picnic.

The grounds were beautifully kept, and I especially loved how the garden was surrounded by redwood trees.

The following day I trekked up to the city with Magnus for another mission: bring home Tartine ham & cheese croissants for Mattias. Now that I've tried croissants at both Balthazar and Bouchon in NYC, I can confidently declare that NYC pastries ain't got nothin' on our beloved Tartine. While we waited for the glorious pastries to emerge from the oven, Magnus and I took a stroll around Valencia Street. Left to right: Magnus in front of random artwork, a U-lock on a toddler bicycle (What kind of world do we live in?!?), and Magnus on 18th Street with Sutro Tower in the background.

Afterwards, we saw my friend Stephanie, her husband Mel, and their dog Rocky. Steph and I are friends from the college dorms, and she is expecting her first child. Talk about a cute pregnant lady! But of course, I forgot to snap a picture of her cuteness. Here are the dudes chillin' on the floor. Rocky is going to make one great big brother!

We did get to have some chill out time at the house. And I took full advantage of my parents watching Magnus by getting a pedicure and a couple of massages with my sister Malou. Magnus had a great time rolling around the living room and bathing in the bathroom sink. I'm sure the house seemed really quiet after we left. And I know my dad seemed to be doing just a little bit better than when we arrived. Mission accomplished.

One of the most pleasant surprises on the way back home was the new domestic terminal at SFO. I am always amazed at how progressive and modern the SF area is. T2 as they call it, looks like a hotel lobby with lots of artwork and sculptures suspended from the ceilings.

It has kids play areas, pleasant cafes, and phone/laptop charge stations. The best part: they tell you to dump out the contents of your water bottle before the security check and have stations to refill them on the other side. Genius!

Before our flight we hung out in one of the kids' spots, and thought about how much more pleasant travel would be if all airports were designed like this.

And the trip was over, just like that. My apologies to friends that I did not get to see, I hope you understand how short of a trip it was. Not to mention how busy-- traveling alone with a baby is no joke. If it weren't for a few kind parents on both flights, I don't know how I would have survived.

As a last note: every one of us will be touched by cancer in some way during our lifetimes. The American Cancer Society exists to inform, advocate for, and support us. Please consider supporting me during this year's Relay for Life. Donations go to programs that educate the public, including the comprehensive website that my mom and I referenced just after my dad's diagnosis. Click here to donate.

The $h*t you do for your kids

2011-05-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I never really appreciated all the outings and events my parents took me to. It's partially because I have a way of only remembering the negative, my recolections of family trips were of me breaking things and getting in trouble. Or of Alvin and I getting into a scuffle, then getting in trouble. Or of me fill in the blank followed by getting in trouble. I just never realized how much work it was for my parents to plan outings and execute them without losing their minds (or wringing my neck!) These past few weeks have been packed with events planned just for the kids, and I finally got to see my parent's perspective.

For Finn's second birthday Melissa invited us to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum for a"Day Out with Thomas". But as the day drew closer, the two of us semi-regretted purchasing $60 in tickets because our toddler boys were being major pains in the behinds. The whining! The lack of sleep! The naughtiness! The morning of the event turned out to be gorgeous, so we dragged ourselves out of the house by 8AM(!) and made the one hour drive north.

Look who was waiting for us on the platform. OMG it's Thomas!

After boarding a conductor came to punch our tickets. Magnus was interested in everything happening around us, too.

The actual trip was about 15 minutes, highlighting Baltimore's finest neighborhoods (said with extreme sarcasm). Not quite the set of "The Wire" but far from the Island of Sodor...

After the train trip there were lots of things for kids to do. A playground, model trains, bouncy houses, and pony rides all kept our little monsters busy and interested. By the day's end, we weren't regretting our decision to go.

While the kids were enjoying themselves, Melissa and I stole a few moments to comiserate. We also had a wonderful time watching our kids rip around. As a kid, I always thought it was weird when my mom did this. "What's the fun in watching other people have fun?" I thought. Nowadays, I can't think of many things that are better.

The following weekend we travelled 25 miles north of Philadelphia to visit Sesame Place (a Sesame Street themed amusement park) for a short family vacation. After 4 hours of heavy traffic on 95, we skipped checking in to the hotel and went straight for the park. We couldn't miss the parade!

Linus was so excited to see all his Sesame Street friends. There was dancing, singing, moving floats, and all the wholesome educational content you would expect from Sesame Street.

Afterwards we took an ice cream and carousel break.

Then we decided to head over to "Elmo's World", where there were rides and lots of places for Linus to run and climb.

The swings were a favorite

This bohemuth of a climbing structure was a huge hit. For the most part, Linus was terrified and kept saying "This is dangerous." Mattias helped him get through it by pretending like they were spiders.

Each admission is good for 2 days, so we returned the next morning. We didn't get a good picture, but they have a street that looks like Sesame Street, complete with a firestation and Hooper's Store. Magnus liked looking around but eventually fell asleep in his comfy ride.

I volunteered to do the water rides with Linus, since it was such a nice day out. What I didn't know when I volunteered was that the water was something close to 60 degrees! There were large climbing structures with (cold) water pouring/spraying everywhere.

There were also inner tube rides-- a few where you went down slides, and one where you floated down the icy river. After a while, my junk went numb from the cold water, so I didn't mind it anymore. Notice that we're the only ones floating along?

All this action wore Linus out. You can't tell from the pics but Mattias and I were dragging our feet. Magnus has been teething and was generally irritable, but even worse is that he started to wake in the middle of the night. Add in his dislike for new or loud places (any restaurant, our hotel room) and we had one unhappy baby.

But did Mattias and I have fun? You betcha! Two rounds of margaritas in the hotel hallway outside our room is party enough for us. Needless to say, we've redefined what it means to have a good time. Just like our parents did for us.

The following day was Mother's Day. We drove down to Philly to enjoy a stroll in the park. This helped us tire Linus out before the 3 hour drive home.

It was a peaceful morning at the Japanese Garden, an ideal way to spend Mother's Day before the exhausting ride home.

Was it worth it you ask? It cost $200 for 2 nights in a hotel, $180 for admission to Sesame Place, $80 in gas, and $100 in food. Let's not forget the loss of sanity that comes with planning such a trip! But on the morning of our departure, Linus asked me if I was happy (in which I answered "Yes.") When I asked him the same question, he said "I'm happy. We're a family."

My heart melted and I was overcome with joy. That's the $h*t your kids do for you.

Party time! Eggcellent!

2011-04-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

As far as holidays go, Easter is up there with Halloween in my opinion. There's crafts, candy, and parties, AND I don't have to bust my butt making costumes for the entire family. Since we are all settled in the new house and happen to have the largest backyard of our playgroup, we decided to host this year's Easter potluck brunch and toddler eggstravaganza. See last year's eggstravaganza. But before folks came over, Kerstin and I went a little nuts with crafts and decorations.

The morning of the party, the kids donned their bunny beanies and the adults brought their awesome dishes to the potluck table. Finn, Stella, and Maben were not impressed by the bunny yamakas (as one partygoer called them).

Not long after setting up a scrumptious spread, we started to chow down. I must say that my friends sure can cook, judging from the fact that there was little leftover.

After the mens finished their food, we put them to work in the backyard as an army of Easter bunnies. I'm pretty sure there were almost 200 eggs to hide.

Meanwhile, we waited patiently in the dining room. Well, the over 18 crowd was patient, but the 3 ft and under crowd was ready to go.

After a countdown from 10 to 1 we opened the door and let them at it.

They started out slowly, but it didn't take long before it became a mad dash.

Finn was so stoked to have found the biggest egg in the yard!

I had to stay close to Linus to make sure he continued to hunt for eggs, instead of opening each egg as soon as he found it. Boy needs to learn some efficiency!

Here are the lovely Maben and Hartley.

And Elizabeth and Stella.

After the big hunt was over (it might have lasted 10 minutes) they all sat down to check out their stash.

Not to worry, our little babies had a good time watching the big kids. Here are Emilio, John, and Magnus.

We wouldn't dream of hosting a party where kids get loaded up on sugar without offering a means of burning said empty calories. After the hunt and candy binge, the kids took their turns on our new trampoline. Look at how patiently they are waiting for their turns! This is the stuff that makes a mother's heart melt.

After everyone left to put their little ones to bed, we sat down with Linus and remembered the day's events. Because all of this effort, after all, is about making memories.

Quick nerdy note: Nothing from the party was thrown in the trash. All plates, uneaten food, and utensils were composted in our composter, while cups were recycled. If you are interested in having a zero waste party and want to order compostable tableware, you can visit http://www.branchhome.com/

Hyper? Me?

2011-04-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

I've got my hands pretty full at the moment. Full of boys, and all their sweet, naughty, tiring, mischievous antics. Magnus has been teething and has got his two bottom incisors to erupt in the last 2 weeks. He's also starting to move around quite a bit, often getting himself into situations (example below). Linus just got a wheelbarrow and is our official building/gardening/anything-he-can-get-his-hands-on "helper" (and I mean that with air quotes).

And with these two boys to care for, run after, play with, and feed, you'd think I'd just collapse each and every day with utter exhaustion, right? Of course not. Because I have a sickness.

That's a hug, not a choke-hold.

I'm what you call a "doer", a "mover and a shaker", or just your typical "Type A" personality. In other words, my hyperactivity disorder carried on well into my adult life. Exhibit A: After 3 weeks of nonstop out of town visitors and a trip to NYC, a normal person would want to just chill at home with a bottle of wine. But me, I just can't stand to miss the azalea bloom at the National Arboretum. It's become an annual tradition, after all. See blog post from exactly one year ago.

Again, we were blessed with fantastic weather.

Dang, that's a lot of boy for one 5' mamma

After a little bit of hiking, we stopped at this bench for snacks.

That look just melts me every time.

Our budding naturalist made observations about birds and bees, flowers and trees. But his favorite part?

Feeding the koi!

Don't worry, I do get my chill time here and there. The weather has turned gorgeous, giving us some much needed backyard hangout time. Here on the patio, Linus plays with his new water/sand table while Magnus munches on some mango.

And while my mom was here visiting she identified a few things that she could buy us to make our lives more pleasant. First, a 7.5ft trampoline complete with safety net. Second, a patio set so that we could hang out and eat outside. We use both any chance we get. Thanks mom and dad!

We've been really busy with yard projects, too. Mattias cleared some vines from around the tree and planted a shady plant garden-- no illicit horticulture here folks! We chose lilly of the valley, bleeding hearts, and hostas.

I've also cleaned up the existing vegetable patch, added compost, formed rows, and readied it for seeds. One of my most prided projects is our new composter. It's cool because we barely throw anything away anymore-- yard waste, kitchen waste, and even Magnus' compostable diapers go in the composter.

My container vegetables and seed starts are doing well in the front yard. On the left I have yellow scallop squash, bush beans, and peas going. On the right I have basil, spinach, and shishito pepper babies.

In addition to planting things we can eat (my #1 priority) we've done a good amount of flower planting too. Pansies in the window boxes, and ranonculus and dahlia bulbs in front of the house. We'll just have to wait and see how they come up from the ground.

Whew, I'm tired just telling you about all the stuff we've done. Literally, I'm developing tendinitis in my right wrist from repetitive stress at work and from all the heavy baby lifting. Until next time...

LOL!

2011-04-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit, I hate this acronym. But after you watch this video you'll see why the post is aptly titled. I'm sure this is just the first of many LOL moments between Brothers Karlsson.

Thanks to Magnus Sr. for capturing the moment for us all to enjoy.

Mamma's Time-out

2011-04-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Linus started putting himself and his toys in time-outs. We'd hear him playing out scenarios of fire trucks hitting diggers, or stuffed animals not following directions. Then, he would count to ten, and then proclaim "You sit right there. You get a time out!" It's pretty amusing to see how you are perceived by a 2 year old. And while this mamma loves being with her guys, there comes a time when I need to put myself in a time-out.

So last weekend we hopped on a bus to NYC for a 3 day getaway. After trudging around in the rain to get some cheap Broadway tickets, we met up with my Uncle Rollie, who has lived in the city for some time now. My mom's younger brother is the thrill seeker of the family, who also shares my love of traveling. In fact, he was in the process of packing for a "work" trip to the Philippines.

Afterwards we decided to walk back to the hotel and catch the lights of Time Square. On our way we checked out the Macy's window display, which had a flower-show theme.

Every time I go to Time Square I feel like the lights just keep getting brighter and brighter (this is probably true since all the displays are LCD screens nowadays). I was happy to see that they finally decided to close the area off to cars and let us tourists ogle to our hearts desire.

The following morning we got up early and hit up the Doughnut Plant, a donut shop in Chelsea that is legendary for its unique creations. This place was so cute with its doughnut decor-- those are pillows up on the wall, and the benches were made up of doughnut tiles.

Some extra strong coffee with fresh strawberry, tres leches, and triple black (dark chocolate with more chocolate inside and out) donuts. I had a bit of a Homer Simpson moment.

On the way down to the Chelsea flea market we walked by the TV-show home of my idol.

Then we made it one of my favorite stops of the trip: the Union Square Farmer's Market. We talked to vendors and bought up a ton of food gifts to bring home for loved ones. For my pregnant bestie Melissa, Sriracha spiced pickles. For Mattias, aged sheeps milk cheese and golden raspberry jam.

After taking some time to sit and soak up the sun, we continued south into SoHo for some shopping.

I love the historic buildings in the Castiron District, as well as the fancy-schmancy shops that live in them.

Then I made a quick stop into Balthazar Bakery, for ham and cheese croissants, cookies, and petit fours (all to bring home). Hate to say, but DC just has cupcakes, not much else in the realm of baked goods.

Sorry if this is becoming a bit of a foodie-tour blog, but I have to mention this amazing taqueria that lives in a tiny location that used to be a deli. La Esquina melted my heart with legit tacos and grilled corn covered in Mexican cheese and chili. Anyone who chooses a Luchador as their mascot deserves your business!

Then I got to take mom to her first ever Broadway show! Billy Elliot was a ton of fun, and the kids that starred in it were amazing! Very lighthearted, it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon and rest our tired legs.

No time for breaks! We headed first to Chinatown for cheap foot massages, then to the East Village to meet up with college dorm-mate Rebecca.

We felt like the "cool kids" after scoring a table at the tiny Caracas Arepa Bar. Arepas are yummy corn pockets filled with more yuminess (like cheese, avocado, chiles, and meats).

The decors inside the tiny space was Virgin Mary themed, much like many Filipino households.

After filling up our tummies and catching up on our lives, we took mom around the corner to a rum-inspired bar. SF peeps, think Hobson's Choice dressed up. It was late (that would be past 11 for me), so we took a cab to the hotel and called it a night.

Since we had to catch our bus home at 11AM, we decided for a low key morning in Central Park. Check out the gorgeous spring bloomage!

Lest we lose focus on food, we stopped at Bouchon Bakery for some more strong coffee and ham and cheese croissants.

Then completed our stroll across the park and to the subway station, so we could catch our bus. It's pretty impressive how much we did in less than 48 hours. Mothers out there will appreciate/understand how much harder it was to be out and about since I had to pump every few hours back at the hotel!

This wasn't the first trip I've done with my mom. There was our 2 week adventure in Thailand, and our camping/canoeing/roughing-it trip to Belize and Guatemala. But this is my first trip with her since becoming a mother, and let me tell you it means so much more to be able to spend time with her like this. Nowadays there's a lot more mutual understanding, she knows what I'm going through and I understand (I think) what it must have been like raising a tiny-Ellie. Growing up, my mom would take short vacations with her girlfriends to exotic places to eat and shop, and I thought it was a bit weird not knowing anyone else whose mothers took off just for the sake of fun.

Those experiences have turned out to be one of my mom's greatest gifts. Because she took care of herself by taking breaks from us kids, I have no qualms about doing it myself. I have a great time. I never feel guilty. I get the chance to actually miss the kids. I come home refreshed, feeling like an individual again, and I hope... a better mother.

Spring Awakening

2011-04-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

At the end of every winter my entire body awaits, then celebrates the beginning of my absolute favorite season-- Spring. Those who know me well know that I rise and rest with the sun. It may be my equatorial genetics coding for an overactive pineal gland, but something about this time of the year lifts my spirit and makes me feel blessed to be alive. I also tend to get squirrel-like in activity level, starting gardening projects, crafts, and planning endless outdoor outings (I've done so much this is another blog post altogether!)

After moving into a bigger space we were lucky to have my mom over for a long visit. Lola, as Linus calls her, coordinated her visit to overlap with peak cherry blossom bloom. So as with our annual tradition, we made it out to the Tidal Basin and braved the freezing weather.

Mattias' uncle Jorgen and his wife Monica were visiting at the same time from Sweden. It had been 7 years since we'd last seen them-- at our wedding! Motherland Karlssons (those Karlssons still living in Sweden) are doing well according to Jorgen, and we are excited to visit them this coming August. Linus loved having an extra playmate.

The following day was glorious and sunny, so we thought a trip to the National Zoo was in order. There is a great variety of birds in this area, and Linus is becoming quite the birder. So instead of checking out the farm and large animals like we always do, we paid a visit to the aviary.

Crazy cuckoos.

Linus getting a close up of a peacock in the aviary.

During the week, we opted for mellow strolls through the neighborhood. There were lots of beautiful flowers to see and smell.

The following weekend, I got my first vacation since having Magnus (score!) We did a mother-daughter trip to NYC for a shopping/eating/walking extravaganza. So much happened I'm gonna give the trip its own post to follow.

New Nest

2011-04-06T04:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, after a month of moving and unpacking, I have time to show you our new place! It only took 2 weeks for Linus to stop calling it "Ellyn's House" (his buddy Ellyn used to live here) and now he calls it "Our New House".

Spring is a tough time to move into a house with such a big yard, because spring yard cleanup is in order. Here's a view of the massive backyard from the patio, as well as the screened-in porch.

Gus keeps an eye out for squirrels while we work on raking.

Here's another view of the yard that really shows how big it is. We have a huge tree in the backyard, complete with a resident woodpecker. Of the 2 woodpeckers found around here, it's the smaller species, so we've named it "Little Pecker". (It's a Downy Woodpecker for those actually interested.) We've done a ton of work in the yard so that will have to be another blog post altogether.

Not long after we moved in we decided to celebrate Guster's 7th birthday with a party. It had been 3 years since we last threw him a party. Oh, th eneglect! The boys (John, Magnus, and Emilio, all 6-7 months old) were ready to celebrate!

Gus got his own little birthday cake, complete with sprinkles and a candle.

We sang "Happy Birthday" and let him at it.

The kids even took turns signing a card for Gus, and here Maben is handing it to him.

Then, onto the real fun-- cupcake decorating for the toddlers!

At the end, it seemed like Gus just wanted all the kids to go home. He may only be 7, but on the inside he's really just a grumpy old man.

Lastly, I wanted to give props to our old neighborhood in Arlington. While we were cramped in our little apartment for 2 1/2 years, we really did enjoy living in the Virginia Square area.

Many of my friends back West may not know that Arlington is home to quite a few influential organizations. Just down the street is The Nature Conservancy, conveniently located next to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The National Institutes of Health may be in Bethesda, but both the National Science Foundation and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Agency) are based in Arlington. Outside the NIH, NSF and DARPA are the 2 other major scientific funding organizations in the US.

Also across the street from us is the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC). You know, the corporation that insures your bank deposits and also takes over failing banks?

And down the street is George Mason University School of Law, a top tier, public law school. For most of the time we lived in the Virginia Square neighborhood, Founders Hall (the new building to the left) was under construction, giving Linus lots of cranes, bulldozers, and excavators to gawk at.

So while we are very happy in our new nest and neighborhood, we will very much miss our old stomping grounds.

April is a month full of outdoor activity (mostly yard work) and family visitors! And this Friday I leave for my first vacation since having Magnus-- a weekend in NYC with my mom. Hope everyone is well! We miss you!

Sweet Child of Mine

2011-03-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

Delicious little babyface

Some close up pictures of Magnus are well overdue. I'm afraid he's falling victim to "Second Child Syndrome"--but not because his parents have a been-there-done-that attitude, more because their hands are full managing the first child. Well now that we are settled into the house and have plenty of space to let Linus run around semi-unsupervised, Mattias and I got our act together and got back into our paparazzi habits.

He is always smiling

His little personality is still very mellow and sweet. He's happy to chill in his different chairs or his jumparoo, but likes a change of scenery every 15 minutes or so. The kitchen and yard are a couple of his favorite spots, where he gets to watch his mamma do busy work. Currently anything he can get his hands on will end up in his mouth, including my hair. His feet are a particular point of interest, too.

A few comparisons are also in order. A lot of friends have commented that Magnus looks a lot like Linus. Yes, they both have ginormous noggins. But I think they are more different than they are alike. Another thing in common-- both boys are damn handsome! Can you tell which is which in the next series of shots?

Most people will vouch that Magnus' sweetness is infectious. Swedipino 2.0 is proving to be a great new edition.

KarlssonKare Update

2011-03-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

With all the blog silence you'd think we were getting lazy with the blogging or maybe just not doing anything worth blogging about, right? Wrong. We have been busier than we prefer to be, moving into our new rental house in South Arlington. With my mom's financial help we were able to hire movers to do the heavy lifting, but now we are in the midst of organizing and unpacking. One thing I love about non-California houses are basements! It's like an endless pit for storage, and coming from a mere 800 square feet our basement seems massive.

So I just wanted to give you folks a quick photo update. Now that I'm back at work 3 days a week, Kerstin is a whole lot busier running KarlssonKare by herself. She has Magnus to herself 2 days a week, and one day a week she braves both boys by herself! Here's how she keeps them busy.

When there was snow outside she had Linus rake the snow. If they sold kid-sized snow shovels, I'm sure he would be shovelling instead.

Lille Magnus still holds a "supervisory" role. And of course he is still sweet and mellow. He's happy playing with toys and putting everything into his mouth, but he definitely needs frequent changes in scenery. Once he's crawling in a few months I plan on outfitting him with an outfit made of microfiber dustcloth to help clean the floors.

Linus counts spare change to see if he can afford his own brother. Sweatshirt reads "Brother for Sale: $1 or Best Offer".

Farmor is awesome in that she'll suit him up in rainclothes and let him play with sand in the rain.

Even Gus prefers to be in KarlssonKare. Just yesterday Kerstin came by to pick up one of the boys. With the front door cracked open, Gus heard her voice, nudged the door open, darted across the street like a rocket dog, and jumped into the minivan. Geeze, you'd think we were neglecting him or something...

And there is plenty of jumping going on, too. With all the excess "boy energy", Kerstin gives both gremlins the opportunity to express themselves with the Jumparoo and brand new mini-trampoline.

We've said it before, and we'll keep saying it: We are SO lucky to have Kerstin and Magnus here with us. Lille Magnus and Linus' childhoods are so much more fun with their grandparents here to love and play with them. Mattias and I have a healthy marriage and are able to go on dates every couple of weeks. There's no way we can ever repay them, but I try my best by cooking them dinner as often as I can. And that's how the Karlssons care for each other.

I gotta feeling...

2011-02-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that these past few weeks I have let my worries get the best of me. My usual, ever present optimism, was replaced with doubt and a whole lot of what-ifs. Optimism is a funny thing in that it waxes and wanes. There are a few people in my life who are able to stay entirely optimistic (Amy and Kerstin, to name a few). And while I am for the most part an optimist, there are times when I let my worries get me down. Someone once told me that "Once you have a child, you never stop worrying." and this is even more true when your child is born with any type of medical condition. It hasn't been easy accepting that things won't be perfect for Magnus, but I wanted to share a few experiences that have given me hope.

Two weeks before Magnus was diagnosed with nystagmus, Kerstin and I had a friendly chat with a blind woman in the ocularist's waiting room. She was young and beautiful, accompanied by a black lab guide dog, and her story still amazes me. Blind from birth, she grew up in a small farm town in Indiana. After finishing high school she realized there wasn't much her town had to offer, so she moved away for college and finally ended up in Arlington to do a Masters degree at George Mason University. Her specialty is in Human Capitol, requiring air travel 3 out of 5 days of the week. If that still doesn't impress you, she's married and owns a home in one of Arlington's most spricey neighborhoods. I know what you're thinking, "Damn, Ellie is such a snoop!" But we learned all of this after giving her a ride home (a full 30 minutes) AND she seemed happy to share her experiences and advice for raising children with visual impairments. So when the news came that Magnus' vision was worse than we expected, I took comfort in her story and knew that Magnus too, would be OK.

Weeks later though I started to feel down again. I worried (and still do) about his inability to drive, employment limitations, and social awkwardness (it'll be really hard for him to make eye contact). Then I read a story in People magazine that hit me like a brick. One of the members of the Black Eyed Peas is legally blind because of nystagmus.

Apl.de.ap's story also touched me because he's from a part of the Philippines where I spent part of my early childhood, Angeles City. You can read the story for yourself, but here it is in a nutshell: He was born to, then abandoned by his American father. Adopted through the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, in part because of his visual impairment, he went on to form the Black Eyed Peas with will.i.am. Now he DJs, dances, and performs in front of millions without much sight. Amazing. I think back to my childhood and remember driving past impoverished children on the way to my school on Clark Air Force Base. They sold chewing gum and newspapers in intersections and I always wondered why they weren't in school. Did I ever drive by apl.de.ap on the way to school? Looking back and comparing my upbringing to his, I lived a privileged childhood. Either way, if he could overcome both poverty and low vision to fulfill his dream of making and performing music, I gotta feeling that things will be more than alright for Magnus.

I believe that if he dreams and works hard enough, things will be downright amazing.

Headshot

2011-02-20T18:05:00.000-08:00

If Mattias and I have ever given off the impression that we were 1) super smart or 2) professional, we are sorry but you have been fooled. We are just a couple of dorks who happened to choose to stay in school way longer than most sane people. Having known each other since before we could drive, we still chuckle about the fact that our degrees have granted us the Dr. prefix, and I downright laughed when a person we met at a party referred to us as a "power couple."

Mattias likes to tease that I'm not "a real doctor" because I work on animals. I tell him his doctorate is so fake, they spell it with a ph (as in Phake Doctor). Then someone has to chime in that Jonas is the only real doctor in the family, because he has the MD. No matter, I get to say that I was the first Dr. Karlsson in the family because I graduated before both Mattias and Jonas.

Just recently the two of us had to get professional head shots taken for work. Now let me ask you, which Dr. Karlsson would you trust with your life?

The real Dr. Karlsson

The other Dr. Karlsson