Everyday Cray

Unlike other stages in my life, when I knew what to expect (relatively) on any given day, early familyhood presents unpredictability that can't be solved by our most complex mathematical models.  Our day to day lives include a mix of rigorous scheduling, dull monotony, damage control, and pleasant surprises.  Throw in a few parking tickets, viral infections, and tantrums, and you get a decent picture of what my life is like.

Friday night = Movie night

All new parents get the same advice: keep to a schedule so that the children know what to expect.  What they don't tell you is that the same schedule that keeps the kids calm can drive the life-loving spirit out of the parents. So we try to mix it up.  Any shipping box is fair game for for a castle, boat, or even a car. Box wheel kit available on Amazon :)

 When Linus asked last Friday if we could spend Saturday on the beach, we said "Why not?"

We hate to pack our schedule with classes and playdates for this very reason.  If we have a spontaneous idea it's fun to go where the wind blows.  Those Karlssons have really taught me to play things by ear.


Besides burying Magnus in the sand, we found some dead jellyfish washed up on the shore.  Or so I thought... Linus quickly made an aquatic habitat for them and while eating lunch shouted "Mamma! They're alive!  Look!"
Lo and behold, 2 of the 5 jellyfish were pulsating like they were at the Monterey Bay Aquarium or something.

In my head I said "Fuck, how am I going to convince him to toss them back into the ocean?!"

Well, I didn't do a very good job convincing him and ended up freeing the 2 survivors during Linus' loud and sorrowful protest.

The remaining three were buried in a garden area, marked by a mound of sand and a few flowers.  Linus' take home: the beach was a bad idea because he didn't get to keep the jellyfish.

We've learned that staying sane requires us to give in to the cray (a.k.a. craziness for you senior citizens).  If two kids are fighting and the third happens to be happily reading and putting himself to sleep with a warm bottle, well, you let it happen.

 Or if someone wants to do semi-naked headstands on the couch at 7AM... well, what's wrong with that?

 Shit really hit the fan, or carpet actually, this afternoon when I let a diaper-less Anders wander for less than a minute.  He took a dump on my yoga mat and walked through it, leaving a nasty fecal trail on my Pottery Barn rug.  Thank goodness for my Little Green Machine, and for the little man who helped me clean up.

 In the last year we've had several friends "go for" a third kid.  I'm all for it, but God bless them.  I'm finally realizing the true gravity of our situation, now that our youngest is one and walking.  Three kids is tough and we're in it for the long haul.  Looking at Anders cowlick reminds me that we just happen to be in the eye of a perfect shit storm.  While it leaves a path of casualties and devastation, it will eventually pass.

Anders, 365 Days Later

So much can happen in a year.   But all the major changes in our lives seem small in comparison to all that changed with Anders in his first year.   Believe it or not, it was a year ago that we made him his first birthday cake, celebrating our newly minted family of five.  Looking back it feels both like forever ago and just the other day.

 On his actual birthday we celebrated quietly home with a simple dinner, cake and presents.  In classic Anders style, he was most interested in eating and climbing on top of his gifts.

 The following weekend was the big party at the Oakland zoo.

His original nickname Anders-wear evolved into Anders-bear, so we threw him a teddy bear themed party to match.

The party was in the rides area of the zoo, which was a huge hit with the big kids.

Thanks to both of our parents who provided food, we had a nice picnic lunch.  

 We've arrived at that stage of our lives when there were more kids than adults at the party, and a good number of pregnant women.

 Anders liked his teddy bear cake and kept trying to swipe the whipped cream frosting before we even started to sing.

 After lunch and cake many of us head back into the zoo to check out the (non human) animals.

While Anders gets frequent doses of mild neglect, that boy knows how to get himself noticed.  Not one to give up easily, he will scream at or climb on top of you until he gets what he wants.  As the third child it's hard not to compare Anders to his brothers, but truthfully his looks and personality are all uniquely his own.  Mattias and I call him the family "wild card" because we can't exactly pinpoint who he gets his temperament and features from.  He's rolled with the punches from his big brothers  and has been up for whatever adventures we put him up to.  A genuine sweetheart who shows his happiness with a tiny half smile, his tenderness brings joy to the whole family. Looking forward to many more years together, Happy Birthday Anders.