To Leave or Not to Leave

There are times when I think that I will be ready to leave Sweden in a year or even sooner. Then there are times like today.
This morning, I tried to quickly pick up my house and give it a quick cleaning where it needed it most. We were expecting some company that included friends of my parents-in-law and some of our friends here in Sweden. When they arrived, we chatted for a while, enjoyed fika (well, I didn't eat anything, but I held Hunter and participated in the conversation), and then I had to leave with the kids for a birthday celebration for Kristen's good friend, Elvira. It is very convenient that her parents are also our friends (Elisabet and Johan).
We were running a little late, but I was really looking forward to this afternoon because I enjoy spending time with these friends. My time with them was not a disappointment. After a delicious lunch, Timothy joined us. We talked for a while, then we had to have some fika (Of course! That is what Swedes do :) ). My friends had made a very flat sugar cake, which Elisabet cut into heart shapes. They had various fillings and sprinkles. The kids (and adults) then got to make their own custom cakes, which I thought was a fun idea. After fika we hung out for a while longer while the kids played some more.
Elisabet and Johan are wonderful people (and I am not just saying that because she reads my blog), and I thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon together. We had to force ourselves to leave so they could have dinner and get their kids to bed. I do have my frustrating days being here, but spending time with this family makes me realize how hard it will be to leave when the time comes.

Lego Houses

Timo is great about playing Legos with the kiddos. They love it when he builds houses for them. Here is his latest.

This is the front of the house, complete with TV antenna, car port, and slide. :)

This is the study/office.

This is the kitchen. I love how there is a recipe, cupboards, and a pot.

Oops

So remember my "brilliant" idea of using curtain rods for the hanging nets? There was one factor that I didn't account for: a two-year-old who likes to pull on things. Problem 1: AJ decided to put his favorite blue blanket into the net, adding too much weight to the net. Problem 2: When he tried to pull it out, he pulled so hard that he pulled the whole curtain rod down. I should have seen this coming as he has sometimes pulled too hard on his bedroom curtains and bent the brace.

This all happened when Timo came home and the kids were proudly showing him their nets. He had been home not 2 minutes from a stressful day at work when the curtain rod came crashing down. Oops.

I still like my idea of having most of their toys stored away. The other idea..... well, let's just say it was a lesson in humility. And now I have to find a different place to hang the nets.

Too Many Toys

I recently decided that my kids have WAY too many toys. I have known this in the back of my head for a while, but I finally determined that it was time to do something about it.

I want my kids to know how to pick up after themselves, and I was tired of spending so much time with them to make sure they picked up everything. So, I decided it was time to minimize how many toys they have out at a time. I chose a few "permanent" items -- Legos, books, and puzzles. I then let them each have ten toys out. The rest we packed up to bring out in a month to rotate in or leave put away. I told Kristen that if she kept her toys picked up, she could have more the next time. Of course, I will still have to work with them on picking up, but the time has to be less because there simply isn't as much to pick up.

Of course, this all occured the day after I had bought them nets to store their stuffed animals, so I decided to leave the stuffed animals and dolls out in addition to their alloted ten toys. These nets are designed to hang from the ceiling or another high place. I decided that they look perfect hung on a curtain rod I don't yet have curtains for. Who says curtain rods are only for curtains? They are bright and colorful, and they provide a creative decorating and storage solution all in one.

The playroom looks so much better, even when they have some toys out. Just as important: I feel happier and more peaceful about their room and playroom.