Porridge

Mummy bear, Little bear and Littlest bear started the day with their favourite breakfast!

Blogs, Dresses & Pink things

I get the feeling that it's mandatory, as a blogger, to record what I am wearing from time to time. I think it's fun to wear a dress and with a busy day ahead it's easier to throw on a single garment than having to see what top goes with what bottoms. I do like frocks. Today a Chinese print frock with a muted pink lace scarf and belt from H&M's. It turns out that I can still wear a little belt, along my empire line, with my expanding bump.

I also rescued my pink geraniums in from the cold and now saying goodbye to the last few delicate colours of summer as deep autumn hues arrive!

Supper lights

The nights are drawing in let our candle lit suppers begin!
The light will overcome the darkness. When it gets darker lights only shine brighter!

Simple Bliss

School run, Shopping done and Clothes return made all by 10.30. I even managed to find some lush, freshly baked, croissants which ARE actually like hens teeth in Umeå - why is that? Having not indulged with such for 8 months I have gladly scoffed two with some fresh coffee! Jätte fin!

Mamma o Alexandro's Pasta

Got our box fresh 'imperia' pasta maker out to experiment this evening. We got great, fast, results and my wee chap was thrilled to make his own pasta - his favourite dish! I just used plain Vete mjöl until I can get my hands on the '00' flour. No pictures of it cooked as it moved too fast from the pan to table to mouth!

Majs och Smör

The winner at tonight's family dinner table was in season, fresh, corn on the cob with a knob butter. We have some growing in the garden but not sure they're going to come to anything here in Umeå!

 

Home sweet home

We have been on a caravan holiday for a week. When we left it looked like our strawberry patch was going to peak and go bad for our return. We didn't need to worry as the weather looked after them just right! Tom harvested a basket full this morning and we had them for our first home sweet home breakfast. Lush!

Midsommar

Hope you had a 'glad midsommar' weekend! We had some much needed family time this midsommar weekend. We had made plans to join in with the city's celebrations at 'Gammlia', where last year on arrival in Sweden we made floral rings for our heads and did the frog dance around the midsommar pole, but instead of mass we went micro – just us!  The sun was shining so there was lots of sunbathing, a little gardening, supersoaker fights, ice lollies, dirty clothes, no routine, children in pj's till lunchtime, long lies and casual good food…and some good football for daddy with a cold beer in hand.  Instead of wondering what happened to our weekend my husband and I were just reflecting on what a great weekend it has been - just enjoying our little family!

Watermelon Season

June and July is Watermelon season. We tucked into some juicy slices this lunch time - went down a treat with the children!  It is also great source of Vitamin C and A. Click this link on Watermelon to read more about this superfood!

Gammlia

'Gammlia' open air Museum opened for the summer this week and so to avoid cabin fever we spent the afternoon there. The kids got to see and old school house, farm house, long threshing barn, working bakery, machinery, a Sami camp and some farm animals. It’s a living museum so there are guides dressed up period attire doing a bit of role play. The kids got to take part in lassoing a pretend reindeer, stone painting, petting the animals and got to smell and buy some freshly made Tunna Brod from the working bakery.  I took in some traditional construction methods during the fun too!

Spot of Rainbow

Went for brisk cycle along the river tonight. It's been a hot day so it was nice to go out when the sun was a bit lower in the sky and get some fresh air and exercise. Took this snap on my phone on the way back...can you spot the rainbow 'spot'? It's been hot all day and no rain so it took me by surprise!

Visit to daddy's outdoor office

This weekend we took a day trip to daddy's outdoor office.  He's an
ecologist and monitors some fish comunities in some protected lakes
in-land.  When we go as the family we have a grill and then the boy's
go out on the boat to do some work and I hang with our youngest in
the woods. Last year she was in a carrier so there was so much to
explore this time! 

My wee man loves the novelty loo in the woods. We had the discussion
about only going if he needed a number 2 as there are spiders in there
that can bite your bottom. He said he definitely needed to go do that so
he went and guess what - he came back with a big smile after only
needing a number 1! 

Delighted boy after using the facilities and tricking mummy!

Some little pink bell flowers which I think are 'Bog Cranberry'. We will
harvest them in September/October.

Date night

Our happy faces at the prospect of going on a date! When we get a baby sitter it's often so we can go to a meeting or out with friends - very rarely just us!    

in LOVE

9 år gifte idag! We're celebrating our 9th Wedding Anniversary today!  
I am in love with my 'älskling'.  Yes, we have occasional disagreements but there is a rule that we never let the sun go down on those!  Yes, we rather fancy each other, sometimes He-to-Me more (usually down to ‘horses-moans’), but I know our love is and has become deeper and more complex in a good way since we got married. You have not arrived when you get married – you just start building something new which takes a lot of care, attention to detail and no short cuts if you want it to last.  After you’ve built it, it still needs regular maintenance and you might need an extension along the way to adapt to changing circumstances or growth.  But, with any building project it is vital to get the foundations right so that what you build cannot be shaken by the tsunamis of life that will rustle the nest now and then. When we started our build we invited a master craftsman and intergalactic investor to provide all we needed for our project and He knows all about Love as he invented it – we are still learning about this Love.

Lunch

For lunch today Sophie and I shared one of my favourite juicy salads - ingredients speaks for themselves!  Sophie had her's wrap style in a Tunna bröd and I drizzled mine with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Anything with Juicy tomatoes and avocado is a winner in my book.