Enjoying a day at the beach. Nothing better than watching Hayden and his buddies run around in the sand while at the same time see a pod of dolphins swim by. It soothes my troubled soul!

A Long Week

Today it's a little over a week since my little dog Daisy got hit by a car, and
my car got wrecked. It's been a long week. Daisy is recovering just fine, but doesn't like her bandage or the cone that we got to prevent her from chewing. The staples in her leg will be removed on Thursday. My car...not so lucky. I will not get it back until July 8th. I miss it already. I am driving a Honda civic rental right now, but it's not as fun as my little Ford Fiesta.

Test

A Swedish Midsummer in Southern California

Spent a traditional Swedish midsummer at a Swedish friend's house. It was amazing. Felt like I was in Sweden. We dressed the traditional midsommer pole and had "sill och nubbe". That's Swedish for pickled herring and shots. May sound weird to you non Swedes, but it is a great combo. And the greatest thing of all....no rain!

Rattler sound effect

As I mentioned, I caught the rattlesnake on video. You have to look closely to see him slither in the bushes, but you can definetily hear him.

Morning hike in the local mountains

Went on a lovely morning hike with my little guy. We're just happily chatting as I am pushing the jogging stroller with my 45 lb 3 1/2 year old as we encounter a rattle snake lazily soaking up the sun right smack in the middle of the trail. Waited for a few minutes to let him pass , but he had no such intentions. I had to throw a tiny rock his way to make him slither away as he angrily rattled his tail at us. Hayden was fascinated and said, "Make him do it again Mama". Of course the mama obliged and did it again so we could catch the sound effect on film. What don't we do for our kids?

Back Again

So, I think my last post was back in October of 2010. What happened? Well, life happened. Couldn't find enough time to sit down long enough to write down my thoughts and adventures. Also, my cellphone was acting up so mobile blogging wasn't a viable option either. My dad is very ill and since my last post I have been back to Sweden twice to help my mom. In November of last year we went back for a month and in April Hayden(my little prince)and I went back for 5 weeks. During this time my dad was hospitalized 3 weeks with congestive heartfailure and atrial fibrillation. Did I mention that his initial diagnosis is chronic lung fibrosis. He is on oxygen 24/7 and he is wheel chair bound. It's been a rough road for all of us...and of course specially for my mom. She is very depressed. So, not only do I worry about my dad's physical health, but also my mom's! It's hard seeing someone you love deteriorate and become literally helpless. My dad used to be this big strong guy who could handle anything thrown his way, and now he is a shadow of his former self. I see it in his eyes...he is starting to give up. He struggles everyday just to breath. So, I feel that I am on standby. I don't want to make long term plans or look for a job because I don't know if I have to drop everything and go back to Sweden.

And trust me, do I need a job? We have been on the constant bad luck rollercoaster since the water leak in our house last spring 2010 when I was in Sweden. That time we had to replace our kitchen and dining room floors and do ceiling repairs. The leak started on the second floor and seeped through the ceiling. Well, believe it or not, but we had a second water leak,again when I was in Sweden,this past May. We have just finished all the repairs. This time we did most of it ourselves. The leak started in a pipe under the laundry room floor, and it ruined the laundry room and the drywall facing my daughter's bedroom and her floors. So we have been patching and painting and laying floors. Enough already! Well, not so...the bad luck roller coaster keeps going!

Last Saturday our dog Daisy got out and got hit by a car. Minor injuries, but 3 hours and a couple of hundred dollars later she is home from the vet with a patched up hindleg (staples, a loose tooth,cuts and bruises). And if that's not enough to make you cry then try having your daughter get in to a fender bender with your brand new car. It's going to cost $5,500 to fix and I won't get it back until July 8th. Thank God for insurance! But I could kick myself for raising my deductible to $1000 from $500 when I bought my car. Thought I was clever and could save a few bucks. Well, I am an idiot...I have teenagers!

A rare rainy day in sunny California. The three year old and I finally got to wear our rainboots and spider umbrella. There's nothing like experiencing the weather through your senses rather than observing it through a window!

This week I've been gathering succulents and planting them in my front yard. It so much fun and now I'm totally addicted. I've also been gathering some rocks to add to the landscaping project. Not only is it fun, but it's a great workout too. I've only so much free time with a three year old, so I have to choose my projects. This week the inside of my house has been totally neglected. But the garden is starting to take shape!

Hayden "shaving" in the bath tub...

Out on a powerwalk and some fun in the park with Hayden. Love this weather, the air is so fresh and crisp after the rain.

Out on a light trail walk with Hayden. Just saw a coyote. Hayden missed it unfortunately. "Look, a coyote", I said. Hayden looked up, "what's a cabode"....too late! Gone in the bushes!

We have two birthdays coming up this weekend. My boys are turning 20 and 3 years old respectively. The older one on Friday the 1st, and the younger one on Saturday the 2nd. Man, am I going to be busy. The older one will be coming home from UCSB and I'm making a huge pastadinner on Friday night. It will be mostly family and family friends attending. On Saturday morning we will host the toddler's 3 year birthday bash in the park. I have about 18 kids and their parents who have rsvp'd "yes"....Good thing I didn't decide to have it at the house. 18 three year olds!!! I should have my head examined. So, this week I have to plan party favors, bake cupcakes, prepare appetizers for the adults, and plan the activities. And that's on top of finishing up my personal training exam certification this week. My life is crazy at times, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Just came from pilates. Great class today! And Hayden had a blast at the gym's kid club. He was running around chasing som girls when I came to get him : )

Love it when my almost three year old tells me "Good job mamma,you did it", as I climb up a ladder on the play equpment in the park!

In the park practicing our scootering skills. I walked and Hayden scootered from our house. So fun watching him improving his skills.

Just got out of the Ellen show,,,one word...amazing. Ben Afleck was there. We were in the front row. So, if you happen to watch Ellen we're on tomorrow's show at 4pm : )

Going to see Ellen de Generes today. Last time we only had standby tickets and didn't get in, but today we have guaranteed tickets...yeay!

At the mall to browse. Can't wait to come back during preschool hours ; )

I guess we have decided on our Halloween costume already...