Kitty’s Place

We were up and out of the house before 10 am. Prior to leaving I did the usual bedmaking, pet feeding, dog walking. Then the kidlet and I headed to the train station.

We took the train in to Stockholm. There was a woman with 2 kids who sat beside us. They were going into the city to shop and then see Monsters Inc. and were really excited about it. As we left Solna I started getting the kidlet ready, reapplying hat, scarf, mitts. The woman asked him if her little boy could borrow his mittens since he had a hurt hand and a bandage around it, so he could not wear his own gloves. LL looked so serious when he told her no. *laugh* He had tried the entire trip to show the little girl his Sweden/Canada flag pin, but in typical 10 year old “I am too big to pay attention to a baby” fashion, she ignored him. He is so funny when people don’t respond him. He looks all confused and then shakes his head and says “hmph”.

Once we got to Stockholm we went and did some shopping and I went to the bank machine to check my balance. Then we went back to the station and explored. I have been wanting to do that for a while. I found the Lush store and a food court with Pizza Hut. We looked in all the little shops, found the locker area and the bathrooms. We went out every exit so we could see where we were. It was a good learning experience. Then it was time to go and meet Beverly.

Once we had met up with Beverly we went on to the subway and then met Heather when we got off and went up to Fridays. From there we walked to Pizza Hut where Kim was waiting. We had just gotten seated when Måns (Heathers’ husband) arrived. We had the buffet and the kidlet thought he was on cool kid when he got to choose his own slice of pizza and then carry it on the plate, back to the table. Lunch was good. There was lots of conversation and laughs. It was really nice to meet Heather, Kim and Måns.

After lunch we parted ways. Beverly was sweet and showed me the way to the Sci-fi bookstore in Gamla Stan. I have been wanting to go there for over a year. It was actually the first time I have been to Gamla Stan as well. The bookstore was a delight. I know I could lose myself for a couple of hours there quite easily. I did buy one book, the Laurell K. Hamilton “a Kiss of Shadows” that Leslie mentioned a couple weeks ago. Then we headed back to the subway and on to the train home.

The trains were delayed and the platform was a zoo. Because this is winter break week here, there were a million kids about. The every fifteen minute service was behind and I would assume that one train never made it at all. Our train was 30 minutes or so late. The kidlet really is a good little traveller and never fussed about the waiting. He had fun with Beverly. We got home in time for the 3:30 bus and just as we were getting off at the roadway leading into our complex, my phone rang. My fellow called to say he was on his way home and wanted to know where we were. Then he called again 10 seconds after we agreed to meet at the garage and suggested I go home and collect up the sales papers. So after a quick 2 minute trip home, we were off to shop for a new tv.

We bought a 28 inch screen one. It looks huge to me since the old one was 24 inches. It has lots of “features” that it will take me a year to learn. *laugh* We also bought a Playstation 2. The kidlet loves them and never passes one in the store without having to stop. So we got one for home. Perhaps now I will be able to have my computer back, since he has games he can play elsewhere. *smile*

The kidlet was so excited about the playstation that he never let the box out of his sight once he knew what it was. Then while his dad was hooking up the tv, he staggered into the living room carrying the box, so dad could get it hooked up too. He has already tried all the games on the demo disc.

I made a korv stroganoff for dinner but no one wanted to eat. The kidlet wanted to play games and my fellow and I just had no appetites. I am so glad winter is almost over. We need some quality sun time to recharge. After such a busy and exciting day the kidlet was asleep within 5 minutes of hitting the bed.

This morning he was at my bedside the minute I opened my eyes, asking me to turn on the car game. I have pried him away from the playstation and we are now heading off to öppna förskolan. This afternoon we are going to visit one of his friends who lives here in the complex. So he will get a rest from the tv screen. *laugh*

This past week went by and I don’t really know what we did with it. *laugh*

It really was a quiet week. We did öppna förskolan most days. Friday the weather was really snowing and blowing so my plan to go to work and have the weekend free was blown. Saturday was a total lazy day and Sunday I went to Vällingby to work. I did get a lot of cleaning done but the linving room is still in need of more decluttering.

Today we went to öppna förskolan and there was a closed due to illness note on the door. So we got on a bus and went to Sigtuna. I wanted to check out the used book store but it wasn’t open today. I guess when you have that type of hole in the wall used book store, you can not come in if you don’t feel like it. *smile* We did check out a lot of the touristy stuff for when we have people come to visit from home.

Laundry time this afternoon and one of the machines was broken, so I halfed my laundry. Bedding and towels will have to wait till next time. Our tv broke today. It has been flakey for week or so and today we turned it off in the morning but it never came back on when we got home. So no ER and no Boston Public. *pout* It could have waited till tomorrow, I could have lived without Ally McBeal. We will go and buy a new one tomorrow.

Tomorrow we are going to meet up with Beverly I have no clue where we are going, but I will find it. *laugh* I actually am getting a sense of direction these days.

Susan Lewis back on ER. That brought a smile to my face. *laugh* I must admit I have never lost my love for this show, even though the quality has been lacking at times. I suppose part is that it was because of ER that I met my fellow, but mostly it is my absolute fascination with medical shows. I loved Marcus Welby MD, Medical Centre, St Elsewhere, Chicago Hope, heck I swooned over Dr Kildare. *laugh*

I think I am finally kicking this head cold. The kidlet and his dad are both fine again. We went shopping for a joystick on Saturday. I got one for christmas but after one time of playing Commander Keen, it moved to the other computer and I have not used it since. So we went shopping for one for my fellows’ computer. We were looking for a force feedback one for his flight simulator game. After 4 stores we came home without though. I think he was sulking for some reason. Sunday I worked and then we had dinner at farmor and farfars. The kidlet had spent the day there with them. It was a nice visit but my fellows’ dad looks tired. He is still feeling the effects of his fall a couple of weeks ago.

Today the kidlet and I went into Stockholm. We had lunch at Pizza Hut with Dawn and Jen and her fellow. It was fun to meet all of them and we really enjoyed ourselves. I got the kidlet his own flag pin as well. He has been wanting one like the one that Beverly got for me before christmas. So he is one happy camper, train, pizza and pin all in one day. He is a cute little guy. He has finally realized that Märsta is home. So when they say that on the train, his eyes just light up. He also reacts to Upplands Väsby, since he knows “dia” lives there and that Tina lives there. *laugh* So when each station is announced, he looks up at the ceiling and tells the speaker a story about the town we are stopping at.

We did grocery shopping as well this afternoon. It was one of those “we need everything” shopping expeditions. It was just short of 2000 SEK, when the bill was totaled. At least I don’t need to shop again for a while now. *laugh* Also I have enough cleaning supplies to do a really thorough spring clean this week.

Aunt Maud called this morning. She is so sweet. We had a great chat. I have pictures to send her and today when I was shopping I found a deck of playing cards with different views of Stockholm to send with the pictures.

Tomorrow we are going to öppna förskolan in the morning and then I am going to start spring cleaning. I figure I will devote one day per room and be done by the weekend.

Is it that it is February? Or this head cold that is going into its’ fourth week of giving me great aggravation? Perhaps I need to get back out walking again. Whatever the underlying cause is, I have the blahs big time.

Have done little more than sleep, eat and the basics to keep us from living in a pigsty, for the past couple of weeks. This week my fellow is home with a fever and headcold and the kidlet has a nose that is running like Niagara Falls. On the upside, I am still making it to work every week and we have been going to playgroup on any day that the runny nose slows down.

Last week I got a dozen magazines in the mail. A canadian woman who lives in southern Sweden offered them up to whomever wanted to pay postage and I took her up on the offer. So I have a wealth of Canadian Living magazines to read now. My stepmother called last week as well. A friend of hers wants her to fly over to Stockholm with her and then they would part ways while her friend visits family in the south and Carol visits here. She is a bit ambivalent about this as she is worried about flying since the terrorist attack. She asked me to look into hotel rates but I have been deliberating and I think we should invest in a sofabed of some sort. My aunt is planning on coming over this spring and I have my doubts that our roll away cot is something anyone would want to sleep on for more than one or two nights.

We got pictures and PEZ valentines from Aunt Maud this week. The pictures are of my grandparents, some from our last visit to Canada and one of the place in Quebec where my moms’ family first settled in the 1700’s. I especially love the Avoca picture since I have such fond memories of “down home”. She sent a great letter also. Aunt Maud writes just like she talks and so her letters are just the newsiest ones ever. *laugh*

Today I decided to make Danielle’s beef stroganoff recipe. Since shopping has gone by the wayside as well, I had to go out and pick up some of the ingredients. I was going to hop on the bus to Eurostop but the kidlet has been asking all week if we could go on the train. So we went to Upplands Väsby to shop. He was so excited and had the best time. When we got to Märsta station the train doors closed as we started out on the platform. The kidlet burst into tears and was inconsolable, even when I explained that they just closed the doors to keep the people inside warm and we just needed to push the button outside the doors to get on the train. Until we were actually sitting down on the train, he was sure we had missed it. Poor little fellow. When we got to our stop he wanted to go and visit Tina. I explained that she was at work and we would shop instead. We did our shopping and headed back to the train station. The train from Stockholm pulled in just as we got there and while the kidlet wanted to get on the first car, I made him walk down a bit. He was glad we did go further though, since surprise of surprises, we ran into Tina, Jonas and farmor, on the platform. Farmor was at a conference in Stockholm and ran into Jonas and Tina on the platform at Stockholm C. It was definitely a day of surprises. So we never did get on the train, instead we got a ride home, since J&T were going to have dinner with farmor. The kidlet decided that he wanted to have dinner with them also, so they dropped me off and he is still visiting with his grandparents. Farfar is still not feeling well since his fall a couple weeks ago and I think he must be rather bored since he isn’t working and isn’t able to drive due to the injury. I am sure he will have fun with the kidlet.

I was looking at storynightand feeling a bit sad that more people are not adding stories there. I loved the original irc story night and thought this community was a wonderful idea. Perhaps it will blossom eventually

The kidlet is sitting on the hall floor in the midst of a pile of toy cars, singing. He sings all the time, well at least at the times he is not talking our ears off. *laugh* To me a singing child is a content child and when I hear him I know that I am doing something right here.

Wednesday night my fellow brought me a rose. He was out to his political meeting and came in about 9:30 pm with a lovely rose in his hand. I was thrilled. He is not one to give material things. He hands me his credit card and I have free rein to shop for whatever I want for myself, the kidlet and him. He doesn’t send cards, he doesn’t bring flowers, he doesn’t take me out to dinner. I have one valentines card from him. It was the first valentines day I knew him online and at that time we had not met in person and hadn’t fallen in love. He sent and e-card and in it he made reference to the fact he was basically a geek and never thought of doing this type of thing. But he is not unromantic at all. During our 15 months apart, he would hear a new song or an old one he had forgotten and would rip it and upload the mp3 to our server and then send an email with the words. He finds me old arcade type games, like the Apogee ones I love and installs them for me. He gets movies I have mentioned in passing as something I would like to see. He remembers the little things and makes them important. I am the one who sends cards and picks up little things, like the rock sculpture I found at a craft show that had “jag älsker dig” or the fridge poetry magnets and such. So the rose was extra special. *smile*

We made our way to the doctor on Thursday. I was a bit worried about getting there myself, but the bus to Löwenströmska sjukhuset (now there is a mouthful) went from the local centrum to the hospital in Upplands Väsby. We made our way upstairs and found the specialist clinic with no problem. They had a waiting area for kids and when we went there, Llywellyn did his “oh wow!” at the sight of new toys to play with. There was a male doctor who I thought we would be seeing and I dreaded it because he had that typical arrogant, I am a specialist, worship me, look about him. Having had to deal with that arrogant b*****d of a general practitioner last November when this all started, I did not think I could do so again without losing all semblance of civility. So you can imagine my relief when a female doctor came out and called for “Ibrahim” (his first name is so difficult for swedes to pronounce that anyone who reads his full name, always calls him by his middle name *laugh*) She was very gentle and very thorough. Her comprehension of english was good, as is mine of swedish. However her spoken english was not much better than my spoken swedish. *laugh* We did manage along quite fine though. Luckily most medical terms are the same or similar because of the latin base, so I have the advantage of knowing those terms from my profession.

Llywellyn apparently has a pair of ‘glands’ (?) behind his nose that are slightly larger than normal for his age. The ENT said he would likely grow into them within a year. Because he has had no recurring ear infections, no sleep apnea and no lack of energy in the day from not sleeping through the night, the doctor advised I wait and see if it improves once the winter virus season is over. She said that any slight cold would make the snoring worse because the sinus tissue would swell and the air passages would be smaller still. She felt the coughing is also a side effect of the same thing. The sinuses draining back because of too small a space to drain out through the nose. I am quite content to wait a bit and see if it does improve, rather than putting him through surgery for something that will correct itself in a short while. The doctor did say that if he still has problems come spring, I can call through to them directly and they will see him again, without having to go through the GP first.

Yesterday we went to playgroup. I don’t know if that was wise since I am still sick, but the fever has subsided and I stayed away from th
e other kids. The kidlet really needed to spend time with kids for a bit.

He went to farmor and farfars on Wednesday, even though I did not go to school. Farfar fell down some stairs on Tuesday and while he was at work on Wednesday he became dizzy and ill. So they sent him to the company doctor who sent him to the hospital for tests to see if there was bleeding in his head. Luckily there was not, but he did have a large amount of bleeding in his back, so that is what caused the dizziness. He also has an injury on his forearm. So the kidlet went over and first thing he did was crawl up with farfar on the couch and go to sleep. *laugh* When he woke up he drew a picture of farfar and drew in the sore arm, then drew himself in the background. He is really becoming good at drawing. He draws people now, a head, a body and stick arms and legs. He adds features and hair and such as well. He always draws a hat on his dad and glasses on me. Since I can’t even make a stick figure that looks legible, I am impressed. *laugh*

Today I slept in till 8, got up with the kidlet for a couple hours, went back to bed and his dad got up. I slept till 1 pm and then his dad came back to bed so I got up. Saturdays are such lazy days. I do have laundry time tonight though. So I can’t relax too much.