Kitty’s Place

We are home, kidlet is sleeping and I am relaxing with a hot cup of tea. It was a really fun day. We celebrated thanksgiving at Leslie’s this afternoon, ate lots and lots, had many laughs and good conversation. Thank you Les! This is the first time my fellow has met any of my American friends and he had a great time there. There was of course Leslie, Tor and Alex (the kidlet was so excited about seeing Alex he talked about it last night and all morning), Riika & Kent, Kim, Heather & Måns and Anna & Anders. I had never met Kent, Anna, Anders or Tor before and it was wonderful meeting them, as was seeing all the people I did know. We did miss Johan, I was hoping Ibo would get to meet him as well, but there is always another day. *smile*

It took a couple of hours to drive there, since I did get us lost once. Luckily it was only a short turnaround to get us back in the right direction. Llywellyn slept in the car the last hour and Ibo did not growl when I made him stop a second time just to check we were in the right place. *laugh* We had snacks when we got there and the house smelled so yummy from the turkey in the oven. (side note, I bought our christmas turkey yesterday so no repeat of last year when we had Ibo’s uncle look for one in his town, because there were none to be found here) I made marinated carrot salad, celery bake, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and millionare bars. Of course the boys played in Alex’s room a lot of the afternoon and everyone else gravitated between kitchen and living room. Dinner was delicious and there was so much good food it was hard not to go for seconds. But I was good and saved room for dessert. *laugh* After dinner we had coffee and dessert and did more visiting. Then it was coming up on 9 pm and we had to head out to get our “past bedtime” boy home. We settled him in bed about 10:30 and Susan was happy to see us home. I had left two small pieces of bacon on a plate on the counter and it must have made her crazy smelling it when we were gone. She almost leaped on me when I went out there so she finally got to eat them tonight. I bet she was wishing she was a cat instead of a dog, then she could have jumped up there and helped herself. Well unless she was a cat like Shadow who is too old and fat to jump that high. *laugh*

Thank you again Leslie and Riika. Your Thanksgiving potluck was a huge success.

I do have more vacation stories to record here but I am so jet lagged I barely make it through the days right now. If anyone has any “how to get over jetlag” suggestions, please share. I slept late both days of the weekend and actually felt a bit brighter Sunday but when we got back to 0700 wakeup yesterday, it hit full force again.

So this afternoon we were all piled on the bed and the kidlet was laughing and trying to tell his dad a story. Well I began to laugh too and tried to tell him something and he complained it was like listening to two chipmunks. *laugh* The story I was trying to relate was that yesterday when we were having coffee with Kim, Helene and Johan, Kim told a funny cat story. We were all laughing, including the kidlet who I really don’t think got the gist of it, but was happy to laugh anyway. Then, while laughing, he proceeded to tell his own cat story, the one about his cat getting hit by a car. It just struck me funny how kids have no real concept of emotions until they are taught. He was of course sad when the cat died and even cried for him a couple of times, but time has passed and to him, it was just a cat story and since we were in a laughing mood, it was funny.

It has been an odd week. Monday we went to öppna förskolan in the morning and then did laundry in the afternoon. My fellow had meetings Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Tuesday the kidlet woke up with a fever and then developed diarrhea, the very bug the mom’s at öppna förskolan were talking about when we there the day before. Wednesday he was fine, but I had the bug, so no school for me. He did go to his grandparents for the night though. Thursday my fellow had to fly down to Göteberg so we were up at 0500 but I went back to bed at 0700 and slept till noon. I am still really jetlagged but hopefully it will get better soon.

This morning we met up with Jennifer at the central station in Stockholm. We had lunch at Pizza Hut and I bought some really love soap products from her. The duck soaps are just the cutest. Everything smells wonderful and I am anxious to try out the bath beads. I got soaps and bath gel for the stockings and xmas soaps to add to gifts. So my christmas shopping is officially started. *smile* It was great fun seeing Jennifer again and the kidlet wants to go and see her again next week. *laugh* After lunch we took the subway to Gamla Stan and Jennifer directed me to Gray’s there, then headed home. I bought canned pumpkin to make a pie for Thanksgiving dinner next Sunday. Then we headed back to central station and met up with Kim and Helene. Kim had a gift for the kidlet, a spiderman car. He was thrilled with it and I thought it was a very sweet thing to do. It was great seeing them both again. Then we went for coffee and met up with Kim’s fellow, who had lots of fun with Llywellyn. We had a lot of laughs and the kidlet was really quite good. After coffee we headed back to the station and said goodbye to Kim and Johan. Helene, myslef and the kidlet caught the train home. We chattered up a storm all the way to Upplands Vasby, where she got off. When we got home I popped the lasagna I made this morning into the oven and now I am relaxing some, thinking longingly of my bed. *laugh* The kidlet wants to go to visit Helene at her house and to go and see Kim again next week as well. He really is a social little fellow. *laugh*

A few pictures: the kidlet at halloween and mom pre and post hair dyeing.

My racecar driver.

Ready to roll.

Kidlet with the pumpkins, the two small ones he carved.

Candy galore!

A Kitty pic.

Kitty with her new colour and her tongue sticking out. *laugh*

Side view and I am talking as always.

We are home. Got back here Friday afternoon at 1500. We landed a few minutes early and got out of the plane, picked up luggage and were through customs before our scheduled arrival time of 1515. So we were waiting when my fellow came through the door at the airport. The kidlet raced over and literally threw himself at his dad. It was cute. Still jetlagged but getting turned around. Have more vacation stuff to post and more pictures to share, but right now I have to head over and switch laundry loads. *smile*

Well our time here is speeding by.

We arrived here at my brother Eric’s on Oct 14th, went to my grandparents on the 18th, moved across to my sister Kelly’s on the 21st, from there we went to my brother Bryan’s on the 25th and came back to Eric’s on the 27th. Tomorrow morning we move on to Aunt Maud’s and will be with her until we leave for Sweden on Nov 7th.

It was fun to visit with my grandparent but they are really getting old and frail. Grampa turned 92 on the 18th and Grama turned 87 on the 30th. They were not happy we only stayed 3 nights but I explained that we wanted to spend time with everyone this visit.

It was a lot of fun at my sister’s. Kelly is always fun to spend time with and I miss her a lot when I am in Sweden. LL loved spending time with her, Uncle Mike and Deb & Michael. Deb, Ben, Michael, LL and I went out shopping one evening. It is too strange that she has her license already. It is only a short time ago that she was born.

We had a great time at Bryan’s. Carole and I caught up and talked lots and lots. On Saturday Bryan took LL, Matt and James to a pumpkin farm. There was a corn field maze, hay to jump in and of course loads of pumpkins to pick from. That afternoon we went shopping and the kidlet got some new clothes from his aunt & uncle. Saturday night the boys carved their pumpkins and after dinner LL & James curled up in a big chair and watched Peter Pan, while the rest of watched Best in Show, which was just hilarious. Sunday we all went to my grandparents and had a little party for both of them, since they have their birthdays so close. Everyone except Kelly and her family were there. They we ill with a flu and couldn’t make it over. It was so sweet to see all those cousins out playing in the backyard, the way we played with our cousins in the same place many years ago. We came back with Eric after the party.

We have had a quiet week here. Monday was a stay at home and relax day, although we did make a trip into Port Dalhousie to Tim Hortons. I have been going there as much as possible for english toffee coffee. Even with all the food and sweets, I have lost another 5 kg so I am pleased about that. LL has been to another hockey game of Jared’s and to the bus garage with Eric. He would not go on the bus through the bus wash but he did have great fun seeing where the buses get clean and sleep. Thursday we went out for lunch with my stepmother and had a visit with her at her place. It was strange to go there and not see my dad. It was just as strange when the whole family got together on Sunday and Aunt Jane and Uncle Carl were both missing. We did make a trip to the cemetary while we were staying with G&G.

Of course last night was Halloween. The kidlet looked adorable in his racecar driver costume. The free candy took the sting out of the fact he did not get to drive a car house to house. We were out for about an hour and he got loads of candy. I let him eat some last night and again for breakfast. (a rare treat since I never let him have sweets in the morning) Funnily enough, after a couple little candy bars and a bag of Doritos, he came and asked for toast and juice. *smile* He played halloween this morning, going to the door and passing out candy to imaginary kids. I think this will be something he really remembers.

Today I packed everything in preparation for our move tomorrow. Had a cry because I miss my fellow so very much and we won’t be back in Sweden for another whole week. We have phoned him every day and called the rest of the family a few times as well, so LL has not been quite so homesick for pappa, farmor, farfar etc. as he was last trip here. Aunt Maud has no computer so this will be my last chance online until after I am back in Sweden. As much as I have loved being here and have enjoyed all this time with my family, I miss my family in Sweden and will be happy to be home soon. *smile*