Kitty’s Place

Is that a Tom Jones song? I really need to get my old albums from Canada. *laugh*

We had a nice Thursday, Tova and her mom came for a visit. It was nice to chat with Monica and the kids had fun.

Friday we didn’t do much, my fellow worked and I did a bit more unpacking.

Saturday I had this major meltdown. I just lost all perspective and wanted to pack and go back to Canada … not that I don’t think that most days but I usually push it to the back of my brain. *laugh* So I packed up LL and we went to Eurostop to get a card and a gift for his aunt, since she had a birthday on Friday and we were invited to a party for her on Sunday. When we got there it was Kids day at Arlandastad Outlet mall. So after shopping we headed there. The kidlet went on the carousel, bought cotton candy, got a free baseball cap and waited for 90 minutes to get his face painted like the Pink Panther. We also stopped at the cafe and I got a cappuccino … by then I was over my hissy fit. *laugh*

Sunday we went to my fellow’s parents for his sister’s party. I had dreamed all night about school and the national exam on Friday, then woke up with a stiff neck, so bad that every time I moved it spasmed and I yelled. *laugh* I took ibuprofen, had a hot shower, applied ice and heat alternately and managed to get mobile. My fellow’s mom, his uncle and a friend of his mom’s arrived here about the time I was beginning to get dressed. *laugh* Jonas brought me a box of Splenda back from his trip the US. That was a wonderful surprise. When we got to my fellow’s parents place I borrowed their bottle of Tiger Balm and used that on my neck. It got me through the rest of the day.

Monday we were up bright and early for another appointment with the speech therapist. LL has made progress on P’s and S’s but is still having trouble with K and G … so she is sending a referral to another speech therapist to see if he needs some appliance in his mouth to stimulate his upper palate. I will keep working with him at home and hopefully we will get him articulating perfectly before school starts. I was in great pain on the train and bus so when I got him settled at school I came home and showered long. *laugh* While he was at school workmen arrived and dismantled everything in the kids play area. They dug up and exchanged the sand and are now readying the area for all new stuff. It looks quite cool, there will be a tunnel for them to crawl through, a new slide, a police car to sit in and a number of climbing things.

Tuesday I could finally turn my head again, school was ok. We all had stories to relate about totally freaking out over the past few days, I guess we are all stressed. *laugh* My fellow went and ordered our new appliances. They should be installed sometime next week.

Today there was a company here cleaning out all the plastic containers that catch the trash at the bottom of the trash chute. I have to say I never saw that done at the other place. Things seem to be very well cared for here. School was more of the same, no one wanted to be there. Thank goodness the exam is over in two days. *laugh*

We have an appointment with the new eye doctor in a couple of weeks. That was quick, considering the other one said it would be a long wait. *laugh*

We now have curtains in every room. I have done laundry here twice and love the new laundry room. Have unpacked another 8 or so boxes. We have put up light fixtures too. One problem we had to attend to was the leaking bathroom sink. I thought it was that she didn’t get it sealed after cleaning out the pipe during her final cleaning. Actually it was that it had never been cleaned out and was so full the water had nowhere else to go but out around the pipe joint. *laugh* So we took apart the plumbing under both sinks and now they are clean and draining wonderfully. It smells less mouldy as well, another bonus. *smile*

Friday my fellow signed the papers selling his apartment. Saturday we went out and looked at appliances. His dad came along, which is alway nice. I picked out everything I wanted here and we got prices. Then he called our condo association on Monday for pricing since they have a deal with Electrolux and it was those we were looking at. That was when we found out that we could not have the stove I wanted, because the wiring here will not handle it (the disadvantage of older buildings). So I picked a different stove, same series but it only has one oven, not two. We had dinner at my fellow’s parents. He and his dad had sushi, his sister and I had salads and the kidlet had McDonalds. We brought home the bookshelf and the huge map of Cairo that were promised to him for his new room.

My fellow thought I needed one of these Trilobite vacuums. I thought he needed this baby. (it is a shower, sauna, jacuzzi with a tv, phone, cd player *laugh*) We will of course get a sensible vacuum and bathtub along with sensible kitchen appliances, but it is fun to window shop. *grin*

Sunday we shopped some more, still just looking at appliances and such. I called and talked to Aunt Maud for a bit and then we picked up my fellow’s mom at the airport. She had her last class down south which I am sure is a relief to her. We had fika with them and brought home a little old table for our entrance way that she had bought at a flea market. We also brought home a small mirror to go above it that was her grandfathers. So I got out a little wooden box that belonged to my great grandmother and put it on the table to hold keys and other pocket clearing sundries. It is a cosy little spot now. *smile*

Monday it was back to school. Went well but I came home with loads of catching up homework. My fellow’s parents came for coffee after dinner and that was nice. I bbq’d cajun ham steak on the balcony. It was ok, but I prefer the one with hickory marinade.

Yesterday was a busy school day too. I had this grammar epiphany at least. *laugh* I made a ground beef casserole for dinner that the kidlet hated, I loved and my fellow forced down. He complained on the weekend that I never make anything different, always the same boring food, so we are rectifying that. (this is the same man who said a few months ago “don’t mess with my food”) *laugh*

Today the kidlet and I had a 9 am appointment with the eye doctor. He was checking the kidlet’s eyes, because he has had a problem with his eye test at his yearly BVC checkups, The eye doctor checked him over and said that his vision itself is perfect in both eyes, his right eye sees straight ahead but his left eye deviates ever so slightly to the left. This is why he was having a problem with the last line on the eye chart. He said this problem is quite correctable if caught before age 7, but that after age 7 the brain has trained itself to compensate and while that in itself isn’t a problem, it causes a strain to the eye and eventually the child will need glasses. He also said the nurse was really on the ball, that this is usually overlooked until it is too late. So he sent off a referral to another specialist at Danderyd and he absolutely rave
d about the specialist. It is good that this is being taken care of now.

Tomorrow is a holiday here. Ascension day. Many people will take Friday off as well and make it a 4 day weekend. School is closed both days but my fellow is going to go in and work Friday. I plan to do lots of studying over the weekend and get more unpacked and set up here. LL’s room is really organized, only twp boxes left to unpack and one only has his 3 level parking garage in it. *laugh*

As for LL, he is out morning and evening playing with his new friends here. At first we let him take out whatever he wanted, as long as it was one toy at a time. But on Monday after his remote control car, his beyblade and his bubble making machine all were broken in the course of an hour, we decided to limit the kind of toys he can take out as well. *laugh* He is also walking home from school on his own now. It is a 2 or 3 minute walk and a straight route from school door to home door, but of course I am very nervous about it. *laugh* Today I was talking with one of my classmates though and realized that I was going to and from school alone when I was his age. I watch him from the balcony and he just looks so little walking along the pathway, but for him it is a really big deal and he is very proud that he comes straight here without stopping for any reason at all. I did tell him that he can phone me any time he wants someone to come for him so he knows if we have bad weather or something, he doesn’t have to walk by himself. We also got the official letter of notification today that he has a spot at Rävsta school. My little boy is growing up. *sniff*

My fellow is sleeping on the couch and I am half watching Sex and The City. I think this is the final episode? I am so not a big fan of this show. *laugh*

Susan is not a happy camper these days. *laugh* In our old place we were on the bottom floor. Here there are 3 sets of stairs to climb. They are short sets, 6 steps each, but they must look like Mt. Everest to her. Our first two days here I walked her a new route that I thought was comparable to the old, but the second night she began walking on 3 paws and keeping the 4th drawn up. So I assume she strained a muscle (or she may have gotten it bruised when LL decided to play cowboy and lasso her … an incident that did not sit well with Susan or mom *laugh*). We shortened the route but of course the stairs remain. So this is our routine every walk. Susan races down the stairs all happy that it is walk time. She sniffs and snorts as we do the walk to the woods and is still happy. Then we come home and come in the main door. She stands at the top of the stairs that lead to the cellar door, as if to say “If I have to do stairs, then at least let me do the down ones”. I say we have to go up and she slowly tromps up the first 6 stairs. Then she stops at the apartment under ours and just will not budge. *laugh* I just keep on going and eventually she has to follow, since I have the leash. *grin* The next two sets go a bit quicker, but still are an obvious protest on her part. She does however run the last couple of feet when we get to the second floor and our apartment. Dogs are just a hoot sometimes. *laugh*

The cleaning is done at the other place, we cleared the last of the stuff from the storage room. My fellow will meet the buyers today at their bank and it will officially change hands. He asked me yesterday if I was going to cry now that we would not be going back, he knows me too well. *laugh* We ended up having dinner at my fellow’s parents. I was in cleaning clothes, hole ridden t shirt and ragged old pants, a real fashion model at dinner. *laugh* Speaking of the pants, I rarely wear them, I am a dress and skirt kinda person. But I have a couple pairs of old Cotton Ginny slacks that I have had for few years. They are my “working” clothes, for jobs where a skirt just won’t do. So it has been likely 6 months since I wore these last. I was standing on the step ladder, wiping out the bathroom medicine cabinet when they just fell off. *laugh* I have lost weight of course but I didn’t know it was that much. Will have to look for new “old pants” now. *laugh*

I have a meeting with the guidance counselor again today. Then this afternoon I get to figure out the new laundry room. I have way too much laundry gathered up so I need to get a few loads done. Ibo’s mom sent home some curtains for us to use. She had promised some for LL’s room that had elephants on them and she came across a couple other sets that she added as well. So today we will get LL’s curtains up and I will see if the extension I got for the rod for our room is going to work. Then we will have curtains in all the rooms, yay! *laugh*

Llywellyn is in seventh heaven here. He has found lots of friends to play with and goes out every morning and after dinner every evening. The two he spends most time with are Melwin and Linus. We knew Melwin from öppna förskolan but Linus is a new friend. I know his farmor, since she works at the local supermarket. Already this morning they have played beyblades, some Bamse board game and now they are playing cars out there.

We have a lot of neighbours here who are familiar. Downstairs we have the young woman who used to live on the third floor in our old building before she moved out to her own place. The woman across the hall I have met and I think it was in SFI a long while back. It is just so comfortable here. *smile*

Maintenance came and fixed the leaking bathroom pipe today, he was a very nice older gentleman and he even cleaned up after himself (the 1000 year old Telia man who installed the phone line yesterdaty did not).

LL wanted to move back to Frejgatan after we were settled in here. The reason for that is that there is no Cartoon Network with the basic cable in this building. I set up a computer in his room to make up for lack of kid’s tv, but because it has no internet access, it is just not the same. *laugh* So I dug in boxes and found old movies. We have watched Winnie the Pooh for two days now and he is loving it. My fellow set up his old laptop for me to use until we have the office/guest room set up. I am in seventh heaven too now. *laugh*

I took a bunch of pictures while the move was in progress and will take some more when we have things unpacked. Today I unpacked a bit more and soon I am off to finish cleaning at Frej. But for the moment I am letting the kidlet have kid fun with his friends. *laugh*

We took Shadow to the clinic and I wish I could have had a picture of the look on my face when she asked if we wanted him back after cremation. I am sure I looked stunned/horrified. *laugh* I know people do keep the ashes but the idea had never crossed my mind at all. LL had a really long cry on Monday when I said that no, we could not go to the store and buy Shadow again. He really has taken this well, considering the fact that he called the cat his pet.

He has had no problem sleeping in his own room, in fact he has already taken to going and closing the door when he is mad at me. At least he doesn’t slam it like I did when I was a kid. *laugh* He does have to every stuffed animal in the house in bed though when he goes to sleep.

The phone finally got connected today. It was this almost 1000 year old dude doing the job. He basically disconnected the internet line that we had installed last week and connected the phone. He was not impressed when I said that it was wrong and the internet line was not working. He kept saying it worked, it was just a weak signal. Luckily Ibo called at the point and I handed my mobile over to the Bell … I mean Telia guy. Ibo clued him in and then came home for lunch to make sure he did the job correctly. It took him 4 hours to hook up the phone and in the process he disconnected the phone jack in the kitchen. *laugh* But we do have both the phone and the internet line functioning now.

We have most of the furniture placed now and most of the clothes unpacked. The kitchen is organized. The second bathroom is all set up for LL. He says it is his and others can use it only if they can’t wait for the other to be free. *laugh* The big bathroom is another story. We have a leak under the sink. It looks like she took the pipes apart to clean and when she put it together again she didn’t use any of that white “tape” stuff to make the seal. So I can’t put anything away under there until that is fixed. We also have a leak where the toilet pipe connects to the big old sewer pipe thingy. It is a really slow one but we have someone coming from maintenance tomorrow since it appears to be their pipe that is leaking. We should be able to get that room done on the weekend.

I still am not done the final cleaning at the other place. I have done all the windows, wiped down all the doorframes and the baseboards. Dusted the walls and scrubbed floors in 2 of the rooms(the living room and bedroom are completely done). Cleaned behind and wiped down all the rads. Took the stove apart and cleaned it, also took the exhaust fan over it apart and cleaned it. The kitchen cupboards are halfway done and the bathroom is half done. *laugh* I scrubbed the tub and toilet but still need to do the drains and under the tub. I will finish up tomorrow and the new people take possession on Friday afternoon. I never imagined it would take this long but I have been terribly ill for the past two weeks with this asthma flare up. I wasn’t able to carry anything on the day we moved and still can only work for a short while before I have to rest. So I have been doing 15 hour days to try and get stuff done. I also have missed 8 days of classes and will have to spend the whole weekend studying to get caught up. I should be weaning off the prednisone but am staying on a low dose for a while yet. *laugh*

SO now the kidlet is asleep and my fellow is home from his meeting, so I am heading over to the other place to finish the kitchen tonight. *smile*

The move went well. There were 6 people helping lift and carry so it was a bit over 4 hours total moving time. While the last load was being packed at the old place I was here making food. I had packed up ingredients for what I was making but they got lost in the bedlam so it was more of a throw in what we have kind of dinner. Everyone enjoyed it and it was a nice, non stressful day. The only real problem is that the phone never got hooked up here. It is turned off at the other place but not working here. My fellow called and someone will look at it today. (Deb if you see this tell Gram I didnt forget her on Mothers Day, I just had no phone *laugh*)

We got beds set up and the kidlet tucked in about 2100. He was a bit scared being in his own room for the first time but loading his bed up with every stuffed animal he owns solved that problem. *laugh*

When we were settling him in I noted that the cat was hiding under his bed and panting. 2 hours later the cat was dead. He absolutely hated moving. So much so that I never thought he would make the move to Sweden. But surprisingly he survived the plane trip as well as the separation time. But when he came home to our old apartment, he hid for a couple of days and was stressed. I was hoping he would adapt here quickly but instead he went into heart failure. He was old and had always been a huge “fat cat” and that along with the moving stress was just too much. I am so sad about him dying, He was just 3 weeks old when he was rescued by Deborah and was just so tiny the day I took him home snuggled up under my jacket. He was named Shadow because he was smokey gray like a shadow and he followed me about like one. He was always my cat and for years he would not go to anyone but me. The time he spent boarding made him more friendly but he never was a very social cat. He slept at my feet and came up and purred to be patted every morning when I woke up. He would onlly let me pet him a short time though and then he would nip at me. *laugh* Today we will take him to the animal clinic to be cremated. I am going to miss my “shadow”.

I am taking a few minutes to check mail and post an entry. Then it will be time to dismantle the computer equipment. *laugh*

Both storage rooms are emptied out, I have about 2 boxes of stuff left to pack. Ibo’s friends should be here about noon. We have a final couple loads of laundry on the go at the moment.

For anyone who might have seen the news about the woman who was shot last night here in Märsta .. it wasn’t me. I saw a short little story about it in svenska_dn feed and it happened here in Valsta, hope whoever it was is ok.

Off on the adventure we call moving. (Gone fishin’ sounds cooler) *laugh*

We are moving. Have been packing, moving and unpacking boxes all week. I have washed all our throw rugs yet again and they are now packed. We are down to the last few boxes of stuff to pack. Little knick knacky things and the stuff we have been using for the past week. The kidlet is thrilled with his room and sits in there and plays every time we go over to the new place. I went through all the curtains that were in the linen closet and have organized what we will put up to start us off.

I am so darn tired I could throw up. *laugh* Something triggered my asthma and at first I just increased my inhalers, but now I am on prednisone again. So it has not been the most fun to be carrying boxes up stairs with compromised lung capacity. *laugh* But it is a bit better now and by the time I am weaned off the steroids I will be good as new. *smile*

Tomorrow my fellow’s uncle is coming with a trailer and we will empty out the two storage rooms. Saturday he has organized help (no idea who or how many) to move the big pieces of furniture. Then it is just to do a final cleaning here and unpack everything in the new place. I am predicting I will be done by July. *laugh*

Yesterday my vacuum died. The timing sucks but it was like 100 years old, so it didn’t owe us anything. *laugh* I am thinking I will see if we can borrow one from my fellows’ parents for the weekend. We are planning on buying all new appliances and a jacuzzi tub for the new place. I was thinking we would get a new vacuum at the same time and now we have no choice. *grin*

Off to finish up the packing. I have no clue if we will have internet access when we move or if it will be a few days before we are connected. But then again, time online has been sparse this past week and I have survived (barely). *laugh*

Friday evening we went and had dinner at my fellows’ parents. From there we went to the big meadow behind the high school for the lighting of the bonfire. After it was burning we went in to the tivoli. LL went on a ride he went on last year, cars joined together in a train. Ibo ran into someone he knew and was busy chatting so we had gone ahead of him. He caught up with us and we did a walk through. By then it was 2200 and the fireworks started, so I stood in the long queue to get popcorn and cotton candy for the kidlet and his dad took him to watch the fireworks up close. We got home about 2230 and it was almost 2300 when the kidlet finally went to bed.

Saturday morning I was up early and the kidlet got up about 0815. We had breakfast and then all of went to the first of may festivities at the local town square. We got to hear the mayor speak … I really do enjoy listening to Anders Johansson, he is a great speaker. Then we heard from Inger Ros, landstingsråd(regional councillor). As with all Labour Day speeches, everyone talked about how their political party was doing the best job. *laugh* The kidlet had a hot dog and “fished” in the fish pond. He was fairly quiet during the speeches but after they were done and everyone started singing the labour day songs, he just sobbed. The words to the songs were on the back of the pamphlet one of the women gave him and he wanted to sing along, but he couldn’t read them. Can we say overtired child? *laugh* I went to the store and Ibo took LL home.

We went to farmor & farfar’s again for dinner. Ibo’s cousin turned 18 and we had a little party there. It was very nice and we had a lovely evening. Of course it was another late night for the kidlet (and mom). When we were shopping last week the kidlet picked up avocados and said he wanted them to eat. I bought two. Then when I was talking to farmor Friday night, we decided to have them at the party on Saturday. So I had to go and buy more. The kidlet tried one and then decided that actually he didn’t like it, even though it looked really appealing when his friend Viking was eating one at school last week. So mom gets to eat the one left here. *laugh*

This morning I was up to start laundry at 0700. Unfortunately there was still only one washer working and only the drying cupboard was working. Today even the big drying room (a full sized room with 8 clotheslines running end to end and a large blower that blows warm air) was broken. So I still didn’t get everything done, but I did get all our clothes for the week clean. It will be nice when we are moved and have all our clothes unpacked, instead of just a weeks worth in the closets. *laugh* When the laundry was done I packed more boxes. My fellow’s parents came over about 1730. I was just finishing up cooking dinner. Once it was out of the oven in popped a cake in. After we ate I put on coffee then farmor, the kidlet and I walked over to the new apartment. She hadn’t seen it before, since she was away when we looked at it originally. She quite liked it. *smile* We came back here and had cake and coffee, then we loaded up their car with boxes and suitcases and took a load over to the new place. It was hard on farfar not to be helping I think, but it is less than 2 weeks ago that he had major back surgery, so no lifting of any kind allowed for him. We unloaded the car and then my fellow came back and loaded it up again, while farmor, LL and I unpacked some of the boxes. So we have a good number of boxes moved now and I have some room to move around here again. *laugh*

After the kidlet was settled in bed, we did our income taxes online. That was great fun! (well it was for me since I get a refund *laugh*). Then I filled in a change of address to send off to the College of Nurses of Ontario, so they can find me when it is time to renew my registration this year. I packed a couple more boxes then sat down with a cup of tea. I am thinking of packing a bit more before bed. My fellow’s uncle is coming with a trailer on Friday to move stuff so I want to be all packed up by then.