Small Joys...

Sometimes Joy (at least for this tired mum) is pink sparkly nail polish and sometimes it is 8 new coffee mugs! :)

Today I indulged myself something not of utmost importance and I feel fabulous for doing it! :) Fabulous despite being knackered, worn and suffering from more than just slightly tired legs (+ a quite tender ankle) after being on my feet all day...Faab! ;)

Here's my "splurge":


...or BARGAIN actually after sale+more sale+staff discount!

Isn't it the MOST PURDIEST mug you've EVER seeeeen!?!?!?!!
:D :D :D :D

♥ E.
Now. Sleep.

"New" 'do! :)

Had it cut yesterday! *treat!* ...and freshened up the black on my own last night. *saving my pennies!*



My ankle is doing much better, even though it is still a bit tender and swollen...and very bruised...! :/ I've been able to hobble about on my own a bit too so I should be OK for work on Friday.

My dearest SoulSister Née sent me a fab e-mail with links to all the amazing stuff we would (will! ;)) be up to when I go over....to day dream about when not being able to do much else... :) ♥ ♥ ♥
I think we've decided that Thanksgiving would be a good time of year and an All-American Holiday not to be missed... *dreaming away*

Feeling quite desperate about wanting to go...! *lol!* I'm thinking stuff like if I take the bike rather than the bus to Borås every day I'll save so and so much money or if I don't eat any lunch for a year I'll have this much money saved...completely irrational stuff!! :D Although...I would be well fit after cycling about two (?) hours a day for the next year or so...! ;) *lol!*

Never stop dreaming, isn't that what they say...? So I'll not...! :) Will make that dream come true one day! :)
♥ E.

*on crutches*

:/ I am! I sprained my ankle really badly getting off the bus, on my way home from work, yesterday. I stood on a bottle that was laying on one of the steps and twisted the *bliiip!* out of my foot! The swelling was instantaneous! *ouch!* I couldn't stand on my foot at all... I tried taking a few steps and I got a cold sweat in the clammy heat and the world started spinning... Not good!

I called my dad to come and get me and the 15 min it took for him to get to the bus station felt like forever. When he came he drove me straight up to the A&E (or the ER to the Americans ;)). Where we got to see a Dr., had x-rays taken of my foot and a diagnosis of a sprained ankle + handed my crutches in less than three hours! :D Probably an emergency room record and I wasn't even bleeding! ;) The benefit of getting hurt "early" on a Wednesday evening I guess... :D

The Dr. ordered me to a week of rest (i.e. I'm off sick from work! :/ ) and told me to not put any weight/strain on the foot for 3-4 days and then only gently support myself on it after that and I'd be back to normal after a week... hmm...? the recovery in the last few days must be remarkable if I'm supposed to be ready for my on-my-feet-all-day-long-job in that time. We'll see how things go... I'm following Dr's orders! :) Not much else I can do as my ankle is well swollen still (and an interesting slightly purple/blue shade) and really doesn't seem to be in the mood for being messed with. ;D

Today we've been visited by Big sis and her girls and my mum who've helped out with keeping me and kiddies entertained! ♥ Thank you! :)
♥ E.

Work!

Being a busy, busy bee...! I'm working away and quite enjoying myself, nice to do something different from sitting at lectures all day. :) ...even if my feet have been killing me! There will be plenty work to be done for another 2-3 weeks for it then to slow down and I'll work my last weekend 21&22 August. Then I'll have about another week off before the pre-launch of "orientation week" at HB. :) Officially, my university studies begin August 30th at 8am. :) :D :)

Calle's coming over later to play with Anton. The house is a MESS so I'm going to try to get it in some sort of order before the little friend arrives. :)

♥ E.
p.s! There's a deer just outside the kitchen window! She's munching away at our bushes. :) Looove this about living here! :)

More N.I. pix! :)

Visit to Carrickfergus Castle.
Anton looking out over Belfast Lough.


First visit to Mauds Ice Cream Shop was at the top of the to-do-list! :D


A swing by KFC was (at least for Stephen!) as high of a priority as going to Mauds! ;) Kiddies enjoyed it too...shame and a HUGE surprise that KFC hasn't found its way to Sweden yet!?


Our MissE. all smiles in the grass outside the castle... Tide was too high to walk around it, we'll have to time it better at our next visit!


Birthday BBQ! :) Father and Son getting some one-on-one-time at the BBQ and kiddies get acquainted with their cousins... Shame that our ones don't speak any (or very little) English, it would have made things easier but they managed to have good fun despite of it! :)
Grand kids singing Happy Birthday to Granddad, in both English and Swedish! :D Sammy's looking well proud and pleased to be surrounded by all the Family. :D


;) Me sneaking another photo of Stephen - The Most Camera Shy person I know! :P


We've got TONS of play park photos from this trip. Best, cheapest and easiest pass time with kiddies! :D Here at Legg Park in Carrick.


At the Knockagh Monument. Beautiful views over Belfast Lough! Last photo is a view of Carrick, you can sort of spot the castle in the middle of the picture....the tiny stone square? Just at the sea shore. :) "Easy" if you know what to look for! ;)
♥ E.

Northern Irland Photos!

So, its taken ages for me to post any photos from our holiday in Northern Ireland! I've still not gotten around to adding the photos from the digital camera to the computer but the ones I took with my mobile phone camera are available and finally here you go! :D Will see about getting the rest on here too, now that I've got two whole days off! ;)


On our way, waiting at Stansted for flight to Granny&Granddad.

Slightly bored MissE found a good spot to park her bum! ;)

Wonderful weather! Only one day of rain in two weeks!? :) Lots of time spent at different parks... :) We visited this one, at the Leisure Center, at least 3-4 times. The ducks got fed too while we were there and it was just a short stroll from Maud's Ice Cream place! ;) :D



It took a few times to find a good route to walk but with everyone's help we figured it out.Walking in Carrickfergus was different, much more beautiful than the one at home! I walked passed fields with cows, views of Carrick Castle and the sea... These photo's are from my final walk with the sun setting over Carrickfergus... :)

Green, green, green...! The island must have been at its most emerald when we were there because it was so green! It truly lived up to its name...


♥ E.

Eclipse Movie

So, after work on Sunday I met up with my sisters and after speed shopping a few essential items we headed to Pizza Hut in far-too-warm-7-months-preggers-speed (we all were hot, big sis is the pregnant one! ;)) and had a quick bite to ear before heading to the cinema. Anticipation's were very high! :)

My verdict...? It was OK.
If I'd not read the books it might not even have gotten a pass... Sorry! I enjoyed it, I did, but it was just trying to fit everything in and not managing very well... I feel there should have been more/better/detailed focus on either flashbacks of the Cullen's pre-vampire days or on Bella's mixed emotions/feelings of guilt and/or the Edward/Jacob vampire/werewolf rivalry/comradery thing. :)
Yes, I DO realize that it's impossible to fit everything in even if I'd like it all to be there but then pick something and focus, do well, on that thing.

The chemistry between Rob and Kristen is much better in this movie, she was a little bit more like my Bella but still not there...I just don't think she has it in her... :/ :)

Biggest disappointment though is not the cramming too much of the story (but still not enough! ;)) into too small window of time or Kristen not being my Bella...it's... THE RING!?! OMG it was just sooo...wrong! Really badly wrong! Not at all as delicate and intricate as I'd imagined it (or even close how it was described in the book!)! It looked too modern, too strange almost like a shield...or a bug's eye! Wrong, wrong, wrong...!

Here's sort of what I had imagined Elizabeth Masen's ring to be like:


:) :) :)


...not like

!!! :/ :[

I think, will need to see them again to be sure! ;), that the first movie in the Twilight Saga is still my favourite...
Looking forward to the two Breaking Dawn movies! Maybe they'll get it done right for the last one! ;)
♥ E.

I got in! :)

Checked online late last night after a friend told me the info was available and I've been accepted to the teaching program at The University of Borås!! :D

*wooot wooot!*

I've got 'til the end of the month to accept (though not yet sure exactly how to do that!). I've also got a "stand-by" spot at University of Gothenburg for the Social Work program but I'm no. 20 (or 156?!) and even if there's still going to be a second "draft" (after everyone has accepted or declined their places) I highly doubt that I'll get in to GU. That program is extremely popular and I've heard of people how've been on 3rd/4th reserve and still not gotten in...which is highly unusual for any other program where it's quite common for people to drop out/in before the term has gotten to a proper start...

Any hoot, I'm thrilled to have gotten in to HB even if I was struck with a slight feeling of panic about the fact that I've now got a path to follow and I'm now not (as) free to pick and choose what I want to study and what if kids just hate me!?! :O :[ :O but then I was too tired, and waaaay to HOT, to panic, stress or even think so I fell asleep and today I've just been pleased that I've got a "plan"... :)

The soles of my feet are burning after working 4 days in a row for the first time since x-mas and I've got 1 more day to go before they can get a little bit of rest before the weekend.... I'll probably be used to the all-day-standing/walking just in time for my butt getting unused to being sat on for looong lectures! ;) *lol*

Now I'm going to get kiddies (and possibly myself!) to bed, will return with my Eclipse-movie verdict later/tomorrow...! ;)
♥ E.

Better Day...

Yesterday was a better day...! :) I felt guilty about being "evil mum" because it's not entirely the children's fault when/that they misbehave and...well...I learnt a lesson even if Anton didn't... :P ;)

I wanted to do something as a Family and for Me so I decided it was time for a long overdue play-date at my BFF Anniina's house. It was a truly FAB day out! :)

Anton was great entertainment for A's Elisia, she spent most of the time in giggles. Erin played nice too and was quite happy to share Anton! ;) :) Baby Siri kept me in a good mood with her gurgles, dribbles and baby smell and Stephen got to leave us ;) to shopping for wallpaper glue and stuff easily available in the neighbourhood.

Best of all though, I got to just hang out with my ♥best girl♥!! :D It almost felt like the old days when it was just the two of us gossiping (or painting our nails *lol!*) in Anniinas bedroom...! :) Well maybe not almost :D but close enough...that is if you remove the breastfeeding, nappy changing, nose wiping, hand washing, husbands and housekeeping...!! *lol* It was great! :D


Today's Calle's over... :) He and Anton play SO well together! :D They're such good friends. :) 4 hours go in no time and... :)
Anton is a "better" boy, better behaved, when he's got stuff to do! ♥ My lesson learn! ;)

Time to make us lunch!
♥ E.

Far too big...!

I'm having a smallish breakdown! ;)

We've just gotten Erin out of her rear facing car seat into a forward facing Big Girl Car Seat (an Akta Graco Logico LX if you wanna know!) and I feel time slipping away...!

When in the world did our little miss grow up to be such a Big girl?! :/ :) :\ :P

Both kiddies are sitting in the car, in their "big kid" seats asleep. Thank goodness that my big sis is having another one in September so that my broodiness doesn't overflow...!! :D

Today I've also had to do my first "evil mum" act...and I'm not sure the right child got punished. :/ Anton and Erin were both misbehaving and none of my usual threats worked so I pulled out the big one "Antooon, if you don't start behaving Calle will not be allowed to come play tomorrow...!!" and he didn't even flinch in his naughtiness...that, if nothing else, aaaalways works! Always! Not this time though and I just couldn't let it go could I...!

Don't make threats you can't/won't follow through and all that... *sigh!*

So I had to call Calle's mum and tell her C can't come over tomorrow, she understood the situation but said that Calle would be SO disappointed... which I totally understand, so should Anton be and he's not...! :[ I feel terrible for Calle's sake...and I feel horrible 'cause I feel I have to "rub it in" for Anton to GET IT...and that just...sucks! :[

Not the most fantastic day to be a Mum... :/
♥ E.

Drained...

I'm feeling utterly drained at the moment, no energy whatsoever... Not sure what's up just that I'm not. Feeling like The Worst mum, wife, friend, person...

+ I'm not getting our old computer to work normally so I'm not able to share any holiday pics.

/GrumpE.

Breaking Dawn

Finally! :) I'm done and I was not disappointed! ♥ I read Breaking Dawn, the final book of the Twilight Saga, in two days - my first sitting being about 6-7 hours long (?!) and it got me through about half of the book! :D I loved it, as I've loved all of them, and I'm not even sad for it to be ended just eager to start re-reading the Saga! ;)

I love how Stephenie Meyers manages to up the weirdness factor yet again without making it laughable or silly! It just makes perfect sense after reading the other books. :) To try and describe the story, the plot, would just sound too bizarre and definitely silly...! :) + one could not reveal anything without having to add a huge *spoiler alert!* to this post... Which I won't! :) Just read the books instead!! :D

Breaking Dawn is jam-packed with exciting new development and twists and turns. Everyone you would think would have a starring roll in the book does but not in a way that you would/could imagine!
Love, love, love, love, LOVE! :D

♥ E.