Birthdays Galore!

This past weekend was filled with lots of birthday celebrations, and I mean lots.  Jacques, Timothee and Elisabeth all have their birthdays in August.  Unfortunately this year, between family vacations and the boys starting at a new school, we didn't find the right opportunity to throw our wonderful children a birthday party.  However, since Elisabeth was turning 1 year old, we wanted to have some sort of celebration together as a family.  So Sunday was that day....3 birthdays in one evening.

Just a warning now, this post is mostly for grandparents that will enjoy pictures of their lovely grandchildren blowing out candles.  The boys and Elisabeth were all very proud to have their own "cakes", candles, and of course birthday song.  It's the simple things that make children happy.

Timothee, Jacques, and... 

...Elisabeth waiting for the party to start

Elisabeth got to blow out her birthday candle first.  She  had a mini-carrot cake, which might, or might not have been made, from the same batter as her Papa's birthday cake the day before. (Happy 36th birthday, Alexis!)

Our baby girl is one! 

Impressed by the candle...

Tim and Mama giving a helping hand.

Our little boy, who just turned 3, was sung to next.  Tim requested his favorite two things for his cake, chocolate and small.  

Mmmm....chocolate... 

Making sure all of the candles are out... 

Last but not least, our now 5 year old Jack got to blow out his birthday candles.  For the past year, Jack has been requesting a strawberry cake.  I kept putting it off since I had no idea how to make a strawberry cake much less strawberry icing.  However, since it was his birthday, we decided to give it a try.  For not having any official recipe, we were all pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out.  Now we just have to find a few people to share all of this cake with!!  Just in case anyone is wondering, Jack requested a "big" cake.

Our proud 5 year old...

 ...blowing out his candles.

Happy birthday Elisabeth, Timothee and Jacques!!

Elisabeth could hardly wait to try her muffin.  I'm not sure how much was actually eaten, but she had a blast pulling it apart!

Merci, Merci Saint Nicolas!

This past weekend, Saint Nicolas paid a very special visit to 3 Belgian children living in Stockholm.

There was a lot of anticipation in the weeks leading up to the night that our magical guest was supposed to come down the chimney, with his donkey, and leave gifts for all the good girls and boys.  For the past month or so, Jack has been enamored with a sword and scooter that he sees displayed in a shop window that we pass each day on the way home from school.  I don't know at what point he decided that that was what he was going to ask for, but there was no hesitation when Jack "wrote" his letter to Saint Nicolas.

This year was special, because for the first time Jacques delivered his letter to Saint Nicolas in person.  The meeting left quite the impression on him...but also a few questions as well.  For about a week afterwards, Jack was convinced that his Papa was the special white-bearded visitor.  He eventually forgot this curious thought, and by the eve of Saint Nicolas' visit, there was only joy and excitement in the air.

Unfortunately, Timothee was quite sick with a fever and a persistent cough, so Jack was left with the whole responsibility of preparing for our special guest's big visit.  He wrote name tags for himself, Timothee and Elisabeth and assigned a special spot on the couch for everyone.  The fireplace was left open, with a welcoming glass of wine and cookies for Saint Nicolas and a carrot for his furry helper.

The next morning, everyone was up early and rushed downstairs where they were immediately greeted with a magical sight.  Saint Nicolas had come!!

The magic of Saint Nicolas

Elisabeth...

Timothee...

...and Jack each had something special to discover.

It is very easy to say that Saint Nicolas did not disappoint.  He brought Jack a sword with a sheath complete with knight's armor and a 2-wheel red scooter.  Although Timothee and Elisabeth made no special requests in advance, Saint Nicolas seemed to have an inkling on what they might enjoy as well.  Tim received a balance bike and his very own train set; Elisabeth a pink fairy rattle and small bibs.  Saint Nicolas must have known that her teething days are well on their way.

Jack celebrated Saint Lucia at his school on the eve of Saint Nicolas' visit.  He really loved his star boy costume and was still proudly wearing it the next morning.  He quickly traded his star wand and hat for his beloved knight sword...

Jedi Jack...

Both Timothee and Jack really enjoyed the new train set.  They spent hours circling the table with their trains saying "Choo Choo".  It was a sight that immediately brought a smile to my face.

Choo Choo!

Elisabeth quietly enjoyed all the morning festivities, but eventually had to escape for a little bit of shut eye.  Her bibs are being put to good use already!

A tuckered out Elisabeth

Later in the morning, we ventured outside in snow flurries to take Jack's new scooter for a spin around the block.  I really can't say what Jack's favorite part was, "dressing up" in all the protective gear or his scooter, but he definitely had fun.  Hopefully by Spring time he'll be able to ride all the way to school and back.

Jack trying out his new set of wheels

Elisabeth enjoying the crisp winter air

Our afternoon was filled with many staged battles where Knight Jack was the conqueror of all.  Our little green knight could not be too careful though, in addition to all of his armor, he kept on his protective padding for his scooter as well!

Introducing...Knight Jacques!

We had a very fantastic morning celebration.  Although Timothee was a bit under the weather, that could not stop the joy of Saint Nicolas coming into our house.  Both boys were so enthusiastic...and their excitement was contagious.  It was a very magical day for all of us.

Thank you, Saint Nicolas!  We'll see you next year! 

The Most Wonderful Christmas Tree?

Last night, Alexis and I took the boys into town to catch a glimpse of all the Christmas decorations lighting up the city and to visit the big Christmas tree in Gamla Stan.  We have admired this big tree last year from a far, but this was the first time we took the opportunity to really go see it...and boy were we surprised.

The Gamla Stan Christmas tree is proudly labeled the most wonderful Christmas tree in the world...more beautiful and spectacular than even the giant Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in NYC.  I guess we might have been a little naive to think the tree was "real" though...

Well, what we learned from our little visit is that the most wonderful Christmas tree in the world is actually put together each year from a giant tree trunk that was preserved a long time ago from Uppland Sweden.  Into this trunk, they place branches from many many spruce trees, carefully selected to give the tree it's beautiful, perfectly symmetric look.

Want to see a view from underneath?

Crazy, isn't it?

Well you decide...is it the most beautiful Christmas tree in the world?

Me and the boys under the tree...

Now I'm curious...is the tree at Rockefeller a real tree after all?

Saint Nicolas Comes to Stockholm!

This past weekend, Saint Nicolas visited all the good little girls and boys in Belgium...and much to the boys' delight, the constant snow that has been blanketing Stockholm couldn't keep Saint Nicolas and his donkey from paying a special visit to 2 Belgian boys living in Sweden.  

Saint Nicolas' last visit left a big impression on Jack.  He fondly talks about the naughty donkey that went poo-poo in the house.  And, he still seems to have a special place in his heart for the plane and train set that Saint Nicolas brought to him last year.

There was very much excitement in our house during the few weeks leading up to Saint Nicolas' visit.  This year Jack had a very clear idea of what he would like to ask Saint Nicolas to bring him, a red guitar and a blue umbrella.  He also had an inkling of what Timothee would like as well, a blue drum and his own train.  Bonbons and chocolate might have made both lists as well...  Once this was decided, there was no changing his mind.  He "wrote" 2 letters to Saint Nicolas (one for him and one for his brother) asking for these special gifts if they were good little boys.  Unfortunately, we missed Saint Nicolas' visit to Stockholm by boat the week before, so Jack left the letters on the blanket-covered couch hoping that the Saint Nicolas would see them in time.

The next morning both boys were up early, rushed downstairs and saw immediately that Saint Nicolas had come!!  The juice, cookie and carrot that Jack and Tim left by the fireplace for their late-night visitors were gone...and there was muddy donkey prints all over the floor.  

It didn't take the boys long to discover the couch...

...and all of Saint Nicolas' magic.

Each boy had a special spot with their name... 

...and one of their slippers filled with chocolate.

Even with the short notice, Saint Nicolas definitely didn't disappoint....i think the looks on the boys' faces say it all.

A very giddy Jack...

Yay!...a red guitar!! 

...and a knight's umbrella!

At first, Tim was more interested in the silver streamers, chocolate, and bonbons than anything else...

Tim and his very melted chocolate bear...

But with a little encouragement, he quickly found the pile of treats that Saint Nicolas left for him as well...

Our little drummer... 

Trying his new drum on for size. 

And he's off!

It was a very magical day for everyone.  Jack just LOVED his guitar and didn't let it out of his hands for the next few days.  After a few hours of strumming, he was even taking requests.  He would go around to everyone asking "Quelle chanson?".  We even made up a new song which we sang the rest of the day..."Merci Merci Saint Nicolas...tra la la"...which was very closely based on the song that Belgian girls and boys sing to Saint Nicolas when preparing for his visit, inviting him to come to their home.

Jack can't wait to use his umbrella as well...but he's patiently waiting for the rain to come.  Each day when he sees grey clouds in the sky he says "Look Mama, rain!!"...unfortunately, so far they have only been snow clouds.  I think he has a few more months until the Spring rains come.

We had such a great morning celebration. It was really fun to see how excited the boys were.  Even Timothee was enthusiastic to see the traces left by our midnight visitors by the fireplace and the gift-covered couch.  Sometimes it's nice to have an older brother leading the way.

Some Papa love... 

The boys relaxing after a great morning...

Merci...Merci...Saint Nicolas!

Exploring the Archipelago

In a great way to end the summer, our family of 4 packed our bags one more time and headed to Värmdö for a 1-week getaway to explore the Stockholm Archipelago.  Värmdö, which was only a 30 minute drive from home, was the perfect base camp for lots of great day excursions around the islands.  It turns out that low-season in Sweden begins in the middle of August, which meant that we had the beauty of the archipelago all to ourselves.  This wasn't a bad thing to say the least...

Since our first couple days in the archipelago were spotted with rain, we decided to head up to Vaxholm, a small, idyllic town and a "must-see" of the archipelago.  Boat rides were definitely a common theme of our week long stay, and our trip to Vaxholm was no exception.  As the birds fly, Vaxholm was no farther than 10 km from our cottage, but to get there we had to take 2 small car ferries (that or drive ~70 km back through Stockholm).  In the end, the voyage turned out to be more than half of the fun!

Behind the scenes of Vaxholm

 Originally a small fishing community

Unfortunately for us, we chose the coldest day of the season to visit (less than 10 C).  So after an abbreviated tour of the town, we quickly escaped the wind and cold for the warmth of a nice local cafe.  The Vaxholm Castle, which guides refer to as the Eiffel Tower of Vaxholm and not to be missed, will have to wait until next summer.

Hot chocolate and cake anyone?

The remainder of our vacation, although a bit cold at times, was beautiful.  We spent our days hiking, exploring and taking full advantage of the nature around us.  We immediately fell in love with the splendid landscape of the archipelago....the tall trees and rocky terrain covered in lichen, patches of purple heather flowers, blueberry bushes and dried pine needles.  A real natural paradise...

Our first stop of the trip was to a small nature preserve in Ingarö.  There was a loop-hike of no more than 5 km through the forest and along the coastline that seemed perfect for our little family. 

Just a few of the islands...

Jack and Papa deer watching

Break time

2 out of 3 isn't bad...

We opted to take the stroller along for the trip but quickly realized that the big beautiful path in the first km was quickly becoming rocky terrain with lots of roots.  Needless to say, we spent quite a bit of time not just carrying the kids but their transportation as well.  In the end we completed the whole loop, but I must admit I was questioning our decision at times.  You know it's bad when your husband tries to strap the stroller on his back like a backpack.  Lesson learned...never take a path in Sweden that is not marked Stroller Friendly.

The stroller losing a few years of it's life...

Grinda, or Adorable Grinda as it is fondly referred to in the tour books, is a little island that was a mere 5 minute ferry ride from a small harbor near our cottage.  We were intending to make a small morning excursion to the island, but due to low season boat schedules (who knew?), we spent an unexpected whole day exploring the forest and rocky beaches of this beautiful island.

Just like in Catalunya, mushroom picking is a very popular past time in Sweden.  Unfortunately, Alexis and I have not gotten any better at mushroom identification over the years, but as luck would have it, we saw two locals picking black trumpet mushrooms just off the path and asked to join in.  Due to the really rainy summer, there were mushrooms galore.  We all left with large bags filled with these little treats and you couldn't even tell that we've been there.

Mushroom picking! 

After a couple hours of exploring in the morning, we spent the rest of the day relaxing on the rocks in the sun.  Grinda is a very popular destination in the summer, but in late August the only ones that we had to share the beaches with were the ducks.  It was one of our warmer days though, so Jack and Timothee were able to shed some layers of clothing and go wading in the small pools.

 Our rocky beach

My boys 

A few of our feathery visitors 

Timothee was a bit confused why the ducks were eating his Cheerios, so he might have went fishing for a few of them himself...

 Mmm...cheerios....

 Tim with the ducks

Warming up with Mama

Our final stop on the trip was to Sandhamm, an island which as the name implies consists mainly of sand.  Unlike Grinda, Sandhamm has quite a large bustling town around it's harbor, which was still open for business despite the low season.

On the boat to Sandhamm 

The harbor

The popular mode of transportation

It only took a kilometer or so of walking to discover the vast pine woodlands and fine sandy beaches that this island is known for. 

The endless pines...

  

Napping in the bruyere 

Timothee discovering how much fun a forest can be

 On their blanket of lichen

One of the many soft sandy beaches...

 Cuddle time

Although we did head out most days, we could have quite easily stayed and relaxed in our little summer cottage by the water.  The cottage had so much "built-in" entertainment for kids...a large yard, 2 beaches (one for Jack Jack and the other for Tim =p), a rowboat, and tons of blueberries just begging to be picked...that we would definitely stay there again.

Jack and Papa rowing in the rain

 A relaxing morning with my boys

Jacques waiting for the water to warm up

A cheesy Tim staying warm inside

Ready to BBQ!

Our trip to Värmdö was a great introduction to the Stockholm Archipelago.  Although we had a few minor hiccups along the way, I think I would say that Alexis' and my strategy of impromptu trip planning was pretty successful in the end.  The only thing I might have changed was to have a few more emergency snacks hidden away.  All in all, it was really great to spend an entire week just as a family of 4...in Sweden nonetheless.  At this point, we are so used to taking planes to travel to see our families, it was sort of nice to just load up the car and drive for a little.  I hope it's something that we will keep repeating each year!  Thanks for a great vacation!