School Pictures

These pictures were taken in Samuel and Sofia's schools this year. I just took a picture of the picture, so they're not so great quality...anyway, they're growing up so fast!!!

Samuel's Family

(notice daddy's big "Yoda-ears")

"I'm so happy that I'm sad"

Yesterday, Samuel was having a tough day. Things were just not going his way. Little things would make him blow up and he was just struggling (I think Halloween parties+candy probably did a little number on his body and made him extra tired). At one point of the day, he started bawling because Sofia got to stir the pumpkin muffin mix first. He ran to the playroom and shut the door and bawled. After letting him cry for a bit, I finally went in to talk to him. When he had finally calmed down, I asked him why he was crying. He answered that he didn't know. So, we decided to try to figure it out. "Are you crying because you're mad or because you're sad" "SAD" "Are you sad because it's raining outside?" "No" "Are you sad because you want Sofia to play with you?" "No" "Are you sad because daddy's not home?" "No" "Are you sad because Sofia got to mix the pumpkin muffins first" "YES" Hmmm...Recently, Samuel's started to notice that sometimes people cry because they're so happy and not only when they're sad. We've explained that sometimes you can be so happy that you cry. So, he quickly added his explanation "Actually, mommy, I was just so happy that I got sad." Mystery solved.

Happy Birthday Chris!

Chris just happens to be born on the scariest day of the year! Having your birthday on Halloween never seemed to be a conflicting problem for him since Swedes really don't celebrate Halloween (especially when he was growing up). However, now, that he's married to an American who grew up not being able to think of anything else but Halloween the entire October month, it's been sometimes challenging. Actually it's never been a problem until we had kids, and not until our kids were actually old enough to go trick-or-treating. But, these past two years, having daddy's birthday on Halloween has posed somewhat of a problem because it's taken the spotlight away from Chris and onto those ghosts and goblins and CANDY. I am trying to drill into my children's heads that the 31st October first and foremost daddy's birthday and that Halloween is just an added bonus.

We had a pretty good, relaxing day. Chris got presents and cake in bed and then breakfast of his choice. We were going to go swimming with the fam, but the pool closed early, so we didn't make that. Instead we had a nice family day of just hanging out and playing. In the evening, we got to go to farfar and farmors for a Halloween celebration and when we got home, Chris and I went out to a nice restaurant for a nice birthday dinner. Our friends came over afterwards and we stayed up till midnight talking and laughing and eating birthday cake and pumpkin pie (in honor of birthday boy and Halloween).

Today after church, we had some friends over for dinner. The kids LOVED having them here and playing with them. (And I finally learned how to make the perfect rice!) Afterwards we were invited over to Chris's sisters house unbeknownst to Chris for a little surprise b-day party. His family had all gathered and when we got there everyone had hidden and jumped out singing happy birthday to Chris! He was genuinely surprised and we ended up having a really nice time talking and laughing with his family.

Anyway HAPPY BIRTHDAY Per Gustav Christoffer Malm!

Happy Halloween

(Chris's pumpkin creation)

So, this weekend was Halloween weekend and this year more than any other we celebrated. We started off last week actually with a mascarad party at the kid's preschool. (Why an entire week early, I'm not sure...). Sofia loved dressing up like a princess and Samuel a pirate. Then this Friday, we joined all the other American families in the area for our annual trick-or-treating party.

There's this family in our ward who sends out flyers every year to their neighbors saying that if they want to be part of trick-or-treating then they should put out a candle or pumpkin outside so the kids know which houses to go to. It ends up being maybe every 3rd house or so that has a pumpkin out, but it's really fun for the kids to get to go around door to door. This time Sofia wanted to be Pipi Longstockings and Samuel...a pirate.

Sofia thought the entire idea behind trick-or-treating was completely fascinating. "You mean, I say, 'trick-or-treating' and then what?" "And then you put up your bag and they put candy in it." "They put candy in my bag because I say 'trick-or-treating?'" "Yep!" "Then can I eat the candy?" "Yep, then the candy's yours" "And I don't have to give it back?" "No, Sofia then it's yours and you can eat as much as you want tonight." :) Keep in mind, this is an especially novel idea since our kids usually don't get to eat candy...she just couldn't understand why we all of a sudden went door to door and got candy for free that we could eat! After the first door, she thought it was over and in her little innocent mind, she would've been totally satisfied. However, when I explained that we got to go to another house, she couldn't believe her luck! And then another one after that. At one point she said, "wow, I like this trick-or-treating, this is too much candy!!!"

Needless to say, they had their fair share that night. Saturday was Chris's birthday (the big 2-9) and in the afternoon we were invited over to farfar and farmor's for some more trick-or-treating. This time Sofia wanted to be an Indian and Samuel....a pirate :). (He sticks to what he likes). It was fun getting together with the cousins and seeing everyone dress up. Halloween is not very big at all over here, but it's slowly making it's way and it's fun for me to be able to give that to my kids and let them experience a bit of America clear over here in Sweden.