To have a New Year

December passed too quickly, as usual, and Christmas too - my favourite time of the year. I think it was really special for M this year especially as we had a Swedish mini-Christmas in Gothenborg with her cousins which meant the celebrations lasted a bit longer.

Today is the last day of 2013 and a new year is waiting for us. I'm looking forward to 2014 - there will be no resolutions but I do have a list of what I'd like to achieve...

Happy New Year!

M and her cousin

Even Santa arrived early!

My version of a nativity set, nordic style...

And we met Rudolph in Covent Garden on Christmas Eve. We decided to do something different this year and went to the Royal Opera House and saw The Nutcracker - beautiful.

It was Christmas for Moo Moo too...a new bed arrived, all the way from Sweden...(love that little wooden bed, bought in a beautiful little toy shop in Gothenburg).

To have Advent

The weeks seem to pass so quickly as they tend to do when having fun (and being busy). And now it's Advent, finally, and time to enjoy Christmas. Less than 3 weeks to go before holidays but we'll also going to fit in 2 days in Gothenburg next weekend, a mini-Christmas celebration with family and hopefully a visit to the Liseberg Christmas market. We're ready for Christmas!

To have autumn

October went fast and tomorrow it's Halloween, or/and All Saints Day already. We didn't really celebrate Halloween when I grew up, it was more of an American tradition. But we did light candles on the graves and I remember it looked beautiful in the dark autumn night. So more than happy to have an extra candles and lanterns even if they're in a shape of a pumpkin...

M is on half-term now and we're making the most of the time off, only two days for me though.

We went to see the film "Cloudy, with a chance of meatballs 2", a favourite!

Already preparing for Christmas!

I took M to Oxford Street (very brave indeed) for the first time and we visited Disney Store, Hamleys and some other shops. Luckily she liked her new Dr Martens as much as I do  (even though I haven't had a pair since the 1990's...). The main reason for going to Oxford Street was to meet up with M's aunt/my sister- in-law who were on a shopping trip from Sweden, together with her sister and children. We had a great time at Hamleys and managed to fit in dinner at Pizza Express but after 7 hours out and about we're both tired when we got home at 22.30 that evening. But M didn't complain one single time, however, she did get spoilt rotten.

Our first Halloween pumpkin ever...Maya decided on the design and drew the eyes and mouth, and I was in charge with the knife. Not bad! A baby pumpkin with one tooth...

To have a birthday party

And today was the day for the actual birthday party! M wanted a smaller party so we only invited the girls from her class. Out of 13, 10 came in the end. 

We had booked a lovely and quite unusual place for the party (called Colour Makes People Happy) where the children could make their own "spin painting" to take home. Mini-pancakes and hot chocolate were on the menu too; and we brought snacks and a cake, of course. 

Everyone seemed to be having a lovely time and M was really pleased. A success!

Preparing of the party bags.

The big spin!

The colourful Simon running the workshop.

There was time for a little bit of film watching.

The red painting was made by the birthday girl and the very colourful one was made by all the girls, a gift for the birthday girl!

To celebrate a six-year-old

Today is the day - M is 6! It was a very happy little girl who woke up this morning. But she decided to not open all the presents in the morning and wanted to wait till she's back from school with some - willpower! At least the stubbornness can bring something good too...

I took a day off work so I should be able to pick her up, and prepare for the pajama party of the year - two of her best friends from her class is coming home with us, and one is going to stay over - the first sleepover ever. Definitely something to remember. Just hope we will make it through the night...

My beautiful (I'm allowed to say) big little girl who still loves princesses and unicorns, may it last.

New single bed who turned into a double bed, all ready for girls, film and popcorn.

Birthday books and DVD.

I used to bake birthday cakes but this year I was a bit lazy....found what she wanted anyway, a cake with roses, cute as a button.

To have a "brother"

As M doesn't have a sister or brother she sees my friends' younger children as her sisters/brothers, especially "baby JJ" and "baby A". On Sunday it was JJ's birthday - not a baby anymore but 3 years. He adores M. Very cute

To have a new adventure

Long time no seen...not sure where the time goes but it goes fast! School started three weeks ago and M as settled in very well with her new teacher. Thankfully she got to keep her class mates which is great as the kids and parents are so great, as it's not unusual for schools here to also change and swap when it comes to the pupils as well, not only the teachers. The amount of homework has increased considerably though and we need to ensure we sit down and do some of it over the weekend. It feels a bit early but it's just the way it is here.

We went to the first birthday party of the season yesterday and on Friday it's time for our M to turn 6. Already, what happened?! We'll have a bigger party this year but not until the weekend after her actual birthday, and we have only invited the girls in her class as M prefers smaller groups. The party we went to yesterday was a joint party with four birthday boys from her class - and ended up with nearly 50 kids including sisters/brothers! A bit too much for me but they had fun.

I start my new assignment next week, full-time sadly but I'm really looking forward to a new challenge and a new experience. This means that M has to go back to the afterschool club for three days/week and the other two days her grandmother and/or other parents will pick her up from school. She also has two "clubs" after school, arts and gymnastics which she really enjoys. I wish of course we could find a way of being able to pick her up from school every day but hopefully in the future. Then again, lots of kids go to afterschool clubs or/and are picked up by child minders, grandparents, friends and nannies so I shouldn't be feeling too guilty (but I always do).

Anyway, I'm really grateful I had the whole summer off and was able to spend a lot of time with our daughter, a true gem to treasure.

Time to get ready for the next birthday party, "sea creature theme" this time so better dig out the mermaid outfit (for M that is...).

Ready to party!

To enjoy the last week of summer

It's the last week of the school holidays and we've been back from the lovely island for two weeks (already!). The warm summer has continued and over the last two weeks we've been to the cinema, to the outdoor swimming pool, to the London Zoo and also managed to fit in a couple of play dates and fun in the park.

Only a few days left and as a pre-birthday/end of holiday gift M got something she had wanted for a long time - hamsters! Instead of bigger one that we had intended we ended up with two dwarf hamsters, proudly named Moo and Sweetie (not sure if sisters or brothers but we do know they're the same sex...). Very very cute and even if I'm not a big fan of caged animals, nor "ratlike" creatures even I enjoy watching them running around. M is delighted and we thought it would be a bit easier to start with hamsters than a cat, in a flat...Also, one of my first pets was a hamster and I remember the excitement (even though he turned out to be a she and I all of a sudden had 6 more hamsters...).

I'll have a few weeks to ensure M is settling in with the new teacher and in Year 1 but I'll start working at the end of the month, new exciting contract work and after nearly four great summer months off, I'm looking forward to it! M is going to start swim school as well as try a gymnastics lesson this weekend - we're all set for the autumn term now. (And in true style, Christmas musical and ballet, and Christmas eve lunch are also booked...only 3 months to go!)

Last day at the beach on our island.

At the London Zoo...we did see some real animals too.

Moo and Sweetie are settling into their new home.

To have summer holidays on the Island

A few weeks have passed and we're still on the island in Sweden having a relaxing time. We've managed to spend a lot of time with family and friends as well as doing a lot of "touristic" things. It's lovely to be exploring the island over and over again as an adult and to let M experiencing the country side. Nearly three weeks have passed already and on Tuesday it's time to head back to London again, packed with great memories and bags full of Swedish stuff...(clothes from the summer sales, ceramics, local herbs and jams...)

To find a little gem - a trip to the Garden Musuem

The hot weather continues and we decided against the beach as to not drive for too long in the heat (and Sunday traffic) for our usual Sunday family outing. After a bit of research we settled on the Garden Museum, next to Lambeth Palace. The Garden Museum resides in an old church, St Mary's, that was rescued from demolition in the 1970s and then turned into the world's first Garden Museum. It was very pretty and picturesque, a little gem and oasis in the middle of busy London roads. We had a vegan lunch at the museum cafe, not as popular with the rest of the family as it was with me.

There was also a small exhibition with Dan Pearson, a contemporary garden designer (that I had never heard of but apparently it was one of the reasons my husband suggested the visit...), and M really enjoyed watching the soothing films about his gardens and design, appropriately in a comfy deckchair.

The entrance to the Garden Museum - which didn't really have a garden, just a small church yard/garden - it was still pretty.

We've only got a balcony but it's lovely to have our own oasis, albeit small. This little bird came home with us today, our small balcony might be a bit crowded but there is always space for something pretty.

Beautiful "seed display" from the olden days.

The cafe in the Garden Museum/church.

There was also an Arts & Crafts fair going on and outside, in the small church yard, M got to draw on ceramics and created a colourful pendant (she chose the shape of a leaf, very appropriate).

 

Outside the Garden Museum, which is next to Lambeth Palace (the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury) and opposite one of the most famous buildings in the world...Big Ben is behind the tree...

Outside the Church aka Garden Museum, necklace/pendant on full display.

Free seeds for the kids!

To enjoy the afternoons

The fantastic and (almost too) hot weather continues and it feels as we will have a proper summer to remember, finally. What's great with where we live, and is probably true for most of London, is that we have several parks nearby. Today we went to the paddling pool to cool down. Many of M's school friends were there too and we had a really nice and relaxed afternoon. M finishes school at 3.15 PM so there is plenty of time to do something in the afternoon. Tomorrow it's time for a play date, and every Tuesday we have one of M's school friends here as I pick up both girls from school. The parents will return the favour when we need someone to pick up M.

Better make the most of these warm summer afternoons, whilst I'm still around a lot, and whilst there is not too much homework. It will probably change next school year.

I feel really grateful that I get to spend this much time with M, and enjoy this summer with her. And I also feel really grateful that despite living in London we do have several "watering holes" and parks. It's not the beach and the sea (which I deeply miss...) but for that we've got "my" beautiful island and we'll be there in less than 2 weeks. Something else to be grateful for.

Strawberries by the Streatham Common Paddling pool.

The Rookery - Streatham. Look at those magnificent trees!

To pretend to be in Provence

And we don't have to go very far, less than 30 minutes from us we have our own little "Provence", a fantastic lavender field which apparently was a global leader in lavender production up to the end of the Victorian era - who would have thought! It was beautiful, and the scent just heavenly. And all organic.

The summer so far has been great, sunny and warm weather and up to 30c, and it's apparently going to continue (obviously forgotten about those weeks in June when it wasn't...). We spent the morning at the lido (outdoor swimming pool, and we had to queue for an hour!) and then the late afternoon with the "lavenders". We've got 8 more days at school before the holidays start but we're making the most of this lovely weather every day.

To enjoy the sunny days

I certainly don't miss the office, especially when it's hot and sunny, and even though I hope I will get to do some work soon, I'm making the most of the freedom for now.

It's such a treat to be able to pick up M from school every day. This afternoon we we to the park with her friend and had a pancake picnic. 

Today she also had her ballet show and it was lovely to be able to be there at 1.30 to watch her dancing. Ballet has been a struggle...she's enjoyed the actual ballet but as the lessons take place at lunch time it means she misses out on having lunch with the rest of the class. That's been tough! Anyway, she's really proud today and of course I felt tears welling up whilst watching...

To have a bit of summer

Long time no seen... Still in London as school won't break up for summer until the 24th July - too late for a Swede! A few weeks to go before the next Sweden trip and a few more weeks to get my head around this whole freelancing business. In the meantime we're making the most of the summer in London.

To have a Barnaby

I picked up a very proud little girl from school yesterday - it was her turn to look after Barnaby!

Barnaby, the teddy bear, is staying with us over the weekend and we better treat him well as it's all needs to be documented with photos and in text in the special Barnaby diary before a presentation at school on Monday.

M and Barnaby are already best friends, but believe Moo Moo still is a strong contender.

It reminds me of that despite having been to her first school disco (on Thursday) she is still little child, and I want to keep it that way as long as possible. Feels as children grow up far too quickly. Luckily she still doesn't know who the Bieber is...