Daily Jamie

Daily Jamie

May 28th

May 29th

May 30th

Cuddle Buddies

 

These two are sick. Somehow it has made them even cuter. 

Daily Jamie

Down With Clutter

A few weeks ago I downloaded an app on my cellular device called ArtKive. You take a picture of your kid's artwork, like this lovely self-portrait, then save it to your kid's profile (or profiles, if you have more than one child) along with their age and the date. You can even share the pictures of the art with family and friends. If you can find any who care. Heh. I'm still too big a fan of Jamie's artwork to throw any of it away after I photograph it, but I'm quite sure ArtKive is going to come in very handing during the next several years and spare me a lot of clutter. 

Daily Jamie

Daily Jamie

May 21st

May 22nd

May 23rd

May 24th

The Lodges Do Stockholm

Selah and Andy are on the last leg of their trip home as I write this and I hope they're not too terribly exhausted, though it would be understandable as it's been a jam-packed visit. We sure made the most of our Stockholm Cards, anyway. Here are some of the highlights of the awesome week!

The cathedral in Gamla Stan

The Nordic Museum

Jamie was a BIG fan of Selah and Andy

City Hall

The Vasa Museum

My choir's spring concert

Sky View on Globen

Taking the boat out

A dream come true.

Drottningholm Castle

Lots of good food.

The culmination of our friendship.

One of many food breaks in Gamla Stan.

The Royal Canal Tour around Djurgården.

I'm so glad that they got to come and that the weather was gorgeous and that we were able to see so much of Stockholm, some of which was new even to me. They were the perfect guests and we all loved having them around so it's no surprise that it feels a little lonely around here. Soon enough, though, we'll be able to shake the sadness of missing them and just remember their wonderful visit.

Daily Jamie

May 18th

May 19th

May 20th

Daily Jamie

Gårdsjö Moose Park

Today we went on a moose safari! After a Swedish pancake breakfast (with the first successful pancakes of my carrier - thanks for the recipe, Linda!) we took a drive out into the country to a moose farm run by the world's biggest moose enthusiast. Seven babies had been born in the past week, three of which came just hours before we arrived, and we got to see a couple of them very close up. Nobody got to kiss any moose, but there was a lot of petting and I'm pretty sure Andy and this guy even did some snuggling.

Daily Jamie

The Lodges In Sweden

Selah and Andy are here, you guys!!! I picked them up at the airport this morning and took them home to get settled in, fully expecting them to crash from jet lag for at least a few hours. They pushed through, though, so we went on a walk around the neighborhood and then headed to Ikea for lunch and a little browsing. They did eventually take a nap, during which I went shopping for the ingredients for an awesome recipe Selah brought from home. I woke them up in time to pick up Jambo from school, which he loved, and he hasn't stopped trying to charm and entertain them ever since. The Swede came home and we all had dinner and played with Jamie gave him a bath and generally enjoyed each other's company. It's going to be a good week.

Daily Jamie

Förskolans Dag 2014

I took the day off of work so that I could get the house and yard in shape for Selah and Andy's arrival tomorrow (!!!). I had been doing chores since five thirty a.m. but had something to look forward to later in the afternoon: Jamie's preschool's summer party! Jamie dressed as Emil from Lönneberga again this year since his shirt and hat still fit, as did most of his buddies so there were a lot of Emils running around. The party had gone on since breakfast so he was in a great mood and the sun came out just in time for the parents to arrive for a picnic and sing-a-long. It was, indeed, a great we to finish a long day. 

Daily Jamie

Daily Jamie

Daily Jamie

Overkill?

I've been coughing and sniffling since before Easter and today when I woke up I decided enough is enough and that being sick while Selah and Andy are here is not an option. So I booked an appointment with the doctor and spent the afternoon being diagnosed with allergies. ALLERGIES. I am a grown woman who has given birth to a child, who was quite certain I was suffering from bronchitis, at least, but who actually is just sensitive to pollen. I'm starting to suspect that I am a total wuss. But seasonal allergies must be at least a little unpleasant, otherwise why oh why would I need three prescriptions?

Daily Jamie

JT

Last night I was in the same room as Justin Timberlake. It was a really, really, really big room, but still. 

Daily Jamie

May 9th

May 10th

Fitness

Jamie's school was closed yesterday so we went to the fitness trade show in the city where The Swede and a couple of buddies are unveiling a protein shake blender this weekend. This is not the kind of event I would attend under any other circumstances, but I'm glad I went because, wow, the human body can do some crazy stuff. There were groups of women doing aerobics routines onstage, and bare-chested dudes doing crazy gymnastics. Jamie also did some aerobics and gymnastics of his own while we walked around checking everything (and everyone) out. Nothing, however, compared to the PROMiXX and no one to The Swede. 

Daily Jamie

May 6th

May 7th

May 8th

The Right Stuff

When my friend Shaena called me up last week with an extra ticket to a New Kids On The Block concert, I knew I had to be her plus one. I can't say that seeing them in concert has been a dream of mine, but it once was. In fact, in 1990 there was nothing I wanted more than to breathe the same air as Joey McIntyre. On Tuesday when we headed to the concert I wasn't at all sure how it was going to be, seeing as it was a fairly small venue and the set was decidedly cheap, the entire audience was thirty-something moms and I couldn't remember any songs. Despite all of that, however, it was SO MUCH FUN. Sure, these guys are all in their forties now, but they looked goooooooood and had the energy and moves of men half their age. They had taken care of themselves since 1990, in other words, and by the end of the night I was hoarse from screaming like a tween. I don't think second-grade-Mara could have enjoyed herself any more.