Cabin Fever And The Killer Grouse

We were at the cabin this weekend.  It was a pretty typical cabin weekend, except that The Swede was sick as a dog and the weather was (barely) nice enough to be outside for a bit. 

Julia took advantage of the mild weather and went hunting for rocks to paint.

We also tested the trikes Mama and Papa Swede brought out to the country for the - ahem - kids with a race down the hill.  One obnoxious thing about being an adult is having to let kids win during competitions.  If life was fair I would have totally creamed this little moppet.

And then, on the way home, the most exciting thing happened!  I was driving while The Swede made his death bed in the back seat when up ahead I noticed some crazy-looking animal in the road.  We slowed down to get a closer look at this monstrosity of a grouse and it TOTALLY ATTACKED OUR CAR!  I wanted to take a picture, naturally, but I didn't dare roll down the window because this s.o.b. had a murderous look in his eye and actually began pecking at our car.  "Drive!" screamed a terrified and feverish Swede, and drive I did until we were far enough out of the bird's 'hood to park the car and check the status of the paint job.  No peck marks to speak of.  Don't tell The Swede (I'm convinced he just looks at the pictures here) but I kind of wish there had been some damage.  That's just more street cred in my book.

Daily Jamie

The Hood

With Mom and Ray's arrival only two weeks away, I'm starting to give more serious thought to what I want to show them while they're here.  I'm trying to remember what I wanted to see when I visited Sweden for the first time, as well as which places and things I've been most impressed with or surprised by.  I know I have the opportunity to show them the best of the best and avoid some of the not-so-pretty, but I'm also trying to remind myself that the not-so-pretty may be pretty interesting to them.  Like our town square and train station, for example.  Not so quaint, yet Mom and Ray are surely just dying to see where I buy diapers and hop the commuter train into the city.  No, nevermind.  We'll just spend the week in Söderköping where the real action is.

Top Three

• Two baby naps.  Unheard of.
• The Swede picking up dinner on the way home.
• Mad Men.

Daily Jamie

World's Worst Wife

It's The Swede's birthday, y'all!  I bought his favorite store-bought kladdkaka per his request but also decided to bake a coconut cake.  From scratch, guys.  Nevermind the fact that The Swede doesn't eat cake these days and I'm not entirely positive that he even likes coconut.  Listen, everyone needs a birthday cake and if I know he's not going to eat it anyway I may as well bake something I'd like, right?  I guess I also don't have to wait for him to cut into this then, huh?

Top Three

• Hershey's kisses. 
• Driving.  I missed it.
• Petra.  I missed her too.

Daily Jamie

Thank You, Fruit Guys

There are these guys in our town square who sell produce and pita bread.  I don't know how the pita bread made its way into the mix, but I'm appreciative because I love me a good pita now and then.  They've been gone all winter, doing who knows what, and now they're back and I'm thrilled.  Their Swedish is even worse than mine and they trip all over themselves to give good customer service, so even if their fruit and vegetables and pita bread was awful, which it's not, I'd still patronize their stand because they're so darn endearing.

Top Three

• The best cole slaw I've ever tasted. 
• Getting a little yard work done while Jamie napped outside in his stroller.
• Fresh tulips on our kitchen table.

Daily Jamie

Trivia Tonight

We are in trouble, people.  A colleague introduced The Swede to the trivia site Sporcle and we're addicted.  We spent quite a bit of time this evening shouting out and then typing company logos, movie quotes, and celebrities' names, among other things.  The Swede, who takes competition seriously in general, has been training so hard with the fifty states that he can name them all in four minutes and thirty-seven seconds.  He had to give me clues on several when I tried it.  Not my best moment.  At any rate, I totally recommend a little trivia if your baby is asleep or you are otherwise unoccupied.

Top Three

• Getting to my cup of coffee while it's still hot.
• Friends who can finish your sentences.
• Reality shows that make me feel like I really have it together. 

Daily Jamie

It's Just That Yellow Isn't My Color

American flag clothes are kind of a thing over here right now and some of them are even cute.  I don't dare buy any of them, though, because it just seems, well, weird for an expat like me to dress in my homeland's flag.  This Sweden bikini, however, is totally appropriate and classy on all levels.  You can find me rocking this little number on the shores of the Baltic this summer.  Okay, I'm kidding.  I didn't buy it.  But you should know, despite my sarcastic tone I'm kind of in love with it.

Top Three

• Getting good customer service.
• Franco's Pizza Sundays.
• Having lots to look forward to.

Daily Jamie

Old Friends And Fights

Big night in the life of several thousand? a couple million? dudes in Sweden, at least four of whom I know personally.  The Ultimate Fighting Championship  is in Scandinavia for the first time ever and The Swede and a few of his buddies have tickets.  "Aha", you're probably thinking, "so The Swede is one of those guys."  Well, I don't know if I'd go that far, but he does have a fair amount of testosterone as you've surely guessed based on those broad shoulders and towering height and anyone with that much manliness just gotsta see some dudes slugging one another from time to time, right?  I don't know, really, my sensibilities are much too delicate to understand such things.  But anyway, since there's never been any fighting like this on Swedish soil it was an absolute must that The Swede and his buddies be there.  Thomas and Petra invited the gang over to get everybody pumped up beforehand, which was, of course, fun for the guys, but also great for me because I hadn't seen Petra in AGES.  Dylan is totally a real boy now and Petra is pregnant with their second son, so obviously a lot has been going on in their lives.  It was so great to catch up and hopefully we'll see more of each other in the future.  And now The Swede is sipping VIP champagne at Globen and texting me all the glamorous details and, while I'm jealous of the champagne part, I don't really mind being at home and cuddling our little macho man while the fists are flying in the ring.

Top Three

• Bringing Jamie into our bed to cuddle and play when he wakes up in the morning.
• Most of the snow that fell last night (and it was A LOT) melted during the day.
• Mums-Mums.

Daily Jamie

Top Three

• Being reunited with a favorite blog I had forgotten about.  Thanks, Selah!
• Taco Friday.
• The color orange, particularly on Jamie's head and my favorite shoes.

Daily Jamie

Something tells me this kid would have been pretty popular with The Donner Party.



Someone's Disappointed And It's Not Me

It's as if Mother Nature has me on Google Reader or something.  All I had to do was gripe about the lame weather yesterday and she gave me some sunshine and warmth this afternoon.  Always liked that broad.  P.S. Wondering why the picture is fuzzy?  Yeah, sometimes I let the baby slobber on my camera.  Somewhere in the Great White North my pops is doing the disapproval face because this is SO not the way he taught me how to care for a camera back in 1996.



Top Three

• Greek yogurt.  Yeah, I finally got the memo.
• Free and willing childcare á la Mama Swede.
• Being right on time to catch the bus. 

Daily Jamie

April Showers

Ugh, what a lame, gray day.  I keep having to remind myself that it's April, it's supposed to be raining, that's the only way we're going to get any nice flowers and leaves.  But all I see when I look out the window these past couple of days is drizzle and me no likey.



Introducing The Daily D Top Three

About, oh, two and a half years ago, when Daily Damara was approaching its first blogiversary, I got the idea to add a new feature in which I would mention three things that I was grateful for that day.  I even got a little notebook to carry in my purse so I could write them down as they occurred to me.  Flash forward to last night when the long-forgotten idea was rediscovered by my mind in its pre-slumber race.  Just so you don't think I'm even more superficial than you probably already do if you've been around here for awhile, the big things like the safety, health, and happiness of my family and friends, running water, electricity, a roof over our heads, and food on our table, go without saying.  Though I imagine food of a more specific nature will be a common motif.  So, without further ado, I bring you the inaugural Top Three for April 12th, 2012, in no particular order:

• The way my husband looked leaving for work today, dressed up for an important visitor.
• Skyping with my mom.
• Discovering that the word "echo" makes Jamie crack up.

Daily Jamie

Daily Jamie

Our Celebrity

The suspense is killing you, right?  What on earth did the ladies of the house do while the dudes were outside burning stuff on Saturday night?  Well, late in the afternoon Sarianne got a call with a request from Aftonbladet, the New York Times of Sweden, to do an interview on buying and selling secondhand goods online.  Furthermore, they needed a picture so they were sending a big city photographer out to the country to shoot her.  Naturally, we sprang into motion, cleaning the cabin (read: slinging everything we could into the bedroom and locking the door) and primping Sarianne for her photo shoot.  I like to think of it as The Moment Mara Finally Got Some Appreciation for Bringing Makeup to the Country Instead of Just Raised Eyebrows.  When the photographer arrived, she took a few glamour shots of Sarianne in the front yard, a few of Elin, Julia and her in front of the house and, drooling at the possibility that the camper was secondhand online purchase, dragged the girls to the camper to use it as a backdrop.  In all its glory.  And then the photographer left and we all waited until morning when the paper would come out and the picture would show up as big as a postage stamp on some page with a triple-digit number.  Except get this: later in the evening The Swede opened up his Aftonbladet iPhone app and the article and photo were on the opening page!  And then get THIS:

Page ten (double-digits, mind you) held a FULL PAGE ARTICLE with a gigantic picture!!!  Sarianne's ego was drunk and disorderly, a bull in the china shop of that evening and the following morning, but I can't say that I blame her.  Indeed, even my own ego grew three sizes that day just being in her company and good graces.  Thanks, of course, to the makeup. 

Daily Jamie

April 6th

April 7th

April 8th

This Easter

Easter weekend started with a snowstorm.  Jamie and I drove to the cabin on Friday afternoon, a day after everyone else since they were building new walls, setting up insulation, and painting and we thought that all might be easier without a baby under foot.  The roads were great, thankfully, but by the time we arrived there was a thick layer of snow on the ground and trees.  It disappeared quickly, though, leaving us with a beautiful, sunny Easter eve.  And since we all know by now that Swedes celebrate on the eve of the actual holiday, we took part in our Easter traditions on Saturday.

It started at breakfast with the girls decorating their hard-boiled eggs before eating them up on sandwiches with caviar-from-a-tube.  Mama Swede took a break from preparing the feast when the Easter Bunny showed up with our eggs.  Everyone ran outside to hunt down eggs chock full of candy and presents.  Some were more enthusiastic than others, as you can see.  Maybe if he had done any of the actual work in finding that egg Jamie would have displayed some sign of satisfaction.  Next year, perhaps.

Afterwards we stuffed ourselves with meatballs, potatoes, deviled eggs, and lots and lots of candy.  The guys spent the evening outside burning leaves and whatnot, per their usual, while we ladies... well, more on that tomorrow.  I'll say this, though: it was pretty exciting.

Daily Jamie

Come In Here, Minnie, I Want To Keep You

It's Skärtorsdag again, which means time for trick-or-treating!  This pack of girls showed up at our door before I even had a chance to go to the store to buy candy so I was forced to give them knäckebröd.  I couldn't even come up with a bag of chips like one of my neighbors apparently procured for the girl in pink there.  They hated me.  No, just kidding.  We had some candy on hand.  We always have candy on hand.  We're cool like that.  So, if you've been paying attention you'll note that the costume has apparently changed this year to bunnies in one-pieces.  Plus one ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE Minnie Mouse in a one-piece.  I have to say, though, I'm still partial to the traditional witch costume, as you can tell from today's Daily Jamie. 

Daily Jamie

Fluffy

The weather is starting to warm up and Saba is daring to go outside from time to time.  As you can see, Saba is a flea and tick bonanza just waiting to happen so while I was out getting groceries today I decided to pop into the drug store and pick up some Frontline.  There are three doses in the package - enough for three cats for one month or one cat for three months - but if it's supposed to be for cats like the one on the box I'm thinking Saba's going to need all three at once.  Unless, of course, The Swede finally gives in and lets me give her UGGs.

Daily Jamie

Frustrated?  I feel ya, kid.  This day was one for the books.  I won't go there, but suffice it to say the book is about poop.  And diaper rash.  Yeah, I went there a little bit.  I've just put him to bed and I'm hoping in the morning I have my sweet, smiley, giggly baby back.

Daily Jamie

Whiteout

My months-long hunt for the perfect kitchen table came to a very happy close this evening with the introduction of this beaut.  Crisp white, eh?  Clean, modern lines, am I right?  Very Swedish, if I do say so myself.  I even got a fancy new light to hang over it, but as you can see it's not illuminating the new addition.  I've left the electrical work for my much more apt husband.  So anyway, here she is and here's hoping it's crayon resistant.

Daily Jamie

Mmm, Dessert

This has been a very strange weekend.  On Friday afternoon, we drove down to the cabin for the night.  The Swede and his dad did some work on the guest cabin while Jamie, Mama Swede and I did some shopping on Saturday.  We came home last night and then I took The Swede to the airport at lunchtime today for a business trip to Paris.  Without me, I presume you guessed.  I know, I don't think it's okay either.  But it's just for a couple of days and he'll be in a conference room the whole time so it's not like I'm missing out on some romantic vacation or anything.  But still.  Paris.  I know.  Anyway, it's Sunday evening and it totally doesn't feel like a Sunday evening, so to compliment my disorientation I'm posting this photo I took of fish pudding and fish cookies at the grocery store.  Because obviously it's not just me who's a little bit out of it.

Daily Jamie

March 30th

March 31st

Daily Jamie

Everybody's Doing It

Several weeks ago I overheard Mama Swede and Sarianne talking about buying organic groceries.  A few days later, Sarianne blogged about her commitment to try purchasing organic more.  Ever the conformist, I've also decided to buy organic products whenever possible.  And why not?  They typically cost just a few kronor more and it seems like every day there are more organic options.  I feel good about this positive change in our consumption habits and even better about the fact that I've totally joined Sarianne and Mama Swede's cool kids' club.

Daily Jamie

On Patrol

The Swede was home sick from work today, which is sad, of course, but also meant that the car was available to me for the first time since I got my license last week.  I don't think I need to tell you where Jamie and I went.  Do I?  Okay, it was Ikea.  We cruised the aisles and had a coffee and banana break, trying to take our time so that papa could have some peace and quiet, but we also had real business there: babyproofing.  Jamie is dragging himself all over the house and is just a skoch away from crawling on all fours and, while the rest of our house is quite safe for him and outlet covers are in place, the kitchen needs some work.  So I'm going to outfit all the drawers and cabinets with latches and install window guards while I'm at it.  The previous owners left their gates for the stairs so with a few adjustments we should be ready for Jamie to raise hell all over this place.

Daily Jamie

Duet

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty positive this is in their future. 

Daily Jamie