Sweden for a week 2/ Christmas

First off, have to say sorry for this taking such a long time, been without the computer for a while again- virus...

Had a great time at my sisters- not so much relaxing as at Mum's but fun non the less! The kids went crazy- berserk all the time we were there- Leah shoving, shouting and pushing to get her way and all the toys and Vincent biting when left with nothing. Anyway, we had a great time- and Leah talks about Vincent almost every day. These are my fav pictures of the two of them

Our Christmas was very quiet- after rushing to the store wrestling with everybody to get parked and later to get the groceries, but hey- it's only once a year and I love it! Supposed to have Melissa w/ family over but we ended having dinner with "just" Eimear, worked out OK and the food was superb!!

We also decided to get a kitten- His name is Tiger (Leah says Tider) and is about 7monts. Leah is in heaven every day and chases after him and calls for him.

Going to upload more pics later- Leah is tugging at me, want to play.

Sweden for a week 1

So we've been here for a few days and it's been great! Leah and grandma has so much fun together and we're off to Ajeji (My sister Anneli) today. We haven't done too much- just relaxed.

We were playing in the sandbox...

and went to christmas dinner with the family...

We were painting today, Leah made a few masterpieces but I think the one I made on her was the best one of them all! (Result is above)

To Michael I just want to say- We miss you and Love you very much!

Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

I LOVE CHRISTMAS! But I was an inch away from burning down the tree cause of the spawn of Satan also known as Christmas tree lights. Aaaarrrghh! We had one that was OK except for a few that weren't working but by the time we got them to work the others had gone off! WTF?! We spent all last night on that 'til we had to go to Michael's mothers for dinner. We bought a packet of new sparkly lights today and put on instead and let the other ones rot away in a box... forever.
The tree is beautiful, but I don't know how long it'll last having Leah pulling and tapping every single ornament in the tree saying "boll- kasta".

christmas

I am sitting in the sofa and relaxing with the CD player packed with all the Christmas Cd's I own, FABULOUS!! I love it! I'm in a really christmassy mood and cant wait 'til we go over to Sweden to see everybody, it's tough sometimes without all of you here, even for just a chat or walk or whatever...So anyway, made snowflakes and put on the windows, moved the sofas out of the way in preparation for the tree- yes we are putting it up soon, perhaps even to night!! Leah is sleeping and Michael is out looking at a car (you don't want to come with he asked- eehmm NO) so I am thoroughly taking this as my own moment to relax.
Bought a tub of Quality street chocolate to take with me, thinking of getting another one with me, after all it is Christmas!

Been without the internet for a few days, feel the loss so much more now that I'm used to it! So what's new? The dog, Buck, is gone!!!!!! Gone for good!! Good riddens, not a moment too soon!
Leah likes her new potty (the seat on the "big potty" aka toilet) alot and wants a book when she's on it (because that's how daddy does it, most likely)

She likes to play in her closet and I feel I have to explain this before people think I am a monster...most of her toys are in there cause we haven't had a chance to go to IKEA (love it!) to get the shelf she needs yet. So no, I do not lock her up in the closet!
Still sick, but getting much better. Gonna try to start painting the bedroom tomorrow so we can move in there at christmas time.

Sarsar

Sarsar- That is Farfar according to Leah. She insists on saying F's like S's and P's like T's so Napp (dummy) is Natt but then changed it to Matt cause apparently N is now M and so on. I can sitt forever enunciating Nnnnnnnaaaaapppppppp and she responds MMMMMMaaaaattt! There- I said it! I give up! I know she'll learn the proper way soon enough but it's just so funny.
New words she's learned are- turn around, chips, other side, andra sidan, carkeys, ledsen (sad), pappa komma, sang (bed), boots, shoes, sko. It's a crazy mixture which leads to confusion many times and if you don't get it right away it's like you can see how frustrated she gets trying to explain it to you with fingers pointing and fingers being pulled in the direction the thing is 'til we finally understand what it is.

Got my new glasses today and they are nice- I'm happy with them! They are quite similar in style but the first ones are brown and bronze and the others are purple.

fail tests

So today I went to the eye doctor and got my eyes examined. I always feel like I'm about to take a test and feel like I have to perform my best and get so distraught when I cannot tell the difference between number 6 or 7, oh...which is better?! Can I see number 6 again please? arrrgh! Anyway, got a pair of lenses popped in and a feel like crying when I can't read the tiniest tinsywinsy text in the store but I asked the doctor and she said with enormous patience that it is ok, you're no supposed to be able to read that text from this far away. Oh...Are you sure?! Ok.
Moving on, got two pairs of glasses for the price of one, which isn't cheap but I'm happy. I got a few days worth of lenses but I'm not sure I like'em. I'll give it a few days but I think I'm just a geeky glasogonorm (fore eyes). Uppload pics of the new glasses when I get a chance this week!

Pizza night

Wednesday is pizza night at the Ciumeis household and we're always invited and it is always a feast!!! I got little pigtails on Leah and they lasted almost all evening save for a few times of pulling them off, but she was quick to ask me to put them back on.
Been having migraines lately and it's horrible and I get snappy with Michael and Leah and cry more often. In the car today I cried because it never seems to go away (just got my pills from the doctor) and I was crying when I heard a little voice saying "pappa dum" and a bunch of incoherent mumbling followed by "mamma ledsen". I think she thinks that we're arguing or whatever so she goes around saying "pappa dum" all the time which is really annoying, but then again she says that her cup is "dum" too...

Coming Home

Forgot to write earlier and I think everybody already knows but we are coming home close to Christmas!! Crazy expensive tickets for Christmas so we opted for the cheaper alternative and are flying on the 11th of Dec. hooray! Hope to see everybody there!!!!

Potty time

Me and Leah was in the bathroom for another potty time and after oh 10 minutes of sitting there with her on the potty of the potty on the potty off the potty I got bored and left her all content playing with toilet tissue and sitting on her potty. After a few minutes she ran to get me shouting "titta" and "bajs" so I go with her and she DID actually go to the potty, but it was not more than a tiny droplet, I clapped my hands and said good girl, but she just looked embarrassed until I washed it away and every time we went passed the bathroom she kept saying "bajs". Success!

Forgot to post this video a while ago but here it is! We were over at Eimears and Martins for dinner and the kids went crazy on their bed, Leah never got tired of it and kept on dancing long after Madison and cash got bored and I had the camera handy.

jag tar dig

Leahs nya favvo fras ar "jag tar dig" Gor man inget nar hon sagt det ger hon ordern "bye" och/eller "in" sa att man ska ga o gomma sig nagonstans. Hon ger sig inte heller o blir valdigt ledsen om man inte leker med henne. Riktiga uttbrott ibland! Vi e helt slut vissa dagar for vi jagat varandra fram o tillbaka i hallen, sen nar hon har fatt nog av det ska man sitta ner pa en av hennes sma stolar o dricka te med henne, "sitt, sitt!" o har man satt sig pa fel stol at hon snabb o sager "neeej" sa ska man flytta sig till den andra stolen. Puh!

friends

I am so happy today cause people keep surprising me all the time with their kindness and I am just so grateful. Everybody have been so helpful since we got here and helping out every way they can. Seighleo called today asking if I needed to go to the store or anywhere else so we're gonna make Fridays our grocery shopping day and after have a drink or two. Can't wait! She also said that she'll watch Leah if we want to go to the movies or dinner. Yes!
Finally bought an album and put the photos (6 months worth of pics) in it- love to flick through it and see everybody. Miss you all!!!

plane tickets

Trying to find cheap tickets for us coming over for christmas but they are quite expensive, the cheapest I've found are in total (without bags) over 200 Euros and Michael doesn't think we have the money to spend on them which we don't but I really want to, but we'll see if I can find better ones tomorrow. If not I hope everybody would understand and we'll meet up after christmas or whenever it is cheap to fly over.
Sitting waiting for Leah to wake up so we can go get some groceries, and after play in the park outside, the sun is shining brightly today!

trip to Gosford park

It wasn't raining today so we decided to take advantage of it and go out somewhere- we met up with Jody (Leah loves saying his name over and over and over) and Seighlio and their two kids Kiersha (18months) Josh (4 months). We went to a park with ducks, goats, sheep and other animals.
I think Leahs favourite was the geese honking like mad, she went honking for a few minutes after and didn't want to leave the bird area but once she saw the goats she attempted to feed them rocks and assorted pebbles and could not understand why they wouldn't eat them so she kept trying saying baa baa baa and the occasional vov vov vof- but no.
After running here and there and everywhere she got tired so Kiersha took over running with her wobbly style and Leah took her seat in the stroller next to baby Josh. Did not sleep until we got into the car on the way home at 5pm though.

shit

On the way home from Dublin Airport (we dropped mom off this morning) Michael was cursing at another driver and said something, something shit wereas Leah sweetly copies him saying shit. The very first curse from her- aah Michael is so proud!
The rain is unbelieveble and not in a good way- it's neverending and cold. BIG raindrops and you just want to cuddle up in the sofa and watch a movie, oh and speaking of movie- we went to see 'Tropic Thunder' and I thought it was stupid funny! Oh and they had Caramel King (karamell kungen) in the cinema- felt like home!!!!

Madisons 7th Birthday Party

Madison turned 7 and we were invited to her party, a fancy dress party halloween style- hence all the costumes. Leah had hers on for a good while then it was discarded without any thought. She was staring at all the bigger kids and wanted to be carried alot but when the kids calmed down (four hours later of shouting and running) she wanted to have a look around and had something to eat. We had hamburgers and lots of yummy desserts, Melissa is a great cook! It was Leahs first birthday party and ours too- I will never have it myself! Will definently hire someone to do it- now I know why parents take their kids to McDonalds! But I did have a good time, and I think Leah, Micky and Mom enjoyed themselves too.

Newcastle N Ireland

Yesterday we went to newcastle, it is the most beautiful city I've seen in a while but it was FREEZING, but we armed ourselves with coffees and brisk walks in the little town. The mountain range you see in the background is called Mourne and is huge. Some parts are covered in clouds and the scenery driving to Newcastle is amazing! The town (or village) itself is small with loads of small boutiques full of worthless stuff, lots of poundshops and Funlands (like arcades). Found a store called Vincents!!

windy, windy

Rainy day today- and windy, almost to the point when it's not worth it to go outside. Just finished watching Sex and the City- I liked it! Great chickflick, felt good to see a movie thats not all about the special effects.
Feeling a little lost here sometimes, so much stuff to do and you can't get a straight answer from anybody when you do ask, and I try to stay out of things as much as I can cause I feel like an outsider in this house still. We still have Eimears furniture and STUFF here, which buggs me to the point that I just move them into 'her' room. I know she'll collect them but right now it buggs me. But it's not all bad, the house is big and beautiful it just needs some TLC. We got a new microwave yesterday cause the old one (thankfully) decided to die on us. Lightning inside it and all! What a way to go.

Mom's here!

My mom got here just yesterday and it's been great. We relaxed all day after we picked her up so today we went to the mall, The Quays and the Buttercranes. We had a quick look around because Leah was with us and was bored and tired, bad combination.
Waiting for my hubby to come home from school so we can eat, starving! Gonna write some more at a later stage so here's for now the very first blog.
Love Anna