Long story short :)
We went to Copenhagen last week, supposed to meet up with my friend Daniel from London but he cancelled last minute. So we stayed one night in Malmo first, met up with Jocum and his family plus my cousin Johan and his girlfriend Caroline.
Staffan stopped by when we were having a bbq and it was a great evening.
The next morning Staffan and the James gang drove to Vastra Hamn in Malmo - really cool contemporary area where we stopped for a coffee and saw the 'turning torso' the twisted building you can see on my facebook page.
After that we drove up to see Staffan's foals and some of the horses he keeps at a friend's yard outside Malmo. The girls went nuts over the two cats that were there. They chased them to try to hold them. Chloe was clawed on her arms but didn't care a bit, since she got to hold the kitty. Olivia was running after it saying ' I love you kitty - I love you, come here' LOL
Then we headed down towards Copenhagen and drove across the bridge over Oresund and viola' we were in Denmark!
Found our hotel that checked in and then we started walking, Nyhavn, Stroget up to Tivoli - of course! We didn't go on any rides, just had dinner and walked around and the kids played in the park. Enough for first night.
Then we went back the following morning after a terrible night's sleep. Went on as many rides as we could possibly go on. Sienna is completely fearless!! Staffan tried to take her on the swings that go really high up in the air last year and I said NO WAY! This year Sienna wanted to go sooo bad, so I said ok.
I have to admit, when she was up there I had a tummy ache. Chloe cried and was so worried that Sienna was going to fall out. I had to explain to her that this swing goes about 100 times a day and nobody falls out... at the same time as I was telling Chloe I was trying to talk to myself too.
Finally they came down and Staffan said that was HIGH. He kept on trying to look up and keep a brave face :) and Sienna was saying look! look down there! I am flying!! hahahahh
We spent the whole day at tivoli and then it was back in the car again - stroller wouldn't really fit in Staffan's car so we had to tie the trunk down with a string. Talk about gypsy's traveling!!!
After 2 hours we ended up in Paradise on earth - Torekov! Its in Sweden on the west coast and that is where Staffan's parents live. They live about 2 blocks from the beach and its just amazing. Their house is gorgeous and we slept like princesses. All four of us slept in the same bed, it was so big that we were all super comfortable. I told Gerd (staffan's mom) that I didn't plan on leaving anytime soon.
We stayed there for 3 nights, we went to Hallands Vadero which is an island and went swimming and hiking. Water was so clear and not as hot as Lake Austin, didn't stop teh girls though.
We also went to Bastad one day, which is where the creme de la creme of Sweden goes in the summer. Also they have Swedish Open tennis there every year. We had lunch at a place called Pepe's Bodega and the Crown Prince Carl Philip of Sweden was there later on that day. FYI :) :) :)
After a few amazing days there girls and I hopped on the train to head back to Karlskrona! We are thinking of going to Astrid Lindgren's world next week, to see Pippi Longstocking and all the characters. Will see how the weather holds up, right now its been raining and a little bit chilly. Nice break from the sun though.
Then we head to Mallorca, Spain on the 10th to see even more sun before we head back to Texas!
Pretty much what is happening with us!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
July 15, 2010 Ronneby Brunn, Sweden
Spent the whole day at a water park that was perfect for the girls. I have posted all the pictures on FB so its easiest to go there and look at them.
We spent about 5 hours there non stop swimming and slides. Just Phenomenal!!!
We spent about 5 hours there non stop swimming and slides. Just Phenomenal!!!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
July 14, 2010 Karlskrona - First swim in the ocean!
Girls woke up at 5.30 this morning and thought it was morning - kind of was, just too early. So I told them it was in the middle of the night and they should go back to bed, so they did :)
I have a great place to stay and we get hotel breakfast every morning - I don't have to make it or clean up afterwards!!! Score!!! Its a hotel as well as apartment hotel and then they happen to have a little cottage in the court yard that I have. I looked up the lady Irene that helped me get it to thank her for her kindness and help. Really sweet lady, her dad used to run it all before her and her daughter actually used to live in the 'cottage' where we are.
We went and applied for the girls' Swedish Passports today! Olivia and Chloe's at least, have to go back for Sienna's in a couple of days. It only takes 5 days for it to arrive and they send an SMS when its ready. I have noticed a lot is with SMS here now. Even the train ticket - you can choose SMS ticket or pick up. If you do the SMS - you just show the conductor your mobile phone when he comes to check tickets. Pretty neat.
This afternoon I spent 3 hours on a little beach with the girls, surprisingly enough the water wasn't that cold. I would have gone for a swim if I had a suit on. We made a whole city of sandcastles and rivers and god knows what. I have sand everywhere now :) Girls are doing great with making friends wherever we go. Normally its Chloe who is very forward and finds them quickly but today Sienna did and she was talking Swedish like a Swede!!! :) :) :)
They also walked around all the flats in the hotel today, to invite kids to 'pool party' - in the little blow up pool. It was cute, nobody was home.... that is when we went to the beach instead.
I have a great place to stay and we get hotel breakfast every morning - I don't have to make it or clean up afterwards!!! Score!!! Its a hotel as well as apartment hotel and then they happen to have a little cottage in the court yard that I have. I looked up the lady Irene that helped me get it to thank her for her kindness and help. Really sweet lady, her dad used to run it all before her and her daughter actually used to live in the 'cottage' where we are.
We went and applied for the girls' Swedish Passports today! Olivia and Chloe's at least, have to go back for Sienna's in a couple of days. It only takes 5 days for it to arrive and they send an SMS when its ready. I have noticed a lot is with SMS here now. Even the train ticket - you can choose SMS ticket or pick up. If you do the SMS - you just show the conductor your mobile phone when he comes to check tickets. Pretty neat.
This afternoon I spent 3 hours on a little beach with the girls, surprisingly enough the water wasn't that cold. I would have gone for a swim if I had a suit on. We made a whole city of sandcastles and rivers and god knows what. I have sand everywhere now :) Girls are doing great with making friends wherever we go. Normally its Chloe who is very forward and finds them quickly but today Sienna did and she was talking Swedish like a Swede!!! :) :) :)
They also walked around all the flats in the hotel today, to invite kids to 'pool party' - in the little blow up pool. It was cute, nobody was home.... that is when we went to the beach instead.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
July 13, 2010 on the train from STockholm down south
Since Olivia's ears are bad - she is feeling much better though. I decided to get on the train instead of plane. I was looking for the best deal and it was not the fast train x2000 so now we are on the good old fashioned train with no a/c or power plugs... so we are sitting in the catering cart - its much cooler here but my battery will run out very soon.
Girls are doing great - it was an early start this morning 06.30 (not used to that) so they will get tired and cranky before this trip is over, I'm sure. :)
Its another 3 hours on this train and then another two on the next. but because we got stuck behind a broken train for 45 min we will miss the connection and get a later one.
Anyway - tonight we can unpack our bags and at least feel like 'home' !!!!!
:)
Girls are doing great - it was an early start this morning 06.30 (not used to that) so they will get tired and cranky before this trip is over, I'm sure. :)
Its another 3 hours on this train and then another two on the next. but because we got stuck behind a broken train for 45 min we will miss the connection and get a later one.
Anyway - tonight we can unpack our bags and at least feel like 'home' !!!!!
:)
Monday, July 12, 2010
July 12, 2010 Stockholm Sweden
ITS HOOOOOOOT!!!!
Very hot! Ended up taking Baby O to the ER yesterday since it was Sunday and no clinics open. She has been complaining about her ears and then she started getting a fever.
So thanks to my 'private driver' Ulrica we got around really easy. Both her ears were inflamed and her ear drums near bursting point. Poor little Baby O.... She got pain killers and penicillin and we picked up the prescription this morning and tricked her with some yoghurt to take the med.
Today she is doing much better, still complains a little so that has taken the idea of flying to Karlskrona away completely. Now we are going by train instead.
I was just trying to buy the tickets online but the security with buying stuff online here is incredible. You have to have a little calculator like thing and put in personal code then the code the internet gives you and you put that back in the calculator and it randomly picks a code for you that syncs with the internet and VIOLA' you are in! This was just to buy freaking train tickets.... but I don't have my machine here - its in the bags in Karlskrona so I am now waiting for dad to call me - or Jocum - who ever reads this, I have not been helped yet :) :) :) :) :) So whoever calls me first!!!
Stockholm has been amazing - its such a great place and we crammed in a LOT in the 5-6 days we've been here. Yesterday we spent the whole day at Ulrica's mum & dad's place. They have a pool and toys and all sorts. It was PERFECT!! kids played all day with Kine, Linn and their cousin Kanelis :) and we just watched - at least until Olivia started getting a fever and then it was off to doctor....
But when we came back they had the bbq on and we had a great meal with her sister Camilla, her husband Bjorn, Carina and Anders (Ulricas parents) and Rikard of course!!!
Then Ulle drove us all the way back to town and since it was Sunday night it was a really quiet night ie. noise on the street. Aj got to experience the noisiest days.
Oh and the soccer!! WHAT A GAME!!!! I could hear screams from all the flats along the street when Spain scored. I am happy Spain won - think they deserved it!
Just booked the ticket so we are heading south on the train tomorrow morning! Thanks for your help Sofia!! She was funny, she was giving me the code over the phone and she went capital .. small.... capital and then a capital 4 :) :) :) lol
Very hot! Ended up taking Baby O to the ER yesterday since it was Sunday and no clinics open. She has been complaining about her ears and then she started getting a fever.
So thanks to my 'private driver' Ulrica we got around really easy. Both her ears were inflamed and her ear drums near bursting point. Poor little Baby O.... She got pain killers and penicillin and we picked up the prescription this morning and tricked her with some yoghurt to take the med.
Today she is doing much better, still complains a little so that has taken the idea of flying to Karlskrona away completely. Now we are going by train instead.
I was just trying to buy the tickets online but the security with buying stuff online here is incredible. You have to have a little calculator like thing and put in personal code then the code the internet gives you and you put that back in the calculator and it randomly picks a code for you that syncs with the internet and VIOLA' you are in! This was just to buy freaking train tickets.... but I don't have my machine here - its in the bags in Karlskrona so I am now waiting for dad to call me - or Jocum - who ever reads this, I have not been helped yet :) :) :) :) :) So whoever calls me first!!!
Stockholm has been amazing - its such a great place and we crammed in a LOT in the 5-6 days we've been here. Yesterday we spent the whole day at Ulrica's mum & dad's place. They have a pool and toys and all sorts. It was PERFECT!! kids played all day with Kine, Linn and their cousin Kanelis :) and we just watched - at least until Olivia started getting a fever and then it was off to doctor....
But when we came back they had the bbq on and we had a great meal with her sister Camilla, her husband Bjorn, Carina and Anders (Ulricas parents) and Rikard of course!!!
Then Ulle drove us all the way back to town and since it was Sunday night it was a really quiet night ie. noise on the street. Aj got to experience the noisiest days.
Oh and the soccer!! WHAT A GAME!!!! I could hear screams from all the flats along the street when Spain scored. I am happy Spain won - think they deserved it!
Just booked the ticket so we are heading south on the train tomorrow morning! Thanks for your help Sofia!! She was funny, she was giving me the code over the phone and she went capital .. small.... capital and then a capital 4 :) :) :) lol
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
July 6, 2010 Stockholm is amazing!
We are having a great time!!! Just like expected!! :) lol
The girls did the long flight and passed with flying colors. They did so well and I'm very proud of them. We checked in to a hotel when we got here, very very comfortable beds :) But first the girls had requested that we would go and play in the park so we did. Staffan joined us there but we only lasted for a couple of hours then we got so tired that we could barely walk :)
Chloe & Sienna passed out on sofa bed and I nodded off with Olivia on her sofa. I woke up and thought great - I'm really well rested and its breakfast and lets start a new day. But then I thought it was weird nobody else was waking up for a very long time, so I looked around and found a clock...it was 21.04!!! I had only slept for a few hours!
So I got up got a shower, walked downstairs to get the code for internet and surfed for a bit. Then took an Ambien so I would sleep all night. The only thing was... Olivia woke up... and didn't wan't to go back to sleep... but I passed out pretty quickly anyway so only God knows what she was up to. :) Aj said she was walking around the room and stuff til 4 am :)
This morning we had breakfast with mum and dad and then started walking to Old Town and then to the Castle - Drottningholm -
the girls wanted to see if they could see a real princess :). Mum and I took them to the Armour museum - Livrustkammaren where they have oooold carriages and armour, clothes, dresses and even a place where the girls could dress up and sit on a throne. 
Then we walked all the way out to Djurgarden where we had lunch by the water and then walked over to Junibacken where we took a small train to look at the world of Astrid Lindgren's characters. We are going to Astrid Lindgren's world in Vimmerby later this summer too. Where they can see plays from all the books. Its not like Disney, but it has a lot of charm!
Outside this they had some balls that were inflatable and the girls would be inside then they let the balls loose (3 at the time) in the big inflatable pool. The girls looked like Zhu zhu pets inside the balls. Pretty funny and since there were no other people waiting the guy let them stay in them for about 20 min. Chloe's ball was all steamed up when she got out :) :) :)
The second to last stop for the day was Skansen its where you can see wild native animals of Sweden, old historic buildings, pet animals and see shows or have a meal and walk around. We did that and then we took the kids and Staffan went for a nice dinner on the water again and then took the bus home. We travel by foot, underground and bus - very easy!! Now its time for bed so we can hit the Grona Lund - Tivoli tomorrow. Promised the girls they can go on as many rides as they like!
God natt!!
The girls did the long flight and passed with flying colors. They did so well and I'm very proud of them. We checked in to a hotel when we got here, very very comfortable beds :) But first the girls had requested that we would go and play in the park so we did. Staffan joined us there but we only lasted for a couple of hours then we got so tired that we could barely walk :)
Chloe & Sienna passed out on sofa bed and I nodded off with Olivia on her sofa. I woke up and thought great - I'm really well rested and its breakfast and lets start a new day. But then I thought it was weird nobody else was waking up for a very long time, so I looked around and found a clock...it was 21.04!!! I had only slept for a few hours!
So I got up got a shower, walked downstairs to get the code for internet and surfed for a bit. Then took an Ambien so I would sleep all night. The only thing was... Olivia woke up... and didn't wan't to go back to sleep... but I passed out pretty quickly anyway so only God knows what she was up to. :) Aj said she was walking around the room and stuff til 4 am :)
This morning we had breakfast with mum and dad and then started walking to Old Town and then to the Castle - Drottningholm -
the girls wanted to see if they could see a real princess :). Mum and I took them to the Armour museum - Livrustkammaren where they have oooold carriages and armour, clothes, dresses and even a place where the girls could dress up and sit on a throne. Then we walked all the way out to Djurgarden where we had lunch by the water and then walked over to Junibacken where we took a small train to look at the world of Astrid Lindgren's characters. We are going to Astrid Lindgren's world in Vimmerby later this summer too. Where they can see plays from all the books. Its not like Disney, but it has a lot of charm!
Outside this they had some balls that were inflatable and the girls would be inside then they let the balls loose (3 at the time) in the big inflatable pool. The girls looked like Zhu zhu pets inside the balls. Pretty funny and since there were no other people waiting the guy let them stay in them for about 20 min. Chloe's ball was all steamed up when she got out :) :) :)
The second to last stop for the day was Skansen its where you can see wild native animals of Sweden, old historic buildings, pet animals and see shows or have a meal and walk around. We did that and then we took the kids and Staffan went for a nice dinner on the water again and then took the bus home. We travel by foot, underground and bus - very easy!! Now its time for bed so we can hit the Grona Lund - Tivoli tomorrow. Promised the girls they can go on as many rides as they like!
God natt!!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Travel!
13.48 and we are in Houston on a lay over. Next destination is
Amsterdam and then Stockholm. Girls are excited - I told them they
could watch as much tv as they want on the next flight. :) lol
Amsterdam and then Stockholm. Girls are excited - I told them they
could watch as much tv as they want on the next flight. :) lol
Right now they are warming up watching Sleeping Beauty. Got about 1 h
40 min before the flight.
Catia James
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Packing Packing Packing
Packing bags, toys, books and games.... flight leaves Austin tomorrow at 10.38 am!
Austin - Houston - Amsterdam - Stockholm! Landing Monday around noon Swedish time. Then it will be off to Staffan's flat on 'Soder' (part of Stockholm) and then probably to the park Humlegarden - where Chloe learnt to ride bike without training wheels - lets see if Sienna can do it this year!!!!
Austin - Houston - Amsterdam - Stockholm! Landing Monday around noon Swedish time. Then it will be off to Staffan's flat on 'Soder' (part of Stockholm) and then probably to the park Humlegarden - where Chloe learnt to ride bike without training wheels - lets see if Sienna can do it this year!!!!
Friday, July 2, 2010
July 2, 2010
The port came out yesterday but I can't take pictures of it because he has a big bandage over it. He has to keep it dry for a few days. So no more wake boarding for now. Not until we are back from Sweden!
Only two more days to go! Then we are off - realized last night that we don't have enough suitcases so had to run out and get some - Today I am PACKING!
Sienna was 5 yesterday! So we celebrated her with friends at Hoppin House and then with cake and song back home. :) :) It was a really nice day and Olivia was so excited because she had bought her a Jessie & Bullseye toy from Toy Story 3 !!
Grattis pa fodelsedagen Sienna!!!!
Only two more days to go! Then we are off - realized last night that we don't have enough suitcases so had to run out and get some - Today I am PACKING!
Sienna was 5 yesterday! So we celebrated her with friends at Hoppin House and then with cake and song back home. :) :) It was a really nice day and Olivia was so excited because she had bought her a Jessie & Bullseye toy from Toy Story 3 !!
Grattis pa fodelsedagen Sienna!!!!
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