Look who's walking now!

Mom was 1 year and 3 days when she started walking. So I figured, let her have the pleasure of thinking that it's something genetically conditioned.

This is how it workes, by the way:

You get into a standing position.Make sure everybody's looking (although, I started in front of Grandpa only - thought that might make his day).
Focus.And walk. Simple as that.And then, when you've proven your point and actually want to get somewhere, crawling is still available as a means of transportation.

2.5 meter hurdle

The good thing with renovating is that there are always a lot of fun stuff around to play with. Mom and dad are somewhat skeptical to my love for almost empty jars of paint and to my crawling down the basement stairs to the pile of junk that's kept there. But they seem to be fine with the new sport I invented: a 2,5 meter long hurdle-race.

Ready, set...Go!Checking out the competition, but maintaining focus. Hurdle by hurdle.And the winner is... Babyboyaulin! Yay!

Our home styling continues

And now we're talking hard-core!
Complete change of pipes (thus, drilling thirty centimeters down in the concrete floor) in the non-functioning bathroom on the bottom floor (yes, that comes with new tiles and stuff too, but that's really only the last touch, it's the massive work underneath that is the thing). And a new kitchen in the making. (Not quite finished yet, as you may see.)

The Polish Plumber has a face (well, two actually) - and it's the face of a true pro. Mom and dad are excited and have vowed never to do a thing on their own ever again. Apparently the Polish Plumbers accomplish in a couple of hours what takes mom and dad - literally - weeks to complete. And then only with a less than perfect result.

Birthday parties

Both Laila and I had our birthdays this week, so we invited her and Roland and Kerstin for coffee and cake and Laila invited us for smörgåstårta. I showed them my moves:And they, in turn, congratulated me with an open gift that turned into this: A ginormous turtle!

He doesn't have a name yet (I'm the one to decide on the name and I still have some difficulties with the verbal articulation) but he has already proven to be not only fun to play with, but also comfortable to rest on.

I'm having a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And the flag is up, like it should be a day like this!

SHIT!

I just recite what my parents exclaimed when they saw the house on Monday morning. A direct result of using the skylift on Sunday evening, despite some drizzling. Good thing the rain only eliminated maybe five hours of work and three litres of paint. It could have been a lot worse.And hey, this doesn't look bad at all!

Dressing down to dress it up

The quest to give the house a total make-over continues. This weekend with a spectacular toy! I asked my parents in oh so many ways to let me on, for just a teeny tiny little ride. But to no avail. They told me that my one and only assignment for the weekend was to entertain Grandma and Grandpa. Of course, as a matter of principle, I had to protest. But once that was taken care of, we had a great time and I came up with the perfect revenge: To take my first step in the presence of Grandpa only. No parents anywhere in sight. Now, that's quite sophisticated, wouldn't you say? Another bonus was that Grandma looked funny in the scarf she wore, to protect her hair from paint and her ears from the brisk northern winds.Mom and dad looked funny too, the little I saw of them as they passed by the windows. But the house is starting to look really good, so I guess they were dressed for success.

Are we really related?

I'm cute. But those people there, who call themselves my parents, they're... just not.

Speaking of reaching for the stars...

Our house measures 9,75 meters from ground to ridge. Thus, for the safety of my parents, I'm quite happy they've decided to use something more stable than a ladder when they approach the task of repainting. (They claim pink with white bowknots are not in vogue.) Mom and dad, in turn, are quite happy that the neighbour's visiting friend, Roland, is growing tired of the quietness of this place and thus, eager to help.(By the way, it's me, there at the base of the scaffold.)

Think cars are just for adults?

Well, think again!

This one's for sale, by the way. Gently driven by a careful young man.

Taking the cast iron irons for a walk

It's turning into a daily routine for me to take the heavy irons for a walk in the morning. We leave the house, walk all the way down to the water and back up again. Now mind, this works out to a walk of at least 350 meters...

...so I have to pause for a snack of pebbles along the way.

Socializing... Ah! I love it!

Lord knows I haven't met many kids this summer! But on Monday, we went to the grand opening of the weekly open daycare in Södra Möckleby. Loads of fun! I'll definitely come again next week!

I mean, how could you resist a place where you get to sing whilst pretending that you're a cow? Or where the big kids let you play with them?

And where there are small kids that weigh as much as you do, so you can swing together?

Sept 3, 2007

A year ago, today, was my due date. So in a way I'm one now. But in a whole lot of other ways, I'm not. For example, a year ago, we could never have taken a family shot like this.

Reaching for the stars...

And working hard to get them! Through the stairs, I've found a way to get closer.

I've also learnt how to, once in a while, take a break from the star-hunting. I climb back down again. Back first.

Weekend duties

It's Saturday, and, thus, fixing day in our house. Dad and I focused on the bikes today, while mom painted battens.The truth is, there's not all that much of a difference between weekend and weekdays in my life. And nonetheless, a justifiable paus after having made a substantial contribution, feels even better in the weekend.