Birthday week continues...

And now for E's birthday...

Is this the present I really really wanted?

I think it might be...

It is!  It is!!

E loves taking pictures.  Here she took one of S with
two of their bonus-sisters (our neighbors).

Self portrait by E

Pool time!

W has been taking the kiddliwinks to the pool in the evenings so that I can get stuff done.  (Thank you!)  The other night I took a break and went with them.

Little fish

Hot! 
Note that this was at 7:14 at night. 
On this day Sweden hadn't yet had a day above 70 degrees. 
Forget culture shock, we're going to go through weather shock.  

Birthday Week!

It was birthday week in our house last week!

Here's S opening presents.

She really really got excited about this one!

Blowing out candles.

We had a big birthday / farewell party at a local park.  We brought dress-up props and asked all our friends to take photos and we ended up with some hilarious pictures.  We've put them all in an album to take with us this year so we can see our friends' smiling faces any time we feel lonely.

Here S and E agreed to let me take a photo of them before the party
to demonstrate what we wanted all our guests to do.

Visiting Friends

E goes to school with two boys who live just north of us in a rural area.  They live in a beautiful house their father built next to a river where they spend their days kayaking.  It reminds me very much of my house in Ithaca that was in a gorge next to a river.  It doesn't get much better than this.  Bliss!

E was a natural in the kayak.

I'm so glad she loved it!

Just hanging in the river.

S gave it a try too!

But she was pretty content fishing for guppies.

S and a friend.  They spent a lot of time swinging in the hammock on the porch.

E recently saw one of those acrobats on the two ribbons. 
She felt like she was one of them on this contraption (really just a swinging chair).  
She must have spent about an hour, all added up, swinging and performing various upside down feats. 
(E is in the striped shirt.)  

If you know me at all you know how I felt about them swinging this high up.   

Misc June Photos - what we've been up to, in between all the packing.

Sadie LOVES coffee shops!  She is so made to wear black turtlenecks and read poetry.  

Last night I was just talking with friends about notes we find around that house that our kids have written.   This one made me giggle a little.  It was written by Ellie to Sadie a few months ago.  It says "I love you Sadie.  I am sorry that you bonk your head.  I am sorry that you keep bonking your head."  It is the illustration that really makes me giggle!  

On a field trip with Ellie's school.  Sadie was loving that she got to have snack just like the big kids.

Here's Sadie standing in front of a tree a *really* ambitious beaver is trying to take down.

We've had some pretty spectacular storms this spring.   These clouds were crusing above our house the other night.

Sadie and friends hanging out at our neighbors' bonfire night.

Ellie loved the bonfire party - she spent a lot of time dancing and performing doing magic tricks. 

We took Wes to the Runway Cafe on Father's Day.  It is right on the runway of the local airport. 
It is a gem for the kids.  The planes take off and land, right there in front of us.  It is the only restaurant our kids don't want to leave even when they are done eating.

School, we love you!

Ellie loves her school!!!  We are going to miss everyone there so much - the teachers, the families connected to the school.  It is it's own happy community. 

The other day after I dropped Ellie off I was chatting with another mom when I heard the kids chanting "Wa-ter-Slide!  Wa-ter-Slide!"  They were like little monkeys all clambering up to the top of the slide to get in line.

Ellie's at the top of the slide in the red skirt bathing suit.

Almost ready!

Wheeeee!

Here Ellie's getting tattooed by her incredibly artistic teacher, Miss Alice. 
The kids come home with intricate butterflies, robots and castles on their arms all the time. 
Sadie is looking on here.  She kind of wants to go to Ellie's school too, but only if I agree to stay with her!  

Stage Performance!

Earlier this month Ellie performed in her first dance recital.  She loved every minute and the second it was over she asked "How soon can I be on stage again?"

First time wearing real make up.  The recital was worth it for this alone!

Ellie and Genevieve outside the theater where they performed.

Ellie practicing her best ballerina attitude.  How did she already know about this!?

Post-dress-rehersal, pre-performance celebration meal.

Taking a final bow.  (This photo is fuzzy because it was taken illegally!)

Feeling like a star!

I knew her way back before the stardom.

Proud parents.