There are two things I'm going to miss while I gone, the CILT reunion and march madness...

...and boy was I right. At least about missing the cilt reunion part. Seeing pictures and reading about the fun time they all had together. I just love camp so much and it would have been so awesome to be there again with my favorite people. 

I'm loving this vacation. I keep thinking that we have school the next day, but we don't! We still have a trip to go on! 

The first few days of break were devoted to catching up on sleep and relaxing. On Tuesday the festivities began. Christmas in Sweden is all celebrated on the 24th. So on Tuesday morning we went to church. Then we came home and prepared Christmas lunch. There were 6 sorts of fish, 4 sausages, meatballs, ham, potatoes, beet-salad, and cabbage. Of course everything was delicious and we ate until we were stuffed.

our downstairs christmas tree

 

 

The next important event was Donald Duck on tv at 3. I heard that there are 2 precise times of the year that all Swedes are aware of; midnight on New Years Eve and 3pm on Christmas Eve. It's the same Donald Duck shown every single year and everyone watches it. 

After this we had first round of gifts. We did a gift exchange. All the kids bought 3 gifts and the adults 5. Then we would go around rolling 2 dice, if you rolled a 1 or 6 you got to pick a present. Once all the gifts were chosen we went around a few more times where you could steal gifts. Then we unwrapped them all and went around other time stealing gifts. I think everyone was happy in the end and it was really fun. 

After this we went upstairs to open the gifts that were under the Christmas tree. 

Next was dinner. Then we just chilled and I got to talk to some cool people from home. 

The next day, when most people celebrate, we had nothing going on. We played a family game after breakfast. And then after lunch Anita went home. We packed some for the ski trip and watched Cinderella on tv. 

At dinner we tested out the fondue machine that Yvonne had gotten for Christmas. 

Today we were back to the relaxing routine. I did go on a long walk so that was effective. 

It's been a really great Christmas. 

One thing that I noticed is that a lot of everyday things get traded out for Christmas things here. Of course we have Christmas ham and Christmas napkins, but in addition we have Christmas curtains, Christmas cheese, Christmas bread, Christmas plates, and Christmas meatballs. 

I would also like to describe what fika is, apparently someone thought it was a grocery store... my description of fika is a sophisticated snack. But if you would like more of a description I bring you this excerpt from Misha's blog: Fika.  As I mentioned before, fika is a social institution in Sweden where you and a friend or family or a group of people go out to a coffee shop or just at home or work to sit for a while and socialize, always with a hot drink of some sort and a sweet treat.  Let me tell you, the Swedes love their fika.  

Take care, 

Rebecca 

p.s. breakfast of champions

So much going on

Since I got two comments about how I hadn't updated my blog in a while yesterday I'm going to do that.

Last week the kidz were home alone for few days when Yvonne went up to Stockholm. We survived pretty well on our diet of macaroni and leftovers. The really exciting thing last week was a math test. It was a national test so equivalent to an INCAA or ECA at home. The test was to start at 10 and to make sure that I had plenty of time I was going to take the 9.08 bus. I had plenty of time in the morning and I felt relaxed and not rushed at all. My plan was to leave the house at 9.00. I was the last to leave so locked up and everything, took a picture of the pretty sunrise

and then checked the time. It was 9.04. I knew that it would be hard to catch that bus. But I started running and thought I would make it but then I saw the bus roll away...Typical right? Miss the bus on the day of the big test. Luckily I was giving myself plenty of time by taking the earlier bus. So I waited 15 minutes for the next bus. I really thought that I was going to be late but I got off at an earlier stop and half walked half ran to school. I made it almost exactly at 10. The test apparently didn't start until 10.15. We had one session 10.15-12.15 then lunch and then another session 1-3.

Friday was Lucia. I heard breakfast being set up in the family room a little before 7. From 7-8 Lucia from Örebro was broad casted live. We ate breakfast in front of the tv and watched that. At school there was a lucia tåg also. 

After school I went to pick up 3 packages in addition to 2 that I had picked up on Thursday. 3 of the packages were from my family with wrapped Christmas presents so there wasn't much for me to open. And the others were from Grandma and Wiebke! I love getting packages. 

On Saturday morning I took the train up to Varberg to visit good family friends. After being picked up at the train station right before lunch time, we went home, ate lunch, and I spent the rest of the afternoon playing with the kids. (Ages 10,7,5) I was taught how to play chess and we played lots of memory. I also made knäck for the first time.

On Sunday I set my alarm because I knew the kids were early risers. I came in from the guest house around 8am and they had already had a prebreakfast fika and started a game of monopoly, before 8! We had breakfast and watched julkalendern. Later we all left to go to Stamared Kyrka for the kids' Lucia. There, I completely unexpectedly met one of my moms good friends, Ann Roos. Such a coincidence that we were both there at the same time. 

After Lucia we came home and had lunch. After lunch we went on a tomtepromenad which is a tipspromenad with a tomte at the end. The kids loved it. After that we came home and had a fika and after that I went in to Varberg to go home. Originally my plan was to walk around Varberg a while. But it was already dark and a bit rainy and I wasn't sure what I was going to do so I just went home instead. 

Once I got home and had eaten it was time to decorate the Christmas tree! I even got to put the star on top. 

This week was also pretty normal besides the fact that I've been very tired. On Monday I picked up 2 more packages. One from Morfar and one from the Wendts! The Wendts are like the best people ever and they send the awesomest stuff and I'm so thankful to be their friend.
On Wednesday after school Elna, Lina, and I fikade after school since Elna was leaving early for vacation the next day and we wanted a celebration of winter break fika. Then I got home and got the awesome chance to talk to Anna and Amanda as they were on their way to lunch. So lovely to get opportunities to talk to my friends.
Later I took the bus in, to meet up with my godfather, Bert. to give you a little background, Bert and I have not seen each other for over 10 years. He works some days per month in Göteborg and he was on his way to Malmö for a meeting to we took the opportunity to meet up. We had dinner together in town and then we went out to Hittarp to have tea/coffee with the rest of the family. It was such an awesome opportunity to meet up with him and needless to say we had lots to catch up on after 10 years!
Wednesday ended up being a late night and it would have been really nice to sleep in on Thursday like usual, but it was actually one of my longer days this week. In PE we curled (played curling?) anyway it was so much fun! I mean no one's rock was anywhere close to getting any points. They were either too hard and shot off to the other end or too loose, or they curved to the side. 

Today was avsluting. We started at 9 in the aula (a lot like the old auditorium) for the Christmas cabaret. It lasted for an hour and there were musical performances (including a heavy metal punk band), a belly dancer, and a comedian. After this our class went to the library when the one's (status of freshman but age of sophomores) had set up fika for everyone. And then we saw some pictures from the party a few weeks ago. Below is a video from the party.

 

After this, around 10:30, we were done for the semester. I went home. Anita and I assembled a Christmas tree to have downstairs and decorated it. Then we had lunch and since then I've just been chilling.

 

God Jul!

Sunset: 15.30

Friday. The night before was the big storm night. So it was a bit unclear how we would go about going to school the next day. Early Friday morning I checked my school email and the message was that if you could safely get yourself to school then you should. So I started to drag myself out of bed but just then Yvonne popped her head in and said it was way too windy to go anywhere at the moment. I didn't protest and went back to bed. I got a nice sleep in morning. I wasn't going to go to school at all but we were labbing in Chemistry so I did eventually go in after lunch. I got to class and only half the class had time to lab that day. And I was not one of the people that labbed. So my half of the class stayed in the classroom and "worked in the book" but what we really did was talk and watch cat videos. Felt really silly of me to come in for just that one lesson. So after an hour I was back on the bus to go home. I was only home for 20 minutes to switch my school bag for some other things and then I was on a bus back in to town! Lots of back and forth that day. Before I left I took some pictures of the front yard and the damage that the storm had done. The water level had been so extremely high that a few meters of the yard has eroded away and no longer exists.

 

I went to Sofias house and Elna, Lina, and Malin were all there. We had a snack because we were all starving. Then we got ready for the party. This was the RTJ party (räddningsfesten). So it was the 1's, 2's , 3's, (the three grades in gymnasium) and other who already graduated who go in the same program that I do. The theme of the party was movie characters. I was black swan, Elna was a shadow hunter from the Mortal Instruments, Lina was Cat Woman, Sofia was Mini Mouse, and Malin was Black Widow. All we knew before the party was that we were supposed to meet by Tivoli at 7pm and then buses would take us to the location. We got there and we were right by the ocean and it was very very very windy and freezing cold. Right at 7 a few guys game with cardboard cutouts of buses and on and we were told that we wouldn't need to take a bus. We were going to be right there in Helsingborg! So we wondered farther out on the dock to H-55, the location. But because of the storm there was major flooding on the walk there. But luckily earlier in the day we had been warned to bring boots of some sort to have on while getting there. So that was really good because otherwise I would have been ankle deep in freezing water.

So anyhow, we got there. Let's just say that it was a really fun night! I got home around 1:30.

 

 

Let's just start by saying that Gustav, Jan, and I had breakfast at 1pm on Saturday. I had layed in bed until 12, Gustav hadn't gotten home from H-55 until 12:30, and since Jan's flight from Stockholm had been cancelled by the storm he had taken a bus and it had gotten him home around 5am. I was pretty surprised when I saw snow outside!

 

So Saturday was a pretty do nothing day. In the evening Jan and Yvonne had another couple over for dinner. They were having snails for appetizer and since they knew that I had never tried snails I came down and had some. They were really good! Then the kids had tacos for dinner. I fell asleep pretty early.

 

Then on Sunday I was up pretty early and started my homework before breakfast. It was horrible rainy weather. Then it was baking time! Yvonne, Jan, Yvonne, and I made pepparkakor and saffransbullar. It was so Christmasy!

 

Then I went to soccer. For the second half of practice we did strength. A person came and we did GRIT. I don't know if you know what this is but don't do it. It was 30 minutes long and only a little bit of what the whole program is and it was the hardest thing that they offered at the gym this person worked at. It was very hard. I'm so sore today it's unbelievable. But it's good because I really need to build up my strength again.

Then we went to dinner with the Dolk family. Which was lots of fun and delicious. We got home around 10 and I went right to bed.

 

Today was school as usual.

 

9 more school days. we can do this. 

STORM SVEN

I had no school on Monday. We had a 'compensation day off' because we had either stayed after school on Friday to set up for Open House or we had been there on Saturday to guide. And for doing this we got the day off!

I did some homework and such. Pretty chill day. That night we gilled with other familes again. This time we were in the middle of the woods. Although it was a cold day our spot was out of the wind so it wasn't too cold. 

I had no school on Tuesday. My class was retaking a Physics test that had been interupted by the fire alarm. And since the other teachers were sympathetic to their 4 hour test they cancelled the afternoon lessons. So I had nothing! I did some homework. The afternoon was intersting...not my best moments...anyway.

Yesterday, I can't remember what happened...I guess it was a normal, boring school day. 

Today I had a late start. In gym class we played field hocky? floorball? I don't know what it's called. It was fun I had a goal and an assist. Lot's of fun. 

All week we have been warned of this big storm coming tonight. Eariler today we heard the all trains were going to be cancelled after 3pm. So we asked our Swedish teacher, the lesson after gym, if she would cancel the lesson. While we were in gym she texted one of the guys in my class and it was cancelled! 

When I left the wind had really picked up and it was raining. And let me tell you that I was NOT dressed for the weather.  I was wearing converse, leggings, my thinest winter jackert (without a hood), no hat, and no gloves. So stupid of me. Anyway, I had to buy something in town so I braced myself and walked down there and bought some things. Then I waited for the bus (i had missed an earlier one by 2 minutes). Then I had to walk home from the busstop and that was rough. I was walking towards the water so it just got windier. I got a really had headache just becuause the wind was so cold. I made it home, soaking wet. 

The afternoon carried on as usual. But the later it got, the windier it got. We've already lost 2 roof panels. The last storm, named Simone, I think we lost 7 panels. This storm, named Sven, seems to be almost as bad as Simone. Though the house it literall shaking, the lights are flickering, and the windows are ratteling there is something really fun about being home in a storm. 

I had been in my room all afternoon but once I felt the floor shaking and lights started flickering I fled downstairs which is where I plan on staying until I cant feel the wind in my room. 

We're just hoping that a roof panel doesn't break any windows. Figers crossed! 

Here is a sampel of the first glögg of the season!

And here is the beautiful candle holder I got for my birthday complemented by the candles that I made!

Have a great Friday!

The Feast

Hej Hej!

On Friday I stayed after school to help set up for our school's Open House which was on Saturday. I opted to work on Friday instead of  Saturday because Saturday was our Thanksgiving! Anyway, after helping to set up I went to the library to eat something . Different how here in Sweden libraries and sport halls have full service cafes and sometimes people go there just to eat. So I grabbed "dinner" there and then went to go see Catching Fire with Tina and Ellie. Of course the movie was amazing!!
I got home from that and was pretty tired even though it wasn't that late. Originally I had planned to make some pies Friday night but I didn't get that far.

On Saturday I had alarms going off left and right to make sure that I got up in time for Thanksgiving. I was dressed and ready by 9:15 but no one else was awake! And I didn't want to wake anybody up so I retreated back to my room for 30 minutes until I heard sounds of life downstairs.
After breakfast the baking began. First on the agenda was 2 pie shells that I then put outside to rest. Everything else is all a bit of a blur but by 5 o'clock there were 2 pies, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a turkey ready to go! Elna had come over earlier in the afternoon to help out which was nice. And though it was a bit last minute the Ask family came over for dinner too. So in total there were 9 of us at this feast!
Maybe the pumpkin pie was a little weird and maybe the sweet potato casserole was a little way to sweet, it was still an awesome time! I sure didn't let perfection get in the way of excellence! :)

After dinner Elna, Anita, Ellie, Anton and I played Who wants to be a Millionaire on the TV which was a lot of fun but I have to admit that our winnings weren't too impressive. Then we went upstairs to sit with the other adults and drink coffee. Around 8 pm Gustav left for a party in Mörarp which happens to be where Elna lives. So she got a ride home. Elinore and her mom were still here but I was yawning and yawning on the couch. Once they left I took a shower and was asleep in minutes. I had been an exhausting yet a fulfilling day!

On Sunday I was woken up very early, 8:30, to join everyone to celebrate Anita, Mormor's, birthday! After that and some cake for breakfast again, we went back to bed. Knowing that I wouldn't fall asleep I read some and just layed in my bed. But later in the day I felt like I should have slept some more because I was so out of it at dinner and falling asleep in front of the TV.

Since yesterday was first Advent it was the first episode of Julkalendern. What this is is a kids show that airs tiny 15 min episodes everyday until Christmas! It's definitely geared towards a younger audience but you can bet that I'll be watching every episode!

My birthday cake! Yummm

Leftover Pumpkin Pie! Yummm