Up like the Sun and down like a pancake

Last weekend me and Alex had a very unusual weekend. Alex had a speech at an event i Jacksonville, which is not that unusual. But, I got to see it! For the first time! :-) We manage to find babysitters for all the boys and even the small ones, who stayed with Alex's sister 15min from the event. It turned out perfectly!! 

In addition to the speech we had a dinner out with friends on Saturday and a Symphony concert in Daytona on Sunday, with Marlee and Noah. It was a Swedish symphony which made it special, and we even managed to get free tickets!

Well, after such a great weekend, we crashed, kind of.. I seem to have gotten the flu and Alex might be just a step behind me. We have a camping trip planned for this weekend but right now we don't know how that will turn out...

You would think that he doesn't have a bed...

Find 4 boogers

A normal Friday coop class

He made it!!! (tied his tie :-)

In memory of two police officers killed on duty in Kissimee

Proud of the speaker of the night!!

Not every day that I dress up so nicely and have dinner without children

Ready to go!

Someone emailed up this picture and I wanted to share it. It is not only important to minimize the screen time for children (we are totally guilty, too, I am not trying to point fingers!) but this pictures says more than that. We simply need to be very good role models and remember that children to what we do, not what we say. I put it as the background on my phone to remind me, and I need it!

At the playground while Marlee and Noah have piano lessons.

Pi

Pizza day

Just rub it in! Lol!!

Back in business (school)

Our first week of being back to school and routines have been good. But it has surely been very very cold, to be Florida! We have gotten use of our lemminiochmyrlejon beanies and other warm clothes :-)

Love my huge iron skillet which was a late Christmas gift (hardly fits on the stove!)

It was warmer in Stockholm (Bro) than here!

Had to scrape the snow off the window...

The sprinkler system was on during the night so the grass is full of ice

Angels!!

Two weeks came to an end, way too quickly

All good things must come to an end and Sofia and Mobi went back to Sweden. We all drove down to Miami to spend a few days there before their flight back and we dropped them off at the airport as we drove back to Ormond. We had some great days in Miami. Adding one child to our group of boys changes the dynamics instantly and it has been very intense, but most of the time in a good way, and both Marlee and Noah wanted Mobi to have stayed longer as soon as we had dropped Mobi off at the airport.

Going down town with the Metro Rail (requested by the boys)

There were several wild chickens down town Miami to our surprise, even little chicks!

By Bayside and the harbour

Ice cream time!!

On the way home, VERY tired!!!

It's been lots of swimming in the heated pool :-)

Getting into the pool right after waking up from a nap

I love these curls!!!!!

Farfar took us to Burr's farm for hotdogs and delicious Strawberry milkshake (made from scratch)

On our last day in Miami we decided to visit Shark Valley. Very appreciated by the kids :-)

A baby gator

A mamma with babies (there are at least 4 babies)

Ice cream break!

While the parents are packing, the kids watch Shaun the sheep :-)

One last hug before good bye!!

Now we are back in Miami, we have had one day of coop and the real (school-)work starts in Monday!!

Friends from Sweden are here and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Marlee's and Noah's best friends, Mobi, from Sweden is here visiting with his mom, my friend. We picked them up at the airport in Miami and then drove back to Ormond together. The kids are having a blast! Especially Mobi and Noah.

New Year's with Mobi

Eating ginger bread in Miami

Three boys in the trees

Opening a bag brought from Sweden :-0

Alex taking Mobi and Noah on the kayak

Friends

Making little gingerbread houses

On the way from Miami to Ormond we stopped in Fort Pierce

 New year's Eve!!

The cold hit us, not as bad as the rest of the US but some days have been colder here than Bro, where we live in Sweden!

Sofia and Marlee went for a long walk while me and the rest of the kids played outside.

It is "hot chocolate kind of weather"

More cold weather...

Ice found in the back yard!!

We started the new year by visiting an indoor bouncy place. Marlee was unfortunately feeling sick and stayed home but the rest of the boys had a great time!!

While the weather has been a little cold we have made lots of pegboards with perler/beads.

The result

Time to get clean!

Walk to the beach...

A huge claw from a crab

Story time

Apart from doing all this fun stuff the past week there are other exciting things that has happened... We finally sold the Volvo! Our chicken has "moved out" and is now living happily on a farm with other chickens. And... we are about to redo the kitchen and we just ordered the cabinets. They wont be delivered for a while but I so excited!!!