Getting better and seeing friends

Marlee and Noah have been completely recovered for a few days now but Gabriel just started to get better today. We have still kept busy since he can rest in the stroller while Marlee and Noah play etc. We have had a very busy week so far with lots of activities and play dates.

Two sick boys on the couch

At the playground in refreshing weather

Back home on the couch again

Our Swedish friends from Orlando came to visit us one day. They brought very very yummy Swedish Semlor!

Semla!!!!!

Walking to the beach

Story time

They do not always sleep on "my" half only :-)

Visited Noah's petting zoo with people from a homeschooling coop. Lots of cute animals and even a little pony to ride on.

Marlee

Noah

Gabriel felt good enough to play a little at the playground

Later the same day we met up with Deborah, Curren and Toka.

Friends in crime! :-)

 

Today we had a very calm day with staying home and doing grocery shopping. Now I am just hoping that Gabriel will wake up all well tomorrow and happy to walk on the beach with some friends, which we are planning on doing.

The flu keeps getting us, in an unexpected way

I cannot complain about our week. There were a lot of good things about it - Aunt Jackie was here, we got things done, the weather has been gorgeous, we bought a new washer and we harvested our first home grown grapefruit!.... But, the flu does not want to leave this house. Yesterday, both Marlee and Noah seemed to feel pretty good and we had Kathy and Lexi over for pizza. However, after dinner both Marlee and Gabriel started to feel bad and Gabriel got a fever. This morning they both woke up with over 102F/39C fever! It was the first time Gabriel got sick so I guess we will have to live with this for another week or so. Poor boys!! Me and Alex have still not gotten as sick as the boys but have a constant hang-overish feeling. And it is not due to drinking! :-)

In addition to the flu the weirdest thing has happened to Noah and Marlee! Earlier this week Noah has been complaining about his legs hurting, mostly in the morning, and he has wanted me to carry him. I thought that it was growing pain and thought that he was exaggerating. I remembering getting it when I was a child but normally after doing heavy exercise so I was a little surprised that he got it in the mornings. Anyways, I did not give it much thought. Early this morning though, Marlee woke up in his bed and called me to come get him. I know he was not feeling well so I walked into their room to carry him over to our bed. He said that he could not walk!! He has never complained about that before and now I started to get a little worried. A few hours later, after sleeping a little more I told Alex about it and he googled it. We think that we found out what it is - "benign acute childhood myositis". It is something that mostly boys can get during the winter who live in northern latitudes and is related to the flu. It was actually first described in Sweden in 1957 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2774365/). Marlee has had a hard time to walk all day and seem more affected than Noah but according to what we read it goes away by itself. 

Gabriel has been very peeked today and either been lying on the couch or been carried. He had been drinking water good and eaten some food. I really hope that he will feel better tomorrow. He is fine walking, it is not suppose to happen to children under 3 years old. 

Today is also Aunt Jakie's birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT JACKIE!! We love you!

Took the boys to the playground even if they did not feel perfect..

Gabriel's new friend, Tigger!!!

Scooter is not that bad either :-)

Before going to the store to buy a new washer, Noah was not feeling so good...

Meet my new friend!!

My side of the bed this morning. Gabriel does not normally want to sleep in our bed but when being sick it is different

Two sick boys on the couch (Marlee is under the blanket)

Our grapefruit tree that we planted last year!!!

Our first home grown grape fruit ever! It was really really yummy!!!

Good timing!

We arrived well to Ormond and farmor had prepared our house for us and found sheets, made our beds and gotten some groceries from the grocery store. The best surprise ever since we were all exhausted when we arrived to Ormond. 

We woke up yesterday with Noah still being sick, Marlee getting sick and me and Alex feeling a little strange, not neccessarily sick but kind of slow, tired and dizzy. We actually ended up having a pretty efficient day despite all illnesses. Maybe even thanks to the illnesses since Marlee and Noah pretty much slept all day. Kathy and Alex brought home all our boxes and some furniture, while I was home with the kids unpacking as much as I could. Me and Alex ended the day with dinner out while farmor took care of the boys :-)

Today Aunt Jackie came over to help, too, and we have had another good day. We also had a friend and her daughter over. It's so good to see everyone!!! We also managed to walk down to the beavch quickly :-)

Ormond - here we come!!

We are finally in the car on the way to our house in Ormond!! We are so exited!!!!!! Unfortunately, Noah is sick with fever and has pretty much slept all day :-(

Marlee was lucky today and got to go on Uncle Mikes suuuuper fast motor boat. 

We left Miami right in time to hit rushhour traffic (not the smartest thing we have done) so after three hours we were not even in west palm beach... We will get to Ormond eventually.. Now everyone but Alex can sleep :-)

Almost forgot to mention it... Alex has not smoked for four weeks today!!!!!! I'm so proud and grateful. No more running outside after eating, no more "can't carry the kids" because of smoking a cigarette etc <3 <3 <3

Hello Miami and a second Christmas

After a loooong flight (from Stockhom to Helsinki and) from Helsinki to Miami we finally arrived to farmor's and farfar's house. How nice to sleep in a comfortable bed and not having to worry about packing and meeting deadlines!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to mormor and morfar we pretty much managed to leave our house in Sweden as we wanted to. Maybe not as good as I was hoping for but close. We would never be able to do this traveling, renting out etc without our parents, they always saves us when our time schedules fail... We are so lucky to have such great help!

In Miami we have have several occasions of Christmas gift exchanges. Kind of randomly. I got a camera from Alex, farmor and farfar!!!! It has been uses frequently, but this is the first time when I have had time to add some pics to the blog.

First night in Miami. Gabriel hardly ever wants to sleep in our bed but after waking up at 2 to eat some "breakfast" that was the only way to have him go back to sleep again.

Watching TV

Doing mosaic with farmor

A Christmas gift - cars...

Another Christmas gift...

Gabriel playing with his new Walrus

Today I did some shopping with all my crazy boys. They behaved very good until we had s yummy "fika" at a french bakery and they got some macaroons. I am not sure if the sugar changed them but after that shopping was not as easy anymore...

Christmas celebration with cousin Eli!!!

Noah and Eli had a lot of fun!

Focused!

Uncle Cory and Noah by the pool

I wanted to take a picture of the cousins, but I guess not...

Can you see Marlee?

Merry Christmas Eli!

Last activity of the day for the kids!

Bye bye Sweden

We surely had some very very very stressful days in Sweden before we left. But, we did not miss out on the fun either. We made sure to see several friends as well as close family and I am especially happy to have gotten to meet our newest cousin (my sister Linn's second son) and my grandma the day before we left.

Playing with a new toy from some friends visiting

Noah is showing the train tracks for our friend Rita

Me and my crazy boys!

Me and our youngest cousin, Björn (means bear in English)

5 cousins on a train

Noah and cousin Ailo are having so fun together!!!

- Are you sure I don't fit in this!?

This is what we had to deal with before leaving - sorting, getting rid of, packing etc

 

We did get a lot of snow before we left and I am so happy that we did. I do feel a little bad for not having time to play more in the snow with Marlee and Noah, and that I was not able to take them skiing. However, Alex took them ice skating on the lake by our house, which I am so thankful for! Here is one of many foxes that we have seen lately.

Visited gammelmormor who was in a very good mood when we where there, the day before going to Florida.

My dear mormor

Saying good bye at the airport in Stockholm.... :-(

On the plane to Helsinki, Finland

Arrived to Miami with about 15-20 pieces of luggage!

Getting ready to pack it in farmor's and farfar's cars.