March Points in April

Oops, over a month since I last wrote. Time sure flies. Will try to sum up what has happened this past month.

• We have had several instances of very nice weather. A weekend of 20 degrees a few weeks ago and then again this whole week. I'm very envious of Peter who is not working and is free to spend all day outside if he wants to. The kids seem to enjoy all the time outdoors too, and not having to wear a jacket.

  

  Harald at our local playground

Nature's beauty

• Peter's sister with family visited in mid-March (unfortunately it was pretty cold on the Saturday but Sunday was pretty nice). It was the first time they visited us (not Brussels though) so it was nice to show them our home here and our neighbourhood. Isolde and cousin Olivia (2 years old) played really well together, and Harald was almost keeping up with their pace (it will be fun to see all three of them play together in the summer when Harald is a bit older).

  

  Three cousins and little artists

In March we made several visits to Parc Malou playground with the neighbours and also hung out at each other's place, including tapas lunch at their place and waffles at ours. P. and I also try to take the metro home from work together (in the morning she leaves earlier than me as I drop off Isolde at school).

Hanging with the neighbours in Parc Malou



Parc Malou



Buddies

Waffles!

Our get-to-know-new-people drink on 8 March was a success. I think we were 22 adults and 12 children (under the age of four) in the end. It looked like people were enjoying themselves and I have played family match-maker following the event. I took some pictures with the regular camera (all photos in this post are with the iPhone) but haven't not uploaded them yet.

I went on an overnight work trip to Sweden and there was no storms or other mishaps this time! That is fortunate because otherwise I'm not sure the Commissioner would want to travel with me again! We stayed at a beautiful hotel in Uppsala that I can really recommend. Very nice name too ;)

My room had a cosy window niche with views of Uppsala cathedral

Peter attended a job hunting seminar the Commission organises for spouses and met some new people at the same time. If we stay here after this year, which we hope to do, he will need to find a job here (but working remotely for his present employer could also be an option). I had the day off to take care of Harald and I chose a day of beautiful weather with 20 degrees - the next day it was miserable and raining!

Magnolia blossom on my day off

Our flat in Sweden is free now from April and we're looking for a new tenant in case anyone is interested?!

My mother visited the very last weekend of March. My aunt was supposed to come along but unfortunately she has problems with her back and needs surgery and had to cancel. Hopefully she can visit in the autumn instead. My mum arrived on Thursday evening (a bit delayed after having been rebooked via Copenhagen) and Friday she was home with Peter and the kids (I had to work unfortunately), and while Peter took Harald for his weekly swimming session she baked cinnamon buns with Isolde. Isolde had been talking about baking with grandma for weeks, so she was very happy. They also made some Easter crafts and went to the playground. Saturday we went to Gent, a town about an hour's drive from Brussels. It was a lovely day weatherwise so perfect for an excursion. We had lunch outdoors at one of the restaurants in the square by Saint Bavo cathedral. Sunday we checked out Bois de la Cambre, another big park in Brussels, and then spent the rest of the day in our regular haunt Parc Malou where we were also joined by the neighbours.

 

Story time with mormor in the balcony



Pretty canals and houses in Gent



More houses along canals



A bottle in a barrel of ice can be lots of fun!

Isolde went to her first proper birthday party last month! She has of course celebrated little friends' birthdays before but I mean the first real kid party where she's invited and parents are only invited as chaperones really. Her classmate Félix had invited Isolde and one other girl from the class. Félix's mother tried to do a few games with them - and I was surprised that Isolde accepted to be blindfolded for one of them! - but mostly they just wanted to play freely. Isolde lasted about 75 minutes and then she wanted to go home :)  I'm really happy she was invited and I hope to organise a playdate or get-together again soon. Félix's parents seem very nice, and it would be good to know some Belgians as well (the father is Belgian and the mothre German but moved her as a child or teenager).

We were thinking of booking some holiday activities, so-called stages, for Isolde for next week, the first week of the Easter holiday, in order to try what it is like as we will probably need it during the summer when school's out (mainly August as we'll be in Sweden in July - school starts again in September) and Peter will have started working. However, in the end we thought about it a bit late and the most obvious one, which is held at Isolde's school (which I just found out about actually), was fully booked. So she will stay home with Peter and they will have to think of some activities on their own. 

 

Last time I wrote that we were going to do a daytrip on one of my days off, but we ended up having colds all of us so we stayed at home and also missed a colleague's carnival party. We did pop into our neighbours for their "neighbours' fika" for their friends living in (or soon moving into) our building or in the neighbourhood. Now we have at least been to Gent but we still want to go a bit further away and stay overnight somewhere. Top three on our list I think is the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Haarlem and the Hague), Luxembourg and Champagne in France. And it looks like we will be doing a roadtrip to Münich in Germany with our neighbours over the Ascension weekend at the end of May.

Harald is completely CRAZY about computers and he has already broken the screen of Peter's work laptop and both iPad screens, one of which had to be fixed but the other one is just a crack underneath the glass in one corner. He gets absolutely miserable if he can't play with them. It is annoying and cute at the same time. He also really likes to help out with the cleaning :)

Favourite toy

My friend H. who I actually met for the first time here in Brussels almost 12 years ago was here for a work trip again and we went back to the pub where we met!

Lately Isolde has not wanted me to leave when I drop her off at school in the morning, but at the same time she is very happy about going to school while we are still at home in the morning and also on the way there, and everyday she tells me "it is fun in school, mummy", so I assume it is just a matter of missing me and finding it a bit difficult to say bye, even if it is just for a few hours. She's been in a very cuddly mood lately and telling me she loves me. They have a substitute teacher right now as well, who seems to be very good, but she doesn't help the children to stand in the window to wave to the parents like the regular teacher used to do. However, this week Isolde has been Miss Mischief at home and has also had trouble sleeping (I think it is partly growing pains), but she doesn't mind me leaving her at school in the morning. Maybe she's tired of us and just happy to be away from us parents for a few hours, these parents who try to rule over her and tell what she can and can't do! :)

Bois de la Cambre

Finishing with a picture of Harald and me!

Promenade Verte

2013 Report

Happy New Year! Posts about our two weeks in Sweden coming up, but in the meantime, the 2013 annual accounts!  Illustrated by the photos we chose for the 2014 calendar.

Did you do something in 2013 that you have never done before?
Took a big life decision affecting not only myself but also my family when I decided (though of course consulting my husband), to take a job in another country.

Did any of your friends become parents this year?
Not that many, but we could welcome a few new little people.  A good mix of boys and girls - Ellna, Émilie and Ruth, and Dexter and Benjamin. 

What dates from the year 2013 will you always remember?
The top date is of course Tuesday 12 February 2013, when Harald was born.  He surprised us big time as he wasn't due until a month later on 11 March.  I also remember many dates around that time related to my new job in Brussels, as I had to rearrange interviews, etc. due to Harald arriving early :)

Harald 9 days old in February 2013

Have you been sick or injured yourself this year?
No, except for the occasional cold.  I did have a terrible case of mastitis!

Which countries did you visit? 
Not that many actually, as I was pregnant and not allowed to fly at the very beginning of the year, and then for the first few months of Harald's life we didn't go anywhere, except for a new job-related trip to Belgium in May.  In June we attempted to go to France, but only made it to Denmark (Copenhagen airport) due to an air traffic control strike.  But in July we spent almost a week in the north of Norway with dear friends Maria and Daniel, and of course, at the end of August we moved to Belgium.  I made a short work trip to Sweden in December (where I also ended up spending an unscheduled stop in Copenhagen) and we also spent our Christmas holidays in Sweden.

We also spent some time at the summer house but not as often as we would have liked.

Best buy?
The dishwasher in our flat in Brussels.  Can't believe our landlords didn't have one (although I've heard that they have started to change their minds now that they have children)!

Best project?
No DIY projects this year, except for weeding stuff and packing for the move, if that counts, but we did hire people to renovate our bathrooms (or rather, completely rebuild) in our flat in Stockholm.  We were able to enjoy them for three weeks or so before we moved to Belgium :)  Hopefully our tenants are taking good care of the shining tiles!

Did something make you really happy?
Seeing my children together, and especially in the last couple of months, from Harald turned 9-10 months old, when they have really started to play together and interacting in a "real" way.  Seeing how Harald follows Isolde around, both with his look and literally following her around the flat.  She often announces or tells us that he's there, especially in the morning or after he wakes from a nap.  "It is Harald!" (though she says it more like "that one is Harald" ;) So cute.

Together, into the future (the calendar cover)

Have you been lacking something in 2013 that you want in 2014?
Sleep!  And time.  I was on parental leave February-August and in a way, had all the time in the world, but it felt like it went so quickly!  Especially with a new baby, and with my thoughts occupied on the pending job.  And now, since we moved to Brussels, it feels like time is just slipping away.  I work, come home, feed the baby, eat dinner, hang out with the kids and/or do some chores, put the kids to bed, and the suddenly it is 10pm and where did "my time" (egentid) go?  But I guess that is life right there.  I don't really suspect it to change much in 2014 (especially since I will now be working 40 hour-weeks instead of 37½...), but it should get a bit better as we get even more into the way and routine of living in Belgium (not that it have been de facto that much different than life in Sweden, but it's been mentally exhausting I guess).  Maybe we can get our kids to go to bed a bit earlier (or Harald at least, Isolde seems to be a lost cause), so that I can go to bed earlier, after I had some egentid... Wish us luck haha!

What do you wish you could have done more?
Sleeping.  I really need to discipline myself to go to bed earlier.  But it's that egentid that I also want, and I don't feel tired in the evening but then in the morning I'm soo tired.  Both kids usually sleep through the night (though Isolde often comes to our bed, and has had some periods of worried sleep, and Harald has had a few sickness periods with cold and cough), until at least 7 am, but until recently I would breastfeed Harald at least once sometime between 5 and 7 am.  And the main problem, sorry to repeat myself, is that I don't go to bed early enough.  Falling asleep around midnight and then sleeping until 7 am, minus an hour or two due to various sleep disturbances, is not enough for me.  I can really feel (and see?) how I have aged during the past year, and I don't think it's reversable unfortunately, though I hope the darkness under my eyes is.

What do you wish you could have done less?
Felt impatient and angry with the kids and yelled at Isolde.  I guess it's normal, and kids must learn and experience anger too, but I'm asking for a larger dose of patience with a child in the terrible twos (and soon threes) in 2014.

Little Miss Mischief in December 2013

Favourite programme on TV? 
Orange is the New Black, Big Bang Theory and Modern Family and I also liked this year's julkalender (Christmas series) and Solsidan.

Best book you read this year?
I actually managed to read 10 books this year (or nine, as I read most of "How the States Got Their Shapes" in 2012), which is more than double than the year before.  It's really thanks to having a short commute to work (15 mins each way).  Of the list below I think I liked "The Bad News Bible" the most, but "Stenhjärtat" was also very good but depressing (about child abuse).

• "The Bad News Bible" by Anna Blundy
• "Chasing Harry Winston" by Lauren Weisberger
• "I minnenas tecken" by Reginald Hill
• "Karriär och köksbesvär" by Sophie Kinsella
• "Pajernas värld" by Karen Stolz
• "Guernseys litteratur- och potatisskalspajssällskap" by Mary Ann Shaffer
• "No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday" by Tracy Bloom
• "The French House" by Nick Alexander
• "Stenhjärtat" by Katarina Wennstam
• "How the States Got Their Shapes" by Mark Stein

Greatest musical discovery?
I'm so bad at remembering song titles or names of artists, so though I'm sure I have heard some new and good music, I can't name it.  Instead I will answer that I love how Isolde is constantly singing (apparently I was too when I was little) and I'm amazed how many different melodies she knows!

What was your greatest success at work in 2013?
Well, it must be that I finally got the chance to work for the European Commission and work in Brussels, something I have wanted to do for a long time.

Greatest success in your personal life?

Getting that job offer is also very much part of my private life, especially since it involved moving my whole family.  But besides that, I guess rearing two wonderful little individuals. I guess they are both with their personalities but I also think they are who they are because of Peter and me.

Harald in December 2013, almost 10 months old

Biggest mistake?
Can't think of anything, at least not anything serious.

Isolde wasn't really planned when she announced she was on her way in 2010, but what a blessing!

Were you happier or more sad this year compared to previous years? 

I'm also a quite happy person and this year was no different. Maybe even happier because Harald came into our lives and I got this new job I always wanted. But also sometimes sad because at times juggling a job and the kids can be tough (but only up given for short moments, most moments at those of joy) and taking life-changing decisions are not, and should not be, easy.

Something you wished for and got? A healthy little boy and the job I always wanted.  And the little but oh so important things, moments of love and joy with my little family.

Sibling love in the spring and summer of 2013

What did you spend most money on?
Children's clothing and otherwise stuff related to the move to Belgium.  We didn't do much travelling this year, only to Norway, though relatively speaking it was an expensive trip as Norway is soo expensive!  Oh, and of course our bathroom renovation.

Something you did NOT wish for and got?
Harald has been sick much more than Isolde was her first year of life.  Nothing serious but colds that are coming and going, probably because of viruses at Isolde's (pre)school.  It makes him suffer for days with a really clogged up nose, cough and something fever, but also makes the rest of the family suffer from sleep deprivation.   I guess it is pretty normal but I still wish we could avoid all germs!  I also had a terrible case of mastitis that I could have lived without.

Best film in 2013?
I can't remembering going to the cinema a single time in 2013, but at least we watched quite a few films at home.  My favourites as I think back are "Argo", "Silver Linings Playbook".

Seen films in 2013 and rated by me:

5+
Cloud Atlas
Argo
The Lady
Life of Pi

4+
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Skyfall
Silver Linings Playbook
Hugo
Oblivion
Now You See Me

3+
Sahara
Catch and Release
The Hobbit
The Heat

2+
Poseidon
This is the End
Despicable Me 2


What did you do on your birthday 2013?
I can't remember actually, I think we were just home as it was a Monday but went out for dinner the weekend before.

About to be a big sister, two years old, in January last year

How would you describe your style in 2013?
As I was on maternity leave and/or at least breastfeeding most of the year, I would say nursing tops were my no 1 wear.  Casual style, jeans or chinos with a nursing top, until August, and after that more work appropriate clothes, however, there is no strict dress code in my new workplace.

Is there anything that could have made your year even better?
In an ideal world I would have stayed home with Harald to the end of the year at least (at least 10 months, as with Isolde) before I started working, but you can't have everything.  I'm very grateful that he can be home with Peter instead of being in daycare.  My colleagues here in Brussels do not have that choice.  Some babies start already at four months old while some can stay home a bit longer to perhaps seven months, but the maximum is 10 months (4 months at regular pay levels, but then 6 months flatrate amount, which not everyone can live on).

Harald "the Seal" in his new home in Brussels in September (sadly after he learned how to crawl he stopped doing the seal)

What made you feel good?
Being with my family - the children are so much joy all the time (okay, there are moments you almost wish you didn't have them, but then five minutes later they are sweet or funny, and you forgot all about the bad times).  And also feeling that I took a step forwards in my career (hopefully).  And of course spending time with friends and doing things that I like such as blogging and reading blogs.

Sweetness most of the time

Who did you miss?
Our family and friends who we don't see that often since the move to Belgium :(

Best new people you met?
Well, in addition to the obvious reply, our latest family addition Harald, our new friends P & O here in Brussels.  We had met P a couple of times before, and I knew her through our blogs, but we hadn't met O and the children before. 

Our happy boy in October 2013

Most proud of?
Landing a new job in terms of my own accomplishments, but otherwise of Isolde who is doing so great in her new country and her new preschool.  She just loves her school and talks about as soon as she opens her blue eyes in the  morning.  And also of how she learnt to go to the toilet and other perhaps small but still big things, like put her own jacket on.

Spring 2013

Greatest wish right now?
That we make our life here in Brussels work, especially after the summer when we're both meant to work.  Making sure we have work-life balance and the kids are alright, also once we are two people working, one child at school and one child in the crèche.

What will you do differently next year?
Several things: stop procrastinating and waiting until last minute to do stuff, go to bed earlier, stop biting my nails, do some sort of exercise once a week, tell my husband I love him more often, have more sex (with said husband of course), get all our photos organised finally...

Plans for 2014?
Stay in Brussels beyond the summer, provided my contract gets extended and Peter finds a job.  Maybe rent a house after our current rental contract expires.  Make new friends in Brussels.  Have fun!

Last Thursday in November

• I found out today that I have a secretary at work. Just three months after I started haha :)  I of course knew that we have a few secretaries/assistants in the unit and I recall now that at some point I received an email with list of responsibilities for these colleagues and that one of them is working mainly for me and a couple of other colleagues.  But I had assumed that they were more working on administrative tasks given to them directly by the Head and the Deputy Head of Unit, and hadn't realised I could actually give them tasks or ask for help.  I'm so used to having to do everything myself from my previous job.  So for example, "my" (i.e. not just mine, I share him with several colleagues) secretary will book my flights for the business trip I'm doing next week and take care of all the related admin.
• I have lots of work at the moment.  Many briefings to write and also many conference and seminars to attend this time of the year.  And a fair share of training courses as well (though some sessions are perhaps only two hours long).  Luckily I haven't had to work that many extra hours (and I have flexitime so if I work longer one day I can leave earlier the next day, or accumulate and take half or a full day the following month) but it is hectic when I'm at work, and I also feel quite tired, especially this week. 
• Next week I'll be going on a business trip to Malmö and Lund in Southern Sweden for a day of meetings and study visits.  One of the briefings I've been working on is for this visit actually.  Luckily it is only for a day as my mum arrives that very evening.  
• Yesterday I went to my first after work drink since I got here. Well, that's not completely true as I've been out after work when a friend from Sweden was here for work, but this was the first proper AW with colleagues from the training course I went on in October.  I was home by 9om today as I felt a bit bad for Peter who's had a couple weeks of sick kids to take care of and has hardly been out of the house.
• And this week Peter has had both kids at home yet again, as Isolde came down with fever on Monday. It was really high, 40.7 at some point, which is probably a record for her, but Tuesday it was all gone. She stayed home Wednesday too though since it's a half-day anyway and she hadn't slept very well Tuesday night. Today was a school day and she was excited about going back. Harald is still coughing quite a lot at night and his node gets blocked but during the days he's fine and his appetite and good mood are back. 
• When Isolde had that high fever we gave her some paracetamol I bought here.  My that was some strong stuff!  I bought the kind appropriate or her weight (she weighs almost 12 kg), for 10-20 kg, which is 200 mg of paracetamol here, but in Sweden the strength for 10-15 kg is 125 mg.  We gave it to her just before bedtime, and it started working right away with the result that she didn't want to go to sleep.  After having been up for a while with us she fell asleep in our bed.  An hour or so later when we were going to bed we realised she was all wet because she had peed so much (fortunately she's still wearing nappies at night) and it had leaked in the front to her nightgown and onto our covers.  And when we took her temperature she only had 36.5.  It's like she peed the fever away instead of cold sweating.  Maybe it would have happened anyway but it feels like it was the paracetamol that did it.  Next morning she had normal temperature and the fever didn't return so I guess it was just some quick thing (or those paracetamol really scared whatever it was away for good!).
• My friend H. visited last weekend from Saturday to Sunday evening.  Saturday, after lunch she and I took a stroll around our neighbour and town centre (Stockel - Place Dumon).  It was fun for me to check out the shops, as I have hardly had the chance to do so since we moved here.  Afterwards all of us headed over to our friends Chris & Jacqui for fika (they know H. as well) and in the evening H. and I went out for dinner at one of the neighbourhood brasseries.  Actually my first evening meal out since we moved here.  On Sunday H. and I attempted to do some more shopping at a members-only outlet that P. invited me to.  We each bought one Christmas present, but then later when we were going to buy some more, the queues were so long (popular shop, especially since otherwise shops are closed on Sundays in Belgium) and we had to be back at a certain time in order to go and visit a friend of H.'s.  So I will have to go back this weekend to buy what I had picked out - hopefully I can still find the right sizes.  It was nice - mysigt - to have H. over and I hope she comes back soon (but before that we'll see each other in Sweden at Christmas), both on her own and with her family.
• In terms of other visits, I'm looking forward to my mum visiting next weekend, and we're also planning for my friend Jenny's visit together with her family in mid-end January.  Jenny normally lives in Brazil with her Brazilian fiancé and their daughter but she has just arrived in Sweden to spend three months there (so I will see her at Christmas too I hope).  Will be great to have them here next year!
• Isolde and I made some advent preparations earlier in the week and I will put up our advent lights tomorrow night or Saturday so we're ready for Sunday.  Last Friday we also bought a wreath for the door and an old-fashioned advent calendar at the Christmas bazar at the Swedish church. 
• By the way, before we went to the bazar last Friday we met my cousin Fredrik who's was in town on a very brief visit after a business trip to other parts of Belgium.  After a short tour of Grand Place and Mannekin Pis, we went to a very classic Brussels place, Le Cirio, for some food and drink.  This place was actually very child-friendly and we had no problems taking the pram inside and there was even a changing station in the toilets.  It was fun to catch up with Fredrik and we hope to see him too here again in the near future, hopefully with his family.

 

Thursday Again

This post is dedicated to Mette! ;)

• This week has been busy work-wise (not too many extra hours but hectic while at work) and I can't wait for the weekend to come! I'm looking forward to getting some sleep (as much as you can get with two small children - luckily they don't wake up as early as they used to) and hanging out with my family.
• This weekend I'm also looking forward to having our lovely neighbours over for dinner. Peter has seen them (or at least three out of four family members) several times but I haven't seen them for over a month (since E was one week old and now she's six weeks!). 
• Today and tomorrow I'm attending a conference on youth unemployment. I discovered that the venue also has a spa - must check if it would be a nice place to spend a day or even spend the night. It's located outside of town in the - currently very autumn beautiful and colourful - forest. 
• Harald turned 8 months last weekend (12th) and it reminded me that I haven't posted his 6-7 month-old report yet. On the to do-list for this weekend!
• Last weekend we had a lovely visit by my parents. The weather wasn't cooperating for most of the visit except for on Saturday when we were even able to have lunch outside. But more about visits in a separate post!
• We have finally booked tickets to go and visit friends in the UK at the turn of the month! We'll be driving and on the way there we'll cross the English Channel by ferry and on the way home we'll take Le Shuttle, i.e. the train for cars. 
• Isolde will have a week off pre-school at the end of the month (just before our England trip) and when she returns she'll start attending full days (08:30-15:30), which means she will also eat and nap there. We just filled out her food order for November. The food sounds really good - it's always three-course lunches - and sounds much better than Swedish preschool and especially school lunches, but I heard at the parent teacher conference that there's a new provider and people aren't that happy, so we'll see. But you have to agree with me that this sounds delicious! 

5 November: turnip soup - salmon, macaroni and spinach cream - gruyère - biscuit
6 November: split pea soup - diced chicken, haricots provencale, bulgur - fruit yoghurt
7 November: parsnip soup - beef stew, garden vegetables, parsley puré - dried fruits

Thursday Points

• My parents have just arrived to spend the weekend with us. My mum came with the kids and me when we moved here at the end of August and also visited me when I lived here back in 2002/2003, but my dad has never been to Belgium. So we'll do some touristy stuff at the weekend, probably a repeat of when Maria and Daniel were here a couple of weeks ago. Tomorrow I am working but my parents, Peter and the kids will explore our neighbourhood and/or go to Tervuren (forest/park). 
• This week I've attended a three day training course on working for the EU covering everything from basic EU knowledge (mainly on institutions and the links between them) to working in an extremely multicultural environment (I'm still amazed every day just how many nationalities there are - I knew it already of course, but now I'm really realising it) to problem-solving skills to procedures. It was a really interesting and good course that really concentrated on our work situation and personal skills and competences. It was extremely interactive (sometimes a bit too much for my taste, such as making short plays to illustrate situations; acting is not my thing) and almost everything was done in pair or groups. The majority of the participants were newcomers like me who have arrived within the last six months. Really good crowd, and I hope to see some of them again. 
• Tomorrow it's back to (real) work again and I have several urgent tasks waiting and next week looks to be a busy one too. The honeymoon is definitely over! But it's fun so I'm not complaining, just stating fact! 
• We're planning to drive to the UK to visit friends for a long weekend at beginning of November. We just need to book the train or the ferry to cross the channel. Can't believe we can actually drive from here to see our friends! It's supposed to take 5,5 hours non-stop but travelling with two young children means we'll take our time. 

Brussels Sprouts

We have some exciting times ahead of us! It's old news for some of you, as we've known for some time now - it's been in the process since February and was finally confirmed in early June - but for the rest of you; we're moving to Brussels, Belgium, at the end of August! This is the main reason why it's been quiet on the blog at times. Well, that and having had another baby in February, resulting in lack of "me time" since then. But the main reason has been that the move - the decisions related to it and all the stuff that needs to be organised - has taken a lot of energy. In a positive way of course since this is something we really want to do, but it is still something that has occupied my mind a lot. Before the job was finally confirmed in June I didn't want to reveal anything on the blog.  But I have felt like I've been hiding something from you and posting about other stuff has felt unimportant and a bit pointless. Except for about the kids and especially about Harald of course. Now when I have "come clean" about our plans I can go all in and write every day of course! :) Though I doubt I'll have time now when I have less three weeks to pack! Yikes!

So why are we going? I've been offered and accepted a job at the European Commission. Initially I felt the timing wasn't great as I had planned to stay home longer with Harald - and when the Commission contacted me the first time in late January - early February he hadn't even been born yet - but as I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance again I wanted to give it a shot. And in many ways the timing is very good, as Peter can take parental leave to start with and doesn't need to find a job right away. It would probably have been a more difficult decision if we'd have had the stress of him finding a job (we could live on one salary for a while but would prefer not to). My contract is one year to begin with, with a possible (and probable) extension up to three years*. I have been granted a leave of absence from my job here in Sweden, which give us both job security if we do return after a year.  Our intention is to stay in Brussels for three years but we also like the fact that we have the first year to see how it goes and if we like it.  There's also the risk that the Commission may not be able to extend after the first year, as this position is always dependent on the availability of funding, so again, very grateful for the leave of absence / parental leave.  Peter has to find a job and we don't want the move to affect the children, especially Isolde (Harald will probably care less where we are), in any negative way.  Isolde is a very social and carefree little girl so we hope she'll adjust fine even though she may find it difficult at start not understanding the language of course.  But children learn so quickly.  I've heard people say that kids start picking up new words already after a couple of weeks.  As it looks now she'll stay at home with Peter for the first month or two (he'll have a handful!) and then start pre-school, maternelle (more on that later).  For the children the timing couldn't be better, as I think it's much easier for them to make the transition at this age before they have started school and made too many friends, etc. (though I'm all for it at any age in theory) compared to if this opportunity had come in five years' time.

I've dreamt about going abroad again (I've lived abroad for almost 6 years before but I've been home in Sweden for ten years now) for a long time, and living real life (not student or trainee life) abroad, and also about working for the EU institutions, but when the opportunity actually arose it was a different matter!  In many ways the decision was easy for the reasons explained above - I couldn't really turn it down - but I don't only have myself to think about now but a whole family, and we wanted to make an informed decision.  So we spent a few days doing research about what it would mean for us financially to move and also, and perhaps more importantly, move back to Sweden in a few years' time.  What would happen to our parental benefits, pensions, mortgage payments, student loan payments, tax, insurances, etc.?  What impact it would have on us as a family, our children, our extended family? Lots of things to think about.  Not all affecting the decision as such, but good to think about and to be aware of.  I only had a few days to accept the offer, but after that there was a period of a couple of months when I waited for the next step in the process, whereby I had to present evidence of my qualifications, job experience, etc. and also go through a medical examination (mainly for the medical insurance that comes with the job), before the position was made final.  The interview took place in early March**, the "evidence and medical visit" to Brussels in early May, and in June it was all finally confirmed.  And 2 September I start!

The drawback of moving to another country is of course being far away from our family and friends.  We're "taking away" the grandchildren from mormor, morfar, farmor & farfar but we hope they as well as our friends (you!) will come and visit often (we have a guest room!) and we'll also spend most of our holidays back in Sweden.  We're grateful that it's 2013 and the communication opportunities are endless - Skype, Viber, Facebook, Instagram, email, sms, etc.  We have some friends in Brussels already, which is nice, and some of them have young children as well.  Peter is a bit nervous about how to "entertain" two kids in a new place in the beginning but luckily there are two mothers Peter can hang out***.  One of them is the wife (and now friend) of a former colleague of mine who's expecting their second child any day now (and they have a four-year old already).  Unfortunately they are moving back to the UK in April next year but we'll have almost nine months to hang out with them.

The other mother is fellow blogger and Swede Petra whom we've both met a few times - once in Stockholm (just me), once in New York and once in Brussels (now in May) and maybe on one further occasion??  She's expecting number two in the next few weeks - and big brother V is just eight months younger than Isolde - and will be home with the baby and can hang out with Peter.  We'll actually be neighbours - same building, different flights of stairs - as Petra has very kindly helped us find accommodation****!  Very fortunate for us, Petra and her (Spanish) husband Oscar (whom we haven't had the chance to meet yet but are looking forward to getting to know!), have some (also Swedish) friends who happened to plan to return to Sweden during almost the same period we were looking to rent somewhere, so that has worked out perfectly!   Petra and Oscar rented their flat for a while a couple of years ago before they decided to buy in the same building!  We really liked the flat when we visited in May so we think it's going to be a great year, both living in the flat and having Petra and family nextdoors!  Even though Petra and I have only met IRL a few times it feels like we know each other so well, as we're been following each other's blogs for several years.  Can't wait to become proper IRL friends! :)

We're very excited about this new phase in our lives!  Now we just need to get through these next couple of weeks of sorting out the last bits of various paperwork and packing all of our stuff.  We're not bringing any furniture, "only" boxes with clothes and kitchen items, etc. as well as our bicycles and larger children's items, but it still takes time!  The removers come on 19 or 20 August and Peter leaves on 21 August to drive down with our car and I fly down with the kids (and my parents) on the 23rd.  Our stuff will arrive on 26 or 27th, which will give us almost a week to unpack and settle in before I start work.

So that's our big news!  Now I have to book those flights so we can definitely go! :)

* So called "contractual agent" contract (there are two categories; the one other is up to six years).  I have been in a database for contractual agent jobs since 2007 when I took and passed an exam, a so-called concours.  This was the third interview but the first actual offer, and it was also the first opportunity at the European Commission; the other jobs have been at other EU organs.
** I was meant to do the interview on 18 February but when Harald arrived unexpectedly on 12 February, I was able to change the date to 6 March.  It was always planned to be over VTC though, as I wouldn't have been able to travel that late in the pregnancy, and when I Harald was only
*** The Swedish church has a play group twice a week that I'm sure he and the kids will be frequent visitors too.
**** And helped me with my thousand other questions!  Thank you so much!  I'm eternally grateful! 

Blogmeet (and Work) in Lund

This evening you find me in a hotel room at Lilla Hotellet in Lund due to a little work trip (onto Malmö tomorrow).  I took the train southwards mid-day today and when arrived and settled in the hotel, I met up with Västmanländskan and accompanied her home to her family for dinner and a chat.  It was the first time we met and it's always so exciting to meet a fellow blogger IRL!  Thank you for a lovely evening!

I walked back to the hotel through beautiful Lund scenery on a warm evening. Summer is really here now! Here are some pictures from my walk.

It's very green now.  I love the yellowy green of early summer!

Lund University Library, Lund's most beautiful building according to Västmanländskan (if I remember correctly).

I liked this student house.

I love all the brick buildings in Lund.  I think this is the the University's Department of Philosophy.

There's an exhibition about climate change outside the Cathedral.

One of many streets with cute little houses in Lund.

A Night at the Post Office

Time to tuck in at the new Clarion Post Hotel in Gothenburg. I'm here for work event which will consume most of my time tomorrow before I get on a train back to Stockholm in the evening. Tonight I went out for dinner with a friend and colleague and we ended up at Bishop's Arms where we had fish & chips and was convinced to participate in their weekly quiz night. The food was so-so - but I liked the traditional packaging - and we didn't fare too well in the quiz (let's blame it on those Gothenburg questions...) but the beer was good and the company lovely.

Lately...

...I've been a very busy bee (more on that later and separately) and Isolde has been looking at sheep. She was both fascinated and a bit scared.

Breather

The boss is away all week, which usually means less ad hoc tasking.  On the other hand, we're two people down in the team (training course) this week, which usually mean more random requests.  So plus minus zero, as we say in Swedish.  I sure hope though that this week will allow me to catch up on my backlog (two-three hectic weeks have caused major pile-up) because next week I'm going to be in London on training all week and I'd really want to clear my inbox as much as possible before then!  We'll see how much work I'm able to do tomorrow though because at the moment I have a sick husband (flu symptoms but I sure hope it's just something temporary or light) so I may have to stay home with Isolde (and this being Sweden I could actually take VAB - compensation for staying home with a sick child - if he calls in sick even if he's on parental leave right now). 

Northern Friends

Gotta love BBC's reporting from the Northern Future Forum!   Can't embed the video for some reason so you have to go directly to the page.

More serious reporting from BBC here and here.  And a short clip from SVT:

Twenty Twelve

Since part of my job right now is related to the London 2012 Olympics (nope, I cannot get anyone tickets; I don't even get to go myself) I just have to watch the BBC comedy show "Twenty Twelve" about the organisation of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Thursday

Today was one of those days at work when you're taking it easy and looking forward to having some time off (only worked two days this week) and you're already in holiday mood when you realise that "oh, s**t, there's lots of stuff I need to finish before the end of the day and it's already 3 pm!". So I had to stay an extra hour (which is not that bad after all) but now I can relax until the next day in the office, 9 January.

In other news, Isolde has slept through the night for the first time in over six weeks! Last night she slept from 8pm to 5:20 and then in our bed until 06:45, and the night before, our first night back in the flat, from 8pm to 7am. If it's not a one-off, or two one-offs to be exact, it proves that we were disturbing her (and she us) when we were all sleeping in the same (tiny) room in our temporary accommodation (first my parents for 1 1/2 weeks and then Peter's parents for 3 1/2 weeks). The last two nights she's been in her own room (her new room, pictures coming soon!). The last six weeks have been really tiring with Isolde waking literally every night and often staying awake for 1-2 hours. Not what you need in general but especially not when you are working every day. She's had periods of irregular sleep before but never so long and so consistent. And those times one of us could go and sleep in a different room (the couch) but that wasn't possible at our parents (but we're so grateful we had somewhere to stay during the renovation!!).

So fingers crossed this new sleep pattern is a permanent one!

Sleeping in Gothenburg

I am in Gothenburg on business and I don't know what I'm looking forward to the most, the prospect of interrupted sleep* for one night or two hours Christmas shopping tomorrow after my meetings have finished... Irrespectively I should probably turn off the lights now, as it's 10:30 pm and I need to get up by 7 am the latest.


* Isolde has had trouble sleeping lately.  She has no difficulties turning in sometime between 7 or 8 pm but then wakes up every night between 2 or 4 am, usually around 2, and then doesn't want to go back to sleep for at least 1½ hours... Don't know if it's a phase or because we're not in our own home or due to other changes in her life (me going back to work).  She's her usual happy-go-lucky self during the day though - except that she's picky with her food right now - so I think it's probably a phase. 

First Week

It's Sunday evening and tomorrow I start my second work week post-maternity leave. The first two days of week 1, I didn't think that much about Isolde and actually just thought it was nice to get a "break" from motherhood. But towards the end of the week I was really missing her and missing her development (well, I didn't think about her that much during the day but when I got home and saw her I felt like I had been missing something). The second part of the week felt worse not only because the change had started to sink in but also because I had to commute from Södertälje, and had a longer day away from her than at the beginning of the week. I shouldn't really complain about commuting though since I'd only do it temporarily and so far I have only commuted for real one day (Friday) as Thursday Peter and Isolde also went to town and we took the car. But Friday's commute felt sooo looong - I left the house at 7:30am and returned at 7pm. Driving on Thursday took only a little over one hour. I'd like to be green but I think I may be driving even those days when Peter isn't going to town. We're probably just staying in Södertälje for another week so it's not like I'm polluting that much/for that long. If it hadn't been this early after going back to work I wouldn't have cared as much maybe but now it doesn't feel good to leave a sleeping baby in the morning and return just before her bedtime.

This weekend I also - which was perhaps bad timing but I didn't want to bail out - spent Saturday night at a friend's house for a party. But I didn't leave until 5pm Saturday afternoon and returned today at 1pm so I still got to catch up with Isolde over the weekend. By the way, it doesn't seem that she has really understood yet that there's been a change of "management". She's happy when I come home from work but she doesn't seem to really know how long I've been gone and she doesn't seem to have started missing me yet. Part of me is happy that she's so content with her dad but the other part would want to see more hurt feelings haha :) But all in all it's good of course since I think it's the right choice to go back to work now and share the parental leave 50-50. And I'm really enjoying work and look forward to getting down to business with my new responsibilities.

In other Isolde news, she had her 10-month check-up this week. This one was not just measurements (but those were 7,740 gr and 68 cm) but also a developmental update with the doctor (normally we just see the nurse). Everything was in order and we learnt a few interesting things about children's development at this age, for example that eating food on her own (i.e. not being fed but picking pieces of food with her fingers, also stimulates speech development because when she's putting stuff into her own mouth she uses her mouth differently (basically more the front than the back of the mouth) and thus trains different nerves and muscles. So now she'll only get finger food for a while! Haha, maybe not but definitely more than before. As she's also rather a lightweight still, the doctor also recommended cold pasta (fusilli or similar) as a snack - many calories but also a good finger food and easy to bring with you when out and about.

Father's Time & More

Today, the day before Peter starts his parental leave (and I go back to work) was very appropriately Father's Day.  We didn't celebrate much (not Mother's Day in May either) this year*, as we were busy packing all our kitchen stuff ahead of Wednesday, the big day, when our complete kitchen renovation starts.  We also need to pack all loose items in our bedroom, living room and hallway, and move some furniture around, as the same company will paint and wallpaper those rooms too, but that's for tomorrow and Tuesday night.  I don't understand how we have so much stuff, even though we left some stuff in the attic when we moved in, as we knew we were going to do some work later on in the year... Wish us luck for the next couple of days, we need it!

* I suspect these days will become more of a big deal as Isolde grows up and comes home with Mother's/Father's Day drawings from pre-school :)

Last Two Weeks...

The count-down has started! 11 days until I go back to work and lots to fit in that limited time!

Past...
Mon 31 Oct: We came back from the US mid-day, unpacked (half of the stuff), did laundry, rested...
Tues 1 Nov:Peter went back to work while Isolde and I slept until 11 and didn't do much the rest of the day except for meeting up with Peter to buy food for our anniversary dinner.
Wed 2 Nov: (today): Away Day with work (quite exciting for me; I'm going to have an almost new job description, which is the challenge I was looking for). Isolde had a great time with her grandparents.

Ahead...
Thur 3 Nov: Roadtrip to Sandviken to meet and spend the day with Anki and E. Looking forward to seeing Isolde and E. play.
Fri 4 Nov: Lunch date with Malin and all three kids, dinner with Peter's parents and his sister and husband to celebrate three birthdays
Sat 5 Nov: Baby-sitting Wera in the afternoon and then staying for dinner with her parents Åsa and Rikard
Sun 6 Nov: Visit by my parents and brother including brunch at Villa Källhagen, dinner at Peter's cousin Sandra with husband to meet their newborn son Axel.

Mon 7 Nov: Quick work meeting in the morning for me while Isolde visit Peter's work, baby song and dance mid-day
Tues 8 Nov: "Open pre-school" (öppna förskolan) followed by walk with the mummy group, my last time with them for a while at least :( Show/Stand-up (Ljust och fräscht) for me and my friend H. in the evening.
Wed 9 Nov: No plans yet
Thur 10 Nov: Might go the Thursday baby song and dance group, as we missed one session when we were in the US, otherwise no plans.  Work reception for me in the evening.
Fri 11 Nov: Dinner with friends Maria, Daniel and Jenny AND Jenny's new boyfriend Mauro from Brazil - first time we get to meet him!
Sat 12 Nov: Fika at Suvi &Nick's to meet little Edward again
Sun 13 Nov: Probably going down to Södertälje to celebrate my brother's birthday and Father's Day, unless we go Saturday instead

And in between: sort photos, start making some photobooks, write in Isolde's diary (I'm so behind!), maybe bake some saffron buns for Christmas (before our kitchen renovation starts on 15 November), pack all kitchen stuff and more ahead of the renovation, take long walks (though Isolde doesn't like the pushchair at the moment...), and cuddle a lot!


- via Isoldes padda

Little Pianist

Future concert pianist in the making?

Thanks H, T, E & H for the piano (christening present)!

Bored?

Isolde accompanied me to work for a training course today. Here she's sound asleep in the arms of my colleague and friend H (also one of Isolde's god mothers). At lunch time Peter's parents picked up and babysat* Isolde for about 2½ hours before Peter collected her. She's still not keen on bottles so didn't really eat until I got home, but seemed to cope well with five hours without food (except for a few mouthfuls from the bottle).

* I only found out about the course on Monday but Peter's parents were VERY happy to assist; their first time! Mum - your turn next!

Refill

Putting in another hour or so of work but first, time to reload the batteries.



Via Anna's iPhone