Happy New Year!

Resolution: to write more ;-)

Back again...

I am so bad with keeping a blog. I get ideas and then never manage to co-ordinate the ideas with actually finding the time to put them down!

Today started rough... it is getting better now. We have friends over and I think that wine is soon in order... Ahhhh....

Back again...

My poor ignored little blog! There have been quite a few times that I wanted to come back to write but, just because I have left it for so long, I felt overwhelmed ;)

Quite a bit has happened since the last time I wrote: We were able to do some clever banking/mortgage revisiting/interest redirectment. All I have to say is "Shit- why didn't we think of this ages ago!". We're all back into the fall routine of school. I picked up an extra teaching contract so that money will come in very handy to pay for our trip to Denmark/Sweden next summer. Cool! We're all pretty excited! Well, maybe not Oliver. I don't think he gets that yet.

Speaking of Oliver, he has actually been "kind of" sleeping in his crib at daycare. Hell, I'll take any little step. He is still wanting to nurse at night. You would think that, after 2 children, I would be a pro at #3. I honestly have no idea on how to get him off night feeds, unless I wake the whole house up every night. Not very feasible!

Alexander is in grade 2 and Nicklas is in his final year at daycare. How time flies! It is amazing. Sometimes I look at their baby pictures, just to remind me. Not only does time fly but my brain cells are also dying by the minute...

A and I are busy with grant writing. Seriously, as much as I enjoy the writing, I think that the low success rates are pretty short sighted by those who hold the $$. They are not giving us "youngies" a fair and fighting chance- THIS is why we are moving on...

I will try to get better at posting pictures. Even if no one else ever reads this blog, I would like to keep it alive. Maybe the boys will be interested in it some day...

Pay day tomorrow... and counting down the hours!

Thankfully, tomorrow is pay day! I am getting pretty frutstrated with our crappy financial situation (maternity leave, student loan, no full time job from April until June), especially since I have put in so much time, effort and debt into getting my PhD. Wahhhh! Oh well...(as my favourite saying goes) this too shall pass.... We'll get it together. We are lucky because we have a chance. I have to believe in it.

Man, I have to get a helmet.... or an armoured car!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2011/07/31/ville-marie-closed.html

Time flies....

Wow- quite a bit has happened since my last post. I turned 41, O started walking, started getting a regular paycheck again from the hospital job, wrote the preliminary draft of the research project, joined the community pool, got through 2 rounds of being popsicle parent for the boys' soccer games... you get the drift- lots of stuff in suburbia ;)

We also got back to that beautiful summer house so here are some pictures. That place is a real treasure chest of beautiful stuff. When we were last there (the time from the pictures), I met a woman- a friend of the family that we were visiting- and she is equally an antiques geek. Ah, a kindred spirit!

Proscrastinating.... oops ;)

We had a busy weekend. Saturday, I finally got our bedroom organized. Our boys like to stay in our bed on the weekends so, as they grew, I got an extra single bed and pushed it up against ours to give some much needed space. So on Saturday, I decided to just use a matress and leave it under our bed when not in use. This way we pull it out when A and N are staying in our room and can put it away later. Plus it is a bit like camping- they seem to really like it and N can't fall out of the bed! We then had 2 soccer games, a birthday party for A and a local fair for N. I hung out with O at home so that he could take a quiet nap. Bonus was that, during nap time, I got to finish moving the single bed downstairs to the room that will "one day be A's" and I even had a quiet cup of coffee on the patio.
Sunday was Father's Day- I think that Andreas liked it.... especially the ice cream cake!

I also decided that, if science doesn't work out within the next 2 years, I will open up a children's clothing store- Scandinavian funky style. I have absolutely zero business experience but I think that I would really like it. I think that the name "Lek" is good (Swedish for play) but Andreas prefers my choice #2 of "Snofsi", which is kind of like Fancy pants in Sweden. Oh well- I have LOTS of time to think about it ;)

Today is back to work. I need to get writing but am not feeling very inspired. Perhaps another cup of coffee? Holy caffeine, Batman!

As the week ends...

Hmm... what can I say? A is home with strep throat. The doctor didn't even have to send us for tests. Now I am a little worried about N and O- especially O because he can't TELL me that his throat is bugging him...

Andreas managed to get under my skin again. I seriously have to learn how to let things roll off my back more. He just has no filter between wanting to say something and then actually saying it. Does this phenomenon lie in the Y chromosome? ;)

A tale of 2 blogs: I follow a blog that is written by a lovely young woman in Copenhagen. She is pregnant with her first child, posts about what she makes for lunch, who she has coffee with and what type of car seat she ordered for her baby. She even mentions when the delivery of the car seat is late. I love her innocence.
The other blog I follow is written by a woman who had a stillborn baby boy. She is now into her second high risk pregnancy and is on bedrest. She writes about ultrasounds, fetal echos, leaking amniotic fluid and the possibility of burying her second baby in a year. I admire her strength.
My reality is 3 beautiful boys, a lovely (sometimes) husband who I am lucky to have, an overall satisfying life, money issues, too-big-student-loan-debts, not being able to sit and relax with a cup of coffee and not being able to get a good night sleep. I am not blogger #1, nor blogger #2....
Do we belong to the same universe?

This weekend will be filled with soccer games, birthday parties, sun screen and too much coffee in order to keep up energy levels ;)

See you!

The home on the hill...

On the weekend we went up north to my friends' family summer house (now try to say that ten times fast!). The place was absolutely amazing. Not only was it a beautiful, pallatial house but it was also a time capsule, containing all the goodness from yesteryear. It had so many classic, nostalgic details that I got really excited (maybe they thought I was drunk). From the 1970's electric can opener to the drinking glasses with the playing card motif (you know- the ones that used to hold mustard) to the wonderful tiles in the bathroom. I actually took pictures and was sooo looking forward to posting them! Bummer is that they are on my mobile and I can't find the software that I need to download them on the computer. AND I was cheap and got rid of my data plan! Something to look forward to, I guess ;)

Three things that I want to share today

I love these cloth diapers (and one of the owners is a friend of mine- I think that she is really cool):

http://www.applecheeks.ca/site/en/Who_About_AppleCheeks.html

I love this blog:

http://classiccopenhagen.blogspot.com/

I love these kids! ;)

Thank God its Friday !

Decadence in a bottle

I know that this is totally cheesy but I bought a bottle of black nail polish yesterday and I love it. I blame my friend Kerri (with her dark eggplant nails) for inspiring me. This morning I put it on and I feel quite decadent. See- this is what happens when you hit 40, live in the 'burbs and have so many children that you can't keep their names straight ;)

Here is my new nailpolish: http://www.bellasugar.com/products/nail-polish/215433808?fl%5B0%5D=p7

How to keep a house clean and other stories...

Yesterday I asked my friends on FB how I can work full time AND keep a house clean. Now, I need to add that I do not mean magazine-type clean. I just mean clean enough that O can crawl around on the floor and not get attacked by killer dust bunnies. Overall consensus is that it is not possible unless I nag. Considering that I do that anyway, I will try it out ;)

We took N to his soccer practice last night. I was pretty glad that we could at least get there and start playing before the thunderstorm started. He gets totally freaked out if he misses soccer. Man, I seriously have no idea how he gets so stubborn and competitive. OK, I will admit it- yes, I do know but I try to hide it from most people. Andreas has it in him as well. Guess that is what you get from the offspring of two people with PhDs ;)

Anyway, when the storm struck, a lot of our neighbours ended up losing their electricity. Glad we escaped that one!

Goals for today: make a dent in the work-front and cleaning the living room (on my lunch break, of course). I also hope to down a little less coffee than yesterday- addict!

Google maps... a cheap visit to another city ;)

When I need a little break from working, I sometimes go on Google maps. My favourite is to go "back" to Copenhagen and have a little "visit". I also go to Lund (Sweden) where I used to live with Andreas when we first moved in together. I know it is pathetic ;), but it can be fun..

This is where I used to work.. enjoy the neighbourhood!

http://maps.google.ca/maps?rlz=1T4TSHC_enCA338DK345&q=panum+institute&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

Ahhhh... summer weather!

Finally it is seeming more and more like summer... :)

There is something fabulous (even though it gets very hot and humid here) about summer: people come out of their houses! I have neighbours that I very rarely see all winter but, come summer, we catch up. I love it!

Bummer...

I didn't get the new job but I have to consider myself lucky for at least having what I have. The paycheck would have been nice, though... :(

Silence

Today I sat outside for my "break" and had a moment of silence. Wow- it happens so rarely that I have a hard time just letting it happen.

So sorry...

I have been so bad at keeping up here... my poor soapbox ;)
We have had so much rain lately but the sun is finally out and shining today. Bummer that it is a Monday..
So the end of the world has come and gone. Unfortunately, despite the fact that I didn't believe it, there has been so much tragedy in the form of natural events (tornados, earth quakes, floods). It does get a bit spooky..
Busy lately with soccer games, school stuff and overall little boy hyperactivity that I feel really tired. I still haven't heard about my big job interview, even though I am very happy with the one that I got. Let's see what happens....
Off to another meeting....

The power of the positive...

Can positive thinking influence how life "treats" you? I am going to conduct an experiment that stipulates at least 15 minutes of true, hard core positive thinking. I think I can, I think I can.... ;)

Fresh start

It is finally spring! Not just the calendar version of spring but the spring that you can feel in the air... About friggin' time!

This year, I just can't seem to shake a bad feeling. I know that it is probably all in my head but I always feel like there is a fist in the middle of my chest. Maybe I am just totally exhausted and stressed out (Thanks to the baby and my lack of solid job offer)... Sometimes I just feel that I am in major need of a fresh start. I don't have enough hair to cut short. I already colour my hair on a regular basis. The only thing that keeps me really happy are my boys and A. Hmmm...

Homesick for a past "home"...

A and I used to live in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a city that holds lots of great memories for me: good friends, great lifestyle, good lab, our first child, getting married, finding out we were going to have baby #2... anyway, the list continues...
Although we now live in the city that I grew up in (actually, our house is about 20 minutes away from where I lived for most of my life), it is funny how I feel homesick for Copenhagen. While I was finishing my PhD, I had to return often (which I really liked). One time I had a very strange experience: it was about the same time of the year that we had left and I kept seeing our "ghosts" there. It was almost like there was another reality where we had stayed. I actually checked my watch a few times, catching myself thinking that I should be picking Alexander from vuggestuen soon. I found myself drawn to places that we used to frequent. It was a bit strange- maybe it was jetlag ;)
Anyway, I am feeling a bit "homesick" again lately. Maybe I need a fresh start...

Guess not all writing can be good..

I always feel that I have to have something clever to write. This is why I never kept a journal. I admire people who can just.... write.

I am looking for a job. It is a pretty sad situation considering I have 10 years of grad studies and a hefty student loan to prove it! I have been sending out CVs but I am feeling a little bit hopeless. I am finding a few really interesting job postings but I can't let myself get too excited about them. One of my colleagues at CU said something interesting: You have to make them see that you are the only one for that job. How amazingly simple... ;) A part of me really would like to have a new start. I would LOVE to get a job back in Denmark or Sweden. That would be so great. Honestly, the only thing that I would feel bad about is that A loves his school and his friends. I know that it would make him sad to leave. Maybe I am reading too much into the thoughts of a 6 year old...

I'll keep you up to date...

What is up with all the train wrecks?

Charlie Sheen is a train wreck. Gadhafi is a train wreck. Milena Penkowa is a train wreck. Wait... who is that?
Milena Penkowa is a researcher that I used to work with. When I knew her, I was not aware of her blind political ambitions. She seemed OK. Not exactly someone who I would be best friends with but she was friendly and seemed nice. I did not have any reason to doubt her ethics or professionalism. No, that is not true. Actually, I did but I honestly never believed that she was capable of any of this. Naive me... It has been a bit of a reality call. It is too bad but there is a lot of crap out there. I almost understand her motivations, though. Science is based on how much you produce and not does not necessarily evaluate the quality of what is done. It is better to put a paper "out there" rather than to take the time to double/triple check your results. Also, the shiny objects are rewarded over and over. She desperately thought that she merited being a shiny object. She did everything to be that comet. Sad is when it is done on the backs of poor students, other scientists and the integrity of our field. Now it is played out in the Danish media: the comet has crashed and burned. Sad.

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110107/full/news.2011.703.html

Definitely in the wrong weather zone!

I know that I say this every year (and nothing really changes) but what the hell am I doing in a "winter" country? Seriously. I was born here so it is not a question of eventually "getting used to it". I just cannot handle winter. The only time that it is acceptable is just before Christmas. Other than that, I wish that we could just fast-forward until Spring. Bah-humbug, Winter. I need to wear my sandals!

I did it!

I have been thinking of starting a blog for a while now. So, after having checked out many blogs (research) and coming up with a name, I did it! My very own soapbox! Never said that it would be interesting, though...