Ring in the New Year..
…with a ‘questionnaire’…
…for a ‘time capsule’… (thank you ‘Imagination Tree’)
…to be buried in the garden…
…dinner…
..with old friends…
…speeches of humour….
…sparklers in icecream…
…and fireworks….
Wishing you a Happy New Year 2014!
🙂
Richard took Leon, Maya and Alfie ski-ing in the troll forest first (while I looked after Ted), whereafter I went just with Leon and Maya – and Alfie had a well earned rest!
Truly a fun area – full of wooden trolls, wooden buildings to the troll village (a farm, a school, a church, a blacksmith, etc), all tucked in the depths of the forest!
Admittedly, the fun of ski-ing and looking overrode my need to take photos – so much more to see! Truly magical! 🙂
We all went to ‘Trollskogen’ (the troll forest) for our last day of ski-ing.
Ted is not ski-ing yet, so I took him to the children’s snow play park – a great place where young children can practise their ski skills..or just hang out, which is what Ted did…
Essentially the ‘swing’ is to practise sitting on (with skis) for when you use a ski lift, and the ‘tunnels’ are for ski-ing through, while the conveyer belts are for practising ski-ing off down a small hill and for keeping balance while being carried along by a lift, and the animals are obstacles to ski round…
….but the conveyer belt is also fun to lie down on and transport snowballs (again and again and again), and the obstacles (mouse and penguin) need to be fed….. 🙂
It’s wonderful to observe Alfie, who is often so cautious with new things, so enthusiastic at ski school. Here they are playing a game called ‘The Bear Sleeps’…
And it’s wonderful to have farmor (our Swedish grandmother) to babysit the little ones while the big ones can play!
Just wonderful that after all these years I can learn to ski, and despite the mist and the cold winds, I can go up in to the mountains, and ski all the way down with my husband and eldest children! 🙂
Days after Christmas, spent at ski-school..
…with lego building boys…
..an evening ‘Valle’ show….
…which was outside, at the bottom of the ski slopes, by the beautiful Christmas tree…
Unfortunately, it has also been spent with a visit to the doctor for Maya, who is suffering an ear infection, and two out of three boys suffering stomach bugs. Only Alfie is still bouncing like a rubber ball!
Fingers crossed we’re all better soon!
🙂
Here we are, with family, enjoying Christmas whilst ski-ing in Sälen, six hours north of Stockholm.
We arrived on Sunday after our long drive. By Monday we were on the slopes – both myself and Alfie for the first time!
Day 1 : A clear sky, and Alfie takes his first ‘steps’…
Day 2 : Christmas Eve. Slightly cloudy, slightly rainy. The kids give everyone in the family their (mostly) homemade presents…
I get to take a turn with Leon, on a very wet day…
We realise Alfie had been put in the wrong group. He is now put in the right one (beginners) – ‘the snowballs’ – very cute…
…and Father Christmas comes to visit (it’s Sweden after all!)……
….he’s looking like he needs a haircut this year…
A couple of kids are nervous…
…but two out of four dare to give him a hug…
Day 3 : Christmas Day, and there are stockings to be opened (we need to keep our English traditions after all!)..
…and new board games to be played…
(Yes, that’s our Christmas porridge in the pan!)
…before heading out to the (rather slushy) slopes again…
…though this time, Alfie’s desperate to get back to play with his new presents…
I wonder what the rest of the week will bring? 😉
A Happy Christmas to you all!
🙂
A little present for some little friends…
I decided to send my Godson and his sister this fun package in the mail – original idea from http://katherinemaries.com, though I changed a little here and there.
In the box:
Sledges ; Gingerbread snaps
Ready made snowmen ; Marshmallow snowmen
Reindeer noses ; Round red sweets
Rope ; Red string sweets
Snowballs ; Mini marshmallows
Winter pick me up ; Peppermint sweets
Hot chocolate drink mix (2)
Gingerbread spices
Mr & Mrs Gingerbread
I have a feeling they’ll be enjoying their ‘winter survival kit’…
🙂
There may be no snow here, but the still, greyness of winter has definitely arrived…
Cold on the outside, warmth on the inside..
Brightening up the darkness with lights outside, as well as in…
Animals on the search for food – we were lucky to see a family of deer – this last one was easier to catch on camera..
I edited this one for a closer look. So pretty…
So much stillness…
Not a soul in sight, not a gust of wind, not a sound…
Just silence!
🙂
A paper plate, some green paint, some Christmas sequins and a little glitter makes for a great homemade wreath!
And so the process goes..
Yes, it’s important to paint the hole in the middle.. 🙂
And there’s nothing better for Ted than to paint his hands and arms (and just about anything else!)…
A sprinkling of beautiful things…
And that pretty wreath is made…
I don’t dare put it on the front of the door now, with all our wet and windy weather, so on the back of the door it resides nicely – until further notice..
🙂
The simple things in nature are the most interesting to a child…..
Slipping, sliding, looking, touching – and dare I say it – even tasting……this frost was fascinating for him!
🙂
Squashed Tomatoes 