Ava

Ava has been both a trooper and a pooper since we've been here. She has amazed us by how far she can walk in her little green Crocs, her ability to meet and play with new kids on the fly, and how easily she's picked up key phrases like "vispgradde" (whipped cream), "glass" (ice cream), and "fika" (a little coffee and treat break).

On the other hand she's been flipping out about all sorts of things (like melting down at a restaurant because "she hates pizza," which she didn't 2 days ago when she inhaled about half of a pie) and whining about ... everything. Oh, and she's bitten her tongue about 5 times a day since we arrived. I'm sure this is not helped by us giving her all sorts of sugar-infused items.

I don't think we realized how stressful it would be to be in a temporary apartment with the kids with just a handful of toys and books for 2 months. The playground in this picture, Plikta Lekplats, is in Slottskogen park pretty close to us and is the hub of mom/baby activity in our area. We've been there A LOT. Lucky for us the weather has been great, otherwise we might be going crazy.

In other news, our relocation angel, Helena, managed to speed up our application for personal numbers (like social security) and we got them on Saturday! This means we can clear our air freight shipment from customs, get a bank account, get cell phones, register for daycare and Swedish classes, and generally get a life. Tusen tack Helena!

Mums in Sweden

Since last November I've been poking around a website called Mums in Sweden, a message board for English-speaking moms in Sweden. It was an invaluable resource for me when Adrian and I were considering making the move (do I even want to go to Sweden??) and then, after we decided to go, to begin to figure out the practical stuff about expat living in Gothenburg (how do I apply for daycares, register at the tax office, learn Swedish?). Last night I met 8 women site for pizza at a popular place around the corner. After dinner we wandered over to a cafe on Vasagatan -- just a fun a gorgeous night. It was so nice meeting everyone in person and hearing about their international love stories. One American woman met her Swedish husband at an ultimate frisbee conference in the U.S. Another Canadian mom did her MBA in Oslo, where she met her Norwegian husband, and they just moved to Gothenburg with their daughter. Most have had their kids here and rave about the support for families, including:

• Nearly free daycare (2 kids full-time is about $200/month)
• 12 months off at 80% pay for mom OR dad
• Another 12 months off at 80% if you have another child within 2 or so years (so THAT's why there are so many double strollers around!!)
• Moms can work 80% time for 10 YEARS
• Free healthcare

So, no commentary on the benefits because it just makes you want to cry, doesn't it? Obviously the taxes are high to pay for this stuff. At any rate, the expat community has been amazingly friendly and welcoming. We had a playdate this morning with Traci and her son Oliver in Askim. Ava cried when we left because she had so much fun. And because Traci has ice cream with cones and sprinkles and whipped cream, so clearly she is awesome.

Apartment city

We are beginning to think about where to live after our temporary housing stint ends July 1. Gothenburg is full of apartment buildings -- in fact I don't think I've seen a single-family home since we've been here, which sort of boggles my mind -- so we'll likely be in an apartment. Some are 5- or 6-story, 19th Century buildings like the ones on Linnegatan behind Adrian in this picture, and many, especially a bit further out of the center of town, are newer and uglier (and perhaps bigger and more practical for a family of 4 inside?). I have to say these 1960's boxes totally depress me, so I'm crossing my fingers we can find something in the city center, though the rental market here is horrible, for various reasons that I only half understand. Something to do with the state regulating rental prices, and therefore there being little to no incentive for owners to rent out their properties. Everything has been rolling along nicely, so I'm sure we'll find something that we like.

On another note, Julian has his first ice cream cone today and it nearly blew his mind. He was covered in it and whenever I tried to take it away he started screaming like I've never heard and tears and boogers seemed to shoot out of him. He loved it so much he sort of look possessed and I swear at one point his eyes rolled back in his head. Sadly, I didn't have the camera with me, but even people sitting near us were watching in amusement/horror.

Stroller Wars

Most things are smaller in Sweden. Take the size of homes or the slushies at 7 Eleven, for example. The big exception, and I mean BIG, are the strollers. These things are huge, with suspension systems that rival my Subaru Forester. The one in this picture has a bassinet on one side for the baby and a seat for the older kid. Can you imagine folding this up and putting it in your car? I guess the point is you don't -- you just walk everywhere with the kids. Nice, but I still don't get where people store these in their smallish apartments or how they go shopping in the narrow isles of Hemkop or other food stores. Hmmm. I used to be embarrassed taking our jog stroller over to Canyon Market in Glen Park. Not anymore!! Our BOB Revolution is positively petite next to these Hummers.

Europe with kids

You just get to a beautiful European city and what's the first thing you do? Go to a museum? Check out a few churches? Walk from one end of the city to another? No! You go to the pony rides of course! Well, at least that's what we did on our first day in Gothenburg. The pony rides in Slottskogen appear to be one of the few deals in town at a mere 20 SEK or $3.20 a pop. NOT a deal were the chicken breasts I bought a few days ago that were $20/pound or the mushrooms that were $5/pound. Mind you, this stuff is not labeled "organic," "super fancy," or "extra special." Lord help us if we decided to buy organic chicken. I'm thinking vegetarianism is sounding good, as long as we don't eat mushrooms. Or asparagus, that was expensive, too.

Home ... For Now

Our temporary home on Bergsgatan is definitely Ikea-chic with these beautiful 14-ft tall ceilings and lots of groovy Euro appliances (like a dishwasher -- finally!!). The apartment is in a nicely restored 5-story building right off of Linnegatan, a tree-lined street with lots of outdoor cafes, shops, and a tram line. There are 2 playgrounds within a few blocks and we're within walking distance of a cool area called Haga (old industrial area that's now pretty hip) and Slottskogen, sort of like the Golden Gate Park of Gothenburg. Needless to say, we are really happy with the apartment and the location. Adrian is thrilled that he'll have a 5-10 minute walk to work in the mornings (at least until July 1) starting on May 19.

I'm thinking the Swedes dig a bold pattern and white walls.

Jet Lag

Once you give up any notion of having time to relax, rest, read a book or watch a movie, flying with kids isn't that bad. Our flights from SFO to Frankfurt and from Frankfurt to Gothenburg were pretty uneventful (no barfing, hysterical crying, etc.), except that the kids barely slept. Aren't planes supposed to make kids pass out for long periods??

This picture is of the kids on the way to the airport in the HUGE Suburban that took us from my Mom's to SFO. Ava loved our driver, Manny, and was visibly upset that he wasn't at the airport in Gothenburg waiting to take us to our apartment.