I’m a Spaceship!

Today I was given an unexpected assignment. My three year old was playing on the floor when all of a sudden, he put down his toys, turned towards me and said; Mom, do you know what you are? You’re a spaceship!

Not quite sure whether or not to take that as a complement, I quickly decided to take on the challenge. So for the next half hour, I totally dedicated myself to playing the role of spaceship to the best of my knowledge and talent (if there is such a thing as talent for being a spaceship!)

Luckily, whoever constructed this particular spaceship, was foreseeing enough to also install a camera in it.. As can be seen from the photos my son had a great time playing among his imaginary stars, and I must admit that so did the spaceship…!

You know; kids do have the most wonderful imagination. We can buy all kinds of great toys for them, and we do of course, but being surrounded by too many toys can also get in the way of their natural ability to make believe. Perhaps it’s more important than ever to encourage our kids to play with other things than those classified as “toys”; a collection of pebbles, a few blankets, a cardboard box – or a parent – can be transformed into almost anything. A spaceship, for example ) And not to forget, the most precious gift we can ever give our kids, is our time and attention.

I think I might want to be a spaceship again sometime soon.

Ready for countdown; three, two, one (…) – and we have a lift-off!

Aaaaaahhhh!

Isn’t it amazing how time flies! In this picture, Mr C is only a few days old, peacefully sleeping through the whole photo session, while his two proud big brothers vow to take good care of him in the years to come.

Today, as I watch their fights from time to time, trying my best to help solve various disasters along the way – I sometimes wonder what happened to this peaceful scene.. They may look the same on the outside but their personalities are indeed very different!

But then, as soon as some external threath occurs and it really comes down to it, all of a sudden they are masters in the art of brotherhood. The brotherly love and support shine through. They know they belong together. And that warms a mothers heart.

First Day of School

Of course there had to be sunshine on a day like this. After waiting for weeks, months and even years, watching his older brother doing his homework and running off to school in the morning, he was more than ready for this day. Finally it was his turn to become a real school boy! The proud smile stuck to his face the whole day through.

Congratulations on your first day of school mr S! Knowing your fascination and positive outlook to life, I am sure you will learn lots of exciting things, make many new friends and have a great time!

Land of Bricks

This week we decided to take the kids for a little vacation to Denmark.

On our way to the hotel I saw these windmills colored by the evening sun

The main purpose of the trip was, of course, a visit to the famous Land of Bricks – Legoland.

If you would like to take a walk in this garden, you have to be about one inch tall…

Mr E and Mr S had some success in gold mining

GiddyUp now! We’ve got some horse thieves to catch!

A knight in shining armor

And another one… no wait, where did he go?

Ah! There he is!

After queuing up for 45 minutes (…) I got this picture of a very happy pilot

Evening sun over the landscapes of Legoland

I can’t help wondering how many hours of work that have been put into creating this world of Lego. It’s not just the buildings, the surroundings are just as impressive. Talk about attention to detail! Must have been a fun job though!

Our favorite souvenir from the trip; Lego brick shaped ice cubes!

What’s in the Mail Today?

I remember before my kids were born, I used to have all kinds of expectations of motherhood. One of the things I was really looking forward to, was teaching my kids about life. What I didn’t expect though, was how much they would be teaching me.

This morning when I was heading for our mailbox, mr S wanted to come with me. This seemed to be very important to him, and I asked him why.

His answer to me came immediately: “Maybe there’s something for me?”

“But honey” I said, trying to avoid him being disappointed “You know; normally it’s mostly bills and newspapers. It’s not your birthday yet, and I didn’t order anything for you”

“But mom” he said, looking at me as if I was a child that needed to have things thoroughly explained -

“Sometimes we get things even though we haven’t asked for them. Perhaps God sent me something?”

I stopped for a second. In a way, he did have a point.

Sometimes we do get things even though we don’t ask for them. And yes, perhaps God sent us something. Maybe not through the mail as mr S clearly expected (or then again, why not?)

Anyhow, it’s an exciting thought; God actually does send us things. Every single day we are given new opportunities, a chance to change an unwanted situation, or make the most of our dreams; changing our lives – or even the world – for the better. That is our challenge; being able to see the exceptional in the ordinary. Seizing those moments in our everyday lives, instead of just watching the days go by.

Seeing the world through the eyes of a five year old.

My youngest has a somewhat similar approach to life. He has his own special morning ritual; the minute he opens his eyes, he gets out of bed, running over to the nearest window to have a glance at the world.

And then, the question: “What’s outside?”

Is it rain? Is it sunshine? Snow? Green grass? Is it dark outside? Summer? Autumn? Or…?

From a little boy’s view, the world is new every morning. There is a multitude of options out there, and you never know what might happen. To him, every day is a wonderful adventure.

These were my thoughts as I was standing there with a very impatient five year old by my side.

And I said to him: “You know, you’re right; let’s go check the mailbox together”

After all, we never know what life might have in store for us. There just might be some great adventures out there, if we just remember to seize the opportunities given to us and.. well… keeping our minds and hearts a bit adventurous.

Thanks guys, for reminding me

Captain of the Boat

Warm sun and blue water, a small hidden beach with soft sand… What more can we possibly wish for?

Our young captain. Great responsibility requires great concentration!

Just my kind of summer day..

Some “champagne” for celebrating our first boat trip!

Anchoring the boat by the beach

Trying Out the Small Boat

We’re planning some boat related activities this summer, and a few days ago we took the kids to a nearby lake to try out this small one.

Mr C was eager to help put the boat on the water, but he wasn’t that keen on rowing..

Mr S handled the boat quite well (after all, he is soon to be a school boy) but then he lost his ball into the water… and watching it drift away out of his reach, he couldn’t stop a few tears from welling in his eyes.

Good thing we have big bro Mr E to take care of such disasters. The ball was safely brought back to it’s owner.

After the boat ride(s) they jumped into the water while still having all their clothes on… which made me a bit too busy for taking more pictures!

It’s a Boys World

We had some nice, sunny weather the other day, and a couple of neighboring boys came over to our house to play. As always, they were all over the place; running, shouting – acting like boys normally do.

As a mother of 3 boys I am of course used to this level of noise and activity, but then I stopped for a second as a few words reached my ear. Feeling a bit puzzled, I noticed they were actually playing “baby”. That’s remarkable, I thought, for once they are not into typical boys games like sword fights or some kind of battle.

And my thoughts kept on drifting; Hmm.. maybe it’s not so bad, apparently my boys also have the ability to see the world from a more feminine angle – that’s a good thing, being able to take on a different view.

That’s when I hear my sons voice: Hey – my baby just shot your baby!

And his friend answered: Oh yeah? Well, my baby has a laser gun!

I thought to myself as I walked back into the house; Oh well… boys will be boys, I suppose

The Truth about Parenthood

I’m spending the weekend in London with my husband. To be honest, it’s quite a few years since our last little getaway together. We have been on several vacations, sure – but we always brought the kids, heading for some family friendly place for the kids to have some fun.

And here we are, 4 days of eating my dinner while it’s still hot, sleeping through the whole night, finishing all my sentences without being interrupted and – no little arms around my neck, no soft hugs, no wet kisses on my nose, no little voices explaining their thoughts to me. Isn’t it strange – when you finally get a chance to spend some time on your own, you start missing your kids!

So we went shopping. For the kids (…) Then I spot these words on the wall of a kids wear store:

What can I say? I remember being both frustrated and exhausted at times, and it is great to have some peace and quiet for once. Still, I seem to carry them with me. Always keeping the thought of them in the back of my mind, thinking of them with a smile on my face. Because being their mom is also… well… wonderful, hilarious and rewarding (!)

I received a message from my mother-in-law (who is babysitting our youngest). And guess what? We are being missed too! I guess we are just meant to be together, the big and the small members of our family. Though we can sometimes drive each other crazy, we belong together, beyond time and distance. Isn’t family the greatest blessing in life – I mean, when it really comes down to it.

Linda

Something in my Ear

I’d like to share a little story. The other night as we were having supper, I was trying to get a message through to Mr S. As usual at bedtime, this was everything but easy.. I often ask myself whether his ears are functioning at all (of course they are working perfectly). Anyway, after trying some – with no result – all of a sudden he turns his face towards me and says in his most sincere and innocent voice: “oh I’m sorry mom, what did you say? I didn’t hear you, you see I had a banana in my ear”.

Now how about that – a banana! What an idea! There wasn’t even any fruit on the menu that evening.

I went to bed laughing that night. A banana in my ear. Can you believe whatever put that thought inside his head. Life is more fun with a five year old