Best Friends at the Butterfly House

Yesterday we went for a little excursion to the Butterfly House with Alice's best friend Julia and her mum Sara. The perfect place for two little girls: butterflys, fish, parrots, chinese miniature chicken, flowers and in the end... crackers! Aren't they just adorable?



Let's hold hands, so we don't lose each other in this tropical rain forest.



Look at that huge orange fish. Looks a bit dangerous don't you think? Good thing there's this thick glass between us...



Did Julia just tell Alice a secret?
No! You don't say. Really? That is sooo funny!
Yes! But you have to promise not to tell...

Alice's new clothes

Alice in the sand sporting her new clothes. Mom aint looking too bad either. Dad is manning the camera and blog.

We now bring you some moving pictures

Some video from todays trip to the sandbox, enjoy!

buddies in the sandbox

This is a picture I (Johan) took today and posted to this blog with my cellphone. It's kind of hard to tell from this picture who is who, but the one on the right is Alice and the other one is her best buddy Julia. They are more interested in the sand than dad's new SonyEricsson K800i with bloging features. Can you tell that we have similar tastes in clothing and shop at the same stores as Julias parents? :)

Happy birthday Johanna and Liidia

March is birthday month! Johanna and Liidia share the same birthday on March 18. Liidias sons threw a big party for her at the Estonian house in Stockholm with over a hundred guests and more flowers than in any average flower shop. Johanna just had a small gathering at home, but there was love and presents and cake. What more can you wish for on a birthday?


Johan made the cake from scratch, not with 31 candles though. Didn't you know, after a certain age you start taking one candle away each year? And Johanna has actually been celebrating her 22nd birthday for quite a number of years now...

(And when we were in Tenerife there was this Norwegian lady who thought she was only 20 years old - that has got to count for something.)

(And then again, really, when you think about it, 31 is actually the perfect age, johanna would not want to be any other age.)


Three generations of Tuulse, Liidi (short for Liidia), Liisi (Alice's estonian nick name) and Josef.

Home sweet home

It's good to be home. But it was good to be away too. Just look at this gorgeous girl in the sun.



A quick bout of tickeling before bedtime. The adorable pyjamas were a valentines day gift from grandma Myrna and grandpa Bill in Hawaii (they are absolutey beautiful - thank you!).

Alice was definitely happy to be home. She went from room to room when she woke up this morning (she was asleep when we came back, due to bomb threats (!) our plane was very very late) and touched all of her toys and smiled.

Another day in paradise?

Sleeping beauty, ie Alice in her stroller, Johanna, Karin and Jan with his broken foot in his "stroller".

We have passed yet another day with sunshine, walking along the ocean, lunch outdoors and simply just relaxing. I can't believe we are going home tomorrow - a week has passed oh so quickly!

Alice has caught a slight cold. It doesn't seem to bother her that much, but her voice is coarse as if she'd smoked too many cigarettes and drank too much whiskey... It's kind of cute, but we try to keep her from talking too much. The pacifyer (which she normally only uses when she goes to sleep) is semi-effective, she still manages to let out cries of delight for example when she sees a bird. I wish we could record it and upload it, it's so adorable.

The funny thing about vacation is that in spite of snow and ice and cold and bulky winter clothes, we're still a bit home sick. Our apartment, our bed, Alice misses her friends and "öppis" ie the community daycare centre. Maybe this is even the best part about going away, realising that there is no place like home.

(But give us a week and we'll be oh so sick of the cold again)

The Zoo

Yesterday we went to the zoo, a place called Loro Parque (http://www.loroparque.com ). It's a gorgeous little Zoo, on the north side of Tenerife. Built by a german man, and very well kept (thanks to german presicion?). Like the lawns were cut with nail sisscors, not a single brown
leaf anywhere. But very beautiful and the animals seemed to be very well taken care of. Above, Alice and Johan are watching the gorillas. Very exciting indeed. We also saw a leopard, and a black panther, chimpanzees, flamingos... There were several hundred parrots of different kinds, a few of them apparently extinct.

But the piece de la resistance was no doubt the shows, parrots, dolphins, sea lions and orcas. Orcas are also known as killer whales (in Swedish späckhuggare), but that sounds so vicious, so we'll settle for calling them orcas. We watched two shows (dolphins and orcas), that went on for apx 25 minutes each. Alice was completely mesmerized throughout the shows! And those of you who know Alice (or any kid of the age one and a half for that matter) realise that this is pretty amazing. I don't think she's been still for that long ever...



The hotel we're staying at is one of those extremely fancy ones, where they clean your room three times a day, leaving a flower and chocolates on the bed every time. They also fold the ends of the toilet paper. We feel like movie stars. Luxury! (Someone said that Jennifer Lopez was staying in this very hotel not long ago). Check it out at http://www.villacortes.com

All in all we are having a great time, sun is shining, food is good, pool is nice. Some bad news, though. Jan broke his leg in two places. Probably it happened in Arlanda, before we even got on the plane. And then he walked on it for two days before he saw a doctor. In the end ha had to go to hospital and had surgery and now he has screws and metal plates in his foot! Now he's back in the hotel, but in a wheel chair and pretty wiped out. Bad luck!

Lots of love
Johan+na and Alice

V A C A T I O N !

Karin, Johanna, Johan and Jan, all seemingly calm and contented, but under the surface lies exitement beyond belief: Tenerife is but hours away. Sunshine as contrast to snow, shorts instead of heavy winter clothes, bathing and swimming instead of work. Almost there now. To the left you can se the crib in which Alice is sleeping. See below.

Sleeping as a baby (they say that once you start walking you are not a baby anymore, I suspect however that to mum and dad, this little girl will always be a baby). The crib attatches to the wall - smart. And for about an hour we had some time to read books. Not that Alice was unhappy or so, she was happy and calm most of the time. Every now and then she was just very bored with flying for almost six hours, and having to sit still for long stretches of time with a seat belt on. But mostly she was just her sunny, happy self.

Alice and granddad Jan posing on our hotel room balcony. Pretty nice view, huh? It's actually better than pretty nice, it's absolutely lovely! We have the pool right below, and the ocean to the right, and the murmur of the ocean waves to lullabye us to sleep!

And of course a visit to the pool! Alice could have stayed there all day! So we've promised her that she can go every day. Tough promise...? Not really. :D

After just a day, we're happier, more relaxed and just slightly more beautiful. We'll get back to you soon and tell you more!

Love from the Hjelmér-Tuulse vacation bunch

Knitted sweater and hat (mommy's been productive)

Believe it or not, besides working like a fool I actually have had time to do some knitting. Most of it while watching teve in the evenings, being too tired to do anything else. Or even pay attention to whats on teve. Knitting is easier.

It turned out pretty nice. Alice loves the hat, she likes to put it on and wear it even when we are indoors. However, it took me a while to make the outfit, so by the time it was done, it was almost to small already. So I have ordered Alice to use the sweater and hat every day from now on until it doesn't fit any more... She says ok.

Right now we are busy packing and trying to find all of our summer clothes (yes, we do actually pack them away every autumn). On Tuesday we are leaving for Tenerife (the Canary Islands) for a week with Alice's grandparents Jan and Karin (Johan's parents). A whole week in the sun! After all of this snow and ice and heavy winter clothes it feels like heaven! Sure, it means Alice won't be able to use her sweater and hat for a whole week, and with the rate that she's growing it might be too small when we get back home. It's a risk we're willing to take.

/Johanna

Family time

Playing in the snow again, with grandma Lena Kristina this time. The snow is just about to melt away, we've had a few days of temperatures above freezing. However it's getting colder again, and there is still some snow and ice left, so we're preparing for some seroius slippery time... Alice is not entirely convinced about the snow sleigh. Is this really supposed to be fun? Oh well, at least grandma is having fun pulling her around.


Going on the swing set, Alice's favourite all time. No matter how cold, how tired, how bored. The swing does the trick every time. So much better than that sleigh. It sure seems to do the trick for grandma as well...


Dad is in Switzerland skiing so Johanna invited all of her family to come and keep her company. Here's uncle Josef, dancing with Alice, who is ever the photo model. Oh, a camera? I better smile and look straight into the lens and look pretty...

Mum is still working her butt off, but only four days a week which is very much better than before. The teaching experience turned out to be a learning experience of a high degree. Oh well, it's getting better each day, and also every day we get a little bit closer to our upcoming holiday in Tenerife with grandma Karin and grandpa Janne! Hooray!

Playing in the snow

I can't move because I feel like the Micheline man, but it's still kind of fun!


Mom, look, I can stick my tounge out! I f it was snowing now I could catch snow flakes on my tounge!

We ave lots and lots of snow, and some days it gets really cold (today it was down to almost 10 degrees celsius below freezing). It may be cold, and it may be hard work to put layers and layers of clothes on a child that wriggles like a worm. But still, it's real winter and it's snow and it's pretty magical. Seeing Alice take some snow in her hand and taste it for the first time: her eyes light up and she looks up at me with a really bewierded smile like she's saying. Hey, this is really funny...!

She's growing stronger, and bigger, and steadier and smarter each day. She talks and points and teeth are popping out her mouth like pop corn. Which is, naturally, not always a pleasant experience. So I guess th eating of the snow might be soothing as well funny.

First hair cut!

When Alice was dipping her hair into her food at every meal, we realised that it was time to do something about that cute baby hair style. It felt kind of nostalgic, but in the end it went down pretty unceremoniusly.


Before the bath, looks like a pen troll.


Yep, no going back. It's been done.
I was really good while mum was cutting, I sat really still and let her cut off my blonde locks.


Look, I'm a big girl now!

Merry christmas!

Is our rastafarian daughter singing christmas carols in her oversized hat? Or is she simply complaing about time passing so slowly until christmas eve? Can it be that she is stressed out about not having bought her christmas presents yet? Relax little one, and rest assured that mommy and daddy have it all under control.

What ever the reason for Alice's mouth being wide open - we wish you a wonderful, wonderful holiday season. Don't forget to pass on a smile to everyone you meet. And if you can reach out and help someone in need - this is the time to do it.

We have decided not to spend lot's of money on presents this year, instead we are giving a donation to charity (as we have for a few years now). We have also decided not to mail out christmas cards this year. We do however invite you to take part of our christmas greeting here: www.hjelmer.se/alice/julkort.html
(God jul means merry christmas).

Lot's of love and kisses to all!
Johan+na and Alice 

Alice in the sandbox

You wouldn't beleive it when looking out the window at all the green lawns and bushes, but Christmas is right around the corner. We haven't had any more snow since our last post, so Alice gets to play in the sandbox instead. This picture was taken with our Christmas present to ourselves, the new Nikon D80 digital camera.

This christmas season we are first going to Väddö, för a grand family christmas with Johannas parents. Then we are going to Johans parents on the day after christmas day, so Alice will get to meet both sets of grandparents and have lots of holiday fun with them.

Johanna is still working like a hamster in a wheel, but things are slowing down a bit and hopefully she will be able to take a well deserved rest over the holidays. Johan is keeping busy with Alice, going to the playground, open kindergarten and other activities. 

First snow & work update

A couple of weeks ago we had this years first snow. Of course it melted away almost immediately, but not before we had time to buy a snow sled and have Alice try it out. Not that she was overly enthusiastic about it, at least not yet. Then when we brought the sled inside, she played with it, sitting on it and trying to make it move forward, so I think once the snow comes back she'll probably be ready for it. She's definitely figured out what the point is.

As for the rest of the family we're all trying to work out how to manage the delicate balance between work and private life. Well I am, at least. I had completely forgot how much hard work it is, to go to work every day... ;) To tell the truth I've been completely worn out these past few weeks since I started working. Most days I leave before Alice wakes up in the morning, come back and get to play with her for about an hour before it's time for bed. And after that I work som more and crash in front of the teve. Whew! At least I can see that it's getting better, and I am learning so much all the time! The students are really nice, and all the other teachers take really good care of me. However, I had not realised before now how much work it is to be a teacher, either. I'm telling you - start appreciateing the teachers you have around you some more, they are the real heroes in our society!

Anyways, I haven't appreciated the week ends so much in a very long time! And I should get back to playing with my daughter now. I'll get back to you all soon! 

Swinging and eating and a new job!

These are Alices two favourites at the moment, swinging and eating on her own.


Alice has recently conquered another word: ga-ga. (Swe: gunga = swing/going on the swing)
Every time we pass a swing set she says ga-ga. She would sit on the swing 24 hours a day if she could. She kicks her legs, laughs out loud and sings ga-ga, ga-ga, ga-ga.

The fleece and matching hat & gloves are birthday presents from all of Alice's great grandparents. Isn't she a doll?


Eating is another favourite. Today Alice said ticka (Swe: dricka = drink) and pointed to her cup. She prefers to eat all by her self now that she has realised that she can. The fish fingers went down like nothing, but the rice, peas and broccoli stayed on the tray even though those are things she normally likes. I think it's something to do with her discovering that she has a will, and that she can express it. Preferrably with a scream. Challenging times for a parent, I'll say.

Speaking of parents - big news: I've got a job! I as in Johanna, that is. I'm starting on Monday as a business teacher in High school. I'll be teaching Business and International business, which is not something I have ever done before. So there's another challenge altogether. But I'm really excited about it and I think it will be a lot of fun too! 

Why English?

Some people ask me why this page is in English. It's simple - it's because Alice has a whole bunch of friends and family all around the world outside Sweden who don't speak Swedish. They all want to know how Alice is doing, and watch pictures of her grow, and so on. English is the common denominator, since I don't speak Portugese, or Greek, or well enough Estonian, and even if I did I lack the time to make a page in each language. So English it is.

Alice's First Birthday

Congratulations Alice - you've been around for a whole year now!

Isn't it amazing how much a child can learn in just a year? Having a child has really given us a different perspective on time. A year has never been so long before, or so short. I can't believe it's only a year since this sweet little baby (well, not a baby anymore) was born on our living room floor. And then again, so much has happened in this year, it feels like much longer.

Alice, once just a little package, seemingly just lying there uncapable of doing anything but breethe, breast feed and mayby wiggle a little. Now she walks, she eats by her self (it's a huge mess, but still), she plays, she draws, she can say "good" ("gott gott" in swedish) . She goes on the potty (with backup diapers, of course), she points at things we ask her to, such as the lamp or mummy and daddy. She can even drive a car ;)



What can this be, this huge colorful package? It looks so nice!



Oh, no, what have you done? You've ruined my beautiful package! (Alice actually started crying when we started to rip open the paper). What do you mean, is there something inside? What can this be?




Aha - it's a car! And look at this, it has a horn. Honk honk! (More like bleep bleep, but who cares). I like it!



Time to blow out the candle.
Hmm, I think I need mummys help. And this plate looks very nice, too!

We had a great party, and Alice got a whole bunch of super presents.
Thank you everyone who came for a great day! 

The Godmother's Visit

Alice's godmother Susanne came to visit from Gotland for a couple of days. This is us when we tried to go to "Fjärilshuset", which is sort of a "Butterfly Zoo". A large greenhouse like building full of butterflies fluttering around. None of us had ever been there before and we thought it would be a nice excursion. Now we still haven't been there, since the place is apparantly closed on Mondays. So we ended up going to IKEA instead...