Christmas 2012

So what did we do during Christmas? Hmmm..... let's see.

 

We tried to make gingerbread house...

It was fun for awhile.... before it started collapsing because the icing wasn't strong enough!

Jovan tried to rescue it but I decided that we'll just eat our gingerbread house before Christmas then!  Well, one has to be flexible right? ^.^

Angel also baked thumbprint cookies as gift for grandma and Roy, Mavis and Fredrik who joined us to celebrate Christmas this year.  She did everything herself and Ivan helped to squeeze on the marmalade, nice work!

Cookies all ready to be wrapped.  Homemade and filled with love!

There is an advantage when you hang around the kitchen when mommy is making something.  Occasionally you get a treat or two....

I made chocolates for Mavis and Fredrik and some for my Taiwanese friend who did not return to Taiwan for holiday this year.

Hubby made some lussekatt (saffron buns) with kiddos, yummy!

Then we laid out the table.  Out came the Christmas table clothe, nuts and clementines....

The glögg (mulled wine) set....

I hung up the Christmas cards as part of the decorations....

We used to put this green, Christmas tree looking thing on the balcony but this year hubby decided to hang it indoor and it turned out to be quite good!

The handmade corner.  Everything was made by the kids, except for the big Santa which hubby bought about 2 years ago.

The kids got to open the presents they received from family in Singapore on Christmas eve morning.

The boys getting into the Christmas mood!

Ok... the hat is a little big for Chris....

Christmas tree disappearing among all the presents!

Table was set and ready to welcome our guests, grandma, Roy, Mavis and Fredrik!

Then Santa finally arrived!

Ivan must be thinking that there is something strangely familiar with Santa....

1 day after Christmas was hubby's birthday, and of course he got the traditional "Breakfast-in-bed".

The small ones were waiting for the bigger ones to get breakfast ready.

"Ja må han leva...." (Birthday song in Swedish)

Happy 25th birthday baby!

Birthday dinner was his favorite schnitzel and I stir-fried the kale which Mavis forgot to bring home on Christmas eve.  Nice!

Angel baked and decorated his birthday cake, nice to have a sous chef finally!

"Hmmm..... it's a little.....hard to cut..." but it was tasty!

After all that we had done, we were as exhausted as Chris......

Next on the list, New Year's Eve!!!  

Christmas at Liseberg!

I have been wanting to visit Liseberg during Christmas for years now and this year, we finally did!!

So on a freezing (-17 degrees!!!!!) ...

and hazy winter day, off we went to drop Polly off at my mother-in-law's place before continuing the journey down south to Göteborg (Gothenburg). 

Many of the rides were not open due to the cold.  But the skating rink was and the bunnies are out to play!

The biggest Christmas tree I have ever seen! 

Merry Christmas with Sima!

The lighting was beautiful and the atmosphere was so cozy.

And we saw a small elf running up and down a small trail!

The main attraction was the Christmas market.  There were stalls selling candies, Christmas wreathes, handicrafts, chocolates, candies, sill (a kind of pickled fish) and oh, did I mention candies?

My oldest and youngest.  My boys are good lookers! ^o^

Saw giant cinnamon buns selling at 39kr (about S$7.10) each.

We wanted to have our dinner in this restaurant which was designed like a train station, but we were too many (we were 7, including our dear friend Sima) and they couldn't find a table to fit us all.  So we went to another place where they had Christmas buffet and the food so good that I forgot to take pictures.... >.<"

No one could resist a hug when it was so cold! HUG!

Chris was quite spooked by the green rabbit since we visited during the summer.  He has been afraid of rabbit since then.  However, he seemed to be quite ok to reconcile with the green rabbit again, though he had a little bit of a "shock" look on his face after the hug...

"Hejdå kanin." ("Goodbye rabbit.") said Chris.  Such a sweet boy!

Ok, this rabbit looked like she was pointing at me (or was she flipping her finger at me?!) but she was actually doing a thumb-up at me!

The trees were all covered with light bulbs! Really pretty! Must be a lot of work putting up and taking down.

Of course my hubby wanted us to take a picture with that tree.... but can anybody really see us?? So tiny......

We stayed over at Sima's place and drove up to my mother-in-law's place to dump drop the kids (except for Chris) coz they're having their yearly Christmas workshop at grandma's house, where they will do some craft and bake some cookies.  Finally some "quiet" moments for hubby and me.  We did more (never ending!) Christmas shopping, clean the apartment and put up the decorations at home.  And it's time to pick up the children tomorrow! How time flies!

Merry Christmas from all of us!

December Birthday Boy!

We had a simple celebration on Chris's 3rd birthday last Thursday with a small cake.

Blow,

blow...

Of course with presents! Wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper which the other soon-to-be birthday boy seems to be quite particular about, "My birthday presents were always wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper!"  Ok, ok, I get it, I'll buy another roll of non-Christmasy wrapping paper for you baby.

2 December babies cutting the birthday cake.

He loved the cake! He finished the rest of it within the next 2 days by himself! 

Ivan prefers Princess cake, like father like son....

Opening presents...

Getting his older brother to help.

And Ivan got a present as well, everybody loves present!

This is his favorite! TRAIN!!!

Dr.  Strömbäck is in the house!

Chris at 3 years old likes to talk.  His speech is developing fast because he's "parroting" whatever we're saying, especially Ivan.  He knows and recognizes the English alphabets from A to Z and he knows A for apple, B for ball, C for cat... all the way to Z for zoo.  He knows them so well that if I just ask him any letter, he'll be able to answer.  He also recognizes 1 to 15.  He is not keen in eating and he probably got this from his dad, they both think that eating is a waste of time... =.="  He likes to dance and has quite a temper (which  we been working on for some time now).  He screams when he doesn't get his way and he usually ends up on the "naughty mat" because of this, so these few days, when he gets really angry at someone, he'll usually says that the person is strange.  For example, if he's angry at me, he'll give me a real angry look and says,"Mamma är konstigt!" (Mummy is strange!) in his toughest voice. ^.^  So cute right?

We want Chris to have more patience, be able to share more and understand that he can talk to us instead of screaming, which will not get him anything except sitting on the naughty mat and get ignored.  Most of all, we wish that he'll stay happy, healthy and be a confident little boy!

Happy Birthday my little baby! ^o^