Learning to Fly

Spring has sprung in so many ways. We returned home from our end of the season ski in Chamonix to a sunny Malmö with things starting to bloom and birds in flight. Riding my bike to work this morning with Oskar by my side, we counted swans, geese and ducks filling Slottsparken. I couldn't help but to relate to the maternal instinct of these birds as they send their children off to fly for the first time.

Last week we took the kids to the top of Grands Montets to picnic and ski for a nice season's close. It is an amazing feeling to see them hit any slope regardless of how steep or how big the moguls are with no fear and pure joy and pretty decent technique. Hanna-Maria of course had to provide our annual lesson a healthy sense of fear. While preparing to picnic on top of a peak, my helmut started to roll down the mountain. She decided to take pursuit on foot and proceeded to slide at full speed. Keep in mind we are talking Grands Montet here (cliffs, glaciers, crevasses,...nasty stuff). Anyway, my Super Mum adrenaline kicked in and I took flight in pursuit after her. I began running but realised it was not quite fast enough. I threw my feet under myself to slide on my backside, knowing it was the only way to catch up to stop her decent. When I caught her, I am not sure who was more scared, but we sat for a bit and just held each other tight and breathed.

The voice of many a guide ran through my head saying "most accidents happen up here not from skiing." So we survived, Hanna Maria (and the rest of the kids and parents) got a good lesson on mountain safety. I am still nursing an aching back (Super Mum is getting a little old for flying arrets) and replaying the incident in my head every night before I fall asleep. My lesson learned, it is not just teaching them technique, but how to handle when things go wrong. Next year, a day with a guide to go over mountain safety skills for the whole family. Is this how the mother birds feel after sending their first out of the nest?

January flu away through February

It is quite possible to say that today, yes February 23rd, is the first day this year that I feel "normal." Well, that is with the exception of the enormous virtual pile (although very real) of things to catch up on. After taking a delightfully disconnected vacation at the end of the year, we returned to the flu. First Oskar, who has stopped coughing through the night, then Björn and I. Hanna-Maria miraculously escaped it. It was the strangest flu I have ever experienced as it quite literally stopped you in your tracks. The extent of my multi-tasking was watching "Little House on the Prairie" while knitting.

Anyway, this is not to complain about the flu, as it seems that nearly everyone I know got hit by this one this year. I am just writing to say that we are back. Of course it will take a little while to dig out. We are all well and have now returned to sportlov (that would be February break) looking and feeling much healthier. I won't talk of the fresh tracks and beautiful sunshine that contributed to our recovery. My family seems to be giving me grief for unabashed recollections of hedonism. But I will say that the experience of the Chamonix off-piste enjoyment gets me through the Swedish "winter". Much to Oskar's disappointment we did not go to Thailand with the rest of Sweden (as he claims he is the only one who has never been there - poor kid).

Now back to work or "tillbaka till arbetet" as they say here in Sweden. Much work needed to do to redesign 2BU from new. Björn is busy with M&A and reaching new markets. Be we are now both healthy again and determined to stay that way. Next step is to train up for the Easter off-piste and rock climbing with kids this time.

Västra Hamnen Groundbreaking

Finally the celebration of the commencement of construction for the long awaited Västra Hamnen school. Hanna-Maria and her neighborhood friends are part of the first "förskolaklass" or kindergarden class in preparation of the school. They are a roving school in that they are still located in temporary structures until the building is finished. But it is off to a good start. The teachers are wonderful, the class is harmonious and they seem to be having a great year so far.

Today Oskar and I went to watch the groundbreaking (första spadtaget) celebration. The video and pictures are from the ceremony. The föreskolsklass did a great job singing (complete with encore) and the fem års verksamhet from Skeppets (kids that will be joining them next year as they move into first grade) looked on with enthusiasm.

The benefits of going offline for the holidays

Hanna-Maria with her new ukelele singing, "Moi j'aime skier, à Chamonix!" Face complete with remains of a delicious pasta bolognaise.
A visit from Gram all the way from Concord was a treat. The kids loved doing Le Tour with three generations. We even got to see Gram's pictures from Madagascar.

Eyes on the Powder

Thanks to taking a much needed break and family time on the pistes, I am brought back to center. I remember now the importance of looking for the snow between the trees rather than focusing on the trees obstructing my path. I look for the laughter behind the teasing. My most precious gift is the time to disconnect from all things electronic that have reached the invasive. The world will not stop if we are offline. We have promised to do so for one week entirely.

Warm holiday wishes to all. We will be thinking of you and hoping you all find some quiet time for yourself and those you love this season.

Shake it up! Earthquake in Malmö...

Remember those old hotel beds that you could put a coin in the box and they would shake for several minutes? This morning I woke to what I thought was a dream flashing back to a road trip in the 80s across the Western USA with my family. Instead I discovered that we were experiencing a 4.7 earthquake in Skåne. It lasted for about five minutes and no damage done (save a glass breaking that we still have not discovered the source of, but it could have been outside).

Björn ran down to see what was happening. Since living in an area still in development, he thought the root was construction vehicles gone awry. He popped his head out the front door to find all the neighborhood men doing the same thing (seems to be an unwritten "man's job". Our neighborhood geologist, Lawrence, looked out and said, that was an earthquake. This was much too the comfort of Pelle who thought the roof he added might be caving in due to structural failure on his part.

All this to say we are fine and well. No aftershocks yet. Certainly an interesting way to start the morning at 5am.

Öste Family dance

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