Igelkotten

Hej alla! Here we are again, two weeks after the last post. For some reason I've been finding it difficult to keep up with these. Keep checking back, and maybe they'll come more often. In the mean time, we are now well into April and things are moving along here in Dalby. 

Greg has submitted his grant proposal, so now we just have to wait until November to see if we'll be staying here longer. His colleague, Maria, is in town this week so they'll be super busy working on GAIA ESO stuff. He's actually doing some remote observing tomorrow, too, so I have a feeling he'll be looking forward to a little Easter break. 

Wyn has been doing well. She's begun singing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" from Mary Poppins at the top of her lungs, whenever and wherever possible. It's sort of hilarious. Next year she'll be graduating to Igelkotten (which means, the hedgehog). Her current dagis group Sländan (the dragonfly) is just for 1-2 year olds and Igelkotten is 3-5 year olds. This week all the kids moving up to Igelkotten next year are doing a test run to get themselves (and the parents and teachers) acquainted with everything and everyone. We have an open house in May so Greg and I can check out the new surroundings then as well. Yesterday was Wyn's first day and it went really well, though she was EXHAUSTED when I picked her up. They took a long walk to see some baby sheep and did all sorts of other fun things. She seems happy and the teachers are really nice. It's hilarious (and awesome) that after only one day with the "big kids" Wyn actually started counting in Swedish. She counts from 1-11 or 12 in English, but has never done so in Swedish. Yesterday she just busted out with 1 through 9 or 10 in Swedish and we couldn't believe it. It's been SO fascinating to watch her language development here. The concept of mastering two languages at such a young age is amazing. She already knows to translate for us...for example, when I came to pick her up the other day, she ran up to me telling me she had a flower, starting to say it in Swedish, but switching because she knew flower was the right word in English. Fascinating. 

Things have been moving along for me as well. Last Wednesday was my first official day teaching Spinning® at Actic. It went well, but I think I'll need a few more classes under my belt before I'm not so nervous. When I taught before, I was more of a masochist, as Greg would say. Now I'm trying to find the happy medium and use my knowledge of how the body works to really give a class that is good for the body in the long run, not just massively tough and sweaty. There were only 9 "students" ranging from college girls to 40 and 50 something guys to even a woman in her 70s. It'll be an interesting group. I also gave a presentation in my Swedish class last week as part of my end-of-year exam. I spoke about "Welcome to Sweden", a new TV show about an American that moves to Sweden because he fell in love. It's about half Swedish and half English and is fun to watch. It's not the funniest show I've ever seen, but it's fun to watch the thoughts on Swedish culture on how things can be tough moving to a new country. It starts in the US on NBC on July 10th...check it out! Will Ferrell guest stars in the second episode (Amy Poehler and her brother Greg produce the show, so there will be a lot of guest stars) and it's hilarious to watch Will Ferrell speak Swedish. 

Right, I suppose that's that. We'll be staying in Dalby over Easter and spending some time with friends, etc. We're also hoping to plan a family trip soon, so we can get away together before I start working in August. Hooray!

Wyn peeking over the coffee table.

Wyn having a blast at the library. Not exactly reading, but definitely having a god time. 

Last weekend on a family trip to Malmö. We headed to a museum, had lunch, and Greg and I checked out the Science Fiction bookstore while Wyn snoozed. It's AWESOME. We each got a couple books and I had a fun conversation with the girl that worked there...in Swedish! It's SO fun to see my lessons paying off! 

Greg and Wyn making Sunday breakfast. Wyn is still waking up. Ha.

Snuggle-fest yesterday evening.