"The Child Whisperer" That should be the new name for Håkan.  I started noticing his abilities during Christmas. It all started when Daniel got sick.  He was coughing non-stop, so by the third day we called the doctor and he gave him some penicilin and something for the cough.  I thought it would be impossible to give him 3 times a day the medicin, but Håkan said decisively, "I’ll do it". Last time, I did it, and it didn’t go very well, he puked everthing. My approach was… let’s do it quick so that he wont even notice.  So I shoved the stupid spoon measure down his throat, and I think I must have done it too far, cause he immediately felt like puking….. Håkan was a bit angry, and since that time, he promised he would do it instead.  That was 6 months ago. 

This time when we saw all the medicin I didn’t even try it. He sat with him on his lap and started telling him about the medicin.  I just heard a bit about how well it would make him feel, etc.  it took about 20 minutes, and Håkan had to have the medicin first, but IT WORKED! Daniel took it without making a big deal about it.  Right after the medicin he got a bit of water and then came the next spoon.  It was amazing!!! I couldn’t believe it.  Daniel was not all that convinced, but he was taking all the medicin 3 times a day with the same procedure.  There was no crying or hesitance.  It was very inspiring.

And this is just the beginning, he’s been trying this approach for most other things and its working. For example, when its time to leave the house, or when it’s time to get back in the house.  It’s all done very nicely.

Now that Daniel is growing is getting more and more obvious that Daddy is having a blast with his kid.  I think it’s so healthy to have children, I’ve noticed that even I’ve become a bit of a girl again.   As wild as I always was, I like to sit in the back of the snow slide with Daniel and go down a steep hill.  Although I thought I was being adventurous… until I saw Håkans version of fun!!!!!

Håkan saw the paper yesterday and there was a SNOW RACER.  He said straight away…. "YOU NEED TO GET ONE OF THESE, TOMORROW!!!!" OK, I understand that we need to use it while there is still snow, so I obediently went and got one.  When he came home from work he put it together, changed into some pants, and took Daniel with him to the slope.  I cooked and then met them half way.  On our way home we stopped by the ski hill we have behind our house.  It’s a bunny slope, but in one of these sleds it feels like the tallest mountain in the alps.  Maybe not for us grown ups, but for Daniel, this must be the Everest! Anyway, I saw Daddy walking up there…. Sure enough he walks up 30 yards and lets him go alone.  Poor Daniel is holding on to his life on his way down, and at the same time it’s so much fun!!!

In a way I’m jealous because it looks so cool, but there is also the mother in me telling me…. " my good, if he falls, he could break his neck, he could hit his head really hard, etc, etc….. "  why do we have to spoil the fun?????  but I can’t help it.  I know I could never let him do that, I would jump in the sled with him and I would die before I let anything happen to him.   And Håkan’s thinking is… "where is he going to go?", I’m right here.  And Håkan is supposed to be the safe one in the family.  Oh Well, that’s the big difference in being a Mother and a Dad.  

Hakan, unlike me is not so excited about birthdays. I on the other hand, love birthdays, I think they are so much fun.  It’s the perfect time to tell someone how much they mean to you.  We should do it a lot more often than once a year, but it is still the perfect excuse to do it once more.

For me, I count myself as a very lucky person to have met him.  He knows me so well, and I don’t know why but I get the impression that he thinks that despite all my faults, I’m still great!! I can only say that for someone to see through all the wrongs of one person and just see the good things about the other person is a great gift!  It means that he is so generous in his heart and soul.  I once took this course, one of these soul searching ones and the thing that stuck to me most was the definition of LOVE.  Love is giving and having compassion is being able to see the good things in the other person.  Well, he has both… I am not perfect, and I’m not the hottest chic in the world, but when I read his site about me…. well…. I look good….

Sometimes I wonder how he can think that I am so beautiful…. when I feel like I haven’t slept in years, the bags under my eyes are so deep that the Copper Canyon looks like a small crack compared to how deep my eyes look.  Since I had Daniel I feel that I’ve had no time to take care of myself. My skin is always dry, etc etc.. I’ve decided to buy 4 pairs of jeans, cause that has become my uniform nowadays.  I spent most of my time at the sandbox, I don’t even remember how to put on make up anymore.  Plus the fact that the condition in my eye doesn’t help either, my right eye looks like a big red light.  Anyway… despite all this, he thinks I’m still great looking!!! How does he do it??? He’s obviously using his heart and not his eyes!!! and not many people can do that.  And talk about giving… He gives me and Daniel his time, his thoughts, everything! 

He’s extremely intelligent and very determined, and even though he thinks he’s boring, I think he is hilarious! How can I not think that? when everything we do is so different, we are so different, life with him is anything but boring.  There is always some kind of misunderstanding, or mishap… it’s just what makes life interesting. He is what Phoebe (from friends) would say…  "He is MY LOBSTER".  He brings order and purpose to my life.  And still on his birthday, when it was my last chance to come through with a cake in a special event… I blew it!!!  We still didn’t have one.  Just for reference….. this cake thing has haunted me the whole year.  It all started with Daniel’s birthday, I threw a party, but didn’t have time to bake the cake, so I defrosted some brownies from the freezer and that was that.  On my birthday…. well we spent it on the road, and I was puked on 3 times (no cake).  On our anniversary, I was recovering from eye surgery, so no chance to bake.  And now on his birthday… Well, all I needed was to borrow a mixer to mix the dough… and when I realized it…. it was too late!!! LUCKY FOR ME, he’s not so much for birthdays… OH well, we still have Christmas left….  HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUNNY!  

Yes, we made it!!! we have now been married for TEN YEARS!!! That’s a life time….. but I believe we have gone through a lot more than any normal couple. We have almost separated more than once, and now after many changes from both of us, now we are in one of the best places in our lives, we have a kid that we love and we come to realize that we have been with each other for half of our lives.  Even though this year my celebrations about important dates such as my birthday and now this have not been so huge, we managed to escape for a romantic weekend, Hakan has written about it in his site. 

So you can read the details on there, but I just wanted to share with you that we indeed had a great time.  It was a lot of fun and relaxation.  I haven’t had a facial since I went to Thailand with my mom.  And at that time, I went all the way with the facial and body treatment.   I most say that this time it was great as well.  I told Hakan that in one day we probably spent what I spent on my whole trip to Thailand, and to be honest if I had the time and possibility, I would do it again.  Go and have my body treatment in KO SAMUI,  But now we have Daniel and one day away from is enough, at least when you don’t really have anyone to watch him for you.  But we took advantage of Lupita being here with us.  I must say I would have waited one more week to celebrate because I just had eye surgery on my right eye and it was not very comfortable to be with it. But my mom was leaving on Monday, so there was no more time…. And that’s why I was wearing the sunglasses inside… NOT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A STAR (read the experience I had in Paris, in Spanish…) OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT!!!! you really wouldn’t want to see what my eye looked like anyway!!! it was a bit ugly.    

Pues han de saber que hace un mes o algo asi corrí a la muchacha que me estaba ayudando con la limpieza.  Como nos gusta economisar….. hemos decidido que su trabajo no era suficientemente bueno para justificar su permanencia, asi es de que en su lugar tenemos a una Babysitter fija.  Osea que viene todos los viernes.  En cuanto a limpieza de la casa, yo aspiro por lo menos una vez al dia y trapeo tambien casi una vez al dia.  Hakan prometió planchar sus camisas y hacer los baños.  Pues bueno… he de confesar que yo sí he hecho mi parte del acuerdo, sin embargo Hakan tardo 3 semanas en lavar los baños, a mi me tocó medio lavarlos un par de veces. Medio porque en realidad solo lo hice por encimita, terrible lo sé…. asi es de que no permitía a Daniel en los baños.  Sin embargo este fin de semana mi nueva "chacha" entro en acción, osea Hakan (mi esposo).  Hace un trabajo excelente!!!  Claro esta que toma un chorro te tiempo en cada baño y pide vino o cerveza y música de ambiente durante su tarea y por si fuera poco…. que no lo molestemos ni yo ni su hijito.  Vaya "chacha" con estilo Aunque se le debe reconocer que su trabajo es muy bueno.