While we were in Michigan after my father's death, we had the great fortune to spend time with extended family. One of my favorite moments was the Saturday before Halloween, when James and I took the kids to a pumpkin patch and brought home a haul of pumpkins to carve with my Uncles Lee and Chris. Carving pumpkins...
Family
Fuck You, Fox News
Despite the timing and the title, I want to state upfront that this post has nothing to do with the recent election. This post is entirely personal, not political. I have had a hard time mourning my father’s death. In recent years we had grown distant, as distant emotionally as we were physically; an ocean stood between us, and...
Remembering My Dad
With my father's passing nearly a month ago, I wanted to create a small space here in the Internet where he could be remembered. My intention in writing this post is both to share his life story for those who are curious, and to provide a place for loved ones to come back to when...
Spending 1-on-1 Time With Kids
I'm finally back. I was a bit ambitious to think that I'd be able to get right back to posting on Wednesday, the day after we returned from the US. I was essentially immobilized by exhaustion and jet lag our first day home (I cannot sleep sitting up on airplanes), and just as I was beginning to feel...
I Abandoned My Family, and It Was Marvelous
Today is the final contributor post on Dear Sabrina for this period. We travel back to Sweden tonight, and I plan to get back to my regular posting on Wednesday. Thanks for sticking around during my absence, and checking out the words and stories from my friends. Lisa Ferland is another American mother living in Sweden. I...
Sailor Moon and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Today I'm thrilled to share this story by my dear friend Laura. I met Laura in the first months I moved to Los Angeles, and she's been a treasured friend since the day I met her. Laura is the ultimate go-to for how to do anything involving sewing, crafting, drawing, or starting creative projects, and has the best historical...
On Rape, Consent, and Raising Boys
Rape, consent, and sexual assault are hot topics right now, with the recent release of Donald Trump's disgusting comments about women and Brock Turner's release from jail after serving a three-month sentence for sexual assault. It's estimated that one in five women in the US has been the victim or rape or attempted rape, and that nearly to one in two women has experienced sexual...
Did You Find Out Your Baby's Gender?
We had the (approximately) twenty-week ultrasound yesterday, the one where they check the baby's anatomy and size and make sure everything's developing normally. Of course, this is also the ultrasound when you can find out the gender. And we're having...
Preschool in Sweden: the Basics
Let me start by saying that I never know whether to use the word daycare or preschool when referring to the place where kids spend their early years here in Sweden. I suppose that's because it's sort of a mix of what we know those two places to be in the US. While I will continue to use the word preschool here, do...
Kissing boo-boos and bearing witness
A couple years ago, when August was learning to walk, we were visiting my family in Michigan. August fell and started to cry, so I picked up him and kissed him where it hurt. He continued to cry as he rested in my arms. My mom, who'd been watching, said, "And there goes forever the...