Where I grew up, a love for rocks and a crayfish party!

The next day I wanted to go to a beach or take the Elba ferry out to the island Östra Holmen. I was so disappointed when our time together was running out and there was only rain, rain rain. No reason to even wear the new bikini that I had bought for this vacation. We didn't know what to do all day long, so I decided to get some other things on my list done. I spontaneously took Nick on a car ride but didn't tell him where we were going. I ended up taking him to Gryta which is the area of Västerås where I grew up. We lived in different houses there up until I was 19 years old so I have many fond memories of it. We visited my old houses, playgrounds, grade school and kindergarten/pre school (I never know what to call it, elementary school maybe? Anyways, what kids are between the ages of 1-7 years old).
 
Nick was actually very tired and not in a great mood that day, some days the pain in his ankle and back affects him more than on other days. But he pulled himself together while I was saying "Pleeease, I know you're tired but there are just a few more places I'd like to show you!" and he kindly went along with it :) I just felt like, since we were already there and most likely won't be back for many years I wanted to show him everything that I possibly could. I haven't been back there more than once or twice in the last seven years, so it was important for me to kind of say good bye before moving to America. I did the same thing before leaving as an au pair. The best part about showing Nick around was that now when he sees our old home videos, he will recongnize these places.
 
It's funny how a lot of my childhood memories have something to do with rocks. We have so much forest around us in Sweden and the schools and kindergartens really use that to their advantage, in teaching the kids how to get around in nature. As a child those rocks ended up having personalities. They were special and kind of scary because I never wanted to climb up to the top like some of the other kids did. One rock at our kindergarten was a whale. At least to us it looked like one. As a grown up I often think of that rock and miss it. Isn't that weird? But nice too, so of course I had to show it to Nick :)
 
When we got back home my parents and Nick decorated the house for the crayfish party. Since Nick would miss my relatives big annual crayfish party and was really bummed out about it, we decided to give him the total experience. Our kitchen has never been so decorated, lol! It looked great! My sister and Johan came over to join the party. It was absolutely hilarious when my sister was teaching Nick how to suck the juices out between the legs of the crayfish and telling him that he could eat the brain!! He is more used to eating lobster and things like that so this was a bit different in flavor but he thought it was okay. The point is really to get together, wear silly hats, play fun games, sing songs, eat food and crayfish. It used to be considered a delicacy in Sweden since August is the crayfish season here. I am glad that Nick got to experience at least the dinner part of it. I can't wait for when we can fly to Sweden together and go to the annual crayfish party another year, because that is such a blast!!
 
Goood morning Sweden!
Labradorvägen where I lived for the first 10 years of my life
Oh all of the times where I decided to run away from home, so I packed my bag and sat in this playhouse for about 15 minutes until I got bored and went back home ;)
We lived in apartment 45. Some things have changed, like the door, the mail box and some bushes have been cut down. I am so curious of how it looks in there now. It's a really nice place actually, I'd love to live in a big apartment like that and decorate all of the rooms with Nick. In the window to the right I would always sit on a stool during New Years Eve, with a blanket on my lap, drinking alcohol free cider and eat salty peanuts and look out the window at all of the fire works. When it got close to midnight we would go outside. Therefore I ALWAYS have to have salty peanuts on New Years as a grown up :) <3
I used to have so much fun in this playground, although they have changed it a lot through the years. I miss the big tire swing, I just rememberd that one now while writing this. Anyways, Nick was VERY impressed by how fun this playground was and as the big kid he is...
Lol, he wanted to film a funny video of himself falling and tried to convince me that he'd be fine. Once again we fell into the "mother and her four year old wanting to do something dangerous" roles and I told him it wasn't a good idea. Sure enough, the fall knocked the wind out of him and he hurt his arm xD it looked hilarious on video though hahaha! I swear to God, having to look after him and our future kids one day will be a full time job :P
Icabacken - Ica hill. I have been here a gazillion times going sledding and skiing (although I was hella scared about skiing down the hill lol), playing in the bushes and learning how to ice skate just a few feet away from the hill.
Just a few months ago a gym hall for the Önsta school burnt down. It's so sad because even though I was only in there a few times, I lived just a few feet away for many years. And often looked up at the clock on the building while walking to the store or waiting for the bus. It represented that whole area in a way so a lot of us who grew up there are sad about it.
We lived here at Blekingevägen 49 after Uttervägen 8 (see later) for several years. It was a nice house with a big backyard and apple trees. We had a hedgehog that moved in under the porch that we loved taking care of.
 
After that we moved to this house on the same street, Blekingevägen 24. This was my favorite house and I never wanted to leave it. It had so much light coming in and a perfect back yard where we would play games, run around with our bunny Linus, plant so much food, relax on the gorgeous glass door porch and watch the most amazing sunsets. I miss it!
The second house that we lived in, Uttervägen 8, for just a year until we could find something better. But I actually fell in love with this place and didn't want to live. I fed the birds until they were close to eating straight from my hand. And from my room on the top right I could climb out on the living room roof top or sit on the window sill reading Harry Potter.
Just next to Uttervägen was our grade shchool. I spent about 10 years here so the memories are endless.
Another rock that I think about often. We had two of these in the forest and they were special because they looked like old fashioned ovens or caves. Unfortunately the top of this is broken now for some reason and I couldn't find the second one.
We used to run around play games in this big and beautiful forest during our breaks!
On this side we often had gym class and this rock represents so many memories even though I hardly ever climbed on it. I just love nature, that's what it is.
Wild raspberries <3
This was one of those rocks that was too scary for me to climb up to the top on. It's located right next to my old kindergarten and is so flat, I love how it looks.
Kindergarten/pre school. I have been back there twice for practice to become a teacher. This place means everything to me. There is something so magical about being little and I miss it. During summer time the teachers would bring out a pool and us kids would jump around in it naked. In Sweden nudity has always been a very natural thing but these days parents are so concerned about their children. I think it's a shame that there are so many rules now about raising kids. I miss those easy going times.
The whale!!! Lol I got so excited when I saw it. Can you see it's eye? And nose sticking up in the air. And it's mouth? Maybe that is just me but I couldn't help it, I had to pet it, just like I did when I was little.
Outside our house

Preparing for the party
I finally changed the date on Agnes's embroidery, I am happy with the picture but not happy with how the date turned out and that you can see the outline of the old date. And the fabric is so wrinkly. But you know what, it was my first embroidery in 15 years, you're allowed to make mistakes then. I am doing it better now and can't wait to make more pictures for Agnes :)
Lol strangest photo ever taken, my fiancé is making out with a crayfish and half of my face is missing
 My love and me after a great day <3

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