"If your children look up to you, you've made a success of life's biggest job.'' -DJ Thomas

Hi,

I did not blog last night, went to be early, and honestly did not feel like typing. Yesterady was kind of boring. I woke up, ran into town, up to the train station, back to town, and back to the house! It was hard, alot of uphill, but it was good for me. My knees feel about 90 years old today, but thats less than 91 so I am doing good. We had practice last night anyways...we drove the car to practice because Tove took Karens bike. (story time)...so on the way home we took Emily (teammate) home. So we had me, My, Karen, Wilma, and Emily. the car fits 5 perfectly, BUT Luisa's car seat was in th back.

If you have read any of my bloggs, I am sure you can guess what I am about to tell you....YES, I sat in the car seat the whole way home. It as hilarious. I fit in the seat just fine, but it sits up higher, so my head was hitting the roof. We laughed the whole way home. No matter what country your in/language you speak, laughter is universal. When I used to take spanish, I used to wonder why the entire world didnt speak one lanuge...well 1-that is ignorant to think, but 2-WE DO. laughing and smiling is universal. Wherever you go...people will get the idea when your dying laughing. haha.

Ok so this morning I had to get up early and shower, because it was the kids last day of school. The last day of school here is huge, the girls wear dresses and the boys dress cute too. I didnt really want to go, i mean theyre not my kids, it was raining, had to get up early..blah blah. So we got there, we go to the gym first and the principle talks...then we booked it accross the street to Pontus's class. We listen to the teacher talk, the class presents a presnt and then we leave to head to Tove's class. They were just having Ficka, so we left and went to My's class. My is in the 8th grade. That is the first year that students get grades in Sweden. Crazy right? So they present them with their report cards. Call their names, go get it, give every teacher you had a hug, and sit down. My got the highest grade out of any student in her textiles class! How bad ass! "One day I am going to care about grades" i started saying that my sophomore year in highschool...good job shannon! Ok so we saw My, and then booked it back over to the gym across the street to meet Mickey and see the younger kids (pontus and Wilma) perform their class song. Every class sings a song. It was so cute. It was then I realized what parenting is all about. It was crazy, it like clicked. I dont have kids, nor do i want kids. But I saw these kids (even the ones I didnt know, which was few because all the kids are always at our house) and they would get on stage to sing, and immediately look around for their parents...it was the same routine for every kid:
1-look for mom and dad
2-face lights up like christmas
3-start waving and smiling
4-find friends to the right and left, and show them that YOUR parents are here.

And you know whats great? The parents go through the same sequence of events. Karen would wave back, Smile, tears come to her eyes, and then she would poke me and tell me where they are...and I would wave. It was like involentary. That parent/kid connection was soo cool. I dont have younger siblings, and when your young you dont realize how attached you are to your parents, you dont realize that you value that relationship more than life itself honestly. I saw this entire different persepective of life. It was crazy to see these kids, products of their parents.

So, they sang the songs, and each kid looked and basically sang looking directly at their parents the entire time. (as if their parents have never seen them sing/scream words to a song before) None the less...it was great.

I couldn't remember being like that when I was younger, but what do you remember when your young? I was trying to think back...and your like that your whole life. I will be 55 and still feel like a kid around my parents probably, no matter what you are their kid. In highschool I would wait behind the fence before my softball games waiting to see my parents walk up. In college, I would keep looking back behind the bull pin waiting to see my Dad walk up (10 paces infront of my mom b/c he walks so fast) wearing his Towson colors, and then my mom with her Sebastiani bag. Its like we dont realize that attachment. And now after I play...the ONE thing I think is...I wish my cell phone was international so I could call home and tell them about the games. It is just crazy. Being foreign is so different, but some things all around the world are the same. ok enough of my corny "realization" blog. It was just crazy, I bet people go their whole life and never see what I saw today.

Karen introduced me to someone today "This is our oldest daughter Shannon" haha I smiled. Everyone replies with..."6 kids wasnt enough" and Karen always tells them she didnt have a big kid. haha.

So, nothing has changed my mind yet, I still dont think I want kids. I envy that relationship, bc starting today I think that the parent/child relationship is the BEST thing in the world. More valuable than anything, but it is a full time job! Who knows! I think it would still be cool to be the bad ass Aunt that attends all the functions, takes the kids for weeks at a time, gives the kids candy to eat too late, teaches them to light fireworks, lets them drink coffee to feel "cool" when they are too young for caffine... ha so many things! But none the less, Pontus was the cutest boy in his class. He is adorable. I need to take a picture and show yall. He straightens the front of his hair, and wears the back long and messy with this waxy gel in it...Hes got some swag for his age. I wish I could bring him home too.

I always dogg on the parents that think their kids are "the best", then im visiting all these classes, and seeing all of my sisters and brothers, and I found myself thinking the same thing, and Ive only been here 3 weeks! its crazy.

Oh wow...today is Sweden and my 3 week anniversary!! waho000...haha! Were still in lust..or puppy love I guess you would say.

Well I know my post was kind of nerdy today, but I learned something about life I never knew until I saw these kids-and I thought I would share it with ya'll. Tonight maybe dinner and movie with Matilda and friends. I always feel bad going because then the girls feel obligated to speak english, and I know its not easy speaking a foreign language...(seeing how I took spanish for 6 years, and I cant make sentences, actually thats not true, I know more than I give myself credit)

Ok...talk to yall later this evening >
"work hard, play harder"
Shann
#1 on the field, #1 in your heart