Vince loves the snow even more this year. Yesterday we spent the day at Bs parents and enjoyed some more snow and snowfall. This morning it was -16c when we woke up. From what everyone tells me, it should be even colder in Sweden, we are flying tomorrow!

Opa, Vince and I (very patriotic yellow/blue clothing)

Edgar still prefers sleeping, and missed out on the snow

Bs Mom, Edgar (hiding in the stroller) and I

Vince either laughing or eating snow, could be either one

Tumbling around in the snow

Both kids fell asleep in the car home. Vince slept for 13 hours, might be a new record.

The thing I missed the most living in the US was probably European bread. I love bread. Love it.
So being able to wake up, walk 35 meter to the bread van outside (available fr 7 am-8,30 am) and pick up all kinds of fresh made yummy bread is awesome. Life is good.

Speech is definitely the area where Vince is most delayed. He has about 45 words that are fairly well pronounced. He has most words in German and English, fewer in Swedish. That does not mean  that he does not understand all three languages, because he does. He does what you ask him (when in a mood for it), he answers questions (with signs, he knows over 300 signs, had to write that down for the ST), and he and he follows his shows and get the punch lines.
But he does not speak much.
He blabbers a lot, in his own language. 

A lot of the times when we are in the key he likes to play the game where I say a word and he repeats it. In ‘our’ language he will do good, but when you add a new word he uses his own language.
We had a feed back meeting at day care with his therapist team on friday and it was OK. Pretty good actually. His ST (who has a rather good record of being sick…) did point out some good points. That even though he knows many different letters and sounds them out, he can only say words that are coming from the tip of his tongue/lips OR from the back of his tongue. Not both. Like BALL, BOB, CAR, DEER, GURKA (cucumber) is no problem, but even though he can say B he says KAGGER instead of BAGGER for truck. The K and the G sound is from the same place in your mouth but the B and G are not.

yesterday we had an appointment with my all time favorite therapist. She is just awesome. She takes time to always find out what Vincent can and can not do. Sounds pretty obvious, but it is SO often the therapists make up the action plan after the diagnoses and not after the individual, so it is not as clear-cut as one may think.

But yesterday was good. She pointed out that Vince needs to learn (i.e we teach him) how to triangulate better. What that means, I think, is that he needs to create a triangle when he looks at something. Like, let’s say he looks at a BOOK, he then looks at me and searches the word for it, I tell him he has a BOOK,, and he returns his look to the BOOK. So that is our focus moving forward. We will also have bi-weekly, hour-long sessions with her starting in January. I feel up to it, and Vince loves her toy room which was stacked with plenty of firetrucks…

We went downtown today to the Christmas Market. It was snowing and finally really Christmasy weather. The plan was to go by the little Kid’s land they have put up and let Vince go wild there. But, see he fell asleep just as we got into the city so a little change of plan which meant B and I got something to eat and mainly had a lot of warm (strong) punch.

Getting a loaded baked potato and some apple cinnamon punch

B buying candy

View from Hauptplatz to Schlossberg. We will try that train an other when Vince is awake

Having a Glögg (think spiced, warm red wine) at Barista’s downtown.

Next year we need to be part of Sankta Lucia celebrations again. We missed it with the Swedish club here as it was a week early, because B was in Korea and I was not feeling brave enough to bring both kiddoes with me last Sunday night.

To read more about why we actually celebrate St Lucia on dec 13, click here, it is actually a pretty accurate and funny description.

Can it get more Swedish than Lucia in Mora, Sweden, probably not!

Today was the annual DS Christmas Party and as always it was a lot of fun. It is hard to explain it, but leaving a DS get together I always feel extra happy, relaxed and just amazed at how many great and awesome people I am lucky enough to meet in life. The kids and the parents. I just love it, ‘nough said. Let’s move on to the clips/pictures:

First clip: Wild Vince. You may want to re-consider your so far very generous invitations over Christmas…

Second Clip: V is 13 years old and he cracks me up every time we meet. He is a big favorite among the girls too of course.I had no clue he was playing the accordion til today. I though it was all soccer.

Vince did sit still once, so I had one chance to snap a picture of his half cut hair… That is another story.

Miss J helping out playing the guitar. The angel looking lady is the Christ Kind, that is who comes on Christmas and give presents over here (Baby Christ)

Playing with Ms A and Mr L (who is sporting cool Vincent shoes)

He really enjoyed the little play that they put together and kept moving up closer and closer and eventually ended up behind the ’stage’

Bookie came home last night, every one is SO happy. And what happens? Vince had to be WOKEN up for the first time in his life! He had a dr’s appointment at 8, and at 7,35 I went in his room to wake him. WHY did that not happen during the two weeks when B was gone and he woke up at 5-5,30?

Not so long ago I wrote about Michelle and her family who are adopting Lily. But the adoption is pretty expensive, so they are having an online auction to hopefully raise some money. So please hop on over there and make some bids, will ya? There are some really cool stuff on there, and also a lot of perfect Christmas gifts. So go check it out!

No way of missing that. The kids woke up shortly after 5am…
By 6 we were done with our breakfast and Vince had both lit and blown the two candles out at least five times. Still not a single light on in any of the neighbors’ windows. Edgar went back to bed, and Vince watched Cars and I just ‘rested’ with Vince on the couch.

St. Nick came yesterday – a day early, and Vince must have been really good because Bs parents had hinted to St. Nick about instruments, and Vince got a guitar! He is in love!

He was walking around with the guitarr all morning

A new star

Multitasking.

He actually moves his fingers around while playing.

We are heading to the in-laws today for some rest (the mom), outside play (Vince) and a nice meal. And more than half the time B is gone has passed and Vince celebrated by doing a happy dance: