Expat Jon takes on the world (well... Sweden)

Now that Bash has started day care, we want to be sure to keep the schedule.  Eventually he should figure out that weekdays are when we will drop him off with those other kids and those nice ladies and then weekends are when he gets to have Mommy and Daddy all day.  I knew this would happen. My mom used to have a day care.  I saw it every day.  I never thought about it from the parents' perspective though. Leaving Bash every day is tough.  I'm glad I'm able to do it every morning because I think it would be extra difficult for Swedie.  He's a very happy kid normally.  That's not the case when I drop him off, though.  As soon as I say, "Bye Bash" and head for that door, he breaks down into real sobbing.  It makes my heart heavy.  I know he is in good hands.  It's just that I know that I can't explain that to him yet.  He doesn't get the concept of Daddy coming back.  He just gets that Daddy is leaving.  And technical...

Paternity leave is almost over.  This is my last week!  My how time flies.  It's bittersweet for me.  I love spending time with Bash.  I can't describe how important these three months have been.  I am ready to get back to work.  But it's also good for Bash to start his social life.  It's a new adventure for him.  A new era! Of course the day care system here is different.  In the US you have labor pains, push the baby out, wipe it off, smile at it, then drop it off at day care.  In Sweden it's a process.  They know you have parental leave, so you have to integrate the child into day care.  Of course you have to get into a line. It wouldn't be Sweden without a line.  Swedie was actually concerned that Bash wouldn't be accepted into day care on time.  We put him in the line when he was one week old.  How is that not enough time?  I actually ended up taking an extra two weeks of paternity leave once we...

The oldest I feel nowadays is when I hear new music.  It's a conscious thing.  I try to pretend I like it, but I can't help but reflect on "the good old days" when "music was music".  It's basically the oldest thing you can say.  So I don't say it... but I THINK it.  Whenever Jason Derulo says "big fat butt!" I roll my eyes and wish for the good old days of R&B. I remember when "old people" used to make fun of music that I liked.  They would reminisce and talk about when music was good.  Normally I would chime in as well.  I always prided myself on being familiar with the "Old School". When I was a kid, I was all about R&B.  I mean, I liked hip-hop/rap, but R&B was where it was at.  I was always really really into some girl and R&B would be the music to help me understand my emotions.  Of course, two weeks later I would like a different girl (standard kid stuff) and a new song would express those newe...