Swedish Preschool

I just started watching this video, but after only a few minutes in, I am really loving it.  I love the way those little classrooms look-with the little lamps and the flowers and sticks.  I plan on watching the three part series.  I know some people get all uptight about where their kid goes to preschool.  I kind of tend to lean toward this idea: there is plenty of time to get serious about learning.  It's good to play and explore when children are little.

Here is the second video, and the third
  After living in Sweden for a month, I really was intrigued by their lifestyle.  I loved the way they biked everywhere, and I loved how everything looked beautiful.  I loved it (in a way) that there wasn't a single restaurant open at night.  (It is good for their country and for the food service industry-but rather annoying when you worked every night until 10 and then couldn't find any where to eat)  The whole town shut down on Midsummer's Day.  Their workers had weeks of vacation every year.

Wow, trip down memory lane.  I also remember that I loved the street signs, our backpacks were WAY too overstuffed, and I remember how all the men wore capris.

Outdoor Preschool

This video really spoke to me.  It makes me want to move to Norway (I'm half Norwegian you know)  It also makes me consider wanting to homeschool or something.  I never really thought I'd say that.  I love that they are learning how to light a fire, build, read a map, hike- all at the age of five.  It goes along with my theory that kids are more capable than we think.  There is an elementary school across the street from my house and I'm pretty sure that the kids only get outside at lunch time.

The Similarities of Tearing Up Entry Ways and Giving Birth

We finally finished scraping black tar off of our entry way.  It was a lot like giving birth. Ok, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic!   It was fun at first.  I was all proud of myself thinking it wasn't too bad.  I posted these pictures on instagram of my progress (all done during Luna's nap)  

Before the nap:

During:

And after the nap:

Then the rest of it was so hard to scrape.  I didn't think we would ever get it done.  It was the same feeling, thinking the baby is never going to come.  It was painful, my hands, knees, and forearms all hurt from working so hard.  I was super sore the next day from it.  In the end, well it's still ugly right now.  But next week after we get it refinished I think I'll be in love.

It had 2 layers of vinyl.  The first covering was fake stone vinyl.  Who covers their beautiful floors with that?  The smell was awful!

Now we just need to rip apart the rest of the kitchen floor.  That has a ton of nails, it takes strength, but it comes off easily.  It's not tedious.  

I'm pretty sure on Monday we are getting our floors sanded down.  I am so EXCITED for this step.  I think it will really feel like our house after that.  It is the last surface that needs to be redone and then every square inch of the house has been scrubbed, cleaned, and given a new life.  Every surface!

update:
Fast forward- it is all done right now but I am posting a day by day progress of what we did.
Here is a shot of what it looked like after the stain was applied.  As soon as I can I will update with the finished after shots.