2:nd advent

Our four room apartment is quiet except for the sound of the mini-dishwasher chugging away. Today is 2:nd of Advent. Partner is at a neighbors apartment to play Dungeons and Dragons 4 with some of our friends. BB, 20 months old, is napping peacefully on the double bed.

We have yet to decorate with Christmas themed decorations. Partner is atheist, I don't know what I am, but we still enjoy some of the Christmas traditions, like putting up festive ornaments. We just haven't had the time to do so yet. We grew up Christian, Lutheran, members of the Church of Sweden.(1)

I turned 30 on friday. The day started confirming BB had a low grade fever, like I suspected. So I had to call Partner back from work, and once he was back I headed in to work. At work Suzana sneaked up on me with a box of chocolate and gave me a short and sweet version of a birthday song. I worked 9am to 4pm and then had dinner with my colleagues.  Someone leaked it was my birthday and suddenly I was surrounded by co workers singing Ja må hon leva  (2), a swedish birthday song with amusing lyrics. I was both touched that they did sing to me and a bit embarrassed. I was having very conflicted emotions about my birthday.

On saturday we had some friends over for some cake that Partner baked, cookies and coffee, traditional swedish Fika(3) and I recieved some nice gifts of books, flowers, gift cards, candles, self care products and four new fish for my aquariums. They were Pterophyllum (4).

Next year, I'm taking my birthday of work.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Sweden
2. http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ja,_m%C3%A5_han_leva!
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fika_(coffee_break)
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalare