Week 2 Sweden

So, things are coming together for us. After applying for Personal Numbers last week we received them this week. A personal number in Sweden is like a Social Security number in the U.S. but we get a lot more for it. With the numbers, we are able to obtain free daycare for Hanna-paid up to 15 hours per week if I am not working and 40 hours if I am working or in school; literally free healthcare; barnbidrag (child money)-which is a payment to us each month for each child until they reach age 18; and foraldrar pengar (parent money and time)-which is paid time off, up to 420 days!!!! (yes, we couldn't believe it either) for each child up to age 8 years old. Mattias will have to work for 6 months before the last one comes into effect but will be able to take the time with the child and get paid! And I'll be able to take the Swedish for Immigrant classes for free. I am anxious to get started on these. Once the numbers get into the system, that seems to create a trigger to a lot of areas. Mattias received a mail from the Police Dept. wanting to know about his hunting rifle. They would like him to send in the gun cabinet receipt once he purchases it! (too bad we didn't have that system at home when I nagged and nagged him).
Mattias is doing his Chairman of the Board gig and traveled to Uppsala again this week for a Board meeting. He'll do that once a week each month. Tomorrow he goes to a Board meeting for a separate Foundation and then will spend time in Stockholm with his Great Uncle Carl-Axel and then to Gotland to pick up our new (used) Volvo sedan. He'll take it onto the ferry and drive it home next Monday. This morning he went to Goteborg to visit the man holding our container shipment. Seems we get some money back from the Customs Dept. on this. That will be nice.
Liv is loving school but has been exhausted after her days and is "acting out" some, usually at 4 p.m. for some reason. She has been invited to a couple of events. On Friday after school at 12:30, she'll travel by school bus to her friend Elin's house--that is Liv, and 10 other girls and they are invited to stay for Tex Mex dinner. I'll pick her up at 6 p.m. and that would make 5 hours of girl fun--lucky for the parents to take on such an endeavor! School buses in Sweden are like coaches you take on a sightseeing tour--more plush. Not sure how you can obtain permission to take an additional 12 home but guess they worked it out. In February she is invited to go to another friend's birthday party. We will see if they do things differently here than at home.
Hanna and I visited her school for an hour on Tuesday. She was real curious to see what it would be like. Hanna played with Princess dress-up things, legos and did some jumping in the tumbling room. Next week we'll visit when the class goes outside and the week after will start our orientation. I've enjoyed spending one on one time with Hanna but know she is ready to hang with kids her own age. Yesterday we went to the Kungsbacka library for storytime. En route, I managed to fishtail the car as the rain turned to ice suddenly. That was my first experience and by law, all cars even have snow tires which didn't do much to help my position. I learned a lesson and drove more slowly after that.
After school today, we'll take an hour drive South to Ullared, the outlet area to see if they have reasonably priced outdoor gear for the girls. Liv spends at least twice a day outdoors at school and Hanna will spend much more than that at her daycare and we are short of things. I will do this with Mattias and the girls as we've heard Ullared can be quite hectic with tour busses, but also cheap prices! With a horrible exchange rate, that sounds appealing.

More later,
Carrie