Vanja in Skansen

Stockholm in February - more than gloom

First booktour ever

While in Sweden, went to the city of Karlstad where 1100 kids 

between 5 and 8 are working with my book in school!

I got to meet librarians, teachers and some of the kids. 

Was among the most fun things I've ever done. 

The kids asked me a gazillion questions - did I know Henrik Lundquist as we both live in New York, how come I'm a grown-up and know about Minecraft, can I do any kind of flips, what's my favorite food and colors etc. 

Then they told me I should try to learn a new way of writing my autograph cause my current one wasn't all that great. I see their point. We all agreed my autograph looks a bit like two random pieces of string. I'll post a pic here later and you'll see too.

The book is about a boy who really wants a pet but his parents say no so he decides to get a carnivorous plant instead. And then he gets to borrow a hamster and trouble ensues.

One kid who read it said she also had a carnivorous plant once, but sadly she fed it crackers so it died.

So much fun writing for kids. Working on finishing touches on my next book now. 

And starting book three. It's happening. 

with dad

I LOVE MY DAD.

I just want to post this to keep it

Stockholm

Niki and I are in Sweden now

Feels like this (though pic was taken in Brooklyn).

I heart poor jokes

I find this touching

Boyfriends and dads, express your wishes more clearly.

And if you're in Korea and Japan (or even Costco), just walk out the door and look around.

Surfers

Do you also practice for wipe-outs by running on the bottom of the sea holding a rock while acting as a locomotive for a band of swimming friends?

Find more amazing pictures here. 

Ps. If you're into surfing and/or docus, don't miss Surfwise. It's on Netflix.

So interesting

clicketity-click image or link:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2015/02/05/382664837/map-the-most-common-job-in-every-state

Getting to school

More here

Being the youngest sibling

Before the collagen took off

And before I had three kids, I dressed more decolletée.

Language lovers, did you see this?

More here

ps. Thanks Maria. 

My daughters

Vanja is now almost as tall (or short) as me and wears the same shoe size and borrows my clothes.

Niki still has some growing to do before she can wear my shoes. 

Also remains to be seen: whether she gets my nose or not. 

Fires, birds

A storage facility was on fire in Williamsburg yesterday. The smell of smoke and ashes filled the air. 

We watched from a distance. 

I later saw the fire from the ferry. So strange to see fire from a boat. With this fire, so close to the water, there was even a special fire fighting boat shooting jets of water at the fire. 

I was on a boat once that caught on fire. It was very scary. 

Here's another fire/water related story. It's old but I think about it every time I hear of a fire. It's Samuel Pepys rapport from the fire of London, September 2 1666. Those birds:

So I down to the water-side, and there got a boat and through bridge, and there saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell’s house, as far as the Old Swan, already burned that way, and the fire running further, that in a very little time it got as far as the Steeleyard, while I was there. Everybody endeavouring to remove their goods, and flinging into the river or bringing them into lighters that layoff; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very fire touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of stairs by the water-side to another. And among other things, the poor pigeons, I perceive, were loth to leave their houses, but hovered about the windows and balconys till they were, some of them burned, their wings, and fell down.