We believe in trolls and gnomes

The fog is lying thick over my village. It is something magical about it, it makes me think of gnomes and trolls. They are all out there, running around, dragging sticks and pine cones, leaves and moss to set up for the winter. I am a strong believer... and so are my kids after all stories I have told.

Sometimes we see them in the house. They are quick. They never stop and stare. You can just feel there presence when the rush from one corner to another. Always so busy. So full of secrets. They peek around corners to make sure we are doing alright. They are our guardian angels.

I went for a walk in the woods. Emmy Bo came with. She is a good bike rider now. Those small legs work frenetically in circles and she is moving fast. I think she needs a new bike for next year. The pink Hello Kitty bike has fulfilled its purpose the last two years. She is my youngest. The smallest. No one else in the family will inherit her bike this time. Maybe some 3-year old girl can take it over when we are done. That makes me feel a sting of sadness...

We walk the leafy roads through the woods, playing with the camera in her hands this time.
"Look Mama! Isn't it beautiful? I have to take a picture... Look Mama! That is a pretty stone. I have to take a picture. Look Mama! That is a big troll house. I have to take a picture..."

The pictures are many, it was hard to choose... Hope you don't mind my large amount of pictures telling this story today...

The forest lies golden in front of us. All shiny and bright. A tree has fallen over the path. It has to be climbed and balanced on. Of course.

"Look Mama! I can run fast on it!"
" Careful!!!" I hear my self calling in a nervous voice. On auto pilot. A mother does that. It comes natural as soon we sense the teeniest tiniest worry or fear for danger... She is being careful. She doesn't fall down. She doesn't slip. She just runs, back and forth, back and forth.

Small feet next to big feet wanders the path. We look into the troll woods, up into the skies. We oohhhh and aaaahhhh over the beauty around us. We smell the woods, breath in the wet air and chit chat. We find a pretty small leaf that has to be portrayed. And I step into dog poop... Big laughter.

"Ha ha ha! It stinks Mama! What are we gonna do?"

We head back home on our bikes. I scrub my shoes in the fountain. It is a dirty job, needless to say.... Emmy runs inside to tell the rest of the family about the big adventure we have had.

We have new baked cinnamon buns directly from the oven tray. It was a fantastic adventure we had, Emmy Bo and me. I am storing it in my memory bank. I don't want to let her grow more. I want her to stay just the way she is. Forever. Just because she is my youngest. The smallest one. And this age is so precious... Just like 6, 7, 8, 9 ,10, 11... and every year that comes after I guess. But right now the age 5 1/2 is my favorite and my best.

Kärlek
Annette