Sunny days . . .

. . . have led to no blogging for awhile. Even after the children have gone to bed, I've been going outside to sit in the evening air with my book and check on our grass growing about once every five minutes. The highlight of these sunny days has been our first cookout of the year at our dear friends' house. Yes, we've had a good run with the nice weather, but this evening, a cold wind has blown in as an unfriendly reminder of our latitude.

see-sawing at Kupittaa

watching a dinosaur, I mean big-armed machine eat, I mean tear down a sausage factory

new sand in our sand box . . . it might be enough now

picnicking with our congregation's children's group

Mama

Talko (with a hidden name-that-quote)

Yesterday we took part in our neighborhood's yard-talko. As the link tells, a talko, or talkoot, is a warge gathewing of mice... I mean, neighbors getting together to work on something.

We dug up and disposed of the old sand-box and put a new one in place, fixed the big old granny-swing and tidied up the yard. More than just working, it was also a chance to get to know our neighbors, as there was grilling after the work. Mama made everyone some potato salad (without mayonnaise, which was a new thing for the Finns).

Aside from finding out people's names, professions and social status, Pappa got to hear one of the old-timers tell about how things were in Åbo during the war (WWII). When the city was bombed, the children were taken to the bus station were they got to eat porridge until the danger had passed. After the war, when all food was rationed, he had bartered bicycle innertubes for butter, and collected masses of paper to get a small bag of candy from the grocer. No one really had real shoes, and what they used was made out of paper. The bright spots of those days were packages coming from relatives in America containing coffee, rice and chocolate.

We didn't take any pictures, I'm sorry to say.

-Pappa

Weekend at Sinappi

Once again, we had the opportunity to take part in a family retreat organized by the Swedish congregation in Åbo (last year's post).

The weather was a bit colder and more wet and our children were a year older, but getting out of the house and having all meals cooked for you was just as wonderful as last time.

LS enjoyed the healthy, organic sea-food diet...

BB is properly geared for the windy weather...

...and he got to enjoy one of his favorite activities.

This year, Mama had time to stay for Mother's Day cake...

...before it was time to pack up...

...and head home.

But before this post is over, you can look at this video and compare it to last year's.



-Pappa

Book Worm

I have always thought of children (myself included) going to bed with certain special stuffed animals or blankets - soft things. BB goes to bed with books. It's funny, it's nice if Spot and Kitty Cat are in the bed, but he doesn't always miss them if they're not. But, if one of his bedtime books (not always the same ones, but seem to rotate in weekly or monthly phases) has been left downstairs or something, we have to stop everything until it is found and brought to his bed. At the moment the essential books are the "yellow kammar book", The Little Engine That Could, and a book about a circle and a line and all the things they can make together, written in English and Somali (this last one is a library book, so hopefully he won't get too attached!).
The interesting thing is that although he enjoys reading them, and looks through the pages until his arms get tired and eyelids get too heavy, they seem to provide the same kind of comfort as, for example, my teddy bear gave me. He sometimes cuddles up to or leans on the books as he's falling asleep. Once, I made the mistake of moving them away before he was in deep sleep (they don't look very cozy to me!). He noticed they were gone, and we had a big problem on our hands!


It really shouldn't be surprising after the way he blew off his first Wappen for Pat the Bunny! Guess we have a little book worm on our hands. :)

Mama

May Day in pictures

Doesn't it look like we just started dating?

PDA! Everybody down!

LS fell asleep in the stroller in the middle of the hubbub. For a while at least one of us could sit down.

The good weather brought out a few people.

Said an anonymous father about Mama's mortar board: "I've never seen anything like it..." He must not watch Sweet Valley High...

Queen Mama patrolling the perimeter. (Her comment on seeing this picture: "Do I really walk like that?" Yes, and we love her for it.)

Mama: "Are you supposed to throw rocks down the slide?"

Queen Mama is tough, but fair.

Back in the saddle again...

Denim jacket, graffiti... We got the 80s down to a tee! (And isn't this just the cutest shot of Mama?)

I'm awake...

Happy May everyone!

-Pappa

Wappen on the Balcony

Having small children has really made our past few Wappens (1, 2, 3)a lot more low key than before, obviously. After a day of grocery shopping (since the stores are closed for May Day) and park going (the weather was great!), we spent the last few waking moments of Wappen (at least for two of us) on the balcony. We sort of had a bubble blowing contest with our teenage neighbor on her balcony (did that really happen?) and enjoyed the sun and the sounds of parties and playing all around.




Mama

Lyrics

Mama: The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round all through the . . .
LS: ownnnnn!

Mama