Kietasupaita / Cap sleeved baby doll

Paita on valmis. Sain sen viimeisteltya eilen aamupaivasta. Kaytin ohjeen mukaisesti tilkkuiluun kaytettavaa puuvillaa (siis paksuudeltaan). Ens kerralla laskeutuvampaa kangasta kiitos! 

Tasta kuvasta, jonka mies nopeasti nappasi (ja tytot virnuilivat daddyn takana), tulee ihan tantta fiilis. Olisi voinut ottaa koko vartalokuvan niin olisi voinut olla ehka vahan ei-tanttamaisempi. Kaikki kurvit jaavat piiloon mutta kangas ei laskeudu niin natisti ja tonkottaa nyt enemankin just sinne minne tahtoo. Mallista tykkaan kylla mutta taytynee kokeilla vahan toisenlaista kangasta. 

My shirt is ready. I got it finished yesterday morning. I used quilting cotton as asked in the pattern. Next time I'll choose something more drape-y. In this picture that my husband quickly took (and the girls were making faces behind daddy) the shirt looks very "auntyish". He could have taken a whole body picture and the mood could have been different. All curves are definitely hidden. The fabric more or less goes where it wants to go. I like the pattern but I do have to try different kind of fabric.

Mihin viikonloppu havisi? / Where did the weekend disappear?

Tama viikonloppu havisi kasista. Kuusi taloa kaytiin katsomassa. Valitettavasti niista ei yksikaan johda jatkotoimenpiteisiin. On muuten vaikea keskittya talonkatsomisessa kun pitaa vahdata kahta apulaista.
Sain ommeltuakin vahan. Huomenna toivottavasti naette lopputuloksen.
En ole valmis uuteen viikkoon. Se tulee kuitenkin vaistamatta. Kello tikittaa vaajaamatta kohti maanantaita, koulupaivaa, balettituntia, taas yhta talonkatsomista. Voisinko mitenkaan kaantaa kellot takaisin perjantai-iltaan niin etta saisin viikonlopun takaisin?

This weekend just disappeared. We saw six houses. Unfortunately none of them will cause any further action. Just a note: it's super difficult to concentrate on house when you have two little assistants.
I did manage about 30 mins of sewing. You'll see the final results tomorrow.
I'm not ready for the new week. It's coming inevitably, no matter what. The clock is ticking towards Monday, school day, ballet lesson and yet another house viewing. Could I turn the time back to Friday evening so that I could get the weekend back?

Kukkaa pukkaa! / Flowers everywhere

Ihan uskomatonta kuinka nopeasti puut rupesivat kukkimaan taalla. Autolla kun ajaa niin joka puolella on isoja ja pienia puita valkoisenaan ja vaaleanpunaisenaan kukkia. Uskomattoman upeaa. Keltaiset Forsythia (ei aavistustakaan mika on suomeksi) pensaat kukkivat myos.
Tulppaanit kukkii, nasissit myos ja pari rhodo pensasta olen nahnyt kukassa.
Koiruuden ongelmat jatkuvat. Saatiin lisaa laakkeita. :( Ja taas katsotaan.
Kuvien tarkkuus on mita on..... tuuli aikalailla kun kiersin kameran kanssa kuvaamassa eli aika haasteellista kun kohde liikkuu koko ajan.

It's unbelievable how quickly trees here started blooming. When I drive around I can see trees in full bloom. Both white and pink. It looks wonderful. Yellow forsythias are also in bloom. Tulips and daffodils are in bloom and I've also seen few rhododendron bushes in bloom.
And our doggies problems continue. We got more medication. :( We will see again.
Sorry about the picture sharpness. It is what it is as it was windy when I was walking about with my camera. It was quite challenging to take closeups with "the model" swaying constantly.

Unissakin / Also in dreams

Ma etsin taloja taalla jo unissanikin. Ei kamalan leppoisaa unta. Menee lahinna painajaisten puolelle. Mikaan ei ole sopiva ja jos sopiva loytyy niin sitten joku muu kerkeaa ensin ja sama rumba jatkuu. Oikeassa elamassa vahan sama tilanne. Ollaan mietitty josko laajennettais meidan aluetta, jolta etsitaan. Miehen tyopaikalta puolen tunnin ajomatka paassa (siis jos normaali liikenne) loytyy kaksi aivan mielettoman ihanaa pikkukaupunkia. Maalaismaisemaa, hirmuisen valokuvauksellista, hyvat koulut, isommat tontit niin ettei talot ole ihan toisissaan kiinni. Hinnatkin paljon huokeammat. Mutta auta armias kun on toihin menon tai toista lahdon aika: liikenne on ihan toista luokkaa ja aika tuplaantuu helposti. Ajeltiin sinne ja takaisin pahimpaan ruuhka-aikaan. Oli aika silmia avaavaa. Mieheni ei ole kovin innostunut niin pitkasta tyomatkasta. Han haluaa nahda kuitenkin tytot paivittain ennen toihin lahtoa ja ennen nukkumaanmenoa. Mietittavaa on aika paljon
Vastakkainaseteltavat asiat on aika isoja eika ollenkaan helppoja tuosta vaan paattaa: Ostaako huokeammalla (aika lailla huokeammalla) sen mita haluat mutta paadyt huomattavasti kauemmaksi ja yhteinen aika viikolla jaa vahiin vai ostat jotain sinnepain ja tigit koosta samalla budjetilla tai rajaytat pankin ja ostat sen mita haluat huimaan hintaaja mutta paaset lahemmaksi tyopaikkaa ja sosiaalista turvaverkkoa? Siinapa kysymyksia.

I'm house hunting here in my dreams already. Not very restful dreams. They are nearly nightmares. Nothing is suitable or if we find something we want then someone else gets there first and then we start all over again. The situation is pretty much the same in real life. We have been thinking about widening our search. With normal traffic about 30min from my husband's office there are two lovely small towns. Rural, very picturesque, good schools, bigger plots so that the houses are not on top of each other. Prices are also much more affordable. The BUT comes with the commute. The time easily doubles. We did drive there and back in the worst commute time. It was quite eye-opening. My husband is not very enthusiastic about such a long commute and miss the time being with girls before they go to bed at 7pm. So there's lot to think about. The confrontation of issues is not easy to just decide: To buy affordably (quite a lot more affordable than where we are looking now) what we want but you end up much further away and family time during the work week diminishes nearly to nothing or do you buy so and so property within your budget, you compromise on size but you get the location or do you "break into the bank" and buy with high prices what you want closer to work and your social security network? Such major questions.

Sydanasiaa / Heart business

Tana aamuna pikkuneiti heratessaan ilmoitti minulle: "Vaapaat!" Mina mietin etta mitas neiti nyt varpaista hopottaa mutta kas kas, varpaat olivat tulleet yokkarin sukkaosasta lapi. :)  Komea kahden varpaan kolo.
Isompi neiti kay lapi tunteitaan. Nyt tuntuu olevan meneillaan joku eroahdistus kausi. Viime viikolla jo hoki moneen otteeseen ettei halua menna kouluun ja haluaa olla kotona minun kanssa ja tehda juttuja minun kanssa, opetella asioita minun kanssa. Eilen ja tana aamuna melkein itkua vaannettiin kouluun lahtiessa. En haluaisi millaan palata nyt takaisin siihen mita kaytiin lapi koulujen alkaessa.  Tata laheisyytta mamiin on haettu jo pari viikkoa. Paljon haleja ja vieressa istumista, jne. Olen luvannut tehda hanen kanssaan jotain tyttojen juttuja ihan vaan kahdestaan kunhan daddyn paivat helpottuvat ja voidaan jattaa pikkusisko kotiin hyvaan huomaan.
Koiruus on vahan parempi. Ei ole enaa oksentanut tai ripuloinut. On syonyt riisia ja raejuustoa runsaan veden kera kun ei edelleenkaan muuten suostu juomaan. Eli eteenpain mennaan ja se on positiivista se.

This morning our little miss informed me: "Vaapaat!" (varpaat in Finnish means toes). I was wondering why on earth she is going on about toes but hey ho her toes had poked through her nightie's foot. :) Very handsome two toe hole.
Bigger miss is going through her emotions. She seems to be experiencing some kind of separation anxiety at the moment. Already last week she went on and on about not wanting to go to school and that she wanted to stay home with me, do things with me, learn things with me. Yesterday and today we nearly had tears when it was time for school. I really do not want to go back to what we went through when schools started. She's been looking for this closeness for few weeks now.Lots of hugs and sitting next to me, etc. I have promised to do something special, something girly with only her when daddy's work load lifts off a bit and we can leave her little sister home with him.
OUr doggy is doing a bit better. No vomiting or diarrhoea. He's been eating rice and cottage cheese with lots of water mixed in as he still won't drink from his water bowl. So, we are moving positively forwards.

Kaaos / Chaos

Taalla on ihan jarkyttava kaaos. Viikonloppu meni paaasiassa siina etta ulkoilutin koiraa vahan valia, putsasin oksennuksia ja ripulikakkoja lattialta. Eli koiruus on kipea. Ei ole syonyt mitaan ihmeellista, sisalla saatika ulkona. En tieda mista tama tuli. Ei suostunut juomaan viikonloppuna vetta kuin kermaviiliin sekoitettuna. Tanaan sitten elainlaakariin jossa ukkeli nesteytettiin (sai pari desia nestetta ihon alle - oli aika hupaisan nakoinen kun herralla oli hirmuinen moykky ylaselassa), sai laaketta oksentamiseen ja ripulointiin. Ei edelleenkaan halua juoda. Soi hieman riisia. Katsotaan huomenna tilanne uudestaan.
Ja kun mina olen huolehtinut koirasta niin huusholli rajahti silla aika kasiin. Olen sita yrittanyt hieman tanaan selvittaa. Mihinka tahansa katsonkin tavaraa on kasoittain, sikinsokin, lattialla, poydilla, sohvilla, keittiotasolla..... ARGH! Tassa todisteet.

There's a terrible chaos in the house. My weekend went pretty much taking our dog out very often, cleaning vomit and diarrhoea poo from the floor. Our doggy is sick. I don't know where this came from as he has not eaten anything out of ordinary inside or outside. He has not drank at all since Saturday noon. Today I took him to the vet where he was given some fluids for his dehydration (he got few deciliters of liquid under his skin and he looked a bit comical with a big hump on his upper back), and medicine for both his vomiting and diarrhoea. He still does not want to drink. He ate a bit of rice. Lets see how he is tomorrow.
While I was taking care of the dog the house exploded. I've tried to clear some of it today. Where ever I look there's stuff in piles or not in piles, on the floor, on the tables, on the sofas, on the kitchen counter..... ARGH! Here's the evidence.

Korutehdas / Jewellery factory

Isompi neideista halusi ostaa valttamatta omilla rahoillaan jotain lelukaupasta. Hanta ei saanut puhuttua pois tasta asiasta mitenkaan (useampi viikko yritettiin etta rahat laitettaisiin saastoon jotain isompaa asiaa varten, mutta ei). No, kauppaan siis. Ennen sinne menoa olin pyytanyt neitia miettimaan mita han halusi kymmenella dollarillaan ostaa. Realiteetit napsahti paikoilleen kun neiti huomasi ettei rahat riitakaan sellaisiin asioihin joita oli miettinyt. No, hirmuisen mietinnan ja tutkailun jalkeen mukaan lahti helmipaketti.
Nyt sitten neiti on tehnyt koruja. Kaulakoruja taitaa olla valmistuneena kolme, korvakoruja kaksi paria ja rannerengas. Kuviin loytyi vain yksi kaulakoru. En tieda mihin muut havisivat. Jossain paikassa, joka on lapselle aivan luonnollinen korujen sailytysta varten mutta ei mammalle.

Bigger one of the misses wanted desperately to buy something from the toy store with her own money. One could not get her to reconsider where to use the money (for few weeks we tried to convince that she should maybe save it for something bigger, but no). So, off to the store we went. Before going I had asked her to think what kind of things she would like to buy with her ten dollars. Reality hit her in the store when she realised that her money didn't go very far. Well, after lot of thinking and going back and forth between things she bought a jewellery making kit.
Now she's been making jewellery. I think we have three necklaces, two sets of ear rings and a bracelet in this new line of jewellery. I only found one necklace for the pictures. I don't have a clue where the rest disappeared. Undoubtedly they are in a place which is perfectly natural for a child to store jewellery for a child but not for mummy.

Ahdistus jatkuu / Anxiety continues

Ahdistaa tama maailman meno. Toivon etta kaikki on pian ohi ja elama palautuisi normaaliksi. Epavarma ja turvaton olo edelleen. Sydan tykyttaa rinnassa. Osa minusta haluaa pakata tavarat saman tien ja palata taalta kotiin.
Olimme kotona suurimman osan paivasta. En olisi halunnut lahtea minnekaan mutta isommalle neidille oli luvattu leikkitreffit ja koska lapset ei edelleenkaan ole kuulleet pommeista tai epailtyjen etsinnoista yhtaan mitaan ja koska paikka oli ihan lahella niin leikkitreffit pidettiin. Molemmat tytot paasivat juoksemaan pihalla ja leikkimaan.
Saa tanaan on ollut hieman omituinen. Pilvista ja kovin tuulista ja todella lamminta. +21 mittarissa. Yoksi on luvassa vetta. En ihmettelisi jos taalla ukkostaisikin.
Lapset on ollut tunnin nukkumassa. Mies on viela toissa. Tanaan ei pitanyt olla pitka paiva.....
Kavin ulkona viela pikaisesti ottamassa kuvan puusta jossa on vaaleanpunaisia nuppuja ja yksi ainokainen auennut kukka. Tuuli kuitenkin esti saamasta kuvia. :( Ihan muutama onnistui.

I'm extremely anxious about what's going on at the moment. I just hope everything is over soon and life would settle back to normalcy. My heart has been pounding in my chest. Part of me just wants to pack everything and return back to home, Finland.
We were home most of the day. I really didn't want to go anywhere but I had promised a play date for the older miss. As the girls still have no clue what's been going on during this week and because the place for the play date was very close we did go. Both girls had a chance to run outside and play with friends.
The weather today has been quite weird. Cloudy and very windy and very warm. +21Celsius in the thermometer. Rain in the radar for the night. I would not be surprised if there was thunder.
The girls have been in bed for an hour. My husband is still at work. Today was not supposed to be a long day....
I did go outside very quickly to take a picture of a tree with pink flower buds and one single open flower. The strong wind made things difficult though. :( Only very few were ok.

Onko jo 24. paiva? / Is it already the 24th?

Nyt alkaa tympimaan tama YH-aiteily oikein toden teolla. Olisipa jo 24. paiva. Silloin on miehen projekti vihdoista viimein loppu/tehty ja elaman pitaisi palata normaaliksi tassa huushollissa. Mutta siihen on viela paivia.....
Meilla oli tanaan varsinaista tyttoenergiaa. Katsoin ystavani lapsien peraan (kolme tyttoa) silla aikaa kun han kavi tentissa. Meilla tehtiin koruja, leikittiin ravintolaa ja rakennettiin majaa. Lounaaksi syotiin jauhelihakeittoa ja jalkkariksi pannaria marjojen kera.
Tanaan on ollut hirmuinen ikava saunaan. HUOKAUS! Nyt pitaisi saada se huusholli pian hankittua niin etta saadaan sauna ja akkia. Kamalia tammoiset kaipuut.
Olen tutkaillut netista trikookankaita. On se vaan niin etta taytyy euroopasta katsoa etta saa sellaisia kun haluaa. Bongasin taalta suht lahelta kangaskaupan, joka taytyy kayda ehdottomasti tutkimassa viikonloppuna. Tai jo huomenna jos ei malta odottaa. Olisi kivempi tietysti kayda siella ilman tyttoja niin etta saisi kunnolla keskittya kaupan sisaltoon. Mutta ei taalta kylla samanlaisia kuviotrikoita saa kuin sielta kotoota.
Sormet syyhyaa ompelemaan tai tekemaan mita vaan mutta nyt ei kylla riita energiat saati sitten etta olisi aikaa. :(

I getting very tired of being single mum. I wish it was the 24th. That's the deadline of my husband's project and things should get normal in this household. But there are still days left....
We definitely had some girl power today. I was babysitting my friends three girls while she went to take an exam. We made jewellery, had a restaurant here and built a fort. For lunch we had hamburger soup and Finnish pancake with berries.
I've desperately longed for sauna today. SIGH! Now all I need is that house and fast so that we can build the sauna asap. I wish I didn't have these longings.
I've been search for cotton jersey from Internet. It really seems that I cannot get the kind I want from here at all but have to revert to Europe. I did find a fabric store quite close here and I definitely have to go and check it out during the weekend. Or tomorrow if I cannot wait.  Of course it would be nicer to go without the children so that I could properly explore the contents of that store. But new store or not I cannot find the same kind of print cotton jersey than I can at home.
My fingers are itching to make something but I just cannot muster the energy nor do I have the time. :(

Kevatta / More spring

Eilisten kauheuksien jalkeen on pakko yrittaa loytaa jotain kaunista, ihanaa, pilaamatonta. Kevaan eteneminen on sita. Hitaasti mutta varmasti. :) Eilen loytyi tielta liiskaantunut kaarme. HUI KAAK!   Olin niin ajatuksissani etta melkein astuin sen paalle. Kyllapa tein aikamoisen sivuloikan aaniefekteineen. Koira katsoi kummissaan etta mita tuo nyt tuossa koreografisoi.
Kukkia ja nuppuja nakyy. Nurmikkokin on jo enemman vihrea kuin ruskea. :) (Anteeksi kuvien laatu.... ihan kannykalla napsittua.)

After yesterday's horrible events I just had to find something beautiful and unspoiled. Spring moving forward is that. Slowly but surely. Yesterday I nearly stepped on a squished snake on the road. I was so much in my thoughts that I didn't see it until last minute and did quite a sideway leap with some sound effects. The dog was looking at me wondering why I was making some extra choreographies. Flowers and buds are visible. Even the grass is more green than brown. :) (Sorry about the photo quality.... took these with my phone.)

Liian lahella / Too close

Olen istunut taalla iltapaivan ihan kauhusta kankeana. Iltapaivalla Bostonissa rajahti kaksi pommia lahella Bostonin maratonin maalia. Kaksi kuollut, joista toinen 8-vuotias poika. Loukkaantuneita yli 130 ja luku varmasti nousee. Kuulin, etta pari muutakin pommia olisi loytynyt mutta ne saatiin toimintakyvyttomiksi.
En voi kuvitellakaan kuka voi tehda jotain tallaista. Kuka haluaisi loukata viattomia ihmisia? Kuka haluaisi sabotoida tallaisen urheilutapahtuman? Kysymyksia riittaisi. Olo on todella turvaton. Tama tapahtui liian lahella.
Lapset eivat kuulleet mitaan tanaan, eivatka nahneet mitaan. Siita pidin huolen. Heidan ei tarvitsekaan. Mutta paljon enemman haleja, suukkoja ja rakkaudentunnustuksia tyttaret saivat sen jalkeen kun kuulin tasta. Kiitan Luojaa etta emme olleet siella (olisimme hyvinkin voineet olla silla meidat oli kutsuttu).

I've been sitting here this afternoon pretty much paralysed by terror. In the afternoon, two bombs went off in Boston close to the Boston marathon finish line. Two dead, one of them an 8-year-old boy. over 130 injured and the number is surely to go up. I also heard that two other bombs had been found and then dismantled.
I cannot imagine how anyone could do something like this? Who would want to hurt innocent people? Who would want to sabotage this kind of sports event? Lots more questions in my head. I feel really insecure. This happened too close to us.
The children have not heard or seen anything. I made sure of that. They do not need to know. However, they did get more hugs, kisses and declarations of love after I heard these news. I'm thanking God that we were not there (we could have been as we were invited to go).

Paikkaripaiva / Nap day

Tanaan oli pakko ottaa paivaunet. Oli niin veto pois olo. Oli jo eilen. Voin vain kuvitella miten vasynyt armas puolisoni on naiden jarkyttavan pitkien tyopaivien jalkeen (myos nyt viikonloppuna) ja jotka vaan jatkuvat. HUH!
Jain miettimaan mika vei loputkin mehut ja niin se vaan oli etta vaikka kuinka olen yrittanyt ottaa hyvin jalat-maassa-jarki-paassa asenteen tahan talon etsintaan niin se eilinen paatos ohittaa minusta meille passeli koti oli aika rankka tunnepuolella varsinkin kun hyvia taloja tuntuu tulevan hyvin vahan tarjolle ja ne menevat saman tien. Mutta ymmarran mieheni eparoinnin ja syyt ohittaa kyseinen talo oikein hyvin. Jos talomarkkinat olisivat erilaiset talla alueella niin olisin itse ehka myos kriittisempi. Noh, etsinta siis jatkuu.
Leikkelin eilen illalla kangasta seuraavaan ompeluprojektiin odotellessa ukko kultaa kotiin. Ei aavistustakaan koska paasen ompelemaan. Lueskelin tanaan ohjeita ja siella on kohta, joka kovasti jai mietittymaan ja ihmetyttamaan. Jatkan kai ihmettelya viela. Jos menee improvisoinniksi niin sitten menee.
Kaytiin puistossa tyttojen kanssa.... (siis mun pitaa ajaa autolla jos halutaan puistoilemaan). Oli niin kivaa etta eivat meinanneet lahtea pois ollenkaan. Ainoa harmi ettei siella ollut muita leikkikavereiksi.

Today I had to take a nap. I was so tired. I was already yesterday. I can only imagine how tired my dear husband is after all these super long days (also now during the weekend) and they just keep going on.
I was thinking earlier what made me so overly tired yesterday. I know now. Even though I have been going into this house hunting with head-on-my-shoulders-feet-in-the-ground attitude it was yesterday's decision to pass the house I thought would have been really nice home for us especially as there is so little for offer on the market, was the emotionally draining factor that took me over and in need for more sleep. But I do understand my husband's hesitation and reasoning very well. If the housing market wasn't what it is at the moment I would be more critical too. So, the search continues.
I cut some fabric last night for my next sewing project as I was waiting for my dearest to come home from work. I have no idea when I have a chance to do so. I was reading the instructions today and there's a bit that left me a bit baffled. I guess I'll try to figure this out and if not then I'll improvise.
The girls and I did a trip to the play ground as well... (I actually have to drive to a playground as there's nothing close to us). They had so much fun that I had trouble getting them to leave. :) Bit disappointing that there were no one else to play with.

Talojuttuja / House stuff

Lupasin paivitysta talojuttujen kanssa ja tassa sita sitten tulee.
1) Se talo josta jo juttelinkin ei tule olemaan meidan uusi koti. Talossa ei sinansa mitaan vikaa mutta tontti on ihan pohko. En muistanutkaan kuinka kalteva se oli. Hyva vaan talvella pulkkamaeksi mutta ei oikein muuten. Tontti on iso ja suurimmaksi osaksi kayttokelvoton. Hintapyynto taivaissa niin kuin aikaisemmin kerroin.  Se siita.
2) Kavin eilen katsomassa kaksi taloa. Yksi ihan vaarassa paikassa moottoritien varressa. Ehdoton EI. Toinen olikin sitten minusta aivan unelma takalaisia taloja ajatellen. Piha oli aidattu valmiiksi ja tilaa olis niin tyttojen kuin koirankin juosta. Kellariin olisi saanut mahdollisesti sen mun saunankin (olis kylla toita vaatinut) ja isannan kotiteatterin. Tanaan kaytiin uudestaan niin etta miehenikin naki sen. Lyhyesta virsi kaunis: ei tule siitakaan meidan kotia. Ei sytyttanyt miesta useammastakin syysta. Suurin oli se etta talo oli hinnoiteltu hieman alakanttiin etta herattaa kiinnostusta. Maanantaina puoleenpaivaan mennessa pitaisi antaa suljetut tarjoukset. Katsojia oli sen reilun puolen tunnin aikana kun me olimme siella ainakin yhdeksan muuta perhetta. Kiinnostusta on ja jos talon meinaa saada niin pitaa tarjota kunnolla pyyntihinnan yli. Viikonlopun aikana paikan paalla varmasti kay 30 potentiaalista ostajaperhetta. HUH! Ei semmosen maaran kanssa tekisi mieli lahtea edes kilpailemaan. Tarjoukset ovat siis suljetut eli kukaan ei saa tietaa tarjousten maaraa etukateen vaikka niita jo tanaan annettaisiinkin.
3) Tilanne ahdistaa suunnattomasti. Markkinat kayvat kuumana. Myyjien kulta-aikaa. Kysyntaa on mutta ei tarjontaa. Jos olisi rahaa kaytossa hiukan enemman niin voisi melkein valita haluamansa eika tarvitsisi kilpailla tassa mahdottomassa hintaluokassa.  Mistas sen ylimaaraisen rahan loytaisi?

I promised updates in regards of our house hunting.
1) The house I mentioned before is not going to be our new home. The house itself is ok but the the plot is funny. I didn't remember how big slope there was at the back yard. It's good in the wintertime for sledding but other than that it's pretty much useless. The plot is big but we are not able to use it. And the house is way over priced. That's that.
2) Yesterday I went to see two houses. One was in totally wrong place right next to a motorway. Absolute NO. The other one was pretty much what we were looking for (in my opinion). The yard was fenced and well big enough for the girls and dog to run around. The basement had potential for my sauna (with some work) and my husband's cinema room.  Today we went again so that my husband was able to see it. Long story made short: it won't be our new home either. For several reasons it did not spark my husband's interest in the way it did mine. The biggest issue being that the house was priced a little under it's value so that they can get as much attention as possible and people going through the house. If you want the house you'll pay over asking price.  While we were there there were also 9 other families and I'm sure plenty others were going as well during the weekend.  I would guess at least 30 potential buyer families will walk through it. And offers are expected on Monday  by noon. WOW! We definitely don't want to compete with that kind of amount of potential buyers. The offers will be sealed so it's just guessing game how much you should offer to beat others.
3) The situation is extremely stressful and I'm getting anxious. The market moves super fast in terms of good properties are gone in a flash. Lots of buyers not much in terms of inventory out there. If only we had a bit more money to use so that we wouldn't have to compete in the "worst" (most prospective buyers) price range. If we did we could basically pick from several which one to get. But where to find that extra money?

Villasukat taas jalassa / Wearing woolly socks again

Ei jalkeakaan siita ihanasta lammosta, joka meilla kavi kylailemassa alkuviikosta. Tanaan kylmaa ja koleaa seka tihkusadetta. :( Villasukat jalassa ja pipo paassa. Mutta pikkuneidin oli pakko paasta keinumaan.
Isomman kevatloma alkoi. Huomenna ei siis ole koulua eika ensi viikolla. Olemme kotosalla. Ja mieheni ahertaa toissa. Ei siis mitenkaan hehkea asetelma lomalle. Yritan keksia jotain tekemista meille tytoille.
Hyva ystavani (melkein naapurista) katoaa maisemista ensi tiistaina aina heinakuun alkuun. Olen kauhuissani, koska han on ollut yksi niista muutamasta henkireikaasioista tassa kotiaitielamisessa taalla.
Japanilainen ompelukirjani houkuttaa kovasti tekemaan lisaa vaatteita ja kavinkin ostamassa kolme kangasta lisaa. Nyt vaan pitaisi loytaa se aika tehda niille kankaille jotain. Pesin ne jo valmiiksi ettei sita tarvitse enaa miettia.
Tanaan meilla syotiin banaani-valkosuklaa pannukakkuja koska tama mamma unohti aivan totaalisesti ottaa mitaan sulamaan pakkasesta. Lapset eivat valittaneet tasta iltaruoasta. :)

Not a sign of the lovely warmth we had earlier this week. Today it was cold and rainy. :( Woollen socks and hat kind of day. And the little miss had to do some swinging.
The big Miss started her spring break today. No school tomorrow or next week. We're going to stay home as my husband is working. Not really the best scenario for a holiday week. I'll try to come up with something to do for us girls.
My good friend (and neighbour) is leaving next Tuesday and won't return until beginning of July. I don't know what to think. She's one the things that really has kept me sane running this circus.
My japanese sewing book is really tempting me to do more sewing. I did go and get some fabric today. Now I just need to find the time to do something to them. Already washed them so that I don't have to worry about that when the time presents itself.
We had banana-white chocolate pancakes for dinner tonight as mummy did not plan ahead and didn't take anything from the freezer to defrost in the morning. However, the children did not complain about the dinner. :)

Japanilaista ompelua / Japanese sewing

Mainitsinkin etta viikonloppuna tuli tutkittua japanilaisia ompelukirjoja. Olisikohan niita kaannetty englanniksi reilu kymmenen. Olen niita tutkaillut kirjakaupassa useampaan otteeseen ja jotenkin tyyli on munlainen. Ostin siis kirjan, kaksi ja kolmannenkin. :) (yhden ostin netista kuvien perusteella.
Mielenkiintoinen tuttavuus. Vain yhdessa kirjoista on kaava-arkit. Yhdessa on pienia simppeleita projekteja, joissa kankaat leikataan lahinna erikokoisiksi nelioiksi/nelikulmioiksi eli helppo mitata, piirtaa ja leikata. Toisessa (se jonka ostin sokkona) ei ole kaavoja myoskaan vaikka kyseessa 25 mekkoa/tunikaa. Kirja antaa kaaviot ja tarkat mitat mutta kaavat pitaa piirtaa itse. Jos tuommoiseen ei ole tottunut niin tulee olemaan varmasti aikaavievaa puuhaa. HUH!
Ompelin yhden mekon itselleni alkuviikosta. Se oli siita kaava-arkillisesta kirjasta. En uskaltanut viela lahtea noita muita kaavoja piirtelemaan, vaikka sieltakin kutkuttaa monta tekeletta. Helppo ommella. Yksinkertaisen kaunis. Kaytin vain paljon paksumpaa kangasta (demin) kuin mita oli tarkoitettu (pellavaa) eli mekko ei laskeudu niin kauniisti. On  kuitenkin kiva kevat, syksy ja talvimekkonakin.
Jos lahdet ostamaan tammoista kirjaa kannattaa miettia tarkasti. Isoille ihmisille nama eivat kay. Vaikka kokoja on XS-L niin L on aika nafti normaaliksi. Olen itse 40-42 kokoinen (vaatteista riippuen) ja tein L:n (katsoin kirjan mittataulukosta mika sopisi). Muista etta kirja on tehty aasialaista vartaloa varten. He ovat paljon sirompia ja myos normaalisti lyhykaisempia kuin esim Eurooppalaiset. L-koon mitat oli aika pienet eli selkeasti japanilainen L. :) Mekko istuu paalle oikein kivasti. Ainoa asia jota jouduin saatamaan oli olkaimet. Jos olisin ommellut ne kiinni ohjeiden mukaisesti niin kainalloaukko olisi ollut tosi tiukka ja hangannyt kainaloa. Eli vaatteita saattaa joutua tuunaamaan mennessa. Kannattaa siis kokeilla vaatetta aina valilla paalle ompelun aikana.
Mina olen koukussa. Naita on saatava lisaa kunhan niita vaan kaannetaan. (Jotkut ostavat kuulemma ihan japanilaisia versioita, koska mitat ja kaavat ovat senttimetreissa ja kuvat ohjeistavat oikein hyvin ompeluvaiheissa.)

I did mention that during the weekend I was looking at japanese sewing books. I think there's about 10 or so translated into English. I have looked at them in the store several times. The style is somehow quite me. So I finally bought a book, two, three. :)  (One I bought from the internet based on pictures.)
They are quite an interesting acquaintance. Only one book has pattern sheet. One of them is small simple projets where the fabric is cut into different size squares/quadrangles so they are easy to measure, draw and cut. Another book (the one I bought online) has not pattern sheet even though it consists 25 dresses/tunics. The book gives a pattern drawing with quite specific measurements but you have to draw your patterns yourself. If you are not accustomed to this it could be quite time consuming.
I did sew one dress for myself at the beginning of the week. It was from the book with the pattern sheet. I was not courageous enough to start drawing the other patterns even though there's several dresses that I would like to make. The dress was easy to sew. Simple but pretty. I used much thicker fabric (denim) for it than the pattern asked for (linen) so the dress doesn't let down quite so nicely. But it's still nice spring, autumn and winter dress.
If you do buy one these books think first. These are not for big people. Even though the sizes are from SX to L the L is quite small for normal L. I myself am European 40-42 size (depending on the clothes) and I did L size (looked at the book's own measurement table). It's important to remember that the books/clothes are made for asian body type. They are slender and usually not very tall. The L size measurements were quite small so it was definitely a Japanese L. :)
The dress fits really nicely. The only thing that I had to tweak was the shoulder straps. If I had sewn them how the pattern required the armhole would have been very tight and uncomfortable. So one might end up tweaking the clothes as you sew.  Try them on as you go.
I'm hooked. I have to get more of these when they do translate them. (Some hard core japanese sewing book fans buy then in japanese as the measurements are in cm and there are - I hear - detailed pictures of the sewing steps.)

Kesafiilis / Summer feel

Aamuviidelta herasimme ukkoseen. Kevat/kesakauden ensimmainen ukkonen. Tasta se sitten lahtee. Koira paasi sankyyn niin kuin aina jos yolla jyrisee. Se ei voi sietaa ukkosta ja tarisee ja tutisee kuin horkkatautinen. Ei kuitenkaan ole paukkuarka. Hassu elain.
Aurinko lammitti paivalla niin etta lampotila kipusi yli kahdenkymmenen. Ihanaa! Soimme iltapaivalla valipalan eturappusilla (sinne paistaa iltapaivaaurinko) ja pitihan ne smoothietkin tehda ja nauttia auringosta.  Kavimme kavelemassa ja voi sita ihanuutta kun ei tarvinnut takkia laittaa paalle. :) Ihan kuin taalla olisi kesa. Huomenna vaan +17C ennen kuin tipahtaa kunnolla taas alle 10 asteen.

At 5am we woke up into rumbling thunder. It was the first this spring/summer. Here it starts then. The dog got to be in the bed as always if it's thundering during the night. He absolutely hates thunder. Shivers a LOT. He's not afraid of loud bangs though (doesn't flinch at the tracking test where they shoot in air). Funny animal.
The sun warmed up the day and temperatures climbed up over +20C. Lovely! We had our snack on the front steps where the sun shines in the afternoon and we did have to make smoothies as well and enjoy the sun. We took a walk with the girls and what a wonderful feeling when you don't have to wear a coat. :) Feels like summer. Tomorrow's forecast is only +17C before it drops massively below +10C.