Pikku koululainen / Little school girl

Kun isosisko lahtee aamulla kouluun reppu selassa niin pikkuisen on saatava oma reppu selkaan kun mennaan saattamaan heita. Siella kaikkien muiden koululaisten joukossa on myos meidan pikkuneiti reppuineen.
Tanaan iski pieni paniikki. Saimme puhelinsoiton, joka toi uutisen siita etta paasisimme muuttamaan aikaisemmin. Sen seurauksena olenkin tanaan istunut puhelimessa jarjestamassa asioita, joita kuvittelin etta minulla olisi hieman enemman aikaa jarjestaa.
Taalla alkaa siis huomisesta lahtien pakkailut. Muutto on nimittain paria paivaa ennen Floridan reissua. Toisaalta vaikka stressia ja kiiretta pukkaisikin oikein olan takaa ennen lomaa niin mikas sen mukavampaa lahtea kun voi sitten rentoutua ihan totaalisesti. Ja palata omaan ihanaan kotiin, joka on taynna purettavia laatikoita. :D

When big sister leaves for school with her back pack the little sister has to have her own when we go to the school. There among all the other students stands this little one with her back pack.
Today a tiny panic installed itself in my heart. We got a phone call which brought the news of of our moving day being earlier than we thought. Afterwards I have been on the phone arranging all sorts of matters which I thought I would have more time to arrange.
Starting tomorrow I'll start packing. Our moving will be few days before our holiday in Florida. Even though the stress and rush will be quite something to prepare for both but it will be much more relaxing on our holiday knowing we don't have to worry about moving or closing. Plus it will be wonderful to return to your OWN house, home which is full of boxes to be unpacked. :D

Luovutin / I gave up

Siis luovutin yrityksessani opetella neulomaan kaks sukkaa kerralla varpaista ylospain. Testisukkia kun tein niihin ilmaantui kummallisia reikia niin kierroksen puolivaliin ja alkuun/loppuun. Ja jotain onnistuin kai mohlimaan muutenkin kun silmukoita oli hups yks kaks toisessa sukassa enemman kuin toisessa. Sitten tuli totaalinen stoppi. BLAAH! jotenkin ei nyt aivokapasiteetti riita tammoiselle. Kokeilen joskus toiste uudestaan.
Sukkalankaa kuitenkin odottaa neulojaansa eli nyt taytyy vaan tarkistaa etta onko minulla oikean kokoiset puikot hommaan. Pitaisi olla. :D
Tanaan on hoideltu asioita, kiikutettu papereita paikasta A paikkan B. Lenkkariostoksilla isomman neidin kanssa, ostettu koiranruokaa, yritetty metsastaa serkkupojille yhdistetty synttari/joululahjoja eli onhan sita tassa kaikenlaista.
Autokin pitaisi siivota sisapuolelta. Se on taman viikonlopun homma. Jotenkin kummassa nama minun takapenkin apukuskit saavat aikaiseksi ihan omanlaisen jarjestyksen omalla osastollaan. Minulla on systeemi mietittyna miten saisi auton pidettya hieman siistimpana ja helpottamaan matkantekoa, muttei toteutettuna, autoon. Kuulette siita sitten jossain vaiheessa kun toteutus todellakin tapahtuu.

Meaning I gave up to learn how to knit two sock at the same time from toes up. While making the test socks mysterious holes appeared both in the middle of the round and at the end/beginning of the round. And I must have managed to do something else wrong as well as suddenly there was more stitches on one sock than the other. And then I hit total dead end. BLAAH! Somehow my brain capacity is not enough for this at the moment. I'll try again some other time.
I do have some sock yarn waiting to be knitted so I just have to check I have the right size needles. I should have. :D
Today I've been running errands: taking papers from one place to another, buying sneakers for Big Miss, bought dog food, trying to hunt join birthday and christmas presents for my nephews.
I need to clean my car from inside as well. That's my goal for this weekend. Somehow my co-drivers in the back seat manage to create completely their own habitat around their seats. I do have a system to keep the car a bit tidier and to make traveling a bit easier.

Arvatkaa mika tama on? Guess what this is?

Juu, se on ovi! :D Mutta mika ovi?
Hiljaisuus taalla paassa ei johdu laiskuudesta tai etta olisin kyllastynyt bloggaamaan. Tama ovi on syy siihen etten ole paljon kerennyt/yksinkertaisesti jaksanut kirjoittelemaan blogijuttuja. Asiat palaavat normaaliksi toivottavasti ennemmin kuin myohemmin.

Yes, it's a door! :D But what door?
The quiet at this end is not because of laziness or that I would be bored of blogging. This door is the reason I have not had the time/nor actual energy to do much posting at this end. Hopefully things will return to normal sooner rather than later.

Kylla se syksy tannekin / The autumn is arriving here as well

Vaikka valilla onkin viela huiman kuumaa niin valiin mahtuu viileita paivia (+17C niin kuin tanaan). Vaahterat alkavat pikkuhiljaa muuttamaan variaan. Ei tosin laheskaan kaikki mutta ornassia ja punaista nakyy jo paikoitellen. Ja varma syksyn merkki taitaa olla ovipieliin ilmestyvat kurpitsoja. :)

Even though it's still occasionally quite warm we do have cool days as well (+17C as today was. Maple trees are starting to change colour bit by bit. Not nearly all of them but we do have some splashes of orange and red. And sure sign of autumn is the pumpkins put by the front doors. :)

Jatketaan elukkalinjalla / Lets continue with animals

Viela yksi paita lisaa. Talla kertaa eri kaava. Burlap Button:in Tummy Topper Layering T-shirt. Koko on 2/3. Paljon napakampi kooltaan kuin Ottobren. Hihat kapeammat, samoin vartalo. Ja meidan mimmilla kun on viela tuota vauvamassua niin aika tykoistuva paita tuli. :) Mutta kayttoon tulee.

One more shirt. This time different pattern: Burlap Button's Tummy Topper Layering T-shirt in size 2/3. Much more snug than the Ottobre shirts. The sleeves are narrower as well as the body. And as our Little Miss still have some of that baby tummy on her the shirt is quite form fitting. :) But this will be one of our shirts for the colder season.

Elefantteja ja perhosia / Elephants and butterflies

Poydalla on ollut vaaleanpunaisia elefantteja ja erivarisia perhosia. Kasityovimma on jatkunut. Syyn saatte kuulla vahan myohemmin. Mutta nyt ovat ompelukset saaneet meikalaisen pysymaan jotenkin jarjissaan.
Iltaisin olen opetellut vihdoinkin neulomaan kahta sukkaa samaan aikaan varpaista ylospain. Tuntuu tavattoman hitaalta nain ihan alkuun ennen kuin hahmottaa prosessin. Eikohan tama tasta kuintenkin. Ja on ihan kiva kun ei tartte miettia etta onko kaikki viisi puikkoa tallella.
Paivalla olen ommellut kun on ollut pienikin hetki aikaa.  Ei kovin fiksua kun saa suurin piirtein yhden sauman kerrallaan tehtya mutta kuitenkin. Tekeleina on ollut kaksi ihan perus paitaa pikkuneidille. Tajusinpa juuri ettei hanella ole pitkahihaisia paitoja juuri ollenkaan. Isomman neidin vanhat on joko liian pienia tai sitten liian isoja. Eli oikeaa kokoa odotellessa mina ompelin kaksi paitaa. Tein vahan reiluja ettei heti jaa pieneksi. Ihan perus tavaraa eika mitaan krumeluureja. Kaavana oli Ottobre 4/13 Fall Basic raglan paita. Varmaan tulee tehtya viela pari paitaa.
Eilen postissa putkahti myos uusin Ottobre Women- lehti. Siina oli parikin kaavaa, jotka kiinnostaisi tehda. Taytyy  menna kaivelemaan vahan kangasvarastoja etta loytyisiko sielta joku kiva kangas. Aiti laittoi myos postiin Suomesta mulle Onionin kaavan, jonka ostin Ikasyrilta jokusen aikaa sitten. Se on se ihana tunika/mekko kaava, jolla hyvinkin moni tuntuu tekevan vaatteita. En muista numeroa. Mutta halusin sen tanne ennen Floridan matkaa joskos saisi hurautettua mekon itselleni mukaanotettavaksi.
Kuvissa nakyy muuten meidan pyykkipaiva ja tyttojen pahvilaatikkoleikit lattialla. :)

I've had pink elephants and different coloured butterflies on the table. Sewing frenzy continues. The reason you'll find out later. But at the moment my crafting of all sorts have kept me sane.
In the evenings I'm finally learning how to knit two socks at the same time from toes up. It feels awfully slow but I can already see the appeal in this once you get used to this way. And it's nice not to fiddle with five needles.
During the days I've been sewing when I've had even a smallest possibility. Not necessarily very productive and sensitive to go one seam at a time. I've made two very basic raglan shirts for Little Miss. I realised she didn't have more than two long sleeve shirts. The old ones from Big Miss are either too small or too big. So as we're waiting for the correct size I made her two. I made them a bit big for her so that she can grow into them and won't be out of use immediately. Very basics and very simple. The pattern is Fall Basic raglan shirt from Ottobre 4/13. I'm sure I'll make few more shirts.
Yesterday I got the new Ottobre Woman magazine. It had few patterns I'd like to make. I have to go and look at my stash to see if there's something I could use. My mother also posted a pattern I bought from Finland and had sent it to her place. It is Onion pattern number something or other. I cannot remember. But it's the one that I keep seeing over and over again in Finnish sewing blogs. I wanted to have the pattern here before leaving for Florida in hopes of making a dress for myself to take along.
The pictures tell about our laundry day as well as the girls' card board box playing.

Varia elamaan / Colour my world

Koukku on kaynyt iltaisin (vahan keskella paivaa ja vahan iltapaivallakin) ja vihdoinkin kaikki ovat valmiita. Nain Pinterestissa nama ja halusin kokeilla.  Olivat niin kauniita. Eikun kauppaan ostamaan huopaa. Olisin toivonut vahan paksumpaa huopaa mutta tahan hataan sain vain askarteluhuovan paskuista. Ohje on TAALLA.
Kysyin mieheltani mita mielta oli tuotoksesta. Han ihmetteli miksi kaikki reunat piti olla erivarisia ja niin kirkkaita vareja. Han olisi tehnyt kaikki samalla paljon hillitymmalla varilla. :) No, mina halusin varia elamaan.

I've been crocheting in the evenings ( a little in the middle of the day and also a bit during the afternoons) and finally everything is ready. I saw the picture for these in Pinterest and I wanted to try. They were s pretty. Had to go to the store to find some felt. I would have like to have a bit stiffer/thicker than just crafting felt but I had to make do. The instructions are HERE. (As a reminder, Europeans use different terms for crochet stitches than Americans. Make sure you have your terms straight before you start. The pictures give pretty good indication what's what.) The size is bigger than I would have normally done for coasters but we have few huge mugs and these will accommodate those as well.
I asked my husband what he thought about my creation. He was wondering why all the edging had to be different colours and such bold colours too. He would have picked only one more subtle colour for all coasters. :) Well, I wanted colour in my world.

Charlie Mackadoodle

Mita teet kun stressia pukkaa paalle, ahdistaa ja on levoton olo? Kun en paase saunaan puhisemaan niin mina ompelin. Tein molemmille tytoille mekot tulevaa Disney reissua varten. Tytothan eivat edelleenkaan tieda matkasta mitaan. Paalle oli kuitenkin pakko kokeilla etta nain pitaako jostain korjailla. Onneksi ei tarvinnut. Kaavana on Burlap Buttonin Charlie Mackadoodle mekko. Ihanan nopea ja kiva kaava, jolla saa paljonkin erilaista nakoa pelkastaan kangasvalinnoilla ja silla tekeeko mekkoon pudotusvyotaron vai ei.

What do you do when you are stressed, anxious and very restless? As I don't have a sauna to go huff and puff my stress away I sewed instead. I made both girls dresses for the coming Disney trip. You remember that they do not know anything about this trip.  But I had to try them on them to see if I had to adjust anything. Luckily I didn't have to. The patter in Charlie Mackadoodle from Burlap Button. It's super quick and such a lovely pattern with which you can get a different looks with fabric choices as well as either using the drop waist or not. :)

Pikku tauko / Small break

Pidin tanaan itsekseni pienen tauon. Hyppasin autoon ja hurautin Concord, MA nimiseen pieneen kaupunkiin. Vanhaa perua ja kovin idyllinen. Kavin vanhalla hautausmaalla. Olisin voinut ottaa kaikista kivista kuvan. Jokaisessa hieman erilainen muistokirjoitus. Jotkut niin vanhoja ja kuluneita ettei niista saanut selvaa.
Kavin parissa putiikissakin ja loysin kaupan joka oli taynna Iittalan ja Marimekon tuotteita. :D Hassua kavella kauppaan ja joka puolella nakyy suomalaisia tuotteita.

I took a little time for myself today. I drove to Concord, MA. Small town. Very old and idyllic. I visited the old cemetery. I could have taken pictures of every single stone. Each had a different epitaph. Some of them so old that the text had faded into something unreadable.
I also went into few little stores and I found one that was full of Iittala and Marimekko products. :D It felt so funny to walk into that store and everywhere you looked there were finnish products.

Harhailevia ajatuksia / Wondering thoughts

- Rakastan uutta kasveskaani. Ainoa negatiivinen asia, jonka voin kyseisesta laukusta mainita on etta olkahihna on aika liukas.
- Vuokraisannat ovat syvalta ja poikittain.
- Voi kuinka Suomen lippu on sitten ihana! Nain tanaan yhden miehen tyopaikan edessa ja sydan meinasi pakahtua. Ehka vahan koti-ikavastakin.
- Jotkut asiat taalla on vaan niin takapajulasta ettei tosi verrattuna kuinka asiat hoidetaan kotona Suomessa. Ahdistavinta on se etta ne on yleensa niita kaikkein tarkeimpia asioita.
- Meinastin tipahtaa tuolilta kun kuulin etta isomman neidin koulussa ei ole pakollisia kotitehtavia eskarista kakkosluokan loppuun asti. Kyllahan niita suositellaan tehtavan mutta ne eivat ole pakollisia. Ja sitten he viela kertovat asiasta lapsille. Arvatkaapas kuka saa nyt taistella etta "laksyt" tulee tehtya.
- +36C syyskuussa on ihan liikaa lampoasteita. Sellaisissa lukemissa oltiin eilen.
- Virkkaus ja miljoona asiaa mielessa ei ole hyva yhdistelma. Nyt taytyy purkaa koko tekele koska laskin vaarin alussa enka tajunnut tehneeni virhetta. (Kyllahan mina laskin ja laskin mielestani oikein..... en siis laskenut.)
- Vaikka tanaan olikin paljon viileampi kuin eilen (+30C), oli viela liian lammin kavella koululle isompaa neitia hakemaan ja viela takaisin.

- I absolutely positively love my new bag. The only negative thing I can think of it is that the shoulder strap is quite slippery.
- Land lords are pain in the back side.
- I do love the Finnish flag and what it stands for. Saw it in front of my my husbands office today and felt this over whelming feeling in my heart. Maybe a bit homesickness as well.
- Some things here are just soooo backwards in comparison with home and it's super frustrating when these things are usually the really important things.
- Quite astounded that my child's school has a policy of non mandatory homework in grades K-2. Yes, they are recommended to be done but not mandatory. And then they tell this to the children. Guess who has to fight to get the homework done.
- +36C in September is way too much warmth to my liking. That's what we had yesterday.
- Crocheting and lot of things on your mind is not a good combination. I need to undo the whole thing because of a counting mistake I did not realise I had made. (I counted and at that time I counted correctly...... apparently not.)
- Even though it was a lot cooler today (+30C).... it was still too hot to walk to the school and back to get Big Miss.

Jarjestelyvimma vaan jatkuu / Organising frency continues

Kaikista talojutuista huolimatta minulla on jatkunut jonkinasteinen epanormaali kayttaytyminen minulle. Jarejestelyvimma nimittain vain jatkuu. Koko ajan loytyy asioita ja paikkoja, jotka pitaa saada jarjestettya.
Molempien tyttojen vaatekaapit on kayty taasen kerran lapi. Pienet vaatteet on otettu pois ja kaikkein kesaisimmat vaatteet myos. Aamut on viileita ja paivalla kelpaisi shortseja pitaa. Pari viileampaa (+20C) paivaa on ollut ja huomenna mennaan taas kolmeakymppia hipoen.
Siivosin ja jarjestelin myos poytani. Ah, kuinka siisti se nyt onkaan. :) Siina mahtuu jopa tekemaan jotain. :D
Kirjahyllytkin tuli kaytya lapi ja jarjesteltya. IKEAn laatikot ovat katevia. Niihin kun saa katkettya paljonkin irtonaista tavaraa, jotka muuten seikkailisivat vailla kotia. Meidan kirjahyllyt ovat lahinna taalta hankittuja kirjoja. Kellarissa on monta monta laatikkoa taynna kirjoja Suomesta. Niille vaan ei valitettavasti ole paikkaa.

Despite all the house hunt related things going on I've continued to have this quite unusual behaviour. The organising frenzy is still going on. All the time I find things and places to organise and tidy up.
I went once again through the girls closets, took out all their small clothes yet again, and all the really summery clothes as well. Mornings are chilly but during the day it's time for shorts. We've had few colder (+20C) days but tomorrow again very close to +30C again.
I also went through my desk. Oh how tidy and clean it is now. :) You can actually do something on it now. :D
Bookcases experienced my fury of organising as well. The IKEA boxes are so handy. you can hide so much loose items on there, which otherwise would be floating about without a home. Our bookshelves at the moments are full of books from here and then. Basement houses many boxes of books from Finland but unfortunately they don't have a space at the moment.

Olenko kirottu? / Am I cursed?

Anteeksi hiljaiselo taalla paassa. Sita saattaa viela kestaa jonkun aikaa. Ei olla edelleenkaan pahemmin nukuttu. Paivat menevat pohtiessa talojuttuja ja pyoritellessa numeroita ja erilaisia skenariota. Huokaus! Ei ole helppoa! (Taalla kaikki lainananomisesta lahtien on paljon monimutkasempaa ja vahan paalle.)
Mutta tuo kirous. Sain tanaan tietaa etta paras ystavani tasta melkein naapurista, on muuttamassa kuukauden sisaan pois toiselle puolelle maata. Ette usko kuinka surulliseksi tulin, kuinka ahdistuneeksi tieto oloni teki. Ystavyys ei katoa minnekaan mutta tama muutenkin pikkuriikkinen sosiaalinen verkkoni taalla vaan pienenee pienenemistaan. Vuoden sisalla nyt kolme ystavaa muuttaa pois ja yksi jonka piti tulla takaisin menikin jonnekin muualle. Kyynelia on vuodatettu yhdessa ja yksittain. Ymmarran kylla etta muutto heille on tarkea ja heille se oikea ratkaisu. Mutta se ei paljon lohduta tassa muuten niin yksinaisessa olossa, joka siis muuttuu viela yksinaisemmaksi. On vahan sellainen olo etta onkohan minut kirottu?

Sorry the quiet spell here. It might go on for a while more. Still spending sleepless nights. Days go by in haze of thinking house stuff and mulling numbers over and going over different kinds of scenarios. Sigh! It's not easy! (Here everything starting from credit scores and applying for a mortgage is difficult/complicated and some.)
But that curse. I found out today that my best friend from few doors down is moving out within a month to the other side of the country. You cannot believe how sad and distraught that piece of news made me. Our friendship will not disappear I know of that. But this tiny social network that I have here at the moment is yet soon one person less. Within a year three friends have moved away and one who was supposed to come back went to the other side of the country. We've been shedding tears together and alone. I do know and understand extremely well that this move is important and the right thing to do for them. However, it doesn't make me feel any better this pretty lonely existence of mine. I kind of feel that I have been cursed.