Aitienpaiva / Mother's Day

Tanaan on niin Suomessa kuin taalla USAssakin aitienpaiva. Upean ilman takia me sitten vietettiinkin paiva pihahommissa. Nurmikon leikkuuta, haravointia, oksien leikkaamista, pari puutakin kaadettiin (kuolleita, eika niin hirvean isoja), kaivettiin kuoppia, revittiin ylos kuollut rhodopensas, istutettiin kukkia, kasteltiin niita. Koiruuskin paasi vahan leikkimaan. Reppana viela kymmenenvuotiaanakin ei osaa ottaa iisisti. Meidan koiralla on vaan ON(taysilla) ja OFF nappula. Ei minkaanlaista valimuotoa. :) Eli leikkiaikaa pitaa rajottaa. Illalla viela grillattiin pihvia ja kasviksia perunagratiinin seuraksi. Oli niin namia.
Nyt punottaa kasivarret seka niska. Lampoa riitti +26C ja aurinko porotti pilvettomalta taivaalta. Nyt on massu taynna hyvaa ruokaa ja on aikasen vasy olo. Hyva olo.

Today was Mother's day in Finland as well as here in US. Becasue the weather was so beautiful we spent the whole day outside doing yard work. Cutting the lawn, raking, cutting branches, cutting down few trees (dead ones and not so terribly big), digging holes, digging up a dead rhododendron bush, planting flowers and watering them. Doggy got some play time as well. Poor thing, even as a 10-year-old he doesn't know moderation. He has only ON(full speed) and OFF button. Nothing in between. :) So we have to restrict his play time. In the evening we grilled few stakes and vegetables to go with a potato gratin. It was so delicious.
Now I have red neck and arms. It was +26C degrees and sun was shining from clear skies. Now I'm full of good food and I'm tired of all the work. But I feel good.

Retkeilya / Camping

Se etta pyorittaisi vaan normaalirumban, silloin kun toinen on poissa luulisi olevan ihan tarpeeksi, niin tama hullu paatti aloittaa maalaushommat isomman neidin huoneessa. Nyt vihdoinkin kun jalkaa antaa myoten niin haluan saada neidin huoneen sisustettua. Ja se pitaa aloittaa maalauksella.
Mietin pitkaan vareja mutta paadyin sitten turvalliseen valkoiseen. Sen kanssa on helppo muuttaa sisustusta ilman seinan uutta maalausta. Ja tiedan etta neiti kuitenkin muuttaa mielensa viela jossain vaiheessa siita mita haluaa. :)
Eli mamma maalaa. Yksi seina kerrallaan maalikerros kerrallaan. Ilman paniikkia ja stressia. Isompi neiti, jonka huoneen olen siis vallannut ja myllannyt, retkeilee pikkusiskonsa huoneessa. Sekos vasta on onkin ihanaa. Niin ihanaa etta ensimmaisen aamuna pikkusiskon piti herattaa isosisko ennen kuutta. Seuraavana yona isosiskolla oli ollut kylma niin oli herattanyt pikkusiskonsa ja pyytanyt viereen lammittamaan (ja ottaneet viela ylimaaraisen peitonkin varmuuden vuoksi). Pikkuneidin nukahtaminen on hieman vaikeata talla hetkella kun siskon onkin siina ihan nahtavissa. Melkein kosketusetaisyydella. :)
PS: Onkohan tuossa pikkuneidin sangyssa nyt ihan varmasti tarpeeksi kavereita?

You would think that taking care of everything for a week alone would be quite enough when the other parent is gone. Yes, I would think so too..... except this crazy mummy decided to start painting Big Miss' room. Now that my foot finally allows it I want to get Big Miss' room decorated properly and of course painting comes first.
I was thinking about the colours for a long time and then decided on the safe white. It's so easy to change everything else in the room without having to paint the whole thing again. And I know my girl will change her mind about what she wants in her room several times. :)
So mummy is painting. One wall at a time. One layer of paint at a time. No panic. No stress. Big Miss, whose room I have now taken over and made a mess in there, is camping in her little sister's room. Oh how wonderful. So wonderful that the first morning Little Miss just had to wake her big sister before 6am. Next night Big Miss had been cold and had decided to wake her little sister and ask her to join and cuddle (and they had taken an extra duvet as well, just in case). Little Miss is having problems falling asleep at the moment as she can see, almost touch, her big sister. :)
PS: Do you think there's quite enough stuffies in Little Miss' bed?

Yksinhuoltajuutta ja ystavia / Single motherhood and friends

Olen ollut taman viikon YH aitina miehen matkustaessa toiselle puolella manteretta tyoasioissa. Lahti rontti jo sunnuntaina aamusta. Koko viikko tassa siis porskutellaan tyttovoimalla.
Tanaan sain aamukahvitukselle seuraksi ystavan. Vahan jotain poikkeavaa tahan rutiiniin. Ja mehan herkuteltiin. Normaalisti yritan itse leipoa syotavat mutta nyt menin kylla sielta mista aita on matalin ja kavin eilen Whole Foodsin kautta.
Han toi tullessan mielettoman ison kimpun tulppaaneita, joista sain kahteen maljakkoon kukat. Ne ovat niin kauniita ettei tosi. Kiitos rakas S.!
Oli niin ihana hopottaa rakkaan ystavan kanssa ihan kaikesta mahdollisesta. Aika vaan teki tepposensa taas kerran ja loppui ihan selkeasti kesken. Niin kuin aina.

I have been this week a single mum as my dear husband is traveling in business to the other side of the continent. He went already on Sunday morning. So we've had true girls power in the house.
Today I got a friend over for the morning. Little something to break the routines. And oh did we have goodies or what. :) Normally I try to bake/make things myself but this time I just went to Whole Foods yesterday to get our spread.
She brought me a huge, gorgeous bouquet of tulips which were enough for two vases. They are so very beautiful! Thank you dear S.!
It was so wonderful to talk with a dear friend about everything possible. The time again was against us and wasn't enough. It never is.

Tulppaani rakkautta / Tulip love

Tulppaanit ovat yksi lempikukistani. Ne vaan on niin ihania. Ostan niita kevaisin itselleni kimppu toisensa jalkeen. Kokeilin jopa purkissa olevia tulppaaneja mutta ne kestivat viela vahemman kuin kimput ovat kestaneet. Mutta juuri ennen lakastumistaankin ne olivat todella kauniita. Hehkunsa jo kadottaneita mutta kauniita omalla tavallaan.

Tulips are one of my favourite flowers. They just are so lovely. I keep buying them for myself in the spring time one bunch after another. I tried also tulips in a pot but they didn't last as long as the cut flowers had. But just before they wilted they were just so beautiful. They had lost their shine but still so pretty in their own way.

Vapputunnelmia Bostooniasta / First of May celebrations in Boston

Meilla on taalla suorastaan suomalainen vappuilma. +5C ja vetta sataa. JIHUU! ;) No, siis taallahan ei vappua mitenkaan vieteta. Se on ihan normaali arkipaiva. Kukaan muu kuin Suomalaiset seka muut skandinaavit ei tieda siita mitaan. Eli eipa sita silloin mitenkaan juhlisteta yleisella tasolla. No, mina yritan pitaa jotenkin edes suomalaiset juhlat perheessa esilla, vaikka vaikeaa se on kun ei muut juhli.
Vietimme toisen puoliksi suomalaisen perheen kanssa vahan vappua sen jalkeen kun koululaiset paasi koulusta. Siella oli tehty simaa ja mina tein tippaleipia. Ja oli vahan sitruunamuffinssejakin. Herkkua oli. Lapset sai leikkia keskenaan. Yksi prinsessakin joukossa liihotteli ja ekaluokkalaiskaverukset touhusivat kylmassa saassa ulkona. Brrrrrr! Huomenna normaali koulupaiva. Onneksi jai viela vahan tippaleipia herkutteluun.
PS: Kun kuvasin tippaleipia (lattialla) niin poydan alla vaani kaveri etta joskos mamman silma yhtaan valttaisi. Oli valmiina rakettina hyokkaamaan sielta. Tosin kun kuvaa otin yritti olla kuin muina miehina. :)

We have perfect Finnish vappu weather. +5C and it's raining. YIHAAA! ;) You know that there's no kinf od First of May celebrations here in US. It's a normal day. No one else but Finns and other scandinavians know about this and acknowledge it. I'm trying to keep bringing the Finnish  celebrations  and traditions in our house so that they girls would know about them but it's hard when no one else is celebrating.
We decided to celebrate today with another half Finnish family after school ended today. They had made sima (traditional drink for this celebration) and I made some tippaleipa (literally translates to drop bread). To best describe it it's like fried dough or funnel cake but crispier. And we did have some lemon cup cakes. It was all yummy!
The children got to play together. One princess was flitting about and the first grader buddies were playing outside in the cold weather. Brrrrrrr! Tomorrow is a normal schoolday (when in Finland it's a public holiday). At least we have few more tippaleipa to enjoy.
PS: When I was taking photos of the tippaleipa (on the floor) I had a litty buddy under the table ready for the moment when mummy's eye is on something else and he could charge like a rocket to get a treat. However, when I was taking picture of him he tried to be so cool and just minding his own business. :)

Kaihoisa prinsessa / Wistful princess

Ulkona on kylmaa ja harmaata ja vettakin vahan tiputtelee. Prinsessan olisi niin ihana paasta vahan ulos leikkimaan. Nyt joutuu vain toivomaan ilman muuttuvan pian taas sellaiseksi etta ulos paastaan. Vetta ja ukkosta on luvattu torstai-iltaan asti (ne samat, jotka ovat tehneet tuhoja etelammassa tornadojen voimin). Toivottavasti tanne ei mitaan ihmeempaa tule.

It's cold and grey and it's drizzling outside. Princess would so love to go outside and play. Now she just has to wish that the weather changes for better soon. Rain and thunder is on the forecast until Thursday night (the same storms reach us which have been causing havoc in south in the form of tornadoes). I hope we don't get any of that here.

Kuplien puhaltelua / Blowing bubbles

Mikas sen mukavampaa aurinkoisena paivana on kuin nauttia siita ulkona kuplia puhallellen. Muumipapan piipusta tuli oivallisesti paljon kuplia kerralla.

What is more fun on lovely sunny day than enjoy it outside blowing bubbles. Moomin Pappa's "pipe" was perfect for lots of bubbles.