Family H.

Valokuvaus on ollut viime aikoina kovastikin se mun juttu (kasitoiden lisaksi). Opettelemista kuitenkin riittaa viela vaikka kuinka. Ystavani halusi kuitenkin minun ottavan heista perhekuvat. Mielellanihan mina sen tein. Ihana perhe!

Paiva oli kylmin siihen asti ja tuulinen. Urheita olivat kaikki vaikka valilla hytistiin ja hypittiin lammikkeeksi. Kuvista ei uskoisi. :D Pyysin lapsia tuomaan mukanaa jotain "rekvisiittaa" joka olisi se oma juttu. Pojalla se on lukeminen ja tuo ihana hattu. Vanhin neiti tanssii, siksi balettitossut. Keskimmainen tytto on cheerleader ja nuorimmainen tykkaa ottaa muotivideoita, siita videokamera. Tassa muutamia otoksia tuosta kuvaussessiosta.  (Minulla on lupa kuvien julkaisuun.)

Photography has been lately my thing (in addition to my crafting). I have still lots to learn in this art. My friend however, wanted me to take their family photos. I was happy to comply. Lovely family!

The day was the coldest so far and very windy. Bravely they stood in the cold weather even though we all shivered with cold and jumped about to get warm. You wouldn't believe from the pictures. :D I asked the children to bring a prop that was something truly their thing. For their son it's readying and that gorgeous hat. Oldest of the sisters is a dancer hence the ballet slippers. Middle sister is a cheer leader and the youngest of the girls likes to take fashion videos, cue video cam. Here's few shots from this shoot. (I have permission to publish these pictures.)

Halloween tuli ja meni / Halloween came and went

Halloween on taalla, niin kuin tiedatte, iso juttu. Tana vuonna hankittiin molemmille uudet puvut. Normaalisti ollaan yritetty kayttaa kotona olevia tai kehittaa itse. Pikkuneiti sai aivan mielettoman hienon prinsessapuvun kun satuin olemaan oikeassa paikassa oikeaan aikaan. Ihan pilkkahinnalla saimme hanen puvun. Ja isompi oli paattanyt etta han haluaa olla Hermione Granger Harry Potterista. Hanen pukuaan varten ostimme kaavun, kravatin ja taikasauvan. Kotoota loytyi aidin valkoinen kauluspaita, ja neidin omasta kaapista harmaa englantilaiseen koulupukuun kuuluva hame. Ei menty konkurssiin. Ja mika taalla on minusta kivaa on se etta Halloween puvut on enimmakseen jotain muuta kuin kauhujuttuja ja hirvioita jne. Prinsessoita, elaimia, supersankareita, noitia (sopoja sellaisia), poliiseja, lasten telkkarisajojen hahmoja.

As you know Halloween here is a BIG thing. This year we bought costumes for both girls. Normally we try to do with what we have or make our own. Little Miss got this gorgeous princess dress and only because I was in right place at the right time. I paid pennies for it. Big Miss had decided that she wanted to be Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. We bought the robe, tie and wand for her. From home we found my white shirt and her grey school uniform skirt. (No, she doesn't wear a school uniform to school..... it's just something we bought her last time in England.) No bankruptcy. What I like here about Halloween is that costumes are mostly something else than horror and gory monsters and mummies. Princesses, animals, super heroes, cute witches, police, cartoon characters.

Pikkuisen koulussa pidettiin pienimuotoinen Halloween "juhla" tai paraatiksi he sita kutsuivat. Saivat kaikki pukeutua ja sitten patsastelivat asuissaan vanhempien ihasteltavina. 

Little Miss had a Halloween Parade at her school. All children got to dress up and parade for the parents to ooh and aah.

Iso neiti taytti vuosia juuri ennen Halloweenia. Viimeinen yksinumeroinen luku. Hui! Mihin tama aika ihan oikeesti haviaa. Pikkuinenkin itki yksi ilta kun han ei halua tulla isoksi ja painavaksi niin ettei Mami jaksa enaa nostaa syliin. 

Big Miss had her birthday just before Halloween. Last one digit birthday. Yikes! Where does this time really disappear. Little Miss was crying one night that she doesn't want to grow big and heave so that Mummy can't pick her up anymore and hold her.

Kerrankin Halloween osui viikonlopulle ja mehan tietysti kaytimme tilaisuuden hyvaksi ja pidimme Halloween synttarit. Vieraita pyydetiin pukeutumaan ja koristeluitakin piti tehda. Ei mitaan kamalan pelottavaa mutta vahan jotain seittia ja hamahakkia, lepakkoa, oranssit valot jne. Juhlat onnistui mukavasti pienen tyttoporukan voimin. Katsottiin elokuvaa ja herkuteltiin (mm. muumionakkeja).

For once Halloween was during the weekend so we decided to have a Halloween birthday party. We asked the guests to arrive in costumes and we decorated some as well. Nothing scary but little bit of spider webs, spiders and bats, orange lights etc. The party was a success with a small group of girls. We watched a movie and ate goodies (e.g. mummified sausages).

Pari kaveria jai myos juhlan jalkeen karkkikeppostelemaan meidan kanssa. Lapsilla oli hauskaa ja kaikki paivan jannitys odottamisineen, juhineen ja kohokohtana kai karkinhaku sai pikkuneidin simahtamaan heti kun paasi kotiin. Harmittamaan jai vain yksi asia. Ja sekin vain meita aikuisia. Me olimme paattaneet jattaa karkit ulos kulhoon (mukana lappu jossa luki: Happy Halloween! Take two and enjoy) ettei koira haukkuisi joka ikinen kerta kun ovikello soisi. Kello 20.15 se oli viela siina kun tulin tyttojen kanssa kotiin. Klo 20.40 se oli viela siina kun yhta ison neidin kaveria haettiin kotiin. Klo 21.15 koko kulho oli kadonnut rappusilta kun vein koiruuden ulos. Sita ei nakynyt missaan. Kavin pikaisesti sita etsimassa mutta eipa pimeassa paljoa mitaan nay. Seuraavana aamuna kiersin koiran kanssa naapurustoa. Ei nakynyt kulhoa missaan. Joku oli ottanut koko kulhon mukaansa. Eika muuten ollut meidan kulho ainoa, joka oli kadonnut. Lenkilla nimittain nahtiin ihan omituisessa paikassa kulho, jossa oli myos lappu etta ota pari karkkia. En tieda mista se oli. Omaa kulhoa ei koskaan loytynyt. Harmittaa, koska se oli mun salaattikulho ja melkein jokapaivaisessa kaytossa. Onneksi ei kallis eli sen puoleen ei harmita mutta kuitenkin. Kuka aalio tekee jotain noin tyhmaa? En tieda. Mutta tuli vahan sellainen olo ettei tee ensi vuonna mieli laittaa karkkia ulos ollenkaan.

Few friends stayed to trick or treat with us. The children had fun and all the excitement of the day starting with waiting for the party, the party itself and then trick or treating got Little Miss so tired that she fell asleep right after getting back home. One thing upset me though. And I mean it upset us parents. We had left a bowl on the front steps (with a note that said: Happy Halloween! Take two and enjoy!) so that our dog wouldn't bark every time the door bell rang. At 8.15pm when we got home it was still there. At 8.40pm it was still there when our last guest left.  At 9.15pm the bowl was nowhere to be seen when I took our dog out. I had a quick look for it but couldn't see anything in the dark. It was gone! Next morning I walked around the neighbourhood with Mr G. but couldn't see any trace of it. Someone had took it! We did find another bowl with a note about taking only few pieces of candy in a strange place. I don't know from which house it was from.  I haven't found my own bowl. It was my salad bowl and I use it almost daily so I'm a bit upset. It wasn't expensive but I really liked it. Not very nice trick I must say. I don't know who did it but it has got me so angry that I'm thinking of not putting any candy outside next year at all.

Haamatkalaiset vierailulla / Honeymooners visiting

Meilla on viiminen kuukausi ollut aika haipakkaa. Meilla on ollut vieraita.  Ensimmaisina saapui haamatkalaiset Englannista. Jos meille haluaa tulla viettamaan haamatkaansa (tai osaa siita) niin siita vaan mutta ei tulisi itselle ehka ensimmaisena mieleen viettaa osaa haamatkastaan lapsiperheessa. :D

The last month has been quite busy here. We've had visitors. First arrived honeymooners from England. If you want to come and spend some of your honeymoon (or part of it) with us, please be our guest, but I wouldn't first think of a family with children as a place to stay. :D

Paaasiassahan nuo vastanaineet menivat omia polkujaan. Tulivat illalla syomaan ja nukkumaan ja aamusta lahtivat taas. Lasten mielesta se oli tosi tylsaa koska olisi ollut kiva viettaa aikaa vieraiden kanssa. Meilla pyori ihan normaali arki kouluaamuineen ja aikaisine heratyksineen. Ei kovin hohdokasta siis.

Mainly the newly weds did their own thing. They came in the evening for dinner and sleep and then in the morning headed out again. Our girls thought it was very boring as they would have loved to spend time with out visitors. We had normal school routine on with early wake ups. Not very glamorous at all.

Yhdessa kaytiin kuitenkin vahan tassa lahella olevia nahtavyyksia katselemassa. Tama meidan seutuhan on tunnettua vapaussodan alkuajoilta. Naapurikaupungissa Lexingtonissa oli vapaussodan ensimmainen "taistelu". Taistelusta ei oikein voi kai puhua. Ja vahinkokin se vahan taisi olla. Tarkempia tietoja tapahtumasta loytyy TAALTA videon kera. 

We did go together to see few sights near us. Our region is known from the start of the American revolution. In our neighbouring town, Lexington, had the first "battle" of the revolution. You can't really talk of a battle. And it was bit of an accident as well. You can find more information of what happened HERE. 

Mukavaa minusta on se etta Lexintonissa on paikalla opas, joka kertoo tapahtumista haluaville. Olen nahnyt siella vanhempia miehia ja myos naisen. Kaikki pukeutuneina sen ajan vaatetukseen. Meille osui tama nuori mies. Lukiolainen, uskoisin. Vaikka osasikin kertoa juttunsa niin han ei ollut selvastikaan sina paivana kovin iloinen joutuessaan tuolla seisoskelemaan. 

I think it's really great that there's a guide at Lexington Battle Green / Common and they tell visitors about what happened if they are asked. I've seen older men there and once a woman. They have all been dressed in period clothing. When we came down there was a young man. High schooler I believe. Even though he knew his business and stories and told them lively he looked very unhappy to be there on that particular day.

Jos katsoit videon niin ylla olevat kuvat ovat siita talosta missa Lexintonin Minutemen "sotilaat" odottivat britteja. 

If you watched the video the above pictures are from the house where the Lexington Minutemen soldiers were waiting for the British.

Tuolla Buckman Tavern:ssa  seka vieressa olevassa info pisteessa on pienet kaupat, joista voi ostaa kortteja, kirjoja, pilleja, varityskirjoja, nukkeja, nukentekopaketteja jne. Kaikki tietysti teemaan ja aikakauteen liittyen. 

In the Buckman Tavern as well as the Information center next to it both have small shops where you can buy cards, books, colouring books, dolls, doll kits etc. And all of this of course according to the theme and time.

Nahtavilla on myos upea pienoismalli yhteenotosta. Sen on tehnyt, sotakirjeenvaihtaja ja valokuvaaja (nimea en nyt muista yhtaan) ihan harrastuksenaan. Se on mielestani tosi hieno.

You can also see a fantastic model of the Lexington Battle. It was made by a war journalist and photographer ( cannot remember the name right now and couldn't find the info) as a hobby. I think it's really wonderful.

Ja kerkesivathan nuo vieraatkin leikkimaan vahan. Legot oli esilla useampaan otteeseen. :D

And yes, the visitors had some time to play. The Lego was pulled out several times. :D

Ilman sanoja / Without words

Minullahan loppui aikaisemminkin mainittu valokuvauskurssi. Viimeinen tehtava oli 6-12 kuvan sarja, joka kertoo tarinan ilman sanoja.  Tassa minun tarinani.

The photography course I've mentioned earlier ended. The last assignment was a series of 6-12 pictures that would tell a story without words. Here's my story.