Kiara – Blue Moment

Day 225: Kids Comic Book Fair

October 5, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Helsinki, KiaraTagged Children, Alanna, Kiara, Activities, 365 Project, HelsinkiLeave a comment

There was a kids’ comic book fair in Helsinki today. If not for a friend who sent us a note, we never would’ve known about it. And unfortunately, based on how few people there were, not everyone has such a clued-up friend.

I often wonder how much cool stuff we miss, just because we never see the ads.

But we made it to this one. The best activity was designing their own characters for a comic graveyard. Alanna’s two-tailed cat zombie laughed out loud while scaring others and swinging. Kiara’s 10,000-year-old worm was actually not dead. He was too stubborn to die – but liked hanging out with the dead. But then again, he was bad at math, so who knows how old he really was…

Now we wait to see if either of these characters makes the cut for the actual comic book.

Day 212: Soukka Day

September 22, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, KiaraTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Espoo, Fall, KiaraLeave a comment

Finns are not very good at building neighborhood communities. In general, Finns are not very good at casual socializing. Having lived in our current house for five years, only now – through Scouts – have I realized there is actually any community activity at all.

So today was a Soukka Neighborhood Day. The girls participated in a Scouts skill trail, which rewarded participants with a free crepe and jam.

Grassroots participation.

Day 205: Design for Kids

September 16, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Helsinki, KiaraTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Helsinki, Kiara, LearningLeave a comment

Somewhat by accident Alanna, Kiara and I ended up in Design Week’s kids’ workshop.

The girls got to design fashionable outfits, new houses and a – best of all – a mascot that they could then program to make sounds, flash lights, or show images.

An accident to repeat.

Day 192: Taking the Bus

September 1, 2026September 1, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Espoo, Fall, KiaraTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Espoo, Kiara, Learning, TravelLeave a comment

Alanna and Kiara started extra lessons in English as a native language this year. The classes are held in another school, so we have been practicing taking the bus.

The have almost mastered it. Now they just need to remember to keep on eye on where they are going.

Day 191: Bicycles and Baquette

August 31, 2026September 1, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Family, Kiara, Outdoors, Sport, StuartTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Food, Kiara, Outdoors, Sport, Stuart, SummerLeave a comment

Cycling slightly longer distances is easier when you have a fun destination. Even if it is just a picnic in a park.

I nearly craned my neck keeping an eye on the rainclouds. The forecast promised rain only later, but the 6km back home would feel long in the rain.

We made it with at least 4 minutes to spare.

Day 188: Back to School

August 28, 2026August 28, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Espoo, Family, Getting started, Kiara, Stuart, TraditionsTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Children, Espoo, Fall, Getting started, Kiara, Learning, StuartLeave a comment

First day in the second grade.

New backpacks, pencil cases, and sweaters.

I wonder how many years we are still allowed to walk the girls to school on their first day.

Day 187: Kiara’s Day

August 27, 2026August 27, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Home, Kiara, TraditionsTagged 365 Project, Home, KiaraLeave a comment

Ever since I was a kid, we have celebrated special days by waking the star of the day with a song, breakfast and presents in bed. The unintended consequence is that if the person is the first one to wake up, they need to stay in bed until they are woken up.

In case you wondered why Kiara is in bed fully clothed for her name day.

To honour the occassion, she got a few small presents – including a capybara eraser and a lip gloss I grudgingly got her after a month-long full-on campaign – and a trip to an indoor playground with Alanna and another friend for 6.5 hours.

Fun day for me.

Day 186: Return Drive

August 26, 2026August 27, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Europe, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Stuart, Travelling, WaterTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, History, Holidays, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, TravelLeave a comment

The drive home from a holiday, especially with forecasted rain, is rarely fun.

But when it is, it is a lot of fun.

A morning walk (with a breakfast that, according to Kiara, is worth moving to Haapsalu for), a submerged limestone quarry, an abandoned prison, and a real submarine – a few worthwhile stops. And Stuart drove faster than the wind, as the rainclouds never quite reached us.

And at the end is home.

For good and bad.

Day 185: A Ghost Story and A Fairytale

August 24, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Architecture, Europe, Kiara, Outdoors, TravellingTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Architecture, Children, History, Holidays, Kiara, Outdoors, Scenery, TravelLeave a comment

On the drive to Haapsalu, we drove past a gorgeous ruin – I forced Stuart to turn around (in traffic) and go back. If there are ghosts, they would definitely live here! But we didn’t meet any. And we looked.

The girls, on the other hand, found their sense of whimsy in a museum/craft and playhouse based on illustrations by Ilon Wikland. I, especially, loved all the joyful images from Astrid Lindgren’s books. They took me straight back to my childhood. With rain pouring down, there was no-one else.

The magic uninterrupted.

Day 184: Unkempt Charm

August 23, 2026August 24, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Europe, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Stuart, TravellingTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Architecture, History, Holidays, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, Stuart, TravelLeave a comment

Whenever you ask the girls what they liked the best, their standard answer is “everything”. Same today. After some considerable pressure, they concluded their favorite was climbing the lighthouse. And the weirdest playground they had ever visited.

Hiiumaa has great lighthouses. We only visited three – all seven would have felt like overkill. Climbing the Köpu one, with its incredibly steep stairs and windy platform, was, indeed, more adventurous than it sounds.

Stuart’s favourite was the series of abandoned WW2 and Cold War coastal bunkers and military posts in the middle of the forest. The underground bunkers and remaining structures, including a watchtower, were free to explore. One needed a flashlight, good shoes and a real spirit of adventure. They were creepy! And not just for the girls…

And the playground… The random collection of wooden structures, all built by one (sligtly obsessed) man, was quirky and the scale was impressive. Clearly it had been amazing – at some point. However, now they teetered between unkempt-but-charming and unkempt-and-not-safe. The girls had a blast, though, exploring every structure we allowed them into.

My favourite part was all the photos. And the coolest bus stop ever.