When the sun is setting, between dusk and darkness, there is a moment when the light turns blue. And the world stops for a heartbeat.
Girls’ birthday always ends up being multi-day affair: the celebration during the actual day with immediate family, followed by family birthday with exetended family, and last (but not least) the party with friends.
The good thing about twins is that you do this once a year.
The girls and I decorated the willow branches for Palm Sunday. The combination of bright colors and cheerful catkins make me happy – especially as we had fun decorating them together.
Projects like this can be hard to start after a full day at work, but once you get going (typically bacause you have to, like now, with no other opportunity before Sunday) they are well worth it!
Kiara and Alanna go to a circus school every week – and love it! Before this, we tried dancing and gymnastics, but they were not quite right. My girls don’t want to move as they are told, they want to move as they feel.
So circus school fits their personality better. They still practice flexibility, performing, and working in a group – but they can also do tricks, climb, juggle, and build pyramids. And they are encouraged to find their own way of doing things.
Now, Kiara has gotten it into her head she wants to start cheerleading. She is small, so she wants to be a ‘flyer’. We’ll see.
There is something wonderfully whimsical about building a fort. I have rarely found anyone, child or adult, who does not get swept up in the excitement of putting one tohether. The more elaborate the better. And you always need a string of fairy lights.
Some people prefer forts with open space, but I adore ones with nooks, crawl-thru-doors and piles of pillows. I have always dreamed of having a secret room in my house – one you can only reach through a closet, low tunnel or a trapdoor under your bed. Maybe building a cramped fort is the closest I’ll get.
My chances of secret room would likely improve significantly, if I preferred a less modern-style house.
I work in consumer product business and we needed to shoot a simple product video for a new launch. When our intended model got sick, Alanna and Kiara stepped in at short notice.
I was very proud of the girls. They handled the whole thing as little pros. They listened to instructions, patiently went through all the repetitions, and kept a positive attitude. After all, I had promised them a salary.
I don’t think the experience made either of them dream of acting as a career.
Stuart relaxes by lounging on the couch, reading a book or browsing his tablet. Often, one of the girls ends up curled next to him.
Occassionally – probably too often in Stuart’s mind – the girls start a game of “daddy playground”. The rules seem varied and complex, but involve a lot of climbing, swinging, tickling and shrieking.
Highly relaxing!
Alanna and Kiara turned 8 today. It’s a cliche – but I truly can’t believe it’s been eight years already!
The girls are at that wonderful age, when they can behave like big girls for a little while – discussing plans to meet up with friends and writing secrets in their diaries. And the next moment they are happy little kids again, playing with magic birds and a baby dolls.
May it last for a long time still!
Last Father’s Day, girls and I got Stuart a small wooden model car as a present. He really enjoyed putting it together. It’ fiddly, but you see the progress immediately…
Now he is building a train. Much more fiddly, apparently.
With 2/3 of first grade behind us, the elation of the first days has settled into a steady routine. Luckily, both girls quite enjoy school and are doing well in their studies – although homework is still quite an unpleasant chore.
I have been most impressed with how differently first-grade maths is taught compared to my own school days. The girls have studied how to visualize data in charts, estimate prices, solve verbal equations, measure distance, build 3D models… all this before ‘formally’ even learning how to write the number 10. It is all about challenging problem-solving skills, not learning by heart.
I’d quite like to go back to first grade myself.
One thing I miss from South Africa is a bathtub. Finland has an estimated 3.3M saunas but bathtubs are quite rare. Don’t get me wrong; sauna is amazing. But sometimes I would just love a bath.
When we moved to Finland, Alanna and Kiara were 3 years old and had never showered in their lives. Bathing a toddler is easier – and more fun. A bit of a culture shock.
