Water – Blue Moment

Day 106: Drip By Drip

May 30, 2026May 30, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Everyday objects, Family, WaterTagged 365 Project, Children, Everyday objects, family, MakroLeave a comment

People are always curious what is the hardest thing in raising twins. They expect me to describe jealousy, trouble finding own identity, or sharing (or not sharing) friends and hobbies.

No-one ever understands that the hardest thing is to stay patient in the face of stubborn insistence of getting exactly what the sister does.

Exactly.

Even when it makes no logical sense.

The biggest daily fight in our household is whose turn is it to wash teeth first. Every night!

Somehow it remains irrelevant that the other one will go 2 min later.

Day 66: Open Waters

April 11, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Espoo, Finland, Outdoors, WaterTagged 365 Project, Espoo, Outdoors, Scenery, SpringLeave a comment

The sea is finally free of ice, although not many boats have braved the cold waters yet.

With sun reflecting from the beautiful calm waters, I occassionally wonder if we shoild get a boat of our own.

Luckily these moments of insanity do not last long.

Day 32: Showering

March 7, 2026March 7, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Home, Kiara, WaterTagged 365 Project, Home, KiaraLeave a comment

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.

Day 26: Muizenberg Beach

March 2, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Africa, Alanna, Family, Kiara, Stuart, Travelling, WaterTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Kiara, Outdoors, Scenery, South Africa, TravelLeave a comment

Cape Town faces the Atlantic, so the water is pretty chilly even in summer. Muizenberg Beach is a popular surfing destination because of the good waves it gets, but any sane surfer wears a wetsuit.

Despite the cold, Kiara and Alanna squeezed every bit of fun out of the waves, sand, and sun in the last hours before heading to the airport. Since they were soaked to the skin and covered in wet sand, we had luckily scheduled time for a shower before starting our trip.

Day 20: The best of the ocean

February 22, 2026February 28, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Africa, Alanna, Kiara, Nature, Travelling, Water, WildlifeTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Kiara, Nature, South AfricaLeave a comment

We are not beach people. I like swimming in a salty water only slightly more than Stuart likes getting sand on his Kindle. The girls like the idea of the beach, but are not keen on the waves or the heat – so always choose the pool when given a choice. None of this means we don’t want to GO to the beach. Alanna plays with sand, Kiara hunts for shells and I take photos. We just don’t want to stay there.

So, we enjoyed the Atlantic ocean in the Cape Town Aquarium. And why not? Even I find it magnificent!

Day 15: Wild Ocean

February 15, 2026February 28, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Africa, Alanna, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Travelling, WaterTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Children, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, South Africa, TravelLeave a comment

Hermanus was windy today and the waves were majestic – and loud! It is almost hypnotic to watch them crash againsg the shore and seabirds fighting the wind (or hiding from it).

The waves carry shells, pieces of coral and other interesting bits and pieces onto the shore. We had to limit both girls to four treasures per beach to ensure our clothes will still fit into the suitcases for the journey home.

A good day to get out of the hospital.

Day 5: Water Habit

February 4, 2026February 4, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Everyday objects, Home, WaterTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Children, Everyday objects, family, HomeLeave a comment

No one in our household is big on drinking water. We all drink at mealtimes, but between meals we just… don’t. I keep making vows to improve and often carry a water bottle around for a week or two. But nothing sticks. The girls are a little better, but not by much.

At night, however, they wake up to drink – and to alert me the moment their bedside bottle runs dry.

Day 162 – Baby Shower

August 30, 2017September 26, 2017Posted in 365 Project, Architecture, Friends, Johannesburg, WaterLeave a comment

We had a baby shower for a colleague this morning – a lovely breakfast with all the office ladies. An event made somewhat shorter by the fact that the mother-to-be – to whom this was a surprise – went to the wrong restaurant, got stuck in traffic, and appeared 40 min late. In the meantime, there was plenty of time to take photos of the restaurant fountains.

Day 155 – Sparkle

August 23, 2017September 14, 2017Posted in 365 Project, Africa, Johannesburg, Nature, Outdoors, WaterLeave a comment

Sun is out and trees and bushes in the park start to bloom. I am grateful yet again that Merlin is a low-shedding dog. I do remember the amount of hair every spring with my previous golden retriever. Not having to continuously walk around with a vacuum cleaner gives you more time to enjoy the spring.