Children – Blue Moment

Day 122: Finnish Baseball

June 18, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Home, Kiara, Outdoors, SportTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Espoo, Home, Kiara, Learning, Outdoors, Sport, SummerLeave a comment

As a kid, I loved Finnish baseball (pesäpallo). It’s quite different from American baseball – most notably, because you pitch the ball up, not across.

So, when I came across a set of used pesäpallo equipment for kids at some sale or another, I did not hesitate for a second.

The girls’ success rate of actually hitting the ball is still low enough that we can practice in our backyard. I do not expect that to last long.

I would still love to pick the sport back up myself, but unless you are part of a fairly serious team, you can only really play in summer. And in summer, there is so much else to do.

Day 119: Herbarium

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026Posted in Finland, 365 Project, ActivitiesTagged 365 Project, Activities, Children, Finland, Holidays, SummerLeave a comment

When it is not homework, it is fun.

As a summer activity, we are collecting flowers with the girls to press them. With my mum, they are also catching bugs to inpect and draw.

Anything to keep them engaged in reading and writing.

Day 110: Summer Cottage

June 5, 2026June 5, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Asikkala, Family, Finland, Kiara, Nature, OutdoorsTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Children, family, Finland, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Summer, Summer CottageLeave a comment

Swimming, boating, fire-cooked crepes, sauna, bbq, hammering, hand-picked wildflowers, ice cream – long days outside and never-ending bedtime giggles.

A perfect day for little people.

Day 108: Poison and Beauty

June 2, 2026June 2, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Finland, NatureTagged 365 Project, Children, Finland, Learning, NatureLeave a comment

When Merlin, our late Schnauzer, was in puppy school, he surprised me by learning the command ‘leave’ in 5 min. He surprised me even more by actually obeying it – regardless of what he found on our walks.

It was harder with kids.

Finnish forests are full of delicious berries and plants. It takes a lot of repetition to ensure the kids do not experiment with anything, even when they think they know. Lily of the Valley is easy, but some plants are easier to confuse – and more poisonous.

At least we don’t live in Australia.

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 105: Best of Friends

May 30, 2026May 30, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Friends, KiaraTagged 365 Project, Children, KiaraLeave a comment

Kiara and Bailey have been best friends since they started school. Now Bailey is moving to Sweden and Kiara is heartbroken.

Luckily, we’ve known for a while, so there has been time to get used to the idea. Plans for video calls and visits are already in place.

The only possible upside is that Kiara might accidentally become a little more focused in class.

Day 98: A Year’s Worth of Circus

May 17, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Family, Kiara, People, TraditionsTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Espoo, Kiara, Learning, SpringLeave a comment

Every spring, the circus school Alanna and Kiara go to puts together a final performance. The performers vary in age from 3 to 20+, and in skill from total beginners to the performing group, but the energy and enthusiasm are always there.

Unfortunately, the lighting looked great live but was less kind to photography. Any presentable picture required at least a fraction of a second of stillness, and there wasn’t much of that.

Day 92: Queens of the Carousel

May 11, 2026May 11, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Family, Helsinki, Kiara, Outdoors, StuartTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, family, Helsinki, Holidays, Kiara, Outdoors, StuartLeave a comment

With a long weekend of Vappu celebrations and sun behind us, no one plans a trip to amusement park on the Sunday when the forecast promises rain.

Except us.

And it came together perfectly: the weather stayed clear, the rides were practically empty and, best of all, the girls had finally passed the next height limit, which opened up a whole host of new rides.

To use girls’ own words: ” Everything was the best!”.

Day 76: Snitches, cauldrons and skateboards

April 22, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Festivals, Kiara, TraditionsTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Home, KiaraLeave a comment

The Day was finally here. Harry Potter birthday!

The house was packed – at first with wands, owls, floating candles, Gryffindor colors and golden snitches. And later the chaos was completed by 127 excited little wizards and witches (or that is what it felt like).

The Herbology lesson (plant your owl pot) was popular, as was the Potions lesson (mix different color juices) and Levitation class (on the trampoline). But nothing was as eargerly anticipated as the opening of the Honeydukes candy shop after the other food was finished.

Our little witches loved the day – but I am happy it is a whole year to the next kids birthday!

Day 74: Just a Little Magic

April 20, 2026April 20, 2026Posted in 365 Project, ActivitiesTagged 365 Project, Activities, ChildrenLeave a comment

Girls’ birthday party with friends is finally this Saturday. They are currently fascinated with Harry Potter world, so I promised to organize a Potter-themed party.

I wanted each of the little wizards and witches to have their own wand. Wooden chopsticks, some hot glue and spray paint can do magic.