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.
I am a sucker for totally useless facts. Did you know that a seashell has an IQ of 8? That means it isn’t smart enough to attract or hunt food—but it is smart enough to eat it if something happens to land on top of it. Or that with an IQ under 80, you can’t chew gum and walk at the same time.
Well, now you know. And a day when you learn something is never completely wasted.
We use spices liberally. For most recipes, I double the amounts written and often add one or two that weren’t even mentioned. And, because we love variety of cuisines, we’ve ended up stacking dozens and dozens of jars. I think one of our major expenses, whenever relocating to another country, has been replacing all the spices we’ve had toleave behind.
When the kids started eating the same food as us, we reduced the heat, but otherwise changed nothing. The girls simply grew up eating anything and everything.
They still join me in the kitchen – just to smell each spice and taste every herb. And now they even enjoy little chili.
The girls are at scout camp for the weekend. As a rare treat, it’s just Stuart and me for two days. So, obviously, we clean…
But once the house is clean and the spring sun shines through the window slats, it’s time to relax.
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.
Over the years I have realized that the only way I exercise regularly is to have everything I need ready at home. I actually enjoy going to the gym. But after a long day, or facing a cold early morning, getting there just takes too much mental effort.
Instead I just step into my shoes at home for a “quick 10 min stretch” and 90% of the time, once the initial friction is beaten, I keep going. Law of inertia.
And when I really can’t be bothered, that’s fine too. Ten minutes of stretching is still better than nothing.
I’m not big on music. I occassionally listen to something in the background, but more often I listen to books or (much more rarely) podcasts. The only exception is during exercise. You really need rythm to motivate yourself to run or lift weights.
Stuart plays guitar and I’m glad girls have inherited some of his enthusiasm. At this stage (with no training at all) it is too early to judge talent. But they play every music instrument they have with gusto!
Kiara especially likes to listen to music while she draws or does crafts. I’ve been surprised to realize she enjoys classical music too – and for one whole summer her favourite song was a Swedish choir rendition of Santa Lucia (a reference that probably makes more sense to anyone from Scandinavia).
Books are big in our family. Stuart and I read a lot. Luckily we both love Kindles, or the biggest room in our house would have to be dedicated to books.
We’ve also been reading aloud to the girls every day since they were just a few months old. We still read a bedtime story together every night, even though Alanna and Kiara are starting to read on their own.
At the moment, Kiara enjoys stories in chapter books, while Alanna loves comics. Both also enjoy good non-fiction. That part they get from their daddy.
Pikkunen is my teddy. I got it from my grandma when I turned 14. But as it’s the most huggable teddy in the world, the girls have claimed it as their own – even though they certainly don’t lack soft toys themselves
Big emotions are standard in a household with two seven-year-olds. At least the reasons for those emotions are (mostly)valid these days. I still remember the days when our girls could have a one-hour meltdown because their imaginary soup had carrots in it. And they did not want carrots.
And in case it’s not immediately obvious: the image is a heavily dramatized close-up of a kitchen grater.
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.
Blue Moment 