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 was listening to Alanna read her homework chapter to Stuart tonight. I was surprised how well Stuart was able to catch all the little mistakes, whether she mixed up letters (which can change the meaning of a word) or got the endings wrong.
Considering that he probably didn’t even understand what all the words meant, it is quite a feat.
Definitely requires a lot more concentration from him than from me.
It’s a guaranteed rabbit hole in any conversation with fellow parents: how many chores should kids do?
We are still at a pretty basic level. We expect the girls to clean up after themselves: to tidy their rooms (and whatever else they have scattered around the house), take their plates away, put their laundry in the basket and clean up the kitchen after making their own snacks or breakfasts.
For bigger jobs, such as raking leaves or cleaning up the garden, we expect them to pitch in for a few hours.
I think the girls are soon ready to take on more responsibility around the house. In fact, we’d probably have insisted on it already, if getting them to do their chores weren’t such an enormous chore for Stuart and me.
Everyman’s rights are a fantastic concept, recognised throughout the Nordics. They allow anyone to walk, camp or gather berries and mushrooms in forests – no matter who owns the land.
Picking mushrooms is therefore all the rage among us middle-aged Finns.
In all seriosness, I have been interested in mushrooming for a long time. But it is not something you should attempt if you are totally clueless.
Out of the approx 400 species of mushrooms in Finland, only 5-6 can kill you. Another 50 or so just make you sick. However, those are not odds I am willing to gamble on. Especially as only about 30 actually taste good.
So, I took a course. Six hours with a very competent teacher in a sunny forest.
Now I believe I can confidently recognize five edible ones.
Alanna started a comic school this fall. She is beyond excited. Comics are her obsession. And more than just reading them, they are also her preferred way of expressing herself. Alanna has a very observant drawing style, and she tells a story with every image she draws.
The course also goes through the basics of animation. This has been a totally new discovery for Alanna, and it has been interesting to see how she has already learned to adjust her drawing style. Her animations are – by necessity – much simpler than her other drawings.
Where are the beginner comic book courses for adults?
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.
With the start of school, homework is back. The girls have been complaining about how much more there is this year. There can be homework from TWO subjects! The same day!
It’ll be a long road to graduation.
I love some of the new libraries in Finland. They are a far cry from the stereotypical dusty, dark rooms with a librarian angrily shushing every sound.
The library in Lippulaiva, the nearby shopping mall, is full of color, sounds and running children. There is a playground with a slide and a real car, a pool table, a few 3D printers, and a loom. There are soft armchairs, cushions on the floor, and several soft nooks tucked away in corners. And there are books that people (kids especially) actually want to read.
I sympathize with people who feel it is too much; that libraries should be quiet and calm, with a focus on education.
But I think reading should be fun.
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.
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.
Washing rugs on the summer cottage pier was fun as a child. Mum would throw buckets of water on my feet as I scrubbed as hard as I could. I still love the smell of Mäntysuopa (pine soap).
As we cleaned the wendy house today, the girls tried the traditional method of cleaning a rug.
Their comment was a dry, “Clearly kids in the old days had a different way of having fun”. Apparently, it was hard work.
