The Ten Commandments Of Health

"One, wash your hands before you eat.
Two, brush your teeth after every meal.
Three, see your doctor and your dentist.
We all need checkups no matter how good we feel.
Oh how lovely life will be if we keep the
Ten commandments of health."
- Sesame Street

It is recommended that every child visit his community nurse regularly for growth checks, immunizations, dietary plan, and developmental milestones. Little saw our nurse 3 weeks ago for his 18 month check-up, receiving his MMR and current measurements (12.4 kg & 86.5 cm). Then we were told to return today so the doctor could complete a physical exam.

This morning we were greeted by a young woman who spoke wonderful English. She watched Little and Big interact with the toys and eachother, then completed her exam which included heart & lung sounds and belly & testy check. That was it...we were out in 15 minutes after receiving our "Lapsuusian Terveyskortti" (little blue book that has his measurements and PE findings). It is not recommended to be examined by a doctor again until the age of 5, unless requested by the nurse or something is wrong.

Help

"Help! I need somebody.
Help! Not just anybody.
Help! You know I need someone.
Help!"
- The Beatles


With Daddy out of town for a week, all technical support for our internet is lost. And with my stretch of bad luck...we lost all internet connection yesterday. That means no phone calls (Skype), TV (Slingbox), surfing, news, weather, e-mail, blogging, and about any thing else I enjoy doing in my little spare time. I immediately called him on the other side of the Atlantic hoping he could spare a minute and help me. He patiently guided me through the steps of 'rebooting our router' but the outcome was not good...still no connection. Waiting for a panic attack to start (I have never had one but this seems like a good time) I accepted the fact I would be without communication to the outside world until Friday. What will I do?

First thing this morning, I walked to the computer repeating a few Hail Marys and turned on the router. After the 5 long seconds it takes to warm up...I saw Yahoo's Homepage and did a 'happy dance' for myself!

The Day, The Week, And The Weather

"I remember the day and
the week and the weather.
The smile on your face...
Can you remember...?"
- Firehouse


As Grandma's visit is winding down to her final days we took her on a long walk to the beach, followed the waters edge, and ended up at one of our favorite parks where we enjoyed a McDonald's picnic and blue skies. We stayed as long as possible, leaving just before 'someone' had a meltdown caused by an overdo nap time. A strange day in Helsinki...no coats or hats required. The weather was perfect and I was even comfortable in short sleeves. So amazed on how nice it felt, as soon as we got home I went online to see the current temperature...68! Then feeling even more curious I typed in our old zip code in Texas and guess what the current temperature read...68! I realize the sun is just now rising there and we are at our daily high, but it was nice to share something for once.

We have had a great time with the extra love and attention Grandma has given the past week. She and Daddy are taking off over the Atlantic on Saturday, leaving behind a quiet (okay maybe not so quiet) and lonely house.

Weathervane

"Well the tree lie down beneath you.
The grasses bow & sway.
The sands rise to meet you.
The ocean it makes way...
Spin around, spin around,
but always face away.
No more weathervane.
I'm gonna be the wind."
- Kris Delmhorst



Saturday morning we boarded the Super Sea Cat to travel 51 miles south to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. We decided to spend our 6 hours winding through the cobblestone streets, exploring the panoramic views of "Old Town" from the surrounding city wall, and feasting in the Town Hall Square. The network of streets date back to the 11th - 15th centuries and the buildings mostly from the 14th & 15th centuries. Tallinn is greatly known for its preserved medieval atmosphere.


The colorful walls of each building, topped with a unique weathervane had us all enamored. Each with it's perfect 'sky blue' backdrop, told a story of the quarters below. Not only were the weathervanes extraordinary, every entry door had a distinctive appearance.

After miles on foot, a mini-train ride to lighten up the boys, and an Italian lunch...we returned to the Super Sea Cat for our quick 90 minute journey back to Helsinki. It was a memorable side trip I would recommend to anyone visiting this part of the world.

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere

"Pour me something tall and strong.
Make it a hurricane, before I go insane.
It's only half past twelve. But I don't care,
it's five o'clock somewhere."
- Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffet

The creativity of everyone at home has amazed me! The care packages that contain an endless supply of Starbucks, Easy Mac out the wazoo, and nick knacks for the boys surprise us weekly. But today my best friend topped it all...a true "Texas Happy Hour" care package! El Fenix chips, salsa, and Margarita Mix, margarita salt, 2 margarita glasses, Velveeta cheese, rotel, chewy pralines, chiclet gum, and little paper umbrellas all included.

Today, Friday, at 5:00 pm....we sat down for happy hour, just like we used to back home. Thanks A & J!

Hey, Good Lookin'

"Hey, hey, good lookin',
Whatcha got cookin'?
How's about cookin' somethin' up with me?
Hey, sweet baby,
Don't you think maybe
We could find us a brand new recipe?"
- Hank Williams, Sr.

Since our move, I have spent many hours in the kitchen. Unable to partake in home improvement projects, work in the yard/garden, or other 'around the house' activities I enjoy...cooking and baking have become my latest pastime. I have perfected a "Pumpkin Pancake" recipe, learned to make pie crust from scratch (easy!), and have tried almost every recipe in my "Betty Crocker" cook book.

Today we are expecting our next visitor, my mother-in-law. After days of cleaning the windows, dusting, laundry, etc. I woke up this morning deciding to "attempt" to make a traditional Finnish Bread, Pulla. It can be found in every bakery, market, and coffee stand in town. Pulla is considered a Finnish Cardamom Coffee Bread. Sweet to taste, great with coffee, and a table tradition during every holiday.

If it tastes as good as it looks, I may get a little adventurous and add raisins or chocolate chips next time. It may even become a tradition in our family too!

We Didn't Start the Fire

"We didn't start the fire.
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire.
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it."
- Billy Joel

During our walk to preschool this morning, police were noted on each corner and choppers filled the quiet skies with noise. Since we do not have local TV, I was unable to explain the commotion to the boys until I read the Helsingin Sanomat (the local internet news in English).

The ASEM 6(Asia Europe Meeting) Summit, at which European and Asian heads of state or government will discuss a range of issues, officially takes place in Helsinki September 10 & 11. Among the delegates attending will be China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, Japanese PM Junichiro Koizumi, the South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, and the leaders of the 25 EU member-states.

Not being a fan nor very knowledgeable on current events, this is meaningless to my everyday life...except for expecting chaos throughout the city all weekend. They are expecting at least 30 different demonstrations on Saturday alone including an anti-ASEM demonstration, one for human rights issues, one to draw attention to environmental issues, and a Falun Gong spiritual movement. A few thousand of police officers plan to patrol the city on foot while helicopters of the Finnish Border Guard will serve as an eye in the sky. Red carpets are being rolled out for the leaders entering hotels and buildings along with 90 dark blue volvos reserved for their transportation...and a few armored vehicles upon request.

Maybe we will run into someone famous, get a hand shake or a photo...or just stay at home and avoid all the crowds!

Hazy Shade Of Winter

"Time, see what's become of me
While I looked around for my possibilities.
Drinking my vodka and lime,
I look around,
Leaves are brown,
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter."
- Bangles

It is Labor Day weekend in America where the lakes are crowded with boats, jet skies & swimmers, the grills are hot and ready for burgers & dogs, and the ice chests are stuffed with cold beer & sodas.

On the jealous side...here in Finland it was only a 2 day weekend and the sea is slowly becoming vacant of sailboats because of the chill in the air, the grills are bare because it has been raining for a week, and who needs an ice chest when it stays in the 50's!

The shorts and sandals have been packed away for another 9 months and the jackets and scarves hang freely in the entry way. The bright colors of the city are slowly being replaced with blacks and browns. The trees are beginning to sport their autumn colors as well with a few leaves already falling freely to the ground. Just as fast as summer approached us 2 1/2 months ago...I think it is officially gone.