Grandpa's Farm

"We're on our way,
We're on our way,
We're on our way to Grandpa's farm...

Down on Grandpa's farm there is a big brown cow
The cow, it goes a lot like this... (moo)"
- Childrens Song



While this amazing spring weather is surrounding us, outside adventures top our "to do" list. Today we visited Fallkulla Domestic Animal Zoo. Still within the city limits of Helsinki but surrounded by white picket fences, you would never realize home is so close. The farm was virtually our own, sharing it with just a handful of other visitors. The barn provided up close and hands on experience with ducks, pigs, sheep, goats, cows, chickens, and rabbits. With spring in the air, many newborns were snuggled closed to their mommy.



Since the farm is ran by the City of Helsinki Youth Department the animals are constantly around petting hands, making them friendly and kid loving. On weekends the farm also provides hayrides and other activities for guests. We were happy enough viewing the animals eye-to-eye and exploring the grounds. Outside there are rope swings from trees, picnic tables, a sand box, and nature trails. There is also a small village allowing imaginations to run wild. The houses are no taller than 5 feet, perfect for the young minds.





After some PB&J in the sunshine we painted some die cuts in the shape of animals and had a bubble fiesta with bubble makers. After 4 unforgettable hours, we were all ready to go home and rest.

Once In A Lifetime

"Just once in a lifetime
A man knows a moment
One wonderful moment
When fate takes his hand
And this is my moment
My once in a lifetime
When I can explore a new and exciting land."
- Sammy Davis Jr.




Every guide book published warns about the "tourist trap" of the Lappish Safaris, but we did it anyway. Who can resist a reindeer sled ride through the snowy forest and when will I ever get the chance to do it again? There are several companies who provide these excursions that range from 1 to 72 hours. You can choose your means of transportation...snowshoe, snowmobile, huskies, reindeer, or cross-country skis. We decided on the 3 hour tour that began with a tour of the reindeer farm. We then boarded our 2 person sled and were guided by a team of reindeer through a forest. 45 minutes later we arrived at a husky farm.




At the farm, the adults were able to ride solo on a dog-pulled sled around a small course. Then Little sat on a sled with Daddy as a guide steered the dogs. We went into a small cabin and were served cookies and warm juice around an open fire. The tour continued around the husky farm that houses over 300 dogs. The boys enjoyed feeding the puppies snowballs and receiving puppy kisses in return. We all boarded the reindeer sleds for another ride back to the reindeer farm.

Down Santa Clause Lane

"Elves were standing in the street,
snowmen and reindeer came out to greet.
Silver bells chimed from far away
and Santa rode by on an open sleigh.
And he told me "Have no fear, you're not lost you're here."

Walking this Christmas
Down Santa Clause Lane
No need to wonder,
No need to explain
Just have some faith in what you see
You're right here where you wanna be
Walking this Christmas,
Down Santa Clause Lane"
- Hilary Duff



Directly on the Arctic Circle, rests Santa Claus' Village. Filled with restaurants, gift shops, and cafes, the village is home to Santa's office and official Post Office. You can find the jolly man himself here 364 days out of the year. It definitely felt odd visiting him in the middle of March, but you can never ask for your wishes too early. I was most impressed with his multi-lingual conversations. The family in front of us spoke German, us English, and the group behind us Spanish. The man in red never missed a beat as he was able to speak to all of us in detail.






After a nice lunch the boys played in the park...luckily still covered in snow...while I roamed the village. We overloaded on souvenir must haves, sent a few post cards from the Post Office (check your postal stamp and seal), walked the Arctic Circle line, and simply enjoyed the +7 degree weather (45 F)! We made it back to our awesome cabin just in time to enjoy dinner and a hot sauna.

The Polar Express

"All aboard," the conductor cried out. I ran up to him.
"Well," he said, "are you coming?"
"Where?" I asked.
"Why, to the North Pole of course," was his answer. "This is the Polar Express." I took his outstretched hand and he pulled me aboard.
- Chris Van Allsburg





What a trip! What began with both my boys coming down with croup and a fever 4 hours before our train was due to depart and ending 450 miles north of Helsinki, was a success. I was hesitant at first but I packed a weeks supply of Tylenol and Motrin, a thermometer, and my stethoscope. Not much else you can do for croup without going to the hospital. Knowing we were in a private cabin equipped with a shower also had my mind at ease...in case I needed to put someone in a humid environment. Thank goodness I did not have too.





Despite their diagnosis, the boys were so excited for this trip we have been talking about for weeks. We watched the train pull up to the Central Railway Station in Helsinki and both busted out in the happy dance! We found our cabins, each with 2 beds, shower, sink, and toilet. Before bed we read "The Polar Express." The boys easily drifted off to dreamland...until their fever spiked again at 0300. We arrived into Rovaniemi a little after 0800 ready to explore the Arctic Circle, home of Santa Claus and the midnight sun.

Catch That Train

"I don’t mind the station.
I don’t mind going underground.
I kind of like the symphony.
Of a thousand different sounds.
In another 20 minutes
We’ll all be country bound.

So catch that train…"
- Dan Zanes









To get the boys geared up for our train ride this weekend to the Arctic Circle...we took a train 40 minutes north of Helsinki to the Finnish Railway Museum. Wow, Wow, Wow...this place is amazing for any visitor, but especially for boys who love trains!





The extensive collection consists of a historical passenger coach of the Russian Czar dating back to 1870 (the only one remaining in the world today), 25 steam locomotives (14 are on display)with the oldest from 1868, 8 coaches and wagons, and a few rail cars. Each has been restored to perfect condition. With ramps leading to decks at the window of each car, you can view their interior. Upholstery is worn, a few curtains are torn...if only these walls could talk!






For the young at heart, there was one car open to the explorer, dreamer, and pretender. They could drive, ride, deliver, push buttons, make calls, etc. In other rooms, stairs guided you to pathways under the locomotives, a switchboard was present to play on, and other stations allowed imaginations to soar. The small 3 hour window the museum was open today did not allow us to discover the exhibits outside or the Engine Station, Roadhouse, or Worker Building...only leaving us a reason to return.

Telly's Aquarium

"Golden fish with long, flowing tails.
Leafy plants growing in red gravel.
Two cute snails crawling through the water.
And a buuuuulging treasure chest.

We all live inside of
Telly's aquarium!

No cats or dogs or kangaroos,
Chickens, zebras or cockatoos.
Nothing up there lives in here.
This watery lair we find so dear..."
- Sesame Street


Pebbled paths outlined in magnifying tanks, led us through Helsinki's Sea Life. The boys were able to feel 'part of their world' as fish, sharks, eels, rays, and thousand of other marine life swam passed. The rooms are dim, allowing you to drown yourself in the 40+ aquariums. We watched sea horses, jelly fish, turtles, and "Nemo" go about their daily routine in the best man-made habitat I have ever seen.


The aquariums are all placed at eye level for the youngest of visitors. Even a few tanks are overhead like the underwater shark tunnel and a herring ring, which is a round aquarium designed for herring schools (a Baltic Sea native). After an hour of touring the tanks and a time-out for arts and crafts, we enjoyed a picnic lunch. Then we submerged ourselves for one last escape through the aquarium.

Down On The Farm

"You can have a lot of fun
in a New York minute,
but theres some things you can't do
inside those city limits.
There ain't no closing time.
There ain't no cover charge.
Just country boys and girls
gettin down on the farm."
- Tim McGraw







Today's outing led us to the Helsinki Children's Museum. Located 12 km north of the city, this museum resides in a building built in 1790. Once used as a dairy house and workshop during the 19th century, then as a manure store and sauna in the 20th century, the Children's Museum was opened in 1992.






Set up with 3 exhibit rooms and a 4th dedicated to reading, arts & crafts, and building blocks, the museum creates a nature trip into the environments where urban animals live. Beginning in the River Vantaa and Gulf of Finland, children explore the waters depth. The ceiling is decorated as the water's surface. Along the walls you can see large fish and other marine life in action.






The second room is decorated with a look out tower equipped with cardboard binoculars. Within the trees, birds of the city are perched. Inside the tower, children can push buttons that play recorded sounds of each native bird.






The final room is a mid-19th century Helsinki house. Here you can milk Rosita the cow, ride in a horse drawn carriage, produce a puppet show, or hop on board a merry-go-round. After an hour of running through the museum, coloring, climbing the look out tower, riding the merry-go-round, and all the other activities provided...we headed outside for some spring-like weather. Picnic lunches were enjoyed on the steps of the main museum then the kids ran though the yard and around the gazebo. With horses grazing in the distance, a tractor hauling bailed hay, and cottages on the horizon, city life was forgotten.

Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year

"Spring will be a little late this year.
A little late arriving, in my lonely world over here
For you have left me and where is our april love old.
Yes you have left me and winter continues cold."
- Carly Simon








As the temperature steadily remains above freezing, our once snow covered ground has disappeared in the city center. Even though Helsinki is a wet mess, the sight of grass makes me smile knowing spring is not too far away.





Simply by leaving the city, you can still find snow. This weekend we headed up to Paloheinä, located at the northern end of Helsinki's Central Park. Paloheinä has a ski slope and the best known sled slope in town. Since we knew it would not be long until the cross country ski trails became running paths, we played in the snow one last time!

Secret Gardens

"Secret Gardens of the heart.
Where the flowers bloom forever.
I see you shining through the night
In the ice and snow of winter."
- Judy Collins




Our second stop today was to meet some friends at the Helsinki Botanical Gardens. Part of the Finnish Museum of Natural History, the gardens are located in the heart of the city, just north of the train station. As the exterior gardens are in a dormant phase from the winter weather, the inside is flourishing with life. The Palm House, Rainforest House, Desert House, Water Lily House, South African and Mediterranean Houses all offer a variety of plants, flowers, and vegetation.


Flowers and leaves were examined with a magnifying glass while we explored. As a learning project we used eggshells, soil, beans, and water to plant our own garden. The boys took turns filling the shells, planting the beans, and adding water from the fountain. The egg crate now sits in our windowsill, gathering sunlight. We will watch them grow...hopefully! Then we bought rubber snakes from the gift shop and hid them in each garden as the children went to seek.

Driving Too Fast

"You can fly on the road to the mountain,
Or the track leading down to the beach.
You can go where you like.
Go left or go right,
It's you in the driver's seat."
- The Rolling Stones








We started this afternoon off with a trip to the Helsinki Tram Museum. While living in the city without a car, trams, buses, trains, and the metro are our only means of transportation other than foot. The boys enjoyed seeing the earliest tram dating back to 1900. All of the exhibits were roped off except for one car, allowing anyone to board, dream, pretend, and DRIVE!




For over an hour, Big and Little took turns 'driving' the tram. There were buttons, strings, levers, and wheels, all making their own unique music as the bells would ring, wipers wipe, or pedals push. Each would sit in the passenger seat as the tram "drove to Texas" or to "Santa's house." They would then exit the tram, say hi, and then jump back on to return to Finland.


We had a blast until I found Little driving the horse-drawn taxi from 1880...yes, this was a roped off exhibit! Needless to say, we immediately left as I was receiving the evil Finnish stare.

Truck On

"Well i'm truckin' on
on a heavy load
million miles from home
gotta movin' on
all night long
baby come along."
- 69 Eyes




Today we were teased with a little bit of spring. Who would of thought 34 degrees would feel so warm? With big blue skies hanging over our heads and a bright sun shining, we ventured to one of our favorite parks. The boys LOVE Kaivopuisto. The popular picnic place for us in the summertime was not visited very often this winter due to the frigid winds that would come over the sea. So when we turned the corner today and they recognized the familiar "bump-pa-de-bump" slide...smiles were on!





After our rounds on the swings and going down the slide, Little recognized the bag of toys in the stroller's basket. Usually played in the sand box, the trucks were dumped in puddles of ice, hidden in mounds of mud, and pushed down the never ending slides. Giggles filled the air as they enjoyed toys they have not seen in months. Is it a sign that spring is around the corner? Or as Daddy says that winter has not even begun here...someone save me now if that is the case!

Sunday In The South

"Mill worker houses lined up in a row,
another southern Sunday morning blow.
Beneath the steeple all the people have begun
shakin' hands with the man who grips the gospel gun.
While the quiet prayer, the smell of dinner on the ground
heals up the morning air, ain't nothin' sweeter around."
- Shenandoah







As in most homes, we try to keep Sundays sacred. We attend mass at St. Henry's Catholic Church on the first and third Sundays of each month for their English service. Helsinki is VERY quiet at this time. Differing from the US, every store in the city is closed except for a handful of corner stores and fast food restaurants until Monday.








Today we decided to explore Helsinki's Central Park. Divided into 6 sections, we opted to walk the paths of Laakso ja Ruskeasuo. All the trails are marked and lined with lights for the darker months. We stumbled upon an archery range, horse stables and corals, and a children's traffic park. The boys enjoyed watching the horses run and play, as they listened to all the birds sing throughout the forest.





Our biggest surprise was this carving we saw on a tree. Isn't life beautiful!

I'm Too Sexy

"I'm too sexy for my shirt,
too sexy for my shirt,
So sexy it hurts.
And I'm too sexy for Milan,
too sexy for Milan,
New York and Japan...

I'm a model you know what I mean.
And I do my little turn on the catwalk.
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah.
I do my little turn on the catwalk."
- Right Said Fred


Last night I was invited to the 'Stockmann Spring Fashion Show' held at LUX nightclub. Not only was it my first fashion show experience, it was also my first Finnish nightclub experience. LUX sits on the top floor of Kamppi,a six story mall located less than 5 minutes from our flat. At the entrance, we were greeted with chilled mini champagne bottles (straw included). Remixed versions of Barry Manilow, the Jackson 5, and other familiar artist vibrated the floors as we made our way to the 'catwalk' to meet up with a few other friends.


The fashion show lasted less than 20 minutes as model after model strutted the walk. If the Finnish prediction is correct...bedhead, bows, and going bra-less will be the hottest trends this spring. Knowing my conservative, comfortable, and practical self, I'll pass being "fashionable" this year!

Where do the Children Play?

"I know we've come a long way,
We're changing day to day,
But tell me, where do the children play?"
- Cat Stevens





Here in Finland...at Hop Lop! Our first visit to Hop Lop was in early October and the boys fell in love at first sight. We returned again in December and today we met a group of moms there for our Thursday afternoon playgroup. Things have changed...



Hop Lop bought the store next door and now is twice the size. Bigger space = higher admission. The cost went up an Euro per child but still worth the 2 hours you are allowed to play. They have added 2 additional climbing structures and a bounce house as well as more benches, tables, lockers, etc.



The boys always play with the cars first and then, after some encouragement, decide to start climbing through the mazes. Once again we had a blast and look forward to another planned outing there at the end of the month.