new clothes

the lankinens were quite generous with their outgrown clothes and these two are very happy to wear them!

Otso's 28th Month

Summary
Otso can talk more and as long as he isn't hungry, he is a fun kid to have around.

Events
21.1 gymnastics
23.1 sledding, play date with Helena
24.1 play date with Oliver
5.2 Karneval at barnehage. dressed up as a ballerina but took it off before we left the house.
7.2 lumi's birthday party
11-15.2 in london
14.2 Cat in the Hat theater performance
18.2 gymnastics

Development
In gymnastics he loves the jumping and trampolines. He likes the balance beam too. He is resistant to somersaults.

Language
His language is going well. He repeats a lot. He even repeats the announcements in the buses, trains, and planes.
22.1 his barnehage teacher said his Norwegian language skills are great.
13.2 he was able to do a translation between languages when we asked. that was the first time i had seen it.

Social
He loves to recognize people from barnehage.
In London, he was especially excited about Pasi. When Pasi arrived home from the airport, Otso was the first to sprint to the door to greet him. Then at night when I tucked him in and talked about our day and talked about everyone we were visiting, and mentioned how isä and äiti love him most of all, he turned and whispered "pasi!"

Toys/Games/Other
Favorite toys: puzzles, trains
Almost every day he does at least one of the Doc McStuffins jigsaw puzzles and a Frozen one.
Any toy he wants to claim as his is "my special". 
He was really interested in all the musical theatre advertisements in London.

Eating
Loves: milk, cheerios, eggs, carrots
23.1 loved the brazilian cheese balls made by Vivi.

Sleeping
Since lumi got a new loft bed, Otso has sometimes slept underneath on the toddler mattress (instead of the crib). He also has started sometimes using a blanket!

Health
23.1 prefers that Isä clean up the kakka diapers
27,28.1 stayed home feeling ill. vomited 28.1
29.1 went back to barnehage, but feverish in the evening.
stayed home all weekend to recover
31.1 started coughing 
1.2 stayed home again, coughing a lot
8.2 seemed unusually cranky and went to bed early
9.2 stayed home from barnehage coughing and generally crappy. he has had a runny nose for awhile now.

Stats
Clothes: size 98. Shoes: size 24.

Teeth: 16
Weight: 14.7 kg on 28.12
Height: 88 cm

Random
He has started responding to questions from the TV. (Daniel Tiger : do you want to make believe with me?  Otso : yes!)

Lumi and I were singing "This Old Man" together on the way home from barnehage, and at #4, Otso interrupted to say "jacket!" I guess he thought we were naming things on/in the body.
Lumi & Äiti: "He played knick-knack on my ..."
Otso: "Jacket!"

18.2 lost his mind about putting on a bandaid. he sobbed when we put it on and then sobbed when we offered to take it off. and again when we actually took it off. and then proceeded to cry during the next 30 minutes when he thought about it (every 2 minutes or so).

veera and otso

these cousins had a great time together.

Karneval

The barnehage carnival (karneval in Norwegian) party was last Friday. Otso was deadset on going as a ballerina, but he took off the tutu right before we left the house.

Here he is that morning, working on a puzzle:

Lumi: 5 Years

Summary
She's 5 years old! It feels like such a long time since we've had her, but in other ways it has flown by. I feel so lucky that she is my daughter. She is clever and witty and loving.

This month we had a cold snap for a couple of weeks and we got to enjoy winter activities around Oslo.

Events
9.1 ice skating
10.1 suomikerho (lots of sledding)
15.1 4-year check up at helsestasjon
16.1 sledding
17.1 King Harald's jubilee; swim class
23.1 sledding, play date with Helena
24.1 play date with Oliver, swim class (with Isä!)
28.1 - 1.2 fever, etc -- likely the flu

Language
She still isn't happy about watching videos in Norwegian language. We asked her teacher to keep an eye out for her language capabilities.

Learning
She continues to be really interested in stars. I have been looking for a "star wheel" for her.
On 10.1 in the locker room at swim class she asked a lot about body hair and breasts.
10.1 did some beautiful dives at swim class, though she is back to being skittish about the teacher
17.1 swim class was worse. not sure what we're going to do

Social
She met a new friend at suomikerho on 10.1.
17.1 maybe over tired after playing with Sanni, but she had a meltdown in a public bathroom
24.1 she was really great with 19-month old oliver, throwing balls with him and helping him find snacks he liked our our house.

Leisure
She loves the snow.
15.1 her barnehage teacher says she can steer the sled like an expert. she somehow knew to brake on one side to turn the sled.
16.1 watched the movie "Cinderella" for the first time. she loved it.
29.1 watched first Justin Bieber video. Pronounced it "fun!".

Food
Nothing to report.

Health
The 15.1 check up at the helsestasjon was miserable for everyone involved. Lumi was difficult and refused to do many things, including an eye test, which is the least invasive thing you have to do. The doctor tried to convince her for 20 minutes and built up a queue behind us. I was angry, Lumi was upset, and even the doctor was pissed. Then Lumi went to the nurse (whom she had seen before so was less intimidating) and was also a jerk there for awhile, but after 15 minutes started acting semi-cooperative.
19.1 vomited in the morning several times; stayed home
20.1 stayed home again just to be sure
27.1 came home feverish
28.1 stayed home with a fever
29.1 miserable and feverish all day.

30,31 - stayed in all weekend

1.2 stayed home, still feverish but less miserable

Stats
size: 110 (5T) in most clothes. 28 shoe. She is skinny but getting taller.
height: 108 cm on 15.1
weight: 16.4 kg on 15.1

Random
8.1 looking for her sock : "where is that cheeky little sock?"

13.1 she (correctly) took the blame for something and then did an over-exaggerated exasperated "luuu-mi!" like we always do it.

15.1 about the statue of the fat woman in Solli "We would be in our yard the whole time if we had that kind of thing in our yard!"

27.1 lumi complained that one leg was very tired. and since the party line is that you have to eat to give your body energy, kimmo reminded her of this. she had eaten a big lunch so she sadly said "i did! but it all went in the other leg!"

30.1 " when I am a grown-up, I can visit you and isä! I just have to call you guys first to see what land you are in . " (land=country in norwegian)