27 August 2017
21 August 2017
20 August 2017
Otso: 3 Years, 10 Months
Summary
This month we have been settling in at the new house, and getting started with our new routine. For Otso, this is his new päiväkoti. So far, it is a success and he seems really happy there.
Learning/Development
He is easily frustrated with what he can and cannot do, for example when trying to paint / draw with Lumi.
Unfortunately, he has now added "scratching" to his list of things to do when he gets mad. So when he is angry he hits, kicks, and scratches. This seems to have been learned directly from Lumi.
When we visited the montessori, he loved matching objects with words, and practicing sorting by shapes and sizes.
Language
He has picked up the word "lounging" and uses it to describe any reclining position (example : "I'm lounging in the bathtub!")
He still says "w" for the "r" sound and "f" for the "tr" sound. Also "dr" is hard and comes out sort of "df".
English is still his primary language, but he is getting more and more comfortable with Finnish.
Toys/Games/Other
He still loves cars and loves for grown-ups to play with him. He also loves legos.
Social
He adores his cousin Elmo and will follow him anywhere.
Eating
Favorites: eggs, ice cream, pancakes
He didn't eat berries at the mökki, and even skipped the mansikkakakku and the mustikkapiirakka. However, he really enjoyed gathering the berries, and overall he has been eating well.
Now that we are in Finland and can easily get our favorite Turkish yogurt, he is eating lots of it.
He loves to announce how he will grow bigger when he eats.
Sleeping
He loves his new bed, and usually sleeps all night there without waking up. He still likes for äiti to stay in his room until he falls asleep, and we have not been too inspired to break that habit.
He gets a nap at päiväkoti.
Stats
Clothes: size 104/110. Shoes: size 28.
Teeth: 20
Weight: 17.6 kg on 2017-05-12
Height: 102 cm on 2017-05-21
Events
25.7 drive to mökki
27.7 merirosvosaari picnic
29.7 drive to Helsinki
31.7 drive to Nakkila
1.8 MuuMaa
4.8 drive home to helsinki
5.8 linnanmäki
7.8 lankinen over for dinner
8.8 visit day at new päiväkoti
10.8 first day of päiväkoti
12—13.8 Vuori family reunion
Random
He was too scared to go in the IKEA play room, but then later that day very sad about the missed opportunity. When we went again to IKEA, he eagerly went to the play room.
2.8 when in search of the nail clippers (kynsileikkuri), he asked, "where is that ruohonleikkuri [translation: lawn mower]?"
He likes to kiss people lovingly on the arm or hand or leg or belly. This sounds cute and nice, but it's usually too much and at the wrong time.
17.8 new household rules: no naked vulvas in otso's room; no naked pippeli's in lumi's room. 😃
19.8 overheard from the backseat of the car, "Lumi, if you put your finger in your mouth, then you can draw on the window!"
This month we have been settling in at the new house, and getting started with our new routine. For Otso, this is his new päiväkoti. So far, it is a success and he seems really happy there.
Learning/Development
He is easily frustrated with what he can and cannot do, for example when trying to paint / draw with Lumi.
Unfortunately, he has now added "scratching" to his list of things to do when he gets mad. So when he is angry he hits, kicks, and scratches. This seems to have been learned directly from Lumi.
When we visited the montessori, he loved matching objects with words, and practicing sorting by shapes and sizes.
Language
He has picked up the word "lounging" and uses it to describe any reclining position (example : "I'm lounging in the bathtub!")
He still says "w" for the "r" sound and "f" for the "tr" sound. Also "dr" is hard and comes out sort of "df".
English is still his primary language, but he is getting more and more comfortable with Finnish.
Toys/Games/Other
He still loves cars and loves for grown-ups to play with him. He also loves legos.
Social
He adores his cousin Elmo and will follow him anywhere.
Eating
Favorites: eggs, ice cream, pancakes
He didn't eat berries at the mökki, and even skipped the mansikkakakku and the mustikkapiirakka. However, he really enjoyed gathering the berries, and overall he has been eating well.
Now that we are in Finland and can easily get our favorite Turkish yogurt, he is eating lots of it.
He loves to announce how he will grow bigger when he eats.
Sleeping
He loves his new bed, and usually sleeps all night there without waking up. He still likes for äiti to stay in his room until he falls asleep, and we have not been too inspired to break that habit.
He gets a nap at päiväkoti.
Stats
Clothes: size 104/110. Shoes: size 28.
Teeth: 20
Weight: 17.6 kg on 2017-05-12
Height: 102 cm on 2017-05-21
Events
25.7 drive to mökki
27.7 merirosvosaari picnic
29.7 drive to Helsinki
31.7 drive to Nakkila
1.8 MuuMaa
4.8 drive home to helsinki
5.8 linnanmäki
7.8 lankinen over for dinner
8.8 visit day at new päiväkoti
10.8 first day of päiväkoti
12—13.8 Vuori family reunion
Random
He was too scared to go in the IKEA play room, but then later that day very sad about the missed opportunity. When we went again to IKEA, he eagerly went to the play room.
2.8 when in search of the nail clippers (kynsileikkuri), he asked, "where is that ruohonleikkuri [translation: lawn mower]?"
He likes to kiss people lovingly on the arm or hand or leg or belly. This sounds cute and nice, but it's usually too much and at the wrong time.
17.8 new household rules: no naked vulvas in otso's room; no naked pippeli's in lumi's room. 😃
19.8 overheard from the backseat of the car, "Lumi, if you put your finger in your mouth, then you can draw on the window!"
14 August 2017
07 August 2017
03 August 2017
Lumi: 6 Years, 6 Months
Summary
This month has been nice but also sort of lonely for Lumi. She is adjusting to being in Finland but we haven't been able to see many kids her own age.
The move went well overall, but she was disappointed that we didn't move in immediately to our new house, and that things aren't 100% ready. However, she is thrilled to have her own room and loves to shut the door and have alone time. She has ideas for decorating, and some specific wishes of furniture and other items.
Social
She definitely misses her friends Helmine and Toni, but she has been making friends at the playground. She is bold about going up to people and kind of tagging along and then joining the game.
She and her cousin Elsa have paired off as buddies.
She met a couple of nice kids who will be in her same eskari group, and that was promising and comforting.
Leisure
She practices pull-ups at the playground. She can move herself around on monkey bars and that kind of thing. It's wonderful to watch.
The Leikkipuisto in Maunula has a shallow pool, which has been kind of a godsend to us. It's refreshing on a sunny day and it is such a novelty that the kids are very happy to go there. The move has been hard on the kids because we have had work to do at the house, and we have been staying in vaari's apartment. It was a disappointment to not move in immediately. Lumi seemed the most upset at first, but has bounced back more easily.
She enjoyed picking blueberries at the mökki, and she loved all the wild strawberries that we found.
Learning
Reading is the big thing these days. She generally hates being asked or prompted to read something, but loves working on it by herself and then showing off. She is still not at book-reading level, but she loves to figure out what signs say, or what packages say.
Language
She is really getting into the Finnish usage. She is listening intently and really trying to speak Finnish as much as she can.
Food
With some exceptions, she has been eating really well since we have been in Finland. Especially in Nakkila she devoured meals (her explanation: "because the food is always so delicious!"), even new things like spinach pancakes.
She had fun making pulla with Mummu in Nakkila, and making mansikkakakku and mustikkapiirakka with Leena at the mökki.
Stats
size: 116 (6 in US size), sometimes 122 (7 in US). She has long limbs and needs the extra length. size 31 shoe.
height: 117 cm on 2017-05-21
weight: 19.4 kg on 2017-05-12
favorite color: "rainbow"
Events
11.7 kids and äiti drive to Nakkila
17.7 drive to helsinki, first night sleeping in the new house
18.7 movers arrived
20.7 Lankinen visit
25.7 drive to mökki
27.7 merirosvosaari picnic
29.7 drive to Helsinki
31.7 drive to Nakkila
1.8 MuuMaa
Random
She can use the shower in the new house, when we put the head at its lowest point.
This month has been nice but also sort of lonely for Lumi. She is adjusting to being in Finland but we haven't been able to see many kids her own age.
The move went well overall, but she was disappointed that we didn't move in immediately to our new house, and that things aren't 100% ready. However, she is thrilled to have her own room and loves to shut the door and have alone time. She has ideas for decorating, and some specific wishes of furniture and other items.
Social
She definitely misses her friends Helmine and Toni, but she has been making friends at the playground. She is bold about going up to people and kind of tagging along and then joining the game.
She and her cousin Elsa have paired off as buddies.
She met a couple of nice kids who will be in her same eskari group, and that was promising and comforting.
Leisure
She practices pull-ups at the playground. She can move herself around on monkey bars and that kind of thing. It's wonderful to watch.
The Leikkipuisto in Maunula has a shallow pool, which has been kind of a godsend to us. It's refreshing on a sunny day and it is such a novelty that the kids are very happy to go there. The move has been hard on the kids because we have had work to do at the house, and we have been staying in vaari's apartment. It was a disappointment to not move in immediately. Lumi seemed the most upset at first, but has bounced back more easily.
She enjoyed picking blueberries at the mökki, and she loved all the wild strawberries that we found.
Learning
Reading is the big thing these days. She generally hates being asked or prompted to read something, but loves working on it by herself and then showing off. She is still not at book-reading level, but she loves to figure out what signs say, or what packages say.
Language
She is really getting into the Finnish usage. She is listening intently and really trying to speak Finnish as much as she can.
Food
With some exceptions, she has been eating really well since we have been in Finland. Especially in Nakkila she devoured meals (her explanation: "because the food is always so delicious!"), even new things like spinach pancakes.
She had fun making pulla with Mummu in Nakkila, and making mansikkakakku and mustikkapiirakka with Leena at the mökki.
Stats
size: 116 (6 in US size), sometimes 122 (7 in US). She has long limbs and needs the extra length. size 31 shoe.
height: 117 cm on 2017-05-21
weight: 19.4 kg on 2017-05-12
favorite color: "rainbow"
Events
11.7 kids and äiti drive to Nakkila
17.7 drive to helsinki, first night sleeping in the new house
18.7 movers arrived
20.7 Lankinen visit
25.7 drive to mökki
27.7 merirosvosaari picnic
29.7 drive to Helsinki
31.7 drive to Nakkila
1.8 MuuMaa
Random
She can use the shower in the new house, when we put the head at its lowest point.
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