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.