Multi-cultural party!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and some EC update)

Last night we were invited to a gathering of English-speaking families to the big playground about 20 minutes from our place.
We brought a salad and were a little nervous because we don't know a lot of people here yet and we didn't know how many people would be there. Especially with the weather being so crummy!
It was packed! I think something like 44 people (including children) were there and once it winded down a bit and people were leaving - we really got to chat and connect with other families.
We met another Canadian, an Italian, a Mexican couple, Polish, few French people (not Qu�bec French!), UK, German...the cultures were great! AND EVERYBODY SPOKE ENGLISH!!!! Bonus! AND some Finnish parents that spoke loads of English! It was wonderful to hear it!
I personally get excited when I read something labelled "GB" aka Great Britain aka in English.

Now onto EC...I know - your favourite.
So it's been almost a month of potty-trying with V�in� and we've discovered the best time to try is:
- after eating (solids or breast milk)
- after he wakes up
- after about 1 hr- 1 1/2 hrs since his last attempt or wet diaper
Now he hasn't been giving his bubble signals - so we just try. Worse comes to worse - nothing happens - but so far - it's been really great. As for #2? He never gave a signal for that either.
However when on the potty if he's really relaxed and his tummy grumbles...I wait a bit until something happens. Or if he doesn't seem to be trying to fight to go anywhere - then we stay a bit longer - just in case.
I've also taken up saying "Squeeze" with a very long "ee" in the middle.
Very successful. Now he's understanding what squeeze means (he squeezes his toes as well and grunts sometimes but not loudly) and will stay sitting on the potty if he has to do a #2.

L is for lids and M is for May Day

Whenever you're about to feed your child (or after your finished) - make sure the lid of the jar is shut properly. This little 2 second check could save you a huge mess.
I shook a jar of chicken from the fridge (baby food) and needless to say - the lid wasn't screwed on properly - so the chicken stew went EVERYWHERE. From the window, down the wall, all over the table and into the dog's bowls...they loved it.
Needless to say - I learned my lesson!

May Day (May 1st) is coming up and is a pretty big deal in Finland (and possibly all of Finland?). Everything is closed and if it's sunny outside families and friends get together to have a picnic. Typically the night before people get drunk (since the next day nobody has to work)...so many have hangovers.
As well there are several concerts and activities downtown. In the grocery stores there have been some sort of baked good sold specially for May Day. It looks like a bird's nest and is some sort of batter squirted out of a tube and into a deep fryer then sprinkled with icing sugar. I'll get a package (sold in 2's) and try it out.

Highlights of Helsinki Times Apr. 22-28

So we didn't get the paper yesterday but it arrived today. I'm curious if it's because yesterday was Earth Day? Truly - everyday should be Earth Day.

Anyway - here are some fun things to read about: (In no particular order)

1. Homemade babyfoods make a comeback
In Finland, jarred baby food is more than double of that consumed in Norway.
Finland leads in the world in the consumption of industrially made children's foods with 135 KG/child/year.
In 2007, in Finland 9.9 MILLION kg of baby food was sold = 61 MILLION EUROS!

2. Air traffic slowly recovers
In regards to the eruption of volcano Eyjaflallaj�kull.

3. Bullying starts early
Child welfare advocates stress the importance of early intervention in order to stop exclusion from becoming a habit.

4. Investment funds popular in Finland
Various studies show that ever 5th Finnish citizen, some 860,000 people, owns funds.

5. Broadband to fully cover Finland by 2015
Finland residents can expect a free nationwide wireless broadband service by 2015.
*We had to purchase our modem, but our internet itself is actually free within our building. We have cable internet.

6. Sports clubs and schools "should co-ordinate"
P.E. teachers claim that students are not getting enough exercise
**I find this amusing as I see many kid's biking and walking everywhere and not nearly as many obese children as in Canada.

7. New light on old Helsinki
There will be a photo exhibition of photos from the early 1900's in Helsinki City Museum until August 29th.

"K" is for Keljo, True Confessions and whatnot....

And no it doesn't sound like Kell-joe. The "J" in Finnish sounds like a "Y".

Keljo is a shopping area, similar to that of Bayers Lake but not as many shops. It's a 30 minute walk from my flat and it's quite a nice route actually.
I went today to pick up some things for the baby, some groceries and shoe shop. I went back to Prisma. Tim said that my newest obsession with Prisma and City Market (now that I know it's close to my home - same distance as downtown) - it's like I found a true Finnish version of Walmart.
Prisma is so big (same with City Market) - I could easily spend hours in there. I spent about an hour and a half today. Thankfully V�in� slept the WHOLE TIME!

I confess I caved and had McDonald's today. The only reason being because I had V�in� with me in the stroller and Hesburger was across the massive parking lot in the City Market building. I prefer Hesburger. I can't believe it's been at least 2-3 years since I had McD's last! Clearly I'm not missing much.
Everybody says that no matter where you are in the world - McDonald's will always taste the same. I thought it tasted disgusting (1/4 pounder with cheese meal) and nothing like the McDonald's in the HRM. Maybe it's just me or maybe Hesburger is THAT much better.

I bet you're wondering "Wasn't she just there on Sunday and she got herself and her friend lost on her way home?!"
You're right. This time - I got smart. I brought my digital camera with me and before I left the path - I took a photo of the closest thing (another shop across from Prisma) - so I knew what I had to get to - in order to get back on the path to take me home.
Naturally - I got lost anyway. When I got off a side path - I wasn't sure if I was to go right or left. Genius I know.
So I went right (I think?) and found I was on a path heading into a little neighbourhood. I believe this is where I went with my friend Johanna. So I took that path for a bit then realized my error and saw that I wasn't on the same side of the road as when I first got to Prisma. That was another clue - on and a huge sign that said "RAUTOPOHJA" with an arrow pointing left. SO! I turned back and followed the sign and was walking along the side of a highway - I'm just glad it wasn't busy.
Then I got to the path and successfully was on my way home.

I apologize I can't find last week's copy of the Helsinki Times to give you some highlights. I recall the food section being about genetically modified foods. There was a big piece on alcoholism - as majority of Finns consume quite a bit of alcohol. I probably mentioned before that beer and other drinks with the same or lesser alcohol levels is sold in all the grocery shops - oh and they have gambling machines in most Kioski (corner store brand name) and some grocery stores too. There was an interview with 3 members of the A.A. program here in Finland. It was interesting to see

Tomorrow/today/Thursday - we'll be getting a copy of Helsinki Times - so I'll jot down some things as soon as I can!

For the Facebook people - I've decided that "Today's True Confessions" are wonderful, and 100% true. It helps me realize I do a lot of stupid stuff....yet I still can chuckle over it later on. Some is therapeutic to be honest.
I've decided to mix it up with "Today's FB (flashback)"....enjoy.
They're completely random and can be songs, movies, technology...whatever.
Enjoy!

How to get LOST....

Sorry TV fans - I'm not referring to the show "Lost".
I really mean how to get lost. Not in a rude way either!

Today I needed a day off from being a mom. I needed a day for me and figured I would go downtown and look for shoes for an up-coming party we're going to. I didn't bring a lot of clothing OR shoes with me to Finland - figuring I'd get what I need as I needed it. I have a pair of Adidas sneakers (not the running kind) from a friend, a pair of winter boots I brought and my mesh sneakers (more like hiking sandal-shoe?). Not very dressy for a dissertation party if you ask me!

I sent a message out to my friends, Sini and Johanna, to see if there was any interest in going shopping with me...as I enjoy shopping alone but with friends is better. Especially when it comes to shoes - I need motivation! I hate shoes in general as my feet are wide and flat. BLEGH!
Sini's out of town so Johanna suggested I meet her and some of her friends, not downtown, but in a different direction!
It was actually the same route I took on a bus last week with Tim and the baby to go visit a friend, so I felt very confident in getting there without getting lost. I did it no problem!

I found a spring coat (didn't wear one today at all - stupid me...it was quite chilly!) for under 20 Euros (I love Prisma and City Market!) and got some other groceries. Johanna had left her bike at the university - so we decided to walk together on the way back.
Here's the funny part. We walked for quite awhile and I didn't recognize anything - I just didn't remember walking by so many houses! So then we realized that it was Johanna's first time being in that area (or one of the first) and my complete first. Oh dear... we're lost.
We walk a bit further on - and then I remembered something crucial! I have a map! So we look at the map and we're quite far away from the main road that I originally took to get to the shops. Turns out that neither of us are very good at maps - but obviously Johanna is the better one, since I am presently at home in my pajamas....
About 20 minutes later - I could see the main road! How exciting!!!!
The downfall? We had to go down a very steep woodsy hill to get to it.
Johanna insists there must be a path but we can't see one - so carefully we go down the hill....
We walk ahead about 50 steps and what do you suppose we find?
A FREAKING PATH! Oh well - we got our exercise for the day.

I'm honestly surprised she didn't kill me. But she had a good point - we had our groceries with us - so the worst thing that could've happened is that we would've had a picnic somewhere.

In other news, V�in� crawled a bit today...it looked painful because he'd scooch his bum up in the air and have his face flat on the floor....and then stretch out and he'd move forward an inch or so. But we're making progress!
He's a potty whiz!! Tim finally caved and did the pottying with V�in� today while I was gone and had great success! Apparently Tim doesn't make any "psssssssssssssst" sounds and V�in� just does his thing. We've been using disposables a lot lately because of V�in� not being consistent with his bowel movements. It sucks rinsing a cloth diaper - but we'll do it if it happens of course! That, and it's harder to strip him fast enough to use the potty -if he has a cloth diaper and a plastic cover on top of that... but so far we've been able to get V�in� to potty 2 or 3 times before having to change the diaper!

And no I didn't find any shoes that I liked and that were comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Maybe next time!

Fearless

No I am not referring to Taylor Swift's album title or music.
I'm referring to my son who is 5 1/2 months old and absolutely fearless.
His new thing is putting his hands in the dogs' mouths while they're trying to kiss him or chew on a bone.
He also loves to pinch, twist and pull my boob while we're nursing. I've tried putting mittens and socks on him and he just pulls them off. I'm beyond frustration now...
I'm bruised here and there all over my boob because he's so ridiculously strong. I can scream and yell the roof off in pain - and what does he do? He doesn't cry or jump or pout. He smiles and laughs his head off.
Some of my friends told me when they were nursing and their babies started to teeth - as soon as they bit them and they yelled in pain/surprise - the baby never did it again.
Ha. I literally scream and yell as if going in labour again - and V�in� just keeps going. Sometimes he'll pat me like it makes the pain go away - then he goes on pinching again.

Other acts of fearlessness? We can spin around in a circle holding him and he just laughs...we can let him slip backwards so he's hanging upside down on our laps and again - just laughs. His neck is strong enough that we can fly him around on his side or toss him in the air (without letting go) and he just chuckles.
The dogs have launched themselves off of him (if he was in his car seat and in the way of the couch) gently ... as gentle as a 75 lbs dog can be .... and he yelled in surprise and then laughed. I personally cry every time the dog steps on me too hard.

However if we go in the bathroom for potty time - then the tears flow.

I'm terrified I gave birth to a dare devil.

At least I'm honest.

Today I had an orthodontist appointment for 5pm. I made sure I wore my elastics (they're to correct a bit of a cross-bite I have going on) to my appointment, which Tim pointed out: "You rarely wear them. So you're wearing them now in hopes he doesn't figure it out?" HA.

When I finally got to the office and went into his room, my orthodontist asked how I was doing. I smiled and said everything was great. He asked if I noticed a change with the elastics...I said "Not really!"
He was a little surprised. I advised him, "Honestly - I haven't worn them everyday. BUT I have a good reason. I eat a lot." Which is true - for breast feeding purposes I eat like a pig.
He just chuckled and said: "Yes it can be difficult keeping them in if you talk a lot."
Jerk. I'm sure that's not what he meant - but you know - it seemed that way!

After every appointment we book the next one and I get a print-out of my bill. Compared to Canada INCLUDING the exchange rate - it's so much cheaper to get my braces adjusted/looked at every month. I simply don't get it!
In Canada I paid $210 or $205 per month for my braces. Work covered a portion but stupid me, I didn't submit a claim early enough to cover a chunk of the overall costs.
Anyway - here in Finland, my bill today was under 50 Euros. I only see my orthodontist once a month or every 5-6 weeks, just like in Canada. They do the same work here as they do in Canada yet I was paying so much more!

Ah well.

EC is going great with V�in� - although he's now in the phase of crying as soon as we sit on the floor of the bathroom. I have the potty aimed towards the shower drain - so any splatter can hopefully aim in that direction...and thanks to the hose by the sink - I can just rinse the floor quickly. He's peeing at least once a day on the potty - which is promising. If he cries longer than about 5 minutes - then I'll stop and take him off the potty, congratulate him for trying and we go about our day from there.
My friend Hanna told me she's only changed about 5 poopy diapers since the New Year - because her son is doing great with communicating to her when he has to go. I hope I'm able to get to that point by the time V�in� is 1! Mind you, she started E.C. with her son when he was 2 months and I'm starting at about 5 1/2 months.

During a recent visit to our "future home" - I looked in at the toilet when changing V�in�'s diaper and YES there is plenty of space for me to reverse sit on the toilet with V�in� if he's not comfortable on the potty. :)
I cannot wait to move...I hate our washing machine. It's on a bit of a deck/stand and whenever it's spinning too hard - it tends to fall off and continue to spin...quite a racket!

J is for Jari

So this past week has been quite a whirl! We've met with many people and did a lot of various activities to keep V�in� entertained.
I had written an email recently to my friend, Kikka, telling her that we hung out with the department head of History and Ethnology, "Yaris". And I told her of all the funny things his little girl (11 months) did and how V�in� responded. He clearly prefers older women - not even kids up to 7 years old will do! As well I mentioned that I needed to buy shoes for "Possi's" dissertation coming up.
It didn't take long to get a response from Kikka, who stated that I totally made her day. I was quite groggy and still a little sleepy (it's not nice waking up with a 5 month old jabbing you in the eye) and quite confused. Apparently the proper spelling of Yaris's name is "Jari"(why I didn't think to use the J instead of the Y I don't know) and Pasi is the proper spelling for the other fellow.
Oh my.

So there you have it - a couple of Finnish names and a lesson learned. Look up the name or ask before attempting to write it down. :P

Sorry there's no update for the past week from the Helsinki Times - I forgot that they mentioned no paper until this week. I guess they took a break for the Easter holidays.

E.C. is going great with V�in� - we had 3 successful potty sessions out of about 5 or 6 attempts! I've also been pooped on today....I thought he was uncomfortable so I sat him on my lap temporarily while I tried to bring the potty closer in my lap - and he left his mark.

Elimination Communication

So as some of you are aware (this doesn't have a lot to do with Finland but anyway) - I want to try Elimination Communication with V�in�.
It's early potty training and encourages the child to just let go. I saw a video of a person who had a little tupperware bowl and her 5 day old son peed and pooped in the bowl. It was amazing.
I wish I knew about this while I was pregnant - as I would've tried it much earlier than 5 months!
Ah well!

So this morning once he woke up fully - I tried it in the bathroom. Unfortunately I'm un-able to reverse sit on the toilet seat - because the sink is quite close and my knee won't fit in between! So I sat on the floor and held him on the toilet seat. He had a dribble of pee (from before I removed his diaper) but nothing happened after 3 minutes of consistent "psssssssssssssssst" sounds. So I fed him some pork stew, banana with cereal and some prunes - and then took him to the living room to play for about 10 minutes. He started to fart - and I figured okay - that could be a sign. I took him to the toilet and he wouldn't do anything. I'm not frustrated though - because it appears his diaper was a little wet!
So now I'm learning more about V�in� - which is quite exciting. Just when you think you know your child - something like E.C. opens up your mind to the silent signals as well.

I think I'll go and get a potty today - because I don't feel comfortable sitting him on the toilet seat. His legs are long and he's more or less cleaning our toilet with his feet....eww I know.
Then I have a better peace of mind (and better knees!) that he can pee comfortably without the wobbling of being on a toilet seat (with support of course).
You can see the video of the 5 day old baby here.

And yes - boys you have to help them out by pointing them south.

** UPDATE: At 9:30 after nursing this morning, HE DID IT!!! HE PEED IN THE TOILET!

I is for ice-cream and interesting

SO! Yesterday we (V�in� and I) met up with Kikka and hopped on bus #15 to go to Viherlandia .
Viherlandia is a massive gardening center that sells various plants, flowers, tools and shrubs/trees once the weather is warmer.
There's a delightful caf� upstairs that sold beautiful ice cream sundaes....I opted healthy and got a sandwich...haha. But I will probably make a trip out there some time again.
It was a lengthy ride and there was a girl sitting in front of me with very greasy hair.
But it was very scenic! So many different kinds of houses and the lake was beautiful - although half frozen.
There is also an outlet shop for glass dishes and other kitchen ware - and I got a brilliant idea for a wedding gift for a friend.
I opted for a couple of stalks of bamboo, since I am not very good with plants and bamboo just needs a lot of water and some stones to stand up right. That's easy enough.
While I was puting my bamboo in a bag - an older gentleman was hanging around the cash (I think he was friends or related to the cashier) and asked me what V�in�'s name was and how many children I had. I told him only one (his English was pretty good) and we chatted for a bit.
He then told me that I should make a sister for V�in� so he could have someone to play with (I guess). HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. But he was very polite and nice.

Today I'm off to the playground and to the library and hopefully if V�in� co-operates - do a bit of shopping. My brother in-law's birthday is coming up, along with my best friend's - so I need to get some things. As well I want a small calendar or agenda for V�in� so I can record how much he's eating - because the nurse told me he could be eating more food...so we'll see!

H is for Helsinki (and hat!)

Today Tim went to Helsinki to read at the library. Sounds ridiculous but it's true.
Actually the books he needed to use are all reference ones that couldn't be taken out - so he hopped on the 7:30 train this morning and I had the dogs and baby all day.

I took V�in� in his pram with Loki attached downtown. Our first stop was at Kimperi, a locally owned shop that has lots of brightly colored clothes (many retro-inspired patterns too). One thing I wanted to get for V�in� was a sack hat. I don't know what the proper name of them are but it looks like a little sack on top of his head. Like a square hat! The corners stick out and look adorable on any kid. They sell the winter version (thicker and some kind of terry cloth or fleece material?) and a thinner spring version which is made of cotton (so it feels like a double layered t-shirt).
So I found V�in� a chocolate brown spring hat with orange dots on it :). Very cute.
Then we went to the pet shop to get some bones for the dogs and a bottle of flea/tick shampoo. It's starting to get warmer - so I figure I better lather them up now!

I didn't make it to the pharmacy today - wanted to fill a prescription and get some flea medication too - ah well.

Tomorrow I'm going on an adventure to a huge garden center of sorts. It involves a bus - however I won't be on my own - don't worry.
Will take a lot of pictures and post about it tomorrow when I can :).

G is for gentlemen

Today I went to the bank to see why my Visa Electron was declined on Thursday. The Sampo bank was packed! I got there around 10:30 this morning after V�in�'s appointment (thank goodness for buses!) and waited in one of the teller line ups (there were two). An elderly gentleman was ahead of me and he was standing patiently with his cane and kind of hunched over - really a dear.
Suddenly he turns to me and starts talking to me in Finnish. I apologized and told him "I don't speak Finnish. Sorry". The man ahead of him turned and looked at me and explained that the elderly man wanted me to go sit down (as I had a back pack filled with library books) and V�in� wrapped to my chest and rest. I thought that was very sweet but said I was okay. The English-speaking Finn asked if I was getting money - I explained no, my card didn't work. So he suggested I go to the front desk (only one or two people in line) instead of having to wait in such a long line.
How kind!

I got to the front desk and thankfully V�in� is fast asleep, as I think he'd be quite upset having to wait in a warm bank full of people. I was behind one lady and this other lady leaned over from the 2nd teller line up and says something to me in Finnish. I told her sorry I don't speak Finnish. She said something else - THEN BUTTED IN FRONT OF ME!!!!
I was pissed. Simply because I have V with me and didn't know how long this sleepy spell would last (he also had 2 vaccines today) and plenty of things to do. Anyway I held my tongue and gave her the dirtiest looks possible behind her back. One lady turned to look at me from the 2nd teller line and I am pretty sure I had a mean single highly arched eyebrow. THANKFULLY she didn't take long but what took the longest was she requested the guy at the front desk to call someone for her. Then she would leave (move away at least 2 feet) and COME BACK to listen to the telephone conversation the front-desk guy was having....which was fine - except she did this repeatedly.
I'm sure this all took under 5 minutes but she made it feel like 10.
Then she would bend over in front of me repeatedly and stand up quickly...
I hate to say this (as she was in her 50's I think - which isn't very old at all really) but I wanted to boot her in the butt.

Anyways the front desk guy was nice and explained that the systems were down for a couple of hours on Thursday. I also had to hold my tongue when I was talking to him because he had this crazy twitch in BOTH eyes...they kind of alternated between twitches.

Yes my card works!!

F is for Forgetful and Highlights of Helsinki Times

I have to admit - I've done pretty good since moving to Finland. I haven't forgotten my keys while going out. Which would suck a lot if I did - as we don't have a building "Landlord". So! The person we are renting from lives in a larger city with her spouse away from Jyv�skyl� (like at least 3 hours by train away?).

One thing about Finns is that they keep to themselves. If it doesn't involve them - they stay out of it.
Tonight proves this theory (which there was a study done I read about it in the Helsinki Times). I left my keys in the door as of around 12:30 this afternoon. They've been stuck in the door outside in the hallway since 12:30. It's been almost 11 hours. I think the reason why I forgot to remove my keys is because Blue's toe nail (the outer casing) was torn off and he was bleeding everywhere.
I know that people have been coming and going on our floor as our dogs' ears perked up a couple times and I could hear the doors open and close.
Hmmm.

Anyway - I think going forward when I have the chance - I'll give you a taste of REAL Finnish news. Not just about my life but what's in the Helsinki Times.
The Helsinki Times costs 3 Euros per paper (unless you have a subscription - I'm sure it's cheaper) and is delivered every Thursday morning. Taneli has passed his subscription onto us as they're away for a few months and it was pre-ordered.
Anyways let's see what's in this Easter edition: (I'll try and pick 10-15 things - if you want to know more - let me know and I can find stuff out) and of course in no particular order!

1. "Finland criticised for lenient approach to crime" - here are some records of crimes recorded by the police during 2009:
- Theft: 151,549
- Property Damage: 50,697
- Assault: 32,734
- Drunken driving: 23,248
- Narcotics: 17,344
- Rape: 370
- Homicide: 115

*Average prison sentences by offense:
Drunk Driving: 3.9 months
Sexual Coercion*: 7 months
Narcotics: 47.2 months
Assault: 55.7 months
Homicide: 115.3 months

Source: Statistics Finland/*Channel Four Finland
(I've previously mentioned that domestic violence is common and hush hush. Not many people do anything about it. It's common for men to beat their wives - but illegal to touch a child).

2. "Nearly half of Finns believe climate threat is exaggerated"

3. "Finnish schools behind in adopting new technology" (social media is what it's referencing to)

4. "More woes for scandal-prone ex-foreign minister"(Ilkka Kanerva is now involved in a criminal investigation for possible connection regarding a bankrupt estate of Nova Group. Nova Group is suspected of debtor and accounting fraud).

5. "Fast times on Finnish highways: the little electric car that could" (The Think City is a 2-seat city car with a 100-mile range and a body made of recyclable plastic that resembles old-time thermos bottles (down to the built-in colors; no paint shop here). It looks earth-friendly, and it is, with 2 cent/mile operating costs and no climate emissions. Made in Finland)

6. The Travel section this week covers "The splendour of Stockholm"

7. A column about Easter

8. The eat and drink section covers the fact that "Lamb increasingly popular on dinner tables". When we first came to Finland - lamb wasn't available in the grocery shops as far as I could see. Now I'm seeing roasts and various cuts of lamb everyday and not just around holidays.

9. "Expat View"- is when someone writes in and writes a column about their experiences - usually a foreigner. This week is an Australian who lives in Espoo (bigger city) with hubby and 2 kids..."Confessions of a cross-country skier".

10. Okay there's a TV guide listing here too and I just saw something for "OctoMom: Me and My 14 Kids" BARF.

Will put a snippet from every paper when I can :). And yes, Helsinki Times is an English newspaper - I'm not translating anything.

E is for Easter and Eventually

It's my first Easter away from home and when talking to my parents and listening to my grandparents in the background talking - I cried. A lot.
Don't get me wrong - it's not the first time I thought "Oh I miss home"- I think it just really hit hard that I could've been there but I'm not. I haven't been to Qu�bec in almost 10 years - a shame really. What also hurt is knowing that I won't be there next month when Tim goes for a conference because V�in�'s documents won't be ready in time for us to go. Ah well - we're aiming for September.
Did I get anything for V�in� for Easter? Yes. A little plastic egg with a toy car in it from the Disney movie Cars.
I don't want V�in� to grow up thinking Easter is another Christmas...another materialistic holiday filled with toys, clothes and enough candy to make the dentist cry. Tim and I both grew up with getting a simple chocolate bunny and eventually I got a chocolate egg with my name doodled in icing on top. That was the highlight of my Easter - and a large family dinner of turkey (barf) or ham if I was lucky. (I really love ham - hate turkey).
I'm not knocking other parents - by all means - do what you want - he or she is your kid! I just want V�in� to grow up learning to appreciate the little things in life like baking cookies, or learning something hands-on (the other day we taught him that leaves grow from buds on the twigs and to not tear them down off a tree)...things I would appreciate doing with my parents.
I can't wait until V�in� is old enough to do big-boy things - like paint an egg or paper mache one, like I saw my friend do with her 4-year old. I think that would be great! And do a mini Easter egg hunt throughout the home or yard - I'm down with that. I'm sure the time will be here before I know it.

Anyways - onto the "Eventually" part.
Today V�in� turned 5 months old. Every month is a sense of accomplishment for me because I constantly worry about "SIDS" - and I wasn't exactly an easy birth or post-operation baby myself. Not that V had an operation - but you get my drift. I appreciate everyday he's happy, healthy or screaming.
So - I have yet to be peed on until today. We bathed him tonight in hopes to see my family on Skype (they're in Qu�bec and leaving tomorrow to drive back to NS) - and because it was that time of the week! He was getting stinky LOL.
I have two towels for him - and his softer one was dirty and in his hamper to be washed tomorrow - so I used a bit of a rougher one, and he got upset when I dried him. So I just whispered "Please don't pee on Mommy" repeatedly. I removed the towel and stood him up to give him a hug because he stopped crying once the towel was gone and he gave me a big hug in return. I was about to lie him down when I felt something warm and wet sliding down my stomach and into my lap.
Thankfully it wasn't a lot - because that would've really sucked - as I too, had a shower today and was squeaky clean until he popped my "never been peed on by a baby" balloon.

D is for denied!

Yesterday I had used my Visa Electron card with no problem. I bought a small amount of groceries downtown and withdrew some money to take the bus - all was well.
Today we went to the court house to pick up some sort of documents in regards to the home we are renting presently. We have no idea what it says as it's all in Finnish with some monetary figures written down and a bunch of signatures. The fellow who presented them to us didn't speak English either but continued to discuss the form with us in Finnish - despite us telling him we spoke English. However, the security guard (complete with buzzed mohawk) was very friendly and let us stand in the entry way - so we didn't have to go through the security clearing part with a pram and a baby. The lawyer or bailiff guy gave us the documents and a post-it with someone's name and number - HOPEFULLY this person speaks English.

We then went to the post office where I picked up some stamps and found some over-priced stationary. I didn't get the stationary. So when my card was swiped - it was denied. I have no idea why as I've been doing pretty good watching what I spend money on and whatnot - so I know the account isn't dry at all. Anyways - I happened to have change on me and got my pretty stamps. We rushed to the bank after this trip to the post office and the bank closed at 1pm - for the holidays.
We then went forth to S Market where I fretted the whole time about my card not working.
It didn't work. For some reason it got declined again. Thankfully Tim had his Canadian Visa on him and we used that - out of fear that his Visa Electron wouldn't work either.
So Tuesday I will see why I was denied....I even tried withdrawing money from the bank machine - and it worked!

Happy Easter - and yes Finns celebrate Easter here. LOADS of chocolate eggs are being sold these days!