A Doctor's Note.

Recently I got a note from the hospital (doctor) and it was in Finnish and I nearly had a heart attack.
I thought it said that my son had to re-do his EEG testing and I was on the verge of tears.  V�in� despises hospitals, doctors or anything resembling the sort!  So the EEG-testing (cap on his head and gel poked into white dots and into his hair while they measure his brain waves as he screamed non-stop for 40 minutes or more) was not his cup of tea.

Thankfully, I brought this note to a friend and guess what?
It's just a note from the doctor letting me know that they will be calling me at a certain time on a certain day next week... this way I don't have to go back to the hospital to hear the results.

PHEW!

And in case you're wondering - no, I've never had a doctor send me a booked phone appointment by post before- hence why I wrote about it!
It depends on the doctor if they give you the results face-to-face or by phone...I've had some results given to me during my first pregnancy (first trimester was spent in Canada and partial of the second) by phone - actually by my private voice mail - so that saved me time having to go there!

Canadian VS Finland (and most of EU)

Yes I know, Canada lost the Ice Hockey World Championships and I didn't blog about it.  There - I just did.  (Finland didn't win either you know!)

Now, something that has come up recently, that didn't before - is getting my youngest son a guarantor for his Canadian Passport.
My first son, V�in�, did not have a guarantor because we didn't know anyone here long enough (minimum 2 years) and of a professional status such as:

• Dentist, medical doctor
• Judge, Magistrate, Police Officer
• Mayor
• Notary Public
• Practising Lawyer, Notary
• Signing Officer of a Bank

WHAT IS A GUARANTOR?
Oh, in case you have NO idea what I am talking about - a guarantor is someone that has known you for at least 2 years and is of a professional status (as mentioned above) and is willing to fill in your Canadian Passport application and sign one of your photos (the back of it) confirming your identity and the child's.
(Or in this case, my youngest - Ahti's, identity).
It is a major responsibility because if they're caught lying in any way, shape or form - pretty sure there are some consequences...and even though you might have been the mother (or father) and have endured a difficult pregnancy and a tough labour and lost a lot of sleep and have "technically" known the child since your honeymoon (or last date night away from the other kids) - you as a parent, CANNOT sign the paperwork as a guarantor.

So back in 2010, when we started applying for a Passport for V�in� - we didn't know anyone for at least 2 years (and obviously, neither did he) - so we went to the Magistrate and for a fee of 14� (may have changed since then) - they signed it as a Notary Public.  We had to provide our identification and that was all fine and done immediately.

Now, time has gone by and we have more friends and one of them is a practicing lawyer.
So when I asked her if she wouldn't mind being Ahti's guarantor - she asked me what she had to do.
Once I explained it all she said it was fine and we went over the paperwork and she filled it all in.

Afterwards, I asked her if it's the same for an EU Passport.
Nope.
Apparently they don't have anything like this system and they just ask about your parents birth dates and some other questions to confirm your identity and you of course, send in your photos and you get a passport.

I bet you're wondering why my kids don't have EU Passports now - aren't you?
My kids are yes, both born here, but because my husband and I are Canadians - they are automatically deemed Canadian.
If your child doesn't have any automatic ties to a particular citizenship once born, then I think you can apply for Finnish Citizenship.
There is a small possibility of applying for EU citizenship when the kids are older (and once we know what we're doing or where we are going!) and they could have dual-citizenship - which would be fantastic and open up so many doors for studying and travelling!!

So, if you have to go ask your colleague or friend to be your guarantor for your Canadian Passport - that's the kind of reaction you might get...because Finns simply don't have to do that.

For more information (direct from the source) on Canadian Passports - please check here.

And ONE SUPER-DUPER important thing!!!!!!!!!

If you are a Canadian applying for your child(ren)'s passport out of country and through the Embassy for example (Canadian Embassy is in Helsinki by the way) - you must use the form that says:

"Child Passport Application for Canadians under 16 years of age (abroad)"


"Abroad" is the key word and they WILL return the application to you as not filled in properly - or wrong form chosen...we've been there with V�in�'s application.
And yes, if you look closely enough - they're the same form numbers....just that stinking word "abroad" has to be on the front page, where you don't actually write anything on it.

And yes, another popular question is in regards to babies having their own passport (it lasts 3 years until the child is a bit older - then it lasts 5 years prior to needing a renewal.  The reason for this is because a baby's facial features change so much and so quickly.  However a Finnish police representative told me the EU passports last 5 years - even for babies because they measure different points than the Canadian system.)  It IS mandatory because that's how babies can get kidnapped or moved without the other parent knowing.
If you do plan on travelling without the other parent of the child - or even part ways and meet up later - PLEASE get the other parent to write and sign a letter for you to carry with you if you have the child.  Security/customs representatives WILL question where the other parent is and if you have that letter and explain what your plans are - it'll make it a much smoother trip for you and your child!!
We did this last year, my husband and I travelled to New York together with V�in� and he stayed in NY while I kept going to Canada and thankfully I had a letter because he drilled me with a few good questions about my husband's whereabouts and the status of our relationship!  (aka - "Are you two having any issues in which the child is involved?" - so in other words - you are fleeing to Canada so the hubby can't find you and the kid?)


And one more thing!  When I first filled in V�in�'s application - in 2010, I was required to submit a person to be my character reference.  They WERE contacted and asked a tonne of questions about me, my life growing up, my hobbies and interests, my previous jobs - pretty much anything and everything but my shoe size!  I don't think I have to fill anything out like that this time for Ahti - but be sure you pick someone that really knows you well - that is NOT a relative (if I remember correctly).
They contacted my reference by e-mail - so you don't have to worry about having a Canadian calling Finland on their own account!

Hope this helps and safe travels!

Coffee House Is Fur-Free - sort of.

Maybe you've heard and maybe you haven't.  There was a new law put out in Finland that dogs are allowed in restaurants if the owner of the business is okay with it.

I'm sure it goes without saying - your dog must be well-behaved, not steal food, and not get in the way of others...but anyhow.

But of course, there is a catch.  If the owner of the business says, "No sorry - your dog must be tied up outside (or not join you on the patio or outdoor seating area - now that it's summer).."  then you have to respect that and leave.

And you would THINK that a service or guide dog would be exempt from these rules.  However, there are some restaurant owners in Finland that are declining visually impaired/blind people who have guide dogs with them...
I totally support a guide dog being allowed to go anywhere its owner has to go - that's what they are trained for!
Now from the owner's point of view, I suppose if a blind person came in and couldn't tell their dog was stealing food from the other tables or from the counter of a caf� - then, yes, that could be an issue.

So if you are wondering, where can I take my pooch for lunch - have no fear.
There is a Facebook Group (in Finnish) called "Dog-Friendly Restaurants in Finland", where you should be able to find places that do not mind if you bring your well-behaved pup for a bite to eat!

In case you're wondering - Germany allows dogs EVERYWHERE it seems...bars, restaurants, shops etc.  France allows you to bring your dog on the bus but they must wear a muzzle - not a halti to prevent pulling, but an actual muzzle to prevent the dog from biting or licking anyone else on the bus....

Canada?  Well, I think it depends on what part but in NS - only guide dogs are allowed on the bus.  They are allowed anywhere the blind person has to go...it's wise to bring a seeing-able person with you, in case your dog is possibly misbehaving by sneaking food off your plate or using the bathroom in the clothing aisle...I've seen it done - trust me, it can happen!

The great thing about Finland is that you can take your dog on the bus but of course, they have to be well-behaved and usually I take mine to the center of the bus, where there is a lot of space for my dog to lie down or sit.  So far - I haven't had any issues.

One thing I will not do here - or at least haven't bothered trying, is to bring my dog to a caf� downtown.  My dogs are pretty well behaved (lots of bribery is required sometimes) but they would sneak food, try and get other people's attention by rubbing or licking their legs or hands and if another dog walks by - possibly there might be some pulling....so it's just a happier occasion for both if I leave my dogs at home.

My friend and I met downtown recently and she brought her dog with her (a small one - King Charles Cavalier Spaniel) and we decided to grab a bite to eat at a caf� with an outdoor eating area.  We decided to go to Coffee House as I haven't been there in ages and had a pretty good time.
Her pup, was pretty calm and quiet once he settled down under the table with a bowl of water and when we were done - we left.
My friend later on met some other colleague with HER spaniels (2 of them) - and they decided to go back to Coffee House and enjoy the sunshine outside and have a coffee.  *I wasn't there but was told of this situation after the fact.*
Apparently there were many customers, lots of downtown traffic and many of the staff coming and going to tidy up the tables outside and offer refills - and nobody had said anything about the dogs sitting quietly at their table.
I guess one waitress came out and asked them to leave with the dogs because they do not allow dogs at their restaurant, not even outside.
Which is interesting - because there isn't a sign anywhere saying "NO DOGS" (or a photo indicating this) and I was there with my friend about 2 hours prior!!

I really think all restaurants should clearly indicate if they are dog-friendly or not...for example, up the road by the University, is a bar named Sohwi - and they have a year-long outdoor eating area and there is a sign of a dog with a big "X" on it.  Fair enough!

I'm not saying ALL restaurants or caf�s should allow dogs - it's totally up to the owner and the environment...obviously a bar might not be suitable for a dog if there are many noisy drunks for example...
But if you're going to say no - then make it loud and clear for everyone and I don't know...be consistent? 


I recommended to my friend to file a complaint letter to the management...and I probably wouldn't go there again.  I'm glad they take S-Bonus Card - but the chicken Cesar on a bagel was pretty crappy.  The spinach was limp and the sandwich itself lacked flavour - just in case you were wondering.

BIG NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today I took my kids to Silinteri for a nap.  As in, by the time I get there and they're in the stroller - they're asleep.  I park them off to the side and quickly zip up and down the aisles before one of them makes a peep.

I found a few DVDs and some comfy clothes (ok - they were sweat pants...and some "exercise" tank tops for when I take the dogs out!) and a nice dress shirt....summer-y clothing.

Anyway, I get to the cash and the guy I see regularly (I'm pretty sure he's an owner) - says, "Did you hear the big news?"
"No..." - me - thinking I won something....
"We're closing....we have to be out of here by the end of July.  We're also opening up a shop in Tampere but we're still on the hunt for a location here.  So we'll probably close a bit before the end of July so we can have enough time to clean this place out..."

You know when Darth Vader tells Luke Skywalker that he IS the father and Luke starts to have a stunned face and begins yelling, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"   ?

Well, that was me - the stunned face bit and in my head all I could scream was "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Thankfully, there was a line forming behind me and I just said calmly as possible:  "That's awful!  Why are you guys moving?"

"Because they (the city I assume?) wants to build more crappy apartment buildings here, " as he inserts my bank card into the machine.

"Well, that sucks!!" - me (crying a little inside)

So you may want to spread the word if you live in Kortepohja, JKL area....

FRISBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

When one plays Frisbee Golf - do you still yell something as you are about to toss your frisbee into the wind?
I have no idea.  At least while hiking TWICE this past weekend in Laajuavuori (JKL) - I didn't hear anyone yelling anything like you do when you're playing golf...who knows.

Yes you have read the last few sentences correctly.
Frisbee Golf.
I am sure a lot of you have heard of tossing a frisbee on the beach, to your dog to catch or to swim for...or those pro-frisbee players...but we're talking about a whole other level here.

Last year in Harjun Hill (downtown JKL) I noticed some people playing with their frisbees and trying to get it into some sort of metal basket.
I didn't have my camera at the time but this time I did - at Laajuavuori.

Yep there are little patches of green and if you squint and almost glue your face to your screen - you'll see a little strip of yellow...that's the goal or the basket...

Just in case you can't find the basket - it's where the red dot is.

It's a goal up close!

I'm not sure how many baskets there are...but we have seen some that were far away and up hill.  Seeing as I cannot cut a straight line - let alone throw a ball so well - I don't think Frisbee Golf is my game...
But is it yours?

Last Call!

The other night, I was downtown picking up some last minute things and decided if I have time before 9pm, I should pop in to get my bus pass re-loaded.
It was about 8:30pm by the time I ran up to the service desk and I pressed the button, got a number and waited for all of 2 seconds (nobody else there) and the fellow asked how he could help me.
"I'd like to re-load my bus pass with 40 trips please," I answer as I dig out my bus pass and bank card.
"Well, we close 30 minutes before Sokos does," he responds.
"Oh...okay, sorry" I say as I begin to put it away.  I mean - they looked pretty open to me!  The lights were on, they were standing there chatting, the pick-a-number-then-you-wait system was working and there wasn't a very visible (if any!) sign indicating that they close 30 minutes before the store does...so - you know, it looked OPENED to me!
The girl working with him whispers something in Finnish to him and he says:
"Well, you are very lucky.  One of our machines is still online to put trips on your card.  But next time - please do it before 8:30pm."
"Thanks so much!" I say happily - although, I am really thinking : "How the heck was I supposed to know?!"

So there you go - the service area that provides lottery tickets, Western Union Money Transfers, S-Bank services and bus pass trips closes 30 minutes prior to the store.
*I do not know if this applies to ALL of them in Sokos stores all over Finland or just the one in JKL.*

"After Hours"...ha.

Another Restaurant Day - done and gone....phew!  I won't be participating in the August one (August 19th) due to some travelling - but I will hopefully be able to participate in eating at some Restaurants in Jyv�skyl�! (I get home the night before - so no time to really bake a lot of food...)

Anyways, I ended up going yesterday to my friend's soup Restaurant and it was fabulous.
She had 3 types of soups and you could create your own "toast" (aka toasted sandwich)!  And of course there were desserts....
Considering I did not have breakfast or lunch yesterday - I do not feel too bad for eating 2 portions of her fantastic cooking!

My first round: a pesto/mustard sandwich with salami, cheese, red onion and PICKLES!  and a half-eaten bowl of butternut squash soup with cheese and pepper - delicious!

Very clever - the menu's on the fridge!

JUMBO cookies!

So my friend ran Kestikievari Liemi & Leip� with her sister to help and they won't be participating in August either due to summer holidays...but I hope she runs her soup restaurant again in the future!

I'm just sad I didn't make it until after hours...after HER "work" hours that is!  The chili sounded fabulous but it was completely gone by the time I got there!

Kestikievari Liemi and Leip�

So if you're in the Kortepohja area tomorrow and not feeling like going downtown - then you should definitely check out the Kestikievari Liemi&Leip� Restaurant Day - hosted by my good friend, P�ivi!
Here's her ad:


Kestikievari Liemi&Leip� offers delicious lunch on Restaurant day at 12-15 in Em�nn�ntie 25. Enjoy a bowl of warm soup (three choices:  sweet potato soup with pepper, chili-tomato soup, cauliflower soup with vanilla) or have a toast with your favorite fillings. Or have both! Prices are 3 euros for soup or toast, 5 euros together. Every lunch includes cold drink. If you have sweet tooth you should have Marianne-carrot cake, white chocolate-cranberry cake or giant chocolate cookie (1 euro/1 euro/0,5euro). Tea, home-made juice and self-made cards are also available. Everyone's warmly welcome!

P�ivi is a fantastic card-maker and a pretty good cook!  I'm hoping to make it to her place before 3pm to try it all!

*For some reason the "&" symbol is not allowed in the title post...*

The Fair!

The fair comes to JKL every spring and usually leaves right after Mother's Day.
Most days that it was here, it was quite cold, windy and raining - so thankfully, on Mother's Day - it was warm enough and sunny - so we decided to go!

Here's some photos:

Do you want to know WHY it's called "Mega Flip"?

Swings a bit to the left...

Swings more to the right....

Swings a little higher to the left...

Completely upside down.  (As soon as this photo was taken - I left!  It made me nauseous just watching them!)

FINALLY!  A hat that would fit my huge head! :-)

Poor kid on the far right was screaming and bawling her eyes out.

There used to be a skull dangling from those wrinkly fingers...

Take us to your leader......

Now the small print would say, "You have to actually win before you can have anything!" (One of those claw-games...where you have to pick up a stuffed toy...)

A very tall and swirly slide!

The candy bus.  I didn't see how much it costed - but I imagine it would be safe to call it the "Over-Priced Candy Bus".

From the duck pond...

*Please note: I did not go on any ride at all.  I am a huge wimp when it comes to this kind of stuff and the kids were asleep anyway.*

Slight change of plans...

Hello everyone!

Just a quick note before I begin chopping chocolate...

I will be INSIDE of Poppeli this Saturday so we can have access to coffee, tea and juice for all of you wonderful people who will be swinging by and might be thirsty while eating your goodies!
As long as it's not raining........we'll have a table or two set up OUTSIDE of Poppeli so you can sit there and enjoy your sweets in the warm sunshine (hopefully!).

My set up at MM Playground - May 11th.

Also, I looked through my calendar and I am not able to participate in the MM Playground Outdoor Market on May 25th (next Friday) as I had originally thought.
Due to some important appointments - the timing is far too tight and with a lack of a vehicle - pretty much impossible.
Thank you so much for your understanding in the matter and I certainly hope I can participate again, if this out-door market becomes a success and a regular occurrence.

Once everything is baked - I will post online the prices and amounts of each item available!

Thanks so much for your support - I appreciate it all!
Dominique

Your Finnish Dare!

Today on my Facebook wall, a good friend of mine leaves me a note that her phone gives her very random facts daily.

Finns - REJOICE.  No - it's not about Angry Birds or hockey....but it's about your language!

Today's fact on her phone was:

"The longest word in the Finnish language, that is not a compound word is, 

epaejaerjestelmaellistyttaemaettoemyydellaensaekaeaen".

It's English definition was listed as: 'even with their lack of ability to disorganize'.

So - this may not be the exact spelling of the word because I doubt there were any "�" or "�" in that message - because she doesn't know how to type those in.

For those of you wondering how, you need to change your keyboard (bottom right hand icon) to an "International" one.  Once you do that, if you want "�" - you press:

• "
• A (or little a)

And if you want an "�", you type in:

• "
• O (or little o)

So - say that crazy word 10x fast...I dare you! :-)

(Oh and of course I HAD to count that word....there are 53 letters if I counted correctly!)


PS Because I copied the word from my FB - it created the white background whenever I continued to type - hence the weird background.

Are YOU A Foreigner?...

Oh that fabulous "F" word, FOREIGNER.
Are you someone from somewhere else - and live in Jyv�skyl�?

Well, someone brought to my attention that Jyv�skyl� does not have a foreign group on Facebook!
So - I created one.

If you'd like to meet for coffee or to get to know the place better and perhaps in English - or your native tongue, what better way than via Facebook?

Spread the word!

Don't Forget Your Mama!

Today (May 13th) is Mother's Day!
So in Finland - it's celebrated as a holiday...nothing is open.  Perhaps the odd restaurant - but not necessarily all of them.  So you may want to check their site or call them first!

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful ladies - whether you're expecting, already a Mother - or perhaps a Grandmother!  You're all very special and some of the hardest working people around!
And of course, for those Daddies that do double-duty - Happy Mother's Day to you too.

Playground Menu!

Hello everyone!

So if you read my previous post about baking and selling before Restaurant Day, I am going to be selling goodies at M�ki-Mati playground THIS Friday from 10am-12pm.

So here is my menu for the Playground Outdoor Market:

• Slices of Banana Bread with dark chocolate chunks (Lactose-free) - 2�/slice
• Death By Chocolate Cookies - 1� each
• Santa's Cookies - 1� each

I will have paper plates and napkins on hand and of course, take away bags for your goodies!
I look forward to seeing everyone there and really hope it does not rain!!

(If it DOES rain - we'll be inside!)

See you there!

Dominique

What a waste...

So if you live in the Kortepohja area of Jyv�skyl�, Finland - you were probably pretty excited that the new S-Market location had a built-in Post office when it opened its doors less than 2 years ago.

Well, there had been rumours swirling around that it was closing and now that rumour can be confirmed.  It's closed as of May 12th - well, May 11th is the last day of service...(if I remember correctly!)

Everyone in the area has been sent a notice that it will be closed permanently - I'm not sure what they plan on doing in that empty spot, because I had heard another rumour, that they would open it up for other delivery services like DHL or UPS or something like that...aka services you may not use frequently as the regular post office.

This is VERY unfortunate because that means everybody has to go to the downtown location...which is kind of small, has lights that can probably cook an egg if you cracked one on the table (aka you're roasting just standing in line!) and oh right.  IT'S OUT OF THE WAY.

And the parking lot is kind of small too if you have a vehicle...

I predict Christmas time is going to be a pain in the neck...it was bad enough last Christmas with 2-3 cashiers opened in the S-Market post office...can you imagine a few extra neighbourhoods going downtown to pick up or send parcels?!?!

I think I'll start making Christmas/holiday cards REALLY soon and have them stamped and sealed and packages ready to leave Finland by November 1st.

The ONLY bonus to this is that all of their pretty postage packages are available for a much cheaper price!

I am curious...why did they even bother building a post office to begin with?!

Need Communication Cards?

So as all of you now know - my 2-year old has been diagnosed with Autism and the support we've been getting has been fantastic.
Why today, we got in the mail, his hearing appointment booking!  It'll be near the end of the month but they had booked it last Friday and sent the notice out then. :-)

Some things I have been working on for my son, is taking photos of places and of people's faces and their homes...this way I can eventually print cards out for him, laminate them, glue velcro on them and make some communication cards.
But if your child has special needs and perhaps is fine with other people but maybe doesn't do well with understanding actions or transitions...I have some tips!
*I am not a therapist - I am a MOM and just passing along useful things on to you to do as you wish.  I do not make any guarantee or promise this will work because it's a long road ahead of me and my family and perhaps for you too.*


One site the psychologist suggested for me was Papu.  There IS an English option at the top - but I could not find the available build-your-own-cards...so I'll show it to you in Finnish!
If you click on the 2nd tab on the left-hand side, you can pick whatever topic - for example, "El�imet" is animals, then there will be categories below, and I picked "Kissat" (cats) and a bunch of photos of cats showed up.  Then you click and drag the one you want to use (perhaps one that looks the most like your cat for example) and drop it on the right hand-side in one of those boxes.
You'll notice the word in Finish above the photo is also labelled!  How handy!  (And excellent for those that want to learn/teach Finnish to your family at the same time!)

When it's filled accordingly, you can save it and show it to your child or perhaps print them off and cut them - make them into your own flash cards or like what I am doing, using them as communicating cards.

As well, if you have a smart phone or device like an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad - just as an example - there are some pretty awesome Applications ("Apps") available - lots of them for free too, for children with special needs.
Some do cost money, like iCommunicate (40�!) but depending how far advanced your child is - something basic or the above photo-card-communicating system may be enough and more affordable.

Now, I know what you MIGHT be thinking....
"INK is so expensive!"
Yeah I was in the same shoes as of this morning and trying to figure out if my printer was compatible with the computer or not (our landlords is not)....then some friends suggested I just order my photos through ifolor and then make cards by gluing them onto paper (after trimming them if needed) and  then laminating them.  Voila!

If you're experiencing the same or something similar - good luck and I hope this helped a little!

PS - if you type in www.papu.net or papu.net - it will take you to some online storage site called "Hover".  Just type in www.papu.fi or papu.fi and it will bring you there!  Or click on the links provided up above.

"Hooked On Sweets" - at the Playground - THIS Friday!

Are you one of those people who simply cannot wait for something?!
Yes I am one of those people too.

Well, if you're wondering what my cookies or muffins taste like for example....you can have a sneak peek!

Well, guess what?  I have been asked to sell my baked goods THIS Friday, May 11th - between 10am-12pm at M�ki-Mati playground!!
I guess they are hosting an outdoor children's market and seeing as I already have a table at Silinteri (a local second-hand shop) - table 166 if you're curious...I didn't want to drag baby clothes here and there and everywhere!
So someone asked if I would sell cookies...so why not?

YES I will still be selling some sort of baked goods at Poppeli during their regular hours (10am-5pm) that day - but if you happen to be at the M�ki-Mati playground between 10 and 12 - swing by and say hi!
(I'll also have more flavours...not sure which yet - but I'll be planning that tomorrow and begin baking soon!  They might not be the same flavours as what I plan to have during Restaurant Day...May 19th!)

I hope to see you there!

And no, I won't have any translator available Friday at the playground...but the ingredients will be listed in English and Finnish of course!

Different Therapies for Autistic Children in Finland...

Wow.  Well, here I am writing this post (more than) 24 hours after the most wild last 2-days.
Not wild as in drank my face off wild...no - a different kind of wild.

We have had our suspicions about our son, V�in�, being Autistic for awhile now and it's absolutely amazing how quickly appointments were booked and we expressed our concern in December of last year.
In January, we had his first speech therapist appointment and she told us about using photos to communicate with him.
It wasn't working in the sense that he could show us what he wanted by pointing or picking up the photo and giving it to us.  And in part, it was our fault for not trying hard enough and for having them all hole-punched and clipped onto a key ring.  It was too distracting for him.

We have had a child psychologist appointment for him since then and as well, more photos printed and laminated by his speech therapist too.

Immediately, they recommended he be sent to the children's neurologist department to see what was going on inside his head.
We were advised our appointment would be booked for us and we would be sent a notification in the mail.
Well, within a few short weeks - we had an appointment booked for May 2-3rd.
We knew that they wanted to see him for more than a day and they would provide lunch but we had to bring breakfast and snacks if necessary.  Also they said a nurse would call us before the appointments to confirm the appointment time was okay and to see if we needed anything special for V�in�.
Well, that never happened.

For those of you that live in JKL and don't know what building we went to - it's located behind the hospital and  in a new building.  (They'll provide you with a map!)
It's in a new building because the old one was filled with mold....seems to be a common trend among old buildings here...(i.e. The hubby's old office building...)

When we walked in - it wasn't too loud - there were two other children there...and it wasn't all white inside either!  It didn't have the "squeaky clean Neuvola/hospital feeling" inside and V�in� did not scream when he got inside.
They had a huge play room with every toy you could imagine!  A little kitchenette so you could bring your own food for yourselves...and make coffee...and many chairs to wait in - should your child be with a specialist or nurse for awhile on their own.

There was a white board nearby and V�in�'s name was there, along with the other kids and with his schedule for the day written down.  The first day was a short one - from about 8:45am-11:30am.
He was assigned a wonderful and lovely nurse named Niina and she will be the same nurse he deals with every time he goes there for a check-up or for more therapy.

V�in� played worked with the speech therapist while we met with a team of specialists...

• A social worker
• Niina - his nurse whom stuck with him throughout the two days and will continue to do so in future! (How awesome is that?!)
• An occupational therapist
• A children's school specialist

They also provided us with a translator so that way everything could be understood perfectly between the two parties.

We were asked a wide variety of questions during this meeting and it was a little overwhelming at first because it was a panel of specialists and I worried they questioned things about how we felt - but they really didn't.  They just wanted to help and know what was the best route to take to help rehabilitate our son and help him with his developmental issues and linguistic skills.

The first day ended with a small success, I am pleased to share with you all.

V�in� worked with the speech therapist alone for an hour and he was able to give her a photo of a container of bubbles and if he did that successfully - she blew bubbles for him.

Seems odd I suppose for those of you that don't know - but he's a big time visual learner and they believe he has a photographic memory to some degree because of how he refuses some foods repeatedly and other traits he has displayed for them.

So he was learning to "say" or to show what he wanted by giving her the photo and that was a huge step for us!! :)

Day 2 was much longer and more intensive because we went to the Occupational Therapist's office - which was located in another building.
It was very new, very white (i.e. walls, ceiling, floors) and scared the crap out of my 2-year old.
After that session and an attempt at feeding him the lunch they provided (meat patties, mashed potatoes, boiled carrots and bread with butter plus drinks) - we met with the doctor who made many suggestions and discussed that V�in� will require some more tests and of course, a lot of therapy as he grows.
After that, we waited a bit - and were sent in to meet with the team of specialists...

We discussed applying for Disability Benefits for V�in� through Kela - can you believe they DO provide disability benefits for children under the age of 16 and once the child reaches their Sweet 16 - you just have to re-apply again (if you think your child qualifies) for regular Disability Benefits for someone over 16?!
I'm not sure what the system is in Canada...because most of the medical care is free - but things like therapies for speech and such - may not be.
There was also discussion of reviewing and borrowing a DVD about Autism in young children with the speech therapist, what kinds of activities would benefit V�in� and day care.
OH day-care.

In case you're wondering - day care has to be applied for and you may not get the location closest to you.  They try to put your child(ren) where is more convenient for you - but you might not get your first choice.
Also, there is a 260� maximum fee per child (full-time, 5 days a week) - regardless of how much the total household income is!  That's a pretty sweet deal considering in the US - prices range from a minimum of 600$!
As well, the amount you pay is based on how many days per month your child(ren) attends day care and if it's for a full day (they provide breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks) or for a half-day (breakfast and lunch included)...oh and based on your total household income.

Back to the original topic.
Yes there are day-cares specially targeted towards children of special needs of a wide variety, there's "regular day care" with some spots available for special needs children...and there is private day-care too (more expensive).  With private day-care - there's more adults available per smaller group of kids.
So instead of 1 teacher for every 6-7 kids - there could be 1 teacher for 3-5.
And of course, some children require special aides - so that's more adults.
We haven't decided what kind of day-care would benefit V�in� the best because of the language issue...we're not sure if he understands English or Finnish better...but we'll figure it out.

We'll be back to visit them in 6 months with V�in� and in 1 week, we have to meet to fill out all of these forms...oh and we're going to submit a request that V�in�'s rehabilitation program be charged through to Kela.

Phew - I apologize this is so long and quite personal - but if you should happen to live in Finland and be in the same boat - this is what you could be going through.