Who is Dominique Riggs from Jyvaskyla in Finland?

If you come across this person named Dominique Riggs from Jyvaskyla in Finland, she is a fake hell raiser.

So many of us had a trouble with this kinky Asian lady who hates the world and anything in it. She is an absolute corrupted person trying to manage Jyvaskyla Finland group on facebook and blogging about shitting about people and companies. Here I document for you.

If you are one of those lucky people to be featured on her blog, then good for you that you now know that she thinks she has done something.

If a person has nothing to lose then Dominique Riggs Jyvaskyla Finland is that person!

Dominique’s great sense of loyalty and apt to social norms will show the great sense in her shitting blog posts.

More importantly, Dominique Riggs from Jyvaskyla in Finland works with other hackers! Yes!

Dominique Riggs will post shit to her blog about you and don't know what to do? Well she does this for moneyyy!!!

There is a way to deal with this ugly person (physically also!!)!

Report Dominique Riggs from Jyvaskyla in Finland to the Finnish police.

She already has shits with other people and now its her turn to be jailed for spreading such hatred all over the internet.

Dominique Riggs: Tired of Being a Mother in Finland :(

Parenthood can be a soul exhausting experience. 

Day in and day out diaper changing, cooking for picky palates, soothing, bed time management, and school shuttling can grate on any human. But stigmas regarding how much and what you can complain about pervade motherhood. 

I hate being a mom and I don't like my kids. There I said it!

I happened upon the following women and their stories during my routine mommy discussion in Finland. They’re united in the feeling of being duped by parenting mythologies, or rather a “fairy tale,” according to one. 

I knew having kids would be a big change but in no way did I know just how much so. I am so unhappy with what I have. There is no time for me anymore. I have lost myself. I used to be a person and now I feel like nothing. 

The children suck the life out of us. Nobody tells you how awful it is. I see how my husband changed and not loving me anymore. 

my kid: his forehead is a bit - might go for surgery

We used to not worry so much about money. We used to sleep in on weekends. We used to take care of our appearances and we used to enjoy life. Now we don't do any of that anymore. I am this cranky tired bitch all the time. I hate myself. I hate him. I hate my life. I hate my kids. I feel trapped. 

this is my other kid

Disability Benefits

I thought I would write something a little more personal in terms of family life here and how it affects me living in Finland.

Our (now) 4-year old son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2 - which you may have known already from reading my blog in the past.
Some benefits that we qualify for - are truly unique and I'm constantly amazed and grateful for all of it.

*This is based on my family's experience - so if you're interested in these services - contact your doctor or social workers to see what you qualify for.  I also reside in Jyv�skyl� - so different cities or districts may have variations to benefits.*

• Domestic Aids - these are people who are there to help you with your basic living/quality of life.  They can be hired to clean your home, care for your children (in your home so you can sleep properly or even outside - so you can get stuff done), they do grocery shopping or running errands for seniors etc. Contact your Neuvola for more information.  Your child doesn't have to be disabled for this service!!!!  
• Free (limited) therapy sessions- both speech (and recently) occupational.  You have to have formal requests from the doctors and fill out all kinds of paperwork - but I promise you - it's worth it.  We are thrilled with our speech therapist and our occupational therapist for our son is also lovely and patient too.
• Free Diapers - this only applied to us once our son turned 3 and proved he refused to potty repeatedly.  So I believe it's 3 or 4x a year - we can call this hotline and have diapers delivered to our door for our son.  The city will pay for up to 5 diapers (maximum) per day and that's how many you get.  You have to set up a delivery time and date and if you're not home to pick up the order - they'll just drop it off at the nearest post office...which would really suck if you don't have a vehicle to carry it all in...About 4-6 packages of diapers fit in each box and you get 4-5 boxes (depends on the size of diapers and how many per package etc.).
• "Extra caregiver benefits" - once a month we are awarded from the city a sum of money that helps us with all the extra bits we may need for our child or for ourselves.  Loosely speaking - it's more or less money to help us make it through the month and not stress about things so much because caring for a child with special needs can be very exhausting.
• With this benefit plan set by the city and our social worker - because we do not have family here (not that it's a requirement) - we also are able to have our child stay overnight at a special place where he gets 24 hours a day round-the-clock supervision and care.  Pretty much an overnight day-care (some are held in another family's home - that is specialized in handling and caring for children with special needs) that allows us a break from him and he gets a break from us for 3 whole days and nights per month.
• I was really hesitant about this "Overnight Care" for my son and felt like an awful parent for using this service (we get billed afterwards - approximately 30� a month for those 3 days and nights) - but it's really helped us as a family in terms of being able to do things with our younger son and even being able to go out on a date once a month...because it's a lot easier to find a sitter who can handle a "normal/average child" than handle both a busy average child and one who is Autistic too.
• We have less stress in our marriage and with our youngest - who often starts trouble to get more attention (and I can't blame him) -  because we're constantly busy with our oldest's needs - knows that when big brother is gone...he gets a break too.
• "Disability Benefits for a child under 16" - this is tax-free income and paid once a month via Kela.
• Free Day-Care - the reason a family can qualify for free day-care is because day-care in Finland is based on the total household income.  Another reason a child can receive free day-care is because it's part of their rehabilitative program pertaining to their disability.
• Taxi Service - this is provided to our son only (so myself or spouse cannot hop in for a ride too) - so he can be transported to and from his day-care.  It's not an easy service to qualify or be approved for - as I have other friends who applied for years before they were accepted (or they were not accepted at all).  Every week-day that he goes to day-care - a taxi picks him up at 7:30am and drops him off by 3pm.
• Why we applied for it:
• We don't have a car to get him to day-care and it's over 3 km away from our home (45 minutes and without snow to push a stroller through - snow could or ice can easily add another 30 minutes depending!).
• I tried to take him by bicycle (with him in a child's seat) and he freaked out so much and grabbed my back-pack and we nearly fell over, while speeding down a hill.
• My other child goes to a different day-care quite close to our home.  
• I have to be at school for 8am (class starts at 8:15) - so if I did drop him off by taking the buses - I would be late everyday for class...especially if he's having a difficult time settling down.
• My husband does have to go to his office regularly and also takes the dogs out in the morning (I do the evening shifts) so I can get to school on time.

Since having this extra help - it's been a lot easier being able to live in Finland with a disabled child.  

I am truly grateful for everything we have and don't take any of it for granted because I know in Canada - we wouldn't get half of these services.

"Back to Earth" (Another Finnbay-Related Post)

Sorry it's been awhile since I blogged but now I finally have something really worthy to blog about!

I recently have received a "Formal Notice" from Finnbay threatening legal action against me - Dominique Riggs on November 20, 2013.
What could I possibly do to offend the oh-so-mighty Finnbay while raising two kids, two dogs, keeping house, baking for Restaurant Day (and an up-coming Christmas market), studying Finnish intensively and trying to squeeze in weekly craft meetings and Foreigners in JKL meet-ups once a month??  (On top of all the regular household errands required...)

I wrote a blog post.

I know!!!!!!!!! So terribly scary and so on.  Well the company and it's creator, Mr. Onur Y., are super mad at me because of a privacy breach and defamation.
And possibly because when you go on Google and search for "Finnbay" - my blog post is the 4th link listed on the first page.  
Thanks my readers - I feel pretty famous!

Before you get your knickers in a twist about what I'm going to write - here's the law on defamation in Finland and Finnbay's own privacy terms and conditions (See section 3.1.9 and as well 3.1.7).
As of November 23, 2013 - there haven't been any changes but just in case you're on a mobile phone and hate opening new tabs like I do - I'll copy and past it all for you here:

"3.1.7. Neither Party will, without prior approval of the other Party, make any public announcement of or otherwise disclose the existence or the terms of this Agreement." (Accessed on November 23, 2013 from http://www.finnbay.com/about-us/legal-notices/)

"3.1.9. This Agreement shall remain in effect for a period of three (3) years from the Effective Date unless otherwise terminated by either Party giving notice to the other of its desire to terminate this Agreement. The requirement to protect Confidential Information disclosed under this Agreement shall survive until the volunteer has provided a written notice of their leave of FINNBAY."  (Accessed on November 23, 2013 from http://www.finnbay.com/about-us/legal-notices/)

Okay - so I get an e-mail first thing on a Thursday morning advising me that:

A) It's a formal notice directed to yours truly.
B)  Finnbay is taking the first step of legal action against me for the above linked post because of a breach of privacy and defamation of the named company.
C)  They hope they can find middle ground and we can work something out.
D)  While they support freedom of speech, they do not tolerate untruthful information being spread that damages other people's credentials in public...(I'll tackle this point in another blog post in the future but do note - I do have all e-mails confirming everything listed in this blog post.)

So! I went back to that blog post - dated August 13, 2013 - and out of the kindness of my heart - removed the name "Onur" and changed it to "Bob".
I also removed someone else's name as they have nothing to do with Finnbay - other than to want their remaining pay owed from this organization.

After doing some research - I discovered that Finland has a 100% Freedom of Speech law - so I can write (and so can you) anything about any business or public persons that may be of interest to the general public.
Considering Finnbay is a fairly new site and I had a difficult experience since leaving there - I felt it was only justified and fair that others interested in "volunteering" are aware of what is included and what might experience after your official resignation with this company.
Others that I know of - have also had difficult experiences and negative opinions of Onur's operations with Finnbay as well...which I'll be more than happy to share with y'all once I have collected enough resources and evidence to support a blog post about it.

I advised Finnbay that I had made some edits and removed his name (he's the creator and owner - although for some reason, a Bruce Stone is listed as the heir/holder of the site - which I can't find any information on either - so possibly it's just an alias??).
"Finnbay Team" (as Onur doesn't want to take ownership??) as the e-mails were all signed - thanked me and removed my articles listed on their site - which is great - because they were more or less just duplicates (with perhaps the odd slight edit) of articles listed on my blog here - which existed well before Finnbay was launched (February 2013).

It was then requested that I remove my post within a week or they would continue with taking legal action against me and have already (suggested) submitted paperwork to the Helsinki Court.
Okay - I don't see anything wrong the blog post - other than me using his name - it turned out it was legal so I re-edited the post (November 23, 2013) to reflect as such.

He/they (whichever way you want to read it) suggested breach of privacy - right?
Well, then he posted the link to Finnbay's legal notice page...and after searching through my private communication/e-mails with Finnbay - noticed that there was never any terms and conditions listed or privacy agreements for me to read, sign or agree/disagree to.  I was never sent any and never advised of any either. It should be noted that I sent Onur/Finnbay a couple of pieces/articles for him to use prior to the website's official launch.
So if any such agreements were listed on the site - I wouldn't have known and it was done so without my knowledge or consent (Section 3.1.7).
So what this really means - is that if you volunteer (or if you're lucky enough to get paid something) for Finnbay - you are not legally bound to any sort of privacy agreement because this agreement and terms were already made public prior to you typing your first word in their site.
Way to go Finnbay!

Also, it was requested in the 2nd e-mail from Finnbay - that I remove or re-write my blog post to reflect as "my despising" of Finnbay as a user and not as an ex-volunteer (his words).

So after a lot of research, editing and such - I sent him/them a lengthy e-mail advising and kindly pointing out the two most major flaws in their terms and conditions.
I'm sure there are others - but these two really stuck out.

A) I submitted an e-mail/letter of resignation due to lack of recognition for my Learning About Finland blog (it was never linked - although there was a promise of more networking and exposure to my blog etc. - which I do have an e-mail of - specifically from Onur) and due to lack of time.
I wrote that e-mail and had received a kind "thanks for getting us started - good luck with your stuff" response and that is dated on July 8th, 2013.
I published the "Finnbay= Waste of Time" post over a month later - on August 13, 2013.
So - that Section 3.1.9 fully supports what I did.
Apparently this blog post was only discovered 3.5 months after publishing date and I was accused of defaming Finnbay for the past 3-months....but I only wrote the one post, and only intended to write the one post - until now.

B) According to Section 3.1.7 - the agreement never existed to begin with.
Don't blame me - I'm just telling you how it is.

C) Finland 

Criminal Code

In Finland, the libel of State authorities and symbols as such has not been established as a criminal offence. In the case of State authorities, libel constitutes criminal defamation provided that the insult can be considered against certain persons (public servants). Under section 8 of the Act concerning the Finnish flag (Statutes of Finland 380/1978), a person who ruins or disrespectfully uses the Finnish flag will be sentenced to a fine.

Criticism against politicians and public servants is only punishable subject to certain conditions. Under chapter 24, section 9, subsection 1, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code (Statutes of Finland 531/2000), a person who spreads false information or a false insinuation about another person so that the act is conducive to causing damage or suffering to that person, or subjecting that person to contempt, shall be sentenced for defamation. Under paragraph 2, a person who makes a derogatory comment on another person otherwise than in a manner referred to in subparagraph 1 shall also be sentenced for defamation. Under section 9, subsection 2, criticism that is directed at a person�s activities in politics, business, public office, public position, science, art or in a comparable public position and that does not obviously overstep the limits of correctness shall not constitute defamation under paragraph 2 of section 1.

A person who spreads information, an insinuation or an image of the private life of another person, so that the act is conducive to causing that person damage or suffering, or subjecting that person to contempt, shall also be sentenced for invasion of the personal reputation under section 8 of chapter 24 of the Criminal Code (Statutes of Finland 531/2000). Under subsection 2 of the section, the spreading of information, an insinuation or an image of the private life of a person in politics, business, public office or public position, or in a comparable position, shall not constitute an invasion of personal reputation, if it may affect the evaluation of that person�s activities in the position in question and if it is necessary for the purposes of dealing with a matter of importance to society.

This is copied from the Council of Europe and is the first organization listed on Finnbay's "About Us" page underneath "TRUSTED BY".
So this clears me too.

I have sent Finnbay that e-mail (November 22, 2013) and haven't heard anything since.
_________________________________________________________________________________

But funny enough, I did receive an e-mail from one of those sites that hides your identity and sends it on your behalf and is listed as "Anonymous" with the following message:

"Dominique,  We have reported you to the tax office for selling cakes and food without permission and sanitary conditions! http://hookedonsweets.blogspot.com/ That will teach you to get back to the earth!"

I am curious who this person or party might be but have already explained how Restaurant Day works (hint: no taxes or hygiene passport required - or else it wouldn't be such a world-wide phenomenon would it?) in this specific blog post.

I'm also wondering if this above written e-mail was sent from a representative of a particular not going to name them company since I managed to prove there is no legal case at all??

However, this is merely a hypothetical theory and just me blabbering on my blog...since there's no official proof yet - since the author of the e-mail chose to sign it Anonymously instead of writing their name or what organization they represent.

If you are the author of that e-mail:  since I can't write back to you directly (since I don't know "know who you are") - please use proper spell check prior to sending me an e-mail.

Earth is a name of a place and therefor should be listed with a capital "e" - like this: Earth.

And yes, I am currently still here and haven't left.

PS:

Before threatening legal action for defamation - please re-read the above copy and pasted information from the EU Council site.

**Please note:  In case of any possible changes or updates to the Finnbay site - I have dated screen shots and print-outs of their Legal Notices page - confirming everything I have written here.

Dear Finnbay: 

You're welcome for the free promotional adverts on this blog.

Kindly yours,

An Ex-Volunteer 

Update:  I had misread the dates on my e-mail in which I had listed my resignation and Finnbay's recognition as August 2013 - it was actually more than a month prior to my blog post.  The date has since been updated accordingly in this blog post.

Is that how they do it?

I qualify, as far as I know, for un-employment benefits here in Finland.
I have never held a paid-position job that took me away from home for example.  And by "away from home" - I don't mean abroad.  I just mean away from kids because they'd be in day care and I'd go to work from 8-4 or 9-5.
NOT saying that being a stay-at-home parent IS NOT a job....it is!!  So let's get back on track.

So I submitted my paperwork really late to Kela, because I knew I "qualified" as of the 2nd week of May.  But I was still in school, kids still in day-care - rushing around to pick them up and so on, hubby was still writing his thesis - so I had to be with them once I was done school...and we travelled to Wales and London for a bit too.
So I finally got around to submitting it to the office in September.  They questioned why I didn't submit it back in May...not really a lot of time to be honest!
Then in June we were travelling, and after that - hubby had a major deadline...the oh-so-mighty thesis!!!
So I was taking the kids everywhere and leaving him at home to finish up the biggest project ever.
Then my school started - and with the hours I have in school - and having to be home by 3pm so V-man can get in the house (a taxi drops him off after day-care) - there's NO WAY I would get into Kela to ask questions, fill out the form together and so on.

Anyways, I justified this and they said fine - we will make a decision.

Fast forward 3 weeks later - and I'm not seeing anything in my bank account from them.  So thankfully, I had an off period and rushed to Kela, waited over 30 minutes (that's what I mean about not being able to do it after class - I wouldn't get home in time!) and after the expected identity check - the Kela rep lady says,

"We are waiting on a paper from TE-Toimisto." (The un-employment office)
"What papers?  I thought it was automatic...nobody said anything when I was here 3 weeks ago..." -me frantic.
"Yes it should be automatic...but they have not sent it.  Maybe you could call or make an appointment with them and see what is the problem?"
I agree and thank her and am about to leave when she says, "Oh - and can we have your number?? We don't have it in this system."

You have GOT to be kidding me.

Every piece of paper/application for anything involving Kela requires a few things:

1. Your name
2. Your social security number
3. Your PHONE NUMBER
4. Your E-mail Address (most applications)
5. Your signature

I must have given her a look like she had rabies because she said, "Well?"
And I pointed out the fact, that they should have my number in the system because for the past 4 years and especially within the last 2 - I have done nothing but fill out forms every 4-6 months on behalf of my son - which has my phone number and e-mail.

She smiled and gave me the typical Finnish response:  a shrug.

I gave my number to her and she said thanks and that was that.

Now I'm wondering if this is one way that Kela gets out of paying people their benefits.

I'm semi-pro-Kela...love 'em and hate'em at the same time.

With the Un-Employment/studying benefits - they will only back-date it 3 months. No ifs or buts about it.

A month will have gone by since I submitted my paperwork and by the time they come to a freaking decision and by the time they actually receive the TE-Toimisto paperwork.

So now I'm losing yet another (potential) month of income...it's not my fault that TE-Toimisto didn't do their job (as far as I know)...so who will end up getting penalized?

Me.  Or maybe You.  (Perhaps you're in a similar position?)

It's not the first time I have been screwed over - because Kela has these set rules of not paying back what is owed - even when it's their fault and they admit it openly in person....

So I called up TE-Tomisto yesterday and the first guy must have thought I was drunk - because I had been waiting for 10 minutes during their horrible electric rock waiting music...I started eating my breakfast...a slice of feta pie...And of course I'm on the last big bite - and he answers the phone.
I asked if he spoke English - with a mouth semi-full of food and he hangs up on me.

Not even an "Ei!" (No)

Just a flat-out "click".

I call back to the switchboard and ask for the direct line to the JKL TE-Toimisto office and call them back again...another 5 minutes wait - and mouth empty of food....and someone picks up.
After some Finnglish - she gets me someone who speaks English...
And may I point out that rep sounds like she LOVES her job...*Major sarcasm font - if one existed...*

"Hi there, I need a paper for Kela saying that I qualify for benefits - they haven't received it yet...what do I do?" -me trying to be friendly and patient.

"What's your name?  How do I spell it?  I'll do it. Bye."

So I have no idea if she means it, or what kind of time-frame I'm looking at...

But here's hoping??

Night Reflectors

So if you're not interested in the shapes available and want to make your own - it's totally possible and very easy!
You can find a link here on how to make them, and no, you don't have to live in Finland to be able to use them.
Benefits of wearing a night-reflector on your outer clothing ?

1. Cars can see you better when their lights shine on you while driving.
2. People on bicycles with lights can see you too...
3. You have a better chance of NOT getting hit by one of the two vehicles mentioned in 1 and 2.

It's also strongly recommended to carry a safety reflective vest in your car/vehicle - so people can see you if you pull over and need to fix something on your car...or pee on the side of the highway...

It's also a super smart idea to put one (a vest or reflector or little non-blinking light) on your dog or other pet, when going for walks!!
Animals can be un-predictable - even the better trained ones - and move into the opposite side of the sidewalk and ended up getting hurt (or hurting a cyclist) for example.

Snow.

As usual - here's your weather warning that there is now snow on the ground - and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere....as it keeps sneakily falling from the sky non-stop.
So what does that mean for you, the person living in Finland?

It is mandatory to get snow tires on your car/truck/vehicle.
And strongly recommended for your bicycle.  
I don't know if they actually make a REAL difference, as I won't bike in the winter!! 

Wear reflectors on both sides of your body if possible - so people can see you where it may be poorly lit...yes the snow helps a bit but not always if there's no street lights!!
Get a bike bell and bike light - DON'T BE AFRAID TO USE THEM.  You can help to prevent many accidents by warning people you're coming too quickly towards them - or trying to get around them.  It's the polite way to get past someone faster...*RING RING*

Your balcony (if you are lucky to have one) makes an EXCELLENT extra fridge/freezer (once it's REALLY cold out) - and it's prime time to empty out and clean your fridge...and if you have icicles in your freezer...probably a good time to de-frost as well.
Also an excellent time to stock up on ice-cream by the way (no, you're not crazy for eating ice-cream in the winter..or shopping 6 months in advance so it won't melt on your way home from the shops!)....and I've used mine as an extra freezer for meats and so on too once December hit!!

Just be sure to have proper trays or mats or plenty of towels to soak up the liquid from the de-frosting!!!
And make sure you change your towels/mats/empty the trays out frequently so you don't damage your floors if they happen to be sensitive to moisture/humidity.
It's also a great spot to let baby/young children sleep in their strollers - well bundled up (and usually not colder than -15*C or so)...as cold air soothes them, minimalizes flu bacteria growth, lets them sleep longer...and fresh air never hurts!

Layer up!
Most important thing about living in a cold climate country (especially if you're not used to it) is to wear light layers.

• Long johns/underwear - usually made of cotton or wool - touch your skin and keep your skin happy because this fabric is breathable.
• Long sleeved shirt and pants - not too thick (of course depends how cold it is outside and how long you'll BE outside and how much you're moving).
• Wool socks
• GOOD winter boots - warm on the inside, waterproof, quick-to-dry if possible, excellent grip underneath.  It gets slippery - and the rest won't matter if you're falling all over the place and getting soaked and twisting your ankles and whatnot.  It's worth the investment and can last you several years!!
• Snow pants or even basic wind/water proof pants (I went one winter just wearing "track pants" that were breathable, water-proof and wind-proof.  I wore thick pants underneath like fleece pajama bottoms and long johns beneath those and felt perfectly fine!).
• Winter coat - should have a hood, reflectors, wind/water/snow resistant/proof.  Brightly coloured helps too - especially if you're hiking or travelling and have a tendency to get lost....
• Scarf or cowl - nobody enjoys a sore throat.
• Hat/toque (Canadian term)/Pipo (Finnish word)
• Ski mask helps on very blustery and cold days!!!  I have a great thin one from Mountain Equipment Co-Op, a Canadian sporting/outdoor shop.  Best thing I ever bought.
• Mittens/Gloves 
• Moisturizer - not just your hands and body - but your face and lips!!!
• Sun-screen...yes you can get burnt on exposed skin when skiing or being out for long periods of time (or even short ones with sensitive skin) in the winter. 

Signs of FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA....
In case you've never had it, been close to experiencing it - or have never been to a country with a snowy/freezing winter - you may want to check the link above.

It's also handy (even if you don't have children) to get a pull-sled to get your groceries!  Because walking in the snow that's not been plowed can be hard enough - may as well make use of it and drag your groceries (especially heavy things!) quickly along the snow!!

I think that's everything....but just keep an eye on the weather and ask a Finnish friend (or friend that's lived here through a winter or two) to help you out!!!

Kestovaippakauppa - A Review

I was on the hunt for a KAM-branded plastic snap fastener.  My Prym brand one doesn't fasten plastic snaps - only metal ones and eyelets.  Darn.
I immediately looked online at Etsy and other sites that sold craft supplies and equipment- but the shipping was almost double the cost of the pliers themselves!
I asked a Finnish friend to help me look in Finland for reasonably priced (including shipping) KAM pliers and she actually found me a shop IN Jyv�skyl� called "Kestovaippakauppa".
There was the option to order online and shipping would be 3,50� - not bad!  But then my friend and I were able to hang out and catch up.
They weren't quite easy to find in terms of being able to hop on a bus and go on my own - but she thankfully took me there by car and we had quite the experience.
For me -it was a mostly positive one.  For my friend - well, she wasn't overly thrilled by the service, speed or anything but the products she purchased.

It turned out that I have been to this shop before - last year and at night, so I didn't recall how to get there - but recognized the building (it's in the basement floor of a house) once we arrived.
Anyways, what I was looking for was this:

It came with the screw driver, awl, metal rod and other press-dies - just not shown in my photo!

That was easy and my friend translated - then I had to choose button colours....I just asked for a mix.  For 50 pairs of mixed colours - "I'm not picky" I told the store rep helping me.  She was great to work with and very helpful and quick - considering each "set" of snaps consist of 4 pieces.

While my buttons were being chosen and packaged - my friend and I cruised through the single-room shop and looked through all the different fabric types.

I decided I wanted to venture into "cloth-pad land" - hence why I wanted the KAM snaps fastener and snaps to begin with....but of course there were so many fabrics available that weren't sold downtown.
I found a couple pieces of fabric on sale and then my friend pointed out a PUL-type of printed fabric.

PUL is the water proof stuff on one side and usually printed (or a solid colour) on the other side.  Traditionally used for lots of things like cloth diapers, diaper covers, wet bags (for pads or diapers or soiled clothing) or even lunch bags!

I thought it would be wise to buy a piece and asked my friend how much it was - she was told 5� a piece by a different store rep.  These pieces were colourful, modern, fun, great quality and pretty big!

GREAT!  I picked up one and the buttons were ready and the store rep I had began to tally up my sale.

I asked/confirmed with her that the PUL fabric was 5� and she looked at me like I was insane.

After searching on the internet - it turned out it was over 11� a piece.

By this point - my friend finally got her fabrics cut and her sale being processed.  She was already charged with the 5�/PUL sheet and the rep had no idea what to do.

It took forever to get a couple pieces of fabric cut and to sort out the billing.

She was first charged X� with the PUL sheets being 5� each.  Then they calculated the difference - and she was charged the difference - but the lady punched in 0,13� (13 CENTS) instead of 13,00�.

Then the 3rd time....she got charged the difference of 12,87�.

Crappy customer service: We each got a 10 cents discount for the "confusion" of the older store's rep mistake.

Excellent customer service would be:  Take the hit and sell it to us for the price we were told.  Or even 50% off would have been nice.

We could have been in and out within 20-30 minutes tops.  We didn't leave until an hour later.

I'm sorry to say that I won't be shopping there again - not even online (they offer shipping on their site).  Not only is it difficult for me to get to by bus, but the service was really disappointing for my friend and I.

The Difference Between Canada (specifically Newfoundland) & Finland

Sorry it's been awhile - my oldest son had surgery recently so now I am home for the week (yes it's almost over - I realize that) and finally made time to sit on my arse and blog.

So I bet you're wondering what are the differences between Canada and Finland?
There's tonnes!

• Language:  Finnish/Swedish are Finland's national 2 languages where as English/French are Canada's.
• Currency:  Euros versus Canadian Dollars (which are not the same as American ones).
• Flags:  Finland's is white and blue, whereas Canada's is white and red.
• The post-surgery advice after a child gets their tonsils removed.

Ha -  I bet you didn't expect that last one, eh?  (A Canadian term - the Finnish equivalent of "no, niin" or "voi ei!" - just randomly placed wherever...and sounds like the Finnish "ei" - which means "No.")

Well, V got his tonsils and adenoids removed on Monday morning and tubes inserted into his ears... and I was advised he should take lots of medicine 3x a day (mixture of Tylenol/Ibuprofen...or Finnish versions:  Panadol/Burana) and eat only smooth and cold foods.

I was prepared!  I had vanilla pudding in the fridge, ice-cream in the freezer and yoghurt available too.  Oh and some mini smoothies ready-made...
Did he eat any of it?!  No.
Did he eat anything in the hospital?  No - just drank juice boxes and some water.  And we had to stay there overnight just in case of bleeding.

There weren't any stitches - they left it raw and to be honest - the stench of his breath post surgery made me want to hurl....

You know how in Twilight, Bella complains that she doesn't like blood because she can smell that iron/"metal" smell in it?  Yeah me too.  And no, my Edward equivalent doesn't glitter in the sun.

Apparently it'll get worse when the scab falls off - good gracious I'm not ready for that.  

ANYWAYS, my friends on Facebook have been super supportive and tossing me advice about how to deal with post-surgery pains and screams and so on...and some wanted to know the procedures in Finland.

As I'm not a surgeon and I don't think the one we had was too bright (he had 0 idea about the tubes in the ears bit), I just know that the child is given tablet pain killers, then a liquid one to knock them out about 50%...then some laughing gas I guess - as there was a mask of some sort in the bed with my son after....and they do the surgery and ta-da - they wake up.

A friend of mine - who is from Newfoundland, was shocked when I said that I was making smoothies and he was drinking from juice boxes.

Her boyfriend's son had his tonsils removed a few weeks ago and he was told:

• Don't drink from a straw.
• Don't cough.
• Don't eat bananas because they can cause your throat to swell.

Well, I guess drinking from a straw was okay - because the hospital gave us juice boxes as it was easier to drink from than a cup....

And the not coughing - ick...that's hard to control -but another reason why (in Finland) they recommend that the child is not sick prior to surgery....

And the not eating bananas - well, I had to refer to a nurse friend here about that.  She never heard of anything like that (and her own tonsils removed here about 15 years ago) and even a search on Google.fi - proved this was wrong.

There was only 1 case of someone saying their throat hurt more after getting their tonsils removed and then eating bananas...most people in Finland were eating lots of bananas because they're soft.

I asked if he was allowed to sneeze and she said that was pretty much all he could do.
But he didn't bleed or have any infections.
So that's a good thing I suppose.

Oh and my boy is eating chips and other crunchy snacks (he's super picky) as of today...here's hoping it doesn't bite us in the arse later.

2 Perky Mormons and a Canadian Go For a Bus Ride....

**Disclaimer:  Don't be offended by what you're about to read.  I rarely write about religion (or politics) because it can cause a lot of "issues"...take this with a grain of salt or don't continue reading.  It's just another funny conversation on the bus.**

You know when you see someone you don't want to see...you automatically turn your head...dig in your backpack or purse...count change for the bus...dig your nose deeper into your book (that you already finished or promised you would finish after cleaning your flat)...cross the road or turn in the other direction...or you whip out the phone and either engross yourself into a text message/e-mail or fake a phone call - RIGHT?!
It's okay - I am guilty of doing it a lot...especially when the slurring drunks come by when I'm waiting for the bus or try to walk by them....

Well, I got on the bus after getting my groceries and stupid me.  Instead of taking my normal bus route - I thought, "I'll just grab the one going closest to the day-care instead and wait a couple minutes extra...save myself that huff and puff of running across the parking lot with all my stuff - what a great idea Dominique!"
Note to me: Don't listen to myself.

Well, as the title suggests - 2 Mormons (they have black name tags with white lettering) and I get on the bus...*suspenseful music playing*....
I sit down first and they eye me cautiously - seeking their prey out on the bus - to see who is more likely to chat them up and listen to their speech and who will more likely not understand them because they don't speak a lot of Finnish....

**TARGET SPOTTED....SIT IN FRONT OF THAT LONELY LOOKING ASIAN WITH GROCERIES AND A BACK-PACK.....
BUS IS IN MOTION (we have paid) AND DOORS ARE SHUT!  

GO GO GO!!!!**

I continued to do exactly what I normally do on the bus - finish an e-mail via my phone and as I began going through photos on my camera....like robots - these young ladies turned their smiling sunshine-y faces towards me and said something in FINNISH.

AHA - I will stun them with my Finnish sentence about NOT speaking Finnish!  Muwahaha I thought - but wait a minute...I think I heard them speaking English before we all got on this bus...hmm...

Yep - it back-fired.  Their faces lit up EVEN MORE when they realized I'm NOT a Finn (as if it wasn't stereotypically obvious enough...) and began to jabber to me in happy-go-lucky voices.

For the BRIEFEST OF MOMENTS - I thought they are not going to recruit me on a bus...I mean WHO DOES THAT?!
I am trapped on a bus with a tonne of stuff and in a rush to get to day-care....

Oh wait - this Chinese girl did...well, part bus - part follow me home...

Anyways - back to that train of thought...They're not going to recruit me...why bother?  They haven't lived here very long - so I bet they're just lonely and excited to meet another English-speaker/expat like themselves....

Again I was wrong.  I mean - I've seen Mormons get on and off a bus before - it's available for everyone to use of course....and only once had two young Mormon fellows feel the need to try and talk to me as soon as their foot left the bus floor - but because I nearly ran them over with a stroller (un-intentionally - I was in a rush) - they stopped their spiel pretty quickly.

Anyways, we went from talking about why we're all in Finland, what we do here (I'm currently studying Finnish - welcome, if you're new to my blog!), and yep I have kids...then - Perky Chick #1 says,

"Oh I miss my family - I have four little brothers back in the US and I love them so much....now that's the great thing about LDS Mormons - we REALLY cherish family and love!"

I don't recall them introducing their first names at all - nor did they refer to themselves as hippies - but okay.

I smile and said, "That's great - that's nice."
Perky Chick #2 asks where I'm from - "Canada"...
"REALLY?! I'm actually a French Canadian!  Well, sorta...my mom is - so that makes me half..."
(Glad that math is a universal language...)
It kinda felt like she was lying to me - just to get on my good side and after a bit PC2 says:  

"So - what DO you believe in?"

Had I not been so stunned by her point-blank question and her mascara'd eyelashes up to her eyebrows - I would have come up with a better response.  Something like these:

• I believe that's not really any of your business - sorry! 
• Equality for all, cookies for breakfast (for me - not my kids to do this), NCIS will go on forever and unicorns.
• Well, since we're on the topic of such personal matters - what's your deepest and darkest secret, how much are you getting paid/how much is in your bank account and  what's your underwear size?  (Not that I actually care - but wow holy blunt was her question - in my opinion...)

 Anyways, my Maritimer senses kicked in and I said politely, "I'm neutral thanks.  I don't necessarily believe in anything or anyone - I just try to be neutral.   Yep - baptized Roman Catholic but that's only because there were some nasty complications so they figured 'Let's slap some Holy water on her head just in case she's a goner'..."

I guess they didn't even hear what I said because they kept barreling on...

Well, apparently PC#2 said "It's never too late to convert!  My mom did it when she was like 22 years old.."

If she thinks 22 is OLD - then I'm way over the hill and then some....and I haven't hit 30 yet!

Again I pull out the "That's nice but I'm not particularly religious but thank you."

PC#1 is FINALLY getting the hint - sorta...that I am a waste of their time...

Well, the offer of meeting up with one of their American (from Colorado) pals was DEFINITELY a must because she's so lonely - I advised them there's the Foreigners in JKL group - so there's plenty of people there they can meet....like 694 other people other than me.

And of course they pushed AGAIN about meeting up at Church/congregation....so I pushed back.
"I'd prefer to meet somewhere NEUTRAL if you want to talk about life in Finland - like at one of OUR meet-ups - you know...in a coffee shop?"
They dug out their cards and handed me one - the whole time behind their heads I'm rolling my eyes, shaking my head and imitating puking on them...the ditzy/can't take a hint attitudes is what kind of got me - not necessarily their religion itself...so don't be offended if you ARE Mormon reading this.

FINALLY THEY'RE GETTING OFF THE BUS BEFORE ME!!!  They asked if I live in the area - nope I don't sorry.

They said "Well, do you know many people living here?"
(I do - but they don't need to know that - because I believe it's not their business.)

"Well, where are your friends?" PC#1
"Facebook?  Like I said before - you can find almost 700 people to make friends with..."

And finally they were on their way to knock on doors and go on about their business...and I was on my way to get my kid from day-care.

Dear Self:

Start taking advantage of your Asian looks and apply a thick and heavy accent whenever a stranger speaks to you....you won't regret it.
And maybe - you'll learn a lesson.
AND use your bike more- I mean, who's ever heard of (any kind) a religious recruiter hunt someone down by BICYCLE?!

World Hunger Day!

I normally just write in the Foreigners in JKL Facebook group regarding events like this - but thought I could possibly reach more people (especially those not in the group or don't use Facebook at all) by posting it here at the same time.

The JKL Red Cross is accepting donations on September 11th - with the intent of re-selling these gently used items to raise funds for - WORLD HUNGER DAY.
If you're able to donate for a very good cause - and needed to do your spring cleaning (a bit late but that's fine!) - then please bring your clean and gently used items to:

Jyv�skyl�n AO koulutuskuntayhtym�

Viitaniementie 1 A

PL 472, 40101 Jyv�skyl�

ROOM:  A2.112

If you don't know where the room is - there is an info desk as soon as you walk in the door and to your right-hand side.

If you're interested in SHOPPING - the actual Kirpputori (second-hand shop) day is:

September 13th - 9 am-12:30 pm in ROOM A2.223.

Red Cross (SPR in Finnish) will be offering coffee as well and maybe other light refreshments.
Please share this - as there is always something hiding in the back of someone's closet that they've been meaning to get rid of or donate but never seem to have the time to.

Thanks a bunch!!

**I updated the time of the Kirpputori as I saw signs in school with the proper time listed!!**

Finnbay = Waste of Time

Not sure if you knew this but I used to write for Finnbay.
I was approached last February via my blog (this one actually) by a fellow named Onur requesting my assistance in helping to get his site launched.

What is Finnbay?
An online source of information to help other foreigners out living here...
And he was frustrated that there wasn't enough support for expats in English - fair enough.
So Finnbay is just a more modern and updated version of the Finnish Forum and has photos and articles and such...like an online magazine full of information from expats with the knowledge and experience - okay - interesting!

What did you have to do?
Write articles - pretty much blog - about my life and experiences of living in Finland. Onur found me via this blog and liked it a lot and thought I could really contribute to the site.
I was excited because in his e-mail it was stated that I would get more exposure to my blog and my writing and help build a bigger network etc.  I'll write what ended up happening in this post...keep reading!

The terms were fairly relaxed - I will give Finnbay credit - I did not write very frequently at all I admit.  I more or less edited (or straight up copied) posts that were already existing from my blog - because it was just easier and less time consuming of course.  I'm a mother of 2 super active kids and 2 dogs and he knew that I was a busy person (and in the process of signing up for Finnish courses) - so I was glad that me contributing to the site wasn't a huge deal in terms of "strict deadlines".
However the layouts for the site were quite strict and Wordpress is apparently NOT my friend (we really don't click)...so I usually just typed up an article via e-mail and sent it to Onur and he kindly posted it accordingly on my behalf.

Were you getting paid?
No I wasn't.
However, during a phone call, it was suggested that myself and other regular authors/staff would get some monetary compensation once sponsors and donations came through for the site.
*Update November 23, 2013 - there's also the same suggestion in an e-mail from Finnbay's creator that I have found recently.
I haven't (and I'm sure others haven't either) heard a single word about any kind of payment for our articles posted...
In fact, my friend Adam, ended up writing a bit for Helsinki Times and it's sister magazine/paper "6 Degrees", and was getting paid for it.  When Onur found out - he didn't support Adam's decision to continue working for 6 Degrees and write occasionally for Finnbay...if he did, then I suppose Adam would do what he could to keep Finnbay updated with his articles - but when push comes to shove - Adam didn't really have any other way to make an income - while studying Finnish too - in a smaller city that is dominantly Finnish-speaking.
I understand and appreciate that Onur is hoping to make his own income via Finnbay - all of us foreigners have our talents and should use them to the best of our ability when living in a foreign country and of course try to help with the bills and living expenses!  Especially if you are married to a native of that foreign country and they're the current bread-winner!
But to suggest to Adam, that he NOT be a team member because he was getting paid (and deservedly so) by another company, when Finnbay could not provide any sort of pocket change for any of the "staff" - hardly fair.
I would think that having Mr. Adam Faber - a quickly becoming popular writer for Helsinki Times AND 6 Degrees (along with his own personal blog) - would be nothing but a benefit to Finnbay.

What articles?  Your name isn't listed in the "About Us" section of Finnbay...
Ah, but if you do a search for "Dominique Riggs" - you'll find my articles...why are they still on the site if I'm no longer a team member?  No idea...Adam's are there too.
Anyhoo - here's the links to my articles (in no particular order that I wrote them either):

• Restaurant Day - From the Seller's View
• Having a Baby in Finland?
• You Have a Baby...Now What?

I just listed three- there are some others like banking in Finland and other little things.
*Update:  They have been removed as per my request - as of November 2013*

Anyways, in my profile on the Finnbay site (and anyone else listed as an author/writer) - my blog was not listed at all.  Just things that I liked to do (which I did write myself), which funny enough included BLOGGING, and my Learning About Finland blog - nowhere to be found.
Other authors didn't have their blog listed either unless it did not relate to an expat life in Finland.

An e-mail I had received from Onur stated a funny request.
Pretty much (without copying an actual copy of the e-mail on here) he wanted me to NOT write articles on my blog that were same as the ones I had written on Finnbay (even though the original was from MY blog and possibly posted online for months/years in advance of Finnbay's existence) - he expected me to write in my blog - a LINK to the "original post".  AKA link everything to the ever-so-holy Finnbay....
Because he has discovered that Google searches degrade sites with content that is duplicated elsewhere. 
Onur then advised me that another writer used to write for his own blog but now he just writes the link to Finnbay's site.
WHAT IS THE POINT OF WRITING IN A BLOG, IF YOU'RE ONLY WRITING URL LINKS?(Wiith a little description of what to expect when you click on the link...)
None - that's what.

Thanks to that little e-mail "Bob" - you sealed my future with Finnbay.  I decided I was done with Finnbay. 
For one - I never use your site.  I rarely promote it too because I find it ridiculously slow (and I'm currently typing in class on a fast-speed connection and there's nothing but a black screen for the past 10 minutes) and I don't agree with your methods or poor ideals of "Team Work".

Then when I was trying to write an e-mail advising the Finnbay team that I no longer was interested in writing or being part of their team - I got a totally random e-mail that was addressed to all the staff.
It was in regards to a fellow named *N.P.* - who had e-mailed Finnbay and threatened to shut down Finnbay because he wasn't paid appropriately. 
Of course, I don't know both sides - but for someone to demand the remaining of his pay - I think that is justified and if he wasn't getting a straight answer from Onur - he should contact the police.  I understand he was on the tech support of the team and he attempted to hack and change things on the Finnbay site until he received the last bit of his money.

Another nail in the coffin.  I decided right away - this is the time to get out of this crappy "company" and get back to blogging for ME.
When I advised Onur that I would be leaving Finnbay permanently via e-mail:

"Hi Onur:

I just feel that I do not have time to commit to Finnbay and would rather write for my own blog.
I also noticed on your site that my link to my blog is no longer listed and feel that is not fair, considering that is how you found me (and I'm sure the other authors).

Thank you for the oppourtunity and I wish you the best with Finnbay.

Dominique"

His poor response was a thanks for contributing and a best of luck with my stuff.

Absolutely no recognition for his own selfishness or apologies either.

If you're a fan of my blog - thanks so much!  I really appreciate it and am currently studying Finnish intensively so my blogging times have dropped a bit but as soon as something interesting is going on - I try and blog or at least start a blog piece :).
If you're a fan of Finnbay - great, I'm glad that Onur and his team of hard-workers are helping you get the information that you need.

Don't like Finnbay and how it treats their staff?  Let them know on their site!
Oh I will do them the kindness of linking their site here.  I'm sure there's a "CONTACT US" section somewhere - but yet again, I'm still waiting for the site to load up.  (Maybe it's because I was using Internet Explorer and other search engines are faster...)

Cheers.

Updated: November 23, 2013
I had previously changed the owner of Finnbay's owner/creator, to "Bob" - however, due to a review of the Finnish "defamation law" and a review of Finnbay's Legal Terms and Conditions (Section 3.1.9) - I am no longer bound by them and never were to begin with - as I will explain further in a separate blog post - to which legally, I am entitled to write and publish publicly - hence the first name being listed again.

Classic American Diner - a Double Review...

Last week one of my girlfriends and I went to try out the newest restaurant in JKL - Classic American Diner.
I had heard wonderful things about the Tampere location and was eager to try this place out.
Well, if you can, make a reservation first...because we managed to grab a table after a 5-minutes wait and our waiter who cleaned off the previous table came to us and asked if we had ordered our food yet...so needless to say, it was pretty busy.
He kindly warned us that there was a 45-minutes long wait for food...not a problem, as we had a lot of catching up to do...and when you don't have children with you - you have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD - or so it feels like.

We waited over 20 minutes for our drinks - pop....so that was a bit disappointing...a nearby table had received some bowls of chips to munch on while they waited...maybe because they ordered alcohol and we didn't?  Not sure...

20 minutes later ...we got our wings.  We ordered 25 wings to share and the sauce was only medium (next time I go I want to try something hotter)...the blue cheese dip was nice and the carrot and celery sticks were thick and chunky.
The oddest thing about our wing order - no plates.  It was served in a big basket lined with paper, sauce and grease covering the wings (which were better than Food wings by the way)...but no little plates to put our bones...no wet wipes to wash our hands after...so we just used napkins to put our bones - instead of risking waiting another 10-20 minutes for any other service.

Another 20 minutes or longer wait for our burger platters and afterwards we were able to leave.
I had ordered a 200g (medium) burger platter but the wings and veggie sticks filled me up quite a bit so I didn't eat a lot of my meal unfortunately.
My friend had the Angus burger platter and I guess she liked it enough because she ate more than I did in comparison.

We DID get a free refill on our pops...not sure if that was an accident or not....most places don't offer free refills...

Overall?  We were stuffed but not terribly thrilled by the service or the food....

Now, I told my husband about this place and when he heard they had an ALL-DAY breakfast - he just had to try it!
So we went there yesterday and it was easy enough to find a table....we had our kids with us and while there are only 4 stairs - there is also the option of placing and using ramps for the stroller wheels.
The only problem with these is that you have to gauge how far apart to put them so your wheels fit on and they're quite heavy...so we just toughed it out and lifted our double stroller up those 4 stairs.
We ordered a Kid's Chicken Finger meal, a couple sodas and water, the All-day breakfast for hubby and I opted for a smaller burger (bacon) meal.
We asked the waitress if it was possible to get our son's meal first because he was quite hungry and it was just past 2pm...and he normally has a snack then...she said yep no problem.  Tim also asked for pancakes with his all-day breakfast and that was fine too.
We got our drinks fairly quickly (within 10 minutes) and meals came about 30 minutes or so after ordering...Tim and I took turns rushing V�in� in and out of the restaurant because he was so hungry and upset (and tired) that we didn't want to bother other customers by his yelling and attempts at running about.
Finally our food arrived and while V�in� refused the chicken fingers (even though I broke it in half and blew on it to make sure it was cool enough) - he pounded back the fries.
Tim's breakfast didn't have pancakes.  Apparently it was an extra add-on that Tim was really looking forward to - but maybe she didn't hear...
Ah well - oh and you should probably specify how you like your eggs cooked...these were kind of sunny-side up and Tim's more of a yolk-broken (over-hard) kind of guy.  Not that the waitress asked when taking our order....
My meal was fine and once our youngest woke up - I offered him the non-ripped up chicken finger which he happily ate, along with most of my fries.
When I handed him half of the other chicken finger (the meal comes with 2) I noticed that it looked a little odd in the center...

Chicken finger was a little pink in the center...it's a cell phone picture so it doesn't show the colour as well.

But then there's these awesome cardboard cars that kids' meals come in...and yes, you can totally take them home with
you.

Did I complain about the pink chicken?  Nope.  Why?  Because I don't know if the first piece was pink or not as it was devoured quickly...and all the fries were gone...
And no, this meal did not come out in 5 or 10 minutes...it came out with all the others...so why was it under cooked?  Not sure.

I don't think I will be going there any time soon - except for maybe the wings.  

Watch The Code!

Nope - not referring to some movie or Youtube video...
I'm warning all of you living in Finland to be careful when pressing the button at the grocery store when weighing your fruits, veggies or baked goods!
I was in a rush the other day and must have pressed the wrong button when weighing some Karelian pies for my kids (that rye snack topped with rice or potato and butter) because when it was scanned by the cashier - she said something about "koodi" and gave me a very stern and pissy look.
I was smiling like an idiot because my kids had stopped screaming for all of 5 minutes so I could pay for the groceries and I'm sure that looked like "GUILTY AS HECK".
She scuttled off and came back a couple minutes later with the proper code and price tag stuck on my brown paper bag...there was a difference of 20-odd cents.
I didn't even apologize because I had no idea what was going on - and was hopping from one foot to the other hoping she'd hurry up before my kids realized it was lunch time and they should be screaming as loud as possible for their food....again - looking antsy and guilty...and like a foreigner.  Go me...

I paid and left and when I told my friend this story - she warned ME!
My friend read in the local paper that some guy pushed the wrong button or didn't weigh his avocados properly and the Police got involved....and he was fined a ticket of 160 EUROS!!!
So be warned of what button you press - take that extra second to double-check...or you might end up with a VERY expensive grocery bill!

"He's Not a Finnish Baby!" - a Doctor Appointment...

I realized today that I don't blog a lot about my kids' experiences here...I suppose that's for a few reasons:

A) They still don't speak (3.5 years and 1.5 years old).
B) It's the same thing everyday - wake up, day-care, come home, playground, eat, pee/poop/shower, scream/fight, sleep....

But a couple days ago - we had quite the doctor's appointment - I cannot resist sharing this...and I'm sure my 1.5 year old won't mind...and maybe he'll laugh at this when he gets much older....

It took me forever to finally remember to get an appointment for Ahti - just his 1.5 year check up...I always missed the slim window of 1 hour from 12pm-1pm because I was in class at the time or the line was busy and I had to get to class after my lunch break.
Well, I got in - 2 months after that phone call.

June 26th - a few days after returning from our hectic Wales/London trip (still working on that London part of the post!) - we're lying in bed and sound asleep in the morning.
The kids were staying home from day-care because Tim's supervisor was visiting and wanted to have a playdate with all the kids some time that morning.
What a treat to sleep in!!!
Suddenly, my phone buzzes and I look at my screen - and it says:

"Ahti Doctor Appointment 8:30 am

In 3 minutes - Snooze or Dismiss?"

I instantly jump off the bed (which was a child's top bunk) and rush into the main bedroom screeching for my husband to wake up.  What are we going to do?!  We cannot possibly get there on time - without a car, a shower, waking the kids...lots of curse words were used by me....
I tried calling the Neuvola nurse we have and she was busy working - nobody answered.

I quickly messaged a different Neuvola nurse (an awesome friend of mine) and she gladly changed the appointment time to the next day...

PHEW! My heart was pounding like a horse race track!

So the next day, we kept Ahti home from day care and made it to his appointment 25 minutes early.  And he was asleep...alright - 25 minutes nap is better than none right?...WRONG.

We had a different nurse take his basic measurements and he freaked...full out screaming and fighting and throwing his soother and any toy across the room.  BUT!  She got his measurements.

We had a bit of a wait for the doctor - so he played with toys and ran up and down the hall and was quite happy.
Then we went into the doctor's office.
The thing with Neuvola doctors is that they are usually quite young (not saying they're not in-experienced!), don't have kids of their own (which perfectly fine too!) but you never get the same doctor when your child has their yearly appointment.
Well, the one I got was both very young and her patience was low...granted, it was near the end of her work shift and having another screaming child (and one that can run at that!) probably didn't make her day any easier.  (Sorry!)
She checked his profile and in that 30 seconds time span - Ahti discovered she had a cupboard of toys behind her desk...specifically - 2 trucks.
She tried to check his eyes and he sat still for about 20 seconds and was more interested in the cars...I was tired of getting bopped in the face with these chunky cars and she couldn't get the light in his eyes properly anyway.
Then he started to scream....so after 5 minutes (or was it more?!) of chasing him down - she suggested politely:

"I need a break and maybe Ahti does too...how about he goes to play in the play room and I will take another child in...then I will come back to you?"

Yep - fine.

We went back in afterwards and he was calmer and happier and instantly went back for her two trucks...she wanted to test his pinching reflexes...I jokingly pointed at my arm where I had a bright purple bruise and said "Oh no worries - he can pinch!"
She smirked a bit and wanted to see him do it with a bead on a short piece of string.  Of course, the trucks take priority and she got frustrated quickly that he wouldn't take it from her.
I suggested she put it in the dump truck, because then he'll give it back to her.  She was fairly skeptical but did it and ta-da!  Ahti picked it up (pinch-style of course) and said "ES!" and gave it to her...she did it again a few more times and was pleased with his pinching.

We tried the eyes again - because she was looking for a reflection of the light in his eyes - should be red apparently...and couldn't find it.

"Well, it's hard to find this red light - because you know...he's not a Finnish baby..."
"Huh?  Do you mean his eyes are really dark so you can't see this light?" -me
"YES!  His eyes - the pigment is so dark...I can't see this light...but maybe it's okay because he can clearly see - he's running around and driving the trucks.." (and not bumping into anything was my thought)
A part of me wanted to say "Oh but he is � Finnish!"  but his file probably says he has a Canadian dad... 

"So!  Let's look at his belly and I have to check his testes and everything..."
**Cue my 1.5 year old stripping....I told him we had to have a diaper change and POW!  He's wiggling and pushing his diaper down and running 100% buck-naked.**
"Well....um...I have never had this happen before!  He must like being naked!  This will make it so much easier to check his stomach!" -her
"Yes, well - you have to catch him...that part isn't easy.." - MY TURN TO SMIRK!
Between the two of us - we manage to tackle him down and she quickly presses everything and he is laughing and trying to smack her in the face with a truck....
Then while he's still running about (still have to check his little boy bits) - she's laughing at how fast he is...and he started to head towards her chair (you know - the office type with fabric...)...and I say, "Oh - by the way - he's not potty trained yet...so we should finish this quickly - just in case!"

Well, that wiped a smile off her face pretty quickly.
Nothing happened - but you never know!!

Anyways, the final verdict was that he's growing well for a boy his age (and probably for a non-Finnish kid) and the red light in his eye thing...well, she's going to e-mail some eye doctor and explain our situation...and see what they say.

"But I looked at his notes and the last doctor could sort of see a very faint red line....and it's obvious he can see....so I think he's okay..."

Such comforting words to end an appointment....

So this appointment started at 1:20pm...and we did not leave until 3:50pm....we should have been out within an hour maximum....or even 40 minutes!

Until next time!