The Last Day of January

Today made me think how fast time goes by.... This month has just been fast like a lightning and I'm that one and only person who got struck by it and is now wondering, what the hell just happened!? And then -since I'm in this deep thinking state after the gym and glass of wine- I started to think how fast the whole year has gone. And how much has happened....And went through some photos and kids, they have changed soooo much. Emmi-Sofia from a little girl to bit bigger girl who can cook pasta and make puzzles and loves Postman Pat and speaks two languages.

Onni was just a baby a year ago. He was already walking, since he started so early, but just a baby!! Now he drives his toy tractor, speaks two languages, has a REALLY strong mind, eats and sleeps so well. Oh my...  I might need to shed some tears now.

Lupaus - Resolution

Valokuvatorstain haaste on lupaus. Vuoden vaihtuessa en sellaista tehynyt, mutta eilen sydän oli pakahtua, kun omat lapset olivat niin kertakaikkisen ihania ja lupaukseni on koittaa olla kärsivällisempi äiti...


The Photo challenge  and here this week was  "Resolution". Yesterday I was about to burst my heart with love, because the kids were so wonderful, and I promised to try to be more patient mother for them...

 We went outside to save all the mats that had bee out there for 2,5 days (yes DAYS!!), because couple first one were cold ones, about -13 degrees. But then the half one turn out to be almost 0 and snow and I did not want all my mats and rugs stink like a wet dog, so kids were standing like two snowmen watching their mother running about insanely. 


Ehkä 2,5 päivää mattojen tuuletusta haikkujen aidan päällä on tarpeeksi, tuumasi Vuoden Äiti ja iski lapset lumisateeseen ja alkoi tampata ja kantaa mattoja hullun lailla. -13 astetta olikin yhtäkkkiä nollakeli, enkä tahtonut märän koiran hajuisia mattoja sisälle puhtaille alttioille.

 Mother of The Year kept on ignoring kids(except taking pics every now and then...Oh my, oh my!!) so they carried their "sun chairs" outside where they were able to keep eye on their crazy mom and decided to have a picnic. Extreme outdoor experience started and the picnic consisted of REEEEALLLY dry pieces of bread, meant for the Highlanders. But I guess melting snow made them wee bit softer.


Maalaislapset ja extremeulkoilu osa 1: Piknik. Vuoden Äiti vain tamppasi mattoja ja valokuvasi, vaikka lapsilla ilmeisesti nälkä kurni vatsaa. Ratkaisu; leikkimökistä kannettiin äidin tarkkailuetäisyydelle tuolit, highlandeille tarkoitetut kuivat käntyt hanskoihin, ja ei kun piknikille.

 Everything is "CHEERS" these days, so "CHEERS" it was with the dry bread as well.

 Then the expected happened. One of them was bound to be falling. And of course it was Onni, still holding his super dry piece of rye bread. Mother of the Year lift him up, and so the picnic went on again, and carrying mats went on again. 


Vuoden Äiti antoi yhden varoituksen, ette sitten kaadu-tyyppisen, ja jatkoi hommiaan. Mottona "Siperia opettaa". Ja tietysti Onni putosi. Vuoden Äiti nosti lapsensa ylös ja jatkoi mattojen kanniskelua.

 Buuut since they have to do, get, speak, eat, drink exactly same way, Emmi-Sofia had to make a joke fall again. Mother of the Year lifted her up and then the picnic went on and carrying mats went on again. Sometimes I lose my patience with things like this, especially if it includes fake crying and tantrums, but with my promise, we all just laughed!

Emmi-Sofia tietysti perässä hankeen oranssilla aurinkotuolillaan, koska nykyisin JOKA IKINEN asia pitää tehdä samalla lailla kuin veli (tai sisko, kun on Onnista kyse), mutta enpäs menettänyt malttiani. En varsinkaan, kun tällä kertaa toimi ei aiheuttanut valeitkua tai kiukkua.

 I heard "lets go and see Anselmi." and "JOO" as an aswer. Mother of the Year decided to warn once and only once about the electric fence, and then the Extreme Outdoor Experience continued.

Maalaislapset ja extremeulkoilu osa 2:Tuleeko sähköisku vai ei. Vuoden Äidin kasvatusteemana oli edelleen "Siperia opettaa" ja niinpä Vuoden Äiti vain valokuvasi ja odotti jysähtääkö vai ei. No ei jysähtänyt!

 "Do you wanna try?" "JOO" and they both put one hand on the wire....

 That wasn't enough, so the Extreme Outdoor Experience continued by climbing on top of the pile of pallets. Mother of the Year  warned once and only once about falling down. And up they climbed. Mother of the Year had now changed her task into pushing the snow of the drive way, since we were expecting a sales boy for the terrace glasses. And somehow the city sales boys are usually bit taken aback by 10 cm of wet snow meeting their fancy leather shoes.


Maalaislapset ja extremeulkoilu osa 3; kiipeilyä kuormalavojen päällä. Kasvatusteema "Siperia opettaa" jatkui, ja kerran putoamisvaroituksen jälkeen Vuoden Äiti keskittyi vain valokuvaukseen ja odotti putoaako vai ei. No kerran putosi. Onni. Tietty! Yhä sama rutikuiva ruisleivän palanen märissä hanskoissaan. 

 "Look Mummy, Andelmi jumped AGAIN inside the feeder! Go and LIFT HIM OUT!!""

 Lots of worrying, lots of hassle, but I was patient, and then the expected happened. Onni fell. Still holding his piece of super dry rye bread. No crying, and up he climbed again.... And I did not lose my patience.

 "Do you wanna roll down?" "JOO" and then Mother of the Year ran and stopped this game from happening. Some limits even to the Extreme Outdoor Experience.

"Kieritäänkö alas?" "JOOO!" ja siinä vaiheessa jopa vuoden äidin piti lopettaa hommat ja puuttua asiaan. Jotain rajaa jopa Exremeulkoiluun!

 So after these are you surprised, that I have no idea how he has gotten a black eye and scratches on his cheek.... That's how it goes in this farm family despite the huge amount of love we have for one another! I promise not to lose my mind over small things. They are great, FANTASTIC KIDS!


Nämä seikat huomioonottaen, ei ole ihme, ettei Vuoden Äidillä ole hajuakaan, mistä johtuvat Onnin musta silmä ja naarmut kasvoilla.... Sellaista se on välillä maalaisperheessä, vaikka rakkautta riittää, niin jatkuvaan huolehtimiseen ei ole aikaa. Siperia opettaa.... Toivottavasti myös minulle kärsivällisyyttä!

Forest Therapy

All the snow is gone, all of it. Our farm  yard is super muddy and dirty, and not much kids can do (well, they DO love playing in the mud, but then there is mom's side of things, too....) so I took them to relax into the forest. That is really Finnish thing (at least for country people) to go into the forest as a mad, bad person and come back as clear thinking, completely relaxed and better person. Free, efficient, fun -what else can you ask for! 

Since there is the Irish side as well, we had to take some tea with us. And "pulla", sort of cinnamon bread.

 Since it is our own forest, I had some tools with me to get small spruces and branches to decorate (my) front porch (Irish's back porch -these cultural differences....)

 Emmi-Sofia went to give foxes some pulla....

 ... and disappeared!

 At the end of the therapy trip, we had one very happy daughter, one semi-happy Mother and one really upset young son, who was too small to stay on his feet on such uneven ground!

Kuulumisia tältä viikolta

Lapset ovat olleet koko viikon kotona, joten työnteko on keskittynyt Hihglandien hoitoon. Kaikki amhdolliset ja mahdottomat ruohonkorreet ja apilanlehdet ja "vesiangervot" on niille syötetty. Ja nehän ovat tyytyväisiä, kun portit suurelle laitumelle ovat nyt suljetut.

Kids have been at home all week, so all my farm work has been limited to "taking care " of the Highlanders. All possible - and impossible- pieces of grass and cover has been fed to them. They have been happy about the company and the grass, since the gates to the big field are closed now.

 Yksi uuden sadon paalikin piti niille jo avata, ei tuo ruoho ota enää kasvaakseen.
We had to open the first new round bail for them. The grass isn't growing fast enough anymore.

 Kuivurin katolta kattomiehet huutelevat morjestaa monta kertaa päivässä. Laspsista on kiehtovaa,e ttä meillä on muitakin miehiä töissä, kuin Irlantilainen ja Ranskalainen Kotiorja -jota ei muuten ole näkynyt viikkoon. Ja lapset soittelevatleikkikännyköillä, legoilla, ompuilla, kaikella mahdollisella puheluita Kotiorjalle, "When sinä come?" kyselee Emmi-Sofia ja Onni sanoo: "Töissä, work"

We have roofers fixing the old drier roof and they are forced to greet the kids several times a day. Kids are fascinated that other men than Irish and French Houseslave are working here! French Houseslave hasn't been here for a week, and the kids are making "phone calls" with their play cells, with legos, apples, whatever asking when will he come. But no, he is always at work!

Yksi uusi herkkukin on löytynyt -omenat. Kaikki muut paitsi Nukke rakastavat omenoita. Anselmi-Sonni on varsinainen ahmatti, mutta jopa lauman alin, Napero, on nyt kesytetty kädestä syöväksi omenoiden avulla. Ennen se ei tullut kolmea metriä lähemmäksi. Onnikin on oppinut tunnistamaan pahat omena. Lapseni ei siis ole värisokea!

The cattle has found one new favourite -apples! All others except Nukke love apples. Anselmi, the bull, is mad about them, and even the lowest of the pack, Napero, has been eating lately out of Emmi-Sofia's and my hands. Huge improvement; she didn't come anywhere near us before! Onni says "paha, bad" every time he sees bad apples. My son is not color blind! YES!

Koristeltiin pihaa taiteella, metsän antimilla ja muutamalla kanervallakin. Piti peittää Lupan syömä kohta "Welcome"-korissa. Hienosti onnistui katajan avulla... ;d

We decorated yard with some art, treats from the forest and some heathers. I had to find a way to cover the wicker basket Luppa had chewed pieces off. And juniper was the solution!

 I so enjoy having them at home all week!

Tiistain kirous - The Curse of Tuesdays

 Voihan hyvä helvetti! Miten tiistai näyttää olevan se viikonpäivä, jolloin asiat alkavat mennä persiilleen?? Viime viikolla tiistain pilasivat ne hormonaalisesti keroutuneet Jääkaappipakastimet, jotka uhkasivat hyvinvointiani, ja nyt...

Bloody hell!!Tuesday seems to be the weekday when things go just bad! Last week Tuesday was ruied by those hormonally disturbed two weightlifting fridge-freezer monsters and now...

Istuskelin rauhassa jumppien jälkeisessä euforiassa syömässä suklaata, nautiskelemassa punaviinilasillista takkatulen loisteessa, ja katselemassa antia viime sunnuntain ihanasta ilmasta ja maalaislasten puuhastelusta.

I was enjoying the feeling after instructing at the gym and consuming chocolate, savoring a glass of red and feeling the warmth of the fireplace, and mainly looking at the pics from last Sunday.

Emmi-Sofia loves her baby Tomi (who is actually a female baby, and Tomi is a very male name, but oh well....!)

Tomi-vauva( joka kyllä käyttää vaaleanpunaista mekkoa ja rusettia, eikä jalkovälissäkään näy paljoa mittän), on Emmi-Sofian huolenpidon kohde.

Then they hear neighbor's tractor and both sprinted to see it....

Naapurin Jarmo on lasten idoli! Ja kun Jarmon traktorin ääni kuuluu tieltä, molemmat spurttaavat morjestamaan....

Then back to other important stuff....Like:
*taking care of Luppa
Sitten takaisin muihin tärkeisiin hommiin... Kuten:
* Luppaa hoitamaan

*lastaamaan omenoita evääksi
*packing some apples to snack on

*taking Tomi's pram through every single water pond
*Nukuttamaan Tomi jokaisen vesilätäkön läpi

*Checking that Husqvarna works
* Leikkurin tarkistus

*Spotting some bugs (he is super good at that!!)
*Ötököiden bongaamista (Onni on vienyt sen aivan uudelle asteelle!)

Heräilen sunnuntain haaveilusitani jatkuvaan tap-tap-tap -ääneen, josta syytän TÄYSIN (kerrankin...) viatonta Luppaa, mutta ei!!! Tämä saataanan myrskytuuli lyö sadetta seinän, ja seinästä jonkin kolon kautta sisälle!!!! Parveke -tämän talon ainoa paikka, jonka hoitivat ns. rakennusalan ammattilaiset, on täysi susi!!Pellityksestä vesi pääsee jotenkin kovalla tuulella "kiipeämään" yli ja nyt todellakin sisälle asti. Huomisen ohjelma selvillä - TUO ON KORJATTAVA ja mahdolliset kosteusvauriot korjattava! MIKSI AINA JOTAIN???????

I'm awakened by this continuous tap-tap-tap -noise, which I blame Luppa of (for once he is COMPLETELY innocent....). The bloody storm and rain that has hit us, is blowing against the house wall and somehow "Climbing" indoors!!!! The balcany -only thing in this house built by so called professionals, has proven to be a complete piece of big mistakes! So tomorrow those"professionals" MUST come back and fix that!!WHY ALWAYS SOMETHING?????

EDIT: What happened to my blog background???? All messed up!!!No idea how to fix it, Tuesday hates me! Mitä tapahtui mun taustalle, ja fontile ja kaikelle!!Kaikki sekaisin!! Eikä hajuakaan, miten korjata! Tiistai vihaa mua!!!