Maddy is spectacular! She is just so much fun and things are just so easy with her!!! She is a Little Miss Independent - she wakes up early and draws and colours until we are ready to get out of bed. She picks out her own clothes (albeit sometimes not always matching!!) and is able to dress and undress completely for outdoor clothing. She knows what she wants and doesn't have to play a guessing game with her to figure it out.
She is still wanting to a paleontologist when she grows up! When Andrew went to Boston for a work trip, he brought her back a Dinosaur book and she reads it all the time! She is so inquisitive and asks amazing questions about all the things she wants to learn about. He also got her a space and planets book and they often have great conversations about that as well.
Her school is great, she is very social and has lots of friends. Always wants to have friends over for playdates. She is missing soccer now that it is over, but still enjoying ballet and gymnastics. She does enjoy getting homework from school every Monday. And even though it's not due until the following Monday, she usually has it completed within ten minutes of coming home on Monday afternoon after school!!!!
She is a very sweet older sister and LOVES the fact that Charlie will basically copy her for EVERYTHING she does! Although she laughs at his antics, she is an extremely caring older sister and praises him every time he does something new or improved. I believe that she fully understands his personality and his nonverbal cues and totally "gets him". They are very sweet siblings.
Maddy is a strong girl with a very funny and quirky personality, but is definitely emotional when she's filled with feelings. Grandparents Day was particularly hard for her, since her grandparents are so far away in Canada. She recognizes when people are watching her or talking about her, and feels sad when she thinks about her cousins she misses. I am happy that we are able to talk freely about all of her relatives, and know that once we return to Canada, they will just pick up where they left off.
She is the best hug-giver and such a sweet soul. Although we had a bit of a struggle with her during her past year in terms of attitude, overall I say that she just keeps getting better and better.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Charlie Version 3.0
Although I am still waiting for Andrew to organize Charlie's birthday party photos, I thought I'd take a moment to talk about Charlie and his progress. He is now 3 and things seem to be changing every passing week!
He is really starting to become a ham! If you talk to him, he may choose to ignore you by purposely looking the other way and giggling. Or staring up at the ceiling and closing his eyes so that you think he's not there. His language is beginning to improve, he can now say "yum, yuck, uh oh, boo, yup, yeah, no, mama, dada" and as a result of spending the weekend with Andrew's mom, "grandma".
To say he has an obsession with puzzles would be an understatement. He adores doing puzzles of all kinds. From the moment he's out of bed, he is sitting on the dining room floor putting together puzzles while I make breakfast. On and off throughout the day and then after dinner before he goes to bed. Luckily he got some new ones for his birthday, as his older ones were getting so sticky because he used them so much!
His walking continues to improve and also his speed. I think "walking" is not in a 3 year old boy's vocabulary!!! His independence continues to get better and he plays with Maddy quite nicely as well.
School is going well. He is going two mornings per week and he is no longer giving me the death grip as I try to hand him over to the teachers. He is happily walking to class, switching his shoes, giving me hugs and walking into his classroom. This gives me much peace of mind!!!
I hope I don't jinx it by saying this, but his sleeping is also getting better. He now only gets up in the night one or two times per week, instead of consistently every night. A very happy gift to me, as I am usually staying up pretty late finishing up schoolwork.
Overall things just keep getting better. He is so much fun to play with, he understands everything we are saying and is finally starting to be able to verbalize with us. Plus he is just so darn cute!!!!!!!!!
He is really starting to become a ham! If you talk to him, he may choose to ignore you by purposely looking the other way and giggling. Or staring up at the ceiling and closing his eyes so that you think he's not there. His language is beginning to improve, he can now say "yum, yuck, uh oh, boo, yup, yeah, no, mama, dada" and as a result of spending the weekend with Andrew's mom, "grandma".
To say he has an obsession with puzzles would be an understatement. He adores doing puzzles of all kinds. From the moment he's out of bed, he is sitting on the dining room floor putting together puzzles while I make breakfast. On and off throughout the day and then after dinner before he goes to bed. Luckily he got some new ones for his birthday, as his older ones were getting so sticky because he used them so much!
His walking continues to improve and also his speed. I think "walking" is not in a 3 year old boy's vocabulary!!! His independence continues to get better and he plays with Maddy quite nicely as well.
School is going well. He is going two mornings per week and he is no longer giving me the death grip as I try to hand him over to the teachers. He is happily walking to class, switching his shoes, giving me hugs and walking into his classroom. This gives me much peace of mind!!!
I hope I don't jinx it by saying this, but his sleeping is also getting better. He now only gets up in the night one or two times per week, instead of consistently every night. A very happy gift to me, as I am usually staying up pretty late finishing up schoolwork.
Overall things just keep getting better. He is so much fun to play with, he understands everything we are saying and is finally starting to be able to verbalize with us. Plus he is just so darn cute!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Mushroom Hunting
Here is a picture of Charlie, hard at work mushroom hunting.
Man, he's got the life!!
Man, he's got the life!!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Charlie's Birthday and School
Well, it is almost mid October and I cannot believe how fast the time is flying by!!!
Fall has definitely arrived here. We had two weeks where the kids were wearing their winter jackets but this week has warmed up to an average of around 10 degrees midday. The leaves are changing colour and it looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!
Charlie's birthday was yesterday and unfortunately I was in school for most of the day, but he had a great day at the zoo with Andrew and Maddy, and we hung out in the afternoon and evening for gifts and cake. Today was his birthday party, we had four families come over and it was a great afternoon!!!
I have just completed two more courses, putting my official status as 14/20 completed. As my business project and self development will be completed this month, I will only have four more courses to go! Three of which will be completed November/December all back to back, which is terrifying! But it's really flying by.
Andrew's mother is coming here in a week's time and the kids are really looking forward to seeing her. We've been counting down the days! And my mother just told me that she will be flying to Finland next May for my graduation!!!!!!! Best. Mom. Ever.
As Canada celebrates Thanksgiving this weekend and we celebrate Charlie's birthday, I find myself reflecting on the past year and also to what lies ahead for us. I am so grateful for my little Finnish family and of course to my family back in Canada.
Feeling very blessed.
Fall has definitely arrived here. We had two weeks where the kids were wearing their winter jackets but this week has warmed up to an average of around 10 degrees midday. The leaves are changing colour and it looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!
Charlie's birthday was yesterday and unfortunately I was in school for most of the day, but he had a great day at the zoo with Andrew and Maddy, and we hung out in the afternoon and evening for gifts and cake. Today was his birthday party, we had four families come over and it was a great afternoon!!!
I have just completed two more courses, putting my official status as 14/20 completed. As my business project and self development will be completed this month, I will only have four more courses to go! Three of which will be completed November/December all back to back, which is terrifying! But it's really flying by.
Andrew's mother is coming here in a week's time and the kids are really looking forward to seeing her. We've been counting down the days! And my mother just told me that she will be flying to Finland next May for my graduation!!!!!!! Best. Mom. Ever.
As Canada celebrates Thanksgiving this weekend and we celebrate Charlie's birthday, I find myself reflecting on the past year and also to what lies ahead for us. I am so grateful for my little Finnish family and of course to my family back in Canada.
Feeling very blessed.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Mushrooms!
It is now starting to get pretty cold in Finland. It appears we have bypassed fall completely and in an instant we are experiencing winter weather, or maybe that's just how I feel since it seems to be taking me a long time to acclimatize to this coolness in the air.
Andrew has been in Boston for the past five days and it has been just me with the kids. On Sunday it was a pretty chilly day but we bundled ourselves up and joined our dear friends in the woods for some good ole' Finnish mushroom hunting.
The kids had a fantastic time! Maddy and Lina mostly played with sticks and branches and looked for really cool leaves, bugs, mushrooms, etc. But Charlie really enjoyed carrying around his little bucket and was thrilled when I would find some mushrooms and put them in.
When we got home, I reflected upon the afternoon and felt a sense of pride. Back in Canada 3.5 years ago, I would have likely suggested it was too cold to go outside voluntarily, and we would have spent the day indoors. In Finland they have this expression "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes". With each passing year, I find myself embracing this expression and learning that nothing should stop these kids from going outside, seeing what kind of adventures we can have and go exploring.
It's awesome to expose yourself to a new culture and then learn to embrace it!
Andrew has been in Boston for the past five days and it has been just me with the kids. On Sunday it was a pretty chilly day but we bundled ourselves up and joined our dear friends in the woods for some good ole' Finnish mushroom hunting.
The kids had a fantastic time! Maddy and Lina mostly played with sticks and branches and looked for really cool leaves, bugs, mushrooms, etc. But Charlie really enjoyed carrying around his little bucket and was thrilled when I would find some mushrooms and put them in.
When we got home, I reflected upon the afternoon and felt a sense of pride. Back in Canada 3.5 years ago, I would have likely suggested it was too cold to go outside voluntarily, and we would have spent the day indoors. In Finland they have this expression "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes". With each passing year, I find myself embracing this expression and learning that nothing should stop these kids from going outside, seeing what kind of adventures we can have and go exploring.
It's awesome to expose yourself to a new culture and then learn to embrace it!
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