I've mentioned about Body Balance a few times now. Hubby got me a 10 time giftcard to a local gym, and he had the BB class in mind for me. A combo of pilates, yoga and thai chi.
Perfect idea for me!
So, two weeks ago I went to my 1st class, and again this past Tuesday.
I really, really like the classes.
They are almost an hour long, and because I live in the lovely land of Saunas, each time I reward myself with a nice and hot steam sauna at the gym.
(our sauna isn't done yet, so I truly enjoy every chanse I get to use one)
Body Balance works on your balance, your core and overall wellbeing.
It's finished off with relaxation and stretches.
It's funny how listening to the instructors voice, softly rattling off in Finnish (a language that to most people sound rather harsh and choppy) in a quiet soothing voice, at the end of the class, actually sound nice!!
When you are trying to learn something new, while following instructions, it's hard enough when you know the language. To then try to make sense of what she's saying, while attempting new stretches and poses, as well as keeping your balance... sort of makes you shortcircuit!
After the 1st class I told her I don't understand much Finn, so the 2nd time around she threw in some English as well. Thank you!!
Here at home I've tried to do some of the excercises as well.
Since I only go to BB ones a week, I figure I'll get more out of it if I try to keep up in between classes.
So... What do I do?
Just randomly I'll lay down on our kitchen floor, it's heated cork flooring, so it's warm and quite soft for being a floor.
One day I did some various excercises, amidst Little Guy's cars and random stuff.
Little Guy himself was playing in the kitchen and livingroom with those "Zhu Zhu" pets (looks like a hamster, and when you press its back, it rolls around on the floor and makes random soundeffects, and when it bumps into something, the little button on the nose activates and makes the animal turn around).
Well, one of those almost got tangled into my braid! :)
Nice effect that you never get to deal with at the gym!
My sister (who happens to be childless, but who greatly admires us moms), gave me a really cool metal sign to hang on a wall (I chose the kitchen).
It says "Motherhood is not for sissies!"
That's me, trying to do yoga poses, in my kitchen, surrounded by kids, toys and various comments.
Having a 13 year old daughter for your personal cheerleader, is not for sissies... ;)
Good thing motherhood also makes you very comfortable in your own skin!
Well. It's been very very cold outside (I think we converted it to around -15 to -20 F), so taking walks is off the hook for now. Some crazy people here actually ENJOY temperatures like that "Oh! It's so nice to ski in the woods in the fresh and cold air!" Eeee...??? (how do you breath at all when your nostriles are frozen shut??) Yeah. I guess being a true Finn is not for sissies either...
Anyway.
Tomorrow morning it's up and at them at 6:30. I need to bring 2 kids to school, and then continue to the dentist with another 2, meaning getting all 7 kiddos out the door on time.... wish me luck.
Oh! One more thing, because it's so cute. Tonight Big Guy went and played hockey, and for the 1st time he brought his son along to watch the game!! Our oldest girl went too so she could take care of Little Guy while Hubby played... It was a proud dad who left with hockey gear and son in tow...
I'll post pictures of that later!
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Monday, February 6, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Winter and stuff
Well, not too much is going on, but I figured I'd add some nonsense here anyway.
January came with a load of much appreaciated snow. The days here are so short, so when there's no snow, it gets very dark. Now we have close to a few feet of fluffy sparkly stuff.
When the sun shines, which it has been doing quite a bit lately!, it's so so pretty out there.
The trees are weighed down heavily with thick layers of snow.
When you walk outside it creaks under the sole of your shoes (or heavy winter boots!)
It's alwyas a project getting out the door, since it got quite cold here in the last couple of weeks.
With the clear sunny sky, it gets a lot colder, so going out means bundle, bundle, bundle.
This morning we hit the coldest so far this winter, with -25C displayed on the thermometer.
Brrrr.....
February is usually the coldest month of the year here, and it looks like it'll stand up to that reputation!
I enjoy being back on a decent schedule again. The holidays were sure fun, but after getting the daily routine messed up beyond recognizion, it feels good to get up at a normal time, send the kids to school and all that stuff.
Our 2 youngest daughters started daycare a few weeks ago, they go 2 days a week, 3½ hours each time, so they aren't exactly gone a whole lot, but it's a good start for them to get used to being away from mom a bit.
Our almost 6 year old had a hard time the 1st day, and cried at the window when I left.
I felt my own eyes welling up too.
My heart went out to her, being left at a new place, with new teachers and friends, not understanding hardly anything of the language. Yukk. But it had to come to this day sooner or later, and I think it was very much about time to get it done and over with.
Of course she didn't cry for long, and by the time I picked her up, she was happily playing, looking content.
Our 4 year old was easy, as she barely said goodbye when she went to join in the fun with her group!!
Now they both enjoy their days with their new friends, and here and there I catch them using some Finnish words with each other.
SO.... for a few hours, 2 days a week, it's just me and Little Guy here at home! Strange and wierd.
And nice. Little Guy gets some alone time, and he truly seem to enjoy being left alone, playing with his stuff undisturbed. He blabs away happily, building with his Legos, traintrack and cars.
It still amazes me when I think about all the comments I used to get before we had him, how boys are so much more difficult than girls, how they wreck everything, how they are loud etc.
Well, our little guy is one of the easiest kids we have had!!
Or maybe I'm getting immune to the messes, unrolled toiletpapers, toys in the garbage, marker on the walls, and made a bigger deal about it when the girls did the same things?
I enjoy watching him running laps around the kitchen and livingroom, with a hockey stick in his hands (how do they just KNOW how to hold it in the proper way??), whacking away at anything that could pass for a ball or a puck, yelling at the top of his lungs
"Hockey playyyyeeeeeeeer!" Then watch when he throws himself on the ground and groans.
Our 2nd oldest has had a bit harder time adjusting and wanting to learn Finn in school, so starting this semester she's spending her time 50-50 between her regular class that is in the bilingual Finnish-English program, and the other grade 6 which is a "regular" Finnish speaking class. She already likes it, and in the Finnish class she has to use her Finn a lot more. This will hopefully speed up the language progress! (she says it already has)
This was a worry for me, and I'm happy to say it looks like things will work out better for her now.
What else?? Hubby is staying busy enough with construction, and looking forward, it looks like they'll have work for a while. It feels stressful at times not knowing for sure how busy they'll be, but I guess there are no guarentees anywhere! I'm glad to see him enjoying what he's doing!!
Our oldest and I just marveled at the fact that we've already lived over 1½ years here .
Crazy.
To think that this summer will be 2 years, and our 1st plan was to come here for 2 years....
I can't imagine starting to pack up and move again! Hopefully not for a while in fact...
We still get asked if we are staying here or moving back.
Well. I guess I can say we'll be here for the time being.
It is a huge project to move overseas, especially when you cut all the ties that held you down over there.
Then coming here, building a house, trying to adjust to a new country, language, starting a business etc...
2 years go SO fast!!! Besides, while you are busy unpacking, adjusting, learning, you become attached to the new place and people. So when you stop and react, all of a sudden you realize that
"I think this is becoming home!"
Our kids are happy too. Our oldest got quite upset when she saw me getting homesick for all of our friends overseas while I was reading the Christmas cards. She told me that if we move back, she's staying here!
Wow.
I was a bit stunned. Of course she wants to see her friends there, but she wants to live here.
And that was that.
I had to take it as a good sign thou. How terrible it would be if she was still not adjusting to life here, missing her old friends too much, not making new ones here!
So although I was a bit surprised about her strong reaction, I was also thankful that she's truly happy here!
Lets hope it stays that way...
Oh! I almost forgot. I have attended 2 Body Balance classes now. One word: Awesome!!
Hard enough to get a bit worn out, reminded about some muscles I forgot I had, but also relaxing, and FUN!! In North Ameica Body Balance is known as Body Flow, in case anyone is curiuos!
Last but not least, some pictures from our backyard... Enjoy!!
January came with a load of much appreaciated snow. The days here are so short, so when there's no snow, it gets very dark. Now we have close to a few feet of fluffy sparkly stuff.
When the sun shines, which it has been doing quite a bit lately!, it's so so pretty out there.
The trees are weighed down heavily with thick layers of snow.
When you walk outside it creaks under the sole of your shoes (or heavy winter boots!)
It's alwyas a project getting out the door, since it got quite cold here in the last couple of weeks.
With the clear sunny sky, it gets a lot colder, so going out means bundle, bundle, bundle.
This morning we hit the coldest so far this winter, with -25C displayed on the thermometer.
Brrrr.....
February is usually the coldest month of the year here, and it looks like it'll stand up to that reputation!
I enjoy being back on a decent schedule again. The holidays were sure fun, but after getting the daily routine messed up beyond recognizion, it feels good to get up at a normal time, send the kids to school and all that stuff.
Our 2 youngest daughters started daycare a few weeks ago, they go 2 days a week, 3½ hours each time, so they aren't exactly gone a whole lot, but it's a good start for them to get used to being away from mom a bit.
Our almost 6 year old had a hard time the 1st day, and cried at the window when I left.
I felt my own eyes welling up too.
My heart went out to her, being left at a new place, with new teachers and friends, not understanding hardly anything of the language. Yukk. But it had to come to this day sooner or later, and I think it was very much about time to get it done and over with.
Of course she didn't cry for long, and by the time I picked her up, she was happily playing, looking content.
Our 4 year old was easy, as she barely said goodbye when she went to join in the fun with her group!!
Now they both enjoy their days with their new friends, and here and there I catch them using some Finnish words with each other.
SO.... for a few hours, 2 days a week, it's just me and Little Guy here at home! Strange and wierd.
And nice. Little Guy gets some alone time, and he truly seem to enjoy being left alone, playing with his stuff undisturbed. He blabs away happily, building with his Legos, traintrack and cars.
It still amazes me when I think about all the comments I used to get before we had him, how boys are so much more difficult than girls, how they wreck everything, how they are loud etc.
Well, our little guy is one of the easiest kids we have had!!
Or maybe I'm getting immune to the messes, unrolled toiletpapers, toys in the garbage, marker on the walls, and made a bigger deal about it when the girls did the same things?
I enjoy watching him running laps around the kitchen and livingroom, with a hockey stick in his hands (how do they just KNOW how to hold it in the proper way??), whacking away at anything that could pass for a ball or a puck, yelling at the top of his lungs
"Hockey playyyyeeeeeeeer!" Then watch when he throws himself on the ground and groans.
Our 2nd oldest has had a bit harder time adjusting and wanting to learn Finn in school, so starting this semester she's spending her time 50-50 between her regular class that is in the bilingual Finnish-English program, and the other grade 6 which is a "regular" Finnish speaking class. She already likes it, and in the Finnish class she has to use her Finn a lot more. This will hopefully speed up the language progress! (she says it already has)
This was a worry for me, and I'm happy to say it looks like things will work out better for her now.
What else?? Hubby is staying busy enough with construction, and looking forward, it looks like they'll have work for a while. It feels stressful at times not knowing for sure how busy they'll be, but I guess there are no guarentees anywhere! I'm glad to see him enjoying what he's doing!!
Our oldest and I just marveled at the fact that we've already lived over 1½ years here .
Crazy.
To think that this summer will be 2 years, and our 1st plan was to come here for 2 years....
I can't imagine starting to pack up and move again! Hopefully not for a while in fact...
We still get asked if we are staying here or moving back.
Well. I guess I can say we'll be here for the time being.
It is a huge project to move overseas, especially when you cut all the ties that held you down over there.
Then coming here, building a house, trying to adjust to a new country, language, starting a business etc...
2 years go SO fast!!! Besides, while you are busy unpacking, adjusting, learning, you become attached to the new place and people. So when you stop and react, all of a sudden you realize that
"I think this is becoming home!"
Our kids are happy too. Our oldest got quite upset when she saw me getting homesick for all of our friends overseas while I was reading the Christmas cards. She told me that if we move back, she's staying here!
Wow.
I was a bit stunned. Of course she wants to see her friends there, but she wants to live here.
And that was that.
I had to take it as a good sign thou. How terrible it would be if she was still not adjusting to life here, missing her old friends too much, not making new ones here!
So although I was a bit surprised about her strong reaction, I was also thankful that she's truly happy here!
Lets hope it stays that way...
Oh! I almost forgot. I have attended 2 Body Balance classes now. One word: Awesome!!
Hard enough to get a bit worn out, reminded about some muscles I forgot I had, but also relaxing, and FUN!! In North Ameica Body Balance is known as Body Flow, in case anyone is curiuos!
Last but not least, some pictures from our backyard... Enjoy!!
Our view from our diningtable
I LOVE the snow on the branches!!!
The "Giraffe" in our backyard!
Pretty fluffy snow....
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Nothing much.
It's been a while since I last blogged.
It's not like my life hasn't been busy, there's always something going on, and I wish my ears had photographic memory, so that I could relate some of the hilarious things our 2 youngest say!
They are 2 and 4, and each day it seems like something they do or say, gets the rest of us howling.
But it also seems like so many people these days literally share anything and everything in their lives, via Twitter and FB, it gets to a point where I'm asking myself
"How much do people really care??"
At times I read things on people's FB status, that makes me wonder
"Do you not have any friends to talk to? Or do you just need attention? Or do you honestly feel that your 4 last status lines about "At Starbucks", "Left Starbucks", "Drank my dubblelattewihoutmilkbutwithsoyaandstrawberries", "Went to the bathroom, 6$ down the drain".... really need to be shared? Are you THAT important? Or what is it? "Hello world, remember me? Oh yeah, how can anyone forget about a person that reminds their 938 BFF's about their every move...?"
I might sound sarcastic (Noooo? really?), but hey, what is it with this excessive information sharing overload?
Of course I choose to go on FB and read these things, which might happen every few days, but it seems like the longer it goes between times I visit FB, the more pointless checking peoples status lines seem. Of course FB can be used for chatting, messaging and sharing pictures too, and at times that is useful.
My point, or question, is, Why do we share all these things?
Are we just bored? Is there an empty space that we need to fill? Are we lonely? Do we look for acceptance and approval? Are we insecure? Do our lives need to seem more interesting than they really are? Just wondering.
Besides pondering this deep topic I can share that January has been snowy and fairly mild around here.
Kids have spent a lot of time outside, and have had time to do some skating.
Our regular laptop had its motherboard die, so if I want to go on the computer, I need to use one that is in our office upstairs, not very convenient, meaning I've spent very little time on the computer.
Not a bad thing.
I have taken more walks than I normally do, and tonight I'm going for my 1st Body Balance class.
Exciting. And scary.
I know I'm in pretty bad shape, but I'm afraid tonites class will remind me of just how bad things are....
Yikes.
If I'm still able to type after tonite, I'll share my experience with you.
And maybe I'll drop a line on FB too... :)
Today I noticed a beautiful shiny object in the sky, and one of my friends reminded me that it's called the Sun!! That thing should be around more often...
Today our diabetic daughter and I went to see her dietician (1st time), and it turned out she only spoke Finn... She understood English OK, but did not speak it much. Good opportunity for me to see how much I understand of this @#%# language... and guess what? I understood NOTHING!! Things are going from bad to worse! He, he, just kidding, I actually GOT IT!! Yohooooo!!!!!!! One point for me!
Maybe not every single word, but most of it! We talked about the diet, bloodsugar, carbs and blah blah, and sure, it was good that I was able to reply in English, but still.... Hoot hoot!
Do I seem insecure? Needing to blast my own horn like that? Well guess what, I AM when it comes to Finnish! SO there, now you can all give me a firm tap on the back! Moikka!
It's not like my life hasn't been busy, there's always something going on, and I wish my ears had photographic memory, so that I could relate some of the hilarious things our 2 youngest say!
They are 2 and 4, and each day it seems like something they do or say, gets the rest of us howling.
But it also seems like so many people these days literally share anything and everything in their lives, via Twitter and FB, it gets to a point where I'm asking myself
"How much do people really care??"
At times I read things on people's FB status, that makes me wonder
"Do you not have any friends to talk to? Or do you just need attention? Or do you honestly feel that your 4 last status lines about "At Starbucks", "Left Starbucks", "Drank my dubblelattewihoutmilkbutwithsoyaandstrawberries", "Went to the bathroom, 6$ down the drain".... really need to be shared? Are you THAT important? Or what is it? "Hello world, remember me? Oh yeah, how can anyone forget about a person that reminds their 938 BFF's about their every move...?"
I might sound sarcastic (Noooo? really?), but hey, what is it with this excessive information sharing overload?
Of course I choose to go on FB and read these things, which might happen every few days, but it seems like the longer it goes between times I visit FB, the more pointless checking peoples status lines seem. Of course FB can be used for chatting, messaging and sharing pictures too, and at times that is useful.
My point, or question, is, Why do we share all these things?
Are we just bored? Is there an empty space that we need to fill? Are we lonely? Do we look for acceptance and approval? Are we insecure? Do our lives need to seem more interesting than they really are? Just wondering.
Besides pondering this deep topic I can share that January has been snowy and fairly mild around here.
Kids have spent a lot of time outside, and have had time to do some skating.
Our regular laptop had its motherboard die, so if I want to go on the computer, I need to use one that is in our office upstairs, not very convenient, meaning I've spent very little time on the computer.
Not a bad thing.
I have taken more walks than I normally do, and tonight I'm going for my 1st Body Balance class.
Exciting. And scary.
I know I'm in pretty bad shape, but I'm afraid tonites class will remind me of just how bad things are....
Yikes.
If I'm still able to type after tonite, I'll share my experience with you.
And maybe I'll drop a line on FB too... :)
Today I noticed a beautiful shiny object in the sky, and one of my friends reminded me that it's called the Sun!! That thing should be around more often...
Today our diabetic daughter and I went to see her dietician (1st time), and it turned out she only spoke Finn... She understood English OK, but did not speak it much. Good opportunity for me to see how much I understand of this @#%# language... and guess what? I understood NOTHING!! Things are going from bad to worse! He, he, just kidding, I actually GOT IT!! Yohooooo!!!!!!! One point for me!
Maybe not every single word, but most of it! We talked about the diet, bloodsugar, carbs and blah blah, and sure, it was good that I was able to reply in English, but still.... Hoot hoot!
Do I seem insecure? Needing to blast my own horn like that? Well guess what, I AM when it comes to Finnish! SO there, now you can all give me a firm tap on the back! Moikka!
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