Finland from 36 inches

I love my friend Regina's suggestion that I blog about Marieka's experiences in Finland. It isn't easy being 3.5 years old, let along 3.5 in a new country. People ask if she likes it. She says she misses her rocking chair at home (which I have seen her sit in about 5 times total!) but I think it represents that she misses what she knows, remembers, is used to. I think she misses the predictability and familiarity of our life in the US, but she is creating some routines here that keep her grounded. That said, she is still 3.5 and everything is "I can do it" and "I want to do it my way" and..."No!"

At first, the weather really threw her for a loop. It was very, very cold when we first arrived, and actually, for a few weeks after, and I think one time, she got too cold, and remembered it. She said "I don't want to go outside again" after coming in from a walk. We learned quickly about snowsuits, and that every child in Finland wears one, but we didn't know about the "fleece undersuits" that every child wears under the snowsuit! Luckily, in Mikkeli, when it was -25c, Mikko and Saija lent us one from their kids..along with wool socks. Since then, Marieka hasn't complained about the cold, and is even willing to go out and sled sometimes! Its almost like they need a manual "the things you will need for a child in Finland": snow suit, hat, gloves, fleece undersuit, wool socks, sled of some sort and safety vest.
Marieka and I are pretty obsessed with the "safety vests" that children wear in daycare at the park. It makes lots of sense- herd of kids goes to part, supervisor can see who belongs to them with the vest, not to mention in the dusk and such, it is truly safe. Marieka likes to tell us about the vest she wears at her daycare now, I think it is one of the high points of her day. I just think it is so sweet and "big girl" of her. Sappy mom.

Obviously, language is a huge thing for all of us, and Marieka in particular. She is just figuring out that not everyone speaks her language. And she can talk about the kids at school who do, and those who don't. She has tried to pick up some language, "Kiitos" and "Hei Hei" mostly, but then she starts to count in Spanish too, so she gets it a bit mixed up. The funniest thing for me is that she was making up words the other day, with sounds that clearly came from Finnish- not English sound combinations, but much different. I am really coming to believe that the US is so far behind the rest of the world without language instruction starting at an early age. Yes, much of the world speaks English, but what if we could speak in one another's language...how much better could we communicate?

I do wonder about Marieka's view of Finland being a lot from the stroller, especially with the weather so cold, she has done a lot of "stroller time." I am looking forward to the spring, and giving her a chance to walk and see the country alongside mom and dad.