3 years old

No excuse, it's time to update this blog...

Bobo is officially 3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 5 days old; or 4 years old in Chinese calendar :-) We decided to keep her in the same group which she has been belonging to for under 3 years old kids. Hopefully by this year we will be able to move to new house, so anyway she would need to switch to a new daycare.

The group daycare Bobo stays was converted to a normal daycare during last summer. This means with the same space, more kids and nursery staff are put in. It was said the community was running out of daycares, many children were not able to find daycare places.

As for the financial crisis which everybody is talking about, I have to say that I haven't experienced too much yet in Finland. Bobo's dad laughed and said to me "Because you are not unemployed, YET".

Nowadays everybody is on Facebook, I realised how small the world is. I can always pump into someone that my friends know... Haha :-D

In addtion to our new year trip to Shanghai, we made another trip to Stockholm to see Bobo's cousins' family. Of course another reason was for cheap candy in the ferry. Or not cheap let's say less expensive candy. And winter discounts in Stockholm. The exchange rate between Euro and Swedish krona has been favouring us to find bargains in Sweden. As I always say, "Shopping is one thing I can do really well". hmm, next shopping wish is to upgrade my camera.

Bobo and cousin


Baking


Cream tasting

Game moment

2008 Summer Part 5 (Beijing 2008)

2008 has been a tough year for China, to show our support we decided to attend Beijing 2008 Olympic games. The ticket ordering process has been extreme long. From November 2007 ticket reservation, to July 2008 it took more than 8 months waiting. Finally we received the tickets the last day of July. Wau! Finnish Traveling Bureau indeed had kept their words in delivering the ticket in July :-)

Bobo has got her own seats! Very exciting...

We watched 8.22 Men's basketball semi final, USA-Argentina and Spain-Lithuanian. 8.23 Athletics.

Great games! Finnish Javelining team got bronze medal, where gold medal was taken by Norwegian team. Three Finnish players are listed at No.3, 4, 5... Well done!

Men's semi-final basketball USA-Argentina

Price list in food service point at WuKeSong Basket Stadium


Proud Bobo climbed The Great Wall (mostly on her own)

Meet the favorite mascot FuWa Nini


Bird Nest from far

Close look at Bird Nest


Inside of Bird Nest


Colorful Water Cubic

2008 Summer Part 4 (Moomin World)

Bobo is a big fan of Moomins, the favorite character is Moomin Papa. Some friend once asked what is actually Moomin? They look like hippos, but they are not. The stories of Moomin Valley is not only educational for children but also for adults.

Finally we visited Moomin World. Unfortunately, there were too many kids during our visit in Nantali. Few pictures turned out good...

Moomin Mama

Bobo's favourite Moonin Papa


One more kiss

Play in the cool water

Typical Finnish summer with blue sky

Until next summer...

2008 Summer Part 3 (Party Time)

This week's weather has been quite nice, though sun has not been shining the whole week, but less rain than I expected. Bobo's grandparents said Shanghai is still hot, sometimes can be about 30C. What a long summer starts in May, ends inSeptember. Is global warming to blame?

In Finland, summer always full of activities, such as summer parties, weddings, church confirmation, graducation, gatherings and so on.

August Maarit had her confirmation ceremony in Kurikka church, which symbols the start of her adulthood.

Big trampoline immediately attracted Bobo


A break after fun jump

Hard fun continoues

2008 Summer Part 2 (Machinery Exhibition)

July we visited Daddy's friend's place in North Finland for local machinery exhibition. One weekend fare has attracted ten of thousands of machinery enthusiasts around the country. Hundreds of war time tractors, motorbikes, cars, farming equipment were gathering to show their glories.

Bobo tried an old sewing machine

Old fashion bike with solid rubber tires

Meet the GIANT teddy in the farm house we stayed

Widely used old tractor

Bobo had her first helicopter ride with Daddy and Daddy's friend

2008 Summer Part 1 (Mid-Summer in Sweden)

Lazy Mammy is back to action... My evening study started few weeks ago, it's getting busy again :-(

Wet is typical Finnish autumn, so far this year we have been lucky that it hasn't rained too much. But this summer could be one of the worst summers. While winter is just on the corner, I started to think how did our summer go?

June: Mid-Summer we went to Sweden and visited Bobo's cousins living in Stockholm. It was the first time Bobo took big ferry.

Siljaline


Muumi Pap and Pikky My were on board too, what a surprose!


Skansen in Stockholm


Happy kids in Skansen


Happy faimily


Peacock


Old church in Skansen


Traditional Swedish costume


Festival mood even for horse


Royal guard changing in Stockholm

A week training in Oslo

I am not sure my learning results in Oslo after a week staying there. Certainly I enjoyed the sunny days in a country so called the world's best living place on Earch ;-P

"Warned" Bobo, without proper teeth brushing, following will be the result...

(Vikings?)

The main church under rap, I wonder how many kilometers of plastic it used?

(Main church of Oslo)

Beautiful new Oslo opera house, bit like Beijing Olympic swimming hall?

(Inside of opera hall)


(Beijing national aquatic centre)

Children' exhibition April 2008 - Helsinki

It was said over 55,000 people visited during 3 day of children' exhibition 2008 in Helsinki. It's quite a number in such a small country like Finland :-) Bobo and Atte (my schoolmate's son) certainly enjoyed it.

Wau! Mammy hasn't even got many chances to ride a motorbike, don't even mention a police motorbike. Envy!

(Bobo on "bike")

Pet exhibition is also part of children's exhibition. Lots of rabbits were on show, I didn't know they are such hot items for pet lovers.

(Bobo and Atte)

What a pity, we missed the dog show. It was the day before, today is the cat show. Indeed quite many of cats. Lucky we did find one dog who is the spokes-dog for one brand of dog biscuit.

(Kitty, kitty, kitty)

(Bobo, Atte and mens' best friend)

Isn't nice to enjoy some free juice after or?

Summer again

Lazy, lazy and lazy...

My evening business study just finished last week, then realized how lazy I have been. It's been about 3 months since last blog update :-( Have to catch up...

This photo was taken in March at the lot where there were still lots of snow. "Happy Nut Bobo" is growing well :-) I shouldn't say this as Chinese custom may not like, but since our last December's Australia trip, Bobo hasn't been on a single sick leave. Her noses were running every now and then, but they came and went. Well done and hope she won't get sick soon either...

(March in the lot)

Bobo has been looking forward to reach her bike pedal, now she is able to do so. However it's still bit difficult to actually cycling. I have promised to get her a 14' bike this summer.

Though not moving forward with the bike, the hoses are quite nicely set :-)

(Beginning of May in the lot)

Otherwise a trip in Mammy's bike seems to be boring...

(Back seat of Mammy's bike)

Helsinki children museum

The Easter is just on the corner, also means spring is getting closer and closer :-P Last Saturday Helsinki Children Museum had yearly Easter happening, where kids and parents came to make their own Easter decorations.

The museum is not that big with 5 rooms filled with some historical photos, farm animal models such as horse, cow, pig, birds, bugs and so on. Opposite of the museum there is a horse stable. In such a snowing day, horses were staying outside. I wonder whether they feel cold or not?

Bobo was extremely happy, "touch this and touch that".

(heppa)

(let me try)

(bird watcher)

(enjoy the ride)

Chicks, bunnies, eggs, green grass are typical Easter decorations. During the Easter season, people love to buy seeds and growing the grass, then put own favorite decorations. Or get Narcissus flowers eagerly waiting for its booming. Yellow and green are Easter's colors.

It's another marketing season for candy in the supermarket after the Christmas. Different kinds of chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs filling the shelves. During the Easter weekends, kids would bring along Easter decoration made by themselves visiting door to door. While singing traditional Easter song they wave the Easter decoration branches to symbol getting rid of all evil spirits. After that they are expected to get candies in exchanging of their decoration.

There are special food dedicated for Easter, such as mämmiä, lamb...

(I help you mammy)


(sweat chic family)


(decration branch)


(handwork)

Books

It's our desires to let Bobo read more, since I haven't done that enough myself :(

Like most Finnish kids, Bobo loves Muumi World, Micky and Friends, Winne the Pooh, Maisy the Mouse and Hucle Cat and Lowly Worm (Mato Matala in Finnish) . Sometime I am amazed how creative the books are! They teach kids about almost every subject in the life, such as colors, shapes, numbers, words, objects, daily life activities, religious, scientific, natures and so on. I always believe it's the best way to learn by combing with books and real life. You can see how excited kids are, when they are reading something they love! It's also important to show your emotions (happiness, proud...) to kids once they have achieved something.

Bobo loves Muumi puzzle books, though she cannot yet finish the whole jigsaw on her own. One day we were in the book store, she pointed me those bigger puzzle games and said, "these are not too difficult to Anniina" :-P heheeee.

Recently, we have been reading a lot about Maisy the Mouse. Interactive books, you can drag, you can rotate. It is absolutely fun!

Check this book out! I bought it from a book sale... It's about Maisy's home, the whole book has only 2 pages which makes up 3 rooms of Maisy's house; the kitchens, the bath room and the bed room. You can tight the front and back covers to build a 360 degree room space. There are additional small paper objects, like plates, towel, clothes etc you can just put into the book slots. It's like a doll house but made of paper. You can play it connecting with daily life, isn't it a wonderful book?

Bobo seems to think Muumis should live there too.

(Kitchens)

(Bathroom)


(Bedroom)