from Helsinki to Fresh Routine

Signs of spring in Helsinki.

May day or "Vappu" is a huge celebration and national holiday in Finland. Thousands of people gather around for picnics and various festivities.  Fun!

We returned from our trip to Helsinki to find our kids perfectly happy in the arms of their grandparents. They apparently had a super fun weekend and didn't really miss us that much! Huh! I guess we missed them more, isn't that typical? Our weekend was fun as well but most of all just so very lovely as the city of Helsinki truly is. Quite calm and beautiful, not really one of those super busy, crowded big cities but rather low-key and just very interesting in that way. We walked around a lot, shopped a bit, tried some great restaurants and also slept in (heavenly, I tell you). My favorite part was when we borrowed bikes from the hotel for three hours and just randomly biked around the city. It is in my opinion the best way to really get an overview of a new city, you get to see more than you could ever see in a car or by foot. Plus biking is just plain fun. We also attended the annual ball of the law firm where Oddur works, which was the whole point of the trip, and it was great fun. Lots of dancing!

And now that we are back we are entering a new family routine. That handsome guy in the bottom photo handed in his masters thesis yesterday - hurray! So now he is almost a real lawyer, or he will be in a month after his graduation ceremony. I am incredibly proud of him. He also has top grades, can you believe it? With two kids, teaching and a part time job at a law firm, I'd say he's pretty amazing. I am pretty lucky to get to be his partner in all of this. Til hamingju, ástin mín! He has already begun working full hours at the firm and so, our mutual days of university life have passed. I still have some finals to finish but in a few weeks my first year of master studies will be over and my summer job awaits. Úlfur will be going to soccer practices and summer "school", which is more like picnics and outdoor playing, and Ósk just started a new daycare, a playschool for children age 2-5. Her new daycare is a Waldorf program and we are just so happy to be a part of such a beautiful and thoughtful community. I might share more about that later. I really like the Waldorf way and have incorporated many elements into our daily life. So this is a milestone of sorts. 

And a post tonight as well - with a sneak peak of my finished mkal shawl being blocked!