DEC 27th // HOW DO YOU TEACH A CHILD TO BLOW THEIR NOSE?!

Really though.  How do you teach a child to blow their nose?  I've been hearing "MY NOSE! MY NOSE!" non-stop this trip and I think I'd hear the phrase a whole lot less if Nory would either use her sleeve (not an option, it ruins her outfit) OR if she possessed the COLD SEASON SKILL of blowing her nose!  Since the latter option is the only reasonable solution for Miss Clean-and-Tidy, I welcome any tips and tricks from all you parenting pro's :)  (Under normal circumstances, I would buy her a special box of Kleenex, but it seems as though people in Finland either NEVER have a runny nose OR rid of it in other ways because there's never been a bigger scavenger hunt than finding Kleenex in Helsinki....)

In other news, we had a first-filled December 27th, with Nory going for her first skate, Jettie playing in her first snow (Nory has yet to have this because she thinks snow makes her shoes dirty), and all of us (MINUS GEM) attending our first ringette game.

Some pictures pour vous:

^^^  Juliet woke up early but then managed to fall back to sleep in these cozy blankets on the living room floor.  I drank as much coffee (ah-hem, late night) as I could before she woke up again and we started our messy breakfast routine.  Since she no longer takes anything on a spoon, yogurt goes on the table and heaven knows where it goes from there.  

 
^^^  A messy breakfast calls for a morning shower, which Juliet loves.  Especially when Nory is still sleeping and she gets all the toys (and water!) to herself.  Afterwards, we got her into her adorable kitty shirt from Auntie Gem and played toys until the rest of the gang woke up. 

^^^  Once everyone was alive and ready to face the world again, we decided to go skating "like the hockey players!"  There are a few outdoor rinks we've seen, but the one we went to is right down town by central station.  Phil, Steve and Nory lined up to rent skates, while Em, Jet, and I admired the skaters already on the ice!

 ^^^  Once we spotted the snow pile at the end of the rink (and other kids playing in it!), we decided to take Juliet over for a play.  She LOVED IT :)  Too bad her sister isn't a fan!

 ^^^  With Juliet sleeping in the Ergo, the skating team was finally ready to take the ice!  Nory was unsure at first, but then ended up all smiles.  I wasn't quite sure how the experience would go, so I'm thrilled it ended up being a positive one :)  Phil felt on top of the world after skating with his big girl :)

 ^^^  We heard the World Ringette Championships were going on in Helsinki at the same time as the World Juniors, so we decided to check out Team Canada in action.  Since it was also at the Helsinki Ice Hall, we assumed it would draw in some of the hockey fans.  Well.  Let's just say we hiked a HIKE to find an unexpected "second rink" at the venue...

^^^  Turns out the Canadian Girls were not as sought after as our hockey players.  Not even a little bit.  We sat right near the Team Canada bench, beside moms and dads and........tournament volunteers.  It was like stumbling into a timbits hockey game at a small arena back home.  Sigh.  The good news is that our girls were INCREDIBLY SKILLED SKATERS and they were really enjoyable to watch.  Nory thought it was neat that the girls were on the ice instead of the boys :)  GIRL POWER!

Thankfully, despite being up late the night before, the girls went to bed at a reasonable hour on this day.  We woke up refreshed and ready to go for the next Canada game!!!

Please don't forget to send me some nose-blowing tips!

XOXO

BOXING DAY // HOW MANY SELFIES CAN ONE TAKE, YOU ASK?

You know how Boxing Day is a thing back home?  It's totally not a thing here.  It seems as though stores have been closed for DAYS and some might be closed for many days more.  Which is awesome for shop owners - you know, with extended holidays and all.  But when you're an avid shopper visiting from the Middle East (#weshoptheshop).....who is freezing cold and wants nothing more than to browse/warm-up in your cozy-looking boutique....it's not so fantastic.

Luckily, we're teachers and that equates to being MOSTLY flexible :)  Em and I made the most of our Boxing Day Shopping FAIL.  We were kid-less and men-less and we weren't going to let closed doors ruin our afternoon out.  Nor are we going to let a Team Canada LOSS ruin our Canadian spirit!

Here are some pictures from GAME DAY:

^^^  We opted for drinks and appetizers at Hard Rock when we discovered that nothing else was open.  No Team Canada spottings this time around, but we did have many TEAM CANADA FAN spottings!!!!  It was so exciting to see Canadians out and about in their Canadian Gear.  But not as exciting as it was when it started to snow.  I HAVE NOT SEEN SNOW IN YEARS!!!!!!  I'm sure Em was embarrassed to be beside me because I was jumping up and down and acting truly ridiculous.  I even removed my precious mittens and stopped in the middle of a chilly hill to Facetime my Dad and tell him the great news!

^^^  With our game tickets, we actually get to watch both games scheduled for the evening.  The girls needed some down time and a nap, however, so Em and I sent the boys out and took care of nap time and Canada nails before getting everyone dressed up for the Canada versus USA game.  

^^^  We made two signs for the game - one just for our American friend, Steve, and the other to use post-penalty (it's a Justin Bieber reference).  We didn't make it on TSN this time, but we were quite popular in our section of the rink.  People wanted pictures with our signs and pictures of Steve holding his.  Also, we ran into the TSN camera man who put us on tv two years ago in Malmo AND he remembered us!!!!!!  ALSO, a Canadian couple also in Malmo recognized us too and commented on how much Nory has grown since they saw her in Sweden.  It was SO COOL :)

 ^^^ The girls were fantastic during the game.  Jet chilled on Phil's lap and chewed on her socks for a couple of hours.  She loved looking around - watching the fans and listening to the sounds of the game.  Nory had her own seat (which we paid for, obviously), but she spent most of her time on my lap (which was awesome, obviously).  She got right into TEAM CANADA SPIRIT and we only had ONE potential CRISIS SITUATION, which was quickly averted.  It involved finding LINT on her BLACK PANTS and I'd like to take a minute here to THANK NORY for teaching me to be patient beyond what I ever thought was possible.  HA.  Nory also spent lots of time looking for "FINKEY" the mascot, who we were lucky enough to get into a picture with. 

I took a couple of videos of the girls at the game.  I'm trying to capture more videos of each of them, so here's to me making a conscious effort to do so.

JETTIE AT THE GAME:

NORY AT THE GAME:

I think their personalities come out in full force in these videos.  If you didn't know them before, you know them now ;)  

It's unfortunate that the boys lost, but we're saving the VICTORY AGAINST TEAM USA for the playoffs :)  The girls were left un-phased by the loss and partied until midnight (Juliet) and 1:30 a.m. (Nory).  We're choosing to go with the flow this trip and aren't too bothered by the late night.  That's what coffee is for :)  And lazy day snuggles the following day :)

Getting pumped up for another game tonight.  

GO CANADA GO!!!!!!!

CHRISTMAS DAY // I really miss our families.

Turns out the elf pajamas worked and Santa found us on Christmas Eve at our cozy apartment in Helsinki :)  He filled our stockings with lots of goodies and left them by our mini Christmas tree that we picked up at a flower shop a few doors down.  Nory was thrilled that Santa filled NOT ONE, BUT TWO stockings for her.........#haaaaaaa #JulietSharesSoWell

After a slow start to the day, we decided to brave the wind chill and make our way to the Helsinki Zoo.  Which happens to be on an island.  Which happens to be colder than attractions on non-islands.  IT WAS THE PERFECT WAY TO SPEND CHRISTMAS.  Especially since there were so many bird exhibits.  Yep, I was FREEZING COLD with THE BIRDS.  It was my dream come true ;)

Here are some pictures from Christmas Day:

^^^  Although Nory asked for a pink teddy bear for MONTHS, the little baby she got (with the accompanying baby gear!) was definitely a highlight.  As was the Kinder Surprise Egg. 

^^^  The zoo had many great exhibits, but the major ones were the big cats and owls of all sorts.  That being said, I was MUCH MORE into the beautiful landscapes around the enclosures.  The zoo made a great effort to maintain the natural landscape when they designed the zoo grounds.  It really is a unique zoo in that sense.

^^^  So pretty, TOLD YOU!  Nory enjoyed some rock-climbing after passing the moose enclosure.  

^^^  A sneak peak at the sun's descent and a newly found ANNOYANCE as a glasses user.  You guys - we walked into the AMAZON and BAM!  Fog for days.  Also...I can't stand dirty glasses.  I use dish soap on my glasses at least once (sometimes twice!) a day.  Those little cloths just don't live up to my viewing standards. 

 

^^^  This building was around the half-way point and it's where we stopped for a delicious home-cooked meal.  A HOME-COOKED MEAL!  I ordered mashed potatoes and meatballs and it was like we stumbled upon a frozen girl's heaven. 

 

 

^^^  Guess who loves gingerbread?!  (Besides everyone.)  JULIET!!!!!!!!  She can down a cookie in seconds and make you think she dropped it under the trouble when really it's 100% GONE-ZO!

^^^  For Christmas dinner, we made homemade pizza.  Yet again, Chef Quinn took the lead, but Nory acted as sous-chef and, before freaking out about flour on her pants, she really pulled her weight ;) 

In the evening, we called family back home and I think all of us were left feeling a little sad and blue.  It's nice being able to see OUR PEOPLE on the computer, but it's kinda heartache-inducing too.  Missing out on the family traditions we've had for YEARS or seeing some traditions end because everyone is grown-up and gone.....GAHHHHH.  Tears.

In an effort to STOP tearing up, let's end this one.  We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with loved ones!!!  Sending big hugs and many smiles to you, wherever you might be. 

Love, The Parkinson Family

XOXO

Reasons HELSINKI is the CUTEST and........CHRISTMAS EVE!

It's official that this town is one of the cutest towns ever.  After Lakefield, Ontario, of course.  

It's cute because the dogs here wear little coats.  And booties.  And have pony tails.  And flashing lights on their collars.  (I will try to get pictures.)

It's cute because families are everywhere.  And even when all of the stores and shops are closed and there is nothing to do but walk the streets and admire the Christmas lights, they are there.  Families with the biggest smiles on their faces, bundled and not even bothered by the wind chill that is terrible times a billion.

It's cute because there is a park on - what seems like - every single block.  And it is clean and busy and beautiful.  And the parents are playing on the equipment too.  There's not a single mama or papa sitting on the benches available.

It's CUTE, you guys!

Now.....onto our Christmas Eve :)  With everything being closed on the 24th, we were able to relax and hang out and just enjoy quality time with our traveling crew.  Here are some pictures from the day: 

^^^  In the morning, we headed to the park by the water to run off and SWING OFF some energy.  I was reminded that I am old and "lose my stomach" on the swing and Nory reiterated her love for FISH (because she's basically one herself) as she looked for fish in the water with Uncle Steve.  Since the sun never gets very high at this time of year, it illuminates the land in the prettiest way.  We ran into a Finnish man who told us that we are here at the most BEAUTIFUL time of year :) 

^^^  We decided to go back to the same area for sunset a couple of hours later.  It was pretty cold and so we didn't hike as far as we liked, but we still got to see a lovely sunset.  Nory and Jet fell asleep on our walk and they ended up sleeping for (maybe more than?) two hours.  We really should have woken them up in hindsight, because they partied until 11:30 p.m.!!!!  Santa was exhausted when he stopped by our house!

^^^  In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious pork roast dinner prepared by the INCREDIBLE CHEF QUINN, followed by an intense evening of gingerbread-house making.  Emily and Steve deserve a serious shout-out for securing all materials necessary for both dinner and the house-building.  They battled through a no-English-anywhere grocery store to get everything on the shopping list.  GO TEAM!

^^^  The girls put on their "Elf Pajamas" before their late-night partying.  Auntie Gem started this tradition on Nory's first Christmas, where the "elves" drop off a letter AND a pair of new pajamas to help Santa locate us wherever we might be on Christmas Eve.  It's so sweet and we are lucky that Auntie Gem has such a great relationship with Santa's little helpers :)

OUR DAY THREE MISSION: TO FIND FISHIES!!!!!!!!!!!!

So to the aquarium we went - to find FISHIES and hide out from the WIND that made the day so darn chilly (#desertfamily).  I would say that we are THE WORST Canadian family around, but I think our low tolerance for cold weather is offset by our entire Christmas vacation being dictated by the World Junior Hockey Tournament.....for a second time...with children.

 
^^^  Here's Nory and I freezing at the tram stop.  With Nory being up since 5:30 that morning and also having a runny nose for what feels like FOREVER, things were starting to take a serious turn for the worst.  Thankfully, tram stops and convenience stores go hand-in-hand.  A lollipop was secured and the day was saved!  Juliet was just as happy as a clam to come along for the journey :)

 ^^^  The aquarium was small, but it was incredibly impressive for the girls.  Nory was so full of glee, that she was all over the place and returned to the same tanks multiple times.  She especially liked the little peep hole that she ventured into with Uncle Steve.  It was hard for Juliet to get out and crawl around because the floors were rough, but she ergoed along and seemed to enjoy it :)

 ^^^   With it being way too cold to continue, we sent Uncle Steve and Auntie Gem on a grocery store mission and we returned home to relax and warm-up.  Both girls napped on the walk back to the flat (WIN!), and then we were able to facetime Nana and Grampy before tackling dinner.

^^^  Em, Jettie and I played chef last night and we rocked out to the Biebs as we cooked.  In other food-related news, Jettie LOVES to eat and she LOVES to sit in a high chair.  It's weird and foreign and I am still in disbelief at how TRULY RELAXING mealtime is with her.  And then there's the NORNADO. 

^^^  Nory would GO CRAZY if she knew what Juliet was up to in these pictures.  But whenever Nory is otherwise occupied, we make sure Jettie gets to play with Nory's big girl toys.  ALSO, we solved the no-bathtub dilemma.  The trick was getting Juliet into the shower first and then Nory followed suit.  Nory couldn't stop laughing at the runaway SLIPPERY SOAP!

^^^  A quick cookie-decorating party before bedtime.  We have dreams of gingerbread houses too and hope to achieve them on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.