Challenge me...

It took me a while, but finally I got some time to focus my head around this.

Kultarannikon kulkija, Lotta, to me challenged me with this.. well challenge.

Rules:
- thank the challenger
- tell 11 facts about yourself
- answer 11 questions that the challenger set for you
- come up with 11 questions for the people you will challenge
- choose 11 bloggers
- tell who have you chosen
- no sending it back

Thank you Lotta, :P I don’t have 11 people to challenge, but I’ll do my best with the rest.

11 facts about me:

1. I’m afraid of the darkness

I know, I’m 31, and yet… The noises that I hear when everyone is sleeping..
It is safe to say I don’t like going outside when its dark, which makes it impossible to move around this time of year in Finland. I stay safe inside with my candles. 

2. I hope to adopt a child some day.

I am well aware that I’ve been more than blessed with my two little boys. I’m hoping God will bless me with others too, some day. I’ve had a feeling for a long time that maybe that baby will come to us through adoption. Maybe. I hope.

3. Sometimes when the boys are fighting, I let them.

I keep them safe, but sometimes I feel like they will “fight it out” faster without me interfering. I secretly (well I guess not secretly anymore) feel insecure about this, but at the same time want them to learn how to come up with common ground by themselves. And they do. And I read in a book this is ok to let them to do this. And yet, I’m not sure.

4. My dream is to save the world.

I KNOW. Not possible. But maybe I’ll be able to save someones world someday.

5. I believe that I have a Guardian Angel that is looking after me.

There is.

6. My biggest fear in life is regrets.

I don’t want to be old and saying I could’ve, should’ve, would’ve but…

7. My funny passion in life is conflict resolution

In times of trouble I just want to get in there and fix it. 
Which is bad sometimes, since people need to have the space to fix their own situations. I don’t even want to think what kind of a mom I will be when the boys are bigger and start having life-issues. I guess I should focus on changing this attribute…

8. I focus on being happy

I believe that this is the only life we have. And I just want to be happy. Being true to myself to figure out what makes me happy isn’t always that easy, but I’m learning…

9. I started eating organic food this summer

I feel better. Julius feels better. So for now I see it as a benefit for us and the nature.

10. I’m learning to say no sometimes.

I like to help and as I said I love to fix things. It’s hard to say no when someone asks help. Sometimes you just have to.

11. I love the feeling after a good workout when your muscles hurt so much that you can barely work.

Did gymnastics for 15 years. Enough said. :)

The questions:

1. Linkitä kappale, joka kuvastaa sinua ja elämääsi juuri nyt. Perustelut.

A song that describes my life just now. I have to post two:

Strong describe my struggles during this time that I’ve stayed alone with the kids. It’s hard. But I guess it doesn’t necessarily show…

Anna’s version of JukkaPoika kylmästä lämpimään just fitted how I feel about my life now.. I miss Tonny and I’m so going there…. NOW :P

2. Elokuva, joka kosketti kovaa? Perustelut.

I seriously don't have one. I like to watch easy movies that take me out of this reality. Happy endings <3 :="" a="" at="" but="" grown="" is="" it="" moment="" nbsp="" of="" ot="" relaxing="" the="" up="" very="" way="">

 

3. Tunnistatko itsessäsi jotakin ennakkoluuloja? Mitä?

Prejudice. I think we all have them, it's just some of us show it more than the others.

I still struggle with the fact that doing something in a different way, does not mean someone does it wrong.

4. Rohkein tekosi? 

Dealing with angry parents at gymnastics... But also what were about to do, packing up the family and moving to tz.

5. Lempipaikkasi? (SR:ltä kierrätetty kysymys.)

Zanzibar. Perfectly clean white powder beach, hanging in a hammock under a palm tree shade...

6. Onko bloggaaminen aina itsensä korostamista?

Yes. But in a good way. For the ones that it's not a way of making money I find it's more of an interactive journaling.

But it is about you, your life. It takes courage to tell the harsh reality about everything, those blogs are harder to find. Whether you write for you own pleasure or as a way to inspire people it's still about finding a way to express yourself. 

7. Mistä valitit viimeksi? Miksi?

Sonera customer service. It sucked.

8. Mistä olet ylpeä suomalaisessa kulttuurissa?

I'm proud that Finnish people are proud of their nationality, language and history. The Finnish sisu.

It might seem like something natural, but unfortunately at least in Tanzania I see too much admiration for Europe, USA and English language. It's sad.

9. Mitä olet tehnyt tehdäksesi maailmasta vähän paremman paikan?

Not enough. Loved my kids. Given away small clothes. Recycling. Eating organic. No shopping for clothes since June (just me not the little guys, and I relapsed and bought two long sleeve tshirts because I was freezing)

10. (Valo)kuva (itsestäsi), josta pidät erityisen paljon? Näytä/kuvaile se ja kerro mikä siinä viehättää/voimauttaa.

I know, Julius is in this too. (gosh he was so small...) But I feel like this photo shows exactly who I am the love I have for my little guys. When I held Julius for the first time, I got a sense of beloning, I knew why I was put on this earth. Being a mother is who I am. I don't believe in losing yourself once you have kids, I still have my hobbies, I have my aspirations and dreams, just as me, but I know I am a good mom to my kids, and I want to be a great mom for them. Even if I don't reach any other dreams, I've done good in life.

11. Kuka sinä oikeasti olet?

I am me. A Mother. And a wife. Someone who wants to change the world, even if it is just mine.

Questions

1. What is your first memory?

2. What is your biggest regret?

3. Where are you now?

4. Where would you want to be now?

5. What is your greatest accomplishment?

6. Where do you want to be in ten years time?

7. What is the favorite part of your body?

8. When did you meet your best friend?

9. What is the best advice you've been given?

10. What is your guilty pleasure?

11. What is the one thing you want to do before you die?

As I said I don't have eleven people to challenge. I'm still very new to this blogging world :) But I'll challenge the ones that I know. Eevi,  Finnaussity, Emppu, Fanni. Two of these have been very inactive, so maybe it will motivate them since I love to read their stories :0). And please if you have some recommendations I'd love to find something new to read. 

Me, myself and my hair

It’s been a problem for a while now. My hair that is. After being pregnant (with 9 visits/ day to greet the toilet bowl) and nursing, then all that at once, and then nursing again, for about three years in a row it just gave up. Even after a year since I stopped breastfeeding Max it just has not recovered.

But I wanted it long. And it was. 

But not very happy. So I decided that I should do something, take a little off, and at the same time try the energy cut the Eco-hairdressers do. That should help I thought. Alas, no. It did not. What it did was leave me with three different cuts in one head. I had the short hair that is growing (yay) to replace all the lost ones during the pregnancy-nursing-process, a weird middle set that I have no idea why she cut it like that, and weird long neck hair. Needless to say, I will not try that again for a while. 

It’s been two months since that and it just hasn’t settled, and hasn’t stopped bothering me. At the same time my mom kept complain that my hair is falling of too much and does not look healthy at all. So I gave up and decided to take action.

The hair is off. I don’t know if I’m happy with this, but at least it is far far far healthier and ready to grow into a normal cut instead of the weird siamese triplet thing I had going on before.

After the hair dresser (maybe not so much my style…)

Turned outwards:

Small wave on one side:

What is going on with these wrinkles??? Seriously I look worse than the fifty-year-olds at the office..

It’s done. No idea how will I look like tomorrow morning, but at least I can soon escape to Tanzania - no one will know me there :P

Halloween boys..

Armed with flashlights and costumes the cuties were ready to go to daycare today...

Let me introduce to you:



MAX the BUILDER



FIREMAN-JULIUS



Pure cuteness at Missokia residence today morning <3>

Counting days...

15 days to go at work. I feel like my life is in a holding pattern. Should be doing this and that, but then again is it too soon? Today I made a list of arts&craft things that I want to take with us when we go. I spent 5 weeks last summer entertaining the kids with five pens, one coloring book, old newspapers and (medicine)tape. Don't get me wrong, these things do exist in Tanzania too, but the price on imported products is so high. And I suck at arts&crafts. I know some people can create anything from anything, but for me its just too difficult. I've been told at daycare that both kids love painting, cutting, glueing, putting pins etc. So I've made a resolution that I will try to do something with them while we are in Tanzania since I'll be enjoying the guys' company every day all day. At least we can go to the beach and pick things to do the arts with. And I'll enjoy that part :).

At the same time I've also been going through closets, it is fun and suprisingly hard at the same time. Many memories, old friends, gymnastics stuff etc. The silly things that I did during school years. I wish I could have a talk with Maiju at sixteen or even eighteen. She would've needed a boost in confidence. She should've been told to live to the fullest, and reach for the stars. But at the same time I love my life now, so maybe everything that I have experienced was meant to be. And meant for me.

Life is changing again. I might be the only person in the world who loves changes. At work, home, everywhere. I always see it as an opportunity to grow and become something better. I just hope that the little guys will adapt to the change with as little problems as possible.

November 25 my calendar says: "The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." That's the first day off work for me and the beginning of a new life cycle.