Wednesday, June 10, 2015

My little monkeys

Old post that didn't get published Due to internet issues. And then was forgotten...

I finally started bringing the kids to class at gymnastics. They love it of course - my boys - and I love to have a new place to spend some time with them. Fun and games :)

Last Saturday rain season really showed up and only the Finns were brave enough to come to class. At least I had some time to snap pictures...



This is so easy Àiti!


That way?


Balance.


First cartwheels over the block!!


Loving it...


Can I try?


Who needs hands on a headstand anyways???


Oh, so cute 😍!!!






Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Ninaitwa Maiju

Living life in Tanzania has had a strange effect on me. The things that I value the most are changing. Actually strike that. I believe my values have always been the same, just that the external pressure I felt in our previous life geared me away from those values.

Here in Tanzania, you are easily defined by external factors. I am a wife. I am a mother. I get frequently called Mama Julius or Äiti. So much so that on some days I feel like screaming that my name is Maiju. I am more than a wife and a mother. I also get called "mzungu" - a white person a lot. My Finnish friend brought it up the other day when we were fabric shopping (OMG! That is a whole other story - the beauty of print fabrics), she asked me if it bothers me to be called that. And it does. I don't walk around the streets pointing to every person and calling them black. Who does that. And yet in this country people don't mean it in an offensive way. Or so I am told. I shrug it off most of the time, but...

The interesting thing is that in this country of many definitions, I am still more in touch with who I am. And who I am is starting to resemble a lot the little girl I once was. Does that mean that my true self is emerging again or does that mean that I am just so tired working mother of two that I no longer care to pretend ;). Who knows, but so far I am liking it!! 




Tuesday, June 2, 2015

School is out for summer

The cutie monkeys finished their school year last Friday and to keep them busy I try to provide some activities. Today's challenge was junk-storage-make over. While I have embraced the new minimalist life style and we keep a very few items in our home there is still some of things you need to keep around even though they don't bring any added value to my daily life. Like tools - I hate that I have to keep my hammer close by, but I do need it every once in a while. Other one being medicine. You need it couple of days a year but it needs to be in the house. Don't want to be looking for a pharmacy while sick. Sewing kit, cleaning supplies finally some shoes that don't get much wear. It is not much but definitely enough to create chaos. And the thing is that I'm not that kind of minimalist that just wants to have less stuff and everything organized. I want everything to look beautiful too. 


So back to the chaos. Originally built for kids toy storage (under a bed when we were living in one room at the inlaw's place). The shelf unit was pushed into our back corridor to hold said items. But it would get messy and definitely became a catch all for all things random at our house. I forgot to take a before picture of the chaos but here is a "we just started" picture of the little helpers sanding the old paint off.


When it was a under the bed unit, it didn't need a top, since the bed was acting as a top. Also the finishing was not very well done. We sanded it down, painted it with a couple of coats of fresh whiteness and added two pieces of wood to act as a side table/folding table etc. 


I was really wonky and I feel like I wasn't able to finish it perfectly but it serves it's function and looks kind of pretty too :).
Maybe now that it is pretty I won't be crowded with stuff.


At the final location. The shoes found baskets at the bottom. Middle baskets hold tools, cleaning supplies and meds. I'm looking to purchase two small boxes for the meds and sewing kit that I can now place on the top. To be out of sight but still one step away. 

The top shelves host soap and cat food. Both used daily. I'm so pleased with the results and it was a fun and easy activity for us.