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Snugli instructions and a Quick update

First off, I’ve still got the Snugli instructions for anyone who wants them. Here’s the link. I hope it is what you are looking for and that the instructions help you.

Almost 5 years since my last post and life is just chugging along. We managed to visit my family in the US fall of 2019, but we haven’t been back since covid shook up the world. We’ve been lucky and fared the pandemic well. The kids were only out of school for a couple of months. However, I had a full mental breakdown and was on sick leave for a month, started therapy and medication for anxiety and major depression. Just so many things over the years (infertility, loss of my mom, IVF, undiagnosed post natal depression, depression) piled up and the family being home all day everyday was the tipping point. (I’m only a week off the meds now and oh boy are these brain zaps fun. No, they’re not really.) I semi-jokingly think that the way Finns like their space and distance helped keep them safer during the pandemic, but also they are quite good a following rules when they are told to. I need to start planning to see my family for spring 2024.

Paxlet (son) is now 11 and Tadbit (daughter) 8,5. The teen years are not far off. And many days I think they are already upon us. My goodness they’ve got attitude! And I’ve no idea where they’ve gotten it from! Hah! I’m still amazed that I get to parent these two kids, even on the difficult days usually.

In 2021 the company I had worked at since 2008 had another round of layoffs and since I had survived the last 3 cullings, there was no one else to get rid of. I did stay on until the end of the year, got a bit of extra pay. And then I was hired at my new/current job the last day of 2021! I’m doing mostly the same finance things but in a much smaller company; from 17 000 employees down to 300. Everything is going well, especially now that the learning curve has mellowed out and I’m not making as many mistakes that annoy the customer. I never said I was perfect!

I’m still parkrun-ing! In fact, my local parkrun is turning 6 this Saturday! And there is now 7 events around the country. I’ve found a great community of people, Finnish and international, you couldn’t keep me away. Running 5km, but mostly walking or volunteering, each Saturday is a great time to (re)energize myself. And the after chat in a cafe with a latte or tea and dessert afterward isn’t bad either.

With the kids getting older, having their own hobbies and being able to be a bit more independent, I’m slowing finding myself again. In fact, this fall I’ve finally started Taekwondo again, after a 13 or so year break. (Paxlet was practicing, but took a break this year and Tadbit started her second year.) My body aches and I’ve got bruises galore (nothing new on either account), but I’m really enjoying it.

I’ve taken up visible mending and patch making with much gusto. It started with the kids’ clothes always needing fixing. And some of mine too, and Mr Siili’s when he’d let me. And then it turned into creating patches of fabric with hand sewn designs all over them. I love a good challenge of fixing something so it can be used longer. Or even just making it look pretty and unique. Some friends have even trusted me with their clothes to mend them. In the last month I’ve even started crocheting: tons of granny squares to make a pair of shorts!

So much has changed, yet so much feels the same. There really isn’t much I’d want to change about life, it’s being decent to me. Well, I could use less body aches, more money and more time to do what I want, but couldn’t we all? I’m not sure if I’m coming back to blogging or not. I think about it some time. But for now I’m quite happy with posting random pictures on Instagram, listening to podcasts and audiobooks and crafting.

I hope you are well and life is treating you decently.

I realize, this wasn’t so quick of a post. LOL

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FB posts from the other side

These days I generally enjoy getting the Memories notifications from FB. Some status updates are totally vague and who knows what the hell was going on in my life on that day x years ago. But many of them help me recall the memories just like they were yesterday. The ones that are more difficult to handle are the updates closer an unpleasant memory, such as my mom’s death.  The year before or after and days leading up to THE day. Those one generally hit me with a ton of bricks.

But the ones that don’t sting as much, are the updates the year before I was pregnant or the year I was pregnant (with my eldest). Seeing updates during the year(s) before, I can remember the yearning I had to become a parent and the misery I went through during that time while trying to get pregnant and not knowing if it would happen.

For example, 8 years ago today I posted “bleh”. Insightful, huh? But…knowing the timing of life then (and reading past bog posts), I know CD1 was a few days earlier and we were gearing up for IVF round #2. Today’s 8 year old post might not have anything to do with infertility, but it makes me think of it none the less.

On the flip side, the posts that are most fun and exciting to see are the ones during my first pregnancy, even if I didn’t mention pregnancy issues in the FB post. (I didn’t really post much about either of my pregnancies on FB. Can you say traumatized/understanding infertile?) Knowing now that I was finally pregnant and what I was experiencing then, FINALLY, is just way cool to remember.

So, FB isn’t always bad. That said, I should probably spend less time wandering around it anyway.

I hope your 2019 has gotten off to a decent start and continues to be good for you.

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#MicroblogMonday – I’m a runner, I guess

Until recently I completely forgot that I ran Track in my freshman year of high school. I must have been the slowest person on the team. I sucked! And I have no idea why I ever did it.

However, almost a year ago, parkrun started in my hometown. I ran 3 events near the start of it all, early November last year, and then didn’t run again until February of this year. I don’t know what changed during those 2-ish months break, but I am now hooked!

Those first runs… The very first parkrun was totally new and exciting. The second, third, fifth run…I remember starting out and thinking “what the f— have I gotten myself into”. But as soon as I crossed the finish line, the feeling was amazing. And then the running became a bit easier, I even made a new personal best! I found friendship, friends and a place where I felt like I belonged (I’ve been missing that a lot the last few years.) These days, I truly look forward to my weekly run.

This next weekend I am going to run my 25th parkrun! And I have no doubt that I’ll easily make 50 runs before our parkrun turns 2 years old (in just over another year).

MicroblogMonday For more microposts, go visit Mel’s post at Stirrup Queens.

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#MicroblogMonday – Summer’s over, back to the grind

Summer’s over, August is almost over and we are almost three quarter’s of the way through 2018. WHERE has this year gone!? Seriously.

Tadbit turned 3 (much) earlier this year. She’s funny, stubborn, independent, sweet and everything rolled into one bundle of energy. Mr Siili often remarks/asks if this is what I was like at this age. I don’t know whether to laugh or groan. We chopped her hair off in June. We are all much happier about it. For Tadbit, she hated hated hated having her hair brushed. I disliked the fight over brushing hair. And she’s pretty cute with her short hair. Even if many others thought she was a boy because of her short hair and non-pink clothes. Whatever.

Paxlet is 5 and soon to be a teen on Thursday. Some days…it seems like all we do is fight. I know I was like this with my mom around this age. Pay back is a bitch sometimes. Paxlet started preschool/kindergarten. (Yes, kids don’t start 1st grade until the year they turn 7.) He loves it! I have no worries that he will do just fine in school.

Do you remember my multiple posts the last couple of years about my kids not speaking in English and would they ever learn to speak English? It has finally happened!!! You all saw that coming, didn’t you?
We visited my family in the US in May and the kids’ language skills have just exploded! Paxlet had started to speak a bit to me in English before the trip, but during and after, he mostly speaks to me in English. He has even switched from Finnish to English, mid-sentence when he realizes he is speaking to me and not Mr Siili. There are some words he’s not sure of, but if he asks about them or says them in Finnish, I’ll repeat them or make sure to use them in my reply. Tadbit uses English now, but still a lot of Finnish also. What’s funny/cute is that she throws in Finnish words while she is talking to me as if she hasn’t switched languages at all. We’re not sure she notices the differences between the two languages fully. I love that my kids are speaking more English. And relieved my fears have been proved wrong.

I’m still doing Parkrun. I ran a new personal best this last Saturday of 32:44. That beat my old time by 2 minutes! I give credit to my running partner. She helped me keep a steady pace and to not walk even when I would have, if I had been on my own. My goal is to run 50 parkruns before October 2019. I don’t think it will be that difficult to do 29 more runs in a little over a year.
I’ll will also start an 8 week FitCamp program next week. I’m aiming to lose a couple of kilos and hopefully learn something new about nutrition that I can use in my daily life. I feel like I am slowly getting some of me back!

This summer was a hot hot one! By hot, I mean it was over 26C (78,8F) and many days closer to 30C (86F) for over 50 days. The last time it was remotely this hot for this long was in the 1940s. It was a humid too. We all just about died. LOL. I enjoyed it as much as I could, but I was more comfortable when it was closer to 20C (70F) again. Fall is definitely on its way. The mornings need a jacket and afternoons only a t-shirt.

As summer is over, we’re all back at work, daycare or school. This year is the first that our kids are going to two different places in the morning. Tadbit has a new daycare lady, which is 1km (0,6mi) away (compared to the 2 minute walk we had previous years). And Paxlet’s school is right in the middle of that distance. We’re finding a new rhythm to mornings and afternoons. I’ve also started working 6 hours days instead of 5 hours, which is taking time for me to get used to also.

How was your summer? Is life treating you well?

MicroblogMonday For more microposts, go visit Mel’s post at Stirrup Queens.