Five-Coffee-Day

Today is a Five-Coffee-Day. The babies have been sleeping excellently the past few weeks, 11 hours a night without much interruption. Finally sleeping full nights again myself felt like the luxury that it was and I was appreciative. But now, for the past two nights, one of the babies has been feeling a bit off and crying unconsolably, waking up the other one who doesn’t cry but becomes completely alert and must think it’s morning.

Usually it’s just me and the babies, since hubby is at work all day long, but yesterday my mother took a day off to help out, and tomorrow a nanny will come over for a few hours. The nanny is paid for by a government benefit for twin families, recognizing the exhaustion that looking after two babies brings, compared to one. Of course it depends on the babies, too – I’m lucky and quite proud to say that my babies are happy campers – they eat well, are not fussy, and they have an awesome sense of humor! They are probably much easier to handle than one fussy baby would be. I acknowledge that!

I’m grateful for the nanny benefit, too, though I also feel I’ve well earned it, having spent decades paying very high income taxes from an average salary (like most people). Finland is not a country where working hard will make you gain wealth, but on the plus side, everyone gets certain benefits at certain points of their life. Even those who’ve never paid any taxes.

Speaking of taxes, our zero-year-old babies are already solid tax payers now that we opened them bank accounts! Where else in the world but in Finland?! The interest rate is a meagre 0,2% but the government is more than happy to take 30% of any profit the little babies will make.

Ushuaia, Argentina (2014)

Today, outside my windows, my California-designed iPhone says it’s “-19°C, feels like -28°C” and it must be as chilled by the thought as me. The “feels like” comes from the arctic wind. I haven’t been out since Sunday and have no desire to do so. Last weekend, I met up with a friend who lives in Brussels and then with another friend who I used to see frequently. In a cafeteria both times – there’s not much else to do around here. I wanted to take the babies along but it was too cold.

And then I read on a local newspaper site a quote from someone exclaiming how lucky we are to be having such awesome winter weather at the moment! Everything is relative, isn’t it? What feels awesome to someone, feels quite the opposite to someone else. But I know I’m in the minority here. Finland is full of winter lovers who like it just the way it is now. They belong here and I’m happy for them.

Look at me, writing about the random thoughts floating around in my head! I used to keep this blog and my opinions separate, wanting the blog to remain a complaint-free-zone, but now that I’m running out of photos I feel like writing. Well, I’m not exactly running out of photos, I still have hundreds of travel photos I haven’t showed you, but I’m just tired of the ones I have. Traveling doesn’t seem like a big thing to me right now, which must be entirely normal in this stage of life. I feel like I’ve traveled quite enough for now, having dedicated at least a decade to it in my twenties.

“Traveling twenties”, as I said in a comment earlier this week. But what I would like to do, is take all my stuff and loved ones, and park us in a beautiful beach house somewhere nice and warm. Australia comes to mind. We would stay there and live happily ever after. Did anyone else watch Melrose Place in the 90’s? Remember Dr. Mancini’s beach house? Something like that would do just fine for me, thanks! Another option would be a house in Tuscany with a pool and vineyard. Have you seen Under the Tuscan Sun?

A while ago, the blogger Manja worried her readers by announcing the disturbing news that she had run out of Tuscan door photos to post. She was waiting for better weather to take her camera out. After that, Tuscany received a snowfall – whether that makes for better weather depends on your point of view. I’m happy to see she found a solution. As for me, I’m waiting for better weather too, to take my camera out and my babies out. And myself!

Meanwhile, I have enjoyed comment-chatting on Marina’s blog. She is a Ukrainian living in Norway and we share many thoughts on Nordic life. If you are looking for something philosophical to read, head over to her blog!

I’ve been trying to cut online time a bit and focus on the here and now, being present in the moment, so I apologize for not being as active visiting other blogs lately. Your blogs. I’m still following you and I’ll be around!

For everyone who loves winter: enjoy your winter wonderland days! I’ll be staying inside with my Nespresso machine. The babies are napping with content expressions on their faces, so I might have a sandwich as well.

The photos have nothing to do with the text – they are from the other end of the world: Ushuaia, December 2014