Koulun kesajuhla

Lauantaina meidan koululla pidettiin perinteiset kesajuhlat.  Koulun pihalla oli vaikka mita kojuja ja ohjelmaa, myoskin ruokaa ja juomaa riitti.  Oli nukketeatteria, talent show, kullanhuuhdontaa sun muuta kivaa puuhaa lapsille, aikuisille bottle tombola, cream teas ja niin edelleen.  Kiva tapahtuma jalleen kerran!  Valitettavasti juhla alkoi kuitenkin kaatosateen merkeissa, vetta tuli aivan kauheasti.  Onneksemme se loppui lyhyeen ja pikkuhiljaa ilma parani ja saimme nauttia paivasta suht kauniissa ilmassa.

On Saturday we had our school's summer fun day.  There were many great things for the kids to do and naturally also lots of food and drinks to enjoy.  Unfortunately the party started with some proper rain but luckily it was just a shower and the weather gradually got better and better.  All in all a great day and a great event!

Less than two weeks of school left and then it's vacation time!!!

Nearly vacation

Today is the last day of school before our half-term break which means we have no school for a week.  Our school has a Jubilee celebration day today so all the children (and staff) are wearing the Union Jack colours instead of the school uniform.  These mufti days are special to the children as they get to wear their own clothes to school.  My boys ALWAYS want to have their ManU shirts on and today was no different.  We got the new ManU kits in the mail yesterday so the boys were over the moon to be able to wear the next season's shirts to school.

We are now all packed and ready to go on our vacation to the French Riviera.  I think it will be fantastic!  Can't wait!


Tanaan on vika paiva koulua ennen viikon lomaa.  Koulussa juhlitaan Jubilee-juhlaa ja lapset saivat pukeutua Union Jack -vareihin eli siniseen, punaiseen ja valkoiseen.  Meidan pojat haluavat aina tallaisina paivina (jolloin kouluun saa menna omissa vaatteissa) pukeutua ManUn paitoihin, niin myos tanaan.  Eilen saimme postissa ManUn ensi kauden paidat ja pojilla oli ilo ylimmillaan, koska saivat ne heti kouluun paalle!

Taalla on nyt kaikki pakattuna Ranskan lomaa varten, joten pian paasemme matkaan.  Ihanaa!


P.S.  Multa loppui kuvatila juuri ennen kuin sain laitettua kaikki valitsemani kuvat tahan postaukseen.  En nyt tassa hassakassa kerkea lunastaa lisaa tilaa, joten vain tallaiset kaksi kuvaa talla kertaa...

Sunnuntai

Sunnuntai oli aivan ihana paiva.  Ensin juhlittiin keskimmaisen lapsen synttareita ja sielta siirryttiin suoraan meilta parinkymmenen metrin paassa sijaitsevaan kouluumme Jubilee-piknikille.  Live-musaa, kylmia juomia, naposteltavaa ja hyvaa seuraa seka lapsille etta aikuisille... ei olisi voinut olla paljoa parempi tapahtuma!  Sunnuntai oli tosi kuuma paiva, mutta onneksi koululla oli hyvia varjopaikkoja, muuten olisimme ehka lakahtyneet kesken juhlien.

Meidan koulu on pieni ja siella kaikki tuntevat toisensa.  Koulu tuntuu sellaiselta kylakoululta ja yhteishenki on loistava.  Tunnemme itsemme hyvin onnekkaiksi, etta loysimme taman koulun tanne muuttaessa, ja etta saimme pojat sisaan.  Koulu kun on 'outstanding' arvostelussa ja viela pienikin, niin jonotuslista on pitka.

Jubilee-piknikin jalkeen menimme viela etupihallemme naapureiden lasten kanssa, ja kaikki aikuiset tayttivat isot amparit vedella, jotta lapset saivat virkistaytya vesisodan merkeissa.  Meilta oli jaanyt joitakin vesi-ilmapalloja jaljelle synttareilta, ja lisaksi kokosimme kaikki naapuruston vesipyssyt kokoon ja nain lapset saivat pystyyn aikamoiset vesileikit!

Sunday was a marvellous day.  After the successful birthday party we headed straight to our school to enjoy a Jubilee picnic with the school community.  It was lots of fun!  The day was very hot but luckily we could sit in the shade and our bags were filled with cold drinks.

His leg is fine... for some reason he just wanted to wear the padding...

Ous school is just great.  We feel very fortunate to have gotten places for our boys there.  The school is small and it's rated 'outstanding' and therefore it's very sought after.  The school spirit is wonderful and everyone knows each other.

After the Jubilee picnic we joined our neighbours and their children out on the street so that all the kids could have a water fight.  They had a blast cooling off with water bombs and water guns!

Union Jack

Ensi viikon lopulla kun suuret Jubilee-juhlinnat alkavat me olemme jo matkalla Ranskaan.  Me siis missaamme kuningattaren juhlinnan... no, kaikkea ei voi saada, Ranska vei voiton talla kertaa.  Ollaan me kuitenkin saatu nauttia kaikesta aiheeseen liittyvasta koristelusta jo tovin, silla aivan joka puolella on Union Jack -teemaa.  Nayteikkunat, ruokakaupat, ravintolat, kahvilat, pubit, suklaapaketit, limupullot... you name it, aivan kaikki on koristeltu Iso-Britannia -teemalla.  Aivan upeaa mun mielesta!  Nyt saisi Union Jack tyynyja, tauluja ja muuta tavaraa vaikka milla mitalla!  Meidan lapsilla on myos koululla Jubilee-juhlintaa, eli juhlalounas ja kaikennakoista aktiviteettia.  Lisaksi sunnuntaina on koululla omat bileet, joihin olemme ajatelleet osallistua kuhan vaan saamme meidan 7-vuotiaan synttarit ensin pidettya.  Tassa postauksessa on muutama kuva koulun muurin takaa, joissa nakyy etta myos koululla on koristelu aloitettu.

Meidan perhe juhlisti kuningattaren suurta paivaa omalla grilli-illalla, jonka olimme kattaneet Union Jack -teemalla.  Hyvin rento kattaus, helppo ruoka ja taman maan ylpeys Pimms-juoma tekivat illasta rattoisan. :-)

Next week when the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations begin our family will be in France.  Therefore we had our own little Jubilee party at home.  A very relaxed bbq dinner and just us five... a lovely way to start the weekend.

Our school will have a Jubilee street party on Sunday and our plan is to join that.  Also, next week the boys will be having a Jubilee lunch at school and they will be having activities related to the theme, too.

All in all, lots of Union Jack stuff everywhere at the moment.  Love it!!!

Paasiaislomalla

Parin viikon loma alkoi aurinkoisissa merkeissa.  Joka puolella nakyi kauniista ilmasta nauttivia hyvantuulisia ihmisia.  Me pysahdyimme kodin lahinurtsille poikien kavereiden ja heidan vanhempiensa kanssa, pojat heittivat kravatit syrjaan ja pelailivat fudista, me aikuiset istuimme piknikilla rupatellen kaikenmoista mukavaa.  Ihana iltapaiva!  Meita vastapaata kadun toisella puolella nuoret miehet pelasivat krikettia ja muita peleja, koiria omistajineen kirmaili siella taalla ja monet ajoivat avoautoillaan ohitsemme.  :-)

Nyt lomaillaan rennoissa merkeissa.  Mennaan poikien ehdoilla, joten varmasti paljon urheilua ja ulkoilua tiedossa.  Hengaillaan myos eri puolilla Lontoota.  Juuri ennen kouluun paluuta ajamme viela Manchesteriin, jossa paasemme katsomaan ManU-Aston Villa matsia.  Peleissa on hieno tunnelma!

Nyt leffaa katsomaan... :-)

My babes

I spent the past week in Finland and when I got home all of my babies had had a haircut.  I miss their long locks but they look cool now, too.  They are very proud of their new styles and you can tell it by checking out their posing for the camera this morning.  Especially Alex wants to look cool and tough...
 ;-)

Today is a charity dress-up day at school.  This year's theme is spots and the children were asked to dress in spots and to bring in a pound to be donated.  Our boys (and nearly all boys at school I noticed) have no clothes with spots on but we found the ties for them at Tesco.  A small effort but they looked great, and were proud of their spotty ties.  Their friends came up to them and admired how they had dressed up.

I had a lovely trip to Finland despite of all the sorrow included.  I love my country and the best part was meeting up with my family.  I'm hoping to go back soon.  <3

John Bear

Liam's nursery has a bear called John Bear.  He likes to travel and go around from one place to another.  He has a suitcase and each day he leaves the nursery with it to go visit a child's house.  He brings his sleeping bag, his pyjamas, and his journal.

Last week John Bear came home to us with Liam.  Little Lee was super proud!  He took great care of John Bear and did many fun things with him.  All the activities were written down in John Bear's journal and some pictures were included.  The next morning Lee took John Bear back to the nursery and together they showed all the children and teachers the diary and the things they had done together.  <3

Zorro and Dracula

Today is the last day of school before a week-long half-term break.  We are so looking forward to it!  Because Halloween is approaching and because this week's been "creativity week" at school everyone dressed up for today.  The theme was "a book (character) made into a movie".  My boys were excited about the theme.  Alex decided to dress up as Dracula and Colin as Zorro... good choices I thought!  Liam's nursery did not participate in this so Lee did not dress up and luckily didn't mind.

At school we saw many cool characters and it was nice to see that people had made an effort to make this day special for the children!

Harvest festival

Today my two older boys performed with their school at a church nearby.  It was time for the annual harvest festival which was once again a great success.  The children sang and performed beautifully and the atmosphere was special.  My pics are not very good but you may see a glimpse of my boys if you look carefully.  <3

This particular church is really beautiful.  Too bad it's impossible to get the whole building in a picture.

Looking forward to more lovely events where I can see my kids perform.  <3

Homework

School here in England is quite demanding compared to what it would be in Scandinavia for an 8-year old.  A 6-year old wouldn't even be at school yet.  Here Alex is in year four and Colin in year two (the primary school goes from reception year to year six).  They have spelling tests and quite a bit of homework each week, and reading must be done every day.  These are just a few examples of the stuff they have to do for school.  I sometimes feel it's a bit too much for small boys like mine but they don't complain.  They work hard and are succeeding in their class levels... another thing for us to be proud of.  <3

Koulunkaynti taalla Englannissa on aikamoisen vaativaa, kokeita ja tehtavia riittaa.  Lukemista pitaa harjoitella joka paiva.  Nama ovat vain muutama esimerkki koulun vaatimuksista.  Minusta tama kaikki tuntuu valilla hurjalta, mutta pojat eivat valita.  He tekevat hommansa ja parjaavat luokissaan hienosti.  Taas saadaan olla ylpeita.  <3