Happy Easter!

We're enjoying our long weekend! It's so obviously good for our kids when they have some extra days off from school. I guess it's still quite stressful to do school in Finnish, tho' over the course of the school year obviously it's gotten so much easier.

Friday we went to Good Friday services, then went to Savolainen's to visit (good friends.) It sure was fun to visit! Saturday was busy as we prepared for two 'days of rest' to follow (Sunday and Easter Monday.) I was so proud of the kids yesterday - when they realized the Easter baskets are in storage in America, they decided to set out bowls on the table and put name slips in them. And they took out the smallest bowls in the house (probably 1 1/2 cup capacity at the most.) They do not expect large quantities ... the bunny had to actually put their treats in a plastic bag and then into the bowl because it was too big for the bowl! :-) Not tons of candy, but they did each get a long matchbox vehicle as well as a chocolate egg with a plastic egg inside which holds some cheapy little toy. Like the prizes from in the crakerjacks boxes way back when ... A few jelly beans in there, too - and they were all happy! The oldest 2 are finally starting to wonder if there's really an Easter Bunny, or could it be Mom ... :-) Next year they can help the E.B. fill and hide!

We have no clue what is next as far as rental home. I guess that's almost 4 months down the road - what's meant for us will be shown. In the mean time, the school psychologist had a visit with the kids (boys don't talk Finn, T harbors some anger ... maybe part of his anxiety he deals with anyway ... ) and she said they had a lively discussion (in English.) She got the feeling that the bottom line is that the boys feel they are Americans and English is their language, and they don't think it's necessary to talk Finn. Only N's teacher seems to think this is a really big issue. With T I'm more concerned with the anxiety/anger - but he obviously opened up with her. Yay!!! I think she was a perfect match for our kids. Hopefully she'll have time to see them again a time or two before school\s out. This is one thing that makes it a bummer if we end up moving out of the area - new school means standing in the waiting line again for the new school's psychologist to see the kids, if there seems to be a need. Well - on the other hand, N's teacher will/would be his and T's teacher next year, and maybe it would be for the better if they are not in her class since she has such a hard time dealing with them not talking. Trying to find something positive in the possibility of a move ahead.

We have some first-hand experiences with how socialized medicine is not the greatest ... the bottom line: it is not free, and there is sure line-waiting! America was not meant to be the place of socialized medicine - not the place where government has that type of reign over the people. Yes, our healthcare system there needs improvements (who said some time ago that lawsuits will eventually ruin our contry? ... is this the root of the problems in the healthcare system there?) - I strongly feel tho' that socialized medicine is not the answer.

Now I'd better get the ham in the oven. Hope it's as good as a good ol' American smoked ham!