Routines

Another day, another walk, another nap.

I think we're starting to create a kind of routine, which while I've never been one for schedules, routines bring a nice kind of comfort.

We wake up after 8, eat something, drink coffee, put away futons, get dressed, talk on skype, do whatever stuffs... then walk and nap... then I get to sweep and clean without distraction (the great thing about a tiny apartment is how fast you can sweep it!), and then I get to sit down and drink coffee. 

When she wakes up, it's lunch time and we'll probably go downstairs and heat some leftovers up or make a little lunch. 

Then Kevin gets home, we got to the store sometimes, then make dinner, then relax and skype or watch some movies or shows on the laptop. Then set up the futons and go to sleep. 

It's a simple life. I like it. Even though we don't have a dishwasher, washing machine, or even a kitchen. I miss those comforts of home and our apartment there, but life here is much more simple. It's definitely like an extended vacation for me in some ways. Or well, extended maternity leave anyway. Which is amazing and I'm so grateful I can spend this time with her as time is something you can never get back.

But oh, I've strayed from my topic. And the pictures.

We took a short walk, just enough to get her to sleep and then we walked back. 

We made it to the river, over the bridge, and south down the other side. 

We passed joggers, walkers, bikers, and a small group of preschoolers. 

Even the snow at these riverside parks has melted so much in a week. It's not sunny outside, but it's warmer than the past few days and not as windy.

The willow (I think) are in bloom in the photo above. 

I was a little...perplexed? by what the guy was doing in this picture below.

He was in this massive area of snow just driving around bulldozing it. He wasn't spreading it to another area, he wasn't moving it. Just driving back and forth pushing it around. Is that supposed to melt it faster?

Everywhere I go, people are trying to get rid of the snow. People in their yards with shovels making piles. People chiseling away the icy snow on their curbs. 

I'm really interested to see if the people here change with the season like they do in Finland. Summer brings out the happy side of Finns! :)

For those interested in gardening: remember how I mentioned they wrap their bushes in straw for the winter? Here's a photo of a bush still wrapped. I think it's actually bamboo and not straw.

And these were in someone's garden. I had to make up for the poor quality phone photo yesterday. Ick. 

 

I've accepted the "challenge" from a friend to try different Japanese ice creams. Here's the link of what inspired it. 10 awesome ice creams available from convenience stores in japan

At the grocery store yesterday, we found this one:

It was delicious after dinner last night. I could have eaten the whole box. ;) 

It's vanilla ice cream inside mochi (the same stuff in daifuku and other Japanese sweets).

If you're interested in reading about this vanilla ice cream daifuku, there's a short wikipedia article about it here: yukimi daifuku.

I guess it's time to start prepping tonight's dinner while the muffin's asleep. :) 

Ah, routines. ♥