...and then it is May already!

Wow. Last time I checked it was April. And we were heading into a very busy couple of weeks, I knew that. But then life throws couple of surprises on the way and it gets even more insane.

See this. It is the two beautifully formed bones of my sons's right arm. Wait, there is something wrong with them! Looks like...like...it is...*gasp*...broken! No, they are b o t h broken!

Snip snap. I heard him cry and knew that he had hurt himself. You know, sometimes kids have this She is teasing me and I'm hoping you will come and give her a time out and me some chocolate-cry. And: If I cry louder than her I won't have consequences-cry. Or: It is so frustrating when the pieces of this Lego car do not go where they are supposed to go!-cry.

But this. It was "I was really hurt just now" kind of cry. He was in the yard, and we, parents, were in the kitchen in the back of the yard. Chatting, planning dinner. As soon as I got out and saw his arm I knew it was broken. It was obvious. The arm was bumpy. It was freaky. But because I am the mom I do not have the opportunity to freak in emergencies so I run him to the car and then inside to get some pain medicine while my husband made some phone calls.

We decided both go: it look so bad that we did not know what to expect. We quickly told all the million kids in the yard that the play time at our house was over. We threw our girls into the car. We left the two work men who had been painting our staircase outside to finish up in the yard. On the road we called our friends, told what happened and asked if we can drop off the girls and the house keys. Then we were trying to think who to call, asking where to go. There is a big hospital in the city, but we knew their x-ray machine did not work. There is a newer, probably more modern hospital, too, but it is not open in the evenings. We ended up going to the city center polyclinic, that has the only working x-ray in the city.

When we found the place and got the car parked (always an episode here, no signs, no neat parking lots), we run to the doctor's room. No electricity, no x-ray, we were told. I got upset. I might or might not have said few chosen words to a nurse who came in to check on us. Luckily I used a local language she does not know. I hope.

After about 20 minutes of waiting the electricity came back and we got his arm taken care of.

He had stopped crying in the car on the way to the polyclinic, and the only time he cried after that was when the bones were set to their places. We later heard that 4 of the people that knew of the accident immediately had all prayed that he would not feel pain.

God hears prayers.

The next day my son, who almost never naps anymore, took a three hour nap on the floor of the living room. I sneaked in, took pictures (he always denies any suggestions that he might have fallen asleep during his quiet time, so I needed proof), and covered him with a blanket.

The cast looks kinda uncomfortable. In this picture it is still a temporary cast, he had a full one put on after the control x-ray few days later.

By the way, the fancy purple and golden mattress on the floor is the Central Asian mattress where they sit and sleep.

Then to happier news: my daughter graduated with honors from a Finnish 2-kid 2-teacher kindergarten. Here she is, so delighted to hear the positive feedback and to be able to show us the art work she had done during the spring.

Then sad news: We had to say goodbyes to our friends, moving back home from Central Asia. The good side: it was a chance to have a wonderful farewell party with all of our friends at our home! I love organizing parties. But I miss them. Come back!

I did not have time to take many pictures at the party. In this one I had to blur the people as I did not ask their permission to publish it. But is was a gorgeous weather, too much good food and fun company!

Then we took a work trip as a family. This is early morning in the plane. Wonderful snow topped mountains!

Our kids, experienced travellers. Look at my youngest daughter, looks like she is comforting her big brother by patting him on the cast.

This is a perfect example of a toddler breakfast. I took her around the wonderful breakfast buffet table, asking 'Do you want this? What about that? Cheese? Bread? Cereal? Eggs? Cucumbers?' No, no, no. All she wanted was two pieces of some cold cuts.

After we arrived back home, I got sick.

And felt like this:

And I did not get well soon and still felt like this:

But I hope the medicine is working, at least I had the energy to blog tonight! I missed you! Do not stop reading just because I disappeared for ....too long!