Minna's birthday

It is Minna's birthday. She got a necklace and swimming goggles from us in the morning.

Today was the last opportunity to vote in the Finnish presidential elections. We drove to the consulate in Oranjezicht in the morning. Jesse was there with her son Chaylen, 3, to take the votes. More acquaintances came to vote. We took Chaylen home play with India and stopped to buy food on the way. Minna and Matias went to get Joona to our house for the afternoon, while I stayed home with the small children and started getting food ready.

When Tania, Win and Alex arrived after one, the house was full of lively voices. India had not played with other small children for so long that she found it a it a bit hard to share her toys to start with but got over it soon.

We had salad, sushi, tuna - raw and fried, fresh shrimps, plenty of sushi rice and Punjabi lentil soup. Minna had prepared a sweet pasta bake, too, but I tried to took the hot glass pot thought the kitchen gate and dropped it on the tiles. Glass and pasta spread all around. Luckily we had Joyce in to help us today. She was cleaning upstairs and was able to come down and reach for shoes and brushes. I got a few small cuts on my foot but no-one else was hurt.

After dinner we went for a swim in the pool and had tea and birthday cake. Minna had baked it yesterday and moistened it properly. It was delicious.

The guests left at six. Cheylen had been picked up already before two.

Late at night we watched a DVD we got for Christmas: "Finding neverland" (Jonny Depp and Kate Winslet). Quite amazing how good the film was. Gentle, warm and poignant. About creativity, sorrow, love and growing up.