Nature and boys - Autumn time

Having a dad who is consantly going to the nature to photograph, our boys are quite well informed about the nature. They can name all kind of animals - also the ones small children usually do not know like marten (nugis), badger (mäger), otter (saarmas) or birds like buzzard (hiireviu), arctic tern (randtiir) or golden eagle (kaljukotkas). They also know what is the difference between coat (kits) and deer (hirv); and can imitate sounds of elk, wild boar or owl.
Erik can't wait the time, when he can take the boys out to the forrest to photograph. We believe Fred is the first one to join as he shows the biggest interest to wild nature. Until they are still too small, we take hikes out to the nature - usually somewhere close. We try to go each weekend. Our favourite places are Tabasalu Nature Park (10 kms from our home) and Keila-Joa (12 kms from our home). Boys like to pick sprays or cones; they like to run around and most of all, they like the sea. They call it "big water".
Today, we went to Keila-Joa to enjoy the last colours of Autumn. Soon, it's winter time...

 

With boys in Keila-Joa

 

Keila-Joa Waterfall

In Kadrioru Park a few weeks ago

Boys - starting kindergarten at the age of 3

After a looong gap between blog-posts, I decided it's time to start again.
Yes, you guessed it right: I have been way too busy to write something here... Days fly by and I feel overwhelmed with all tasks I have to do during the day. And night. I wish it was more than 24 hours in one day. Maybe then, I could manage my life much better!
Anyway, I have missed posting here - write about our life with our wonderful boys. Afterall - family is the most important.
This week, a new period started in our life: boys went to the kindergarten. In Estonia, all kids should have got a place for kindergarten at the age of 3. In our county, there have been a big problem with kindergarten: too many young families with small children and too few kindergartens. Many parents were angry - the moms want to start working again, but there is no place where to take a kid. In our family, it was not that bad as we had a Nanny for the boys since they were 9 months old, but paying each month - a full-time salary for a Nanny - .... well, it has costed us a fortune!
Luckily in summer, our county announced of building a new kindergarten. Or being precise: renovating an older office building for a kindergarten. At first I was a bit sceptic - can it really be a nice kindergarten if it used to be an office for some company? But in the end - it came out all nice! And in October 15, the kindergarten was opened. As it is situated in a street called "Future street", then the kindergarten itself is called like that, too. "Future"... and all groups in kindergarten are inspired of the same theme. For example, our boys go to a group called "Inventors". There are 21 children with 1 teacher and helper.
The first day was very difficult for me: leaving boys somewhere what they don't know, with someone they don't know and with kids they have never seen... I was nervous all day thinking how they are coping there... But when I went to pick them up in the afternoon, they were nicely playing and everything was fine. I was releaved! I guess it's much easier to go to the kindergarten when you have brothers supporting you. :)
Anyway, since that day, boys have been to kindergarten each day and have not cried at all. Lets see how the next week will be! Our boys are big now!