Saara and Sami live in Kortepohja student village with their two children. Saara is a "second-generation" resident in Kortepohja, as her parents lived there around the time Saara was born. The family is very happy living in the student village with services close by and an efficient public transportation to the town.

Sami has recently graduated as a teacher but carries out intermediate studies in Philosophy in the open university. He teaches Religious education and Philosophy in Laukaa upper secondary school. Saara's studies are still under way; she is aiming at a double qualification of both Class teacher and Finnish studies. Nuutti and Kerttu are at the nursery while the parents work and study.

Ecological values are important to the family, which is reflected in, for example, that they are sensible and environmentally-conscious consumers. They do not own a car either, but cycle throughout the year. Working in a breastfeeding support group is a part of the family's child-centered way of life.

The family had a third child, Tilda, in summer 2011.

Wednesday 2 February 2011

The family was still asleep when Sami woke up and got ready for the day. He rode his bike in the dark, snowy morning to the Seppä upper secondary yard, left his bike in the shelter and continued his way to the bus stop. A few minutes later Sami got on the Laukaa bus - he could still continue his sleep on the bus.

After Sami had left for work Saara and the children woke up, had their breakfast and put on their clothes. While Saara cleared the table and got herself ready, the children had a moment to care for their dolls. Then they were ready to go to the nursery.

At the nursery Saara took the children to their groups, Nuutti to Maple Hill and Kerttu to Summer Hill. Then she waved the children goodbye and steered her bike towards the university.

Nuutti's group began the day by ice skating. The children marched in line following the nannies to the nearby skating rink where they did some ice skating training and played a little ice hockey.

While Saara began her day at the university, Sami was finishing his first lesson at Laukaa upper secondary. He still had one Religious education lesson left and the next day's lessons to prepare before going home.

At the university Saara first went to the library study hall, found an unoccupied computer and began to write her study journal. Saara had to study efficiently, because she didn't want to work on her studies at home in the evening. She had one lecture today, and before that she had time to go borrow a book from the main library. After the lecture Saara had lunch with a student friend of hers at the student cafeteria. After lunch Saara returned to the library to study some more.

After their morning activities the children had had lunch and soon after that they had their nap. Nuutti lay down a while and when the sleep didn't come, the nanny let him go play. Kerttu, on the other hand, had a good nap.

Saara's day at the university drew to a close and it was a time to pick up the children. First of all, however, she went to buy some groceries, went home and prepared a potato and salmon casserole. Sami came home and together they went to pick up the children from the nursery. In the meantime the meal was baking in the oven.

Once at home Sami prepared grated carrots for a side dish and soon the family gathered to have dinner together. As dessert they had an ice cream stick.

After the meal Sami and Kerttu went to the supermarket. Saara, on the other hand, stayed at home and read the paper, put on the washing machine and popped in the net: on Facebook and a couple of discussion boards. Nuutti kept himself busy; he read some books and built with Lego.

“…on weekends I just may spend hours with a book in my hand – my husband knows that it's so important for me to get to immerse myself in a book – I stay on a better mood." –Saara

Reading and listening to stories are important for the whole family – today makes no exception. When the evening routines were done with, Sami read a bedtime story for the children.

(Book: Aino Havukainen & Sami Toivonen ”Veera ja maatalon eläimet”)

After the children had fallen asleep Sami baked some crumpets for himself and Saara. They had tea, honey and some noodles with them.

“…[the kids] stay or don't stay in bed, Kerttu especially keeps shouting a lot and wants someone to come sit next to her and see that there are no squirrels in the bed and gets bedtime toys and goes on the potty and that sort of stuff.” –Saara

“…so the child can – no matter how big they were in a way – so they can be small again and just come sleep in our bed." –Saara

Thoughts about everyday life

“If [the kids] have been at the nursery during the day and we have to rush some place right after, then they get all, like nothing goes right: the feet go in the wrong shoes and socks are crumpled and they don't want to walk anymore…" –Saara

“[On the weekend] we may eat a little better, some quality meat or baked salmon or pizza or frankfurters and chips, which is a plain gourmet dish in the children's opinion." –Saara

"When Nuutti was born and I bought woolly pants for him the kind of soft silky clothes made out of merino wool then I… so that it would be such a big family crisis event if he [Sami] accidentally washed them at sixty degrees. It was agreed that I'll do the laundry.” –Saara

“Children they love to help with some housework: they love to dust and empty the dish washer and wash the floors with a mop. It's like the biggest row, like which one gets to mop. And then daddy and mommy dry it.” –Saara

“So that the children would get to play as much as possible and come up with stuff on their own and – like you don't just give it to them but tell them hey, make up a play by yourself." –Saara

“Perhaps this ecologically sound approach of ours is more about – to try to – to not buy a lot, like not buying things we don't need. And not consuming at all and with food only what you have to buy, but quite a lot in this economic situation the price is an important factor.” –Saara