Flat Stanley's visit with us

We got Flat Stanley from Virginia to live with us for a while. I really enjoyed that! Especially while the Flat Stanley came from the girl (mother of two nowadays) who actually lived with us at least twice for a month or so in our childhood. Well, it wasn't so much fun with Stanley than it was with them at a time but still it was fun!

Here's what happened:

Stanley lived with the perhe Rehvonen in their home. He had his own room over there. I think he had good time with the family Rehvonen as you can see from the picture. There are Liisi, Olli, Jukka-Pekka and Minna in that family. They did a lot of stuff together. Here they are planning a picnic for the first of May festival but it didn’t work out because of the rainy weather.

In stead of the picnic Stanley spent the labour day (the first of May) with Pörri, teddy Urho and mister Kontio.


Stanley tried to decorate Viivi’s room with serpentine but in stead he stumbled in it and needed help to get out.
















Stanley also found out that on a Labour day people dress into funny costumes sometimes. Especially the children have funny costumes at school on the eve of the Labour day. The labour day is a holiday for everyone. Stanley also wanted to have a funny costume for himself. He tried many costumes. He liked a hat with flowers a lot but it was too big for him. Eventually he decided to dress as a girl because he heard that Jonna was going to dress as a boy at school. So he tried two skirts.

Stanley enjoyed the costumes a lot but he got scared of the gorilla which suddenly appeared to the living room. After a little while he realized it was only Viivi in a gorilla costume and started laughing.

Maybe the best part of the costume play was jumping in the pile of costumes.

One day Flat Stanley went to see the lake Saimaa with us. He really enjoyed the view. On the beach he also climbed in the trees and jumped in the hays. That was fun! He also saw a special kind of ladybug on one tree.











While Stanley was in Finland there was also a national veteran day in Finland. Music classes in which Jonna and Viivi belong to performed in a ceremony arranged for the veterans of Lappeenranta. Stanley’s favourite song was a huoleton reissumies (cheerful traveller). In the lobby of the concert hall Stanley admired carelian art in a Finnish rug.

Stanley also met Viivi’s and Jonna’s grandparents Kaisu-granny and Heimo-grandpa when they came to visit us shortly with an Indian pastor and his daughter. The Indian friends were very happy to meet Stanley and they wished that Stanley could come and visit their orphanage one day. With Heimo-grandpa Stanley read the newspaper. It’s Heimo’s favourite thing to do.

During his visit in Finland Stanley also went to school with Viivi one day. On the bus to school Stanley got to know Liisa. Travelling by bus was fun for Stanley but school was boring for him.
Stanley also went to the music academy with Viivi to listen Viivi’s violin lesson. Stanley was thinking that if he was a little taller he could climb into the violin and see what’s inside of it. The best part of the visit in music academy was eating a Finnish bun.

One day a funny thing happened for Stanley. He got stuck into the bathroom at the home of Rehvonen. When the father Rehvonen, Jukka-Pekka, came home he found Stanley from the bathroom screaming for help. Jukka-Pekka advised Stanley that he needs to push the door not to pull. Stanley’s face looked funny when he realized that the door had been open all the time…

Stanley’s visit in Finland was a success even tough he had to listen rasping on the violin almost every day and be home alone during the days. On the other hand he loved to learn to speak Finnish and to get new friends. He is happy to get home but he will miss good Finnish rye bread and all the new friends.