Yesterday was a great day because after months of dreaming about it, and weeks of planning, Ville and I finally went out on our own. Having no family in the same country definitely makes it harder to get time by ourselves and with Ville at work so much I was finding it all a bit unrelenting at times. I was just about to write that we hadn't been alone together since a few hours wandering around Ville's home town in Finland in July when I realised that Neve was actually with us that afternoon! I had resigned myself to not looking for anyone to help with the little ones when a few weeks ago a barista in Starbucks entertained a slightly grouchy Anton with a cup and some coffee beans. She chatted away to him in English and a week later she took him to lunch. It turned out that she had experience and qualifications in childcare and was missing working with kids. A one day a week plan was hatched in which I would get a couple of hours alone, hang out with the kids for a bit and feed Neve, and then go out with Ville when he got home.

So yesterday was the day and I had spent ages trying to work out how I could best use my time alone. So what did I do? Başak was making lunch and Anton was helping and then running to tell me what he had done and I sat on the floor with nothing in the world to do but watch my children. And there I stayed, happy and a bit too tired to move. I watched Anton and Neve playing with a small horse in a patch of light. Then Başak and Anton went to the park and Neve and I slept. Ville rang me just as I left the house to meet him and I just couldn't stop laughing. It was such a relief to step out without a baby and a pushchair to carry. We met in one of the bars close to Beşiktaş Fish Market  and just sat holding hands. We returned two hours later to two smiling kids and feeling very happy indeed.