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Introducing Daphne
This is the newest member of our family. Daphne Sparkle. She is a Maltese Terrier x Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, born on 24th September and is absolutely darling. This photo was taken on Christmas Eve in the mountains beyond Geneva when Daphne saw snow for the first time. The kids are delighted, I am besotted, husband is resigned.
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There’s snow on them hills, Billy Bob
We left Papa sleeping at home and walked down to the village to get rolls for breakfast this morning. It was a beautiful sunny morning with just enough snow on the ground to get the kids jumping for joy. A short stop at the little park down the road gave them a chance to build a mini snow man and make tracks in the fresh snow. I found one pair of snow trousers but son’s are still AWOL so more searching to be done before the next snow falls. I did find a big box of winter clothes though, which some clever clogs had put in the same box as…
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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
It is SNOWING !!! We noticed just before we put the kids to bed that it has started to snow, big fluffy flakes. The kids are bound to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Now I need to go into the cellar and sort out the boxes that we have not unpacked. Somewhere in one of the boxes are the kids’ snowsuits.
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Baby Plage
We visited the fabulous Baby Plage today, the kids had a great time. The playarea is made of tyres and is not a typical Swiss play area. You do have to be careful with as there are no safety nets. In the summer you can buy a coffee in the little kiosk cafe right next to the play area. In winter the cafe is not there so we took a flask of coffee and one of hot chocolate for the kids. We are off to the neighbours for a glass of wine now, to warm ourselves up after our couple of hours in the cold. Featured Image
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Shameless Mummy-Boast
DD had the results of her first test in school, Evaluation de Mathematique. We were delighted to see that she got 37 out of a possible 41 points. Considering that she has only been at the school for a month and the lessons are in French, that is absolutely fantastic and we are very proud of her.
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They really do take recycling seriously here in Switzerland
There is a recycling bin for coffee capsules in Carouge
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DD hat ein Wackelzahn…
… endlich! In Germany the wobbling of the first tooth tends to coincide with the start of school, so it is an important rite of passage. They call the pre-schoolers the “Die Wackelzahnkinder”. DD has been waiting (im)patiently for aaaaages, as many of her friends in Kindergarten already had lost teeth. Even S. who is a year younger had a Wackelzahn. It was most upsetting. Recently she began complaining that her mouth was sore and after some investigation we discovered that one tooth is wobbly. She was so pleased. Since then the questions have ranged from, “can I eat this apple or will it make my Wackelzahn fall out?” to…
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Speaking French
I am so proud of myself. I just made an appointment with the paediatrician for daughter. Not a big deal, I hear you say. The receptionist spoke no English and no German. I had to speak French. I had Babelfish open for some basic phrases, and somehow I managed to make an appointment for Wednesday at 3pm. Well, I hope so anyway. We will know for sure on Wednesday at 3pm
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Scary Switzerland
Or do the Swiss celebrate Halloween? Well, I don’t know about the rest of Switzerland but here in our village we certainly do. In typical Swiss fashion a list went around the school this week to ask if we were going trick or treating or if we would prefer to stay at home and hand out the goodies. A few days later another note was sent to us, listing the children who were going Trick or Treating and which houses were awaiting a visit. We decided to stay home this year so I stocked up on sweets, the kids got into their costumes, the pumpkins were carved and lit, then…
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Starting school and our first guest
I had an appointment to see the headteacher of the local school on the Friday after we arrived and she told me that the kids could start school right away. Not even a week after our arrival, the children started school. Son is very proud that he is now in school rather than in kindergarten, it seems to be similar to the Vorschule, preschool in Germany with a bit more emphasis on learning. It is also starts a year earlier, when the kids are 4 years old. Son’s teacher does not speak English or German so it is a bit of a struggle sometimes, but we understand each other. She is…
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Aufwiedersehen Deutschland, Bonjour Suisse!
The Swiss adventures of our family began in September 2008 when we moved to a small village near Geneva. On 22nd September the removal lorry arrived and started to pack our worldly goods. As husband was away in Munich for the week so it was just me and the kids. We said our farewells in the school and kindergarten. Leaving the kindergarten was particularly hard as it has been such a large part of our lives for the past 3 years. The last two days in Germany were quite stressful, more than I thought they would be. We headed off to the airport for the flight to Geneva, I was…
