Well, after seeing so many other's blogs and thoroughly enjoying reading them I decided to start my own. I am not sure how often I will get around to actually updating it. But I hope to do it on a regular basis. I will kind of be using this as a way to keep in touch with all the family and friends who live on the other side of the pond. And if I am lucky, I may get a chuckle or two here and there.
Yesterday we took an outing to downtown Zürich. Chris took Nick, Sarah and Sophie to see "Enchanted" in the theater. I came along in case they wouldn't let Sophie in. The age restriction was 6 with an accompanying parent and she is only 5 1/2. We told the kids we weren't going to lie, and if the man asked how old she was Papa was going to tell him. If that was too young, she would go shopping with me and just the older two would go in. As Sophie excitedly told me afterwards, "Nobody asked! They just let me in!" They loved it. It was scary to them, and weird, but funny also. That was the review I got. One favorite part was the cockroaches and rats coming to help Princess Giselle clean the apartment, and they pointed out one of the sewer covers on the way home and explained how that is where she came out of after she left Fairy Tale world. Thanks Papa for a fun afternoon!
While they were eating popcorn and getting slightly thirsty because Papa didn't have enough cash for food AND drink and they wouldn't take his debit card, Noah, Alexandra and I were hitting the sales. It is the great after Christmas blowout here as well, and if you want to do some serious shopping, Bahnhofstrasse in Zürich is the place to do it. The streets were packed, the stores were packed, and our stroller was packed by the time we were done. :) I didn't quite find everything I was looking for, but I found enough! Noah was a real trooper, holding my hand and walking the whole way. He never once complained, but he did ask when it would be time to go to the "toy story" aka Franz Carl Weber. Alexandra only got fussy once for a few minutes in the store waiting to pay, but when I removed two of her four layers of clothing she calmed right back down. And out of all the candy available at the "toy story" for Noah to choose as a reward for being so good, all he wanted was one 40 Rappen Chuy Chups sucker. (They are kind of like Dum Dums, for those who don't know) That place is more fun for Chris and I than the kids, I think. They have Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (3 varieties!), candy canes, Jelly Bellys, Nerds, and all other sorts of American treats. Of course, there are European candies, too but it's fun to see all our old favorites sitting on the shelves as well.
Here is a picture of the kids dressed up on Christmas Eve during our traditional Nativity Play. My friend Tanya let me go through her boxes of fabric and pick out a couple of pieces to use for costumes. Now we will have them ready to go for every year. The angel (Sarah) isn't looking so angelic because Papa didn't let her say the actual words of the angel. We will have to remember that for next year. Nick is the wiseman, Noah is Joseph and Sophie is Mary. The kids all thought Baby Jesus' swaddling clothes were perfect, but it's just her regular nightgown. Next year we will be back to using a doll. It's my last time with a live baby Jesus. So I enjoyed it as much as I could.
Just wanted to share this. It's the view out my kitchen window this afternoon. There were two horses in the paddock earlier, but while I was getting the camera they moved. It sure makes doing the dishes a lot nicer! And yes, we had a white Christmas, but it was mostly thick frost, not real snow. Sure was pretty, though!
I'm so excited!!!