Laowai

Today we got back home after a full day and Claire was melting like only a two year old can. She has been showing renewed capacity for completely losing it lately. She was angry, crying with those hicups and unable to express why she was so upset. So it went on like that for a while and finally I put her in her bed with her blankie to try to get her to calm herself down. Then Bea timidly asked if she could read a book to Claire – I told her yes and I was relieved when the crying stopped right away. I went back to check on them after a few minutes and was surprised to find Bea right in the crib. She was reading a book and being so sweet and gentle with her sister.

Sometimes it feels like they don’t care much for each other and then something like this happens and I know that they will grow up to be close and loving despite all the day to day fighting.

We are so so ready for Spring to arrive. We had snow all day yesterday and today it’s hazy and cold – we haven’t seen the sun in a long time. Sounds like Michigan is having similar weather. 

We’ve got all our Easter decorations out:

We’ve made few more decorations:

We had one warm day a couple weeks ago:

I had to buy flowers to brighten up the house:

Come on Spring – we miss you.

Bea seems to be invited to a birthday party every few weeks lately. So I’ve been making throw pillows and now a tote bag using this patchwork technique. They make a nice gift for little girls. Bea chooses the fabric from my stash and I stitch them up – a good collaboration. 

The only problem is that I really like how this tote turned out and I don’t want to give it away… 

but I must.

On Saturday we took some marshmallows up to the forest and roasted them on a fire.

On Sunday we took the train up into the mountains to watch a big international alpine ski competition. I’ve never been to anything like it before. We decided to go at the last minute because Brian’s co-worker was volunteering and had some tickets for us. I’m glad we went.

We watched the women’s giant slalom – we didn’t have a good view because we were too busy trying to get a free cow bell when we should have been scouting out a good spot. But I didn’t mind – it was a fun atmosphere.

I think a couple Americans did well including Ted Ligety who won the giant slalom. Go USA!

Not sure where my mind was this morning when I turned the dial on the oven to 200 Celcius instead of converting to Ferenheit.

The second batch of apple chips is in the oven now.

I showed you the picture of Bea in her muddy clothes – well here is what I found in her coat pockets when I went to wash her coat.

• gummy bear package (empty)
• picture of a frog
• chocolate bar wrapper
• 2 barettes
• stuffed penguin
• 2 feathers
• mystery piece of plastic
• stone
• dried up flower
• 2 foil candy wrappers
• old tissue
• plastic mouse
• clear plastic candy wrapper
• stick
• marble
• four leaves
• rick-rack
• uneaten ladybug chocolate
• Swiss Airlines luggage tag
• silver plastic heart
• some bees wax
• band-aids (one unopened, one used)
• Playmobil teddy bear
• snail shell
• mystery polka-dot piece of cardboard
• 26 fake rose petals
• dirt

We had a nice double rainbow yesterday. We get so many here. I’m really going to miss this view from our living room.

Bea is in the middle of Forest week – her class goes everyday and plays in the forest they even cook their lunch two of the days. It’s been rainy so she comes home happy and covered in a layer of mud. Forest days will also be missed.

I came accross a taffy recipe and rememberd making it with Grandma Dice as a kid. We had to try it. Unfortunately I don’t have a candy thermometer so I cooked it a bit too long. It was a little like trying to stretch a hot jolly rancher. Bea was excited and she really got into wrapping them up so we’ll have to try again.

Tomorrow a man from our moving company is coming to see how much stuff we have. 

Don’t know why I haven’t ever taken a walk along the river just outside the main train station in Zurich – it’s lovely. 

With our last days here passing so quickly – I feel the need to capture all the everyday things (like the trains and trams) so we will remember them. 

Yippee – spring really is here!

It seems to me that this is about as edgy as Zurich gets – some interesting graffite art along the path. I don’t think I want to hang around and go for a Sunday stroll in the areas of Chicago that have graffiti like this. Too afraid of being shot. Sad.

This is a badi on the river. Another stark difference from Chicago. Who goes swimming in the Chicago river?

There are acutally two rivers, The Limmat and The Sihl, that join up in Zurich.

Lots of big old plane trees.

We finished up at a playground and Brian went for a run. He’s gearing up for another marathon.

Here are the girls, Saturday morning, reunited with the ipad and enjoying nutella on toast . Brian took the ipad with him last week. He was gone almost all week to the US and London. Such a hardship for the girls to be deprived of staring into that little screen and zoning out. Golly!