Laowai

Brian and Bea invited Claire and I to join them on their weekend adventure in Lachen.

Sorry I didn’t get any shots of you Brian – I guess you were more in the picture taking mood.

Bea and I spent a rainy Friday making turtles out of stones and cardboard. Five green ones and one sparkly pink one. She gave one of the green ones to her playgroup teacher. 

I got the idea for these turtles on The Crafty Crow web site. I really like this site because it is chock full of kids craft ideas.

We went for an after dinner walk last night and found some strawberries growing along the road. And a cat too.

There is a penguin theme going on in our house at the moment. And Bea has started to be a bit more interested in and able to color within the lines.

I wanted to make a couple things for Claire during the Kids Clothes Week Challenge but just didn’t get around to it until now. I made two easy pinafores for her. I love these over a onesie or with bloomers. 

This shape:

Turns into this little pinafore:

You can see why this is such a classic pattern from the past. So easy it’s like magic. The criss-cross in the back is my favorite part.

I made two.

I sing to my babies like most mothers must. I sing a version of Where Have All The Flowers Gone to Claire. I’ve changed it to Where Have All The Wa Wows Gone because I’m always searching for a wa wow (pacifier) as I put her down. Plus it’s a sleepy song that I like the sound of. Of course I don’t sing (or think about) the parts about soldiers and graveyards – that’s much too sad. I just wish I had a voice as beautiful as Mary Travers.

When I was pregnant with Bea I saw Three Amigos on TV and I laughed ’till I cried. Brian thought I’d lost it because I found it so funny. I always figured it was because of some pregnancy funny bone that I found the movie so very very hilarious. When Bea was a baby I sang our own version of My Little Buttercup:

My little buttercup, her name is Bea
My little buttercup, looks just like me
My little buttercup, buttercup, buttercup,
I love you

So Dave and Kim just left for the airport. We had a lovely time with them. I really appreciate how they love up our kids and how they are so good at bringing out the smiles and giggles. 

Last night I told Bea to say good-bye to her Aunt and Uncle so she went into their room and started mauling Kim with her four-year-old affection (like she’s been doing all week). I stood outside the door and overheard her say to Kim. I want to keep you.

One more photo – because it captures our mood today. On Dave and Kim’s first day here some people had just gotten married in Rapperswil and their guests released these heart shaped balloons.

Brian and Dave and Kim went to Zermatt and climbed the Matterhorn yesterday. Just kidding – ha ha. They went to Zermatt and did a big hike with great views of the Matterhorn.

I’ve lived in Switzerland for well over a year now but I feel like I hadn’t really been into the mountains until yesterday. We went to the Interlaken area with Dave and Kim. It was a beautiful day.

First, we were on one of the trains that has a playground in it. Yes, a playground on the train – very cool.

We went to a town called Lauterbrunnen. I didn’t do much hiking because we had the stroller but that was OK. I rode up in a gondola with Brian and Claire while Dave and Kim climbed with Bea. It seems very easy to get way, way up into the mountains because there are so many cable cars and little rail lines up there.

Claire looked very Swiss in her red and white shirt.

Here’s Brian with a white knuckle grip in the gondola.

And here’s Kim cuddling with a very tired Claire.