Laowai

Here I go…

The ski scene here in Switzerland is a big thing. Since the girls will have school ski trips in the future we feel the need to dip our toes in and help them learn to ski. I’m still gathering all their ski gear so we just went for a snowy hike last weekend. Many of the ski areas have nice winter hiking paths. The paths are groomed so the snow is packed and easy to walk on. We went to one of the areas that is really popular for people from Zurich called Flumserberg. It’s really easy to get there – only about an hour on the train and then a ride up to the snow on a gondola. When you get there it is a sea of people in their bright ski gear and they are all clomping around in their ski boots and lugging their gear. And in the distance you can see all sorts people zooming up and down the mountain. They come down the mountain on skis and sleds and snowboards and they go up the mountain on chair lifts and t-bars and gondolas and little magic carpets for the littlest skiers. There are also beautiful cross-country skiing trails that made me wish my dad was with us. There is buzzing activity against the backdrop of white everywhere you look. Everyone seems to know where to go. We felt really new to the whole area but it was a beautiful sunny day – and there was snow! So we did our little hike with our sleds and made plans to come back soon.

I was happy to spend some time in my sewing room last week. I made another Oliver + S. Gallery Tunic. This time I added buttons to the placket. I like to wear this tunic with skinny cut jeans and cardigans in the winter.

That makes six Gallery Tunics in my closet! It might be my mom uniform.

I’m also ruminating on a new quilt plan. I used birthday money from my mom-in-law to buy a set of half yard solid fabrics. Aren’t they so pretty.

Even the thread trimmings are pretty.

I’m thinking of using a pattern called Checkered Garden from Film in the Fridge. It’s always hard starting out and committing to a pattern. It’s a lot of colors all together but the older I get the more I realize how much I love color. So I might just go for it. Can’t think of anything better to do in these gray post holiday months. 

Stay tuned.

Well Christmas is packed away. And my girls, after a very long break, are back to their school routine.

They are growing so fast and sometimes I look back wistfully at old pictures. It used to be so easy to make them smile. Now they are happy young girls but keeping them happy is a little more complicated than tickling their chubby chins. Here’s a photo I found hiding in a random place on my computer:

It’s confusing this parenthood thing. I waffle between worrying if I’m setting the right example and guiding them correctly and then thinking that they are their own people and they have to learn to be independent and make their own way. I know it’s all normal stuff but this is certainly the first time I have raised a ten (almost eleven) year old. I can feel that Bea especially has something growing in her that makes her want to reject most of her parents ideas lately. Lots of eye rolling for everyone and we aren’t even into the teen years yet. And I don’t mean to sound negative – my girls are really fantastic and I am so proud of them. It’s just the changes that make my head spin sometimes.

Here are few random photos from the last few days:

We took a little trip to Basel to see the Marc Chagall exhibit. I like Basel and the few times I’ve been there – I always leave saying “we should come here more often”. It seems to have a lot of museums and big interesting public art. It feels like Switzerland but it also feels really creative. 

I like swans:

Here are some photos of things my girls have made lately. Bea has an after school art club that she is enjoying. The art room is big and amazing and she can choose what she wants to make. The mosaic is from that club and then she made those exuberant cupcakes. Claire is into making stories with her Finnish friend – one of their characters is Ms. Gummy Bear. I love the detailed style of her drawings. We are working on her letter d…

Claire and I made this marker caddy. The girls seem to have become some sort of marker addicts. They love, love, love to acquire any new or different writing implements. After they got some more goodies for Christmas we felt a new organization system was in order.

Finally, Bea has been making some cute stop motion videos: Not sure what that pink thing is – must be some sort of candy. 

New Year’s Eve here is really fantastic for a homebody like me. We stayed in and had delicious fondu and then we were treated to a whole panorama of fireworks. AND it’s midnight and we’re not even that tired because we’re all JETLAGGED!

Here are a few snapshots and a video that really doesn’t do the scene outside our windows justice – but here it is anyway:

Hello 2018!

It was very warm today so we got one last walk in for 2017. We went to the ruins in our town and everyone smiled.

Today is the last day of 2017. I’m feeling a little traumatized after our trip back home – having a crummy cold on top of jet lag has wiped me out. Luckily we have some days before the girls have to be back to school so I’ll take it easy as I unpack and reflect on 2017. 

Here are a few more pictures from our time in Michigan:

Cheers!

The girls were quick to jump up after dinner and help do dishes because present opening was next.

Bea hanging out on Christmas morning in her sloth print pajamas that Aunt Jennifer made.

Brian wants to try this card out at the airport – maybe it will get us to the front of some line…

Michigan, or all of the US, was having a cold streak. We had many cold crisp sunny days. The kind we don’t really get very often here near Lake Zurich.

At Grandma C.’s the girls seem to always be perched on either side of grandma’s big chair.

Here is the wreath that I painted for my mom in law this year. It had to be a packable wreath. I was inspired by the artwork of Dinara Mirtalipova and her book, Imagine a Forest.

Here are the cookies that the girls decorated with Grandma C. She always packs them up so carefully with layers of wax paper. Don’t they look beautiful.

On to 2018. I hope it is Shiny and Bright.

Well we had our family Christmas at home – seems like ages ago. And after flying to the US on Saturday we spent a couple days in Wilmette and now we are in Michigan. Christmas is coming fast and I’m just hanging out with Mom and Jennifer and the girls. So here are a bunch of random photos and thoughts to finish up 2017.

Making: Cookies and cupcakes for class parties and absolutely loving it. At the girls’ old school they didn’t do any special food treats for the holidays out of fear of allergies. It was really a shame.

Looking: Forward to January when I think I will be able to tackle some sewing projects that I’m excited about.

Listening: To rain on our sky lights. We’ve had a lot of cold, heavy rain recently and I like hearing it pounding down.

Mourning: The melting of Bea’s snowman on our patio.

Cringing: at the mess that was left in the wake of my holiday crafting.

Deciding: that early morning when the house is still is my favorite time of day lately.

Questioning: the huge amount of cheese that Brian insists on buying for our Swiss Christmas. Way more than a family of four can consume.

Rolling: my eyes.

Marvelling: at the big ol’ mess that Christmas makes

Reading: Yes, finally taking some time to read more than three pages before I fall asleep. I’m finishing Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. And then I have a non-fiction book about some decadent 1930s jet-set people lined up. 

Smelling: Gingerbread!

Liking: Seeing my girls reunited with their girl friends in Wilmette. Watching the hugs was the best. Here’s a picture that Claire’s friend Maeve made for her.

Noticing: An exhuberant new mural at a train station in Evanston

Loving: My house in Wilmette. It was strange and nice to be back. I actually enjoyed sweeping the dust away – showing my house some love.

Pondering: What a difficult year it has been for my mom. I’m thinking of Dad and working it all out in my mind.

Watching: The TV that Claire made in Wilmette (so sad that we didn’t have a real tv to watch).

Thanking: My lovely friends and neighbors in Wilmette. We arrived home to a welcome banner, lots of treats to eat and milk in the fridge. And our neighbors generously shared their wifi – no better gift for the downtrodden internet starved travelers. Ha.

Wishing: Peace on Earth – I saw this cute sign when I took a nice long walk to Winnetka (next to Wilmette).

Buying: Clothes – yay – Brian and I were able to go to the mall an do some shopping for ourselves – by ourselves. It’s nice to go to stores I know and see prices that aren’t as high as they are in Zurich.

Pretending: Claire is pretending she is Santa with a marshmallow beard.

Thinking: I’m so glad that the shopping and running around are done and now I can just enjoy some quiet time.

Drinking: Hot chocolate in mom’s coveted Denby cups.

Enjoying: Watching Singing in the Rain with Jennifer and the rest of the girls. Jennifer always helps us slow down and enjoy the best old movies.

Giggling: We’ve been playing Head’s Up. It’s Ellen’s charades app and it always leads to laughing.

Embracing: Being with family and relaxing.

Cooking: Nothing at the moment – ha – nice – but I think I should help Jennifer and Chris make Christmas Eve dinner.

Wishing: Everyone who reads my silly little blog the very best Christmas!