Three snails, a snail home, and a snail building

Visit With Grammie Krista and Papa Gary

My parents arrived for a visit a couple of days after Christmas. We had a lovely visit! The kids loved having them here--helping them to make coffee, playing board game, after board game, after board game, talking them into marching around the apartment in a line, singing "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go...", "writing" email messages to various people on their laptop, etc., etc....unfortunately poor Grammie was sick for most of the trip (we're cursed!). Just posting a few of the pictures from their time here. I'm glad they got to come see us in Switzerland one last time.

Per request...

Rowan requested that I put this picture on the blog so everyone could see it.

Père Noël, Part Two

Here are some more pictures from our visit to see Père Noël.

The passageway to Père Noël's office

Père Noël's desk

Rowan talking to Père Noël

Afterward we got a chance to play in the snow for a bit. It was not ideal--the dry snow was not fresh and it was very windy, blowing it right into our faces. Rowan might have been the only one of us who really enjoyed it.

Snowball!

Muriel and Rowan on the train ride home.

Today's artwork from Rowan

In case you couldn't figure it out, this is Rowan standing next to a house.

Maybe there is hope

This picture gives me hope for mass transit in Seattle. Not much hope, just a little.

Christmas 2009

Here are some photos from Christmas Day, finally! Only three weeks late. I just got done weeding through all the December photos and we ended up with only 250 for the month. That's probably the lowest photo month for 2009, by far which is indicative of what a lovely month December was. Muriel and I were both sick on Christmas day. But the whole family has now been healthy for more than one whole week--it's been so nice! Hopefully we can put those pathogen filled months of November and December far, far behind us.

Anyway, here are some pictures. I only had the energy to take photos in the morning, but the rest of the day was pretty quiet and uneventful anyway.

Santa came!

And he was feeling a little crazy...


I'm not sure what got into him, but he gave the kids their first licensed Disney toys. And he didn't even give them grudgingly! He was, in fact, a bit sheepishly excited about it. 5 years sure can change a person.

Niamh received Snow White and the Prince.

Here is Muriel, up for the first time, checking out the shopping basket full of Swiss food. She didn't last long, and was asleep again about thirty minutes later.

Grammie and Bumpa gave Niamh her much longed for doll car seat. She was thrilled!

This is Muriel after her morning nap. Santa brought her one set of alphabet blocks in French, and one set in English.

Muriel felt a little more chipper once the ibuprofen kicked in.


My little Batman (shirt and mask from Santa). Notice the boots? Batman always wears boots. A little while later Ro added Daddy's black gloves to the ensemble.

Niamh and Muriel

Okay, these are pictures I took today and not catch-up photos, but wanted to post them because I don't think I'll get to catch-up photos today and this will hopefully appease the sisters and grandparents!

La Fête des Rois 2010

Yesterday was La Fête des Rois or Epiphany. My Kugelhopf has a good post up about Three Kings day in France and the German speaking part of Switzerland. I do not know if the "celebration" in Morges is traditional in the French speaking part, or maybe it's just a Morges/Vaud thing? I put celebration in quotes because I'm not sure that taking your sad, old Christmas tree to the train station to get sent through a wood chipper really qualifies as a celebration, even if there is a stand giving out tea, mulled wine, and couronne. Though this far past Christmas it does feel great to finally get rid of the tree that's been tied up on our balcony since the 26th.




In addition to the wood chipper set up at the train station there was also the more traditional and festive Gallette de Rois or Couronne (here they sell both) that could be bought at the supermarkets or boulangeries.

One boulangerie had les fèves for sale, so I picked up a bunch for hopefully baking into cakes on Three Kings Day when we're not living in Switzerland any longer.

We ended up with two Gallette de Rois. The first I bought at Migros (supermarket), thinking I'd be too lazy to go out to a boulangerie the next day. But once I got it home, I noticed that the box said it was not for children because it contained kirsch. The above gallette we bought at Fornerod tasted so much better though, I'm glad I was forced to go get a second one!

My mom found--or maybe I spotted it and gave it to her--the fève in the Migros gallette (which by the way did not taste booze-y at all), and I found the fève in the Fornerod gallette.


We also happened to have two kids who really wanted to be king, so having two crowns worked out nicely (Grammie and I didn't mind relinquishing our power). The very first thing Niamh did this morning when she got out of bed was to put her crown on again.

We took a bit of a blog break due to being sick, and having visitors, and all the usual holiday craziness. I'll hopefully be able to catch up the blog in the next couple of days with photos from the past couple of weeks.

Fine Art: Christmas Tree for Grammie and Bumpa

Rowan has been asking for this drawing to be sent to Grammie and Bumpa. I figured it would be easier and faster if I just posted it online.

Mes dessins de Noel

Rowan had been working on this at school and brought it home on the last day of school with strict instructions that he continue to work on it each day.

Merry Christmas!

Has the end of the world arrived?

This clock at the CFF station in Montreux was 7 minutes slow. I checked both my phone and my watch (sync'd to Morges train station main clock) to validate that it was wrong. I couldn't believe it. It is the only train station clock I have seen in Switzerland that has not been correct. It is a sure sign the end of the world is coming.

A visit to Pere Noel

It took 2 hours and 2 trains, but we made it to Pere Noel. Please note the following:

1. The lines across the picture are from an issue with our scanner, the actual picture is fine.
2. Niamh was totally uninterested in being on Pere Noel's lap.
3. Muriel was only slightly more interested in being on Pere Noel's lap
4. The spot on Rowan's head was caused by Emily letting Rowan play with the clippers after she was done cutting his hair.

Rowan actually talked with Pere Noel this year, which is a significant improvement from the last visit.

Somersaults!

Rowan learned how to do somersaults at school and now the girls are joining in on the fun.

Letter From Santa

Rowan and Niamh received their letters back from Santa (AKA the Swiss Post) last week.

The letter, in English, included a random short story about a snowman, which seemed to end and begin in the middle, as well as some Christmas window decals. It wasn't, in fact, really a letter at all, which I found to be slightly disappointing. But I'm glad that the Swiss Post went to the trouble to at least send something back!

Second Sight

Today I am feeling like I'm gifted with second sight, as yesterday I forced myself to go out shopping for snow gear for the kids in preparation for the train up to Rochers-de-Naye on Monday to see Père Noël. And then woke up today to snow! Coincidence? I think not.

My second sight must be a bit spotty though, because I was certainly caught completely unaware yesterday afternoon when Pat learned that his office here is to be shut down and we'll out of Switzerland sometime in the next nine months. Where next? Who knows at this point.

But for now let's focus on something a little more festive and cheerful, like unexpected snow! I hope it sticks around for Christmas, I can't remember the last time I had a white Christmas!


We were able to get out the door about 15 minutes early today so the kids could play for a bit before Ro had to go to school.

Later that morning I took the girls out to play.

Muriel love it....

for about two seconds. She spent the rest of the time in my arms, or looking like the above photo. Maybe gloves would have helped? The sleeves on her snowsuit go way past her fingers though, so I thought she'd be okay without.



Niamh on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed herself!

Cookie Thief