More Cowbell!

We have reached our two month mark- it has gone by so quickly.  Our weekdays continue to be filled with school, garderie, playgroups, and running errands- all the typcial weekday events.  Eliza did     much better this week at garderie, which was such a relief.

Monday was an exciting day for us- we got AMERICAN TV! We decided for now to try Slingbox, which is basically a box that you hook to your cable/dvr box and then can stream shows from there to wherever you are.  So, we hook our computer to the television and are able to watch all the same shows- just still have the seven hour delay- so we DVR the shows and then watch them later.  Thanks to my mom who went over to our house with Geek Squad and having the patience to work with the service guy for two hours while they trouble shooted trying to get the Slingbox to work.  After two hours, I was watching HGTV!  It was a very exciting moment- this week we have watched Modern Family, Parenthood, the Gopher football game, and Ellen!

On Thursday night, I attended Eliza's garderie parent information night... all in French.  For an hour and a half, I listened to a presentation and did not have a clue as to what they were saying.  Thankfully, they introduced me to one other mom who spoke English and some French, so they had me sit by her.  She was able to translate some for me, but then she had to immediately leave- leaving me all alone.  It was truly an eye opening experience.  Being a teacher, I have led many parent meetings, and it never croseed my mind that some of  the parents listening may not know English.  It definitely makes you realize how difficult it can be living in a different country and not being able to clearly communicate.   One thing that was ironic during the presentation was a slide of me holding Eliza.  The women next to me explained that they were talking about the importance of saying good-bye to your child when you drop off!!  I was the poster child for that topic- hmmmm...they must not read the blog!  Although, I am now abiding by their rules and doing a "Minnesota Good-Bye" everytime I leave!

On Saturday, we went to "La Desalpe in St-Cergue."  This is a major celebration that marks the end of the Alpine summer pasture grazing season- over 700 cows parade through the village during their descent from the mountain top making their way home for the winter.  I had read to get there early, because this is a very popular event, so we woke up early and arrived in St-Cergue around 7:30, which was about 45 minutes from our house.  We didn't really know the parade route, but we quickly learned when we heard loud cowbells and saw large cattle coming our way!  I have been to many parades in my life, but this was like nothing I had ever seen- a huge herd of cattle being paraded around by their shepards literally right through the village.  I was really hoping the whole time that the cows would stay on the path- we did see a few stray from the parade- thankfully not by us.  Eliza loved seeing the cows- kept saying "moo", Adalyn was hesitant at first, but in the end was right there next to the cows.  They parade throughout the whole day, just different herds coming down, so we would be walking around looking at the booths, and all of a sudden you would hear the cowbells and suddenly another herd was walking right by you- needless to say, when we got home, all of our shoes needed a good washing!

Warming up inside before the parade-  

 Cow parade!  

 Fancy head wear-

 Alphorns-

Not your traditional parade band!  They played using their huge cowbells as instruments-

 it was pretty cool! 

Saturday evening, the commune we live in, Veyrier, was having a festival so went to check it out.  We walked around a bit, listened to live music, and ate some risotto that our neighbor was preparing- it was a beautiful night so it was great to be outside.

Sunday, was another beautiful day, sunny and 75 degrees, so we decided we better do something to take advantage of the warm weather, because we all know cold temperatures are right around the corner!  We have been talking about renting a boat since we have gotten here, and today seemed like the perfect day.  We decided since we loved Annecy so much we would go there to rent a boat.  We rented a boat on Lake Annecy for an hour and enjoyed every minute!  The girls absolutely loved it- just staring at the water and bobbing to the waves.  We went to the middle of the lake and enjoyed some cheese, crackers, and wine.  Chris even jumped in for a quick swim- the water seemed a bit too chilly for the rest of us!

 The silly poses I have them do!

Giggling together the whole time!

Avoir une merveilleuse semaine!

Discovering the land of chocolate and cheese...

This week we continued to establish our routine-trying to find more activities to keep Eliza busy during the day.  Adalyn had a full week of school and still likes it a lot!  She told me before bed on Friday that she missed her teacher and was sad she didn't have school the next two days.  So sweet- we are so happy that she likes her school, teacher, and classmates.  

Eliza had garderie twice this week, still very unhappy with being away from me, hoping that she will eventually get used to it and enjoy it.  It makes me sad to leave her unhappy, but I know eventually she will enjoy playing with the other kids and be excited to go (hopefully!).

Adalyn started dance class on Tuesday - she seems to enjoy it.  It seems a lot more structured than the class she took in MN and it is taught in French, so I hope she can keep up and focus!

Adalyn in the black leotard-  

On Wednesday, we had some friends over to play and have dinner.  Adalyn only has school half days on Wednesdays, so the afternoons/nights can get long- especially when Chris is traveling.  So, we had over our new friends that we had met Sunday.  Their kids are almost the exact age of Adalyn and Eliza, so they play together well.  It was nice to see the girls having so much fun and for us moms to enjoy some wine and adult conversations.

On Saturday, we went to Gruyeres, which is in Switzerland.  Gruyeres is a medieval town at the foot of the Alps, mainly known for their production of famous Swiss cheese.  First, we stopped at the Castle of Gruyeres.  The castle was built in 1270 for the Counts of Gruyeres.  In 1938, it was opened to the public for tours.  We really enjoyed touring this castle because it was semi-furnished, so Adalyn was able to imagine what life would be like inside the castle.  

Gruyeres 

 Waiting for "Coronation Day" again...

The garden in the castle- 

After the castle, we headed to La Maison du Gruyere (the cheese factory).  First, we had lunch.  Since we were at a cheese factory, we decided to have our first cheese fondue.  Adalyn was a bit hesitant and didn't love the flavor, but of course Eliza loved it!  I thought it was so interesting, they put all of the cheese into a cellar, which holds up to 7,000 35kg rounds of cheese.  The rounds are turned over and brushed with a water and salt mixture everyday for the first ten days.  The following two weeks, the process is done three times per week, then twice per week for the next three months.  I never realized how high maintenance cheese was- makes you enjoy it more!  

Where they make the cheese-     

From there, we headed to the highlight of the day, the Callier (Nestle) Chocolate Factory.  We took an interactive guided tour that traced the history of the factory from 1898 to the present.  We were very impressed with the tour- Eliza was asleep for the first five minutes of the tour, but then I think the strong smell of chocolate woke her up into a real life dream- who wouldn't love waking up in a chocolate factory!  We were able to watch the chocolate bars get made and eat them right off the assembly line.  Just when we thought the tour was over, and we were pleased with our sample we had received, we walked into an amazing room... a chocolate tasting room.  The room was filled with all the different kinds of chocolate with samples to try- it was amazing.  I really think the girls thought they were in a dream- Chris and I did too!  (Although my dream would have had wine tasting with the chocolate!)  

Fast asleep... but not for long!   

 The chocolate cow that makes her favorite chocolate milk!

Loving the chocolate tasting room- 

Sunday afternoon, we visited the Botanical Garden Park in Geneva- located alongside of the north side of Lake Geneva.  It is a huge park that features plants from all over the world.  Most of the plants were done flowering, but we imagine this place is amazingly beautiful in the summer.  They also have an old fashioned fairy-tale carousel that the girls really enjoyed riding.  It was fun to get out and discover another park in Geneva.  

Daddy and daughter... 

 Have you hugged a tree today?

 Carousel- Eliza is always so serious in pictures!!  

 Eliza now showing interest!

Climbing the tree-

Hoping for another good week- a bientot!    

Pictures from last week-

 Bedtime fun

Perfect morning for a hot chocolate in Chamonix

Picnic lunch on the streets of Chamonix

Chamonix

I thought this cloud was so cool just hanging out on top of the mountain while we were driving

Bonjour!

So confused on why she doesn't fit in the baby crib!  

Lessons Learned...

This week, I have learned some lessons- about living in Geneva.  Here are a few:

1)  Swiss/French parenting is different in some ways to my parenting.  One example is how we treat daycare.  Eliza had her first official day at the garderie on Monday.  Since it is still transition time, I played with her for awhile, watched her play, and then was told I could leave for an hour and see how she did.  Back in MN, when we would leave Eliza, we would do the sneak away approach, distract her, and then run!  Apparently, this is not okay here.  I was sneaking away as I was stopped and told I had to say good-bye.  Well, I knew the result would be tears, but I did it anyway.  After a hug, kiss, good-bye, the tears flowed and I exited.  Thinking I still had a free hour, I did what many moms would do, grocery shop!  I headed to France looking forward to my kid free shopping experience.  Well, twenty minutes into it, I got a call from the garderie informing me that I had to come get Eliza because she was crying.  Seriously?  I am paying you to play with her and watch her- whether she is happy or crying! (Don't get me wrong... I did feel bad that she was upset.) There went my alone time... I went to pick her up and she was of course done crying by the time I got there.  I told the teacher that next time, I wouldn't say good-bye and just sneak away. She disagreed and told me I had to say good-bye, or Eliza would associate playing with mommy leaving.  My thought is since she cried and I came, now she will associate if I cry, my mom will come back and get me.  We will see how this week goes...

2)  Gone are the days of having an ongoing inventory at my house.  Back in MN, if I was out shopping and saw something that I liked, I would buy it knowing that I could take it home, think about it, and have the option at most stores of hassle free returns.  This week I have discovered that the Swiss are not so keen on people returning items.  I tried to return a table cloth I had bought, without measuring my table at home before, and discovered it was too big.  I packaged it back up, but the clerk didn't think it was packaged neatly enough, so she told me I couldn't return it.  I told her how it was the wrong size, and she just waved a ruler at me.  Hmm, I guess I have an extra table cloth now.  Lesson learned... make sure the item is exactly what I need, since chances are it will be mine to keep.

3)  Traffic and parking.  Living in the suburbs, I rarely had to deal with traffic, besides the occasional trips into the big city.  Here, traffic is unpredictable.  Adalyn's school is about 3 miles from our house, yet it takes about 20 minutes to get there, on good days.  We leave our house at 7:40 each morning and her school starts at 8:30.  Traffic gets backed up due to many bikers on the road because the roads are so narrow you can't pass them, and the amount of crosswalks and stopping for people to cross.  Besides the traffic, the parking situation at her school is insane.  They have a tiny parking lot, for many parents dropping off and picking up.  Therefore, if you want a spot, you need to arrive very early.  In the afternoons, Eliza and I get there by 2:30 even though Adalyn doesn't get dismissed until 3:00.  In the parking lot, parents double park, so the other day we waited twenty minutes to leave until the car that double parked in front of us left.  This becomes a challenge when trying to entertain a one year old! Finding parking anywhere is a challenge and complicated.  The spots are marked with different colors which mean different things- sometimes you have to leave a clock on your dash to indicate what time you parked and you get so much time to come back.  Some you have to get out, find a meter ticket machine, print it, and go back and place it on your dashboard.  If  am lucky I find a parking ramp, which is much easier!  Basically, the lesson learned so far is to always allow more time than you think and to be patient when trying to find parking- a few times my road rage comes out, and unfortunately now Adalyn is picking up on it and has become my back seat driver telling me and everyone else on the road what to do!  

I am sure I will continue to learn many more lessons throughout this journey.  I have been reading, Bringing up Bebe, which is a book written by an American author who raised her three kids in Paris.  She compares the parenting style of the French to the typical American style.  It has really given me insight into the observations I have made and different situations I have encountered.

This week Adalyn really enjoyed her full days of school- she loves the food- thankfully she did not inherit my picky eating habits!  Their school menu is definitely different here than in the states, some examples of her main dishes are; spinach and ricotto tortellini, moroccan lamb casserole, kebab with yogurt sauce.

On Wednesday, Adalyn has half days at school, so in the afternoon I took the girls to an indoor play area in France called, C L'Aventure.  Unfortunately, Helen led us on a crazy route and an hour later we finally found the play area.  The girls loved it!  They had a small area for kids 0-4 and then a larger play area for older kids.  They enjoyed jumping on the trampolines and riding the little scooters.

                                

                                     Eliza enjoying the moto! 

Trampoline fun!  They couldn't stop laughing-

On Saturday, we went to Chamonix, a high-mountain town surrounded by the Alps in France, about an hour from our house.  Chamonix is known for its skiing and the views of Mont Blanc.  Chamonix is definitely my favorite place we have been so far.  Chris and I were in Chamonix six years ago in the winter, and I think it is an amazing place no matter what season.  They have tons of little shops, outdoor restaurants, and an amazing view everywhere you look (wherever you look up, you see 15,781 ft. of rock, snow, and ice).  Adalyn was excited to see snow-capped mountains for the first time close up. We spent a few hours there- just window shopping and walking around.  They also have a cute kid park with some rides, including a luge ride for kids, but unfortunately it didn't open until 2:00, so we will try that out next time we visit.

The girls enjoying a picnic on the streets of Chamonix-

Great morning for a hot chocolate-

Chamonix

Saturday night, we were invited to the Baker's house for dinner, which was wonderful.  It is always nice to get out and enjoy some time with other adults!

Sunday, we had a relaxing day. In the afternoon, we had a "blind date!"  I am starting to feel like making new friends is very similar to dating.  You meet, you exchange names (half of which I can't pronounce), where you are from, kids, etc.  Then, if it goes well, you exchange numbers!  This afternoon we met up at a nearby park with a family we had been connected with who also have a four year old daughter and a one and a half year old boy.  The kids had a great time playing and we enjoyed getting to know the parents.  I think there will be a second date!

We are continuing to enjoy Geneva- especially when we see that the weather is so cold in MN already!!  It is still in the mid to upper 70's here- book your flights now!

Avoir une merveilleuse semaine!

*** For some reason the program I use to include pictures is currently not working, so I tried but I don't think they all worked- hope to post more pics next week!

All Set for School!

The first week of school was a SUCCESS!  Adalyn really enjoys her school and is excited to go everyday, which is a great feeling for Chris and I.

Adalyn started school on Wednesday, and she was super excited!  One thing different from the US is the school supply list. She needs four pairs of shoes; shoes she wears to school, slippers to wear during school, a special pair of shoes for music class, and then a pair of gym shoes that stay at school.  She also has a gym uniform that she will change into for gym class which they have once a week.  They will have music twice a week and a french teacher come in twice a week.  Another diference is the amount of time they get outside and for lunch.  Every morning they go outside for half an hour.  Then, lunch is one hour, which they eat in the classroom at her age, and then they play outside for another 45 minutes- rain or shine.

She picked out her dress, it said "Je Suis (I am) a Cutie, Meet me in Paris."

Still wants to be a princess when she grows up, just not a "Princess Baker" like last year... must have realized Princess' get a baker who bakes for them!!

 Her teacher - Sara Beth

So excited!

The "drop off" went great- no tears from Adalyn, Chris, or me!  Eliza missed her sister so much while she was away-they are rarely apart, so Eliza kept asking for Ady and looking around the house for her that first morning. Thankfully, I discovered a great place near us that is perfect for the kids.  They have open play times where you can play, and then they also allow you to borrow toys for three weeks.  So, you can always have a new toy at home to play with!  They also have bikes, scooters, ice skates, etc. to borrow.  Eliza and I went there Wednesday morning and she had a blast.  She loves playing kitchen and taking care of babies!  She entertained herself for a whole hour just playing with the different toys. 

Then, it was time to pick up Adalyn- I was anxious to hear how her first day went.  She came out of the room with a huge smile!  She informed me right away that she made a new friend, which I thought was great.  The other girl came out and quickly told her mother that she met someone new too, Adalyn.  Then, what happened next I could have never predicted... it was this girl's birthday and she wanted Adalyn to go to her party that afternoon.  Oh my, a birthday party the first day???  When I know nobody and now I will be attending a party- seriously??? I knew this would be a great way for Adalyn to make more friends, and possibly I could meet my second emergency contact, but I was still feeling a bit uncomfortable about the whole thing.  Three hours later... we were at the girl's house celebrating her birthday.  I guess you really do whatever is best for your kids!  I did end up meeting some very nice ladies, but still felt out of place the entire time, and still don't have my second emergency contact.  

Adalyn after her first day!  

Eliza LOVES wearing Adalyn's backpack!  

Eliza also started "school" this week.  I found a "garderie" which is basically a drop off daycare/learning center for toddlers.  They have free play, music time, and craft time.  She will be going Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons.  Her first day was this past Thursday, and she really seemed to like it.  Since it is the first week for the kids, it is transition week, so they go for a shorter time to get used to it.  She did great so I am hoping next week I can escape for a little longer!  I am really happy that I was able to fnd her a place to play with kids her age.  The three teachers speak French, so hopefully she will learn some French and not be completely confused!  

Friday afternoon, I took the girls to the Circus Knie Zoo.  Circus Knie is the largest circus in Switzerland- they travel throughout Switzerland and are currently in a nearby neighborhood.  In connection with the circus they also have a zoo, where you can walk around and see the animals that are part of the show.  The girls and I spent the afternoon visiting the zoo and seeing horses, zebras, camels, elephants, monkeys, llamas, and baby goats.  

Pony Ride- 

On Saturday, we woke up early and didn't have much of an agenda but knew we wanted to visit Interlaken and Thun, which are both about a 2 1/2 hour drive from our house.  This adventure was a bit longer than others, and Eliza let us know... much easier to travel during nap times!  She apparently is not entertained by the views like we are.  We arrived in Interlaken and walked around for a bit and then had a picnic in the town center and enjoyed the ambience of Interlaken.  Then, we headed down the lake road that led to Thun, which is also where we wanted to visit.  It was absolutely MAGNIFICIENT- driving along the cliff looking down at the lake.  At times, it was a bit scary being so close to the cliff and making sure that Chris had his eyes on the road and not the views around us.  We stumbled upon one of the most beautiful spots we have ever seen, St. Beatus-Hohlen.  We walked up to the top and the views were incredible- they also have a cave tour that you can take, but it takes an hour and we weren't sure how the girls would hold up- we will definitely be back to take the cave tour someday.  We continued along the rode and ended up in Thun.  It is a cute little city with outdoor restaurants and shops.  They also happened to be celebrating their 750th year of being established, so it was extra busy and entertaining.  We walked around there for awhile and then headed back to Geneva. For not having a set plan, we had an awesome Saturday adventure day!  

The winding road along the cliff- 

 The walk we took up the side of the mountain. 

Lake Thun

Our first family photo

Thun

On Sunday, we focused on house stuff in the morning- thankfully Sebastian (Chris' co-workers son), our new handy man, came over and was able to put up some pictures, a baby gate, and helped build our bookcase for us.  The walls of our house are all made of cement, so you need a heavy duty drill, which we don't have with a swiss outlet, so he came to our rescue!  The weather was wonderful again, so we headed to the lake in the afternoon and walked around. Now, as I am writing we are watching the Vikings game- the noon games are perfect, because that means 7 pm for us!

We look forward to a great week- Au revoir!