Lindt & Sprüngli Factory Shop

Today Grace and I went to the Lindt & Sprüngli factory shop and took a workshop with some friends on how to make our very own Lindt Bunny and pralines. I am certain the adults enjoyed themselves as much if not more than the children. It was truly a memorable experience! And the fact that it was an afternoon eating Lindt chocolate, well....

 Are you curious how the bunnies are made? We made another stop motion movie just in case you were dying to know. 

The Scooter

Kids in Switzerland are not allowed to drive until they are eighteen years old. So as you would expect, they are very good at riding scooters, bikes, etc. We started Ally as soon as she was tall enough.

Grace is playing soccer

Grace has been watching youtube videos of Leo Messi and is super excited to finally put all those hours of practicing with her Papa to work. She's also swimming on Wednesdays. I like to think of it as cross training. Cross training so that she can always defend her Playmobil sets from her very determined younger sister.

In the woods

Most kindergarteners here spend some school time in the woods. Gathering, exploring, and learning. Grace's class is no different. The bright V-shaped reflectors around the kids' necks are worn at all times the children are not on school property and every school year a police officer visits and teaches the children how to properly cross the street by themselves. Everyone knows young children bike, walk, and ride their scooters to school and these reflectors help us easily identify the newest members of the pedestrian community. It takes some getting used to and I am still learning to appreciate the (very) early freedom and independence children are given here.

Zürichhorn Park

Happy Birthday, Ally!

"Duck Duck Goose" by Rob for Grace

The Chick and the Monster

I have an iPhone and am not afraid to waste an hour looking for new apps. Frames by Studio Neat is the latest addition to our iPhone library. Using Frames, I'm happy to share with you Grace's directorial debut with The Chick and the Monster. Enjoy!

Rob's Inaugural Lecture

In keeping with university traditions (German, I think), Rob gave his inaugural lecture yesterday. Rob's Aunt Ceci and cousin Sonya also came to the lecture and reception that followed. When Sonya graduated from UZH, her diploma ceremony was held in the very same room. I *heard* the talk went really well. The girls and I walked around the campus and had a quick snack before meeting up with Rob at the reception. The pictures I captured from the event are less than ideal but chasing after a toddler (she turns 2 on Monday) with finger foods in hand (her, not me) and snapping pictures is a recipe for disaster

DIY Baby Socks by Made by Joel

I have babies on the brain because Aunt Daphne and Tia Milge are both expecting little ones this year. I was perusing some favorite blogs and ran across these baby socks. I am going to have buy cuter socks if I want to make these!

Playdates

We have a nice group of friends in Zürich and we enjoy spending our afternoons with them at parks or in each other's homes. All depends on the weather and lately it's been glorious! Noah and Lylah are siblings and their Mom, Tami, introduced us to a very cool park in the Viadukt area. The trains run overhead in the park so the kids can swing and watch the SBBs fly by every few minutes. Then there's Grace's BFF, Felicity, and her adorable brother Rex. Both are Grace's classmates. Virginia (aka Aby), at Grace's request, made matching princess dresses for the girls. They are even more stunning in person! Grace and Ally also enjoy playing with Zara and her little brother Sebastian. There's also Sofia and her little sister Andrea who always provide hours of entertainment as well. All are expats and all will eventually move on but for the time being, it's great having such terrific friends so far away from home.