Boys in the kitchen

Here's Bea with a Kindergarten friend and neighbour, baking a chocolate cake together. Nice to have the boys in the kitchen!

Bea's piano evening

Bea arrived very nervous tonight, chewing his shirt and clinging on to me (reminded me of his first day at Kindergarten), and I was certain he wouldn't play in front of everyone at the little concert tonight (8 players plus parents, so about 20 people). We arrived early, as instructed, so he could get used to the piano but he refused to have a try. However, after everyone had arrived Bea was the first to play being the youngest (they ranged from 6 to 16 yrs). And almost casually he got up, walked to the piano and did his two pieces without so much as a missed key. Took him a while to stop fidgeting after, but he finally enjoyed watching the others play.

Ili stretching out

Malika giving Ili a helping hand . . .

Ili drawing

Ili loves to draw at the moment, and is getting interested in letters and not surprisingly can now write the simple letters in "Ili". Poor wee thing has picked up a virus though so not herself.

Party party party!!

Mama sneaked out to join a friend's birthday party tonight. Bea reminded me that I've been to more parties than him already this year! (I've been to two).

Football trophy

Bea brought home the football trophy this afternoon. All the children in his football group drew cards to keep it, and lucky ol' Bea chose the lucky card and won possession of the trophy, nicely made by Marcus his footy coach (a functioning racing car creatively made from plastic pop bottles). Picture to come. . . . 

Late night party

Ili had a friend's birthday party this afternoon, an Italian family who invited a crazy 18 children. Woah! And then we all had dinner at friend's and a very late night for Bea who walked home with a Grappa-fuelled papa at 00:45 in the wee hours. Ili and I only made it 'til midnight!

Old friend off to the US

Bea's long-term friend, Antonia, is heading off to the US next week as her father has a six month sabbatical in Seattle. So they had a goodbye play date today.

Winter sun . . yum.

At last . . . we had some winter sun today, still bloody Baltic thought! Piano went fine, and Bea has to continue practicing his two pieces — very simple pieces —for next Wednesday's little concert.

Zurich from the roof terrace.

Dancing "Zurich style"

Dance was fun today, and Bea said in his group they danced 'Gangnam style' (the first video to achieve over 1 billion hits on YouTube). It's the highly annoying South Korean tune, and the kids have joined the craze and are singing it at Kindergarten and school. Bea hasn't yet shown us his 'Gangnam style' moves from today! He joined in with Ili's group too, and the photograph of him lying on the floor he's playing 'sleepy lions' and the girls are trying to tickle him to wake him.

Clearing the streets

Bea and Vincent cleared up some of the post-Christmas leftovers on the way to football (Bea happily announced he "shot a goal" when he came home). I nipped in to Kindergarten and saw all the postcards and letters the children have been sent hanging in the entrance, and Bea has received quite a few.

Sledging in Zurich

Had brunch with friends (who are heading off to the US for a year), then headed out to try some sledging on Uetliberg, reached by 15 minute train ride up from Zurich where there's a 3 km sledge run. Ili and I only did a quarter of the run, and waited where the younger children were sledging, while Bea and papa built up some proper speed on their repeat run!

 Setting off from the Hof!

Papa with Bea and Ili (I was running behind!)

Picnic stop.

Bea got barked at wearing this hat!

Gentle hill sledging.

Mini sledges

Ili and our neighbour Jonah pulling some very cute miniature sledges with Jonah's grandmother (who incidentally babysat for us very successfully last weekend granting us a night out!!). One sledge was made by a violin maker, the other antique from Berlin.

Piano practice

Bea hasn't touched the piano since before Christmas, so wasn't sure how he'd cope back with Frau Sulimann today. But he did great, and will be practising for an small evening concert in two weeks time that all her pupils are encouraged to take part in. Ili spent the morning with Miya as Marianna and I have shelved our Wednesday morning child-friendly cafe working sessions, for the quiet comfort of their place which worked out better for all of us.

Snow is back in town

Just a small flurry of snow fell this evening, but enough to get Bea and Ili up on the roof making snow pies.

Treehuggers

Took one of Bea's friends out for the day and had a stroll through the city (the pictures is taken in front of St. Peter's church, famed for the biggest clock face in Europe).

Postboxes

The Kindergarten theme is 'Post' this term, and I bumped into the afternoon group visiting all the other children's postal addresses. Bea has his own mailbox now at Kindergarten, and is receiving mail! His first letter (or rather present — a cut out lion) was from his best friend's godmother.

Skipped piano

Bea skipped piano for a friend's birthday party, so, didn't see him most of the day.

and footy . . . !

Back to Kindergarten

Back to Monday morning routine!

Who am I?

Flummoxed papa with more Christmas games.

Pudding on fire

Bea lit our second Christmas pudding. Definitely time to diet!

Big cook, little cook

We ate TOOOOO MUCH!!!!

Little drummer girl

Ili and her Djembe drum.

Lion in the grass

A lion in the grass. Bea loves his new hat — thanks Becky — and had fun with it while walking at Grampa Vic's.

New Year's Day

One of my favourite beaches, Tyningham, was at it's best on New Year's Day.