More candles and crafts

The children wanted to join the last candle-making session today, so we did that this afternoon — they're getting very productive now! And then afterwards, one of the children's grandmother runs a Christmas craft session for the children in the Hof here, and Bea came back with these creations! Table decorations with candles wrapped in crepe paper, surrounded by cardboard on a base of highly flammable polystyrene!! They looked lovely for the five minutes I'd allow them to burn!! What was she thinking . . . !

Singing Christmas Tree

The "Singing Christmas Tree" is in full voice at the moment, and I took the kids there tonight which happened to be a performance by an International school, so most Christmas songs were in English. Funny that Bea and Ili are more aware of the Swiss and German songs than the English ones. In a weeks time, Bea will start the Christmas singing at school, and parents are invited to listen in the mornings before school starts.

Second time on ice

Bea improved tonnes today, glided more, and landed on his bottom a lot less. Ili joined us too and Bea pushed her around on one of the skating animals which was cute! (youtube link)

Candle dipping

Tis' the season to test your patience with candle dipping. But the kids love it and Bea and Ili got busy with their colourful creations.

Snow. . . at last!

Finally, we have the snow we've been promised all week. Amazing how excited the children still are with the snow arriving—even in Switzerland where it's not uncommon — and Bea and Ili gathered it in bucket loads from the roof terrace before cramming it into the bath, and finally in the freezer to preserve it! I did explain that there would likely be more tomorrow.

BIg lunches

We've started a regular lunchtime swap, with some children coming here for lunch and then Bea and Ili going to their place on alternate weeks. More time for mums, and more fun for all, hopefully. . .  Ili and the youngest boy got on like a house on fire today. Hope the friendship flourishes.

Playing with fire

Just a cute picture of Bea playing with candles.

O Tannenbaum

The first part of O Tannenbaum . . . Bea's been asked to practice the second part after his Wednesday class this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN19-yu9AZE

Ice skating

We haven't skated for over a year (last time at the Dolder), but as there's a new ice rink at the local Polyterrace, we had a whirl this afternoon. Bea was a bit shaky at first, but improved over the hour, although he still spent a good time falling down he's determined to keep practicing.

Marshmellows and chestnuts

Here's Bea toasting marsh mellows, freezing cold at a friends birthday get together, while Ili and papa took a trip lakeside. In the evening, we passed through town for some Heissi Marroni (roasted hot chestnuts), from one the stands dotted all over town. Yum!

School swimming lessons

The parents were invited to the weekly swimming session this week. Here's Bea at the pool . . .

Bea turns SEVEN!

Wow, time has whizzed! Bea's 7th birthday today, and while a regular school day he made a request to go to the Blinde Kuh (Blind Cow) restaurant in the evening, which was everything but regular! Although the chefs are fully-sighted, you are served in absolute TOTAL darkness, and guided to your table—after checking the menu in the only lit part of the restaurant—by forming a train and placing your hands on the waitresses' shoulders (who are blind or partially-sighted) and being led through several sets of theatrical dark curtains until you are surrounded by total blackness. I've never experienced darkness like this (you can see NOTHING), and you are left to rely on only sound and touch to find your way around the food on the table. While clumsily rooting around for the glass of wine and knocking cutlery on the floor (which was impossible to use), it struck me at how much better the children were at getting their bearings. As if playing a game, Bea shot under the table to pick up anything that headed down under without problems whereas I didn't feel I could even leave my chair, and Ili tunneled between papa and I like a mole underground. Bea managed to pour his own drink from a bottle, and when asked if he needed more by the waitress, was able to deduce without hesitation the coke bottle was still half full (we were shocked) — but he did it by feeling the cooler temperature towards the bottom of the bottle. For the first five minutes or so, Ili was asking for the light to be switched on (as expected), but soon settled into the "challenge" of eating and drinking in the dark, and of course, eating with hands is not a problem, and her strong hearty voice helped call the waitress when we were ready to leave! It was actually quite noisy as there is a great need to keep talking to "feel" were everyone is. Bea loved his roast lamb, and even in the dark managed to avoid his vegetables and generally found it a whole lot more entertaining that we did. Dinner games turned towards doing all those things that are fun while going unnoticed, like hiding drinks (and worse!) and the urge to have a huge food fight had to be controlled. But a fascinating and eye-opening (metaphorically) experience none-the-less!

Arriving at the Blindekuh

The only lit area, with the menu.

Survived eating in the dark.

Hot chestnuts

Dinner out at friends Saturday night with roasted 'maroni' (chestnuts) and bubbly in the garden first. Yummy! Movies for the kids, (too many, they were exhausted), but a lazy Sunday to recover.

Puddle jumping

Autumn has finally arrived. . . . and good fun for some.

Italiano amico

Ili has become increasingly good friends with a little Italian girl from her Spielgruppe called Martina who only has basic German like Ili, so, it will be interesting to see how they continue to communicate. (The picture is a couple of weeks old, but the only one I have of them both).

Dancing for their supper

Took this little video of Bea and Ili warming up as we were waiting for friends to come over for dinner. They've got some moves . . . . !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM7-vDKKEKc&feature=youtu.be

Räbeliechtliumzug

It was the yearly parade of carved Räbe (turnips) into lanterns tonight which is a sort of harvest festival-type celebration, where the street lights are turned off for the local parade of school children to march through the area (dragging parents) behind the wagon of lanterns and brass band (groovy). Our local one starts and finishes at Bea's school, and as it was our fourth one, we can almost sing the songs now!