Three more skating movies - Sunday morning.

Managed to take some movies of the kids skating this morning, so first, Bea on ice. . .  (link here).
And then our little Ili showing her stuff, first one of her link here, and another one link here, where you can see papa and Bea too! 

A wee skating video

Frith joined us last night for the first time this year after work — very graceful! ;-) Here's a link to a quick movie of Bea whizzing and weaving around. Nice moves!

Still getting our skates on!

Ice skating is still the best "free" activity in the neighbourhood at the moment, so after school has finished we biked over to the ice rink again today.

Advent Singing

Advent singing started today where parents, grandparents, etc, are invited to come and listen to the children's Christmas songs before school starts. As usual, the children sing from further up the stairs so we can only hear their  voices. These are some of the kiddies handmade decorations hanging in the stairwell.

Sunday brunch and a stroll

Had friends over for Sunday brunch, and took a stroll into town to walk it off and watch the Santa Chlaus charity river swim (in 8 degree water, yowch)! Here's the view over the lake from our vista point up the Grossmunster with stunning views over the lake, and the Vespa club in Christmas attire. 

Getting Christmassy

Finally made and put up our advent wreath with tiny treats for each day. I want one!! And here's a little piccy of Bea going off last night on his school trip to the Observatory. The sky was foggy, so they didn't see a single twinkle in the night sky. But, he enjoyed the walk there through fields (must have been city limits) and said he saw lots of animal footprints. They were not back until 9.30 in the evening, and the kids walked home alone (I was window twitching)!

Ili on the chocolate hunt!

Kids school activities

No pics but just a update that Bea's class will be going to an observatory in town tonight to learn more about the night sky and stars for his school theme (solar system) — I'll try and get a piccie as them come home tonight in the dark (9 pm!). And Ili's class have headed out in the woods today to try and find Saint Nicolas in the forest (St. Nic's day this Sunday). Somehow, I think they'll find him! She still believes in Father Christmas. . .  Bea doesn't of course, and last year even noticed one wearing high heals under the red gown, so that totally blew their cover!! He he he, ho ho ho.

Skates and winter skies

Some lovely winter sunset skies at the moment which you can see well from the skating rink. Again, we were there early (after Ili's dance group), so first on the ice when it was nice and empty! It was very festive when we left, and Christmas songs blasting out! It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. . . .

Where is everyone?

Ili is getting good!

. . . just before she fell over!

Setting sun over Uetliberg.

The ice rink after dark.

Candle dipping

It's Christmas market time of year at the schools — this one was at the Rudolf Steiner school at the weekend — and one regular activity they have for the children is candle making! A lot of dipping and testing your patience goes into making these. These ones were beeswax and a little more sophisticated than the multi-coloured creations we normally make.

Kindergarten in the woods

Frith and I joined the kindergarten in the woods this Friday — parents can volunteer to help out. It was bitterly cold, but the children enjoyed making a tippee and Frith made a big fire for the sausages and to warm up little hands! It was all good fun and Ili enjoyed having mama and papa there!

Inside the tippee!

Time for a snack!

 

More ice, but still no snow!

Headed to the skating rink this afternoon and the children were super happy as they sneaked on the ice before it officially opened, so had it to themselves for a few minutes...  Bea declared that Ili was now better than me on skates — lovely confidence boost for me — but at least it means Ili is improving!!

Sunday skating

Some Sunday skating! As the rink is in the neighbourhood (10 mins walk away), it's easy to bump into the kids' mates. Bea stayed longer after Ili and I had left and came back after dark exhausted — he had a pretty full-on weekend. 

Trying out his new speed skates!

Bea and buddy.

Ili also met a school friend.

Ice skating season

The ice rinks are up in town and is one way of keeping warm outside, along with some Glühwein! Ili and I sampled our new stakes on Saturday while the boys were at the bowling party, and we dragged the boys back to see a contemporary ice dance company Le Patin Libre from Canada, who were incredible! You can see them dance here:  https://www.youtube.com/user/lepatinlibre!

Bowling party

While I can't write firsthand on the party (Ili and I were out buying iceskates for the season), the bowling trip was a great success with all the boys who loved it! Chris invited the father of one boys to help out.

Opening the pressies! Think this was his Nerf gun!

First slushy snow flakes arrived!

The bowling boys!

Theatre Week at School

Bea's class had their theatre week all week, so no regular lessons or sport, just theatre. The class had to come up with the story, the characters, make the props, source the costumes, etc, and they performed it to the parents at the school on Friday night. It was a little story of a rocket crew travelling to different planets in space and arriving at the planet of friendship, water, fun, courage, and others — and they brought something back from each planet for their own society. Bea wanted to be an animal so was a squawking monkey (he's in the brown suit) who handed over the gift of friendship, and he was a pond alien (with the big green ears). Great that they involve parents so much in the school.

Balls up!

The boys went for a quick practice session before this Saturday's birthday bowling party! Apparently, they did ok!

The planetary walk, Uetliberg

We haven't done this walk for a few years, but as Bea's school theme is the solar system it seemed appropriate to do the Planetary Walk up on Uetliberg, which is just outside the city. Essentially, there are scaled models of the solar system along the walkway and they are spaced proportionate to their distance from the sun. Bea wasn't impressed that we turned around before we even reached Uranus! Nothing against Uranus—I'm sure it's lovely —we just weren't digging the flocks of Sunday walkers! We'll head properly out of town next time! The pics here are of some quieter moments!

The teeny weeny minor planet of "Ceres".

Ili hanging on to Saturn, and not to happy about it.

Nine, nine, nine - emergency, someone's growing up!

Bea loved his birthday and said it was his best birthday yet — and he hasn't even had his party! Bless him ;-) He had school as usual in the morning, and in the afternoon got to sample a few of his toys. First, he had some time with papa after his piano lesson where he got to fly his Quadcopter, and then we all headed to the University Polyterrace where he deployed his Spycam! That was totally hilarious, and Bea sat fairly inconspicuous with his remote control while he sent his Spycam plodding up to pester students taking a break in the sun. He had groups of student taking pictures of the mysterious contraption, and others were in fits of giggles as I don't think they could work out quite where it came from. Being in a University environment, they no doubt thought it a state-of-the-art prototype from the robotics department! All in all very funny! In the evening, we went out to the local microbrewery bar/restaurant for their Autumn Beer. Of course, Bea insisted on that part! His party is in a couple of weeks where he's taking some friends bowling!

Loving his birthday cards!

His quadcopter. Mama was wrong, and it lasted
beyond it's first flight - even though it got stuck in a tree!

On the way to the polyterrace with the Spycam!

Ili and her somersaults!

Looks like Ili is ready to embellish the cake some more!

Bea in the brewery bar/restaurant.

November sunshine

It was an unbelievable weekend for sunshine, and although a trip out to the mountains would have been gorgeous we just relaxed in the city — with a jaunt up to the garden on Saturday and down to the lake on Sunday. We climbed the Grossmünster tower on Sunday which we haven't done since Bea was a tiny tot — and now we experience the collywobbles together!! We also went to see the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (or part of it) perform Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" in the evening. NOT the highlight of the weekend, and we would have escaped if we could, had more fun kicking and catching autumn leaves.

Catching falling autumn leaves!

Bea in the Rechberg gardens on the way to the tooown!

Ili sketching the Rechberg house.

A day for some lazy ambling — until I dragged everyone up the Grossmünster!

The view from the top of the Grössmunster towers. It's a long way up!!

Peaking down from the top!

Found a quiet jetty by the lake.

The back streets around Neumark, and with the Grossmünster
towers in the middle.