The mountains! The snow!

Well at least one of us four have made it to the mountains this month! Frith had a work's skiing day — with an instructor — to top up their ski skills at Andermatt.

Walking the old town - Zürich

Bea was at a friend's birthday party at a Freestyle Skatepark in the city here — which for a group of 9-year-olds meant that they took their two-wheel scooters or their skateboards and tried their luck with a few ramps and jumps. But all went well and the kids had a ball. Ili has a bit of an obsession with the city buildings as they are talking about Zürich and its history in kindergarten, so we took her to see the pretty Marc Chigall stained glass windows in one of the old city churches and wandered around having a lazy Sunday. We loved the chocolate shops getting ready for Easter already! The very Over-The-Top window decoration is outside Teuscher Chocolatier. 

Back streets of the old town, Zurich.

Spring flowers, summer fruiting lemons,
and winter pine!

Outside Teuscher's — a bit over the top?

Chocolate too pretty to eat.

Ili and Papa in the old town (this is not Bea in the pic).

Making an igloo

Snow on the ground in the city and winter is well and truly here. Bea and Ili have started making an igloo on the roof terrace.

Visiting day at Kindergarten

Open doors at Kindergarten today so Frith and I got to see what Ili get's up to.  The picture with papa is Ili with her weaving loom. Lots of emphasis on handcrafts, songs, and games.

First sledging of the year

We had planned to day trip to the mountains this weekend but only managed a little city sledging (weather not good enough in the hills!). Kids enjoyed it all the same.

Feeding the frozen birds

Birds soooo hungry and frozen they were feeding out of the kiddies hands!

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.