ENJOY!
Merry Christmas, and a healthy and prosperous New Year to everyone!
PS: This is NOT our house ;o)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Sami Niggi Naeggi
Last Saturday, December 6th, I was lucky to take Sofia to meet the "Samichlaus" for the first time. Samichlaus is the Swiss version of Santa and he comes on December 6th. I had bummped into another Swiss lady at the grocery store, who heard me speak Swiss to Sofia and so she approached us and invited us to come to this event. It was hosted by the Peninsula Swiss Club When we got there, there were already quite a few Swiss kiddies running around, and all I could think of was, how cool it was to be able to have Sofia experience a true Swiss tradition. Something I grew up with I get to share now with her, all the way over here in the States! I have to admit, I got a little choked up at the thought. Before Sofia was born, I never thought of joining a Swiss club, because I didn't feel the need. But now that I have her, it just makes sense. It's really wonderful, because they also host a Fondue night and an Easter egg hunt in April, as well as the traditional 1. of August celebration, which is something like 4th of July.
Here she is meeting the "Samichlaus":
At home (in Switzerland), he comes on December 6th, usually once it's dark, and nocks on your door, or you might hear a bell ring somewhere in the distance. If you're lucky, he's alone, but sometimes he'll bring his helper the "Schmutzli" who's dressed in a brown robe rather than a red one, and he'll help Samichlaus take you away to work with him in the woods, if you were naughty during the year. I know, it's pretty scary. He also carries a big golden book with him, where he reads about everything you've done during the year, good and bad. Usually, he makes you recite a poem or sing/play a song, too, so adding to the already existing nervousness you'll have performance anxiety as well! He'll usually give you a good scare, but of course he'll always say, that you've been good and then gives you a little bag filled with nuts, chocolates, and mandarines and then he leaves again. As you can tell, he's not really the jolly, big, white haired man, with plump red cheeks and a friendly smile on his face!
Ah yes, I have fond memories of being scared $#!%less the day of and freaking out because I had said bad things about him...my mom still teases me with it and I'm sure once Sofia is old enough, she'll get to hear that story, too! It's all good, because in the end Good always prevails, and the kids catch on to it very fast.
She also got to taste a "Grittibaenz", which is basically a sweet bread dough, shaped into a little boy figure and decorated with raisins, little sugar drops, and almonds. In this picture she's eating the one she got that day and this made me want to make our own. So I think this weekend we have to have a "Grittibaenz" baking day!
Ah yes, the holidays are great when you have children. I can already tell, that this year it will be more than ever about unwrapping presents and we've started the tradition already with an Advent Calendar for her. I bought cute little holiday boxes and filled them with little goodies and small toys. And each morning the first thing I hear is "Open number two, mommy?" because that was the first box she got to open (No, it DOES start on December 1st, you're right, I just wasn't ready that day...so we started on the 2. instead), and even thought we've been telling and teaching her about the numbers and that they change each day as we approach Christmas, she still calls it the #2 box, very cute! We give her a square that has the same number on it and she gets to find the box by comparing the two numbers. That way she'll have to work for her present a little, too ;o). She loves it too, she can't wait to find the right number and color (I also color coded, to make it a little easier for her). It's fun for her, and we get a kick out of it too, I have to say. But I'm already worried about what will happen once there aren't any more boxes left... so I've been prepping her already that once Christmas is here, there won't be anymore boxes after that. We'll see how it goes. Here is a picture of her Advent Calendar:
I'll be sure to post some pictures of our Grittibaenz bake day soon, so come back to see them! Until then I say toodles and stay warm!
B
Here she is meeting the "Samichlaus":
At home (in Switzerland), he comes on December 6th, usually once it's dark, and nocks on your door, or you might hear a bell ring somewhere in the distance. If you're lucky, he's alone, but sometimes he'll bring his helper the "Schmutzli" who's dressed in a brown robe rather than a red one, and he'll help Samichlaus take you away to work with him in the woods, if you were naughty during the year. I know, it's pretty scary. He also carries a big golden book with him, where he reads about everything you've done during the year, good and bad. Usually, he makes you recite a poem or sing/play a song, too, so adding to the already existing nervousness you'll have performance anxiety as well! He'll usually give you a good scare, but of course he'll always say, that you've been good and then gives you a little bag filled with nuts, chocolates, and mandarines and then he leaves again. As you can tell, he's not really the jolly, big, white haired man, with plump red cheeks and a friendly smile on his face!
Ah yes, I have fond memories of being scared $#!%less the day of and freaking out because I had said bad things about him...my mom still teases me with it and I'm sure once Sofia is old enough, she'll get to hear that story, too! It's all good, because in the end Good always prevails, and the kids catch on to it very fast.
She also got to taste a "Grittibaenz", which is basically a sweet bread dough, shaped into a little boy figure and decorated with raisins, little sugar drops, and almonds. In this picture she's eating the one she got that day and this made me want to make our own. So I think this weekend we have to have a "Grittibaenz" baking day!
Ah yes, the holidays are great when you have children. I can already tell, that this year it will be more than ever about unwrapping presents and we've started the tradition already with an Advent Calendar for her. I bought cute little holiday boxes and filled them with little goodies and small toys. And each morning the first thing I hear is "Open number two, mommy?" because that was the first box she got to open (No, it DOES start on December 1st, you're right, I just wasn't ready that day...so we started on the 2. instead), and even thought we've been telling and teaching her about the numbers and that they change each day as we approach Christmas, she still calls it the #2 box, very cute! We give her a square that has the same number on it and she gets to find the box by comparing the two numbers. That way she'll have to work for her present a little, too ;o). She loves it too, she can't wait to find the right number and color (I also color coded, to make it a little easier for her). It's fun for her, and we get a kick out of it too, I have to say. But I'm already worried about what will happen once there aren't any more boxes left... so I've been prepping her already that once Christmas is here, there won't be anymore boxes after that. We'll see how it goes. Here is a picture of her Advent Calendar:
I'll be sure to post some pictures of our Grittibaenz bake day soon, so come back to see them! Until then I say toodles and stay warm!
B
Monday, December 1, 2008
'Tis The Season To Be Thankful
Whew, a lot has happened the past two and a half weeks! Where to begin? Maybe I'll list them first and explain later:
~Sofia got a nasty virus on the 14th
~Getting Sofia potty trained
~A nice date with Joe
~Having Joe home for a week and Thanksgiving
~My sister's 30th birthday
~Painting the dining room
So on the 14th, Sofia got really whiny and clingy, and I thought to myself 'She must be going through one of her "separation anxiety/teething" spells. But it got worse and on Sunday we took her in to see the pedi, which was a good thing! She had stopped eating, didn't want to drink her milk, had sleepless nights, and was generally just not herself. I was worried, thinking that maybe she was getting another ear infection, because she was also running a cold at the same time.
I also thought that maybe she was acting up, because I decided to potty train her that same weekend. I know! Great timing, mom!! I don't know, I just thought 'Hey, I have a whole weekend availabe (completely disregarding the fact that I had signed up for hosting free play at Gym Ventures, being invited to two birthday parties for Sofia, AND having planned a date movie with Joe that Sunday, but what the hay...) and for those of you who have gone through potty training know, that once you start, you CAN'T stop!
So we took her in Sunday and the guy looks at her and said "Oh yeah, she has a virus! It's all in her mouth (little red blisters with a white center, gross I know TMI!) and a red rash all over her body. What kind of virus he didn't say. Umm, ok. Maybe I could have asked, but right then and there I was just glad it wasn't another ear infection. So much later I learn she had what's called, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease! Not Foot and Mouth Disease, apparently that's only for animals like cattle and such. No wonder she was feeling like $#!& poor baby! He said, there was nothing we could do, other than giving her lots to drink, avoiding anything spicy or sour, and maybe give her Tylenol/Motrin. My mom had a good idea to give her Chamomile tea, to swish around in her mouth. The problem was, how do you teach a two year old to swish liquid in her mouth? You can't. So she ended up swallowing it, which wasn't a bad thing altogether, but she got tired of the taste fast, which I didn't blame her for.
She's all better now, thank goodness, but I had to keep her home for a week, because she was considered contagious.
And what ever happened to the potty training, you wonder? She is diaper free during the day since that weekend!! What a trooper!
Joe and I got to go on our date afternoon the following Sunday, the 23rd. We saw "Quantum of Solace" the new James Bond. I won't go into detail, because I'm not a film critic. I'm easy to please. Anything that will get me out of the house together with my husband and without Sofia, is fabulous, no matter what, because it's just so darn rare!! It was great, we had a wonderful time, and got to have Turkey at our friends house afterwards! What friend babysits AND cooks dinner for you anyways? That's just the best of both worlds! Thanks again Andi and Ken!!
Then, I was blessed having Joe at home for a whole week! I enjoy having him around for obvious reasons, but waking up knowing we get to spend the whole day together again and again is really precious to me. Plus, Thanksgiving was near, so we got to go shopping for a turkey and all the trimmings together and set the house up for our guests! I cooked my first turkey (with Joe's help), made my own stuffing and cranberry sauce, and Joe made two pumpkin pies! We were 12 people altogether. I invited my new Swiss friends Birgit and Angela (they are sisters), too. It was very nice, like celebrating a real American tradition with a little bit of Switzerland!
I am still in shock, that my sister has turned 30 on the 24th of November! My little sister is growing up! Isn't it funny that even with her having been married way before me and having three (!) kids already, doesn't make her seem more grown up as realizing she turned 30? And how funny does that sound "turning 30". You don't "turn" older, but you turn a certain age...we just say "became 30", I think it's a much nicer way of saying, but that's just me. Anyway, we called her and sang 'Happy Birthday", especially Sofia, who loved it, and I sent her beautiful flowers, which she was excited about, so it's all good! I mean, she's in Switzerland, it's always harder to do something nice, especially if you're a person like me, who waits until the last minute! Thank god for the internet, is all I can say!
The last bit we did together that week, was painting our dining room, and though it's a lot darker in there now (we still don't have lighting set up) I absolutely love it! It's so much warmer and cozier and it looks a lot more sophisticated now! Joe said, it now looks like we actually live in here, rather than just stay...very true! How do you like the new do?
Joe also put up our Christmas lights this past weekend and again, we're in competition with our fellow neighbors! Some of them go really crazy with their decor, and I love it! I like our white lights but I can already tell that we need to maybe add a little something to it. Or not, either way, I love taking a walk in the dark around the neighborhood now with Sofia and look at all the decorations!
So there you have it. Long post, but what do you expect when you don't write for two weeks??
Love, Bettina
~Sofia got a nasty virus on the 14th
~Getting Sofia potty trained
~A nice date with Joe
~Having Joe home for a week and Thanksgiving
~My sister's 30th birthday
~Painting the dining room
So on the 14th, Sofia got really whiny and clingy, and I thought to myself 'She must be going through one of her "separation anxiety/teething" spells. But it got worse and on Sunday we took her in to see the pedi, which was a good thing! She had stopped eating, didn't want to drink her milk, had sleepless nights, and was generally just not herself. I was worried, thinking that maybe she was getting another ear infection, because she was also running a cold at the same time.
I also thought that maybe she was acting up, because I decided to potty train her that same weekend. I know! Great timing, mom!! I don't know, I just thought 'Hey, I have a whole weekend availabe (completely disregarding the fact that I had signed up for hosting free play at Gym Ventures, being invited to two birthday parties for Sofia, AND having planned a date movie with Joe that Sunday, but what the hay...) and for those of you who have gone through potty training know, that once you start, you CAN'T stop!
So we took her in Sunday and the guy looks at her and said "Oh yeah, she has a virus! It's all in her mouth (little red blisters with a white center, gross I know TMI!) and a red rash all over her body. What kind of virus he didn't say. Umm, ok. Maybe I could have asked, but right then and there I was just glad it wasn't another ear infection. So much later I learn she had what's called, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease! Not Foot and Mouth Disease, apparently that's only for animals like cattle and such. No wonder she was feeling like $#!& poor baby! He said, there was nothing we could do, other than giving her lots to drink, avoiding anything spicy or sour, and maybe give her Tylenol/Motrin. My mom had a good idea to give her Chamomile tea, to swish around in her mouth. The problem was, how do you teach a two year old to swish liquid in her mouth? You can't. So she ended up swallowing it, which wasn't a bad thing altogether, but she got tired of the taste fast, which I didn't blame her for.
She's all better now, thank goodness, but I had to keep her home for a week, because she was considered contagious.
And what ever happened to the potty training, you wonder? She is diaper free during the day since that weekend!! What a trooper!
Joe and I got to go on our date afternoon the following Sunday, the 23rd. We saw "Quantum of Solace" the new James Bond. I won't go into detail, because I'm not a film critic. I'm easy to please. Anything that will get me out of the house together with my husband and without Sofia, is fabulous, no matter what, because it's just so darn rare!! It was great, we had a wonderful time, and got to have Turkey at our friends house afterwards! What friend babysits AND cooks dinner for you anyways? That's just the best of both worlds! Thanks again Andi and Ken!!
Then, I was blessed having Joe at home for a whole week! I enjoy having him around for obvious reasons, but waking up knowing we get to spend the whole day together again and again is really precious to me. Plus, Thanksgiving was near, so we got to go shopping for a turkey and all the trimmings together and set the house up for our guests! I cooked my first turkey (with Joe's help), made my own stuffing and cranberry sauce, and Joe made two pumpkin pies! We were 12 people altogether. I invited my new Swiss friends Birgit and Angela (they are sisters), too. It was very nice, like celebrating a real American tradition with a little bit of Switzerland!
I am still in shock, that my sister has turned 30 on the 24th of November! My little sister is growing up! Isn't it funny that even with her having been married way before me and having three (!) kids already, doesn't make her seem more grown up as realizing she turned 30? And how funny does that sound "turning 30". You don't "turn" older, but you turn a certain age...we just say "became 30", I think it's a much nicer way of saying, but that's just me. Anyway, we called her and sang 'Happy Birthday", especially Sofia, who loved it, and I sent her beautiful flowers, which she was excited about, so it's all good! I mean, she's in Switzerland, it's always harder to do something nice, especially if you're a person like me, who waits until the last minute! Thank god for the internet, is all I can say!
The last bit we did together that week, was painting our dining room, and though it's a lot darker in there now (we still don't have lighting set up) I absolutely love it! It's so much warmer and cozier and it looks a lot more sophisticated now! Joe said, it now looks like we actually live in here, rather than just stay...very true! How do you like the new do?
Joe also put up our Christmas lights this past weekend and again, we're in competition with our fellow neighbors! Some of them go really crazy with their decor, and I love it! I like our white lights but I can already tell that we need to maybe add a little something to it. Or not, either way, I love taking a walk in the dark around the neighborhood now with Sofia and look at all the decorations!
So there you have it. Long post, but what do you expect when you don't write for two weeks??
Love, Bettina
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