Switzerland Week 9 - Christmas Time

The week started off perfectly normal but with lots of snow which I blogged about last week.  By mid week the snow was gone and a slushy mess was left behind.  By the weekend all the snow and mess were gone and we had unusually sunny skies. On Thursday, Ali and I went shopping in Zurich with our friends Rachel and her son Oliver, as well as Gladys.  I love days with these gals, it starts off with an hour long coffee break, followed by a trip to the English book store which oddly enough also sells food from the US and UK, an hour plus lunch with dessert of course and a bit more shopping.  I was of course just happy to get out of the apartment even if it was drizzling all day.  I finally got some Christmas shopping done - basically scarves and hats for Erik and myself.  It is quite a learning experience living in cold weather for a change.  Alison and I left the apartment around 9am that morning so I bundled her up in her warm jacket and several layers.  She then fell asleep in the stroller at her normal naptime which happened to coincide nicely with lunch that day.  (I rarely get an Ali free meal these days).  So when she awoke from her nap toward the end of our lunch she was soaking wet from sweat as she still had her hat and jacket and several layers on.  I felt so bad but she didn't seem to mind.  All in all a very successful day in Zurich.

On Friday, the sun was out and it wasn't raining for a change so Ali and I ran some errands in the morning.  To the post office to pick up our package from Grammy and Grandpa, grocery store (a given) and to the little health food store (Bio Peter) which I have been afraid to go into for fear someone will talk to me in German.  The health food store was surprisingly nice, they even had Almond milk which I have been on the hunt for although I refuse to pay $8 for a small carton of it just yet.  We then met up with our friend Ana and her little girl Sophia in Aarau for some last minute shopping.  I splurged and got Alison some duplos as she enjoyed playing (or I should say taking apart) the ones at Noah's earlier in the week.  On the way back we met daddy in the old town for a little walking around.  All in all another nice day.

On Saturday evening we were invited over to Ana and Marcelo's for Christmas Eve dinner.  They recently moved into a really nice place about five minutes from where we live.  We took the bus which took all of three minutes but Alison was so cute sitting on her daddy's lap going "ooohhhh" at all the lights. They have an almost 4 year old girl, Sophia, that Alison enjoys playing with.  Dinner was wonderful as Marcelo grilled two chickens that were just delicious.  One of Erik and Marcelo's coworkers, Neil, stopped by later in the evening and brought some yummy sweets.  It was really a nice evening.  We kept Alison up a little past her bedtime so she was beyond tired we put her to bed around 9pm.

Sunday, Christmas Day, was very low key at the Warm place.  If we were in the states we would be driving from house to house in a bit of a panic as we only had so much time until we had to be at the next event.  So although we miss our family dearly it was nice just to relax, enjoy the day and not have to be anywhere. We had a yummy pancake breakfast and then went for a walk to a neighboring church in the afternoon.  We found a nice playground for Alison to play at on the way back but it started getting very cold so we didn't stay too long.  We all have to get some good boots for walking around in the cold weather.  We waited until almost 5pm to open our presents as we wanted to share it with the grandparents.  Thanks to the technological wonder of Skype, we were able to have the Warm's/Carraway's and Foley's watch Ali slowly rip a little piece of wrapping paper and hand it to mommy, rip and hand to Mommy.  It was pretty cute.  We had a nice dinner of ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.  We then were able to Skype with Nanny Carla after dinner.  All in all a very different but memorable first Christmas in Switzerland.

Beautiful view of the Alps

Elsbeth lighting the candles on the tree

We were invited over to our landlords (Hans and Elsbeth for fondue on Monday).  I should have known it was going to be much more than that.  They phoned in the morning to let us know they would pick us up at 1:30pm.  We weren't totally prepared for what was to follow.  We were treated to a nice driving tour of neighboring villages and beautiful views of the Alps.  We then went wandering as it was a beautiful sunny day and that is what the Swiss do on Sundays or holidays.  Alison was a little underdressed for being out in the cold for too long but she so enjoyed walking with us when we did let her out of the stroller.  These pictures were taken with iphone so they aren't very good. We ended up back at their place around 5pm for a lovely fondue dinner.  I was a little nervous I wouldn't like the fondue as I am not a big fan of cheese let alone melted cheese as a meal but it was very tasty. Alison was on her best behavior despite no afternoon nap (she dozed off in the car just as we were pulling into their driveway).  She did this adorable 

Our first fondue meal in Switzerland

fake laugh every time Hans would let out a big belly laugh, it was really cute.  After dinner Elsbeth lit the Christmas tree literally, meaning real candles, real flame on a  real tree with a very curious 13 month old running around.  That was a little stressful but Alison again did very well. She was a bit more interested in rearranging the tea light candles (unlit) in their coffee table centerpiece.  We had a quick dessert of fruit cocktail and homemade cookies before we headed back home to put our very tired little one to bed. We felt very honored that they chose us to spend their holiday (St. Stephens Day) with and it ended up being one of our favorite days since we've been here.  


We are off to Colmar, France at the end of the week for a couple of days since Erik has this week off.

Here is a video I quickly spliced together of Alison opening gifts and our hike on Christmas Day. Nothing exciting really

http://gallery.me.com/angela.warm#100191

Wandering with Hans & Elsbeth

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Well we've had our fair share of snow the last few days.  It has been a nice change of pace from the non-stop rain.  Snow falling is very peaceful, I could sit and watch it for hours (from the warm comfort of my couch of course).  We woke up early Saturday morning to find some snow on the ground.  Throughout the day it just drizzled a bit off and on, nothing really stuck or stayed around.  Saturday we took a trip to the local Ikea store where everyone told us to get our light fixtures and various other necessities for our apartment.  It was the first time Erik or I had ever stepped foot in an Ikea.  It was overwhelming to say the least.  We had a list but it was hard not to stray with all the cool things in the store.  Unfortunately (or fortunately for our wallets) Alison was past tired when we arrived and proceeded on a downward spiral which made our shopping trip a quick one.  We did get the light fixtures, so instead of light bulbs hanging from wires in the ceiling we can actually have nice lights now.  We also picked up a few other items, like rugs and a cabinet to put our shoes outside the door.  We definitely want to go back though and take our time looking at other things.  It made us wish we had left some of our furniture behind in America and just picked up some of the smaller things here.  Oh well live and learn.

On Sunday even more snow greeted us in the morning.  So we proceeded to put our multiple layers on and go play in it since it would be Alison's first experience with snow.  We quickly realized we didn't have the right shoes for the occasion as big chunks of ice stuck to the bottom of Alison's boots making it look like she was wearing platform shoes and of course making her very unsteady on her feet.  The weather around here is very tricky as the sun may come out for 10 or 20 minutes so you quickly put on your layers and coats and shoes only to walk outside to it snowing and no sun.  We took that chance later Sunday afternoon after domestic chores and bundled up for a hike to the schloss.  It snowed on us pretty good and in the short time we were out, the snow changed from big flakes to little wet flakes and back to bigger flakes.  We traveled back home via the old town street only to find they were having a little festival complete with camel rides, Christmas music and fire pits to warm your hands.   It was so cool listening to Christmas music about snow that I could finally relate to it.  Sunday night Erik made some yummy chili which of course everyone loved including Alison.

Yes that is a camel in the background

Monday brought even more snow.  So much so that Alison and I decided not to venture out to our Monday morning playgroup.  We stayed in where it was nice and warm.  Again on Monday the weather played tricks on us as the sun would come out for a bit, then it would snow.  We ventured out in the afternoon to the post office where I mailed home some chocolate.  The sun was out and it was quite pleasant so we ventured on to the grocery store for a few items only to find it snowing when we left the store.  Oh well at least we got out for a bit.

Tuesday (today) it was snowing buckets - big snowflakes all day long.  The wind was blowing pretty hard also at times as there was (still is) quite a bit of snow on our porch.  It is funny to see Alison's toys covered in snow.  We decided not to venture out in it today as much as I wanted to bundle Alison all up and let her build a snowman, she had a bit of a runny nose this morning and didn't want to chance her getting sick.  We also had a play date with Noah upstairs in the afternoon so in retrospect we did venture out.  We also had dinner with one of Erik's coworkers and his wife at our local Irish pub tonight.  I love eating out now - it is such a treat even if Alison tried to eat all my chips and the fish was a little soggy.

Sunday Snow

Monday Snow

Tuesday snow

So according to the weather report it is suppose to warm up tomorrow and through the weekend (warm up into the high 30's).  Which means no snow for Christmas.  Oh well it was fun and peaceful while it lasted.  I am hoping it stays clear for just one day this week so I can get out and do some Christmas shopping as I honestly have not done any for Erik and Alison.  It is going to be a very low key Christmas this year.

Here is a video clip of Alison's first steps in the snow

http://gallery.me.com/angela.warm/100188

Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Switzerland Week 8 - Rain Rain Go Away

Fair warning that this post will be a bit whiny as I have been pretty much a prisoner in my own apartment for the last week thanks to the rainy weather.  I am also miffed as one of the things I look forward to besides seeing Alison's cute face everyday, Erik coming home from work, and the weekends we get to spend together, is my once a month coffee hour with the other spouses.  And we couldn't go today since it was raining too hard when we woke up and the forecast called for it to get worse throughout the day.  Since we don't have a car, I depend on the bus and/or train to get everywhere.  For the most part I like it this way.  And for those of you who might be thinking "big deal what's a little rain, suck it up" try pushing a stroller, carrying an umbrella and getting on and off the train/bus in the freezing rain.  Some days it is easier just to stay inside.

I appreciate all of you who read my posts and provide positive comments.  Everyone keeps saying "oh you guys are doing great".  Well Alison is doing great and Erik is doing great, but the verdict is still out for me.  I know I will never take sunshine for granted again.  Some days the sun will come out for like 20 minutes just enough to tease me but I cherish those 20 minutes and can feel my mood improve almost instantly.  I am sure my outlook would be different had we moved here in the spring or summer.  I hear it is beautiful then. It was somewhat nice when we arrived in October, the leaves were changing, the sun was out on occasion and it wasn't raining everyday.  But seriously for the last two weeks it has been raining non-stop with no end in sight.

What I don't like about Switzerland:

I wish someone would have told me that everyone wears black or gray or neutral colors here.  It would have saved me a great deal of time and money buying my winter clothes and jackets before we left. I stand out like a sore thumb in my pink sweater or blue jacket.  I am assuming the Swiss just don't know how to color coordinate which is why blacks and neutrals are found everywhere as they are easy to match right.  In Florida, sweaters were a novelty so all the ones I have are brightly colored.  I shouldn't talk bad about the Swiss, really the Europeans in general when it comes to clothing choices, as nothing in my closet matches my limited scarves, hats or gloves I own.  I basically look like a fashion nightmare every time we leave the apartment. Although I must say Alison is quite the fashionista and gets lots of attention when we are out and about.

I miss going out to dinner and/or lunch for that matter.  We use to go out to dinner at least once a week back home now I can't tell you the last time we did.  This is mainly because of the cost and the less than great food they have here. In fact Erik said maybe we should go out tonight (Friday night) and we were reminded that we are going out with some friends on Tuesday night so no we won't be going out again before then. There are Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese restaurants in our neighborhood that we haven't tried yet.  So when we do maybe I will change my opinion.

I really miss being close to friends and family.  I know that is kind of a given but seriously when you are a stay at home mom you really miss play dates or dropping the munchkin off at grandmas house for an hour just so you can drink a cup of coffee or go shopping without interruption. I don't have that luxury at all. I also just miss spending time with other adults.  Do I miss working? Sometimes I miss the social aspect of it - I miss going to lunch with Jennifer, Jena and Kristin.  And I know it sounds crazy but I felt like I had more free time when I worked.

Cleaning and Laundry.  Ok it took me literally all day from 7:30 in the morning until late at night Wednesday to do all our laundry and I didn't even get finish.  There is one washer and dryer that is shared with the other families in the building.  Getting access to them is not the problem as there is a list and you sign it out for four hour blocks, morning, afternoon or evening.  This week I tried the morning shift as I wanted to test out the drying room.  Yes there is an electric dryer (tumbler) but they also have drying rooms where you can hang your clothes to dry.  Well it takes at least one hour to wash a load of laundry and unfortunately the capacity of the washer is small so I end up doing like six or seven loads of laundry it seems. Do the math and I can't get that done in a four hour shift.  Luckily this week no one had the afternoon shift and it was raining (shocking) so I just kept on washing and hanging until about 4pm.  Then it was 10pm when all the clothes were dry enough for me to bring in and fold and put away.  Plus during the day I get to lug Alison and clothes up and down the stairs or elevator which isn't easy. Bottom line I miss having my own washer and dryer.

I will end this rant on a positive note and tell you what I do like about living in Switzerland.  I really like the Christmas traditions and the fact that it doesn't seem to be about presents and gifts.  Or maybe it is and I just don't know it since we don't have TV or a mall or a Target to shop at.  I do feel bad as I haven't sent out our gifts to our family since the weather has been so yucky.  But I am hoping everyone is OK with celebrating Christmas in February when we are back stateside.

I like that everything is closed on Sunday.  There are tons of people out strolling with their families.  You see lots of kids with their grandparents walking up to the Schloss and just families in general enjoying time together. It is just a different mindset that is hard to explain.

I love that I get to spend so much time watching Alison be Alison.  She is so funny and such a happy and curious baby.  She sleeps well and eats like there is no tomorrow.  She gives the best unsolicited hugs and kisses.  She has the craziest dance moves.  She is climbing on everything and loves to crawl into any empty box, laundry basket or container she can.  She makes the cutest darn noises.  She loves to tickle you but it comes out as the cutest sound that we can't even imitate.  I will try and get it on video because it is just precious.  She plays by herself for good stretches at a time, she loves to 'help' me in the kitchen. Often I catch her siting in her room looking at books or playing with her toys independently.  And whether we are walking down the street or riding the train or in the grocery store she goes out of her way to wave to people and get their attention.  It is neat to see the smiles she brings to total strangers faces. She is a dream child. I know I am lucky.

This video is of her flirting with an older boy on the train and then a small clip of the places I find her when she is left on her own for more than two minutes.
http://gallery.me.com/angela.warm#100185

She loves to read

I have been surprised by the generosity of others.  One of Erik's coworkers volunteered his wife and daughters to babysit for us one night so we could go out to dinner in Zurich for my birthday.  Erik didn't ask them, they offered.  Our landlord, Hans and his wife brought up this beautiful Christmas cactus last night as a holiday present.  Another of Erik's coworkers took me shopping, helped me get my cell phone and has just been so good to us, she even contacted the town for me one day when I wanted to inquire about something but couldn't communicate with the receptionist.  And she is taking us to Ikea tomorrow so we can finally get some light fixtures for our apartment. Again we didn't ask her to do this she offered. And strangers on the train or bus always offer to help with Alison's stroller when I am getting on or off by myself.  The people are truly nice here.

I do not miss the crazy politics and celebrity madness that seems to consume Americans.  I am glad our little girl won't be exposed to that for some time to come.  I feel a little out of touch since we don't have American news but I can catch up on this and that on the internet.  And honestly I do not miss it. I think once you are removed from it and are exposed to something different it puts things in perspective.

I know I am so blessed with a wonderful husband, as well as a beautiful healthy child.  I want for nothing money can buy.  All I am asking for is a little sunshine now and then.  This Florida girl is missing it terribly. And for those of you with family close by - don't take it for granted.  You are lucky also.

Again love to all of you and your families.  We miss you all dearly.

Where I found her socks recently

Switzerland (& Germany) - Week 7 Take 2

So apparently we are entering our 8th week here, I got a little ahead of myself with the last post.  Perhaps because it seems like we've been here longer than 2 months now.   Last week (Week 7) was rainy and cold.  Luckily the sun came out on Thursday and Friday and we were able to get out and enjoy a small market in our neighborhood as well as visit this really cool garden center that I will tell you more about later.  Over the weekend we went to Stuttgart, Germany to visit one of Erik's friends.  Apparently we made the right choice, although it was a bit colder in Germany, at least it wasn't raining which is what we came home to again.

So where do I start.  Alison got over her cold last week for the most part.  I felt a little like we were passing it back and forth a bit but I think we are both on the mend now.  Alison and I spent a ton of time together as Erik had some work obligations in the evening last week that kept him out late.  Alison and I may have regressed a bit into eating macaroni and cheese and fish sticks for dinner one night as well as leftovers.  It is nice to not have to cook a big meal every now and then.  That kid will seriously eat just about anything I put in front of her.  In my defense we usually do incorporate lots of vegetables and fruit everyday, which she loves (she even eats broccoli).  It was so rainy and icky out that we had to pull out the ball pit from storage and set it up in the house.  Alison loved it, so big thanks to Grandma for saving another rainy day.

Lenzburg Christmas Market

On Thursday the sun came out and we strolled around a small Christmas market they had set up in the old part of town.  On Friday we met a friend at Zulauf Gardens, which is kind of like Lukas nursery but bigger.  They have a cafe where we had coffee and lunch and they had this amazing Christmas market with tons of local Christmas crafts. They even have a little train for the kids that goes around the grounds as well as a nice playground.  It was really a nice place to spend the day.

Alison and Oliver at Zulauf Gardens

Ali on train to Stuttgart

Early Saturday morning we took the train to a little town outside of Stuttgart to visit one of Erik's friends from Orlando.  Cindy, along with her husband, 4 year daughter Madison and soon to be newborn baby girl live in a beautiful and spacious home.  Alison and Madison really enjoyed playing together and climbing up and down the stairs.  For lunch we had a somewhat authentic american meal of cheeseburgers and french fries and coca cola. Saturday night we left the girls with Erik and Cindy took me to the commissary where I was in awe of all the American grocery items I could purchase.  Since I was limited to our one little suitcase I shopped sparingly purchasing mostly necessities like Kraft mayo, Aunt Jemima pancake mix and honey mustard.  It was great, I even got to eat dinner at Taco Bell.  Oh how I miss American food.

Crowded streets of Stuttgart

On Sunday we took our time getting ready and Cindy cooked us a yummy breakfast.  We made it to the Christmas market in Stuttgart in the early afternoon. It was really cold but at least it wasn't raining.  We took part in some local grub which even Alison enjoyed (shocking) and then walked around the very crowded market stalls.  It was great to be there and experience it all but again I was a bit disappointed in the selection of crafts.  I am looking for something more authentic to collect or send home as gifts and didn't really find anything I couldn't live without.  So although we left empty handed we had full bellies and a good time walking around.  We took a late train back to Lenzburg.  Alison slept again for like an hour and a half in her stroller through the crowded streets of Stuttgart.  So we were nervous what she would be like on the 4 hour train ride home.  She did great.  We were lucky and got four seats to ourselves so she had some room to move around.  She got a bit cranky when it was closer to her bedtime which is understandable.  So when we put her down at home almost two hours past her normal bedtime we didn't here a peep from her all night long.

Erik and Madison at Christmas Market

So big thanks to Cindy and Madison for showing us around Stuttgart.  We had a great time.  Unfortunately we woke up to wet rainy weather again here in Lenzburg Monday morning.

Switzerland Week 7 - Christmas Traditions

So Christmas traditions are big here.  In Switzerland, Samichlaus visits children on December 6th, not on Christmas Eve.  So last night (December 5th) children leave shoes outside their door.  In the morning they awake to find a canvas bag filled with peanuts, oranges, cookies and candies in it from Samichlaus.   Samichlaus is sort of the Swiss version of St. Nicholas and his appearance is celebrated on his Saint's Day (December 6th).  Samichlaus has a helper, Schmutzli, a soot faced, dark clothed shadow who traditionally carries a bundle of switches and is in charge of handing out punishments (coal etc) to the naughty kids.  They do come as a pair and Schmutzli has been known to place the naughty children into his sack and carry them away for spankings.

The pair typically visit town centers or playgroups or school classes on days leading up to December 6th.  Parents and teachers are known to tell the pair what the children have been up to (good and bad) so the children are generally concerned.  They also have to recite a typical Swiss poem when them visit.  Here in our town of Lenzburg, the kids (and some adults) have been practicing the art of rope cracking.  As that is what brings Samichlaus and Schmutzli down from the castle.  The kids are only allowed to do it for the three weeks leading up to December 6th.  They started practicing right after Erik and I moved here as I was wondering what the loud noises were - it sounds like gunshots or firecrackers.

I've attached a video of when Samichlaus and Schmutzli came to our little town of Lenzburg.  It was complete with a fondue dinner which we would have loved to participate in but having the little one with a slight cold out that late was probably not a good idea.  But here is a video of Alison meeting Samichlaus for the first time.

In case you can't view the video - here is another link  http://gallery.me.com/angela.warm#100170

Some Swiss are surprised to learn that the American version of St. Nicholas is in charge of dealing with both good and bad and even more surprised to hear that coal never actually appears in stockings (except maybe as a joke).  They also don't try to convince the children that there is only one Samichlaus as there are numerous parades and events with various Samichlaus figures.  You can even pay 22 francs, take an old train and walk 30 minutes to visit them in the woods in a small hut outside of Zurich.

So then what happens on December 25th?  Well here December 24th is a big day of celebration and gift exchanges and church gatherings. (Apparently the church bells ring around the clock that day - yippee). Usually Christkindl (the Christ child) delivers gifts on the 24th and that is when the Christmas tree usually goes up.  Then on the 25th, this is usually a time to eat with family and just enjoy the day.

There are numerous Christmas markets all over Europe selling crafts and food items. We were hoping to visit one this past weekend but Alison came down with a little cold and we didn't want to her out in the cold too much.  We did manage to see Samiclaus and Schmutzli on Sunday afternoon when they visited our little town center.  It was cute, Samichlaus kept putting peanuts and chocolate treats in Alison's hoodie.

Trying to think what else happened this past week.  Nothing much - I had coffee with some of the ladies again.  I do enjoy those gatherings to just motivate me to get out of the apartment and have some adult conversation.  It was unseasonably warm last week with highs in the high 40's and low 50's.  Not so much this week as highs are in the 30's here all week with talk of possible snow.  We did put up our little christmas tree and finally purchased an advent calendar for Alison.  I really like the advent calendar concept - it reminds me how many days I have left to get my shopping done.  And they come in all shapes and sizes with various gifts or pictures behind each day.  Next year we are going all out and I may make one (or at least buy one with chocolate treats in it).

We were invited to a traditional Swiss breakfast on Sunday at our neighbors flat.  They live on the top floor of our apartment complex and have a 2 1/2 year old boy named Noah.  I felt a little guilty bringing my snotty nosed child over to someone else's home and Ali was not herself.  But we had a lovely breakfast complete with a new favorite for us - birchermuesli or fruchtmuesli.  It is a delicious combination of yogurt, fresh fruit and a muesli mix.


I think that is all for now.  Ali is feeling better and today we got our pictures taken for our residency permits which means we are officially legal here and can hopefully travel outside the borders of Switzerland soon.

Well I hope the holidays are being kind to you.  For some it is a difficult time of the year for others they seem to revel in it.  I am somewhere in the middle.  I really miss my family and friends especially this time of year.  All the stores play American christmas music and every time I hear it I get a little misty eyed.  Please enjoy time with family and know we are thinking of you and missing you all very much.