"Oui" Boys

I picked up Allie from creche today, and heard him understanding French! His teacher asked him to do something, he said 'oui' and promptly did it. He seems to be finally settling in well and we may have him in another morning. It would be nice if it was with older children. Either way, in August he's getting totally immersed at the Ecole Enfantin every morning, and Tobe will take his place at the creche. Any suggestions about what I can do with this new found "free" time? I was thinking- faff around, look at the clock, then go pick him up ;)

The boys have been fighting a lot recently- wee baggers. I walked into our bedroom one morning, wondering why it was so quiet (and quite nervous about what I would find) and thinking they were up to no good. What do you know- they had sat themselves down on the rocking chair and Allie was telling Tobe stories. I even got some pics, which will not be repeated for at least a year I reckon.









Walter took Allie to the snow a couple of weekends ago, as he hasn't seen Les Bugnenets yet. They played, but no skiing was "faired". He noticed a lot of parents teaching chilldren on the bunny slope themselves. We might start that way. Walter ofcourse took pics of the jollity:

Allie gets ready for a spin.


Allie goes.


Allie rests.



If I ever get peeved with the state of cleanliness in our house, I've found a good TV programme (in french) which elevates my mood: "C'est Du Propre"
There are some really manky French people out there ;) It's rather helping my learning too.

So, we'll be stateside from the 8th Feb. Walter's joining us on the 22nd and we're up north from the 27th to the 3rd March. Much ethnic cuisine will be consummed, and sweatshop clothing bought during that time......

Sick Puppies

The wee boys have picked up a nasty, coughing, sore throaty, maximo snot cold... just in time for Allie's birthday (yesterday). He openned his presents before creche (luckily) and when he came home at lunch, we decorated his cake. Then he went into a sharp decline, falling asleep at 4pm and sleeping through the night! Since Walter was travelling for the rest of the week we had his cake this morning..... mmmmm... breakfast cake ;)

See the chocolate round his mouth? That's why he wanted to decorate!


Intense concentration on every detail. Allie decided on a worm motif.


I've been avoiding the (numerous) pharmacies around here. Inside, the shelves are full of useless 'young forever' creams and such. One must ask for anything necessary. It seems to be at the discretion of the pharmacist too. Now, I could be more understanding about cultural peculiarities, but all these places tout homeopathy... big time, and this is the land of pharmaceuticals. Maybe that's why people here are into homeopathy, as a reaction to all the big pharma. Anyhoo, I don't trust pharmacists or doctors selling it (nice mark-up on water too). A couple of days ago I finally went into one as we had run out of children's ibuprofen. The girl behind the counter told me (seeming shocked that I had asked)that ibuprofen for children can only be sold with a prescription. What???? This seems to be the only country in the West that won't let you buy it otc. She had plenty of Tylenol (paracetamol), which is much more dangerous. I am particularly p%**@d off about the pharmaceutical situation. Costco here we come in Feb!

Uncle Gummy and Uncle Rubbup

That's what Toby calls my brothers Jamie and Robert. Actually, he was calling them John (my other brother) while they were here! They were here for a week, at the end of which they were more exhausted than after any night out. Each morning I held the wee boys back till 7 am when they would run up, throw the door open and jump on their beds shouting 'wake-up'. A few times Jamie and Rob also got to go skiing- at Les Bugnenets (near here) and Les Diableretes (in the Alps). They were suitably impressed :) I took the wee boys up to Les Bugnenets with the big boys one day, with the hope buried in the back of my mind that I might get a couple of runs in.... oy vey... Toby has this weird attitude that ultimately makes him mad the whole time. He doesn't like the cold, but he hates wearing gloves and hats. He hates the cold but doesn't like bright sun (and won't wear glasses). He really doesn't like being inhibited by clothes. If he had Allie's cold stamina he'd be fine naked in the snow. We got a sledge for them on the way up. It's a little squirrly (a round tea tray with brakes on either side) and their reaction swung between glee and utter terror. We'll have to rethink mode of transport a bit. I think we'll have Walter take Allie up for lessons (only on at the weekend now) and I'll take Tobe to the swimming pool.... maybe we'll alternate ;)

So, mementos of a fun time below:

Robert and Allie about to take a run on the saucer.


Emma at Les beautiful Bugenets.


See that layer of fog? Saint Blaise is blinkin' under it!


The wee boys enjoy a pre-snow snack.


Jamie and Robert enjoy Les beautiful Alps.


Non Snow activities: Allie plays soccer at minus 9 degs C.


Toby uses some nails from his toy tool box in a much more interesting way.


The fog has been dauntless for the last few weeks, so the trip to the sunny snow was very welcome. We really need to do it more often. The weather was broken a couple of days ago by a few inches of good snow. We ran around in it, then last night it turned to rain and it's now blowing an absolute hoolee out there. We've got even better weather coming when we go to...... LA!!!! I'm taking the boys at the beginning of Feb (after the Feast of Saint Blaise on the 3rd Feb, when the whole town will be out partying.... Swiss style) for a few weeks. Hopefully, Walter will join us and we'll get up to NoCal. I believe when I looked at the temps. the other day, there was 20 degs. difference between here and LA! I used to complain to my Mum about our winter weather. Strangely, she wasn't very sympathetic.

Walter's currently in Madrid and then Munich. He might be in Moscow next week, where the temp. is now minus 28 degs C.....

Baltic New Year!

We had a few days of balmy weather when my parents visited (zero and above). Now we're back down to the minuses again. It's petrified the now dead Christmas tree on the porch! They arrived late on Hogmanay and we "stayed up" for the new year. We had all just been in bed for a wee while when the local yahoos let off fire crackers in the building site next door. Buggers. That was the first time since wee boys that we've been awake :)
We made it out and about a bit, to show my Dad some sites (he was mainly interested in the site of the grandsons performing). Plenty of walks were taken, and not many pics. Here's what I have:
Down by the harbour.


At the Latenium.


Pretty much, they got up to this kind of thing:


They went home yesterday and we've gone into a decline. My brothers Jamie and Robert are arriving tomorow night, just in time to pull us out and send the boys into utterly bad behaviour. I'm especially looking forward to Allie and Tobe getting them up at 5:30 every morning ;)

I've had the boys painting. Allie has taken a shine to mixing colours to make all kinds of hues. I set both boys up at the table yesterday, they got down to business and were nice and quiet. I thought "ooh i can vacuum the kitchen for a minute". It's a tiny kitchen. It really was a minute. This is what I came back to.


That boy!

Today is Twelfth night (Epiphany), and the Swiss have a custom that is shared by New Orleanians- King Cake! Walter got very excited when we saw it on the news. The cakes here are more puff pastry filled with marzipan or apples and a very nice little metal trinket hidden inside. Apparently, one can collect whole sets of 'scenes'. Ours is a brass milk maid. Walter found it and will be hosting the party next year ;)



The king enjoys his pie.


Maybe we'll be galvanised into skiing wile the boys are here. There's a wee 'resort' near here- Les Bugnenets that supposedly has the best snow ini the area right now. Walter is due to start travelling a lot next week, but we could fit in an afternoon as it's only 20 mins away :)