iPhone may mean I blog more often!

My little TV addict

Danae's 1st Field Trip.
Here come the Kindsgi kids on the train!

Holding hands with her BFF

She got her father's look of joy. Not visible on the outside.

All tuckered out after a day of trains, buses, hike through the woods and a campfire :)

We went to visit our foster cat Bonnie in the animal hospital.
 She belongs to our landlords, but spends most of her time at our house.

Dre using his gentle hands to pet Bonnie.
Bonnie was hit by a car and both her back legs were broken.

 

 

We have had guests. Lots of em. 6 out of the last 8 weeks.

And we have enjoyed all of them.

But now we are really enjoying getting back to just being our family.

My house is in dire need of a good cleaning, but I have been just too tired and lazy to do it.

 

Dre had his first visit to his forest playgroup this week. He will start after the summer break but they have the kids come check it out, and give all the info to the parents.

Dre's first question was "Do we eat now?", and after that he told me that he had to go to the bathroom. And not a #1.

After finding a quiet spot in the woods, we were walking back on the path and met up with one of the leaders. Dre being the open boy that he is told her "I did a pee and a poo!" and then told her "I have a penis." and started to pull down his pants. I told him that it was ok if he didn't show his private parts to everyone. Then, so his leader would know for sure that he did indeed have all the right man parts he told her "I have a small penis. But it's ok, I can still find it."

Way to make a first impression Dre!

 

We had a meeting this week at the kindergarten to meet the parents of the kids coming next year, and to get all the info.

Rudy and I quickly realized that we missed this info night last year (before we moved) and had never quite gotten all the info. Let's just say that the teachers are probably NOT going to give us a gold star this year...

There's always next year.

 

The road in front of our house is still under construction. Everyday the entrance to my driveway gets smaller. Small enough that I have to watch I don't hit the mirrors. It seems to be taking forever. I just keep telling myself that a new road means excellent bike riding and road hockey conditions.

 

 

This guy turns 3 this week.
This pic was taken last week when Jason and Angie were here. So this is what he is looking like now. Well not right now, he had a hair cut this morning so his do is a little more aerodynamic.

Angie and Jason, and my baby Lyssa left us on Saturday morning and are searching for sun in Italy this week. Good luck guys, it seems that Jay brings clouds and rain wherever he goes in Europe.

Today Grosi and Grosvati (Rudy's parents) arrive from Canada. They planned a spontaneous trip to come and see us and we are really excited to see them. I am SO looking forward to the kids having lots of grandparent time, and me not being the entertainment/negotiator/voice of reason/megaboss 24/7. When the g'parents are here Rudy and I both have a rule that we turn our heads and let the grandparents be, well, grandparents. Let them get away with more then we would.

Isn't that just the cutest??? My big boy and my petite girl.


SO. Us Swiss Eig's have begun the entertaining season. And I love to entertain. Mostly I like to have people that are stuck in my house and forced to eat what I make. But most seem to enjoy it. I think.

I have also realized that I get asked for my recipes. Lots. And I have trouble blogging regularly. Combine these two things and I will blog more often about what I'm cooking and the recipe. I'll give that a whirl.

My rules for a good entertaining recipe:

Simple enough that I can chat while cooking... and having a glass of wine, or two.
Cheap enough that hubby doesn't lose it over the grocery bill.
Can be made ahead or prepped for cooking ahead of time.

I have seen lots of pictures of Canadian snow on Facebook so I'll give you this cold/rainy weather recipe.

FRENCH ONION SOUP A LA MAMA G (aka recipe from my mom)

Ingredients:
2 onions
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of salt
4 cups beef stock
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (do not leave this out!!!)
4 slices french bread
3/4 cup Gruyere, grated (I use more. probably more like 2 cups)

Making it happen:

Cut onions into thin rainbows. You know what I mean.

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat.
When it starts to bubble add onions.
Squish in garlic with a garlic press.
Add sugar, marjoram, pepper and salt.

Stir until onions are coated with buttery mixture.
Cover with a lid.
Reduce to med-low.
Cook for 15-20 mins. Onions should be limp. Ha. limp.

Preheat oven on Broil.

Pour in beef stock and balsamic vinegar and jack the heat up to high.
Bring it to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium, simmer 10 minutes.

Toast the bread. You decide if you want to use your oven or the toaster.

Put 4 ovenproof bowls on a baking sheet. (still not sure if mine are ovenproof, but they are still in tact)
Ladle soup into the bowls.
Top with toasted bread.
Pile on the cheese.

Put the tray under the broiler for 3 mins, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Voila!

Making this for 4 adults?
Make a double batch. Trust me.

Went into a beautiful big church in Konstanz. With my 2 energetic kids. Thought it may be a short stay. BUT I explained to the kids that we needed to be quiet because this is where people come to have some quiet time and talk to God. And that we need to be respectful of that. And then my kids were as quiet as two little church mice. Just a nice reminder that a rule is easier to follow when you know there is a good reason for it. We stayed for a good half hour looking around. And then another 5 mins looking for Danae's glove.

1st day of kindsgi

1st day of kindsgi, a set on Flickr.

So, I am the proud mama of a wonderful student! She left on the bus waving happily. That was on Monday afternoon. Tuesday she had a full day, and was SO excited that on TWOsday she gets to go two times. My apprehension was for nothing. I feared that language would make her nervous. But no. My girl is a trooper.
The first year kindergarteners are the caterpillars (raupli) and the second year kids are the butterflies (schmetterling). They are all in the same class, except the 2nd years go 2 full days a week instead of one.
Her class has about 20 kids. that is considered a large class here. there are a lot of houses being built in both Andelfingen and Kleinandelfingen and they just didn't realize how many kids there would be. the swiss weren't prepared. this just strikes me as funny. they know when the frogs are going to cross the road in the spring (seriously) but they didn't figure that new houses meant kids.

Dre has been having a few days of adjustment. This is the most time he has spent without his sister.
Yesterday when she came home for lunch he asked "You have good time at kindsgi?" SO cute.

We have all had a cold in the last week, mine just decided to linger a bit. I sound like a man and look like a ghost. sexy.
When the fam wanted dinner tonight I told them I hadn't made anything. My children just didn't comprehend this. I always make dinner. Always. Tonight I said "Have some cereal and a yogurt." yup. I'm sick.

So, here's the real deal

Where has this girl been? Why does she seem to have slipped off the planet?
Because I did!!
As most know I have struggled with depression in the past, and it has reared it's ugly head again.
For the last 6 months I have been just getting by with doing the everyday necessities. And pretty much hating everyone.
I am the most integrated and settled that I have been in the last 7 years. So it's not that I need to move back to Canada (sorry mom). It's just one of those things that pops up and I eventually have to deal with it.
This time it took a visit from my mom and a little tough love from her. For which I am SO grateful.
I have gone back on meds and the world is feeling like it is much more managable again. I am starting to see my way out of the dark cloud that has been life since the beginning of 2011.
I haven't talked about it because of, well pride of course, but also because I wasn't sure if I was depressed, or homesick, or, or, or.
So feel free to ask me about it. Be upset with me for being absent. I'm on meds now and I can handle it.
I wonder if it was triggered by me actually being settled in and knowing that I am going to be uprooted soon. I really look forward to having a bigger (MUCH) place but can't even handle the thought of integrating again.
Oh, and we do have a definite moving date. October 1. And all I can keep thinking is 'How will I move with no Ursi?'. No really. Who is going to pack all my stuff while I run around like a chicken with my head cut off?
So for now I will just keep throwing out things that I don't want to pack.
And taking my meds.

Ok here's us in pics for the last couple months.

Dre is in his big boy bed now... and this is how we often find the kids :)

Danae turned 4!! 

In February and we were outside. Crazy.

Daddy and the Birthday Princess in her new chair.

 Our little Diva in action.

 And Dre says 'Cheese'

 So we jump back in time now to my mom's visit at the beginning of the year.

 And the Queen has arrived!

 2nd Christmas.

Drei Konigs Tag. 3 Kings Day

 Danae got the King, and the winner in our house got to have her nails painted. Thank goodness it wasn't Rudy, he always wants the same shade of pink.

 At Bruderhaus watching the wild pigs.

 Andre and Amael at the Toggi's Goodbye party. They moved to Africa!!!

 Danae came to me and said "Look, I spelled my name."

 And she is SO close. What a smart girl.

 Tea time. He's sharing with himself.

And me :)

 

End of Feb. We're in Geneva visiting my cousin Stephen.

 Daddy letting Andre pose... alone... on the wall... above the water.

 Mommy's arm of safety.

 Hey kids why don't you just run over there and play on the naked lady statue.

 This is me counting to 3 in the mom voice in front of the flower clock.

 Old town Geneva. Gorgeous.

 Child minder Geneva style.

 The view from the cottage. Same weekend as Geneva. Very different temperatures.

 Danae loves the snow.

 Dre wasn't as enthusiastic about the white stuff.

Beautiful girl.

Yup. Still crying.

 Making a snow pile.

Still crying.