How Do You Like That BIG Apple?!

I stepped out of the bus and arrived a few blocks from our Hotel Hostel. Stepped out with my giant bag into mountains of slushy snow.
The bus driver greeted me with a humourless 'Welcome to New York.' I think he was glad to see me. Probably. The city had been shut down the past few days due to to humongous amounts of snow.
And have now spent the last several days traipsing around the Big Apple. I think I've worn an inch of my height. It's huge.

Memorable bites of the Big Apple in no particular order:

Broadway: Was VERY lucky to see The Phantom of the Opera AND Billy Elliot. I love musicals so much. I could watch them all day. Sometimes I even randomly break into song and dance to be in my own musical. LG Life's Good.



Times Square: This place has so many lit and electric advertisements that it looks like day even at midnight. No kidding. It's amazing. After standing with my mouth open for a good few minutes, I realized this made me look too much like a tourist and tried to keep the mouth closed.



Hailing a Cab: I hailed a yellow NYC cab (very proud - although it did take a few tries....they'll speed right past you unless you throw yourself in front of them. I'm a bit bruised.)

Being sat on: Yes indeed. It's official. I'm invisible.

Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. And then being able to use my awesome Brooklyn accent once I reached the other side. They're from another country over there.



Visiting JAO Schwartz: Remember the Giant Toy Store from Home Alone? It was based on this store. So.Many.Toys.




Chinatown!: Coming up out of the Subway, having boarded in New York and then arriving in China Town? It's bizarre. Like arriving in another country....like China!

Mulberry St: Dr Suess, eat your heart out!


Lady Liberty: Alas, I only saw her from afar. She acted kind of distant.




Seinfeld: Remember the Restaurant from Sienfield? I met the gang there for breakfast this week. Well, actually they couldn't make it, but I sure enjoyed their food and restaurant.

Walking on Thin Ice: Central Park. Yeah Baby!



Zurich Friends: Who would have thought I'd be able to meet up with 5 of my Zurich au pair friends in New York?! Against all weather odds, we all managed to get there for the same long weekend. So crazy and it couldn't have been any better! Thanks guys for making the trip! See you next time! Wherever that is!

A 3,000-Word Blog

It's a bit hard to finalize, wrap-up, and square away the Caribbean trip. It's also the end of my time with the Swiss Family, who have been a rather large part of life for the last 12 months. I love those girls very much and I miss them.

But I'm not home yet and I think some obstinate part of my brain thinks I'm going back to Switzerland to continue au-pairing. I'm not, and I wish my head would get with the program.

A wise man (or woman? probably a woman) said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so here's a photo of the girls and I somewhere in the Grenadines.

We're pretty happy: MLF2, MLF3, MLF1 & Me!

The Last Chapter on Dry Land

It's almost time to leave.
A million Thoughts are running around in my head. And the Thoughts are leaving their toys and books everywhere. Such a mess.
We leave in approx 36 hours. 2 sleeps. A day and a half.
Then many hours on a plane. And many many more on a boat.
Yikes.
I hope I don't get seasick. I probably should have bought medicine for that.
My room is the cleanest it's ever been. Too bad I'm moving out tomorrow.
Funny how you can spend days scrubbing the toilet for the inspection and then it not even be inspected during the inspection.
Actually, it's not funny. It's horrible. Inspect my toilet!!

I'm missing 2 parcels in the mail.
-----------> United States Postal Service, I don't have time to wait on hold for 45 minutes. I ended up giving up anyway and I didn't even get to speak to a real person. And I had to fake an American accent to get your voice recognition service to understand the number I was giving you. And, please stop insisting for a 5 digit postal code. The rest of the world doesn't use 5 digit postal codes!
And I'm no closer to tracking down my missing parcels!

I had a wonderful break over Christmas. I felt especially lucky because it was actually my 6th and 7th weeks of holidays in a year where I was only supposed to get 4. I got to eat Chinese Fondue 3 times in a week and Cheese Fondue once. Something strange has happened: I love Cheese Fondue. Where did that come from?

I went tobogganing twice. Also known as sledging here. And skiing once. I totally lost any scrap of dignity as foretold in previous post. I even took down an elderly gentleman. He was okay. But I couldn't apologize properly in French. (I told you, I've been learning the wrong language).

Tobogganing was awesome. The first time I went, I got through. I was too scared to enjoy it properly. It was a mean track and I feared for my life. And, as a result I was tense and mostly nervous the whole time. Fun, but fearful fun.
The second time was ah.mazing. The track was just as mean, 3.5 kms long and sometimes on the edge of really steep drops. I was scared. I'd bought a day ticket, which was the same price as 5 lift rides. So I had to ride at least 5 times to make it worth it. (I nearly died when I did that mental calculation).
After the first ride I was wiped. Ready to finish and soak my aches and pains in a hot tub. Did I mention it's 3.5 kms on a crazy track? Where you're sitting on a flimsy plastic thing with steel runners?
But - I had to make the ticket worthwhile (stupid mental calculations). And so we continued. And it got better. So much better. Something about letting fears and inhibitions go and just trying to go as fast as I could and keeping up with the boys. (Boys: always faster on the tobogganing track).
By the end of 5 rides I was soaked through my many many (waterproof: pfft!) layers but I was so satisfied. All tobogganing I'd done before: summer tracks, water tubing - paled in comparison. 17.5 kms going full speed with only a few inches between my behind and a whole lot of sludgy snow - did I mention I couldn't move the next day?

I could go on - but I need to sleep. New Year's Eve was a wonderful time spent with wonderful friends. Friends who feel like a gift.
We danced to juke boxes and set off our own fireworks. And I got to play a white grand piano.

My anniversary buddy left me for home this week and I feel sad about this. But - here's to 10 months and 10 days Nicole. Cheers!

I wish my IPod was bigger. I am loving far too many songs at the moment.

I've got one more day of being an au pair on dry land. One day. Of the routine that's been mine for the last 10 months and 10 days.
MLF3 laughed her head off today when she realized the pair from au pair sounded the same as the fruit pear. Most likely visions of me as a pear.

I must go - I need to finish packing and to sleep. It's so cold here....but I console myself with the fact that in only a few days I'll be sitting in sunshine. Probably getting burnt.

I don't think I'll have much internet for the next 5-6 weeks, so I shall see you then. I'm going to try keep a non-virtual blog (a la notebook) instead.

Trinidad, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent & Martinique - here I come! Please be kind. Rewind.

Ps. You wouldn't believe how many cheeseburgers I've eaten in the last week or two.
Pps. Happy New Year! Joyeux Anni!

Kylie's Top10 Most Awesome Things from The Week That Was

So, in case you didn't know - being a part of a family who are packing up their house for a year to go traveling is hard work.
I'm not having the best week. Have worked a lot of extra hours this week, and I'm still hanging tightly to a head cold....plus Christmas songs have taken over the Radio. But, despite this atrocity (yes, yes I know, worse things have happened) I have a Top10 from the last week.

Kylie's Top10 Most Awesome Things from The Week That Was.

Shall we count down? - but in no particular order....

10.) Jill gave me an awesome present of Nutella, Carambars and A Physical Blog (also known as a blank notebook) for whilst I am away on the boat with no internet.

9.) I found 85 cents whilst cleaning the Laundry.

8.) I told the girls the story of the boy who licked a metal pole during winter. I explained a metal pole by pointing to the stand of MLF2's desk chair. MLF3 promptly went and licked it to "see what would happen."

7.) I got to finally see nicknattayaabbygeorge in their new home here in der Schweiz. It's amazingly beautiful. I get to live here for a little while when I come back from the States!




6.) I got a BIG (not gigantic or anything, but medium sized) box in the mail for Christmas. Tonight I opened it, just to see what was inside. I shook one of the boxes and I'm betting on a box of BBQ Shapes and I'm so excited. (Don't judge me - BBQ Shapes and I have been parted for a long time!)

5.) My sister Kaity had her 21st (Hip Hip Hooray!) and I called during her party and totally used and abused the situation by catching up with all her/my friends. 3 cheers for Skype. And for Kaity, since it was her birthday...

4.) The discovery of an AWESOME gift game. I love gifts and I love games so this was the best time ever. I've been meeting pretty regularly this year with an awesome group of people to discuss what it means to make Jesus a reality. And this week we had a Christmas party and I won a packet of popcorn.
I'd like to dedicate this packet of popcorn to my sister Kaity, because she loves popcorn the most in the whole world. And also because I stole many of her party guests away from her party to talk to me the other night.

3.) Cake. Birthday Cake. It was MLF1's birthday yesterday and this equals cake. Cake for days. Happy Birthday MLF1!! Thanks for choosing my Banana Cake as your PRIMARY birthday cake. I feel awesome and affirmed.

2.) Tomorrow morning all the kids from the Primary School start at 7AM and walk through the Village shaking and hitting and clanging the noisiest things they can find. What an awesome tradition for the last day of school for the year. I made MLF3 a bottle with rice in it. She thinks I am so clever. Such admiration in her eyes. I have reached the highest point of my Au Pair career. You think I'm joking. I'm not.

1.) And last, but not least: Singing Christmas Trees. They're pretty much awesome.

A Million Mandarins & A Suppository Deposit

Dear Blog.
I'm sorry I have not paid you any attention over the last few weeks. But you don't call or remind me that you exist. I forgot about you.
Here's an update...
I de-registered today. I have officially told this country that I plan to leave in less than a month!
This makes me sad. I don't want to leave.
Hooray for return tickets in March!

The lady at the Gemeinde Office (Community Centre? Where they keep track of all their obedient Swiss citizens?) seemed unsure about the whole process. My residency card stated a date that I was required to leave that did not match up with my VISA. When I questioned her about this, her only answer was, We can neither understand or fathom the ways and thoughts of the Foreign Police, or something to this effect.
Yeah right, just admit a typo!

I feel sad. I should be packing. Somehow I've accumulated far far far too much stuff. How did I come here with only 20kg?!
I technically leave Zurich in a week and a half - how did this happen?

I console myself with thoughts of sunshine and white beaches. Are the beaches white? No idea. I realized that many of the luxuries that I enjoy here: Internet, copious amounts of chocolate, TV, my own space, the ability to go for a walk whenever I want in my free time...
I will not have these on this sailing trip. No internet, no constant and available supply of chocolate, no TV, no space??! And definitely no random walks....unless I suddenly learn to walk on water...hmmm....

For 5+ weeks....eek.

However, instead I am swapping these for visits to Trinidad, St Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent & Martinique. (It's ok if you want to google these, I had to!)
So it's a swap I'm prepared to make. I think.
And....I get to visit my ever beautiful friend Katie and her lovely family in the States for a few weeks after the Caribbean trip and before returning to Switzerland! How wonderful is that!?

And in other news, my Swiss family is a bit sick at the moment and I seem to have fallen down as well. I don't know how, I am eating millions of mandarins! Isn't there Vitamin C in them?

This week I learnt about Suppositories. I think they are much more common over here than at home? I've certainly never had to deal with them at home?
I won't tell you the whole story, but let's just say that this week I've had to google Giving Suppositories to Children.
I never thought about this aspect when I decided to be an Au Pair (the things they don't tell you!)
I tried to convince her to take a normal pill. I assured her she was capable of swallowing it. That perhaps she could just try, and if she couldn't, that would be ok, but please please please could she just try.
She couldn't.
She wouldn't.
And so I learnt about Suppositories.
But I later found out she thought I was going to try and make her swallow a Suppository.
The language barrier.
Sometimes it's bigger than you think.

A Story About Chocolate

I was making MLF2's bed this week and I came across this:




Well, actually, it looked more like this:


They were somewhere in there with the sheets, very over-sized bear (which takes up more of the bed than she does!), pillows and the worn-out but much-loved duck. I think it's a duck.

How to discuss this? How can I, who can easily consume large quantities of chocolate in my bed during a book or movie, tell an 8-year old that she really shouldn't be eating small caramel lollies in bed after the brushing of teeth.

They may be small, but my friend Jill thinks they are better than Nutella! Sacrilege.

And so that night I broached the problem.
MLF2? (I don't really call her this, in real life I use her name) I think there's a little problem.

Yeah?

Well, I found Carambar wrappers in your bed. I think your bear has been doing something a bit naughty. I think Teddy has been eating them at night when you are asleep and I don't think they are good for him.

Her face was hilarious when I told her this. At first, she looked really worried, as though she knew she'd been caught out. Then, as I blamed the bear, she looked relieved. She even smiled.

Perhaps you could tell Teddy not to eat them in bed anymore. They are not good for your, I mean, his, teeth.

We reached an agreement. She'd let the, ahem, bear know, and Carambars would no longer be consumed in bed.

Now, where's my jar of Nutella?

17 Toothbrushes, And Counting...

I probably really should have called this blog, All About Me, By MLF3 (it even rhymes) but I didn't. It's not supposed to be all about her.
However, I find myself writing yet another blog entry about her. I sort of apologize. But - it's my blog and she makes me laugh so much. So therefore:

She turned 5 last week and her birthday party was today.
We were brushing teeth after lunch (side note: there are 17 toothbrushes in this house! - not including mine!) and she wanted to use MLF2's toothpaste, Junior.

You see, it clearly states on MLF3's toothpaste, Kinder, that it is for until you are 5.
In the past, she would never ever use MLF2's toothpaste because it was too hot. Not even under threat of death.
But today - she was ready, and insisted upon it.
I tried to insinuate that we had 2 tubes of Kinder to use up before she could give up forever, but she didn't take the hint.

2 seconds into brushing she started to give me the eyes.
Bobbing up and down.
Waving her hands around.
Wild hand movements.
Strange vowel sounds coming out of a frothy bubbling mouth.
I listen closely - what is she saying.
Bleh Blah Bleh Blah ..hell.
What? I think. Something about hell?
She repeats: Blah Blah Bleh Blah ...hell.

In German, hell means bright in English. And I don't think she understands hell in English.
After several more attempts (whilst brushing) I understand.
Bleh Blah Bleh Bleh SCHNELL.

Bit hot for you, MLF3? Want to use the Kinder toothpaste tonight?
And tonight: She wisely chose the Kinder toothpaste.
After all, there are still 2 more tubes to use up.

Secret Plan: Plan A

MLF3: (who turned 5 this week and is now old and wise. Happy Birthday MLF3!)

I like you so much.

You should not go back to Australia. You should stay here with us.

ME, Au Pair1:

I would like to. But my Papi said I must come home. And my Mami would miss me. (Correction: My Papi said not to marry over here and your Country will kick me out for overstaying my VISA.)

But! You can come back with me to Australia and live there.

MLF3: No. My Pap said I said must stay here and my Mami would miss me.

She was delighted that she could repeat my words and for them to make sense in her context. It dawned on me in this moment that she has been mimicking me and using sarcasm now. Uh oh. She has learnt that from me. Oops.

MLF3: I know! Your Mami, and your Papi and your sisters and your brother can come and live here.

ME: Here? In Switzerland?

MLF3: Yes. But ssshhhh. We shouldn't tell them.

So watch out, family for a dubious looking 5 year old who seems capable of masterminding something of a kidnapping attempt.

When you least expect it...

'Sup Girlfren?

On the way to school yesterday morning, MLF3 narrowly missed stepping in some, ah, doggy doo. This is not normal - we are in Switzerland after all. It is the world's cleanest country (also home of the most expensive Big Mac in the world, but that's another story).

But then she spent the rest of the trip explaining to me how on our walks to and from school, she would look out for me, and I should look out for her, and then neither of us would step in anything.
I think she wanted to say Sisterhood, but she just didn't know it in English. Then we could say things like, 'Sup, Girlfren' to each other.

Needless to say, we didn't find any more doggy doo on our trip but as we neared school she cried, Achtung!

Whew - nearly stepped on a cigarette butt. Close call.


{Same little friend also spent 10 minutes last night trying to sound out YMCA.}

Cinderella

I'm still very regularly asked for a story. MLF3 is very gracious - it can be about anything - "deine sisters or brother, Mami or Papi or Puss Puss or Tesse."

Really - the choice is mine. The problem is: I've no more stories to tell. None. I've told her every anecdote I can think of about my life and the lives of family members and pets. And then some. I'm not above embellishing a few details.

So this week I've started on Fairy Tales. She is mostly unaware of all fairy tales and the slate is clean and blank and all mine.
I began with Jack and the Beanstalk a few days ago. She loved it. But she was so scared. No kidding. I must be a better story teller than I realize.
Cinderella was today and - again, I am an awesome story teller. She loved it.
Although as I was telling the story - I identified with Cinderella a little more than I would have liked.

"The Mother did not like Cinderella. She made her do all the cleaning. She had to do all the cooking. She had to do all the vacuuming."

-"But why?"

"Because the Mother did not like her. She had to make all the beds. She had to do all the washing. Cinderella had to work very hard."

And in other news: I almost ran into my Host Mother this morning. And she nearly ran into me.
I was turning back into our street with the car and she was leaving on her Vespa and we very nearly met in the middle.
Could have been worse, could have been much much worse. Whew.


Note to self: In future times, when you read this blog - you were not feeling like Cinderella. Put your rose-coloured glasses back on.

Sometimes It's Ok To Jump Off A Cliff

I'm grasping at summer straws but I'm trying to tell myself that summer is still here. That sunny warm days will still continue.
I'm probably kidding myself.


Goods and Bads from the last week. Bad news first?


Bads:

Friends are leaving to go home left, right and centre! It's weird being one of the "older" au pairs - I'm not! I just got here! Stop asking me questions, I have no idea what I'm doing!


Winter is coming. This will bring the obligation to ski. I still have nightmares from last season.


I also seem to have picked up a cold from somewhere. If someone is missing theirs, it's probably in my head. I would love to return it to you!



Goods:

I just spent a lovely day with a friend doing - well, not much. Eating. (We even ate ice cream for breakfast with crepes. Don't tell my Mum!)


Holidays in 2 weeks!! Am planning on a few days cycling in Holland and then off to Greece for 9 days to ... eat Greek food! (And perhaps pretend that I am in the Mamma Mia movie!)


I made Pumpkin Soup for dinner one night this week and MLF1 was NOT happy. Not happy at all - due to a dislike of the main ingredient.
She sat down at the table - pushed the soup away and was NOT happy.
Did I mention she was NOT happy?
But after about 10 minutes, I saw her pick up her spoon and lick it. And then, filled up the spoon and ate some more. And then, a little more.
6!!!! bowlfuls later, I think she liked the soup?


MLF3 (4 yrs) correcting MLF2 (8 yrs) on her English.


Paragliding last weekend! Absolutely amazing!!


It was a birthday gift from my host family and I just want to go again! Had about 20 minutes of flying time above the town and mountains surrounding Zermatt. And got to see the Matterhorn closer than most!

I wasn't nervous at all (birds fly all the time, right?) - until my tandem dude's words were, "Now we're going to take a few running steps toward the edge of the cliff."
How many times do you hear that in your life?

But after that all was fine.

Until we landed and my legs didn't work and it was all rather unceremonious. Him trying to pull me up, being attached by many strings, belts and clasps, him not being able to pull me up, still being attached by many strings, belts and clasps.
You get the picture.


A beautiful walk/hike near Neuchâtel. Steph and I were whisked away to a land that resembled a fairytale.






But it did play with my head when I realized the scenery I'd seen the day before compared to this day. Such a small country but it's vastly vastly different!

Day 1:


Day 2:

Day 3:

- See? I told you I worked sometimes!

I Am A Fun Au Pair

I am a fun Au Pair.

I am such a fun Au Pair that I eat entire jars of Nutella by myself. (Where's the fun in sharing?!)

I am such a fun Au Pair that I gasp when I find Charlie and Lola books at the BiblioTech (Library). All the girls want to know what is so exciting and give me strange looks when I show them my find. (However, when I read it to them tonight -in German!- their response was quite positive.)

I am such a fun Au Pair that when the girls had friends over last week and I drew a giant game of Twister outside with chalk, the neighbours thought we'd been having a birthday party.

I am such a fun Au Pair that I go around singing Barbapapa tunes in my head most of the day. (This is NOT fun for me, but the girls do feel like they are listening to the cartoon all day. Selfless, I tell you. Selfless.)

I am such a fun Au Pair because we cook fun stuff. Although when 2 four-year-olds are scooping cake mixture into muffin tins I have to look away. Otherwise the obsessive compulsive side of me will attack the aforementioned four-year-olds.

I am such a fun Au Pair because I can sometimes be talked into Cereal picnics in the Lounge Room. Sometimes. (Although why they want to eat Cereal more than once a day is beyond me. It's hard enough to face once a day!)

I am a fun Au Pair.

Sometimes I just need to convince myself.

BEWARE of Falling Crab (Tins)!

7:50* - MLF1's spare backpack falls on my head as I try to get it down from the top shelf.

8:05 - The tube of Icing Sugar falls out not once, but three times in quick succession as I put other items away in the cupboard.

8:41 - MLF3's drink bottle is aiming straight for me when it falls out of the cupboard when I am putting other dishes away.

10:28 - A tin of crab tries to attack me and barely misses my head and then foot as I search the pantry for lasagne ingredients.

10:58 - The tin of crab makes a better-aimed shot at me but still I am quicker as I put the remaining lasagne pasta away.

13:40 - After a few hours of respite the Alphabet Mobile in MLF2's bedroom tries to entangle me but I will live to clean another day.

15:30 - Yet another backpack falls on me twice as I attempt to put it away. What is it with these bags. I think they are desperate to be out hiking or something.

15:33 - I think about the blog I will write detailing all the things that tried to get me today.

19:25 - Apparently all the evil items in the house have decided to leave me alone as it has been three hours of safety.

19:29 - Apparently I was wrong. MLF3 knocks over a bottle of perfume - a large portion of which spills onto me. At least it wasn't a tin of crab juice. At least I smell good. But, having just accidentally licked my finger, I DO NOT taste good!




*These times are not exact as I am not quite anal enough to keep a diary of my day's events. I do however keep a blog....

I Am Not Your Friend. A Tale of Friendship.

Good night, my little friend (3). Have a good sleep.

I am not your friend.

What? I think we are friends.

No. You are the Au Pair and I am your kind (child).

Ok. Good night, my little kind (child). Sleep well.


No, I am not little.

Ok. Good night, my kind (child). Have a good sleep.

No! I am a big kind (child).


Ok!! Good night, my big kind (child). Go to sleep.


Good night.




MLF3's final words before bed.
Have been working on a blog of the Italy-France trip but it's taking a while, especially since Blogger deleted half of it today. (Scum!!) But it's coming....
Also, an excellent exciting birthday present was received (actually I had lots of lovely ones) but one in particular should show up in a photo or two sometime soon.

Little Blue Wax Crayon

Oh Little Blue Wax Crayon.
Where did you come from? And how did you return?
It was only 2 days ago that you took wrath out on me. I discovered you in the bedroom of a little girl, hidden underneath the special woolen floor rug. You had made such a mess.
Your waxiness was everywhere - the floor, the rug and for seemingly miles around.
I scrubbed. I removed your crayon-ness to the best of my ability.
I washed. That rug will never be the same, but it is on the path to recovery.

And now, it seems you will have your revenge. For although I surely threw you into the pit of despair, the rubbish bin, you have returned. In the same place. On the same floor, and your waxiness is everywhere, yet again.
Why did you choose me? And how on earth did you get out of the pit of despair.
It does not seem fair.

I will scrub. And I will wash. I will remove every ounce of proof that you were once there.
Oh Little Blue Wax Crayon. I will survive. You will not.
I have thrown you into the pit once again and this time you shall never return.
And you have only yourself to blame. I tried to warn you.

Farewell Little Blue Wax Crayon.

You Know You've Made It When...

So we're home from our Summer Adventure of Italy and France. And we survived. And had beautiful weather. And saw way too much stuff to fully take in.

And I got home to discover...

wait for it...

...

MLF3 has been including me in her pictures of the family.
Yes!!!

You know you've made it as an Aupair when...you're pencilled AND texta'd in the family portrait drawings.

This is what I've been working for. I think this is the top of the proverbial mountain. This is why I get up in the morning.

I think.

Anyone got any other 'you know you've made it when...' moments to share?

Oh - and blog of 'Kylie and Dad and Mum's Amazing Excellent Adventure soon to follow....

One Big Giant Cliche

Craziness.

Swiss fam left this morning for their holidays.

Mum and Dad arrived this week on Tuesday and it's crazy that they're here in my little world over here.

Swiss fam has been lovely about having Mum and Dad here...and I was so proud of the girls for using the English with my parents and they have been so good at talking with my parents.

MLF3 even wanted to call them on the phone last night when they were out - to tell them to come home.

Have been showing Zurich to them this week and they've gone off exploring by themselves this afternoon (will they come back alive?!)


We're heading off to Venice tomorrow morning - (rather early, what was I thinking?!)


Had the most amazing weekend last weekend in the mountains. It was like one big giant cliche. Green hills, snow capped mountains, mountain huts, cows, cow bells....always cow bells....so many cow bells...



Seriously if I was a cow and I had to hear the bell in my face every time I moved I would want to hurt someone....




We cooked over an open fire, slept in the straw and didn't shower. Ahhh.
We had to apologize to the lady who had to sit with us on the train coming home...I learnt how to apologize for stinking in German!

We also went rock climbing - on real rock walls - out in the mountains! So crazy.
It's completely different to indoor rock climbing. You spend this time practicing at the climbing centres, but when you're out on cliff?! it's a whole other game.


You can't really prepare for it - you can try, but until you get out there and do it, it's hard to understand what it is like.


And it's so much better. The view is amazing - and it's worth it.
It's worth the effort, the sweat, the strength.


So much better!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

During a late afternoon game of Yatzee today I put a CD on. MLF1 really liked the song and turned it up rather loud. Half-way through the first song Mami came home.
Kinda looked like we were blasting music and playing betting games.
Alcohol, kids?

We're on School Holidays!
I finished The Little Prince today.
We made bread.
This bread ended up becoming 1 horse, 1 dolphin, 1 starfish, 1 cat, 2 turtles, and 1 Spanish looking guy.
Today I wore my shirt backwards.
This was pointed out mid morning by MLF3.
MLF1's friend (German-speaking only) understood what I said today.
Even if it's not perfect German, I can be understood. Yesssss.
The girl's friend is here visiting for the week. She speaks French.
I really like her. I think if we spoke the same language we'd make good friends. She's 12.
I had to rescue a butterfly, a lizard, and a mouse today from the cats. The butterfly will live to see another day. The lizard will find life a bit hard without a tail. The mouse - well, it probably saw better days and will not see anymore days.

While Mami is Away, the Spaghetti Cats Do Play

'Twas a good afternoon. We went to the Library - the girls rode their velos and I rode the trotinet. (I think these are French words - no wonder my brain is so mixed up - I learn German in class and French in day-to-day stuff).
Actually I half rode the trotinet and half pushed MLF3 up the hills. I am going to be fit. I am going to be fit. I am going to be fit.

And! Victory! We finally found all the books and cassetes and CDs and DVDs that we had borrowed from the library and we could have a clean start with the Bibliotech. That is, until it was realized that we had left the cassette of Pingu in the Cassette Player. Nooooooooooo!
Darn Penguin.

MLF3 and I hung out in the kitchen while I made spaghetti and we learnt that you can use carrots as microphones. I asked her if she wanted to listen to a cassette and she asked for ABBA.
And so we rocked out to Dancing Queen with carrot microphones. And then I put a few holes in the carrot and she played her 'flute' to Voulez Vous.
I'm thinking of patenting the idea. Anything to help kids with their veggies eh?

Then we had spaghetti sucking competitions (how fast can you suck a length of cooked spaghetti into your mouth?) And MLF3 made some very cool pictures with spaghetti which I just have to post.



She told me that they were my pets from home (PussPuss the cat and Tessie the dog). She also keeps asking for stories of them with my sisters and brother. (Like I just can invent stories!) She also thinks that I liked these pets...Miscommunication.

She wanted to keep the cat on the table until Mami got home, however when I later cleaned it up there seems to residue imprinted on the table in the shape of a cat. Funny that.
Please be gone by breakfast, please be gone by breakfast.

And, in other exciting news (don't roll your eyes, having a clean slate with the Library is exciting!) looming is the possibility of Cuba and the Caribbean.
Kind of rates right up there with carrot flutes and spaghetti sucking competitions eh?

4 Cats x 9 Lives

Excuse me, I want my money back. I did not sign up for this. I didn't really want to look after three girls and their three kittens and one cat. I didn't want to know about their half dead birds, half-eaten lizards and headless mice (the kitten's - not the girl's). Nor did I wish to finding puddles of cat pee in the most unusual places or spend a fair amount of time each day looking for a missing kitten to console a sad little girl. I hadn't anticipated becoming fluent in the art of understanding the cat meow and I do not appreciate having to rescue kittens that tried to swim in the toilet. Washing drawer-fulls of clothes just because a kitten or three decided to sleep in there isn't really my cup of tea. I sometimes wonder if the kittens gang up against me - one doing the decoy meow whilst the others jump up on the kitchen table and try to get free food. It's a cat-eat-cat world out there. I will survive.