Christmas at Brunot/New Year on the river

In that unnamed space between Christmas and New Year we returned from the wilds of Brunot and returned to the world of the internet, so here are some pictures of Christmas before we head back out on the river (sans kids) to celebrate the New Year.

The kids loved being outside and exploring (they always love being outside, especially when Lila and Nate were also around) and helped decorate their second Christmas tree of the year.

Ilona became acquainted with the cows (and with the dogs) and Bluet jumped in muddy puddles she remembered containing tadpoles earlier this year, and went fishing with a stick.

And the highlight of Bluet's holiday so far? The opportunity to help Nana fill her car with petrol.

Then when we returned here Bluet discovered Thane's private playground down the road, and Ilona did some mechanics

P.S. Still no snow

Happy Christmas

Friday in Zurich was not very cold

Bluet finds Christmas everywhere

On Saturday we boarded a plane from Switzerland to Newark. 9 1/2 hours on a plane with 2 kids. Of course Bluet was delighted at the whole prospect, and because we had 2 pairs of 2 seats, I sat with her while she mostly watched the TV on the back of the seat - Doc McStuffins, Frozen, Toy Story, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Frosty the Snowman.... And Emily sat with Ilona who was also happy, but slept only 45 minutes of the flight.

So an overnight stop in New York - after arriving at the hotel, I took Bluet out to see the Rockefeller Centre Tree - she rode on my shoulders as we worked our way through the massive crowd of tourists who had no idea where they were going. It was quite difficult, as Bluet would say, although I think she enjoyed the tree (she was also very tired). After stopping for a subway sandwich, we headed back to the hotel on the subway.  Then I had a couple of hours to drink some coffee and take a trip downtown, and get a small fix of Manhattan air.

Sunday morning the kids were up bright and breezy (2AM). At 6, the first Starbucks opened and we got some coffee. At sunrise we were the first people at the playground. At 8 we were the first people in the Barking Dog, eagerly ordering breakfast.

New York, the city that never sleeps.

The next day we boarded another plane to Missouri, where we are now. This time both kids were delirious from lack of sleep (and Ilona was sat next to a small dog) but fortunately the flight was short, and now here we are at Nana and Wayne's house. Both kids have been loving the opportunity to play with their cousins (Thane, Lila and Nate). Today we head to the Brunot cabin for Christmas. Hopefully it will snow.......

Here are your Christmas presents:

A

Aeroplanes

Today we are flying to America for Christmas, which is very exciting for Bluet -

E.g. every time we see a plane in the sky

Bluet "Can we go on an aeroplane?"
Me "Not today"
Bluet "But I want to go on an aeroplane to where big things are little"

Took a while to work out what she meant

Visitors

Last week Andrew and Maria came to stay for a few days which was very exciting for the kids. Here both Bluet and Ilona try to sit in the same place to listen to Andrew reading a story.

Meanwhile whilst Maria discovers that Ilona is just learning to ride on shoulders, Andrew learns that Bluet is almost too heavy to ride on shoulders anymore

Ilona is very happy with her birthday present

and Bluet is delighted with her slightly early Christmas present (she had to come with us to pick it out)

Andrew and Bluet in the distance

Back to the old house

'The other Switzerland house' as Bluet calls it, where we stayed when we first arrived, is not that far away, but because it takes a change of tram/bus to get there, we haven't been in the area for a while. This is a shame as the pirate playground there is rather splendid (actually, it might be the best playground we've found in Zurich, or maybe it is just we haven't been there for so long). So yesterday morning, while Ilona was sleeping I took Bluet there by myself. This was great, as after I had enjoyed a small coffee (and Bluet had climbed the pirate ship), I helped Bluet collect branches from around the playground (ones with leaves still attached particularly prized), and then Bluet stuck them in the mud and created a forrest (all her own idea). This was so impressive that a smaller child came and stood in it, and uprooted a few trees, which did not go down well with the architect.

Stick fishing

Applying the finishing touches

posing with the masterwork I

posing with the masterwork II

Then Ilona and Emily came and found us and we went back to the new house.