Repetition

Kindergarten

One of the reasons we returned from our summer holidays was that Bluet had to start kindergarten on Monday (the other reason was that we had to go back to work). She wasn't too nervous heading off in the morning, and when I picked her up (it was her first day) she was very happy. We haven't found out much about what she does there (she sat next to a girl to eat her snack yesterday, and today she played with some shape blocks). However, at night she always asks 'what day is it in the morning', and then when we tell her, she asks 'what to we do on Tuesdays? '(or whatever day it might be). When Emily told her yesterday that she would get to go to playgroup on Tuesdays as well as Mondays, she was genuinely surprised and happy to learn she would get to go again.

 

Unfortunately Bluet has learned to say 'Cheese' when you try and take her photo.

After kindergarten, they let Bluet out with shoes on the wrong feet

Meanwhile, while we were waiting to go pick Bluet up yesterday (it was a short first day - although they are all morning only days), Ilona played with these hexagons, and was very excited to learn how to fit them together.

Coming next....more photos from our holiday

BLOGSTRAVEGANZA!

We returned yesterday from the US of A. Strangely I woke up at 8AM, so I must be over jet lag already. Let's see. The flight back was long, but uneventful (actually 3 flights back - St Louis - Chicago - Dusseldorf - Zurich. Not much sleeping going on in 20h of travelling. Highlight - Ilona coming back from going to the lavatory with Emily, and talking about the 'loud noise' in the bathroom of the toilet flushing for about an hour. Also, the sushi at Chicago O'hare was pretty good.

Anyway, it has been a while. So I will recap what we got up to in Missouri over the next few days.

Ilona on the plane. NB she doesn't really like being on the plane. Especially when it has to make an unscheduled stop in London

Our unexpected stopover at the hotel in Newark

The first week (I can't remember much - it was all about getting over the jetlag, and was a blur a week later). So, when we arrived in St Louis on Sunday we found out about Hamil having been bitten by a snake the previous night. The plan had been for Emily, Abatha, Wayne and I to go to the baseball game Sunday afternoon, just after arrival. However, Emily and Abatha decided they would rather go see Hamil and make sure he was OK, and Wayne was also with Hamil as as a snake expert, he wanted to reassure Hamil he would be ok (he was, and was back out on the river camping with us a week and a bit later).

As I had to be in St Louis on Monday to go to a green card appointment, I stayed in St Louis while they headed to the farm. So I went to the game on my own. The game went into extra inning scoreless, which was not ideal, given the jetlag. But eventually the Mets won, which is good (although I had to leave before the end due to fatigue). After a day in St Louis dealing with my green card and then buying some jeans and records, I flew on a very small plane from St Louis to Cape Giradeau to meet up with everyone else. Which was kind of fun because the skies were clear and blue.

Mets hero Jake DeGrom

Ok, back to what you are really interested in, pictures of the kids-.....So back on the farm, we went for dinner with Bluet and Ilona's great grandmother (not pictured) at Outback Steakhouse. Bluet still looks somewhat jetlagged

Ilona enjoying some old toys.

It was hot, so to cool down some clothes came off.

This is apparently common, but has a beautiful tail, so I was impressed

On Wednesday or Thursday of our first week, Emily's friend from University, Kara, came with her family to enjoy Missouri. They also joined us on a canoe trip (see the next week). Here we are enjoying the sun in Hamil's garden

'I hun-garey'

The day before we went on the canoe trip we had a picnic at the neighbour's house. Here, Ilona is enjoying having her own packet of crisps

Back in the U.S.A.

We've been back in the U.S.A. for a week now, which has been eventful, and flown by. It started when our plane had to make an emergency landing in London because one of the three hydraulic systems had sprung a leak. The landing was the same as any other, and then we sat on the runway while they fixed the problem. This took 3 hours, and as you can probably guess 3 extra hours on a plane with kids is no fun. However, we then flew safely across the atlantic. When we landed we stayed at Newark airport, because we'd missed our connection, and then early the next day we flew to St Louis. When we arrived we discovered that Hamil had been bitten by a snake in the night, while camping (he is now fine). Like I said, eventful. And then while we were preparing for our canoeing/camping trip that we leave for in a few minutes, we had two flat tyres in 2 days on the canoe trailer. Still, everything seems to have settled down now and the kids are happy playing outside and inside with plenty of other kids (a friend of Emily's, Kara, is here also with her family; they are coming canoeing too). So, here are the photos I managed to upload so far:

3 cousins, watching spongebob at the neighbours last night, where we went for a picnic

Another scorcher

Last weekend was almost as hot as the previous one. Anyway, on Saturday Bluet and Ilona had their hair cut (Ilona for the first ever time) and then on Sunday some friends came for brunch. Not as desperate a need to cool down in the river, but we did get the paddling pool out.

So here is Ilona playing in some sand at Sihl City

And here is Ilona at Sihl City another day (Saturday) post first haircut. Note plait

And here is Bluet at her playgroup, which she went to for the last time last week, as when the school year resumes she will be going to kindergarten every morning. She liked her playgroup (ever day she asks what day it is, and what we do on that day, except Tuesday and Thursday 'I go to playgroup' and Saturday and Sunday she plays with Mama and Dadn), so I expect she will like kindergarten just as much.

Just before we had visitors with kids we moved extra tables and chairs into the garden, including Bluet's painting table. Which went down a treat.

And as a treat, here is a happy Ilona the other morning,

So tomorrow we fly to Missouri. So the next post will be from there. (Today Maria and Andrew made a flying visit to Zurich, one night on their way to somewhere else, which was fun but all too brief. Too brief for photos, anyway. I didn't even get a picture of Bluet covered in spaghetti from her spaghetti and meatballs from spaghetti factory

Bon voyage!

HOT

Last weekend was hot with a capital H-O-T. Over 30C for the whole weekend (which is too hot for regular human life). So most of the weekend was spent cooling down in water.

1. In swimming costumes on the porch

2. Just chillin' in the garden

3. In the paddling pool in regular clothes

4. Don't forget to do your exercises!

(not pictured, 2 (two) trips to the nearest outdoor swimming pool).

A video from the weekend

Demonstrating advanced football and scooting skills