Downtown Zürich

It's incredible how easy a school morning go when there are three adults around to shepherd the kids off to school.  Ella took introduced her teacher to her Großmutter, while Alex took Poppa to his school this morning. And they reported that both kids chatted happily and excitedly on the way to class.

Joani and Dan went out for an adventure of their own to Einsedeln, to see its famous rococo cathedral. They reported it was a wonderful day trip, so one fine day we'll take ourselves up there too.

That left Joey and me alone in the house for the first time in three weeks.  So we attacked that house, trying to clean it up, particularly Ella's room, which has been off-limits to me for over a month now as she prepared for Mother's Day.  I figured I'd waited long enough and swept out a full trash bin of fluff and pretzels and feathers and bits of cardboard and crayon stubs and other evidence of industriousness. And, would you believe, this was after sweeping?  

The stage for my Mother's Day play

I left a perimeter around her party spread, and, when she got home from school, Ella gave me a sneak preview of all I have to look forward to.  Including excellent games like tic-tac-toe and pin the tail on the donkey, a puppet show, and (and this is truly exciting) a sheet of coupons, including one for twelve free evenings of eating vegetables without complaint.  

Tantalizing, but out of my reach.  Ella assures I'll have my party soon "but we'll need to save two or three hours for it, so it should be on a weekend, maybe."  Hmph.  Okay, I'll wait.

One of many special gifts: Ella made
me a new camera, in case mine breaks.

And one of the many songs Ella wrote for the festivities

Party decorations

Both kids came home in great moods from school, especially Alex, ebullient that no one in his class celebrated a birthday today. Their joy was intensified when a package from America, from some very kind friends, showed up.  Susan wrote about how she and her sweet son had walked around the house, selecting supplies from their cache, to send our kids.  Well, my little ones were so grateful, and within ten minutes of opening the box I had a brand new crown and a keychain.  Thanks, Susan!!

They can't believe their good fortune.

After her creation-frenzy was over, Ella offered to babysit Joey for me: she took him around the side of the house and kept an eye on him while he puttered in the sandbox. Alex was still transfixed by puff balls and googly eyes, so I had a full afternoon to stretch out and relax.

Can you tell she's a Seattle-bred kid?  Allergic to the sun.

Dennis came home from early work so that we could take Grandma and Grandpa downtown for an early dinner out.  We took them to the Zeughauskeller, which, as you can infer from the number of languages they translate their menu into online (ten) is one of the most famous touristy restaurants in Zürich.  But, we're not to proud to enjoy a little Swiss kitch, particularly if the food is good.

And, you know what? It totally was.  Like everywhere, but everywhere, in Switzerland, they specialize in sausages, and you won't believe me from this picture (because pictures of sausage and sauerkraut never look appetizing), but it was fantastic.  And the best part was, Joey fell asleep on the way to the restaurant, just before our quick visit to the Fraumunster Cathedral to peek in at the famous Chagall stained glass. 

So he was silent, and Ella was enthralled with a book while Alex colored happily, so our dinner out was as peaceful as a dinner out with three small ones could ever, ever be.

A peaceful grown-up dinner with some of
our favorite grown-ups

Some friends of my sister-in-laws had written a book about candy, and they asked if we couldn't be convinced to mail some very special candy back from Switzerland to them, or, better yet, if Joani and Dan could courier it back to them.  Angels that they are, Dan and Joani didn't mind adding twelve more pounds to their luggage, so after dinner we went out in search of the candy shop in question.  Surprisingly it wasn't chocolate they were after, but, rather, a gummy candy producer called Barenland.  They're famous for using natural juices in their candies, apparently, and these candy aficionados were mad for them, assuring us that price was no object.  Well, the store closed five minutes before we arrived (blessedly, since I had three candy-mad kids along with me), but we had a fun walk along the way, 

Ella was in the last quarter of her book, and
was reluctant to put it down for our stroll

Alex and the Hotel Alexander

weaving through the pedestrian zone of the Altstadt (old town) of Zürich, looking at the schools of fish in the Limmat and tossing coins to a busker.  (And, here, Alex's eyes began to gleam as he watched Grandpa dig into his pockets. He pulled an imaginary flute out of his imaginary pocket and started to play, too.  Grandpa promised him a coin when he got home, for his trouble because that's what grandparents are for.)  

From there, we walked to the park behind the Zürich Landesmuseum, which we hadn't visited since January.  And we walked around the now-green park, filled with picnicers, resting on their blankets, mostly hidden by the weeds (for they're very cavalier about mowing here: the lawn outside our apartment sometimes reaches my knees, and more than once Alex's favorite kitty friend has surprised us by pouncing out of the grass and flowers that completely obscure him). 

Our backyard meadow

Our last walk here was still very fresh in my mind: how barren everything looked, how cold and chattery I was, and how I had no idea were we were in relation to our home.  What a difference.  I think I'm really going to enjoy Zürich in the summertime.

Happier mothers, today, on the shore of the Limmat

The trees are heavy with leaves, now, and so many of
the banks have these pretty branches, just grazing the water.

We all also remarked on how remarkably happy and well-behaved the kids were, especially in comparison to yesterday's, erm, difficulties. I suspect it's because they're starting to feel at home here, too.