We have the most amazing bakery right at the end of our street. I embarrass myself with my terrible German in there at least once a week.
BACKbAR is right at the tram stop, so oftentimes, I like to pop in and get myself something as Coco and I are going out. I park her buggy right out front so she can see me and I go inside. Then it's a race to see if I can get something before the tram arrives. Sometimes I'll have just 40 seconds and the women working there never understand my pitiful German pronunciation, which slows things considerably! Trams wait for no one in Zurich. If it's leaving at 11:09, it's leaving at 11:09, so sometimes I have to just leave mid-unsuccessful-order and run out and get on the tram and zoom away. Hopefully they understand that! I mean, the trams have a schedule that ticks like a Swiss watch to maintain!
Two items really appeal to me at BACKbAR. One is the "Cherry-Pie" (which is really more of a crumble). I am powerless to resist the "Cherry-Pie" with a cup of coffee during summer afternoons, but for some reason during the winter, I couldn't give a crap about it.
Then I'm pretty much obsessed with their Pizzabrötli. It's a little piece of bread with tomato sauce and mozzarella put under the broiler. It's my preferred snack and not only is it good, but it is so CHEAP! And cheap in Zurich doesn't happen. The Pizzabrötli is a mere 1.80, which is truly unbelievable. I can't name anything else that you can get in this city for less than 2 francs. Not a tram ticket (not even a short-distance tram ticket!), not a cup of coffee, not anything. So the Pizzabrötli is truly something special in the most expensive city in the world.
I'm sure the bakery ladies think I'm a weirdo coming in there all the time with my reusable coffee mug trying to order Pizzabrötli and not even able to say it. But oh well! It's my yummy little indulgence that I don't have to feel guilty about because it basically costs nothing. :) From now on, I'm just going to speak English at BACKbAR. "Cherry-Pie" obviously won't be a problem and if I just say Pizzabread, I'm sure that will save me at least 8 seconds. ;)
Today Coco and I got out for a nice long walk in the neighborhood. We both needed a good dose of fresh air because yesterday I was sick with the nasty virus that's going around. It's the reason Coco threw up on the way home from IKEA. Although J and I solemnly agreed that she must suffer motion sickness, I woke up at 2 am to J taking the cover off of his duvet. "What's going on?" I asked in that middle of the night sleepy voice. And he told me. Coco had puked all over his duvet. Yuck. Luckily it was a clean hit and once he'd changed the cover, we all went back to sleep until morning. Then I woke up feeling like death and it just got worse as the day went on. J is the sweetest. He rushed home from work, took care of Coco and fed her dinner and then went to the store for me at 8pm when the only thing that sounded good was Top Ramen and Sprite. He came back, made it for me and got me all set up on the couch and we watched a movie. My hero!
Today everyone is feeling better and Coco is such a little explorer.
She was totally amazed by the VW bus at the Volkswagen garage. She pointed and said, "Mommy!" and we had to cross the street to get a closer look.
I had horrible flashbacks of our vacation last summer when I saw their Corsica Ferries sticker. ;)
Then she spent 20 minutes toddling through our neighbor's courtyard, pausing to check out their groovy Panasonic bicycle.
Next stop was the pharmacy. She was in love with the little children's area and carried around the stuffed animals and took a look at the pamphlets.
Once she had the pharmacist's attention, she threw the pamphlet on the floor.
Then she practiced climbing in and out of the little armchair four or five times. It was super cute. Naturally!
Finally, we went to the store and I was delighted to see that the overpriced berries have arrived! No surer sign that spring is just around the corner. Hurrah!
My greatest hobby lately is knitting. I have always enjoyed the act of knitting, but somehow I never got that excited about the stuff I could knit - until I had a baby! Knitting patterns for babies are so adorable and useful, it's hard to choose. Over the past month or so I've made two baby hats for Coco, both of which turned out way too small. (But they'll be perfect for the next baby ;) And now I'm really getting brave and gearing up to start a sweater! I was delighted to find both an English-speaking knitting group and a really friendly knitting shop right in our neighborhood!
I learned to knit for the first time when I was seven years old and my family was living in Ireland. I still remember the green knitting needles with black tips that I learned on. :) Then, in my twenties, while I was in Montessori training, my friend Kyrie taught me to knit again. And, finally, a few years ago in Portland, I took a sock class at a knitting shop in our neighborhood and learned how to knit in the round. In that class, my knitting skills and knowledge really skyrocketed, so if you know how to knit and purl and you've made a scarf, I highly recommend finding a class. You'll be amazed at how you jump to the next level.
I learned to knit for the first time when I was seven years old and my family was living in Ireland. I still remember the green knitting needles with black tips that I learned on. :) Then, in my twenties, while I was in Montessori training, my friend Kyrie taught me to knit again. And, finally, a few years ago in Portland, I took a sock class at a knitting shop in our neighborhood and learned how to knit in the round. In that class, my knitting skills and knowledge really skyrocketed, so if you know how to knit and purl and you've made a scarf, I highly recommend finding a class. You'll be amazed at how you jump to the next level.
It's so satisfying to be learning something new and honing a skill. But, in all honesty, I think the thing I love the most about knitting is how relaxing and calming it is. What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy about them and how did you get started?
Today was our big trip to IKEA. Let me begin by saying I'm so happy we don't have a car. Driving in Zurich can be a bit of a nightmare because the streets are tiny and twisty and there is a lot of traffic. Add to that that Coco hates being in the car and she screamed and cried pretty much all the way there and you have less than fun. But once we got there, she was happy and had the time of her life pushing a little chair all over the children's department and restaurant and halfway to the bathroom. She was unstoppable and it was adorable. She was so completely invested in pushing that chair! She leaned into it with nothing but gusto and looked completely satisfied and happy. It was a total joy to watch. What a racket it made! People were confused, alarmed even, looking around to figure out what was making that low grumbling and then they'd see tiny Coco pushing with all her might and even the snarliest of grouches had to smile. :) If the Google Maps App hadn't completely drained my battery driving out there, I would have taken pictures and probably a video too, but as it is, my phone died before we made it home! I should have done it anyway, darnit. It was so cute!!
I freely admit that I'm one of those weird people who actually really likes going to IKEA. Right now I'm in the midst of several little home improvement projects and I can't wait to install our new kitchen shelf (with hooks for hanging pans!) and get our office more organized. Naturally, we ate the meatballs for lunch, and just in case you're wondering, we drove a Mobility car to get there. It's a nifty car sharing program here in Switzerland that I have a membership to with my annual tram pass. Even though I like IKEA and we had lots of fun, it's always stressful toward the end and getting home. And then, just for good measure, Coco threw up a few minutes from home. Nothing like a little extra laundry and fuss on top of the IKEA madness, right? My goodness, what a day.
So, do you like IKEA, too? It's exactly the same everywhere, you know. ;)
What are your weekend plans? We are having a yummy French Toast breakfast tomorrow and then taking it easy. We have to gear up for a trip to IKEA Monday. It's always an ordeal! ;) I'm so excited that January is almost over; I can practically taste springtime. Never mind that it is absolutely freezing these days. The picture of the penguins is from our visit to the zoo this week. They were happy! We were cold.
I want to make Molly for Coco immediately!
Perfect cold weather meal.
My friend Kyrie and her husband Robert's new blog is excellent.
I'm making this for Coco right now in white.
Lullabies that adults can enjoy, too.
We are making the switch. (Not brand loyal! ;)
OMG. Must have.
Reading recommendations.
Thank you so much for all of your feedback on our baby question. I found your emails, Facebook messages, comments and face-to-face insights so reassuring and helpful! Enjoy your weekend and see you back here Monday! xo
Do you have your baby's handprint in plaster to cherish forever? Neither do I. The entire frustrating and failed process of trying to get Coco's handprint in plaster after the jump.
Before having Coco, it all seemed pretty simple. We knew we wanted a lot of children. Three at least, maybe even four. And we didn't want them too close together. And we hoped to have a mix of girls and boys. All in all, pretty straightforward stuff, right? Then last week, J and I were sitting on the couch chatting and we realized that it's actually time to start thinking about when we'd like to start trying for the second baby. I never expected this, but it's completely making my head spin!
The many, many head-spinning factors include, but are not limited to:
When will I go back to work? Or will I go back to work at all? And if I don't, what about the baby after that? And is that financially feasible? Oh my God. I think a decade of my life just flashed before my eyes. Yikes.
What about age? I'm 33 and we want lots of children. Problematic. Should have started earlier!
What about help with Coco? My mom is a teacher, so summer is her freest time of year. I'd like to plan for the next baby to arrive in summer so that she can come help out. That means September is the time to start trying... (It seems so soon!)
But what if it takes a while to conceive? We might not be as lucky as last time. As J pointed out, the logical thing seems to be to start trying a month or two early then. But then what if we are as lucky as last time? Spring baby with no help? No thanks!
And what about Coco? It seems weird, but oddly enough, I feel a little guilty when I think about having another baby. "What about Coco?" I always seem to hear myself ask. How can I love her and care for her when I'm tired out of my skull and busy nursing a newborn? I never expected to feel this way, but I do.
So I'm curious. Did you have your children when you felt like it, or was it something you planned out? Did you always feel 100% ready, or were you banking on those nine months as a buffer? Go on, be honest. I would love to hear. ;) xo
They are made of silicon and come stuck to a sheet of thick plastic. When you're done, you just stick them back on to be used again and again.
Our glasses seemed to take on their own personalities and it was impossible to grab the wrong one. I used to think that drink markers were frivolous, but now I consider them essential. So much easier than reading lip prints!
Coco didn't get a drink marker on her sippy cup, but she was delighted to take part in the toasting. Cheers! ;) Do you use drink markers? What are your favorite ones to use?
Little children find mundane tasks like emptying the dishwasher exciting and fun. So, as the adults who care for them, we are fools not to take advantage of their enthusiasm. ;)
Everyday, Coco loves to help me empty the dishwasher. We started with just silverware. She would hand me one piece at a time, then I'd say thank you, put it away and she'd hand me another one. Sure, it took forever but it's worth it. I can tell that when she helps me, she feels involved and she also learns the processes that make up daily life at home.
We may have some broken dishes in our future because now she's branching out. She's graduated to handing me plates and coffee mugs, too. ;) Good thing they're all from IKEA and easily and inexpensively replaced!
All together too often, we hesitate to allow children to do things like emptying the dishwasher when they want to. Then fast forward a few years and we expect them to do it when they're no longer interested! If you start out at the beginning fostering that interest, it will translate naturally into genuine involvement and help with chores and household tasks. That involvement means a sense of responsibility and accomplishment that is so healthy for building confidence in young children.
Do you let your toddler help with household tasks? Will you?
On New Year's Day we left Zurich and went to Davos for three nights. It was lovely, but also (as traveling with a baby always is) such a learning experience. ;)
Exactly one year ago, we had Marta Kepinska of mARTa photography come to our house to take baby pictures of Coco. Aren't her photos sweet and delicate? Marta brought everything with her to shoot studio quality photos in our home where Coco would be most comfortable. We were so pleased with the results.
Visit mARTa photography to learn more about Marta's baby and maternity photography, maternity consultancy offerings, or to schedule a session. One year on, we know we will treasure these photos for a lifetime! Thank you, Marta. xo
On Colin's last day in Switzerland, we took the train to Luzern and went up Mt. Pilatus. It was so breathtaking! The Alps were out in their full glory and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Best of all, they let us take the Bugaboo up in the gondola. Can you believe it?!
Getting to Pilatus is a bit tricky. First you buy your tickets at the tourism office. Then you take a bus to the end of town, but you have to pay attention, because the stop isn't the actual last stop on the line. Then you walk up a hill (wondering if you're going the right way) and finally reach the gondola. Then you have to wait in a huge line to have the ticket you bought at the tourist office exchanged for a gondola ticket. If you're like us, you get around the corner in the line to where you can see the ticket windows and think, "What?! We already have tickets. Onward!" and then some finger-wagging individual snootily tells you your ticket is not right as they breeze through with theirs. And then you have to go wait in the line again because your ticket won't scan. Drrh!
So you can see how at this point, I was a little annoyed.
Of course that was when Coco decided to drift off into a peaceful, angelic slumber in her buggy and I was just sure that they would tell us we couldn't take it up in the gondola. I mean, come on! It's the size of the gondola.
Actually, it was no problem. O.M.G. Seriously?! It was the most dramatically mood-changing awesome moment of my life. I was bracing myself in anticipation of that sneering "no" when I asked the ticket lady about the buggy and she just said, "Yep, you can take that on too" like it was no big deal and I was blown. Blown away! Giddy even. :) Ahhhhh!!!
We were rather crammed in there with still-sleeping little Coco, but it was comfortable enough for 15 minutes. She slept the whole way and we took in the views.
When we got halfway up, we switched to a cable car and happily, took our sleeping Coco onto that in her buggy as well. People were packed into the cable car like sardines, but no one asked us to fold the Bugaboo. How child-friendly!
At the top, everyone was soaking up the sun and the view. I just loved this mom and daughter napping together in a deck chair. The vibe was relaxed and peaceful and felt really serene.
Then we got outside and the full scope of the view from our mountaintop vista was realized. Isn't it brilliant?
Coco was still sleeping, so I insisted we head in to have lunch before she woke up.
The restaurant was the perfect blend of Alpine and hunting lodge chic. We loved the Ibex above the amazing fireplace.
Then she woke up and ate with us. She was a little groggy, but felt right at home in the Tripp-Trapp. The food was good, but a little salty for our tastes. Then we went outside to see what Coco would think.
She loved it, of course! :) Mt. Pilatus is just what you would expect from a day trip to the mountains in Switzerland. I think we will be taking all of our visitors there. Have you been?
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