March Madness

What a few weeks it's been! I have no idea why they went so quickly, or why the felt so hectic, but perhaps if I try and recall all that went on, it might give me a clue!

Well firstly James injured himself.  Not mildly, as he usually does, but legitimately hoping around on crutches for 2 weeks or more now.  Ah, the perils of basketball.  So we are down one fully mobile adult in the house, which leaves me with 3 people to look after.  (to be fair, James is doing as much as he can and more sometimes, but there are definite restrictions to what he can and cannot do, stairs are just coming back into the equation now, and driving is still out of the question).

Secondly, Eowyn has decided to try walking.  Not often, not alot, but she can and does take a few steps on her own sometimes.  I love that she is just vaguely interested in the process and will only try it when she is in the mood.  So different to her brother who tried it once and was an expert by the second round!  But at just over 12 months she's doing just fine.  March 18th was the official day.
She also has 2 top molars trying to force their way in.  Poor thing!  There are definitely days when you can tell that she's bothered by them.  Mostly though, she's a trouper.  A trouper who loves to stand, sit and lie on top of her mother.  This is the other funny business that's been going on.  She is suddenly very attached to me, and not just a sort of vague emotional thing - it's physical.  Like if I walk away from a room she's in without her, she will cry!  When I leave I have to hide and duck out so she can't see me, otherwise she'll be really upset, and other times I have to dance around the kitchen trying to cook with someone hanging on to my pant legs.  NO seriously, she physically hangs on to my pants.  Yes, like it in the movies and cartoons.

Her first official official word has got to be "more".  I know she's been saying dadda, daddy, mama, mummeee, for a while.  She's also said some other things that sound like words too, but the most specific and accurately used thing has been "more".  Pointing to food. Of course.

Otherwise our lead up to spring has been a bit up and down.  The weather has certainly been colder this year, and the snow!  Gosh, we just had another snow storm a week ago and that's midway through march!  Crazy stuff.  I guess we shouldn't complain because we still have some beautiful days here, but when it gets grey and cold it just feels like forever.  Liam is definitely itching for warmer weather and more time outside.  We've been getting out a fair bit, but nothing like we normally do in good weather.  Of course with the new bike he's eager for the chance to practice.  Eowyn too has become obsessed with going out, which means that I now have 2 kids bringing me shoes and insisting we get out!  Luckily we have a few good indoor options, and one has become kind of a regular thing where a bunch of TASIS kids and parents head to the palestra at school for some run around play time.  They love it, of course.

Palestra fun - the kids made a "train" with these carts and had a great time driving around the room

Walking and biking down to campus - Liam's choice to wear his shades!

At Gentilino - sharing a horse ride with Cassidy

Eowyn's first time on one of these!

These two are such loves and have such a good time in the bath!

The kiddos reading "Zog" with daddy (thanks Leigh!)

Alexi and Iona, who are friends who got here just in September, managed to introduce us to something we never knew existed - the Zoo!  Ha! We'll we decided to join them a couple of weekends ago and it was a really fun little outing.  It's not a big place and it's a bizarre mix of animals - guinea pigs and lions.  Goats and a snow leopard.  But for little ones it's great.  Amusingly enough you can buy a bag of popcorn and banana slices and feed any animal you like (if they'll eat it!)  This made the goats, ducks, and guinea pigs the top selection for Liam.  He was so funny feeding the goats - the big ones were quite agressive and he was a bit nervous about them but really wanted to feed the babies.  So we had to distract them while he gave a bit of food to the little ones.  They even had a little playground so Eowyn was happy to have a chance to get out of the stoller too.

Liam feeding the goats

At the zoo with Alexi and Iona

Check out the guinea pigs

The playground at the Zoo

Eowyn loving the slide (Belly down, of course)

For Naw Ruz we decided to have dinner out at Bellavista.  Liam always asks when we're going there again, so I invited Leigh and kids to join us, and we had a sweet little celebratory meal there.

Best pals at Bellavista - Naw Ruz

Eowyn and Grayson at Bellavista

Thank goodness the weather warmed quickly after our last snow.  In the square 2 days later there were just a few piles still remaining.  We met up with friends and the kids had a great time digging and crawling around in the snow!

Playing in snow - Montagnola square

Everyone in on the fun!

Ayyam'i'Ha and Eowyn's Birthday

Last week was hectic.  Since this year really felt like the first chance to really start to share the Baha'i holy days of Ayyam'i'Ha with the kids, I felt a lot of pressure to do it right and really think it all out.  I had planned a big party to celebrate Ayyam'i'Ha and Eowyn's birthday, but scheduled it mid week when we normally get together with the other moms and tots.  I also wanted to start establishing some family traditions for Ayyam'i'Ha so that it really felt like more of a special time.  Now that Liam is 3 he definitely is really aware of things and able to start to understand what's happening.  So with that in mind, there were presents to get and wrap, food to prepare, the house to clean, and decorations to put up (plus a regular work week!).  So it was a bit busy, but overall I felt, at the end of it, that we finally did manage to make it feel like a special time.  Over the next years I hope we can establish a more clear family tradition and do a bit more on the service side of things, but a start is good enough for now.

It was also so interesting to keep remembering just a year ago at that same time, being very pregnant and overdue, and then going into labor and of course, Eowyn's birth.  So lots of things collided into one full week.

On the eve of Ayyam'i'Ha we set out a beautiful tray of colorful candles (19) and lit them while we said the special prayer.  Each evening we relit them, and we had flowers and of course Mr. Sears playing in the background a whole lot.  Liam really loved that!  Sometimes our family time was a bit rushed because of James' full work days, but we managed to have a bit of family time each day, and a little time for gift giving.  The kids got something each day, sometimes something small (a watering can for Liam and a "new to her" pull toy for Eowyn), and other times a bigger gift - Eowyn got a sweet cloth doll on her actual birthday, and Liam received some MORE train set bits.  There was a muddle of extra stuff from other people too, because of Eowyn's birthday, so in looking back, it may have been a bit too much in the end, but Liam did finally get a bike, which we've been wanting to get him for quite a few months.  He is SO excited about it.  It's a push bike at the moment, but the cool thing about it is that it has peddles we can attach for when he's ready.  We were so psyched to find it.

Here are some pictures from the week:

Sunrise and snow - First day of Ayyam'i'Ha

Eowyn was over-tired, but lighting the candles for the eve of Ayyam'i'Ha

First day gifts - a watering can for Liam, pull toy for Eowyn, a frame for James, and a trip to the Maldives planned for the whole family for spring break!

Eowyn's birthday - she loved the wrapping, and was fairly indifferent to the cute doll inside 

Ayyam'i'Ha Party in procress - my massage room became the dining room for the kids (very sweet to see them all gather around a table!) 

Trying to get Eowyn to look up by enticing her with food - it clearly didn't work!

Kids eating - Drake, Stirling, Isla, Sam, Amadeo, and Cassidy (not in the picture: Calvin, Jamison, Grayson, Eowyn)

We sang happy birthday for Eowyn and she quite enjoyed it, though the cupcakes went to everyone but her!   

Cupcake eating is serious business.  I wish I had caught Cassidy putting her face in the icing!

The big gift day for Liam - he finally got his bike and couldn't be more excited!

We had to move it on the balcony because he kept trying to ride it in the house

Sibling Love - talking to Michael L. on skype

Shree's visit and Other Bits

Within a month so much changes for little ones.  Eowyn now has 6 full on teeth (and a very amusing smile to go along with them), and is pulling up, cruising and walking a whole lot more.  She has even just recently come up to standing on me, and then let go and stood on her own for a few seconds.  So much happens in one short year for babies.

In amidst all this we had a lovely visit with Shirin.  The down side was that we were all sick as can be while she was here, so she was forced to wear a face mask just to hang out with us.  But better that than getting the flu we all suffered through. I guess it has been a few years since I was last that sick, and being sick with 2 small ones, who are also sick, is just no fun.  We all had high fevers, coughs, sore throats, and whole body aches.  Generally all the unpleasantness you can imagine.
Shirin graciously came and helped cook and entertain the kids as I lolled about on the couch.  Still, despite all illness, we loved having her here.  I don't have a lot of photos of her trip, but they are amusing enough to keep for posterity.

Shirin greets Liam on her arrival

Story time with the kids

Eowyn standing up and trying to open the computer - also wearing her Birthday outfit from Nass and co.

Liam and Eowyn have such a sweet connection.  Of course there are little issues that spring up all the time when Eowyn breaks up his game or something, but there are so many precious moments where Liam is looking out for Eowyn or helping her in some way, and Eowyn, she just loves her big brother and wants to do whatever he is doing!  The other day Liam helped Eowyn get around with the push toy because she kept bumping into walls.  Each time he would steer her around and allow her to get going again.  Another time he took her hands at the dining hall and walked backwards while she walked forwards.  Sometimes, completely unasked, I'll see him just hand bits of food to her that we know she really likes, like berries or something.

My little music makers!

Protective big brother

A rare meal on campus - checking out what's happening outside

A photo actually showing Eowyn's teeth!

A few weeks ago we had friends over for brunch, and managed to get almost all the kids (except Jamison) to sit at the table and eat.  It was really cute to see them all and Eowyn is always thrilled to get to be with the big kids!

Oliver, Cassidy, Eowyn, Calvin and Liam

When we found out Shirin was passing through Zurich on her way home and had a long layover it happened to coincide perfectly with an idea we had to do a day trip up to Zurich anyway.  Except for the fact that I get motion sick, it's quite an easy trip to do by train, and if you leave early enough (8am) you get a good few hours in and can still get back by the kids' bed time.  It was a pretty freezing day, but we had a great time.  We all had lunch together at Hiltl (just the best vegetarian buffet you'll find!), and then walked around popping into shops here and there.  Our only main mission was a trip to the big toy store to look for some Ayyam'i'Ha gifts.  Mission accomplished!  Time spent with Shirin was a fabulous bonus, and all in all we had a great day.

James and Liam eating at Hiltl - No children's menu for us thank you!

Shi and Eowyn at lunch - Both kids just loved all the yummy food choices

Liam in the mouth of the slide in the toy store

In other news, Liam has  become really good at puzzles.  So good that he recently was found doing a puzzle upside down so he couldn't see the picture! (see the puzzle below, and imagine it upside down!)  He has a 36 piece puzzle recommended for 4 years up that he was given for his birthday.  He now does the whole thing on his own in a few minutes.  It's crazy!  He has also gotten really into the letters in the bath tub, and so we spend time each night spelling out words.  So he is slowly learning what letters are what, and if you ask him to find an E for Eowyn he can.  I wish I had a recording device for all the amusing things we've heard him say lately, but yesterday Sarah and I cracked up at lunch because I was talking to her about how expensive it is to feed my children.  Then I looked at Liam and I said "do you know how much you cost?" and his reply was: "You didn't buy me!"  Where does he get this stuff from?  

Puzzle time - sometimes he mixes all 4 puzzles up to add extra challenge!

Reading on the pot

Liam's art work turned into Ayyam'i'ha cards for his friends