FREEZE!!! F - B - I

And that is exactly where we are with this registration process…frozen.  We have filled out a ton of paperwork, submitted passport photos (two sets, as the Swiss would have it-one set WITH NO SMILING ALLOWED), provided proof that we have health insurance, are married, were born in the USA, yadda, yadda, yadda.  And now, the Swiss have come back to us with a request for fingerprints and a criminal record report (or rather lack thereof) from the FBI-by next week.  Meanwhile, there  is only one police station in all of Zurich that does fingerprinting, and according the FBI's website, our request for our "permanent record" will take approximately…13 weeks.  So, until we get this whole thing sorted out, and receive our actual registration papers, we can't get a driver's license, and I can't leave the country.  See what I mean about being frozen?  I tell you what, now that I will have a Swiss bank account AND be on file with the FBI, I just might start to feel like someone important.  

PLEASE MAKE A U-TURN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Where the heck am I going?  And why am I in this handbasket???  Navigating these narrow, windy, mountain roads with names as long as my arm would be impossible without Jane, our lovely navigation system voice with a British accent.  I think her favorite thing to say to us is, "Please make a U-turn as soon as possible".   You cannot believe how much more pleasant it is to hear her tell us these things than it is to hear me tell Chris such a direction when are left with a map and our own devices.  (and I am particularly directionally challenged) Maybe I should try using a British accent? Or, maybe not.  I cannot imagine how expats did this international move thing before the age of the internet and GPS systems.  Wow, now THEY were some brave pioneering spirits!

YOU SPENT WHAT?...FOR THAT?...

Switzerland just may be one of the most expensive countries anywhere.  I mean…6 bucks for 10 eggs, 15 dollars/pound for chicken.  Beef?  Pork?  Forget about it!  These prices make NYC look like Kansas.  And it doesn't end with the food.  Everything costs 50-150% more than in the US.  Wow.  Nice to meet you, fiscal discipline.  Other expensive Swiss treats:  Garbage bags.  Yep, not kidding!  The Swiss require you to put red stickers on your garbage bags before discarding them into the dumpster.  Each sticker costs 3 dollars, and the garbage bags are pretty small…about the size of a large bathroom garbage can.  Wow.  Just the cost of diapers alone (now not only paying double the cost for them here vs home, but now also paying to throw them away in the trash) is going to put a dent in the monthly bottom line!  I tell you what, one way to ensure that a family recycles every last piece of anything recyclable is to charge for garbage.  Effective method!  (More on recycling later).  I've even tried pulling the sneaky American trick...trying to dump a dirty diaper here or there in a dumpster when we are out and about-but to no avail!  All dumpsters are padlocked!  It is virtually impossible to find an open public garbage can.  They really make you pay to throw your stuff away, there is just no getting around it.  Vignettes.  Yep, you need a vignette to ride your bike, and a vignette to drive on the highways.  We found out the hard way that you apparently need to pay to drive on the highways in Austria as well…but that is a story for another time!  And, Parking.  Every last parking lot in Switzerland has a meter!  We learned that lesson on our very first trip to IKEA.  As we went to exit the parking lot with a nice line of cars behind us we realized that we forgot to pay for parking!  Apparently the Swiss don't take kindly to backing up to let uninformed Americans reverse their way back to validate their parking ticket!  Live and learn.  

MOTHER'S DAY

Mother's Day started with cuddles from all three boys in bed and the best french toast I've ever had, thanks to Chris.  As we were eating it, Isaac remarked, "how can we be eating Fwench toast in Switzewand?"  Good question, my little literalist.
After he cleaned up the dishes, Chris asked me what I wanted to do, so I replied, "take me to the mountains"!  And he did.  Chris drove the scenic route, and I couldn't help but ooohh and aaahhh over the spectacular views or stop myself from taking pictures out of the windshield.  We took a walk to a waterfall, and ate lunch at a restaurant nestled in the mountainside known for it's fine food (which Chris looked up).  We even enjoyed a beer with lunch.  We drove through the Klausen pass until we got stopped by a road block...too much snow and fallen rock at the top to go over the tippy top of the mountain, so we pulled over and ate some homemade chocolate chip cookies that I brought for dessert at the highest point that we could get to for the day.  There isn't a Mother's Day that I haven't enjoyed yet, but this one was especially wonderful.  Now that our family is complete, I had my first mother's day with all of my kids, and my first mother's day in the Swiss Alps.  We ended the day all huddled together on the couch, watching a movie on our laptop...starting and ending the day cuddled up with my boys with a trip to the mountains in between...what more could a mother want?!? 

A MOM IS A MOM IS A MOM

Things are getting more familiar everyday.  Luckily, Isaac is going to an International School, and the moms I've met there (from all over the globe: Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA, Mexico, Argentina, Malaysia, Germany) are all very supportive and welcoming as they too have experienced the chaos that is an international move and transition-with small children.  No matter what culture they are from or language they speak, we all have the same emotions, challenges, and joys when it comes to our kids.  What a great connection to share with people from every corner of the world.  And while I'm on this mothering note, I might just add that although unpacking an apartment with a baby is challenging-and carrying him to the grocery store daily, up and down stairs, and having him basically as a barnacle can be exhausting, he is really the sweetest, most flexible baby.  No matter how beautiful the surroundings (which are insanely beautiful), looking into Levi's eyes (and Chris, Luke and Isaac's) is really the most beautiful thing I get to see everyday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

It takes a lot of stamina to travel all over Europe with three kids.  It isn't the stereotypical "sit at the cafe and leisurely take in a museum" sort of experience.  But that being said, I wouldn't trade having our boys with us to see all of these places for anything.  They always notice different details than I do, and have a unique perspective about the places we go and the things we see (i.e. "this tram is awesome, Mom" as we are riding it past stunning architecture, or "look at this snail!", as we are walking past a spectacular mountain view).  No one could have prepared me better for traveling to any place imaginable with them-(from churches, to museums, to the mountains) than my Mom.  She and my Dad took us five girls all over the United States.  I value those trips-and all of the museums, National Parks, hiking, and reading-more than I could ever express.  I guess the best way to show appreciation for an experience you treasure is to do your best to pass it on to others you love.  So, thanks Mom, for the inspiration and example.  I could never come close to emulating your energy, organization, and character-but I will keep doing my best!  I love you, have a great day!

OUT OF A FAIRYTALE

Most small towns and villages in Switzerland (and all of Europe for that matter) have a church, an old town, and a castle. As the boys have articulated on several occasions, not all castles are created equal!  Understandably, they have a very specific impression of what a castle should be...drawbridges, moats, high towers, lookouts, knights in shining armor.  It isn't surprising then, that several of the smaller and more house-like structures that are still classified as castles have not lived up to the boys' expectations.  So, Chris and I decided to take them to a castle that would meet...and in this case, exceed, their expectations.  We headed to Fussen, Germany to visit Neuschwanstein (and it's neighboring castle, Hohenschwangau)-both inhabited by King Ludwig.   Although the area is a bit tourist trappy-it is worth fighting the crowds to get a tour of these impressive castles.  There were no pictures allowed inside, but Neuschwanstein (only partially finished due to Ludwig's untimely death), was a spectacle of royalty and wealth that had not only the boys mouths hanging open, but mine as well.  We stayed in a cute little hotel with a view of Neuschwanstein and enjoyed a delicious traditional Bavarian dinner.  We rode a horse-drawn carriage to the top of the mountain to reach the castle, and the boys really got a kick out of the fact that the horse directly in front of Chris was experiencing some bad gas...I thought they were going to laugh their little selves right off of the buggy! (poor Chris wasn't as amused) 
The only drawback of the trip was during our drive to Germany.  We got pulled over at an Autobahn checkpoint, only to find out that we were in Austria (surprise! Chris turned to me and said, "did you even know we were in Austria?"...nope!), and that we were driving without an Austrian vignette.  (a sticker you must buy and post on your windshield to drive on the highway)   The fine was a whopping 120 Euro!  OUCH.  That's a hefty fine to pay for a 10 minute trip through a teeny tiny corner of Austria. (especially when the cost for the vignette is only 7 Euro!)  Guess we should have paid closer attention to the map.  Again, a lesson we hope to only have to learn once.  Once we hit the Autobahn in Germany Chris really enjoyed opening up our little BMW wagon to see what she could do...and lets just say that her reputable German engineering didn't let us down!

MOVE OVER JULIE ANDREWS, THESE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH SOME NEW MUSIC

The radio stations here are hilarious.  We are hearing a lot of 80s music: Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses, Phil Collins, and a random sampling of obscure American songs that never made it even close to the Top 40.  On the drive to get Isaac dropped off and picked up from school today I heard the following: Elvis, C and C music factory (which had Isaac giggling), Tina Turner, One Republic, Simon and Garfunkle, Train, Michael Jackson, and Shakira (Switzerland loves her daily dose of Shakira!).  Now THAT makes for an eclectic listening experience!  The DJs are also a crack up, as I listen to them rattle away in Swiss-German, all of a sudden you hear an American celebrity name in a thick German accent and pronounced with a slower pace...JJJeeeffff  Brriiddggeesss...then back to the fast paced Swiss German.  Makes me laugh.  We will definitely be putting that ipod jack to good use in the car we ordered!  Which, reminds me…when IS that car we ordered going to get here?  We were told that it would take 4-6 weeks.  About 5 weeks after placing the order, Chris called to ask if they had a delivery date, and we were notified that somehow the paperwork got "lost in the shuffle".  Our car had not yet been ordered.  Now, I am loving the little M series BMW wagon we have been tooling around in…it makes me actually look like a European, but poor Luke is completely smashed in-between his two little brother's car seats (not to mention, illegal.  Switzerland just passed a law April 30th that requires kids to ride in booster seats until the age of 12).  We are lucky he is such a trooper, always easy to get along with.  Just one more reason I love that kid so much!  

THIS WILL MAKE YOU ITCHY

I have recently found out that there are a lot of ticks in Switzerland, and all of central Europe.  The scary part is, 50-100 percent of them carry one of two diseases: TBE (tick born encephalitis) and Lyme's disease.  There is a vaccination you can get to protect yourself from TBE once you turn 6 and if you are not breastfeeding...so that covers Chris and Luke.  As I read more about it on the internet, my mind starts to replay how Luke, Isaac, and Levi love to roll around in the grass...and I think of how much they have been doing just that.  Heck, all of a sudden I think of the photo-ops Chris and I have tried to create, as we set our babies IN the grass, laying them on each other and rolling them through the thick, disease-infested tick habitat.  Great!  Another thing to keep me up at night worrying...looks like we can add tick checks to the nightly routine!

LAKE GREIFENSEE HOW I LOVE THEE

On Lia's last day here (boooo), and with Chris home from his trip, but fighting jet-lag, we decided to spend a Sunday visiting a favorite hangout of the locals.  On Sundays in Switzerland, everything is closed except for some restaurants.  The Swiss are known for doing three things on Sundays:  exercising outside, hanging with their families outside, or eating long, expensive meals at restaurants (and if at all possible-outside).  Once you accept Sunday as a day that you won't be able to run any errands, or get much done (vacuuming and laundry is also banned due to noise restrictions), it is really fantastic!  It is a guilt free way to ensure that you take time out to enjoy yourself and your family, and there is no more of an enjoyable place to do that than outside-especially when you are in the Alps!  We went to Lake Greifensee to check out the small village and the lake.  There is a path all around the lake, and hundreds of people were out roller blading, biking, walking, and scootering.  It was a beautiful, hazy day.  The pics we took look like I've edited the color on them, but I didn't.  It was the most romantic light.  I felt like I was sitting in a Swiss version of an Emily Dickinson poem (sans some crazy dress and girdle).  We enjoyed some beers at a bier garten, and let the boys wade in the lake.  We walked around the lake for a while and enjoyed some of the first warm sunshine of the summer season and each other.  It felt like a genuine Swiss experience.  It felt great!

SHAFFHAUSEN

Today, Lia and I took the boys to see the Rheinfalls (the largest waterfall in Europe, volume-wise) and we also discovered the village of Shaffhausen.  The waterfalls were certainly impressive, although it was packed with tourists.  We did walk through a very eclectic museum that told the story of the waterfalls through the ages-about the trade that occurred near it and of the many famous artists who have been inspired to create an impressive variety of artistic renderings of it.  However, the highlight of the day was visiting Shaffhausen.  It had a beautiful old town with a great pulse, but it wasn't saturated with tourists.  We hiked up a steep hill laden with switchbacks to get to the Munot, a fortress built in the 16th century to overlook the city.  It is surrounded by vineyards.  Both the structure (we got to walk up a spiral cobblestone ramp to the top) and the views of the city and countryside from it were spectacular.  We also visited Shaffhausen's romanesque-style Cathedral, built in 1103.  The courtyard was stunning, and watching Isaac step in-between all of the shadows of the columns lining the courtyard as we walked around it-(as if he was stepping on stones of light)-was one of my favorite Mom moments of the day.

RIDING AN ASIAN ELEPHANT IN SWITZERLAND

Luke is attending the local Swiss school.  He has been doing fabulous with the adjustment and I'm hoping he gets fluent in German (or rather, Swiss-german) sooner than later so he can translate for me-or at least read cooking directions on food packaging to me!  One of the differences of Swiss school that is working in his favor is the schedule.  He gets out of school everyday from 11:45 to 1:45 for lunch and goes back for afternoon class on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.  On Tuesdays and Wednesdays he doesn't have to go back.  He is a free man by 11:45!  So, on a Wednesday afternoon-Lia and I took the boys to Rapperswil, a charming village on the southern tip of Lake Zurich.  We toured the small castle, and a church, and then decided to head to a children's zoo that we heard was there.  An unexpected and surprisingly random highlight of the outing was that Lia and Luke and Isaac got to ride on an Elephant!  Wow, riding on an Asian Elephant in the Swiss alps...not bad for a regular 'ole school day afternoon.

BA BA BLACK SHEEP

Aunt Lia has been a real doll.  She has helped me finish putting the place together, been amazing with the boys, and as always has been awesome company-sharing her great positive energy.  She has lived with us in Atlanta for two summers while working at an internship, so the boys really consider her a part of the family.  
The hardest part about Lia coming is that she has to leave...we really would
 just love her to stay because she fits right in!  And, now that the boys have gotten used to her extended stays, anything less than a month just feels like a tease.  BUT, we are grateful for any time with her and have been having a blast.  If you are reading this, Lia, thanks so much for coming and helping!  On the first day of Lia's visit, she was looking off the front deck across the street at our neighbors-a little flock of jet black sheep.  She was pretty tired from the time change, and she looked at me and said, "Is that little lamb wearing a rain jacket...or was it just born?"  Turns out, it was just born!  He was still stuck in the amniotic sac.  The boys (and Lia and I) were amazed as we got to watch him take his first wobbly steps.  What a treat.  Switzerland is feeling more quaint by the minute!

GROUNDHOGS DAY? NO THANKS, THE SWISS PREFER AN EXPLODING SNOWMAN!

There is a 600-year old Spring Festival tradition in Switzerland called Sechseläuten.  The celebration is held on the third Saturday of every April.  There is a huge costume parade (I'm talking "100s of marching bands, and thousands of people marching in costumes"-huge) with the main event being a massive symbolic snowman (called a Böögg) with a head made of explosives getting set on fire.  The faster the head explodes, the better the summer, is what they say here in Zurich.  Then, after the snowman burns down into an inferno of a bonfire, the huge throngs of people at the festival move in to roast their beloved Swiss sausages and celebrate.  Lia and I thought it would be fun to see it with the kids.  Our intentions were to check out some sights in downtown Zurich and old town, watch some of the parade, and then head back home before things got crazy.  Well, the day was gorgeous, and so we got a little distracted as we meandered along the Lake...stopping to enjoy some musicians, getting the kids ice cream cones, watching the boats and people lakeside.  That apparently set us back more than we realized, because after touring the cathedral, we started heading back towards home. However, we got completely stuck in a very large and very immobile crowd.  I was trapped with Levi in the stroller, and Lia had Luke and Isaac...she could only inch along, but I was completely stuck because no one would let me move a millimeter with the stroller.  I along with the rest of the crowd was on the verge of panic, as thousands of us were completely immobilized in a dead stand-still.  It was honestly one of the more nerve-racking experiences I've had, and once Lia and I were separated, there was no reconnecting with each other.  I just kept praying that she wouldn't let go of one of my boys!  What an uncharacteristically "unruly" Swiss event.  I am amazed that this country of rules and order hasn't come up with a better way to manage crowd control during the past 600 years.  Another one of life's little mysteries! Thankfully, Lia came through again, and the five of us eventually reunited.  What a scary way to end an otherwise wonderful day.  

HAVE KIDS-WILL TRAVEL

Aunt Lia is really a trooper.  She is awesome with the kids, knows how to get around Europe, and is always up for anything.  However, bringing three little boys on our first cross-country train ride while she was still in a pretty serious jet-lag cloud may have been testing her limits.  We were off for a day trip to Basel!  
Any train ride starts with a trek to the train station from our apartment (envision two sisters, three boys, a stroller, a kid-carrier backpack, and an overstuffed gear backpack).  By the time we arrived at train station #1 of the day, the boys had already spilled a water bottle in the bottom of the stroller, ate some of our snack reserves, and we had a baby in need of his morning nap.  Welcome to traveling Europe with kids!
Our day ended up being fantastic!  We started by checking out two cathedrals.  At the second Cathedral, we walked up a very old, very small, very steep wooden staircase to see the first level of the bell tower.  The passageway was so small and steep that we couldn't continue to the top because we couldn't carry the kids through the space safely.  Regardless, we still got some great views of the city and an appreciation for the inside of the tower.  I kept imagining a little boy or a priest from the 1300s walking barefoot up those stairs to ring the bells.  We then walked through most of Basel's very impressive old town, which was packed with people on a busy Saturday.  The people watching was entertaining and the tiny cobble-stone lined streets, Swiss buildings, and architectural detail of every window, door, shutter, and rooftop was captivating.  Finally, we walked to see the city gates that are still standing from the 1300's.  Along our tour through old town, Luke and Isaac got some balloon-swords that were made by a street artist.  Seeing them joust with their balloons under a 700-year old structure was quite the juxtaposition!  I again found myself reflecting on how many people had passed through those gates over the past seven centuries, under such dramatically challenging circumstances during so many different time periods in history.  What a humbling place to stand.  By the time we walked back through town to the train station, we realized that we had carried and pushed Isaac and Levi for over 7 hours of walking, and Luke trekked it all with a great attitude.  Arriving home 11 hours after setting off, I could see that Lia was jet-lagging but still smiling.  If I was indeed testing her limits, she passed with flying colors!