After the crazy chills of January, February has been really mild in comparison, almost spring-like. The buds are emerging, the birds are singing, the sun is out, and it's easy to think that winter is over... except that I doubt it is. I'm sure that at some point in April there will be a slash of snow. Just we wait ( Read more... )

This Easter break has really flown by; tomorrow the last school term starts for the year and then before I know it the summer holidays will be upon us. It even felt like summer, a bit, today, with the sun shining brilliantly and not a cloud in the sky. We even got the electric BBQ going on the balcony and had grilled lamb chops for dinner. I ( Read more... )

( the first three days )

Clearly I have been swallowed whole by my Kindle over the past week. After finishing the first paperback volume, I ended up buying entire five-volume box set for the Kindle (all 4,772 pages of it!) because I can't just let it hang there - I best read on as much as possible while I can still keep track of the characters and the plot. In the meantime ( Read more... )

The way Bao is now (i.e., difficult) means that J and I currently avoid going to crowded places with her. Shopping malls are a waste of time since she repeatedly throws fits about not being able to pull things off shelves, run down the escalator, etc. She's at that phase where she's desperately trying to assert her will and independence but has no ( Read more... )

Today was a pretty sugar-laden one, especially for The Bun. All of us went out right after breakfast to make the most of the spring sunshine. I didn't want to drive far because we're saving all the day trips for when my family arrives next week, so today we just hung around the city centre and did some exploring.

First was a quick visit to the ( Read more... )

Happily, the past weekend was full of sunshine, making it a great time to take D, who was finally done with work, out. The last time she was here it was so foggy she couldn't see the mountains on the horizon, and it was freezing as we walked along the lakeside promenade trying to look at the famous jet fountain. This time round, the trees were ( Read more... )

Now that the kids are over the worst of their bugs (although Bao still has a lingering cough and an ever-present runny nose), it's easier for us all to venture further and to spend longer days out. The weather has been nice and sunny too and this morning at the park I saw the first daffodils. It's still chilly, still scarf and hat weather, but it's ( Read more... )

That painful muscle tear in my chest is back, and this time it's on both sides of my chest, right on my ribcage. It hurts pretty bad when I lie down flat, and I have no idea how I'd ever fall asleep at night except that the good doctor gave me some codeine pills the last round and that knocks me out for the night. I sound like I have the plague, ( Read more... )

We had quite the busy weekend despite the gloomy weather. Even though it's dry, it's a little too cold to be hanging around parks and playgrounds for long with the kids. Indoor malls are not the best nor most interesting option either, so our family is slowly working our way through the various museums in the Lake Geneva area ( Read more... )