2014 photo roundup
Massive, massive picture post that took ages to do. Not much introduction necessary - this is all about what all of us got up to in 2014, in pictures and captions.
January
We see in the arrival of 2014 with champagne and dim sum.
A quick trip to beautiful Nice where it was positively balmy compared to Geneva.
We rented a car and drove to Antibes and Monaco.
The first time our family of four spends Chinese New Year away. We make do.
February
Poor kids spend the month being sick -
ear infections, eye infections, chest infections, the works.
We spend our indoor time making crafts and having an alien dress-up day.
When everyone is better, the sun comes out more often and we start to venture out more again.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring.
March
Dress-up for World Book Day at school.
I have a quiet, stay-home birthday celebration.
Even as spring beckons, one last round in the snow for us.
The days get warmer and brighter.
Our good friend D passes through town again and we show her a good time!
This is also when The Bun starts becoming properly obsessed with dinosaurs.
April
Spring has sprung!
April is also the month of chocolate and Easter.
After weeks of anticipation, my family finally comes to visit!
We travel together to Yvoire...
... Gruyere (where Bao shows her true colours)
... and Paris.
We eat quite a lot of good food in Paris, which at least makes up for Bao's awful tantrums.
May
In which everyone enjoys the weather.
I embark on this saga. (I'm still stuck at Book Five!)
Soaking up the rays and wine at the annual Caves Ouvertes festival.
The Bun and his friends in the Lower School perform a musical version of The Rainbow Fish.
Roadtrip to Lyon and our first stay in an AirBnB apartment. We are converts.
Lyon is a dream of small, interesting neighbourhoods and great food.
And the surrounding Beaujolais countryside is stunning as well.
June
Another long weekend beckons, and with it a trip to Basel.
The highlight of our trip is a visit to the Vitra House.
Back in Geneva, it's Sports Day at The Bun's school.
As the summer holidays approach, playgroup comes to an end.
We start spending time at the pool.
The Bun has an early birthday celebration with his classmates and has a blast.
Speech Day at school - and then the summer holidays begin!
The Bun comes up with a list of what he wants to do in the summer.
July
The kids spend a lot of time outdoors.
J has to work in Venice for a bit so we all spend two weeks in this amazing city.
I'm thankful that my mother came along to help me out and provide some company.
I think she had a good time!
Italy is made for long, lazy summer breaks.
When we get back to Geneva, it's time to celebrate The Bun's fifth birthday!
August
We return to Singapore with a series of long, tiring flights,
but the actual journey is not as bad as I feared.
In Singapore, the spotlight is always on the children...
... eating as much local food as possible...
... and spending precious time with friends and family.
It was definitely too short a holiday.
Back in Geneva, it's BBQ time and a (belated) National Day celebration.
September
The Bun begins Year One in school; small bits of homework slowly begin to appear.
We spend a long weekend in Lucerne,
checking out mountains, caves, and deer parks.
Autumn is harvest season, and we take the kids apple picking.
The prunes and pumpkins are great too.
A small nod towards the Mid-Autumn Festival for the children.
October
UEFA celebrates its 60th anniversary and we check out its open house celebrations.
We also visit a lot of the small street festivals that pop up around the city;
everyone trying to make the most of the weather before winter arrives.
A short trip to Dijon in the heart of Burgundy wine country.
Apart from wine, it's all about the mustard.
The Bun starts a new obsession: rocks and minerals.
Halloween and our not-very-elaborate costumes.
November
The living room ceiling becomes a bane in our lives.
As the cold weather approaches, there are more indoor distractions:
cat shows and second-hand book sales.
J celebrates his birthday with sushi and a homemade lemon cake.
The Christmas tree goes up - the first one the kids have ever had.
Bao turns two and enjoys every second of the celebrations.
The Bun learns about Thanksgiving in school and writes down what he's thankful for.
December
After lots of fuss, the ceiling is finally repaired. Big sigh of relief.
Our class's stall at the school's Christmas Fair, and The Bun's meeting with Father Christmas.
I fly to London on my own while J holds the fort at home.
Good friends make this trip to London especially amazing, as we eat, shop, and talk endlessly.
This Christmas, we eat to excess, especially with oysters and champagne.
The kids don't fare too badly either.
And finally we get some proper snow to end off the year!
[I don't know why I don't seem to have a 2013 roundup although I vaguely remember doing it. Managed to find the 2012 one though.]
January
We see in the arrival of 2014 with champagne and dim sum.
A quick trip to beautiful Nice where it was positively balmy compared to Geneva.
We rented a car and drove to Antibes and Monaco.
The first time our family of four spends Chinese New Year away. We make do.
February
Poor kids spend the month being sick -
ear infections, eye infections, chest infections, the works.
We spend our indoor time making crafts and having an alien dress-up day.
When everyone is better, the sun comes out more often and we start to venture out more again.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring.
March
Dress-up for World Book Day at school.
I have a quiet, stay-home birthday celebration.
Even as spring beckons, one last round in the snow for us.
The days get warmer and brighter.
Our good friend D passes through town again and we show her a good time!
This is also when The Bun starts becoming properly obsessed with dinosaurs.
April
Spring has sprung!
April is also the month of chocolate and Easter.
After weeks of anticipation, my family finally comes to visit!
We travel together to Yvoire...
... Gruyere (where Bao shows her true colours)
... and Paris.
We eat quite a lot of good food in Paris, which at least makes up for Bao's awful tantrums.
May
In which everyone enjoys the weather.
I embark on this saga. (I'm still stuck at Book Five!)
Soaking up the rays and wine at the annual Caves Ouvertes festival.
The Bun and his friends in the Lower School perform a musical version of The Rainbow Fish.
Roadtrip to Lyon and our first stay in an AirBnB apartment. We are converts.
Lyon is a dream of small, interesting neighbourhoods and great food.
And the surrounding Beaujolais countryside is stunning as well.
June
Another long weekend beckons, and with it a trip to Basel.
The highlight of our trip is a visit to the Vitra House.
Back in Geneva, it's Sports Day at The Bun's school.
As the summer holidays approach, playgroup comes to an end.
We start spending time at the pool.
The Bun has an early birthday celebration with his classmates and has a blast.
Speech Day at school - and then the summer holidays begin!
The Bun comes up with a list of what he wants to do in the summer.
July
The kids spend a lot of time outdoors.
J has to work in Venice for a bit so we all spend two weeks in this amazing city.
I'm thankful that my mother came along to help me out and provide some company.
I think she had a good time!
Italy is made for long, lazy summer breaks.
When we get back to Geneva, it's time to celebrate The Bun's fifth birthday!
August
We return to Singapore with a series of long, tiring flights,
but the actual journey is not as bad as I feared.
In Singapore, the spotlight is always on the children...
... eating as much local food as possible...
... and spending precious time with friends and family.
It was definitely too short a holiday.
Back in Geneva, it's BBQ time and a (belated) National Day celebration.
September
The Bun begins Year One in school; small bits of homework slowly begin to appear.
We spend a long weekend in Lucerne,
checking out mountains, caves, and deer parks.
Autumn is harvest season, and we take the kids apple picking.
The prunes and pumpkins are great too.
A small nod towards the Mid-Autumn Festival for the children.
October
UEFA celebrates its 60th anniversary and we check out its open house celebrations.
We also visit a lot of the small street festivals that pop up around the city;
everyone trying to make the most of the weather before winter arrives.
A short trip to Dijon in the heart of Burgundy wine country.
Apart from wine, it's all about the mustard.
The Bun starts a new obsession: rocks and minerals.
Halloween and our not-very-elaborate costumes.
November
The living room ceiling becomes a bane in our lives.
As the cold weather approaches, there are more indoor distractions:
cat shows and second-hand book sales.
J celebrates his birthday with sushi and a homemade lemon cake.
The Christmas tree goes up - the first one the kids have ever had.
Bao turns two and enjoys every second of the celebrations.
The Bun learns about Thanksgiving in school and writes down what he's thankful for.
December
After lots of fuss, the ceiling is finally repaired. Big sigh of relief.
Our class's stall at the school's Christmas Fair, and The Bun's meeting with Father Christmas.
I fly to London on my own while J holds the fort at home.
Good friends make this trip to London especially amazing, as we eat, shop, and talk endlessly.
This Christmas, we eat to excess, especially with oysters and champagne.
The kids don't fare too badly either.
And finally we get some proper snow to end off the year!
[I don't know why I don't seem to have a 2013 roundup although I vaguely remember doing it. Managed to find the 2012 one though.]