The last few days have been full. Full of activities, full of preparations, full of excitement. On Friday, the unusual nice and warm weather turned the other way round. It was rainy and stormy, so stormy that you could hear the window shutters and the entrance door shaking in the wind. Unfortunately, while we were eating dinner, bringing the garbage outside, putting the children to bed and enjoying our evening, some people took advantage of the storm and broke into the flat below us without out us noticing anything. It worries me pretty much that we didn’t hear a thing. From now on, the we are closing our window shutters at night…

With the storm came the first christmas preparations. People started to put up christmas lights and on Saturday we went to the local christmas market (which is, as every year, just on one day and always before the actual christmas season is kicking off). It was cold and rainy and we went home again after eating an overprized Rösti with cheese (Switzerland is known for many good things, but the christmas markets are still up for some improvement!). Luckily for the little one we returned late afternoon for a quick stop at the merry-go-round. She complete two rounds with a very straight face – I still assume that she enjoyed it. Somehow. Maybe. Who knows. Sometimes it is hard to tell.

During the next night, the weather changed again and we finally had our first snow of the season. Just a little bit. But it does feel so much more christmassy that way, doesn’t it? So, away with the autumn jacket and out with the snowsuit.

Sunday morning, the little one found a blue mosquito net in our store-room and wanted to hang it over her bed. We obeyed and were really touched by her reaction: in contrast to the merry-go-round, she was now overjoyed and couldn’t help but laugh and giggle and talk nonsense (like she always does when she is happy). At noon, she decided to go to bed and take her lunchtime nap. Without having had lunch. Gee, I would have put it up much sooner if I would have known….

In the afternoon, we went to the other side of Zurich for a concert of her music group. Last year, she was one year old and had a little golden star on her back while I sang “twinkle, twinkle, little star”. This year, she was singing and dancing and clapping her hands. With Karsten. It was probably my one and only chance to see my husband dancing around with colored cloths and I truly enjoyed it!

After this weekend it feels as if the christmas season has officially begun. Three christmas calendars are already done, I am working on the one for our family now. Most of the christmas presents are decided upon and most birthday presents are organised too (November and December always brings the challenge of not only organising christmas presents for the whole family but also taking care of about ten birthdays….). We even manage to make a “welcome to your new home”-present for Karstens’ grandmother. During the next days I will unpack the christmas decoration and next Sunday we will meet up with our friends for another annual baking marathon.

Let the fun begin!