Date Night

Last night Nick and I went out to dinner and a movie. The place we ate at was in the aldstadt area in Zug. The restaurant is called the Rasthauskeller. Nick had lamb chops and I had some of the spiciest Thai curry in my life. We spent time talking and drinking good wine. It was nice to have alone time.

Although Coretta has a hard time seeing us go out, Nick explained her that if we nourish our marriage the better parents we are. Afterwards, we went to the Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino. I must say that in a way this movie made me nostalgic for my old Saint Paul neighborhood in the States. Overall, great night out with the best man in my life.

Coretta's New Haircut

Today the family went to Zugerland to do a little shopping, eat lunch, and have Coretta's hair cut at Coiffure Weibel.

While I waited for Coretta to be done at the hairdressers,
Nick and Geno went to the sport shop.


When Coretta was done, we all went to eat at Migros Restaurant. The kids both had chicken strips and fries Dad had veal stroganoff, and Mom had steak. It was great to be out doing something together as a family. After lunch we did a little shopping and Coretta got a pair of new sunglasses and a purple butterfly sundress.



Nadine, our hairdresser, even put in two french braids on the side for her. Coretta was very happy with the results. Here are her before and after shots.

You look great Coretta.

Grandma Marilyn Comes to Switzerland

On March 25th, Grandma Marilyn will arrive at the Zurich airport. We are very excited to see her. We have not had the chance to see her since summer, so it will be great to have some quality time with her.

We plan to do some shopping in Zug, visit the altstadt area of Zug and Zurich, take in the views of the Zug castle, and visit the mountains while she is here.

On Thursday morning, March 26th, she and Nick will be boarding a train at 7 in the morning and spending time both in Lyon and Marseille France. Although the train ride will be long, the views of the landscape should be breathtaking.

Lyon will be great sightseeing and museums and Marseille, being on the french riviera should be sunny with amazing views. I was reading that Marseille was one of the hot spots for Picasso, Renoir, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Since Marilyn is coming from Las Cruces, New Mexico, she will appreciate the warmth. The picture attached is of Marseille. Can't wait to see you Marilyn!!

Geno in his own words

When Nick came home he was impressed with the haircut I had given Geno, but said it could be a little shorter. With that said, I got out my trimmer and attachments and cut it down a little more. Now I just need to learn how to shear Charlie the dog.


Geno is becoming more and more independent and is able to communicate with a limited vocabulary. Today while Geno was eating his lunch, I videotaped him saying some of the words he has learned. Enjoy.

Geno's Home Haircut

This morning, I brought Geno for a haircut at the Coiffure Weibel in Zugerland, and although I tried everything, he would not sit in the chair to get his hair cut. I asked her if I could hold him, and she said no.

After two years of fighting with Geno to get him to sit for a haircut, I went to Migros Electronics, and bought a hair trimmer and accessories for 69 francs.

Nervous, and unsure if I could actually do this, I put Geno in the height chair, turned on Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse and started the trimmer. He is so afraid of it, that he moves around and pushes my hands away. Needless to say, it was not an easy task.

Although it is not completely perfect, I know that I will get better at it. Here's some pictures with his first home haircut.

Sunday--a Day of Rest

In Switzerland, Sundays are truly a day of rest. Everything closes except for things in recreational places and it is typical to see families out and about with their kids.

We decided to take a family walk down to Cham and walk around the lake this past Sunday. We stopped at the park there and allowed the kids some time to play. It is very clear that Geno really looks up to his big sister, insisting that she hold onto his hand and play with him at the park.

The play area was built to resemble a big ship which had ropes to climb, a bell, and even a slide. Geno has finally mastered the slide and we took a video to capture this moment. The only problem we encountered was trying to get him to go home. Enjoy!

Coretta's Piano Recital

Coretta had her first piano recital yesterday and it went great. Mrs. Pauli had her go through her lessons and then after wards explained to me the importance of reading music, knowing the notes/not just playing by ear, and rhythm. She stated that Coretta shows an eagerness to learn and is a good student. She stated that Coretta has a good ear and can hear a song and play it. Although this is a trait some students don't have, she would like to see Coretta reading and understanding the notes she is playing. Since October, I have seen great improvement in both note recognition, tempo, and confidence.

She then had Coretta play a few songs for me and she also did a couple of duets with her teacher. As part of the music program, they do what is considered a review. Since the tuition is covered a third by the canton, a third by the music school, and a third by the parents, they like to have documentation on the progress of each individual. I found this particularly interesting and now know why the price seemed so cheap. She stated that she would like Coretta to continue taking lessons and believes that Coretta's progress should progress even further. Keep up the great work Coretta. We are ever so proud of you!