Silvesterlauf magic

Due to a last minute Christmas shopping trip to London this week, I am a little delayed in posting about my Big Run  - the Zuri Silvesterlauf - on Sunday. I am sure you have been waiting in suspense for the gory details ;) Well, I haven't actually got any! It was fantastic. In fact, it was quite magical, running in the dark around Zurich's streets, with the Christmas lights twinkling where-ever I looked. The run was lined with people and children shouting out our names (what a lovely idea to have your first name printed on the number pinned to your shirt) with their hands out waiting to high five runners. It gave me a real high. Ok, I took 1.06 to complete and was placed 612 - but I really didn't care! I did it! If you ever get the chance, do take part. (Don't forget you need to register in August)

www.silvesterlauf.ch

Scary Big Race Day has arrived

It's 8.30am.

I have just demolished a big brekkie of beans on toast topped with a fried egg in preparation for my Big Race Day (the Zurich Silvesterlauf my lovely hubbie entered me into after an ill-conceived tiddly bet back in August).

I gobbled up breakfast despite my nerves about my first ever grown-up ‘Race.’ I’m struggling to call it this as I hate the idea of entering a race I have absolutely no chance of winning. But equally, I cannot just call it a run as it is very different to the regular run I enjoy several times per week – a leisurely few km at a slower than snail’s pace around the local woods.

Talking of which, I awoke at 3.30am this morning with a humungous fear that the starting - pistol? - would go and I would be left behind in a cloud of dust by a giant group of runners going pretty slow (I am in the slowest group today) but still plenty faster than me. That was it – sleep was now evading my attempts and I was wide awake for the next 14 hours until my run started. Aaarggh. The day is stretching out before me like a sloth preparing for an 18 hour nap.

And lo and behold - a sparkly Christmas Tree!

Well, knock me down with a feather duster! Just a fortnight ago I was chatting to a fellow choir member in my local village Singengruppe about how lovely it would be to have a carol singing event in the village square at Advent. I said we could of course gather around the little tree which is resident in the centre of the square, under which benches nestle but it would be great if we could have a nice big Christmas tree to stand around, something which, since I have lived here, has never featured in the village.

And lo and behold, only a few days later, I spied a group of people putting lights on a beautiful new Christmas tree in the square! And last Sunday we were invited to go along and help make some decorations and decorate it. It was so enjoyable. And the Gemeinde had even provided a gorgeous, little ride for the children, powdered by a burning furnace, free of charge.

I am now starting to wonder if I can wiggle my nose and make more great things happen around me...

Success!

Well, my efforts yesterday paid off. Poppy wrote me a lovely note back in our Just Between Us book explaining that she likes Raphael for many reasons, which includes the fact that he is funny, for instance when the teacher asked the class if they have any more questions he quipped: ‘Can we get started now?’ and the fact that he is a middle child just like her, with a younger and an older brother.

This really surprised me as she has never mentioned this fact, although I once spoke to my brother-in-law about it when he first mentioned the middle child thing because he is a middle child himself. It seems middle children really identify with other middle children J And yes, I guess it is a big issue which is quite frustrating for them at times, with the older sibling allowed so much more freedom and the younger sibling let off so much more over things middle children aren’t. I guess middle children really do get an unfair deal some of the time.

And there you have a great example of how well our secret journal writing pays off. This is a detail that would never have come out in a regular conversation but is obviously an issue which my middle daughter cares very strongly about.

Our secret book helps me to be an okay mum once more

My 9-year-old daughter came flying in at lunchtime with the biggest grin on her face and announced she has come home with Raphael’s rubber. Raphael is a boy in some of her classes at school who my daughter has recently developed a crush on. I have attempted to put it down to a normal part of her development and a passing phase but for some reason the Rubber Incident made it all a little more real.

I tried to re-arrange my face into a look of nonchalance but inside my stomach was churning. I was very aware that the whole future of our relationship rested on my reaction to this particular revelation. Say the wrong thing and she may never confide her feelings about boys to me again. So while my panicked brain shouted at me: ‘She’s going to have sex too young!’ ‘She’s going to be pregnant before she’s 12!’ She’s going to have a dirty back street abortion which will KILL HER!’ I somehow managed a weak smile and a ‘How nice. Does he have your rubber?’ And then it was easier to act normally as Poppy went off into a detailed explanation of the rubber exchange.

She went back to school after lunch leaving me mentally exhausted. But once the ‘Pregnancy/shame/abortion/death’ thoughts had calmed over a cup of tea, I reached for our special book and started to write.

Our ‘Special book’ it just for the two of us. We share our thoughts, fears and hopes in there and keep it in a safe place – usually under her pillow. No-one else is allowed to look at it. And it really is great. I am not very good at saying the right thing but writing things down a little later helps me to take a deep breath and get to the nook and cranny of how I feel. And for Poppy, she has reached that age when she also finds it difficult to express herself, so I think it helps her. And she loves having something that is there for just me and her.

So I started to write about how it was lovely to see her so happy. I wrote about falling for a boy when I was around her age but he moved away after a year leaving me very sad. However, we wrote to each other for more than 10 years. I asked questions about Raphael - What does she like about him? Does he also like drawing? What does he do that makes her smile? Then I closed the book and felt differently about it all. And I felt hope. That maybe I will get through many more years of being an okay mum.

First art stall (albeit very small ;)

So following on from my painting of my local church being used by a gospel choir to promote their concert, I have been offered the chance to display my painting of Brutten Church at their event on Sunday. I also have the chance to sell a print and a few cards which I have made. I am very excited now, although I have been assured there is very little chance that I could sell anything as everyone is always very eager to get home after the event. But even so, it is nice to have my art out there for people to enjoy. And you never know, they might even take away a business card for a future commission.

Legoland rocks!

We went to Legoland in the Herbstferien and it was great. It was only a one and half hours drive, with a little complex route through Austria which feels like you are not actually going anywhere, but we arrived relaxed and excited to get going.

We stayed in a barrel, which was so surreal. And very cosy. The park itself was perfect for our girls, aged 7 and 9. I'm not sure it would tick all the boxes for older teens, but then again, myself and Graham had a ball. The rides were fantastic - full of surprises. The girls took a Legoland driving course and even got a license! (Poppy informed me that some 'didn't get a license at all!) We had dinner in a castle, with fabulous service and food.

The details are fantastic, with little lego men doing stuff around the park, getting stuck in cement, getting lost up pipes, appearing in unexpected places. Very funny. I heartily recommend a trip if you've not been.