Morning
I got up with Julia at 6:09. It is easy to remember the exact time. Checking my iphone for the time is the first thing I do to see if it is 1:00 AM, 3:00 AM, 5:30 AM or actually morning. Anything after 6AM is morning; if it is earlier we try our best to get Julia back to sleep.
There was no getting her back to sleep at 6:09, she was talking, jumping, swooshing, and ready to fly out of her crib.
We had a quiet morning 'till Sara entered the dining room to join us. Then Dan woke a bit after 8:00.
Dan showered and got ready right away, which is a good trick. If who ever gets to "sleep in" joins in breakfast right away that person has to break away again to get ready. Once he was showered and dressed I asked him to watch Julia so I could do the same thing. At this point I'd been up for over two hours.
"I'd have to put her in a football hold, and I'd rather not do that first thing in the morning." That was his way of saying that she surely wanted to be with me and would spaz if he tried to keep her away from me (so I could shower). Though I think he underestimated his abilities to entertain our little daughter I was flexible, and decided to take Julia to the shower with me.
We sat in the tub and I washed her hair and did my own too. She had gotten yogurt all over her so it was a decent thing to go ahead and give her a bath. She looked at me quizzically when I got into the tub with her. She is used to Sara doing it, but not me. After we played "drop the bottle into the water" with the shampoo and conditioner bottles, she was laughing, giggling, and her eyes were beaming with this new found fun-time with Mom. It only took about 10 minutes before we emerged clean and ready for the day.
When I put Julia's sunscreen on, I first did her two cheeks, then she pointed to her nose, to remind me to do that too.
I put a pink dress on her, then she reached for a flowered dress so I'd put that on her too. Though I do sometimes humor her, I decided one dress was enough for today's outfit.
Our Rick Steves book has a walking tour of Lausanne, so we finally did it today. We had already walked to many of the sites, but he puts in details that our eyes can not tell us. Things like when buildings were made, and city history.
The walk brought us to Lausanne's castle, up on a perch over looking the city. Sara and Julia asked to play in the stony courtyard so we let them.
Then we continued the walk and ended up at the Cathedral. We have seen many European churches, but this one didn't blend in with the rest.
It had gothic statuary (in a nave, and protected by glass). Sara and Julia stepped into the gothic statuary's nave over and over again. Surely the couldn't know the history that surrounded them (it is from the middle ages) but Dan and I did, and we stared at the amazing scene and enjoyed seeing our girls sitting on the rock seats below it all - having a great time. They loved exploring the church. We were the only ones there, so they went up and down the long church (it is the largest church in Switzerland). The stained glass windows made patches of color on the cathedral's floor so sometimes as Sara and Julia walked around together they were shades of pink, green, and blue. I was glad no one else was there, it let us explore and take it all in on our own terms and pace.
The rose window was 13th century glass. It is neat to look up at it and marvel at the stories they were trying to tell with glass that long ago. The whole cathedral was a wow.
At one point I was walking with Sara and Julia (they tend to stick with me while Dan wanders around looking at things - and I keep track of Sara and Julia and wander around where they do) and they saw Dan and they ran up to him and hugged him. Then Julia ran back to me and hugged me too. It was a nice moment.
After the cathedral we gave the kids more to eat (we are feeding them constantly, even Dan has noted how much they eat in the morning hours, and I know that since I deal with it everyday on travel or at home) we found our way to a great restaurant.
Lunch
It was self-service, which we like for the ease of ordering, and the ability to leave when we want and not be dependent on a server. Plus the price is better. I had a fish dish, with vegetables that was warm, well-seasoned, and feed all of us for 16.90 SF. They had free tap water (glasses by a fountain). That is good since drinks are pricy, it is 3.40 for a small (2dl) soda (like 4 ounces I think) and we don't drink soda anyway, but those prices are crazy. There was a small play area in the restaurant and the girls played in a play house while Dan and I ate (a nice thing).
After lunch it was nap time. I was the only one that napped (45 minutes total), but we all had a break in the apartment which was welcome after our full morning of touring on foot.
Afternoon
Every night I look at information from the tourist office and our tour book for ideas of things to do. One of them was the "Parc Mon-Repos" that said it was an English garden with a large specimen of trees, aviary with tropical birds, orangery and an old tower. It also houses the Swiss version of our supreme court.
Armed with our map the four of us set out to find it (the park). It didn't take long. It was up a hill (naturally) and down a street. When we found it we didn't know what to do first, but when we went inside (just free, no gate or anything) we rounded a lush, green, bend and saw a play area. It had everything. A dirt pit with a full-sized dirt mover for the kids to scoop and re-position dirt (a big deal), a climbing tower/jungle gym, swings, and some cool wooden things to jump on that were hooked up to air pipes and made music sounds! We stayed at that park for an hour. Sara and Julia were on top of the world. They enjoy touring and seeing sights, but when they hit a playground they feel freedom and instantly are joyous. Dan and I love it too. He stayed with Sara who liked the jungle gym and I stayed with Julia who liked the dirt pit.
Julia and the Dirt pit
Our one year old just loved playing in the dirt. It wasn't dirt actually, sort of like gravel and close to beach sand. Julia stood at a dirt play table and moved it around, playing with shapes, and she didn't even look up to check on me, she was just having a ball just like she does on the beach. Dan said, "I don't know what is going on in that head of hers, but it is something."
There was one shovel in the dirt pit. Julia had it. One kid took it away from her. She waved her hands, stood up for herself, and the kid gave it back to Julia. (No French language required!) A while later another kid took the shovel from her, and she let that kid have the shovel, and began playing and scooping with just her hands. (I was so proud of her ability to adapt.) Still one more time a boy came over and snatched the shovel, she looked at him as if to say "that wasn't nice" and then she turned a green plastic lid into a digging toy. All in all, she was such a good kid, played perfectly with the other kids, and I was so proud (and entertained) watching my young daughter do so well out in the world.
Dinner
We were sad to leave the park, but it was 3:30 and Dan needed to get to work at 4:00 (which is 10:00 EST) so we went back to the apartment. Plus, my stomach was so empty and rumbling for food that it was about to leave my body and go find food on its own.
Dan cooked the tenderloin beef from Argentina (I'm not alowed to cook steak since I over cook it) and we also had a pizza we baked in our oven. Add to that some green snap peas, some fruit salad, and soon all our bellies were happy.
Bedtime
Julia was jumping around at bedtime. Literally using both legs to bounce into the air like a cartoon character. I worried a bit about her ability to settle down and sleep, but when I put her PJs on she didn't resist (if she doesn't want to sleep she well take off her PJs while I'm putting them on, so I have to hold her down with my legs while I put them on her) but this time she just let me put them on. I put her in her crib, said good night and closed the door. A while later she called me in, so I gave her a back rub, then snuck out and closed her door. Good night.
I did a new Mickey Mouse app with Sara before her bed, then she went to sleep too. And even though it is 7:50, I'm heading that way too!
Quotes of the day
(on our walk) Sara: "Hey Dad, did you know mountains turn into volcanos when their ice caps fall off."
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(at a play ground, Sara took a header fall off a teeter-totter and stayed where she landed in stunned silence. I waited for her to either cry or get back up, when I asked:)
Me: "Sara, are you okay?"
Sara: "I'm fine Mama. I was just testing how hard the ground is. The only way to test how hard the ground is, is to fall on it."
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END of a great day.
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