Jane's Birthday and Mother's Day

May 10th was a big day for me... with Mother's Day falling on my birthday this year, the stakes were high for the gang - and they delivered. :)

The weekend started out with two Mother's Day parties at both Kate and Jack's school. On Thursday, Jack and I met Kate at her school for a Mother's Day tea. She made me a beautiful card (with even a little German written on it) and we had a nice afternoon together. And then on Friday, Jack's school had a Mother's Day breakfast, followed by time observing Jack's class. Friday was gym day, so Kate and I got to come with Jack to gym - and not only watch, but participate in freeze tag, and various ball games. It was nice to see him in a different element - and fun for both Kate and me.

On Friday afternoon, we met the usual gang for the Friday Frolic at the Kelly's home. The kids had fun playing dress-up and running around like maniacs... and I had a nice time catching up with Jen and Jocelyn. We met Jay at home for dinner, and had a quiet evening that night.

On Saturday, Jay took the gang to Starbie's, and I had a great morning - went for a long run along the lake, and the weather was surprisingly beautiful (the weather forecast had been for rain all weekend). The mountains were really clear - and it was one of those days where I remembered (again) how lucky we are to live here. Afterwards, I studied a little German, as Jay and I are taking an exam next Friday - and I am in cramming mode. :)

I met Jay and the kids at the Freitag factory store, where we picked out my first birthday present. Freitag is a Swiss company that makes waterproof (and virtually indestructible) messenger bags out of recycled truck tarps, seat belts, and rubber tires. They are pretty cool bags, and I had wanted to get one as a reminder not only of our time here, but of the way that our recycling habits have been changed while over here. The building itself is made out of old truck containers - so it was fun for the kids to see... and a great gift.

That night, we went to early Mass (again in Deutsch, and again, the kids managed to make it through the service without too many stares!). We followed church with a fantastic dinner at Pizza Pasta Ciao, and then ran home during a huge thunderstorm afterwards.

On Sunday morning, Jay and the kids brought me breakfast in bed, and we opened presents right afterward. Jay had surprised me with direct subscriptions to Time and Fortune (rather than getting them forwarded from our PO Box, which brings a 2 week delay). And I also got some "IOU's" to take shopping to a few of my favorite spots in Zurich - including a date to pick out a fancy dress with my personal shopper, Kate.

After the present ceremony, Jack and I headed out for our bike/run together.. and true to form, he ended up waiting for me quite a bit. But I think he also likes the breaks, as he now finds a park bench and takes the opportunity to rest and look around at the scenery. We saw a brand-new family of baby ducks, and had a fun time exploring the lake while everything was still quiet.

That afternoon, we packed a picnic lunch and headed out for a hike in the hills behind Jack's school. The flowers were beautiful, and everyone (including Chops) had a great time - the kids on bikes, Chops running right next to them, and Jay and I trying to keep up.

We then played at Jack's school for awhile - Jay and I both remember how fun it was to visit our schools when they were empty on the weekends, and the kids felt the same way.

That night, Jay took me out to dinner at Bindella, one of our favorite restaurants. And since it was my birthday, he even let me stop at my favorite candy store on the way home (even though I had already ordered dessert with my dinner). It was a really nice evening - and with two desserts, I was completely satisfied. :)