World Moms Blog

When we moved into our home in Switzerland, we were told there was a river close by. I had no concept of how close it was and my focus was entirely on getting us settled. It took me a few days before I ventured out on a walk with our small boys. We walked down a hill, following signs to a camping site. As we came down the hill and there was a break in the trees, I was able to get my first glance at the crystal blue of our rushing river. It turns out we live 5 minutes from the Aare river that rushes with fresh water from the Alps. It is truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, and it’s in our backyard. Read more…

Spring time is taunting us here in Switzerland. When the temperatures crept above freezing last week we slowly came out of hibernation and have gradually been shedding layers of coats, gloves and scarves.

It is still awfully chilly, but our need for fresh air allows us to adjust to the chill of the breeze. We are soaking in the sunshine and looking forward to warmer weather. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy a beautiful snow, and who doesn’t like hot chocolate season?!

But we are all ready for something new. We are ready to get out of this house!!!  Read more…

I was recently venting to a Swiss mom friend about my youngest graduating into the “Terrible Two’s.” She looked at me completely puzzled. Turns out, it isn’t even in their vocabulary here.

Whether it’s in your vocabulary or not, if you are a mom and you have a child that is beyond, say, 18-months, it’s likely you are no foreigner to the new behaviors that blossom as our little ones approach two. I remember when my first son hit that phase and most of our friends had younger babies.

I remember how they looked at us with wide eyes and then back adoringly at their own innocent offspring. And they didn’t know they were thinking out loud but I guarantee they were…at least in my mind. It was as if they were saying, “Oh my, they have lost control of their little one. Whew, we have this under control. Ours will NEVER be that out of control.”

And oh how shocking when theirs, too, embarked on the same behavioral detour. Luckily, they got to watch my child do it first and they had evidence that we were still living and breathing to laugh about it on the other side.

My youngest son, Owen, has been approaching the edge of the ledge since about 15 months. He is a Read more…

I won’t lie, one of the biggest perks about Switzerland is the fabulous cheese, bread and chocolate. I have the extra pounds to prove that we have indeed enjoyed it! Our kids have no doubt developed a more cultured palate living here.

One of my goals while living here has been to learn to make the traditional “Bern bread” also known as Zopf bread. It is delicious twisted bread that can be enjoyed by tearing off part of the braid or slicing for sandwiches and soups. Any way you eat it, it’s wonderful. When my 2-year-old went on food strikes, zopf was his weakness!

I recently called a Swiss friend and asked if she would be interested in spending an afternoon teaching me how to make the bread. She gladly agreed and we set a date. My 4-year old teetered on a chair and got his Read more…

So far, in this crazy adventure of life abroad there haven’t been too many times that we, as a family, have had to be apart. For the most part we are overseas, but we are overseas together as a family.

A few months ago my grandfather passed away and up came the dilemma of who should make the long trip back to the US for his memorial service.  After searching flights that were FAR too expensive and envisioning 2 jet lagged little ones attempting big family events, we decided it would be wisest for me to make the trip alone.

Super dad agreed to take sick leave and have “adventure camp” with the boys while I was away. They were set.  But what about me???I absolutely hate being away from my husband and kids.

Give me a girl’s night out or a short weekend away and I am loving the breath of fresh air, but crossing the ocean and times zones makes me a nervous wreck.

In the week leading up to the trip I could tell that our 4 yr old Jackson was becoming more anxious about my leaving, so I tried to get creative about what I would do to help him mark the time and enjoy his time anxiety free. What I came up with wasn’t anything amazing or novel, but it was something that brought Read more…

Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I currently live in Bern, Switzerland. I am originally from the United States. I was born in New York, hopped around to Ohio, Thailand, Malaysia, Michigan and then landed in Texas where I now say I’m “from”.  As my family settled down in Texas I married a man, who is on a mission to see the world.  Our adventures have taken us to Washington, D.C., Bogotá, Colombia and now on to Bern, Switzerland.

What language(s) do you speak?

I speak English. And also “survival Spanish”…you know the kind with really bad grammar that gets you through the grocery store and across town in a taxi but won’t earn you the respect of linguists!   I must admit, though, that while living in Bogota my survival Spanish got us faster service sometimes than my Read more…