little monkey, big giraffe

ahhh... okay, let's try this again.

So much has happened, I sit here thinking, "what do I write?" because there is so much to say. It is hard to believe that it has been just over a month since my crazy move to Switzerland. Even as I write that I think "switzerland? how did i get to switzerland"! I suppose the "getting here" really doesn't matter. The point is I am here now, and excited to be the new Au Pair for a wonderful new family.

I was able to call home the other night and talk to my Mom for a while. It felt so good to hear her voice. I take great pleasure in saying the following, "so... guess what I can see from my bedroom window? France!" And it true! I used to get a thrill out of saying things like, "And just across that road is Wisconsin!" I never thought anything would compare... until now.

Yesterday we went sledding (in France) on a mountain whose name I can't remember. It was beautiful! Greg, Jill, Maddy, Audrey and I all drove up the mountain to get to the sledding hill. As we drove, zig-zagging our way up, we were surrounded my hundreds of trees, each enveloped in snow. The individual branches with gloves of white, like lady's fingers.

I had wanted to bring my camera but left it behind because the batteries were out. "You don't have no more bapperies on your camma?" said 3 1/2 yr old Audrey, as I set it down on the table before leaving :)

Once we were on the mountain top, my breath was taken away. The view was amazing. The snow covered alps all surrounding with lake Geneva below, the blue sky with the clouds floating around us. It was beautiful! I couldn't stop thinking about everyone at home, especially wishing that my brothers and sister could be with me. As Maddy and I went down the hill I had a flash back to when my siblings and I would pretend to be on the Jamaican bobsledding team, ode to the good old days.

Today was my first official day of work. I woke up and brought Audrey to school. She was so cute. Eager to hold my hand as we walked, and her chocolate covered cookie in a zip lock bag held in her other hand.

I dropped her off, meeting her teacher for the day and then getting a series of kisses before I left.

"Goodbye little monkey!" she said to me, waving as I walked outside. "Goodbye big Giraffe!" I replied, as these were the animal names we had assigned to each other the day before. I was a monkey because I am silly. She was a giraffe because she is so BIG AND TALL.