I have begun to go out more, maybe once or twice during the week and usually at least once on the weekends, which is great. I'm spending more time with the other au pairs I've met via LiNK (a local au pair club run by an American, [now Swiss as well] couple who just dedicate themselves to helping au pairs meet each other, providing support and reference services and someone to talk to when we need it). Becky & Paul are so great and their gift of this group has really helped make the last month and a half so much better. Things in general are just getting better. :D
EXCEPT... my allergies. Oh mon dieu are they bad! I thought I might have been able to shrug them off but this morning I woke up with what is starting to feel like an ear infection in my right ear, my nose is running but dry, my head congested to 3x its normal size and I sounded like a frog. Oh. Joy. It was funny when Ben asked me this morning why I sounded like I do, try explaining to a 4.5 year old what pollen/allergies are... then try doing it in a language where you have very limited vocabulary! It was interesting to say the least.
This week has been a busy one for me. Daniel & Solveig left early Sunday morning for Oman for a little vacation just the two of them (and how they deserve it, honestly, they work really, really hard and don't see much of each other it seems) but that meant that I've been on duty more like 20/7 since Sunday. Now, I haven't been alone, so that's good. Daniel's mom came down Sunday afternoon and has spent the week with us, helping me so I'm not totally alone and staying in so that I could have 2 nights out this week and not feel so stuck. (Speaking of which, those nights were great - Monday I went to bible study which after years of feeling nothing religious I'm really enjoying reviewing the spiritual side of my self; and then last night Thursday, I went to Geneva and met up with 6 other au pair friends and had a picnic near the jet d'eau [a big water jet on lake Geneva] it was great). But even with grandma here I've been working a tad more than usual (getting the boys up and getting them to bed & everything in between) I don't mind it too much, but it's been weird not to have Daniel & Solveig around. I must say although it's been nice to be "left in charge" so-to-speak. Makes me feel like a valuable asset to the family (despite the fact that judgement was finally passed on my little auto "incident" back in March and the Swiss government dorks found ME guilty! Merde. I got a fine and a "record" here in Swiss - but in exchange for my working overtime this week - including some weekend time, Daniel & Sol are paying the fine - thank goodness! Still that was totally lame and not the best moment of my last week or so) But it's all working out.
Tonight we'll be dining on my homemade mac & cheese again and while I haven't eaten it yet I think it might be my best batch yet. The béchamel was creamy and thick (but not lumpy) and the cheese gooey and I topped it with some crushed corn flakes for some extra crunch. I'm a genius ;) LOL
Meanwhile, I'm still going to French classes, and still struggling with it, but practicing as I can, and have discovered that I'm not all that horrible, and can only improve with time.
I'm going to try to write a little more frequently (although nothing like when I first arrived and had no life, because as amazing as it sounds, I finally have a life) but I will try to send updates as I can.
Life keeps moving on, faster than I can count on a lot of the time. 3 months down. 9 to go. What am I going to do?!
Love you all. Miss you immensely & can't wait to share more of my adventures as they come.
PS - upcoming events include a weekend getaway with the au pair club to Interlaken in May. Also MOM & DAD are coming to visit me in AUGUST!!! Can't wait!
No comments:
Post a Comment