Find the Beauty
I love Zurich in the spring and summer months when it starts getting warm and sunny and there’s a whole world of outdoor activities that one can enjoy. But I discovered that I also love Zurich in the winter. I always get excited at the sight of snowflakes, especially the first time it snows, waking up in the morning to find everything covered in white. When the sun comes out, it’s simply beautiful. This year, we have been very lucky with many sunny days, so if you make sure you’re dressed appropriately, you can really enjoy being outside. I think after living here for 6 years that I’ve come to appreciate the different seasons a lot more than I did before.
Having said that, winter with toddlers and small children can still be quite challenging at times. Getting both Giggles and Cuddles changed, dressed with boots and coats, struggling to find those fingers that just won’t come out, and then another struggle with the zipper when they’re becoming really impatient and are pulling away, is quite a job. Then we’re finally ready to leave home only to discover that someone pooped and we have to change nappies again! So I have to undress, change and go through the whole ordeal once more. Seriously, by the time we get out of the door, I feel like running back in and just collapsing on the sofa.
Another challenge is finding indoor activities for toddlers who just can’t stay put in a stroller or chair anymore and want to walk around, climb and discover all the time. I take Giggles and Cuddles to a “Play and Learn” class once a week where they enjoy climbing, going through tunnels, sliding, singing and playing with bubbles. We also do music and try to organize play dates. At 18 months, they are starting to interact more and more with other children and are enjoying the company of others. We also go to some of the indoor play areas, which are fun – at least for them. When the sun comes out I like to take them for a stroll for a bit of fresh air and some vitamin D. But letting them both out of the stroller when I’m on my own is also a challenge. Twins have a sort of unwritten rule, which is basically that when they decide to wander off; they always do so in opposite directions. We haven’t taken the girls sledging yet but I’m really looking forward to that. I want them to enjoy the snow and as soon as they can get on skis, we’ll make sure they do, so they don’t have to struggle like I did starting to learn how to ski in my thirties.
One great thing about twins that I’m starting to feel now is that they keep each other company. Giggles and Cuddles have just started to actually play together and they’re talking to each other all the time. I think they’re developing their own language, which is super cute. So when the weather isn’t great and I run out of ideas of things to do indoors, staying at home isn’t too bad of an option. Of course, they’ve also started to fight, pull each other’s hair and someone has started to bite. So that’s when I know that I really need to plan something for the following day. Overall, it has been going well so far and we’ve managed to enjoy the festive season with the mild sunny weather.
As the New Year kicks in, may it fill your homes with warmth, love and laughter. There is something special about every season of the year so enjoy the Swiss winter. If you’re not a huge fan, remember that soon enough, it will be spring again. If it gets too cold outside, maybe it’s an excuse to stay home with our loved ones, savour a creamy hot chocolate and enjoy some Giggles and Cuddles. And remember, as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”
By Didi in Zurich
Didi is an Egyptian mother of twin girls living in Zurich. She finds snow really fascinating but misses the sun when it’s gone for too long.
