Another Random List

1. I don’t like laptops. I don’t like how it’s hard to decide which is the “right” brightness of a picture when you’re viewing it. And I like having a mouse always, not just when you’re un-lazy enough to plug it in.

2. But I LOVE having high-speed internet!!

3. I meant to write this story on my post about food, but I forgot. So Ginger was wondering if our kids were eating all the new things…well it seems we have them just a little brainwashed. The other day I gave some peanuts to Hazel for a little snack. Soon she came back with her hand out and said, “Mmmmm!! Can I have some more? They sure make these SWISS peanuts good!!!”

4. The other day while Talmage was napping I took a bath, and Ethne was playing in her room, but then I called to her to come in so she could reach something for me. Then she stayed in with me and played that she was the mommy and I was the kid, and she washed my hair and rinsed it and scrubbed my back for me. Very nice. And then she pointed to my chest and asked me if those are what I feed Talmage milk with. I said, “Not anymore. He’s too big for mommy’s milk now.” And she said, “I don’t have any of those.” And I said, “But you will when you grow up.” And she said, “Yeah, when I get married, like Aunt Lindsay. And I’ll have a big, big, big, BIG wedding dress like Aunt Lindsay’s. And I’ll be married.”

5. Guess what! I was invited over to have coffee with a mom of one of Hazel’s classmates. I am excited (though I’ll drink something else). This lady actually stopped by one morning because she knew Kathi, a lady we know in our neighborhood from church, and they were talking one day about the new English-speaking girl in kindergarten. ANYway, she stopped by and it was TERRIBLE. It was almost 10:00, and I had not showered, had no makeup on, no bra on, just pajamas, recycle stuff was all over because Talmage had been playing with it, and I was just about to go put Talmage in bed for his nap and then shower and get dressed etc. Anyway, I didn’t invite her in and I just stood at the door and felt like the ugliest person on the planet while she was kind enough to make her overture of welcome. It quite soured my morning. So I had meant ever since to go over to her house and say hello when I was decent-looking, but we actually RAN INTO each other on the street when I was going to the grocery store. We chatted for awhile and I’m going to her house on Monday. Isn’t that nice?

6. Kathi (see above) is our adopted grandmother. She’s the only one from our small ward who lives in the same little village as us, and she is SOOOOOO nice. She has come over to offer us help several times and brought a whole lot of toys for the kids, food and snacks, more toys, and had us over for lunch one day. She also babysat once so I could go grocery shopping in town. Ethne loves her and everything is Kathi-this and Kathi-that. It makes me happy that we have a wonderful sweet neighbor close by.

7. You don’t say “th” sounds in German, so Kathi sounds like ‘caw-tea’ and people can’t really say Jethro. His friends from church call him “Yeti” which I think is cool.

8. Legos is a universal language. Just ask Jethro and his friend Noe.

9. Swiss people use a lot of French. They say ‘merci’ much more than ‘danke’ and also say ‘adieu’ a lot, although not as much as ‘tschuss.’ I can’t think of anything else right now, but it’s true. Just trust me.

10. Did I mention I have a cell phone? In Switzerland they call a cell phone a handy, which is SAH-WEET because they’re totally handy. :) Texting is fun. The first time I texted my sister Lindsay she texted back “Dude you have text?” And I was like, Dude-I know!

11. Brett also got excited one night by the joys of texting. I was sitting on the couch and he was sitting at the table, about 10 feet away, and suddenly my phone jangled and I got all excited and wondered who had texted me, and it was Brett. He said, “Hello honey.” Later on in the night I got a text that said, “Let’s go to bed.” Then, “I’m brushing my teeth now.” And finally, “I’m waiting for you in bed.”

12. And then one morning I got a text that said, “Oh my gosh I love that boy, Kate!” As it was from my little sister Lindsay, I can only assume she was referring to her fiancé Rodrigo.

13. Speaking of my sister Lindsay (how could I not have posted this already?!!?!!!) go HERE and HERE to see pictures of her in all her glorious, love-struck beauty!!!!! DO IT. NOW. Then come back and tell me how gorgeous she is.

14. In Switzerland, the smallest paper bill is for 10 franks (Switzerland uses franks, not euros). Then you have coins for 5 franks, 2 franks, 1 frank, 1/2 frank, and then rappen (which are like cents). Pretty cool. The frank and the dollar are actually close to being equal right now, so in my head I just think of them as dollars.

15. Okay, raise your hand if you knew that Switzerland is also known as CH? CH stands for Confederatio Helvetica and I think the reason it has that name is because it’s Latin, so it goes across all the official languages here. Maybe. Anyhow, I never knew this until I met Brett. Aww, sweet memories. He had this hat that he wore ALL the time that had a CH (and by the way, don’t say ‘see’ ‘aich’ like English letters, say them 'say’ ‘ha’ like German letters) on it. He had made it himself when he was on his mission. He got the hat cheap at some sale or something, and then he pulled off the emblem or logo or whatever it was that was on it and embroidered, I guess, the CH on it. And you know, it didn’t look homemade. In fact, it was pretty sah-weet. I wish wish WISH I had my pictures so that I could scan in a picture I have of him wearing it, but alas, my pictures are in a box somewhere across the ocean. ETA: Okay, this is hilarious. I just looked through the pictures I happen to have on my computer and I have not one, not two, but TEN pictures of Brett wearing that hat. HA HA—I told you he wore it all the time! The one that I was thinking of would have shown it better but here is a picture.

16. Umm, it’s late and I have to go to bed so TSCHUSS!

17. p.s. I was just kidding, I know your name is Sterling, Sterling (suckAH!), but Rodrigo is a sah-weet name so can I just call you that from now on? Thanks.