Recovering from seasonal flu (a gift from the educational system), we spent the first half of the Easter holidays in bed. I usually manage to get the kids through it without antibiotics, but this time I had to give in and take them for a check-up. A few days of proper rest, and thankfully everyone was back on their feet.
Easter was a gentle reset. We shared a simple family meal and enjoyed a quick but joyful egg hunt in the garden. On Easter Monday, we joined a “scavenger egg hunt” at a nearby farm—an adventure that fully lived up to its name. I noticed some seasoned moms tackling the trail by bike, which felt like a glimpse into our future. We walked the full 5.5 km instead—laughing, sweating, navigating a few tears, and soaking in the early spring warmth. Note to self: next year—bikes only.
Golf season is back, and our eldest has joined the junior group at the local club. He proudly carries his clubs to each lesson, eager to learn. Most sessions take place on the range or in the academy, and his excitement is contagious.
I’ve stayed consistent with my morning walks since mid-February. With longer days and warmer weather, we’re naturally shifting into more bike adventures too. This month: 11 morning walks and 10 days on the bike.
One highlight was a trip to Locarno with friends and their two kids. We made a very worthwhile stop at what might be the best ice cream spot in the region—huge scoops, no regrets. Most of our rides took us along the sandy river beaches, which are quickly becoming a favourite.
One day, I took all three kids out on the bike—one riding independently and two with me. It wasn’t exactly smooth (a few technical hiccups along the way), but we made it home safely, and I felt ridiculously accomplished. Note to self: with a bit more practice, I’ll manage one child on the back and one asleep in the double Thule. Goal for this summer. Worst case—I build some much-needed muscle.
Our favourite adventure spot, Wonderwood, is officially open for the season. It runs on weekends and bank holidays, and we usually go for the “plus” ticket (return within 14 days for a small extra fee). As I’ve mentioned before, it truly offers something for everyone. (Linking our previous visit and latest High5 sensory check-in here.)
With warmer weather, birthday parties in Ticino have moved outdoors again. This month included a beautiful double birthday celebration in nature, up on Monte Verità. It felt just as much like a parents’ gathering as a kids’ party—children roaming freely through the woods, while we chatted nearby. As usual, I found myself stationed at the playground with my two youngest, catching toddlers mid-tumble alongside a few wonderful moms.
May in Planning
Bank holidays
Two family birthdays
Mother’s Day
Trip to Hungary
School trips and open days
1000 Hours Outside Challenge
We passed the 300-hour mark in April, spending over 110 hours outdoors together. As the days stretch longer, it becomes easier to say yes to going outside—even when it feels inconvenient.
In just over a month, school will be out. And with it, a little more freedom to shape our days around fresh air, movement, and time together.
Even in the messy weeks—the sick days, the logistical chaos, the moments of doubt—getting outside continues to be the one thing that grounds us. Not perfectly, but consistently.
Losone Beach can get very crowded on sunny days and bank holidays. We often visit in all sorts of weather conditions. It has a charm to entertain one, no matter the weather.
Today we arrived on two wheels and a very soar backside. The path we took was lumpy bumpy, gravel and full of bigger stones.
When out and about we like to play ‘High Five’ game while we catch our breath and rest our legs.
5 – Five things we SEE with our eyes
Snowy mountains
Rushing river Maggia
Swaying trees in the wind
Hungry ducks approaching thinking we are throwing bread but instead we were just playing with rocks
Kids building sand castles between the stones
4 – Four things we FEEL/TOUCH
Freezing water up until our ankles
Shiny seaglass
Warm breeze on our skin
Smooth sand our feet
3 – Three things we can HEAR
Cars passing by on the road above the other side of Maggia
Indeed we love this game so much, I decided to dedicate a category to such posts. I hope that once the kids are more tech savvy, they may like to take pictures of the high fives they come up with. For now we just aim to notice and add an adjective to the thing we highlight.
Do you play a similar game when the kids are bored or not feeling confident to join other kids on the playground? I am all ears, share in the comments please.
Meriggio is a popular chilling spot in Losone. It is a huge open space with plenty to offer.
We visit this place regularly with friends and family. Today we biked there with my two older kids. One on his bike, while my daughter behind me on the kiddo seat. It takes about thirty minutes to reach this park from home.
When out and about we like to play ‘High Five’ game while we catch our breath and rest our legs.
5 – Five things we SEE with our eyes
Sun behind the clouds
Clouds in front of the sun,
Feet in the sky,
Bark mulch
children playing
4 – Four things we FEEL/TOUCH
Breeze on the skin while rocking back and fourth on the swing
Indeed we love this game so much, I decided to dedicate a category to such posts. I hope that once the kids are more tech savvy, they may like to take pictures of the high fives they come up with. For now we just aim to notice and add an adjective to the thing we highlight.
Do you play a similar game when the kids are bored or not feeling confident to join other kids on the playground? I am all ears, share in the comments please.
If you’re visiting Riva del Garda and want one unforgettable viewpoint, the Bastione di Riva del Garda should be at the top of your list.
Perched high above town, this historic fortress offers panoramic views over Lake Garda—and the best part? You can either hike up or take a scenic panoramic lift.
Quick Overview
Location: Riva del Garda, northern Lake Garda
How to get there: Walking trail or panoramic lift
Lift duration: ~3 minutes (130 m elevation)
Entry: Free (Bastione ruins)
Family-friendly: Yes (especially with lift)
What to Expect
Getting to Bastione from Riva del Garda
There are two main ways to reach the Bastione:
1. Panoramic Lift (Best for Families)
We chose the lift this time—and it made everything easier with three kids.
Smooth, fast ride (only ~3 minutes)
Great views even on the way up
Ideal if you’re traveling with toddlers, strollers, or limited energy
With a carrier (for our 3-year-old) and a yo-yo buggy (for our 1-year-old), the lift worked perfectly.
2. Hiking Trail
We’ve done this before, and it’s a great option if you enjoy walking.
Scenic path through olive groves and woodland
Moderate incline (can be steep in sections)
Not ideal with bulky strollers
Parking & Arrival Tips
If you’re not staying nearby, a convenient option is Parcheggio Monte Oro, a multi-level car park just a short walk from the lift station.
We stayed close enough to walk, which made things even easier with kids.
What It’s Like at the Top
Once you arrive, you’ll find:
A short staircase or small lift to the terrace
The beautiful Ristorante Bastione Lounge & Restaurant
Easy access to the Bastione ruins
The ruins themselves are free to explore, and you can walk around freely. The views over Lake Garda are absolutely stunning—especially in autumn when the light is softer and the crowds are smaller.
Visiting Bastione with Kids (Honest Tips)
Traveling with three young kids (including a 1-year-old and a neurodivergent child), here’s what stood out:
Low crowds in November = huge win
Quiet environment compared to summer
Short activity duration (perfect attention span fit)
Flexible access (lift vs hike)
If you’re traveling with neurodivergent kids, I highly recommend visiting outside peak season. It made the experience far more enjoyable and manageable.
History of the Bastione
The Bastione was built in the early 1500s by the Venetians to defend the town after taking control of the region.
It was later heavily damaged during the War of the Spanish Succession and never fully restored. Today, it stands as a scenic ruin and one of the most iconic landmarks in Riva del Garda.
❤️ Why We Loved It
One of the best views in Lake Garda
Easy access thanks to the lift
Great for families with young kids
Calm, uncrowded experience in off-season
Combines nature, history, and a bit of adventure
Would We Return?
Yes—without hesitation.
Next time, we’d likely hike up again as the kids get older and continue our hike to Capanna Santa Barbara. But having the option to choose based on energy levels makes this spot especially appealing.
Practical Tips for Visiting
Buy lift tickets on-site(quick and easy)
Bring water, especially if hiking
Visit at sunset for the best views
Weargoodshoesif walking up
Check lift opening times before visiting
Final Thoughts
If you’re planning a family trip to Lake Garda, the Bastione is an easy win.
Whether you hike or take the lift, the views, history, and relaxed atmosphere make it one of the best things to do in Riva del Garda—especially outside peak season.
If you only have time for one viewpoint in Riva del Garda, make it this one.
I often find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed when my kids ask to buy something unplanned for. I try to explain our spending limits, but I also recognize that simply discussing this topic doesn’t give them a chance to practice healthy money habits. What really matters is the opportunity to practice, practice, practice to master a skill.
In real life, Dr. Stephen Day is a university professor. He taught many teachers how to create mini-economies in their classrooms. As he proclaims in his book, he and his siblings were born into this concept. His father, Harlan Day, had written the book called ‘The Classroom Mini-Economy‘. His parents tested the concepts on the brothers as they grew up.
About the Book
In this book, the author gives hands-on advice to parents to introduce their kids to the world of a money-led economy by creating a household mini-economy. The safe environment (household) allows kids to practice money earning and management. The system explained is highly flexible and scalable to suit your own family values.
The above link is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase through this link, I may get a little commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Should you choose to do that, I thank you in advance. 🙂
The book is filled with practical questions for both parents and children; furthermore, it offers lessons to teach children along the way. The author urges to keep answers and ideas light to start with, as too much seriousness could prevent long-term commitment from kids.
The clever structure of the book allows readers to whiz through the key concepts in the first chapter called “The Mini-Economy Quick-Start Guide.” Although I think once you buy into the concept, you will want to read the following chapters for a deeper understanding.
Our Take on the Book
We just had a conflict about something precious going missing only a couple of days after the kids received it. I feel absolutely done carrying the burden of purchasing things for them if they cannot look after them at all. This book could not have come at a better time in our lives. My eldest is big enough to understand the basic concepts laid out to put into practice.
My expectation is that this system creates a win-win situation for both parents and children. It will not only provide a learning opportunity for our kids, but also align our chores, allowance, budgeting, and spending. My eldest is in first grade, and I am already thinking of getting his classmates’ families on board for more fun.
Discussion With Our Eldest
Me: Do you remember when we were in the shop and you asked me if you can have this and that?
Son: Yes, and the answer is no.
Me: How does that make you feel?
Son: Sad.
Me: How does that make me feel?
Son: Hm.
Me: Sad too. I think it is time you learn about the money cycle. What goes around, comes around.
Son: Huh? What do you mean?
Me: Let me show you. In this episode, Bluey spent her 5 bucks from the tooth fairy for something she doesn’t really like and so she would have liked it back. Her dad explained that it doesn’t work that way. But we can see how that 5 bucks goes around the market in full circle.
He instantly got hooked, especially after the example from the Bluey – Goes to the Market episode. After this, I told him that we need a name for our mini-economy and that we need to design our own household currency.
There you go, the seeds have been planted, and I honestly cannot wait to update you on what’s next in our mini household economy journey.
If you wish to find out more from the author directly, check out his substack here. It’s called Paper Robots: Helping Families Talk About Money and Work
We are back at our favourite climbing place, Wonderwood – Lake Maggiore in Italy.
Whenever the weather is nice this place transforms into one of those places where everyone can find something to do, from age 0 to 115. This time of the year, it is still a bit chilly and the toddler pool was not filled with water.
I though this time we could review this place from three different age perspective.
5 – Five things we SEE with our eyes
7 years old
Rope Courses
Zip Line
Expedition Center
Souvenir Shop
Ice Cream Station
3 years old
Sand Pit
Play Ground
Butterfly Course
Squirrel Coaster
Green Swing
2 years old
Wooden Train Station
Ladybug Swing
Toad spotting in the Pond
Green Meadows
Digger Station
4 – Four things we FEEL/TOUCH
7 years old
Helmet on the head
Climbing safety belt
Heartbeat in ear – adrenalin
Wooden, metal, net frames
3 years old
Dry sand and toys
Wooden climbing frame
Wooden ball on Squirrel Run
Juicy dandelions
2 years old
Wooden Train Station
Slimy toads
Velvety violets
Cold ice cream
3 – Three things we can HEAR
7 years old
Birds chirping on the trees
Climbers cheering on zip line
Carabiners clicking
3 years old
Clips clamping
Parents cheering
Helmet knocking on wood
2 years old
Toads splashing in the water
Cyclists / Bikes passing by
Dogs barking
2 – Two things you can SMELL
Mouth watering food smell from the grotto at lunch time.
Fresh mountain air
1 – One thing we can TASTE
Sweet ice cream melting in the mouth after an exhausting climb.
Indeed we love this game so much, I decided to dedicate a category to these posts. I hope that once the kids are more tech savvy, they may like to take pictures of the high fives they come up with. For now we just aim to notice and add an adjective to the thing we highlight.
Do you play similar games when the kids are bored or not feeling confident to join other kids on the playground? I am all ears, share in the comments please.
From winter to summer, we’ve got blown over with a horrible wind lasting for a week. Opened and closed the month with sickness and rough coughing.
Beginning of March
Riding the motivation wave from last month, I continued waking up super early to go for an hour walk before sunrise. Overall I managed to get out 19 times in 31 days. I am now focusing on increasing the number of days I take 20’000 plus steps.
AgriNido
AgriNido is a parent-child morning on a farm led by a childcare professional. We basically met up with a bunch of parents and their tiny human aged 1 to 4 years-old. We followed our guide around, who introduced the kids to all the animals on the farm.
Once we collected some fresh grass, we fed the bunnies, while the other half of the group fetched some water for the tiny bunnies. Then we visited the goats and played on their playground after topping up their hay stack. Next we cleaned the donkeys and last but not least we cleaned up the stable of the alpacas before feeding them some carrot and apple slices. After the tour the smaller visitors were ready for their well-deserved nap time in the car on the way home.
It was a truly hands on experience both for the kids and for their caretakers. I wish this type of nursery would take place on a weekly basis in our area. I would have signed up for a day a week as opposed to one more day in an indoor setting. But I am told it takes a lot of permits to operate such a setting in our region.
Safari Park
March 19 is a bank holiday in Ticino. It is also Father’s Day. As my husband was working that day, I packed the car and set off to visit the Safari Park at Pombia, Northern Italy. The park – for our surprise – was much more than a Safari Park.
After a quick lunch we set off to visit the reptiles in the Rettilario. With more than 400 animals of 100+ species, the kids were eagerly looking through each terrarium to spot the well hidden creatures.
Next up, we hopped on one of those cool Dotto Trains to feed the animals at the Safari Park. Before we took off, they handed out buckets of carrots to everyone so we could toss them to the animals through the train windows. The giraffes totally knew it was snack time when they spotted the train coming! With their chests at eye level, they had to lean down to grab the carrots we held out. My youngest was totally amazed by how long the giraffes’ tongues were and ended up finishing the ride in grandma’s lap, watching those big guys from a comfy distance. Our daughter and eldest had a blast feeding the animals, even though they often dropped the food on the ground instead of handing it to them.
We saw these animals during the 45 minutes drive:
Giraffes
Zebras
Ostrich
Buffalo
Antilopes
Rhinos
Elephants
Hippos
Lions
Tigers
Pelican
Camels
After the Safari ride we had to visit the amusement park before heading home. Although we were still in the Safari Park, the fun rides had to be paid separately. As that Thursday was not a bank holiday in Italy, the park was almost exclusively ours 🙂 One big bonus for families with neurodivergent kids. One of the employee told us that during the holiday season they get around 4-5000 visitors per day. That Thursday we visited they had about 300 visitors. It was a very chill day for them.
Leolandia
For our father’s day trip we opted in to see what Leolandia has to offer. It was a gloomy day with spurs of sunshine here and there.
It was a mix of emotions throughout the day. I would definitely advise against visiting with a neurodivergent child. We faced a lot of minor challenges, that did not went down well with our daughter. I am talking about simple things, like you are not able to choose the colour of the ride you need to sit on when it’s your turn finally. All the rushing to take your spot and the sudden ending of it, was a lot to take in.
We also had lots of fun feeding the farm animals and meeting Bluey and Bingo. Lunch was surprisingly great. Only saying because we are so used to eating crappy food when visiting such parks. But not this time, there are many options to choose from.
Of course at the end everyone must leave through the souvenir shop. Ensuring that people not only go home with frate memories but also with a souvenir in hand.
April in Planning
Easter Time in Ticino
Family visiting from Italy and Poland
Longer Days – more time to spend outdoors
Our Bikes needs a face lift
1000 Hours Outside Challenge
It’s heartwarming to see that we managed to spend 85 hours outside, even if it felt like a slower month overall. We faced some challenges with illness at both the beginning and end of the month, which made our outdoor adventures more limited. Nonetheless, during the two and a half weeks we felt well, we truly embraced the time we had, planning experiences that allowed us to enjoy full days together in nature.
Snow, hail, rain, storm, breeze, clouds, sunshine and anything in between. Temperatures were varying between -6 to +17 degrees Celsius (with the feeling of 25 in the sun). The first flowers had appeared in the garden, although the ground was still asleep.
Beginning of Feb
Spring cleaning at home turned into room swaps. We turned our bedroom into the kids room and created a cosy sleeping room. Decorated the walls with posters and set up a book shelf in the corner. There is plenty of space in the middle for our pikler frames. Our new bedroom feels more spacious with our furniture than we originally thought. There is even space for my work station in there. Away from the noise of the TV in the living room.
Our little ones tried a new activity in Locarno. The trial day of the Ball Session was fun. We have to decide whether to spend our Saturday mornings in a gym, now that basically ‘summer’ is here.
We tried one of the viral Insta recipes, and it quickly became our go-to dinner meal. Baked parmesan onion crisp. Here are some of our raw photos, which don’t do it much justice. I’ve linked one of the videos in case you want to try it yourself. This dish is a delicious alternative to bread, as you can fill it with anything you like for a sandwich. You can roll it up or simply layer it with your choice of filling in between.
Just before the holidays, the kids dressed up in all sorts of costumes to celebrate Carnevale in the school. For merenda I made a light fruit snack and served it on a crocodile.
Vacanza di Carnevale
Ski break in other places. A whole week off school. We packed the car and drove to Hungary. Checked in to our hotel just before dinner. Not bad for a 1000 km plus trip. Key is to leave early and pack the night before.
We spent nearly the entirety of the week within the cozy confines of the hotel, seeking refuge from the stormy weather outside. Each day we ventured out briefly to tackle some administrative errands in town. Regardless of our short errands, we relished in the abundance of delightful activities that AquaWorld had to offer.
Unfortunately on this trip we couldn’t explore in person the city, but we cannot wait to return very soon.
By the end of the month
Our two little ones start to switch from parallel play to cooperative one. It is so nice to see them playing together more and more.
As the days light gets longer, the winter blues is lifting and the energy returns in us and everything around. I decided it is time to get fit again. Now that my youngest is two, I have slight memory of what it felt like owning my body again. As the kids returned to school, I decided to carve out an hour of my day to myself. I decided to wake up early every morning and go for a walk / jog. Those 60 minutes are life saving. I actually have some thoughts of my own now. I listen to the river cascading along the rocks next to me and the birds singing on the trees as it gets lighter. It is liberating both to the soul and to the body.
As the days are warmer and nobody is ill, we also spend more time outdoors. Enjoying the sunshine, roller skating, tree climbing, cycling, and skateboarding.
1000 Hours Outside Challenge
This month, we logged 60 hours outdoors, bringing our total to 116 hours for the year. While this may not seem like a significant amount for just two months, I’m not concerned, as I know that the first couple of months are typically our slowest, with the fewest opportunities to get outside. Our main season spans from March to November. I’m quite confident that we’re already surpassing last year’s hours, and that’s what truly matters to me. Improving in what we do is essential for our growth—never compare your progress to anyone else’s pace.
After almost a decade, it is so nice to be back in this gorgeous city in Hungary. This time with our young family, as tourists, we set up a base in an aquapark hotel.
Arrival
Glorious light show awaits when you arrive at night to the city. Budapest has always been outstanding to show its beauty in the dark. From the motorway, a crooked road leads us through the modern Elisabeth Bridge. On the way we spotted the Gellért Hill and part of the Buda Castle. This bridge was originally built at the end of the 19th century, then later destroyed during the World War II. . The brutalist bridge we see today was inaugurated in 1964.
On Pest side, we spot the beautiful architecture of town houses, I remember from living there during my middle school years. These houses are over hundred years old, usually built in a square shape with a courtyard in the middle for the residents to access their apartments.
The city is busy, as usual, full of tourists and commuters. Everyone is rushing from one place to another, cars queue in each line available for vehicles. The bus lines are shared between public transport and yellow coloured taxis. The scene is chaotic, the speed is dreadfully slow. It is perhaps good for everyone’s sake.
I love you Budapest with all your potholes.
Still driving to our hotel, but interestingly my navigation system (Waze) starts to show a new warning: Pothole in 100m. Hundred meters later another warning. Potholes in 250m, at this becomes a cycle for the rest of the week.
Anyone traveling with multiple active very young kids, this hotel will save your sanity. There is so much to explore and to keep your loved ones busy. A well deserved sleep is guaranteed at the end of the day for all.
Our Kids Favourits
Games Room
Aqua Park
Kids Club
Bongo Monkey
Huge space
Parents Favourits
Hungarian delicacies
Supervised Kids Club
Numerous pools available for various ages
In-house hairdresser
Large Junior Suite
We happened to visit during the ski break, and we found it very affordable in every aspect. But I believe the story would be slightly different when booking the same package in the high season. Prices must sky rocket as demand rise during the holidays. Therefore I recommend you check on the following link for yourselves. Here!
Visiting Budapest with Kids
Should you visit Budapest for the first time, (or for the first few times), I recommend this book with all my heart. Best to gift this book to your kids before the trip to spark their curiosity. The book is filled with colourful drawings of all the places and attractions worth visiting.
The story is super simple as the main focus is on the visuals. It introduces us to a Hungarian family who is hosting their family friends from Australia for two weeks. During this time they aim to show them what Budapest has to offer. Each chapter is a day trip to one, two, or three attractions, all of which are near by and easy to visit with tiny kids at toe.
Looking for the official site of the this book, I stumbled up on the following site: Bruno in Budapest Mobile App. I cannot wait to take the kids back to Budapest and follow along Bruno and his family’s footsteps.
Another year passed, and it is the third time we hear the sirens being tested in Switzerland. It has been three eventful years since we left the United Kingdom. Watch out for more adventures 🙂 family!
How to imagine
Now back to the sirens! At 13:30 this afternoon, all sirens were tested around the country. Nothing extraordinary, really. The same bus passes by as usual, people carry on with their lives as usual, and even the neighbor’s birthday party was uninterrupted.
Behind closed windows and doors, the sirens are not too loud. My youngest slept through all the cycles. As there are many speakers installed around the cities and settlements, the alarms are sounded periodically for about an hour. I guess it allows the testers to move from one pole to the next before re-sounding them.
Therefore, it is barely noticeable that it is over, as it simply stops re-emerging from the everyday hustle.
What to do when you hear it?
Well, nothing really. A few weeks before testing, every resident receives a leaflet about the upcoming annual appointment. On this day, there is no need to take action.
However, if you are interested in what to do in case you hear the alarm on any other day, read my blog post I published last year about it here.
Don’t forget to check out this cute commercial about the annual testing phenomenon.
Until next year, we are all safe and sound. Happy Wednesday everyone.
What a bipolar month you turned into January… You began with your exciting, action filled, sweet half, before turning into a gloomy, sickly few weeks in the middle / second half, just turn back to normal for the last week before February arrived.
Off to a Great Start
Every day was filled with adventures. We kicked off the year with a snowy day trip to Monte Tamaro. Where we had fondue lunch before sledging on the slopes. We explored the Fortress and the rode back down on the cable car.
On the way home, the little ones fell asleep. We drove straight to Ascona for the New Year’s Day Fireworks Show. Entering the underground parking lot, we spotted an A4 sized paper saying that the show was cancelled. We were confused, but went ahead to park. We agreed that Ascona is worth a visit even without fireworks. Later at home we saw the devastating news about the New Year’s Eve celebration party that ended tragically for so many young souls in Crans Montana. No wonder the fireworks and other extravaganzas planned for the beginning of the year, were cancelled or toned down. I think you would agree that Ascona is magical with its winter lights.
We celebrated a friends birthday in Italy and our eldest had a chance to try go karting for the first time in his life. What an experience for those 6 – 7 year old boys to race on the track for the first time together.
Next up we visited an iceskating BBQ party up on the mountains with many of the school friends of the kids and their families. We got to know an acquaintance family to one of the boys. It turns out that this family is as much traveled (or perhaps more) than we are. We, moms spent the whole afternoon getting to know each other’s colourful stories and adventures. Note, to self – I must reach out to her to strengthen connection.
We celebrated our youngest’s second birthday. This cheeky monkey is really putting the cheeky into the m…. Cake is made by my Mom, who has enormous passion and patience to create the masterpieces for her grandchildren. I feel really lucky to have such a great grandmother to our kids.
We ended up visiting Como one more time a week later to meet up with Mac’s cousin. There we took the kids to an American restaurant, which offers access to a soft play area with the lunch kids’ menu. The food was delicious and it wasn’t overpriced. The mayhem started when we descended to the soft play zone. With plenty on offer, the age range went from 0 to 12 years. Around the main zone, four side half open rooms hosts birthday parties. That afternoon all rooms were rented. A constant flow of kids with parents arrived all afternoon. Once the kids were adequately worn out, we returned to the restaurant for our dessert and coffee before heading back home.
The Middle
The day after this adventure our youngest started to show signs of flu. Next couple of days, he slept through the following few days and nights. His fever crept up above 40 degrees Celsius. Then on Tuesday, the eldest got sent home from school with fever. He suffered the most. I actually had never seen him so – so ill. His fever crept up as well, he cried out loud having muscle pain especially in his legs and back. Usually he sleeps off the illness, but this one was harsher on his body than ever. He could not get himself to eat for a week and often throw up the little water that he tried to send down.
By Wednesday, our daughter was sent home as well with fever. Interestingly she had handled it easier than ever. She had two days of fever and sleepiness. The third day she was on the mend by the look of it. Although the next week, she was still sent home from kindergarten with another round of fever, but luckily that only last 24 hours.
I struggled with the most horrible migraine so far in my life. It took a week to get rid of this awful headache. It felt like the mucus in my nose / head turned into cement and that pushed on my brain. All I could feel that my head will literally explode. I do not wish for anyone to have this feeling. And yet, I think my mom is having the same kind of headache at the moment.
Mac fell ill as well. High fever, muscle pain, awful cough and cold, headache. The list was endless. He head to stay home two extra days that week as he had no energy from the fever.
I hope this is the end of this brutal flu. And I hope, you are not going through this with your family.
Welcome Back Normality
After skipping three swimming sessions, a couple of Budo classes and whole lots of days in school, kindergarten and nursery, we finally made it back to our normality. The air outside is still crisp and around zero degrees Celsius. But finally the sun is back on our terrace. We get two doses of sunshine throughout the day thanks to the high mountains surrounding our valley.
Bandii Gianée – Chasing the Winter Away
This year, we got a dust of snow overnight mid January and nothing more, but cold and some rain – not complaining. The kids were, but its all ok. Same as last year, we got together with the kids of the school / kindergarten and their families to scare the winter away. The streets were filled with deafening noise while we walked around the old town. Arriving to the church, lovely author Valeria Nidola (writer of Mucche in Volo) presented a story for the kids. Followed by food – drinks – music by the fire.
Page Turner Challenge
Finally we onto ‘chapter books’, I am not sure why but I think I was waiting for this moment more than my eldest could imagine. He is happy to follow day by day (or I should say night by night) as the story progress. I feel these kinds of books really take you on an adventure and let you grow your imagination (which I always lacked of)…
How Winston delivered Christmas is a colourful adventure story of the main character, Winston the Mouse. I read it in italian and I cannot wait to re-read it in the years to come. The chapters are short and easy to grasp. Between each chapter there is an activity for children to do in preparation for Christmas. It’s a lovely read and a great alternative to sugary advent calendars. Story and activity a day to make the days fly by until Christmas.
Winnie-the-Pooh is a classic that brings back many memories of my childhood. My eldest cracks up of spelling of the animals and various names of imaginary figures, such as Wizzles and Woozles and Heffalump. The very important Missage of Piglet and the Expotition to the North Pole are his favourits. I have to admit that the long sentences challenge my breathing ability sometimes.
It’s okay NOT to share is an eye opening book for me. As a single child having three kids I feel I have to relearn what to do in certain situations. These kind of books are my rock and I try to listen to them while cooking in the kitchen. Unfortunately I am not in a position yet to sit down with a book 18+ in my hands.
The 2026 Book Club List of the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge proposed the book ‘Parental as Anything’ for January and I went along and listened to it while cooking. The subtitle sums up really well the value of the book. I loved listening to it.
We attended the ‘Storie & Biscotti’ after school event, where the kids listened to two stories in italian. And as previously mentioned during Bandii Gianee, Valeria Nidola presented a story for the kids.
At school the kids go to their library every two weeks and they can lend three books for a month. This month only my eldest managed to attend one of the library sessions. He is into comic books now. It’s the third Minecraft comic book that he borrowed from the library. At first I thought he reads it once and that’s it, but he keeps it by his pillow and after our high-low-buffalo and What made you proud today? chat, he turns on his night light and reads until he falls asleep with his glasses on.
1000 Hours Outside Challenge
Adventurous start of this month led us to more hours spent outside in the nature than last year during the whole month. The first two weeks, we spent over 30 hours outside. Then after two weeks bedrest and the last week we ventured out although starting slowly and gradually building up the kids stamina over a period of few days.
Last year January we spent over 35 hours outside, while this year I am proud to say that over 56 hours. What a difference to our family. How did we do it? Our approach to stay outdoors has changed significantly. We are looking for adventures on days when everyone is free of work, school, kindergarten and nursery. On weekdays, we try our best to lengthen our time in nature after office hours. All in all, it worked out well and here are some extra snippets of some precious animal time,
The last 31 days were like a rollercoaster, I am so ready to see what the next 28 days bring. Hello February!
