on the way to school

My sister gave birth to a cute baby-girl in March. 

When I thought about the future when I was young- before I met my husband and moved to Israel- I always imagined that I would live close to my sisters, that our kids will play together, that we would cuddle each other's babies. So this time I just had to go and at least take one of those babies into my arms when they are newborn.

It took some planning and guessing and I arrived 3 days after my nice was born- being able to happily cuddle this tiny, soft human being.

I sew for her a blanket- finished it in the hours before my flight.

But the story I want to tell is that of a way to school:

I wished for snow, longed for snow (no big chance for this where I live…)- and so I got my snow on my second day there- covering everything absolutely beautifully in soft white (how my kids envied me…).

My goddaughter wanted to show me her school and so I accompanied her and her two friends on their way through the snow-covered forest and field on their way to there. I wish I had a way to work like this...

Her school is one of the few schools left in Switzerland where several ages are together in one classroom, taught by one teacher. In her case grade 1-6 are together, some 18 kids. Next time I have to stay, because it does very much interest me, how the teacher is dealing this challenge. Unfortunately the teacher will retire in summer and I think so far they did not find anyone new for this job.

The school building is hardly visible behind the trees in the middle of the image

The kids walk alone some 25 minutes- I did the same but on walkways, crossing streets and not uphill through the forest and alongside fields.