Sommer, Sonne und Hitze - living in Germany thread

[admylin]

'All welcome, Austria & Switzerland & any German-speaking Leute too'

Summer is here at last, now we can complain about it being too hot - when it isn't raining!

[ErnestTheBavarian]

good morning.

Had great night watching England last night. Had a US family round so couldn't swear too much.

How is everyone?

It's raining here again. Def. prefer to the heat.

We've had a great weekend so far (apart from dd being poorly) . What's everyone else up to?

[admylin]

We're not up to much - had ds's friend round yesterday after they had been at hospital. Thank goodness no one has yet mentioned switching any machines off. He was very quiet at first but livened up later and when his dad picked him up I invited them for a meal.

The boy didn't want to eat anything but I convinced him and he later phoned to say it was the best meal he'd had in ages.

I'm finding the football with loud volume to be unbearable, those horns are like a tinitus. Ds is writing all the scores on his list!

How is the new kitchen going?

[canella]

aw admylin thats such sad news about your ds's friends mum - what an awful situation to be in for the dh.

i'm sure the ds can probably be distracted by the football - it seems to be on all the time! those horns are driving me mad too!! quite enjoyed the england match last night but prob not for the right reasons (scottish thro and thro!!)

ds2 is getting on ok with his "chicken spots" as he calls them! i got that lotion but i dont think it helps at all! think the fenistil drops seem to take the edge of them tho! just dreading another few days of him at home 24/7! and not being able to go anywhere! he's a proper livewire and needs loads of exercise to stop him driving me mad! it'll be a long week!

just waiting for PIL's to come - they're staying the night! think its just an excuse for my FIL to watch the germany game on our stupidly big tv!

[admylin]

Must admit, a big tv would make the football more enjoyable! We're wataching on a tiny portable until we move. Seems suilly to buy a new one just to mak emore to transport!

Amazing news, ds's friend's mum has come out of the coma and has her eyes open, can nod and shake head when asked questions. She was given a 10 percent chance of surviving so everyoone is really happy and hoping she will stay strong and keep recovering.

[ErnestTheBavarian]

Wow, that's fantastic news. Has the boy been to see her? How long has she been in the coma for?

Did everyone watch the match last night? Are we all for Germany or are we all supporting England or others? I'm supporting Switzerland, Germany and England. I'm hoping it'll be a while before I have to worry about a clash of interests.

We were at a Biergarten yesterday, and they had the biggest screen I've ever seen. It was a great set up, as they had a huge screen outside with loads of tables, but then they also had a huge hall with huge screen inside with tables and Stehtisch so room for zillions inside & out, and considering the weather, the inside bit v. nec. Oh, and there was a huge room for civilised people who wanted to avoid the footie.

How long till you move Ad?

I'm having 2nd thoughts about the colour/finish of my kitchen. wish I had someone to come to the shop with me. aarrggghhhh

[admylin]

Yes, the boy had been and sat for 2 hours at her bedside and stroked her head and talked to her. Everyone is so happy just to have her eyes open is almost a miracle - the chef arzt was thinking of switching off this weekend can you imagine

We are also going for Germany and England. Ds is really into it and wants one of those annoying horns. Had to give him a little talking to about not rising to any teasing or fights about football and the England goalkeeper for example in school (they are all at an age where they get very worked up about things and sometimes react aggressivly).

[hupa]

admylin - that´s really fantastic news. Everyone must be so relieved.

I definitely want England to win, but will also support Germany as long as they´re not facing England. I really am becoming Germanised(I don´t think that´s really a word). When I first moved here 10 years ago I would have supported anyone rather than Germany, but now find myself really hoping they do well.

Ernest - I´m sure the kitchen will be great, but it´s so daunting making such big decisions when you know you´re going to have to live with the results for the next x years.
Have you decided on the colour for the outside of the house? We´ve also decide to paint ours and I´m really struggling. I´d naturally go for something quite light, but we live on a main road, so it would look filthy in a couple of years.

Did any of you have to suffer people driving round beeping their car horns after the match yesterday? It went on for over an hour here - I can´t imagine what it will be like if they actually win the world cup.

[admylin]

Yes, cars and people blowing those horns out of the car windows!

Sad news is that the friend's mum still has failed kidneys, liver and has a pacemaker which needs changed. None of the doctors sound as happy as the family according to dh who spoke to them this morning. It'll be a long road to recovery if at all.

[westvan]

How heartbreaking about ds's friend's mum, admylin. My kids have had a couple of classmates whose mothers have died and it's just so sad. What a thing to have to deal with at such a young age.

I have no choice but to support Germany since Canada hasn't had a team in the World Cup since 1986. :-) The vuvuzelas are driving me crazy, especially the one that ds14 keeps blowing in my ear. I told him last night that he could go outside and blow it once if Germany scored a goal, but that didn't stop him. I watched a bit of the game and then switched to that movie with George Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones.

Still busy packing and cleaning the house. I hope I can manage it all by Saturday. I'm trying not to do everything at the last minute this time. (Which is why I'm here wasting time on the computer instead of getting on with it!)

[canella]

aw admylin its a proper rollercoaster with your ds's friends mum. think they just need to take each day at a time but its hard not to be optimistic when she shows signs of improvement.

my mum died when i was only 9 (really suddenly - she'd not been ill before) and although it was devestating at the time, I dont really remember life with a mum. think its also made me into the person i am today. not sure why i'm typing this but just wanted to say even if the worse thing happens to her, he'll probably cope in the long term.

anyway - i'm def supporting germany - i am one of those bitter and twisted scots who cant bring themselves to support england (took too much pleasure in the butter fingers goalie on sat night!!). was quite fun watching it last night but no
interest now until they play again!
off to try to stop my ds's killing each other - its raining and ds2 is still spotty! it'll be a long day!

[admylin]

That's sort of what I've been thinking canella, he's not the first 12 year old to have to go through this and he is really lucky to have an extremely devoted dad to look after him. At the moment they are still saying she is showing slight improvemnet so that's good for her and for them.

The vuvuzelas are awful - I heard that they have been banned at quite a few of the open air screen places and the police confiscated 100 of them in town last night!

Westvan, good luck with packing and if it isn't all tidy the house and mess will still be there when you get back, don't worry about it! Have a great time if we don't hear from you before Saturday.

[canella]

wow this thread has been quiet!! where is everyone?

so ds2 is thankfully not infectious anymore - the kiga insisted i took him to the Arzt before they would let him back in the kiga - thankfully the doc agreed with me so he was back on thurs! had one day of both ds's at home cause ds1 had been vomiting! that was not a fun day! i'm glad they're all better!

been a busy weekend - friday was dd's schulfest. obviously it coincided with the germany-serbia game so the school had to provide some screens in the classrooms for people to watch it!

then there was a party on fri night for the end of the local football season and on sat was a Lampionfest at the church. feel all fested out! but was standing with the women friends i've made at the church fest watching the kids run free with the friends they've made thinking how lucky i've been with how successful our move to germany has been - life couldnt be better really!

ok enough sentimental stuff! hope everyone is ok! get back on this thread!!!!!

[admylin]

Morning, it has been quiet here hasn't it.
I've been off for bit as ds's friend lost his mum -she died on Friday and it was so traumatic as he was there when it happened. He was so upset as you can imagine.

I've been trying to help, ds went there at the weekend and they played table tennis and nintendo together even managed to have a laugh, i've cooked for them too and had the friend round yesterday to give the dad a break.

I don't think the dad is coping, he isn't totally in touch with reality but not sure how to help or maybe get him some help? No idea what the norm would be in this situation. A seelsorge woman was with them at hospital and I would ask her to go and see them but his place is in such a mess that I could get him into trouble. He needs to clean up first but he needs help (mora than I can give I think).

Last day tomorrow, school out at 11am then Friday we go to our new flat, the present tenent wants to leave some things but she wants to ask if I want them first or if she should get rid of. I think she's leaving the curtain rails and some light fittings which suits me fine then we can slowly change things if we want.

[canella]

aw admylin that is so sad that she died - that poor boy and her poor husband - so sad.

its been such a rollercoaster of emotions for them the last few weeks, especially cause they thought she might be getting better - its no surprise that the dad doesnt know which way is up.

i think you just need to keep being there for him as you have been - think some people say "oh i'm ok - i dont need anything" when really they do need help with practical things. so taking some food round that he can heat up or phoning him when you're at the shops and forcing him to tell you what shopping he needs.

hope you're bearing up ok too - hard for everyone.

good luck with the move - must be exciting after all this time!

[admylin]

Yes, I've been doing that for them, sent food with the ds last night when he went home. I'm getting abit worried about the state of his house though, he needs help (psycologically) but not at hom ebecause I'm sure they would be shocked.

Dh said we'll go at the weekend and do his kitchen (you can't see the floor for bottles an rubbish) and help him do the bathroom but will he want us to?

I'm throwing things away getting ready to pack. On wednesday the dc can pack their school related stuff as we break up. That'll be a start! When do you go on holiday canella?

[Sonilaa]

admylin, do you know if the dad is in a church? the "pfarrer" usually offers help with grievance, they are qualified to do councelling.

what you do already is great and I am sure very much appreciated!

[admylin]

No, his wife attended church though, maybe he could talk to them. It's just down the road, I think he needs to talk to someone but it's convincing him that is the problem. What do I say today if he still hasn't been in touch with the funeral place? Surely they should contact him if he doesn't do it?

[admylin]

Just realised i put 'living in Germany' on thread title when it should be in the German corner, maybe that's why our other Greman speakers have left us? Sorry.
Can it be changed?

[canella]

think you're being a great friend to him - its such a hard time! does he have other family who are coming over? its even harder cause he's not german (is that right?) - to then try to sort it all out must be a nightmare.

if i was you admylin i would just go and do the cleaning - i wouldnt really ask him if he wanted you to do it! i know that sounds harsh but needs it done and he's not able. he maybe in such a state that he has no idea what needs done.

the schools in bayern have got ages left before the end of term - they finish on 30th july so we're not away till august. but my sister is coming in 4 weeks for 10 days so that'll be a bit like a holiday too!

[admylin]

So you break up and we go back 4 days later! August in school was hot last year, it's a shame that it's so early I think.

We've just sent the payment for dd's school trip in September. The dc are abit fed up that we haven't booked any holidays and dh said to dd well atleast you get this holiday with school and they both shouted that's not a holiday it's hard work and school rules and rubbish food for a week!

[LinzerTorte]

So sorry to hear the news admylin - your DS's friend and his dad must be devastated. A friend of mine died in January leaving two young children (only slightly older than my oldest two) and it's just so sad for the children to be left without a mother at such a young age.

It sounds like you've been such a good friend to the family already and there's only a certain amount you can do; it does sound as if the father needs more help than you can give. I think, like canella said, you should just go and do the cleaning without asking him - he's probably not in the kind of state where he would care whether you did it or not and I'm sure he would be grateful (later if not now).

I didn't notice the thread title until you mentioned it admylin, and certainly didn't feel excluded! I have been around but haven't had anything v. interesting to post - though we did have a lovely weekend in Berlin (I can't imagine living there again now, though). School breaks up next week and we're off to Italy for a week in mid-July and then back to Wales for three weeks at the end of July. Just need to plan activities for the last three weeks of the holidays...

[admylin]

Linzer, did you find Berlin had changed alot? There are so many building sites and buildings covered in scaffolding. Did you fly into Schönefeld (is it still called that?) and is it still being turned into a big modern international airport?

You really get a long summer break don't you. Ours is 6 weeks with our move right in the middle of it.

I'm so exhausted this morning as dh had a thousand coughing fits in the night and then he was sleep talking and then sneezing. I can't stop yawning.

[LinzerTorte]

Berlin changes so much every time I go back - I always feel very disorientated and can't tell where west ends and east begins any more! And where did the huge new Hauptbahnhof suddenly spring from? I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of encounters with rude forthright people, although it probably helped that we didn't go food shopping while we were there.

Yes, the summer break is too long really. Things are already slowing down with even shorter mornings next week, culminating in them being out of school at 8.15 on Friday! Why can't they just hand out the Zeugnisse in the last lesson on Thurday?

It's DS who has been coughing here and coming into our bed in the middle of the night. I usually give up and go and sleep in his bed, while DH has to put up with the coughing; there are definite advantages to DS being more attached to DH most of the time. (When I went to get him last night, he said, "I want to kuschel to Papa.")

Not too long until your move then admylin - how's that going or have you had other priorities recently with your DS's friend and his family?

[admylin]

Well, school finished yesterday. Reports weren't to jump for joy over but they scraped through with a 2,4 and 2,8 overall so both got versetzt nach nächste Klasse - phew!

Had ds's friend over in the afternoon , he came at 3pm and they went out to play table tennis but came back half an hour later saying the boy felt dizzy so I asked him what he had eaten that day and he said nothing I gave him a bottle of water and som efruit and an ice pop then he felt better and they played on the computer - I made the evening meal early knowing he must be hungry and he ate his portion and then asked if I wouldn't mind making him a cheese toasty aswell.

I hope things get better soon, the funeral still isn't sorted out but the dad siad he was going to start the ball rolling today.

[canella]

well done to your kids admylin - seems school in germany is tough!! did you see the report on the news yesterday about how well the varying regions had compared - didnt understand why the southern regions had done better when people always say school is really tough in bayern! maybe the tough love system works!

so sad for your ds's friend - what a tough time! sounds like his dad is just about getting thro his own day without managing anything else - so sad!