leise rieselt der Schnee - for all those lovely people in Germany and Austria or whoever wants to join us!

[Canella]

a new wintery thread in honour of Hupa's first snow of the season!

Yes, I think 30 would be Ok but anymore would hurt, especialyl as he won't be going skiing again after that although I suppose dd will need it the next year as it's one of those set Klassenfahrt things that they have to attend.

Mmmm, my beef stew is ready and it tastes so good, shame it's an hour and a half until they all get in.

The laptops are on their way, ordered with another payment method and it worked. Now I'm still abit worried that they will still somehow take the credit card payment for the first order too ...

I'm having loads of veg cooked in the same sauce/gravy - the dc can have the meat!

That sounds very frustrating wrt your German class bananas. I did a German course at the VHS when I was au pairing in Berlin and we had two teachers - one who was brilliant and really funny (he was Dutch, in fact) and the other who was completely useless. Most of the class stopped going to the useless teacher's lessons; it just felt like a waste of time as we weren't learning anything, although she was at least in the classroom most of the time IIRC!

ad I seem to remember my friend said she'd saved about 30 euros by not having to hire helmets, which would work out at about 2 euros per child per day. It depends how long your DS is going skiing for but if your DD can use it next year too, then it's probably worth buying one.

I wouldn't mind having to wait another 1.5 hours for the DC! The DDs are back from school now and we have to leave for DD1's Lernstunde in about 45 minutes.

Sorry, forgot to answer your question ad - we're going to a restaurant just round the corner from us which is supposed to be very good. Am assuming it's Italian food as the restaurant has an Italian name. DH will at least see that I've done the washing and ironed his shirts (note to self: iron shirts before he gets home)! Not that he expects me to iron his shirts, but at least he won't think I've spent the entire morning on MN otherwise.

Admylin - are they doing downhill (Alpine) skiing or cross-country? If it's cross- country they won't need a helmet, no one had one when my kids went. Where are they going? Torfhaus in the Harz Mountains? I'm just thinking - we still have the ski suit that we bought at Aldi for ds14 when he went on his class trip back then. It's size 164, blue and black, nice and warm an only worn for 5 days. What size is your ds?

Three Christmas cards/ long letters written and a small package ready to go. I'm extremely slow. There are so many other things I need to do that I think I'll write the rest of the cards later and sent everything off tomorrow. I usually don't send them until January, if at all, so people are going to be mighty surprised.

Westvan, I think ds mentioned they would be doing cross-country and he brought the official paper to sign today. 190? to be sent by 10th of January. That'll hit quite a few families hard just after Christmas.

They'll be at St. Andreasberg in Oberharz. Shame it isn't the same place your ds went to westvan or I could get some inside info on what to expect!!

By the way, I'd be looking for that size probably so that suits sounds like it might just be what we're looking for. I'll look at gloves and hats and a couple of fleece tops at Intersport.

Italien sounds nice, have a nice night out Linzer!

OK, you can talk to your ds and if you're interested we can arrange for a try-on if you like. No pressure! Just thought it might be a good solution since we have no use for it any more.

I would assume that all these class trips are pretty much the same. They'll be staying in a Schullandheim and then do little ski trips every day or go into town. Ds's class went right up the top of the Brocken one day on skis and he said that was pretty exhausting but lots of fun and he got some great photos. We walked it in summer in 2009 - 16 km or something. It looks to be about the same distance from Sankt Andreasberg so maybe they'll do that too.

Hope you´ve all had relaxing weekends.

admylin - in case you´re still looking, Aldi are selling ski helmets, goggles etc this week.

Morning! Thanks hupa, missed that - better get myself down there or they'll be gone. Although I need ds's head really to try on sizes or are they adjustable? Have to have a look. Yes, just looked and they are adjustable but still have to check if he still needs a child or rather the adult version.

Just wrapped the presents that Amazon sent from my parents to the dc - have bought ds a book in German that came in English! Why do they not translate the titles properly? If they had translated it the same as the English one I would have recognised it (or remembered it from his wish list) so will have to put it away as a friend's birthday present some time and get him a different one!

Where is everyone? HAve you all got snow again? I've heard 3 sirens and fire engines rushing past this morning all within half an hour of each other.

Are you all busy getting ready for Christmas? Everyone staying put? I know Linzer is off to UK just after Christmas. Ernest, how are you doing?

Dh is still in Berlin, not sure when he's back but he's had emails from work here saying that they are giving him a new office, think they are worried he won't come back!

I'm still here! Have just got back from the HNO-Arzt with DS, but we're no nearer to finding out what's causing all his coughing and wheezing - he has small polyps behind his nose apparently, but doesn't need to have them removed as his ears are fine. We should know a bit more tomorrow when we get the results of his allergy tests from the Lungenfacharzt.

DH had his work Christmas party at the weekend, which the DC had been excited about for months - the company organises a cruise on the Danube for all the families/employees with children, complete with Kasperltheater, a magician and an appearance by Father Christmas (with a sack full of presents) at the end. It's the third year we've been and DS was convinced for a while that DH actually works on the boat!

Must get on with some present wrapping and card writing... I've been slightly more organised so far than I was last year, but still not quite organised enough!

I should be out shopping but I can't face digging my slope free of snow. I'll try later maybe, there is always the hope that it could melt abit by the afternoon!

Hope you find out what is causing the coughing. It tires them out aswell when they constantly have a cough doesn't it.

I think you sound quite organised linzer! I haven't even found decent cards to send to my parents and sister's family. They don't really do cards here in Germany so hard to get 'special' ones like they always send us. Atleast I've got our tree up and that's the only decoration I'm doing!

I did my snow shovelling yesterday; I even managed to get out before the elderly couple - he told me he was 10 minutes too late when he saw that I'd already cleared the area in front of the garage, so hopefully I've notched up some brownie points! It hasn't snowed much since but it's so cold that none of it is melting.

I found some Christmas cards at Lidl a couple of weeks ago; they were only about 70 cents for 10 so quite a bargain (and some of them weren't actually too bad). Otherwise you only seem to be able to buy cards individually for about 3 euros each, which isn't really an option if you're sending more than about two. I usually stock up in the post-Christmas sales when I'm back at my parents' and probably have enough to keep me going for a couple of years now!

Talking of cards, really must write one to the USA (have been trying to track down a photo of the DC with Father Christmas to send with it, but I've given up) and get a present to the UK ready to send.

Snowing here again at the moment. I actually hope it stays around for Christmas, but then will be happy for it to disappear.

I´ve just been wrapping presents, but have run out of paper. Good job I started now and didn´t leave it to the last minute.

We´ll have a quiet Christmas here just with dh´s sister. We´ll then go to a friend in London after the New Year. I´ve promised dd we´ll go and see the Lion King, so I better find out if it´s possible to get tickets.

Thanks hupa, you've reminded me to put wrapping paper on my list! I've wrapped the parcels from UK and have lots of paper left but don't want the same paper for the things from us.

Just sent a last order to amazon.de and of course the 2 things that are for me (for once, I remembered myself) are probably coming after Christmas! Oh well, I'll have a new year present.

Lots of snow today. My kids were hoping school would be cancelled but no such luck, they only do that if it's very icy.

Sent all my cards and a parcel on Saturday and feel so light and carefree now! Ha ha. I've actually found decent cards over the years at department stores - boxes of 8 or 10 with different designs for a decent price. It is too bad that they don't have the nice 75% off everything after Christmas sales, they could make so much money instead of sending the stuff back or whatever it is they do with it.

Must go bake something. Ds17 needs cookies for his biology class tomorrow. I don't know if they're going to have a party or dissect them and do experiments. He's also going to a party on Thursday afternoon and needs to take something for that as well.

Well done - nice when you know you've got part of it out of the way! Forgot to ask last time we met westvan, where do you get meat? Butcher or supermarket? LAst year I got a turkey crown somewhere at the last minute but the shop where I got it has closed!

Dd bought a banana muffin at school yesterday and then pestered me to make a banana cake. I did in the end (recipe found on here) and it was yum. We ate it warm at 8pm and dd warmed a slice up for breakfast!

Have a strict vegetarian coming for dinner sometime over Christmas, anyone know what sort of gravy I give him? I'm vegetarian but I don't mind normal gravy, it's just meat that I don't like the taste/texture of.

Mmm, I love banana bread. I have a recipe that I can use for a loaf or muffins and it's so good. Great way to use up those iffy bananas too.

We usually buy our meat at the supermarket but sometimes dh will got to the butcher's if it's something special. Had to look up "turkey crown" since I wasn't familiar with the term. That's a good idea, I didn't know you could by those here. We've just got a tiny little turkey in the freezer for Christmas. Dh likes the drumsticks and dark meat but we didn't want to have too many leftovers.

I don't know what you could do about the gravy - perhaps something with mushrooms? Or roast some root vegetables and then puree them? What about asking at a health food store? I suppose there'd be some kind of yeast extract or soy products in a vegetarian sauce to make it taste "meaty". But then again, if your guest is a strict vegetarian he's probably used to not being able to eat everything on the table.

I made some vegetarian gravy with mushrooms last year; it was quite nice although a bit of a funny consistency. I'm normally lazy and use vegetarian gravy granules, though - I could send you some if you like ad, although I don't know if they'd get to you in time for Christmas!

I've just found a packet of mushroom sauce/gravy mix a la maggi which is vegetarian so will use that. Thanks for the offer Linzer, where do you get yours?

Also have decided to try doing yorkshire puddings again this year. I had given up and swore never to make them again after many failed attempts but I'll give this new oven a chance. Just have to buy a new muffin tin (another thing on my list) as we like small individual ones.

My gravy is from the UK (Morrison's). I don't know whether they stock gravy at M&S; probably not vegetarian gravy at any rate, as their selection is quite limited. I couldn't find any custard powder last time I was there (to go with our Christmas pudding), only expensive jars of brandy sauce - I was going to ask my mum to send some but didn't get round to it in time.

Linzer do you know where the asian stores in Vienna are? They usually have custard powder and PG tips, worth a look round if you can get to one.

I've been to one or two, but have never seen custard powder - not that I was looking for it, I must admit. Will have to ask DH if he goes past any on his way to work!

hello all!! feel annoyingly busy at the mo - the german course is 3 mornings a week then i always seems to have something to do on the other 2 and before i know it a week has gone by!

Admylin - i got nice xmas cards from Aldi this year and last - think there was 25 in the box for about 1.99?. But think Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud have totally different offers so thats not much help to you! did you get the helmet for your ds? i'm rubbish with gravy so kind of rely on gravy granules that i brought back from the UK! sorry i'm really no use today! altho i can make yourkshire puddings - delia smith has a good recipe from years ago! will look it out for you!

Linzer - you sound like you're getting there with your presents etc! take it the translating is all done now? your dh's party sounds great! my dh has been out 4 times in the last week to xmas do's and i've not been to one!! ! but at least none of them were a cruise on the danube or i'd have forced my way in!

westvan - the weather is so different across germany at the mo - you've got loads of snow and we've none but i'm sure it'll swap again in a few days! but really cold and icy here even in the day - yesterday i dont think it got above -8!! but its up to -5 today - wonder if that means the snow is on its way back!

well i've spent the morning hurrying round the nearest big town to us trying to get my last few bits of presents. We've bought the dc a nintendo wii between them which i think is quite a big present and they are getting other big things (a new desk and a bike) which my IL's are contributing too but dh thinks they should have some wee bits to open on xmas eve - i'm doubtful since they will only want to play with the wii and anything else we buy them will be ignored! they've all got new pyjamas but he thinks thats not exciting enough! so cue me spending my morning rushing round! no time at all to rest this week!

Same here canella. My 2 are getting a laptop each and that should be it really a that price! Still, I thought I'd like them to have a stocking (they have big red santa stockings) with a few things to open.

So what did you end up getting in town? I've got a couple of books, a dvd each and a laptop bag and mouse and the presents from UK (books and a card game for ds and a harry potter thing for dd) and then they get money from 3 people.

I always thought my yorkshires went wrong because of th eflour I was using, then I blamed my various ovens along the way, now I'll give this one a try and hope it works!

Linzer, I find it's very nice of your dh's workplace to think of the families for the Christmas do. Dh's boss takes the neurosurgeons to a chinese buffet with a room for kareoke but no family (ie wives) invited. He's glad he's in Berlin and will miss it this year anyway.