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!

I make Yorkshire Pudding for breakfast sometimes on the weekend - the kids like to eat them with powdered sugar or maple syrup. The last recipe I tried was one where you put the filled muffin tins in a cold oven and then turn it up high, but the recipe I have from my mother starts the usual way with heating up the fat in the tins and then baking for a while and turning the heat down to finish them.

My dh has three office Christmas parties to go to. Spouses or partners were invited to one but not many of them go because it's usually very stuffy and dead boring. In the summertime they usually have a family festival thing which is nice. Last time we went when the kids were younger it was on the old Hannover Expo grounds.

That could be where I was going wrong westvan, my yorkshires always either didn't rise or came out burned to a frazzle! I don't think I was turning the heat down to finish them off!!

Just have to get a tin now but I can't face going out in this cold today, not that it will be any better tomprrw.

I missed everything at aldi, all sold out - even the gloves. Sometimes I think their special offers are a con to get you in the shop.

morning all, good to have a chance to catch up.

you all sound very organised about christmas presents and cards. I must get round to it. The children´s are bought, just ordered something on amazon for dh (I wonder if it will get here in time?) and my family in Spain will have to wait till the 3 Kings arrive on the 6th January.

I´ve never made yorkshire pudding...hmm...now there is a new year´s resolution.

Our Christmas menu this year is soup (chosen by DD1) with meatballs and home made chips (chosen by DD2 and DS). A bit strange but there we go, at least it will get eatern!...plus we managed to get christmas pudding in M and S in Bratislava...

Linzer...and any other mums in Austria...has there been a change to Familiebeihilfe? We usually get about 1000 euros every 2 months but this month got only half that amount. Not good timing really.

Can´t wair for my course to be over (Lizer, it´s not a german course but an AMS course called job suche intensiv mit EDV), it is such a waste of time....skiving today as have a job interview tomorrow...and it´s in German.Panic. I have to basically learn a new language today... as you can imagine, I´ve not had the need to know what things like "evidence-based policy making" or "consultation process with subject experts" are in German. The job would be great, but now sure I want a job...sound familiar?!?!? sssshhhh,....don´t tell DH!

Right, off to raid Leo the online dictionary....

Just a quick post for now - just as I thought I was on track with all my Christmas preparations, more work arrived! Still haven't decided what to have for Christmas dinner (DH is doing a chicken for himself and the DC as we had a turkey not long ago for Thanksgiving), but we're also having Christmas pudding from M&S in Bratislava!

bananas The only change I've heard about wrt Familienbeihilfe is that they're stopping the 13th month. I think they might be reintroducing Schulstarthilfe as a result, but 100 euros doesn't really make up for the loss of over 1000 euros one month (I know, jammern auf hohem Niveau...). We haven't had ours yet this month but it should be paid in to our account in the next few days, so I'll let you know if we get the same as normal.

Btw another good translation website is Linguee; I use Leo a lot too, but Linguee shows words/expressions in context, which can be quite useful sometimes.

Right, must get back to work!

bananas Have just had another thought about FBH - it's normally paid in odd-numbered months so would be paid in November and January. Maybe the amount you had is the payment for the 13th month (can't remember when it's being abolished), which would explain why it's half the usual amount as it's just for one month.

Oh, that is a good site, thanks ever so much Linzer, you are a star!

Only "luxury Christmas puddings" left when we got there....wow, how posh is that :)

It would be great if you could let me know re Familienbeihilfe. Tis a bit puzzling, but they have also written to ask us for new proof of schooling etc documents so will have to go and talk to them about that.

Good luck with the work. I hope you get it all done! Back to work...loving the snow from inside the house.

Good luck with the interview Bananas, is it for full or part time?

Great site linzer, thanks. I also know leo mainly.

Quick question - do you all have haftpflichtversicherung for your dc? The slip that we had to sign about the ski holiday for ds asked for which insurance company he is haftpflicht insured with. I wrote 'noch keine' because we don't have one. Westvan, did you have to have that sort of thing? I always thought school had to insure everything/one on those compulsary trips.

We also had to provide proof of schooling etc. a few years ago - they seem to ask for it at random, but it was all very straightforward and we got the documents from school and Kindergarten without any problems; it didn't seem to be an unusual request for them.

Have just found out that the 13 month of FBH is paid in September, so it can't be that... Also found out that you're only paid in odd-numbered months if you (the applicant) were born in an odd-numbered month; if you were born in an even-numbered month, you're paid in even-numbered months. Still can't think why you'd only be paid half, though; are you sure it was FBH or could it be something else from the Finanzamt?

ad No, we don't have Haftpflichtversicherung for the DC, just Unfallversicherung (but only because we have a Niederösterreichischer Familienpass and it's included in that).

Really must get back to work; I'm far too easily distracted this morning...

thanks Linzer for looking that up. Hmmm....it is puzzling...we do get paid on even months, so about 1000 due in december. It´s definitely FBH ...too curious, going to ring.

Okay, it is only half the amount cos we have to provide the papers and then will get the full ammount...alles Klar! Would be nice to have been told that in the letter! or is that expecting too much??!?!?!

Thanks for the good luck admy. I think it is a full time post, but not sure as the advert does not say. Will ask tomorrow...good luck with the insurance, sorry I haven´t a clue about that sort of thing, esp in Germany.

Linguee is great! Thanks again.

That would definitely be expecting too much, bananas. I remember my SIL telling me that in Austria, you are expected to find things out for yourself (I was asking her about antenatal classes and complaining that they didn't seem to be advertised). I sometimes feel that you're just expected to know things somehow... it's the Austrian way.

OK, have researched abit and it sounds as if everyone is supposed to have a Haftpflichtversicherung anyway! I know I had a private one when I worked, before the dc, but now I don't have one and dh has one through work which covers very high sums due to working with patients.
I found this:
Kinder sind bis zur Vollendung der Schulausbildung bzw. der ersten Berufsausbildung in der Haftpflichtversicherung der Eltern als Familien-Haftpflicht eingeschlossen.

What a pain though, just another thing to have to fork out money for.

Actually I think the DC might be haftplichtversichert after all - we have an ImRecht insurance policy that I think covers all family members for that kind of thing. I very vaguely rememember taking it out, but DH is more up on our insurance policies than I am.

Oh dear, think we have always just stuck our heads in the sand with that sort of thing.

Snowing again here and far too cold. I'm sure this house doesn't have a decent heating, can't remember being so cold all the time or it's age!

It's been about -3° here for the last few days but is supposed to get much colder towards the end of the week. I spent 50 minutes shovelling snow this morning and couldn't feel my toes afterwards!

I just accelerated really fast and got out of the garage, slid back down after shopping and now it's snowing on top of the old snow that I couldn't be bothered to shovel!

Dh just phoned, everyone in Berlin is in awe of him because of his big publication (just came out this week) - they all want one in that particular journal! There is still one even bigger to aim for though. He says he might only need another couple of days then he will come back - if the trains are running. Snow in Berlin is crazy and the trams are having trouble he says.

ah, the Austrian way! I should have known about that too...

ad - that trip is turning out to be quite expensive!Good to hear your dh has got some positive feedback! hurrah. Maybe that awe and big publication will translate into a super well paid job wherever you want! where would that be then?!?!

linzer - colder you say? hmmm...what fun! I am just hoping all mine stay healthy so we can go out and enjoy the snow.

Hi everyone! No time for a real post, still baking. Snowing like crazy here.

Yes, I guess our kids are covered under our Haftpflichtversicherung. We have all sorts of stuff but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what it is because dh takes care of it all. The forms we got from the school just asked for the Krankenkasse - can't remember anything about Haftpflicht but I'm assuming we did sign something form or other.

no time either for posting!! just wanted to say good luck with your job interview tom bananas! let us know how you get on!

oh and like that translator website linzer - think a lot of them are really bad but like how it puts words into context!

How did it go bananas? Hope they were impressed with your bilingualness!

If I could have a choice about dh's job it would be here but with a promotion and more money so we could get out of this place and intoa house somewhere near the dc school. They are both so settled for the first time, great to have found a school where they actualyl enjoy going every day!

What have you baked westvan? Saw your facebook Unwetterwarnung! When, where? It's all calm and bright skies here at the moment.

Linzer is FBH like Kindergeld in Germany? And you get it every 3 months? I find the German Kindergeld amount is quite high and people still complain that they should get more. It's definately not that much in UK.

Off to see how much my insurance company charges for haftpflicht.

Sorry bananas - forgot to wish you good luck yesterday; hope it goes well today anyway!

ad Yes, Familienbeihilfe is the Austrian equivalent of Kindergeld (confusingly enough, we also have Kinderbetreuungsgeld but that's only until the DC are 2.5 or 3). It's paid every two months and we get just over 1100 euros for three DC. I sometimes think that the Austrians don't know how good they have it; it goes up the more children you have and as they get older, and you can claim it until they're 27 (although it's about to come down to 24) if the DC are still in full-time education - I assume it's similar in Germany.

Must get back to work and try not to get quite as distracted by MN as I was yesterday. OTOH I've almost finished the translation and the deadline isn't till tomorrow, so I don't feel under too much pressure...

ad- lovely to read that the DC are settled. Fingers crossed for the future.

I agree it is a good deal here re FBH. Great that you have finished the translation Linzer. Well done, what was it on this time...any more interesting recipes to share?

Thanks for the good luck. Interview was good. It was only the HR woman- I am used to being interviewed by more people so was relieved. Plus she rang me last week and asked me some questions on the phone so we were not starting from scratch. She was very very nice, encouraging and helped me out with my German. I´ll hear next week...I know it is too early because my German is not up to the level required for the work (I was honest and said I would need some help with writing reports), but on the other hand they get a native speaker of English and Spanish. Enough speculation! Tomorrow I get my results from my C1 exam, I hope I get a chance to collect them as DD is sick - had to get a babysitter so I could go to interview...that is one of my concerns with work and children!

cos dd is ill and dh is at work this evening (at a seminar and dinner) we are missing the kindergarten christmas party. Partly sad, partly relieved that I don´t have to deal with 3 over-excited, over-tired, on a sugar rush little ones later on.

Time to do some cleaning....house is a mess...

Glad to hear the interview went well, bananas - what kind of job are you going for? They can hardly turn down a native speaker of English and Spanish. DH says that he often feels quite embarrassed by his colleagues' English; Spanish would come in quite useful for him as well as he quite often travels to Spain for work, but his Spanish is non-existent.

The translation was about combating discrimination at school and work, so not particularly exciting but at least it was fairly straightforward. It's all sent off and invoiced now anyway, so hopefully that's it until the New Year work-wise.

DH is out this evening too, at his work Christmas party, which means I get time to MN in the evening - a rare occurrence! I'm going to try and have an early night though, as I still don't feel like I've caught up on the sleep I missed out on when I was translating the recipes.

Morning all. Linzer, did your dh have a good Christmas party? HAs he got a headache or was he sensible? Mine usually gets talked into a few more drinks when he goes to those sort of things and ends up with a hangover next day. They never learn!

When do you think you'll hear back about the job bananas? I agree, when you are far from family you need to have babysitters set up and be able to ask other parents for help sometimes with child care. It probably takes alot of organising. Some have it easy, my sister has been able to work part time since her dc were born because she had free child care (my parents) so even school holidays were covered.

Oh well, off to put on a few more layers on and brave the cold and send my last 2 cards off at the post office. Wonder if they'll get to Scotland in time?

Great the translation is done and invoiced. Hope you managed to have some quality MN time and an early night too.

I am going for a job as a good practice researcher and writer for crime prevention measures. I did exactly this job, in the same field in the UK, which is a coincidence. However, I keep remembering silly things I said in the interview ...why don´t I think before I speak?!?!?

What is the English standard in general like round here? I have mostly spoken German to people so don´t really know.

Just picked up some christmas presents from the post office. This included a whole box of christmas Printen from Oma, guess what DD1 and I will be scoffing today?