Frühlingserwachen - spring finally seems to have arrived in Germany and Austria...

[LinzerTorte]

... or at least I hope so.

For everyone in Germany and Austria, and anyone else who would like to chat!

2and1 - Like others, my dds go to RC eductation at school even though we are not religious. Because they are not Christened we have to give our consent on a yearly basis. We could choose between RC, Protestant, Muslim, Orthodox at their school. Or they could do nothing. We thought about them not doing anything but they would be sent to other classes to sit at the back, so we reckoned it was better for them to do some RC. Have they turned religious? No. We talk about it a lot at home and give the other side of things. I was a bit concerned at first because they were impressed by some of the new things they heard. DD1 went through a stage of kneeling and praying whenever we went to visit a church!!! We took note of the fact that she would look for our reaction while she did it and did not take it too seriously. She stopped after a few months!

We moved to showers in Finland. It´s very rare for houses to have baths there so the dc got used to showers. DS was 1 yr old when we got there and at first he did not like the shower at all but then we got here when he was 2yrs old and screamed the place down until he got used to the bath. He still has baths, but dds kept up the showers - they get a bath Gutschein as a reward.

Thanks for the sympathy for ds- he´s still struggling to breathe so is sitting here colouring in (a snow man!) while dh and dds are out in the sunshine. I was out with dd1 on her new bike earlier - that was hard work. She´s not very physical or corageous and the bike is a bit big for her- though a size smaller would be too small so it´s a question of her getting used to it.

Hope all those Zeugnisse work out in the end. I am taking notes for the years ahead. It must be a bit stressful. Linzer - have you decided against the DB Gymasium then? Are you visiting the local ones soon?

Hope you hear some good news about your future soon, admylin. I also miss a garden in this weather. A balcony would be nice, enjoy it! Did you get some furniture for it in the end?

Better go, ds needs some TLC or at least some attention as he is holding scissors.

I'm always learning about new things I will have to worry about in future on this thread! I thought all schools offered Ethik as an alternative to Religion, is that later on, then? It will be interesting to see what the options are here, since the GDR was anti-religion and there are more non-religious people here. Maybe DD will be able to do Marxismus-Leninismus instead .

We had our first ice-creams of the year today as well. We had just sat down when a man came and asked if he could sit on the empty chair at our table. This seems to be usual here, but I've never experienced it anywhere else I've lived. There were even other tables free. To make things worse, he had a dog with him that barked at every other dog and every bike that went past, and kept whacking my (black concert-trousered) leg with its tail .

BUPA a no go for scan so going with the other group. It's going to be a busy weekend it seems!

Hope all are well.

Dogs in restaurants and cafes really annoy me too, silken. DD2 is terrified of dogs so it would really spoil a cafe visit for us if we had one sitting at the same table as us. Very strange that the man sat at the same table as you if there were others free; it's fairly common for people to share tables here, but only if all the others are already taken.

bananas The other open days aren't until the end of the year or even early next year, so we don't really have anything to compare the Don Bosco Gymnasium with yet. We haven't ruled it out altogether and have an admission interview in October, but it would be so far for DD1 to go on the bus every day - plus I don't think we're involved in the church enough for her to get a place (although DH doesn't see it as a problem).
Hope your DS is better today and that your DD gets used to her new bike soon; DD2's bike is much too small for her, but she refuses to accept that she needs a new one.

The biannual-to-annual round of medical check-ups has started again; have just got back from my Frauenarztkontrolle and now need to make an appointment with the dermatologist. My gynaecologist said I should make an appointment for a mammogram towards the end of the year, despite the fact that I only had one last year (the doctor told me last time that I'm too young for them to be able to see much). And then there's the dentist, optician's and Vorsorgeuntersuchung appointments to make, not to mention the Zeckenimpfung - have just remembered that DD2 and DS need to have boosters this spring.

Morning Everyone! I can barely walk today - started having shooting pains through my bump and in my back yesterday. Have been for an antenatal apt this morning (it was scheduled anyway) and she scanned me and said all is OK and it is just something normal - I think they don't give me the level of detail I might get in the UK due to the limits of my German and not wanting to get into an explanation I don't understand, but I feel as if I am at the vet sometimes! Glad I only have 2 weeks to go now! There is no car park at the ob/gyn and I had to walk from a town car park and had to keep stopping and leaning on things !

DH took DD for a bike ride yesterday too - it was the weather for it I guess! He doesn't often do things like that, it is usually down to me, but the kids were nagging me to go for a walk and I just didn't feel physically up to it - it comes to something when you know you can't walk as far as your 5 and 3 year old, nor as fast! Still it's a temporary thing and had the silver lining that DH did something with them instead, which DD loved - DS is still not better from his latest virus/ severe cold and although DH set off with both kids, all on bikes, he returned DS after 10 mins saying he had had a coughing fit and was whingy - DS was asleep on the sofa 10 mins later, and DD and DH did a 9km circuit, which is not bad for the first proper ride of the year - the kids have only been playing around here on their bikes this spring, we hadn't done a proper ride due to me not wanting to risk getting on my bike! DH came home and said DD needs a bigger bike (seems to be a theme!) but he raised the saddle on her current one as high as it goes and she clearly doesn't as she is on her toes now - turns out what it actually comes down to is he wants to buy her a bike with gears and bigger wheels so she can do longer distances and steeper hills more easily and they can go on "proper" rides! He always has been the kind of dad who does better with the kids the older they get (barely touches them as babies) and I think he is trying to hurry her along so they can do rides at a pace he will not find boring!

Hope you can manage to get enough rest 2and1, must be exhausting as not long to go now. Have you got plenty of help lined up for after the birth? All this talk of bikes - has anyone ever changed the tyres of their bikes? I can't figure out if it'd be easy or silly to even contemplate. I have a decent bile but the tyres are split and need complete renewal.

Well done on going for all your check ups linzer, I must get us all a dentist appointment soon. No one wants to go but it has to be done!

Still no holidays booked. Dh wants to go to London over Easter and I'm not sure if it would be best to try and get a package for 3 or 4 days or to try and find a nice hotel and drive over (oh no way - in London we would never manage!) or go by train. I hate the stress of flying and with the time for checking in and out to fly I think we might just enjoy a train journey over. Any ideas or experience? Or is getting on and off ferries just as long and boring as plane? I used to travel by train in europe alot in my young free and single life.

admylin if you go on the train you can just stay with trains and take the tunnel and go right through to Kings Cross :) I wouldn't do it on my own with DC due to luggage really, but with your DH you should be fine! I have looked up travelling by train to the UK before though and it does work out more expensive than flying, at least from here.

My DH has changed bike tyres and he is not that DIY oriented, but I haven't... I am sure it is doable if you are of a practical nature! If you take the tyre off and can't get the new one on you can always get a bike shop to finish the job and be no worse off than if you had gone to the shop in the first place...

I am cross with my neighbour again today - she rang yesterday to discuss KiGa run and asked me if I prefer to take or fetch today - I offered to take as it is easier for me and pointed out that I cannot now keep extra children here in the afternoon (which is part of my reason for offering to take not fetch, as when I fetch she slips in that she'd like me to keep her children for a couple of hours after I collect them) - so I took all 4 kids and she fetched them, she dropped my 2 off and said her 2 would like to play with my 2 this afternoon, so I said why don't they all just play in the playground (which is right in between our 2 houses) as it is nice weather - she said great, she will feed her kids and then send them over and if I have any problems I should call her mother (kids grandmother) on her mobile as she (my neighbour, the kids mum) has to be at work by 2pm - so essentially she is yet again expecting me to be the one in charge of her kids with only last minute notice and really without even asking properly and without my even saying OK! Argh! It seems I am going to have to be incredibly blunt and maybe put in writing the fact I am not willing or able to babysit for her children for the next couple of months, with immediate effect!!! Perfectly happy for the kids to play together, but don't want to be in loco-parentis (which I can't spell) while she is at work! Kids are all in the playground now, any I am just waiting for her 2 to wander in as usual expecting me to provide drinks and snacks and wash and plaster any scrapes, sort out any fights etc, despite the fact their house is just as close to the playground as ours...

I am cross with kindergarten too as the Vorschule children have a day trip tomorrow for which they have to arrive at KiGa on the dot of 8am, but siblings are not allowed to arrive until their usual start times, which for my kids and 90% of the others in the KiGa is 8.30am - what are we supposed to do with the half hour lag? Especially as rain is forecast tomorrow? Going home and back is hardly practical whether like us people live a 5 or 6 minute drive (each way) away or whether they walk, as everyone will only get home, take coat off, put coat back on and go back! How silly! The next day the same will happen again as the little ones are doing the same trip and the Vorschule kinder staying in KiGa! DS's teacher has suggested I keep him home all together tomorrow as he has a cough still - apparently one day at home will make him "top fit" for the trip on WEd, despite the fact he was home Thursday and Friday (when he was actually ill) and over the weekend and those 4 days did not cure his cough - if I kept him home every time he had a cough and / or cold he would miss months of KiGa! Maybe I should be posting in the infamous "Am I being unreasonable" section of mums net actually

silken I forgot to say before that man with the dog in the cafe sounds very annoying to me too - mainly for sitting at your table when there were others free, that is quite an imposition when he could have sat at an empty table, and strangers sitting at your table do inhibit your free flow of conversation I find, even without barking dogs make it 10 times worse!

2and1 That's not on for your neighbour to get you to look after her DC without even checking it's OK first - and quite a sneaky way of doing it too. I used to feel quite guilty when our neighbours first moved in a couple of years ago, as whenever the children played together (they have three DC the same age as ours) they always seemed to end up at the neighbours'. I kept telling our neighbour she should send them all over here when she'd had enough of them, but luckily she was fine about it - and now that the novelty of having neighbours has worn off, they usually only play together about once a week now.

If I kept DS at home every time he had a cough, he'd hardly have been at Kindergarten last year! Most of the time his coughs are allergy-related so I know he's not infectious, but coughs that follow on from colds can also drag on for weeks - I think that if the child is feeling OK, then it's fine to send them in.

admylin I don't have much experience of travelling by train to the UK - have only travelled to the continent (Brussels) from London once, which was a nice easy journey, but it would obviously be a longer journey from where you are. My friend who lives in Niedersachsen (the one who's asked us to be godparents) is driving back to the UK next week - on her own with her two DC (6 months and 3). I wouldn't even want to drive back all that way on my own, let alone with two LOs - even though our DC are older, the six hours to Italy (when DH and I share the driving) are more than enough for me.

2and1, your neighbour sounds like my old neighbour in Berlin. It's a hard one to get out of now it has started but you'd think she'd realise that you're not in any condition to be in charge of them. Maybe next time one needs the loo you should phone the granny and then every time until they get the message!

I'm going to look up some online instruction videos on changing wheels and see if I can imagine doing my bike myself.

admylin we always drive + ferry to get back to UK. We normally go to Rotterdam and then on the overnight ferry to Hull, which suits us better for visiting my family. We have done Dunkerque - Dover on occasion, though. I would certainly advise going from Dunkerque rather than Calais, as it's cheaper and very slightly closer coming from Germany. You can turn up pretty late for a ferry and still get on, plus if you miss it, you just get the next one (much more relaxed than flying). It takes us six hours driving to get to Rotterdam and seven to Dunkerque. Trains have always seemed too expensive for us, too.

Hello all, you talk so much! Back from a weekend away in Portland. Took the kids to the science museum which is absolutely fantastic. Best I've even been to I think, and we try and go once a year. (At least a 3-4 hour drive over the mountains). Managed to go to a shop where they measure children's feet (don't do that where we live!) and had dinner in Chinatown too. It was a nice weekend for our wedding anniversary, but ironically dh lost his wedding ring on the way home. It's our 7 year one too! He's really fed up with himself.

Hope all the RE lesson issues get sorted out (just skimmed through) and you manage to get that scan sorted with babybond bebe. Lots of people on my Feb thread used them to get a 3D one or when they were a bit concerned and the EPU wouldn't help. Your neighbour sounds really cheeky 2and1. She is basically using you for free childcare while she's at work. You will have to be firm and say you can't manage it at the moment. Hopefully that will continue till the summer holidays and then she surely has to have something in place?

Hope you are all having a lovely evening.

evening all! got dc to bed and dh is in bed feeling a bit poorly and i was super organised so i've got way too much time on my hands this eve!!

jenny - sounds like you had a good weekend - happy anniversary but gutted for you both that your dh lost his wedding ring . Is it one of those annoying questions to ask where did he lose it?

2and1 - i feel cross on your behalf about your neighbour! its a tricky situation but she's obviously not getting the hint so i think you need to be firm with her and explain it really clearly. To not even ask if you would look after her dc but just assume you would - grr it makes me proper cross!!! hope you get something sorted for tomorrow with your dc too - the kiga dont sound very flexible! also forecast rain here too but think that might be ok for a day - the garden is so dry already!

linzer - is your dd1 also in the 4th class? is it also Ubertritt zeugnis time soon in your house? or have i got confused? Hope you get thro all those appts - we're done with the dentist ones at the mo but it must be the turn of the augenarzt next - never seems to end does it with 3 dc. Would also have thought you were too young for a mammogram unless there was a strong family history of breast cancer?

admylin - hope you get something sorted for the holidays. I've never taken the train all the way to the UK so cant comment but i agree with silken that the driving is doable - in fact easily doable then you've also got the car when you get there. About the bike tyres - dh changed mine last summer on my mary poppins bike and it didnt seem to much trouble. Never done it myself tho.

silken - will be intrigued as to whats offered in the "east". i imagine it to be significantly less religious than its Bayerisch neighbour!

well maybe i should use the peace and quiet to do some german revision. Had to write 2 practice letters for my exam and the regular mistakes were with the endings - i blatantly have no clue half the time of the article so then everything else is a mistake!! the cases are then wrong and the adjectives. Thankfully the word order is nearly always right so i would pass the exam. wonder how long i'll have to live here before i get it right?

Canella he thinks he lost it while drying his hands, so basically anywhere he changed the baby or went to the loo! I really liked his ring too!

There are a few tricks about learning gender, I don't know if your teacher has mentioned them? Most nouns that end in e are feminine as are all words ending in heit, keit, haft, schaft, ung. Anything in chen is das. Compound nouns take the gender of the last noun. Sorry if this is old rope to you, just putting my teaching hat on!

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that if in doubt, guess "der" as something like 60% of German nouns are masculine (and, like Jenny says, feminine nouns are usually easy to recognise - although I got it wrong at the gynaecologist's today; Libido really doesn't look like it should be feminine!).

Jenny Happy belated anniversary! How upsetting about your DH's wedding ring, though - I assume there are too many places he could have lost it for you to be able to check whether anyone has handed it in anywhere.

Canella DD1 is only in her third year - the open day at this particular school was quite an early one, and the other open days won't be until she's in the fourth year. I haven't heard of Übertrittszeugnis so don't think they have them here; I've just googled it, in fact, and Übertrittszeugnis Bayern immediately came up so maybe it's just a Bavarian thing?

oh jenny there's not much chance of finding it then

Linzer - i read it back after i wrote the post and realised you were also talking about open days in october so she must only be in the 3rd class. Had no idea that Uebertrittszeugnis was a Bayern thing - but it must be! you learn something new every day!

Thanks for the hints about articles - I had a good idea that most words that end in "e" were die and also "ung" words but the rest i didnt know. The teacher said yesterday that any words ending in "um" were also das. Will try to store these things in my head but my brain is a bit full!!! In the end i didnt do any german revision - i chatted on the phone to a friend for an hour instead . And have not time this morning either - need to crack on with some housework then i'm looking after a friends toddler for an hour - he's got chicken pox and she's got an important doc's appt. We've all had the pox so as long as he's not proper ill it should be ok. but he's only 15 months - i've got out the habit of having really little ones around!!!

Now I'm feeling confused Canella - isn't Reichtum masculine? Aha - have just looked it up and Reichtum and Irrtum are apparently exceptions to the -tum/-um = neuter rule. I often have to look up genders when DD1 is doing her homework; I'm usually OK with everyday words but it's not as easy when it's a word I don't hear/use on a regular basis. The worst ones are the nouns that change meaning depending on gender, e.g Leiter = ladder/manager, Kiefer = pine/jaw, Heide = heath/heathen, although it's probably still clear from the context what you mean even if you get the gender wrong!

It's amazing how quickly you forget what it's like to have a toddler in the house and makes you appreciate how independent your older DC are (even if the older stages have their difficulties too!). DS's friend's little sister usually comes along too whenever he comes to play and even though she's 3 and not a toddler any more, I really notice the difference from the older DC - she will play with the others for a while, but also spends a lot of time following me round and I feel like I should find her things to do (whereas the others more or less entertain themselves).

It went from lovely sunshine to pouring rain when I was in the middle of writing that last paragraph, so I had to rush out to get the washing in - it was almost dry, but got soaked in the minute or two it took me to realise it was raining.

How's the babysitting going canella? Watch you don't get broody! Linzer you're also in great danger of getting broody in September. Enjoy holding the baby!

Just got back from the child psycologist and dd has Dyslexia. We already have a certificate to give to school so they can't take marks off for spelling mistakes and she'll get extra time in tests to read through what she has written! Still not finished yet as we have to apply for dyslexia classes once a week, the Jugendamt will be sending me loads of papers to fill in and that will all take 6 to 8 weeks but atleast the school side is sorted. I'm so happy that's sorted and dd is happy too.

Jenny, what a shame about the ring. Would it maybe still be worth phoning every where you stopped just in case? Maybe some honest person found it and handed it in?

That's great news that your DD's dyslexia has been recognised admylin - and that they'll make allowances for it. I don't know if there are any guidelines here for marking dyslexic pupils' work, but I suspect not (there's certainly no allowance made for DD1's dyslexia at her primary school, although they've obviously picked up on it as she goes to extra lessons at school). All her dyslexia teacher said is that Gymnasien may be prepared to overlook a 2 in her Zeugnis if she has a dyslexia certificate and that some teachers are more understanding than others.

One of the agencies I work for e-mailed me earlier and asked if I can take on part of a 10,000 line job. It's due to arrive next week, just as the Easter holidays start - typical! At least it's not due until 10th May and will be split between a couple of translators, so I've said I can do a couple of thousand lines.

Have just been tidying up the DDs' room and found a note that DD2 had written: "Mein Zahn wackelt! Und zwar der in der Mitte!" She's 6.5 and hasn't lost a single tooth yet (although she does have a new tooth coming up behind one of her milk teeth), so she's getting quite impatient; she made a Peppa Pig tooth fairy box a couple of years ago and can't wait to use it!

admylin - you must be so relieved to have the dyslexia diagnosis. It must be such a relief for dd to know she´s not going to get marks deducted for spelling mistakes. How did she take the diagnosis?

We often drive over to England and take the ferry from Calais. Having a portable dvd player for the dc has been a life saver. In fact we´re going next week and spending 1 day in a hotel near Bluewater and then a few days with a friend in Wimbledon. If you´re still thinking about London for Easter, I think as long as you find a hotel outside the congestion charge zone you shouldn´t have any problems. If we need a hotel we book direct with either Premier Inn or Holiday Inn Express - both have always been fine in the past.

Canella - hope your friend´s ds isn´t feeling too ill with his pox.

Jenny- what a shame about the ring. As the others have said it might be worth ringing around and seeing if it´s been found.

2and1 - your neighbour is being so cheeky. I´d be fuming in your shoes.

Linzer - it´s raining here aswell. It´s a shame as ds has got a Waldwoche this week with kiga, so no doubt he´ll be soaking when he gets back.

admylin - great that the dyslexia has been reconginsed. Have you decided what do to about London? We used to always take the ferry and much more flexible than flying. Even though I get sea-sick at the thought of a wave, it worked better with the children. I know yours are not tiny anymore but can roam about on a boat. Did you manage to change the bike tyre?

2and1- did you have words with your neighbour? I also got annoyed on your behalf - doesn´t she care that you are 2 weeks away from giving birth, and have 2 little ones of your own. I think an honest conversation would be the way to go, you are not being mean or anything nasty, you have enough on your plate to also take on her childcare. Where is the granny all this time?

jenny - sorry to hear about the ring. dh lost his ring around our 10th anniversary and we decided we would both get new ones...then he found his again.

silken - hope you got the dog hair off your black trousers. What/where do you play?

canella- you do sound very organised and motivated.When is your exam? I am trying to work out how I am going to keep improving my German. I am glad the job is writing in English, but I hope people will speak to me in German and be very patient with me. I would hate to spend all my time at work using English, and not improve my German.

Linzer - dd2 is also 6.5 and no wobbly teeth either, though she complains that a few hurt. I am sure dd1 lost hers earlier. Good luck with the translation - bad timing but hopefully you will manage to get it done before 10 May. You are very good with your kontrolle. I have yet to book the Frauenarzt - I have decided to go to the shamanic one in the end, but will not go to the shamanic session. I will ask her about it, if I feel brave enough on the day, and report back.

Sun trying to break through here...but has been raining too. Off to do some housework - not sure what, but would like to clear out a few hot spots before I start work. I wish I had started already because I now have more time to worry about how I am going to manage house and work. I am waiting to see what dh is going to start doing

Where has all this rain come from?! I think the past week had lulled me into a false sense of summer-security! I just got absolutely drenched coming back from the Frauenarzt. (I'm consoling myself with a creme egg brought over by a friend at the weekend!)

Admylin We've never taken the train all the way to the UK, but we both took the coach a couple of times when we were poor students - not something I would recommend, especially not with children. Driving and catching the ferry always seems a lot easier and more comfortable, but that's just personal preference.

Jenny Happy belated anniversary! Sorry to hear about your husband's ring. I'd definitely try ringing around, you might be pleasantly surprised.

2and1 Your neighbour sounds very cheeky, I'm guessing you could really do without any extra stress at the moment. Do you think a quite word would work or is she not the type to take these things well?

Canella Enjoy babysitting! Hope your DH is feeling better now.

Big panic at the Dr's this morning when she couldn't find a heartbeat. She did an ultrasound instead and all was fine! Cue lots of bawling from me. I'm not sure what made me cry more - the relief that everything was ok and or watching it scratch its little face/rub its little eye on the ultrasound screen. (I think I need to toughen up a little!)

aw bananamad - of course you were crying good tears when you realised everything was ok - sorry to say that having dc has made me more emotional so not sure its possible to toughen up! maybe babybananamad was just hiding away from where they check the heartbeat. Glad it was all ok in the end! Hope you enjoyed your creme egg.

admylin - glad your dd's dyslexia has been recognised - it isnt good news but at least it gives an answer to the problems she's been having and will get her some help in the future.
no need to worry - there is absolutely no broodiness from me ever!!! have had my tubes tied to ensure there are no more baby canellas. dc3 was just such a nightmare of a toddler that i really believe if my first had been like that then i'd never have had 3.

linzer - typical that the work comes right before the holidays. What a cute note you're dd left. ds1 is at the other end of the teeth losing spectrum - he's lost 7 teeth already of which 6 have been replaced by the grown up ones. He's so tall for his age and now with all those teeth he looks much older than he is. But your dd wil be so excited when her teeth do fall out - how much will the tooth fairy bring? i'm sticking to a euro per tooth. i always wonder if how early the teeth fall out is related to how early they get teeth as babies? none of my dc did anything else early but they all had nearly all their teeth by 14 months and they're all falling out quickly too. not exactly a scientific study but just my thoughts!

bananas - hope you got the housework done! has your job started? My exam is on may 6th but its only B2 - the holy grail that is C1 will elude me for a long time yet. i'm only organised cause i want to pass it first time and then not have to go back to german lessons for a long time! I think if you're german is at C1 level then it will naturally stay there and maybe improve if you are speaking it every day. You've def got a natural talent for languages.

just making those ausgekochte, ausgeblaste Eier for the boys for kiga - have blown all the egg out but now i'm supposed to boil the shells - any idea for how long?

oh and they dont go under the water? i'm sure i've done something wrong [thick emotion]

I have no idea about the eggs I'm afraid, Canella - I didn't even realise that you could boil egg shells once the egg has been blown out. We decorated some eggs at the weekend but I hard boiled them first (must remember they won't keep indefinitely!).

Meant to say earlier that there's def. not going to be any broodiness here either - if I'd known what an exhausting baby/toddler DS would be and that it would put me off ever having any more, I would have been sterilised when I had my C section! (I vaguely remember being asked.) Plus I'm now far too selfish to contemplate giving up my child-free mornings.

Banana That must have been such a relief - I think I would have cried too. The excitement of having a scan is one thing I do miss (albeit not enough to contemplate having a fourth). The routine ultrasound I had at my check-up yesterday just wasn't the same - I have to stop myself looking for the baby.

bananas I remember DD1 lost her first tooth a couple of months before her 6th birthday and the dentist said that she was early, which surprised me as I thought 5 was about average.
I thought shamanism was something to do with communicating with spirits; you must def. let us know if you find out exactly what the doctor offers as I'm intrigued! And if you're not happy with the shamanic gynae, you should come and see mine as she's lovely and we could have another coffee afterwards.

hupa Hope your DS enjoys his Waldwoche and that the weather improves - it's finally stopped raining here, although the sun has gone back in again after a brief appearance.

Right, must get on with a few bits and pieces while DD1 is at her computer lesson and DD2 and DS at friends'.

Canella, I'd just wash them out with hot water if I was you. Never heard of you having to boil them or is health and safety coming over to Germany slowly?! What are you making with your blown out egg mixture?

Hupa I remember Waldwoche. I was beside myself the first time I heard about it as ds was in a group with mixed ages and some of them were tiny, and they'd just bundle them all into a wagon thing and off they went. 2 Kindergärtnerinen for 14 of them . They all made it back and had a great time though! Shame if it's wet though although often under the trees it'll be dry enough for them to play and build a den or something.

I was abit half and half at the child psycologist this morning. On the one hand - as you say canella, it wasn't good news, but on the other hand I was pleased to know that dd will now get some more help. The psycologist said it takes a couple of years training and then a good majority of the pupils cope quite well and have managed to learn the basics for spelling.

Bananamed, isn't it great to see the baby with ultrasound? I saw both mine so often, my doctor did one every visit and with dd I had one of those 3d ones at the university klinik.

Wonder if 2and1 has got the neighbour's dc this afternoon again?