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!

Great news on the ring, Jenny.

admylin I do that smiling and nodding thing too; once my mind starts wandering, then I've had it. I also find my accent going if I get flustered; I make more of an effort with people I don't know well (I hate anyone hearing that I'm not a native speaker!), but am not so bothered when I'm talking to friends (although I still get embarrassed if I make a mistake and have to go back and correct myself).

2and1 It sounds like going out every afternoon is the answer - hardly practical, though! Our neighbours' DD would regularly call for DD1 at about 1.30 pm before she'd even had the chance to start on her homework (their school finishes 15 minutes earlier, her mum is much more organised than I am about having lunch on the table at 12 pm and she used to have much less homework than DD1), which I found a bit annoying - I would tell her that DD1 hadn't finished her homework, but DD1 would then rush through it not concentrating properly so that she could go out and play. Luckily that phase didn't last very long and they no longer play together every day anyway - it's more like once a week now at most.

What's everyone up to over Easter? We'll be here for most of the Easter week (apart from DD1, who's going to stay with my ILs for a few days) and will then be going to a Kinderhotel over the Easter weekend. Are you around, Cinders? (Have e-mailed you.) When will you be starting work, bananas - and did you hear back about the job here?

Glad the ring has turned up Jenny - I lost my DH's wedding ring about 3 years ago - he was changing the winter tyres for summer ones on my car and I had his wedding ring on my thumb for safe keeping - forgot about it and went about my day, at home, in the playground, out for a walk, went to the shops... at the end of the day he remembered to ask for it back and it was gone! Ooops! Looked everywhere for it but never turned up - it took me about 18 months to get around to getting him a replacement, but he has a new one now that looks almost identical to the old while gold one but doesn't scratch - it's made of stainless steel! 1/4 of the price and he loves it!

I dropped the kids off at KiGa and went to the shop, and on the way home realised that as the Easter holidays start tomorrow and c-section to deliver baby is booked for the second week of the holiday, this is possibly my last child free morning for the next 3 plus years!!!!! Even if I go back to work after maternity, it is a Grundschule so not child free time, just swapping my children for other people's and the child care hassle for the youngest!

I started doing housework but thought s*d it, as I cleaned the kitchen floor, I will sit instead for my last child free hour before KiGa pick up time! I am looking forward to 4 days with my big kids, but think we need to get away from the village and go out lots so I don't end up spending the last days before Easter weekend and then baby's arrival besieged by other people's children! My kids and I had a lovely couple of hours out yesterday, I feel like I haven't seen enough of just them recently!

hi everyone, hope you're well. thinking of you 2&1 as you're due date approaches. (reminds me has Tallpoppies popped on yet?)

Moo and I are thick with cold or something today. but we're cuddling on the couch with the windows open for fresh air.

Picked baby names out yesterday so as long as dh doesn't change his mind we're good to go on that front ...and in only 1 day I feel very lucky :)
Counting down until Wednesday when we're home for Easter :)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. xx

Thanks for the thoughts bebe

You're organised picking baby names - we only decided a month or so ago. Mind you DD (DC1) was named within hours of finding out her gender at the scan, and we have a boy and a girl name even before that - didn't use the boy name for DS though, but he was also named before the end of the second trimester. We really struggle with boy's names, and of course are having a second boy!

Have a great time back in the UK, and all the best for the scan - are you hoping to find out the gender or do you prefer a surprise?

I have heard mention of tallpopies but think she was on the thread before my time - haven't seen a post from her since I've been on the thread I don't think, I assume she had a baby recently?

linzer

I dreamt that I had emailed you

am going in circles today

waves keels over for a mo

Oh dear I have just realised it's the last day of school and I'll have the big fight every day about getting them to go to bed (before us). My 2 would happily stay up until all hours when there is no school.

Good news about the ring jenny. I've lost my pearl earrings and a gold chain that belonged to my gran. Haven't seen them since the move and although I know they can't possibly be in the old flat I have a feeling I'll never find them. I have searched every where but I'll be doing a big search one day next week.

We're invited to a new year celebration at the weekend so I'm off to bake a cake. It's to celebrate the Bangladeshi new year.

hello!!
oh i'm dead chuffed for you jenny that the ring was found - bet you're all pleased.

admylin - same trouble in this house about getting dd to bed in the hols. I'm sure you're like me - i just need some child free time in the eve even if its only an hour. Thankfully dd is going to my IL's for the second week. Did you make any plans for the easter break? Did you not want to go to London? Cant believe what a hassle the school are being about your dd's dyslexia - i would have really thought that the certificate would have been enough?! sorry about your jewellery

2and1 - think going out was definitely the best plan to sort out the stuff with your neighbour. But i'm still amazed at how thick skinned she's being and so unhelpful. I agree with the others - if i was your neighbour then i'd be bending over backwards to help you. But will it get better or worse in the holidays? does she still need to work? Surely she cant dump those dc on you when you're baby is due next week!!! hope you enjoyed your last child free morning for a while - put your feet up when you can this next week.

linzer - hoep you all have a fab time at the Kinderhotel - i've always wanted to go to one of those. Does it have a room or suite for the 5 of you?

bebe - good luck with the scan and have a good trip to the UK.

Well today was my last german lesson. Just felt relief really - going 3 times a week was driving me insane. It felt like going to work sometimes (without the pay) and i think i've got out of the habit since being a SAHM. wonder what it'll be like in years to come if i do get a job? a shock to the system probably!! SO i've got my B2 exam 3 weeks today - think it should go ok - we'll see.

Got busy easter holidays but not going away. Going to do some nice girly stuff with dd on monday and weds while the boys are in kiga - dd is getting her hair cut into a new style. Hope it looks ok. On tuesday we're going with some friends to a big indoor soft play place in Hessen then on thurs i'm going with my MIL to look at kitchens. DS2 is also going for a few days to my ILs after that before dd goes next week. Like i said busy but with nothing in particular!!

Hope you all have a good weekend (sorry if i missed anyone out!)

Hope you enjoyed your last child-free morning 2and1 - you were def. right to give up on the cleaning! We really struggled with boys' names too and found girls' names much easier (although most of my favourites were rejected by DH as being "too English").

bebe Hope you're feeling better soon and that you have a good trip back to the UK.

admylin DD1 always wants to stay up late when there's no school but I don't let the DC stay up much later than usual; about 8 pm is my limit as I need at least an hour of child-free time and don't stay up very late myself.

Canella You must be relieved to have your German course out of the way; good luck for the exam btw. At least if/when you go back to work, you'll be paid for it - the thought of the money I'll get the end is what keeps me going whenever I get fed up with work!

Kinderhotels are great; there's always plenty to do for the DC even if the weather isn't too good and they enjoy going to the children's club, which gives DH and I some time to ourselves - being able to eat dinner (which I haven't cooked) in peace in the evenings is bliss. We've booked an apartment over 2 levels with the DC's room and bathroom upstairs, so don't have to worry about tiptoeing around in the evening once they've gone to bed; another good thing about Kinderhotels is that they cater to families with more than two DC!

Hope you had a lovely child-free morning 2and1! The anticipation of the baby is also very exciting and you don't get much time to think when you have 2 other little ones to look after. It's the home stretch now though.

I can't get dd to go to sleep much before 9 0'clock these days though they were up super early this morning. That was a real shame because dh came to bed at quarter to four and only because I'd woken up to feed S. He was working. We'd watched a German film earlier in the evening (Nordwand - I recommend it if you like Alps and the Kurz/Hinterstoisser story) and has so much to do he started working afterwards. Going to take the kids to the Spring festival this afternoon and it's sunny for a change. Hurray.

Kinderhotels sound great and I've always fancied going to one. Hope you have a lovely time. I hope you all have lovely weather for your Easter holidays.

Hope you al had a good weekend...the weather here was great and we were all healthy so were able to enjoy it.

wonderful news on the ring, jenny!

2and1 - enjoy the holidays with your two. I remember having just that feeling of "this is the last chance I have to spend time with just my two dds" before ds arrived. Hope neighbour starts behaving herself.

canella - good luck with the exam, and enjoy having more time to yourself. And hope dd likes her new haircut - she has lovely hair btw - and that your dream kitchen is created in a 5 minute chat with someone who knows what they are on about.

admylin -what a pain about the dyslexia certificate not being recognised unless you get the help. Did you speak to someone else in the school about it? what time do your dc stay up till?

bebe- hope the trip to the UK goes well and let us know about the scan.

linzer- enjoy the Kinderhotel break. I called the job in B. as soon as I heard I got the one in Vienna,to let them know I was no longer available. I start work today, in two hours in fact. I wish I had said I was on holiday this week and started work next week as the dds are a bit huffy about going to the Hort this week.

On that note, I had better go shower!

How did your first day of the new job go bananas ?

I finally made it to Rewe today to look for beans, and the branch local to us doesn't do them! :( I guess I have to accept beanlessness from now on, unless I ever manage to catch a Lidl British week!

Hope everyone has the nice weather for the school holidays - it's been lovely here and forecast to get better - we have been out for icecreams (and failed bean hunt) and otherwise kids have been playing outside with a gang of 8 or so local kids - DH has got them walkie talkies so I don't have to drag my pregnant self down to the football pitch etc when I need them home, or yell like a fish wife (as my father would say) :) They are only allowed where I can see them from the house, but that covers a bit of an area - playground, football pitch behind it, scrubby as yet unbuilt on plot behind our house as well as obviously our house and drive! DD was at a friend's down the road today and walkie talkie also came in useful for her to radio me before she walked home so I could go out and watch her across the road - her friend is 7 and at school and allowed to go pretty much anywhere in the village alone, so her mum doesn't think to watch DD across the road or call me before she sets off, which has up til recently meant I say no when she asks to go there 8 times out of 10.

sorry this a post and run but freaking out this morning. My heart problem is back - felt a bit faint in the shower but thought it was cause i was starving (only had a salad for my dinner last night!) but had something to eat and still felt weird - checked my pulse and its all over the place - totally irregular. Had atrial fibrillation before and i think its that again. So told dh (the arzt) but he had to rush to work to some (proper) emergency so i have to deal with all this on my own. Got the kids organised - they're going to a friend who can have them all day. Dh said i needed to go to the hausarzt first so i've got an appt at 10am - feels much more like i should go to the hospital but will go thro the motions. No idea why its came on today - I'm not pregnant (like i was the other 2 times it happened), I've not had any caffeine for weeks. Just no idea but hopefully the very efficient german healthcare system can get to the bottom of it.

Morning all!

Canella good luck at the Hausarzt! Let us know how you get on. I have my fingers crossed for you that they will get to the bottom of it. I am a huge fan of the German healthcare system at the moment so I reckon you'll be in good hands.

2and1 Sorry to hear the bean hunt was unsuccessful. I know you're probably fed up with looking now but have you tried Real? (If there is one near you). The Real here meets all my bean-related needs. Aaand I found out recently that they count as 1 of your 5 a day, which made me very happy! (Simple things...)

Bananas How was your first day? I hope it went well and that you have a nice group of colleagues. Do let us know.

Admylin How was the Bangladeshi New Year party? Did your cake go down well?

The lurgy that has been going round has finally hit! Apparently lots of people in DH's work have an 'orrible cold at the moment and I woke up yesterday streaming and sneezing. (Of course DH is fit as a fiddle!) The weather is lovely here though so I think a flask of tea in the park in the sunshine with my next few translation exercises should help.

We're off to Canada on Friday and apparently where my parents live it has started snowing again. It has barely stopped since October. My poor mum was over the moon to see her lawn again and now it is all covered with snow. On the plus side, it mens the bears will hopefully still be semi-hibernating! I seem to have developed an irrational fear of being eaten by a bear over there. Considering my parents have been there almost 2 years and have only seen a bear once, from a distance, in the middle of the countryside I think I'll be ok. I have got it into my head that now that I am pregnant it is more likely to happen. Strange!

Hope you're OK Canella - what a worry for you, but at least you know the healthcare system is efficient and you'll be taken good care of. Will be thinking of you and keeping my fingers crossed that they get to the bottom of the problem quickly.

bananas Hope your first day at work went well.

We're going to have a house full of children here today. DD1's friend stayed overnight (she didn't arrive until 7.30 pm - 3.5 hours late, which was a bit annoying as her parents didn't bother to let me know); I told her dad that she was welcome to stay for lunch today, so he said he'd pick her up at around 4 or 5 pm! We also have a friend of DS's and his little sister arriving in a couple of hours; their parents are getting divorced today, so their mum asked if they could come over (they'll be staying the night tonight). At least it's been nice and sunny here the last few days so I'm hoping we can stay outside all day again today - it's so much easier. ... As I was in the middle of writing that last sentence, DD2's friend's mum phoned to ask whether her DD can come over this morning and DD2 can then go over to them this afternoon. That's seven children for lunch then - I hope two and a bit pizzas are going to be enough.

Wow Linzer - 7 children for lunch!

The parents of DD1's friend sound a little cheeky - is this a one off or do they do it regularly? Saying that, maybe lunch is a lot later in their house?

Hope the tea and sunshine help get rid of your cold Bananas. Very of you going to Canada - hope you have a lovely time.

The visiting children have all arrived now and we're all out in the sunshine; I'm trying (not always successfully) to keep the noise levels down. The neighbours probably think I've become a childminder for the Easter holidays.

At least I don't have to worry about work as the job that was due to arrive this week has been cancelled. It's a shame in a way as it was a decent sized job for once (so would have paid decent money), but the timing wouldn't have been ideal.

Ah the tea and sunshine plans are scuppered for today - I forgot about the chicken carcass from Sunday's roast sitting in the fridge waiting to be turned into stock. I figured I might as well put that on for a few hours today and get the holiday washing and a little work done in the meantime. I'm sure the sunshine will wait a day - it's supposed to be even nicer tomorrow.

Good news and bad news about the work, Linzer. What age range are the visiting children? In my mind they were all 4-5 years old, but then I think I remembered that your children are around school age?

Did I tell you all I had a dream about Mumsnet the other night? It was very bizarre! Canella (whom I have never met) was sitting at my dining table as she wanted to buy some baby stuff from me and wanted some advice on something baby related, but she was really nervous as she didn't want anyone to know her true identity. I was talking about how you should keep your identity secret online but realised I was talking nonsense as I had invited Canella round so she now knew who I was and where I lived.
Sorry Canella! I have no idea why you, a mother already, would want baby advice from me, a first timer who hasn't even given birth yet!
Do you have a secret identity, by the way? I'm intrigued :o

How bizarre, Banana. I've only met two of the MNers on this thread in RL and Canella isn't one of them, so I'm unable to confirm her true identity.

The visiting children are aged between 3 and 9; the DDs are school age but DS is still at kindergarten. If only DD1's friend hadn't just had a birthday, the children here today would be aged 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9!

Canella hope you were seen promptly at the Hausartz and refered on as appropriate and have now had appropriate treatment! Sounds scary!

Linzer hope all your visitors are behaving and the pizza was enough to feed them all!

Bananmad thanks for the bean tip - I have seen a REal somewhere on my fairly local ish travels but am trying to think where... I will try it at some point but am aiming not to do another supermarket trip this week, the kids are relatively good in the supermarket but it is a bit of a faff and nicer for trhem to spend the easter holiday in the playground and garden or on nice outings, so I will leave it for now but keep the possibility of Real having them in the back of my mind, thanks!

DD invited one friend over this morning, whom we fed picnic lunch, and then the neighbor kids turned up for a bit but luckily after lunch (they are still being sent to KiGa in the mornings) - the neighbour kids have gone now though, it is the older one's 6th birthday today and looks like she is having a family party now (friends party is Thursday, both mine are invited so must remember to buy an extra present tomorrow...). Kids here were 2x3 year olds, a 5, a 6 and a 7 year old - in June when the neighbor's son has his birthday the same 5 kids will create the 3,4,5,6,7 line up, but no 8 or 9 year olds!

Wondered if any of your kids have in-line skates? DD has done ice skating lessons on Sundays 2 winters in a row, but the rink always shuts in March and there are in-line skating lessons offered from May - am wondering whether it will be a would be a waste of money to buy her them at 5.5 - the flyer for the lessons says kids can go from 4 onwards so surely it won't be too hard - she is pretty reasonable at ice skating and skiing and cycling so has good balance... The lesson cost is hardly anything as she is a member of the sports club annually anyway, but the skates in her size seem to start at ?40 and then she will need pads too... Any other DC do in-line skating? Is 5.5 a sensible age to start, and what brand do your DC have? Thanks!

There are 6 kids (including mine) in the playground by our house. Mine are the only ones who speak English. Why, then, are they all chanting "Smelly, smelly, smelly!" at nobody in particular? My kids are possibly a bad influence (despite being the youngest 2 in the group there atm)... ! Reminds me DS complained a boy at KiGa had called him "poo head" last week - I asked DH if he actually said "poo head" or something in German - he said the boy had said "poo head" - further questioning revealed he had called the boy poo head first, but that was OK because the boy didn't understand OOPS! DS is 3.5...

ds not dh!

hello!
Thankfully my dicky heart problem (weirdly) sorted itself this morning 2 1/2 hours after it started. The other 2 times it happened (5 and 7 years ago) i needed Iv meds to sort it so i was relieved that it went by itself. But then i felt like a fraud going to the Hausarzt. But he definitely believed me and i was able to explain it all and he did and ECG and took some blood and even tho it had stopped he gave me a referral to a cardiologist. He knows Dh is an Oberarzt and think that sometimes makes these kinds of situations easier. I'm hoping I can get an appt next week when dh is on holiday from work - would be happier to take hime with me. So drama over but thanks for the kind thoughts.

Bananamad - how funny you had a dream about me! wonder if i looked anything like i really look like. But sadly i am not a russian spy or have any other secret identity. Maybe I should try to be more elusive . hope you have a fab time in Canada - stay away from those bears!

Linzer & 2and1 - you're saints for having so many dc in the house but sometimes its easier when your dc can play with other dc! hope they all behaved themselves!

2and1 - think 5.5 is a reasonable age for inliners especially if she can ice skate. I'm a cheapskate but i wouldnt be spending a fortune on them esp when they outgrow them so quickly. I have just bought some from Aldi for ds2 and dd1. dd can already do it but ds2 is really learning but he could ice skate in the winter so is picking it up fairly quickly. they're just the same technique i think.

Glad to hear you're feeling better, Canella! I think it's always best to get these things checked out, especially if you've had it before.

You were about average height I think, very slim and with lovely reddy-brown hair tied back in a ponytail. I'm a little disappointed to hear that you're not a Russian spy or anything, but I guess you couldn't tell us even if you were! (I live in hope!)

Linzer How was the lunch party? Did you have enough pizza to cover everyone?

2and1 It sounds like you had a good group to look after too! When are you due, if you don't mind me asking? I think you mentioned it was next week but I'm afraid I have a terrible memory for dates (I told the woman in the bank yesterday I was due in December - I'm actually due at the beginning of October. No idea where that came from!) How is your neighbour behaving at the moment?

When I say cover, I mean feed, obviously. I didn't think you had spent your afternoon smearing other people's children with pizza!

Lol Banana - the garden was messy enough as it was without pizza everywhere! I found a third pizza in the freezer so had more than enough in the end, although it was all gone by late afternoon.

I feel quite exhausted now that I've got the five children to bed; DH conveniently arrived home after I'd got them ready for bed, but I did hand over the bedtime story to him (they were demanding a Kasperltheater the last I heard).

Canella What a relief to hear that the problem sorted itself out in the end. It's good that they took it so seriously and that you're going to get checked out again properly.

2and1 I'm quite relieved that even the DC's worst insults in English are fairly mild. I remember DD2 struggling to find something insulting to say to DD1 and ended up calling her "you silly one"! (They probably think silly is worse than it is, as they get told off for saying blöd to people. Actually, I got told off for teaching DH's niece "Onkel Linzer ist blöd". )