Schenk ein den Wein - as autumn comes to Germany and Austria

[LinzerTorte]

Der Nebel steigt, es fällt das Laub;
schenk ein den Wein, den holden!
Wir wollen uns den grauen Tag
vergolden, ja vergolden!

A thread for all those living in Germany and Austria, and anyone else who would like to chat.

Always good to have an excuse to open some , and this poem seemed quite appropriate!

Wow, this thread is so busy. I´ve just spent the last 20 minutes catching up.

We´re just approaching the end of the Herbstferien here. We went to England for the first week and caught up with a lot of people we hadn´t seen for a while, which was lovely. We drove over in the car, so had plenty of room for all the shopping on the way back.

I think I´ve been in Germany too long because I always have the heating turned up high. Even German visitors claim it´s too warm. Mind you, with the rising feul prices I might have to start dressing in a few more layers and turning the heating down.

Nits seem to fill Germans with horror, but I think that is because they are much less common here than in the UK. There was 1 case when the dc were in Kiga and some parents refused to send their children for 2-3 weeks even though the affected child had to stay at home until they´d gone. I once explained that I´d caught nits twice when teaching in England and was greeted with looks of shock.

Belated birthday greetings to Linzer and Jenny!
Linzer - your new heating system sounds fantastic.

coco I´m glad you´ve found a mother and baby group. As you say I always found it really interesting what other people did with their babies. We had one Russian mother in our group who wrapped her baby in even more layers than the Germans (which I thought was impossible) and he looked like a minature Michelin man by the time she finished. By the way, never forget a hat for ds or you´ll probably get even more grief than for forgetting the tights.

Have been working hard all day, so am enjoying a well-deserved now. I had an added incentive to get as much work done as possible today, as DH decided he would take the DC to Bratislava tomorrow - either with or without me, depending on how much work I needed to get done - and I could do with an M&S fix! DD2 is desperate for some Peppa Pig pyjamas and we've been keeping a close eye on the website - only 8 left in her size, so we'll have a look in-store tomorrow and order them online if they don't have any in Bratislava.

Hope you've enjoyed the Herbstferien hupa; your trip to England sounded good. Ours aren't until the week after next, but I can't complain too much as it's the first year we've had proper Herbstferien (the long weekend last year doesn't count).

And yes, a hat is a must as soon as it drops below about 20°C.

Have just asked DH about headlice and he said that they were a Thema ab und zu when he was at school but that he never had them.

Linzer what do you mean a hat is compulsory below 20 degrees! Do you mean you let your dc out without a sun hat when it is above 20 degrees? [hshock] My dc1 is so German he physically cannot leave the house without a "Capi" although getting him to switch from his Wilde Kerle cap to a wooly hat is likely to be a challenge... Hope you enjoyed your well earned wine and got your trip to Bratislava!

Hupa glad you had a good time in the uk - we are going to drive over in May, and take the Roterdam to Hull ferry. It will be the first visit in 2 years, going to the uk somehow works out so much more hassle and expense than a simple family holiday in Italy or Croatia, partly because my parents live "up north" and several hours drive from an airport.

coco going to an English speaking baby group is an excellent idea. I went to one with ds1, although it folded a few months after I stopped going I am still in touch with a couple of mums who have since had another round of babies :o so we are going to try to start it up again, as there is nothing else English speaking out of Munich in this direction. I will join the local German one too, as I did with dd and ds1, but that is for baby more than me - tbh the English one is more for me :)

Later glad you are getting some naps with baby now :) Wish someone had suggested it to me when dd was tiny.

Henry's sleep has gone to pot this week and I have a fuzzy tiredness head - hope it's a phase for some actual reason, like teeth finally coming or a growth or development spurt, rather than a long term change, as a long term non sleeping 6 month old plus a 6 and a 4 year old and dd at work 12 hours a day is not desperately compatible...

On the other hand ds1 has been asking if he can stay longer at Kiga and, although it is not usually an option to change hours mid year nor to take up a longer day spot if both parents are not working, his class teacher told me they have a spot til 2pm free from after half term if he wants it, as she knows he has been asking and that I have dd in the first class who has homework to do! Turns out it is only another ?15 a month as he doesn't want cooked lunch so will take extra Brötzeit, so I have booked it! That will make life a little easier as he is quite wild after Kiga and does disturb dd, but then again does feel a bit wrong as I don't "need" to farm him out after Kiga core hours and it feels a bit like trying to spend less time with him... He did request it though, mainly as he doesn't like being picked up when the free play time has just got going! All the kids are upstairs now (except ds2 who is asleep on my shoulder) with some friends of theirs, so it's hardly that different if he's playing at Kiga instead anyway!

Oops there is a fight brewing upstairs I think from the sound of things. Am loathe to intervene as it will wake baby but think I need to! How dh never hears or thinks to intervene? He's in the attic/ study playing computer games...

DH at work 12 hours a day not dd - we won't send her down the mines or to 't mill just yet - though they did learn to weave as part of the Vorschule programme... :o

Another grey and rainy day here today, but it was ideal weather for our shopping trip yesterday. Managed to pick up quite a few bargains in the sale at M&S, plus stocked up on cosmetics/toiletries (all 40% off) and bourbons and custard creams (half price). Was very disappointed to discover that the cafe no longer does jacket potatoes, however; the only vegetarian option was macaroni cheese, which was edible but not great.

5more Yes, I should of course have said winter hat - once it's warm enough not to need one, a summer hat is of course de rigueur.
I wouldn't feel too guilty about your DS staying longer at KiGa if he's actually asking to. I only discovered how much easier life was if the DC stayed until later than 11.45 am a couple of months before DD1 left KiGa... DS now stays until 3 pm most days. He used to stay until 2 pm but would always complain that I picked him up too early, so I signed him up for an extra hour. Lunchtime is stressful enough as it is (esp. now that I teach English from 12 until 1 pm two days a week) and it gives the girls the chance to get their homework done in relative peace. It will be quite strange to have all three of them home at lunchtime next year!

Hello all!

It's cold, grey & drizzly here too today, but we're inside with the heating on and no intention whatsoever of leaving the flat (although I'm expecting a parcel so might have to venture downstairs at some point).

Linzer Not only did you get to go to M&S but you got to shop on a Sunday too? I am beyond jealous!

5more I hope you're managing to get some sleep and that Henry's non-sleeping phase will be over soon. I had to laugh at the idea of you sending your DD down the mine as I almost threatened James with the workhouse the other day :)

I've managed to get him to sleep for a good 2 hours in his cot the past few nights. I'm being really careful not to fall asleep with him on me (although I failed miserably last night) - there was an article in one of the online newspapers the other day about a woman who fell asleep whilst breastfeeding her 8 week old son & she smothered him in her sleep - that put the fear in me and I think is helping keep me awake.

On a lighter note - he has developed a rather funny habit of shouting at my nipple when he is wriggly and restless and is feeding. Strange child!

My parents are flying over from Canada in 2 weeks time (my dad hasn't met James yet) and my brother is coming over for a week for Xmas so I'm all happy now :)

Great news about your family's visits, Later. Must have been worrying to hear about that woman, though - I always thought there was some kind of mother's instinct that protected you from smothering your own baby (unless you're under the influence of drugs or alcohol).

The DDs are now at their piano lesson and very upset that they can't watch 1, 2 oder 3, which is on TV at the moment, as one of the 4. Klassen from their school (not DD1's, though) was taking part. I've just had a quick look but didn't recognise anyone.

DD1 got the results of her German Schularbeit back today and got another 3. It's quite depressing after all the work she (and DH) put into it. I sometimes wonder how much it helps as I'm sure she would have been able to get a 3 without much revision. It's also making Gymnasium look more and more unlikely. If she has to spend hours and hours revising for tests now (albeit strongly "encouraged" by DH), I dread to think what it's going to be like when she gets to secondary school.

What is a Schularbeit Linzer ? Are they annual exams in each subject? Your poor dd - it does sound hard on her, does your dh push her a bit much, poor thing it must be so disheartening working so hard and still getting the grade you might have got without so much stress! Am I being niave thinking Gymnasium needn't be the be all and end all? My attitude atm - and my oldest is only in 1st class of course - is that I'd rather her go to Real Schule and not have all the stress and pressure of Gymnasium, and still have time to be a child... DH switched between Gymnasium and Real Schule and much prefered Real Schule - he got into Gymnasium first but then got thrown out for failing Latin, he claims, he was then much happier at Real Schule and went to uni in the end anyway by doing a transition year... Personally as a housewife with a first class degree and a masters degree, I rather think my parents' fanatical obsession with grades and further education was a bit misguided (they were both first generation of university graduates for their families and have the zeal of converts about how their children HAD to go to university).

Anyway I wanted to mention Aldi has incredibly cheap snow suits THIS WEEK and also waterproof trousers if anyone still needs them :) Wish we'd waited to get ds' in a way!

Also this site is very good for any 4-8 year old nature lovers - printed off a few free to download spotters lists and it's keeping dd and her friends happy out in the garden and playground - bit of an English lesson and reading in English practice too, but there are pics too - I know know the word for aphid in German lol :)

www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download/autumn/

That site looks really good 5more; someone recommended it on the FLY thread a while ago too. I might even be able to use it for my English classes; will have to have a proper look at it later.

Schularbeiten are tests (but more important than "Tests") that children have in their final year of primary school here; there are four per semester, two in German and two in maths. Yes, DH does push her quite hard - on the one hand I'm glad that he is so involved in her school work, but on the other I think he does go over the top with it most of the time sometimes.

I was never really pushed by my parents - I don't remember them being involved in my schoolwork at all - although I think that was because I was quite motivated anyway (I also have a first class degree and a masters!); I used to do loads of extra French and German study when I was at school . Mind you, the one time that one of my English teachers suggested that I might "only" get a C at A level because I never said anything in class, my dad (also a first-generation graduate!) was up at the school like a shot demanding a meeting with the headmaster. I think that was the first time I realised that they were actually bothered about my grades!

It's American week at Lidl again next week; I'm sure the last one was only 3 or 4 months ago. I can only remember one British week since we've been here. I wouldn't mind so much if they had American food that I actually wanted, but a lot of it is weird stuff like caramel popcorn-flavoured yogurt or Puten-Grillies (who on earth came up with the word Grillie - or should that be Grilly?).

Came across while trying to help DD2 to learn to sing the Austrian national anthem off by heart by tomorrow. Something tells me it's not the real James Blunt, though - the way he sings lieb is suspiciously Austrian.

Hello all. Admylin must be settled in on her trip now! Later - you must be very excited about your family coming over! Still no sign of dh's parents coming over to us, despite their well-off, retired status. Oh well. Now we have our green cards we might plan a trip to the UK. Struggling to get flights for less than $4000 for either Thanksgiving or Christmas when dd is off school though.

I didn't quite manage a first, though I was first generation myself and I got divorced in my final year so was a little distracted! I think I made up for it with my PGCE and a Masters, but as I am also a housewife, the point is somewhat moot. We are an educated lot, aren't we? Sorry about dd's Schularbeit, Linzer. They do grade harshly there, don't they? I hope she doesn't feel bad about it.

Completely expecting dh to come home from work having booked flights to Regensburg, Taiwan and wherever the firm has been wanting him to go but couldn't as we didn't have the green cards. It is definitely a relief but could be a double-edged sword!

Gorgeous autumn weekend here. The colours are just beautiful and it's warm enough to go around without a jumper or coat once the morning has past. I don't think they are as bad here about putting coats and hats on, till it gets really cold, but I don't heat my house past 19C and that's only since the baby arrived!

Glad all the babies are sleeping better. Pass some sleepy vibes across the Atlantic please! For some reason the almost 9 month old S is wanting an extra night feed now. Living on coffee now.

Sorry this is so long. Sid the Science Kid is finished on the TV now so will take the dss out! Have a great evening.

Great news on the green cards, Jenny - you've been waiting long enough IIRC. at prices of flights back to the UK, though; it makes me realise how lucky we are here (not long before our third trip back to the UK this year).

Can understand you being a little distracted in your final year if you got divorced... one of my friends got married just after graduation, which seemed so grown-up to me at the time (she was also the first of my friends to get divorced).

I think DD1 was a bit disappointed about the Schularbeit; she also said a few days ago that she wants to go back and repeat the 3rd year so that she can get all 1s. And then DD2 was in tears for most of yesterday evening as she was so worried about not being able to sing the national anthem in class today, and kept saying that she wasn't going to go to school. DH didn't think there was any way that the teacher would make individual children stand up and sing the first verse off by heart (I wouldn't be able to do it, despite having practised loads with DD2 yesterday - the words just won't go in and the tune isn't easy either), but DD2 was convinced she'd have to. Will find out at lunchtime, anyway.

Right, must get on with some work as I have to pick up DS in 20 minutes for his speech therapy session. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be his last one for the "sch" sound, as it's such a disruption to the morning (and this is also the morning that he has his Vorschulstunde at KiGa).

afternoon all!! Another educated housewife here. Got my masters degree just after we found out that dh had a job here. ah well maybe it'll help me in the future.....

linzer - I really feel for your dd1 - the 4th class is a really stressful time. And they are so young to be coping with the stress. My dd struggled with HSU and maths last year - we both tried to help her like your dh does but I'm not sure it helped so much. She came home yesterday with a 1 for her first maths test in the gymnasium and i was beyond proud because of how much of a struggle the 4th class had been. But you know (and this is the point I'm trying to make) - she said she felt she had struggled last year because of all the pressure. She so wanted to go to gymnasium and this was in her head during every test and she was more worried then. I wish I'd reinforced that we just wanted her too do her best - altho my dh is like yours - wanting them to do really well at everything. I know this isnt much help but just wanted to say it'll probably work out ok in the end. Hope your dd was ok with the singing - never heard the national anthem of austria. . And hope the speech therapy went ok too.

tadjenny - congrats on the green card but grrrrr on the cost of flights! I always imagine autumn to be brighter and more colourful than here - think i've been watching too many films.

later - congrats to you for getting your ds to sleep in his cot!!! Hope it continues. These next 2 weeks will fly past till your parents get here.

5more - ds2 also stays a little longer at kiga on one day - he haas a great time there. And I agree with linzer - its nice to have time with the other dc on that one afternoon.

So after all the hoo-ha about swimming - ds2 went with dh on sunday - just the 2 of them - and swam without his arm bands on!!! we went to his swimming lesson yesterday and he couldnt wait to show the teacher (who was astonished!!). He'll still not get his seepferdchen but I dont care and neither does he - he's learned to swim!! Just need to keep going regularly (which is tricky in winter) or else he'll lose it.

Off to pick him up now and his wee friend who's coming for lunch then dropping the friend off before taking ds's to the hairdresser. They've nearly got afros .

That's great news about both your DD's maths test and your DS learning to swim Canella; you must be so proud of them both. I'd like DS to learn to swim but he just isn't interested in swimming lessons; maybe he'll learn without them, although they really helped DD1.

Thanks for the kind words re DD1; I was talking to DH about it this evening and saying that I thought the amount she had to revise was over the top for a 9 year old, but I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree. I tried to say it was great that he was doing so much with her, but perhaps a few hours less would have been OK, but he said what if she'd got a 5 - and too much revision was better than too little. I just think we're coming at it from completely different angles. It's not that he's desperate for her to go to Gymnasium - he did say this evening that he thought it might be too much for her - and he does at least always praise her after the Schularbeiten for doing her best, but I think he's still putting her under too much pressure even if he doesn't mean to.

Unfortunately the fact that we hadn't done any sch practice this last week really showed at DS's speech therapy today, so we'll be going back after the Herbstferien and the therapist didn't mention us being able to stop any time soon. I just hope he doesn't need more than 10 sessions, otherwise we'll have to go through the Überweisung rigmarole all over again.

It's Austria's Nationalfeiertag so a bank holiday here tomorrow, and DH is off to Romania. I've offered to drive him to the airport as I'll be picking up a friend of mine who's coming over from England in a couple of weeks and I'd like to have a practice run beforehand. The drive to the airport should be fairly straightforward; it's finding my way around the airport itself that I'm worried about (and not ending up in a long-stay car park, for example) - although it looks like our sat nav will direct me to the Parkhaus I need.

All three DC are staying overnight with friends tonight; I briefly wondered whether DH and I could go out for a meal before deciding I don't have the time. Talking of which, I really must get back to work.

Wow our thread has been quiet this week! Blame it on Herbstferien.

We only get holidays next week but it also includes this Alleheiligen holiday and dh doesnt have to work it so that will break up the week a little. Think dd and ds1 are ready for a break.

Hope Admylin is having a great time on holiday - cant wait to hear all about it.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

I'm here Canella, just haven't had anyone to talk to! No Herbstferien here yet, although I know coco is away at the moment. We have ours next week, although they're not proper Herbstferien as it's just the usual Allerheiligen bank holiday and schulfrei the next day, plus three schulautomome Tage (which means we lose almost all the Fenstertage this school year).

Have finally finished my lunch after a very hectic late morning/early afternoon. I'd normally have my lunch in between the English lesson and DD1's dyslexia lesson, but spent virtually the whole time trying to sort out the job I've been working on for the last few weeks, which involved phone calls, skyping and putting the two halves together. Anyway, finally managed to get it all back to the agency before they went home for the weekend, rushed back to collect DD1 and then just made it in time to the Montessori workshop that we've enrolled DS on. DD2 insisted on staying there too; she wants to go virtually everywhere with him (to friends, etc.) and it can be quite embarrassing sometimes, although the Montessori teacher said she was welcome to stay for the Schnupperstunde.

DS would normally go to Turnen today but he's pronounced it boring and has decided he wants to play football instead. I hope this won't involve me hanging round football pitches in cold weather. His two best friends are trying out a football club today, but I haven't told him as he's probably have refused to go to the Montessori workshop otherwise.

Morning all! jenny- great news on your green cards. I shall send sleep vibes your way. And could you please send some nice autumn weather this way? It is grey, grey and more grey...

canella - good news on the swimming ds! The dds are enrolled in a swimming course every Saturday, but we have been once since September due to illnesses. We are going today, but they are both complaining, and say they do not want to go. Then it is impossible to get them out of the water. DS and I get to muck about in the water while they have their lesson. I must admit I find it all rather stressful and maybe they have picked up on it. I am glad your dd is more relaxed now that the stress is off. Hope you enjoy the holiday and get the rest you need.

later - enjoy the visits. how long are they coming for? it will be great for you to have someone to hold baby. How is he doing?

linzer - you always sound so busy with taking the children to different places, teaching english and getting work done. wow. when are you off to the UK?

The teacher issue is resolving itself - we as Klassenelternvertretern have a meeting next week with the class teacher, the headteacher, the representative from the Schulrat and the father who has been complaining. We shall see how it goes...but there have been no more mean letters and the teacher feels supported and able to get on with her work, which is the main thing.

I was going to do my shred dvd before we went swimming, but i can't it anywhere...good excuse

I have one I could lend you, platanos. I did start doing the Shred with a few others from my Couch to 5k thread a few months ago, but started having problems with my knees so am giving it a break for the time being. Which level are you on?

Glad to hear the teacher issue is sorting itself out. I can't remember whether I said that there have been a lot of complaints about one of the Werklehrerinnen at our school (sounds like quite a different situation from yours, as there are so many that there must be something behind it), and the headteacher now has to sit in on all this particular teacher's lessons.

We're off to London tomorrow morning, so am just about to start packing! All very excited.

Argh all 3 of my children have been wide, wide awake for the last 2 hours! Why? They would usually get up about this time if the clocks hadn't changed, but that doesn't explain why they were full of bounce 2 hours earlier??????????? Only DH snores on... Argh!

[hconfused]

I'm also awake - the boys appeared at 5.29am!! So wrong on a sunday! So now i'm awake - chatting to a drunk friend in Canada on FB. Had to stop it - its too hard when your awake and sober.

Naps later 5more???

Guten morgen ladies! Have just found out we are moving back to Germany in the New Year. Anyone need English supplies bringing over in the moving van?

oh dear, 5 more - two hours earlier? Nap idea sounds fine...if dc don`t want one then you have deserved one. DH on duty? Hope the rest of the day is not too grumpy.

canella- drunk versus sober is bad enough face to face, I can imagine it must be harder on FB!

hi scootergrrl - where are you moving to? How do you feel about it? Good you are getting a van and not moving on your scooter.

Linzer - thanks for the offer of the shred. I have not done it for months, but when I did I got to level 2. I could not find it anywhere and ordered a new one. I had somehow managed to save photos onto the shred dvd, and though it was still there, it was a palava to get it to play, and the screen kept going black. Your teacher situation does sound different from ours, got that the head took action and is sitting in. Hope you have a great time in the Uk.

Another grey day, but no rain. We are off to celebrate dd1s birthday which was on Wednesday. She had a party on the day - Nationalfeiertag here - and once everyone had gone I found a little box in the walk-in cupboard. It had a picture of Venice on it, so I opened it up and the first picture was of the mother of one of the girls who had come to the party. But the next one was of the mother with no clothes on -oops. I had heard from dd, that this girl had a little box with embarassing pictures of the mother naked. And now it was in our house. I panicked and chucked it in the cupboard. The next day I gave it to dd and told her put it in her bag and to give it to her friend. DD knew what was in the box, and instead of putting it into her bag came to me and showed me another picture. DD thought it was very funny. Poor mother. I wish I could think of a way of getting it to her without causing too much embarassment - it is still in our house, as dd forgot it. Any ideas welcome!

platanos - thats weird/shocking/unsuitable all at the same time! Why oh why does a girl have naked photos of her mum in a box???? And then to take it to someone elses house??? Beyond weird!
Hope you all have a fun day out today. I've finally organised ds1's birthday party. His birthday was 2 weeks ago but I couldnt get organised to sort out his party. So we're finally doing it on the 12th Nov! Going to Takku Tukka Land in Fulda - cant link from my ipod but you should google it - its so much fun for the kids (and I love it too!).

Grey weather here too after a long week of sunny mild days. Got my winter tyres put on this week but no sign of winter yet. Been most definitely a gorgeous Herbst the last week. The colours are just stunning especially our Acer tree right outside the kitchen - its so red right now. Will try to post a photo - its my fave tree.

Linzer - have a fab time in London. Very jealous of your shopping opportunities.

scootergirl - thank you for the offer but I've got visitors coming in a few weeks with supplies. Whereabouts are you moving too?

Cant believe its only 10.15 - feel like I've been awake for years! Hope you get a nap 5more!!

We're coming to Gutersloh. It won't be the first time we've lived over there so the children are very excited about Jumpys kangaroo shaped crisps and free Schinkenwurst at Real. I am excited about gluwein and currywurst mit pommes at the markets