Wenn es im Winter stürmt und schneit, haben wir eine Flasche Glühwein allzeit bereit - life in Germany and Austria

[LinzerTorte]

As I couldn't find a suitable poem mentioning Glühwein, I composed my own. Please don't laugh.

All welcome - anyone living in Germany, Austria or anywhere else who would like to chat.

How great to see some new people on the thread. It sounds like some of you have got a busy few weeks ahead of you.

Linzer How is the new bathroom looking?
It must be a real pain looking for hotel rooms for 5 - it´s bad enough finding rooms that take 2 children and I find lots of websites seem to ignore children altogether.

admylin I was going to suggest Premier Inn. We´ve always had a good experience (unlike Linzer), but not in London. Holiday Inn Express are also pretty good, although the rooms tend to be really small. Dd and ds don´t mind sharing a sofa bed, but maybe your two are too old to want to do that.

Jenny I can´t believe you´ve got to send Valentine´s cards to the whole class. I´m really pleased that Germans are not into sending cards, even at Christmas.

We also had a relaxing weekend. On Saturday we went for a walk with ds´s class which was cold, but we got to eat Schippeln (potatoes with quark) at the end, so it was fine by me.

I wouldn't say the Premier Inn where we stayed was awful, but it wasn't half as nice as the other two places we stayed and was nearly twice the price of the B&B in Chester. The triple room was very cramped, with a double bed and just a mattress on the floor, and the double wasn't much better. It was fine as a base and the room was clean (one of the most important criteria for me), but it was very poor value at nearly £70 per room per night. If we'd been able to get it at the £29 per night they advertise, I would probably have been quite happy!

The new bathroom is looking very good thanks, hupa - apart from waiting for the toilet, washbasin and shower head to be installed, we also need to buy a shower door (it may have to be made to measure as the space is so small), but there's no rush as it doesn't need to be ready until our visitors are here in April. It seems slightly more spacious now that all the junk has been taken out, but still isn't huge by any means!

I haven't heard of Schippeln, but they sound very nice - and warming, which is always good in this weather.

Linzer it was along time ago that I was in uni (!) but I managed to avoid too much literature. In the first year I did business studies with languages, wasn't too fussed on that, so dropped the business studies in the second year. I chose as many extended language options as possible, and other things such as IT in France and the origins of the German language etc.

We're going to Austria in March, staying in Hollersbach and skiing in Pass Thurn.

Admylin I used to use German every day in work until about 6 years ago, then gave up for a while to be a SAHM, and have since changed career, so hardly use it all now :-(

It's also been quite a while since I was at university, Primrose! I actually ended up somewhere (Bath) where there was more literature than I'd have liked - at all the other universities I applied to, it was possible to more or less avoid it. I can't quite remember now why I applied to Bath but as soon as I went to the open day, I knew that was where I wanted to go. I didn't apply to any universities in Wales as I wanted to leave home properly.

March is probably quite a good time of year to go skiing, as you've missed the Christmas/Semesterferien rush (still another two weeks of it here, as the Energieferien are staggered) and also avoid the Easter skiiers. Having said that, I've never actually been skiing. Austria is wasted on me.

Thanks, 40. Looks like you are going for it too! Good luck with all your planning, and happy house hunting.

What's the youngest you can take a child skiing? I've never been, I'd be as much of a beginner as DS, but I want to start him young, give him a head start. I think he'd love it, he loves hurling himself down slides!

Feeling quite daunted about all the packing and sorting we have to do!

Hello,

Can I join you? I live in Cologne, and whilst not new to Germany I am new to mumsnet, and newly pg to boot. Would be lovely to join some expat chat, and I'm especially keen to hear about your baby/small child experiences over here :)

Hi Frescolita, how long have you been in Germany? I'm in Austria but most of the others on the thread are in Germany and a couple have had babies there in the last year.

NoHun I think 2-3 is about the youngest, but so much depends on the child and whether they're ready. DD1 learned at 6 and took to it straight away, but DD2 and DS learned at 4, which I think was too young for them - DD2 enjoyed it much more last year, when she was 6. You do see children not much bigger than toddlers whizzing about on tiny skis, though (but avoid the cheap plastic ones, which are useless).

Heard back from Novotel that their family rooms have a double bed and two pull-out singles, which is fine for us as DH won't be with us. 99 GBP including breakfast, which isn't too bad at all, so I've booked it.

Hi, Fresco, and willkommen! :) Congratulations on the pregnancy.

Thanks, LT, will judge it when he is a bit older, but from what I know of DS so far, I think he'd be all for it, as soon as possible!

The skiing course that DD2 and DS did last year was for 3-6 year olds, but some of the Kinderhotels where we've stayed have had Windelskischulen for children 2 years and up. Not that children necessarily need to do a skiing course (although a lot do, while their parents go off skiing), but it just shows that learning to ski at 2 isn't unusual here. You can certainly get skiing equipment for 2-3 year olds; the DC all have normal length skis, but I've seen younger children with very short skis (about 40 cm long), which I've thought look quite good and a bit less unwieldy than the normal ones. Have no idea whether they're actually any better, though.

Still far too cold here; I can't wait for the snow to go. The pavements are more or less clear but too slippery to go running, and parking can be a bit of a pain with all the snow piled up at the side of the road.

Hello Frescolita - I'm in Germany and have a 9 month old, born here (as well as a 6 yo who was born in the UK and a 4 yo who was born here) - what baby and small child in Germany stuff do you need to know?

I have just been shovelling snow with a throat that feels as if it'S full of broken glass and a snotty 9 month old in the buggy with me - not ideal at all! He is a lovely little boy but I am struggling with all 3 and surviving for so many months now on only hour long sleep stretches - getting so cross with DD over her H/W too - she can do it, she just procrastinates on a scale previously unknown to human kind...

Any the baby's crying, so much for 20 mins warming up with a cup of tea while he plays - he's tired and snotty to be fair... he's also not really a baby, so, so close to walking now, standing on his own and getting whereever he wants to be - he's broken so many of the kids things though, esp scratched DVDs on one rampage argh!

Ah now he has settled down again, playing with my feet (odd boy).

NoHun I found 3 too young for the ski courses, dd enjoyed the morning only at 4, and really got into it and did full days at 5 and was using the lifts and skiing confidently down green runs by the end of the week. We haven't been this year so DS1 had no chance to try at 4 but hated it at 3. We did enrol them with a ski school where you can pull them out and get a refund at any point though, which was good. There are also some "ski kindergartens" in the ski areas where they can ski if they want but if they don't they are supervised on play equipment and can also go in the warm and play - never tried those though, as I don't ski myself so don't feel the need to put my kids into childcare on holiday, and DS1 is a bit of a mummy's boy. My kids are very physical types - DS1 could ride a bike without stabilizors before he turned 3 and is a dare devel sledger and was even at 2 (he gave himself a most alarming nose bleed falling off the sledge at 2 and had to be physically restrained from getting back on and going back up the hill til it stopped bleeding) but he hated skiing at 3. Messing about on skiis with a parent is different and he quite enjoyed that with DH, but DH isn't patient enough to really teach them. Every child is different and all that though!

The origins of Dinner For One finally explained

Oh, I saw a link to that article on FB yesterday silken - I was going to post it on here, but didn't get round to it and you've beaten me to it now.

Off to go and get breakfast ready now. I've decided to do morning routines with the primary school children today, and thought I'd round it off with a (British-style) breakfast. I'm just going to do some toast with various spreads and drinks, plus I'll show them some cereals, as I'm aiming to banish the myth that everyone in Britain has a full cooked breakfast every morning.

Hi, Frescolita. I've been in Germany for 11 years and had 2.8yo DD over here, so may also be able to help with any pg/baby related questions. Congratulations on your pregnancy, btw! How "newly" pregnant are you? Have you had any scans yet?

NoHun a friend on my FB keeps posting pictures of her DD on skis - she will be 3 in July iirc. My DD on the other hand has decided she doesn't like snow , so I don't think we'll be trying skiing this year.

It looks like we may be moving at the beginning of April . (We've had a house built, for those who don't know.) I can't really believe it, especially as the progress last week seemed to be limited to about 20 sqm of tiling .

Don't forget the Marmite!

Ooh, excellent idea silken. Must go and check that we actually have some; I'm not a fan, but like to keep some in the cupboard out of a sense of Britishness. (Actually, I occasionally use it for cooking.)
Exciting news on the house, btw.

Silken Exciting news about the house! I bet you can't wait to be in.
I saw that article too & was going to post it on here but didn't quite get round to it. I might use it as evidence as DH's family just cannot get their heads around the fact that it is neither known nor popular in the UK.

Hi Fresco! I've been in Germany for 2 years and had DS here in September last year. How far gone are you? How long have you been in Cologne for? I really like Cologne but DH is from Düsseldorf so I hvae to pretend I don't

How did the breakfast go, Linzer Were they scarred for life by the Marmite? I love the stuff but DH and my brother both hate it.

Thatis I hope the various illnesses clear up soon and that you finally get some sleep. I really am amazed that you're still going after such a long period of no sleep.

The snow is still falling here. Luckily it's just enough that it's pretty, but not so much that you can't do anything. It's a bit warmer than the past few days too - cue me marching through the park with the pram on the way back from the post office, stripping off layers as I go. What a lovely sight that was, I'm sure

Hello everyone, especially all the new people. I live in Oregon, but am a German teacher and really miss Germany and Austria. My dd who has just turned 6 is in ski school all day Saturdays and absolutely loves it. They go all over the mountain on various lifts, etc. The four year old is NOT interested. Says it's too cold.

That sounds like a fun lesson, Linzer! Hungry now, though I could go a proper German breakfast at the moment.

Great news on the house silken!

I did my MA at Leeds Lifebegins. Did you have Ingrid Sharp? She was my supervisor and we occasionally had meetings at her house when dd and then ds1 were babies! Very nice woman.

Well, dd has taken her valentine's cards for the whole class in today. Heaven knows how many trees were destroyed for this!

Hope you all have a lovely, romantic Valentine's Day!

Ooh, silken, I'd love to have a house built. Though I do love old houses that have loads of history too. Good luck with the move.

Great news about the house Gator, good luck with the sorting out and packing!

Linzer how did teh breakfast go? Marmite is enough to traumatise some Germans so you really have to be careful with it!

Just off to orthodontist with ds, at school his first double lesson was cancelled then 2nd double he's excused to get his teeth measured and his friend just rang to say the last lesson is cancelled too so he doesn't need to bother going back in (I was planning on dropping him back at school then going shopping) but now much to his disgust he can come with me and help!

Dd is sitting her dictation test, she' was very nervous this morning but the teacher said she would get a bit more time than the other dc to check her spellings over. Dyslexia lessons haven't really got going enough to make much difference yet.

Just back from coffee with a German friend. I find myself toning down my Austrianisms when I'm with her - not sure why; I also tend to take on the accent of whoever I'm talking to - but still found far too many "ehs" creeping into the conversation (as in "eh nicht", not as in "eh? I can't understand your German accent" ).

The breakfast went well yesterday, although I couldn't get any of them to sample the Marmite. Maybe Friday's group will be a little more adventurous; I remember one of them ate a whole mince pie before Christmas.

Hope the dictation test and orthodontist go OK, admylin. DD1 has also had a couple of lessons cancelled this week as her RE teacher is ill, so she'll be out of school an hour early tomorrow and on Friday. DD2 also finishes an hour early tomorrow for no discernible reason other than it's the school open day.

Jenny Sounds like the Americans make up for the lack of cards sent in this part of the world! Your DS sounds like DD2, who won't go out and play in the snow because it's too cold - although she does enjoy skiing.

Gator at you stripping off on your way back from the PO. We've had more snow here today too and it still feels freezing - the thermometer in the car must have been lying when it told me it was 4°. I really hope it warms up before Faschingsdienstag next week, as standing about in the cold waiting for sweets to be thrown off the back of a float isn't my idea of fun. It's not really my idea of fun anyway - let's all dress up and eat doughnuts!

admylin it seems like it's taken a long time to get your DD's dyslexia help sorted out! How often does she have the extra lessons? It seems so unfair that she feels at a disadvantage in a system where they place so much emphasis on grades and test results .

NoHun There are lots of large turn-of-the-century "villas" in the town where I live, and I was very tempted by the idea of buying one and renovating it instead of building from scratch. However, we currently live on the first floor of one and, although I love the flat and the whole building, I can't see how it could be divided up to suit a single family. I must say, though, if I was looking for somewhere in a city, that I would be very happy in a large flat in an Altbau as long as it had a roof terrace and no smokers living on the floor below.

jenny isn't there a point being missing there somewhere with the Valentine's cards? I agree with hupa, it's great to live somewhere where people don't send many greetings cards.

silken I agree, a really well renovated Altbau would be my choice too but the renovating part is sometimes just as expensive as building new! In Berlin we had an altbau flat but on the 3rd floor so was a pain with shopping etc. The bathroom was a dream though (compared to the horrible one we have now) as it was completely new.

It's taking ages to get the dyslexia thing really going - am waiting for dd to come home now to se ehow her dictation went. If only they gave points for trying hard because she realyl does try hard.

linzer my sympathies for fasching. I am so glad we've moved away from fasching mad south Germany and my dc are too old to have to dress up for school or whatever!

jenny they really have missed the point with the valentine cards!

Just been reading the www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1406462-To-Think-Living-Abroad-is-Rarely-as-Good-as-People-Think-it-Will-Be?msgid=30087820 thread. Can you tell me what I can expect in Frankfurt/Germany? I'd like to be as prepared as possible.

What's wrong with dressing up and eating doughnuts then Linzer ? I rather like Fasching, and the kids love it (well the older 2 obviously) (Wonders why I am a size 18... possibly I should dress up AS a doughnut... ) ds1 was spiderman at Kiga today, will be Darth Vader tomorrow (as he was for the Kinderball last weekend) and a lion on Friday... am a bit bored of dd only wanting to be a princess though, she was more imaginative, costume wise, at 3 and 4! She has ambitions to be a Garde Madchen when she is old enough - 3rd class I think are the youngest , not quite sure about that with all the micro skirts and high kicks, marching band styleee...

Forgot to say congratulations on the new built house Silken we live in a rented house - it's absolutely fine and perfectly suited to a family with 3 young children, but DH taks of building a child free house when they have all left home! Only problem is he'd like to live in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors, and I'd rather live in a small city... think we'll have to win a lottery (for which I guess we would have to take up buying tickets) so we can have a city flat and a middle of nowhere retreat!

NoHun I don't think I can tell you what to expect in Frankfurt as regions of Germany seem to be as different from each other as separate countries, and country life radically different to being an ex-pat in a major city. On your other thread I did post my experience of moving here though (at that point my eldest was close in age to your DC now, and I was heavily pregnant with DC2) and it was not plain sailing - an emotional rollercoaster covers it in a cliche I guess.

All is relatively calm here today, though I have an extra child as usual, who has his face painted with the batman logo, identically to DS1, as you do...

I agree with the other anti greetings cards sentiments btw :)