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.

Are you really only 28, Gator? I feel so old now. But I did have milk teeth until I was in my early twenties, so surely that means I can take a good 15 years off my age? And my wisdom teeth haven't come through. (That's another 5 years off, at least.)

Gator Must quickly point out that my last comment has absolutely nothing to do with your FB photos (i.e. I wasn't thinking, "Gosh, she looks at least 35 on her photos" ) - I'd just sort of assumed that everyone on the thread is around the same age as me.

Must go before I dig myself into an even deeper hole...

Keep digging, Linzer

(Only joking!)

I think I'm due the years you've knocked off for your teeth as I've had thick, wiry, grey hairs since I was about 18.

Although I was asked if I was over 18 the other day, so am feeling all smug and youthful (and delusional) at the moment!

Hope your neck is better soon, admylin - my kids have a Kirschkernkissen each for tummy ache (esp the fictional ones that they have when they don't want to do something) but stupidly I've never thought of using them myself for anything! Your poor dd, must be so frustrating for her getting disappointing grades despite working hard, but as others said she really did well to get the average grade despite dyslexia. Is a dictation what we would understand from that word in English?

Jenny eeek at the expensive UK trip - with 5 of us I find it expensive enough even from here, so when we go over in May it will be the first trip in 2 years, so it must cost a fortune for you, with the same size family from the US. The location of the people you want/ need to visit in the UK impacts too doesn't it - and hire car costs etc. I'd like to go over and use trains within the UK one day, but not til all the kids are old enough to have full responsibility for their own luggage!

Linzer good luck to your dd1 with her test, and get well soon to dd2.

Gator well done on all the dental work - what do you do with DS when you go? I haven't been in years but really should - don't even have the dentist phobia others have mentioned, its just getting around to it without a baby/ child in tow. DH is German and didn't have his wisdom teeth out til he was 34 btw...

oops I have an awake baby again now...

It's because you write with a maturity beyond your years, Gator.

I was constantly being asked whether I was over 18, had bus drivers trying to sell me child tickets, etc. when I was in my mid to late twenties. Someone also told me (when I was 27) that I didn't look old enough to be married.

Sadly, it doesn't happen quite so regularly now. Although - we were all out for a walk in the park a while back and a man told DH what an Aufgabe he had with four children! We still laugh about it now me more than DH.

Linzer I laughed out loud at that! Unfortunately me laughing set DS off laughing, mid-feed, so now we are both covered in milk :)

Thatis I live just round the corner from the dental surgery, so if I can get an 8am appointment, I'm back before 9, so DH just leaves for work when I get back - it makes him about 15 mins later than normal but his company are quite easy-going. If DH couldn't stick around & look after DS I'd never make it!

Right. Off to the park to see the ducks. DS quite enjoys chatting to them. I'm not sure the ducks enjoy it quite as much, but hey.

Also had to laugh out loud at that Linzer and ds wanted to know why I was laughing (he's home early AGAIN) - just told him we are talking about wisdom teeth so he skated off on his board shaking his head!

DD is still at home, aargh. Have finally got her to go to sleep, so must now go and do about six hours of useful stuff in what is likely to be a two hour max nap.

(btw, I assume everyone has their first child at 30 plus/minus, and have assigned approximate ages to everyone on the thread regardless of their photos on FB I am actually 33, in case anyone was wondering!)

Apologies, Gator and admylin - I hope no drinks were spilled in your case, admylin (do you think anyone ever really spits their tea out over the keyboard?). You should have told your DS we were discussing false teeth. Or hip replacements.

silken You'd be correct in your assumption in my case, as I did indeed have my first child at 30.

Has anyone flown to/from Munich airport? Am trying to decide if DSis will make a train 45 min after landing (hand luggage only).

Silken - I had pretty much decided how old everyone was and what they looked like too.

Anyone have any tips for dealing with a very frustrated almost-crawler? The screeching is beginning to melt my brain.
He insists on lying on his tummy, then screeches the whole time as he realises he can't get anywhere.

silken We've flown from Munich a few times, but have always driven there. If no one else knows, I can ask DH this evening. He flew to Germany (am pretty sure it was Munich) from Romania last week and came home by train, so it's quite likely that he would know.

Gator I do remember the children's frustration of being not-quite-mobile, but I'm afraid it's too long ago to remember what - if anything - I did about it. If they were trying to reach a toy, I think I used to put it nearer but just out of reach to encourage them to move, but if they got too frustrated would just end up giving it to them.

Gator So did everyone look like you'd imagined they would?

Sorry Gator I had mine in babywalkers and they were always quite happy to follow me around in it. Not sure if they're still the done thing! They both started walking very early and never crawled properly though.

Silken no idea about Munich so don't know if 45 minites woudl be OK - in Stuttgart and Hannover it would be (with hand luggage only) as the stations are near/not such big airports but no idea where the station is at Munich airport.

Neck still agony, I am just geting through the day with ibuprofen now. Positive is that I had coffee and a nap/sunbathe on the balcony after lunch. It was so warm and sunny! We need to make a Spring thread soon.

I also had my first dc at 30 and I'm 4 years older than Linzer ! I'm the oldest then?

Gator maybe let him try completely naked. DD learnt to commando crawl during a home PEKiP session - I put her on my Pilates mat, which was a good non-slip surface, there was a toy just out of reach and she suddenly worked out how to propel herself forwards. Once it had clicked she could do fully-clothed as well.

Linzer Not in the slightest!

Silken He is almost constantly naked at the moment to try and help his very red bottom. I've tried on his playmat and on the laminate floor but I think he just needs a bit of time. He can sort of move forwards (bum in the air then sort of slides his body forwards, a bit like a caterpillar) but it's not quite enough for him. I give him his toys etc if he seems too frustrated, but I think it's more the mobility in general rather than not being able to reach a toy that is frustrating him. We will get there in the end!

admylin Coffee & a nap in the sunshine sounds lovely! Maybe a nice soak in the bath would help your neck. Works for me sometimes.

admylin What about westvan - she's got fairly old DC (compared to the rest of us), hasn't she? Haven't seen her about for a while, though.

We were strongly warned against using babywalkers in the USA, although I think it was a safety issue more than anything - loads of parents there had those stationary ones (exersaucers or whatever they're called), which you don't see much here.

Gator Now you have to tell us what you thought everyone would look like. I can never picture anyone but always end up thinking, "Well, I never expected them to be a [RL name]" - with the odd exception, looking at no one in particular but looking USA-wards.

Gator my youngest is only 10 months but I still can't answer your question about how to prevent an almost crawler getting frustrated, I don't think there is an answer. Henry used to roll about right across rooms before he crawled (he was also a commando crawler for months before he proper crawled, and could commando crawl just as fast as he proper crawls, or almost) and so his mobility came in gradual stages... do you have rugs and carpets? Tiles and wooden floors are obviously much easier to get going on if he's trying to commando (caterpiller) crawl, though carpets better if he's up on all 4s... Not really useful, its just a frustrating week or so then he'll be off, and you'll be frustrated with all the things he can suddenly destroy or endanger himself with, but he'll be happy :)

I had my first child at 30 and my last at 35 (and one in between at 32) As 2 of them have been non sleepers and all of them monkeys I therefore look 97 and haggered (and rotund as I tend somewhat uncontrollably to the terrible habit of replacing sleep with sugar), but am actually 36 :)

Munich is our nearest airport now, and for 6 months when DH and I first knew each other, pre kids and pre my foolish career change to underpaid (IMO) teacher, DH had to return to Regensberg to complete his degree and I flew into Munich almost every weekend! I did sometimes catch the train, but 11 years ago, so am still not much help. I remember it as very easy despite having no German then, but can't remember actual timings. Munich airport is medium sized - more like Stanstead, nothing like Heathrow (not sure if that helps).

Hope your DD is better by tomorrow Silken, 2 hour still sounds a long nap to me, don't think any of my kids have ever had regular naps of that length, more an hour and a half max (or about 17 minutes in Henry's case) or is that an illness induced one?

Got to teach tonight, so better get on with dinner so as to be able to eat immediately DH gets home then flee out the door! After getting changed of course - it struck me today that one of the more soul destroying aspects of spending all day with small children (esp a 10 month old) is that I am constantly filthy and pulled out of shape somehow - how people with toddlers and babies manage to be glam is beyond me, unless they have paid household help or use more hours of childcare than they work...

Oh yes, baby walkers (of the sit in rather than push along type)are evil these days :) a safety thing mainly, though there is also evidence babies who use them too much can become reliant on them and don't develop the balance skills and muscle tone needed for independent walking as quickly - though of course there are always exceptions!

Thatis DD is fairly reliable at napping for 2 hours, but does perfectly fine without a nap when she's well. I guess it's partly down to the routine at kiga - they all sleep from 12-2, so she is used to it. It doesn't seem to affect how long she sleeps at night, fortunately.

She actually had 2 1/2 hours in the end today. After a morning of incessant whining I really needed it .

Are you teaching tonight? Hope it goes well.

Linzer It would be great if you could ask your DH how long it took him to get through the airport.

of the 2 hour nap! I'm happy if the 13 month old gets a good half an hour!

I had my dc at 33, almost 35 and 38 and will hit 40 this year! I am often envious of people who started in their 20s and wonder if they had more energy than I do! I have a baby who is not napping and is obsessed with going in the bin, climbing on his toybox or bashing my computer. Will post later!

silken DH said that if she needs to catch a train from the Hauptbahnhof, then she won't make it in 45 minutes - it takes 35 minutes on the S-Bahn to get to the station, reine Fahrzeit. However, if you meant would she be able to catch an S-Bahn within 45 minutes of landing, he thinks that it's just about manageable without hand luggage and that she might be able to make it to the S-Bahn in half an hour if she's lucky.

I was 27 when I had my first dc - I was the first one out of all my friends to have a baby so remember it as a strange time of still trying to go on nights out but wanting to get home to dd. Thankfully my lovely friend - the one who died just before we moved here - had a baby a year later so we relied on each other.

I think you all looked just probably how I thought - wonder how you all thought I would look? (nosey emotion!)

Lovely to see what some of you look like! Thanks for the Fb adds!

I had DS at 36, I feel young though, enough energy for him, so all good. My only 'regret' for starting late would be if I don't have another healthy child due to my age, but it's not like we delayed on purpose - just didn't meet Mr.Right til I was 34.
I have a climber toddler monkey! DH built him a climbing wall in a bid to get him to expend his climbing energy there, not up the shelves and anywhere else, but he still climbs everywhere he possibly (and impossibly!) can.
He also loves moving things from place to place, I find all sorts of surprises in all sorts of places. A great help for packing!