Der Nebel steigt, es fällt das Laub - a German and Austrian autumn thread

[AntiqueMuppet]

A thread for anyone living in Germany or Austria, or anyone else who fancies a chat.

Previous thread here

Well, the job I'd been waiting for has just been cancelled, so I have time to MN after all - every cloud and all that.

English I'm not mad, just an introvert. (I like my peace and quiet in the mornings before I have to face anyone!) But if there was any chance I'd wake up the DC by getting up, I wouldn't do so.

Sounds like we had very similar EMCS experiences, apart from the fact that mine was two weeks before my due date (heart rate dipping and drip to induce labour didn't work). Just out of interest, did you find the recovery easier after your planned sections? I've heard that it usually is, and I remember thinking after my C-section that I couldn't understand why anyone would ever choose to have one if there were no medical grounds.

Ploom Glad the parents' evening went well. We decided in the end that it would be easier if DH went to DD2's on his own this afternoon, but I'm still very gespannt about what they have to say about her (almost as gespannt as I am about what her English teacher is like).
But most importantly... did you get the Robbie Williams tickets?

hupa No snow here at the moment, but it's much colder today and I think some has been forecast for the weekend.

still waiting but nearly there! I'm in a virtual queue!

Ooh, how exciting, good luck!

ploom I´m glad the parents´evening went well and I really hope you get your tickets. Where´s he playing?

English I think you´d be entirely justified to use the ironing service. How much does it cost?

Linzer I used to be an early riser, but seem to be getting worse as I get older.
We are normally woken by church bells at 7.00am, but the tower has cracks in the brickwork and they can´t be used until the cracks are repaired. We´re now having to rely on alarm clocks and I was awoken by dd on Tuesday asking me the time and it 7.47am (we have 3 alarm clocks, but nobody had remembered to set theirs) and they both had to be in school for 8.00am. Talk about mad panic, but they still managed to get there on time. Just as well we live so close to the school. It´s just a shame they never sleep that long at the weekend.

admylin sorry to hear you're still poorly!!! Hope you're right and that being day 6 it means you'll be much better by the weekend :)

Good luck with the tickets Ploom sounds like you'll have a really fun night out :)

English good to hear DS2 is feeling a little better and FX he makes sleeping longer a habit :o - but not the coughing all night part. I think an ironing service sounds awesome!

Linzer I would spend the day on the sofa but I think after resting a bit yesterday nesting urges might take over today...

:o Thanks for asking about 24th everyone, here is the latest update :
Well DP came home yesterday with great news! He was giving me his big puppy eyes about going to the ILs the other night. But while driving yesterday he spoke to them to organise the 25th FIL told him they weren't expecting us to be there on the 24th :) totally off the hook (phew, I can be as grumpy/uncomfortable/slobby as I like) and DP wont feel bad about not being there.

oh and re snow: DP has been told there is snow in Nürnberg... I would be jealous - no snow here and Christmas markets aren't the same without snow IMO - but I know DP wont have time tonight for the Christmas market (if it's open) and I'm also very pleased it isn't that cold (woohoo still +4) or slippery!

Nutella Phew, that's great news about the 24th! Plus you get out of it without having to feel the slightest bit guilty. Enjoy the nesting!

hupa I'm definitely finding it easier to get up earlier as I get older - mind you, when the DC were little and I was more sleep-deprived, there's no way I'd have voluntarily got up at 5.30 am! I can only manage it during the week, though; the DC are always up before us at the weekends (when, ironically, I have far less time to myself).

Re snow, I've just checked the forecast and we're actually forecast snow for tomorrow. I can't see it sticking though, as the temperatures are forecast to stay above zero.

Talking of Robbie Williams, I was the other day to hear him use the f word on the radio. Not shocked at him swearing, but at the radio station for broadcasting it in the middle of the afternoon when children could be listening (mine were, as we were in the car, but fortunately didn't pick up on it).

I have decided that my latest mission is to campaign against English swear words being used in Austria. There's an event here called Ibiza F*cking Island (including the asterisk) - I was reading about it in the local paper a few days ago and have also seen posters advertising it. Nooo! I don't want my children exposed to this kind of language.

I got them . Too excited but that was beyond stressful - you only have 15 mins to do all the filling in and then Visa wanted to register the security thing - I had very sweaty palms. He's playing a few dates in Germany (Gelsenkirchen, Hanover, Munich and Stuttgart) hupa but we're going to Munich in the cheeky hope for a free nights accomodation with my BIL.

great news about the 24th nutella.

Wow that was a mad dash to school hupa. We also have church bells in the village but I very rarely hear them anymore. They rang the other week in a different way because someone had died and I still didnt hear them.

english - you'd be more than justified to have a cleaner and an ironing service. For mens shirts alone its worth the money.

Glad the work was cancelled linzer - obviously not because you dont get paid but to give you some free time. Hope the parents eve goes well this afternoon.

Off to relax now - was on edge the whole morning about getting these tickets. Years and years ago I missed out on tickets to see Oasis and I'm still a bit bitter about it so can never just wait and think oh well if I hadnt got them.

I agree with your campaign and I'm prone to swearing a bit myself. Heard some man on the advert for "The Voice" saying someone was f*cking fantastic. Not on!

Yay, fab news Ploom - you must be really excited! I can't remember the last time I went to a concert. (Actually, I can - it was in Frankfurt in 2000. ) I've been to quite a few in Germany and Austria, but can't believe I only went to one the whole time that we were living in London (and that was a birthday present from DH). I was old before my time.

I didn't actually mind the work being cancelled; it would only have paid about ?40 and I'd rather have the free time than the stress of trying to get it done by lunchtime. If I could have earned hundreds of euros from it, I would obviously have felt a little differently!

You don't think they've been reading this thread, do you, Nutella? Glad it's sorted out in a way that doesn't leave you feeling guilty. Dh went to Borkum when I was 36 weeks pg - an 8 hour car ride + a 2 hour ferry (and only 3 crossings a day!) I was pretty unhappy about him going, but fortunately dd didn't turn up while he was away - it would have been an emcs as she was breech. I ended up with a planned cs at 39+4.

Linzer I found the recovery fairly easy after my elcs. It took me quite a long time to be able to stand up though - some people say they were walking around 12 hours later, but it took me more like 36 hours. I felt back to normal after about three weeks, able to walk into town and back, drive, etc. I can imagine if you're not mentally prepared for a cs and you're physically exhausted from being in labour for a day or so beforehand that it could well be harder to recover.

My mum had some dyslexic students when she was working in further ed. I can remember her saying something about using transparent coloured sheets of plastic to help with reading - if there is something in that, then maybe that's something your dd can carry around with her.

ploom did you get the tickets? So pleased that your boys are doing well at school.

hupa schneeregen here, but it's not settling. I didn't notice that it was particularly cold this morning - ooh, it's turning into proper snow as I type!

English if you hate ironing, then go for it. It's good for the economy, innit! I only iron my own clothes, so it doesn't particularly bother me (dh does his own, too, and I don't really see a need to iron dd's clothes when they've been line dried - party dresses excepted).

A big parcel arrived this morning with a couple of Xmas presents for dd - a xylophone and an ocarina. The ocarina is soooo cute - turtle-shaped - but made of ceramic, so I hope it will cope with dd! Can really recommend the xylophone for anyone with little dc - Vegans, possibly even Antique - it's more or less in tune, made of wood, is multi-coloured and cost ?26. From www.thomann.de if anyone's interested

Wave to everyone I've missed.

Waves back to cheas. Everyone seems much more organised about Christmas than me.

linzer - I love going to concerts & have no shame about having gone to some cheesy ones with girlfriends in the UK (Justin Timberlake & Kylie). But my 2 favourites were seeing INXS when I was about 16 or 17 & seeing James in 2000. Hope Robbie Williams is as good as I'm imagining he'll be.

Linzer I don't think I've been to a pop concert since I left school . I went to a symphony concert yesterday evening, though and was asked by two separate old dears whether I was freezing in my sleeveless dress (despite it being at least 26 deg in the theatre).

ploom didn't you go to see Robbie Williams last year, or am I totally misremembering something?

Ooh I do love going to concerts... Or should I say 'used to'?! Just trying to remember the last one I went to. I think it was tsunami relief one in Cardiff. I've seen Robbie twice. Once was just after he had released angels and just before his solo career really took off. He played at my first uni's Mayball. And then in 2000 I think, when I went to his concert in cardiff's millennium stadium. A slight difference in size to the first one both were very good, he really is an entertainer and always manages to make his audience feel like they are the most fantastic crowd he has ever come across.

admylin I'm no early riser by choice! Thanks to the groclock we have finally managed to train ds2 and ds3 to stay in bed until 6.15. Huge improve by as before they were up at 5am! Ds1 is our only (half) late riser. Most mornings I have to wake him up at 7. Apart from weekends of course where he wakes up early by himself.
I do love having some quiet time before kids are up, linzer. Coffee just tastes so much better when drink without children running riot. But I guess I just don't love it enough, as I can't drag myself out of bed any earlier. Aldo, ds2 always has lots of nightmares and often wakes up screaming several times during the night... And I just want to sleep.

I'm on my phone which makes it more difficult replying to certain posts so just a hello to everyone I've missed.

No snow here but it has got much colder these past 2 days.

cheas - I went to see Take That and he was part of it. I was never a fan of Take That but liked the music they had done with him so went for that reason. He was definitely the highlight of the concert for me so will be glad to see him in his own. He's also being supported by Olly Murs who I would sing along to on the radio too.

outnumbered - glad you had a good time at the concerts when you went to see him. Have heard only good reports about previous concerts so roll on August.

Congratulations on getting your tickets ploom, great to have that to look forward to now!

outnumbered same here, no coffee in the world is worth a few more minutes sleep!

hupa well done on getting the dc to school on time, that must have been one heck of a rush, now if only it'd go so quickly every day then you could all get up well after 7am!

I've just got up, had a bath and am thinking I should eat something but I'm not hungry at all, which can't be possible as I must be hungry. Wonder if it's best to not bother if my stomach isn't telling me to?

Oh there's a new ipod/iphone app - grrr still cant see previous posts while typing which is no use on this thread.

admylin - did you manage to eat anything?

Have just got the DC off to bed - and not a moment too soon for DD2, who was in a foul mood this evening (a reliable sign that she was overtired). DD1 and DS were doing their usual excellent job of winding her up too. I'm glad I decided not to go to the parents' evening as DH texted just after 7 pm to say he was still waiting to see DD1's form teacher and wouldn't be home until around 8 pm (he only wanted to see three teachers!).

I ended up having three moles removed this afternoon rather than just the one I was expecting. What I thought was some kind of stain on my finger turned out to be a mole and the doctor said I should have it removed just to be on the safe side - I think the local anaesthetic injection in my finger was about the most painful I've had in my life!

Ploom Ooh, will have to investigate the new app. I read MN on my phone quite a lot, but find it too fiddly to post much.

admylin If you haven't eaten anything for a while and the thought of food doesn't make you feel ill, it might be a good idea to have a bite to eat to slowly start building up your strength.

outnumbered Did you use to live in Cardiff? I'd like to go there on a day trip from my parents' sometime, but it's a pain to get to by train from where they live and the coach isn't great if (like DD1) you get travelsick.

cheas Well, you'll know what caused it if you come down with a cold in the next day or two.
I certainly wasn't at all prepared mentally for my C-section - it was just the last thing I was expecting after two straightforward births. I found the first week post-CS horrendous and can't imagine how I'd have coped if I'd had DS in the USA, where our insurance would only have paid for four days in hospital - I was still shuffling around like an old woman at that stage! I physically didn't feel ready to leave hospital for the first seven days, although a 4-5 day stay seems to be the norm in the UK as well. Oh, and I've just remembered some other horrendously painful injections - those anti-thrombosis ones. I used to dread the doctor coming round with her needle in the evening.

good evening! not much to report from me today, which is a good thing really. got the Elterngespräch at ds1's kiga tomorrow morning, so let's see what that brings.

does everyone have advent calendars for their dcs? and do you celebrate St Nicholas Day? I really think there is far too much going on in December. Got ds2 birthday on Saturday, and it's the first day for the advent calendar too. then just a few days later it's St Nicholas, and then 2.5 weeks later it's already Christmas followed by New Year's. No wonder kids get so hyper this time of year!

linzer and ploom some qualifications are quite easy to get transfered. My BA is in Business Studies, my MSc in Computing. Those are straightforward as they are pretty much the same as what I would have studied at a German uni. In fact, I dont have to get them transferred, I could just apply for jobs, putting those down as my qualifications. But teaching degrees are set up completely differently over here, which is why the Kultusministerium wont reansfer them easily. I would have show exactly what was covered during the PGCE and then they will compare it to the course contents of the German equivalent...but a German teaching degree takes about 4 years, a PGCE is one year, so obviously only a fraction of the content will be comparable. Really silly...when a German teacher goes over to the UK, she will have no problem finding a teaching job. But Germans still often think that their qualifications and their education system is superior to those of other countries...The only chance for me to teach here is either as a Feuerwehrkraft (supply teacher) meaning I get paid much less, or find a job at a privately funded school. What are your qualifiactions ploom?

glad your ds2 is feeling better, english. my ds3 also developed a cough, still while at hospital last week. It has kept him up every night until last night, but amazingly he just coughed and coughed but didnt cry for us. Today it was much better, hope it clears up for your ds2 soon too. Do you give him anything for it?

admylin did you have something to eat in the end? I hope you are feeling better and got some rest.

x-post Linzer

yes, I used to live in Cardiff. I love the city, well South Wales in general. Where do your parents live?

ouch re the anaethetic in your finger. I used to dread the Vorsorgeuntersuchungen during pregnancy, as for each one they took a tiny amount of blood from my finger, which I found really uncomfortable. I'd say I have a high pain threshold (had all three dcs without any pain relief...) but found that hurt. eventually my midwife told me that next time I should ask them to take blood from my earlobe as it's less painful. wish I'd known that early as that was nearly at the end of my last pregnancy. There are just so many nerves in your fingers. Ouch! Why did the moles have to be removed? do they need to be examined?

ds3 is the biggest culprit of winding up his brothers at the moment. I think he's really really bored as its his second week off kiga. It does amaze me though that a little 2-year-old can wind up his big brothers so well!

Hello - sorry for the wafer confusion. Dh's company make metrology tools which measure all the layers of chemicals deposited on a silicon wafer, which is then cut up into chips for various devices. Straight over my head as GCSE Physics doesn't cover it!

I went to that tsunami relief concert outnumbered! I think my highlights were Snow Patrol and Kelly Jones. I saw Take That in Munich with Robbie (1995!) and at the Man City Stadium without. Dh was looking after dd in my friend's flat and as I was bfing it was really uncomfortable when I got back! I do love a good gig. Billy Bragg was the last one I saw when he played here randomly! Congrats on the tickets Ploom!

I think I've heard of the transparent coloured sheets too on some long-distant teacher training. I hope it all begins to work for dd really soon, Linzer.

Hope you get better really soon admylin. It seems like you have been poorly for ages now.

Yes get an ironing service English! Fortunately dh has no desire for his shirts to be ironed as he is usually in a lab all day with a cleanroom suit on so I don't have to do any! Glad ds2 is feeling better a bit.

That sounds like a relief Nutella! Glad you can relax about Christmas now.

This is becoming an essay so apologies for not replying to everyone. I hope you are all having nice relaxing evenings. I'm about to get lunch on!

Gosh, loads of x-posts there sorry! Ouch to having moles removed Linzer but glad you have got it sorted now. Foul moods are also a sign that my dcs are overtired me too .

I once knew a girl who couldn't get her teaching degree from Sachsen transferred to Bayern (think she'd started in GDR times) and ended up teaching in a Waldorf school. Something to do with one hour less a week of child psychology iirc.

I used to live in a village next to Magor and dh and I got married in Tintern. Happy times!
Right, I do need to make lunch before ds2 raids the fridge for grapes again!

outnumbered My parents live in mid-Wales (Aber) but my father is from south(ish) Wales originally. I haven't been to Cardiff for years, but it's very difficult to get anywhere from my parents' (except Birmingham and that direction) if you don't drive.

The mole from my finger was partially removed to be investigated as it's only just appeared, one on my back was removed because it was looking inflamed and the other one on my back was only "hanging on by a thread" so the doctor said she might as well do it at the same time! My mum had a malignant melanoma years ago and I've also had one mole removed that turned out to have abnormal cells, so I have to go for six-monthly check-ups (in terms of health care, I'm very glad we're in Austria rather than the UK). I also have a high pain threshold (though have only managed two births without pain relief!) but that injection in my finger was just awful.

I've never heard the word Feuerwehrkraft before but I can't remember what the normal term is here - will have to check with DH! I'm sure the verb is something like supplieren, though.

jenny that was a good concert wasnt it?! I worked a shift in an Irish pub round the corner, which was hieving, and then went straight to the concert. Come to think of it, didnt Robbie play there too?? I too loved Snow Patrol and Kelly Jones!

linzer fingers crossed the results come back all clear! And didnt you say you had one CS? that really would have been some achievement to get through that w/out pain relief

I've never been to mid wales. been to the BRecon BEacons, and I have a close friend in Swansea so have been there a few times. Apart from we've only been to St Davids I think. mid Wales really is quite isolated isnt it, especially public transport wise.

I dont know why it's called Feuerwehrkraft - or Feuerwehrlehrerin. I guess because the Feuerwehr comes when there is an emergency

I don't remember Robbie being there, but there were definitely some big names. We went half way through the Eric Clapton segment!

Speaking of teacher training (in a roundabout way) I finally paid off my student loan this week! I haven't had to pay it as I don't have any income but it keeps accruing interest at a faster rate than our savings do, so the loan had to go! Hurray! Hoping all the little ones are sleeping well tonight.