Cyber Glühwein und Lebkuchen - the German and Austrian advent thread

[admylin]

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

Happy first Advent to everyone!

Previous thread: here

[outnumberedbymen]

Well, according to leo the translation is Eipollösung. But I've never ever heard that word before. I really don't think it's dint here. Good luck with everything nutella!

And good journey back home linzer

I've just gone to bed now. These last few nights I've also been woken up by a snoring dh, like you grinch. Hope you have a long interrupted night tonight!

All the best to the new year for everyone!

[Ploom]

Happy New Year!!! Thought I was coming down with some kind of D&V today so spent a lot of this afternoon in bed so I'm shockingly still wide awake & happily watching Robbie Williams on 3sat . (the nausea has gone again ).

Hope you all have had a fun New Year whatever you were up to and all the very, very best for whatever 2013 brings

[AntiqueMuppetsChristmasCarol]

Happy new year everyone! It's only 7pm here so still a few hours to go!
Good luck with everything, Nutella!
I'm writing on my phone so sorry for not namechecking everyone but my fingers really weren't made for a touchscreen!

[adventkerzylin]

Happy new year everyone! We also managed to stay up and the fireworks around our streets went on for over half an hour. Our poor gerbil was petrified.
Hope everyone had a good time.
Should we do a 2013 new thread?

[AntiqueMuppetsChristmasCarol]

Aww hope the gerbil wasn't too scared, advent. We were all so tired yesterday & still a bit jetlagged so only managed to stay awake until 12.15
It's been a bit of a strange festive period this year with a death in the family a few days ago, a suicide attempt by an unwell family member & a lot of passive-aggressive arguing between a few others. It's been nice to see everyone but I'll be so glad to be home again in a few days, callous as that sounds.
Dh & ds are out playing in the snow so I'm having a quick lie-down.
Sorry for such a rambling post! Hope everyone's well & that all the nasty bugs have cleared up

[outnumberedbymen]

hello and happy new year to everyone!!!

we got home 2 hours ago and I finally got my netbook out for the first time in days. I had a look at my last post and . grinch of course i meant long UNinterrupted night!!!!

we didnt make midnight. we went to bed not long before but I just didnt see the point staying up just to see a few rockets. last night was surprisingly nice though. MIL persuaded dh and me to play a card game. It was really fun! we just had a couple of glasses of wine and then headed to bed. last glass of wine for the next 31 days

antique I'm sorry your holiday has been overshadowed but quite a few sad events

I just spoke to my dad. he always rings on New Year's Day to tell us exactly what he hopes and wishes for us for the new year. I love him . He also told me that he met a lady he quite likes. they've only been out once, and he has invited her over for dinner next week. All I want is for my dad to be happy and not to feel lonely. But it also feels very strange to hear my dad say that he likes a lady who isnt my mum. he is taking things really slow, he says he's rather on his own than with the wrong person. and his expectations (not looks-wise) are very high. Him and my mum really had an exceptional marriage. they were very happily married for 41 years, had 5 children together, survived the loss of one child, survived my mum's long illness and my dad's depression. and still managed to be so close and so loving and so happy (obviously with some ups and downs). I really miss my mum this time of year, so maybe that's why I found it a bit hard to hear about another woman. otoh I am glad that my dad feels like he can talk to me about those things (as long as he wont go into details if they do start seeing each other! )

our journey back was ok. weather was horrible, but not too much traffic. ds1 and ds2 were well behaved, but ds3 - our little NT devil - refused to take his nap and ended up annoying his big brothers non stop. in the end we had to move ds3 to the passenger seat, and I sat in between ds1 and ds2. so, after 4 hours on the road, ds3 finally fell asleep. we should have thought of moving him to the front much earlier.

I'm tired now after the long drive and will probably go to bed soon. nothing new there

I hope everyone is doing well!

[LentilAsAnything]

Aw, out, your dad (and your mum) sound fab. I hope he can be happy again, though I know this must feel quite strange for you.

Sorry to hear you had a horrid journey back, but extra nice to be home sweet home, I am sure.

Lonzer, lol at your Hobnob collection! PIL are here for a visit, and brought us some Seed Sensations Hovis bread, I much prefer it to the bread here, which I find too dry. And some vegan mayo (for my vinegary chips!).

Antique, sorry to hear about the relations, especially the suicide-attempter. Hope you can get home soon.

Nutella, hope you are comfortable and feeling good! We eagerly await news!

A new thread would be good, advent! To go with my new name!
I think you can all work out who I am!

My New Year's resolutions are:

1. Stop making lists.
   

B. Be more consistent.

1. Learn to count.
   

We had a lovely NY, and really enjoyed the local fireworks. DS loved them, and has been asking for fireworks on and off all day!

Happy New Year to you all.

[platanos]

Happy new year everybody!!!! We made it to midnight, but only because we put the TV on and napped on and off. I was wide awake at midnight. We woke the girls up just before midnight, to eat the grapes (Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes as the clock strikes - brings luck apparently) and see the fireworks. Other years we have seen quite a few fireworks out of the window, but none this year.

Lentil I like your resolutions . I have not really made any, but dh and I have said we would like to make it to the theatre on our street. It is meant to have great plays on, is about a 3 minute walk and we have never made it in the 3.5 years we have lived here . This year we shall go.

Antique - I am very sorry to hear about the intense holiday. Have a safe trip home and some time to recover emotionally.

linzer - love your stack of food. Have a safe trip home.

nutella hope all is well with you. I was kind of induced with dd1 -waters broke and given a date and time for induction, although I was having weak and sporadic contractions by that time so they speeded it up. But I feel dd2's birth was more intense - no induction, but just faster. However, I also feel it was my "best" birth - I guess because it was so intense (and she was 10 days late so I really wanted her to come out) I really really concentrated on breathing and finding good positions and that helped. I guess what I am trying to say is that induction did not mean intense for me. And that intense was not bad in my experience.

outnumbered you must be glad to be home. It can understand your mixed feelings about your dad. The relationship between your parents sounds wonderful.

ploom are you feeling better? hope so!

*advent' poor gerbil. did you enjoy your films?

grinch are your dc back? did you manage to catch up on some sleep? I really, really hope that 2013 brings you children who sleep through the night.

off to learn how to build an igloo - indoors . hope you all have a good day.

[admylin]

platanos good luck with building your igloo! Is it lego or life size?!
Yes, the dvds were great! We watched Ziemlich beste Freunde and Best Marigold Hotel. The first one was reallygood but the 2nd was OK but a bit of a let down after having read the book.

lentil enjoy having PIL to visit. Just fancy some chips with vinager now!

antique sorry to hear that news but hope your trip was otherwise a success and you have a good journey back.

outnumbered your parents' relationship sounds great. Glad you got back safe and sound and you can get back into your routine. When does Kindergarten start back? I've got another whole week of zombie like teens languishing around the house. Can't get them out and about like when they were smaller. They're glued to their rooms and their laptops.

Off to take my tree down, had enough of it and it's gathering dust then sending ds to get his hair cut but that won't be before afternoon probably.

[platanos]

well, I am most disappointed. The igloo building was at the Arkitekturzentrum so I had high hopes. All they did was show the children a 10 min presentation on igloos (which ds said was his favourite bit) and then gave the children clay and/or toothpicks to make their own little model. And there were around 25 children and only two helpers so many children struggled to make something. (Most parents, grandparents dropped them off for 2 hours but ds did not feel comfortable alone so I stayed).I thought they would build one out of polystyrene or boxes or something more exciting. oh well....

advent I watched the Best Marigold Hotel recently and thought it was okay, but is the book better then? I am putting off starting a book because if I do I will get absorbed and my dc will have to fend for themselves for the rest of the holidays . I have a few on my kindle waiting to be started...

can I just moan at the price of things, and how expensive they are here in comparison? I was looking at some clarks shoes - reduced to 60 euros on the austrian website but 25 pounds on the UK site (which does not ship here). Same with a kindle book 6.99 euros here, and 20 p from amazon.uk. (but cannot download from here).

and linzer is it too late for you to apply for asylum in the UK?: Stickermania is back (for those in Germany, that is the spar sticker album).

[itsMYNutella]

Happy New Year everyone! Baby Theodor Ruben arrived yesterday at 7:19 (after a very long night and an epidural) he has lots of blond hair and is 3030g (6lb 11oz) and 50 cm long.
He smells great finally know what people mean about that new baby smell. Absolutely perfect. We are besotted.

[LentilAsAnything]

Woo hoo! Congratulations, Nutella! I was thinking 1st Jan would be the date! Enjoy your new son!

[AntiqueMuppetsChristmasCarol]

Huge congratulations Nutella!
That's wonderful news

[Ploom]

Aw nutella (and mr nutella) - huge congratulations in the birth of your gorgeous son! Glad it all went ok & yes that baby smell is just the best smell!
Enjoy every moment of watching him grow

[Ploom]

Just read your message again - wow that was a really amazing way to spend the start of the New Year .

[outnumberedbymen]

yay nutella massive congratulations from me too!!! I miss that baby smell! and what a cool birth weight little Theodor Ruben has

platanos sorry the igloo building was a disappointment. isnt it a shame when something can be done in such a fun and interactive way, and then they choose to do it in such an uneducational way? especially with such little staff around to help the children. I hope your ds wasnt too disappointed?

advent we took our tree down last Friday before heading to the ILs. we have a very spacious living room, but was really starting to annoy me. especially as it was losing loads of needles already.

I so long for a glass of wine tonight, as you may have read on fb...and as I cant have one, dh is treating me to a delivery pizza instead lucky I am planning to go to the gym in the morning.

[platanos]

great news nutella congratulations and enjoy the cuddles - lovely news and names too!

[admylin]

Congratulations on the birth of your son nutella, enjoy every minute. Glad it went well!

[LinzerChristkindlmarkt]

After 14 hours unterwegs (train, plane and car), we've just crossed the border into Austria so I have Internet access again. I was wondering whether there may have been any baby news in my absence, and indeed there was - massive congratulations Nutella! I'm also feeling nostalgic for that newborn baby smell now. So who won the guess-the-weight competition?

platanos No, how can this be - I thought sticker albums had been banned?!? Wonder if I can keep it quiet from the DC... I suspect not.

All this travelling has given me a headache and typing seems to be making it worse, so had better log off for now.

[TheUKGrinchImGluhweinkeller]

Oh a baby Nutella - congratulations on baby Theodore! I was very wrong on the weight :) But still that's a nice normal weight, no need for the doc's small threats!

Not been on for a couple of days as have been doing stuff with the kids, but we have fevers again today so having a "duvet" MN day - nice news to come on for!

Will be back later to catch up more, having cancelled attending DS1's attendance at his football turnier it seems the kids are not too ill to want second breakfast!

[Ploom]

I scrolled all the way back on the thread (wow we chat a lot!) - most of us guessed way to big but think it was in the middle of jenny and hupa's guesses! Congratulations ladies

Hope you all feel better soon grinch.

glad you got back safely linzer. you'll need some rest today.

Our skiing holiday is not going to plan due to the lack of snow (there is some but not enough) & the fact that its due to rain every day till the weekend . Thankfully the accomodation is lovely & the dc seem happy enough. Think it'll be a day to go swimming or to the aquarium - just a bit gutted about our lack of skiing .

[platanos]

oh no ploom are the children disappointed? rubbish weather. Hope you manage to make the most of it, nevertheless.

grinch-illness has struck your home again . Gute Besserung!

Linzer hope you made it home and are not too exhuasted. good luck with keeping the sticker albums secret from your dc .

out I know what you mean about the uneducational thing. It was all rather poorly organised. I think I might write a feedback letter - it will be good for me to pracitise my German. thought of you yesterday as went to a little workshop run by the tiere als therapie verein. we all want a dog now, but it just can't be.

nutella hope life with little one is full of cuddles.

off ice-skating today, on top of a building in central vienna... and it is meant to be storm weather

[admylin]

platanos sounds like you're busy making the holidays a nice time! I used to love doing things with the dc when they were smaller but now it's only the odd shopping trip with dd otherwise they do their teen stuff and I drive them around to it!

grinch hope you get better health all round this year. MAybe your dc will have built up such a great immune system by the time they get to secondary they won't miss a single day like my 2. We had all the fevers and viruses possible in kindergarden and primary too.

ploom sorry you didn't get snow especially after the xmas pressie you got! Hope you got to relax abit anyway.

Linzer maybe you could do the evil mum thing like I did and tell the dc the truth about the stickers being an advertising con to get parents to spend more in the shop and we don't want to fall for that do we...that's how I sort of got my 2 out of collecting that sort of stuff! There was a sticker thing here with animal stickers and an album and in the long run it would have been cheaper to buy the dc a decent Tierlexikon or something!

nutella was just thinking, did you have the first baby of 2013 for Hannover? Hope everything is going well.

Having a de-clutter day today (started yesterday). Two boxes of junk that we've been storing carefully for no reason are now ready to go out.

[cheaspicks]

Have had no internet for a couple of days and come back to great news! Congratulations, nutella!!! Lovely name and I can't wait to see pics when you're ready to put them up (haven't missed one, have I?)

Happy New Year to everyone else. Have a great 2013!

[hupa]

I´ve finally found the time to post - Happy New Year to everyone!

Congratulations Nutella What a lovely start to the New Year.

Outnumbered I´m really pleased your dh has found a new job, it must be such a relief.

Grinch I hope you´re all feeling better and have a healthier 2013.

Ploom Sorry to hear about your lack of snow. We´re off for a weeks skiing in Austria tomorrow.

A quick hello to everyone else. I´ve still got to pack and take down the Christmas decorations before we go. I´ll try to catch up while we´re away.