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

jenny get well soon!

outnumbered hope your ds wasn't too upset that some of his guests didn't show up. A great idea to invite them round another time.
1200? kalt is painful isn't it especially when it's just lining the pocket of some already rich landlord! My bigest worry is, we can afford our place (it's only 900?) now but if ever dh didn't get his contract renewed or he didn't get another job then that would be hard to pay. Every month the dc come with more demands for money for school and then they have that pesky habbit of growing and needing new stuff!

bienchen you must be exhausted with that commute but great that you got the flat.

Grinch hope you had some decent sleep and aren't too down today. That rent sounds quite cheap for Munich area but I guess you have high transport costs for monthly tickets etc. I did a search for the Hannover area at that price and nothing came up, then I found 1 for 860 kalt but far on the other side of town for school and work so would have to add transport costs. Can't afford to move again now anyway so we're stuck in this place!

Didn't make the Lebkuchenhaus yesterday as dd's friend stayed longer and they were doing what ever teenage girls do for hours then when she left ds started teasing about which side of the house he would be doing and dd got worked up as she wanted to do it all so I put it away and we might try again today! So, sorry to break this to you all but the fighting and teasing doesn't stop when they are teenagers! Although it does get slightly better!

Forgot to ask Linzer did you get a present for dd's Secret Santa? Dd came home yesterday and announced they are doing it too and she pulled a boys name out of the bag but managed to swap with someone so has a girl and this year the limit is 3?!

Morning!

jenny - hope you feel better soon. That clip of the Christmas parade was exactly how I imagined the american holiday season to be (and the reporter was exactly how I imagined US news to be!).

Thanks for the name suggestions santa - now need to work out how to do it on MN - I do it so rarely that I forget each time. Love little ones in snowsuits - they always look so snuggled and warm. Its snowing here again today - thats every day so far in December - that happened in 2010 too and by Christmas eve the roads were nearly impassable but more annoyingly the school bus didnt come on too many days. Hope this winter isnt a repeat of that.

outnumbered - wow you've had right run of birthdays - glad your ds2 had a good time even without some of his guests.

Bienchen to getting the flat & liking the new job but at such a long commute. Dh and I both commuted when we lived in the UK and it really adds to the day. I've heared Hörbücher are a good way to pass the time.

nutella - if you cant eat 2 Krapfen when you are 36 weeks pregnant then when can you eat them - the baby obviously needed the sugar . I really cant recommend the hypnobirthing enough and I'm not someone who'd normally do more alternative things - I like evidence based medicine but it really worked not only with pain control but I was so calm the whole way through which I hadnt been with dc1. But I'l stop going on about it now and wish for you the fast labour like antique had.

Think your plan hupa with the gingerbread house seems like a good one. I dont mind doing it but no one actually eats it afterwards.

Yes linzer - thats the Kindle we bought. I really dont think she needed a tablet one like the KIndle Fire cause there would be no motivation to read. Think we're going to disable the internet on the iphone for some of the time otherwise we'd never know what she was up to but I really must stress the iphone is a 3rd hand one that BIL gave to dh who's now giving it to dd. No way we'd have bought a new one.

grinch - somehow think we live parallel lives sometimes. We also live in the arse end of nowhere and randomly I've also got foot pain - I've got an appt tomorrow at the doctors. Will pass on any tips he gives me. Can understand about not putting your ds2 into kiga just yet - think a cleaner might be your best bet if you can find one.

antque - hope the move is going ok.

I'm off Christmas shopping this morning - the list seems too long but its only little things. Think we're going to buy ds2 a tennis racket and maybe something else (altho not sure what).

admylin I didn't want to know that. I'm sure my brother and I stopped trying to kill each other once we were both at secondary school... the thought of there being an end in sight to the constant squabbling is the only thing that keeps me going some days!

Jenny Hope you're feeling better now. The Christmas parade sounded lovely, despite the lack of Glühwein! (I still haven't had any so far this year, although have discovered some rather nice punch.)

outnumbered How frustrating for you about the party. I would definitely be more understanding about someone getting the day wrong (one of DD1's friends turned up to her party a week early a couple of years ago!) than if their child was ill but they didn't let me know. I think you probably missed all the stress I caused myself had earlier this year when we were trying to arrange DS's birthday party and then again when we organised a get-together for the parents in DD1's class. I have no problem with people/children not being able to come to things, but can't understand why it's so difficult for them to let you know.

Bienchen Great news on the flat. Glad to hear the new job is going well too.

Nutella I would second what Bienchen said about using breathing techniques during labour. I was amazed by how much they help and, even if you go on to need something a little stronger later, it can definitely help you to get through the early stages.

hupa So does that mean you can't decide during labour that you'd like an epidural? I suppose you must be allowed to have one in an emergency... I think if I'd already signed the consent form, I would be more likely to ask for an epidural during labour. From what I can remember, all the pain I was in during labour took my mind off asking for any pain relief.

Grinch I don't think you need to feel guilty about not providing enough planned activities for the DC; I think it's good to benignly neglect them leave them alone to come up with their own ideas and use their imagination most of the time sometimes. I'm happy to play board games with them, read to them, help DD2 write letters (her latest hobby), etc. but am also more than happy to leave all the creative stuff to DH, who's much better at that kind of thing than I am.

I The elf made the DC an Elf Yourself video today, which went down very well - I can really recommend it to anyone doing Elf on the Shelf, or even anyone who isn't but has young(ish) DC. You can upload up to five photos and then it imposes the DC's faces onto elves dancing to music; I had to drag DS away from it to go to school.

x-posts while I was writing my mammoth post, and then I was interrupted by a phone call (friend's DH has phoned to say she's gone into hospital so I'm looking after her DD this afternoon)... advent (Sorry, forgot your new name before) We're planning to have a look for the Secret Santa present - which I found out yesterday is called Engerl-Bengerl here - at the weekend, and will probably get chocolate and a little extra along the lines of what you suggested.

Ploom It took me a while to remember how to namechange - you have to go to MyMumsnet, My Registration, log in and then you can change your nickname.
Disabling the Internet on the iPhone is a good idea - but that's why I wouldn't consider one for DD1 as that would be all she wanted it for! She rarely makes phone calls and never texts, so really only needs the most basic of phones for that. I suppose she'd have the camera, but then she's getting one of those for Christmas anyway.

Actually my first post wasn't all that mammoth, looking at it... it just took me ages to write!

Good morning!

Thanks outnumbered for the Hebamme info! That is handy to know - I haven't been able to find many resources in English that can explain all the stuff I don't understand in German... Then there isn't anyone I know who can explain the whole system to me

hupa DP is a big squishy mess a real sweety and can't wait to meet our baby :) he talks to the bump and when the Hebamme at the Geburtsvorbereitung told him that the baby would know his voice to he was really pleased.

Jenny that Christmas parade looks like great fun! Love the little kids going all shy in front of the microphone [frgin] so cute.

Ploom I wouldn't normally have a problem eating two Krapfen but I felt a bit gross afterwards (I'm running out of room!) although I'll probably do it again I blame the custardy one, that was obviously a little two rich. Best of luck with the Christmas shopping!

Congratulations for getting the flat Beinchen! We also live in Hannover and it seems that now the market is overloaded with people looking for flats so the owners can make insane any requests or rules they like. We spent a few months looking over the summer for 4 rooms but couldn't find anything really practical. Our place is big enough, just a different layout and bigger bathroom would have been nice.

I went to the hospital, where we are angemeldet, for a CTG (Nutellachen was being lazy and when we rang the MW she said go for a CTG) at the weekend. They didn't mention anything about prior permission for an epidural... hmmm I'll ask at the Dr's on Monday. I also had a MW check up on Monday and it was the first time anyone measured my bump, 34cm at 36+4 maybe I need more krapfen! But how my bump is small when I'm not and have never been is kind of odd!

Nutella I didn´t mean to scare you about the epidural, but it is probably worth checking. I think it was because our local hospital is really small and they don´t like to give them, so put as many barriers in the way as possible. Linzer, no I wouldn´t have been able to have an epidural once I was in labour without the permission, but hopefully if there´d been an emergency they would have relented.

Jenny The parade looks really good and so American. Hope you´re feeling better soon.

Outnumbered I´m glad ds enjoyed his birthday, but agree with the others that the parents should have let you know if the dc weren´t coming. The rule here seems to be that if the dc are coming you don´t hear anything, but if they can´t make it the parents will let you know.

Linzer I wish I´d heard about elf on the shelf when the dc were younger. I´m sure they would have loved it.

bienchen I´m really pleased you got the flat, it must be such a relief. I don´t envy you the commute in this weather. When can you move in?

The dc´s school are having a disco for the children this afternoon. Dd in particular is so excited. I have to say I´m quite relieved I haven´t been asked to help.

Morning!

Thanks advent for the new thread!

Nutella don't let them worry you with the small bump thing. There are various negative correlations with low birth weight -

hupa the school disco is sort of a classic that just happens a few times a year in the UK but 've never heard of one here. The only disco type thing happened on Klassenfahrt for my 2dc but they both hate loud music so didn't really enjoy it (so they said) - I do think I have the only teenagers on the planet who don't listen to loud music and even tell me to turn the sound down when I'm ironing and singing along to my Abba cd!

nutella I had my dc down in the south of Germany but with dd I didn't even visit the hospital before I had her and they agreed for me to have an epidural (only she came too quick while they were setting it up) and I signed some documents in a sort of scribbled signature!

Linzer lol at engerl-bengerl! Wichteln is a funny enough word too! Good luck with the shopping. I've just got back from an attempt to get my parents sorted. NO IDEA for my dad, so far got 3 bars of chocolate! So any ideas awould be very welcome please?

ploom what did you get? Could you get everything off your list? I have to go back out to get a card for dd's american pen-pal later so I hope I see something for my dad. I've decided against alcohol as the postage will be too expensive unless I find a small bottle of something nice,

And, I forgot my Glühwein again!

cheaspicks Sanella is just Pflanzenmargarine but no idea what bertolli is, maybe it's a light version is it? I made a round of healthy vollkornplätzchen yesterday that the dc said tasted rubbish (healthy defeats the object at Christmas I suppose) so I have just bought a bag of vanilla gipferl and that'll have to do them! Along with Kandiskuchen and Baumkuchen that they'd be eating non stop if available.

advent I'm cooking Christmas biscuits with a friend on Sunday - although I have I'm supposed to make something English I have no idea... but generally when it comes to baking I don't bother with healthy options because they often don't work... Unless it's meant to be reasonably healthy

chease what are plätzchen? Oh god, I've just remembered DP trying to make zimtsterne last year disaster is probably close to describing what happened :o - I find anything sort of shortbready (if they are) benefits from being in the fridge (in it's tin/form for baking) for 20-30 mins before baking.

hupa Sorry you didn't scare me, I am hoping not to need it I was more at the idea that you could be in labour need the pain relief and they would say "sorry you but you didn't come to the info doo dahh so we can't/wont do it".
But then it also reminded me of something sister of little bro's girlfriend said, she is a nurse in Australia and apparently during labour women are classed as being temporarily insane... not sure if that gives them carte blanche to commit whatever crime they fancy or just means that they need to make the informed decisions before everything kicks off

And just read over my post and noticed my shameful error of two instead of too... must have been busy thinking about doughnuts :o

Got most of the bits on my list but then got home and realised I'd forgotten to get some chocolate for Nikolaus tomorrow . Will have to run into a shop later when we're on the way to the KFO. Felt all Christmassy in the shops tho - managed to resist dancing to Mariah Carey .

cheas - never heard of Sanella - it sounds like a type of tummy bug . I've never made plaetzchen either but there's loads of recipes on chefkoch.de without sanella. Glad you decided on a marble run - my dc never had one but they always looked like fun.

advent - its difficult to suggest presents without knowing your dad - what kind of stuff does he like to do? Would they use something like a National Trust membership (disclaimer I've no idea how much that costs!).

Hope your dd has fun at the disco hupa - thats definitely a good thing that you dont need to help out - would be my worst nightmare.

nutella at this late stage I wouldnt worry too much about the baby being a bit small - do you have another scan planned? That would give them more of an accurate idea of how big it is (altho none of it is an exact science). And like cheas said, some babies are just small. But that was good that you went to for a CTG at the weekend - always best to put your mind at rest.

x posts nutella - plaetzchen are just Christmas biscuits - there are loads of varieties and German women seem to bust a gut to make bazzillions of them.

Has anyone played a game called "wer war's"? dd asked for it and thought I might buy it for the 3 of them but there seem to be a few versions.

Thanks ploom and chease the Dr has done some extra scans because baby seemed a little on the light side (but I try to take it all with a pinch of salt; although it's scientific based on scales etc it is + a little bit of guessing). We have had extra growth scans at 30, 34 and 36 weeks but the bean has grown steadily. It seems to have slightly long legs (like DP) a big head (like DP) but is just a little bit schlank (like errr neither of us :o ). MW is absolutely happy with everything.
MW guesses 3330g. Dr guesses 3000 - 3500g. Anyone else want a guess? :) (DP was 3720g....I'm going to go with 3650g)

I mean DP's birth weight was 3720g he hasn't made a guess yet :o

oh I do love a good "guess the baby's weight" - but I'm not so good in Metric - had to do an online conversion - I'll say 3458g (7lbs 10oz).

Nutella If it helps I was warned a few times in my pregnancy that DS was going to be a whopper baby but he was tiny in the end (2860g). He was 2.5 weeks early but after the birth they said that had I had him at 40 weeks he would probably have been about 3kg. I also didn't have my bump measured once throughout the whole pregnancy, so if your midwife isn't worried, then don't stress yourself out over it :)

I had to sign the consent form for pain relief and an epidural between contractions, which were coming thick and fast at that point. I'm not sure my scribble was at all legible as I was on all fours with my bum in the air mooing like a cow at that point I didn't have an epidural in the end as there just wasn't time.

I think the thing I read about gas and air not being used here wasn't because it isn't safe, just that it hasn't been tested enough to be considered safe, IYSWIM.

Ploom Glad you got most of the bits on your list! A lot of women here really do bust a gut where baking Plätzchen are concerned, don't they. SIL had another meltdown this year about not having had time to bake with her DD as they have just moved house too. DN doesn't seem bothered at all, but SIL was quite upset again.

advent Good luck with the Lebkuchenhaus! I'd love it if I was as chilled out as you said in your last post, but if I'm honest trying to move with a toddler in tow is the single most stressful thing I've ever done! There were tears when DH got home last night! Hope you manage to get some Glühwein today!

cheas Love the idea for your festive name! We've started moving stuff into the house already and are going to live there from Thursday night. We're moving the big furniture on Saturday so by Saturday night hopefully we will be all in. PIL are coming to 'help' and look after DS but they've just announced they will be bringing 7yo DN too, no idea how that's going to work.
Glad you decided on a marble run and that it has MIL approval

Linzer I love Elf Yourself!

hupa Enjoy yoyur DC-free afternoon while they are at the disco!

Bienchen Glad you're enjoying the job. Congratulations on getting the flat and good luck with the move. Will you get a company to pack and move your stuff for you?

outnumbered I hope your DS wasn't too upset by the no-shows. It was a bit rude of the mother of the girl who was ill not to let you know.

English Sorry to hear the treatment for your foot isn't working. I hope you find something that works soon.

Sorry for the mammoth post!

AntiqueMuppet I think moving house is the perfect excuse to get out of baking. I bet you can´t wait to finally be settled in the new house.

Nutella I´ll guess 3300g. I´m another who never had her bump measured in the entire pregnancy. A lot must surely depend on how the baby is laying.

Ploom We have Wer war´s? and have found it to be really good - even ds will play which is saying something. This is the version that we have.
Whatever you do don´t buy Wo war´s? - the noises are so irritating and I refuse to play it ever again.

Nutella mothers birth weight is more relevant to baby's apparently - we need to know your birth weight to guess baby's :) Although it still won't help much given people who have several babies often have a wide range of weights. I was told by the Ob/gyn that DS1 would be around 5000g!!! He was born by c-section at 38 weeks exactly and was 3860g! Even if he'd gone 2 weeks over due like DD did he would surely not have been more than about 4200 absolute max (DD was 4100g at 42 weeks and one midwife was guessing 11 lb for her, which is also about 5kg...) In other words I think the amount of guess work the doctors and midwives are doing is almost equal to the amount random friends and family do! I guess 3500 for Nutellachen...

Outnumbered Glad DS2's party went well. We've never had no shows for birthday parties (I think because of the tradition of only inviting relatively small numbers - last birthday DS1 had 4 friends plus DD and himself for bowling and DD had 10 for climbing) but have once failed to reply to another invite because the party givers had no answerphone and only the land-line number on the invite, I phoned repeatedly and got no answer...

It is snowing here but 1 degree, which I assume is why it is not settling - most of the snow from last week melted yesterday, the radio announced "MatschDienstag" :o

Been out most of the morning, including the gym (and "toy room" as DS2 calls the creche there) for the first time since hurting my foot - only did things I could do without putting pressure on my foot, but feel better, more for going at all than for the exercise in all honesty. Its a good thing to do rather than stew about the house but still fail to get much done at home!

Ooops sorry - would be a silly time to bake Antique and your DS is much too young to care! Hope the move is sorted soon with minimum tears! Got to go anyway as DD is requiring me to come and look at how she's arranged metal Christmas trees and reindeer in the garden... in the sleet...

Ploom We also have Wer war's and have the same version as hupa. All three enjoy playing it and DS will often get it out to play on his own, although I don't think he sticks to the rules.

Nutella I was going to go with 3435 g as it's the only weight I can remember in grams of my three, but it's a bit too close to Ploom's guess so I'll go with 3600 g instead.

advent I find my dad the most difficult to buy for too. So far I've bought mine a book and... I think that's it, although I'm planning to get him some gardening stuff as well. Could you order some alcohol from a UK website so that the postage wouldn't be too extortionate?

Antique Love the image of you on all fours mooing like a cow.

Must go as I'm not really supposed to be on the computer and DD1 is peering over my shoulder, no doubt memorising my current nickname to tell to all and sundry.

Oh no there will be no baking here this year! Shop-bought biscuits all the way for the Muppets this year until we go to my DP's for Christmas and stuff ouselves silly on every baked treat imaginable

Ok, news just in from my Mum. I have the weights of the four of us so my Mum's:
DS1: 8lb 3oz (3710g)
DS2: 11lb (4990g - the porker)
ME: 9lb 3oz (4170g)
DS3: 9lb 9oz (4340g)

DS1 was one week late. DS2 almost three weeks (19 days). Me 11 days late. DS3 three days early.

You're welcome to revise your guesses if you like :) then I will find a suitable prize for the winner (well it's not as much fun without a little prize is it!) and we can play guess the date later in the month

Ooh I love a good guessing game!

I guess 4kg exactly.