Lieber Frühling, komm doch bald. A new Kaffeeklatsch thread for Spring - living in Austria and Germany

[Ploom]

All welcome - whether you're living in Germany or Austria, have questions about life in those countries or just want to chat.

Previous thread here

Hello, I've been keeping up but DS doesn't always allow me to post (and when I'm reading on my phone I can't remember what I was going to write to who.

outnumbered I don't know what else to say except that you are amazing. That you carry on and put in so much effort for your boys is truly a testament to how lucky they are to have you as their mummy.

Linzer I made some millionaire shortbread and had to translate that for a friend - I'm going to try out a German recipe next time I bake do you want me to post you "the help"? I'd be happy to. - unless anyone else wants it first?

admylin I can't remember exactly but I think you did discuss Berlin with the DCs. Are they happy to be staying put? Really hope things at your DH's job improve! Or that he gets a really good offer somewhere.

Platanos it's never easy with family. When we moved back to Hannover BIL ( DP's oldest brother, who has always lived nearby) was honest enough to tell DP that he could now share the burden of the parents :) although now that we have provided the "Stamhalter" -it actually made my skin crawl when I saw that written in a card and understood what it meant - I'm pretty sure that BIL gets even less attention.

DS is slowly getting over his cough but it looks like teeth are not far behind. We have had some serious finger chewing, grumpiness, a raised temp and even a red cheek.... But it seems to have calmed down a bit this weekend.
We are also in cloth nappies :o I love em! Is only been a few days so we are still getting to grips with them; but I am really passionate about them and have been boring my friends to tears persuading others to give them a go. I hadn't expected to be so enthusiastic about them but I have been really surprised in oko Hannover not to find anyone who even knows anyone using cloth.

Right better go. DS doesn't know if he is more tired or more hungry and I need to get on with preparing my brunch! It's my birthday :) the chocolate cake is ready (although didn't rise as well as when I have made it in the past - in the UK :( ) and DP is in the kitchen being amazing.
Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

Oooohhh that huge! Sorry!

Happy Birthday nutella. Hope you have a lovely day. The sun is shining here, and I hope the weather is kind to you too enjoy the chocolate cake!

Does anyone have the Tana Ramsey Family Kitchen cook book? There s a recipe for Brownies in there, and it's delicious!!!

Happy birthday Nutella hope you have a lovely day. It's a nice sunny one atleast over on this side of Hannover!

outnumbered sounds like you've been really busy lately. Charlie looks adorable on the fb pics and I hope he's a quick learner and settles in fast for you. I would have no idea where to start house training a puppy. I guess you have to just take him out very often and praise him when he 'goes' outside.

platanos I've had similar comments to the one your brother said. The fact that we all missed out on having a helping hand or babysitting help because of our situation is never mentioned is it? I think bringing my dc up abroad with no reliable help at all has been one of the hardest jobs ever in my life!
Once I was at a get together back home in the UK, it was Saturday night and some of the husbands were complaining because they had to stay in to babysit and a couple of the women were moaning back that they hadn't been out for a couple of weeks, one woman said well I haven't been out for 3 weeks and another siad it had been 6 weeks since she'd been out. All I could say was well I haven't been out for 6 years so don't feel too badly done to!

Antique have a great time with your brother!
Linzer hope your friend recovers fully and the chemo does it's job. Must be a scary time.

We had a couple of dh's colleagues round last night. One is an assistenzarzt under dh's boss and he said that 18 of the doctors had written a letter and all signed it telling the boss that his behaviour and way of treating mitarbeiter has to change. I'm not sure if such a letter will make much difference, could even make his moods worse as he doesn't care. Only positive thing is, if he tells someone off and he finds out it wasn't their fault then he apologises.
Anyway, the colleague and his wife both talked to ds and gave him some good career advice and tips on getting through the Abitur years!

admylin It's really hard being abroad with no help, isn't it? Even though we moved to the same country as my ILs before DD2 was born, they're not in good enough health to be of any practical help. Although I'm not as desperate for a break as I sometimes used to be (apart from when it gets to the eighth week of the summer holidays...), I still feel quite envious when I see other friends sending their DC off to their ILs or parents for the night or longer. Hope the letter to your DH's boss has some effect, even if the signs aren't too optimistic.

Nutella That would be fab if you didn't mind sending The Help - although am happy to wait if someone else wants it first, as I still have quite a backlog of DVDs to watch. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your birthday; the chocolate cake looked particularly delicious.

outnumbered So sorry about the problems you're having wrt your DS and the Autismusverein; it must be exhausting. Hope your DH is OK; an operation sounds like the last thing you need atm...

platanos Agree that we don't have an easy deal at all. We still have the worry about our parents - almost worse in some ways, as we're too far away to help - but none of the support provided by family being close by.

Grey and rainy here today and rain is forecast for most of the week, although at least it's no longer cold. Fingers crossed it rains on Thursday as forecast, so that platanos and I can meet up at soft play.

Glad you had a good birthday Nutella - the cakes look lovely on fb

I don't know on the living near parents - I don't get on very well with mine, and know they are not of a great deal of help with grandchildren, and help comes with industrial strength steel strings... so I am not sure I'm missing much! On the other hand I know they are always buying my niece (and to a lesser extent I think my nephew) things and paying for things she does, which my kids don't get as they aren't "in the loop" of what they do/ need etc. My mother had a phase of telling everyone that when she is old she will spend 4 months a year living with each of her daughters (implicit assumption she will outlive my dad there...) but my instant thought was "not til Hell freezes over, thaws out again and is made into a theme park" - my family wouldn't survive it! Seriously there is no way my marriage would survive! The effect on the kids would be unacceptable too. So I am well and truly glad 2 of my sisters who cope better with her live near her (around the corner). We have my in-laws here anyway, an hour from us, so I guess the situation is not the same as for Plantanos, Linzer and *Admylin and lots of the others on this thread. My in-laws are far more practical, hands on help than my own parents would be, and although there is also friction in the relationship from time to time, its more "normal"!

Outnumbered I am really curious about what school is for a dog? Is it puppy training classes? Who'd have thought they'd be so exhausting!

DH has been doom and gloom about money recently and making comments about how it would help if I got a job. I've done a linkedin profile (does anyone use it?) but I honestly can't actually see how I can work. When I point out the problems he says I am just making excuses before I've even looked into it - but Kindergarten have confirmed there won't be a place for DS2 in Jan, as they originally suggested there might be, as they have had applications from enough 3 year olds to take all the places in Sept. He should get a place next May, but its not certain til September 2014. Then there will still be the issue of school finishing at 11.20am - DS1 will be starting 1st class then so will have the 11.20 finish 3 times a week and 12.15 the other 2 days, and DD will have more longer days as she will be 4er Klasse, but will still be finishing at 1pm at the latest. I really don't want to shove them all into Mittagsbetrug and DS2 into full day KiGa at 3, its the exact opposite of what we always said we wanted in terms of bring the kids up, quite apart from the cost and the whole huge other problem of exactly how I'd find a job that paid enough to cover childcare and travel with enough left over yet still allowed me to be home for 4pm, when KiGa and Mittagsbetrug close, with my skill set and language limitations!

For me that's what's hard about living here - being dependent and having far fewer options on almost all fronts than I would in the UK!

Sorry, not replied to everyone and need to get out to go into town and cancel the extortionate drum lessons I put Ds1's name down for at the music school, which would cost half my annual VHS evening class earnings per year...

MrTumbles when you explain all that to your dh what does he think? The after school club costs money too aswell as the full day Kindergarden. If you add that up and then add petrol/public transport costs for a month, how much would you have to earn to actually make a profit? Also I'm not sure about tax groups nowadays but if your dh has tax group III you'd be in V where you have to pay more tax so have even less left over.

Linzer lol at you wishing for rain on Thursday! Hope you have a sunny day alternative planned!

Any idea what a Tagesrucksack is meant to be? It's on the list of things ds needs on this trip. Is it just a rucksack as we know it or are they expecting some sort of high tech bag with some special features like toggles and pouches or whatever? We tried a few pairs of Wanderschuhe on atthe weekend but none were a good fit so we're waiting a couple of weeks. Size 43 wasn't too small but he said his toe was almost at the end but size 44 was slipping off. I think a walking shoe has to fit and not need extra soles and 2 pairs of socks to be comfotable (as suggested by friend who was with us) or not?

admylin I would have thought that unless added extras were specified, a Tagesrucksack would just be a smallish rucksack that holds everything you need for the day. I've just googled it and found that they're "in Form und Ausstattung ganz verschieden"(and also discovered that you can get Drei-Tage-Rucksäcke - who knew? ) so it doesn't sound like you need to look for anything specific. Re the walking shoes, I have vague memories that two pairs of socks (or one pair of thick socks) are recommended to prevent blisters - so you might buy walking shoes in a slightly bigger size than normal, although obviously they need to fit with whatever socks you're going to wear.

MrTumbles The work situation sounds very tricky; the school hours and long holidays certainly aren't conducive to working. I'm still considering whether it's worthwhile financially for me to continue working (after receiving my second quarterly bill from the Krankenkasse for ?1300; I'm paying more than I'm earning ) and really need to look into it asap - and I don't have any childcare or travel costs.
I also wondered whether there was any point in me working when I was in tax class V!

Linzer that's good info - thanks! We will return to the shop with 2 pairs of socks or atleast his thick socks and try again (ds will not be amused but then again he hates all kinds of shopping)! It does also say Wandersocken ion the list so better look into that too. Going by the list, if I stick to it then the Ausrüstungsliste could cost us almost as much as the trip itself!
Ds is now the proud owner of a pair of waterproof trousers like an adult version of the matschhose he had at kindergarden - an item that he will only be using for this week and only then if it actually rains!

MrTumbles I agree that with all the additional costs involved it would be unlikely you would be any better off if you got a job. Maybe if you write out a list of the costs childcare (including school holidays), petrol etc. plus tax implications your dh will see that it´s a non starter.

admylin I agree with Linzer that thick socks are the way to go. It would also be good if you could persaude ds to wear the shoes a few times before he goes away to break them in. Just make sure he packs some plasters - just in case.

linzer It must be so frustrating paying out so much to the Krankenkasse, especially as it sounds as if you enjoy your work. I suppose if you hated it, it would be easier to just stop.

outnumbered Sorry to hear you´ve got so much stress at the moment. How have your dc taken to Charlie?

Nutella Happy belated birthday - I hope you enjoyed the cake.

Lovely weather here again today. No doubt it will stay sunny until the bank holiday and then we´ll have rain again.

Admylin it was when I explained that that he said I was making excuses without looking into it! . To have the children in childcare/ after school care from 8am to 4pm 5 days a week (not including holidays for the older 2) would cost ?420 per month on top of the ?85 a month we currently pay for DS1's morning only Kindergarten (so ?502 altogether, but ?85 we pay anyway). That's even before transport (another ?200 a month at least if I had to get into Munich) and the tax and healthcare issues...

I think he thinks I am being negative and making excuses when I list all this, and don't think he sees the child care reality as he doesn't have to think about it usually - which is half the point of me being home (though I also do think its better, in terms of lower stress, for the kids - DS1 in particular still flips out at the end of a standard Kindergarten day and needs a lot of outdoor time to run off energy and frustration of a whole morning behaving at KiGa, and I'd bet DD would still bring homework home unfinished and have to do it late in the evening, as its Betreuung not Hort).

I am going to make an apt with the Finazampt to see if they can advise me on what the ins and outs of being self employed really are though (thresholds etc) and perhaps the job centre to see if they would subsidise a business/ office German course, as I have heard rumours they might...

Admylin I agree a Tagesrucksac is just a day pack - small comfortable rucksack. Also agree your DS needs to walk the boots in and wear comfortable, well fitting, thickish socks under them - I have vivid memories of really horrendous blisters on DUke of Edinburg award expeditions and wearing slippers to school after the first one because I couldn't get shoes on!

hupa Hope your weather prediction is wrong . Though linzer and I are hoping for rain on Thursday - the soft play place shuts if the weather is nice. And we would then have to picnic on the lay-by of the nearby motorway.

MrTumbles it does not sound easy for you to work to earn at the moment. Those school hours and kita places would make it hard. how does your dh imagine it working? Or has he just not thought it through?

outnumbered how is your ds doing on the new medication? what's with the woman at the austismverein? and your dh's leg? It sounds like you have an awful lot on your plate. Thanks for writing that about your time with your mother. I missed my father's last weeks and days, and I feel sad about that. But reading what you said also made me think about the burden my brother is under as the only child there.

nutella at Stammhalter. How is little one doing? Enjoy the cloth nappies! Tis a bit surprising that so few people have heard of them - heavily advertised in the Uk when I had mine. I even had a local nappy service which washed the dirty ones and delivered clean ones - it was not even that expensive.

linzer I am keeping everything crossed for Thursday. I had been at work for one hour this morning when the Kindergarten called to say ds had a fever. He is asleep right now. I hope he is well for Thursday, I shall let you know. It is crazy that you have to pay to work.

admylin I love my waterproof trousers. I love being able to walk in the rain without an umbrella, especially when dc need to get out of the house and let off some steam. Yes, I agree it is hard bringing up dc alone abroad. And not getting time for oneself. I used to wear 2 pairs of socks hiking. And the Compeed Blasenplfasters have been very helpful too.

must go, ds calling...

linzer and platanos i Hope the weather is s?&? for you I'm very envious as I would love to meet you both!

Speaking of which, antique lentils and whoever else is near Frankfurt: I have another appointment at the Autismusambulanz on the 14th I think. I have a babysitter organised anyway, as the appt is just for myself, so could possibly meet for a coffee?

platanos yes, it really is a double edged sword. It's difficult for those nearby ad they feel they have to deal with it all by themselves, but also very difficult those away as they can't do anything. But still, overall I think I was the lucky one, able to be very close. my mum ( who thought it as a very bad idea of dh quitting his phd and starting a job in hamburg so that I could be close) told me on numerous occasions how grateful she was for the time and closeness she got to share with me ( who she never ever expected to move back to Germany let alone my hometown)' that she was able to spend lots of quality time itch all our dc. And my dad, who probably would have gone through with his wish to end his life, had we not been there. He is now in a new, but very serious, relationship with a lady I will meet next weekend. I'm quite nervous about it. I'm so happy for my dad as he has been incredibly lonely. But my parents were married for such a long time, and I still miss my mum so much, it will be odd to see him with someone else.

tumbles it's difficult isn't it. If not self employed, the hours one can wrk with small children are so limited. And think we'd have to be REALLY stretched for money for me o accept all three to be cared for am and pm. And that isn't even have a financial reason, as here preschool and after school clubs are free.

admylin I really hope your dh' boss keeps her promises and keeps up good behaviour! How did your dc react to you not moving after all?

Oh no, have just written another essay on ds1 and that stoopid Autismusverein but ave managed to delete it!!! Oh well, lucky you

Linzer do you get any of that back after showing how much you have earned? Sounds an awful lot when I think dh pays around 700? for health insurance that covers the whole family.

Hupa is the mini klassenfahrt over already? Did ds enjoy it?

MtTumbles maybe your dh was just having one of those money moans because he's fed up with his job, you should offer a swap, he does the household and dc and you go out to work full time Is he maybe due another job change? You said he liked to change jobs every couple of years.
Dh moans about money but not because we don't have enough, he's on a higher wage than some of the doctors here but he thinks he should be payed more for what he does and then he starts to moan about money. Problem is, his boss thinks he's moaning because we don't have enough to live on and then she actually tells him his wife should get a job then he wouldn't need to ask for more money

platanos how is your ds's fever? Do you have to make up the hours if you have to collect a sick dc during work or are they OK about taking work home? Hope you get your rain on Thursday!

outnumbered hope you sort out all the problems with the verein. Did you manage to sort out that mix up with wording on the jugendamt document?
Well, my dc are so laid back and easy going that they don't mind either way so are quite happy to stay here but were equally happy to move back to Berlin ( I wonder if I should worry about their laid backness sometimes)! I was the only one stressed about it as it was up to me to find a suitable new school and place to live!

So, double socks and compeed plasters have been added to my list and we might manage to find some shoes for ds tomorrow. He has already been warned to mentally prepare for another shopping day!

admylin No, I don't get any money back but if I do pay too much, my account is in credit. I've just checked again and I'm actually only paying ?600 per quarter for 2013 itself, but an extra ?750 per quarter for messing up my tax return in 2009 and 2010. It's actually social security rather than just health insurance, so also includes pension contributions (the largest share), accident insurance and Selbständigenvorsorge. However, as I'm earning under the Alleinverdienerabsetzbetrag I'm wondering whether I really need to pay all this or whether I could go back to being insured with DH (obviously I'd lose out on my pension contributions, but who knows whether they'll be worth anything when I come to retire - and I do have a private pension in Germany).
That's a shocking attitude from your DH's boss and the worst excuse for refusing a pay rise I've ever heard!

outnumbered It's a shame we're all spread out so far; you'd have been very welcome to join us otherwise. I can understand how strange that must feel to meet your Dad's new partner; you must have very mixed feelings about it.

platanos How's your DS today? At least the weather is still looking good for soft play. I've been trying and failing to come up with anywhere nice nearby for a picnic.

MrTumbles Sounds like an appointment with the Finanzamt would be a good idea. Jobs that don't involve putting your child into Hort for longish hours are few and far between here, but self-employment could be an option. Working freelance definitely has its advantages - the flexibility is a huge one (although it all depends on the type of work you do, of course).

hupa Fingers crossed that all the rain comes down here (or rather, stays here) for the bank holiday. You're right, I don't want to give up work entirely - and actually, I've calmed down about it all now that I've had my contributions reduced (I wrote and told them my expected earnings and they've reduced my quarterly payment by over ?500) and I've realised I'm not paying quite as much as I thought for 2013 after all.

Linzer I will get DP to sort out the DVD and post it out to you soon. Glad to hear your friend's op went well. I wish her the best of luck.
I'm also jealous of your meet up with platanos I hope you have the weather you desire on Thursday although I now meet up with a few British ladies on Fridays which is fabulous!

admylin have you heard of IWAH? The "International Women's Association of Hannover"? They run the group I go to on Fridays. :) they have other meetings too, although I'm not sure when I'll be able to take advantage of them.
I hope you get everything you need for DS's trip - without too much shopping trauma.
Your DH's boss sounds as bonkers as usual. I hope things are a little more friendly at work for him. Is he still applying for other positions?

Platanos DS is very well. We had our first pekip type thing today. He mostly loved being naked and later being massaged just before getting dressed again. It's tough being a baby! Although he is a total wriggler! And I'm sure it's normal; but often when we meet other babies I realise that mine is a very good looking baby :o

hupa I really hope you're wrong and the sun comes out again on Thursday. DP had totally forgotten that it is another bank holiday... But now we need something to do...

Right, I'm going to go before this becomes another epic post. Thank you all for the birthday wishes :o I really had a great time. The cake is all finished (I sent everyone home with at least one slice of each) but since my cake didn't turn ut how I wanted I am planning to make more cake - you know to practice. I'm telling DP I have to do it in the name of science. What is baking if not a form of scientific experimentation?

Morning all!

nutella what is pekip? It sounds like fun. And of course your baby is very good looking and will improve as you feed him breast milk fortified with scientifically researched chocolate cake .

linzer Good to hear they have reduced your contributions. It all sounds dreadfully complicated. Well done on sorting it all out.

mrtumbles we cross posted. I hope you can get some good advice. And that dh sees how complicated it all is with childcare and with what you want for your dc, and what is best for them.

outnumbered what did they tell your dh about his leg? Hope the meeting with your df's new partner goes okay. It is tough. My mum mentioned some "Manolo" who helped her with the terrace. And I heard myself demanding; "Manolo? who is Manolo?". And she then explained he was a friend's dh. I felt a bit at my reaction.

admylin I have 2 weeks a year as Pflegefreistellung. Otherwise I have to make up the hours. I would really llike to work from home, it would be best for me (nobody does my work for me so it piles up). I have been reluctant to ask as working from home is not encouraged, but I know other people do it. dh's boss sounds like a real nasty piece of work. Hope you get ds kitted out - when is it he goes?

I am still home with a sick ds. He is an excellent patient - good tempered even though he has a fever. I have however had to cancel my meet up with linzer as rushing round soft play is probably not sensible after spending the week in bed. I so wanted to meet up and having a little private strop. Everybody: please call off the rain dances!

I am getting cabin fever - off to open a window and stick my head out for a while.

Morning! Dc have a day off today so there is peace in school for the oral Abitur exams. Dh has just left to join the organisation at an international congress being held in Hannover today. His boss is the host so all his mitarbeiter have to greet guests and listen to lectures all day for the next 4 days.

Nutella lol at your dh forgetting the Feiertag, especially as it's his first official Vatertag! He's meant to go off with other fathers and get drunk at the lake I think.
I'veheard of the IWAH but never thought to look into it further. It's be good if they did some sort of teenager meet up to get the older dc involved and speaking English (dd still not speaking English although she's set on moving to the US as soon as she possibly can and only watches youtube videos in English)!

platanos sorry your ds is still ill and you've had to cancel the afternoon with Linzer. So when you've used your 2 weeks Pflegefreistellung do you have to take unpaid leave? Lol at 'who's Monolo'!

We're at the orthodontist today at 2pm then straight on to look at shoes again. Also need 'Turnschuhe die nass werden dürfen'! I don't think that means specially designed to get wet, just either old trainers or light-ish ones.

Morning all,

After DD1's less than flattering comments about my hair yesterday, I went to the hairdresser's this morning - where the hairdresser greeted me with the words "you can see what the weather's like from your hair"! Am now feeling slightly more presentable and am also hoping that I look slightly younger as the youngish cashier at Billa said tschüß to me today instead of Wiedersehen. (Hallo and tschüß are generally only used here with people you would say du to; I don't think a shop assistant has ever said tschüß to me before, although they daringly say "hallo" at H&M.)

admylin I find that English-language activities dry up once you have school-age children; there are either English baby/toddler groups or social activities in the evenings for parents, but nothing in between. (Apart from ridiculously expensive English courses aimed at non-native speakers.) It's great that your DD will only watch YouTube videos in English, though.

platanos We should look at it as postponed rather than cancelled - fingers crossed that we don't have good weather everyone's fit and healthy at the next bank holiday weekend! Glad to hear that your DS is an easy patient (I wish mine was!), but it must still be frustrating for you to have to stay at home. Perhaps we need to skype over a glass of wine instead.

Nutella That would be great, I'll PM you my address as I don't think you have it. Thank you.

I'd also forgotten about it being Vatertag in Germany tomorrow; I always thought it was a bit strange that men would spend Father's Day going out and getting drunk. Father's Day isn't until June here, but the Austrians don't seem to go in for drinking like the British do.

Evening all!

Linzer Call the Midwife is on its way to you. I had to laugh at your DD's comments about your hair. If it's any consolation, you can tell the weather from the state of my hair too.

Good luck shoe shopping, admylin. Hope you find what you need.

Get well soon, platanos' DS! I had to laugh at 'Who's Manolo?' too :)

Happy belated birthday, Nutella!

outnumbered I'm not sure I can do the 14th but I'll check and let you know.

How did you get on at the Finanzamt, MrTumbles? I hope they can provide some clarity.

I think Hessen has rain forecast for the bank holiday, hupa......
It haven't checked today though so you never know.

DH has the whole week off, which has really thrown me in terms of what day it is, but it has been nice to have him around. My hay fever seems to be getting worse every year and it completely knocked me out yesterday. Has anyone tried the 'Desensibilisierung' that some doctors offer? FIL mentioned it as an option and I'm thinking of looking into it as I thought I'd picked up something really nasty yesterday until I realised what time of year it is.

DS is really chatty at the moment, which is really sweet, but his favourite word is 'Nein!' Of course, he has to repeat it every 10 seconds or so, just to make sure the message is getting through :)

Checking in quickly. We went away for the weekend, I didn't log on for a few days, lots to catch up on.
Happy belated birthday, Nutella, aka the mother of the gorgeous baby! :)

plat, hope your DS gets better soon.

LT, hope you are happy with your new hair, and feel wonderful! I need a cut, but with only three weeks til we get back to the UK, I am going to wait til then, save on any translation issues.

out, would love to meet up! What time are you likely to be free from? DS has a gym class 2-3, but we are free outside that time. I will have him with me, and he is a busy little tyke, he doesn't really do sitting still for coffee yet. I could try and wear him out at softplay as well as his gym class first though, and hope he sleeps! :)
I hope the meeting with your dad's new partner goes ok for you, I can't imagine how tough that is for you. (((Hugs)))

admylin, sorry to hear your DH's job thing didn't work out, what a lot of effort and headspace. Hope you are all happy to be where you are.

Hello to everyone else, need to get offline soon.

We are fine, managed to sell most of the big items (wardrobe, spare bed, sofas), and still decluttering. Still feel we have a lot of stuff, and feel a bit weighed down with it. I like minimalism, I like feeling free and light ... but I also like nice things! :)

Hi! Just a quick one from me too as I am trying to somehow lessen the chaos before my dad gets here...

lentils my appt is at 1pm, although they are never on time. I would estimate I should be free or leaving the hospital at 3pm latest. Are you on the centre? If the weather is nice we could meet in a park perhaps? Have a little picnic and your ds can run around?

antique If you do happen to be free, it would be lovely to meet you too!

Right better get going. Am super slow today as I woke up with a really stiff neck this morning. It makes you appreciate how lucky I am, as done people are in pain or are very limited on their movement all the time!

Do your dh' all have the Brückentag off work? On any case, have a lovely public holiday everyone

Hope your day went well, out.

DS's gym class is in town, we will be done by three, so should be good. As a park and picnic sounds nice!

Good morning all.

outnumbered how was it meeting your dad's lady friend? I hope it was ok. It's a very different situation for me but her new man makes her the happiest I've seen her in years. It is good to see her with someone who genuinely cares about & for her.

Is anyone near Dresden? We are going to be there sun- tues. I'm looking forward to the change of scenery. Or does anyone have tips for things to see & do there?

nutella enjoy the change of scene. I visited Dresden years ago, before children, and just walked around the city....not much help,sorry.

outnumbered hope your neck is better. How was the visit?

lentils well done on selling the big items. Will your stuff all fit in the van now? Have you got a new home sorted in Scotland? It is great that you are going back in summer, and can enjoy that wonderful countryside.

Antique do you take anything for hayfever? Poor you. I live with 3 hayfever sufferers so know it is not pleasant. I don't know anything about the desensibilisierung, but it was advertised all over the place at the allergie ambulatorium that I took ds to. Might be worth a try?

linzer good to hear your hair is sorted. Mine is mad at the moment, I am trying to grow it longer...it has decided to grow UP the way. Or OUT - at strange angles. But not down. The sun was out yesterday, did you notice?!?! Hope we manage to meet up soon - ish!

On skype- we should have a huge skype meet up! Is that even possible? I am not a fan of skype - well, at least not with the dc. They fight over being in the frame, then all want to speak at once, or not at all...I can see how it is great in theory, it just does not work in this house at this stage.

admylin How is the shopping? Did you get the shoes? When I have used my 2 weeks, I can take holiday days, or TOIL as we can work flexibly. Or I get a babysitter and pay her more than I earn (seen on a per hour rate, as I do get social insurance etc paid which the babysitter does not get from me).

DS seems a better thanks. He didn't have a fever yesterday, but slept for most of the morning. He is asleep at the moment, so let's see how long he needs today. Dh is away so we are having a pizza and dvd night tonight. But I would like to get ds out in the sunshine for a little while - he looks a bit peely-wally, poor lad.

Hope there is sun where you are. Have a fun weekend!