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Lieber Frühling, komm doch bald. A new Kaffeeklatsch thread for Spring - living in Austria and Germany
357 replies
Ploom · 19/03/2013 15:40
OP posts:
itsMYNutella ·
04/04/2013 17:20
admylin you asked if I had traditional Easter food... I don't know what traditional Easter food is in Germany... Or the uk. We never made a big fuss about Easter, mostly just enjoyed a long weekend 
LinzerTorte ·
05/04/2013 08:01
Nutella Traditional Easter food in the UK is Easter eggs, isn't it? 
I've no idea what traditional Easter food is here either; my ILs have Easter lamb (cake in a lamb shape) for breakfast, but otherwise it's just endless sweets and chocolate from the DC's Easter baskets.
No tide marks or any kind of staining btw - it was a copper bath, so that probably disguises any stains on the bath tub.
admylin How would your DC feel about moving? I sometimes think we need to move to force us to declutter... I couldn't face the upheaval, though!
DD1 got her biology test back yesterday and got a 4 - it was quite difficult, I thought, but she also made some silly mistakes. DD2 has a Sachunterrichtstest on knights and Romans coming up next Friday and was revising at breakfast this morning... sadly only one of the sheets she has to learn is the same as DD1 had, so it doesn't look like they'll be having the same test - that would have made life easier.
itsMYNutella ·
05/04/2013 09:17
It's very quiet in here... Hope everyone is simply busy having lots of RL fun.
admylin I hope it isn't too stressful for you and that before you do any packing or moving you are satisfied its the right thing for all of you.
DP is the one who gets very stressed about things. I try to ignore stuff until I have to do something about it which doesn't work either be more relaxed.
DS has been a bit out of sorts the last couple of days but then had an amazing sleep last night! He slept from 21:30 ish until 03:20 then woke and fed again at 4:30 I put him back in his ed about 5 and he slept until just after 8 
it was fantastic!!
itsMYNutella ·
05/04/2013 20:10
admylin I think some of the grumpiness is teeth but he was fine through the night and has slept pretty well today too; so I'm hoping tonight goes well. I think putting him back in his bed helped. I love to be cuddled up to him but he does tend to wave his arms around and keep us both awake- when i put him in his bed I swaddle his arms.
Our washing machine is also ancient, probably closely related to yours by the sound of it! We have a super modern tumble dryer and an ancient very non fancy washing machine 
ah well, stuff comes out pretty clean so it'll do. Why does your microwave keep beeping? You've said about it beeping before, it sounds very odd.
MrTumblesBavarianFanbase ·
06/04/2013 06:16
Hello everyone
Nutella I am 
of your night's sleep after yet another terrible night with Ds2, but I hope it continues for you!
Admylin your children do sound very adaptable. I would hate to uproot my DC even now, and they are young - but I have made such a huge effort to make sure they are settled here and have so many friends - DS1, who is quite shy and used to refuse to stay at other people's houses to play has come out of his shell now and suddenly become really popular with the other boys (though he's very much a boy's boy!) and has friends ringing him all the time now just like DD. DD is on the surface very confident but she's more fragile underneath I think, and if she didn't make a big crowd of friends quite quickly I think she'd take a huge knock - when school's not going well at least she still has lots of fun playing with her friends here... DC3 is the only one I wouldn't worry about moving! Your DH has been so miserable for so long though that the move must be worth while - my DH is in IT (and willing to do pretty enormous commutes) so can change job without moving (which is a good job as he seems to feel compelled to do so every 2 years), but it must be hard for academics who have to move city if they want to change employer!
outnumbered how was the house? I don't think we'll ever buy again now, we've been in this rented house almost 6 years - though DH has said in the past he'd like us to buy a small place once the kids are all grown up!
I didn't get all the sorting done when the kids were away - its endless really - but I got the worst of it done and rid of a lot of stuff, which is good. Ds3 has his own room now (previously a toy/play/junk room), after 6 months or so of sharing with DS1 didn't seem to be working in terms of his sleep, but he is, if anything, sleeping even worse now... Guess he needs time to get used to the new set up perhaps...
We are still on Easter holiday - well, the kids go back on Monday. DD is at a sleep over now, but we are picking her up at 9 (the friend she is staying with is also an early riser - they were both up before 5am when she stayed overnight here previously) and going to Playmobile Land :) We are meeting the in-laws there (DH's idea, but I said OK even though we've seen a lot of them recently - the kids will enjoy it and I suppose it is less stressful to have more adults - though I took 4 kids there on my own last summer so I don't really buy the need for 4 adults for 3 kids!). I just wish I was doing the day out on more than 3 hours sleep - maybe I can sleep in the car ...
platanos ·
06/04/2013 08:24
mrtumbles I am impressed at all that sorting. wow. hope you have a good day at playmobile land. I think you could sneek off and have a little snooze in a corner, leaving a ratio of one adult per child.
nutella that was a nice long sleep! how was last night? mine slept much better all swaddled up too...though can't rember how long that lasted.
admylin any news from the job? It is true that, in general, children adapt better than parents. When did you last live in Berlin? Good chance to get a new microwave and washing machine if you go, and you can treat yourself to one if you decide not to go...
outnumbered lots of possible exciting new things - possible puppy and house? hope the viewing goes well today. Let us know....
Linzer bath full of wine sounds interesting...but what is it meant to be good for? Only in Austria! I am surprised there was no pumpkin seed oil in it...or would that only be allowed in Steiermark?!?
We went to the allegry dr for ds this week. all a bit confusing, as there are some fruit and veg he can't eat when the pollen he is allergic to is flying about. But should be okay for the rest of the year. I am not sure what to tell the kindergarten (and school and hort in september). I guess an outright ban is easier for them, and less risky for ds. I don't know if they can administer anti histamines, cortisone tablets or use the epipen in emergencies. I shall have to ask.
And dd1 (10.5) has started bed wetting again. sigh. I think it is the stress of the 4. klasse and the impending changes. let's see what happens.
Easter was quiet here. The dc were in kita/hort for 4 days and then I had some time off. We made it to bratislava one day - it was actually warmer than here, and we managed to have a lovely walk in the sun! saw hot cross buns in marks and spencer -is that the other traditional easter food? easter eggs and hot cross buns?!. A colleague of dh's is coming over tomorrow with some osterschinken that her mother in Kärnten prepared - she says that is typical food for Easter. Well,the children and her will eat that while dh and I have some other vegan goodies!
right, off to swimming....but first I shall copy this in case it vanishes. have a sunny, healthy, relaxing weekend! (one can hope )
LinzerTorte ·
06/04/2013 14:52
admylin Good news on the formal job offer. Sounds a little tricky with your DH's current boss, though; I have no idea what to advise, as DH and I have only ever told employers that we were leaving when we actually handed in our notice and knew that we'd definitely be going.
platanos 4. Klasse is quite a stressful time, isn't it - does your DD get stressed about Schularbeiten? I'm sure they said that red wine is supposed to be good for your skin (but they probably would say that ) and added a few other things to the bath water, although no pumpkin seeds thank goodness! M&S has hot cross buns (and DH insists on buying them) all year round for some reason; we bought a few packets when we went a couple of weeks ago.
MrTumbles I'm sure that anyone who knew me in RL would instantly be able to identify me on this thread (in fact, someone I know told me she recognised me from a post on the freelance board), but I just make sure I don't post anything that I would be horrendously embarrassed by in RL. I also assume that it's highly unlikely any Austrians I know would find me on here (so do moan about my ILs a little), but I'm more cautious when it comes to English-speaking friends.
I was supposed to be working this weekend but the job didn't materialise, DH is out in the garden helping the neighbour to chop up wood from the tree (again) and the DC are all over at the neighbours' so it's blissfully quiet here at the moment. I suppose I ought to do something productive.
MrTumblesBavarianFanbase ·
07/04/2013 14:11
admylin that is good news about the formal job offer :)
plantanos that sounds stressful for your DD. I worry already about my DD as she'll only be 9 in 4th Klasse - she won't even turn 10 til she starts 5th Klasse, I so wish we'd kept her back... Too late now! I hope your DD starts to feel more settled and calmer soon:( The allergy test results also sound complicated - I guess it has to be a blanket ban with Kindergarten otherwise somebody will get mixed up and he will be fed something he shouldn't have at the wrong time. Are you also trying to educate him about what he can and can't eat and why? Quite confusing for a KiGa age child!
*Linzer hope you enjoyed your peace and didn't do too much!
SIL came to Playmobile land too - she was waiting in the car when we met MIL and FIL on the way there, so we had 5 adults and only 3 kids! A bit crazy! SIL is great with DD especially, they have a bit of a bond and SIL is only 23, so she climbs about the place with DD, which is nice. MIL hogged looked after DS2 until he got tired and grumpy because he was missing his nap and wouldn't sit in the pushchair to let himself fall asleep, then of course he was mine all mine but that's normal... To many adults is a bit too many cooks though, as the in-laws have firm ideas on such outings (for example you must do a rund outside first, it is not appropriate to do the indoor part first - although I pointed out that the indoor part is quieter in the morning and packed late afternoon, as everyone does the outside circuit first... You also don't eat or buy drinks there (waste of money, even if its our money) but I like treating the kids to a rare fizzy drink and plate of chips on the type of outing that only happens a few times a year Also i sometimes feel as though I must have been put on mute - none of the adults listen to a word I say - resulting in DS1 being marched off in the wrong direction for the toilet by FIL despite the fact I'd pointed them out (I had to run after them or he'd have had an accident as they were heading back to the ones at the entrance, not the ones 20 meters from where we were) and various other things. DS2 also gets really stressed out when people wander off, and spent a lot of the time bordering on a tantrum yelling "Oh no" Where's OMa/ Opa/ SIL's name/ DD/ DS1/ Daddy/ Mummy" or whoever he wasn't with, and the in-laws were always wandering off so we couldn't move on to the next area til we'd found them. MIL is especially bad as she is a heavy smoker so wanders off to smoke... The kids had a good time, but honestly I find taking the kids places by myself less stressful than having "help"! Back to school tomorrow... we've got to go to the in-laws yet again next weekend for FIL's birthday, they are helpful but I think we've seen rather too much of them recently!
outnumberedbymen ·
07/04/2013 20:20
admylin fingers crossed the written offer is a good one. Is there any point listening to his current employer's 'contra offer'? So far it hasn't sounded like they stick to their words. Although I completely and utterly understand how you must feel, thinking about starting all over again!!! I would dread that too!! At least your dc seem to cope ok with impending changes.
The house we viewed was beautiful. Sadly it doesn't have enough bedrooms 
people who don't know our circumstances must assume it to be totally acceptable for two children to share a bedroom. Which would be the case in that house. Or, alternatively, we would have to cut a chunk out of the living/ dining room to create a master bedroom. But that would leave not enough space for us, three active kiddies plus big dog. Also, the garden seems quite a lt smaller to what we have now and we would struggle to fit swing, sandpit, trampoline and slide in and still have plenty of room to run around. As gorgeous as the house was - and the couple is lovely, I think we will have to keep renting and hope something better will come up eventually.
Re doggies: as long as our landlord gives us his written ok in time, we really will be getting a little, very gorgeous flattie lady in two weeks time!! Fingers crossed everyone that the landlord gives his permission in time. He has no legal grounds to deny us the right to keep a dog, but of course the law doesn't give a timeframe how quickly he needs to respond to our request
How have te hols/weekend been for everyone?
LinzerTorte ·
08/04/2013 08:18
Eastpoint Sorry, I'm really not too sure - is there a pharmacy nearby where you can check? I had a quick google and according to Wiki's German site it's rezept- und apothekenpflichtig, which means you can only get it at a pharmacy (Apotheke) and need a prescription (Rezept); I would assume that would apply here in Austria too. However, it could still be worth checking at a pharmacy just in case - plus they might be willing to give you medicine that would normally be rezeptpflichtig (it happened to me a little while ago). It's Tranexamsäure in German, if that's any help!
outnumbered What a shame about the house. We found it very difficult to get a house with enough bedrooms; even the villas here only seem to have three (admittedly huge) bedrooms at most. Exciting news about the dog; hope it all works out. What's a flattie btw? I did google, but am assuming you're not using NZ slang for flatfish!
MrTumbles Your Playmobil visit sounded a little stressful. I also know how you feel about being put on mute! Although in my case, my ILs will ask me a question and then stop listening to my answer mid-sentence; it drives me mad... DH says that their hearing isn't good (although SIL is the same and I'm sure her hearing is fine), which I can appreciate, but surely you can see that someone is still talking to you even if you don't catch what they're saying.
Lovely and sunny here today, although it was still quite chilly out when we walked to school. It's supposed be 17° on Thursday, but I'll believe it when I see it.
itsMYNutella ·
08/04/2013 09:01
Sorry Eastpoint I can't help at all begone what Linzer has already said. Hope you manage to enjoy your holiday perhaps eat lots of chocolate/ drink hot chocolate
Well DS has been quite settled over the weekend, I'm hoping he isn't lulling me into a false sense of security before sprouting some teeth or having another major growth spurt. It might be unlikely but if he could consistently sleep 21:30 till 3am, feed, back to sleep until almost 6, feed then sleeping till 8 I might actually start to look less tired soon
He is incredibly active. Just fought some clothes onto him. No wonder babies sleep so much, he never stops! When you lay him down he tends to stretch out his arms so he looks like a little T then when he gets excited he thumps his arms on his belly.
Have to get ready for my ruckbildung class. Will say hello to more people later!! Sorry for probably really boring post
outnumberedbymen ·
08/04/2013 11:09
mrtumbles i guess it depends on yourself, but to me dc getting up at 5.30 is def a big problem! Which is why ds2&3 were given a groclock. But maybe that's just me being selfish, just like me insisting an 7pm bedtime for all three.
How is your ds2 at night, being in his own room now?
linzer I said to dh the other day that you only realise three dc is not the norm when you look for either a suitable car or house, as there really isn't much choice. I know so many people with more than 2dc, I often forget that it more than average.
Yes, a flattie is a flatcoated retriever. They are gorgeous and fantastic with children. I think if we waited for the kids being older and a bit more independent, I would not want to go back to bring restricted. And as I am still at home we decided that its the perfect time as I will have plenty of time for the little pup. And I am hoping that maybe having a puppy will get rid of my broodiness
nutella yay to your ds giving you a bit more sleep!
easta haven't heard of it. I have very heavy and painful periods and take buscopan plus. That is prescription free at pharmacies. Good luck
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