Admylin

[SSShakeTheChi]

Recovered and returned. As you can see this is the year I plan to take up Tai Chi (not that I've done anything about it yet).

You told me once that you were working with the English curriculum at home and I was wondering 1) where you get the patience to do that after doing the German homework and 2) which books/materials you've been using

You know the Humboldt University has a swimming club for dc held in English.

PoolinMitte

Thanks for the info, will have a look. My internet connection is playing up this morning. I've been to language/bilingualism and answered you but each page takes 5 minutes to upload so it must be my modem, my computer or T-online has a problem maybe. Whatever I have to try again later as this is annoying!
Will try and check out that swimming - fischerinsel is on a direct bus line for us so good. We have a direct bus line to Zoologischer garten too (245) so we should be able to arrange a meet up. Would be great if our dd get on (mine isn't very girly, but not a real tom boy either!)

I'm having the same problem. Mumsnet keeps crashing on me this morning.

Think we'll have to haul finknottle over here for a bit of a yak.

Made a chicken curry this morning (not that your family would recognise it as such!). See how dd goes with it. Bet I get : "mummy this is NOT my favourite food." with a disapproving frown. She's not especially girly-girly either. Mind you she still has to wear her pink princess dress for Fasching. Is your school having Fasching?

Dd will want to go as a pharoah but I can't be bothered figuring out how to make a costume. Totally uninspired about it. Failing that, bet she'll want to be a pirate. However I paid 30 euros for the princess dress and she wore it once at ballet so she's going as a princess I've decided!

Oh fasching, that is a hard one for me! I just don't get it and in berlin I thought I would get away from it as it was a really big thing in south Germany.
Dd wants to go as a vampire and ds is refusing to go, he wants me to pick him up early from school! Which day is it by the way?

If they do a parade through the city we could maybe watch it together. They throw sweets at the crowds and all the kids manage to get a bag full each. Dh won't go to things like that although last year he came out for an hour and was even dancing onthe street with dd. Last year we stood round the corner from Friedrichstrasse corner of Unter den Linden.

I have never managed to figure out when Fasching is and why it is at different times of the year in different places. Our school celebrates Fasching on the 19th of Feb.

Dancing in the streets? What is this?! Oho! Is your dh going native then? I've never heard of a Fasching parade in Berlin. Sounds good with all the sweet throwing etc. I'd be into that.

Dh was in West Germany somewhere on a business trip. Don't remember where, might have been Cologne, and this woman came up to him and cut off his tie with a pair of scissors! He hadn't known it but there is one day when the womenfolk head off round town cutting off ties. He was totally bewildered.

Yes itwas crazy in south Germany. One day during Fasching they go and free the school children for the rest of the day, so they storm the school and let the kids out - can you imagine the first time I heard that when ds was in year 1 and I had to go and reassure myself by asking the teacher if my ds would be out on teh streets at some point - but it was only teh high schools that got free that day!

Yes the parade was quite nice, should be on the berlin website soon. They had a plan of the route and I think it started somewhere round Potsdamer platz. The radio people interviewed dh on the street that day asking what people thought of all the carneval stuff going on as it was quite new to Berlin. Dh just said "oh it doesn't shock me , I've just come from the south and even though I don't look it I am also german!" They were looking for real foreigners.

speaking of Fasching, did you see my email?

Sorry didn't see your mail, will have a look - I was going to send you one any way with some photos so you can show your dd what her potential english friend looks like!

Thanks for the mail with the lovely photos Linda. Hope we get to meet up sometime next week.

Lin, I was talking to a mum after school yesterday and she told me that they are no longer doing those recommendations in Berlin. She says if your dc don't have the required grades on their report, they now have to sit entrance exams at the gymnasium of your choice but it is up to the parents now which type of secondary school they choose for their kids. Have you heard anything about that?

No, never heard of it. We got our Halbjahreszeugnisse on Friday, ds got good grades 1's and 2's and a 3 and dd just got a report card with smiley faces instead of grades, she got all big smileys so she just has to hopefully keep up the good work. Ds has to verbessere his Texte Verfasen but I have to find out how!
On Monday we can't come becaus ethe water people are coming to read the meters between 2 and 4 so we will have to stay put unless they do us first but I doubt it.
Dd wants to go to Teufelsberg on a wanderung, do you fancy it one day during the holidays? I thought if we packed a few drinks and snack we could get out into the green forest and climb the teufelsberg. Have you ever been? I think we would have to get to SBahn Heerstr. then walk. Says it only takes 17 mins from Hauptbahnhof. Depends on the weather though but we could decide last minute.

That's good that they both got good reports. The smiley card sounds great! We didn't get anything. I don't think our school gives any reports before grade 3.

Dd has been up the Teufelsberg quite a lot. Dh usually takes her up there and I stay at home! Do you mean where they fly kits?

Yes I think so, there is a load of steps to climb up then you can see quite far over Berlin so dd says! Which SBahn station would be the nearest? I can't think of any other Ausflüge to do in the holidays and I've got to get out of the house with them or I'll go mad.
This morning dd has been trying to move her stuff around, but their room is just too small and it is a pain because they need more space. Bad enough that they have to share. If dh wants to stay here then we have to move to a bigger place for sure.

How was the staatsoper?
Been shopping for carneval costume today but now dd has decided to go in ds's costume from last year so saved some hassle and cash ! Ds is boycotting carneval as he found it boring last year.

Ha! Lucky you, I'm trying to figure out how to make a pharaoh outfit.
Got some good tips but I have a long way to go. Finding the headdress a challenge.

The Staatsoper was great. Dd made a couple of friends there and we had a chat and something to eat and drink in the Mitarbeitercafe afterwards. What a nice atmosphere! I'd love to work somewhere like that, relaxed, friendly, all the different nationalities and languages, people poring over scores, conductors coming in hunting down their musicians. Musicians trying to get out of going back to the rehearsals.

It was a nice day but tiring for both of us. I've come down with something, feeling really whacked today but hopefully it will pass if I get a good night's sleep. Fingers crossed.

Popped over to the bookstore whilst I was there and bought a ton of English books for dd. She's started reading English by herself so thought I'd best be prepared!

How are you all?

Which bookstore did you go to? That's on our list too thought I would try that big one on Friedrichstr as someone told me you can get loads of english books there.
We're having a maths day for dd, she struggles so she needs all the help she can get.
Ds is going to be doing german but he is refusing at the moment. Sunny day too I'd much rather be out in the country side... sigh!

Haven't done any maths at all despite my intentions. Dd just grabbed an English book out of my hand the other night and started reading ..Jesus and the disciples handed out the loaves and fishes... I was So I thought I'd best get some books she could learn reading English with. We have a few Usbourne books but not much. She's racing away.

Went to St. Georges. Didn't have time to browse since I had to get back to the Staatsoper to pick up dd. They have a lot of books. I bought tons for dd. I'll have to go again when I have more time to spare.

Were they new or second hand? I need to buy some german and some english ones for the dc and soem english ones for me so it is going to cost a fortune, I am desperate though. I haven't got anything left to read - last night I read Der kleine Prinz out of desperation really just to have something to read.
Someone suggested trying Amerika gedenk bibliothek or soemthing like that as they might have more english books to borrow. Haveto check it out.

They were second-hand, but as good as new.

Have to go and check itout then, money just seems to dissapear from my purse - just getting around town costs a fortune!

It is expensive, isn't it? That's what I thought on Monday paying for 6 tickets. Ouch!

Really is a lovely day today. We've just come back from the doctors (Meningitis vaccination they have introduced for dc) so we have to take it easy today. However, I did promise dd we would go to the Egyptian museum thinking it was here at Schloss Charlottenburg. I've since found out it's at the Alte Museum now and so that means heading back up that way this afternoon. Doesn't feel right going to a museum when the sun is shining though.

If I don't go, dd will be VERY annoyed. They have a family thing at 3pm on Saturday for kids 7 and over. Might pack dh off to that if I can as well and have a bit of a break. Feeling so tired all the time, wondering if I'm a bit run down actually. Think we could really do with a proper holiday.

I tried sending you some photos. I'm so useless, wish I knew how to do it properly . I forwarded some that dad sent me but they're not the best, in fact one is just HIDEOUS but there wasn't much to choose from!

Got your pics, thanks!
You seem to have your dh better trained than mine. Mine is useless really , never gets far with the kids at the weekend. We went out last Sunday as a family, invited to someones house and it was only the 2nd time since we've been in Berlin. We wnet to the egyptian museum when my sis came lasttime, her dd was doing Eygypt at school so she loved it, ds loved the family of mummies. Also cost quite abit.
On Sunday we called in at the Zeiss planetarium thinking it would be a good thing for ds if they showed the telescope and did a guided tour but the prices were definately "birthday treat" only prices so not an any day thing to do.

Hi there you two. Would you be up for a Mile for Maude walk in Berlin? I assume (hope) I will be in Berlin by then. Would be a good way to meet up too CAT me or post here if you fancy it.