Fruehlingszeit in the German Corner - chat continues here

[SSSandy2]

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From Brezeln to Bier

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Dd is 5 and ds is 3. I think I´ll have to wait to they´re both in school before I start working. At the moment I´m employed by dh´s practice and do a bit of paperwork, ordering etc. It´s just to cover me for my health inurance. I do it all from home so it doesn´t really feel like work and is only a few hours a week in any case

I would have found it impossible to work regularly when dd was at KG, she was sick so often. I don't know how dm manage if they don't have a support network of grannies and aunts and so on to cover for them.

I've been thinking about the logistics of it recently and I think I would need to have a couple of retired people I could call on at short notice and pay to take dd to school, pick her up, stay with her if she's sick etc; otherwise I really don't see how I could manage a job with fixed hours.

The logistics of it give me a headache tbh. I'm also not sure whether it's worth me working more than a few hours a week at the moment as I think once you earn more than 400 euros you have to start paying tax and health insurance etc so I can't see how there would be much left over. At the moment I'm covered by dh.

I agree. Ds has been ill lots since he started Kindergarten and we´ve noone around we can call on, so it´s down to me. The only women I know who work are those that have the grandparents around to look after the children.

admylin - dh says Reactine Duo works the best for him, but he said somthings work better for some people than others. Sorry I don´t know the cost, he usually gets them free.

Thanks hupa! The tablets I bought this morning seem to be starting to work abit. Thank goodness, I looked as if I was walking around crying!

thequietone the chemist gave us a tincture to brush on the wart up to 4 x a day - "Clabin plus gegen Warzen". Says in the instructions that it should have done the job in 1-2 weeks. They also have something you can use to freeze the wart off at home but she was reluctant to let me have that.

I had a wart frozen off at the doctors when I was a schoolgirl and it wasn't too painful/drastic but I don't know how you do it yourself from home. That might be better for you because it would be immediate rather than painting this stuff on for a couple of weeks.

Morgen.

Are you all enjoying the very summery weather? It's lovely here, or at least it would be if it wasn't for my hayfever and the fact that dd has been off school since the end of last week with a chest infection so we can't really get out and enjoy the sunshine properly. She's been healthy all winter, not even a snivel and then as soon as it warms up - wham she goes down with a really nasty cough.

Apart from that I'm fine!

Morgen, or should I say Mahlzeit!

Lovely here, going to go for a nice relaxing afternoon in teh garden - they can do their homework outside and then play with water pistols as I haven't got a pool set up yet. My hayfever is still going full on too even though I've changed tablets. I think I'll have to take double dose and ds is starting with it now, he gets itin his eyes really bad. Dd woke up with a cough and sore throat too but she's at school although I sense a few days off might be what she needs.

Isn't there another Feiertag coming up ? Must get a German calander.

I haven't got a German calendar either! Feiertag is next week I think. Probably Thursday. Dd is off school from this Thursday and then has another 2 whole weeks off. Hope she gets better soon so that we can enjoy the time off.

Ds also has hayfever I think although it hasn't been too bad so far and we are managing it with eye drops. I was really bad a couple of weeks ago but it's eased off again. I used to only suffer in August so I'm a bit annoyed that I've started getting it in spring too. Do you know what you're allergic to?

No I have no idea which tree or plant I'm alergic to! My German friends all seem to know exactly which tree is in bloom and what they are alergic to, how they find out I do not know!

I don't think us Berliners have such a long school holiday coming up, I will have to check because there is nothing on the list I have printed out with holidays on.

pfingsten admylin. Is Monday a public holiday for Pentecost? Not sure about that but we have Tues-Friday off Pfingstferien

Hi Taipo (waves across)

Has everyone (gulp) cleaned their Fenster?! They don't look good grimy in this sunlight do they?

What, are we off school next week ? They could give a bit of warning though, I haven't got it written/printed any where.

My windows are not too bad cos I cleaned (well I got dh to do them) them before mil came to visit . They are already looking pretty filthy again though when the sun shines through them. I must admit I do quite like cleaning German windows though, much easier than the sash windows we had in London.

Yes, I noticed it that too, Admylin. Everyone says knowingly 'ah well, that's that's because the hazelnut (or whatever) is coming into bloom.' I have no clue.

I really must get a German calendar. Have just found out that Monday is indeed a holiday.

Hello everyone -it is very quiet here at the moment, hope you are all well.

Ds seems to be settling in at kindergarten well -first week nearly finished and only one lot of tears-when a big boy pushed him. But he is positive and looks forward to it, feel very proud of him

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good place to go on Monday? We have been given a train ticket (33 euros for up to 5 adults for travel in Nordrhein Westfalen) to use that day and want somewhere that we can travel to from Gutersloh.Would be DH, DS(age 3), me and poss another couple with DD (also age 3) Not too stressful or expensive. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Woohoo! Anyone there? All outside in the sunshine, eh?

I need some advice, ladies. I missed last summer here as we arrived at the end of it. Where I live there's a huge problem with mosquitos and also these tiny flies in our bedroom. I've no idea where they are coming from, but there's literally hundreds of the things. They also like to congregate around DS2's cot, which I'm very concerned about.

What's the best thing to buy in Germany to get rid of flies etc. I presume getting nets is good, but any other advice would be gratefully received before we all get bitten!

Hi quiettone. We're a quiet lot at the moment aren't we!

Mosquitos are awful here aren't they. My dc are so allergic and so am I. I couldn't live without screen/nets on all my windows. You can get them at Schlecker quite cheaply or in Baumarkt and you get a strip of velcro stuff to stick them over the window frame. It's hard to get them to fit perfectly but once they're up you can peacefully sleep with your window open. Otherwise you could try nets over the beds but that means they can still get into the house and bother you everywhere else!

What about one of those plug-in smellies which repels them? Or when it's really hot an electric fan.

Oh yes I remember using them when we lived in a place with huge windows where I couldn't fit the nets over but I was always worried about the dc breathing 'fumes' in or the plug thing getting too hot in the night etc.

I know - I did wonder if there were any associated health risks, but I think if the room is biggish and well-ventilated they work really well - better than anything else I've tried.

Absolutely gorgeous here at the moment. I sat in my director's chair under a parasol all weekend watching DH dig the garden and directing the planting of plants . Think it's my turn to do some digging now though - if for no other reason than to get this baby moving. Due date is upon me and I'm fed up being the size of a heifer (sp?).

I remember going for walks up hills pushing ds in his pram because dd was over due! Didn't help but then I went to my Hebamme and she did some acupuncture on me which relaxed everything and she was born 2 days later.

May is a nicetime to have a baby, ds is a May baby and it was nice - not too hot but not freezing cold.

Does someone feel like trying to calm me down? I'm starting to panic. We've booked our tickets for Thursday to Hannover to flat hunt and I haven't got a single flat to look at yet. I am starting to feel my heart beating faster and I'm getting stressed sitting here on paralel websites looking for flats.

It'll all be my fault if it doesn't work out but if dh complains and I leave it up to him he'll take the first thing he finds like this place in Berlin. He took it without me seeing it (dc were in school in south Germany so couldn't leave to look with him)and although the garden is nice and the area too it's too small so the dc have to share and there is no balcony etc..the blardy agent hasn'tphoned back yet either andI'm counting on him showing us atleast 2 places and then I have tried to get in touch with another Verwaltungplace but they haven't answered my message, stress stress - have to go and feed the dc soon as tehy are off school too. They keep getting all excited about the great new bedroom they will have and the lovely garden and I feel 90 % sure that I'm going to let them down as there just isn't much on offer at the moment.

I sympathise, I really do. It reminds me of when dh got this job and we had to fly over to Germany to flathunt in one weekend. Not something I want to do again in a hurry.

Do you have to find something this time or would you be able to go again in a few weeks to look again? If so, then you could spend the time this week just getting to know the areas you want to live in. If you happen to find something (and I would suggest making at least a couple of appointments) that's great but don't put too much pressure on yourselves.

Thanks taipo, that's all I'm asking for is a bit of sympathy!

You're right I have to stop trying to be perfect and get it right the first time. We can go again, infact we have to, at the end of June or 1st of July as it's the registration day for the Gymnasium. Only thing is - am I going to be able to sleep with no flat but this one already gekündigt because of the 3 month frist thing.

I think I've found two atleast to look at and might get a response by tomorrow about another couple and that should be enough for 1 day.

Well, splitting headache today as I couldn't sleep last night and dd is ill so been to the doctor with her at 8am and she has verdacht auf keuchhusten [schock] and has to inhale all day today. We've still got to go to Hannover though tomorrow - I've got a 12 o clock, appointment, one at 14:30 and a very friendly Makler is picking us up at 16:00 to show us what he has to offer (probably all his most expensive places first) but I' being as chilled out as possible, if we don't like anything we'll just have to wait and go again.

Should I try and squeeze another appointment in between 14:30 and 16:00 - what would you all do?