Der Herbst ist da - wir wollen aber kein Regenwetter: Life in Germany cont/d

[finknottle]

Too lazy to scroll through the other long one.

Here for Obst und Blaetter - guess what d came home from school singing yesterday?

All welcome, Austria & Switzerland & any German-speaking Leute too

Horrible here too. I need to go shopping but can't face going out atm.

The 's' thread is our very own thread for ranting about extolling the virtues of the German school system

Have just posted there, admylin, so come and offload

The s thread is where we moan about school troubles!

No, I don't want a dog anymore, not after the last few days of wet and cold, I'd never want to take it out in winter for sure.

My heating in the bedroom is dripping water - have to try and get hold of someone to have a look. Trouble is the caretaker is a wierdo and lazy at that. when he handed me the keys he siad 'oh and don't bother me if you have any trouble with electric, heating, decorating or that sort of thing - I don't do any of that' up to now all he does is come round with one of those loud blowing machines to blow leaves from one place to another.

this is the latest one isn't it? will offload then!

I am back online at last!

A whole week without my pc, I was suffering from withdrawl symptoms. It is working now, although not wifi so I am sitting in the office amongst unpacked boxes.

It has been a bit of a nightmare, tbh. We arrived last Tuesday, came out to the house on Wednesday for the handover to find 2 guys sanding down the wooden floors. The bedrooms, the living/dining room and the office, all no-go areas, and would not be finished till Thursday evening. "But our furniture is arriving this afternoon!" I wailed, to no avail. Really annoying, as the house has been empty for weeks, I think that they had to wait until the painters were finished. Should not complain, they renovated the entire house so we had no work but it was frustrating. We put the furniture in the garage and cellar and moved it in on Friday. The company sent a couple of guys to help me move everything.

DH did not arrive till Saturday, by which time the DCs and I had moved into the house, but were sleeping in the cellar as the rooms upstairs stank, they floors had been varnished. The smell was so strong that my eyes watered just going into the rooms to open the windows.

We have been on mattresses in the cellar till last night, the rooms still smell a wee bit though.

Oo congratulations on the move, MmeLindt

I was just wondering this morning how it had all gone. The floor thing sounds like a bit of a nightmare but they are lovely floors (had a look at the photos on your profile). So how are you finding it so far? Have you met the neighbours and have your dc started school/KG yet? [nosey emoticon]

Oh, and have you got better weather down there? We seem to have gone straight from September to November here.

Hiya MmeLindt, cellars are v handy aren't they? Must have been a right pain but also good now to unpack in a clean and renovated house.
Don't envy you the unpacking mind, I only this week found the snooker cues which had been AWOL since our move 2 yrs ago but my knife sharpener is still away somewhere. Should buy a new one to guarantee it turns up the following day.
Saw the tiles and can report there is a paint, Fliesenfarbe, but it's a right nightmare. Don't think it was just me, I read a lot about how hard it was to apply and breezily thought I'd manage fine... It was in our old kitchen, really tricky gloopy stuff which came out uneven and with bobbly bits (technical term) and got dirty quickly & was v hard to clean. Put you off yet? Oh and you have to spend ages priming (?) the tiles with some foul liquid.

Our bathroom here has foul beige tiles with the occasional feature goldy one but I've learnt my lesson and devoted my energy & money on decent shelving & deco with other colours to detract from the hideousness. Annoying though, we had the children's bathroom put in and it's lovely & h has his own downstairs which was also already here but perfectly decent in white and grey. The beige one has beige floor tiles & a beige ceiling too

Hi mmelindt, hope you settle in nicely and stress free. Sounds nice ifit's all newly renovated and it looks really big on the photos. Are you enjoying speaking French?

I also slept on the floor for a while, you really look forward to getting into a real bed afterwards! We still haven't got lights in the bathroom or hall or ds's room (although he has a lamp) h keeps saying go on MyHammer and get someone to come and I'm saying well WE have to go and get the stuff for them to put up before I order handy men. Typical I get the feeling he's waiting for me to go out and get it all with no car, 2 dc in tow and no credit card (main reason I need him to come really as I can actually manage the rest)

Hey Lind - congrats on having somewhere to sleep! Sounds like a bit of a mare, but at least you are safe and dry and finally getting sorted.

Whereabouts are you? Will have a look at the profile in a bit.

Just off out to baby group now - not looking forward to facing horrible woman who runs it - especially as in foul mood after 3 fairly sleepless nights with DS (teething we hope). Have researched what to say to her when she starts on me today ...!! If German fails maybe Ernst can come with me and sort it out next week ?

Has anyone noticed how the little Germans are already wrapped up to the nines in winter coats, boots and scarves, even gloves and hats? I mean it's only just below ten degrees here. What on earth are they going to wear in winter when it really gets cold? Maybe it's all to do with thermal undies.

Lol, yep, some started even before the temp dropped, mine were just in sweatshirts and d's friend had a downy jacket. This morning d has progressed to a windcheater and her friend had a hat and gloves.
Changes when they're older, row with s1 constantly about wandering around in a T-shirt Am now at "Fine, get pneumonia then, see how cool that is!" stage.

Lol went out with the neighbour and her dog yesterday and after 2 minutes of running about my 2 had their coats off, 2 minutes later dd had her sweatshirt off - cue shocked looks from several other dog walkers (it's dog walkers paradise where we live) but I'm used to it and just tell everyone it's their Scottish blood!

TheGabster
I forgot to welcome you yesterday. We are now near Geneva, just a couple of miles from the French border.

My French is still very basic, I can order a coffee and a croissant but that it about it. I will start French lessons soon though, so that should help.

The DCs started school on Monday are are really enjoying it. DD is 6yo and a bit more wary about change but has already made a few little friends, there are about 5 children in her class who speak English and one boy who also speaks German. DS is very easy going, he just gets right in amongst the other boys and plays with them. He does not have the same reserve as DD so finds it easier to cope, I think. He did look a bit sad this morning, but he sat down at his little desk and started drawing. He is only 4yo so the school is completely different from Kindergarten that he is used to.

My two are always out in just t-shirts, perhaps with a padded waistcoat but no winter coat yet. I wonder how the CH children will be. I haven't seen hats and scarves yet. The Germans are a bit mad about that aren't they?

Finknottle
I have seen the tile paint, my aunt used it on her bathroom but I have to say that I found the old ugly tiles better than the lumpy white paint. She said it was a lot of work too. I think I will just learn to live with them. The kitchen actually looks ok, we have put our Expedit shelves in front of the tiled wall to camouflage them a bit.

Loved the pic of your d with her Schultuete - my d had the same Bastelset one I think, a mermaid.
Glad you all seem to be settling in well
You seem to have lost your chocolatey name, btw

hello

managed to get ds into kindergarten with out pranging dhs massive car....i hate driving and the car park is piddly

am hoping he has been alright this morning

yes he is also a little person who hates having lots of layers on the austrains are all wrapped i must be seen as such an unkind mother,he only has two layers on

we are no longing talking to mil at all

it is a bit of a strain to say the least

till later

Oops, forgot that I namechanged .

Mme Lindt - glad you´re finally sorted - sounds like things are going well. I have to say we used fliessenfarbe in our kitchen and I don´t think it looks to bad - o.k. it´s not brilliant, but passable. I think you have to decide if you can live with the existing colour.

Sorry your still having problems with your mil Cinders - hope you can sort things out.

I think I´m becoming a bit more German with regards to winter clothing. When I go back to England in winter I´m always amazed to see girls walking to school with ankle socks on or people going out for the evening in T-Shirts with no jackets.

Hupa
Maybe it depends on the product then. Tbh, I think I can live with the green. The rest of the house is fab so I will just ignore the kitchen.

I don't get the British obsession with wearing summer clothes from April to October, regardless of the weather. And the young girls going out clubbing with just a tiny wee skirt and a top in November. brrrr.

Well I've managed to talk my sister into getting her 2 d's big winter boots for the first time in their lives for the next visit to Hannover so we can go through the forest and out and about what ever the weather. They have their clark style little black school shoes or trainers and ankle socks on all year round!

I'm off to shoe shop (yes -again) this afternoon as we have to get boots. I'm used to being a city girl - Berlin Mitte had good straight pavements and no puddles but we want to walk down the forest footpaths here and even the countryside footpath direct to d's school is like a mud path when it rains! It's so colourful at the moment I must remember to take the camera out next time and try and pout some pics up. Yesterday we picked rose hips for the neighbour to make some German style honey and rose hip alcoholic drink.

phew back

I really do hate big cars
im far too short

mil aaarrgghhh

trying my best simply to avoid her, rather tricky when we seee right into each others houses

I amazed by her wish to control everything and money of course will fix everything,

she is going for her hip op in three weeks

so we will not see her a month.
I really do not want to be mean to her

Sounds stressful cinders, no idea what it's like having a MIL around but I can imagine I wouldn't even be on such good terms with my own mother if I'd lived next door to her!

was a very silly idea
seemed a good idea well to dh

tried so hard to be helpful and inviting she has never been in our house for more than a few mins and broken so many promises to ds >>>I can find it slightly funny now but she made ds christmas biscuits last year and guess what she never got round to icing them because they ate them

feel very inferior to her

Cinders
I don't think there are many adults who could cope with living so near their parents/in laws. As much as I love my mum, and we get on great, we would drive each other mad if we lived so close.

Well done for putting some distance between you and her.

DD has just been invited for lunch with a little girl in her class, the family is English and live 2 doors down. Poor DS was upset that his DS was not coming home though. I am letting him watch some Lightning McQueen, I suspect he will sleep for half an hour or so. He looks really tired.

Cinders, no need to apologise for mil rant.

Mine lives a two hour journey away and that is still too near. I have to bite my tongue every time we go there to avoid a huge row. No way could I restrain myself if she lived next door. Oh and she does that making me feel inferior thing too

Hey Lindt - Geneva? Fab! Have a friend lived there for 8 yrs, then moved to here (Munich). She misses it tonnes. She said only problem was she always went shopping over the borner because food was soooooo expensive in Switzerland!

Hi Cinders - feel I know you already, as soon as you mention anything about MIL. Must say mine is fab, and I even suggested moving to be nearer, but DH was horrified (TG).

Admylin - it sounds like you are in lovely bit of Hannover then! Will you get much snow there too? Love walking in the forest all snowy, although admittedly not when about 2ft deep and have to walk dog. He loves it/goes mental and runs ahead leaving me to wade through.

Glad you are all so positive towards wrapping up. I live in small v.old traditional Bavarian village on top of valley and farkin cold! Here you are considered wimp if you weat anything warmer than a fleece at the moment - its definitely a competition! Have bought sheepskin footwarmer thing for DS as he also hates layers and flat refuses to have gloves. At least he isn't walking yet. Actually he isn't even crawling yet - at nearly 8m - he really is a lazy bugger.

TheGabster
So far, I don't find it much more expensive, apart from meat and dairy products. I have not been over to France yet, but will have a jaunt next week perhaps. The guy who did the training with us told us that he takes his kids as "Meat hostages" as you are allowed 500g per person in the car.

Admylin
I noticed you were all chatting about gynaes a couple of days ago. If you are not bothered about driving to the other side of Hannover (Hemmingen) I can recommend a fab Dr. She was my gynae when I was pregnant with DS, she is a tiny little Persian woman, very herzlich and friendly. Actually, our paediatrician in Hemmingen was brilliant too. Let me know if you want their addresses.

I walked DS back to school, it is not far at all. I think that I need to start walking more, it is just laziness to take the car instead of the 10 min walk.