**German Chat**everyone welcome* - macht es euch gemütlich

[ZZZen]

reden wir weiter...

trockodile - so glad you've got your dh home - cant imagine how excited you must all be!! thats a lot of driving your doing in the next few weeks but you'll have a great time!! maybe it was best that the car broke down before you started the trip!! give scotland my love when you get there - need to plan a trip there soon!

mmelindt - i'm impressed with you sorting out that workshop! are you going to do it in french!! if so you are turning into some kind of linguistic hero in my eyes!!

ernest - how's things with you today? did you get anything sorted at the school? are you still trying to find a way to resign from parenting!

dh and i went to kiga for the sprachtag today - its all much more in depth than in the UK! they said they have one every month and we can come as little or often as we want! she just said that she thought ds1 was doing well with his german but that if we wanted they could sort out some intensive german lessons for him - think it is for dc with speaking problems and although he can speak english perfectly well they thought it might help with his german. i'm not sure yet though - we've not even been here 3 months and his german has come on hugely in that time. maybe in 6 months if its not better then we could look into it. ds just sometimes struggles with new situations and he'd have to go to the next town to do it - not sure its right at the mo.

she also wondered why he didnt want to draw at kiga - dh just said rightly he's no interest in drawing!! he never has done but she wants us to practice with him at home!! he can write his name so its not like he cant do anything with a pen - he'd just rather be playing or building!! but i'll be a good mum and draw with him later!! ds2 will love that - he'd draw on every wall if i let him!!!

trockodile - yes you´re mad , but I´m sure you´ll have a great time. My dc loved Legoland and still talk about it every day even though it was nearly a year ago that we were there. Just one word of warning if you go on the pirate ship ride -you get absolutely soaking wet. We were soaked through to our underwear, but it was a hot day so was not really a problem. If it´s cold I´d take waterproofs or a change of clothes to be on the safe side.

We´re off to France for a week tomorrow. We´re planning a couple of days at Disneyland Paris which I´m sure dd and ds will love and no doubt they´ll spend the next year talking about that rather than Legoland.

Canella - I think you´re right about leaving ds for a few months to see how he gets on. He made such good progress so far, so no reason why it shouldn´t continue.
My ds is exactly the same when it comes to drawing. He point blank refuses to pick up a pencil. At least he´s got a couple of years before he starts school here, in England he´d be really struggling in school already.

Trockodile
Glad that your DH arrived home safely. Yes, you are a bit mad to drive all that way, but I am sure it will be fine. Story CDs for the car are good distractions, Aldi often sell them.

Canella
Sorry to disappoint, I will be doing the workshop in English, it just seems to be the English speakers who are nasty at the moment.

Don't worry about the drawing. Our kita said that if the children were not keen on drawing then they would start them off doing other artistic stuff, finger painting (outside is good for this, just washes into the grass) playdoh, glueing etc.

They also said that boys often like to do the little puzzles, you know the ones in comics where they have to follow a line with their pencils?

DD much prefers drawing something herself to colouring in.

I would let him get settled before you start the German course. Plenty of time for that.

hi, wrote really long post yesterday, then it disappeared when I pressed post, and in fact the whole of mn did, so couldn't get on.

went with dh this morning to see head.

her take is that my ds said he did threaten with knife, the boy denies it, so she can't really do anything, buz well, that lady really means business - the little git boy wh's been bullying my son since September ... has to sit in the back row of the bus. Wow, well, that's him told then I have got a headache now, and find it all just too depressing.

It has made me more nervous about moving thy boys to the German school as well now

Ds3 & dd poorly, so yes, if anyone knows how you resign from parenting, give me a shout.

Canella, glad you got on ok at kg. i'd agree it's too early & not necessary to be loooking into intensive german course. will he get extra german help in the vorschule class? ds1 & 2 never did in CH and they've survived, but ds3 will here.

Has anyone registered to vote in the up coming european elections? We handed our forms in today. I'm excited cos I don't think i've been able to vote for much more than the parent class representative at kg since 1999.

trock. enjoy the drive

yah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Mr Trockodile is back safe and sound and for ds' birthday too. Brilliant. Enjoy your trip, sounds like fun (unless you're doing a lot of the driving). I have to say I sort of dread long car trips now that dd has to have Fünf Freunde on all the time. I am starting to develop a violent dislike for Uncle Quentin. Still at least we have left Bob the Builder far behind us. Those were the days...

I know canella I was in awe of ML what with her busy social whirl, calling the mairie to arrange some benches and holdign a workshop for dc in French! Mind you doing it in any language sounds like quite a challenge.

Maybe you're right hupa, maybe Frosch has had her C-Section, she's been very quiet. Hope she and the baby are doing well.

ernest, I wrote a long post about your schools but it crashed and in fact I couldn't get back into MN

You had your reasons for wanting to try living in Munich and sending the dc to local schools : you were not keen to return to the UK, you were unsure about ds passing his 11+ and whether the dc would all get into good schools, your boys wanted local friends like they had in CH. I know you are feeling wobblyand I cannot in all honesty tell you there's nothing to worry about but I do think you are right to try it. I recall that finknottle although she has been through A LOT with her dc's schools did not mention bullying as a problem at her schools at all

I just got to put it out of my mind.

There was a huge hoo haa in Feb when the bullying got really out of hand. She said if any more bother at all, ds should tell and xyz would happen . So ds gets more bother, tells, and she says no witnesses, can't be sure it happened, lets' just change his seat on the bus. That's it.

Oh but ends with a supportive "if you get any more trouble, come and tell me and I'll do xyz".

Reckon his dad must be a lawyer.

Her finaly words were how tough the german school system is, and dep head has just pulled her ds out of grade 6 to put him in IS.

So pissed me off all round really.

Anyway, enough about that.

ds is turning into a card carrying bum shuffling toddler. eating the cat food, eating jigsaw puzzles, lots of screaming, and demanding the joyhurt spoon herself. Lord help us.

off to the hoffbräukeller tomorrow.

And it's mine & dh's birthday celebraion on sunday. Don't think he getting me pressie tho (I told him not to, don't need out)

happy weekend everyone

Ernest
Sounds like the principle is an idiot. No wonder her DS is in trouble at school if that is her being consequent and laying down the law.

Have a good birthday weekend, do you both have on the same weekend?

My birthday tomorrow, dh's on Tuesday, but he's in italy Mon^Wed, so celebrating both tomorrow.

Goys, give me some ideas - long weekend coming up next w/e. dh taking ds1 to London, I'm here with ds2, ds3 & dd. I want to go away too 6 do something very special. Thought camping trip, but as dd only 111 months, prob too difficult for me. Any ideas? Not got any family anywhere useful. Friend invited us to her house in france but it's a 12 hour journey. prepared to fly, but need soemthing easy with 3 kids and fun. Any ideas?

Happy birthday Ernest, hope you are having a great time.

If I were you I would head for Italy for a couple of days. You are not far away from there anyway. Is Tuscany too far for you to drive? I guess so.

happy birthday for yesterday ernest - hope you had a good weekend!! was LOL at you writing dd was 111 months! she's grown up fast!! ha ha! i agree with mmelindt that italy might be a good plan - hear people raving about sued tyrol (?sp) - is that near you? maybe you could get some kind of selfcatering place for the weekend or maybe thats more hassle for you with the 3 kids!
hope you get something sorted - are the kids off on friday with you? the kiga is closed thurs/fri but nor sure if school is closed on fri as well! will get dd to ask tomorrow!
have you decided anymore what to do about taking ds out of school - it sounds like the school is a complete waste of time about sorting the bullying out - really pisses me off that people who dont care about children are looking after them!

mmelindt - feel better now that you're doing your workshop in english - could have been depressed if i thought you were doing it in french!

we had a lovely weekend - BIL came on sat - he's in munich and was a bit bored (girlfriend was away) so just decided to drive to us!! bit mad i think - it takes hime over 3 hours but he's good fun and we had a right laugh with some beers and wine watching eurovision on sat night!! i was a huge fan of greece - liked the man's tight trousers!!!!!
then MIL and FIL came yesterday - weather was great for most of the day until another huge thunderstorm at teatime!
they've taken ds1 back with them for this week so maybe ds2 might behave a bit better if he's no brother to fight with! but they're so close the 2 boys that ds2 is missing him already! there's another little boy at kiga with the same rucksack as ds1 and ds2 was all giddy cause he thought ds1 was at kiga already!! bless!

anyway need to get off MN - seem to have washing spilling out washing baskets now!!hope it stays dry so i can get it all sorted! dont like doing washing - machine is in the kellar and there are some huge spiders down there!! yuckity yuck!!!

Ernest
Canella had a good idea there with Südtirol. It is lovely there, Meran or Bozen. We have a friend from Meran and have visited a couple of times.

Or what about one of the Kinderhotels? They are supposed to be good and the DC woudl have lots to do. You might even get a cup of tea in peace.

ooh thanks for your good ideas. It reminded me of a self catering holiday village we wnet to last summer when dd was only a coupla months old, cheap & basic but less than 2 hours drive, so I've booked. shame dh & ds going to london really.

lol,slip w dd being 111 months. feels like it. she changed so much in the last week - bum shuffling, so really mobile, refusing spoon feeding, won't go to anyone else but me, screaming if I disappear from view, ie to wee in peace, terrified of loud noises like hoover, even iron, and jealous if dh or dss cuddle me. All in 1 week. She's changing so fast

My word it was so incredibly hot yesterday.

wow, canella, you're lucky to have family close, glad you had a nice time w. bil. jealous you have pil who can take children away with them Where d ot hey live? If near Munich, maybe they could take some of my plenty of children with them? (I was waiting with my 4 horrors angels at munich airpot one time, when a woman came up to me wide eyed and asked me in her comedy english "Are they all your plenty of children?!" and since then dh refers to them as our plenty of children. (mine alone if he's annoyed with them)

So, I guess I'm being thick here, but is your dh german?

Any news from Admylin?

oh, ml, wish I could've gone to Kinderhotel, but seems a bit extravagent. our self catering holiday place is 47 euros a night. It's not that bad really either.

Any news on Frosch?

LOL at your plenty of children.

Sounds good, the selfcatering place. I have never been to the Kinderhotels, but my friend goes every year. Tbh, I prefer to dump arrange for the DC to go to Grannies house and go away without them for a weekend than spend so much money on a kinderhotel. Or go away with DC and Granny&Grandad. That way we all have what we want. DH and I get some DC-free time, and the DC and the grandparents get to spend lots of time without mama interfering.

I am hoping that no news is good news on Frosch and Admylin.

no, no news from admylin yet. I'm hoping (pretty sure really) that no news is good news. Did she tell us when she was travelling? Not sure but she may have arrived in the Lake District now and if so , she'll be recovering from the whole hassle of moving before getting her teeth into the next lot of challenges I'd expect!

Frosch, hupa, taipo, canella, finknottle and ML all have German dh's actually, Ernest. Can't advise on holidays in Germany tbh, always got the hell out given half the chance. I think I might have a look at Holland if I were you, it's not very far and something a bit different or Italy/Austria. Maybe you have cheap flights from Munich to ex-Yugoslavia. I've heard Croatia is quite nice and they are great with kids there.

HOpe Frosch is ok, maybe she has given birth. If so, she'll be too busy for MN for a while I expect. Hope she's ok.

oh sorry, not really with it today, very tired.

Just seen you have actually booked something ernest. Hope you have a nice time and a bit of break. Your dd sounds quite lively.

ernest - sorry grandparents no where near munich although BIL is!! maybe he'll take some of your plenty of children!!!
grandparents are in Thueringen so about 90 mins from us! they're good with one of the dc at a time but they're going to brave having all 3 the first weekend in july to let us go to a wedding! its only near Leipzig but its still time on our own which we never get at the weekend!

it was hot here too yesterday - i'd put suncream on the dc but both ds have got sunburn - i feel terrible when they get sunburnt! feel like a terrible mother!

dd is feeling poorly this afternoon - came home from school with a tummy ache - given her paracetamol, put her to bed, tried to get her to have a poo - still no better!! no idea what else to do!

Frosch, hupa, taipo, canella, finknottle and ML all have German dh's actually, Ernest.

Am I the only only one here for no good reason???? You're all married to German's. I'm the odd one out?

I'll get me coat

Nah, stay, Ernest. We need our token British family now that Admylin is gone.

Although, if she thinks that leaving this group is as easy as leaving the country, she has another thing coming.

Morning all! hope you've not got your coat ernest!!!
how did you end up living in germany ernest? did i read it right that you were in Switzerland before? does your dh job mean that you need to move or did you just fance something different? (sorry for the 50 questions - i'm like this in RL too - nosy is the word!!!)
i'm impressed at you both managing to sort out all the tax/school stuff etc when neither of you are from here - you're my linguistic hero of the week!

i've got to phone back a mother from the kiga who left a message on fri - i had to get dh to write the number down - she spoke so fast that i had no idea what the number was! feel sick at the thought of trying to speak to her!she wants to talk about the sommerfest!

dd is home poorly today - after i posted yesterday she puked, puked and puked some more until she fell asleep form the effort of it all!! she's peely wally pale as we would say in scotland! a day at home will do her the world of good but restricts my MN time!! ha ha!

hope you all have good weather too!

welcome Maninadirndl! i'm only new too - well been i germany for nearly 3 months! how long have you lived in Holzkirchen? just googled it - it must be handy for going on trips from there! i'm in the completely other end of Bayern! we're going to a wedding in Burghausen in August - only beginning to realise how big Bayern is - it'll take us over 4 hours to get there!

i'm sure some other mums will be along later - they all know much more about germany than i do!

Hiya, the north end of Bayern I do is Weiden and Grafenwöhr where I spent a year working for the US Army. Worked for an evil multinational but liked the American soldiers and found them very friendly. Is it Oberpfalz you live in?

I can see the mountains just from my balcony here, the mountain on which my daughter learned to ski.

Hi there, I am a stay at home Dad who has just discovered this thread. I'm living in Holzkirchen which is supposed to be the "Gateway to the Mountains" but is more like a building site right now. I am raising two kids 3 and 5 and would be nice to hear from the Deutsch side of MN. I am British and my wife is German. We met in Mongolia while she was working for her German company.

Hope Ernest you got your bullying sorted out.

no maninadirndl - we're even more north than that - we're in Unterfranken - just on the edge of the Rhoen! hoping to get our kids skiing on the Kreuzberg next winter but hoping for a hot summer before that after too many pathetic summers in the UK!