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

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Canella
Not sure about English lessons, we have not started to think about that yet. I will have to look for something for DD soon.

I thought that I would just do reading with her, she seems to be managing htat ok in all three languages. I don't really want to do too much yet as she is still getting to grips with French.

Canella - dd has only just started school, so I don´t know how the teacher here will handle it when she gets to year 3. If you´re quite happy with her reading could you ask that she uses the time to improve her written English eg. story writing, book reviews, non- fiction writing. Having said that, you might have to offer to check it yourself, because the teacher probably wouldn´t be happy with the extra work involved. You could look at the National Curriculum to see what would be expected of her in England. You could also maybe put a search into Amazon - Year 4 Literacy, and see what that brings up. It should bring up lots of resources that teachers use and would act as a good starting point for you.
I think it really depends on the teacher that you have with regards to how willing she/he will be that dd is doing something different to the rest of the class.

About English lessons: ds had a really nice teacher in Grundschule in Berlin who brought him some Realschule English books for class 7 and 8 for him to work his way through. When he had finished that he read books like Harry Potter or the teacher gave him Tom Sawyer in English. Dd just used to help out in her class and oh be prepared, if your dd has a regional accent in English, she will be corrected! Ds use dto find it painfull but they learn to say bas for bus and as we are northerners we say bus 'wrong'!

In Gymnasuíum later it's better if your dd just sticks to the lessons the other dc are doing as the teachers rarely have the time or the inclination to make exceptions.

Girls, what should I do about this: just went to see a flat, someone saw our advert and phoned and she showed me around. It's a great flat, exactly where we want , big rooms in all 120m² and own garden. Affordable too, and then the woman said: we're moving because of the old lady next door who is the owners mother and she is always shouting at the dc and complaining and it got so bad that we are moving. Hmm, her dds looked very sweet and the house was tidy. Should we risk it? She even mentioned something about the police one time but I didn't ask further. If she hadn't told me that, I would have taken the place without a doubt.

I've seen those programmes about neighbours from hell so I know it can make life very bad. I've got the phone number of the owner (apparantly her mother is the problem) and of the woman who lives there now.

Oooh - that´s very tricky admylin. Were her children much younger than yours? I tend to think younger children tend to be generally louder(I´m hanging on to this belief for a long as possible) and are more restricted to playing either in their house or just outside and don´t really have an appreciation of their impact on others. What I´m trying to say is - do you think it was the age of the children that may have caused the problem? eg. bobby cars racing up and down the hallway. If so I´d be tempted to consider it, but not at all if the children are the same age as yours.

Was that the only reply to your advert? Hopefully you can wait another couple of days to see if anything else turns up. It must be so annoying when you´ve finally found a flat that meets your needs. What does dh think?

Arghhh - that problem has just sorted itself out. The woman just phoned me to say that she is staying 1 more year (some sort of Vertrag and money problems) so we can't have her flat anyway. Typical, it was so nice and the dc loved it so back to the drawing board!

I'll keep putting the advert in the paper as I seem to get atleast one call every time it's published.

Oh, that was disappointing Admylin. Difficult situation, I always wonder if it is just a clash of personalities when there is so much bother. We lived in a flat where the landlord was a real pain, but he did not bother us much as we kept out of his way. Ohters were always shouting at him, and getting yelled at in return. They never lasted long. We spent 7 years in that flat.

We have a Feiertag today and apparently many of the Genevas also do a "pont" - Brückentag so the town will be be busy tomorrow. I am meeting some MNetters for lunch in town, hope it is not to mad.

We went to France today to the hairdresser. I really like my hairdresser and she told me today that she is pregnant again so wont be working much longer. It took me almost a year to find someone I really liked and I am selfishly annoyed with her.

She is not so happy herself as her DS is only 11 months old. Her children will only be 16 mths apart!

Have a nice lunch out mmelindt, sounds good.

We got a new offer again yesterday so going to look at it this afternoon while dd is at swimming. It's in an even nicer street than the last place.

Yesterday we went to view another flat too - a man phoned and I said it was too far from school really but he said just look at it, it's great, tiled floor, lovely kitchen everything you need. So I went and it was a dump, what some people think of as a 'lovely kitchen' is amazing. Also had mould in the bedroom and dirt you could have scraped off the floors around the skirting boards!

I must do some ironing, the pile is getting too high.

Hi there. I used to be maninadirndl but resurfaced here.

Hi Roger, nice to have you back! Has Kindergarten started again?

Flat yesterday was OK but the owners lived downstairs and no bath tub in flat - can't decide, are we being too fussy, should we wait? They wante dus to take it and kept saying how they liked dc, also no use of garden either.

The big flat with garden and terrace is still going to be an option but later as the occupants are building and it isn't quite ready but I think they'll try to move into their own place as soon as possible to save money.

Today I phoned for a house but the man said I just have to warn you, it's a mess, I didn't realise it would be when I put the advert in the paper, the people are still living there but Besichtigung is today from 10am to 1pm.

There will be loads of people looking at a house as they come up so rarely and we can't renovate so I don't think we'll get it if someone who says they'll do al the renovating wants it. Will drive over there now and look though.

Hi there, Roger. How are you doing?

Admylin
It is difficult to know which flat to take, isn't it? There are so many things that you don't really see until you move in. I hope you find something soon. I am impressed that you are taking your time and not rushing into taking the first thing that you get offered. You have to be happy for a long time in the flat. Any compromise that you make now is going to affect how you feel about living in Germany again.

You are thinking long-term. That is a good sign.

We are having a quiet weekend, farmers market and Fête de Galoise this morning. Lots of Asterix and Obelix verkleidet people. The kids were delighted to see calves and rabbits. Not to mention the hand pressed apple juice. Yummy.

We also got a cooked chicken for tonihgt, so I only have to do a salad. Will do some garden work in the afternoon, maybe some ironing.

Morning. Everyone have a nice weekend? We chilled and watched TV for a change but have put it back in cellar now as it's just a source of fighting who gets to watch what and sitting zombiefied for hours! Good every now and then when it's pouring down I suppose!

We have to decide about the flat we saw on Friday. Dh is no great help as he says 'you decide'. Can you get by with just a shower? Dc are older so shower would be OK but it is relaxing sometimes to have a bath isn't it?

Anyway I have to phone the people tomorrow to say yes or no. There isn't a kitchen in it so we'd have to buy one so I'll tell them we can't take it until December, can't afford double rent and a kitchen.

Just phoned for another flat in centre of area we want to move to but it's still being renovated and it'll be a 5 room flat when it's finished with a high rent.

One friend said to wait for the woman who is building her own house and take her flat (EG with garden) but she can't assure us that we'll get it, she's just looking for a Nachmieter, depends on the owner.

admylin - I have to say no bath would be a deal breaker for me. I love getting into a hot bath with a good book, especially in winter. I think if I was you I would leave it, especially as you will also have no garden and have to buy a new kitchen. Is it possible to contact the owners of the other flat and see if you can do some sort of deal?

We had a good weekend. On Saturday we grilled with friends and then yesterday we took the dc to see Wickie und die starken Männer at the cinema. The dc really enjoyed it and dh (an expert on children´s cartoons) said they´d done a really good job at finding actors that really looked like the cartoon characters.

Mme Lindt - I always end up feeling hungry after reading your posts. It must be really hard to lose weight when you´re surrounded by such a wide range of good food. Are you still dieting or have you stopped now that the wedding is over?

Thanks hupa, I need more opinions! I'm torn between taking it and saying no we'll wait but as you say, if the bathroom is nice, it is relaxing to have a bath and dd loves her 'beauty baths' with fizzing bath bombs and such like.

My 2 don't fancy Vickie even though they watched the cartoon when they were smaller. Maybe because, they think they are too grown up for it! Ds is changing at the moment, can be so moody and doesn't speak one minute and he's my little boy again the next minute. He has strated throwing 'you always tell me off and never dd' at me but what can I do if she doesn't do anything wrong.

Dd has a cinema trip planned with the school Mentor group. The class got 4 Year 10 pupils to help them in the first few weeks at Gymnasium and they are going to the cinema with them as a treat. It's going to be intersting as a few of the dc are 'lively' and have already been into trouble. Not sure if the mentoren know what they are letting themselves in for!

Hi, we are back from holidays and today is the first school day.

admylin - no bath or garden, and owners downstairs would be a no for me as well, Im afraid!

nighbynight, hi, how was the holiday?

Yes, you're right, I'm trying to phone them now to say we don't want the flat, they aren't answering. Thought about it all last night and made sure dc were OK with it but they seem happy to stay in this tiny place until we find some where we all say yes to.

I agree with the others, no garden and no bath would be a deal breaker for me. I could live without a garden if I had a terrace/balcony for eating outside but I do like a bath occasionally.

I think the bath is one of those things that if you don't have a tub you want one all the more, iyswim.

Hupa
I would like to loose some weight but am really not doing well. I think I would like to loose weight for DH not for myslef and that is never going to work, is it? I would like to be able to wear my nice clothes again, so it would be for me a bit.

I don't know. The kids have decided that they don't want to go back to pony riding. Mainly DD after her fall, she did go back last week and went on a pony but was not comfortabe. It took ages to persuade her to go on and as she was waiting to get on the pony, the bloody thing bit her.

I eventually got her on the pony but she was not happy and had to come off after about 5 mins.

She does not want to go back so I am not going to force her.

Soooo, I am thinking about using the money that we are saving there to join a gym. I can get family membership for the same price we were paying for the pony riding and we can all use the facitities, including a pool. There is no municipal swimming pool near us so that would be good.

Mixed feelings about the holiday - it was the first one the children and I have ever been on. It was fairly high stress (rented a cabin, with very wobbly fittings) - think I will opt for a hotel next time, if I can find a cheap one.
dd is kiga-less at the moment, in the Vorschuljahr too, so that is a bit stressful too. Feel tired and worried that I have made the wrong decision in turning down her place at the old Kiga that moved outside our town, but dd would have had to walk 1,7km there and back, rain or shine, including a busy main road (90km/h speed limit), with no crossing lights. Would be ok with me perhaps, but a bit worrying to put this responsibility day in day out on an au pair. Plus miserable journeys in the rain, of which we have rather a lot in bayern.

Househunting does drag on, doesnt it - the perfect one will come along though, I am sure!

Are there many decent Kitas near where you live Nighbynight? Or on a direct bus line or something? What do they officially do in Vorschuljahr?

We've never been on a 'real' holiday either - dh is saying we should book something at Christmas because I don't want to go back to UK for a while - or atleast not to my parents place. We might end up staying in Berlin for a week then he can see his old colleagues and we can see our old friends or go down to Schwabenland where we used to live as we have friends there.

Mmelindt, we need something like that here in Hannover. A family membership of a club so we could all go. Did you have one when you lived here?

Nighby
That is a shame that the Kiga moved so far out of town. We have to walk about the same distance to school but it is through the village. No pavements for the first bit but it is a windy road so the cars are not going so fast. We did use reflective vests last year during the winter.

Admylin
We did not use a gym in Hannover but check out Fitness Company (think they are called Fitness First online). I used them in Düsseldorf and they were good. They don't always have a pool

Or you could try the local swimming baths/sports clubs. They are often very good value for money.

admylin - I think you made the right decisicion. I´m sure you´ll find something eventually. If it´s right for you I think you know immediately, if you have to ask yourself questions like you did with the one you´ve turned down, it probably isn´t the right place for you.

Nighby - what a nightmare with the kiga. Having walked just 10 minutes through pouring rain to kiga the past 2 days I agree that 1,7km would be a nightmare, especially when it gets colder. Are there no kigas local to you with spaces?

Has everyone else got terrible whether. It´s literally rained for 48 hours here without stopping. I finally dug my boots out of the back of the cupboard this morning after getting wet feet yesterday.

MmeLindt - I think a gym with a pool sounds like a great idea. Mind you although I love swimming, once it gets cold outside I find it really hard to motivate myself to take the dc swimming. It´s not the swimming that´s the problem, but getting changed, drying hair etc. that I find so annoying.

Thanks mmelindt, I'll have a google!

Ds has got to go to tennis club today but it's pouring down so it'll be in an indoor place for the first time. The outdoor tennis club in Misburg is lovely, dh said we should join but I have never really liked tennis (rather play squash or badminton). Anyway, thank goodness we got the TomTom as I can now find anything and even if I take a wrong turn it corrects me!

Hi hupa. Speaking of digging boots out of the cupboard, it's that time of year again and the dc need winter shoes.

I hate it, we've already been twice and come back empty handed. Dd is at the stage where she'll see a pair of shoe sin her imagination and not even contemplate any other style.

Anyway, I'm putting an onlien order in tonight so we can just try a fe won at home and I force them to have atleast one pair!

Oh, I just got an email from Tschibo and they have ski suits and winter boots on offer this week. Will check sizing and order today.

I am not a winter person, I really don't want the summer to end. It has been such a great summer though.

Oh good tip mmelindt. The Alwetterstiefel look good but how about sizing? They do a boot size 34/35 or 36/37 and dd is just at the end of a 35 so would have to order 2 to try sizes. Have you ever done that with Tchibo?

I haven't, but you could just go into a shop and get her to try them on. Do you have a Tschibo nearby?