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Original poster

Durch die Strassen auf und nieder, leuchten die Laternen wieder... ***Herbstunterhaltung im Deutschem Eck***

578 replies

MmeLindt · 15/09/2009 13:57

Durch die Strassen auf und nieder
leuchten die Laternen wieder:
rote, gelbe, grüne, blaue,
Lieber Martin, komm und schaue!

Wie die Blumen in dem Garten
blühn Laternen aller Arten:
rote, gelbe, grüne, blaue,
Lieber Martin, komm und schaue!

Und wir gehen lange Strecken
mit Laternen an den Stecken
rote, gelbe, grüne, blaue,
Lieber Martin, komm und schaue!

*

It is that time of the year again. Check your lanterns, get enough batteries, start the Bastelaktion.

OP posts:
admylin · 14/10/2009 07:25

Sunny up north Ernest!

admylin · 14/10/2009 08:11

Canella, I'm one of the parents who put her dd in school early as a kann kind and regret it as she didn't enjoy being one of the youngest. However she was bored to tears in Kindergarten so that's why we did it.

She's fine now and keeps up in Gymnasium, is getting good grades but as soon as the first Klassenfahrt was offered in Year 3 I knew she was just too young to cope as well as most of the dc in her class. We were in Baden-Würrtemberg when she was eingeschult and the teachers hated having to take kann kinder and have such a mixed age group to work with. It has all changed now as it's been a few years since the starting age and kann kinder were introduced but my advice would be to leave your ds in Kindergarten.

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 10:01

is it really snowing Ernest? I always get excited about the first snowflakes, the first snowman

I soon get sick of it though

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 10:02

I don't like the cold but white snow brightens up an otherwise extremely cold dull dark winter. When we lived in Africa and went to the UK to visit the grandparents at Christmastime, we used to love the snow and romp about in it endlessly. Nowadays I'd settle happily for year round sunshine and warmth.

westvan · 14/10/2009 10:24

No snow here yet, but it's supposed to get frosty at night and I need to bring in all the plants that aren't winter hardy.

I've seen some "kann Kinder" who have done really well at school and others who have just gone under, clearly not ready at all. It's such an individual thing and you have to take their adademic, motor and social development into account as well as their age.

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 11:08

I have a recipe for gingerbread snowmen in my Dr. Oetker baking for/with children book. I think we might just make those again. They look nice

Canella are you set to make your Nikolaus Häuschen this year? You need that German gingerbread (Lebkuchen) and the form for that. I have never actually cut a tray of Lebkuchen into shapes and glued it all together with icing sugar as you are supposed to. A mum showed me that she uses a cardboard form and leans Spekulatius against it for the walls, marshmellow chimney etc. Dd likes to have it on a tray coloured in silver foil and with icing sugar sieved over it for snow. Then she places playmobil figures all around it. We always have a bash and we're getting a bit better at it but the German mums have totally got the NIkolaushäuschen sussed.

I quite like intimidating canella with German customs. She is so sweet though, she only gets mildly panicked.

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 11:09

it was you mentioned the word frosty westvan that got me thinking of the gingerbread snowmen

Frosty the snowman.... la la la la la LA

westvan · 14/10/2009 11:17

Mmm...gingerbread! If I start making gingerbread cookies I eat them ALL. Really. I've made tons of Lebkuchen Häuschen in my time. Not as difficult as it looks, you just need the right glue to hold them together.

canella · 14/10/2009 11:23

me intimidated by german traditions {scared face!!}LOL

we made a gingerbreadhouse in the UK the year before last but it was such an effort we bought a readymade one last year!

more stressed at the mo about ?St martins day - was told this morning that dh has to go into the kiga one eve to help make lanterns - think he has to do some woodwork - he'll love that !

impressed with your snow ernest - cold here too but no snow (yet) - i also cant believe how quick the temp has dropped - my sister was here 3 weeks ago and was sunbathing! weird!

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 11:27

no they are paper lanterns. No woodwork involved canella.

St Martins is usually nice - just too cold for me. I'm always trying to get close to the bonfire whilst keeping an eye (in the dark) on dd who seems to be running around as far as possible from the bonfire.

ErnestTheBavarian · 14/10/2009 11:34

only lfakes flurrying around. It's not a foot deep or anything.

Found a baby sitter, who's older, rather than a girl, and she can come during the day. 'Oma' V. Great for me to have a couple of hours break, but also dd gets lots of attention, and I hopr she'll pick up German. Went shopping. Tried and failed to get a hat, but did get a long cardie, 2 polo necks and a sweater dress.

Need to get ds 1 & 2 new hats, especially now as they're practically bald.

what do you glue the houses together with?

We made one a couple of years ago, then ds1 made a tardis. It looked really good, esp considering he did it minslef. I was impressed anyway.

Are the Martinsumzuge or whatever they're called always such a dribble drabble half arsed effort? Honestly, if they're going to drag everyone out in the cold and dark that's fine, but at least put some oompf into it. When is it anyway? (dreading it emotican)

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 12:10

hahaha Ernest, you have got to lead the singing. As for me, I mumble (I nevre know all the words and you can't read them by the light of a lantern really in the driving snow etc

11.11 - usually but not every school/kiga etc does it on St. Martin's - could be a bit earlier or a bit later.

I like the little pastry birds (I forgot which they are - geese maybe?) and the bonfire. I don' t really need all that hanging about in the dark and wet singing songs. I know Liliangish was saying she was having withdrawal symptoms since leaving Berlin and hunting around in the UK for a procession to join.

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 12:10

yes, it is geese Martinsgänze....

I need winter clothes too. Need a new warm and waterproof coat

ErnestTheBavarian · 14/10/2009 12:15

yesterday went swimming with dcs.

In cubicle w. ds3 (almost 6)

"Mummy, can you see your feet?"
"Yes, sweetheart, why?"
"Oh, I thought fat people couldn't see their feet".

admylin · 14/10/2009 12:47

Still sunny here but freezing cold. Just got back from town and the dc were under dressed so we had to keep popping in shops to warm up.

Dd got a quill set for her birthday but there wasn't a stand for it so we went to get one. She's doing some lovely writing with all the different nibs. The German style of hand writing they have learned looks really nice (when neatly written!)

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 13:33

you have to be really careful what you say around dc, mention to them once that you feel or are fat (fatter even) and they will ruthlessly bang on and on about it.

LOL ernest, can you see your feet? Where did he get that from - a little 5 year old?

ErnestTheBavarian · 14/10/2009 13:53

This was thanks to weird Al, the dc's current obsession. He does parodies of songs. Fat is a parody of MJ's Bad.

you tube seem to have pulled the actual video which is very funny, but here's the song with lyrics www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br8PkFkqLTA.

I think you can see a video of weird al's 'fat' side by side MJ Bad. worth it. Weird al rocks!

btw, I'm only a size 10. Bloody cheek

westvan · 14/10/2009 13:54

I glue the houses together with royal icing - egg whites and powdered sugar mixed together. You can also use meringue powder since it can be kind of iffy using raw egg whites.

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 14:16

yes westvan I do always wonder about icing with egg white. I make it sometimes but am not even 100% sure it is ok for dc to eat. I just glued my Nikolaus Häuser together with plain iciing (icing sugar and water). So that was maybe not right - used to make the spekulatius biscuits a bit soggy which I used to line the outside doors.

oh I know Weird Al ernest. I am old you know, I rmeember him from the past even. Didn't know he was still doing. Dd likes him doing Eat It!!!!!

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 14:18

ha ha just had a look. Of course: I'm fat, I'm fat, you know it..

dd likes that one too. I am wondering how she got to know him and I'm thinking it was via a sing along CD to learn your times tables. One is a version of I'm bad I'm fairly sure

ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 14:22

my poor dd. Things I introduce her to. She also knows that "italian" one - "watsa matter you, hey, gotta no respect....."

Remember that? "ahhh shut uppa your face"

ErnestTheBavarian · 14/10/2009 14:26

I was trawling through 'amusing' sings from yoof and put of Gordon is a moron. Nearly died when he started singing about smashing his head in and that she's a bitch etc etc. oops.

ds1 got weird al dvd for b'day. t'is great.

Whats the cd for learning times tables. could do with help for ds1 & 2....

nighbynight · 14/10/2009 17:29

Ernest, Im not sure where to find teh league tables. It was in their brochure.

ZZZenAgain · 15/10/2009 11:56

booklet and CD - Times Tables for School.

Will have a wee google

ZZZenAgain · 15/10/2009 12:11

here

you have to scroll right down to the bottom of the page to find it: Ladybird Homework Helpers Times Tables for School.