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

[MmeLindt]

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.

Oh, yes. Mind like a sieve.

Saying that, when I posted last night I had just started on the wine after helping DD with her homework.

And then this morning she gets up and before I even get downstairs she has rubbed out all that she did last night and started again 'cause it was not right'

Ooooooooooooooh, I was not happy.

Oh dear. What subject was it mmelindt?

We just had parents meeting for dd and she is having abit of trouble with spelling. Looks as if we have to do alot more work on it. Trouble is some stuff I've read about says too much practice doesn't help, but what else is there?

Maths, but that was more because I did not understand the question. A translation problem more than anything really.

And then today she decided that the words that she had written were not neat enough so had to be redone.

Not sure how you could help DD with spelling, maybe start a thread on here asking for advice?

Does she read a lot in German?

The German school threads are so scary. In August, we put DS into an english school and I was surprised how many German parents send their kids there, all of the them saying that they are dissatisfied with the German system. At least with the homework, I can understand and help. I suppose everything is in French with your lot, MmeLindt?

She had bad luck in English the other day too, she wrote 'I have one brother' but they had only been learning 'I have got one brother' so she was marked down.

The next day ds came with the same book but for the next year up and there was a whole page with exercises about how Americans and 'some' British people say I have a sweatshirt/brother/whatever and most British people say I have got a sweatshirt/etc so from next year she can write it how she likes.

Admylin
That is just silly, why should she be penalised for knowing MORE than required? I would be tempted to have a word with the teacher about that one.

Yes, it is all in French. DD will start learning German next year and English two years down the line, I think. Assuming we are still here, which I doubt.

Will be interesting to see how she gets on with German, suppose it will be very basic.

I know it's silly but we can#t change the system, she'll just have to try and remember to use the things they have done in class. Infact the teacher even wrote it at the bottom of the test Du kannst viel sagen aber es ist besser wann du nur die Wörten benutzt die wir im Unterricht gelernt haben or something along those lines. So no plus points for being a native speaker!

Ds is SOOOOO lucky, he has an adorable Englsih teacher who is really happy to have 2 native speakers in her class (Ds and a boy from London). She gets them up all the time to read the text instead of her so the dc get to hear different accents and ways of speaking.

I think the teachers are just not 100% confident in English - no more than French teachers are 100% confident in French when they teach inthe UK. But what a cop-out though saying just use the vocab we learn in class. I think it is so hard for a native speaker to dissociate what they know from elsewhere with what exactly has been covered in class.

Ml where will you be if not in CH? Hope you get to stay, I thought you all sounded quite settled and happy there.

I have to say I think maths problems (in any language at all) can be a right drag. Your dd sounds very thorough, rubbing things out because they were not written tidily enough etc. In a million years I don't see dd choosing to do that. I really don't

Hello the newcomers.

LOL ML, I'm glad you asked Frosch who those characters are supposed to be. I had no idea either.

Well, Frosch I think if I was going to be a man, I'd have to be a real man type, you know, otherwise what's the point? I fancy myself as a kind of Yuri Gagarin - good looking and adventurous but preferably not dead quite so young.

Of course I would be a namby pamby wimp, let's be honest....

ZZZen, you've no idea what you're missing!

www.beargrylls.com/

He undertakes a few challanges naked, which cheers up a winter night

ooooooooooooooh, Frosch.

I think I shall have to go and have a good look at that website. How did I miss this?

Zzzen
No, we knew from the start that the posting here is temporary. 3 - 5 years is the normal length of time that expats spend here in Geneva with DH's company. After that we might (if we are unlucky) have to go to Munich. DH was offered a job there recently but does not want to go. We are hoping that they will send him, well us really, to USA.

Most likely Nashville.

ah yes, that's me, parachuting, Mount Everest.

Good looking, should wash his face more often though, considering he is clean shaven so he obviously cares.

where are the photos of his naked activities....

Nashville eh? Gawd no idea what that place is like. Is it all y'all this and y'all that and listening to Dolly Parton or is totally hip and with it?

According to my neighbour it is a busy, happening city. Better than the alternative which is a small city in the midwest surrounded by cattle and corn.

Of course he cares. He's sensitive, intelligent, manly and puts the toilet seat down. He's just perfect.

Oooh, Nashville, MmeLindt. That sounds very musically cultural. Is that a definitely maybe or could they easily send you to Oz or Japan?

Bear is Chief Scout.

hmmmmm, didn't I want to get the DCs involved in scouting?

he sounds pretty amazing, just flew over his blog. Is Bear his real name though? Kind of unusual...

at breaking his back in 3 places parachuting..

get the dc in scouting asap and don't muck about

Google 'naked Bear Grylls' for bottoms. Maybe not if you're at work....

hmm think I need to spend more time on him but I'm in an almighty rush today, such a busy afternoon.

Not my favourite day ofthe week tbh. How is your baby these days Frosch? Is she coming along alright?

D'yall think we should have a winter thread now?

DD is doing well, thanks ZZZen. She was exactly six months on Wednesday. Has just started solids, likes sitting up but screams furiously if she ends up on her tummy. Does not sleep AT ALL during the day, which drives me nuts. Definitely more demanding than DS. Are boys generally more easy-going than girls? I remember my DS snoozing, chilling out and entertaining himself whilst I cooked and cleaned and ironed. Now I can't do anything and my house is nowhere near the Deutsch standard it should be...

How is your little one doing? And didn't admylin have trouble with her little one? I hope her situation's improving...

Have to make a note to check out that website and youtube!

Feel as if my eyes are falling out, just sat for hours at the computer seraching for stupid Makler, looking for updates on I don't know how many immo website. Today sent off a few answers to get a viewing of 3 room flats in desperation. We'll see.

My home town in UK is totally flooded an dcut off, just seen news on Sky.com, they've been having loads of rain, Scotland too. Hannover was lovely today, had my washing outside drying.

LOL Frosch at my "little one". She is so tall, it worries me at times. She is nearly my height and everytime I see anyone, they always comment on it: "hasn't she grown!" - and I wonder where it will end.

She's alright. We get on great and laugh a lot. She's very happy these days. She has a fairly energetic way of doing things which she did not get from me. I don't know why but if she hugs me, she sort of smashes her head into mine or the other day she came in the kitchen with her dishes, saying chirpily, "here's my plate mum!" SMASH and breaks it in half as she puts it down. That kind of thing.

On another thread I have been reading that drumming is good for letting out pent up emotion and I am thinking (she always wanted to learn it), maybe drumming is the right thing for her after all, not that she has ever been one for keeping emotions bottled up. Dh will have a total fit though

Aww, 6 months is such a cute age even if it is exhausting. Enjoy it, I always remember a friend telling me that (she had a 7 and 9 year old at the tiem) and I thought she was mad because it all seemed so easy with her 2, they dressed themselves and occupied themselves! Still, she was right they are so cute and cuddly at 6 months!

Drumming would be great fro my dd, found a few music schools offering it in Hannover at around 85 Euro a month - ds had a better offer for his trumpet lessons, under 40 a month but with 4 other dc.

Forgot to check AGAIN, I know. Time not tiem.