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.

You're right, in UK they do percentages in year 6 but really basic stuff with small numbers! And they get to use their calcularor. Still no calculators alowed in year 6 here.

That work the other night was just too big for me and the worst part was ds kept saying no to my known methods, no mum you have to multiply by 100 here not there and then the long didvision thing and we got all mixed up! My brain was really hurting, infact I got a headache!

Oh dear, what did your dh say to the situation with your MIL? She should behave herself though as she wouldn't want to spoil Christmas I think (hope so anyway!)

Hi ad, answered on onther thread

Thanks ernest, I read other thread! I'll mail you today if I can.

Seeing as we didn't get an appointment this afternoon we'll be going to the newly opened Weihnachtsmarkt (dd can't wait to go, she loves that sort of thing)

Just popping in to say hi when I actually should be in bed!

Good news on being able to stay in the apartment, admylin. At least you can settle in a bit more and not have to worry too much now even if the present place is tiny.

I can do math at all so I leave it to my husband to help the kids. Thank goodness he's good at it.

Went shopping downtown today and saw a bit of the Weihnachtsmarkt in front of the train station and tomorrow our town is having the annual Adventsmarkt. We've lived here for 14 years and in all that time it hasn't changed a bit. I'm not sure if that's good or bad!

I mean I CAN'T do math!

just a quickie - finally got some german lessons organised!! the man who does the Integration course is going to give me lessons on a Weds eve!! too excited that i've finally organised this! its just taken a while! they are individual lessons so i wonder if that might bring my german on quite quickly?

That's good canella, I think you just have to make sure you go out and talk to real Germans (apart from your dh) using what you learned in class so you get to practise.

My very first German classes were great, but one woman from Russia didn't advance much because she lived with Russians at the university hostel and didn't get to practise with any Germans at all.

Westvan, is your tooth sorted!? Yes, good to know I don't have to search for a flat anymore and it is only for 3 months (and counting!) until the other place should be ready.

We went to the historical and Finland Christmas markets at the weekend. Had some of thier salmon and dc had smoked salmon with bread and Kinderglögi to drink. Then dd (sweet addict) spent loads of her pocket money on toffee apple, gingerbread father xmas and a bag of sweets, she was in her element.

Not been in here for a while. I find it the thread drops down my Threads I am On, I lose you.

I am dreading maths homework when the DC are older. I am terrible, but DH is reasonably good at maths so he is getting dumped with it.

Canella
One to one tuition is great. I learned so much more once I started private lessons. I have to go into town this morning to beg ask DH's company if they will pay for another set of lessons as they are coming to an end now.

Admylin
Glad you got the flat situation sorted. Have you decided to wait for the one with mold then?

It has been pouring here all morning and I have NO motivation to get out of the house and go into town. Yuk.

We were in Bern at the weekend, very nice city. Must go back next spring for some shopping. Lots of lovely little streets with covered walkways, like in Südtirol. Went to see the bears but we were too late, they were already inside their wee house.

Canella
Stick to your guns with your MIL. Tell her that she had her chance at raising DC when she raised your DH and while you see that she did a great job, it is your turn now

Could you go about it differently, ask her for advice on some things that you are not really bothered about. That way she will feel that you are taking her advice. That is what I do with my PIL, keep him busy with incidentals so that I can do what I want in the things that are really important to me without interference.

It might also help if your DH speaks to your MIL and makes it clear to her that it is not just her who does not get to interfere with how you raise your DC, your own family would get short shrift if they attempted the same.

mmelindt - thats a really good idea about my MIL - i aksed her advice once before about some baking and she loved that i'd asked her! will start thinking of unimportant things to ask her! Might make xmas a bit more bearable - been thinking in the car how much i was dreading it already! she will insist on serving goose, Klosse (?sp) ad red cabbage - well my dc (who eat really well!) wont eat the goose or the red cabage but she makes a fuss when i cook somthing else for them! xmas doesnt stop just because the kids have sausages!!!! but i'm going to use your advice and hopefully she'll be in better form by xmas!

about the german - i'm chatting loads in German - dh most of the time refuses to help me sort out things - think he likes to chuck me in at the deep end so i've no choice but to practice my german! and i've made some good friends in the village - there are so many families in the village - its a lovely community feel. they've organised a St Nicholas walk for sat night - dont need to pay for it and the village will provide all the food and presents - so nice! what a different life from living in NW England!

Why don't you say that you would like to keep some British traditions at Christmas since it is your first German Xmas, to make it more familiar for the DC.

Chipollatas would go well with goose and the DC would have something to eat.

Let them fill themselves up with potatoes and dessert, it is only one day.

Canella - glad you´ve got your German lessons sorted.
I think MmeLindt´s advice about your MIL is spot on.

I thought I was being very organised last week by buying sweets for Nikolaus in advance. I should have known my willpower would never hold out so long and have spent the last 3 days steadily munching my way through the chocolate. I´m now waiting until Saturday before I buy any more.

Lol, we just smashed our first chocolate Nikolaus today aswell!

What are you all getting for the dc on Nikolaus day? Do you get them presents or sweets/chocolate? I'm giving my 2 a book each, used to get them a little game of some sort like the Ravensburger ones or card games when they were smaller.

ha ha hupa - i bought some truffles from Aldi this morning and i've nearly eaten them all (there were only 10 in the box but they werent cheap!!)!! think you're right to wait till sat to buy more! its bad when the choc is sitting there shouting on you!!

i'm a bit muddle by Nikolaus - some of the kids in dd's class were saying they get big presents at Nikolaus instead of at xmas but i thought the kids got sweets in their shoes? then someone else said he brings nuts and fruit!! oh too confused! living in Bayern doesnt really help with the confusion!

I was never sure about Nikolaus at first canella! I knew it had something to do with putting a boot out the night before so I used to put the classic orange, nuts and chocolate nikolaus in there and maybe a small gift.

since a couple of years my 2 have gone along with it but always said we know it's you mum so this year I'll just be putting a book and some chocolate on the breakfast table before they get up!

What do you all think I should do about this: dd has to go to swimming lessons with school until she has her bronze level (after Seepferdchen). She is a really good swimmer and has been for well over a year, but she can't go under water or jump in.

She's been off for ages due to her shingles but this Friday I think she can go back. Up to now the teacher just says 'now jump in' and the dc who don't want to jump in get sent to the end of the pool to swim up and down for a whole 45 minutes, that isn't going to teach them how to jump in and go under water.

There must be some sort of technique to teach them. So what should I say to the swimming teacher - or should I even bother? Should I just leave it as it is and hope she eventually turns her attention to the 2 dc who can't jump in? I know from experience that you have to be careful with teachers here so they don't feel insulted or critisised in any way so I have to word it carefully if I do speak to her.

admylin - could you approach the teacher and ask for advice. Something along the lines of it´s a shame dd won´t jump in because she´s such a good swimmer. Is there something we could be doing with her when we take her swimming to encourage her to jump in? (I don´t think a white lie matters if you´re not actually planning to take her swimming). This way you´ve put the emphasis on you wanting the help, rather than critising the teacher, and the teacher may come up with some ideas that they could then also implement.

canella - we tend to do a small present, chocolate, fruit and nuts. The dc never eat the nuts, but dh insists they are an essential part of Nikolaus.

Having thought about it a bit more, maybe this approach is a bit too English. Maybe you need to be a bit more direct, but I´m crap at that so can´t help I`m afraid.

Admylin
Hupa's idea is good. I find that asking the Germans advice is always better than telling them they should be doing something.

Other than that, I would look for a swimming teacher to do a couple of lessons with your DD to give her the confidence she is needing. Perhaps your DD would do better with one on one attention to learn to jump in and put her head under water. We paid 11eu an hour for our swimming teacher and she should only need a couple of lessons.

We don't do presents at Nikolaus. I think that it has all gotten out of hand , buying Nikolaus and Easter presents. Hmpf.

They are getting quite expensive presents this year, don't think that I have ever spent this much so they are not getting loads of other stuff.

XP with Hupa there. No Hupa, I think you are right.

Germans don't really like being criticised, particularly Germans in positions of authority, such as teachers or doctors. Asking their advice makes them feel all warm and squishy inside

ooh, didn't know we had to stump up for Nik. Tag. sigh, just been shopping. When is it?

I 2nd the suggestion - just ask swim T. for her advice, then clearly not crtitisising

6th is Nikolaus, Ernest. You still have a few days.

I have just eated all the plätzchen so will have to bake more this afternoon otherwise DH will notice that they are all gone.

you're full of emotions today - first old grump now pig!! waiting for whats next!

Had to LOL at your comment that germans dont like to be criticised - oh how true but they'll happily give it out!!

admylin - think i agree with the rest about your dd - ask if they've got any ideas you can use to help when you take her swimming!

glad to hear you're all not doing presents for Nik - saves me some hassle!! will just buy some sweets for the boys - dd will be at PIL this weekend! my poor ds1 is a bit allergic to chocloate - he gets a these really fine spots on his face - nothing terrible as long as he doesnt eat loads!! not ideal with the advent calenders!! he said himself this morn - if i eat chocolate every day mum i'd have really bad spots!! bless him - he's only 5! hope he grows out of it - a life without choc - cant imagine!

We also do really small things for Nikolaus. It seems to have gotten out of control here and German kids sometimes do get very large gifts from Nikolaus and then more gifts from the Weihnachtsmann or the Christkind at Christmas. Traditionally it's supposed to be oranges, nuts,sweets if you were good, and a lump of coal if you were bad. We know a German family who used to get a guy in a Nikolaus costume to come over and tell the kids all the bad things they'd done during the past year!

When the kids were little we would combine German and N. American Christmas traditions and open some gifts on Christmas Eve and the ones from "Canada Santa" (my parents, friends etc) on the 25th. We also put up the tree much earlier than the Germans do.

Admylin - I still have to make an appt. Will probably do it tomorrow but it's not hurting or anything. It really needs to be done though and my Bonusheft is up to date so the Krankenkasse will pay for about 1/3 of it.

Oh yes, I have also made about three batches of cookies and all of them are gone except the yucky coffee shortbread ones that no one but me liked so I suppose I'll have to finish those off today and start over. :-)

I usually make Plätzchen too but this year I have a useless oven so there's not much point. I'll just have to buy a few (?????) - the oven was in the Einbauküche of this place and it's definately on it's last legs!

Suppose I've got off lightly up to now, never had to buy a kitchen and always got quite decent ones in our many homes (oh except for the student village flat where we didn't have an oven at all and only 2 electric hobs to cook on!) so it'll be an enjoyable novelty going to buy my first kitchen in March.