Level 7 'Mullberry Street'

Having sailed through level 6 "getting the kids to kindergarten" I raced into town to buy some groceries, have a coffee with a lovely friend (oh life is so hard) and even squeezed in a quick hello to those who had been in France. This meant that level 7 "picking the kids up at the right time" was going to be tightly timed. 'Never fear' thought I, 'my trusty bike and I can do it'.

The first obstacle was an old lady who pushed to the front of the traffic line at the traffic light. I don't normally scoff out loud but she was really old and I thought it a little presumuous to wait at the very front. From then on my sole aim was to overtake her. The lights changed, she got the jump on me but I thought it would be easy to catch up. I was a few bikes behind so I had some work to do. The lady directly in front of me had her shopping basket from the market teetering behind her, as it started to fall I hit the brakes, swerved and saw the old lady round the corner up ahead. A quick polite smile of solidarity with the shopping basket lady who managed to save the basket from falling and I put my head down and pedaled hard. Still two people between me and my now arch nemesis when the number 11 bus pulled in causing me again to slow down to avoid any disembarking passengers. Throwing care to the wind and trusting the give way to cyclist rule I flew across a side street and with just 20 metres (or so) between us I had to decide victory over the elderly or picking up the Mouse on time. Slowing down, I saluted the victor who pedaled on oblivious and signaled my left hand turn into the international house to pick up Mouse who had been having a lovely time playing in the sand pit in the warmer weather. Then I went up the hill to pick up the Bear and Monkey who had been working industriously in the kindergarten ice cream factory (Das Eis Fabrik)

And to think the trip from town to the international house is around two kilometres and takes all of 7 minutes at top speed.

It is Official

We have our first wobbly tooth!

Wir haben unsere(n) erste(n) Wackelzahn!

(Is the grammar correct? das Zahn + haben =accusitive.)

Yes it is that hard for me but fun. So please let me know if it is wrong

oops it is der Zahn ehhhhhh

As you look at it: front bottom left handside

In Breaking News

(Posts are a bit close together as my computer broke.....again so am using Herr Fitz's. It won't let me put photos where I want so it took me a few days to come to terms with this and realise the computer wasn't going to change no matter how much I gave it the cold shoulder)

After a couple of very sweet playdates to finish the week off our weekend began with sunshine. Spring seems to be showing itself only for the weekends at the moment which no-one is complaining about. I made my kids very happy this weekend as I found two leotards and soccer gear for the kids at a 2nd Hand sale and didn't spend too much so even Herr Fitz was very happy and somewhat relieved. We sent our Knight and Princess off to a Knight Party (Ritter Geburtstagsfeier) on Saturday afternoon, unzipped our jackets and headed off for a walk around the lake with our little Mouse to enjoy the sunshine. Earlier in the day the Monkey told me she had told a little boy in her class they were in Lieb (love) as you can imagine I was quite happy to see he was Prince Charming at the party. When we went to pick the kids up there were knights and princesses toasting stockbrot (damper on a stick) on an open fire. The barbeque was being fired up for the grown ups as the rattle of bottles being brought up from the cellar by the court jester was heard. By saying this I mean we got a lovely invitation to stay on a bit after we picked up the kids and had a cold but fantastic evening jumping on the trampoline (kids not grown ups), watching others grill wurst and eating a fantastic haloumi bruscetta. Ok so I made the haloumi salad and I am quite proud of it. As the light disappeared and the kids whinging to go home became too much to ignore (it was 4 degrees so if was also justified) we headed home on our trusty steeds.
Woke up this morning to sunshine and -2 degrees with the belief that it will get warm enough to sit out on the verandah this afternoon and eat scones. Best go cook them.

Just around the corner

Favourite game = shops

Unbelievable what the kids learn these days

Racclette!!!!!!

Trip to the park. Herr Fitz in the lead.

Told you it was just around the corner.

Is this the Magic Faraway Tree?

Even though I can speak two languages a container on my head is more fun.

So many new words the last two weeks and a whole new world unfolds.

It started on Friday, the weather got a little warmer. Then it got a even better on Saturday. The sun shone and when you felt it on the few exposed parts of your body that popped out from ones coat the vague hope that spring was nearly here began sounding less crazy. Zippers were undone and jackets let open. The whole of Germany headed outside and started to 'frolic'...I know, not a word you think of when you normally think of Germans but it is true, spring is a wonderful thing. We packed as much into Saturday as we could as we knew it might be short lived. Herr Fitz also had to shake all the dust off from his trip the the archives in Munich. Firstly a trip to the Botanic Gardens for a little picnic and a wander around. Having been so energetic we then went for giant ice creams except for the Mouse who fell asleep and stayed in the bike trailer just next to our table so shhh don't tell her she missed out. As the Monkey sat with her Kleine Portion of ice cream ie 2 scoops with a waffle she melted our hearts by quietly declaring it to be "The Best Day of My Life". Then a quick bit of grocery shopping which was oddly not a let down after the ice cream experience as the Monkey and Bear got to help, a fast pedal home, a ten minute sit down and back on the bikes to the park.

It is such a great thing to be picked up by friends on all kinds of wheeled objects. The park was in full swing and we are still very unsure of the rules of the weird Swedish game where chunks of wood are thrown. Such a lot of fun, swings, flying fox and a seven year old who was heaps better than Herr Fitz at football. All rounded off with chocolate banana muffins. By the way muffins in a German word too and you don't have to use any accent when you say it so it is just muffins not moofins as we have often said.

Then Sunday came the heating was turned down a bit more but as it was cloudy a day at home was in order. Sunday night or what will always in my mind and perhaps in the furnishings and wall coverings be called Stinky Cheese Night or if you want to use the right term Racclette Night began. Stories were read to the kids and they were put to bed as the naked flame was lit and the stinky cheese was sliced. Apparently Racclette has to be eaten in a very scientific manner so in the name of science and good health I forced myself to participate in the drinking of white wine to bring out the flavours and the drinking of schnapps to break up the cheese enzymes in the gut. If only I had gone for the tea option which apparently does close enough to the same thing I wouldn't have had to apologies to the neighbours up stairs for us (ok just Frau F and myself as Herr Fitz luckily realised one parent had to be responsible and Herr M was incredibly ill) being a little loud with a window partially open due to cheese smell until 2am. The neighbours were very nice and complimented Frau F and myself on our singing. This was quite surprising to me as I couldn't recall any singing but assumed it was something from the 80's or by John Denver or Neil Diamond. As sad as these options sound the truth was even sadder as we had puddled our way through a rendition of 'There's a Hole in your Bucket Dear Liza Dear Liza'. What is even worse is that Herr Fitz had to feed us the lyrics as we were doing such a bad job but wouldn't stop. As a rainy but still warmer (12 degrees celcius) Monday came around far too quickly for some a very slow start was made and the process of airing the house of cheese smell began.

Rain stopped and Monday warmed up a bit more, we ate lunch outside albeit in our coats and by Tuesday we got rid of the coats and enjoyed lunch on our balcony this time with Frau M who was heading back to Australia later in the week followed by a play in the park. All just wearing our cardigans, and pants of course. Then Wednesday came and we all froze as winter returned but no-one was dressed for it.

Things that were learnt this week include:

• a 5 year old with a cough that has lasted five weeks does require antibiotics
• friends are excellent things be they brand new or old, in person or via skype, facebook, email or even via homemade envelopes
• spring will come, maybe not punctually on the 21st of March but it will get warmer.
• when you promise to ride to Holland at 1am you are going to be held to your word.
  

Sun and Rosenmontag

The weather here for the past week has been sunny and freezing. Around -5 degrees celsius overnight but creeping up to a fantastic 5 degrees during the day. It is sunny so you think you can go out and play but when you do it is still really cold so you come back to the nice warm house with cold feet and rosy cheeks. On Sunday after waving goodbye to Frau M with the tubes of vegemite she left us and with Herr Fitz on his way to Munich we met some friends and went to the Botanic Gardens to enjoy the sun and warm up in the tropical greenhouses that remind me of my Nanna and Pop's garden which my Mum works so hard in. A nice way to remember home.

Then came the day we had been waiting all week for...Rosenmontag and more importantly the parade through the city. The Monkey was so excited that the first thing she said was "Heute ist Rosenmontag Mama" at 6 30am. The Bear wanted to paint on his beard first thing but I managed to make him see sense in waiting until after breakfast. With beautiful sunny weather and all our bags and baskets to catch sweets we headed into town on the bikes. It was so sweet to look behind me and see two princesses and a little knight following along on his trusty stead. We collected our princess from the tower in the form of the lovely Frau F and found a great spot right at the beginning of the parade just in time to see the first float. With much 'Helau-ing" (helau is what you have to yell to get the sweets thrown at you) we collected a very large bag of sweets and even a couple of hats and a penguin and my favourite and I think the Mouses' favourite too ICECREAM. As the last float rolled by and the rubbish team jumped into the street sweepers to clean up we headed back to Frau F's castle to sort out our loot and use the facilities Having decided that we needed more sweets (and a beer for the ladies) we braved Principalmarkt to meet Herr M then headed to a slightly quieter quarter just in time to see the floats from the Netherlands which were very impressive (and who knows why they were there for a very catholic festival, I think for the beer). We finished off the whole Rosenmontag experience with pommes (hot chips) with mayonaise.

A slow start was made up for shortly after.

Arriving home for baths to wash off the face paint and sugar which had crystalised on cheeks and chins the Bear entertained the Mouse with his version of Dr Suess' "Oh the places you'll go" while the Monkey curled up on the other sofa totally exhausted only to be roused to skype with Dad about the very exciting day.

Wearing the hats they had caught yesterday and carrying the penguin the big kids went back to kindergarten today to tell all their tales. The Monkey finished the day with her very first solo playdate with a friend...the Mouse, bear and I joined in about an hour later as the Mouse's presence was also requested by the very sweet Fraulein F...they like playing shops together.

The Bear's musical instrument he finally finished at kindergarten.

It got up to a dazzling 8 degrees today (and even though rain is predicted for the next few days the temperature should stay above 5. With spring just around the corner we are looking forward to visits from family. Grandma and Grandad head for Europe today and Papa and A fly in in a month.

Too Much Carnival is Never Enough

Some photos a lovely friend took of us at the kids gymnastics Karneval afternoon.

Karneval

Kindergarten Zimmer gut geschmuckt

03.03.2011 - Today Karneval officially began. Karneval is the week before Lent begins and is filled with people dressing up at the drop of a hat and doing all the fun stuff before the seriousness of Lent begins. Our town goes Karneval crazy which makes it even more fun. Today the kids kicked off with a big dress up day at kindergarten and Monday we will go to the Rosenmontagszug (the Rose Monday Parade) where they throw sweets from the floats, how can that be bad...oh that's right I once got a bleeding lip after being hit by a sweet.

The sheer quantity of knights, cowboys, indians, sheriffs and police all ready to rescue the vast number of princesses meant that the weapons arsenal that rolled through the kindergarten gate this morning was quite impressive. My favourite, apart from the Bear's tin foil sword was the bow and arrow. It's just not something you see everyday.

Monday afternoon just gone we had a lovely afternoon organising the kids' costumes and fine tuning with aluminium foil and sticky tape. The kids have been so excited and luckily the Bear seems to be finally getting on top of the flu that has seen him in bed every afternoon for the past two weeks. In fact he was up at 6am asking if it was morning and if I could draw on his beard. That is earlier than he got up for Christmas. The Monkey wanted to wear her new crown from the second her feet hit the floor this morning and the best sight of the day was the Mouse on the back of the bike in her tutu and snow pants.

Herr Fitz, always the historian was very taken by this brand of water.

Not a carnival costume, wolves' ears at the zoo last weekend.

Ballerina Mouse at playgroup with play dough

All ready for a rest before the afternoon gymnastics carnival celebrations

(unfortunately I forgot to bring home some parts of their mornings costumes so the Bear went as a pirate in the afternoon and the Monkey had to wear socks...oops)