New Chapter Headings

Moving around a lot involves a great deal of collecting and remembering. We are so very lucky to have collected many new friends a long the way and are even luckier to have lots of friends all over the place to remember. The kids pockets are always bulging with things they find and just have to bring home to either keep or give to someone else. I recently found a whole stash of flowers in the Bear's backpack that he had collected for Nanna and Pop. Being the great mum I am I listened carefully to every word he said as I was collecting the bags and keeping track of the Monkey and the Mouse whilst exiting Kindergarten and when we got home a sixth sense told me to look in all the pockets of his bag and luckily found them on the day they were collected. After explaining that Australian Customs officials wouldn't allow flowers from Germany in we decided a photo would have to suffice.

The hard part about having collected lovely friends and situations is saying goodbye when they end or leave, or when we leave (but it isn't that time just yet). We have recently said sad goodbyes to the Mouse's Kinderbetreuung (playgroup) and the daily routine of seeing the lovely Frau G and all the Mouse's friends and to friends who were returning home. Such moments require food in my opinion so we had a great big party one afternoon and a gemeinsam Fruehstueck (group breakfast) a couple of mornings later to celebrate the fantastic support network that Kinderbetreuung gave us and the wonderful friendships the Mouse developed there, not to mention all the German songs and words she learnt, let's forget about the number of bite marks she inflicted whilst there (hopefully we are over that phase now).

On the flip side we have been able to say a very LOUD hello (as it has to travel so far) to a new cousin/niece with a beautiful name who we will see very soon and a not so loud but equally as hearty hallo to our new neighbour upstairs who's name I have to say German as I can't quite get the sounds Hungarian requires.

We are big fans of Enid Blyton's "Family Collection" book in our house and really use this as a bit of a templet for our lives, our imaginary lives at least as there is no way I could be as calm as the mother in the story all the time. So this week we started a new chapter that could be entitled "The Bicycle Family". Just as even I was thinking I could not justify taking anymore bike photos the Mouse decided it was time to get in on the act. Now her favourite words are 'my bike' and just in case we didn't get the idea in English she can also do it in German 'mein Laufrad".

All this happened during the week and by the weekend it was time for another chapter heading. 'The Swedish Chess (or Kubb) Family". Castles were fortified ie the gluing was finished, troops were assembled and given helmets and armes, luckily before they were lost to the vacuum cleaner,

the scouts were sent out,

who fortunately found many a bargain at the flea market including a first aid bag that was used in schools in the 1970's (as well as a council flashing light and a kids shopping trolley which were snapped up with great delight by one member, and the most retro bocce set carrier in the world with all the balls still there by the other member of the squad.)

the East German battle robots were put back into commission

and the 'Battle of the Backyard' began.

Some took it more seriously than others,

and some raided equipment stores and headed for the hills.

Others crept up slowly only to be given away by siblings

and of course some won!

The next day it rained and there was time to rethink strategy, buy a set of our own online and have it shipped straight to our home in Australia, bake some nutty biscuits, read a fairly recent newspaper and relax.

WG living in Bremen

The kids got their first taste of WG living in Bremen this weekend. WG = wohngemeinschaft = sharehousing. Though it was through rose coloured glasses as it was actually a small apartment block that is a share house so individual apartments and they weren't put on the putz plan (cleaning roster) so all fun no responsibility which I suppose is ok when you are 6, 4 and 2 years old.

Tram rides, Fanta, new people to build lego with and walk around the city with, swings inside, heading off for breakfast to another share house and leaving a trail of chalk arrows for the rest of us, Fussball table in the cellar, a cat, waking up and seeing giant green horses, being allowed to play with water in the sandpit, helping with the barbeque, a ferry ride, being a little underwhelmed by the actual size of the Bremen Town Musicians statue and going on an adventure to find an elephant for Herr Fitz will hopefully be the memories the kids will have from our weekend away. If not they can read this post.

First Impression= quiet comfortable the lounge matches my shirt, can't be bad.

Raining to hard to go out so waited (with our gear on) for the worst to pass.

Luckily there was a Fussball table in the cellar.

Yes that is Bismarck in the background.

I am never leaving Germany!

Hope they don't make us swim!

One elephant found.

One to Berlin, others home, train carriages mixed up so no idea where second class was, compact packing but still loaded up, racing up platform with kids soldiering on behind with own backpacks, no seat bookings so had to sit in the walkway for half the trip. What an adventure, nevertheless I think we were all relieved when seats became free and even more so as we pulled into our station. Thanks for having us Bremen.

Early summer is just wonderful.

We skipped school this afternoon - shh don't tell - and had a very relaxing afternoon in the garden with bikes, lego (even thought the instructions clearly state pictorially on a table not grass) and window cleaning - who'd have thought it could be fun - and treasure. The Bear grabbed the camera and showed me his point of view (the first 3 photos)

Bunting left up from the weekend makes everyday just a little more fun.

My first Laufrad (balance bike). The helmet stayed on for hours.

Treasures according the the Bear.

All were packed into the re-made Schatzkiste (treasure chest), clues were written /drawn.

The search was on again.

'Patchy in Space' - A joint German /Australian space project.

Friends in the Garden earlier in the week.

At the market this morning: Es ist Spargel Zeit. Must learn how to cook it.

Strawberries are also everywhere due to the early summer.

Celebrations

After surviving flying along the autobahn at 180km/h not to mention the theatre piece that required a car trip (still not entirely sure about a couple of sub plots but enjoyed it) and a week with Herr Fitz in Berlin, it was time to start a weekend of celebrations.

Mum and Mouse relaxing by the lake.

First came the Bear's 6th birthday party with kindergarten friends. It had been planned for a long time and the Bear had made a list with pictures of what he wanted to eat and what colour invitations the friends would get. I must say this list was very helpful and often updated and referred to in the preceding weeks. We all got into the party mood in the week before by decorating the lolly bags and creating a Schatzkiste (treasure chest). Which will always be remembered as exciting fun activities as the memory of glitter being used with out auhtorization and reluctance to help clean up are already fading.

Then came party day and the mad, last-minute organisation and finishing touches. All with the very sound knowledge that Germans are really quite punctual folk. Luckily as the first guest arrived the frozen pizza had been bought, then returned and re-bought as only the top one was cheese, all the others were salami. All children that belonged to us had clothes in the right place and wonder of wonders their hair was brushed and a makeshift cubby was built.

The parking lot at the party.

All credit must go to Herr Fitz for the brilliant self portrait party activity.

It was such a fun lunch party as the Bear and the Monkey are in the same kindergarten group and share the same friends and the Mouse is friends with their siblings so it was a real one-in-all-in party. One of my favourite parts of the day was when the kids pulled down the cubby I'd built and relocated to a better area and rebuilt to a far superior standard. There was also lots of self portraits painted, a large parcel passed around and a saucepan hit not to mention the ongoing soccer game. All this fun and the weather was amazing, so amazing that in the afternoon the sprinkler came out and the fun continued.

Coming from South Australia our kids haven't know the joy of running under the sprinkler.

Sunday was Mother's day and the big kids had secreted presents home from kindergarten, wrapped them all by themselves and hidden them. The Monkey was first up and trotted in with her present in hand and a huge smile on her face. It was such a wonderful moment as she had been waiting for so long to give me the present. Then came the Bear with his gift and the Mouse with lots of kisses. As I read the gift tag the Monkey joined in to help finish the poem...it ended with a Zuckerkuss. Then it got better with breakfast in bed which I managed to eat without spilling. Thanks lovely kids.

Mother's Day. It was never going to be a flattering photo but one to treasure.

Road trip and May Day

Three ladies, one car, no kids, no map, just over and hours drive, one border crossing

= road trip.

Those who have ready access to a car and babysitting might think I am a exaggerating a little with the notion of a road trip. Let me just say had it been a touch warmer the windows would have been down and the wind would have been in our hair. The kids and Herr Fitz spent some quality time together this weekend mostly in pyjamas before noon than at the zoo in the afternoon. I can only hope they got changed out of said pyjamas before they left the house as I had dashed off to the Netherlands with Frau G and Frau N for a little bit of shopping. I could lie and say we went for the culture but our sole purpose was shopping. Luckily culture fell upon us as it was Queen's Day. So loads of people were out in the streets, mostly dressed in orange and, as well as the weekend market there was a giant flea market throughout the inner city. Lots of wandering around was done, bakery treats bought, eaten and saved for the kids/husbands and off course a touch of shopping at the end.

It would have been silly to get there in an hour then drive around for another hour.

Especially for us or so it seemed as they passed a couple of times.

On the way home we had a guest "Long Neck" or "Lang Hals" or "Long Hals" when I get confused and the children laugh at me. He is a character from Efteling the theme park we recently went to. As we didn't buy anything for the kids at the theme park gift shop I just had to bring this fellow home at the bargain price of 1 euro in an attempt to rewrite history in my children's minds.

seems to have worked

Sunday was the 1st of May and as we went out for a lovely walk in the the morning we were constantly passed by huge numbers of cyclists in what could only be called packs. Turns out it is a bit of a tradition here to do a Radtour (bike tour) on the first of May. Never one to say no to tradition or a bike ride we joined Familie G for a kid friendly version that included ice cream and ended at a playground.

I was so impressed at the ability to attach a bike to the back of the bike trailer that I just had to take a photo. Poor Bear had to ride all the way home as we didn't even know it was possible and even if we did I don't think we are capable of attaching it correctly.

What a great way to finish April and start May.