So here were are in May

 And now it is May!

 The spring has been amazing so far. Living in South Australia for 11 years often makes me forget how humidity can make the temperature feel so much hotter. The flowers are blooming everywhere, and the opportunity for adventures abounds. One of my favourite places in the world is the little windmill museum just near our apartment. We have taken the kids there everytime we are in Germany and each time we experience something quaint, slow and lovely. Once it was the fairytale story teller in the smoke house when it was freezing and dark outside, once the christmas play with the terrifying Schwarze Peter, once an easter egg hunt with real boiled eggs (this year we were ready for it), once the bee keeper gave us a talk, once we poured tin into moulds and once, just ONCE we climbed the windmill. Frau N and I are big fans of the windmill so on the first lovely weekend we had free we popped in with any kids who were willing (or knew they could ride home at anytime by themselves because most are big enough to do this now) and found ourselves in the thick village life. Yes my mental image of myself was in full costume.

Unfortunately we just missed the baker, though he explained he was happy to be going home as he had been up since 4am. So another trip will be necessary to buy woodbaked bread.

May (or possibily the very end of April) saw me successfully continued my relationship building with Dr Oetker and his sachets of baking powder and a pavlova that wowed (even it I do say so myself) them at Frau F's birthday was made and I am hoping to recreate the effort in June, don't want to rush these things.

We are just coming to the end of a crazy amount of public holidays. Easter, May Day, Christihimmelfahrt and all the bridging days (moveable days schools get) to make these 3 day weekends into 4 or 5 day weekends. So school has been a bit all over the shop and I think the kids are forgetting what a full week is like. That said, things are ticking along. The Bear did well with a maths test on angles and we are all across the vocab for that in german now. The Mouse got her pen license (Inky Fuehrerschein) which she has been working really hard on and just loves writing in cursive with her inky and the Monkey found out that you never tell a mother who is an art teacher (who can work one on one and is in need of a creative outlet) that your plans to build a dome shaped house for art were deemed to difficult.

We have sat in the sun at friend's houses, welcomed a new baby to the friend crew, visited the museum and of course adventured to forests, hung out with Lola the dog and her fabulous crew. And squeezed in the occassional huge breakfasts and cake along the way. Ice cream has been eaten too but there is never enough time or anyone willing to take a brief pause from eating said icecream to take a photo

Then there was a day trip to Paderborn to hang out with the crew there, where we started with a giant garden breakfast then walked it off through the town before spending the afternoon frisbeeing and eating cake in the garden again. The weather was so nice and it was a super relaxing day.

 

You have to enjoy the sunshine so we backed up the next day with a walk in the forest. The Teutoburg Forest where Hermann the Cherusker lead the germanic tribes and held of the Romans in the 9th century. Not so much holding the Roman forces at bay as the strolling and finding cake and pottery experience for us today. I wonder if the loitering outside the pottery shop whilst I selected just the right shade of green cup then Frau N doing the same will be something the kids tell with anguish and boredom when they grow up. A huge thank you to Familie N and G for sharing this with us and shouting us cake in the very lovely cafe at the top. Note: Herr F nearly wore his very bright boardies and when we were surprised with the eat in cafe treat we both breathed a sigh of relief that the more sedate grey shorts were sported.

  

The most recent long weekend luckily for us started with an overcast lazy book reading TV/screen watching day to recharge the batteries and avoid the masses in town for the opening of Katholikentag. The four day catholic convention that saw streets closed, buses diverted and the kids in depth planning of alternate routes home if they couldn't get through. The general rule of "you can go anywhere on a bike" held and they made it home.