Circus Rio!

This afternoon we went to the circus.  It was a bit of an impromptus trip but I suddenly remembered it.  Katie picked up a €2 off voucher at the beginning of the week and yesterday Matt mentioned it but it was only when it was raining this morning that I thought it would be fun.  And it was!  It was only a 10 minute car drive away in Taufkirchen and the children loved it!  The only animals were teeny tiny ponies and some bigger cob like horses.  We sat right next to the ring so glad there were no lions!  The children loved the horses best but there were clown, juggling, acrobatic and trapeze acts. It was a family run circus and was really nice. In the 10 minute interval we could pay a Euro to go and see the ponies and feed them.  Katie loved that.  And they did pony rides after but we'd probably still be there if we had waited our turn.  Both children were very well behaved apart from Katie's complete tired7hungry meltdown on the way home.  A good afternoon out was had by all.

Popcorn was a must - she ate it all!

The pony coming to visit!

The girl was good and she wasn't skinny either!

Spring always teases. . .

 . . . at this time of year!   Yesterday was a lovely sunny day and got up to a very warm 12ºC!  So the snow was melting and creating some great puddles for jumping in.  Katie decided it was a nice afternoon for a bike ride so we went to the playground in the woods.  I forgot the camera which was a shame as it was a nice light and Katie and Alex had fun jumping in the puddles.  Alex pushed Katie's toy buggy some of the way and made the dolly jump in the puddles too!  The laufrad got very muddy too.  We went to the post office to post birthday cards and the nice lady gave them each a lolly. We then zoomed home for roast chicken! 

Obviously today as it is Saturday is chilly and damp, but as all the waterproof legs have dried off from yesterday's wet feet, we should go out again this afternoon for some fresh air.  Most of the snow has gone and so it is very wet.

Cycling to Work

I am very excited to have three followers!  And not one is family whom this is for. Ho hum!

Anyhow, a couple of weeks ago we had very low temperatures.  I get three of us ready in the morning and Matt gets one ready. OK, he does help but hte getting ready to go out on his bike in the cold takes him forever.

So this is him about to go out in -20ºC to cycle to work.  We walked to kindergarten. Actually, Katie went on her laufrad but she didn't look so daft as Matt!

Skiing

We have managed to get some skiing in this year. Pre-children we generally skiied every weekend for at least one day but considering how close we are to lots of skiing we are still quite predictable in our choice of ski area  - always Söll as a starting place in the Skiwelt region.  http://www.skiwelt.at/en/
When we have skiied for longer periods we have gone further afield . . .

So, this season we have taken it in turns to ski one day in a weekend with our trusty mad polish friend Magda.  One day every two weeks. Not too bad with two tiny kinders.  But as life is now both beginning for us we decided to celebrate by a small ski trip to a child friendly hotel that made life easy for everyone.  After some research I found Alpina Hotel in Obertauern http://www.alpina.co.at/

 Waiting for a lift - it was a bit too steep though

Us at the top of somewhere

Matt at the top of somewhere in his new jacket!

and me

Coming back during the big storm

Moving snow away from the window to let some light in!

My bruised eye and scraped nose

snuggling

It's too windy Daddy

It was great!  OK so we are used to not paying so much but for low stress it was worth it.  Childcare was included from 9:30 -15:30. Kinder ski school 10-12 based at the hotel and coming back there for lunch, ski from the hotel, delicious food.  Just really nice.  We had one glorious day where Matt was first out on the slopes and I joined him after I dropped Katie off at ski school, and then, as forecast the weather deteriorated.  The next day I was first out and there was fresh snow, still snowing but no wind and at the top of one lift high up I was all disorientated and fell over losing both skis and causing a black eye and scraped nose from my goggles!  Silly twit!  Glad I have a helmet now. 

The next day was the big snow which was forecast everywhere. I have never seen so much snow. And the sideways wind!  And who was stuck on a chairlift in it?  Oh it was scary! And then nearly getting blown over when we got off at the top and not seeing anything!  Needless to say we went back to the lower slopes and the hotel as the weather got worse.   I had a massage due to a no ski afternoon.

Alex spent time in the kids club and had fun. We came back at lunch time to put him for a sleep and then we continued to ski.  Katie enjoyed doing "pizza pizza pizza" in ski school and can sometimes stop now.  The she joined the kids club for more fun.  SHe really likes skiing even though she pretends to us she doesn't! 

It was nice to ski with Matt again as we cover some big distances and I can keep up with him quite well and with mostly good style I think!  I wish we had gone for longer but hten we need holiday for other things too.

Plan to go to Lenggries again with Katie as it's good for small children there.  And we'll get a few more days in I'm sure.

3 and a Half!

I am 3 and a half!  (Not my mummy who usually writes but me - Katerina Rachel Powell!)  The last three months have flown by with Christmas and winter things but it has been good.  First thing I did was this. . .

learn to ride a bike!

Then it was Christmas and Granny and Grandad came to stay and Father Christmas brought us lots of pressies.  It was fun except we were all a bit ill!  

Kindergarten is fun and I can speak German a bit more now.  I can swim too - kind of. 

 And ski

 and this is me stopping although I know you'd like to think I was slaloming

 and sledging with Alex

 zoom!

 and I like to be arty too

So all in all a good thing is to be three and a half.  I am generally a good girl but I can be a bit naughty sometimes as I like to be in charge.  Apparently mummy is generally right and I am not. Hmm.

The Stress of Cats!

So, last November 30th I brought home two new additions to our family.  Little did I realise the stress they would cause me - worse than two extra toddlers in the house!  The first couple of weeks were ok as they didn't venture out from under the stairs but then they got bolder. . . .  Let's just say cat wee and poo are foul!  Tapas seems to have become a happy "normal" pet cat . . .  but Jess (was called Spring but due to copious episodes of Postman Pat over Christmas, she was renamed).

I only went to get one cat but due to me feeling sorry for the timid sibling I took them both. How dumb!  She *is* getting better. Slowly - very slowly.  And as for peeing and spraying when she's fed up with something -well, the sofa covers have not had so much washing ever . . . say no more.  The thing is I have read so much about pesky problem cats on t'interent I go from being really positive and thinking it's just a matter of time, to, hell she will always be crazy.  It's harder work than children.

Well, the main thing is, is that we have never had totally indoor cats and that to me is the problem. We don't want indoor cats but as they have been 'rescued' from the streets of somewhere in Spain under who knows what circumstances, we didn't want them running off. Also, I had the dumb idea that it would be good to tame them before spaying them.  In hindsight I think it would have been less stressful all round to have taken them to the vet before I even brought them home but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Today I am more relaxed as yesterday they got done.  Thank goodness.   It was touch and go though.  I took them in for 8:15am.  We managed to get Jess inside a box first thing so that was the first stress over. I was supposed to pick them up at 11:30 but got a phone call at 10:30 saying that Tapas was all good and done but Jess wasn't as she had gone wild charging round the room and they couldn't catch her.  I got even more stressed as I didn't want to bring home a wild stressed cat who wasn't done.  This was our third attempt at an appointment due to being in season. But then I thought, heck they are a vets.  Why the heck did the let her out of the box when I told them she was crazy?  And haven't hey watched "Vet Safari" where they dart wild animals?  Hmmph. Just as I was thinking these thoughts I got a call to say they had got her.

So I picked up Tapas at 11:30 and all good but then had to go back later to get the wild one.  And not only is she mad but she has a skin condition that could be caused by stress or anything really and she may need cortisone regularly and I need to feed her ridiculously expensive sensitive food istead of cheapo whiskas. . .

And, they both had these little body suits on which is to stop them scratching the wound apparently. I had no choice in the matter and they cost €16 a piece!  I'm glad I forgot to ask when do I give them back. . .  The vet told me that sometimes the animal manages to escape but she has no idea how.  Yup you've guessed it - Jess escaped from hers within 4 hours of being home. €16 well spent I think not. 

At least we can let them outside now, except it's -15ºC so they are not keen and nor am I.  They seem to be OK, except I think there has been some sibling falling out as Tapas growls at Jess when she comes near near.  

What an exciting post!  And I can still slightly smell cat wee - or am I paranoid?

 Tapas looking very cool in her little jacket. Being very tame and cuddly and 'normal'

Typical Jess!  Sitting at the top of the stairs but darting down as soon as you so much as look at her!