Kindergarten Maibaumfest!

Yesterday was Katie's kindergarten's Maibaumfest.  This is a big thing and most Maibaums take a long time to put up, being very tall and heavy.  It takes hours.  Fortunately, Kastanienalle only has a small one which took two papas to out up in a few minutes. 

It was a very cute affair with everyone in a circle outside and each group did a song and the Bayern Hymn was sung which is a bit dirgy but all about the greatness of the Maibaum. The small band played and then the bigger children did a Mai dance by the nearly erected Maibaum. 

Afterwards there was food and drink in the garden and it was all in all a jolly little affair, but a most important one in the Bavarian calendar. 

Katie and her best English friend William

Sitting with her group outside

It was only a small Maibaum requiring only two papas to put it up.

Alex clapping to the band

Get that Bavarian moustache!

Katie's group singing

sitting on the lion outside

Return from England - rambling thoughts.

We have been to England for nearly four weeks!

I like England and I can see why people do.  Before I rabbit on about stuff we did I must first make my observations on comparing England and Germany. I like them both and it's difficult to compare, but here are my thoughts . . . .

• English peas are far superior to German peas.  I have no idea why but Birds Eye peas are fab.  The frozen ones here are mushy and tasteless.
• I actually don't like English supermarkets as much as I used to believe I did.  Too much choice and too much spending.
•  The weather . . . .  such an English topic.  But I like the way the weather is "busy".  Always something happening in the sky and much more bracing and cold than the warm air here and the clouds that just kind of creep up and happen.  I like the nice warm weather coming back here and the different dry warm air.  I like the way summer is summer here and in England it might get to be summer for a few days but not much.  
• I like the scenery.  It's so much smaller and quainter than here which seems vast and broad.
• I like milk in England better, and fish and big joints of meat.  

It was funny, as when we got to the other side and stopped for dinner, where I had the nice peas, Katie commented on the fact that everyone was speaking English.  It was cute.

And we are "encouraged" to move back. But although I would, if we found our perfect house in the countryside with some land, I really want to stay here for a while longer.  Why?  Well a few reasons really:

• I love wearing a dirndl
• I love bear drinking
• I love thigh slapping

Oh ok, they are not the main reasons . . . .

Actually, for me, the main reason is now that Katie is in kindergarten, I love the fact that she is speaking German. For me this is a wonderful gift - to be bilingual - in any language, but if we move back now she will lose it and I want her to have German and Alex too and then it will be so much easier to learn another language, something Matt and I struggle with.

It's also a privilege to have the lifestyle we lead here.  The fact that she can ride a bike and we can cycle all over the place is great.  The fact that we can go skiing and do stuff in the mountains is great too.   I like the relative safety and easiness of bringing up children here. 
 I like it here.  Oh except I get hay fever here and not in England.

But then I like the countryside in England too and the beach.

It's tricky but for now I want to stay right here even though I like to visit England and family and the chance for the children to see their cousins.

Bavarian dudes at Jon and Rachel's wedding last Saturday.

Next post - what we did in England!

It was a warm spring

We have had some lovely weather these last couple of weeks and had a couple of nice beer garden trips and just playing outside.

Watering the crocuses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bike riding with Millie and relaxing in the swing at the playground

 Then last week we had Little Duckings Easter Party.  Katie was so excited to see the ladies again but of course she got really shy when we were near them.  The weather was lovely so we were outside and they all sing a few songs.  Of course the children never perform when you need them too!


 But these are the nice ladies encouraging them with the actions to Easter Bunny  (Frere Jacques tune!)

Easter Bunny

Big and Fat

Munches on a carrot

Hops around

 

 

 

Small amount of participation!

Playing nicely

Matt was in Chicago last week but we had a nice week as the weather was good but of course it then went cold and normal like temperatures again. 

Off to England on Wednesday - driving.  Might update from there.

Biking and Beer Gardens :-)

We have had some lovely spring weather and today we celebrated the end of the ski season and the beginning of the biking and beer garden season by cycling to the Jazz beer garden at Grosshesselohe which was also our first beer garden last year too.  We like it because as well as being a nice beer garden, it is also a nice 10km bike ride and we meet Magda and Nigel on the way.  

Katie has suddenly become a keen and  pretty good cyclist and she was determined to pedal a lot of the way.

Speeding along. . . .

 

 

 

 

I was interested in her reasoning for wearing her sunhat underneath her helmet - so she didn't burn her head.  Fortunately a little later she realised that this was not a good look!  She was also keen to wearing baggy too big shorts over leggings.  Funny thing.  She pedaled really well and did 6km before falling asleep in the Chariot.

Alex kissing worn out Katie through the window.

beer garden dude

Give me beer!

Dude

Still sleeping

Prost!

Waking up for beer

Alex wanted a cuddle with Nigel

It was a nice bike ride and Katie was keen to zoom really fast once we met Nigel and Magda.  It was lovely at the beer garden too and I love Beer Garden Culture! 

Katie rode a further 2km home but her lil legs just got too tired even though she wanted to go further.  We didn't complain though as we wanted to spin home fast due to approaching rain.  It's spring rain though now and feels like winter is over. 

A good day had by all.

Spring has Sprung!

The last few days have seen some lovely warm sunny weather, this afternoon feeling like a hot summers day!  Of course I have taken no photos as my camera is still poorly and I forgot the big one today!

On Wednesday I was so proud of Katie.  She announced on the way home from kindergarten that it was a lovely day for a bike ride so we cycled 6km to our music group!  She cycled all the way without a whinge or whine, no falling off or crashing anything and she was just great!  We stopped to play on the playground near there for a while too.   On the way back she did a couple more km before declaring her legs were just too tired!  She fell fast asleep in the Chariot and I tied the bike on the back.  She was fab.  Good training for beer garden biking.

This afternoon we went to the Bergtierpark with a new English lady who's son goes to Katie's kindergarten.  We had a lovely afternoon and I realise the thing I like about not having to work is being able to be outside a lot and enjoying the fresh air with my small people.  Life is good.

Lovely Family Day Out!

Look at me!  Two posts in two days!  Must be the fact I have "followers"!

Anyhow, we had a great family day today.  This morning at 8:15 we set off for Lenggries to go skiing.  Well, when I say skiing, there was no skiing to be done by me or Alex, but Matt skiied with Katie who finally GOT IT!  She's been ok for a while but today something clicked and she got a surge of confidence and just zoomed!  It was a beautiful sunny day and warm too so the snow was just ok this morning for kinder skiing.  She did 3 times up the long T-bar with Matt and several times on the smaller carpet lift and drag lift.  I just wandered about with Alex on my back on tottering about avoiding skiiers.  It was such a nice morning and I was so pleased not have a whiney girl who says "I can't do it" when clearly she can.

It really isn't flat . . .

pizza!

 

dude!

yeah!!!

mastering the lift

We had such a lovely morning and we were home by 1:30pm.  It felt much later. But after some cBeebies and playing outside Katie wanted to go for a ride on her bike. Well she has been able to ride a pedal bike since November but hasn't been very confident on her purple bike until more recently when her feet have been able to touch the ground a bit more.  It's also quite tricky as we have hills everywhere to get to flat, but yesterday she did quite well coming back from kindergarten on a roundabout route and today she wheeled her bike down the hill and then disappeared along the flat bit while I walked with Alex pushing the dolls buggy.  When I eventually caught up with her she was so keen and so fast I was glad Matt came and met us on a bike so he could go with her.  Like her skiing she did really well and even started using the brakes more.  She must have been exhausted tonight!

zoom

 

 

 

 

and I can make silly faces too

So a lovely day was had by all. Forecast is rubbish for tomorrow and Matt is skiing with Magda. 

Bits and Bobs

Not much to report really.   I would have more photos but I dropped my camera in the duckpond and it's still sitting in rice hoping to work some miracles. I thought I had it round my wrist but while rescuing Alex from the edge it just slipped in.  Maybe I should have let Alex get wet instead. . . .

So, the weather has been so so. Some days nice and warm others cold and wet.   I went skiing last Sunday and it was definitely spring skiing. It got really soft.  But we had fun. Magda and I this was.  The sun came out which was a nice surprise not forecast, and it stayed foggy and dull at home so was worth the soft snow. 

Magda and I skiing

Katerina is coming along well with her German and she comes up with all sorts of mixed garble. Today she was singing nursery rhymes in German - so something like "Baa Baa Schwarz Scharf . . ."   She's quite funny.   She is learning to control her pedal bike.  On Tuesday we went to see some friends on the other side of the town where we live. It is much more bike friendly than where we are as it is all dead flat and smooth tarmac so she was happy zooming along with Jemma and Tim.  It's a bit harder here where she really needs to be able to brake in order to ride safely.  We had a practise today and she's quite tough as she falls off a lot when she panics but hops right back on.  Still not good on the brakes though except when on the flat. Not so useful. Of course I have no photos as my camera is recovering and actually it is quite hard as I am always running behind her!  But she's pretty good on the flat!

A candle holder I made!

blowing bubbles

And then there's the gorgeous Alex.  He really is a charmer and he knows it!  For the first time this week he ran into playgroup and gave Louise a big cuddle. Louise was Katie's favourite playgroup person too!   But last week they made buns and he had such a tantrum because when he had eaten his he wanted more!  Both days.  He has such a sweet tooth I have to hide cake from him as he would live on it.  Tinker.  He often wake up dead early in the morning and is hungry  Breakfast at 5:30am is not encouraged but he scoffs down two bowls of muesli and is then happy. 

Here is a bun I made

and another

Matt is fine too. Not much to say really.

And the cats . . . who knew cats were such a pain in the arse?   We didn't know how lucky we were with our lovely Kopek.  These two have some ways to go to get to his high standard but they are making progress.  Tapas is pretty much a normal cat.  She is really quite cute and cuddled up next to me now. She has a very loud purr and is becoming confident with other people too.  Jess is making progress at a snails pace, but I can stroke her a bit now and she comes up to see us more.  I think she will be quite ok in time.  They aren't best of friends since being spayed so they have to be shut up at night in separate places which is a pain as I hate cat litter trays but I think they will be ok in time.  Jess just thinks she owns the downstairs room so Tapas has to sleep in the front lobby at night.  They like going outside now too and Tapas is a great climber - far better than Kopek was. 

Jess watching from the stairs

Tapas exploring the garden

So that's all really. Off for a small family ski tomorrow at Lenggries.