Desking

About a year ago one of our neighbours gave us a desk and the other weekend I decided that Katie would probably like this in her room as she often sits at the table downstairs to do her "learning" books.  So I tidied and changed her room about and now she has her desk below the window. She loves it.  And she loves "desking".  "Desking" is obviously anything she does at her desk.  This ranges from drawing and sticking and folding and colouring to "learning books", which are activity books for 3 -5 year olds focusing on learning to read, write and number work. 

Katie has been keen on counting in 2s nad 10s lately.  Have no idea where this has some from but I thought I would print her off some 100 square grids so she could colour in number patterns.  She got it straight away and particularly liked the pattern that the 3s made! 

This got me thinking about her "desking" and the fact that she loves to sit down and do "homework", and the fact that if she was in the UK she would have been at school for nearly a year now.  And shouldn't she be in school?  And she'd benefit from it and do so well she needs a structured learning environment. . . . But no. 

We are in a country where if we go with the local school system she doesn't start until she's 6.  And I'm ok with that.  She leads a very full life and is in no way bored.  OK, so kindergarten could use a large money input and more teachers, but she enjoys it and she is learning German and lots of other skills.  They seem to have a lot more involvement of helping to run things taking charge of what they do. Probably more structured activities are needed but she's not bored.

I also like the fact that, although she goes everyday until 2pm, I can pick her up early or pull her out for a day or whatever, whenever I feel like it.  And I have one more school year in which I can do this.  I did in last Monday. We took the day off and went on the BOB train with our friends Celina, Wendy and Nico down to Tegernsee for the day which was lovely. 

None of Katie's friends are in school and although she sometimes says she would like to go to school is only because her friends in England are but she knows it's different here. 

So, in my opinion, she doesn't "need" to go to school yet (bearing in mind Finland has the best system, UK is 6th and Germany a quite poor 15th, but 2 places higher than the US, but is doing fairly well in the world . . . )

I don't spend rigid time with her doing schooly type work. We do it when she wants to or when I suggest  it's a good time as Alex is asleep or something.  She concentrates for a long period of time.  I'd like to keep it up once she gets to school as her schooling will be in German (if we are still here of course), but  not sure how feasible that will be.  And will I do the same with Alex?  I don't know what he will be like.  He's learning to count to 10 in German at the moment.  Who knows? 

But at the moment Katie is enjoying school type learning when she wants to and she's smart.  I'm pretty sure I couldn't colour number grids when I was nearly 5.   She's not interested in "pretend" writing though and I know I was.  She has to get it right. 

Education is all swings and roundabouts. 

I'm sure I have far more to say but it was 12 hours ago when I first thought of this blog, and now I have drunk Gin and Tonic and wine and half listening to the telly . . .

s

"Desking" Colouring in in 2s.

Shredding!

That's fat shredding not paper shredding!

So, I was feeling rather lardy over Easter and thought I'd better get back into doing a bit more exercise and eating a little less chocolate.  I was sat one Sunday evening mutitasking - watching Countryfile and facebooking when one of the girls from my mummy group posted this:

That was the motivation I needed. I immediately found it on youtube and did Day 1 of Level 1.  It's so cool.  I was immediately hooked as it is so do-able.  Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. 

There are 3 levels and I have just finished Day 30 Level 3.  But I am so buzzed about it that I have to share it.

I am not one for going to the gym.  Well I might be, but I have never been to the gym and it doesn't really appeal.  I like to exercise by going from A-B on a bike or walking faster than a small child.  I would ratehr spend a day mountianbiking or hiking than sweating at the gym.  I like yoga too, and I swim 40 lengths once a week.  I am a rubbish runner but had the idea I might do the Munich Sadt lauf (10km) at rhe end of June,  if I ran lots. I am not a natural runner and find it depressingly hard.

Ok, so I have lost the plot a little.  So that Sunday night, I thought, no time like the present and started htere and then. It's 20 mins!  That's nothing. Anyone can do 20 mins a day surely!  What kept me going was that I commented on the thread that the lovely Saarah James had started and there were quite a few of us who checked in each da ywhen we had completed.  Sarah was very motivating and encouraging too.  Bear in mind I have never met these people in real life but have "known" them for over 5 years, and we were all supporting each other.

I started shredding andwas so into it that I started telling my real life friends about it.  My enthusiasm (I'm good at this!) has got loads more of them started.  And we check in with each other online too (but we do see each other too!)  I've got 14 more people doing this!  14!!!!! 

And I'd like to say I am well and truely shredded.  Well kind of.  No weight has been lost but then I haven't been on a diet but I have better abs,  thighs and shoulders.  If you squint at the pictures I think there is a differnce. I feel better anyway, AND I CAN NOW RUN!!!!!!  It really hels with endurance too.  The other week (the last time I ran) I ran and I mean ran (well jogged , which is better than walking!) for 55 minutes!!! Matt thought I had got lost, which in fact I had but I always get lost in the woods.

I am now going to practise runnning and maybe I'll be able to run 10km soo.  But I have also ordered Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 DVD which is similar but harder.  I think I may be a little addicted but Matt also says I should carry on, so obviously I need a lot more work on my thighs and bum :-)

And Jillian Micahels doesn't even annoy me that much, despite being American . . .

 I even bought real weights to use instead of Sigg bottles filled with water.  And Matt says I need to get my mone's worth and keep using them.


So today I have finished my 30 days. I would like to say thank you to Sarah James for getting me onto this. 

Family Powell Shredding!

Can you see a difference?

Camping

A couple of weekends ago we went camping.  The forecast wasn't the best, but it wasn't bad either.  We had a holiday on the Monday so as the previous potential holiday weekend was rubbish weather, and so is this one, I'm glad we went.
 
We don't have to go far for a short child friendly camp.  We went to Chiemsee which is just under an hour away on a good traffic day.  Now I'm sure I have never actually been there but Matt says I have even though I have no recollection of it.  We have always driven past on our way to higher mountains, but with kinders, you don't always need that. 

After a bit of research on camp sites we went here.

It was really very nice and perfect for a few days.

stony ground as usual makes for difficult peg banging.  We must get a hammer!

Saturday was nice weather and after our picnic lunch we went for a small explore along the bike track. There is a 56km bike path round Chiemsee and we did a small part of it.  Well the children did and we walked briskly which made a nice change.

Off into the distance they zoom

Going for a bike ride

We decided to be easy campers and not cook dinner but eat at the on site beer garden which was jolly nice, especially as we were welcomed with a free beer from the small barrel at the entrance by the owner who spoke very good English and was very nice indeed.

Sunday was cloudy and rain was looming but we had a good day and hired an electric boat for an hour on the lake.  Not much effort was required but it was nice to go around the Frauen Island.

Eating breakfast

Motoring on

Looking for fish

 We then went for a spot of geocaching, had lunch as the rain and wind started, found a fun playground, did a bit more caching before heading back to the campsite when the rain stopped for another meal in the beer garden.

Treasure swapping at a cache

Having fun at the water pump (notice Matt is on the slide!)

And the fun whizzing thing

Which Alex fell off of!

View from the campsite towards the mountains

Monday we packed up and  after much playground playing and duck feeding we headed off and stopped at another small lake for a bike ride, play and lunch before coming home.

Ducklings at the campsite

bike riding in the woods

 A good first camp of the summer.  Not sure when we will camp next.  The weather is horrid at the moment.  But the children love it and so I'm sure it won't be long.

I have found a reason to need a Smart Phone…

…Geocaching!  I have looked a while ago at doing it but last Wednesday we had a Bank Holiday and so decided to have a go!  In case you don’t know, it is a Hi Tech  Treasure Hunt.  A step up from Letterboxing on Dartmoor.  So, you go on the website, find where there are caches (boxes) hidden in your area, download the GPS coordinates onto your Smart Phone and off you go to seek treasure!  So there lies my need for a Smart Phone.  Matt can get it all on his Blackberry but I don’t feel quite in control!  And actually you do also need a map. So I take screen shot of the treasure location and spend ages making a Word document with all the info on.  Probably a waste of time really – except the map.   

Looking at the "Map" for our first cache.

There are so many geocaches round us.  So on Wednesday we decided to do a trip along the Hachinger Bach which is the small stream which runs just below us in the valley.  I made the children a treasure map and they were so excited! So off we went on our bikes to find the first cache which was slightly disappointing for them as it was a tiny canister with only a logbook in.  So Matt cycled home to get a pen.  We carried on and had a lovely time finding (or not finding in the case of an elusive one near us which we went and had a good look again on Friday for, but to no avail!).  We ended up at the Beer Garden but couldn’t find the one there either but I think it was very small and we weren’t looking properly.  We’ll find it another time.  And the Beer Garden was packed!  But there was face painting and pony rides and a fine time was had by all.  Alex was amazing on his laufrad and whizzed along for 5km altogether.  He’d have biked all the way but we’d have been out till midnight. 

Fun at the beer garden.  Butterfly face with her friend Kate

And Alex and Mia had pony rides too.

So, after our success and good fun on Wednesday, we decided to go again to today and do some of the ones in the forest.  We had a very successful day and what was nice was that we normally just speed through the forest from A-B and don’t really think it is that interesting but actually there are some nice little spots as we were led up different tracks and had to walk into very rotten undergrowth to hunt for a cache.  Katie loved it as she was a particularly good finder today.  And in the bigger boxes there is sometimes treasure to swap.  The treasure is not very exciting unless you are small as it is mostly kinder egg type toys but the children enjoyed it.  We ended up at the playground at Sauerlach which is only 7km away from us and Katie had fun playing while Alex slept and Matt went and found another cache just nearby.  Then we biked back and found one last one just before we got home.

More searching

Found it!

Off we go again!

And nearly home

And nearly home

Just pick a few flowers before the last stretch.

We have had such a fun day today and it is a great activity to do with children too.  Particularly the easier to find ones, and it’s free.  My only concern is, is that I’m going to become a geocache nerd as I had to log all the info into the computer when I got home and I can see myself spending a lot of time looking at the map to find ones in the vicinity of any of our day trips that we can search for.  Good fun though and children thoroughly grubby and tired too.

Post Winter Catch Up

We left home in snow, drove up to Calais in cold Spring sunshine, spent 2 weeks in Devon in cold but dry spring and yesterday was 26 °C followed by 9 °C and rain today.  Very mad weather!

However, we did not go tot England for the weather but it hardly rained so that made a nice change.  But it was not the nice Spring Easter that I  like in the UK but nonetheless we had a good time.  I think we have mastered having a trip home without too much stress and rushing about. I mean we do rush about but it feels manageable now.

My dad is definitely up there in the list of favourite people.  It's all Grandad this and Grandad that, can we go to the greenhouse?  Alex can't get enough of him!

Alex playing the Ukulele

And he LOVES checking the fire and putting wood on it.

Had fun with the Fearons too

Amos and Inigo eating their stash of gummies.

And Katie being silly with Cecilie

Very cute

We did our usual Easter Sunday jaunt to Duloe and it was a bit less manic this year as there were no Georges, only Bayleys and Booths.  We did the coldest Easter Egg hunt ever and a chilly trip to Talland Bay which was unusually quiet.

Egg hunters waiting for the off.

fishing!

Egg hunting at Knitting Granny's

"Can we go to the Green house Grandad?"

Training

Very cold walk up near Burrator. thank goodness we were in the woods.

Up to 9°C so a trip to Wonwell

Digging

And a ride on the tractor

Alex gets his first proper haircut.  He was so still.

Warmish day at South Milton

More fishing

So we did the usual Duloe trip and had a nice Easter Sunday and did all the usual seeing all the family which was good too.

One of the things Katie likes to do is see Darci and Chloe and ride their pony.  Fortunately I like to see Jen too so that's all good.  They have been very lucky and their old ploddy pony has been exchanged for a very nice little pony who I think Jen should show in hand as she runs very nicely next to him!  Anyhow, Katie couldn't wait to "ride" him and she loved it.  She was trotting along and would have stayed on for ages.  She has no fear that girl and is totally relaxed.

Katie on Ginger

And Alex had a turn too

Feeding the miniature ponies

We also did the South Devon Railway and Rare Breeds Farm again with Richard and the cousins and went to  the Aquarium with Jen, Helen and their girls. 

One of the owls on the platform

Stroking Flitwick

Feeding goats

Even Alex managed to feed them without

And Katie loves a good quiz

Alex loves to cuddle a guinea pig

I also managed to do a very successful amount of shopping and went for a ride with Jen which was lovely except my lower legs hurt.  First time riding in years.

We drove up to Sidmouth to the Donkey Sanctuary again to meet my friend Helen.  The kids had a great time doing an Easter Egg hunt and talking to lots of donkeys, which, by the way, are not short of money.

As Matt had driven home the week before we went, I went up to London on the train and stayed a night with my friend Sam.  We went for a lovely muddy walk and had to wash all our jackets before we flew back home the next day to Munich where it was dry and decidedly warmer.

We had a good trip and I always enjoy going back at Easter.   Car travel is so much easier now they are a bit older and it really is quite a good journey despite the fire alarm going off at midnight in our hotel near Cologne!

And so now we have summer approaching.  Bikes out and I need to get fit!