BAM! And Winter is here, the 2nd

I know I've posted that winter was here before... But that was just what felt like winter to us! It was the beginning of Autumn to everyone else...!

Now it has gotten cold, and pretty much all the trees have lost their leaves...and when I say cold, this time I mean it! It's just about 5 degrees during the days and around 0 at night, so by the time we are leaving for school in the morning it is around 2degrees!

The kids are very excited and are waiting for the first snow...and I am too I have to say! 

Nothing beats the very first snow of the season and the way it muffles every sound...fingers crossed it's coming soon!

Home sweet home

Slowly but steadily we are feeling like home...that is probably mainly due to the fact that our belongings have arrived! All save and sound except for one bowl and one serving plate. But you have to cut your losses and move on...

It is soooo good though to have our personal things especially the lounge and armchair...

Thank god we took the lounge! Note to myself: DO NOT EVER AGAIN CONSIDER LEAVING IT BEHIND! In fact, DO consider to take your whole house next time! Tables and chairs and beds and linen and plates and pots and everything else!

Shipping is so much cheaper than buying new! 

So on the note of buying new: we have been to IKEA (not just ones) to get some more...things and furniture. 

I loooove IKEA! Yes I know, sometimes you can get over it but you've got to admit: it's cool, and fun, and affordable...mostly that is...and I like the fact that it almost, in a subtle and a little strange way, feels like home. 

However, we most definitely do not want our home to look like it's from an IKEA catalogue page or show room!

But a little thing here and there are allowed I'd say! 

Bam! And winter is here (I know it's autumn in this part of the world but it strangely feels like winter to me)

In, what feels like no time at all, it's gotten freeeezing especially in the mornings when I rush the kids to school. 

I've been wearing my winter coat a scarf and beanie (just have been holding off on gloves but have been very tempted). 

How am I gonna survive winter if I'm already wearing everything warm I've got now?! 

And the worse thing is: I'm not even warm! I'm cold! Not just my face: Everything!

I think I'm in real need of rethinking my winter wardrobe...any suggestions greatly appreciated!

House hunting

I have been spending every spare minute in the last weeks to house hunt.

Getting send emails with our search criteria every day and finding myself checking the web pages anyway, just to double check I'm not missing anything.

It's a strange and funny thing going house hunting. 

We realised we have a little different criteria and a lot different taste. 

It's tiring going to viewings every day and trying not to be disappointed when the partner just couldn't see the potential you could clearly hear screaming of the walls: 'I'm perfect! Take me! I could be your family home!'

I tend to hear those voices pretty often and pretty clearly. But I'm usually the only one.

I guess I'm often a little too impulsive and emotional. 

I seam to have this ability to totally ignore the fact that it is too expensive, or too dark, or on a loud and big street, or any other absolutely impossible factor you can think of.

Thank good there is a more sensible person in this relationship too. So we did not take the first place we looked at, we waited, and looked, and looked more, and a bit more. 

And now we have found it. A place we both feel like we could be home at. A place big enough for us to live in and work in and have family and friends visiting and staying in.

A place my instincts went into overdrive and made my tummy jump up and down the first time I stepped over the door sill. 

We have seen so many places (almost 30) with so many doors and now one of them is ours!

It was meant to be. We knew it straight away...and with a little help (thank you again, you-know-who-you-are) now it's ours!

Kindergarten

Last week we have finally received our 'Kita-voucher'!

It's been a bit of a mission but to be fair I have to say it was the only time we had to cross a little hurdle in order to get some necessary paperwork done. Everything else from the 'meldebehörde' (department for registration of residence) and 'kindergeldstelle' (family assistance) and 'arbeitsamt' (centrelink/job centre) was pretty straight forward. Unlike expected. 

But anyhow, after going to the 'kita-Behörde' the fourth time last week. Armed with all the paperwork in copy (for the 4th time as well) I finally managed to get to a more than capable and very nice lady to look after my case!

And just as she promised I received the 'voucher' that afternoon. 

Lilla's kindy is right next door to Mila's school and her teachers are just lovely. 

And the best part: Kindergarten from the age of 3 is absolutely definitely entirely free!

5 days a week, 12 months a year: free!

The only thing you pay for is food. And that is with its 23euros a month (!!!!!) quite a bargain as well!

How amazing and absolutely crazy is that?

We've heard it's not like this everywhere in Germany, Berlin seems to be the place to be in that case. But in other cities the last year before school is free and the years before are means tested. 

For now we are enjoying the money we are saving...

Oh and one more thing: every child at day care has their own toothbrush and cup and towel as they all brush their teeth after lunch. How cool is that?!

Birthday

It was Mila's 8th birthday last Friday!

My mum came on the train on Thursday night. Ready for the early morning celebrations before school. 

We baked a cake and decorated the table and set up all the presents. Except one. We hid it on the balcony as a surprise. 

But the biggest most ginormous surprise was the request of that just 8 year old to walk home by herself from school! Not just walk but take the train as well! 

I know kids in Germany (or more precise Europe) are much more independent and used to get to and from school by themselves or with friends or siblings often during their first weeks of school, but for us it's new. New and exciting. And a little bit scary of course. 

I was really looking forward to it and giving the kids more responsibility and independence can only be a good thing in my eyes and will help them to be more aware of their surroundings their role their place in this world I believe. And it was one of the main things making us move so far. Giving them more responsibility and independence is giving them more freedom at the same time. More freedom to trust their instincts more freedom to make decisions and more freedom to learn. 

So after she had been asking all week and finally was brave enough and ready on Friday, she did it...kind of. 

As she wasnt 100% sure she would find it alright we made a deal: We would wait outside the school and when she came out pretended not to know her but follow her close enough to make sure she was ok! 

After she made sure I saw her she went to the train station hopped on the train, got of at the right stop and walked safely home. 

I am so proud of her! What an amazing step she did! What an amazing girl she is!

She was so proud of herself!

Mila's pink shoes on the far back ...

Her pink backpack was easy to spot...

My mum on Mila-watch while I got of the painfully slow lift...

And to top the birthday celebrations my brother came with his two sons as well. And with his teenage sons girlfriend. 

I have to admit I was a teensy-weensy-little-bit nervous. I guess a visits used to be for 3 weeks. At least!

It is so new to have family close by and able to come (just) for a weekend!  

How amazing for Mila to have her cousins and uncle and grandma over for her birthday. What a present!

So we hung out around the neighbourhood and just enjoyed the time together...

The quest for good coffee

Coming from Australia we are spoiled for good coffee! 

And I mean everyone and everywhere. Not just the obvious corners and suburbs. I've been to the strangest littlest towns and still got great coffees from weird looking shops and not very promising looking baristas. 

But I've learned to keep my preconception tugged away in my coffee addicted brain and learned to trust in the good taste and amazing barista qualities of every coffee making shop assistance. 

And there it lay fast asleep, my preconception...

After trying quite a few coffees from quite a few shops with quite a few disappointments (even some promising looking ones don't get it) I had to wake my preconception to escape more coffee disappointments!

And so I looked and smelled and double checked and scanned the shops before I dared to order a coffee. 

And today I found it: the nice cafe I was looking for! With great staff! And yummy food! And good taste interior! And not too far away! 

So I ordered a latte. Pleeeeeeeease be good!!!

And it was!

Thank you Nothaft&Seidel!

To be fare I have to add there are a few good cafe's around in Berlin! Not to compare with some other German

Cities at all! 

Morning playground session

After we dropped Mila at school and went grocery shopping and dropped the shopping home and had a yoghurt, it was 9:30am. 

So I took Lilla to the playground. 

She deserved the playtime especially after yesterday: I dragged her to IKEA through IKEA to the IKEA restaurant through IKEA again and back home. On public transport! 

As soon as we arrived she jumped on the swing, (she loves the swing now that she learned to swing herself!) and I had a strange feeling that something was totally different! 

No not my little scaredy bird liking the swing, nor the great wooden play equipment. But male creatures on the playground! On a Tuesday! At 9:45am! 

After a while I realised they where Kindy teachers taking their Kindy kids to the playground. Love it! 

Don't get a misleading idea though. In Germany too male kindy teachers are in the minority. Here in Prenzlauer Berg (the suburb in Berlin we live in at the moment) the rate might be a bit higher as it is a very family orientated and trendy little neighbourhood. 

I think it's fantastic!