Settle (this) over a Cup o' Coffee

Tara's babies sleep snugly on one of today's FIVE loads of washing

It does not take a look at more hidden dirt in the house (inside of bathroom extractor fan, not cleaned in a lifetime) to make me move out. Or the mold incident a few weeks back. Or the fact that it takes over ten months to get the landlady to replace one of the ancient and well-past-their-lifetime mattresses.
It takes all of that, and more, to make me want to move out. But all it takes to up and go and do it, is my new shiny little job that's a whole bunch of fun and lots of work ahead to look forward to. Such a lovely little office to put order into, procedures to set up and get running, and messes to turn into structures. Aaaah, just my kind of thing!
So, what I'm saying is, really I've been wanting to move out into something bigger all the while. But now the job's come around, suddenly the idea of living in *this town* (to politely summarize all I've thought and said about it before) isn't so horrid anymore, and suddenly I'm keen to find myself in a house that (list of criteria that this one does not meet):
* is not so fully furnished with bulky old unsuitable furniture that there is no room left for personal touches or our own stuff
* has some additional storage space so I don't have to share my bedroom with about 14 boxes
* has an entrance you can fit a pushchair through and can get through without getting stuck even when carrying a sportsback on your back
* has enough room for me to put a pole up and roll a yoga mat out in
* is spacious enough for me to be able to access my clothes in the cupboard without having to move a box that has nowhere else to go - the same goes for wanting a book shelf that I can stand in front of without having to temporarily move one of the bulky sofas to the middle of the living area (which is taken up by toys anyway as it physically is the only place to sit and play)
* actually has room enough for us to sit around a table in the kitchen - we are actually still dining with our plates on our knees on fold-away garden chairs in the kitchen. There is a table in the living area but it's taken up by my computer and other stuff. Computers need room too.

Also, I won't cry if I got to live somewhere without a mold / damp problem or noisy sea gulls nesting on our roof and occasionally dropping half eaten fish, soggy old bread or other delicacies onto our porch. But then, I didn't really mind them, they were kinda cute, if a little loud. Anyway, you get the idea. There's not enough space, there's never been, and I'm an ungrateful bitch.

So, fuelled up by a new and previous unknown passion for living here... well, ha ha, maybe not quite that, but an urgent desire to improve things now that the idea of a greater degree of permanence has become more appealing (ah, nicely put!), we had a look at our options today. I got a few vacancies of the internet that seemed to tick most of the boxes, and we got in the car to have a look at the respective neighbourhoods. We then changed this *unsuccessful* strategy and drove round the acceptable parts of town to find what's there, and indeed found two convenient and suitable options - one above (3 bedrooms with one en-suite, 2 reception rooms, garden, double glazing, and very convenient location near by, if no parking). I've requested viewings, and we'll take it from there some time next week.

After all that, who would not need some coffee and treats? That brownie? Mine!

Sugar in my coffee...

... Cake in my mouth...

... all gone! Yummy!

Snap: "What?...

... My mummy's first pay cheque? Today? We must... we must... I'd like some chocolate please oh thank you Mami. And Gummibarchen, and a book. And pizza!" And a gift for Jose and some red sexy boots for me, oh yes.

Snap: Babies

Tara does love her babies. Today three are coming to nursery with her. But that's not all! There's a baby girl in her tummy too, she tells everyone. Soon we'll open a door and it will come out, so she says. Then she can cuddle it. In the meantime however, you can look into her belly button and you will see it (if you're very lucky, that is...). Ah, babies! Good luck to Yael whose second baby will open the door and come out for cuddles any day now! Xx

Sunday Afternoon

Below: A sunny and comparatively 'mild' (6 degrees - much warmer that -7) Sunday afternoon walk.
Cushioned in, before: Watching Shrek I, twice, on a lazy Sunday morning; and after: Tea, coffee & hot choc in a lovely pub, a walk home at dusk and 'man-made' lasagne for dinner. Also, getting ready for a working week that we are all looking forward to.

Not bad, is it?

From left to right: Mummy's shadow, Papi & Tara with Isobel

Six degrees cels? So?

Cold and contented little family

Working Mum, Working Babe

Name: Mummy Alex
Occopation: Office Fairy (p/t), Mummy (p/t)
Loves of my life: Tara, Jose, Pole and Photocopier
Education: Yes, but not excrutiatingly relevant to present life *sniffle*.
Most valuable lesson learnt in 2008: Being a SAHM is not for me, it leads to depression.
Aspirations for 2009: Become Office Champion, pick up all the extra courses and training I can get, practise gratefulness in all walks of life, enjoy every minute spent with Tara, grow to like this town, attend every class of pole and burlesque the gym offers, start practising yoga at home, and contemplate the purchase of a large enough house.
Mantra of the week: I must not spend all of my first week's salary on new shoes and a new handbag.

There. My official employee photo. Working life has reclaimed me, and I'm liking it. Possibly, we're even liking each other, working life and me, although the jury's still out on that. My head swims a little still and thinking is fuzzy rather than sharp, but I'll cut myself a little slack on having been out for 14 months. Also, nexzt time I realise on Saturday that I forgot to check the answering machine on the phone on Friday, I shall NOT have nightmares about having forgotten do do things the next night.

We're still adjusting to a different pace of life at home. Tara handled the first three weeks of nursery 8am-3pm very well, but didn't really want to get up at all the last two days, and went to sleep on me as soon as we got home. The TV is on a little too much (Shrek 1,2,3 and nothing else!), and dinner was a little unhealthy and improvised over the second half of the week - not that I'm complaining! Any Shrek is still funny the 38th time round, and since I got access to delicious lunches cooked by the student chefs of one of the county's best catering colleges... Na, I'm not complaining! Plus, the first week's salary will cover a new handbag (already sitting on the chair next to me) along with the nursery fee, and maybe even a nice new shoe, or even two!


Tara isn't complaining either, except when she has to get up early and has not had enough sleep and does not feel like leaving bed: "Ich b(r)auch mein' Papi! Nein kuscheln Sally, nein kuscheln Tina (Kigatanten). Ich will mein'n Papi!" (I need my Daddy! No cuddle sally, no cuddle Tina! I need my daddy!) But put Shrek on, and she's happier. Or give her dried Mango for breakfast, that will buy her cooperation any day. Also, Tara has observed half way through the week, she's nearly old enough to go to work now too. "Mami, ich schon g(r)ößer. Bald ich geh arbeiten auch." She's a great negociator, there's a chance she'll get far in life... For now, her job is to produce works of art at nursery. The one pictured is entitled "It's Fiona who lives far far away."

Jose? No complaints. I'm chirpier after all, and Tara "b(r)aucht" him - even if at night she's quite forgotten about it and shouts "There's no room!" when he knocks on the door. Oh yes, and Jose's favourite Shrek is Shrek II.

Shrek I-III. We love it. All of us. Even the socks do.

Christmas, Aaaah!

Christmas, aaah!
A succession of lovely days full of food, lights, friends and family, and then some more food, lights, family and friends, and then some more food, for good measure!

A table laid for a lovely meal

A bigger table laid for a bigger lovely meal

Sit down, everyone! For what is food without company?

Three cheers for the cook!

Festivities start with Tara's grandma's birthday. Candles are fun... but what is that? Presents NOT for Tara? Good job there's nothing interesting in them, and candles can be re-lit and re-blown out, and re-lit...

Pffffft!

Of course, Christmas is also a time for promises kept and wishes made true, so Tara gets given a whole lot of Christmas market ride tokens. Heart shaped, most appropriately. In the day time, she has the whole ride to herself, which is good - she is very jealllous of it and hates sharing the ride...


... except at night, when the market is packed, and she gets to share with Lia. Which also was a promise come true. Made without prior discussion with Lia's lot - we got rather lucky with wishes made come true this holiday...

Wishes come true at Christmas

And then? Time to bring out the tree, which my father traditionally harvests in the garden on Christmas eve, and which Tante Claudia traditionally decorates with the same things that we have been using since we were small... ah, sweet nostalgia!

Bring out the tree! And let Tante Claudia do the artists's job!

Finally it is time to go and wait for Santa (video). Tara, Jose and I withdraw to the first floor, and stick our heads out the window to wait, and call for "Weihnachten" (Christmas), as Tara calls Santa. Tara uses the opportunity to reinforce her wishlist, and calls out into the dark neighbourhood: "...Und ich möchte Schokolade, ein puzzle und ein book!" - "Komm, Weihnachetn! Wir warten! Wo biiist duuuu?" (...and I would like some chocolate, a puzzle, and a book! - Come, 'Christmas'! We're waiting! Where are you?") But as we know, he's difficult to catch, cause he's shy and somewhat scared of all the people that are about...
Meanwhile, downstairs, the rest of the family are busy putting all the presents where they belong. Santa is not only shy but also slightly disoriented, for he's left lots of presents in lots of different heaps all over the house, but none of them right under the tree, and half of them without name tags too. He also forgets to eat the cookie Tara put out for him, but that's ok, sort of, since Tara already ate half of it herself. A chocolate cookie, you see...
And then? Descend Tara from upstairs, all sing a few songs accompanied by Tara (who won't sing) on the whistle, and voila, we open the door to the magical festive living room (video), and a few more presents than Tara had asked for (and can handle). She must have been an extraordinarily good girl this last year!

SO! much more that "chocolate, a book, and a puzzle"

Tara is quite overwhelmed and takes to unwrapping everything that gets in her way. The Bunte Teller (plates full of goodies) have her attention too. She has a bite of every biscuit she can lay her hands on... Is she sampling, or is she blessing them for everyone else's consumption?
She is having a wonderful time, although vast heaps of presents are not exactly good for developing her attention span. And she gets a little hyper too, and too tired to admit it. Do I still remember the rather massive fight between overwhelmed, overtired daughter and over-annoyed mother this leads to? Naaa, already frogotten!
But there is a chance that next year we'll cut down to three presents...

Watching Shrek 1, 2, AND 3 on Christmas Day

And after that, what ist there to say? More lovely time spent eating lovely food, and relaxing with lovely friends and family. Tara bakes her fist batch of cookies with Oma Gisela, plays computer games with Opa Didi, visits Maja and her lovely exciting baby toys, and meets with Lia for more play time. We travel South to meet our quite very new friend Erin (7 weeks, aaaah! gorgeous! I've TOTALLY forgotten how small they come!), and admire fireworks on New Year's Eve.

With cousin Maja

Painting with Lia

And then, back to England with my seasick, partially puking little family. One day for the lovely SALES, and now it is time to pack three lunch boxes. One for Tara, one for Jose, and one for myself - an all singing, all dancing, all working mum from tomorrow on.
Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-chaaangeeees!
Tara is not too impressed by the prospect... of everyone working but her! "Bald werde ich groß," she says. "Und dann wir beide arbeiten. Dann ich auch arbeiten. Mich und du." (Soon I get big, then we both work. Then I too work. Me and you.) But for now, we stick with the arrangement.
New Year, new life. Lovely. Finally.

Happy 2009, everyone!

Snap!

What will make my daughter take off her (father's) sun glasses?

Snap!

A fat parcel from america! More presents! Gosh!

Snap!

Mama open, she cries. Mama open open open, she cries as she munches on festive mandms! "Oh thank you. Thank you Mami!" ... Oh what a cute mouse... Eh, mice!