Not liking this Monday business...

No dancing today, as it is Autumn Break, which meant the Caspi-Man and I were on time (a touch early even!) for a long standing regular activity that occurs on the first and third Monday of each month. (One that has recently seen us rushing in late in a fluster of apologetic distrubtiveness.) So, I was feeling quite pleased about our punctuality. That is, until the moment we walked through the door and I realised that today was actually the fifth Monday of the month...

And then I had to drop 3 DVDs back at the rental store. I was pleased that I'd a) remembered they were due back on the actual day, and b) feeling relieved that the Caspi-Man had agreed for "his" pirate movie to be returned without my having to resort to bribes or threats. This feeling of accomplishment was negated the moment we walked through the rental shop door and I realised that although I had the cover, I'd left the Dvd in the player at home.

Am Blaming Monday...

Kunst

The Caspi-Man likes to draw. And paint. And cut. And stick.

And to be honest, so do I. And we really don't do these things often enough. But, one thing we do seem to be doing quite often is drawing on the computer. Or, rather drawing with the computer. (We're not allowed to draw ON the computer... although this doesn't stop one of us trying...)

Portrait of Olli

Caspi-Man & PJ Mel September 2008

No matter how you dress it up:

The Caspi-Man is becoming quite creative in his methods of avoiding things he doesn't want do.

Such as, say, getting dressed...

Every single morning it is a mammoth struggle to get him out of his pajamas and into his clothes. (Yep. No doubt about it - he is my child. Who knew such things were genetic?)

He very rarely actively participates in the dressing process. Usually he darts around the room, scorns the available options, distracts himself with whatever may be handy (toys, books, most often Olli). Anything to avoid putting his day clothes on. He often asks if he can go to kindergarten in his pjs.

A few days ago, The Ger-Man was attempting the "dressing challenge" when I overheard this exchange:

Frustrated Ger-Man: "WHY CASPI-MAN? WHY? Why won't you just put your clothes on?"

Belligerent Caspi-Man: "Because I can't!"

"And just why can't you?"

"Because I can't hear you!"

"Huh? Why can't you hear me?"

"Because my ears are too small."

(Trying not to laugh) "Sorry, Caspi-Man. That's one problem you definitely don't have."

I can't quite believe it -

Last week- I happened to be in a village on the outskirts of Duesseldorf, and as I was walking to the train station - I spied A COAT in the window of a boutique.

Looks cute - I thought.

I went inside.

I asked to try it on.

They had my size.

It fitted!

My heart pumped a little faster.

I looked at the price.

It wasn't heart stopping.

(!?)

I rang the Ger-Man. "You won't believe what I've just found!" I said. I think I heard him fall off his seat when I told him. After recovering from the shock - he asked how much it was. He chuckled. "But try telling them," he said, "That your husband said you can only spend...."and quoted an amount 50 Euros cheaper than its ticketed price. (He was only jesting.)

But I relayed the message on to the saleswomen. They laughed. (Men, eh?) They pulled out the calculator. And then they said OK.

(!?!?!!)

I left the store with THE COAT discounted by 50 Euros.

So after 5 years and 3 continents my epic quest has come to an end...

WHAT AM I GONNA DO FOR A HOBBY NOW?

I found some pictures of the coat on the net to share with you ... but I really must say that they don't do it full justice. It is not made for a tall skinny model type. It needs hips to bring out its front pleats into a tulip shape... am loving the bell sleeves!

Shallow Shoe Rant.

After reading about last week's mis-matched shoe adventure - my darlink sister felt the need to leave a comment about the neglected state of my shoes. (The left, in particular, I suspect. It's a victim of too many trips to the sand and gravel covered playground. Oh, ok, and also infrequent cleaning/ polishing! I can share that the right one looks just as scruffy.)

I can understand that scuffed shoes irk her, as I have a shoe peeve list of my own. And for no reason other than wanton, shallow pettiness - I've decided to share it here:

1. Winter boots teamed with light summer dresses. (It may be someone's idea of 'fashion' -but that doesn't stop it looking WRONG.) Especially gruesome if the boots are of the cowboy variety.

2. Open toed shoes with stockings. Extra demerit points if the pantyhose have a reinforced toe. I'm amazed by how many, otherwise polished looking women I've seen do this. It is on par with sandals worn with socks.

3. Socks with sandals. 'Nuff said.

4. White shoes with black opaques. (See point 1).


Mind you, all this from one who can't ensure her own shoes even match.

Constructions...

The Ger-Man and I had a rare night out this evening. (The Schwierig-mutter kindly swapped her regular Friday visit to today and stayed to babysit the Caspi-Man for us.)

So, what, you might ask, romantic and/or hedonistic pleasures were on our agenda? Did we go for a candlelit dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant? Or, maybe, did we have tickets to see the Madonna concert tonight at the Düsseldorf LTU Arena? To which I would have to reply - ahhh- um....no. (And if we did we probably wouldn't have been home by 10.15.)

We actually attended an invitation only, rather exclusive, fully catered, once-a-year event... the annual Eltern Abend (parent's evening) at the Caspi-Man's Kindergarten. (Oh the glamour!)

And the evening was not without its surprises. Apparently - the Kindergarten has secured nearly a million Euros to refurbish its building*. Work will commence next year. Architects have been commissioned. An on-site cafe, professional kitchen and community meeting rooms will be incorporated. The anticipated time line suggests the work will take only 3-4 months. (Yeah, right! As if!)

Meanwhile, the problem seems to be, what to do with the 45 children while the work is being done. Suggestions from the floor included a shipping container in the local park, farming them out to other kindergartens, or perhaps keeping them at home. (At home??? Really, Who Are These People?)

But mostly likely, they will be housed in one of the multitude of local office or shopping buildings left vacant due to the constructural ramifications of the Wehrhahn-Line.

Constructing times, indeed.

*it should be noted that the Kindergarten building also houses many baby and community groups in addition to just the Kindergarten.

First Day of Autumn...

And, I've marked the occasion by having my hair dyed red at our local salon. Not the fire-engine red favoured in my mid-twenties - but a bold enough shade none the less. Now, let's see if the Ger-Man notices... ;)

Like most things I'm doing these days - this wasn't planned or scheduled (in fact, strictly speaking getting my hair done had no place at all on today's agenda) but none the less, it happened.

My days are relatively busy at present - a result of several projects with fast approaching (one could say bottlenecking) deadlines - and today, I'd planned to collect the Caspi-Man from Kindergarten and drag him along on a few urgent, project-related errands.

However, on picking him up, I realised HE desperately needed a haircut. In fact, strictly speaking he's needed one for awhile, but I'd sorta been hoping it would move past the "unkempt" stage and morph into some long, floppy "cool" style without any intervention on my behalf- but sadly that hadn't eventuated. He'd just begun to look neglected. So we made a quick detour and ducked into our local salon for what I'd anticipated would be a 10 minute trim.

Technically, it was a 10 minute trim. But, 5 minutes into it, the Caspi-Man's eyes grew heavy. At the 6 minute mark, his head begun to lull. By 7 minutes, I had to hold his head straight for the stylist, as the Caspi-Man had passed into deep slumber. (Jeeeze, I've only had that happen during scalp massages!) At 11 minutes, the cut was finished and we'd moved the Caspi-Man to the salon's couch where he was given a cushion for his head and clean towels as a blanket.

So, you see, I didn't really have a choice. And, if they'd actually had the fire-engine red of my distant youth in stock- I'd have had it.