The life cycle:-

Of our first strawberries, 2013.

To quote Tamzenite- "to be taken by a red handed critter"... (two actually). 

The Cheeky Monkey's Very Hungry 2nd Birthday Party:

The Cheeky Monkey sensibly chose to be born in the time of year suitable for outdoor festivities.

We planned a picnic, of the Hungry Caterpiller kind.

We sent invitations. (Quite late. As we are somewhat prone to procrastination.)

We painted boxes. Because as everyone knows, toddlers like boxes. As do cats. We discovered that this particular cat even likes them when the paint is still wet.  Hmmmm...

We planned a menu. Actually, we used THE BOOK as the menu.

My cousin commented that she'd never seen that done before. We replied, that from a culinary perspective there was probably very good reason for that. We only deviated by adding some thick slices of bread to go with the swiss cheese and salami. My cousin hoped no-one got a stomach ache. We had some nice green (baby spinach) leaves to ensure that any-one who did, could eat through one and feel much better.

There were lolly pops, a cherry pie, and chocolate cake. The Ger-Man suggested that a Donauwelle Cake would most to the book justice. He was right. It looked perfect, and although I expected it to be revoltingly gooey with all that pudding, it turned out to be very popular.

Surprisingly, the only leftovers we had were the apples, plums, pears, strawberries and oranges...

Probably a moral in there somewhere.

Olli....

What, with one thing and another, I can quite honestly confess that the last few years have been the most challenging I've experienced. (And I am using "challenging" as an euphemism.) Sure, there have been plenty of high points, exceptional experiences and laughter. There was the arrival of The Cheeky Monkey and visits to and from loved ones. But there has also been much difficulty and a fair bit of substantial, sentimental loss.

Not least of which, was Olli.

We didn't actually loose Olli, in the misplaced sense of lost. We lost him because he developed kitty-lukemia.

It really doesn't seem that long ago that Olli joined our family. 

Olli and the Caspi-Man did some substantial growing up together and after the arrival of The Cheeky Monkey, I referred to him as my middle child. He coped quite well with being a sandwich sibling... and while he was a bit miffed with me for a few days after bringing The Cheeky Monkey home, he embraced his younger brother from the outset.

I am quite grateful that apart from loosing a bit of weight and being a bit lethargic he showed no symptoms until the last week. The vets assured us that he wouldn't have been experiencing much pain. I'm not so sure of that because as anyone with a little Cheeky Monkey in their house would know- they are not the most gentle of creatures. The outcome would've been the same but we would have all been sad much earlier...

Olli was put to sleep last March, and I still miss him. 

Cat treats in our house are still called "olli lollies", and it is only recently that I don't feel a sharp pang whenever the phrase is mentioned.

Vale Olli. You were much loved.

Balconying... (for want of a garden)

Spargel!

This past week Asparagus (Spargel) season has officially started here in Germany... and although the locals tend to favour the white stuff, the green does pop up too... 

Friends, I was keen to showcase that Aussies also have a historic culinary tradition with these spears - so imagine my ridiculous excitement when I discovered jars of the green stuff in my local supermarket - just in time for today's Beaut Aussie Picnic! 

(Although, I must admit the local bread has let me down somewhat... doesn't have quite the same elasticity of the genuine Oz loaf...)

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr................

Not only has it been the 2nd gloomiest winter on record here in Deutschland, it has also been bone-chillingly cold. So cold in fact, that someone has actually knitted a scarf for the temporary water pipe on the Kö.

Can it please be spring soon?

Golly Gosh!

But the Brits put on a jolly fine show, don't they? Have thoroughly enjoyed this opening ceremony... as is my four yearly wont. (The Ger-Man has slept through most of it, and the Caspi-Man passsed out an hour ago.)

A friend had made Pimms n' lemonade and cucumber sandwiches to enhance his watching, but dammed if I was gonna do that. Last time I tried that was to take to a friend's to watch a certain royal wedding and as I was finalising the little triangles on a nice platter, certain cramps could no longer be ignored - and the Cheeky Monkey had joined us before the balcony kiss... it was two days before I saw THE hats!!

Needless to say that the Cheeky Monkey is no longer a baby, in fact, he has become a fully fledged toddler... affording me further excuses to neglect this blog. (I do blog a lot, but it is mostly in my head... probably better that way!)  

Here is a pic from 15 months ago:

Up the duff...

How did that happen?

Am very, very up the duff ... due date is on Monday...

It is all quite surreal, really.

A pointless random ponder:

They don't call kangaroos "Springenlangschwänzigentier", so why do they call a platypus a "Schnabeltier"?


der Schnabel: the beak, or bill.
das Tier: the animal.


(note to self: must refrain from challenging The Caspi Man with these pointless observations while he is doing his german homework... deep breath, bite tongue.)

I love a sunburnt country...

 A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains... and where they make ads like this... (mmmm...lamb...)

Oh, boy, has Germany changed me...

Last night, I found myself deciding to melt some Schmultz (which is pretty much just pure rendered pork fat) through some sauerkraut to have with dinner.

And it was good...

Kann Kind... (wish it started with a C)...

So, The Caspi-Man has started school. 

  
  

First School Day

I had been anticipating and dreading this day in equal measure. Anticipating? Because, well, because it is one of life's important milestones, right? Dreading? Because, well, because:


a) it means getting up early and to school ON TIME (by 8am), every single school day. 


b) the end of spontaneously heading off on random adventures and holidays regardless of time of year. 


c) it won't be too long before he starts correcting my German grammar.


d) I will be expected to help him with his homework. In German. (See (c).)


d) many other reasons that I cannot be bothered listing... but suffice to say that (a) alone would be enough.


Here is the Caspi-Man's "first day" snapshot with his Schultüte:

 A german tradition - the Schultüte was historically filled with lollies and trinkets to share with classmates and win new friends.


Every time I see one I'm struck by how much they are like upside down Dunce's caps.


These days, the Schultüte is usually made at Kindergarden, and filled with surprises (& of course, lollies) to unpack at home. The Caspi-Man's included an alarm clock. (Have I mentioned that we have to be at school by 8 am? Every day!) 

My Mother-In-Law,  (aka The Schwierigmutter), was entrusted to take the compulsory family picture at the school gate:

Yep... this would be a typical example of why 

she is also known as the Schwierigmutter!

On day 3 of school,  I was confronted with my first dilemma in the helping of the homework.


The assignment? Bring something from home that starts with the same letter as the first letter of your name. 


Ok... that would be "C" ... let's think...

CARROT? 
No, hang on, that would be K, wouldn't it? 


Ok, how about your rubber CROCODILE? 


Oh, K again. 


CAT? Bugger… 


How about... some CHOCOLATE? Oh, wait ... that's Schokolade – “S”, isn’t it….hmmmm… Chillies! You could take some chillies ... 

"That's a doof (dumb!) idea, mama!"

Drawing a complete blank, and with the Ger-Man away, I needed to consult the German to English translation dictionary (and of course "C" seems to be the shortest chapter).

Aha! Clown!

Bugger, we don't have any clown stuff (because let's face it ... they're slightly creepy). 

And then I got to "Computer" YAHOO! 

"You can take your 'Cars' Computer that Aunty P gave you... that's even 2 'Cs'!" 

"Good idea, Mama!"

The next day, at some ungodly and dark hour (ie before 8 am), we are underway to school  and the Caspi-Man says to me, "Good thing we remembered my LAPTOP, huh, Mama?"