Nose Drops: Cure for the Common Child

Modern medicine in Germany has a different twist to it, and it takes some getting used to. Every childhood ailment can, apparently be aided, improved, or cured with saline nose drops. You still need a prescription because there is .001% of something or another in it but they are just nose drops. Let's take a look at the diagnosis.

Cold? (Okay this one I can understand)
Nosedrops.

Ear Infection?
Nosedrops. Antibiotic.

Strep Throat?
Nosedrops. Antibiotic.

Pink Eye? Eye ailment of any kind?
Nosedrops. Eyedrops.

Allergies? Fluid buildup? Cough? Stomach flu?
Nosedrops!

I have not, as yet, needed to bring in a child for a bump to the head or gash in the knee. But i've got four bottles of nosedrops in the cabinet and can treat them myself! When the expat wives get together and trade stories of kids' ailments, this always comes up. At least there is something about childhood illnesses we can laugh about.

Chimney Sweeps & Wish-I-Could-Bleeps

Go waaaay back and think Mary Poppins... remember the chimney sweeps? That image came rushing back to me on Friday when an honest-to-goodness chimney sweep showed up at my door. He looked exactly like this (including the hat, I kid you not):

Now I hire a chimney sweep service in Iowa and it was a couple colleged kids in t-shirts and jeans. Not the ultra-humble, exceedingly polite and deferential version I found on my doorstep. They didn't speak German either, come to think of it.... He said he'd be back next year. I may ask to take his picture.

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"The payer will pare the pair of pears." You can imagine how this will trip up a new English speaker. Aha! German has some similar challenges. Knowledge is double-edged sword which means I try to say a lot more - as I know more - and I inevitably embarrass myself. Sigh.

For example. I learned this week that every single time we were out walking with the kids and ran across a dog owner out with their pet I asked, for the benefit of my interested children "May she paint your dog?" When my teacher was able to speak again after wiping tears of laughter from her eyes, she explained that the word for "to paint" (streichen) is close to the word for "to pet" (streicheln). Only German ears /tounges get the difference as that one measly 'l' in the petting word is basically silent. Grrr.

And to top it all off I was bragging to a German friend at church, in German, how I was "so proud of myself for SHAVING the grass this week." He stared at me blankly a bit and then burst out laughing. By this time I had caught the mistake and found the correct word - very close but no cigar - and was trying to stop him from telling everyone in the vicinity what I had said. Gah! What's that saying about 'pride cometh before a fall....?' I can tell you with absolute certainty that this is true in regards to speaking a new language. But you will amuse your new friends.

When in Holland....

...do as they do and eat as they eat. We found some chocolate sprinkles, strop waffles, liverwurst, black licorice and other nastalgic treats. No Wilhemina peppermints though, doggonit.

We....

... stopped to smell the tulips.

... tried on some wooden shoes.

... played in the water. Er, the kids did. Kev and I stayed dry and warm.

... introduced our children to traditional dutch treats (sprinkles! strop-waffles!).

... rode bikes! Well, Eli did anyway.

... tried out the dutch hairdo. I saw this on several women and decided to try it myself.

... walked / biked the canals in towns and country.

... gawked at windmills.

It was a great weekend (but a loooooong drive). On a side note, Mary has finally learned to steer her little car AND is now sleeping in a toddler bed from a friend. She loves it and is doing great. Only diapers are holding her to her babyhood, now, and I don't know when we'll take that on! Travelling makes potty-training tough and although she seems to understand, she's not very interested. My deadline is January when she starts in the Kindergarden.

Eli: 5 Years in the Making

Eli had a fabulously frenetic 5th birthday weekend with four days of celebrating. Day 1: Zoo with friends. Great large bird / falconer show. Day 2: Party at our house with Deere expat families. On the street. Craziness. Two boys stayed overnight for a sleepover, which leads us to... Day 3: Indoor Playground party with church friends. Exhausting. Day 4: Treats and mini-party at school. Done. Much cake, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and candy were consumed. Pictures can be found by clicking here.

Best Weekend Moments: Party streamers - not expensive toys - were the hit of the party with the kids wrapping them around each other and running up & down the street; Three exhausted boys telling 'scary' stories and then teaching each other their favorite bedtime prayer; Watching Eli ride his bike and finding out he can do it; Hearing Eli say "I had a great day, mom!" for four days in a row.

I couldn't speak through most of the weekend. But I did cough a lot. The second, stronger antibiotic seems to be working. Finally.

Suddenly a 5-year-old lives here. While he has a few faults (tattle-tales, bossy, argues), he is also perfect. At least to us. In the last year "Mr. E" has accomplished no less than bike-riding, swinging unassisted, buckling his own seatbelt, able to watch 'scary' Disney movies, early reading, near perfect writing, as well as adding/skip-counting/measuring in math. He is a physically more adventurous kid and, since yanking those tonsils last summer, a healthier one too. He also found time to travel heavily, socialize frantically, and get even cuter in the process.

Eli still primarily loves his cars and trains. This year we expanded into Legos and the Wii which has mixed things up a bit. A little pricey but with the added benefit that they are also fun for mom and dad. In his rare free time Eli can be found asking for volunteers to read to/with him, play a board game, or making up rhyming songs. He has his mother's gift for silly poetry, i'm afraid. He is a joy.

Permission slip (not) required.

Like some jaded expat i'd forgotten some intially startling characteristics of this culture until I found myself explaining them to friend, still new to Germany from the States. We have in the US a very protective (read: lawsuit fearing) culture. This blaming-faulting-madness has not yet reached Europe in force. Evidence our local Kindergarten, which we love without reservation.

Once a month the kids are walked about a third of a mile down the hill, along the traffic-heavy main street to the church for 'Kinder Kirche' (Kids Church). The parents are naturally notified so we can get our children to school early avoiding any delays. Permission needed? Nah.

A few weeks back Eli was selected for a special field trip to the Globus supermarket. Several 4-year-olds and a few teachers walked down the hill, boarded the public bus on the main street for the 1.5 mile trip, traversed an insanely busy parking lot, got toothbrushes engraved with their names and a hot lunch to eat at the in-store cafeteria. I was informed by note the day before to pick Eli up at the market. Signatures Required? None.

Each summer the 30-inch deep pool in the kindergarten's back yard (gated, but not guarded) is cleaned up and readied for special sessions of fun in the sun. Parents have a list: suit, arm-floaties, sunscreen, towel, sunhat. Please bring a backpack and leave it at the school as you never know when it will be your son or daughter's turn in the pool. Detailed Release Forms Declining Responsibility? Nope.

It's refreshing. A little alarming. Definitely different.