How to Make a Snow Fort....

This snow in our garden is so much fun!!!!!
We want to build all sorts of things.....this weekend we wanted to build a fort!!!
Lynes came over after school, we started the first level of snow blocks
We got 2 levels of blocks built and then it was getting too dark...
So we continued the following morning
Build the snow blocks...
Then fill in the gaps with snow
and keep going...
Max came to help...here are the 3 of them having an executive meeting about the construction
Once we had 3 levels complete, it was time for hot chocolate and pizza in the fort..
It was great fun to build, and Lynes says he has never had a picnic in the snow before!
That was great fun....now what's next????

Alexander, Junior Master Chef....

Alexander is really keen to help in the kitchen, so he has been helping a lot in the past week.
First was hamburgers,
Then making pizza,


Today Anzac Cookies.



I could get used to having this helper in the kitchen!

Of course, there are plenty of volunteers for taste testing!!!!

Exterminate...Exterminate...

Inspired by my knitting obsessed/Dr Who obsessed friend Atalanti, we got out into the garden this afternoon and made a Dalek out of snow. The snow still isn't great to make big rolling snowballs, but we had fun anyway!



First we made the Dalek.....we need to drink more coffee to use the Nespresso capsules for decorations....

Next we made a small man, directly in front of the Dalek.....The Dalek is currently exterminating the man....he is melting.....

Then it was time to put the camera away and have a massive snowball fight! Our neighbour, Thorsten joined in....Thorsten's 2 year old daughter stood at the window to watch, so we throw some snowballs at the windows, which she really enjoyed, (especially as she wasn't getting cold like the rest of us). Then it was back inside to warm up and get dinner ready and prepare to watch the final episode of David Tennant as the Doctor!

Icicles.....

Cameron loves to break off any icicles he finds...

When I dropped Alexander off at Theatre Club this morning, we found these icicles...




When I showed Cameron the photos, he has decided to come with me when we drop Alexander off at Theatre Club next week.

Somehow I am wondering if we need to take the Esky with us to collect his icicles...

Alexander's Birdhouse and Fish Food

Part of Alexander's homework this week was to feed some birds, and see what birds came to visit the bird feeder.


While we were watching, this little bird visited. After Google searching, we found out that he was a "Kohlmeise" or in English, Great Tit.

While we were at the pet shop, we boought some extra fish......so now we are back to 10 fish again.


We wait to see if the 2 killer goldfish will eat the 8 new ones.....it's an expensive way to buy fish food!

How to get rid of the old Christmas tree when you live 3 floors up...

Open up the window,

Check no one is coming along the path, and then give it a push! Drag the tree to the gutter, and the council comes along and gets rid of it for you.

Vacuum up all the old pine needles, and room is back to normal!

From +25 degrees to -5 degrees in 5 hours....

It was quite a change - 28 degrees and sunny, to minus 5 degrees and heavy snow! On the weekend we arrived back in Berlin, there was at least 15 cm of fresh snow, deepening an already thick blanket of snow that lay over Berlin.
we had to clear a small path to get to the edge of the terrace, and sweep off the satellite dish to get reception on the TV.

Alexander's ugg boots...sweeping up the terrace
Just enough to get a signal....

Then we did an experiment with some tea candles in the snow on our terrace.

In 1/2 hour, they had melted to the terrace flooring.

Over 30cm of snow had to be cleaned off the car, and I had to shovel snow from under the tyres so I could drive out.
View from the terrace, our car is the silvery colour, covered in snow
A neighbour's car, which hasn't moved for 4 weeks, and not likely to move for quite sometime!

Alan and Phil took BJ and Cameron sledding (or as the English say "sledging")on Teufelsberg - really the only hill for miles around. It was packed, and in true German form, there were queues for each of the sled runs. They all had a turn, including the 'big boys', and it was a great few hours out in the fresh air.





lots of fun...even for the "big kids"



It makes quite a contrast from sunlounges and diveboats, to deep snow and sledding!

Sandcastles and tunnels and beach fun....

The kids played happily on the beach for hours..... collecting shells, looking for starfish and crabs

Trying to catch fish

Building cities in the sand...

Building lots of cities in the sand!

Speaking German to 3 girls who were fascinated with their city....


Building the pyramids and the Sphinx
and having a great time!