Week 13 : Ustermart

Well, we’ve made it this far and the boys are bearing up. They are both extremely tired and now getting very ratty with each other, but I’m trying to be patient (not my strong point, alas) and keep telling them that they have some days off at the end of the week.

Sunday night it snows again, very heavily, so snow boots and no scootering (too icy) are the order of the day on Monday. They are so tired that when C accidentally muddles up his snow boots with the identical but different size ones belonging to a girl in his Klasse, all hell breaks loose and he telephones, horribly distressed and sobbing down the phone at me. J is sensible enough to be able to resolve the problem and get the pair of them home in one piece without a fight (either with the girl or with each other, which is a relief). OK, all shoes to be labelled from now. Lesson learnt the hard way.

J has his first field trip – to a local waterworks. He seems to enjoy it and seems to learn quite a bit about water sourcing and treatment. His late grandfather, a water engineer, would be proud of him.

Homework is taking ages for both of them. J loses his watch after gym on Monday and is horribly distressed about it.

It’s clear that they are exhausted, mentally and emotionally. Somehow we manage limp through to Wednesday, when to my utter relief they finish and have just one small piece of homework each - apart from the ever-present Schreib and Kofprechnen - which they complete immediately.

The reason given for the days off is “Ustermart” – which I understand to be an Advent market and funfair in Uster. Our gemeinde adjoins Uster gemeinde, so the school has the 2 days off whilst the teachers do training days.

Phew. Thursday to Sunday for some complete downtime.