Travelog for: Chuckle

Yesterday it was 1rst Advent and today we have a nice meeting with pastry and tea. Our host's singing teacher came to join us. It was her last singing lesson with this nice teacher, so she and her son invited her to visit them at home. She was also her son's and daughter's singing teacher.
We lighted the first candle and sat down in the middle of the table - our host was very delighted




This is a few out of the kitchen window. You see the snow? It's a pity, that our host still isn't well enough to go outside with us.




Our star also found a place at this kitchen window.

Maybe you know, that my host works as a teacher. Right now she is class teacher of 3rd graders. She loves her job and she loves her class. She always talks about her kids and she doesn't only mean her own children, but her pupils. A few days ago she went to a book shop in the inner city and stayed there for hours. We all wondered, why she didn't come back home again. Today she showed us, what she had done. She went there to search for books for the Advent Calendar for her pupils. She didn't buy the books from her own money, but recieved the money from their parents. But she bought the books and before she bought them, she thought and thought, which book would be good enough for which child. She and the female book seller really enjoyed it - that's what she said.

Take a look at all the books. There are 19 books for her 19 pupils.

The next day we had everything done, the packages were wrapped in Christmas papers and the pupils' names were in the little sacks. So our host could take the Advent calendar with her to the school. She told us, that she reads an Advent story each morning in the first school hour. At first they light the candles of the advent wreath. At last she asks one pupil to go to the Advent calendar and open the number for the day. The pupil, whose name was told there, gets up and draws out one of the packages out of the covered basket. The name on the package tells then, who will recieve it. This way three pupils have to do something each day.

It's the fourth of December already. Today we found a lot of snow outside, so we ran to play in it and have a walk. At first we found a trail in the snow in front of the front door.







Somehow my host forgot to take pictures of me on the walk. But when we came back, we found some more trails in the snow next to the trail we've seen at first. Who might this have been?




It was so cold, that we didn't want to stay outside any longer, but our host said, that she first has to clean the way in front of the house again. They asked me to open the door.




I was a bit too small, so I asked Bluto and Scotty to help me, but we still weren't tall enough.





Hypno-Dog came to help us now. He climbed on their heads and I climbed on his, but you see, we still didn't reach the lock.




Hypno-Dog called for Travelling Tuffy, who then climbed over their heads and sat down on Hypno-Dog's head and I sat on his head then. It was really heavy from them already.




Because we still were too small to reach the lock, Domino asked us, if he could help. Of course we let him climb over the heads and I sat on his head then. You see, that we still had no luck.




I called for Schnuffi to help us.




And then Kari came and also Mustang Monkey asked, if he should help Bluto and Scotty to carry all these other toyvoyagers on their heads.




We were really close to the lock now, but then it happened....! Oh God! I hope, nobody got hurt.




Thank God! Nothing bad happened to us toyvoyagers. Now we knew a bit better how to do it. So we were a bit faster in building the toyvoyager tower.






You see we had a different order now and we were building more a pyramid than a tower.






We didn't feel anything of the cold weather now. We really sweat already.




And yes, with Brinda's help I reached the lock finally.






I turned the key and then....




What we didn't think of was, that we all will fall down - except me, Scotty and Bluto. But we all were happy, that we had been successful. Maybe we can go on walks without our host every now and then from now on.





P.S. My host read this and she told me to tell you, that she will keep her key at a safe place from now on. You might feel better to know this, but we all still will try - oh, no eehmmm, I think, we won't try it again

It's that time of year again, when our host goes into her kitchen for hours and bakes and bakes a lot of cookies. This year we asked her, whether we could help her with her work. At first she seemed a bit hectic and not in the mood to let us join, but then we were allowed to watch and even help her baking.

Here you see Moony cutting the vanilla bean.



Paul Penguin adds the almonds.




Landroval tries to stir the dough. Wow, this mixer is heavy.




Even little Brinda helps. She gets the dough out of the mixing bowl.




Schnuffi writes the name of the cookie on the aluminium foil: Husarenkrapferl.





For the second cookies we need some almonds again. Hypno-Dog adds them to the dough.




Kari adds the flour




and Traveling Tuffy the sugar.




Domino likes the cocos flakes, they are just as white as he is. We need the flakes for cocos macaroones with marzipan.




I help to stir the dough this time.




To put the dough on the baking plate we need someone really strong: Hypno-Dog.




Tuffy is waiting impatiently.



Brinda tries to show them, that she's also really strong.




After the dough for our Husarenkrapferl was in the fridge for about two hours, Paul puts them on the baking plate and does the last step before we put it in the oven.




While the Husarenkrapferl are baking, our host forms the Vanillekipferl.




Some Vanillekipferl are already baken, while some more are waiting for an empty oven.




That's how the finished Vanillekipferl look like.




We all try to help getting the cocosnut macaroones finished. We want to dip them in the melted chocolate.




Don't they look nice?







It's better to not show, how we looked like after the work was done.


Our host prepared another dough for Spitzbuben cookies. We are allowed to help cutting them out. For some of us it is hard work, but for others just as easy as climbing a tree.
















Umechan and Paul are really strong. They can roll the dough with the marmor rolling pin.






Then we are able to cut the cookies out again.

It's the last school day before Christmas break. We help our host to pack Christmas presents for her pupils: some dices and packs of cards.

In the afternoon it was time for more baking:


We help to finish the Little Spitzbuben.




the Bethmännchen




Then we roll the dough for the Terrassen cookies




and cut them out in three different sizes.




These cookies should be Nougatkipferl, but we do Nougat rolls.

Today we "glue" the Terrasse cookies together - with the help of some marmelade




and cover them with powder sugar.




At next we prepare the dough for Zigeunerschnitten, our host's favorite cookies.






While we all worked, Moony jumps around like crazy. It is no surprise, that he falls into the powder sugar. What a laughter!






Paul and Landroval try to pick a walnut. It is also fun to watch them.

In the afternoon we have to finish the Husarenkrapferl. We have to powder them with powder sugar and then fill in marmelade in the little holes.








After we baked the Zigeunerschnitten, we have to decorate them and cut them in smaller pieces.








Then we cut out the Buttergebäck. We use many different small forms.




Then we decorate them with colourful sugar pieces and bake them in the oven.




What a mess! We have to clean up, before we can do more baking.




That's much better now




Look, who is back at home!!! What a Christmas surprise! Aaron, the donkey, came back after staying in Singapore for about two years. He told us, that he won't travel again. He is just too large to take him with in a bag, although he is rather small, when he is folded in a package. He had to tell so much about his life, too much to repeat it here. For us he is just a sign, that it is possible to come back home after years.




Aaron joined us in watching how to bake cookies.




It looks a bit messy again. This will be Walnuss-Aprikosen-Taschen (something like walnut-apricots- bags)

Today it is Holy Eve. In the morning there is time for some more baking in the kitchen. We all sit down at our special place again.

After baking and cooling down we cover the Walnuss-Aprikosen-Taschen with powder sugar.




Springerle are some of our host's favorite cookies. Many people say, that you have to bake them weeks before Christmas so they get soft enough for take a bite without breaking a tooth. Our hosts usually bakes them the day before Holy Eve or on Holy Eve and she never has problems with them being too hard.




While Petra is still baking and baking and preparing dinner, we sit behind the kitchen window and watch the weather change. At first we had rain, but now it starts to snow.






It is midday now and we are still sitting at the same place.





Still watching





and watching





It can be boring to sit here and not be allowed to get up




We watch and watch and watch the snow falling down. You may see, that it starts to get white outside.






Finally it is dark and we still watch the snow falling.

Finally it is so dark outside, that we were allowed to help and set the table for dinner. We also helped to cook, but there are no photos of it. We have pasties, corn salad and chicken fricassee.

Then  we heard a little bell ringing - the sign, that the Christchild - Christuskind - was there and had brought the presents. Now we were allowed to enter the livingroom and see the Christmastree for the first time. While our hosts were singing and playing the flute, we sat on the presents and helped singing. I'm so sorry, that there is no record of it, you would have loved it



After singing and reading the Christmas story - I never thought, that this really would take more than half an hour time to get finished with this - everyone was allowed to open the presents. I'm also sorry, that we don't have photos of us, but we all were too busy.

Then we sat down, played a game and ate some of our selfmade cookies. Our host told us, that she tries to put some recipes on facebook.

Today we went shopping and bought a new bird feeder for the balcony in front of the kitchen. At first we played in it for a while until out host told us, that it isn't for us and we should go in the house again, so the poor birds find some seed while it is so frosty outside.


At first umechan climbed into the house.






Then Brinda and Kari joined umechan.




Also Landroval and Paul Penguin came to sit in the small house, while I sat on its roof. I tried to climb, but got some cold fingers and had to be really careful to not be frozen to the chain.




Suddenly the dogs came and chased us away. They laughed so much, that Domino and Hypno-Dog lay in the house holding their tummies, while Schnuffi and Tuffy watched from the roof.



But maybe you know the saying: He laughs best that laughs last?

Today evening we have Raclette for dinner. We really liked it. My host got to bed after dinner, because her daughter was ill. So we enjoyed a game called "Mitternachtsparty" - midnightparty - without her.

It's right after midnight.