endlich auch mal auf Deutsch (finally in German)

... or not?
nein, ich werde wirklich mein Bestes tun auf Deutsch zu schreiben ... und auch bei Deutsch zu bleiben (Sorry to the English-speaking readers of this blog)

Heute ist mein Glueckstag!!! Nach monatelangem Suchen nach einer Liste fuer deutschsprachige Bilderbuecher eines qualifizierten Herausgebers (nach dem Motto "paedagogisch wertvoll"), habe ich endlich ein solches Gefunden. Wollte mir also schnell eine anschauliche Erinnerungsstuetze bauen (und alle meine neugewonnenen Faehigkeiten auch noch gleich benutzen): hier also mit Bild und auch dem Link zum Arbeitskreis fuer Jugendliteratur e.V., der jaehrlich den Deutschen Kinderbuchpreis verleiht. Dort gibt's Information ueber Nominierungen und Preistraeger und auch ein Archiv mit allen vergangenen Gewinnern.

Finde ich ganz toll, denn ich bin so buechersuechtig. Nur habe ich mich nicht getraut, es gleich zu kaufen, denn ich habe gerade unendlich viel Geld bei Amazon.de gelassen. Hier also nur eine kleine Merkseite fuer mich, wenn wir ueber den Schock der Amazonrechnung hinweg sind und ich wieder meiner Sucht nachgehen moechte:

Das Bilderbuch
Hrsg. von Doris Breitmoser und Bettina Stelzner
München 2003, 12. Auflage

(Hat schonmal jemand von dem Buch gehoert? Kann es jemand empfehlen, oder sind die Buecher darin nicht wirklich gut von der Literacy Perspektive?)

Well, OK. I do feel increasinly sorry for everybody who hasn't got a clue what I'm talking about, so here's just a short summary:
Pretty much I've finally found a book that recommends quality German picture books, something I've been looking for for ages. I haven't dared bying it though cause I've just spent a fortune at Amazon.de (indulging in my book addiction). So this post is for me as a memory jogger and I've also wanted to show off my new skills of inserting pictures as well as links. I'm not too sure though if the book itself is great ... hm?

writing focuses the mind

I haven't been part of the blogging community for very long, actually I was fighting it for quite a while, since my dear BFG was hazzling me so much to start a blog (I don't like being told what to do :-P , but I do have to say that I've found this very rewarding.
I've been converted ... arrgh!!

It is a great way of grappling with ideas, even without other people commenting. Writing down what goes through my head has helped me to better understand what I'm thinking and feeling (I tend to be a bit flustered and confused) and to see where I'm wrong or where I don't actually mean what I say, cause after reading what I've written I'd sometimes go back and change things because I couldn't actually agree with my own words anymore.
Also when you're flustered like I am and find it hard to concentrate let alone on tricky things like emotions the process of writing it down has been wonderfully rewarding.

And with comments and other people questioning my thinking it has been even more beneficial, since it forces me to really examine what I'm trying to say.
So Thank you for all your comments!!
And Thank you!, BFG, for pestering me about starting a blog!

books that Mim enjoyed

Miriam is at that wonderful age, where she's starting to enjoy a story as a whole. So I've been plunging into the library book shelves on the search for suitable books for her.

Here are some where (straight after finishing the story) she'd say "...mal" (which stands for "nochmal" meaning 'again'):

"Snap! went Chester"
Tania Cox & David Miller

"You'll wake the Baby!"
Catherine Jinks & Andrew McLean

this is just a wonderful one, gorgeous illustrations and beautiful message:
"Henry and Amy (right-way-round and upside down)"
Stephen Michael King

"Seven More Sleeps"
Margaret Wild & Donna Rawlins

"There's a wocket in my pocket!"
Dr. Seuss

"Too loud Lily"
Sofie Laguna & Kerry Argent

one that I think is just absolutely delightful (but she hasn't quite discovered for herself yet) is:
"Diary of a wombat"
Jackie French & Bruce Whatley

I'm sure there'll be many books added to this list, as I'm always interested in a new one.

bauchnabel continued ...

I did some more thinking on that topic and really what it comes down to is the good old "nature versus nurture depate".

Can you be either Australian or German by nature? I mean this is really what we're saying when we say that someone is 'half one and half the other'. But the more I think about it the more I have to agree that this is a load of rubbish. And I think that is where my frustration/desperation lies ... no-one is German because of their genes, or Australian for that matter.

Not that I have read any intelligent research on that topic to be talking from an informed perspective, but as far as I can gather there's no "German gene", hence for my daughters to have a German heritage I have to nurture them in that way ... I have to be the one creating that heritage.

Pretty big task, should you ask me ... people are so flawed, how can anybody be sure that what I'm 'selling' as German really is German.

Hmmm ... don't think that I've got any more to say about this matter for the moment, so I might just close right here!

... and Bauchnabel is for belly button!!

everytime I dress, undress my daughter or change my babies nappy I can see right there in the middle of their tummys the reminder that they were once connected to me in that incredible way. That I fed them through a whole in their belly and with God's help was able to pro-create a new person (or two, in this case).

Now they're their own little people and that very physical connection is gone but they are still connected to me (and my husband). They are part German part Australian, part me and part my husband but also themselves. It is just so unbelievable.

But how can they be German when all they know is Australia. I feel an incredible burden to be the one having to teach them everything they know about this German part in them and of course all their German language depends on me as well (I know, dearest M., you'll be complaining right now, cause of course you do your best to help that, but I just can't help feeling that the bug stops with me)!

This is an ongoing thought process for me and my family and I'm quite aware of my short comings in terms of expression, but after all this blog is intended more for my own benefit than anybody else's.

blah blah

Just testing the whole blogging thing, but haven't really got anything to say yet.