2020 was a strange year, as was probably the case for everyone.
It began well, as we managed to secure a kindergarten place for Basti. This is a bit of an achievement as in Bremen there is a real shortage of childcare places, and as the Kindergarten year starts in August and we moved to Bremen at the end of November, we had to wait for a place to become free.
Hannes visited a playgroup for three hours for four days a week, but this did not give Marita enough time to find a job.
We had grandparents visit – Trevor visited in the first week in January and then Paul and Roger bared the cold on a visit to see the new house and town at the end of the month.
February
February Marita’s father celebrated his 70th birthday. To celebrate her family rented a chalet on the highest mountain in Hessen, for a long weekend. The kids had a lot of fun in the snow.
March
This is when the lockdown began in Germany. The kindergarten and playgroups were closed and Dave started working from home (and has continued to do so throughout the year.)
We kept sane by having a daily routine for the boys, which included set walks, crafts, free play and then finally some TV time – a relief for all of us!
April
We stayed at home for all of April. Back in the UK, David’s brother Paul and partner Claire had a daughter, Grace, but unfortunately due to travel restrictions we have yet to be able to see them.
May
In May, once the restrictions eased, Marita’s sister Eva and her family came to visit us in Bremen. The eldest daughter, Addy, is the same age as Basti so the children play very well together. It was a welcome change from the restrictions of the previous six weeks, and as the weather had improved we could do a lot of activities outside.
July
Basti’s Kindergarten opened again, for four days a week. Unfortunately, Hannes’s playgroup did not reopen. We are able to take many trips to the beach in Cuxhaven which is only an hour away.
August
During the summer holidays, we made a brief trip to the German-Polish Border. Marita’s mother Luz was there at a convalescence home for four weeks and we visited them. Marita’s brother Julian and his wife Dong joined as well.
September
Kindergarten started again in September. This time it was Hannes’s turn to join. In Germany, the groups are mixed and the age range varies from 3-6. Hannes is the youngest in his group as he only turned 3 in December. Basti and Hannes are in two different groups: Basti in the Pony group and Hannes in the Cat group.
October
We had a ferry to finally return to the UK in early October. But because of the UK’s quarantine rules regarding travelling through the Netherlands, we had to postpone our trip to Summer 2021. The boys enjoyed trick or treating and carving pumpkins for Halloween.
December
This year we still managed to celebrate Christmas in Schwalbach with Marita’s parents. All four of us had a PCR test and then went into self-isolation until we left for Schwalbach. All of Marita’s family got tested before seeing Marita’s mother as she is high risk. We are going to stay here until the New Year before heading back to Bremen. We are await any news about whether kindergarten is going to reopen on the 11th of January as planned.
Many thanks Marita, great to see the videos and hear the story of what’s happened on your lives over the past year. Glad you’re all keeping well and that you were able to see your mum and dad over the Christmas. Do give my best wishes to them both.
All the best
Colin
What a gorgeous fun packed video ,, best video I’ve seen all year. What fantastic parents in the way you made the most of what’s been such a difficult year. Your children are a real credit to you both. Well done David and Marita and we look forward to meeting up properly in what must be an easier new year. Xxx
Lovely xx