The Yellow Brick Road

Epilogue

2012-01-03T08:00:00.001+11:00

Today marks six months since we left Australia. And the truth is, I still think about it every single day. I miss the beach, and my apartment. I miss our friends and the stunning natural beauty. I miss the sunshine, and the harbour.

Our last family photo in front of our apartment. On our way to the airport. 3 July 2011

And even though I am happy with the decision we made to move to the UK, there have been times when my husband and I have asked ourselves, "Why did we ever leave Australia?"

When we first considered moving to the UK I wondered if having a second expat experience would in some way diminish my memories of Australia. I can now answer definitively-no, it will not. No matter how many places I live or how much I travel, I will always look back on our time in Australia as sort of magical.

It really is a "Lucky Country" and I feel lucky to have called it home for over two years.

You Did It!

2011-08-19T14:05:00.002+10:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all my faithful readers who voted (and voted and voted) to make Yellow Brick Road one of the Top 25 Expat Mom Blogs on Circle of Moms.

I can't believe I actually landed in the Top 25, and I am truly honored. And, a special thank you to the anonymous reader who originally nominated me for the contest. Thanks for reading, and thanks for voting!

To those of you stopping by from Circle of Moms, I'd like to say WELCOME! I'm so glad you've clicked over. I hope you stay and have a look around.

We left Australia for good last month, and I have decided to archive this blog as a sort of permanent record of our time there. I still get emails from other Americans considering a move to Oz, and I enjoy being able to offer them encouragement and advice. So The Yellow Brick Road will stay right here.

But my expat adventures aren't over yet. This week we're moving across the pond and setting up house near London. We're looking forward to a year of culture shock. miscommunication, funny stories, and lots of travel. I would love to have you along for the journey. So consider this your official invitation to join me at my new blog: Along The Yellow Brick Road. Here's your chance to become one of my first followers!

Cheers,
Jenny

Aussie Gift Guide

2011-07-20T09:49:00.001+10:00

It seems that July is the perfect time for American expats to head home for a holiday. It's a chance to escape winter in Australia and soak up some North American summer. Americans are off school for the summer and most Aussie schools have a 2-3 week holiday break in July.

Annual home leave is a nice little perk that most expats enjoy. A chance to reconnect with family and friends back in America. And many of us want to bring gifts to all those people to let them know that even though we live on the other side of the world we haven't forgotten about them.

One can only buy so many stuffed koalas and coin purses made from kangaroo scrotum. That's why I have put together the following Aussie Gift Guide. There's a little something for everyone.

For Her:

An Oroton Bag
These beauties are designed in Australia and sold in boutiques around Oz and Europe. As far as I know they are not widely available in the US. A great gift for someone special. They also sell key fobs and umbrellas if you're looking for something less expensive.

Von Treskow Coin Jewelry
This collection featuring Aussie coins that have been turned into necklaces, bracelets and earrings is one of my favourite things. They're beautiful and wearable and Australian without being cheesy.

Ken Done Hoodie
These hoodies are nicer than your typical souvenir shop sweatshirts. The colours are fun and Done's signature kangaroo silhouette is eye catching.

Havianas Aussie Beaches Flip Flops
Of course, in Australia they call them thongs. These sport a small metal charm in the shape of Australia and they have the names of popular Aussie beaches printed on the sole. So cute! And everyone loves Havianas.

For Him:

Australian Wine
My favourite bottle shop is the Australian Wine Centre near Circular Quay. They are helpful and have a great selection. They will even package up your purchase in a box that can be checked as luggage on any major airline.

Havianas (see above)
In addition to the Beaches version, Havianas also come with an Aussie Flag on the strap.

Bush Hat
These kangaroo leather bush hats are fun, and the Squashy collection are easy to pack in your suitcase.

Photography Prints
Ken Ducan has some amazing photographs of this beautiful country. One of his prints (or a less expensive calendar or book) would make a great gift.

For Kids:

Between the Flags Gear
This shop benefits the Australian surf lifesavers, so you can feel good about shopping here. Plenty of cute kids swimmers, hats, and towels. Great sales in June- I saw lots of items for only $5 each!

Candy by Sticky
This shop in The Rocks is a big hit with kids. I picked up the cutest candy with a tiny koala on each piece. Packaged in cellophane bags they make great little give aways for friends at home.

Anything from Paddy's Market
Paddy's Market (in Chinatown) is the place to go for cheap souvenirs. If you need 30 pencil sets with Aussie animals on them, you'll find it at Paddy's. They also have bags, towels, t-shirts and, strangely, a huge selection of trashy lingerie. But that's another post. Paddy's is a good place to go if you need to buy cheap gifts in bulk.

Animalz
These beautiful little wooden toys are designed in Australia. The Aussie pouch, containing an echidna, koala and wombat is my favourite.

For Yourself:

Now that I'm back in the U.S., the one thing I wish I had more of is video. I found a 45 second video of Balmoral on my phone today and watched it over and over. I would love to be able to look back at quick snippets of our life in Sydney. It would be the best gift of all.

Jenny

How We Said Goodbye

2011-07-10T03:39:00.001+10:00

Repatriation. After 2+ years working to build a life in another country, we suddenly find ourselves about to return "home". We spent our last week saying goodbye to all the people, places and things that we loved in Australia.

The kids each had parties at school and needed small gifts to hand out to their classmates and friends. I scoured Pinterest and found this adorable idea for s'more kits. I tweaked it a bit to fit our purposes and printed our email and skype info on the back. Such a cute little way to share an American tradition and encourage the kids to keep in touch.

We hosted a party, with sushi from our favourite place Goeman, to say farewell to our Australian, American, Canadian, and British friends down under.

We went into the city and had lunch at the Opera Bar, and one last hot chocolate at Guylian. We tracked down our favourite street performers and stocked up on Australian wine to bring back with us.

We walked from Bradleys Head to Balmoral one more time on our last full day in Sydney. It was the most gorgeous winter's day. Sydney was wishing us a fond farewell. It was the perfect way to appreciate the beautiful spot we have called home for the past 2 years.


View on the bushwalk

On our final morning, 2 of my dear friends stopped by to wave us off. It was emotional. We loaded the kids (and 9 suitcases!) into the van and I went back to do one last sweep through the apartment. It was surreal. I walked through each room trying to take a mental picture. This was my home. I want to remember the happiness we felt here. I want to carry this experience around with me forever. And as the door to the elevator closed that last time, I knew I would. I will always have Sydney.

Jenny

Gifted

2011-07-03T00:12:00.000+10:00

Last week I had a birthday. A milestone birthday.

Yes, that one.

To mark the occasion I decided to get myself a gift.

The One Line A Day Journal.

I first read about it at Simple Mom and knew I had to have one for myself.

The format of the book is so clever. I love the way it chronicles your life for 5 years and allows you to easily look back and see what you were doing exactly one year ago. Some people have suggested occasionally having your children write in the journal to record what their handwriting looked like. The one line a day format is not intimidating- I think I'll actually be able to keep up with this journal. I'm looking forward to recording all my adventures in its pages.

I love this little journal so much I decided to gift it to my children's teachers and coaches as a way to say thank you to them before our big move. A little kraft paper and a strip of printed map made for pretty wrapping.

I hope the recipients love this little journal as much as I do.

xx Jenny

Misadventures in Packing

2011-06-29T11:15:00.000+10:00

Before the movers arrived a couple weeks ago, I went through every cupboard, wardrobe and drawer (or draw as some say here). I asked my darling husband to sort through his belongings and get rid of anything he didn't want to take to the U.K. We purged enough clothing and shoes and toys and household items to require several drop offs at our local thrift shop.

When the packers finally showed up, I had carefully set aside one suitcase for me and each child which contained everything we'd need for the next 6 weeks. This was no easy task since I had to pack for 2 climates! It was pretty minimal- but adequate.

Now notice that I did not pack a bag for my husband. This is an important point in the story. He was responsible for packing his own bag.

Fast forward to packing day. The crew arrived and, in a very Un-Aussie like way, swept into action. They were quick, efficient and thorough. In less than 5 hours all of our belongings were wrapped and packed and stacked in the container.

In fact, they were so good that I was almost able to overlook their slightly offensive musical tastes (like T-Pain's "Take Your Shirt Off" ).

At the end of the day, we breathed a sigh of relief. The hard work was done. Now we'd be able to spend the next 2 and a half weeks visiting with friends and enjoying our time in Sydney.

But of course, everything did not go off without a hitch. When my sweet husband went to get ready for work the next morning he quickly realized something was missing from his suitcase. Shoes. He has no shoes. Well, except for the trainers (that's what they call sneakers here) he had on his feet. Every other pair of shoes the man owns are now in a container not to be seen again for 6-8 weeks.

You might think, no problem, just go out and buy a new pair of shoes. Sounds simple enough, unless you've seen the type of shoes Aussie men tend to wear. Think long, pointy, duck bill-like footwear. That's pretty much what was "on offer" at our local shoe shop.

And then, yesterday, I was walking past our local Vinnie's- the thrift shop that served as a dumping ground for all our unwanted stuff. And guess what I saw in the front window- proudly displayed to lure in bargain seeking customers?

That's right: a pair of my husband's discarded shoes! We could actually buy his unwanted shoes back for the bargain price of $70 AUD (about $72.80 USD).

Believe me, I was tempted to buy them back, but I resisted. So if you happen to see my otherwise well dressed husband going to fancy dinners and meetings and goodbye parties in his trainers, you'll know why.

Jenny

Dear Australia

2011-06-26T08:47:00.001+10:00

I don't want to leave you- with your sunshine and white sand beaches and happy people and tall white gum trees.

I want more time to watch my kids run around Rocky Point Island and stare out at the sea and think about how lucky I am to have landed in this lucky country for 2 years.

I want to ride on the green and yellow ferry, marvel at how the sea and the sky could possibly be so blue and stare at the sparkling white sails of the Opera House as we pull into Circular Quay.

I want to stop by the kiosk and stroll along The Esplanade holding my husband's hand and just freeze time for a moment. I don't want to say goodbye.

We will come back some day. It won't be the same, but I'll remember. I'll show my daughter where she learned to ride a bike and my son where he spent so many afternoons digging in the sand. And I'll tell my baby, "You were born here."

Thank you, Australia, for being our home. I will miss you. Only one week left.

Photo:Vincent Lai

With love,
Jenny

Packing Up

2011-06-19T12:07:00.000+10:00

And so it goes . . . .

I guess it's official now. All of our personal belongings are being loading into this container, placed aboard a ship and sent to the other side of the world.

We have to show up in London- otherwise, what would become of my beloved tortilla press, the Little Buddy's rubbish truck collection (they say "rubbish" in the UK, right?), and our huge library of children's books?

Nope, no backing out now. Less than three weeks and counting.

Winter Beach Days

2011-06-11T09:25:00.000+10:00

Winter is officially here in Sydney. It is cold and the wind is biting. We've had some torrential rain, too. But last week we were also blessed with gorgeous blue skies and bright sunshine. Perfect winter afternoon on the beach.

I'm really going to miss days like this.

Memories

2011-06-08T23:09:00.000+10:00

Family Photos in the Botanic Garden

Photographer: Vincent Lai

Don't Mind if I Doo

2011-06-05T07:30:00.001+10:00

Doo Town is a quirky little place on the Tasman Peninsula. The story goes that back in the 1930s, an early resident of Doo Town placed a name plate reading "Doo I" on his weekend cottage. He started a trend, and creative townspeople have been naming their cottages ever since.

Here's a pictorial tour of Doo Town's clever cottages.

One of my favourites:

What doo you think?

Please take a moment to vote and keep me in the Top 25 over at Circle of Moms:

Unraveling a Life

2011-06-03T09:00:00.009+10:00

Tasmanian Sunrise

Our time left here in Australia can now be measured in weeks instead of months. We'll be gone before the eggs in my refrigerator expire. It's surreal to think that I have to begin to unravel the life I've spent the past 2 years creating.

Squeeze in a couple last trips.

Sort through our belongings and decide what to take, what to sell, what to toss.

Close out our accounts and memberships.

Say good-bye to all the people we've come to love here.

Even the kids are starting to feel the tension of being torn between two lives on two continents. Someone once said that beginnings are always scary, endings are always sad, but it's what's in between that counts.

I just wish the in between could last a little longer.

Did you vote today over at Circle of Moms? 2 little clicks is all it takes!

Scenic Tasmania

2011-06-01T22:12:00.002+10:00

For our final Aussie holiday we headed down to Tasmania and spent some time exploring the Tasman peninsula and the capital city of Hobart. Tassie has a reputation for being the most natural state in Australia. It's rugged coastline and convict past didn't disappoint. Tasmania was gorgeous (But really, isn't all of Australia? Like this, this and this).

Tourists are discouraged from driving after dark in Tasmania. It didn't take long to see why. At least 4 dead wombats lined the Arthur highway on the drive from Hobart to Port Arthur. So much marsupial carnage was difficult to see. Luckily the kiddos were too busy poking each other in the backseat to notice the roadkill wonderland.

Our first stop was Port Arthur, the site of the convict settlement in the 1800s. The landscape was beautiful, and the ruins were interesting. When you see the historic site you just can't help but think about how miserable it must have been to be a convict at Port Arthur. It was freezing, the wind was whipping and the rain pelted us. I just kept thinking about how lucky the Sydney convicts were by comparison.

We spent the night in Port Arthur at the Stewarts bay Lodge. I highly recommend the deluxe cabins there. The setting and the views were so beautiful. The cabins were modern and clean and spacious. And dinner at their Taylors restaurant was the best meal we had in Tassie (Ok- it was the only decent meal we had in Tassie). I wish we could have stayed more than one night!

After Port Arthur we did some exploring on the Tasman Peninsula. The coastline is breathtaking. We visited Devil's Kitchen, The Blowhole, Tesselated Pavement and the Tasman Arch.

We drove through Doo Town (which was so amusing it deserves its own post) and spent the night in a guest bungalow in Marion Bay. The bungalow had a wall of glass looking out on the gorgeous Tasmanian coast. It was so picturesque. Freezing cold and pouring rain, but still picturesque!

Day three brought us to Hobart and the famous Salamanca Markets. We handed each kid a $20 bill and set the free to shop for souvenirs. The market was huge, with stalls hawking everything from gorgeous handmade Tassie wood products to cheap "made in China" plastic trucks and fresh produce. Wanna guess what the little buddy bought?

That night our family had a private night tour at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. We were the only people in the park, with a private guide who took us inside the enclosures. Nothing quite like tossing a chunk of opossum leg to a hungry Tassie Devil.

We also fed this frogmouth and the little potoroos.

We all enjoyed getting up close with the animals at the sanctuary. Although I did freak out a bit when a sugar glider plopped down on the face of my sleeping baby. That was a little too close for comfort for me!

On our final day in Tasmania we headed up to the top of Mt Wellington where we found SNOW! We were completely ill prepared but the kids didn't care. They reveled in throwing snowballs at each other and the Little Princess (the only one with gloves!) insisted on building a snowman while the rest on the family retreated to the warmth of the car.

After all that snow play we stopped by the Cascade Brewery.

And then made our way to the MONA.

There were some really cool things at the MONA, like the full size mack truck in a corridor, and the wall of paper panels seen above. The kids loved the light bulbs that flicker in time with your heartbeat and the architecture of the building with its massive sandstone wall is impressive. But there were also some really disturbing things at the MONA. And much of the content is totally inappropriate for kids. A staff member was stationed outside the most objectionable exhibits so they were easy to avoid. But when we got out of the lift on level 2 and found ourselves staring at a wall of plaster cast vaginas we realized the MONA might not be the best place for our inquisitive little children. So we quickly headed back outside to the expansive grounds and watched them run around with these giant bean bags. (Which I think are intended to be used by adults as they relax and sip wine).

We loved Tasmania. Even with the road kill, the freezing rain, the creepy art and the lack of decent dining options, it was an amazing holiday. It was rural and green and rugged and simply stunning. Tasmania really is like no place else on earth- and I'm so glad I got to see it.

If you made it all the way through this incredibly long post and are still reading, please take a moment and vote for me over at Circle of Moms.
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On Becoming a Serial Expat

2011-05-25T10:32:00.000+10:00

That's right- we're gonna do it again. When we leave Australia in July we won't be moving back home to California.

We're going to London!

Source: weheartit.com via Savannah on Pinterest

We've been given a second once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I can't wait to embark on this new adventure.

But don't worry Mom, after this one we're definitely coming home (I think).

Tasmania- Autumn Way Down Under

2011-05-22T15:52:00.000+10:00

In case you were wondering what the weather is like in Tassie in Autumn, here's a little video from our recent holiday.

To be fair, this was taken at the top of Mt. Wellington. But trust me, it was cold everywhere!

More holiday highlights coming soon.

Isn't That Special?

2011-05-18T10:15:00.000+10:00

Some sweet anonymous person out there in the blog-o-sphere nominated Yellow Brick Road for this Circle of Moms expat blog award.

Circle of Moms Top 25 Expat Moms

See that button up there? I'm posting this so my mom can click on it and vote for my blog. Then I will have 2 votes. Two votes is a lot better than one. And if any of you other gentle readers are so inclined, feel free to click and vote.

Ta. (That's "Thank you very much" in Australian).

So You're Thinking of Moving to Australia . . .

2011-05-09T12:30:00.004+10:00

Maybe you've stumbled upon this blog because you are considering a move to Australia. It's a big decision- leaving everything you know behind and heading to the other side of the world.

When the opportunity was first presented to us we weren't at all sure we wanted to do it. But now, after 2 years in this lucky country I can say that coming here was one of the best decisions we've ever made.

This is a personal blog. It's a recount of our time here and most of it is probably only interesting to my family and friends. But, over the past 2 years I have met a surprising number of people who "found" me through this blog. They are just like me: typical American moms moving to Sydney for a few years. And some things are universal for us expats. We all have worries and questions. We're all concerned about driving on the "wrong" side of the road and we're all baffled by the strange flavored potato chips (as evidenced here, here, and here). We're all experiencing the same things and most of us spent the months leading up to the big move stalking expat bloggers trying to get as much info as possible about what might lie ahead.

So, in the interest of paying it forward, here are my top 10 tips to help others who may be looking into an expat assignment in Australia.

1. Get a good relocation agent to help you. We used Nuss Relocations and the service was very thorough. Our agent set up over 20 property viewings for us, drove us all around the city, showed us schools, rental furniture warehouses, local amenities, and gave us references for doctors and other local service providers. Be aware that rental property prices are quoted per week. There are heaps of expats living on Sydney's lower North Shore (Mosman). If you end up in this suburb, email me and I'll hook you up!

2. Set up a Vonage account and bring the box with you. You can actually use your current US phone number. When you hook your Vonage box up here, anyone in the US can pick up the phone, dial your old number and it will ring at your new place in Australia. Keeping in touch with friends and family is tough and believe me, people will be even less likely to call you if they have to deal with placing an international call. It is also really handy to have a US phone number for all sorts of things. And when you go home for visits you can just take the box with you and have a working phone again.

3. Buy an Apple TV or a Slingbox. Australian TV is pitiful- unless you like watching 3 hours of Two and a Half Men every day. Do yourself a favor and find a way to get your American TV fix. And while you are at it, make sure you keep your iTunes account registered as a US account. If you switch to an Aussie account you will only have access to content released here.

4. Bring your kindle. Books are crazy expensive here (I'm talking $40 for a paperback!). See #3 about keeping your amazon account registered in the US.

5. Get a set of these Sydney (or whatever city you're moving to) City Walk cards. These have been a wonderful resource for us and have helped us explore this beautiful city. Strangely enough, they are very hard to find here.

6. Spend some time on Yanks Down Under. This forum is full of helpful American expats who are great at answering questions and giving advice.

7. If you've got preschoolers, get your name on the waiting lists ASAP. There are 2 basic options for the 2-5 year old crowd: Preschool and Long Day Care. "Preschool" means school hours (usually 9:00-3:00). There is no such thing as half day preschool. Long Day care is like preschool but with extended hours. Long day care is typically more expensive than preschool ($100/day or more) and you do not get weeks off for the school holidays. Many long day care centres run a preschool-like program. Most traditional "Preschools" have waiting lists that can be 2+ years long.

8. Start a T-Shirt collection. Get t-shirts from all the interesting places you visit while you're an expat and from all the activities your kids are involved in abroad. Then, when you leave, have them made into one of these super cool T-Shirt quilts. Great way to remember your time as an expat! (Wish I would have thought of this at the beginning of our stay).

9. Check out Gumtree. It's like the Aussie version of Craigslist. I've used it to find everything from a nanny to a piano. Gumtree is a great resource.

10. Just do it. "Home" will always be there, waiting for you. Take a chance, expand your horizons. I'm so glad we did.

I'd be most grateful if you'd take a moment (just 2 clicks) and vote for me over at Circle of Moms!

Linking up at

Inventive Australians

2011-04-25T14:18:00.000+10:00

I saw these adorable stamps for the first time the other day:

Hanging your clothes on the line while wearing Speedos and drinking wine from a box. All made possible by those inventive Australians.

An American's Guide to Easter in Australia

2011-04-23T22:06:00.000+10:00

Brown eggs made pretty

Shortly after we arrived in Australia 2 years ago the room mom in my daughter's class organised an Easter Egg hunt for all the kids. Her email invited us all down to the beach after school and asked each parent to bring a bag of Easter eggs for the hunt.

I searched high and low for Easter baskets (and finally found one style at the fake Aussie Target). But the big plastic Easter eggs were elusive. I emailed the room mom to ask where to get the eggs. Her reply was something like this, "Each parent should bring a bag of chocolate eggs. They are available at all the shops." Duh.

Easter eggs=chocolate eggs. And they are everywhere. The shops are packed with choco eggs, along with choco bunnies and the occasional choco bilby. But good luck finding any other Easter candy. No peeps (gasp!), no jelly bellies, no reese's eggs, no pastel M&Ms.

When we showed up for the egg hunt my kids were ready, armed with their bright green cheap-o Easter baskets. (I was really wishing I had brought our cute personalized Pottery Barn ones). To my surprise they were the ONLY kids there with baskets. A few kids had plastic grocery bags. Some used paper lunch sacks. Others just used their pockets to hold their loot. I got several comments about our "American" Easter Baskets and it was painfully obvious that I was missing the nuances of Easter- one of the biggest Aussie holidays.

So here are a few tips for Americans celebrating Easter in Australia.

*Easter is a long weekend here. Everything is closed on Good Friday. And for good measure Aussies take Monday off too. This year, Anzac day is on Monday. So Tuesday is a public holiday, too.

*Little kids (generally Kindy and Year 1) will have Easter hat parades at school. You will be expected to supply a variety of arts and crafts items to decorate the crazy hats. After the Little Princess' parade they sang a few songs, including "Aussie Easter Oi Oi Oi" and "Disco Inferno". (The musical selections at these school functions always baffle me).

*The Easter Show has nothing to do with Easter, other than they both come at the same time of year.

*Little girls will not be dressed up in fancy new dresses on Easter Sunday. In fact the whole "Easter Dress" concept is unheard of here. We got lots of strange looks that first year when we went out to breakfast.

*Aussies don't dye hard boiled eggs. If you want one of those PAAS kits with the little coloured tablets you better have someone send one from the US. And, there are no white eggs to speak of here. But fortunately, brown eggs work just fine.

*Sadly, Easter is a secular holiday here. Everyone celebrates Easter, but there is hardly a mention of Jesus.

Two hard at work. One supervising.

So tonight, on this night before Easter, we dyed our brown eggs and watched the Veggie Tales Easter Carol. We talked about the true meaning of Easter and left a carrot out for the Easter Bunny. Tomorrow there will be a treasure hunt and lots of choco eggs too. We'll go to church and the Easter Show. We're a little bit Aussie, and American too.

Happy Easter, Oi Oi Oi!

Defying Death on Holiday

2011-04-19T23:17:00.000+10:00

Did you know there are a ridiculous number of things in Australia that can kill you? Six of the ten deadliest snakes in the world are found here. If the great white sharks don't get you, the box jellyfish might. Look out for the giant salt water crocs, too. Even the humble little platypus produces one of the most excruciating venoms known to man. But perhaps the most frightening of all are the deadly spiders.

The problem with spiders is they can sneak up on you- any time, any place. No warning, no sounds, no notice.

This is scary enough when the sneaky arachnid is a (relatively) harmless huntsman. We've had our share of those to deal with over the past 2 years. But last week, in the midst of our farmstay holiday, I had an encounter with a real honest to goodness deadly Australian icon- the dreaded Sydney Funnel Web Spider.

I was in the lodge, minding my own business early in the morning. I opened the curtains near the exterior door and that's when I spotted him. I ran out to find a broom or something to shoo him away- leaving my frightened four year old whimpering on his bunk (bad mommy)!

My dear friend raced in with some bug spray and zapped him with a 30 second spray that gave her a raging headache for the day but barely stunned the creepy killer.

Finally, we located a broom and I whacked him and brushed him out of the room. Even after all that, he was still moving around! In the end, I had to stomp him. It wasn't pretty- but a mother will do almost anything to save her child.

Everyone got a good look at him and we all agreed it was definitely a funnel web. Surprisingly, I was too frightened and freaked out to grab my camera and take his picture, but he looked exactly like this:

After the whole incident was over I felt I had made it through some sort of Aussie rite of passage. I survived an encounter with one of the world's deadliest creatures and went on with enjoying our holiday. I feel almost as Australian as the crocodile hunter.

Jervis Bay

2011-04-12T19:36:00.000+10:00

Last weekend we took a family road trip down the south coast of NSW to a beautiful area known as Jervis Bay. It's about 200 km (125 miles) from Sydney. All the brochures state it is an easy 2.5 hour drive. I guess they mean it is 2.5 hours if you have only adults in the car and you leave at 11:15 am on a Tuesday. Friday afternoon with three kids makes the trip a lot longer. About twice as long in fact. But, after 5 hours in the car, we arrived at this lovely holiday apartment in the town of Vincentia.

There is always a flurry of excitement when we arrive at our destination. The kids run around, check out their room, open all the cupboards, explore the place and, in general, send me into a panic that something will be broken before we even unload the car.

Luckily, no knick-knacks were harmed on this holiday!

We were up bright and early Saturday morning and set off to explore the town of Huskisson. We had an uninspired breakfast at the Husky Bakery- which is only worth mentioning because they had an actual McDonald's playplace in the back of the cafe.

We had just enough time to book a dolphin watch cruise on The Extreme. We thought the fast 1.5 hour trip would be perfect for the kids. So we headed to the dock, armed with motion sickness tablets and armbands for the Little Princess. We were all amazed to see large pods of dolphins jumping and swimming right next to the boat. Of course, the dolphin watching was overshadowed a bit by the melt down and near panic attack suffered by the Little Princess. She completely lost the plot (as they say here) and was terrified by the boat ride. Afterward I asked her if it was all worth it to see the dolphins up close. Her reply was a resounding, "NO!" Oh well, I thought it was thrilling.

Jervis Bay is known for it's gorgeous beaches. Hyams Beach claims to have the whitest sand in the world. It is nearly pure silica and squeaks when you walk on it.

The next day we took some time to explore Booderee National Park. We bushwalked to Green Patch via the Rock Platform and saw lots of Neptune's Necklace in the tide pools. The views were stunning (Would you expect anything else? This is Australia!)

We also spent some time at beautiful Murray's Beach. We saw more dolphins and even a stingray swimming very close to shore. The water was absolutely crystal clear and still warm even though it is early Autumn. It was a perfect place to spend the afternoon. None of us wanted to leave.

But, as the weekend drew to a close we had to load up and head back to Sydney. I wish we could go back during whale watching season, but I'm afraid that won't happen. Too many places to see and, sadly, not enough time.

Mufti Day

2011-04-04T10:47:00.000+10:00

We had a mini-crisis this morning in the school drop off lane. As soon as we pulled up I realized what I'd done. I completely forgot it was Mufti-Day. When the Little Princess realized it, the tears started to flow. She didn't want to get out of the car. I felt horrible.

Any decent mother would have put this date in her diary (that's calendar for you Americans) weeks ago. The memo would have been slapped on the fridge and the outfit laid out carefully the night before.

But we were away all weekend in gorgeous Jervis Bay (more on that later) and I just completely forgot.

Mufti-Day is the term used here for a "free-dress" day at school. And I guess when you wear a school uniform every day you DO NOT want to show up in your uniform on Mufti-Day.

So I did what any guilt ridden mum would do. I raced home and gathered up some clothes and darted back to the school. When I went up to her classroom I saw that the Little Princess had stuck a stringy red feather in the back of her pony tail. She said she found it on the playground and stuck it in her hair so she wouldn't be left out of Mulfti-Day even for the 20 minutes it took me to go home and get her clothes.

She had a big smile on her face when she saw that I stuck her glittery purple Converse in the bag for her. Because the outfit just would not have been the same with her black uniform shoes.

You better believe the next time a Mufti-Day memo comes home I'll be setting up a reminder on the iphone, writing it on the calendar, posting it on the fridge and writing it on my arm in Sharpie. We won't miss the next one Princess.

Jenolan Caves

2011-03-26T11:29:00.000+11:00

At the end of January we spent a beautiful weekend up at the Jenolan Caves. It is such an easy and fun getaway from Sydney. We stayed in the Jenolan Cabins, which were cosy and in such a picturesque spot.

Bright red parrots and several wallabies were our neighbors for the weekend. The kids loved running around the rolling green hillsides. I was a little nervous about the "eco toilets" but am happy to report that they were not at all unpleasant.

The only good thing about having a little baby who wakes up before the sun is that you get to see some gorgeous sunrises.

The landscape in this part of the Blue Mountains is so pretty.

Of course the reason we made the trip was to see the Jenolan Caves. We took guided tours of two different caves. The temperature inside was a cool 13 degrees (c). We weren't prepared for that! The kids were fascinated by the giant stalactites and stalagmites.

The Jenolan Caves were magical and we had such a great weekend up there. Looking forward to many more weekend getaways during our final months in Australia. So much gorgeous country to see here.

We're Back

2011-03-18T06:54:00.000+11:00

Well, we're all safely back in the land down under. The kids (as always) were great on the flight. The passengers sitting around us complimented us on how well behaved they were and what good travelers they are. I think I might be on to something here. Load them up with yummy snacks, fully charged ipods, comfy clothes and put them to sleep in an airplane seat. The novelty of it all makes them forget about tormenting each other! If only it could be like that at home . . . .

Anyway, we were so busy while in America that our 2 Year Expativersary passed by without any recognition. Hard to believe it has been 2 years since we embarked on this adventure. Sadly, it will be coming to an end in about 4 months time. Time to make a list entitled "Things We Must Do Before We Leave Australia."

Any suggestions?

The Breakup

2011-02-28T02:51:00.000+11:00

She broke up with me- just like that. From 7500 miles away in an email. My nanny left me for someone else. I'm trying not to take it personally- but let's face it- I'm taking it personally. I really liked her. I trusted her with my newborn baby. And- poof - she's gone. No good-bye hugs, no chance to work it out. Breaking up sure is hard to do. Sniff sniff.

We Made It

2011-02-13T20:12:00.000+11:00

Our whole family has landed in the US and I am happy to report that the flight was an absolute piece of cake. I was a bit worried about the baby but he was an angel and slept for 10 hours on my lap. I think we are all getting used to these long haul flights. Of course, being in Business Class didn't hurt . . . .

Upon arrival the customs line at LAX was unbelievably long. It's embarrassing that the US doesn't have a better system for this. Tired travelers were crawling along through the queue at a snail's pace. Some kind agent spotted us with our three pajamma'd kiddos and heaps of luggage and pulled us over to the airline crew line. Hooray! Of course there was some sort of mix-up and United had us listed as "no-boards" but the agent was pretty efficient and cleared it all up relatively quickly. Then, as he was checking our passports, he called for the Little Buddy to look up at him. Right at that moment the kid sneezed the biggest, greenest, snottiest sneeze ever. That's my boy.

And so here we are, back in beautiful sunny southern California. The weather is gorgeous and I am reminded why I loved living here. It not Sydney, but it is beautiful.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and for the first time in like 18 years I won't be spending it with my love. He's at Harvard filling his brain with important stuff and I'm here visiting and running around to doctors and dentists and schools and shops. I miss him. It's going to be a long 4 weeks.

xx

The First of The Lasts

2011-02-06T13:04:00.000+11:00

For the past 2 years our Spring & Summer Sunday mornings have gone something like this:

-Wake up and shovel some breakfast into the kids' mouths
-Watch them wiggle into their speedos and rashies and swim caps
-Chase them around to get the suncream on
-Double check to be sure goggles and towels are in the bag
-Dash out the door and across the street to be on the beach for roll call
-Then I watch as they swim and paddle and run and race

I love Nippers.

We're heading back to the U.S. for a few weeks and will miss out on the rest of the Nippers season this year.

And this time next year my kids will be in America doing whatever it is American kids do in February. Soccer? Baseball? (Seriously I don't even know). But they won't be here, on this beach doing Nippers. And that makes me a bit sad. It's the first of the lasts.

A Chance Meeting

2011-02-01T20:09:00.000+11:00

To the lovely couple from North Carolina I met today in the queue at the school uniform shop:

I am so surprised (and a bit flattered, really) that you recognized me from this blog. Thanks for speaking up and introducing yourselves. I'm thrilled to welcome you to Australia and look forward to having you over for a cuppa when you're settled in your new place.

Glad to meet you, neighbors! Hope you love it here as much as we do.

Aussie Aussie Aussie

2011-01-26T21:33:00.000+11:00

Today, Wednesday January 26, is Australia Day- a public holiday commemorating the landing of the First Fleet in Australia.

The city of Sydney puts on quite an impressive series of events to mark the day. Who wouldn't want to see a Ferryathon, or witness a flyover, or ride on a vintage Sydney bus? Not me! That's why last year I thought it would be a good idea to drag my two sticky kids, my sweet agreeable mother-in-law, and my own pregnant self into the city for Australia Day. After fighting the crowds, waiting in lines, and cramming onto over-crowded public transport we eventually gave up and headed home- feeling exhausted, deflated and a bit defeated.

When I saw my friends' photos of a fun-filled day at the beach I realised I'd made a mistake. And so I vowed that this year would be different.

I spent the last week waiting, hoping one of my lovely friends would organise some great Australia Day party. But as Tuesday afternoon rolled around it became painfully obvious that if there was going to be a party I would have to get it started.

Twenty minutes and ten text messages later we were in business. Six families threw together a last minute BBQ that turned out to be one of the best beach days "evah!'

It was an awesome way to end our Aussie summer.

Jewel Bugs

2011-01-25T23:34:00.000+11:00

While hunting for spiders in the garden today, the kids discovered these:

Anyone know what they are?

The little buddy proclaimed they were "blue back spiders". I think these little beetles look like jewels. Such amazing colours! I've never seen anything like them before.

Horsing Around in Centennial Park

2011-01-21T16:33:00.000+11:00

Today the Little Princess and her sweet friend went horseback riding right in the heart of Sydney.

Centennial Parklands features trails, ponds, formal gardens, grand avenues and a large equestrian centre.

The girls each had a private lesson and then went out on a ride through the park together.

What a beautiful day in this beautiful city with those two beautiful girls.

Countess Park

2011-01-17T17:17:00.000+11:00

Summer Mission #5

Countess Park, Mosman

Large shaded playground area- Aussies take sun protection seriously!

Favourites features: Log Roll and sand conveyor belt which made a great pretend Santa's Workshop.

We met a few other Americans here for a play and had a wonderful time. This park is definitely on our list of places to go back to. Our time there was cut a bit short when the skies opened and it poured down rain on us.

Loved this wood goanna and the cute wombat rocker in the background. Didn't love the wet sandy mess in my car after our visit. Oh well- gotta take the good with the bad!

Inefficiency Perfected

2011-01-13T21:15:00.001+11:00

Americans are a model of efficiency. In America virtually everything is faster, better, and cheaper. Some days, like today, I really miss that.

Today, after a four month wait, the little buddy finally got in to see an ophthalmologist for an eye exam. Getting an appointment to see a specialist around here is kind of like winning the lottery, and I knew I would need extra time to find the office and get a "park" so I left extra early. I'm glad I did because when we eventually did find a "park" it was right next to a park! Score one more for my summer mission!

Mooramba Park Dee Why

Even though we had an appointment we had to wait nearly 2 hours to see the doctor. Two hours is a really long time when you are a four year old boy. Even if you are a four year old boy with a new ipod touch.

Afterwards, I felt so sorry for him with his miserable dilated eyes that I was easily conned into getting him McDonalds for dinner. McDonalds just happens to be located at the mall, right next to the grocery store. Now you might be thinking, "How convenient to have the grocery store right at the mall." But in reality it is anything but. Try pushing a 4WD style shopping cart filled with a week's worth of groceries through a mall out to a multi-level carpark and you will quickly realize how absolutely inconvenient it actually is!

So it was with some hesitation that I wandered into Woolies to grab a few essentials this afternoon. I reasoned that the Little Buddy would be happily contained in the trolley with his cheeseburger and I could zip in, grab my milk and bananas and get out unscathed.

Of course just as I'm about to unload my 5 items he announces to me that he has to pee. Urgently. He's "bursting".

Every American mother of small children knows exactly where to find the restroom in the grocery store. It's as familiar to her as the dairy aisle. But alas, Woolies offers no toilet facilities for customers. Instead, we are directed to the mall bathrooms.

So I abandon my trolley- half eaten Happy Meal and all- near the check stand and make a mad dash into the mall with the Little Buddy in my arms. Luckily, we made it, and quickly headed back to Woolies to reclaim our trolley. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find the same customer standing at the check out. (That's right- it took less time for us to walk to the mall bathroom, pee, wash hands, and walk back than for the Woolies checker to move one customer through the line). Only now, I had lost my place in the queue and had to get behind a sweet little old lady with about 20 different types of produce in her trolley. Not surprisingly the checker didn't know what half of the items were. (Oh, these are regular peas, not snow peas? Let me cancel that transaction and try again). Eight minutes later, we finally made it through the torture that is shopping at Woolies!

And to top it all off, my $6.00, 3 litre bottle of milk leaked all over the "boot" of my car on the way home.

If my kids are eating dry cereal for breakfast next week, you'll know why.

Changes

2011-01-05T14:47:00.000+11:00

I saw a woman at the beach yesterday with a teeny tiny newborn baby in her arms. And I thought, "She has a new baby just like me." And then I realized, my baby isn't brand new any more. In fact, he is 5 months old today. Just last week he started rolling over easily. And I felt a pang of sadness when I realized that those swaddle days are over.

No more tiny baby wrapped up tight in my arms. Oh how I miss it already.

But there is so much to look forward to.

1-1-11

2011-01-01T16:15:00.001+11:00

Last night we watched this:

And today we enjoyed this:

May your new year be just as exciting, beautiful, warm and relaxing. Cheers to 2011!

Lights of Christmas

2010-12-30T19:45:00.000+11:00

I love summer and I love Christmas so having them at the same time this year was a real treat. The lights of Christmas shone beautifully on St. Mary's Cathedral. We enjoyed viewing the nativity, listening to Christmas carols, watching the puppets in the windows at David Jones and eating ice cream.

The Christmas Tree in front of St. Mary's

The Little Buddy, cooperating as usual.

Amazing light show projected onto the cathedral.

Merry Christmas Sydney!

We Need a Little Christmas

2010-12-24T21:54:00.000+11:00

I have to admit, I haven't been much in the Christmas spirit this year. Maybe it's because I'm in Australia and it's the middle of summer. Maybe it's because I'm so far away from my family and friends.

But finally tonight, on Christmas Eve, it hit me. We went to church and listened to the beautiful Christmas carols and heard the story of the first Christmas again. And it finally felt like Christmas when I realized that tomorrow morning, no matter where you are, the whole weary world rejoices.

Happy Christmas!

I'm re-posting these two videos that have been floating around the internet this week. The first I found on Natasha's blog. It's such a beautiful version of the Christmas story presented by the children of St. Paul's Church in New Zealand. I first saw the bottom one on Erin's blog. It's a cute modern-day take on Christmas. Both made me smile while reminding me of the real meaning of the holiday. I hope you enjoy them!

Top of the World

2010-12-23T10:02:00.000+11:00

Climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with 2 of my favourite people. Over 1300 steps, amazing views, lasting memories.

One more thing to tick off my Sydney bucket list.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love this city?

Spit to Dobroyd and Sailing With Justin Bieber

2010-12-21T21:27:00.000+11:00

Since I slacked off and didn't organise a get-away for us while my sweetie is off work this week, we decided to holiday at home and do some of the things we've always wanted to right here in our own backyard.

This morning we got up bright and early and set out to walk from The Spit to Manly. This is an ambitious bushwalk- about 10k-and we had all three kids in tow.

About 2k into the walk we came to a lovely little beach called Clontarf. And- BONUS- it had a playground we've never been to. Summer mission #3- check!

After a bit of a play we were back on the track, heading past Castle Rock Beach and Grotto Point. The views were typical Sydney views- which is to say they were absolutely stunning.

The track was pretty challenging; especially since I had the bubby on my back and the little buddy spent most of the walk on his dad's shoulders. Did I mention there were A LOT of stairs. Yes, there were.

As we made our way up to the Dobroyd Scenic Lookout I began to think that 5.5 km was plenty for one day. The kids agreed. And wouldn't you know there was yet another playground behind the reserve. Make that Summer Mission #4!

While the kids played we grownups decided to call a taxi to take us back to our car. The rest of the Spit to Manly walk would have to wait for another day.

But when you're a family of 5 taking a taxi isn't as easy as it seems. The cab company had a bit of trouble locating a seven seat taxi with an infant capsule. We waited, and waited. Finally I made an executive decision. Send the dad back to the car in a regular taxi, and he'd come back and get the rest of us.

So off he went. Of course, when he arrived at the car he quickly realized he didn't have the keys with him! So, back to the playground he came, picked up the keys, took the taxi back to the car, and finally, came back to retrieve us all.

Now you'd think that would be enough of an adventure for one day. But no- there's more. I had arranged for my hubby and I to take sailing lessons this week, and today was the first one.

We were both a bit surprised when we showed up at the sailing school and met our instructor who appeared to be a 13 year old Justin Bieber look-a-like.

But, I'm happy to report he was actually quite competent. The lesson went smoothly, we didn't damage anything, and they said we could come back tomorrow for the second installment.

Whew! Next time I plan a holiday at home I think we will just make plans to plop ourselves on the beach. In fact, I think I'll pencil that in for next week.

Lounge Lizard

Playground Mission #2

2010-12-21T20:15:00.000+11:00

Hit our 2nd "new" playground today: Manly Lagoon Reserve. So much fun!

Joy to the World

2010-12-18T21:51:00.000+11:00

What a perfect night for Christmas carols.

Beautiful weather, heaps of people, lovely music, candles.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. (In a Southern Hemisphere kind of way).

My Summer Mission

2010-12-16T12:58:00.001+11:00

If you're a mom, you've probably experienced something like this. You're driving along on your way to someplace very important (a doctor's appointment, the airport, or IKEA) with your preschooler in the back seat. As you zoom down the street he catches a glimpse of some primary coloured playground equipment in his peripheral vision. He pleads from the backseat, "We've NEVER been to that playground!!! Can we go there now, PLEASE?"

This scenario repeats itself over and over. I always have to turn down his requests to stop and play. There are just more important things to attend to.

But not today. Today is the first day of summer vacation. And I have made it my summer mission to visit as many "new" playgrounds as we possibly can.

This one is in our own neighbourhood. The huge "fallen down tree" has been calling out to him for months. Today he finally got to climb it.

Bring on summer! Let the fun begin!

Little Princess in THE HOUSE

2010-12-10T20:37:00.003+11:00

Yes, that house.

Way back in February, the Little Princess decided she wanted to join the Australian Girls Choir. But, like most things in Australia, there was a waiting list. (Have I mentioned the waiting list issue before? Waiting lists for playgroups, waiting lists for preschools, waiting lists for sports classes, waiting lists for doctors and so on and so on and so on).

So we waited. For months. And finally they called. So for the past 2 terms, the Little Princess has been singing her heart out every Saturday morning in preparation for the big Annual Concert. At the Sydney Opera House- in the Concert Hall no less.

She dreams of being a pop star someday and who knows if that dream will ever come true. But she sang on stage at the Opera House- and that's more than most wanna-be pop stars can say.

It was a day she'll never forget. And neither will I.

Thanksgiving Down Under- Take 2

2010-12-08T20:06:00.002+11:00

The view from our Thanksgiving buffet table.

Not your typical Thanksgiving to be sure, but it was a wonderful celebration. This year we gathered with about 20 other American families for a huge potluck on the beach. Some were my closest friends in Oz, some were friends of friends and some were cyber-friends I met for the first time that day. But all of us had something in common. We may be living on the other side of the world, but we're still Americans. And I'm so thankful for that!

NZ Highlights

2010-11-29T20:13:00.000+11:00

We had such a lovely holiday in New Zealand. Here are a few of our favourite things.

Getting blown away in Auckland.

The amazing view of Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables from our villa at the Heritage Queenstown.

Seeing real kiwis at the wildlife sanctuary.

Riding the gondola up over Queenstown.

The Luge runs at the top of the gondola.

TSS Earnslaw to the Walter Peak high country farm.

Panning for gold in Arrowtown.

Beautiful, beautiful Queenstown.

2010-11-11T07:42:00.003+11:00

Over breakfast this morning:

Little Buddy: Mom, did you know some "bygals" are round and have holes in them?

Me: Bagels? Yes, they are round with holes in them.

Little Buddy: But not the Australian kind. They don't have holes in them. They're just round.

Translation: Pikelets=Australian bagels (apparently)

Real bagels how we miss you . . . .

Milford Sound

2010-11-07T19:51:00.001+11:00

Piled our family of 5 into this Cessna.

Sat, wide-eyed for 35 minutes as we flew between jagged snow-covered mountain tops, past glaciers, and over the most gorgeous turquoise water I have ever seen.

Cruised Milford Sound.

Got up close- really, really up close- with a beautiful waterfall.

Marveled at the stunning natural beauty all around us.

Flew back over rivers, lakes and more Remarkable mountains.

Landed in beautiful Queenstown knowing we had just experienced

one of the most memorable holiday excursions ever.

Quite a good day indeed!

Left Behind

2010-11-04T18:59:00.000+11:00

So we have embarked on our first holiday as a family of five. I successfully packed up everything we would need for our week in New Zealand, we loaded everyone in the car and headed to the airport right on schedule.

We made it through check in with a trolley stacked 6 feet high with suitcases and car seats. The friendly agent informed us that Air New Zealand would not gate check our stroller and we'd have to leave it at the oversized baggage check.

So we trekked through the airport weighted down with 100 lbs of carry on baggage, toting the baby in his capsule, and pulling the Little Buddy on his trunkie. At least the Little Princess was able to manage her bag on her own!

Finally, we pre-boarded and settled in for our quick 2.5 hour flight.

About an hour into the flight, I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I realized that the Little Buddy's beloved giraffe blankies were sitting on the seat of our car in the Sydney airport.

I am officially out of the running for that Mother of the Year Award.

As expected, there were lots of tears when bed time rolled around and he realized he would have to sleep without his lovies. We devised a makeshift one out of a baby blanket, but it's just not the same. So, as a tribute to the giraffes, here are some photos of the Little Buddy and his lovies over the years.

As a newborn

Baby Buddy

Toddler Buddy

Giraffe at Disneyland

Giraffe in Business Class

Giraffe on the Sydney Ferry

Giraffe in Shoal Bay

Giraffe on the way to the Great Barrier Reef

Giraffe poolside on Hamilton Island

Giraffe comforting the middle child

Sleepy giraffe

A giraffe cuddle

Giraffe jammies

This little boy is going to be very happy when they are reunited next week!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T21:09:00.000+11:00

Happy Halloween

from my two pirates and their parrot.

Customize a free collage

*Yes, I made that parrot costume-
and yes, he wore it for all of 10 minutes!

Sculpture By The Sea

2010-10-30T08:47:00.000+11:00

My mom has been here for nearly three weeks helping me with the kids around the clock. I couldn't let her come all this way and spend the entire time in my apartment doting on her darling grandchildren. So when I saw that the annual Sculpture By The Sea was on we decided to head to Bondi and check it out. We lucked out and had beautiful weather. And we only had the baby with us so it was a nice relaxing morning together.

It was a challenge to get some good photos

because I looked like this:

Baby on the front, backpack on the back- a tricky balancing act!

But here are some of our favourites:

Me and Mom enjoying our day out together!

Night Noodle Markets

2010-10-19T07:20:00.000+11:00

There is always a festival going on somewhere in Sydney. The latest was the Night Noodle Markets at Hyde Park. Nana and I were feeling adventurous so we dragged all three kiddos down there to check it out.

It was packed! A little too crowded for comfort- especially since we had a 10 week old in a pram (what was I thinking?). The park was lined with food tents hawking all sorts of Asian goodies. We found the shortest line and gobbled up some kind of tasty meat on a stick. We also managed to find an ice cream tent and caught a glimpse of some Japanese dancers on the stage.

We quickly gave up on our adventure and headed back through the park. On the way out we spotted Mr. Incredibubble. He was incredible- check out the size of that bubble. Definitely the highlight of the night as far as the kiddos were concerned.

Meat on a stick and giant bubbles- what more could a kid want?

Four

2010-10-16T19:02:00.000+11:00

Last weekend the little buddy celebrated his fourth birthday at Clifton Gardens Reserve. It was a day filled with lots of preschool friends, sports, and a trash truck rainbow birthday cake. He declared it a "fabulous" birthday.

We even had a little excitement during the party when one of the dads jumped into the water (fully clothed) to rescue a teenager who lost strength while swimming. This is Australia, after all.

Happy birthday, sweet boy!

Palm Beach

2010-09-20T12:39:00.000+10:00

Saturday was gorgeous here in Sydney and we decided to take advantage of it and head out for a family bushwalk. It was our first outdoor adventure since the little guy was born 6 weeks ago, and it went surprisingly smoothly!

Our destination: Palm Beach to climb up to the Barrenjeoy Lighthouse. The walk was pretty short, but consisted mostly of steep rock stairs. Not the easiest thing to navigate while wearing a Baby Bjorn. But the views from the top were certainly worth it!

Palm Beach is so beautiful, and it seems so Australian. It's not crowded, there are whales and dolphins just off shore, and the sand is amazingly soft.

I'm convinced that Sydney must have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and Palm Beach is one of them.

A Reminder

2010-09-19T15:15:00.000+10:00

If you're a parent, you've had days like this.
I didn't get much sleep last night (hello- I have a six week old baby)! My three year old woke me up way too early this morning. We've had tantrums, and unexplained crying, and plenty of sibling conflicts. We went to church but I didn't get to hear any of the message. (See above re: unexplained crying). The noise level in our apartment is deafening at times.
So today, this song is a perfect reminder for me.
It won't be like this for long.

Linking up to Sunday Song over at 5 Minutes Just For Me.

Holiday Everyday

2010-09-11T11:37:00.010+10:00

Springtime Saturday at Balmoral.
It doesn't get much better than this.

Who needs a holiday when you live here?

Grandma (on her sort-of a holiday) and the kids on the beach.

Happy Father's Day

2010-09-05T13:15:00.004+10:00

To My Sweetheart,

Happy Father's Day. I'm so glad you're their father. I love the way you tuck the Little Buddy in bed with a different trash truck story every night. I love the way you dance and sing to pop music on the Wii with the Little Princess. I love how you multi-task by baby whispering and reading the Wall Street Journal on your ipad at the same time. I love the silly nicknames you make up for our kids, the way you play with them on Rocky Point Island, give them baths, and change diapers. Thanks for being a wonderful father, and for the amazing life you've provided for us here in Australia.

With Love,
Jenny

Best Seat in the House

2010-08-31T11:13:00.006+10:00

Here's where I like to sit whilst blogging.

It's a little space at the end of the kitchen. From this spot I can see all the people coming and going at Bather's Pavillion, watch mums pushing prams and toddlers flying on scooters along the boardwalk, see the rangers dishing out parking tickets to offenders, and generally remind myself that this is Australia baby!

The view is pretty nice, too.

Check out the "Where Do You Blog" party over at Centsational Girl today and see where everyone else spends their blogging hours.

Yankee Doodle Boy

2010-08-25T16:59:00.004+10:00

Guess who is officially an American today?

Today we received the baby's Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and his American Passport. He's an all American boy!

And in case you were wondering, he will not have dual citizenship. There is no birthright citizenship here in Australia, so he is just a temporary resident like the rest of us. Now we just have to get his visa and he will be completely official.

Maybe I can get the Little Princess to play Yankee Doodle on the piano for him tonight.

A BYOB Hospital

2010-08-20T07:34:00.004+10:00

Or everything you (n)ever wanted to know about having a baby in Australia.

Things I Loved:

-The private hospital where I delivered was lovely. All private rooms, carpet on the floors, flat screen TV, comfy chairs, mini-fridge- almost more like a hotel room than a hospital room.

-Morning and afternoon tea brought around by a lady with a little trolley. Yes, I'd love some biscuits, thank you!

-Self serve kitchen with help yourself snacks and drinks for mums and partners.

-Decent cafe in the lobby with toasted sandwiches and fresh baked goods.

-Variety of classes offered to mums during their stay. Bathing, settling, breastfeeding, physio, etc. I'm sure these would be really helpful for first timers.

-My OB/GYN (although they never use that term here) was outstanding, and most of the midwives who cared for me afterward were great too.

-In the operating room ("theatre") they handed me the baby right after he was born. No one wiped him off or wrapped him up. I got to hold him immediately. It was awesome- and it made me feel much more involved than I had with my previous c-sections.

Things I found Annoying or Just Plain Strange:

-Hospital food is still hospital food. The only thing I found edible during my 5 night stay was the Rice Bubbles (Rice Krispies) I ordered for breakfast each day.

-It's BYOB- Bathe Your Own Baby. Seriously, no one does this for you. And since we are super lazy parents, our kid only had one bath while in the hospital.

-They don't provide Kleenex, bulb syringes for sucking gunk out of baby's nose or those nifty peri-cleanse squirt bottles I always got at the American hospital. In fact, when I asked about the nasal aspirator, the midwife looked at me like I was crazy and said, "We stopped using those a long time ago." Huh? Aussie babies don't get gunky noses? Go figure.

-No crushed ice! This should not come as a surprise to me as ice is often hard to find in Australia. But I figured they would have it in the hospital. Chewing on ice chips was standard post-op procedure in the U.S.

-Parking. Yes, the only parking is in a multi-story carpark, complete with huge pillars and low headroom. The lot was so over crowded that it was literally full when we arrived to check in for our scheduled c-section. Fortunately, a nice hospital employee allowed us to leave our car in the drop off zone- seeing as we were about to have a baby and all. On subsequent visits, my sweetie had to circle the lot searching for a spot. And, of course, we had to pay for parking.

-The "clothing" provided for the babies consisted of little tank tops ("singlets") and miniature hospital gowns that tied in the back. These looked completely uncomfortable to me- so we quickly switched to our own clothing from home. (The midwives all loved my baby nightgowns- apparently these aren't readily available in Australia). They also don't put hats on the newborns here- apparently to allow them to regulate their body temperature better.

-Limited access to a pediatrician. There was no pediatrician in the delivery room, and in fact, no one came to see the baby until he was 30+ hours old. Very different from the standard care in the U.S. When we finally saw the pediatrician, she basically told me that since this was my 3rd baby she wouldn't need to see us again. She actually said, "I don't believe in well baby checks." Um, OK, I guess.

-Nursing care was much more "hands-off" than in a U.S. hospital. One of the midwives actually told me that it was just too difficult for her to keep track of when I was due for my pain medication, and it would be up to me to call when I needed something. They seemed to be constantly writing things down on scraps of paper and sticking them in their pockets, unlike at the US hospital where the nurses logged everything on a computer and showed up at my bedside promptly every 4 hours with pain medication.

-Finally, leaving the hospital was a different experience here in Australia. In the U.S., babies leave the hospital in mom's arms, and a hospital volunteer pushes them out in a wheelchair. They also provided a trolley for us to load up all our flowers, gifts, and bags for easy transport to the car. All I had to think about was holding my little bundle of joy. But here, we were on our own. And, of course, it was pouring rain. Getting to the car with the baby and all our stuff was a bit stressful. Of course, we made it, but I found myself longing for that wheelchair service we took for granted back in America.

Overall, having a baby here was a good experience. And now that we're home with our amazing newborn boy, all the little annoyances seem so insignificant. Having a baby here was like most things in Australia- familiar enough to make you feel somewhat comfortable, but just different enough to keep things interesting.

Dessert is Served

2010-08-08T11:00:00.006+10:00

He's here, he's perfect and he's so delicious.

Our new little man arrived Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 5:35 pm.

He was 3.43 kg (7 lbs 9 oz) and 52 cm long (20.5 in).

Everyone is in love with him.
(Especially the Little Princess)

Waiting for Dessert

2010-08-04T16:36:00.004+10:00

I had a nice conversation with one of my very best friends back in the U.S. last week. We chatted about the upcoming birth of my baby and about how strange it is to be delivering in another country without all the familiar comforts of home. She was so reassuring and I know she is excited for me, too. She shared a lovely analogy about having three children that really fits how I'm feeling about this baby.

When you get married, it is just expected that you will have two children. It's like lunch and dinner. You wait for them to come along at regular intervals. You enjoy them. They are satisfying.

Lunch 2003

Dinner 2006

And then there's baby number three- dessert. You don't necessarily expect it. You don't need to have it. It's just a treat. An added bonus that you have just because it brings you so much joy.

And so we're waiting on dessert. Tomorrow we'll hold our new baby in our arms and enjoy all the sweetness that this new life will bring to our family.

So Pregnant

2010-07-24T19:20:00.004+10:00

You know you look like you are about to give birth at any moment when:

-The cashier at 7-11 offers to carry 2 liters of milk out to your car for you.

-The checker at the grocery store comes out from behind the register to unload your shopping trolley (aka cart) for you.

-You find a perfect spot in the carpark and quickly discover that no matter how hard you try there is absolutely no way to squeeze yourself out of the car. So you abandon the spot and go in search of another one.

-The maitre d' asks if you'll be okay sitting in the low upholstered chair at the table they have reserved for you.

-Three year olds at the Little Buddy's preschool spontaneously proclaim, "You're going to have a baby!" (They are so observant at that age).

-You start banging into things - doorknobs, counter tops, car doors, etc. because you don't realize how much room your midsection requires.

Sadly, all of these things have happened to me this week. Even I am shocked by how big I am and I do a double take when I pass the mirror.

Twelve days to go!

My New Treasure

2010-07-16T08:28:00.004+10:00

That's the fam frolicking on the beach out in front of our place. I'm so glad I will always have this painting to remember our wonderful stay here in Australia. It was done by Gordon Rossiter who currently has an exhibit going on at Bather's Pavillion. He has so many gorgeous paintings of Balmoral. Check it out expat friends, and you can get your own little piece of Australia to keep forever.

Debra Down Under

2010-07-14T17:30:00.000+10:00

Last week one of my best pals from California came and spent 9 days with us in Sydney before heading off on a 2 week Australian adventure. Even though the weather was pretty miserable most of the time she was here, (it is the middle of winter after all) we managed to pack the time full of fun. At 35+ weeks pregnant I think I'm still a pretty good tour guide. Here's what we did:

-South Head Cliff Walk and lunch at Doyle's Fish & Chips
-Sydney Tower
-Hyde Park
-The Domain (and the bats at dusk)
-Featherdale Wildlife Park
-The Blue Mountains, Scenic World, the 3 Sisters
-Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout, exploring The Rocks
-Taronga Zoo
-Queen Victoria Building
-Museum of Sydney
-Darling Harbour, Chinese Gardens, Paddy's Market
-Yum Cha in Chinatown
-Visit an RSL Club
-Bradley's Head, Chowder Bay, Cremorne Point Bushwalk
-Manly to Shelly Beach walk and dinner on the wharf
-Northern Beaches (Palm Beach and Newport)

She returns to Sydney for 3 nights later this month and will do the Opera House, Botanic Garden, Kings Cross, Bondi and a Harbour Cruise as part of her tour.

What other Sydney "must-sees" should I take her to? Suggestions welcome!

Independence Day

2010-07-04T20:36:00.004+10:00

I spent my childhood in small town Wisconsin where they really know how to celebrate Independence Day. Everyone- the whole town- would head down to Riverside Park for a boat parade, food, fun, and of course, fireworks. We'd dress up in red, white and blue and wave little flags around. One year my friend Laurie and I dressed alike in matching blue pedal pushers, red shirts and sailor hats. (Mom- you must have a photo of that somewhere!) After the fireworks, we'd go home to our own little show, with Chinese Lanterns, Firecrackers, Sparklers and those little black snakes that grew mysteriously when lit. We'd hear neighbor kids setting off bottle rockets late into the night. It was just how you would picture the 4th of July in small town middle America, and it was perfect.

When my own kids were old enough we had a few traditions of our own in California- pool parties, BBQs, fireworks and an annual bike parade through town.

This year, for the first time in my life, I am not in the USA for the 4th. And even though there were no parades and no big fireworks shows we did celebrate in our own little way. I cooked up some ribs in the crock pot and then we went down to the beach to light sparklers (which they sell in the grocery store here). The Little Princess wore red, white and blue. And we all celebrated America- our home sweet home.

Bird War

2010-07-01T20:14:00.005+10:00

I am declaring an all out war on Mynah birds. They don't belong here. They are chasing all the beautiful native Australian birds away and they are covering my balcony with poo at an alarming pace. So far I've limited my attacks to spraying them with water bottles and sending my three year old out to scare them off with his ferocious roar. But I'm getting ready to take things to another level. Consider this a warning- you awful Mynah birds.

Just Because

2010-06-27T08:48:00.002+10:00

The first words out of the Little Buddy's mouth this morning were "Am I going to school today?" When I answered "No" a huge smile of relief spread across his face.
His next question for me: "Is it Just Because I Love You day?"
What could I say? "Yes, it is."
And he ran off to make me something special. Just because he loves me.

What a wonderful start to my day.
And then he asked his sister to make something special for him. Just because she loves him too.

Tastes Like Chicken

2010-06-18T13:50:00.002+10:00

Walking through the grocery store in Australia is still a mystifying experience. Here is a small sampling of the interesting products I found for sale in the chip aisle. Because you've always wanted chips that taste like . . . . meat.

Honey Soy Chicken

Not just BBQ- but BBQ Ribs

Moroccan Spiced Chicken and Lemon (really??)

Classic Honey Baked Ham

For the Purists: Chicken

Luckily for me they also have the standard "Sea Salt" and "Salt & Vinegar". Which is good for those of us who prefer our chips to taste like . . . chips.

Boy Stuff

2010-06-04T20:08:00.003+10:00

It's been a big week for the Little Buddy.
He got his first buzz cut. (see previous post regarding head lice)
It makes him look so grown up.

After 5 months of gut-wrenching drop offs, he no longer cries every time I leave him at preschool.

He had an eye exam at the optometrist. Seems he inherited his dad's astigmatism. Looks like he'll need glasses- if not now, when he starts school.

And he got his first black eye. It broke my heart.

He's all boy, and I'm so glad he's mine.

Hello Hamo

2010-05-27T13:34:00.002+10:00

Last week we spent 5 glorious days on Hamilton Island in tropical North Queensland. Hamilton Island is part of the chain known as the Whitsunday Islands. With Hawaii like weather, proximity to The Great Barrier Reef, amazing white sand beaches and stunning views, it is a tropical paradise and the perfect place for a family holiday.

We stayed in a private apartment on the resort side of the island overlooking Catseye Beach. The best thing about the apartment was that it came complete with its own golf buggy- the primary mode of transportation on the island. We drove the buggy everywhere- just because it was so much fun. My dare devil husband even thrilled the kiddos with a few buggy "donuts" in the car park. I was particularly happy that I didn't have to trudge up all the island's hills in my enlarged condition. Waddling from the buggy to the pool was enough for me!

While there we took a full day boat tour with H2OSportz called the Triple Treat. It really was a treat for the whole family. We boarded their boat, The Reef Spirit, and set out for a fun filled day. Our first stop was at the coral reef for snorkeling. We saw many colourful fish and of course all variety of beautiful coral. A few lucky people even spotted some sea turtles. The Little Princess was a pro at snorkeling, staying in the water the whole time. The Little Buddy got geared up and floated around a little with Dad before heading back to the boat with me. He looked so cute in that wetsuit- I can just picture him 10 years from now heading out to surf in a similar get up.

Our second stop was at the unbelievable Whitehaven Beach. The sand on this beach is 95% pure silica and stretches for over 5 km. The sand was so fine it felt like flour and actually squeaked when we walked on it. The kids had fun digging around and the Little Buddy had a chance to show off his newly acquired cricket skills.

Our third "treat" of the day was a stop at Tongue Bay and a short bushwalk to the lookout over Hill Inlet. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and pointed out many interesting things along the way, including the green ants which she encouraged us to taste stating that their "bums" taste like honey and lime. We passed on the ant bums, and headed to the lookout point where we were amazed at the gorgeous sand formations and the crystal blue water at Hill Inlet.

The rest of our trip was spent lounging around at the pool and enjoying the tropical weather. We rented little catamarans one day and spent some time touring the island in our buggy. One morning the kids went to the Clownfish Club (which they LOVED) and my sweetheart and I took a scenic seaplane ride over the Great Barrier Reef. Seeing the reef from the air was breathtaking! You really get a different perspective when you see it from above. My favorite bit was Heart Reef, the most photographed part of the Great Barrier Reef. Isn't it lovely? We also cruised over Hayman Island, Hamilton Island, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet. The views from the air were absolutely stunning and I am so glad we did the air tour.

We also had some wildlife encounters while on the island. The rainbow lorikeets and cockatoos were everywhere- and pretty persistent when it came to snatching food. I nearly had a heart attack when a beautiful little lorikeet landed on my knee one evening. (I hate birds!). Why is it that animals always flock to the one person in the group who does not want to be near them? We also had several visits from creepy little opossums each evening. They were definitely used to seeing people and got a little too close for my comfort!

Like all good vacations, the end came too soon. We were all sad to say goodbye to the beautiful weather and the relaxing atmosphere. Too bad we couldn't bring some of that Queensland sunshine back with us. It's been raining buckets in Sydney!

Best Deal in Town

2010-05-19T16:25:00.002+10:00

To all our friends and family back in the U.S.

Available:
Beautiful private guest room with built in wardrobe, marble ensuite and sunny courtyard. Directly opposite gorgeous harbour beach with easy access to cafes and public transport. Currently accepting bookings.

We accept the following forms of payment:
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Jet Puff Marshmallows
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce
Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packets
Italian Dressing seasoning packets
Honey Maid Graham Crackers
Girl Scout Cookies
Bounce Sheets
Glide Floss
Tide to Go Sticks
Nestle Toll House Semi Sweet chips
Clorox Bleach Pens
Red Vines
Dial Gold Bar Soap
Trident Gum (with xylitol)
Children's Motrin
Tylenol Jr. Melt Aways
Goldfish crackers
Crest toothpaste
Jello Pudding mix
Did I mention Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?

Any takers?

Such a Good Old Boy

2010-05-11T09:14:00.001+10:00

One of the hardest things about moving to the other side of the world was leaving our beloved yellow lab behind. We knew he would be well cared for and loved by Grandma and Grandpa, but the four of us would miss him terribly.

There has never been a more loyal, loving dog than Smiling Riley. When we brought him home from the breeder at 6 weeks old he was the size of a football. I loved to carry him around and cuddle him. He slept happily in our bed at night.

At only 6 months old he was diagnosed with hip displaysia (bad breeder!). He underwent major surgery to repair both hips. It was his only chance at a full life. He deserved it.

As he grew Riley became a gentle giant, tipping the scales at 100 pounds! He had a bark deep enough to scare off the annoying door to door solicitors, deep soulful eyes, and a tail that could clear a coffee table in 2 quick swoops. We had to upgrade to a king size bed to make room for him!

We decided to share the Riley love. He became a certified Therapy Pet through the Delta Society. He listened while inner city kids read to him during after school programs and he brought smiles to lonely people in nursing homes who had outlived all their friends and relatives.

When the Little Princess was born in 2003, we were worried about how Riley would adjust. Would he be jealous of this new creature in our family? Not at all. He became her third parent- sticking his nose into the bassinet to check on her at night. Standing at my side of the bed, nudging my arm when I didn't respond fast enough to her cries. It was quite amazing.

And as our family grew, Riley always managed to fit in perfectly. He endured ear pulling, and tail grabbing. He was a constant pillow and cheerful playmate. He staked out his spot beneath the highchair and I never had to sweep up so much as a stray Cheerio. Good dog!

Riley's health was not as reliable as his disposition. He bounced back from ear infections, allergies, and multiple surgeries including the removal of a 2 pound cancerous tumor. He just kept defying the odds. Everyone was always amazed at his ability to recover from what seemed to be life threatening conditions.

(Riley sporting the t-shirt he wore for months while healing from major surgery).

But last week we got the sad news that Riley's health problems had finally taken their toll on him. He was just days shy of his 11th birthday. He will be missed terribly by all of us. I'm sure someday we will make room for another dog in our home, but no other dog will ever take his place in my heart.

A couple photos from our last visit with Riley.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T21:17:00.003+10:00

A perfect Mother's Day today.

"Sleeping in" until 7:30
Cinnamon toast and peppermint tea in bed
Lovely gifts made by tiny hands
Gorgeous, sunny Sydney weather
A ferry ride to the Opera House
Marveling at the Sydney Symphony with my husband and kids
Hugs and Kisses.

My favorite totally imperfect picture from the day.

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms in my life.
Especially my mom and my mother-in-law. Love you!

Scratch Scratch Scratch

2010-05-06T13:15:00.001+10:00

I taught elementary school in California for nearly 10 years and in all that time only encountered head lice twice. I've been living in Australia for 13 months, and have become very closely acquainted with these little buggers! It's some kind of an epidemic here. My kids have grown accustomed to me picking through their hair one strand at a time, sitting endlessly while I apply every lice buster solution known to man. It is really so tedious!

So when my own scalp started to itch I knew I could have a problem on my hands. Now let me back up and say that as much as I love my darling husband he does have one shortfall. He can never find anything. He is always searching for his sunglasses, his wallet, his key card, etc. Often these items are in plain sight. When I showed him our son's class picture, he couldn't find the Little Buddy in the photo. This man is really not the person I would trust to literally go through my hair with a fine tooth comb looking for teeny tiny nits. (And I'm sure it is a responsibility he doesn't particularly want to have anyway)!

Which brings me to this morning. I was having morning tea with two lovely friends. When I mentioned my fear about my possible infestation guess what they did? That's right- with absolutely no hesitation these two women started searching, combing, picking through my hair.

It is a really awesome feeling to know that I have such good friends here in Australia. Because there are times in your life when you really need a good friend.

Thanks ladies! Love ya!

A Friendly Reminder

2010-04-28T11:15:00.000+10:00

And now a friendly, and not so subtle, reminder from the state of Victoria.

All of these were seen along the road on our drive from Warnambool to Avalon airport (a trip that only took a little over 2 hours). I didn't even bother to snap pics of all the repeat signs we saw along the way.

I wish I had thought to take pictures of all the "warning" signs we saw on this road trip. There were some really graphic ones on Phillip Island persuasively telling us about the dangers of motorcycle riding. But the above signs are a pretty good representation of the government of Victoria looking out for your safety on the roads. Get the message?

The Great Ocean Road- Part 2

2010-04-27T07:39:00.002+10:00

The final leg of our Great Ocean Road trip started in Port Campbell, a sleepy little town of about 500 people. It is a good place to stay only in that it is very close to the 12 Apostles. Other than that, it doesn't have much to offer. After our experience in Lorne, the information centre in Port Campbell was a real disappointment, but we did pick up a few maps with lookout spots designated on them. And so we were off- on the road again!

There were so many gorgeous, marked places to stop along the road. The photo above shows the "London Bridge" so named before the first arch fell down into the sea. Below: After a short hike down to a near by beach we spotted heaps of penguin footprints in the sand. A colony of Little Penguins lives in this area!

Another beautiful lookout was "The Gorge". My sweet husband hiked down a ton of stairs to see if it was worth the view, and since it was I hauled my big pregnant self down there where a nice Uni student (from Wisconsin!) snapped this family photo for us.

We drove on to a cute little town called Port Fairy for a delicious lunch and then backtracked a bit to Tower Hill, a state game park reserve. There is an extinct volcano at this site, and the Little Princess really wanted to climb to the summit. However, I wasn't really up for that, so we all enjoyed an easy rainforest bushwalk and spotted some wild emus and even a little wallaby along the way.

From there we headed to our final destination; Warnambool. This small city is located along the "Shipwreck Coast" and featured a recreation of an 1800s fishing village called Flagstaff Hill. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to see the village during the day, but we went back at night for a lantern walk and a cool laser show recreating the shipwreck of the Loch Ard. We all really enjoyed the show and left with a real appreciation for the brave travelers who made the daunting journey to Australia in the late 1800s. We would have liked more time to explore Warnambool, but we were up and out early the next morning for an easy 2 and a half hour drive back to Avalon airport and our flight home to Sydney.

We can't recommend this trip highly enough. We all loved it! It was such a great mix of beautiful scenery, amazing wildlife, interesting new experiences, and fun times together as a family. It's a trip we'll always remember.

The Great Ocean Road- Part 1

2010-04-22T09:29:00.003+10:00

The final leg of our Australian holiday was a tour of the Great Ocean Road. It is often described as the most beautiful coastline in Australia, and after seeing it I have no doubt that description is true. It was absolutely amazing!

We took the ferry from Sorrento to Queenscliff to start our tour. It was the first time we had ever been on a vehicular ferry. It was a lovely experience, and we were glad we chose this route instead of driving back through Melbourne.

Once in Queenscliff we set off on the Great Ocean Road. Our first stop was the famous surf spot, Bells Beach. We happened to show up in time to see part of the Rip Curl Pro surfing competition. What luck!

We also stopped by the Anglesea golf course to see the wild kangaroos. They were all over the course! That night we stayed in Aireys Inlet, a lovely little town with a charming lighthouse and a local "hotel" (this generally means bar in Australia) with good food.

The next day was probably the highlight of the trip. We drove through Apollo Bay and stopped at the information center in Lorne. There, we got great advice about places to stop with the kids. We headed for Teddy's Lookout, a beautiful spot with more picturesque views.

Then on to the Kennett River walk. We drove about 5km down an unpaved road and, sure enough, spotted several wild koalas up in the gum trees. This was quite a thrill! We were able to get so close to these adorable Aussie icons.

At the end of the road we discovered a hidden rainforest. It was amazing- huge ferns, a beautiful rocky creek perfect for throwing stones.

We were also able to squeeze in a little bushwalk at the Maits Rest Rainforest. Notice the big "holes" in the trees. Giant trees fall over in the rainforest and other trees grow around the fallen trunks. Eventually, the fallen tree deteriorates, leaving a large "hole" in the living tree.

Just before sunset we arrived at the Twelve Apostles; an amazing collection of rock formations jutting out of the sea along the coastline. This is probably the most photographed spot along the Great Ocean Road, and I can understand why. It's simply beautiful.

After a very full day we were happy to settle in for the night in Port Campbell. Part 2 of our Great Ocean Road Adventure to come . . . .

The Penguin Parade

2010-04-19T16:10:00.000+10:00

After touring Melbourne we headed east to Phillip Island. It is an easy 2 hour drive. Our main goal was to see the Little Penguins- and the tour was one of the highlights of our trip. There is no photography allowed because apparently the penguins get freaked out by the paparazzi. So here are a couple pics I found online that show how cute these little fellas are.

The photo above shows the viewing area where we were seated for the Penguins Plus tour. We were right in the front corner, just a couple feet away from the sand. We could not have had a better view of the Little Penguins as they marched up the sand and stopped to preen themselves right in front of us!

It was pretty late night for the kids, and the Little Buddy entered full meltdown mode which was only calmed by purchasing the very last tub of popcorn at the concession stand. He refused to share even one stale kernel with his poor sister.

On the way out we spotted this sign. You can be sure we all looked under the car twice to be sure it was clear before taking off.

We loved the Penguin Parade experience. Definitely not to be missed- you'll never see anything like it in the Northern Hemisphere!

On With The Show

2010-04-13T13:04:00.004+10:00

I'm interrupting my regularly scheduled blogging about our awesome family holiday last week to tell you to rush out to the Sydney Royal Easter Show. It ends this week- don't miss it! More on our holiday to come soon . . .

Call it a blogging milestone. I received my first freebie through this blog. And let me say- it was a really good freebie: a family 4 pack of tickets to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

We decided to head out in the afternoon to avoid the heat of the day and, as an added bonus, I think we also avoided the really big crowds. The Sydney Royal Easter Show is like an American County fair on steroids. It's huge! The Show (as it is affectionately called by Sydneysiders) is held at Sydney Olympic Park. There is a kiddie carnival area, a huge coca-cola carnival area, plenty of farm animals on exhibit, arts & crafts, a main arena and of course food, food, food.

The kids loved the kiddie carnival rides and the fairy floss (cotton candy). We walked through exhibits of pigs (some as big as 400 kgs!), goats and cows, skillfully dodging the stray piles of dung waiting to be removed. We were disappointed that we missed the world's tallest horse who had to leave The Show early for some undisclosed reason. The farmyard nursery was one of our favorite stops. Feeding the lambs and the goats, seeing little chicks just hatched from eggs, patting the puppies. So much fun!

On our hunt for the Showbags we stumbled upon an exhibit featuring the most amazing decorated cakes! There were cakes that looked like horse heads, babies, Alice in Wonderland, and even a bottle of pills for facebook addicts. Too funny!

We stopped for food and the kids were thrilled to discover Dagwood Dogs- the first corndog we've seen in Oz. I was equally thrilled to find a burger from one of my favorite restaurants- Ribs & Rumps. Yummm!

We finally found the Showbag hall and it was like walking into goodie bag heaven. There is no American equivalent to the Showbag. There are showbags filled with candy, toys, magazines, even dairy products and soft drinks. The Little Buddy picked a Go Diego Go Showbag filled with a backpack, lunchbox, vest, hat and stickers. This stuff is big with the preschool crowd! The Little Princess chose the Girl Power Showbag, stuffed with pre-teen magazines, lip balm and keychains. It was like Christmas all over again.

After securing the Showbags,we made our way to the main arena where we watched a bit of a polo match and saw the giant robotic dinosaur blow fire and eat cars. Who thinks of this stuff? The night ended with a fabulous fireworks display and laser show.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is definitely an event not to be missed. But you'll have to hurry if you want to get there this year. The Show ends April 14th. And if you do miss it, there's always next year.

Melbourne Here We Come

2010-04-10T19:23:00.009+10:00

As part of our ongoing quest to see as much of Australia as possible, we took off on Easter Sunday and flew to "Mel-bin" for the first leg of our week long family holiday.

There was a near disaster at the car hire counter when the frazzled attendant informed me that the full size car I had reserved was not available and I would have to take the equivalent of a 2-door Speck instead. As you can imagine, this didn't go over well with me. Fortunately, another car showed up just as things were about to go from bad to worse, and soon enough we were heading toward Melbourne and ready for adventure!

After checking into our hotel (isn't it funny how kids are ALWAYS excited about a new hotel room?) we decided to take a walk through the city and grab dinner in Chinatown. Let's just say it looked a lot closer on the map, and my big pregnant self was seriously struggling to keep up! We finally found the restaurant recommended in our guide book and decided to eat there even though it was way too quiet and fancy for our crabby, tired three year old. Predictably the dinner ended with a minor meltdown and a sleepy boy in the taxi back to the hotel. I vowed to seek out kid friendly restaurants for the rest of the trip!

Checking out Carlton Gardens near the Melbourne Museum

The following day was packed with sightseeing in Melbourne. Everyone enjoyed riding on the city's tram system. We visited the Old Melbourne Gaol (jail) which was seriously creepy, and the Melbourne Museum which was full of great exhibits. (Somehow we missed the stuffed race horse Phar Lap- bummer). We even took in a How to Train Your Dragon at the IMAX (which was the perfect place for the Little Buddy to get his afternoon nap).

We finished the day with a stroll around Federation Square and a trip to the Skydeck of the Eureka Tower for stunning night time views of the city.

The next morning we headed straight for the Royal Botanic Gardens. My kids love Botanic Gardens (they would be thrilled to spend every weekend at the one in Sydney) so we knew this would be a big hit with them. What we didn't know was that the Melbourne gardens have an amazing Children's Garden. It is filled with streams, pathways, bamboo hideouts, tree "caves" and water features. We couldn't drag them away. It was little piece of paradise right there in the city! Yes, we are those kind of parents who let our Little Buddy run around in his underpants when his jeans got soaked. But- hey, we weren't the only ones!

Unfortunately, we never got to see the rest of the Royal Botanic Gardens. We had to head out to Phillip Island to catch the Penguin Parade that night!

Thanks Easter Bunny

2010-04-04T06:44:00.003+10:00

At 6:00 in the morning we were awakened by excited children announcing that the Easter Bunny came through again this year and left a clue about where to find their baskets. We rolled out of bed (even though it was only 6 am) and followed them around the house as they eagerly read the clues and finally discovered the big prize under the kitchen sink. Thanks Easter Bunny!

Easter is a huge 4 day weekend in Australia. Sadly, it is mostly secular. And sadly, the selection of Easter candy is basically limited to Cadbury chocolate eggs. No peeps, no (gasp) Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, no big bags full of Jelly Bellys or Hersheys candy coated eggs in pastel colors. I haven't even seen the Easter variety of M&Ms here. Luckily for us, our awesome rellies in the US sent care packages containing everything we needed to make it a "traditional" American Easter. Thanks Easter Bunny! Happy Aussie Easter- Oy Oy Oy!

Canberra- The Capital City

2010-03-31T20:57:00.003+11:00

In about 18 weeks my life is going to be completely taken over by a helpless, crying newborn (it's a boy!). For a few months at least, we'll be in no condition to travel, sight-see, or explore this amazing country. So we've decided to try to see and do as much as possible between now and then. First place on the list: Canberra, the capital of Australia.

It was a whirlwind weekend, trying to fit in everything, and I think we succeeded. Canberra is an easy 3 hour drive from Sydney through rolling country side speckled with lots of cows, horses and sheep.

After a quick stop at our hotel and a bite to eat we headed for the National Gallery to view the Masterpieces from Paris exhibit. This exhibit is hugely popular and at peak times people are queuing up for 3 hours to see it. Thankfully, my dear Aussie friend, Lou, gave me the best advice: head to the museum 1 hour before it closes. That's what we did and we did not have to wait AT ALL! So for any of you thinking of making the trip to see these amazing works of art before they head back to the Musee d'Orsay, plan to go late in the day- I am so glad we did! The Little Princess loved the kid's audio tour, and was quite captivated by the Van Goghs, Monets, and Gauguins on display.

Saturday morning we headed straight to Questacon, an awesome hands-on science museum. Some of our favorite exhibits included a cool shadow screen where you could "freeze" your shadow, a light harp, and an exhibit showing caged lightening.

Check out the picture perfect souvenir the Little Buddy found in the museum shop! (Notice the matching t-shirt he happens to be wearing).

Next we went to the Royal Australian Mint to see where all those Aussie coins are made. The kids each got to mint their own gold $1 coin and we enjoyed seeing the robots and machinery used to make the coins. They also had an extensive display of historical coins and medals (including the Olympic medals from the Sydney games).

Our last stop of the day was the Australian War Memorial.

This was the most architecturally beautifully building we saw in Canberra. It was a stark contrast to all the 1960s boring architecture seen throughout the city. The Memorial features an extensive museum, including a hands-on area for kids. It also has a beautiful reflecting pool and a wall of remembrance honoring those who have fought and died for Australia.

Inside a Vietnam era helicopter.

A cold-war era submarine replica.

Sunday we decided to check out the National Museum of Australia. Here we learned a bit about Australia's story. Our favorite exhibit featured the last Tasmanian Tiger. It was sad to realize that this animal became extinct when the last one died in the Hobart Zoo. There was also a large exhibit dedicated to aboriginal Australians and a kids area where we got to envision a future world and take part in the making of a 3-D movie.

Our final stop in Canberra was Cockington Green. Surprisingly it was the most crowded attraction we visited on our trip! Cockington Green is basically a garden filled with miniature houses that appears to have been inspired by Disneyland's Story Book Canal Boat ride. There is also a little steam train ride that circles the garden, a small kids playground and a patio featuring several doll houses to play with. The kids enjoyed it, but we were all ready to head for home after our stroll through the gardens.

On the way home we played our favorite road game; Spot the P-Plater & Ute. Even the Little Buddy is starting to get into the game although he is at a significant disadvantage since his view is rather limited. We also drove through the most intense (and short lived) rainstorm I've ever seen! Fortunately, we made it back safe and sound.

Crossing Canberra off our Aussie to-do list. Now to unpack, do the laundry, and re-pack for our trip next week . . . .

You- Yes, you!

2010-03-29T18:12:00.002+11:00

You know who you are. I just wanted to tell you that you are not a stalker. I'm thrilled that you read my blog and I'm willing to overlook the fact that you have never left a comment or sent me an email. ;)
We need to have coffee again so I can learn as much about you as you already know about me.
Don't you just love it when world's collide?
Your new friend,
Jenny

Bicentennial Park

2010-03-14T08:16:00.003+11:00

One of the things I love about Sydney is that there is no shortage of fun, family friendly activities. Last weekend we decided to check out Bicentennial Park, part of Sydney Olympic Park. It was the first time we had ventured out there- but definitely not the last.
We hired bikes, including one with a child carrier for the Little Buddy, and set off exploring the miles (I mean kms) of pathways. We rode through marshlands filled with mangroves, a bird refuge, and past Acer Arena.

After a couple hours we returned the bikes and headed to one of the many kid's playgrounds located in the park.
Looking forward to going back to Sydney Olympic Park to check out the aquatic centre soon!

Half Way There

2010-03-06T07:25:00.003+11:00

When we signed up to come to Australia we agreed to stay for 2 years. It's hard to believe, but as of this week, we are half way there. March 9th will mark our one year Expat Anniversary!

One year ago we loaded our little kids into those comfy lay flat business class seats and prayed they'd sleep on the plane. We arrived in Sydney with all those suitcases and relied on the kindness of airline employees to help us get it all through customs. I remember the van driver giving the kids little koala keychains and the excitement of seeing for the first time our beautiful apartment all set up and waiting for us.

In the year that has passed between then and now we have changed so much. Our kids have made that long haul flight across the Pacific 5 times. I've done it with them by myself and we've done it in coach and we all survived! I feel confident I could travel anywhere with them, and I won't let fear of a long flight stop me from showing them the world.

When we arrived in Australia we knew no one. It seemed like such a grand adventure for the four of us. But it didn't take long to find friends- real friends. Other expats, coworkers, classmates and even a few true Aussies. I couldn't imagine this experience without them.

There has not been one day during the past year that I woke up and regretted coming to Australia. Sure, I miss "home", our American friends and family, and Boar's Head turkey from the Italia Deli. But I am so thankful to have this opportunity to live in another country, meet new people, immerse myself in another culture and see this amazing part of the world. This coming year we plan to TRAVEL! There is so much we want to see and do before we leave this beautiful country.

This week also marks another important half-way point for us. I am now half way through my third pregnancy. Our "tie-breaker" baby will be born right here in Australia in early August. The adventure continues!

Oh La La . . .Spa

2010-02-13T19:15:00.005+11:00

For her 7th birthday the Little Princess wanted to have a spa party. Because, of course, 7 year olds love to have manicures, pedicures and facials. And even though it was planned at the last minute it turned out to be a fabulous party.

First, I found these super cute "pamper party" invitations at Pingg.com. Sent them off via email. So simple and so perfect, too!

On the day of the party, the hostess from Lil' Ladies showed up with everything needed to transform our apartment into a day spa for the girls. I made the smocks out of men's t-shirts. The girls loved wearing them along with their new thongs (flip flops).

After the face mask, foot soak and massage, pretty polish and glamorous make up the girls were hungry for pizza and, of course, birthday cake.

Check out the cool rainbow cake I made for the occasion. (Directions here). There were lots of "oohs" and "ahhs' as we cut into the seemingly plain cake to reveal the rainbow of colors! Such fun.

Happy Birthday, Little Princess. You're growing up too fast!

Sugar Overload

2010-02-08T18:39:00.002+11:00

Australia, in many ways, is strangely inconsistent. People here, it seems, are quite health conscious. Sport and physical fitness is heavily emphasized in school. But when it comes to birthdays, our school encourages children to bring cupcakes. I think they do this because they don't want kids bringing in full cakes that the teacher has to cut and serve! If every kid brings in cupcakes on his birthday, that would be approximately 2-3 sugary treats a month. It seems like a lot to me, but, when in Rome . . .

The Little Princess celebrated her 7th birthday one week after school started. She wanted to bring cupcakes and she wanted them to be special. Here's what we came up with:

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

I've made these cupcakes before and, frankly, they didn't turn out so great. When I filled the cones with batter and baked them, they never "puffed up" properly, and my cones were sort of flat on top. So this time I decided to cheat. My new method is much easier, and the results are better, too.

Step 1:
Bake the cupcakes in regular muffin tins. For you lucky people in the U.S. who can buy decent cake mixes at the super market, this part is easy peasy. For those of us in Australia, well I'm getting pretty good at making cake from scratch.

Step 2:
Fill the cones with candy. We used Smarties, which are an Aussie version of m&ms.

Step 3:
Invert the cupcakes and "glue' them to the cones using royal icing.

Step 4:
Decorate with frosting and sprinkles.

Step 5:
Create some kind of crazy contraption to transport these beauties to school. Duct tape is your friend for this project.

I do believe the cupcakes were a hit. They certainly met the sugar overload requirement, and got rave reviews from the Little Princess and her friends.

Too Good to be True

2010-02-03T18:48:00.004+11:00

I've been in Australia for nearly 11 months. And for 11 months I have been queuing up inside the petrol station whenever I need to fill up my tank. That's right, there is no pay at the pump in Australia. You can imagine what a pain this is, especially for those of us with kids.
And then today, while driving home from the SupaCentre, the low fuel light went on in the car. I pulled into the nearest petrol station and was shocked to see something called ePump! Yes, there were what appeared to be credit card machines attached to the pumps. I was so excited!
However, as I read the instructions I realized that I had gotten my hopes up for nothing. The ePump only works with their special everyday money credit card! All the poor saps (like me) with regular old bank credit cards are completely out of luck.

So, after all that, it really was too good to be true. I had to stand there, pump the petrol (by the way there are no little levers you can use to hold the pump for you either), and then go inside to pay for the fuel.
The only person happy about this arrangement was the Little Buddy, who scored a pack of gum from the mini-mart.
No pay at the pump- just one more reason why I try to get my sweet husband to fill up the car as often as possible!

The First Day- Take Two

2010-01-29T07:20:00.003+11:00

I love the first day of school. I love the new supplies, the fresh clothes, the eager faces, and the excitement of having a new class. It's the teacher in me, I guess.

So, I was a bit let down by the way the first day of school unfolded for the Little Princess yesterday. First of all, we never got a school supply list so there was no big shopping trip to pick out fresh crayons and textas (that's Aussie for markers). Instead she took her old pencil case from last year. I did buy her new uniforms in the next size but they were too big so I decided just to let the hem out on her old ones. So no fun mother-daughter school clothes and school supplies shopping day.

Nevertheless, she was so thrilled to be starting year 2. She woke up early, got herself all ready had a huge smile on her face when she saw many friends waiting in the COLA (covered outdoor learning area). Unlike our American school, we didn't find out which class she was assigned to. Instead, all the kids line up with their previous teacher and go to their old classroom first thing in the morning. Then, at some point in the morning, they were assigned and moved to the new classroom.

I was eager to hear all about her day, so I waited for her after school. She came bounding out, telling me about how her BFF is in her class and so are several other dear friends. She told me her teacher's name and then bolted off to play with the other kids.

I fished through her backpack, looking for the typical (American) packet of back-to-school paperwork but came up empty handed. Nothing. No note from the teacher, no supply list, no forms to fill out, nothing that shows which classroom she is in or how to spell the teacher's name.

When I asked her about her day here's what I got:
"Tuesday is sport day, Mondays we go to swimming, we have a smart board in our class, we share a room with another class, and we can bring sliced apples into the room to eat while we work." Huh? That's it?

I'm hoping (but not necessarily expecting) to get more information today. This is Australia and as they say, she'll be right. I guess.

You Know You're in Australia When . . .

2010-01-28T10:37:00.003+11:00

You know you're in Australia when
you are at the Oval watching your 6 year old do Little Athletics
and a huge kookaburra swoops down
and snatches a sausage
right out of the mouth of the little girl standing next to you
and she is left holding an empty slice of white sandwich bread.
Then you know you are definitely in Australia.

Art for Everyone

2010-01-22T21:58:00.003+11:00

It was hot, hot, hot today in Sydney. Since we were in the city and needed a cool place to hang out we decided to hit the Museum of Contemporary Art. My kids love that place.

The Little Princess had fun completing the "Kids Aventure Trail" activities and the Little Buddy surprised us by remembering several of the exhibits we saw when we were last there a few months ago. We were all sad that the "rain room" exhibit was gone, but none of us felt sad that the strange plastic patio furniture display had been replaced by some really interesting modern aboriginal art.
Of course, there was some creepy stuff, like a series of photos showing people in black KluKluxKlan like hoods.
Our very favorite exhibit was the one we nicknamed "the ghost train". We watched it over and over and were all fascinated by this image of a train moving down the tracks and then seeming to disappear right into the wall. Very cool!
Not only is the MCA air conditioned, but admission is free. It's the perfect place to spend a few hours on a hot summer day.

*Photo of the MCA taken during the Sydney Luminous Festival last winter.

First Day

2010-01-21T16:59:00.002+11:00

Today the Little Buddy started preschool. I felt a little sad about it. But it will be good for him to have some time away from me (I guess). The teacher called mid-day and said he had a few tears but an "enjoyable" morning. I'll take that as a good sign.

The Little Princess and I went to pick him up early and he was sleeping like an angel on his little cot. We could have come back later but we woke him up because we missed him so much. Starting next week- 2 days. Hope I can handle it.

Home Sweet Second Home

2010-01-16T06:20:00.003+11:00

We're back. We all arrived in Australia early Friday morning with Grammy in tow. As usual, the kids were fabulous on the flight for 13 and a half hours, then melted down 30 minutes before landing. They've made this flight across the Pacific 5 times now, so I knew what to expect. But it is a little embarrassing when your 3 yr old starts crying for his headphones after the seat belt sign has been turned on. I'm sure the people around me were wishing I hadn't packed those headphones up so early. Oh well.

It's a little surreal having a life on two continents. When we were home, in our own house, with our own stuff, surrounded by family and friends we've known for years it really felt like home. I was reminded how much I love Southern California. (And the weather was perfect)!

Here are a few photos from our time at Disneyland, which I do believe is the happiest place on Earth.

But now that we are back in beautiful Australia I can't help but appreciate this amazing opportunity we've been given here. We're settling back in to the routine that has become our new life. We're seeing our new friends and realizing how blessed we've been to have met such wonderful people here. And of course, we've been playing at the beach.

Sure, I'm sad to leave my family and friends and behind. Especially because we aren't sure when our next trip to the US will be. But being back in Australia feels like being home, too. And I can't help but be happy to be here.

My American Holiday

2009-12-31T10:07:00.000+11:00

Wow- time flies! We've been back in the U.S. for 2 weeks and are having a wonderful holiday. We survived the economy class flight and, in truth, it really wasn't bad. The jet lag was bad- really bad- especially for the kids. But everyone has adjusted and we are all enjoying a beautiful California winter. I love the warm sunny days and crisp cool nights. California winter is the best.

Of course, seeing our friends and family has been the highlight of our trip. It's so wonderful to see all the people we've been missing for the past 9 months!

I've also been shopping like crazy. Costco, Nordstrom, Trader Joes, Target- oh, how I've missed you. On my first trip to the grocery store and found three 12 packs of diet coke for $6.00. Seriously that's 36 cans of diet coke for $6.00. Anyone in Australia will understand my excitement at this amazing find.

Two weeks down, two weeks to go. Still on the agenda: visiting, playing, lunching, shopping, and Disneyland!

Two of my favorite Christmas photos- because I just can't post without photos.

Thanksgiving Top ten

2009-11-29T10:50:00.004+11:00

The top 10 things I learned by hosting an American Thanksgiving in Australia

10. German engineering isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Our apartment has these high-end German appliances. The oven is slightly larger than a shoebox. No self respecting turkey could possibly fit in there. That's why we had to take it outside and throw the turkeys on the barbie. That evil oven persisted to heat unevenly and burn a beautiful pan of Pioneer Woman dinner rolls. Even the fancy microwave-that-also-doubles-as-a-second-oven cooked at warp speed but luckily no damage was done. In the battle of me vs the German appliances I think I came out on top. But oh how I miss you, Viking range.

9. Don't be afraid to substitute.
So what if they don't sell evaporated milk, Crisco or pumpkin puree at Woolies? A dedicated American baker like my awesome friend Cristina won't let that stop her from making the most delicious pumpkin pie you've ever tasted. Really, it's not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie.

8. eBay + IKEA + my friend's cupboards + the internet = a lovely Thanksgiving table.
It's true that as of last month I had exactly 8 dinner plates, 5 glasses and not a single tablecloth. But somehow I managed to host a sit down dinner for 20 people yesterday. And it was quite lovely, if I do say so myself. I made the table runners with this gorgeous Amy Butler fabric and found these cute printable decorations at Paper and Cake.

7. Native Australian flowers are beautiful.

6. Having a back-up meat thermometer (or helpful neighbors) is a good idea.
Grilling turkey is a nerve-wracking experience. Keeping the temperature steady and dealing with the wind was challenging. Right at the critical moment our electronic meat thermometer malfunctioned. We were all so thankful when our neighbors showed up with not 1 but 2 meat thermometers! And the turkeys were cooked to perfection.

5. They don't eat turkey in the Czech Republic.
I employed a lovely young woman to help with the prep and clean up during our celebration. She's from the Czech Republic and here on a work-holiday visa. She had never tasted turkey before! Her verdict? "Like chicken but drier." I think she liked the pumpkin pie better.

4. Celebrating Thanksgiving in Spring is strange, but has its advantages.
After standing over a hot barbie with a cold beer all afternoon and stuffing ourselves with rich Thanksgiving foods, we headed down to the beach. The dads tossed the football around, the moms had a chat, and the kids splashed in the waves.

3. Be prepared to spend a small fortune if you want a fresh turkey.
Aussies love ham. Ham on the bone, champagne ham, honey roasted, you name it. They do not seem to have the same fondness for turkey. Most delis don't even have sliced turkey. You won't find a fresh whole turkey at the supermarket. I ordered 2 turkeys from our local butcher- at $17.95 a kilo. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Costco will open in Sydney and I'll be able to get a turkey there next year for one tenth the price!

2. Include a little taste of home.
We put this candy corn my mom sent to good use. You can never have too many desserts!

1. Having wonderful friends makes it a little easier to be so far away from family.
I have so much to be thankful for!

Missing my Sissy

2009-11-18T19:37:00.002+11:00

I am one of those lucky people who is blessed with an amazing sister. I don't deserve her, but I got her! And for the past 2 and a half weeks I have had the pleasure of having her and my fabulous brother-in-law here in Australia. I LOVE those two!

We had so much fun. And now, things seems a little empty, a little lonely, a little too quiet.

So glad we're going home for Christmas- because I am already missing my sissy!

Sunday Morning Aussie Style

2009-11-01T14:08:00.004+11:00

Recently the Little Princess began what seems to be a rite of passage for Aussie children. She had her first day of Nippers.

We hit the beach bright and early with hundreds of other kids all geared up in their blue rashies and swim caps. And since Australians love competitive sports there was no since this is the first day we'll take it easy on you kind of attitude. Not at all. They jumped right in with paddle boards, steering their way around the dads positioned in the water. (Have I mentioned there are sharks in Sydney Harbour? We had to sign a wavier . . seriously).

It was only after the paddle boards that the dad-in-charge asked, "Can everyone swim?" A couple girls clung nervously to their parents but the rest of them, including the Little Princess, got right into a swimming competition. Four at a time they waited at the starting line, took off in a sprint for the water, swam freestyle around the parents positioned in the harbour, and then sprinted to the finish. We clapped and cheered as the Little Princess won her heat.

Next up: Flags. In this event, they take foot long pieces of garden hose and stick them in a line in the sand. The girls line up 20 yards away and lay belly down in the sand. After a "Ready, Steady, Go" they jump up, turn around and dash to grab one of the "flags". Each time, a few kids are eliminated musical-chairs style, until it's down to the winner. I think the Little Princess surprised herself making it into the top 5. What she lacks in speed she makes up for with focus and determination.

The day ended with a hearty game of tug-of-war. Girls verses the parent helpers. The girls won. Really. Fair and square. That's the only way they do it here.

Nippers: a very cool thing about living in Australia. Dads in Speedos: well, you take the good with the bad.

Halloween Review

2009-11-01T13:15:00.006+11:00

Back in the U.S. my neighbors are still handing out candy but here in Australia Halloween has come and gone.

For my kids, Halloween isn't just a holiday- it's a season. We spend months pouring over costume patterns, choosing just the right one. I haul out my sewing machine and work frantically until the last minute. For weeks leading up to the event there are parties, school parades, carnivals, pumpkin patch trips, and costume contests. When the big night arrives, we join the masses in our neighborhood and collect enough candy to last until Christmas.

But this year it was a bit different. First of all, it's Spring here. No pumpkin patches in sight, and a small pumpkin at the green grocer costs $40. So no pumpkin carving. As far as I can tell, the celebration at school consisted of a Halloween word search. No costumes, no eating a donut off a string, no pumpkin bowling. But no worries because our sweet Australian neighbors organized trick-or-treating for the neighborhood kids.

About a week before Halloween, they did a letterbox drop informing everyone that the local kids would be coming by at 5 pm. Everyone willing to hand out candy was asked to put out something orange.

We met up with the neighbors at the designated time (in broad daylight in 80 degree weather). I immediately noticed that Aussies have a totally different approach to Halloween costumes. It is a widely held belief here that costumes are meant to be scary. So lots of kids just wore their regular clothes with a scary mask. We also had several kids dressed as witches in everyday black clothes with pointy hats. (These witch hats also doubled as treat bags. Turn them upside down and voila- a place to put your candy)! Some kids didn't dress up at all. One kid was a ghost- Charlie Brown style in a sheet with oddly placed eye holes. I can confidently say that I am the only mum in the neighborhood who blew a fuse on my step down transformer sewing away on my kids' costumes. No one really knew who my kids were dressed as (I guess the Disney channel hasn't completely taken over the lives of all children here). I think most people assumed the Little Buddy's costume was his crazy red hair. But nevertheless, my kids were thrilled to be dressed up and didn't really notice what everyone else was wearing.

Of course the big thrill of Halloween is collecting candy (or lollies, as they say). Sure, I was a little bit grossed out at the unwrapped gummy worms being handed out at many houses, but there were also plenty of lollipops, Freddo Frogs, and fizzers. We walked 5 streets and probably hit around 20 houses. While we were out around 30 kiddos came by our apartment where my sweet husband threw candy down to them from the balcony.

All in all it was a wonderful Halloween. Lots of friends, fun and candy. Just what Halloween is meant to be.

Halloween Preview

2009-10-27T19:53:00.007+11:00

Last year we lived a block away from the busiest trick-or-treat street in our city.
We had over 300 kids come to the door for a sweet treat. And luckily for us- no tricks!

This year we're in Australia where Halloween is a little more . . . low key.
My neighbors assure me that there will be trick-or-treating. Since the only kind of candy they seem have here is gummy worms it ought to be interesting.

I finally finished the kids' costumes. The Little Buddy was so excited about his he wore it to his sister's school for pick up. No one knew who he was. Do you?

Check out more Halloween cuties over at I Heart Faces.

Port Douglas and The Great Barrier Reef

2009-10-20T13:10:00.004+11:00

Highlights from our recent holiday with Nana and Papa.

We sailed aboard this:

Sailaway IV Day Trip to the Low Isles
Great Barrier Reef Tour

To this:

Spent some time on beautiful 4 Mile Beach doing this:

Cruised the Daintree River where we spotted this:

and swam in this:

Took a ride on this:
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

To the village of Kuranda

Where we saw this:

At the Butterfly Sanctuary

And we all enjoyed this:
(Yes, even me- who hates birds)

Rainforest Habitat breakfast with the birds

Tropical far north Queensland.
Beautiful holiday with people I love.