October Kids Update!

Well, I've found myself with an hour to go before meeting hubby for lunch, and don't feel like tackling the pile of laundry, so I figure it's time for an UPDATE!

The Boy has been doing fantastically at school. Academically, he is right up there with the rest of the class, in spite of missing the first half of Year 1. Handwriting is his weakest, but his mother had hideous handwriting till university (and according to hubby, it's still awful). He WON AN AWARD at the assembly (parade) last Friday!!! It was an award for persistence. He's had trouble focusing on story-writing while all his classmates are just jumping in. So we worked on a story "map" last Tuesday morning and he sat down and wrote a paragraph about Superman saving someone. Doesn't sound like much maybe, but it was a big accomplishment for him, so his teacher wanted to draw attention to it and encourage him. Schools really need to do this. It is such a dangerous thing to hear Ontario schools NOT holding assemblies and NOT celebrating children's little accomplishments. There is a "parade" every Friday at the kids school. It lasts about an hour and kids perform, some are awarded for behaviour or sports or academics and information is shared. It's kind of like a pep rally. What a great way to foster school spirit... and to encourage children to be their personal best. *RANT MODE OFF*

The Girl has been making friends and doing the rounds on the birthday party circuit. They are having so much fun in their party dresses, playing different games and winning prizes. She was ECSTATIC when she won a freeze dancing contest at one party. She just LOVES to dance. Whether it's in ballet class, at the school fair, at home, in the mall - if there's music on, she wants to move. Her recital is coming up in a few weeks and she is getting excited for us to see her perform. She's such a drama queen... I guess she gets that from her dad ;)

We're hosting a big hallowe'en party this weekend. The kids are pretty excited to share our "customs" and heck, when there's candy and costumes involved, you can't really go wrong! Here are their costumes:



They had a dry run for the school disco this past weekend. They had a blast dressing up for their friends, and the boy loved that not everyone recognized him. He kept saying all night "it's me, C, really!"

Happy Anniversary to Me.

So, um, yeah. Today I have officially been unemployed for six months. In quitting my job, I envisioned days of lattes while watching the children frolic and play; sitting at the table enjoying lively table time activities while the children's lives were enriched with my knowledge of all things exciting; field trips to museums and parks to learn more about our new home.

Then reality hit: We did have ONE day where the children frolicked while I drank a latte. One two-hour period in six months. We still don't have a table, so table time has been a wash. And lord knows, the temper tantrums and public humilitation that come with going out in public with the two kids on my own have completely quashed any interest in field trips.

So now what? I'm still not sure. I may work - but I'm feeling pretty particular. I really don't think I want to get into another admin job. It certainly isn't very fulfilling - and I still want the flexibility to volunteer at the kids' school. I read somewhere recently, that when one is at a crossroads, you should follow your passions... Food for thought...

TwitterBlog

Ok, so clearly I'm not very good at keeping this blog up to date, but I did notice that I am very good at keeping my Twitter feed up to date. I also noticed that my Twitter has a pretty detailed timeline of our goings-on while adventuring in Australia. So, here is what we've been up to. Like the blog, the Twitter feed is listed with the most recent stuff on the top. So if you want to read it in chronological order, you'll have to scroll down to the bottom and start there. Also, all of the links should take you to pictures of the monkeys and their adventures. Enjoy!


1. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. http://twitpic.com/ie095m These people really need some snow.

2. A taste of home... http://twitpic.com/i56ak Yummy!2:25 AM Sep 18th

3. What the hell? http://bit.ly/14zxnQ 7:25 AM Sep 17th

4. Rest time after the field trip. Who is more tired, the parents or the kids? http://twitpic.com/i0one

5. Am I the only one who finds it ironic that I have to come to Australia to view art on loan from the NY MET on American Impressionism?7:34 PM Sep 16th

6. Most people go to museums to see art. The girl goes to have temper tantrums. http://twitpic.com/hzrpm http://twitpic.com/hzrrv 7:17 PM Sep 16th

7. Waiting for the train to take us to the gallery. http://twitpic.com/hzirs 6:13 PM Sep 16th

8. Minding my own business in the shower this morning. Then, I turn around and see this! http://twitpic.com/hza 755:13 PM Sep 16th

9. House still messy/dirty. Kids in bed. Paperwork done. Inventory ordered (not counted). Field trip tomorrow. Still miss Marc. :( *sigh*9:08 AM Sep 16th

10. Hmph. Messy/dirty house. Obnoxious kids. Paperwork to do. Inventory to order and count. Full day field trip w Prep tomorrow. I miss Marc. :(3:44 AM Sep 16th

11. The kids ROCKED the Arts Parade! I am so proud. Will try to figure out how to post the video...7:52 PM Sep 15th

12. Up and at 'em. Art parade today. The girl's singing and The boy's dancing. Break a leg babies! (r.i.p. Patrick Swayze...)3:48 PM Sep 15th

13. Seriously sad. Rest in Peace Patrick Swayze. Always Johnny in our hearts.9:54 PM Sep 14th

14. Sewing with The girl in class. Preparations for her big show at the fair! http://twitpic.com/hrrg 17:52 PM Sep 14th

15. Cried after being torn from teary boy at school. Retail therapy made me all better. No $ left for scrapbooking. :(8:32 PM Sep 13th

16. Back to the grind. Should I run errands, clean house or scrapbook today? Decisions, decisions.3:58 PM Sep 13th

17. Yikes. Watching a boy who is MAYBE 3 yrs old walk across the rubber monkey bars 5 ft up. His mom is 15 ft away. Apparently I'm too uptight.2:54 AM Sep 13th

18. Ok, so our Macarena dance kicks Australia's Macarena dance in the butt! But the Chicken Dance is universal.9:01 PM Sep 12th

19. A gaggle of 6 yr old girls singing and dancing to Abba http://twitpic.com/hiwed Dancing Queens!8:07 PM Sep 12th

20. When is Marc back? Getting up at 6am with the kids sucks! I miss my weekend sleep in to 9!!!3:54 PM Sep 12th

21. Air show before the fireworks was brief, but very cool!2:13 AM Sep 12th

22. On the Brisbane River, waiting for Riverfire. http://twitpic.com/hexl8 hopefully we will see it from here.1:43 AM Sep 12th

23. Artwork to help cheer Aunt Denise as she battles cancer. http://twitpic.com/hei3n Note symbol in heart-those are The boy's fingers crossed...11:11 PM Sep 11th

24. Next up: pirate party at the bookstore! http://twitpic.com/hdvri Too bad we left all our cool costumes in Canada. :(8:40 PM Sep 11th

25. At bookstore watching authors read their stories. http://twitpic.com/hdr6v The girl is in red making the face and The boy is in camo hat on left8:19 PM Sep 11th

26. Watching The boy at Happy Coconuts tennis lessons and listening to The girl bitch about how boring it is to watch him.7:14 PM Sep 11th

27. Lying on the couch with two boys while hubby is away ;). http://twitpic.com/hakqs 4:33 AM Sep 11th

28. How does school pick up time come so quickly?10:03 PM Sep 10th

29. Kid Canada and the Fairy Princess at Wacky Wheely Day! http://twitpic.com/h91n 06:56 PM Sep 10th

30. Busy day. We've decorated The boy's scooter for Wacky Wheels Day. He really wants to win a prize. Pics later. Canada Represent!3:38 PM Sep 10th

31. Can't believe I'm so sleepy. When does Marc come home?8:40 AM Sep 10th

32. Is officially moved in. Unpacked and put the final suitcase away. :)6:46 AM Sep 9

33. Is very proud of my little man, who attended the school council meeting with me tonight due to lack of sitter or hubby. He was so good! :)6:17 AM Sep 8th

34. Thinking of Aunt Denise tonight. Feeling helpless and too far away to help.5:31 AM Sep 7th

35. Watching the MDA telethon for the first time ever... Funny how easier it is to do these things from so far away! Go Jerry's Kids!5:26 AM Sep 7th

36. There was a copy of the Sunday Mail Society Pages with my picture at the coffee shop this morning!!!! Yay me!6:24 PM Sep 6th

37. Guess whose picture is in the society pages of today's Sunday Mail... And guess who forgot to buy a copy :(6:07 AM Sep 6th

38. Yay The boy! http://twitpic.com/gj190 Whoda thunk someone would describe MY offspring as a "natural athlete"? *lol*11:20 PM Sep 4th

39. Ran home from corner, barefoot in pouring rain. The boy: "Mommy that was the bestest day of my life!" Screw Disneyland. Let kid run in rain.9:16 AM Sep 4th

40. Had a lovely impromptu brekky date with hubby this morning. No kids. It's not date night, but still nice...1:57 AM Sep 4th

41. Very proud of Marc and The girl and their performance at the Father's Day Athletics Event. Go Team Go! :)8:14 PM Sep 3rd

42. Watching my boy play with some classmates in the park, with no prompting or urging from me. Yay! 12:27 AM Sep 3rd

43. Proud to report that The boy is doing very well with his in-class behaviour and classroom routine! He is working hard at following the rules!7:14 PM Sep 2nd

44. Hope all our friends back home had a GREAT first day of school! I want details!4:03 PM Sep 1st

45. Hard at work on Uniform Shop paperwork. At 1am. Guess I should stop shopping and hanging w new Aussie friends during the day...9:49 AM Sep 1st

46. Spent the morning with my baby girl's class, training for the Father's Day Athletics Event this Friday. :)9:44 PM Aug 30th

47. Missing friends today... Hope all are enjoying your last weekend before school starts! Off to bring my kiddies to school shortly...4:30 PM Aug 30th

48. Love that I can get roasted meat and veggies in the food court! Home cooked meal without the 24 hrs of travelling!9:48 PM Aug 29th

49. Another day in paradise. With kids. Lord grant me the strength...4:37 PM Aug 29th

50. Got a midnight phone call and now I'm awake. Thanks Mom. :) I guess it could be worse - could have been bad news. ;) Glad all is well...zzz9:10 AM Aug 29th

51. Happy Birthday Nana!!!5:53 AM Aug 28th

52. Remembering why I hate public transportation - buses in particular. Waiting 25 min and still no bus. May be late to pick kids at school :(11:23 PM Aug 27th

53. Baking up a storm for our afternoon tea playdate. Brownies and cupcakes and tea, oh my!!!7:27 PM Aug 26th

54. The playroom that IKEA built. :). http://twitpic.com/fbejt Spoiled much? (They better LOVE it in the morning. )5:08 AM Aug 26th

55. And on the third day, the tantrums came. The girl's so tired today, she just can't help it. Tomorrow is another day.2:29 AM Aug 26th

56. Had a great morning. Made a new friend - who LOVES Kenny!!! Life us good.9:43 PM Aug 25th

57. *sigh* Crappy old laptop + crappy wireless card + crappy Internet service = cranky Cynthia. Time for bed methinks. Goodnight Cruel World!8:38 AM Aug 25th

58. 31 degrees celsius. And humid. Have I mentioned that it is the dead of winter here? Yeowch.7:22 PM Aug 24th

59. Too sleepy to come up with anything to say. And it's still too damn hot. Night all!7:35 AM Aug 24th

60. Watching The boy perform EPIC belly flops while learning how to dive at swimming lessons. Ouch!1:17 AM Aug 24th

61. Ugh. Humidity sucks. If this is winter, summer will not be pretty.12:20 AM Aug 24th

62. RT @cakewrecks: Hey Dr. Horrible fans, today's Sweets have a PhD in horribleness. http://tinyurl.com/l7qba8 - WICKED!4:41 PM Aug 23rd

63. Ugh. Monday morning - why must you mock me? I'm so not ready for you. Maybe I'll scrap my plans and spend the day at the scrapbook store!4:18 PM Aug 23rd

64. All u can eat buffet is probably a bad idea before going on rides.9:52 PM Aug 21st

65. Heading to Movie World w the Griswalds.... I mean the family. Wish me luck!6:43 PM Aug 21st

66. Still working w the teacher on helping my boy fit in. Thank goodness for teachers who care!!!!9:51 PM Aug 20th

67. Watching The boy write postcard notes to some friends in Canada. Too cute for words!12:53 AM Aug 19th

68. Actual headline in our community newspaper: "Lily a Cricket Fancier: Pearl Jam to tour Brisbane". Huh? Anyone?6:43 PM Aug 18th

69. Just pd $2.50 for an imported Butterfinger. As close to a Crispy Crunch as I could get. Hope it's as good as my $2.60 can of A&W root beer!!6:30 PM Aug 17th

70. Ugh. Haircut hangover. I miss you Mark... Paid $140 to wear a hat till it grows in :(4:56 PM Aug 17th

71. Don't you just love that a McD's chzbrgr is a McD's chzbrgr no matter where you are in the world? Ah, the comforts of global enterprise!12:57 AM Aug 17th

72. Craving Swiss Chalet. Tried Red Rooster to satisfy craving. Epic Fail.11:13 PM Aug 15th

73. Stayed up too late reading @cakewrecks blog. Must sleep.8:11 AM Aug 15th

74. Still BBQ-less but found some great suburban shopping. Back we go tomorrow!3:35 AM Aug 15th

75. Lazy morning! Shall we try for a lazy afternoon, or should we go buy a BBQ?8:42 PM Aug 14th

76. Ah. Vicks Vaporub. So familiar. So smelly. So sticky. So now that I'm all covered with it, it better freaking work!9:50 AM Aug 14th

77. Updating my status from Macca's on their free WIFI. Just because I can.3:38 AM Aug 13th

78. So, I was looking at my Aussie $10 bill and was wondering who the dude was that was on it. Then I realized it was a woman. Oops.10:16 PM Aug 12th

79. *sigh* Sick for a week and the laundry piles up and the clutter gets out of control. :(5:10 PM Aug 12th

80. Storms over :)3:47 AM Aug 12th

81. No rain since we arrived a month ago & the heavens have now opened up & are wreaking havoc w the tin roof. Rain. Hail. Lightening. Thunder.3:42 AM Aug 12th

82. Seriously underwhelmed by Ekka (www.ekka.com.au), and exhausted. Naptime.2:41 AM Aug 12th

83. One step closer in my quest to stalk Hugh Jackman tonight... WooHoo!6:32 AM Aug 11th

84. Had a great chat with my daddy this morning. Funny how the further away you are, the easier it is sometimes to connect. :)9:31 PM Aug 10th

85. Death flu STILL has me in its grip. Going to hibernate on the couch with GH on YouTube since it's not broadcast in Australia! :(6:34 PM Aug 9th

86. Thinking if I survive this flu, I'm going to bake a batch of red velvet cupcakes. Because I deserve it.5:07 AM Aug 9th

87. Has the BEST hubby EVER. He just got out of his jammies to go fetch me some ice cream to sooth my sore throat! Being sick sucks.4:17 AM Aug 8th

88. The blog is officially updated!6:37 AM Aug 7th

89. Asthma sucks. So do shin splints. I'm just saying.6:03 PM Aug 5th

90. Ok for real this time,will get my blog updated. Or else no one will remember us anymore. *sniff*4:06 PM Aug 5th

91. And I thought I did a lot of walking last week. Tomorrow, I rest.11:51 PM Aug 4th

92. Why is it that the first person with whom I've had a genuine, comfortable conversation in Oz is moving to the UK for a year?8:49 PM Aug 4th

93. Made it downtown in 42 min. Now what to do with the 48 min till I have to meet hubby.... Shop?8:13 PM Aug 4th

94. Heading downtown to play on the trains. Need to map out Marc's ride to and from work. I'm such a nice housewifey.6:49 PM Aug 4th

95. My son just asked me for a rubber. Should I be concerned?12:16 AM Aug 4th

96. Enjoying a chai latte at Southbank, overlooking the river while the kids are Legoing. Rough life today... ;)8:38 PM Aug 3rd

97. http://twitpic.com/coaun The girl's first "free dress" day. She wanted to wear a fairy princess dress with a crown and wand. We compromised.5:43 PM Aug 3rd

98. Going to LegoWorld with The boy's class today! Woohoo!4:31 PM Aug 3rd

99. Just watched "My Sister's Keeper". Translation: I just bawled for two hours.9:46 PM Aug 2nd

100. http://twitpic.com/ckoj4 These are the seats in the theatre 2 min from my house. I kid you not. Oh - & they deliver food 2 your seat.7:30 PM Aug 2nd

101. Is now known at school as the mother of that dreadful tantruming little girl. Sweet.5:49 PM Aug 2nd

102. http://twitpic.com/cbnwx those crazy Canucks! Swimming in the middle of winter!8:30 PM Jul 31st

103. Thinking today is the day that I should get my blog on. Stay tuned.4:34 PM Jul 31st

104. Missing friends and family today. :(12:00 AM Jul 31st

105. http://twitpic.com/c77ar for @wookstah Why eat your Tim Tams when you can drink them?8:10 PM Jul 30th

106. Monsters at school - check. Shower - check. Laundry - not done. Fail. Guess no movie for me this morning :(6:49 PM Jul 30th

107. Is paying for the late night trip to Ikea. The monsters are in rare form this morning.5:28 PM Jul 30th

108. Off to IKEA with one happy kid and one cranky kid. Thank goodness hubby is coming too!!!3:49 AM Jul 30th

109. Watching the kids play at the park with new school friends. Life us good.12:12 AM Jul 30th

110. In my new bed, in my new house, in my new neighbourhood. Love it! Now I need more furniture... Sounds like a trip to IKEA!7:02 AM Jul 29th

111. In our new house! No furniture or dishes, but we're in!!!9:35 PM Jul 28th

112. Thinking of our buddy Lorne today. Love you lots and can't wait to see your new - just as cute - smile!!!!5:54 AM Jul 28th

113. Why are all these ppl wearing turtlenecks, scarves and fleece/wool coats? And boots?!?!?4:12 AM Jul 28th

114. And it starts... Off to my first meeting at the school!3:15 AM Jul 28th

115. So nice to enjoy the kids, put them to bed & hang with hubby. Two sleeps till we move in! Nighty night all!6:52 AM Jul 27th

116. Has two very happy, excited kids. They LOVE their new school!12:49 AM Jul 27th

117. Waiting to leave to pick up the monsters. I hope they are having fun at school!10:14 PM Jul 26th

118. http://twitpic.com/br8cq. And don't forget the hats!!!5:57 PM Jul 26th

119. http://twitpic.com/br7uo Hi ho, hi ho it's off to school they go!5:53 PM Jul 26th

120. As all my friends are waking up, it's sleepy time for me.... Nighty night!8:14 AM Jul 26th

121. Just enjoyed a picnic at the park by the river with the family. Good times :)2:20 AM Jul 26th

122. http://twitpic.com/bj97f . Feeding a kangaroo !11:01 PM Jul 24th

123. http://twitpic.com/bj8wn 10:57 PM Jul 24th

124. Hubby ATTEMPTING to explain the school's code of behaviour to the girl. Do you think she's getting it? http://twitpic.com/bi9s0 6:55 PM Jul 24th

125. The kids start school on Monday! Yay me!!!!9:02 PM Jul 23rd

126. Trying to convince Hubby to go down to the front desk to rent us a movie. No go. Fail.4:31 AM Jul 23rd

127. The result: http://twitpic.com/ba6l7 Pic doesn't really do it justice!8:47 PM Jul 22nd

128. Did I mention the part about the park trip that includes me being dumb enough to put the girl in white leggings AND give her kiwi to eat?8:42 PM Jul 22nd

129. Sitting on a park bench, eating crackers and cheese, sipping chai latte and watching the kids play. Doesn't that sound idyllic?8:32 PM Jul 22nd

130. Thinking it's almost time to get the monsters out of this apartment before fireworks start...7:18 PM Jul 22nd

131. Am in LOVE with my new pretty high heel shoes... My feet, however, don't feel quite the same way :(7:52 AM Jul 22nd

132. WE FOUND A PLACE TO LIVE!!!!!! We move in next Wednesday!8:46 PM Jul 21st

133. But a lot of them smoke. Hot guy + smoking = Fail.7:16 PM Jul 21st

134. Seriously, there are a LOT of hot guys in Brisbane.7:15 PM Jul 21st

135. Bad idea. Should have stayed home. Girl is in bed. Cuddling w/boy on couch trying to erase the ordeal from memory.9:55 PM Jul 20th

136. Mmmmm....... Teriyaki beef sushi......8:30 PM Jul 20th

137. The debate is on... Do I take a chance on the monsters and go downtown... or do I hibernate?6:33 PM Jul 20th

138. Heading to the beach. Southbank, here we come!!!!6:58 PM Jul 18th

139. Just put an application in on THE apartment. Keep your body parts crossed!!!!10:24 PM Jul 17th

140. Our new pink crocs! http://twitpic.com/apkod 7:40 PM Jul 17th

141. Waiting on the river for the ferry to take me to the shopping Mecca for girlz morning!6:38 PM Jul 17th

142. My new present to me... Reusable, thermal AND dishwasher safe! http://twitpic.com/alrfo 9:27PM Jul 16th

143. Needs ringtunes for my iPhone and have no idea where to buy and download them. Don't tell anyone I used to work for a wireless company, K?1:47 AM Jul 16th

144. Mmmmmm. Krispy Kreme1:41 AM Jul 16th

145. Is very thankful to have ten minutes left after my shopping until I have to collect the monsters from Smaland. How I love IKEA.1:40 AM Jul 16th

146. Is going to go to IKEA every day so the kids can go in the supervised play area and I can have a break! :)8:23 PM Jul 14th

147. found IKEA.6:32 PM Jul 14th

148. Busted hubby playing with my iPhone in the middle of the night. Back away from the phone...2:25 PM Jul 14th

149. I'm officially mobile!!! Saw a crappy apt today with a stove smaller than my microwave at home. :(12:24 AM Jul 14th

150. Watching hubby and the boy bonding over watching rugby. It's cute. Who'da thunk my boys would bond over such a *grunt grunt* thing?4:57 AM Jul 13th

151. Survived a trip to the grocery store and back, unscathed. Now to cook my first Aussie meal...12:13 AM Jul 13th

152. Jet lag sux. Can't stay awake past 7:30pm and can't sleep past 5am. At least I don't have an adult social life! Hope I adjust soon.2:25 PM Jul 12th

153. Shopped till Marc dropped... Tomorrow is always another day! Stay tuned for updates from my new iPHONE!!!!! Hubby loves me!3:23 AM Jul 12th

154. Driving in OZ + two monstrous children = 3 nervous breakdowns (me) and 2 temper tantrums (also me). *sigh* Need to find a sitter soon!2:29 AM Jul 11th

155. Going to attempt to drive again today. And maybe even update the blog... We'll see how our first party works out first!3:30 PM Jul 10th

156. Driving on the left hand side, while sitting in the right hand side of the car, is whacked. My nerves are shot.2:27 AM Jul 10th

157. looking for a new place to live in a country across the ocean...9:58 AM Jul 7th

A Quick Update

Because it's been a while since I have posted, I'll try to be as brief as possible. I have taken a number of "miscellaneous" pictures of our antics here in OZ, so I thought I'd just throw them all into one post with a brief explanation of each:

Hubby's Chipburger:

When I heard about this, I immediately thought of all the french fry sandwiches that my dad used to eat growing up - and they still gross me out. But this one takes the cake. Not only is it a sandwich with french fries (chips) in it, it also have a beer battered, deep fried piece of fish. We made a pact that this would be the LAST time we would allow Hubby to eat such a heart-attack on a bun!

A Rare Moment of Peace:

The monsters have not always adjusted perfectly to all the changes lately, so when they both happened to be reading books on their beds, I couldn't NOT take a picture to preserve what was indeed, a rare moment of peace.

The Boy Reading to his Friends:

I actually have a figurine at home in Canada that says The Boy's name and it's a bear reading to his stuffed friends. One of his first homework assignments was to relax with a book or to lie down on his bed and relax for then minutes (yes, I do LOVE his teacher!). So this is what I walked in on - another restful moment that needed to be preserved. How cute is this?

How We Do Date Night in OZ:

Well, we have no sitters lined up yet, and we're used to being able to have at least one kid free meal in a month - so this was our solution while we were still living in the hotel. Once we closed the sliding doors, we barely knew they were there. ;)

We walked around our new neighbourhood before we moved in and these are some of the things we saw - On our Walk Through Rosalie:

We saw a very big dog:

And the kids got caught in a spider web...

And we had some Cold Rock yummy goodness!

Playing at South Bank:

South Bank is an area just across the river from the CBD (or downtown) of Brisbane. There is a manmade beach with a lagoon, splash area and park. There is a boardwalk to walk along the river, many performing arts venues, cafes, shops and a huge market on the weekend. We enjoyed a lazy Sunday there a couple of weeks ago and this is how we do South Bank, in the winter, Canuck-style!!!

And of course, there's the adorable Daddy & Daughter shot from brunch a little while ago. This isn't the best one, that one's on Facebook, but her mischevious look is in all the pictures from this exchange! Poor Hubby, he was trying so hard to explain his point to her!

That's the hodge podge for now. Time to sign off and clean up the house so I can post some pics for all those who are curious about our new digs!

Koalas, Kangaroos and Snakes, OH MY!

We visited the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary last month, and it was definitely a day we will never forget! It is a park approx 20 minutes from our new home, where people are encouraged to interact with the animals in order to learn and understand them. And you really do INTERACT with them.

I had heard rumours about being able to “cuddle a koala”, but I thought, “Really, who’s going to let people cuddle this apparently vicious beast?” Well, the koalas we met are quite docile and seemed quite content to be passed from person to person. That said, you could tell that the handlers were very protective of their charges and were quick with warnings and handling instructions. We lined up in a queue for about ten minutes, and let The Boy do the honours first. He was so careful with Kakadee the Koala and so proud to be holding him (as you can tell from the picture!).

Next, The Girl got to hug Kakadee. Because she is too little yet to hold him, she had to settle for a hug, but she didn’t seem to mind too much.

Daddy and Mommy each got a turn as well, but because we hadn’t had a paid picture taken of us, we were not allowed to take pictures ourselves – realistically, no one at home is clamoring for pictures of us. ;) Kakadee was quite heavy, and very furry. He fur was coarse, almost like a soft broom and very thick. It’s kind of funny to think of an animal needing such thick fur in such a warm climate.

After hanging with Kakadee and friends, we wandered the sanctuary for a while. We saw the retirement home, where we agreed that the grandmas, nanas, papas etc could live when the visit! :D We also saw a koala with long soft grey fur that reminded us of Abu – so now we call him the “Abu Koala”.

We watched a sheepdog presentation in the farm area. There was also a “petting zoo” area like back home, with sheep, goats, pigs and other farm animals roaming around. We all agreed that the sheep felt just like a big woolly sweater and that staying away from the bull might be a good idea.

From the barnyard to the kangaroo free range, and WOW, what an experience that was. Because Kangaroos apparently don’t do well when kept in captivity, their pen was set up like an outback bush. It was huge, and all the kangaroos had free reign. For a small fee, visitors can purchase kangaroo food and actually hand feed the animals. We thought the koalas were docile, but that was nothing compared to the kangaroos! They came right up to us, ate out of our hands and let us pet them and even give them a little snuggle.

At one point, Caleb was petting a sleepy kangaroo on his own and I have a feeling that if he had lain down with him, he might have been able to have a cuddly nap with kangaroo!

We can't forget about the adorable Mumma Koalas and their babies. It was amazing to see these young females interacting with their kids - and the kids were just as naughty as ours can be ;)

Oh - and did I mention snakes? We also watched a presentation while a handler held two live pythons! The kids each got to go up and touch the snakes - Mom hung out further back!

The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is definitely a place that visitors must hit when they are in Brisbane. We already purchased our season pass, so we can’t wait to bring family and friends through!A

First Kangaroo Sighting!

The Boy saw his first Kanagaroo... Check out the picture below!!!!

Boy Bonding

I've been living in my own home for 11 years. Married for 8 1/2 years. I have NEVER really had sports on a TV in my house. Sometimes D. would come over and the boys would watch part of a hockey game. If I wasn't paying attention, Hubby might watch some golf here and there. But we just don't watch sports.

And then we moved to OZ. Did you know that there is rugby on TV EVERY NIGHT? Even more crazy is the fact that my boys are absolutely GLUED to it. If given a choice, the Boy will actually choose watching rugby over watching one of his usual shows.

Hubby did play rugby in University, but I assumed he played in order to get in on the really good drinking parties. But it seems it's genetic, because the boy is genuinely excited to watch it. Maybe because it's something he can do with his dad - something they have in common and can really connect over.

Or maybe it's something to fall asleep to! :)

For the non-believers

I cooked my first "Australian" meal today. Actually, it's the first time I've cooked in about two weeks! We had BBQ Kangaroo (ok, marinated in BBQ sauce, then fried), Herbed Mint Baby Potatoes and Caprese Salad. The pictures below speak for themselves, I think!

The table is set! We've been eating all our meals on the balcony. The fresh air is nice while we eat... Such decadence! 8D

YUMMYLICIOUS!

Caleb tries kangaroo for the first time. And the verdict is...

TWO THUMBS UP!

Caleb and Daddy enjoy a Tim Tam cheers for dessert.

New Neighbourhood?

We toured Milton/Auchenflower/Paddington this weekend in order to determine if the neighbourhood would be a good fit... Well, we absolutely love it! (Hubby done good in pre-screening the place!)

There were families walking through the Rosalie shops and cafes, playing in the playground, roaming the streets on bikes and scooters. And the playground! The pics don't do it justice. Multiple climbing structures, swings, a maze, covered picnic areas, WASHROOMS (!), a huge soccer field - all in the school's backyard. The school also has its own pool for swimming classes. Yeah, I'd say this would be a pretty cool place to call home.

This is the covered picnic area... on the right are the washrooms...

This is the back of Milton State School. It's even bigger than it looks. I'll miss the small community of ECPS, but it'll be interesting to see how this big population is managed.

Going to see some properties in the neighbourhood tomorrow morning... Wish us luck!

For Wookie...

These were waiting in our fridge upon check-in. Gotta love that Aussie hospitality! :)

Our new home (for now!)

Here are some pics of our new home. It's a great serviced apartment hotel (apartments with cleaning ladies - woohoo!). Hubby can get to work in the downtown core, and there is tonnes for us to do while he's toiling away.

Like most hotel rooms - the first thing you see when you walk in is the bathroom. The boy demonstrates one of its uses for us:

The kids' room is next. They are very excited to share a room! I told them that this would be their test to see if they could share a room and not kill each other or drive us crazy. So far, it hasn't been too bad.

Through the sliding doors is the main living area. We spend most of our time in there (the little time that we are in the apt).

Up the stairs is our master suite. There is a separate bathroom/shower for us as well as a closet. It's nice to be set apart from the kids, but without closed doors so we can hear their shenanigans.

The view from above!

Our mini dishwasher:



So, it's small, but it's home (for now!). We're hoping to get in to see some places in the next few days. As fun as it is around here, we seem to be in the middle of party central. Awesome when you're in your twenties and childless, not so good when the monsters get up before 6am!

The long, long flight...

Well, we all survived being on a plane for 15 1/2 hours, then transferring to another plane for another 2 1/2 hours. The girl waited until the last hour of the first flight to launch a temper tantrum, so we would consider the trip a success. Our luggage didn't work out so well - only half made it with us. The half with hubby's clothes (thank goodness) but we were missing most of my clothes, all of my "make me pretty" supplies and most of the kids' books. The good news is that they arrived two days later.

Oh - and I must point out that Qantas has an increased bag allowance for people who are moving - we could have brought SIXTEEN suitcases. So hubby totally got off easy. So there.

A Long Layover in LA - Part 2

Spent the afternoon yesterday on the beach. First stop was Jody Maroni's for a Chicken Apple Sausage and Chili Cheese Fries, then we walked along the ocean till we found a spot on the beach. Then the burials began:

Who is that buried sand monster?

I see a vadamonster!

Where's the rest of him?

It was a nice way to spend the afternoon after the busyness of the morning. The men frolicked with the kids in the surf while the girlz lounged on the beach. My mother seemed amused by my phone call from the beach to let her know we had arrived ok.

I think the kids wore out the men.

A Long Layover in LA

So, as most know, we decided to spent two days relaxing in LA to help break up the big trip. Damn - are we smart! We had a GREAT first day - and already have some fun stories and pictures to share.

First up - leaving the airport. We had a heck of a time arranging for our rental vehicle - and Auntie M had trouble picking it up. So she showed up at the airport with her Honda FIT. Just to put it into perspective, her FIT makes our IMPREZA look big. *lol* So, we loaded up the kids into the FIT, left Hubby at the airport with the luggage and went off in search of the vehicle needed to hold all our bags for a couple of days.

The rental place was locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Spike belts, security guards, checkpoints. It was crazy. And we had to pay cash, up-front. And they wanted Social Security Numbers and credit checks. Clearly, they've had some trouble in the past. After an hour, we returned to the airport and thankfully, Hubby and luggage were still there. Then the fun really began.

So, we have no cell phones - we left those with our former employers. We have no GPS - well, we have a GPS, but Hubby deleted the US maps to make room for the Australian maps. We didn't even have one of those old fashioned paper maps on us. And I've only been to LA once. So we relied solely on following Auntie M from LAX to her home near Venice Beach. No problem - she drives a bright blue car. It can't be that hard to keep up with her. HA. We didn't even get off the airport property and she was GONE. Vanished. Taken an exit that was clearly VERY hidden!

So we found ourselves driving down Century Blvd with NO idea where we were or where we needed to go. And no cell phone to let Auntie M know where we were and what we were doing. We pulled over into the nearest gas station, bought a map, got change, called Uncle I to update Auntie M and found our way home. Thank goodness I paid attention in grade 10 geography!

PHOTOS ARE COMING!

Photos of our adventure so far are coming... just need my own computer to upload them. That said, if anyone sees a photo that they do NOT want posted, please just email or message me and I will remove it immediately.

Thanks!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

As many of my friends know, I was truly DREADING the flights. The Girl does not have a reputation for being particularly cooperative while traveling. On our last trip to LA, she was THAT child on the plane. Yup - she screamed for the entire last hour of the flight - all the way into the terminal even - and she was four years old. Sweet.

That said, we loaded up our 8 suitcases (we ended up purchasing 3 large duffle bags at Wal~Mart late Saturday evening), 4 carry-ons and various personal items into my friends van on Saturday night. She deserves a PLATINUM star for getting up at 4am to drive me and the bags to the airport. I love her and miss her already :( We also had a surprise visitor at the airport on a motorbike to see us off. I really think we might be missed a little while we're gone. ;)

The monsters were practically ANGELIC on the flights to TO and LA! I know - I can't believe it either, and I was THERE! Not a single temper tantrum on the plane, they carried their own carry-ons, and stayed close and in line during the very short time we had to get through customs. THANK GAWD. They did totally spontaneously combust once they decompressed in LA, but I can't blame them. It was a long day. I can only hope that they are as well behaved on the longest flight Tuesday night... Cross your fingers, toes, ankles etc....

Transporting all the luggage through the airport really wasn't THAT bad. I think even Hubby has to admit that. We just loaded them onto two carts and had the kids walk beside us with theirs. Another big relief.

So the moral of the story - the flight was great, the kids were good, and I'm sure we're crazy for doing this, but it's been fun so far!

The last few weeks..,

Well, I really wanted to update this before we left the country, but it just wasn't meant to be. The last two weeks have been a flurry of goodbye lunches, dinner parties, packing, arguing with hubby and beating the children (ok, so that last part was an exaggeration btw).

The kids finished school - and I finished my responsibilities with the Breakfast Program at school. Despite his difficulties with conforming to the rules at school, The Boy performed very well academically, even earning the Mathematics Award! The Girl has been a model student all year and received rave reviews from her teacher. We do have some items to work on in order to ensure she finished her "prep" year in Aus with a bang. For me, leaving the Breakfast Program was bittersweet. It was A LOT of work and a big commitment of time, but I made some dear friends whom I will miss. I will also miss the kids. Seeing their faces and the excitement when serving them makes it so worth all the effort it took to launch the program.

As for the dinner parties and lunches - WOW! If you ever want to find out if you're loved, just move out of country! ;) We were so lucky to have a dinner hosted by my Dad and his wife and had the opportunity to visit with many family members whom we don't get to see often. I also got to have a few "girlfriend" lunches, and a crazy Girlz Night Out (I'll let you try to figure out who has the new "Catwoman" nickname!). This leaves me with a query though: who am I going to get into trouble with in Brisbane? :( For the last party, we hosted as many friends as we could squeeze into our house for an Open House/BBQ. The turn out was phenomenal and I think it helped ease the sadness of leaving to be able to spend a great day with so many friends and family. A BIG HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who took the time to visit, write messages and post Facebook Status Updates. If you had told me 20 years ago that I would have the opportunity to call all of these people my friends, I would have NEVER believed you.

In the end, after a long, drawn out "discussion", we did end up bringing eight bags of luggage with us. Please believe me when I say this is not bragging, or me saying "I told you so". It's a pretty hollow victory. That said, Hubby and I both had to leave some "things" behind that we'd rather have with us, but we worked together to find a solution to fit what we needed. A SUGGESTION TO EVERYONE: Take some time to scale down your stuff NOW. Have a garage sale, donate to the Diabetes Clothesline (or other charity of your choice), pass items down to friends. It's way easier to simplify your life now, when you don't have to, as compared to having to do it at an emotional time (moving, death in the family etc). That said, it's time to go SHOPPING! :)

TWO WEEKS!!!!!

Holy cow? How did we get here? We are TWO weeks from our flight and the panic has now set in!


The debate over bags still rages on... Hubby wants to bring FIVE (up from his original four) and I want to bring EIGHT. Ok, I would settle for six, and that may be the final number. Have you ever tried to cram everything you need for a year into FIVE suitcases? It just can't be done - especially with two kids. Have I mentioned this before?


Progress on packing today though. My favouritest girlfriend (today, lol!) was over and helped. Sometimes it just takes having someone else there to help get an ADD/procrastinating girl motivated! We cleaned out the boy's room and moved the toys into the girl's room to make room for Nana to sleep. Laundry is almost completely caught up and the kids have no clothes left in their rooms. Yay me!


Gave up on finding a place to live before we move. We figure it will be easier to get real estate agents to call us back when we are in the same hemisphere. Funny that.

OK - enough playing - back to packing and cleaning... TTFN... until I have more news to share! And thanks for reading!

It's Coming so Quickly!

Damn! Where did the time go. It's already June 2nd and we leave for Brisbane in just over a month!

We fly out on July 5th... the flight takes us through TO-LA-Melbourne-Brisbane... We are looking forward to spending some time with Michelle and Izyk in LA before we head to our new home. Jody Marone's - here I come!

Accomodations in Brisbane are still in the works. We like the look of Milton/Paddington/Bulimba, so it's just a matter of finding a place to live in those areas. We have scoped out the schools and parks and other fun stuff - and are now getting anxious to get there and experience it! OH - and I have found a Target and IKEA close enough to do some serious shopping when we get there...

Packing has started... sort of. Hubby is convinced that we can pack everything we need for a year into four suitcases. (Yes, this is the same wonderful man who wanted to do our last move in laundry baskets.) So, we will be bringing our allotted EIGHT suitcases. :) That said, how do you fit your whole life in eight suitcases? For a shopaholic/scrapaholic/hoarder like myself, this is a real challenge. That, and the fact that our new 50" TV won't fit in any of our suitcases...

I am enjoying the purging part though. Every week for the last month, I have delivered two huge yard garbage bags of STUFF to the Diabetes Association for their fundraising efforts. See? I get to be philanthropical and earn brownie points with hubby... WIN WIN!

The kids are excited. I don't think they really know what we're going to be doing, or how long we'll be gone, but they will adjust. They love to webcam and can't wait to do so with their friends. The goodbyes may be a bit jolting for them, so we're working on keeping everything as positive as possible.

That's it for now... maybe I should get back to the piles of laundry and clutter. At this rate, I will not be ready by the 5th of July.

Some Random Facts About Brisbane

While I'm waiting here for Hubby to return from his latest trip to AUS, I thought I'd provide you with some scintillating facts about our future home town...
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1. Population: 1,945,639. Soon to be 1,945,643. It is the 3rd largest city in Australia, trailing Sydney and Melbourne.

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2. Apparently, in the CBD (Central Brisbane District) all the streets going north-south are named after female royalty, and all the streets going east-west are named after male royalty.

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3. Many of the suburbs have names of Aboriginal decent: Indooroopilly, Woolloongabba... and one has an oddly familiar name - Milton!

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4. In 1900, the Board of Health put a bounty on rats. Apparently, school age kids cleaned up. I wonder if they still have that available - might be worth pursuing for some extra income...

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5. The aptly named Brisbane River runs through the city and has a CityCat ferry that commuters use to get around. Hubby is looking forward to getting to work by boat :)

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6. Has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters. Oh darn.

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7. Looks like they've got good shopping!!! http://www.ourbrisbane.com/shopping/centres-and-precincts/factory-outlet-shopping

More fun facts to come :)

Cyn

So the verdict is...

We're going to Australia!

For the record, I'm not big on writing. I've never kept a diary (not a real one anyway) and am definitely not comfortable with my personal writing being displayed for the world to see. That said, I know how difficult it is going to be to relay all of our news as it develops, as well as details of our life in OZ, so this is my attempt to keep everyone up to date.

I'm not sure how often this will be updated, I hope to be more regular when we are in OZ. For now, I will post the latest news as it develops.

The first big set of news is that, yes, we have decided to spend a year in Australia. Brisbane to be exact. I will try to post some information about Brisbane so you can get an idea of where we will be and what it's like there. Hubby was offered a one year position, a promotion, to work in the Brisbane office of his company as Lead Developer. This comes with a bit of a salary increase, enough that our little family can live relatively comfortably in Brisbane for a year, and I won't have to earn a salary. This means I can focus my time on helping the kids absorb as much of the Australian lifestyle and culture, as well as keeping up their french education. Oh, and I might do a bit of siteseeing too! =D