Random rant

I interrupt the regular report on news and events and ongoings of our families to rant a bit about Oz....now honestly there are so many days where I think someone needs to pinch because I can't believe we live in such a beautiful and awesome place. We get to see so many things and are just in aplace where some people only dream about. But some days some things just get to me....our area is quite behind the times with some things compared to the states.....one thing that just chaps my hide sometimes....the internet. It is slower and when everyone is on it it slows even more or doesn't work. Like on christmas day when we were trying to call on the computer back to our families. I will not sit and complain more because we could all complain about a lot of things. But there is so much more to be thankful for....just had to rant a bit. And thus it might explain why I hesititate to update more often. Although if I really stayed up on the happenings it probably wouldn't cause such a problem.

Rant done...thank you

Washington trip

So getting back to our hometown was quite the ride. We had an awesome couple days flying. When we landed in Seattle we still had a 6 hour drived ahead of us. We were debating staying overnight and driving in the next morning or driving through the night. We decided on the latter. My throat felt a bit scratchy but just thought that maybe it was because of all the recycled airplane air and going from a humid climate to dry. we drove through the night, arrived at my parents house and all slept in late the next day. My throat was killing me. I was disapointed that maybe I was getting a cold. As the day wore on I was freezing and sitting by the fire my dad had made, everyone else was warm and super cozy....I had a fever.....blah! I was bummed...there were so few days we were going to be with family and I didn't want to be laying on the couch like a potato for those few days. Through the night I got more sick, vomiting, and the next morning my throat worse than I have ever felt. I went to the doctor and lucky me.....I had strep throat. Then I was worried Erik and Lindsay were going to get it, that would be bad news. But luckily I got antibiotics and some good nurturing from my mom and I was well on my way to recovery. Well to be honest it still really hurt to eat, talk, swallow, but I didnt want to let that hold me back.

So onward and upward....Erik and his grandma made cookies

I sat with my dad and went through some family history documents

Erik was a bit of a goof

Then we went to Lindsay's family's house and Erik reunited with his bestie and cousin Zoey. They played the piano and she tried to sing but got very frustrated that Erik was loud and obnoxious while she was singing sweet church songs.

This is her scholding him for his boyishness....how cute!

Lindsay got to meet a nephew that Erik and I got to meet earlier in the year when we were here. Landon is exactly what I imagine a son of ours would look like if we had a biological child. Is it not blaringly obvious to everyone else that these two look alike? Even Landon looks like Lindsay did as a baby. It was fun to see him interact this trip.

The two after a long day of playing and craziness settled in for a movie. These two were so comatose sitting there and Erik was obviously very relaxed.

Lindsay enjoyed a game of Jenga with his youngest brother and they got it all the way until they basically won. There were no more levels to build or take away from....pretty impressive

                              
We had a thanksgiving celebration with both sides of our family which was so nice even thoguh it was early. Haley did the turkey and was a bit unsure about pulling things out of the carcass.

The twins again

It wouldn't be a thanksgiving celebration without some relaxing

Wendy and Isaac.....and we met her newest baby Summer for the first time this trip, unfortunately we didnt take pictures of her sweet face.

The adult table feasting! It was so much fun. These are the major pictures from the trip but we also did some shopping and lots of hanging out. We spent some time with Lindsay's fmaily and even got to visit with his sister and her family one night. Ahhhh, it was such a nice trip. Well then Erik got sick vomiting one night which wasn't very fun but no strep throat...well until we got home...Lindsay got it then which is a whole other story...

To get home we it took us more days than we anticipated. To make a long story short.....we spent a few days waiting in Seattle....flew to Hawaii....spent a day there....flew to Sydney...stayed a night there in a historic bed and breakfast that was over a hundred years old.....flew home. It was one big awesome adventure. And I am only saying that because now it is over and I dont have to worry about how many more nights we will have to pay for a hotel or where we are going to sleep or how to get a ride where we need to go. Hindsight is always 20-20 so they say.

Best flight ever

So back in October Lindsay came home one day and told me that he had a trip coming up. No big deal this is a normal occurrence. I was a bit surprised he was telling me so early because normally he wouldn't know that far out (3 weeks), well ok sometimes he does but it always seems like I find out last minute. I like to prepare mentally for all these things so I was glad to have the insight early. He recieved a few phonecalls from people about the trip  through the week when he was home from work for the day that I thought was a bit odd, but still didn't think anything of. Then about a week later I got a sweet message from my sister-in-law that spilled the beans (to her credit......she did NOT realize it was a surprise for me). And Lindsay could have easily covered up the slip up but decided to explain. He was setting up a trip for our family to fly back to the states for 10 days! And not only the states but the plane was supposed to be landing in Washington...all we would have to do is drive from Seattle to Spokane and we were home free (and pretty much literally).

That is where the true adventure began

This story in entirity will be done over a few because it was a long fun jam packed trip with lots of twists and turns...er..adventure!

Just in prep for the trip which we wanted to keep as a surprise for our families (other than Lindsay's brother and his family who knew) we ended up telling everyone due to trying to gather everyone together and some people were on trips that we wanted to give the opportunity to come home to see us, etc. Anyhow... we finally packed our stuff, had our shopping lists of what we wanted to bring back from the states, lists of the things Lindsay's co-workers had already been sending to his parent's house for us to pick up afterall there are perks to flying on a military flight. Such as the weight limit for you baggage is more lenient than commercial and for this particular flight we could pretty much bring back whatever we wanted on the plane. Our only holdback was fitting us and the stuff back in the car to get it to the plane. But we were excited.

We woke up super early one fine saturday morning in Australia and drove to the base. Everything was in order and good, we even took off on time. We were stoked that we would be free to roam the plane to play and had heard they would bring cots out to sleep on partway to the flight. The plan was to stop in Hawaii and stay a night and then continue on to Seattle. Fair enough.

 We took off, and about an hour later we heard over the intercom that we had a "bird strike" and needed to turn around land, have the jet checked out and then re-evaluate take off. We were fortunate at this point that the bird that we obliterated hit the side of the plane. and not an engine. The base took care of all they needed to for the bird strike and we were allowed to re-take off without too long of a delay.

 I was still a bit nervous about all the flying with a two year old...did I have enough toys...kid friendly snacks....entertainment....battery life on our electronics...etc,etc.

 The flight was the best I have ever been on. Turns out they did set upthe medic cots for us and we all took turns sleeping. Erik slept a good amount in his car seat and then I moved him to an open cot to extend his rest out some more. The food was better than any plane fare I have had, we could stretch way more, lay out, and Erik is obsessed with planes anyway and so he was in heaven. He played, slept, and played some more....such an awesome traveler-totally made up for some of his crazy days at home :) My whole plan for the trip since it wasn't going to be a real long trip was to just let our bodies adjust how they wanted...no fighting jet lag or too much adjustment....I just wanted to enjoy family and feel rested with all the days of travel I knew we would have (little did I know how many travel days)

And finally we ended in Hawaii, landing just after midnight. That was hard just because nothing was open and we weren't renting a car to drive anywhere where things would be open. We got a taxi to finally come and get us-he took forever....took an hour and half to get to our hotel room.......should have taken 20 minutes-maybe.....drove to the room which was a 5 minute drive (luckily the cab driver was a very nice man, just slow and confused) only to have our keys not work. Lindsay saw another passenger we flew with in his room and ran out real quick to use his room phone to call the front desk. So then we waited another half an hour for someone to give us a key that worked.

And you know the first words I heard out her mouth (I do know it was late, and it looked like she had been awakened for this service call but still-hospitality please?) were "Don't you have a car to come get the keys?" in her young crabby voice. I replied calmly and sincerely..."no, we just flew in and came in a cab, we do not have a car parked here." Although in my head I was thinking " dont you think if we had a car we would have driven right over so that we could have had the key in less than half the time it took you to get here...I do have a two year and its now 2 in the morning? But I was nice, which took her aback and she changed immediately into her nice sweet self which I am sure she is most of the time and let us in. We settled in the best we could and slept for a few hours before waking and needing to get up to catch the next flight.

We walked with Erik riding one suitcase down a ways to a McDonald's or Makka's as they call it in Oz that we had seen the night before so we could use their wi-fi to call my parents via skype to update them and let them know we arrived and tell them what the next leg should look like.

***TIP**** when traveling into a foreign country where you don't have a cell phone plan...buy a PREPAID PHONE as soon as you can, that would have saved us a lot of stress early on. Eventually we did buy one on our trip to help out with travels home but it should have been one of the FIRST things we did.

We made it to the base and onto to the next flight with a few hours delay (and no way to tell the rents) and landed at 12 am Sunday morning. There was a bit of drama once we landed at the base in Seattle because their passenger terminal was closed on the base for a few days and there was no way for us to get from the flight line to the front gate where my parents had been patiently waiting for us in the dark info wise. We talked a young airman that drove the crew to take us there (He will receive blessings) and we reunited with family. So our saturday was lived two days in a row and we continued to drove through the night to get back to Spokane 6 am Sunday morning. Crazy and exciting! We had made it!

Quick home tour...

So there is nothing ultra fancy about our little unit....other than the fact that we call it home and we are in love with it. Yes, it is cramped...yes, one more room would be nice just to store things.....BUT we know from experience it is a rare occassion to find a perfect home even when you are looking to buy. We all know we can't have our cake and eat it too, there is always compromise. We are lucky to have secure parking that is covered with visitor parking. So everything that we would store in a garage has had to find a spot in our unit...well ok, mostly out on the balcony. Our home is still a work in progress, we have purged a lot, continue to purge, and are so much more thoughtful to what we purchase, it's been quite nice actually...in more ways than one!

Below is the balcony. I need to figure out how to take better pictures of it. Our dining room set is out there, a day bed, our huge metal shelving with most of the clutter (I "forgot" to take a picture of that so you won't see the major clutter), and stroller, bikes, and other modes of transportation...a la ttrike and scooter. It is big enough for Erik to ride in a circle around but also we have pathways in our common area of the complex to take him down to as well.

 The day bed (with crap stored beneath). I will say that just since these pics have been taken things look different. But those pics will have to wait for another day. The bed is large enough that if you took off the cushions its like a twin size bed but longer. Totally comfy and awesome in the beautiful weather.

 The kitchen, we love the countertops (aka.."benchtops" in Oz) and overall like the kitchen. We do have a lovely pantry next to the fridge that is really deep and I am actually having a hard time figuring out how to fill it correctly because I hate pulling things out from behind, but I will figure it out. The oven is small...couldn't fit my largest baking sheets in there nor my pizza pan...so got rid of some of my large cooking items (we are getting to that point anyways, with most our stuff being almost 10 years old and wearing out, so we will treat ourselves when we move back...IF we need it. It's been amazing how much we realized we could live without. Our fridge is small as well but there is a larger spot for it. If I had the hindsight I had now I would choose a larger fridge just due to the fact that the humidity makes everything moldy so FAST, I mean SO FAST! I keep nearly everything I can in there. Especially bread! But we lucked out with buying it off the guy who moved out of our unit and we didnt have to move it, so I am NOT complaining....what's the saying, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"....yeah I really like that saying.

The view of our main living area from our bedroom doorway. You can see we have bar stools at the counter. The three doors you see are from left....laundry, entry, and small broom closet. OUt of the picture on the left is the main bath and Erik's room. We have amazingly big and beautiful windows but they all sit on the same side of the unit so back in the kitchen can seem a bit like a cave on some days. I am just glad our windows are so huge and beautiful!

Opposite the couch

 The couche and entry into our room, a linen closet, and the balcony..Sweet thing....each room has their own sliding door to the balcony....well ok, if I could keep Erik from trying to come through his when he doesnt want to nap :)

 Our serene master bedroom, with a little maniac bouncing around

 To the left of the above picture is the walkway to our "walk through" closet. On one side is a "built-in robe" as they call them here...or as most of you would know- a closet with sliding doors. On the other side is our new dresser that I absolutely love from IKEA. and then you walk through to our bathroom or "ensuite." There I just taught you some more Aussie lingo without realizing I was going to.

 Our laundry room. I can't tell you how stoked I was to have not only our own laundry room, but have it in our unit. I hated having it in our garage in our last house. The complex provided the dryer, we bought the washer from the previous tenant. I will tell you that majority of washers/dryers here are about half the capacity of a typical american appliance. You can pay top dollar for larger capacity but it's not common. Plus our unit would fit one anway....what does that mean you ask? Double the laundry. But I would rather it be how I have it now, than a large capacity in my garage...is that crazy? I LOVE having laundry in my house and it helps me stay up on it better. Plus there is a door I can shut....DOUBLE BONUS!

 Erik's room, he doesn't always keep his toys in his room, but he DOES help clean up quite well. Since we have paired down he knows that each toy has a home and where it belongs, he knows how to put his books away and where most of his clothes go. He is such a good helper. It's hard to tell in the pic but behind where his fan is, his room is really deep. There is a cut out alcove that has been great for storage and things. Ideally I would love to set it up more as a structured play area, but we are ways from that, so for now it's great storage.

 across from Erik's bed is his dresser and his books have actually moved in front of the closed shade by his sliding door to help block his mind from trying to go there...plus Santa may be bringing something that needs the spot next to his dresser...but we will have to see what the leves have up their sleeves.

At the end of his bed are the toys that we have out at any given time. I have been really good about rotating toys here. And I really got choosy with which ones I kept and which ones I thought he has grown out of. Those we donated to friends, sold, or to donation centers. It's been hard to get rid of so much knowing we may have another child. But we have really taken on the mantra of only keeping what is absolutely necessary. In the event of another child we have a car seat, pack n play with bassinet and our bottles, the nice burp clothes and few other basic needs items. Luckily our new nephew has most of Erik's old clothes in rotation in his closet and will be kept in strage at his house, but toys and young books will have to be rebought along with a few other things. Oh well, we are happy as clams without the clutter.

All in all, I have realized this little unit is perfect for me as  a homemaker. Yes one more room would be nice for space. But I am not a fantastic housekeeper and this unit has helped me get better and better because its easier to clean and quicker. I am hoping that I will train myself so well that when we go back to a larger dwelling I will keep on with my new habits. And I have also learned, I don't think I ever want a really big house. I think I am happy with a small home. We can make do when visitors come, no doubt about that, so this unit has taught me quite a lot...Thank you to our little happy home!

slow and steady wins the race

I am obviously way behind on updates with our family. We have had a lot of sickness and trips and just overall life happening lately. Instead of trying to take the time to do one post with all the updates (which I will never get the time to sit and do in one setting) and overwhelm myself. I am going to start just posting a few pics with brief updates until I catch up until present days.

So Halloween was a blast. We had a few different parties to attend. We weren't sure what to dress Erik up as, he loves his dog costume and pretends to be Simba from the Lion King, but I was leary that it would be far too hot for our weather. Plus the biggest party we went to was going to have a bouncy castle and trampoline among other things, so I knew he was going to get hot and sweaty on top of the warm weather.

Luckily a few days prior to Halloween we went to an amusement park we have passes for and found a great batman mask and cape. Erik is starting to get into super heroes and I thought perfect, he can keep the stuff for pretend long after the holiday ends. We added rain boots (which he demanded to wear every day for at least a week following Halloween deeming them his batman boots) and I quickly made a batman shirt out of hot glue and felt on a white Hanes tee. Voila, our little crime fighting hero.

 The night was beautiful and since Halloween isn't typically celebrated here the family who set up the party had a route of 7 houses of willing participants to hand out candy. Perfect number for Erik!

 at the shindig. Lots and lots of people, lots of un, and yummy food.

Need I say more. Erik actually wore his cape and mask one day (over his eyes even) on our walk to the shops and I am pretty sure he made at least a dozen people's day. Nearly every car that drove by smiled, well ok the drivers. And he got lots of comments, and he just added his funny personality to the mix by singing the batman theme song and walking with his arms a little bit back to make his cape fly better. What cutie. This one has a lot of personality I tell ya

In the thick of things

So we all feel like we are "in the trenches of life" right? Life just keeps getting busier and crazier with more things to do in a day than are realistically possible, not to mention the crazy expectations that most often we put on ourselves. Going back to the basics is hard but so refreshing. Right now I feel like I am in a really good and happy place in life. It's really chaotic and crazy at times, I am often tested to my limits but I also know that my role as a stay at home mom to my young son is the absolute best possible thing for him and our family. It's pushing me way beyond my comfort zone in some areas but I know that is good and keeps me from feeling stagnant. In today's  world with the technology at our fingertips it's hard not to compare myself to other "super-moms" out there who appear to get it all done and well at that. I have to remind myself that we all have different strengths and I don't see the whole picture.

As I navigate through this time in my life I sometimes have to unplug and remind myself that I am creative and crafty, that I am doing a good job in my roles in our family. That although I am not perfectly patient with Erik all the time....I am perfectly his mom. I could handle to improve in many areas but I am learning as I am going. I am learning about him just as he is learning about our world and about himself. I often feel at a loss but also know that he is turning out to be a fine young boy and that I am working at it the best I know how.

I will admit that having a little boy in our house gives me a run for my money. So much energy, so little attention span, so much rough and tumble, but so many smiles and belly laughing. This is but a small moment.................I really REALLY really want to cherish it, and have to remind myself of that when my patience all but ran out by 9 am on some days. My mind is definitely not wired the same as a his and I just dont know how to get through to him sometimes. Which is why I am so grateful that Lindsay and I make such a great team because when he gets home from work, the baton passes and he who makes the coolest games, forts, and anything boyminded walks in the door....I am all but forgotten unless a drink or food is desired. I love it, absolutely. Although I wish I could delve into their brains better for the day time. I wish I was the one with the attention span for the boy minded fun stuff. Playing boy things to me is just hard and really stretches me, if I must be completely honest. I just dont quite grasp it. I understand that it's important and good to explore with him and do all the things that boys love, but sometimes it's " push comes to shove" type of thing. I do it and hope I do it well enough to give him the outlet he needs.

But I am excited that I get to teach Erik preschool for the next couple of years. I think it will help me give more purpose and structure to our days, it will help Erik in obvious academic and attention span levels (have I mentioned that our little guy has so much energy its amazing....not so much hyperactivity as just pure energy). One academic year of preschool here is more than I paid for college tuition....thus I will be homeschooling Erik until he reaches school age. We will supplement social skills and things with some sort of fun classes like gymnastics, swimming, etc. I am quite excited as I mentioned and have been having fun gathering ideas and sorting things out in my mind.

So hand/foot disease is gone. I have been busy filling my small pockets of time looking up information and thus have left the blog a bit lacking. I apologize....Erik would love to sell you some of his toys in his market and scan it through his register if you are interested. He is a great business man!

As I prepare for teaching him at home....I asked on facebook already but if any of you have ideas on how I can increase his attention span or the best way to teach a highly active child..... I am all ears. Maybe he is not so active as an only child =  I am sole entertainer and he doesnt want to do much on his own. That may a more appropriate statement.

Squirmy eyes BEWARE

 Now before you look at these pictures be warned that they are gross and I am quite embarrassed to share them but it is life and thus it brings interest right? Or maybe since I am in quarantine I have nothing else to share with you.

SoI am guessing a good number have heard of the common childhood illness called..."hand foot and mouth disease." And if you have experienced this in your house your children were absolutely miserable and wouldn't eat and cranky. Now this is as I mentioned a childhood illness....most of the time adults don't contract it because they are already immune.

Now let me share my story...we have just moved (ok we have been hear nearly half a year now-CRAZY!) to Australia. My brother who is a pharmacist warned me that when we moved we would probably get sick quite a bit in the beginning even with all the shots the military mandated on us due to the foreign country having different strains of viruses and bacteria. --- well the good news, we always need to look at the silver lining right. While usually I prefer Erik to be sick rather than me, just due to the fact that I can take care of him easier than if I am sick and trying to entertain a two year old...I am so glad I GOT SICK this time.  I got the hand foot and mouth disease and I am glad. It is PAINFUL! I have new empathy for all little ones who have it. I dont want to eat although I am starving.....due to this monster sore (among other ones not pictured)

I don't want to utter another word by the end of the day because it hurts to talk, and drink, and swallow, BUT at least I understand what is going on and can force myself to do what I need to.

These are not great pictures but these are pics of what the little blisters on my fingers and feet look like. They started out as red dots and are now turning into small blisters. They itch a little but are sore to touch. I am hoping they dont pop-that is one way the virus spreads and thus will keep Erik from getting this nasty bug.

There is nothing I can do for it, but just wait it out at home so I don't infect anyone else. Funny thing is, there are a number of nursery kids from Erik's church class with it, he managed to escape it and I got it. NOT complaining this time, I can't imagine taking care of him in this much pain. Especially since I otherwise feel fine, I have full energy and would eat a horse if it didn't hurt so much. So this time around although I am really suffering, I am so glad I got sick. Hoping the symptims will go away soon so we can get back into play dates and the normal fun we participate in. And just so you all know this disease is NOT the one linked to livestock. Has a similar name but is different.

Hoping none of you ever has to experience this virus...or your poor little ones.

Tips for those who inevidably will..

-Don't force the food, it hurts and there is nothing more your child wants than food...It's like being teased.

-Don't pop the blisters

-Popsicles although not healthy feel really good on the mouth sores

-As does yogurt, although Swallowing hurts

-Don't force any talking

-lots of hand washing can help keep it from spreading and keeping blisters covered if they do pop

-excuse the crankiness, they really dont want to be cranky

So you all enjoy a nice outing while we chill out here in the apartment waiting for the day we can explore again!

oh where oh where does the time go?

             (this pic has nothing to do with this post but is the logo on Lindsay's new jet)


Seriously people I don't know where the time goes. Each day I wake up and by the end of the day I feel like I am exhausted and ready for bed but there is still so much to accomplish. Maybe that is because as I am working on becoming the woman that I want to be, I am more aware of  things that need attention as well as goals that I have set for myself.

Life is so much faster paced here, and while I love it....I am learning a new balancing act. I often feel like I am walking a tight rope trying to figure out what I want to do, what I need to do, what my family wants and needs, etc. Erik is constantly growing into new phases and stages and trying to figure out the best way possible to parent him is always on my mind. I know there is no right way to parent....but I am really trying to figure out his personality and his needs so that I can be the mom that will help him reach his potential the best. Being a parent has such a greater scope than I ever imagined. I love to see him thrive and achieve and when he is proud of himself it makes my day (even if sometimes he is so cleverly naughty and I have to walk out of the room and gain composure before I head back in to discipline). He has the ability to go so far and I want to help him see his potential and give him the necessary tools and skills to get there.

We are constantly on the move whether we are leaving the house or not. Our little man is not one to stay too focused (I am working on it) and he loves imaginary things so we are constantly acting out stories, pretending to be different people, and perform different tasks with objects other than what they were intended for. I love that he is willing to do short arts and crafts projects and gets so excited to show linds his work when linds walks in the door.

I am happy that our little apartment is starting to really feel like a home and a place where our family likes to be. I love that Erik has been laid back enough to go with the flow when I drag him all around town on public transport or walking around running errands. He knows the bank girls by face and asks to go there sometimes (more on that later). I love that our family is spending more time together doing simple things in the evenings.

And I am really starting to find that I am enjoying time in the kitchen. when dinner time rolls around I am not always fond to get going but I am starting to bake and reaching out into avenues of cooking I was previously too scared to try. Maybe it's because just moving here I have to constantly convert measurements into the metric system, and there are many more diverse cuisines here, and just different items available or not available.

Speaking of diversity I take Erik to a nursery rhyme class at the library when i can and about a month ago, the woman leading the class had us all introduce ourselves and our child. Turns out in that room we had families from Norway, Japan, China, India, America (that was us!), Denmark, and of course Australian. Erik is definitely used to seeing people who look way different from him here and it's great! Although a lot of the asians in the touristy parts of town have never seen blonde hair, let alone as blonde as he is. They always want to take pictures and while Erik is a rather outgoing kid, once he realizes all eyes are on him he clams up and so we have to be careful about what we call his "paparazzi."

So that is a basic post, hoping to catch you up a bit. More to come soon!

winter rolls into spring

 This wouldn't be the first time we saw a balloon fill with air and take off over the city at sunrise here. And yes, we get up at sunrise nearly every day. I don't especially like getting out of bed that early but I do enjoy feeling like I have the whole day ahead. If only I could get up at that time and little man would oblige us by sleeping in a little bit later. Ah, well I guess we cant have our cake and eat it too. Erik loves it on the mornings when we see the balloons or "boonas" as he calls them in his sweet toddler language. His vocab is expanding all the time and it is fun to here him experiment with his words. On sunday morning we were waiting for the elevator (lift) so that we could head to chuch and he was saying one of these new words. It tooks us a few tries and realized he was asking for chapstick "chatick" for his lips. So cute. And speaking of elevators it was such a weird thing to go from riding one every few months if I was lucky to mulitple times a day to get to our unit. The not so fun thing about it, we have had to fire alarms go off where we had to evacuate our building. Mind you they were not drills (the alarm system in the other tower of our complex has been having issues), and they were at very inconvenient times of course. But the hardest part is carrying a 30 pound child up and down all those flights of fire stairs. Lets just say I got a great workout!

 Father's day was this last sunday here in oz, and we celebrated with the best of them this year. It was going to be a busy weekend and so I got everything ready earlier in the week. I had asked Erik what he wanted to get his daddy for a gift. He thoughtfully put his fingers to his lips, tilted his head to the side and took a moment before saying...."TimTams." Perfect I thought...a favorite family treat, a great price tag, and so thoughtful from his little heart. So on thursday we went to the shops and bought things we would need for the weekend as well as the timtams. We also headed to the craft shop so that Erik could pick out some things to make a cute card. He decided on a foam space ship and alien stickers. Awesome! So on the car ride home I was trying to explain to him that we needed to wait until sunday to eat the treats, that they were daddy's and that it was a secret. No telling daddy about what we got. Erik is a smart little cookie, he understood most of it and even knows what a secret is........his downfall............being too excited and telling his secret. So Lindsay gets home from work and some of the first words out of Erik's mouth......"Daddy timtams!" We couldn't help but laugh. The next morning we made the card. Afterward I put everything including the card away with the hope that by the end of the day he would forget about it and it could be a surprise. While I was fixing dinner that night, I looked over to Erik whispering in Lindsay's ear, I asked what he was telling him and lindsay asked if his card had anything to do with spaceships. To Erik's credit he was secretive in telling his Dad about his gifts. Not sure what the plan of attack will be for Christmas.

Saturday as part of the Brisbane festival, there was the annual River Fire. This is an event that happens in the evening along the Brisbane river. Fireworks are shots from three main locations downtown on the river whilst (while) also shooting from the skyrises, a laserlight show happening simultaneous along with the music and fireworks. We staked out a spot early on and throroughly enjoyed the experience. At first I thought.........this won't beat the fireworks in Bayview, ID where we always go at home where the land makes a natural canyon and they have the coolest unique fireworks. But with the lasers, music, and high rise it really was better. During the day there were various entertainers walking around and these two ladies were blowing massive bubbles. As you can see Erik was a bit timid at first, but soon he was running all around chasing them.

 Out staked out spot among the masses, we got prime property at south bank. And the nice thing was there was absolutely no alcohol allowed on that day at the festivities, and there were people checking bags as you entered, and if you have water bottles that were unsealed you had to throw them out. It was nice knowing we wouldn't be dealing with drunk people at such a large public gathering. However some people obviously watched from other place downtown or partied afterward and there were a couple of deaths from people falling off their balconies. So sad...

 The huge ferris wheel at south bank. Erik loves this even though he has only ridden it once. We can see the top half from our balcony at home and he knows there is the manmade beach and playground near the big wheel. He often asks to go "sowbank"

Yours truly anxiously waiting the show while trying to stay warm with erik's blanket. It was colder than we expected it would be.

And the little man looking seriously older than his age. He has such a mature look to him, people often assume he is much older than he is. He is only two! And I even agree he looks like he is years older in this picture. He has hit huge growth spurt since being here and is quickly growing out of lots of his clothes.

And for the special occassion lindsay walked across the bridge into the big shopping area of the city to get us KFC for lunch. It was so yummy and one of the only few american restaurants that tastes like the american version. Totally hit the spot. The other american part of our day, a couple hours before the show they had fly overs with their military helicpoters and then a F-18. It was great like most of those things are....but immediately after the F-18 flew over they play "Born in the USA." I about died laughing. It made it feel like we were home but weird because obviously we are in Australia and it was with an Australian jet. It was great....truly!

All in all our weekend was eventful, full of fun, and some exercise tucked its way in there. We ended up walking home from south bank (a few kilometers away) because the public transport options were packed to the max. It was a beautiful night though and other than the fact that I had to use the bathroom it was an enjoyable walk!

And now it is officially spring, yay we are headed into swimming season!

Aussie-isms part II

(fairy bread as mentioned below)

So I had a lot of feedback saying that everyone is liking hearing about fun things about Oz. So here goes another list of different words. And I will post about family life soon.

So one of my first experiences of different lingo was within a day or so of arriving. We were hungry and wanted something fresh and healthy after the long flights we took to get here. We stopped at a wrap shop and Lindsay and I were going to split something. I was reading the menu and it said choose a wrap and get 2 salads with it. I was thinking sweetness, we will each get a salad and split the wrap. Wrong. A salad here means the typical salad but it also means toppings for sandwiches and wraps. So in other words out of all the yummy toppings, we could only choose two to go on our wrap. It seems I have lots of learning experiences like that. That actually reminds me as well of the first time I went to subway here....I was planning on getting a meal, when I asked what chips I could choose from (because I could not see where they were) I was told a meal just meant that I got a drink with my sandwich. And that is pretty common other than the big american chains like McDonalds or HUngry Jack's (Burger King).

At restraunts we also got confused because in America you can order and appetizer, entree, and desserts right? And little nibblies are Or'derves if I spelled that right. Here Or'derves are canapes and and appetizer is an entree and an entree is called a main and dessert is still delicious dessert. If that confused you I am sorry, it took us a while to get right as well.

Some other food variations....

chips.........french fries

crisps..........potato chips

silverbeet..........chard lettuce

rocket..........arrugala

rockmelon...................cantaloupe

sultanas...........raisins

lolly/lollies.........any candy, not just a lollipop

-which reminds me we bought the game candy land to help teach erik his colors and give him a fun game. He loves it and asks to play the "lollie game" all the time. Yes he is slowly starting to turn Aussie. He says daddy with an accent and sometimes mummy. Its really cute!

-fairy bread.....a traditional treat at birthdays....it's really just butter spread on white bread with the little round sprinkles packed on top

-hundreds and thousands.............those little round multi-colored sprinkles just mentioned

-fairy floss.........also a special occassion treat.....cotton candy!

Other sayings we dont have in America.....

jumper........sweater/long sleeve shirt/sometimes just a word for top

-well done..........used much more than good job. A family that spent time in America on exchange with our military told us that when they arrived in America they couldnt believe how much we use the term good job and were laughing. After that Lindsay and I now laugh because we really do use that term sooooo much! Watch yourself now, americans use it heaps (the common term for lots).

-Aussies also say "good on you" a lot. This is a fairly new one I have learned about. It it used genuinely to tell someone that they did something well or something good for someone. But they also use it sarcastically like when we would say "smooth move" or something similar.

-"Fair Dinkum"...........Truthfully is the most similar translation we have for this expression. So for example somebody tells you they just ate a 10 pound burger and you reply - Fair dinkum? ...like seriously? or they tell you they ate a 10 pound burger and somebody else replies no way, then you pipe up and say fair dinkum....like..truthfully/honestly/etc.

-Upsey Daisy is common term you will hear from mothers when their child has fallen and they are trying to encourage them to get up and brush it off without crying.

-whinge/whinging............whining

And just various strange variations....

-Daggies..........grandma panties, old clothes.etc. but commonly referred to I have seen as grandma panties....totally cracks me up.

-Buck and Hen's parties..............bachelor and bachelorette parties or you will hear they are having a hen's day at the horse races where ladies get discount drinks or whatever.

-trolley...........shopping cart. which by the way some stores you have to pay for carts (yes even some grocery stores)/and yes I know I couldn't believe it either. Especially when you have a lot to purchase or kids. And not always cheap either. They have coins for 1 and 2 dollar amounts and some require those coins. Also that reminds me....kiddy rides you see at malls and grocery stores here are all nearly 2 dollar coins. I gasped the first time I saw that and am grateful that Erik is completely happy to just climb on the rides and pretend to ride them because this mommy isnt willing to shell out dollars for a 30 second ride.

-car park..........any parking lot/garage. They dont differentiate between the two

-teetotaller......no I am not 100 percent about this one. I know it means someone who doesn't drink but I am not sure if it means someone who used to and has decided to stop or just anybody in general who doesn't drink.

-togs..............swimwear/bathing suit/trunks....like go get your togs and lets go

-budgee smuggler........speedo swimsuit.....a funny term used jokingly in our home.

-cot...........I can't remember if I had this on my last list but it's a crib or childrens bed

Hope you enjoy. I am really starting to feel adjusted and am enjoying life more as I settle into my own new creature habits and routines. Now that our house is coming together and friendships are being really established. I can now get around on all public transport easily most of the time and feel comfortable driving as well. I can now say I am an ambidextrous driver! Yay for me.

confirmation

I just experienced something that confirmed my station as a mother and woman. You know those moments when you are young and dreaming of your future. The moments when you imagine sweet times with the children you dream of raising. The images are so vivid it's like you can see the snapshots in your mind of what is to come? I just made one of those snapshots come true to life and I couldn't feel more blessed or happy.

It was quite a simple moment (the best ones really!).....Erik has been sick the last few days with a fever and chest cold. His fever finally broke yesterday but he is still feeling very under the weather. His little motor body has been so ill he has been laying on the couch for two whole days with little motivation to do much more. Every time he tries he just comes right back to the couch and asks for me to sit with him. I have been happily obliging him, giving him all the snuggles and love I can manage knowing this span of time is so short. Well this morning he thought he was feeling better. He had been playing with toys a bit, we even got dressed today in the event of a possible outing to the park if energy levels stayed up (he has been asking to go out since he has been down) and then it all crashed. He started whining about everything but nothing was soothing him. I didn't want to get frustrated knowing that he was only acting that way because he didn't feel well...........so I did what I thought would help most even though he said no to me. I picked up on my lap, snuggled him in good and tight, turned all the distractions off and just sang to him. He calmed down immediately, relaxed, and we bathed in each others warmth and security. It was absolutely BLISSFUL! Brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. I sang for about a half hour and finally laid him in his bed to get a good rest. I could have held him forever.

It brought on thoughts and confirmation that I am doing exactly what I should be doing right now in my life, attending to my son and raising him and showing him that I love him unconditionally. Sometimes I wish I would have held him even more as a baby. I was so afraid of him being spoiled and then only wanting to be held when he got older. He is a well balanced child but I only had that opportunity once, I wish I would have taken it more. My favorite times were the middle of the night feedings. Yes I hated getting woken up, and the exhaustion that comes with an infant but in those still and quiet moments were when our spirits connected the most. I felt that again today and I am so grateful! I need to try to remember these moments more in those heated moments when whining for no reason is neverending and tantrums are flaring, my patience is all but gone and I want to escape to a desert island just for a brief moment. Because these moments make it ALL worth it.

Dear Erik,
Today your little busy body calmed down enough to let me hold you and love you for more than a nanosecond. Today you let me sing to you even when it wasn't "sleep time." Today you reminded me of just how precious your life is. You are the most amazing little boy and I am so proud that I get to be your momma. Your dad has set a great example of what a respectful man and provider should be and I can't wait to see you grow and develop into one yourself.
All my love,
Mom

Aussie-isms

So living in Oz is so similar and sooo different. We speak the same language and yet we use such different vocabulary. I am just now starting to understand the accent on the phone without having to have the other person repeat themselves five times. Oh the joys of learning. I think my brain has made more new connections coming here than I have in the years combined since going to college (and that's been a while).

So some fun phrases and terms they use.....

- they do say g'day and often but not teamed up with mate like Americans always think.

-they don't say throw another shrimp on the barbie, although I do think they say barbie (I don't know if I am spelling that right).

-they shorten nearly everything they can in speech even though sometimes is just doesn't make since to Lindsay and me. Sometimes the word will still have the same amount of syllables. For example Brisbane is sometimes referred to as Brissy...same amount of syllables so technically not really shortened.

-they do however write out a ton of syllables in some words and pronounce them much differently. For example a couple suburbs over (basically a neighborhood is the closest things I can use to describe that) is named Indooroopilly. As americans when we got here we pronounced it phonetically (In-door-roo-pill-y), at church when I mentioned this suburb the woman I was talking with laughed at loud and had me say it over a few times because she thought it was funny. I humored her and then asked her to teach me the correct way (In-dra-pilly or In-drip-lee) Still not sure of the correct way as I have now heard Aussies say it both ways. But had she not taught me I don't even think I would have known what someone said if they mentioned it. Another is Mt. Omaney (I see that as said exactly as spelled Mt. Om-a-knee. Nope it's Mt. Om-knee.

-In a casual everyday setting most people say "ta" instead of thank you or thanks. That one blew by me until it was pointed out. I didnt even notice the word probably because it didn't register as a word in my mind until pointed out.

-McDonald's is called Macca's (not sure on that spelling either)

-Breakfast is brekky (just like in cars the movie)

-rubbish = trash, garbage

-op shop = thrift shop, although people will know what you mean if you say thrift shop

-fringe = bangs

- cheers = good bye

-nappie = diaper

-dummy = pacifier, binky

-morning or afternoon tea = morning or afternoon snack

- they tend to use this saying "____ as" like "big as" when they are describing some cool or really big, really cheap...."cheap as" they will put any description in. And the funny thing about this saying is still lindsay and I always do a double take because with the Aussie accent to us in sounds like swearing. So when the missionaries come over or something as use it I always chuckle to myself because it is a slang term I am still getting used to. But let me be clear, it's not swearing, it would be like saying "cheap as dirt" they just leave off the end, because they shorten everything.

-no worries is a common saying

-instead of saying "your welcome" they say "that's ok" most often although I have heard "no worries" as well. At first it threw me off because if I say thank you and you say that's ok it seemed like I was putting someone out a bit. But it's becoming more comfortable now and I realize it's a cultural thing.

The list is endless and I am sure I will think of a billion more as time goes on but for now, another glimpse into Oz

Hi everyone, all I have to give for not updating more is excuses so I will spare you other than to say that time is flying and it seems there are never enough minutes in the day lately. Busy bees we are and that is how we love it but it makes it hard for me to take the time to blog. I constantly have ideas in my head I just need to sit down and do it. Our house finally is starting to feel like a home. And after asking many other apartment dwellers here how they deal with storage issues I have come to realize that we really dont have way more stuff than other people we just actually have it all at our house. Everyone else I know stores stuff at parents houses, left stuff back in the states, etc. So basically our being self sufficient just leads to being more creative with storage. We will be using every nook and cranny we can I will tell you that. And we will also probably have a few clutter spots because of it. Yuck! RIght now we have precious space above our kitchen cabinets holding lots of stuff and it looks so bad. I hate it but not sure how to conceal it. I thought about a curtain on a tension rod but don't think they make a tension rod long enough for what I would need (around 10 feet). But we actually have a couch to sit on and have purged quite a few unnessary things. It feels great. Now I have to figure out how to decorate and make everything look cute. Hard part is my style is very unique and not the same as many people's let alone Lindsay's so finding a balance is throwing me for a complete loop. If anyone has any websites they like to visit for inspiration throw them at me! Also creative storage solutions is appreciated. We have a large wire shelving unit on our balcony but it looks cluttered too.


Some sample things of extra storage things are....our camping gear, backpacking gear, sporting gear, military gear, baby gear (basics in the prayed for event that we have another child), memorabalia, you know all that stuff that usually gets put into a garage. I need ideas for that kind of stuff and please do not suggest a storage unit, it would cost the price of small apartment back home. We have put a lot of thought into every piece of furniture we have bought and have been careful not to buy things on a whim here so that we are making smart purchases. We bought sofa sleeper couch to save space for when guests come and so that Erik can have more room to play in his room once we get him a children's bed (his loft bed is proving handy as storage right now though). This is just a small picture of a recent co-op that I joined and am loving. The picture shows a partial alotment of two full baskets. There is a big marketplace for wholesale produce that is only open to the pulic two mornings a week after the retailers come through. A group of women that I just so happened to join put in $30 every two weeks (Aussies use the term "fortnight") and we all meet at one girls house. Some stay behind to watch kiddos while some go to the markets and buy lots of yummy fresh produce. Then they come back we split among everyone's baskets and voila you have lots of cheap, good produce. One basket is far too much for our little family so we split a basket with someone and it works out perfect. Each time the variety is little different although we usually always get 3 types of fruit and the rest is seasonal veggies. I love it! It's fun. There are usually a thing or two I wouldn't buy but it has pushed me to work on expanding my horizon. And for $15 for my half basket I dont feel too bad if some goes bad or if I have to buy something at the store. It's been a true blessing.

Off the beaten path but interesting is Aussies cook a lot with pumpkin and where in the states we really only see it in the fall and first part of winter and usually in things like pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice in cocoa/coffee, and yummy sweet dishes often paired with cinnamon here it is way different. Here it is a pantry staple, you put in soups, roasts, salads (although salads often go undressed here-another interesting thing), and pastas, pretty much anything. One friend says she would be really scared to try pumpkin pie because it sounds so foreign to her to be a dessert. Interesting huh, you learn something new everyday! I do like pumpkin used as a vegetable now, but was nervous at first!

And oh this little man is growing before my very eyes! Seriously the Aussie air and all the fun activities and parks and play that we get to do here has really let us see Erik blossom. I wouldn't say that Cali stunted him or held him back but I can see developmentally he has learned so much here. His motor skills are so much better due to all the different park equipment, all the walking and jumping off cool ledges, and sand play. It has really opened my eyes as a mother just how important free play is for them. We have really encouraged imaginative play as well and now playgrounds are seen as pirate ships with slide that lets you "splash" into the water and then we "swim" back to the ladder and look out at the top. We sing sea shanties like " yo ho yo ho a pirates life for me" and jack climbs up quite a lot of beanstalks at our house where the giant falls after chasing jack with a golden egg. Maybe it was me being stagnant as a parent and now spending even more one on one time with Erik since we don't live close to friends that has spurred me to be a bit more creative and of course Lindsay is the one who started all the Jack and the beanstalk storytelling. Basically our little family is really thriving here. Erik and Lindsay built a treasure chest a couple of weeks ago and Erik loved every bit of it. We told him he can only work with his tools if he wears safety goggles (mostly because we think he is so stinkin cute in them and to help him get used to wearing them so when we go swimming this summer he will be willing to wear swim goggles).

These two are peas in a pod and his treasure box is perfect for all his so called treasures that he insists on keeping a hold of while out on walks. His favorite place to find them is where "Daddy's game" is played........a rugby field just down the street. There are these weird nut things that fall out of the trees there that he hoards. We are always gathering piles of perfectly chosen pebbles in the bottom of the stroller and sometimes we have to limit to the one in one out rule.

Erik is counting easily to 10 now and recognizes most his shapes. I have really been trying to figure out his learning style since being here so that I can prepare him for school and just give me some focus in our play together. He detests anything in a sitting position, no drawing, worksheets, although he does like books. So we do most our learning out and about. We draw shapes in the sand at the playground, we stand on a chair at the counter and make things out of playdough snakes. We throw the ball five times, anything that is active he will engage and thrive in. It makes me a bit nervous to think about sitting at a desk in school, but as a parent I find comfort in knowing how I can help him learn at home.

Erik loves to have tasks and do things that have a purpose. He is a star helper in the kitchen especially if it involves preparing a meal and gets upset if you dont let him help send the rubbish down the chute or take recycling down to the big bins. He loves to fix things with tools and will do anything for a laugh. Such a sweet boy.

I have learned a lot about myself moving here, realised how just how much I relied on my social network in California, realized I can do things on my own and do it well. I have realized I really have to talk to myself in a positive way otherwise the negative self talk affects my mood and home life too much. It is so true that the Mother sets the tone of the home. I have realized I can quite easily list off many things I am thankful for when I focus on those and not the "I wish..." thoughts. And while I am still sorely missing summer and have homesickness now and again I am happy right where I am. I have a calling in church (visiting teaching supervisor) that is important and yet not as taxing as previous calling. Lindsay is a ward missionary and we love attending gospel principles and meeting with the new members (we had one nearly every week this month). Erik has great little friends, although his heart still belongs to a sweet little girl named Karlee. They better get married one day! Ok I know realistically that may not happen but I can hope and dream. He loves to talk to family on the phone and skype and we can't wait to visit next year.

Can you believe we have lived in Australia for 3 months already! I can't and sometimes Linds and I have to pinch ourselves to believe that we actually live in this amazing part of the world.