Let's Hit the Beach!

Well, we couldn't hold off any longer!  Aussies think we're crazy because it's winter here and just 70-80 degrees...freezing for them...and why go to the beach when it's freezing!?  But we just couldn't hold off any longer.  Last Weds. the kids and Lex had the day off for the Ekka holiday.  It's basically like the state fair.  We opted out of going since it sounded like something we could see in the states and headed for the Gold Coast instead.  It's about an hour drive to a decent beach,  even though we live on the coast, strange.  But anyway, we stopped and picked up and AFL ball (Australian Rules Football) since Park is now on the school team he wanted some practice punching the ball (you're not allowed to throw it; it's passed with an underhand punch, like an underhand volleyball serve) and kicking and catching.  It's shaped similarly to our football but not as narrow.  Anyway, we grabbed the ball and some day old pizza and headed out.  We stopped at Surfer's Paradise.  It's a strip of beach similar to Waikiki in Hawaii, very touristy, with lots of restaurants and shops and tents set up selling souvenirs etc.  We didn't shop around though.  We just picked a spot (we pretty much had our pick, because we were the only ones crazy enough to go to the beach in the winter).  It was such a blast.  The girls played in the surf, found millions of shells (oh shells, how many bags must you fill?) and built sand castles.  Park had a go at boogie boarding and they all stayed in the water until the lifeguards were going off duty and came to let us know they were no longer on "watch" so we..."might want to get the little mates on out of the watah"  :)  (I'm trying so hard to type the accent; it's just not the same without the lilt).  We are all anxiously waiting another trip to the beach.  I got to hold down the towels...and read!  Ahhh, the life!  I pretty much just kept looking at my 3 beautiful kids and my cute husband saying to myself..."Do I really live here?"  It was gorgeous! Something I really love about my kids is that they are adventurous.  They are all really willing to try pretty much anything.  I give Lex a lot of credit for that.  He encourages our kids to try hard things and doesn't really let them give up until they've "beaten it".  I love that my kids will always try new foods, hard hikes, risky climbs etc. It's impressive to me.  And of course, I never cease to be amazed at the new tactics of teasing Parker is willing to try on his sisters-- and yah he doesn't give up on that either.  An hour drive to the beach can become a long trip!!!! I'll be honest I had a couple moments where I hoped he'd decide surfing was the life for him and just hull up there on the beach under some dock, grow some dreads, where shark tooth jewelry and come home a couple times a year for holiday! I tried to talk it up to him a bit; the pure pleasure of freedom and sandy toes.  But alas, he loves us--can't imagine being without his favorite little tease targets! And truly--those 2 girls would miss him more than they miss root beer, marshmallows and lemonade combined.  He's pretty much prince of their world, albeit the prince of tease and annoyance! Of course...I'd wither away without him keeping me on my toes.  I love that sigh invoking, make me crazy, lecture producing kid!  Heaven help all the 10 year old boys survive in this world and heaven please send even more help to their mums!!!!  

That weekend we visited a botanical garden in a place called Mt. Coot-tha.  It was incredible.  We love botanical gardens and it was awesome to see one Aussie style.  It was huge.  I know we only saw a bit.  They had a children's trail with a hide-n-seek game and the place was hopping with these huge lizards (nothing you'd see in Albquerque, home of many lizards).  We originally thought they were iguanas (about the same look) but it turns out they are called water dragons.  They were everywhere.  I sneaked up behind one and touched it before it skittered off.  After the gardens, we drove to the top of the mountain at the peak where they've made a look out over the city.  It was gorgeous.  We ate dinner up there at a fun cafe and once again, I just kept thinking, "Do I really live here?"  Our time is going so fast!

We Begin Our Scouting for Great Hikes!

Most people know that hiking is something we Allens really love to do.  We love finding great hikes with something amazing at the finish line.  This past weekend we headed to Natural Bridge and Mt. Tambourine to see if they lived up to the local hype.  These were some really fun trails.  They were more like walks than hikes, and really quick but we loved them because they were FULL of landscape and wildlife we had never seen.  It was a blast.  Natural Bridge is a waterfall that has rolled over this huge rock cave entrance for so long that it has finally worn a hole through the rock and falls through leaving the rock forming a "natural bridge" over the entrance.  We walked down into the cave and saw the falls through the rock, it was gorgeous.  The walk in was so interesting too.  Hiking in the "mountains" here is actually hiking in rain forest so you can imagine the scenery.  It felt like we were in a movie...Fern Gully or some other fairy/rain forest setting.  It was gorgeous.   There were huge trees with hollow centers; it almost looked like several trees had grown together to form the trunk and made one big canopy of branches and leaves up top.  We climbed right into the trunks and looked up.  Sure enough, you could see all the way to the blue sky--hollow.  Pretty cool.  I know the pix won't do it justice but we sure had a blast.  Mt. Tambourine was beautiful too.  The climb up in the car was so steep they don't allow buses or motorhomes up the hill.  Once you get to the top, it's this quaint little village full of boutiques gracing silk scarves, soy candles and several shops claiming boldly to carry "award winning icecream, chocolate and fudge".  In a nutshell...my kinda village!  It was adorable.  We ate at a dutch restaurant--fish and chips, enormous hamburgers (called the fair-dinkum burger--fair dinkum means "really".  The hamburger was fully loaded with all the usual toppings and then Aussie style with a big slice of beet root, bacon (ham slice) and a fried egg--sunny side up) This was a huge burger.  Don't worry the shop didn't go into the red by serving food that large...we had to sell Sydney and Oaklee into the kitchens to settle the bill-- but boy was that lunch worth it! :) No but seriously, we're trying to just get used to the costs.  Look at the menu and be prepared to pay a bunch, but the nice thing is-- no tipping here in Aussie.  No one gets tipped ever.  It's pretty great actually.  Oh and water is free unless you order it bubbly (carbonated) or bottled.  Also, can someone please inform the Aussies about how wonderful ice is?  Seriously just pitchers of water out on the tables in the sun (outdoor dining) and that seems really norm.  Parker loves it because his teeth are so sensitive and he can just relax and quench his thirst.  Anyway, it was a great weekend.  We went with a little family from our ward.  They are in the Air Force here (from the states).  They actually ship out in April so they'll leave before we do.  They've been here for 2 years though, so they are a good resource,  and really fun too.  Their 4 year old son is teaching Oaklee to speak in an Aussie accent.  She told me the other day, "Mom do you know who Jokuh is?"  I said, "No I don't think so, Oaks.  Who is Jokuh?"  "Oh he is the bad guy that wears too much lipstick and tries to fight Batman.  But don't worry Batman always wins.  Eric told me about him.  When we play super hero, Eric is usually Batman and I'm either Bat Girl or Super Girl.  I change back and forth because sometimes I need different super powers."  "Too much lipstick and fights Batman huh?"  In my mind I realized her Jokuh was the Australian accented version of Joker.  I told her, "Oh yah, now I remember him.  He's always laughing and getting beat up by Batman but I'm pretty sure he's way too scared of Bat Girl to laugh or even attempt a small chuckle."

At Mt. Tambourine we hiked in the Curtis Falls Rainforest.  It was amazing.  Flying squirrels were above us in the trees.  They look like big bats but with bigger bodies.  And my kids actually swung on some vines/twisty limbs.  It was awesome.  Some crazy vegetation.  And beautiful colors, I tried to get some pix of the trees and the vines and *sigh* I know it doesn't do it justice!

One last note, and this was very exciting.  We saw and petted our first live koala in Brisbane!  So stinkin cute!  We went to The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary for the grand opening of their children's garden.  We got free Aussie hotdogs...long Brat-like sausages wrapped in a slice of bread with ketchup.  The children's garden was ok, but then they brought out the koalas and that was a huge highlight.  We bought a year round pass so we can go see them and feed the kangaroos a few more times before we leave this rainforesty place!

 

Oh Sweet Vernacular...how I have come to appreciate you!

Ok, this post is...how do I say this?  A little edgy, perhaps and the innuendo may make the sensitive reader blush at their screen, but it was too hilarious to not post!  So... forgive and take it as a dose of humor for the day!

There are plenty of words here that we don't understand, or that mean something different in the states.  For example, Park says, "Mom everyone swears here...like even in class in front of teachers and no one even flinches.  It's weird."  Lex had to explain to him that many of the "swear words" in the states are not considered swear words here.  Kids say the "D" word and  the "H" word all the time and it's no big deal--  like shucks or darn.  You'll find this in Bristish Children's Lit sometimes, like Roald Dahl...he's usually good for a few D's in his kids' books :) But don't say "bloody" here or you get the stink eye!  Anyway, vernacular is such a funny thing and has sent me spinning more than once since touching ground in Brisby.  But an incidence with the office staff on our first day of school probably takes the cake. I had to write it down so I could remember the humor and so Parker could truly appreciate it...one day.

The day after our school tour with the principal, we went to the school office to hand in paper work, show our passports, and make sure my kids were wearing the right uniform. The secretaries were so extremely nice and helpful.  They got the kids all registered and were buoying them up for a great experiences with their wonderful new teachers. Then they went back into a supply room to find them a few things to get started with since we hadn't even tracked down pencils at this point.  After handing them each a notebook and pencils, one cute secretary says to me in hushed tones, "I found Parker some rubbers. (*me gasp)  I feel bad though, because they are used; I couldn't find him any fresh ones but I think they'll do the job just fine if you think he'd be ok with having used ones?  Do you think used ones will bother him much?"  Of course at the first statement, "I found Parker some rubbers..."  I spun around and tried to keep my eyes from bugging out of my head. My thoughts are racing with things like, "What kind of school is this????  He's 10 folks! Not only are you offering my 10 year old a rubber, but you're really getting smutty offering him a "used" one. Is this some kind of a joke?-- I'm appalled and disgusted."  Then as she pulled out the small, white, rectangular erasers smudged with grey from some other blokes' previous errors, I felt my heart start beating once again and oxygen returning into my over-protective mothering system.  Ok, so erasers are called "rubbers" and why not?  They are made of rubber!!! And when you refer to offering someone a "used rubber" it makes sense, because they get smudgy and dingy looking but they are still very much effective at erasing mistakes! It took everything I had to not burst out laughing, hysterically hug this lady and tell her how grateful I was that kids in Australia are still kids...they make mistakes with their PENCILS and simply wipe them clean with their RUBBERS (yep, it's still tough for me to type such statements without blushing).

Anyway, this is just one example of the many, many times our family has had to say, "huh?"  and I'm sure it won't be the last.  They speak English here...right???  And just to be clear, at our house birds and bees are still winged creature that tweet and buzz!  Vernacular, Vernacular, Vernacular!!!

Simple Simon Met A Pie-Man

Grrr, it's only my 2nd post and I'm a day late on my goal of posting weekly!  I made sure my kids posted on their blogs right on time, but I got a little caught up in my book yesterday and missed my window!  Ok, so I'm on it today.  It's a beautiful morning here and the ride to the school felt good and invigorating.  I know the upcoming summer is going to be a killer so we are trying to enjoy these 70 degree temps for as long as we can.  Syd came in this morning crying because she had dreamed of her best friend Hallie back in the Albuquerque and realized how much she missed her.  It made me feel grateful that she had experienced such a strong friendship so she would always know how valuable a true friend is.  I know those two will find a way to stay close.  I distracted her with spelling lists and corn flakes and then we hit the road.

I wanted to blog a little about something we noticed very quickly here.  Life is much simpler.  I think I mentioned before that people here keep telling us, "Australia is about 20-50 years behind the states in most things-- technology, culture...and speed of life."  Because the population is so much smaller than the states, there just isn't the demand or the means to produce as much.  For example, there's only about 8 cereals here to choose from, and similar with other products...just much more limited.  The TV shows and commercials look homade.  Like someone filmed the commercial on their phone cam and put it on the TV.  It's so strange.  Nothing crazy and extreme like exploding bags of Doritos or talking lizards dancing across the screen convincing you to change insurance companies. Just not enough population to produce things on that grand of scale. On our first big shopping trip to the grocery store a kind but diligent little store worker approached me 5 minutes to 5 and said, "Well mate, can I help you find YOUR LAST item today?"  Huh?  I picked up on her ever so subtle hint about wrapping it up and asked, "What time do you close?"  "It's the weekend ma'am, we close at 5.  Monday through Friday we are open til 9 though."  5?  9????  What the heck? You're the main grocery store!!!

What about my 11 pm shopping trips that I purposely take as my "out" for the day?  Yikes!  So, things pretty much shut down here at 5:30.  Besides the grocery stores (2 of them) everything closes at 5 or 5:30.  Our first day we attempted to go the mall (there was a Target inside) it was a Thursday and it stayed open til 7.  The next time we went the whole mall started shutting down at 5:30, frantically I asked a worker what was happening?  "We were just here 2 days ago and you guys were open til 7?"  He told me, "Oh yah, that was Thursday.  We are trying something new in the mall and seeing how a "late night Thursday" schedule would work.  So on Thursdays we stay open til 7 but the rest of the week we still close at 5:30."  Yep, the entire mall just shuts it on down at 5:30.  But they are making a noble effort to stay open "late" til 7 on Thursdays!!! :)  I told Lex, "Actually, it's kinda nice...it forces families to just go home and hang out.  And it forces me to get my tail organized."  If I need something from the grocery store, I usually have Lex pick it up on his way home.  He is on bike though so it has to fit in his backpack :)--hilair.  These shopping hours actually force me to live more simply.  If you don't have something and it's in the evening...you make do without.  You can't run to the massive 24 hour Wal-Mart Super Center.  But the simplicity pill hasn't been the easiest to swallow in all cases...

My little "when life hands you lemons just make lemonade" girl!

Our amazing little Oaklee Dawn had her 4th birthday the week after we arrived.  Naturally we were nowhere near organized enough to celebrate it with dignity.  So, as parents sometimes do on these early birthdays, we "moved the date" and told her it was on the weekend.  When the weekend came I was still in chaos, but felt such mother's guilt about not already celebrating and minimizing her special day.  I'm sure much of it was stress of not having a house put together for my kids and not knowing how to fix it.  Finally I said to Lex, "We just have to celebrate this birthday as best we can tonight.  We can't put it off any longer."  Trying to keep my composure and feeling my lips thinning into a line of frustration, I said, "And I can't even bake a cake or birthday cookies (my kids prefer birthday cookies)--because I have no idea how many Celcius degrees equals 350 Farenheit!  I can't work my own oven.  Not to mention the fact that the oven is about the size of my childhood EZ Bake!!"  Lex, sensing the slight urgency for some fresh air...suggested a family walk.  (Good suggestion since we didn't have a car yet)!  For birthdays, we always eat out at the restaurant of the child's choice.  Oaklee loves making up restaurant names "rester-nauts" as she calls them.  So, she told us she really wanted to eat at "Polka Dot Party" for her birthday.  We walked mindlessly to the main road until we found a little cafe on the corner called "Chompers" and Lex said, "Oh my gosh...look!  It's Polka Dot Party! I can't believe we found it!"  We ate fish and chips and burgers and Chompers has become a new family fave only about 5 minutes from our house-- now that we have a car.  We walked there in the rain and laughed the whole time.  And after eating dinner Lex said, "Now for the birthday cake...hmm."  Everything was closed by then.  It was almost 8pm.  Then halle-freakin-lujah!  The glaring and familiar light of a 7-11.  In we went to find the perfect convenient store birthday cake.  It ended up being 5 stale doughnuts and Oaklee honestly could not have been more excited about her "special cake" with crustry frosting and obnoxiously bright sprinkles.  We walked home and sang "Happy Birthday" and blew out...a flashlight.  No candles but, oh well-- the flashlight did the trick.

Happy Birthday Oakers! We love you to the moon and back!

SIMPLY wonderful!

The next week we finally had our car.  (more on the car in a later post...such a gem)  So we took Oaks to Kmart (so funny because in the states Kmart is going bankrupt and Target is the strong suit-- just the opposite here.) As we were looking at the toys, I could not believe the lack of choices.  One small aisle of baby dolls and accessories.  Honestly, only about 5 or 6 to choose from and-- ugs!  Seriously not cute babies.  They did have 3 commemorative Cabbage Patch Kids priced at $86.  Ok-- thanks but no thanks Xavier Roberts-- not that desperate!  Luckily we brought 2 babies (Ariel and Snow White) from home smashed into the back of one of our suitcases so Oaklee picked out a crib and stroller for them.  I bought her a bunch of books and she spent her grandparent money on a My Little Pony set (that looked nothing like the ponies in the states, but still.)  Oaklee's gifts didn't come wrapped this year or even gift bagged-- she just picked them out and jumped for joy as she carried them to the car.  I realized-- birthdays are wonderful without all the hoopla.  She didn't need a cake or special cookies--stale doughnuts were perfect.  She didn't care where we ate dinner--it was Polka Dot Party, how can you not love it?  And just being together that night, walking the streets in the warm rain and trying to find a good signal for our GPS on our phones so we could actually get home to enjoy our stale doughnuts was a pretty great memory.  She was completely and 100% thrilled about her "special day" and the gifts she got.  Now each Sunday when I go to my girls' closet thinking "What will they wear to church?"  Then I realize, "I only brought 4 dresses for each of them!"  I am actually starting to feel grateful.  It's much simpler and easier to keep clean for that matter!  I literally brought 3 pair of pants with me to Brisbane-- and I'm learning to just make it work.  My closet bar actually has sliding room...nice!  Although it is not an easy lesson and in the case of Oaks' birthday, it came with the guilt of not doing things all out like we usually do...it is one I need in my life.  Slow down, take time to enjoy the rain...live more simply!  I know it is something I will keep learning this year.  Sparse closets, sparse furnishings, only 7 forks in the drawer (and nope...I'm not buying more), no one working past 5:30, 2 uniforms to wear to school each week, no clothes dryer... and yet more time to enjoy each other.  It's a pace we will all have to get used to, but it makes sense in a lot of ways.