Saturday 14 July 2012
4th of July!
On an ordinary Wednesday, Bryan went to work and the kids were home with me during their school holidays between terms 2 and 3 of the school year. It's winter here and the weather outside is cold and rainy, with a high of 55....so it is very hard to believe it is the 4th of July! It doesn't even seem like July because of the weather - the seasons are off for us and it truly feels like November around here. We were lucky to enjoy the 4th with our American friends and Irish friends in our neighborhood. We had good ole American hot dogs for dinner and the kids lit sparklers at the end of the night. Happy Birthday America! I truly am so proud to be an American and so very blessed, lucky and thankful to call America our home.
Anna's blessed day!
I would like to share the wonderful news that our precious Anna was baptized today! We were very blessed to have some good friends, Chris and Betsy, along with their children Emma Katherine and Graham join in the celebration. We were so happy to have Anna baptized, but also sad that none of our family could be here with us to enjoy this special day for Anna. Luckily with computers and technology, we can share the pictures and experience pretty quickly. It's just not the same though. Rob and Rachel, Anna's Godparents were greatly missed, as well as the grandparents and the rest of our families. 2 weeks ago we had a baptism presentation at the beginning of mass, where the priest introduced our family and Anna. Today was the actual ceremony and it was at 12 noon, just a special ceremony for baptisms. A set of twins were baptized alongside Anna, so it was very small compared to what we experienced back home at St. Anthony's with Claire and Will's baptisms. Our church here is a small church and it is very quaint and charming - we really like that about it. The priest is very friendly and we really like his relaxed demeanor. Father Martin performed the baptism and it was a nice ceremony. The kids watched intently and seemed to enjoy being part of it all. We celebrated with a long lunch at the Groove Train with our friends. It was a special day indeed.....“I praise you, for I am wonderfully made!" (Psalm 139). Happy Baptism Anna Elizabeth!
Monday 26 March 2012
March update!
greetings from "down under"....
I had hoped to get back on and blog a bit the last few weeks - but I just haven't found the time. I still have so much I want to write about our experience here so far. My mom arrived on March 2nd and that was a very fun day! Will and I went to the Melbourne Airport to pick her up and we were all thrilled that she made it safely and came a couple of weeks before our baby girl was due to arrive. Mom has been a tremendous help since she has been here! It has also been wonderful to have her company and to get to see her and spend time with her everyday. She has been a huge blessing here with us these last few weeks and she is here until April 21st.
The kids have continued to thrive at school. Claire loves her teacher and has made many friends in her class. She gets to do alot of wonderful activities through school - dance lessons, running club, Japanese, swimming class and she's learning to play the recorder. She hasn't missed a beat and seems to just love going to school! Will is enjoying his pre-k class too. He has 2 wonderful teachers and he has really turned a corner in the last couple of weeks as far as being completely comfortable at school. He's made some friends in his class and he likes all of his special activities as well. He really likes going to the library and bringing home a book each week - just like the big kids! And his class takes swimming once a week too, which he really looks forward too. He has "siesta" every afternoon at school, which is the only downside to his day - in his mind. Both kids have "morning tea" at school everyday - where they bring a snack (fruit) from home. The kids' school has alot of family activities as well and we have enjoyed getting to meet other parents and families. It has been a true blessing for us to have found such a great school that both children attend together. The kids go to school in terms here - their first term began on February 2nd and will end on March 30th. They'll have 2 weeks off and then start Term 2 April 16th. I think we are going to like this somewhat "year round" schooling!
Aside from Bryan's job and the kids' school, the other big thing in our lives is the anticipation of the arrival of our baby girl. We have been preparing what we can to get ready for her. Our sea shipment of furniture and all of our household goods has been delayed numerous times. It sailed out in early January and was set to arrive in Melbourne on February 21st. It has been one delay after another - and somehow changed boats in all places - Taiwan? (In our minds it should have just made a straight trip from LA to Australia, wouldn't that have been easier?). It finally arrived into the port on March 20th and now is undergoing quarantine and customs checks. We are crossing our fingers it goes through smoothly - but we have heard things such as seeds, pinecones, peacock feathers are all prohibited. And as you can guess - we have all of those things in some way or another packed into our sea shipment. With this being over a month late in delivery, nothing would suprise me at this point. But we are really hoping to have it deliverd in the next week or so. Bryan has 3 days off of work for Easter (Good Friday, Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday - must be an Australian-made holiday?) so it would be nice if everything arrived before the Easter weekend so we could all be at home to work on the chaos that is about to arrive. Luckily we do have the bare essentials for our baby girl - bassinet, pack.n.play, clothes for 0-3 months, blankets, etc. Thankfully, she won't have to sleep in our dresser drawer! It will be so nice once everything is here from the sea shipment. Claire and Will ask about it almost everyday - they remember a toy or something from back home and say "is that coming in the sea shipment?" It will be a very happy day around here once we have our things. We have been living pretty simply the last couple of months without our stuff.
Baby update ~ Anna arrives!
My doctor visits have gone well and my hospital stay has been booked since December. I have been to the hospital for a tour and for a childbirth refresher class, so I could get used to where to go, what to do, and what things would be like here in Australia. There are some differences with giving birth in Australia, compared to my experiences back in The Woodlands. I have been more worried this 3rd time around about going into labor, getting to the hospital, etc. More nervous than I was with the first 2 babies - obviously because everything is new to me here. I was told in the childbirth class here that a midwife might deliver my baby, especially if it is the middle of the night, b/c the OB won't come until the morning. Of course I was not thrilled with hearing that and I confronted my OB on that one at my following appointment. He assured me that he would show up (or whomever was on call if a weekend) and that he would have a police escort to ensure he made it to the delivery room. :) I was more relieved when I spoke to him about it. I was also worried about the traffic and distance to get to the hospital, as it can be unpredictable here and we are farther away. Luckily when the time came to have Anna, we were heading to the hospital on a Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. - so my prayers were answered there! Things tend to be more natural here and less invasive. I feel like I need a t-shirt: "I survived an Australian birth!" I'm only kidding. But I think the worry and anticipation of it all was weighing heavily on my mind the last few weeks. I was told early on by my OB that epidurals are few and far between here - hardly anyone has one and anesthesiologists are more reserved for major surgeries than to just give epidurals. So we opted to go all-natural! And look at me, I am here to blog about it - ha! Luckily I had a pretty short labor - left for the hospital at 5:30 a.m., got checked into the delivery suite at 6:15 a.m. and little Anna was born at 8:17 a.m. When she was born, they put her straight into my arms! Then they just towel dry her off - no bath, no warmer, no suctioning. It seemed to all work out well for her - seemed like a calm and peaceful welcome into the world for Anna. After a couple of hours we were moved to the maternity suite - where we were told that Anna and I would spend at least 4 nights. 4 NIGHTS!!! what? I wasn't planning on this....with Claire I spent 2 nights in the hospital and with Will I was in for 1 night and just barely 24 hours. Also they have an option if me and the baby are doing ok, then we can move to the Park Hyatt hotel where the hospital has midwives to care for us there. That doesn't sound like a bad option - better than a hospital! Soon after we moved to the maternity floor one of the nurses put my name on the list to move to the hotel. Unfortunately though, with the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne for the weekend, the hotel was fully booked. I did talk to the OB that delivered Anna and he said after 2 nights he would let us go home. :) Key point being that an OB did come to my delivery and bring Anna into this world. It was one of the partners of my OB, as it was a Saturday. We were very pleased with him, having not met him before. We had wonderful nurses (they call them midwives here) that watched over us. Overall the whole experience was a positive one and everything went very well. We are so happy and blessed Anna is here with us now!
Anna is such a sweet, calm and precious baby! I have been reminded JUST how much I love newborns ~ their smell, their facial expressions, their noises, their sweet cries. She has been more alert each day and it has been amazing to watch her take in the world around her. It has been fun to see Will and Claire with her - they both love holding her and checking on her. It is very sweet to watch them with a baby.
Anna, my mom and I are at home waiting for the Maternal and Child nurse to come to our house for a visit. This is a service that is provided to all newborns. The nurse will weigh her and answer any questions we have. I am looking forward to finding out more about how we handle Anna's care in the coming months/year. I was able to have a Pediatrician see Anna in the hospital to look her over, but that is not very common. We will go back to the Pediatrician for her 6 week appt., but that is likely all we will see of one. In Australia, Pediatricians are specialists that see children with chronic illness or disease. We will instead see the nurse and go to a GP doctor that our whole family will see.
That's about all for now.....
hugs from Australia,
Chrissy :)
I had hoped to get back on and blog a bit the last few weeks - but I just haven't found the time. I still have so much I want to write about our experience here so far. My mom arrived on March 2nd and that was a very fun day! Will and I went to the Melbourne Airport to pick her up and we were all thrilled that she made it safely and came a couple of weeks before our baby girl was due to arrive. Mom has been a tremendous help since she has been here! It has also been wonderful to have her company and to get to see her and spend time with her everyday. She has been a huge blessing here with us these last few weeks and she is here until April 21st.
The kids have continued to thrive at school. Claire loves her teacher and has made many friends in her class. She gets to do alot of wonderful activities through school - dance lessons, running club, Japanese, swimming class and she's learning to play the recorder. She hasn't missed a beat and seems to just love going to school! Will is enjoying his pre-k class too. He has 2 wonderful teachers and he has really turned a corner in the last couple of weeks as far as being completely comfortable at school. He's made some friends in his class and he likes all of his special activities as well. He really likes going to the library and bringing home a book each week - just like the big kids! And his class takes swimming once a week too, which he really looks forward too. He has "siesta" every afternoon at school, which is the only downside to his day - in his mind. Both kids have "morning tea" at school everyday - where they bring a snack (fruit) from home. The kids' school has alot of family activities as well and we have enjoyed getting to meet other parents and families. It has been a true blessing for us to have found such a great school that both children attend together. The kids go to school in terms here - their first term began on February 2nd and will end on March 30th. They'll have 2 weeks off and then start Term 2 April 16th. I think we are going to like this somewhat "year round" schooling!
Aside from Bryan's job and the kids' school, the other big thing in our lives is the anticipation of the arrival of our baby girl. We have been preparing what we can to get ready for her. Our sea shipment of furniture and all of our household goods has been delayed numerous times. It sailed out in early January and was set to arrive in Melbourne on February 21st. It has been one delay after another - and somehow changed boats in all places - Taiwan? (In our minds it should have just made a straight trip from LA to Australia, wouldn't that have been easier?). It finally arrived into the port on March 20th and now is undergoing quarantine and customs checks. We are crossing our fingers it goes through smoothly - but we have heard things such as seeds, pinecones, peacock feathers are all prohibited. And as you can guess - we have all of those things in some way or another packed into our sea shipment. With this being over a month late in delivery, nothing would suprise me at this point. But we are really hoping to have it deliverd in the next week or so. Bryan has 3 days off of work for Easter (Good Friday, Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday - must be an Australian-made holiday?) so it would be nice if everything arrived before the Easter weekend so we could all be at home to work on the chaos that is about to arrive. Luckily we do have the bare essentials for our baby girl - bassinet, pack.n.play, clothes for 0-3 months, blankets, etc. Thankfully, she won't have to sleep in our dresser drawer! It will be so nice once everything is here from the sea shipment. Claire and Will ask about it almost everyday - they remember a toy or something from back home and say "is that coming in the sea shipment?" It will be a very happy day around here once we have our things. We have been living pretty simply the last couple of months without our stuff.
Baby update ~ Anna arrives!
My doctor visits have gone well and my hospital stay has been booked since December. I have been to the hospital for a tour and for a childbirth refresher class, so I could get used to where to go, what to do, and what things would be like here in Australia. There are some differences with giving birth in Australia, compared to my experiences back in The Woodlands. I have been more worried this 3rd time around about going into labor, getting to the hospital, etc. More nervous than I was with the first 2 babies - obviously because everything is new to me here. I was told in the childbirth class here that a midwife might deliver my baby, especially if it is the middle of the night, b/c the OB won't come until the morning. Of course I was not thrilled with hearing that and I confronted my OB on that one at my following appointment. He assured me that he would show up (or whomever was on call if a weekend) and that he would have a police escort to ensure he made it to the delivery room. :) I was more relieved when I spoke to him about it. I was also worried about the traffic and distance to get to the hospital, as it can be unpredictable here and we are farther away. Luckily when the time came to have Anna, we were heading to the hospital on a Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. - so my prayers were answered there! Things tend to be more natural here and less invasive. I feel like I need a t-shirt: "I survived an Australian birth!" I'm only kidding. But I think the worry and anticipation of it all was weighing heavily on my mind the last few weeks. I was told early on by my OB that epidurals are few and far between here - hardly anyone has one and anesthesiologists are more reserved for major surgeries than to just give epidurals. So we opted to go all-natural! And look at me, I am here to blog about it - ha! Luckily I had a pretty short labor - left for the hospital at 5:30 a.m., got checked into the delivery suite at 6:15 a.m. and little Anna was born at 8:17 a.m. When she was born, they put her straight into my arms! Then they just towel dry her off - no bath, no warmer, no suctioning. It seemed to all work out well for her - seemed like a calm and peaceful welcome into the world for Anna. After a couple of hours we were moved to the maternity suite - where we were told that Anna and I would spend at least 4 nights. 4 NIGHTS!!! what? I wasn't planning on this....with Claire I spent 2 nights in the hospital and with Will I was in for 1 night and just barely 24 hours. Also they have an option if me and the baby are doing ok, then we can move to the Park Hyatt hotel where the hospital has midwives to care for us there. That doesn't sound like a bad option - better than a hospital! Soon after we moved to the maternity floor one of the nurses put my name on the list to move to the hotel. Unfortunately though, with the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne for the weekend, the hotel was fully booked. I did talk to the OB that delivered Anna and he said after 2 nights he would let us go home. :) Key point being that an OB did come to my delivery and bring Anna into this world. It was one of the partners of my OB, as it was a Saturday. We were very pleased with him, having not met him before. We had wonderful nurses (they call them midwives here) that watched over us. Overall the whole experience was a positive one and everything went very well. We are so happy and blessed Anna is here with us now!
Anna is such a sweet, calm and precious baby! I have been reminded JUST how much I love newborns ~ their smell, their facial expressions, their noises, their sweet cries. She has been more alert each day and it has been amazing to watch her take in the world around her. It has been fun to see Will and Claire with her - they both love holding her and checking on her. It is very sweet to watch them with a baby.
Anna, my mom and I are at home waiting for the Maternal and Child nurse to come to our house for a visit. This is a service that is provided to all newborns. The nurse will weigh her and answer any questions we have. I am looking forward to finding out more about how we handle Anna's care in the coming months/year. I was able to have a Pediatrician see Anna in the hospital to look her over, but that is not very common. We will go back to the Pediatrician for her 6 week appt., but that is likely all we will see of one. In Australia, Pediatricians are specialists that see children with chronic illness or disease. We will instead see the nurse and go to a GP doctor that our whole family will see.
That's about all for now.....
hugs from Australia,
Chrissy :)
Tuesday 21 February 2012
so much to say, so little time!
hello everyone! I can't believe I have been MIA from blogging over the last many weeks. I have truly enjoyed keeping in touch via the blog and keeping track of all we have been doing in Australia so far. Since the kids started school, things have actually been busier than I expected. At first I thought - with the kids in school, what am I going to do with myself those first weeks? And really time is flying by and I don't get done everything on my "to do" or "wish" list each week. I have so much to tell you about settling into our home, the kids adjusting at school, and many other Aussie stories, but I am almost overwhelmed by it all, so that is why this is the first time I have logged into the blog in several weeks. I will try and catch you up to speed!
Over the last few weeks we have moved into our home with our suitcases and rental furniture. We have internet, home phone and cable set up. Explaining how frustrating all of this was to overcome would require a separate post by Bryan. He dealt with the internet company on all of that and boy was it a challenge! We also spent many days and research trying to find the right family car for us! We initally bought a Toyota Kluger (Highlander in the USA) and soon realized that 3 kids with carseats, and a stroller will not fit in this SUV. So that is now Bryan's car! There are no suburbans or large SUV's here, and minivans are few and far between. We searched and researched, I test drove several, and in the end we are now the proud owners of a Chrysler minivan! We also purchased all of our appliances - refrigerator, washer/dryer, microwave, tv's, kitchen appliances, etc. We are settled into our home and now just awaiting our sea shipment. I was trying to not get too anxious about it, as it was set to arrive in the port here on February 21st. Then we got an email saying it's been delayed! It is now planning to arrive on March 6th, then must clear customs, and then delivery will be scheduled. So most likely I will be in the hospital delivering our sweet baby girl when the movers arrive! Won't that timing be lovely? :) Luckily for us, my mom is coming to visit on March 2nd and will be here to help and support us through the crazy month of March and most of April! We are so very blessed she can come!
Bryan has taken a couple of overnight trips to Sale with work - which is about 3 hours away. That is where the plant and shift change take place for all of the offshore facilities. He has gone offshore as well by helicopter. This has all kept him very busy with work, but he seems to really enjoy his new position and all of the people he works with. I have asked him to take a break from the travels for the next few weeks, as I only have 4 more weeks until our due date! Bryan's also learned how to take the train to work. The station is about a 5 minute walk from our house and it makes it all so easy for him. He has really enjoyed traveling by train (only 19 minutes from Brighton to his office) and not having to deal with the traffic. Traffic here can be very heavy - by car in the morning it takes him about 15-20 minutes to drive to work, but in the evening coming home it can vary between 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. And we are literally about 6-7 miles from his office downtown!
The kids have really been enjoying their school - I am going to make that my next post, as I am limited on time this morning. It has been a wonderful school for both of them!
I'll leave you with our list of words that are new to us here. The kids get a kick of adding new ones to the list when we hear them and learn them!
car park = parking lot
lift = elevator
icy poles = popsicles
rubbers = erasers
petrol = gas
swimmers, bathers = swimming suit
sport = sports
trolley = cart
"give it a go" - having a turn, or giving it a try
Probably on the 2nd or 3rd day after school, Claire came home and Will was coloring at the table, when we heard her ask him "Will, can I have a go?" Bryan and I almost fell over laughing b/c she so quickly picked up on these phrases at school. She has also adjusted her accent accordingly and rarely pronounces "r"s in her words, like her Aussie friends.
I am off to the mall to find Will new "swimmers" for his swimming class today. He must wear a speedo style one, not his "board shorts" that he is used to. I can only imagine the look on his face when I show up to help him change for swimming class and he has to put these tiny little trunks on!
Looking forward to writing more about the kids' school, my doctor appts., and our life here in Brighton!
love and hugs from Australia,
Chrissy :)
Over the last few weeks we have moved into our home with our suitcases and rental furniture. We have internet, home phone and cable set up. Explaining how frustrating all of this was to overcome would require a separate post by Bryan. He dealt with the internet company on all of that and boy was it a challenge! We also spent many days and research trying to find the right family car for us! We initally bought a Toyota Kluger (Highlander in the USA) and soon realized that 3 kids with carseats, and a stroller will not fit in this SUV. So that is now Bryan's car! There are no suburbans or large SUV's here, and minivans are few and far between. We searched and researched, I test drove several, and in the end we are now the proud owners of a Chrysler minivan! We also purchased all of our appliances - refrigerator, washer/dryer, microwave, tv's, kitchen appliances, etc. We are settled into our home and now just awaiting our sea shipment. I was trying to not get too anxious about it, as it was set to arrive in the port here on February 21st. Then we got an email saying it's been delayed! It is now planning to arrive on March 6th, then must clear customs, and then delivery will be scheduled. So most likely I will be in the hospital delivering our sweet baby girl when the movers arrive! Won't that timing be lovely? :) Luckily for us, my mom is coming to visit on March 2nd and will be here to help and support us through the crazy month of March and most of April! We are so very blessed she can come!
Bryan has taken a couple of overnight trips to Sale with work - which is about 3 hours away. That is where the plant and shift change take place for all of the offshore facilities. He has gone offshore as well by helicopter. This has all kept him very busy with work, but he seems to really enjoy his new position and all of the people he works with. I have asked him to take a break from the travels for the next few weeks, as I only have 4 more weeks until our due date! Bryan's also learned how to take the train to work. The station is about a 5 minute walk from our house and it makes it all so easy for him. He has really enjoyed traveling by train (only 19 minutes from Brighton to his office) and not having to deal with the traffic. Traffic here can be very heavy - by car in the morning it takes him about 15-20 minutes to drive to work, but in the evening coming home it can vary between 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. And we are literally about 6-7 miles from his office downtown!
The kids have really been enjoying their school - I am going to make that my next post, as I am limited on time this morning. It has been a wonderful school for both of them!
I'll leave you with our list of words that are new to us here. The kids get a kick of adding new ones to the list when we hear them and learn them!
car park = parking lot
lift = elevator
icy poles = popsicles
rubbers = erasers
petrol = gas
swimmers, bathers = swimming suit
sport = sports
trolley = cart
"give it a go" - having a turn, or giving it a try
Probably on the 2nd or 3rd day after school, Claire came home and Will was coloring at the table, when we heard her ask him "Will, can I have a go?" Bryan and I almost fell over laughing b/c she so quickly picked up on these phrases at school. She has also adjusted her accent accordingly and rarely pronounces "r"s in her words, like her Aussie friends.
I am off to the mall to find Will new "swimmers" for his swimming class today. He must wear a speedo style one, not his "board shorts" that he is used to. I can only imagine the look on his face when I show up to help him change for swimming class and he has to put these tiny little trunks on!
Looking forward to writing more about the kids' school, my doctor appts., and our life here in Brighton!
love and hugs from Australia,
Chrissy :)
Tuesday 24 January 2012
Will's 4th Birthday and Australia Day!
Upon arriving in Australia, we quickly realized that one of the first public holidays was coming up....on January 26th - Australia Day. That is also Will's 4th Birthday! That is a pretty neat coincidence that he will celebrate his birthday in Australia every year on Australia Day. I like that! Plus that means that Bryan will have a day off of work for the national holiday, which will be great that the 4 of us can celebrate his birthday together with some family fun all day! We plan to go to the Werribee Open Range Zoo here in Melbourne. I will update with some pictures and on the blog after Will's birthday! He is very excited to be "4"!!!
Here is some information I found online about Australia Day:
On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788 (you can read a comprehensive history of the evolution of Australia Day here).Though 26 January marks this specific event, today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia: our diverse society and landscape, our remarkable achievements and our bright future. It also is an opportunity to reflect on our nation's history, and to consider how we can make Australia an even better place in future.
On Australia Day, over half of the nation’s population of 21 million attend either an organised community event, or get together with family and friends with the intention of celebrating our national day. Many more spend the public holiday relaxing with family and friends.
Yet Australia Day is much more than barbeques and fireworks. It is more than another public holiday. It is more than the pride and excitement of new citizens who call themselves Australian for the first time on 26 January after being conferred citizenship.
At its core, Australia Day is a day driven by communities, and the celebrations held in each town, suburb or city – unified by the celebration of what’s great about Australia and being Australian – are the foundation of its ongoing success
what we've been up to....
We finally got the house all squared away! We couldn't be happier! It just took a long time waiting (2 weeks to be exact!). What we found out late last week is that the listing agent really didn't do her job very well. The landlord ended up calling our agent to send his apologies for what a mess this has all been. Also he has a child at the same school where the kids will be going! The wait is behind us now, we have the signed lease, we've paid all of our deposits and 1st month rent - so we are good to go. The painters have been there this week painting and the NEW neutral carpet (not BLUE!) will be installed on Friday. We will get to move in on Tuesday! We have to wait for the rental furniture to arrive and they can deliver on Tuesday. Our sea shipment is traveling across the ocean and should arrive on February 22nd, then it will have to clear customs. So it will still be awhile before we have all of our own stuff. But goodness, it will be so nice to be in a home and not in the apartment any longer.
We had a great weekend and enjoyed a picnic at the park with one of Bryan's co-workers and her family. They were very welcoming and helpful to visit with them about adjusting to life here. The kids loved getting to play for several hours with other children. We spent some time at the beach on Sunday in the Brighton area. We searched for shells and put our feet in the water. The weather was hot (mid 90's) but the water was still pretty cold, although many people were swimming. The kids really had fun at the beach and can't wait to go back. So we are planning a weekend getaway to Phillip Island on Friday. This time of year everything is really busy and all booked up, so we were lucky to find a place to stay. There is a "penguin parade" that takes place every evening on the island that is a big attraction. There are also seals there and koalas, as well as a lovely beach. It should be a great time and a good break (especially for me!) from the the apartment life.
Monday the kids and I went to the Crown Casino to the "Cinema" to see the Muppets. I called down to the concierge to find out how long the walk would be and she said, oh just 10 minutes. Well I guess that is if you are a fast-paced adult. It took us about 25 minutes with 2 kids in tow, dragging their feet, and a 3 year old that asked if I could carry him? It was a nice walk, but just took longer than expected. The Crown Casino is on the river and is a huge building - with a shopping mall, restaurants, food court, hotel, casino, cinema, and probably other things we didn't come across. It was beautiful on the inside and very interesting to walk through. The people there were very international. It is obviously a very big tourist spot here in Melbourne. We enjoyed our time at the movies, topped off with popcorn and slurpees! And then we made the long walk back again. Will begged for a taxi, but we just went slower on the way home and tried to keep him interested in what we were passing by so he wouldn't think about being carried.
Tuesday I took the kids to the uniform shop to get all suited up! They did well and the ladies there were extremely helpful. Will is excited because he will wear a "sport" uniform everyday, which includes in his terms "running shorts". He couldn't be happier. I truly was concerned about his adjustment to a uniform - he doesn't like to tuck shirts in, doesn't like to wear a belt, etc. This will be an easy transition for him, I think. When we checked out, I mis-heard the lady say that our total was "$5,047" - I was in shock, I know things are more expensive here, but how could that be? Then she had me sign the receipt that said $1,047. Boy was I relieved!
After our shopping trip, the kids were anxious to get to an indoor play place that I had found. So we quickly grabbed lunch from our first drive-thru and fast food restaurant: good ole McDonald's! It's safe to say that the happy meals all taste the same! The kids really enjoyed running, jumping, playing and going crazy at the play place. It was lots of fun for them!
We've been cooking a few meals for dinner in our apartment, but it is just so hard to do with such limited supplies. Our dishes have 4 of each piece, so something is constantly needing to be washed. We have 2 sharp knives, one small and one large. But we are trying to make it work for now, instead of eating out so many meals. I really miss our automatic ice maker! We have these 2 little dinky ice trays in our mini-freezer here and it takes the entire tray to make one drink cold. And there is no ice maker at the hotel/apartment. Not sure if this is part of their "going green" theme or what? I can't wait to go fridge shopping and buy one with an automatic ice maker! Bryan said, what if there's not a water line at the house? or what if they don't make refrigerators that way here? SURELY NOT! I will be the first to report this once we go shopping.
We found out that our house closed with the relocation company. Kinda sad to see it go....
Next week we will move into our home, get the kids started in school, and shop for a 2nd car - exciting times! The kids have really enjoyed their extended Christmas vacation and Australian summer holiday. They love the lazy mornings, which will come to an end next week. Claire keeps asking "how many more days until school?" and Will asks "are we going to school today?" I am hoping they both adjust well, love their new school, and have fun on their first days next week!
Thank you all for your emails from home. We sure enjoy reading them all and being in touch!
hugs from Australia,
Chrissy
We had a great weekend and enjoyed a picnic at the park with one of Bryan's co-workers and her family. They were very welcoming and helpful to visit with them about adjusting to life here. The kids loved getting to play for several hours with other children. We spent some time at the beach on Sunday in the Brighton area. We searched for shells and put our feet in the water. The weather was hot (mid 90's) but the water was still pretty cold, although many people were swimming. The kids really had fun at the beach and can't wait to go back. So we are planning a weekend getaway to Phillip Island on Friday. This time of year everything is really busy and all booked up, so we were lucky to find a place to stay. There is a "penguin parade" that takes place every evening on the island that is a big attraction. There are also seals there and koalas, as well as a lovely beach. It should be a great time and a good break (especially for me!) from the the apartment life.
Monday the kids and I went to the Crown Casino to the "Cinema" to see the Muppets. I called down to the concierge to find out how long the walk would be and she said, oh just 10 minutes. Well I guess that is if you are a fast-paced adult. It took us about 25 minutes with 2 kids in tow, dragging their feet, and a 3 year old that asked if I could carry him? It was a nice walk, but just took longer than expected. The Crown Casino is on the river and is a huge building - with a shopping mall, restaurants, food court, hotel, casino, cinema, and probably other things we didn't come across. It was beautiful on the inside and very interesting to walk through. The people there were very international. It is obviously a very big tourist spot here in Melbourne. We enjoyed our time at the movies, topped off with popcorn and slurpees! And then we made the long walk back again. Will begged for a taxi, but we just went slower on the way home and tried to keep him interested in what we were passing by so he wouldn't think about being carried.
Tuesday I took the kids to the uniform shop to get all suited up! They did well and the ladies there were extremely helpful. Will is excited because he will wear a "sport" uniform everyday, which includes in his terms "running shorts". He couldn't be happier. I truly was concerned about his adjustment to a uniform - he doesn't like to tuck shirts in, doesn't like to wear a belt, etc. This will be an easy transition for him, I think. When we checked out, I mis-heard the lady say that our total was "$5,047" - I was in shock, I know things are more expensive here, but how could that be? Then she had me sign the receipt that said $1,047. Boy was I relieved!
After our shopping trip, the kids were anxious to get to an indoor play place that I had found. So we quickly grabbed lunch from our first drive-thru and fast food restaurant: good ole McDonald's! It's safe to say that the happy meals all taste the same! The kids really enjoyed running, jumping, playing and going crazy at the play place. It was lots of fun for them!
We've been cooking a few meals for dinner in our apartment, but it is just so hard to do with such limited supplies. Our dishes have 4 of each piece, so something is constantly needing to be washed. We have 2 sharp knives, one small and one large. But we are trying to make it work for now, instead of eating out so many meals. I really miss our automatic ice maker! We have these 2 little dinky ice trays in our mini-freezer here and it takes the entire tray to make one drink cold. And there is no ice maker at the hotel/apartment. Not sure if this is part of their "going green" theme or what? I can't wait to go fridge shopping and buy one with an automatic ice maker! Bryan said, what if there's not a water line at the house? or what if they don't make refrigerators that way here? SURELY NOT! I will be the first to report this once we go shopping.
We found out that our house closed with the relocation company. Kinda sad to see it go....
Next week we will move into our home, get the kids started in school, and shop for a 2nd car - exciting times! The kids have really enjoyed their extended Christmas vacation and Australian summer holiday. They love the lazy mornings, which will come to an end next week. Claire keeps asking "how many more days until school?" and Will asks "are we going to school today?" I am hoping they both adjust well, love their new school, and have fun on their first days next week!
Thank you all for your emails from home. We sure enjoy reading them all and being in touch!
hugs from Australia,
Chrissy
Thursday 19 January 2012
patience, please!
We have really found ourselves digging deep for extra patience when it has come to securing the lease for our home. We first viewed the home on Monday, January 9th, put in a verbal offer on Tuesday, January 10th. And today, Friday, January 20th, we have finally come to an agreement! It has been a long wait, but in the end it will be worth it. It is a great family home for us - we love the neighborhood, the area, and the floor plan of the home. Of course this being said, we have come to a verbal agreement and emails have been exchanged back and forth in this agreement. The agent is still writing up the lease. How hard can it be? Hopefully by tomorrow we will have it all in writing, or by Monday at the latest. They are replacing every last stitch of the peacock blue carpet, thankfully. That should be completed next week and we hope to move in around the 27th of January, if all goes as planned. It will be so nice to get into a home, although we will have to find more patience, as our furniture and other things will not arrive until the end of February/beginning of March. We did receive confirmation that our container set sail from LA this week and will arrive in the port of Melbourne on February 21st, then it takes about 1 week for everything to clear customs. So I am hoping by the 1st of March we will have a delivery! (Great timing because I will be about 37 weeks along at that time - ha!). Hopefully our little girl will stay put until 40 weeks, following in the footsteps of her older sister and brother. I am crossing my fingers on this one, as I need the extra time to get the house set up and in order before she arrives.
I had my first OB appointment on Wednesday with my new doctor here. I was very impressed with him and felt very comfortable during the appointment. All went well - he was very thorough and went over all of my records I brought with me. He asked alot of questions of how we handle prenatal care in the US vs. Australia. He spent close to an hour with me, in consultation and also then examining me. I am very pleased to have found him and I think he will give me great care in the weeks ahead and with the delivery. My only concern is the distance of the hospital located downtown from our home in the suburbs (about 30 minutes) and we'll need to really know how to drive and get there. Guess we should start practicing that in the coming weeks, just in case. We had it pretty easy back home, with the hospital only being about 7-8 minutes from our house, and an easy drive with no traffic.
The kids and I went to Target yesterday! The highlight of my week....only kidding. But really I couldn't wait to get to Target and see what it was really like for myself. Was it the same as back home? Will they have the same loved brands that I buy regularly? It is a great store all in all, and we enjoyed shopping there. Alot alike and alot different about it. I am thrilled to have a comfort from home! First of all it is located inside a mall. That seems to be a trend here. The Big W we went to last week was in the mall, as well as the Target, an Aldi grocery store, a liquor store, a meat market and a pharmacy all inside the mall. I guess they really want to make sure it is one stop shopping! People wheel around their shopping carts throughout the mall. Now that takes some getting used to seeing. The kids had a big highlight when we were at the mall, very unexpectedly. As we entered the mall to find Target, Claire spotted the CHIPMUNKS! Alvin, Simon and Theodore were in full costume dancing on the stage. We had just arrived at the end of the performance, but they would be coming back onstage at 1:00. So we quickly did our shopping at Target and came back to enjoy the show. Both kids were really excited about this, mainly because we had just seen the movie at the theater in The Woodlands in December.
Bryan is enjoying a Friday night out at the Australian Open with his boss. I can't wait to hear about it! The kids and I have had a good week. They are perfectly content around here, amazingly. That is a huge relief to me. They think this apartment living is pretty swell ~ they ride the elevators a couple of times a day, have an indoor swimming pool that we frequent, a 7th floor balcony to eat and play on, and an ice cream shop within walking distance! What more could a kid ask for? :) It's Bryan and I that are more antsy to move out to the suburbs. It will be nice to have more space, our own home, and get to know the town of Brighton a little more. Going to the grocery store will be easier there, as well as using our car, going to the park, and the beach nearby. It will be a really great day when we get to move in!
One thing I should note, Bryan thinks I paint a pretty "rosey" picture on our blog of our time here so far. I will agree to disagree because I personally think everything has been realistically portrayed. He said he may come on as a guest writer from time to time to add some things of his own. Wouldn't that be a treat? :) No really, he wanted to be sure you all knew how much smoke was coming out of his ears when it took him 6 attempts to get the cell phone deal worked out. And he also wants everyone to know how many french fries ("chips" as they call them here), pizza, and ice cream we have all eaten during our time here. Every restaurant seems to serve things "with chips" and pizza also seems to be a staple on most menus. When in doubt, I guess that is what we have turned to....true comfort food on our adventure down under! We have been eating out A TON. I thought I would never get tired of it, I thought I would enjoy not having to cook for a couple of weeks.... but at about day 10, I had truly had enough. We have managed to make a few meals in our apartment, but with limited access to a grocery store and limited cooking supplies in our mini-kitchen here, it's truly for the birds.
We are looking forward to the weekend and enjoying 2 days together as a family. We are going to one of Bryan's co-workers homes for a picnic lunch tomorrow. They have 2 young girls, ages 5 and 2, so I know the kids will enjoy playing. We also hope to get to the uniform shop to get the kids' outfits all ready for school. And we'll probably try to squeeze in some fun, touristy activities as well.
Next week I am looking forward to doing some fun things with the kids - our last full week together until they begin school. We really are so very lucky that the timing of our move worked out as it did. I am so thankful we have had time to get settled and acquainted with Melbourne and Australia before I have to start dropping the kids off at school everyday. It has been good for them to have this time to enjoy just being kids and learning about this new place we'll be living. I am enjoying my special time with them, as I know things will change quite a bit when our baby arrives in March. I love that they are both starting school here at the beginning of the school year. Sure they will still both be the "new kids", but at least they aren't coming in mid-year, they will have a fresh start with a new class at the beginning of the school year. Claire will start Grade 2 on Wednesday, February 1st and Will begins Pre-K 4 on Thursday, February 2nd. It will be a new adventure for all of us with both of them in school.
Oh, and one more thing, once we get settled in our home, I can't wait to go to Costco here! And I found out they opened their first Gap store in December. So great to have a few things I recognize!
Hope you all have a great weekend! Off to grab some dinner at a restaurant of course and then to get some ice cream!
Cheers from down under,
Chrissy :)
I had my first OB appointment on Wednesday with my new doctor here. I was very impressed with him and felt very comfortable during the appointment. All went well - he was very thorough and went over all of my records I brought with me. He asked alot of questions of how we handle prenatal care in the US vs. Australia. He spent close to an hour with me, in consultation and also then examining me. I am very pleased to have found him and I think he will give me great care in the weeks ahead and with the delivery. My only concern is the distance of the hospital located downtown from our home in the suburbs (about 30 minutes) and we'll need to really know how to drive and get there. Guess we should start practicing that in the coming weeks, just in case. We had it pretty easy back home, with the hospital only being about 7-8 minutes from our house, and an easy drive with no traffic.
The kids and I went to Target yesterday! The highlight of my week....only kidding. But really I couldn't wait to get to Target and see what it was really like for myself. Was it the same as back home? Will they have the same loved brands that I buy regularly? It is a great store all in all, and we enjoyed shopping there. Alot alike and alot different about it. I am thrilled to have a comfort from home! First of all it is located inside a mall. That seems to be a trend here. The Big W we went to last week was in the mall, as well as the Target, an Aldi grocery store, a liquor store, a meat market and a pharmacy all inside the mall. I guess they really want to make sure it is one stop shopping! People wheel around their shopping carts throughout the mall. Now that takes some getting used to seeing. The kids had a big highlight when we were at the mall, very unexpectedly. As we entered the mall to find Target, Claire spotted the CHIPMUNKS! Alvin, Simon and Theodore were in full costume dancing on the stage. We had just arrived at the end of the performance, but they would be coming back onstage at 1:00. So we quickly did our shopping at Target and came back to enjoy the show. Both kids were really excited about this, mainly because we had just seen the movie at the theater in The Woodlands in December.
Bryan is enjoying a Friday night out at the Australian Open with his boss. I can't wait to hear about it! The kids and I have had a good week. They are perfectly content around here, amazingly. That is a huge relief to me. They think this apartment living is pretty swell ~ they ride the elevators a couple of times a day, have an indoor swimming pool that we frequent, a 7th floor balcony to eat and play on, and an ice cream shop within walking distance! What more could a kid ask for? :) It's Bryan and I that are more antsy to move out to the suburbs. It will be nice to have more space, our own home, and get to know the town of Brighton a little more. Going to the grocery store will be easier there, as well as using our car, going to the park, and the beach nearby. It will be a really great day when we get to move in!
One thing I should note, Bryan thinks I paint a pretty "rosey" picture on our blog of our time here so far. I will agree to disagree because I personally think everything has been realistically portrayed. He said he may come on as a guest writer from time to time to add some things of his own. Wouldn't that be a treat? :) No really, he wanted to be sure you all knew how much smoke was coming out of his ears when it took him 6 attempts to get the cell phone deal worked out. And he also wants everyone to know how many french fries ("chips" as they call them here), pizza, and ice cream we have all eaten during our time here. Every restaurant seems to serve things "with chips" and pizza also seems to be a staple on most menus. When in doubt, I guess that is what we have turned to....true comfort food on our adventure down under! We have been eating out A TON. I thought I would never get tired of it, I thought I would enjoy not having to cook for a couple of weeks.... but at about day 10, I had truly had enough. We have managed to make a few meals in our apartment, but with limited access to a grocery store and limited cooking supplies in our mini-kitchen here, it's truly for the birds.
We are looking forward to the weekend and enjoying 2 days together as a family. We are going to one of Bryan's co-workers homes for a picnic lunch tomorrow. They have 2 young girls, ages 5 and 2, so I know the kids will enjoy playing. We also hope to get to the uniform shop to get the kids' outfits all ready for school. And we'll probably try to squeeze in some fun, touristy activities as well.
Next week I am looking forward to doing some fun things with the kids - our last full week together until they begin school. We really are so very lucky that the timing of our move worked out as it did. I am so thankful we have had time to get settled and acquainted with Melbourne and Australia before I have to start dropping the kids off at school everyday. It has been good for them to have this time to enjoy just being kids and learning about this new place we'll be living. I am enjoying my special time with them, as I know things will change quite a bit when our baby arrives in March. I love that they are both starting school here at the beginning of the school year. Sure they will still both be the "new kids", but at least they aren't coming in mid-year, they will have a fresh start with a new class at the beginning of the school year. Claire will start Grade 2 on Wednesday, February 1st and Will begins Pre-K 4 on Thursday, February 2nd. It will be a new adventure for all of us with both of them in school.
Oh, and one more thing, once we get settled in our home, I can't wait to go to Costco here! And I found out they opened their first Gap store in December. So great to have a few things I recognize!
Hope you all have a great weekend! Off to grab some dinner at a restaurant of course and then to get some ice cream!
Cheers from down under,
Chrissy :)
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