Christmas Party

It seems funny to me to walk into the grocery store wearing shorts and a t-shirt, dripping with sweat from the 90 degree weather only to hear “Jingle Bells” playing throughout the store.  It is December, though, and Australians seem to love Christmas as much as we do. The houses are decorated, the music is playing, and the Christmas parties are in full swing!

Last weekend, Fluor had their big Christmas party at The Rydges. It was a beautiful night! I only had my IPhone, so I wasn’t able to capture some of the views as well as I would have liked, but you can get a little taste of the fun we had!

Looking out over South Bank

 

A little fuzzy, but you get the idea

 

Pre-dinner picture with Janelle

 

The moon that night was spectacular! I wish it showed in the picture!

 

Again, not a great picture, but we had a great time with David and Janelle!

 

The girls!

 

 

Gangnam Style!

 

Every Christmas party that I have been to so far has had “poppers” at each place setting. You pull both ends of the popper to open it with a bang. Inside there are nice trinkets like these hats and the fake mustache with jokes that are very far from funny.  My joke was the funniest: “What did the scarf say to the hat?  You go on ahead and I’ll just hang around.”  I know you are rolling on the floor with laughter.  Even with several glasses of wine, the jokes were not funny. I take that back, we laughed at how bad they were!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bunco

"Bulimba Buncettes"

 

 

I have heard about Bunco, but had never played it until moving here. My sister-in-law has talked about it for years and always seems to have heaps of fun. Now I fully understand!

My friend, Erica (born in England, but has lived in Australia for 20 years), decided to start a Bunco group. She played in Adelaide when an American friend of hers introduced the game.  For those of you that do not know, Bunco is a dice game that requires little thought or effort.  I get the idea that the point of Bunco is to have an excuse to get together and share lots of laughs. That is what we did that night, anyway!

The picture above shows four of the people in our Bunco group. From left to right you see: Erica (England/Australia), Stefanie (Italy), Christine (France), and Rosemary (Ireland). Erica is a hoot and has become one of my dearest friends here in Bulimba. Stefanie moved here six months ago, not speaking any English. I think she is very brave! Christine is a delight to be around! Her smile is infectious! Rosemary cracks me up! I don’t think she means to be funny all of the time, but she keeps me in stitches! So, before the game started, the five of us were standing around chatting. As has happened before, I faded away from the conversation and can’t tell you what we were discussing.  I became totally side tracked at the fact I was standing with these fabulous ladies from all over the world.  (I wonder what my face looks like when I am totally thinking of something else besides the current conversation?) Anyway, I just kept staring at each of them, hearing their accents, but not their words.  Then, I really focused on Stefanie.  She fully admits that she doesn’t always catch on to everything people are saying (hmmm…that makes two of us).  All I could think was, “WOW, How did I get here?!” So, I ended up taking a picture of these fantastic ladies that I now call friends.  

 

 

Sometimes it sucks

This is when it sucks.  I came home tonight from a fabulous evening with dear friends to find out that my best friend’s mother had passed away. WHAT?! That is exactly what I said.  I just don’t understand how my life can go so wonderfully and everyone else’s can be so turned upside down!  Let me start with telling you OUR story:

 

I graduated from Daniel High School in 1991 and entered Converse College. I met Lynn Joiner at Converse College and thought she was a big snob.  She had perfect hair and a strand of pearls. Reason to hate her, right?!  It took a few friends (Shannon and Epsie,mainly) to convince me she was alright. I grew to love Lynn over the course of our year at Converse.  Lynn and I decided to transfer to Clemson and move in together.  It only took a few months before we were dating brothers.  We lived in perfect bliss when we started dating brothers.  We made big plans! When Rett and Tony’s sister got married, we tackled each other for the bouquet.  We wanted to make a good impression for all the “Cartersvillians”.  At any rate, I won.  I am pretty sure someone has a picture to prove it.  My point is to tell you that I love my dear friend, Lynn Joiner Rutland. Her parents were the sweetest people I have ever known.  I would give anything in the world to be able to hug her and those around her.  Again, this is when being in Australia sucks. Lynn Joiner Rutland, you are my friend, my sister-in-law, my soul mate.  I love you!

Thanksgiving

Last week I was in the middle of scrubbing the bathtub when I thought, “Wow. It’s Thanksgiving.” When I went to pick up the children, I greeted one of my American friends at school with a “Happy Thanksgiving” in my baseball cap and grimy self from cleaning the house all day.  I guess it was a mixture of cleaning my house, the lack of Fall décor, and the 80 degree weather that made it not feel like Thanksgiving Day.  I was surprised, though, that although I miss my family dearly, I wasn’t overwhelmed with sadness.  I realized quickly my thankful thought of the day:  I grew up in a basketball family that spent many years traveling over Thanksgiving. If we weren’t traveling, we were feeding a bunch of hungry, very tall boys.  Thanksgiving is about making a point to give thanks and enjoying time with those around you (whether it is family, friends, or both).  This year, I am overwhelmed with things to give “thanks”.  We weren’t able to spend the special day with our family, but we were able to have a celebration with some dear friends.

Our Thanksgiving Day was celebrated on Saturday.  Preparing a Thanksgiving meal in Australia is a bit different because you can’t always find the ingredients you need. Thankfully, Gaby and Julie have been here a couple of years, so they are pros. I have a lot to learn about making my own pie crust, preparing the dressing, and roasting pumpkins for pumpkin pie before next Thanksgiving!  We had a day full of GREAT food and laughter (mainly due to my lack of skill in pie crust making).

             Here is Gaby, frying up one of the turkeys. It was "DU-LICIOUS!"

    

So, the kids may have gotten a little wild. No worries, I took care of it. Right, gang?

 

 

 

 

Perfect Angels! They did seem to have so much fun!

 

 

Our "Thankful Tree".  Everyone wrote something they were thankful for on a leaf. Tony didn't love the idea, but I did! I loved reading all of the thankful comments, but my favorite remark came from Gaby. It said, "I am thankful for one of the good things about coming to Australia: Having the Rutland Family as friends for life."

 

 

Me, Janelle, and Julie

 

I am thankful for God's many blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

 

High School Interview

People often say, “Man time flies” or “where did the time go”.  The older I get, the more often those words seep from my lips.  As I sat at the local high school this morning registering my baby girl (high school in Australia begins in the 8^th grade), those and many other thoughts came to my mind.  Hannah Grace had her final interview this morning to complete the registration process. The assistant deputy was lovely and made both of us feel very welcome. The purpose of the interview is so the school can begin to get to know each of the 90 incoming Year 8’s on a personal level. She asked questions to find out her interests, what achievements she has made that she is proud of, what she aspires to be in life, and (the biggest of all in Hannah Grace’s mind) was there any one in particular she would like to have in class with her. As the interview was being carried out, I thought, “How in the world am I sitting here? Wasn’t it yesterday that Papa Ace was leading a group of us in the hospital room, singing ‘Miss Grace’”? I felt my face start to tingle. A good sign I was going to either throw up or pass out. I found myself nodding and smiling as the assistant deputy talked about the wonderful school and the accomplishments of their students, all the while telling myself to keep it together.  There were several minutes there that I couldn’t tell you exactly what was said. I didn’t pass out, though. “Just keep smiling,” I thought. The principal ended up joining us at the end of the interview. A thirty minute interview turned into an hour. I feel that Hannah Grace will be in great hands!  So, in the words of my brother-in-law, “HERE WE GO”! On the up-side, they have a “wine and cheese” gathering for the new parents once school starts in January.  I’m in!

Post Mix

I had another encounter with Australian vs. American words the other day when we were at Subway.  We had ordered our sandwiches and were ready to pay when the guy behind the counter asked if we wanted any drinks. I said “Sure, we’ll take two fountain drinks.” He looked puzzled and the girl next to him chimed in, “Fountain?” I could tell she didn’t understand, so I formed my hand like I was holding a cup and loudly, yet slowly (because that’s what I do when someone doesn’t understand) I said, “FOOUUNTAIN”. She looks at me confused, “Water?”  At this point, we all started giggling.  So now, I start talking even louder and more slowly, and flail my hands in the air as I try to explain what I meant by fountain drink. Not sure why it didn’t occur to me to take her around the corner and point to the machine, but I didn’t.  My hand motions and obnoxious voice worked, though. The boy and girl looked at each other and almost simultaneously said, “Aaaahhhh, post mix!”

Note to self:

Post Mix= Fountain Drink

Melbourne Cup

Tuesday was the day of the much anticipated Melbourne Cup. I should give you a preview of the activities leading up to the festivities, though.

On Monday, after a restless night of sleep due to the pool pump, I decided to treat myself to a manicure.  I should have known everyone in town would be doing the same thing due to the Cup being the very next day!  After touring the mall, I decided to find the shortest line to get my nails done.  Note to self:  Do not find the shortest line!  Nyenahjsuang (I am sure that is not how you spell it) went straight to work on my nails.  She talked (in a language I didn’t understand) the whole time and ripped away at my cuticles.  I was prepared to put Neosporin on my fingers, straight away!  I was pretty certain whatever she was saying in her language was naughty as the “head lady” kept giving her the evil eye.  At one point the head lady said, “Nyenahjsuang, you take lunch?!”  All I could think was, “Wait, My nails aren’t painted yet!”  No worries, my nails were finished.  The only problem was getting in the car.  I carefully found my keys in my purse and clicked the unlock button.  As I opened the door, I realized (ONCE AGAIN) that I was on the wrong side of the car.  In an instant, my newly polished nails were ruined.  I didn’t squeal, but I flicked my hand around so quickly to shut the door that I ruined my perfectly manicured left hand.  One day, I will master my friend Janelle’s maneuver of calmly placing her bags down in the passenger seat! I decided to call it a day after that!

On Tuesday, the festivities began! I met up with Amy and Erica so that we could walk to the party together.  I should mention that the party we went to was another fundraiser held by the school.  I love these fundraisers!  Before heading to Ahmet’s (the place for the party), we popped into the TAB. I have walked by this place numerous times, but never realized what it was. The TAB was a happening place on Tuesday because this is where some serious bets are placed.  I was the big spender, betting a whopping $10 on “Americain” (I had to choose that horse) to win, place, or show. He didn’t do either of those! We walked on to Ahmets and were greeted with a glass of champagne. The day was full of laughter, door prizes, good food, and of course the race! We stayed until it was time to pick up the children.  I should add that, after walking around town in my heels all day, my feet were ruined!  My sweet friend, Julie, dropped everything to come and pick us up and carry us home!  Thank you, Julie!

Placing all bets! I look like I know what I am doing, don't I?

 

TROUBLE!

 

Utensils? Silly Chryssa! Just pick it up and eat it with your hands!

 

Lots of laughs!

 

 

 

sorry

This is a very impromptu blog, but I had to share.  I was sitting on the couch with my children tonight watching the X-Factor.  I am not sure what brought the conversation up, but we started talking about how Australians are so free with their words.  Hannah Grace said, “Yes, my friend Hannah is so sweet, but she was upset the other day and said, ‘Holy fucking shit’”.  Go ahead and pull yourself off of the floor because I already did.  Ellis went along and piped in, “Yeah, my friend slammed his finger in the door and said, ‘oh fuck!.’”

 

I am sorry for not bleeping out these words, but you need the opportunity to pull yourself off of the carpet as I did.

Australian Slang

I have been keeping a list of terms I have heard when talking to some of the Australians. Most of them make sense, but a few need translation (at least for me).  After a talk with an Australian friend of mine on Friday, I decided it was time to post the list.

Capsicum= red bell pepper

Sultanas: raisins

Esky= cooler

Shrapnel= change

Full stop= period

Note= $ bill

Groty= dirty

Fortnight= two weeks

Mozzy= mosquito

Larrikin= someone with no shame, but is always likeable

Togs= swimsuit

Jumper= light jacket

Root= The F bomb

Cheeky= flirtatious, silly

Cheers= The greeting I hear more than “G’day mate”

Good on ya= Way to go

Car Park= Parking lot

Rock Melon= Cantaloupe

Booking= appointment

Car Park= Parking lot

Hotel= Usually a name followed by the word “hotel” is a pub.

 

On Friday, I found out I have incorrectly been using a word in Australia AND America.  I was talking about the hill by our house and I said, “That hill is such a booger!” Amy (my Australian friend who fills me in on words I don’t quite get) said, “Do you mean bugger?” (pronounced bugga) I said, “I don’t think so. I mean that hill is a booger.” When Tony corrected me, we all rolled with laughter that I never knew the correct terminology.

It gets better, though:

Amy and I were having a conversation and I said, “I guess I just pulled that out of my fanny.” After we finished chatting, Amy whispered, “When you said fanny earlier, I know what you meant, but you may want to hold back on using the word ‘fanny’ here.” Me (shocked): “Really, WHY?” Amy went on to inform me that fanny means the female girl part when people use the word that starts with P and ends with y.  Surely you all can figure that out without me spelling it! I was horrified! What is funny to me is that most Australians I have met are very free with their words.  Curse words are commonly heard.  I try to hold back by saying fanny, and it is offensive. Yay, me!

The magpie strikes again!

The magpie strikes again!  Only this time, it wasn’t an attack on me:

 

The children and I met some friends at the park the other day before heading into the city to have lunch with Tony.  This particular day, it was extremely hot and humid.  Hannah Grace rode her bike, while Ellis and I walked.  We were on our way home, melting in the heat.  Hannah Grace was quite a bit ahead of us, ready to get home and jump in the pool.  I could see her ahead as she quickly turned her bike around and began peddling fast towards us.  I whispered, “Oh no”, because I was certain I knew why she was heading back in our direction.  As she got closer, I gently took Ellis’s hand and guided us off the walkway.  Her eyes were huge, her shoulders were tucked up by her ears, and she was laughing as she yelled, “It’s chasing me!” I watched as she raced up the hill, followed by the dang magpie swooping her. I am not sure what is worse: stepping out of the way in order to avoid being swooped OR belly laughing at Hannah Grace being swooped?

In the states, when I walk, I avoid streets with dogs that might try to eat me.  Here, I avoid streets with magpie nests.  I am running out of streets.  This girl is ready for the end of magpie season!

Here is the solution to avoid magpie attacks while riding a bike:

 

OOPS, I Did It Again!

I talked to my sister last week and she commented on how much she laughs when she reads my blogs. I told her that I was considering renaming my blog to “I am not funny, I am just an idiot.”  This weekend confirmed that thought…

 

We had our first Australian wedding to attend this past weekend at Caloundra Beach (about an hour from Bulimba).  The wedding was for a couple that Tony met when our friend Lee was here back in March.  Patrick and Shelley are from Canada and Tony loves hanging out with them. Unfortunately, our schedules have been so busy that I had not met either of them before their big day. 

We woke up early Saturday to head to Caloundra. The kids and I have been so excited to go to the beach, so we wanted to get there in time to splash around before the 3:30 wedding. We wore our swimsuits in the car, so that we wouldn’t waste a minute before jumping in! We were about 45 minutes into our trip when I got those bug eyes, looked at Tony, and could only muster up an “Oh my gosh”.  I don’t know why it hit me, but all of a sudden I had a vision of the clothes at home that I had forgotten to grab on the way out the door.  Remember now, I was wearing my swimsuit in the car.  As much as I like my swimsuit and cover-up, I was certain that I would not make a good first impression with the bride if I wore that to her wedding.  Tony had a good laugh and kept driving towards Caloundra. 

We arrived at our hotel, Tony and the kids went to the pool, and I headed out to the street in hopes to find an appropriate dress for the wedding that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. It took a little over an hour, but the trip was successful. I found several things, including a dress that went perfectly with my black Nike flip-flops that I wore on the trip over. I can only imagine what people must have thought about my taste in dressy shoes.

The setting (Shelley Beach) was beautiful for the wedding!  It was a rocky beach that created huge sprays when the waves crashed up against them.  We took our seats along with the handful of guests in attendance.  At one point, Patrick and Shelley sat at a table that was positioned directly in front of my seat.  As I said earlier, I had not met Patrick and Shelley before now.  I so desperately wanted to lean over and whisper, “It’s so nice to meet you.” I didn’t know if she would think it was funny, so I refrained.  Luckily, the wedding ended before the sandcastle that Ellis was building with his feet could get any larger.  We chatted with Patrick and Shelley and gave them our congratulations before heading to the rocks to try and get a picture of the kids. I imagined it would make a great picture for our Christmas card.  I believe Ellis made it to the second rock before sliding on his bum the rest of the way.  Meanwhile, the wedding guests posed for a group picture with the bride and groom.  Not to worry, the photographer said she could crop us into the photo. So, there we were, standing on the beach with several feet between each of us, posing for a photo we had completely missed. Hopefully my flip-flops and Ellis’s pants didn’t make the cut!

 Yes, that is how close my chair was to the bride and groom. There were actually a row of chairs, but we moved per photographers request. Everyone else moved their chair. I left mine (along with the flops) as I darted out of the way.

                     Hannah Grace said it looked like Ellis pooped in his pants.

                                      It pretty much did.

This picture was taken the next day when we went kayaking and swimming at Caloundra Beach.

A week of driving under my belt

I survived a week of driving without anyone being hurt or any damages being done to the car.  Thank goodness!  Hannah Grace started her golf lessons, so we were out and about each morning.  It still baffles me that these sweet Australians trust me to drive a car without taking a test. The following describes the events throughout the week.

 

Day One: It was the Queen’s Holiday, so not many cars were on the road. It was rainy out, so I was very thankful for the lack of cars.  My hands were holding on for dear life at 10 and 2.  I was sweating, despite running the air condition.  We didn’t listen to music and no one was allowed to talk while the car was moving.  My friend from Texas, Janelle, told me to sing, “To the left, to the left” (Beyonce’s lyrics) to remind me what side of the road I should be on.  The song ran through my head the entire drive. I think I went to bed singing it.

Day Two: The sun was out and so were the cars. Everyone was back to work and back on the roads.  Hands still at 10 and 2, but I was no longer strangling the steering wheel. “To the Left” was still echoing in my head.  After dropping off Hannah Grace at the golf course, Ellis and I went to the grocery store.  I managed to get in on the wrong side of the car…AGAIN! It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t squeal with laughter, yelling at Ellis “Look what I did”, drawing the attention from all of the people passing by. 

Day Three: One hand on 2, the other by my side.  We listened to music and had conversations.  I was getting the hang of it.

Day Four: By day four, man was I feeling good.  I had a hand at 2 and then I would change and have a hand at 10. I changed lanes. We sang along to songs. I actually changed the radio station. We had great conversations.  It was during one of those conversations that both hands went back to 10 and 2 and I sang, “to the left, to the left”.  Don’t worry, I was on the left side of the road. I just had to remind myself. I had become so relaxed that for a split second, I thought, “WAIT, am I doing this right?” 

 

Day Five:  Tony took the day off from work.  He took Hannah Grace and I haven’t driven again.

Hervey Bay

Ever since Tony told me we were going whale watching, I envisioned the wonderful blog that I would write. No funny stories, just wonderful memories from our trip.  Hmm, I should have known it would not be that rosy.

 

Tony planned a memorable trip to Hervey Bay, just north of Brisbane. Hervey Bay is a four hour drive, so we made it a weekend trip. Just before 7 in the morning on Saturday, we ventured out to catch the shuttle to our boat. The moment the captain stepped off the bus to greet us and said, “The conditions could not be worse for a boat tour”, we should have turned around and walked away.  No, we didn’t.  We continued on to pick up two more families and then off to the marina.  As we stepped on the dock, despite the calm seas at the marina, you could see the rough waters out past the jetty.  I shot a quick glare to Tony, but we marched on to greet even more families already on the catamaran. The captain stressed again how rough the water was and gave us multiple opportunities to back out.  I tried oh so hard, but little Ellis’s eyes batted up at me and he said, “Please, Mommy, let’s go.”  My mind told me to load everybody back in the van, but I couldn’t deny my little fella the opportunity for this adventure.  So, we set sail.

To say the water was rough might be a bit understated.  When I asked Tony to go and get me a life jacket, Hannah Grace’s eyes alone showed how mortified she was at the thought. “NO, MOM!” leapt from her mouth.  No turning around and no life jacket.  I am pretty sure we were not 2 hours into our SEVEN hour trip when Ellis began feeding the marine life with all that was in his tummy.  No turning back, no life jacket, and a sea sick child. *yippee* Although, I did not like the idea of my child being sick, I could handle his throw up. The sound and sight of everyone else throwing up, however, didn’t do so much for me. At that point, I didn’t care that I wasn’t wearing a life jacket. I was ready to hurl myself into the bay and offer myself as breakfast to the whales. 

The seven hour trip (I kept singing Gilligan’s Island theme song using “seven hour tour” in my head) was not a total loss.  Because the waters were so choppy, the whales were very active.  I loved seeing them fly in the air.  That part was thrilling.  Once we had seen several pods of whales, we moved to calmer water blocked by sandbars and used the sails to guide us.  At this point, everyone seemed to be feeling much better.  Ellis became a new child, running and jumping across the catamaran. I decided his seasickness probably helped with my nerves. I don’t know that I could have handled running and jumping when the boat was being tossed from side to side.  So, in the end, all was good.  We ALL agree, though, next time we will commit to half a day only in calm waters. 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday

This week began the two week “holiday” for the children. I feel a little guilty that the children are already on break after such a wonderful summer. Just a little guilty, though. I think I will really like this “alternative schedule”, “modified calendar”, or whatever else you would like to call it.

We are only on our fourth day off, but we have stayed quite busy. One of the things we did yesterday was meet some other “mums” and children at one of the many parks in Bulimba. We were halfway there (of course, we were bike riding and walking) when I realized that I didn’t think to bring a water bottle. No problem. We stopped by the Fish and Chips Take-Away on the corner and picked up two Gatorades and a water.  Ten dollars and twenty cents later, we were on our way! When we arrived at the park, I realized quickly that meeting at the park on a Wednesday morning at 10 was a lot different than what I had ever done before. Let’s just say, I was quite unprepared. They all had their blankets and baskets that were full of goodies. One mom brought homemade mini quiches, another brought homemade cupcakes, one brought an assortment of fruit, and another brought a variety of finger foods on fabulous display in a sectioned container along with a thermos of coffee and REAL coffee cups to share. Shew, thank goodness I stopped and picked up those drinks.  All I had to offer was gum.  “Dentyne, anyone?”

 

Next week, Hannah Grace is participating in a golf camp.  That is the great thing about two week breaks throughout the school year. The community gets involved and offers all kinds of activities for the children.  Anyway, she starts golf which means I start driving. This should concern anyone on the roads in or near Bulimba considering I went to practice driving yesterday, hopped in the car, shut the door, and stared at the dash in front of me. Yep, that is right; I was in the passenger seat.  Perhaps I should get one of those signs for my car, “DRIVER IN TRAINING”!

Buffett in Brisbane

I was a young 14 years of age when I attended my first Buffett concert.  It was at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson and I was with my best friend, Amy Sefick.  Many, many concerts would follow over the years.  I married a “parrothead”, so the trips to concerts continued. I have seen him in Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans, Birmingham, and now Brisbane.  The acoustic concert with Mac MacAnally last night may have been my all-time favorite.  It was not a typical Buffett concert. A stage was literally plopped down in the middle of the botanical gardens. The setting could not have been more beautiful! Instead of the usual crowd of thousands, I would be surprised if the crowd last night reached one thousand. Lawn chairs were tied together for the seating area. Instead of a huge band with dancing girls, the stage held Jimmy, Mac, their guitars, and a percussionist.  The stars were glistening, the moon was shining, and the music was incredible. I have to say, it was a perfect night.

The pictures below don’t do the concert any justice, but I thought I would share. I had to pick the video clips carefully. I need to remember NOT to sing when I am recording a video! I have attached a video to my facebook page of Jimmy's additional lyrics to Margaritaville. The video was too long for me to download to my computer...well, I couldn't figure it out.

 

 

Lunch at Myriam's

Yesterday I was invited to a lunch hosted by the wife of Tony’s boss, Myriam.  My chauffeur (haha, Julie!) had to cancel because her child was sick, so I had to quickly figure out how to get from Harrison St. to Moray St.  Lucky for me, the City Cat (river taxi) was able to drop me just a few blocks from Myriam’s apartment.  Apartment, mind you, does not seem to appropriately describe where Myriam and her husband reside.  It is located just off the river on the top floor of a five floor building with amazing views of the city. Stunning!  Just as wonderful, were the ladies (other wives of Fluor employees) that were there and the food she served!  Of course, having lunch with the wife of Tony’s boss made me quite a bit nervous. I wanted to make sure I was on my best behavior. My only mishap of the day was when I locked myself in the restroom.  When the door did not open after two tries, I glanced over my shoulder to see a look of horror in my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were wide and my mouth more than open.  I cupped my hand over my mouth, holding back laughter and screams.  I thought, “What now, Sherlock?”  I honestly thought I would have to bang on the door for someone to come to my rescue! Just before I yelled for help, I thought, “Surely, I can figure this out.” Thankfully, I did. Who knew that if you pushed the button down on TOP of the doorknob, that you would then push the button UP on the BOTTOM of the doorknob?  Good grief, you can’t take me anywhere!

The following pictures include the view from Myriam’s “apartment” and a group picture. I wasn’t in the picture because I was still trying to decide how to make my escape from the bathroom! (Just kidding, I took the picture)

 

Bulimba Fete

We had a fabulous afternoon on Saturday at the Bulimba Fete (the children’s school festival). As with all school festivals, it was chaos and madness for me and PURE JOY and EXCITEMENT for the children! By the end of the day, we were all pooped! Below are some pictures taken at the festival.

                                         A view from above. Tony wanted me to point out

                                         the 4 X gold tent in the mix. It was a BAR! I don't

                                         know about everyone else, but our school back home

                                         does not serve alcohol. It was a HUGE hit, though!

                                      Hannah Grace working hard at "Cupcake Evolution"!

                                      Sure is a good thing she is wearing those gloves while

                                  she keeps track of the money! The Cupcake Evolution was 

                                      run by Hannah Grace's class. They brought in $3,000!!!

                            

 

                           Hannah Grace and her friend from school that lives down the street.

Ellis made this flower arrangement for me at the flower stall!

Too sweet!

Jazzercise...Aussie Style!

Jazzercise…Aussie style!

 Tony has said for years (well, since 1995) that I am addicted to Jazzercise.  Probably true.  Before I was even sure that we were moving to Australia, I was searching for the local Jazzercise.  I was thrilled to see little red dots, indicating Jazzercise centers, on the Australian map.  Once Tony moved in, I had him locate the closest center to our house.  WOOHOO…the class is within walking distance of our house (cause we know I am not driving)! He even went as far as e-mailing the instructor.  Can you imagine my thoughts when Hazel (the instructor) responded telling him that class is held at the local Senior Center?  I was certain Hazel would be white haired and I would be dancing around ladies with walking canes.  Much to my surprise, Hazel’s hair was not white and the class consisted of people of all ages (just like at home)! The songs were familiar, the moves were the same…oh the joy! Today was my second class.  (Bulimba only offers one class a week, but there are other classes in the area…again, the driving thing)   I was greeted by some of the same faces as last week and some new ones. My laugh of the day came when a girl named Joelle introduced me to some ladies not there last week and said I was great to watch during class. She mentioned that I had “different moves that I brought from the American classes.”  HAHaHaHaHaHaHa! Okay, we’ll go with that. I just hope she doesn’t visit a Jazzercise class in America anytime soon.  She will realize quickly that my moves aren’t “American Jazzercise” they are just quirky Chryssa moves!

Furniture and Driving

I tend to write my blogs when Tony is at work and the children are at school. Having said that, I left two important details out that happened over the weekend (while Tony and the children were home):

1. OUR FURNITURE ARRIVED! I haven't slept in MY bed since June 3rd. Boy, was it heaven! It was like Christmas in August!  We had so much fun unpacking!

Oh, we were so happy to see this truck!

 

2. I actually drove to the store. I was absolutely horrified!  The only talking I allowed in the car was Tony telling me if I was in the correct lane.Here are the problems with me driving in Australia:
 a. The steering wheel is on the opposite side of the car as the U.S.
 b. The cars ride on the opposite side of the road as the U.S.
 c.  In some spots, they have "round abouts" where you merge into a circle and then exit off on the road you need.  UGH!
 d. Because the wheel is on the opposite side, my perception is completely off.  Tony had to yell a few times in order for me to avoid side swiping cars parked in the road. I missed the cars, but did rub the curb a time or two.

I think I will stick to walking.  I am happy to take bets, though, on how long it takes me to take a side view mirror off a car. 

Yep, I was terrified! And yep, my grip was quite tight on that wheel!

First Day of School update

Well, the first day of school was a success! They were full of smiles when I picked them up! Here are a few things they noted about school:

They were both amazed at the number of breaks they have.  They have a 30 minute recess plus an hour lunch and recess.  This was after having a morning assembly.  Tony and I left that assembly too early, by the way.  Ellis's teacher gave him a "Welcome Award". He was excited he got to go to the front of the entire school to collect his award.  Hannah Grace, on the other hand, was thrilled her name was not called out!

The language taught at school is Italian.  Hannah Grace had her 30 minute lesson yesterday.  She said the teacher only spoke in Italian. She said she just sat there and thought, "HUH?" At least she laughed when telling me this and didn't cry!

They both hope they do not leave their lunch at home.  They do not serve school lunch.

The school has a no hat, no recess policy. They also have sunscreen for the children, if they did not wear it to school. They have to wear a hat even though the playground is covered with huge shades. I love it, though!

All smiles after the first day of school!

Dang Birds!

I am surprised the headline in the newspaper today doesn’t say:

“AMERICAN GIRL SUFFERS MILD HEART ATTACK AFTER BEING SPOOKED BY AUSTRALIAN BIRD”!

It was another beautiful day to stroll the streets of Bulimba.  My laces were tied, hat on, and music in my ears.  I bebopped down the street, having a wonderful day! I get about halfway from my house when the sound of a leather whip cracking interrupts my beautiful music. Startled, I look over my shoulder to see what in the world the sound was. Nothing.  I face forward to continue my walk. There the dang sound was again! I glance to the left of my shoulder only to see the shadow of a bird and it’s full wingspan flying behind me. I then watch as the shadow perches itself on a gate.  Hmmm.  I keep walking. “WHIP!” There it was again! This time I squeeze my booty cheeks, walk a little faster, and once again see the shadow of a bird flying behind me and then perching itself on the fence.  It happened AGAIN! I wanted to go into a full on sprint, but was afraid I would alarm the bird. Each time I heard the sound of the whip, I would look to my left and see the shadow.  By the fifth time, I was squealing and laughing at the same time. I was terrified that this bird was going to eat me, but cracking up at the thought of anyone watching this scene out their front window.  I swear these birds are out to get me!

Monday, August 27^th

First Day of School:

 

The children popped on their uniforms and headed out for the first day of school. We walked as a family to Bulimba State School.  School begins each day at 8:45…we were there by 8:20. The classroom doors don’t open until 8:30, so the kids were free to run around on the playground.  Ellis jumped right in. Hannah Grace wasn’t as excited. She stood over to the side with us. Oh, she was working hard to fight back those tears! We were greeted immediately by Janelle, the school family liaison.  She was so sweet and helpful! She tried to make Hannah Grace feel comfortable and gave us some great tips, as well. The bell rang and before I could get to Ellis, he was already getting settled into his new class. 

When we registered the children on Friday, we found out that the Year 7 class is on a field trip to Sydney and Canberra through Thursday.  After talking to the school deputy (assistant principal), Cheryl Kennedy, we decided it would be a good idea for Hannah Grace to start school this week. There are a handful of students that did not make the field trip, so she is with them and some Year 6 students. We are hoping that will help her to not be so overwhelmed when her class returns. Keep your fingers crossed!

At 9:00, the classes gathered for a group assembly. Parents are welcome, so we stayed behind to get an idea of what goes on at the school. Ellis was surrounded by his classmates—they were oh so curious about this new student! Hannah Grace was in the back giggling with the sweet girl next to her. Shew!  The assembly began with the Australian National Anthem (we’ll be downloading that one today), stating the Bulimba State School creed, and then a prayer. We scooted out after that in order to get Tony off to work. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the children will have smiles on their faces when I pick them up this afternoon!

This is the view from one of the classrooms.The school

is set at the top of  a hill in Bulimba.

Hannah Grace at the assembly...

with a smile on her face!

I love how the children swarmed Ellis!

Walking to school. I can't imagine what

was going through their minds! Probably,

"MOM, PUT THE CAMERA AWAY!"

Mrs. Speight helped Ellis feel very welcome!