Bordeaux

Some times you just have to be happy with a small win - I got to spend a week in Bordeaux for work swapping the middle of winter for the middle of summer. I missed Kel and the kids the whole time, but rather than missing home I was wishing they were with me, they all would have had a blast.

Bordeaux is basically all UNESCO World Heritage listed, it is beautiful (see a few of the snaps). We stayed in the centre of town so it was a week of cafes and pastries, seafood rather than snails and some OK Bordeaux red. A small side trip out to the beach in Arcachon, which was significantly different to the Sydney beach experience.

In all a long way to go for the week but I'd take again next winter without any complaints, I'd just take Kelly along.

Builders

After reading this blog post today, Luca and Scout thought they better get to work practicing their building skills for our upcoming visit to casa de Christianson. You just never know when the "newly accredited LEED professional" will put them to work. -kel

A day on the train

Luca and Scout don't get to ride public transport that often and we know from the few times we have done it that Luca, probably like most little boys, loves riding the bus, train and ferry. We had a couple of errands to run in the city so for something different we caught the train in across the Harbour Bridge. We don't live on the train line so it is a little out of the way but any small inconvenience was well worth it to watch Luca's reaction - he hasn't stopped telling us how "SUPERFAST" the train travelled and he was absolutely enthralled the whole way there.

Stinky Feet

Luca has taught Scout all kinds of things...how to ask for more, how to give hugs, how to smell her feet. Yep that's right super handy and useful, Luca has her smelling her stinky feet on daily basis. I can only imagine the tricks he will be teaching her in the future. -kel

Rainy weekends

It's been nothing but rain, rain, rain here for the last three weeks. When I say rain, I mean pouring down soaked to the bone rain the second you step outside rain. Rain in Sydney, nothing like rain in Seattle!

The rain stopped last Sunday for all of an hour, Mark and Luca took advantage and headed out for some exploring. They came home full of smiles, a bit wet and faces covered in chocolate "whiskers".

Forecast for this weekend....rain! -kel

Fashionista

She is developing a style all her own!

Auckland, New Zealand

May has been a busy month. We've been up to all sorts of craziness, the weather has changed to non-stop constant pouring rain making getting two kids in and out of the car a serious challenge, Mark's started winter swimming and I've been traveling for work.

Last week I was in Auckland, New Zealand for business. Coincidentally one of the girls who works for me was also there the same week conducting our annual stock count at DHL. I extended my trip by one day to experience the stock take first hand. In the past I've had the pleasure of sitting in the office and signing off the final figures, not this time. I was harnessed up to a forklift and sent to count on the highest shelf, about 3.5 stories high in the warehouse. It was pretty amazing, the DHL team thought we were crazy with all of the photos I took, but here are a few. Seriously we were really really high and it was a bit scary. The stocktake was successful, we practiced our New Zealand accents ate pineapple lumps and even had enough time for a quick shopping trip before crossing the Tasman to come home! -kel

Mothers Day

A beautiful day, casual lunch, play at the park and two adorable kids. I was even spoiled with a lovely new necklace. We had a fantastic Mothers Day. -kel

Hanging on the Porch

Saturday while Mark mowed the lawn the kids watched from the porch. They had a snack and were playing so happily together. I tried to capture this moment on film...I have so becoming the annoying Mommy saying "smile...smmmmiiiiilllleee...Luca, Scout look at mommy, over here...smile." I gave up after about 50 shots, thank goodness for digital cameras! -kel

Easter 2010

After a casual Easter morning at home, a walk to the park and a beautiful day in Sydney we headed to a friends house for the mothers group Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Bunny left foot prints marking the way, Luca and Scout both filled their baskets and had a blast. Happy Easter wishing you and your family all the best! -kel

Pearl Beach

It's been ages since we have had a weekend getaway. Kelly and her friend Katie found a great place at Pearl Beach on the Central Coast of NSW about 90 minutes from where we live. The Central Coast has grown with a lot of people commuting to Sydney however Pearl Beach has somehow remained largely immune to these changes and is an isolated area, very leafy, with no shops other than the local cafe and filled with weekenders.

The weather was superb for this time of year, 29 degrees C (I think that equates to the high 80's F) so we spent a lot of time walking to grab coffee's and checking out the neighborhood, playing in the yard of the place we rented and swimming at the beach.

Our friends Dieter and Katie have two boys who are a couple of years older than Luca but who are great at including him so he had a blast and got to sleep in the room with them. Scouty just had a lot of new exploring to do and was racing everywhere. Great food (thanks Kel) and great company, a relaxing way to spend a weekend while not being so far from home.

Breaking in the new picnic blanket

Over the last couple of years Kelly has made some awesome quilts and it pains me each time she gives one away. We get to keep the newest one and on Sunday we gave it a run with a picnic at our favourite Harbour spot.

Although we are now well into fall, summer really hasn't left and we are still getting days (weeks) in the 90's. Great weather for an early morning visit to the zoo before heading off for our picnic. The kids love the zoo and because we only see a small amount each time they get to see new things quite often. One place we always visit is the farm animals and petting zoo - this week they both got to pat rabbits and blue tounge lizards.

The blanket got a good workout, ants and all, and mummy and daddy got an even better workout keeping Scout out of mischief.

Scout

She is so much fun...and I get to dress in her pink! -kel

Scout Lingo Lesson #1

I haven’t done a lingo lesson in a long time. We’ve recently had a friend visiting from the states who pointed out all sorts of my funny slang. I hardly seem to notice anymore…

Scout is starting to talk , while there is no discernible Aussie accent it might be because her vocabulary is fairly limited:

Mamma –
Please give me that object right in front of me, no not that one the other one.
or
Please give me whatever Luca has NOW.
or
I am hungry.
or
Please pick me up.
or
Don’t put me down.
or
Luca pushed/kicked/bumped/wrestled/grabbed or took something from me.
or
I want to go outside even if it is night/rainy/blazing hot.
or
I want to climb the cement stairs even if I am hardly able and basically look as though I am going to fall and crack my tiny head right open at any moment.
or
Please give me the remote control for anything, I am not picky, the stereo, tv, computer, hard drive etc as long as there are lots of buttons to push.
or
Look at me I am jumping on the bed/couch/foot stool and at any moment I will fall off.

Occasionally we get a bye, night night, daddy or papa out of her, but mostly it’s just mamma for everything all the time at various volumes and speeds!

Photo of Mark and Scout in the doorway to the kids room, one would think, being the daddy's girl she is, her word of choice would be dadda not mamma! -kel

A Step Toward Independence

A momentous day for all of us. Luca started pre-school today and he did it in style. To ease him into it he only had to go for an hour today. We had been building school up for the past week but deep inside I think Kel and I had expected a hard separation... but how wrong we were. Luca had a bit of a death grip on my hand as we approached the school but as soon as the gate was opened and the teacher invited him in, he walked in turned around once and said "bye" to Kel and I and walked off into the classroom like he'd been doing it for years. We picked him up after an hour and he told us he had a great time. Mum and dad were proud, relieved, happy and sad all in five mins ... our boy is growing up.

Toy Story in 3D

Luca really hasn't been to the movies at the cinema before so it was with a lot of ambition that I took him to the Toy Story double feature. Added complexity in that it was the 3D version so he had to wear glasses the entire time. But with a monster tub of popcorn for help he did exceptionally well to make it through about three hours of movies without a single complaint, he just said about 3/4's the way through the second movie we can watch the rest at home dad and he got up to leave.... and so we were off.

Bad light, no flash and a phone camera but you get the idea from the photo... we had a lot of fun, as did Luca's Buzz Lightyear and Woody action figures who came with us.

Zoo

As one of Scout's Birthday presents we got an annual family pass to the Sydney Zoo.  The zoo is only about 20 min. from our house, has fantastic exhibits and amazing views over the Sydney Harbor.  It was a cool and cloudy day when we went, but the kids had a blast.  Here are a few pics from our trip.  I am sure with an annual pass we'll have many more pics to share! -kel

One

Today Scout turned one.  My how quickly this last year has gone.  Here she is this morning enjoying a yummy breakfast.  She is cheeky and adorable, super cuddly and one of the happiest kids I know.  Her curls are turning a redish blond and growing so long that barrettes or piggy tails are now a daily must.  We love you Scouty, here is to another fantastic year! -kel

Super Mark

9:30 PM last night, kids in bed, washing up finished, time for a Sunday night movie, that was until we were interrupted by a visitor…  

Mark pulled off a minor miracle, proved his true and unwavering love for me and fought off a lizard running around our house with a toy reindeer. Seriously people this was funny stuff, the lizard was like a speed demon at one point running all over our ceiling.  

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Mark lately? He is funny, really funny fighting a lizard with a toy reindeer, and super handy to have around when it comes to reptile repellent.

I didn't capture last night on film, but with skills like these I felt this photo did Mark's super awesome-ness justice!–kel  

(ps neither the reindeer nor the lizard were harmed)

Swing

Scout loves the swings, here she is today having a blast. Below with Luca on the slide, looking at that sibling love. -kel