Luke's first contribution to our blog

Luke would like you all to watch and enjoy this short clip.  It's currently a commerical showing over here and he thinks it is the best!  Maybe that's because it could totally be what could happen to the two of us!  FYI...the spider in the video is the Huntsman...the same visitor we have encountered a couple of times so far. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxwkXOoplwA

Lisa’s Lessons “Learnt” Lately

Those of you who are a little frustrated with me because I owe you a long email or a new blog, I apologize (that’s apologise in Australian spelling.)  Yes, I have been busy and have gotten behind on things, but this is what I consider to be a good thing for me right now.  Getting a little of the old Lisa over here kind of felt nice.  I’ve missed her a tiny bit.  J  So no worries!  I am back and this time with some much needed routine in my life- finally! I promise to try harder. 

Here are some things I have recently experienced or “learnt” as the Aussie’s say. 

1.       Being a “Stay at Home Wife” is nothing to be envious of  As I try to adjust to this new role, I’m not sure exactly where the glory is because for some reason I still am very busy and the days still go by very quickly with everything that still needs to be done.  I cook, clean, organize, then reorganize, pick up things that get left on the floor, work on my blogs, email, exercise, and sweat in our no A/C little apartment.  I must carefully plan menus because food doesn’t seem to last very long over here.  There is no High Fructose Corn Syrup in anything and little or no preservatives to make items last for years and years.  For example, you really have to drink all your milk in a matter of days or it will go bad.  I could write an entire blog on this alone.  Going to the grocery store can be a timely task.  Luckily, we have three stores within a 5-10 minute walk so taking a few bags and making the walk up the hill is something I enjoy doing several times a week.  I have to stick to my list and only choose what I can carry because I have to make it back home with it all!  For some strange reason the walk back seems to take much, much longer.  The lights take forever to change for you to be able to cross the road- especially whenever you have very heavy and full bags.  I just can’t learn- I always end up buying too much.  I love going to the grocery store!!!  We have recently found out that many people shop for their groceries online and for only a $9.00 fee, it can all be delivered to you!  This has now been added to my long “to do” list of “Find out more about this.” 

Yes, I’m an addict to lists.  I always have been.  I love sticky notes, small pads of paper that can fit in my purse, and I also email myself things so I don’t forget.  My lists get separated into categories so they don’t appear as long.  Also, after crossing a few things off of a list I then feel the need to make a whole new list on new paper.  I never realized my condition was this bad until now!! Uh oh! 

As I’ve mentioned before, the laundry is a daily task…ONE or TWO small loads is taking an entire day to complete but we're happy it's getting done.  J In the past couple of months I have been in charge of being here for furniture and appliance deliveries and also to let in the locksmith, the plumber, the realtor, the Fire Marshall, etc.  For deliveries, the delivery guy will call or text you the night before the delivery to tell you the 2-4 hour window they will show up.  Our final delivery should be by the end of this week with our other couch and ottoman.  Woo!  I get to plan some of our future adventures and look up “what’s on” for the upcoming weekend in case we want to attend an event.  I mostly walk to do my errands which can take anywhere from 5 to 40 minutes to get there…one way.  If the weather is nice, I love it!  I also might take the bus, ferry, or train if I need to go a bit farther.  First, I have to figure out which one to take and at what time it will depart and arrive. 

I am on 24 hour lookout for spiders, lizards, cockroaches, and other critters that might have wandered into our apartment.  I also scan the area when I am walking outside constantly so that I am prepared to deal with what might jump out or fall out of a tree from above.   I work on learning conversions such as how fast to run on the treadmill in kilometers an hour, how far meters and kilometers are away, ordering meat at the grocery store or butcher (more on this one below in #2), figuring out the temperature in Celsius vs. Fahrenheit for the weather and for cooking in the oven.  I am thankful for my conversions app on my I Phone!  I also constantly think about my friends and family and what you are all doing. 

It’s exhausting!  How did I do many of these things in my former life in the US also with a full time job where I continued to work nightly and weekends and still have a social life??  I don’t understand!  And most of you are doing all of this AND being busy parents!  Please do not misinterpret this section as complaining.  I’m just stating the fact of how anyone can fill up a day with important things if that’s what your focus is.  I think I’m a pretty good “Stay at Home Wife” right now but I’m very excited to start subbing very soon and extending my abilities!  And let me make this very clear, there are NO “bon bons” being enjoyed in this house. J

2.      Know how much a Kilogram is When ordering any type of meat, be prepared to say how many “kilos” (sounds like kee- low’s) you would like.  Hmmm…I prefer to ask for, “about a handful of prawns” as the man looks at me with a bizarre look.  I don’t even want to try to buy deli turkey again…between the language barrier of the man trying to sell it to me and my lack of confidence in my conversions in a busy line- forget it!  I asked for “just a little bit.” And then tried again with, “not too much.”  And then I ended up just getting 1 kilogram which was too much meat that wasn’t going to be eaten in enough time because Luke was traveling!

3.      Girl’s Nights are important I love Luke dearly but I have missed having my dinners, Bunco nights, dance parties, discussions, and pedicures with close friends.  I have found out that my new girlfriends over here like all of those things, too!!!  YEAH!  J  I have even been invited to join a book club with a group of girls who informed me that it is mostly an excuse to have some girl talk, drinks, and a little night out- but I can read the book if I want because we’ll talk about it briefly.  Hey, this sounds like my Bunco group!  I can’t wait to get started.  I have had a couple of Girls’ Nights already and they were very much needed.  This also encouraged Luke to think about golfing and finding his own “manly” outlet.  It will be good for both of us to start doing these things so that we continue to like each other.  J 

4.      How to deal with having no A/C When I first started thinking about this blog it was a couple of weeks ago when the temperature was in the upper 90’s and 100’s and we were miserable.  We weren’t sleeping and it only took minutes to break into a sweat.  It has recently cooled off a little making it much more comfortable.  I did find out how to survive though.  As you will notice in the pictures below, many restaurants and businesses post a  note on the door that they have air conditioning to basically persuade you into coming inside.  To me, this looked like a nice invitation so I took advantage a few times.  Once inside, the store person always asked, “Are you happy just having a look?” or “Are you happy just having a browse?”  After being asked 2 or 3 times I would advise you move on to another destination.  They don’t mind you using the free air…if you buy something!  ;)  This reminded me of my friend Jen who works at a casino.  She has said how people in the summer seemed to just show up for the free AC.  Hmmm…there is a large casino here in Sydney…not a bad idea!  J  We went to purchase another fan one day.  Actually we were looking to buy a nicer fan this time but places were sold out of everything.  We still need to go back to get one. 

5.      Australia Day is January 26^th Australia Day is a big public holiday that reminded us of The Fourth of July.  It is a day to celebrate being an Australian.  People wear the flag like a cape, have temporary tattoos (pronounced tad-oos) of the country colors, they are all pretty much decked out in everything that stands for Australia. People have barbies, there are fireworks, events are held all over the place, there is a big Ferry Race on the Harbour, and the beaches are packed.  As you will see in the pictures below, there were a lot of “people watching” opportunities at the beach, but not a lot of space to relax.  We still tried.  Luke doesn’t get too many beach days so we took advantage of this Wednesday afternoon and went to Manly Beach.  The water was very rough that day and the lifeguards kept making announcements of how dangerous the “rips” were.  If you choose to get into the water for a swim, you have to stay between the flags that they put in the sand.  Even experienced swimmers get pulled out into the rip and have drown or been very close.  Then they kept announcing that there were many reports of blue bottle stings.  (a common jellyfish here) They gave instructions on what to do: Take out the tentacles with your fingers, wash off the area with fresh water, and get an ice pack from the lifeguard station.  The extreme pain would last for 30 minutes to an hour.  Hmmm…after the numerous announcements, I chose not to get back in the water that day.  Getting stung and/or drowning weren’t really what I call a celebration on a day like this!!! 

6.      Sunset Picnics are a great idea I really wish I would’ve taken a picture the night we had our first sunset picnic.  Sam and Kyra invited us to have a little picnic at a place called Cremorne Point.  It really is a beautiful spot right by the water and it was obvious that this was the place to be for a quiet picnic dinner.  There are so many parks and places to do this over here that I think this is one thing I will want to do with each of you when you come for a visit. 

7.      We’re approaching our one year anniversary Listing this as something I’ve “learnt” really isn’t that weird, I promise.  So much has happened in our first year of marriage and I’ve been going over all of these things that have and haven’t happened in my mind over the past weeks.  I feel like we have been on fast forward at times.  It really is amazing how quickly time goes by and we've really enjoyed our first official year together as a married couple.  I guess I’ve “learnt” that keeping track of our life in the last few months on here has really been a good thing for us! 

8.      If your golf ball goes into “the bush,” don’t worry about getting it Luke might have parted with a few golf balls when he played a couple of weeks ago.  As he ventured into “the bush” he noticed the massive spiders and then thought of the ones that might be hiding where his ball was, so it was well worth the loss!  Our friends, Kim and Bryan, actually had two snakes pay them a visit on the course they played on.  So much to look forward to!

9.      I have an obsession with Australian Spiders  After the visits we have had with a few eight-legged creepies, I am now on a mission to learn as much about ALL of them as I possibly can.  Hey, I’m a teacher and educating yourself when you don’t know about something is very important.  Luke and I stop and stare at the large ones in their webs as we walk around the area we live in.  Some of them really make amazing webs!  I purchased a new book last Friday all about spiders here.  I can’t wait to read it and get some more info about the kinds we have seen outside and a little more about the visitors we’ve had inside.  I do feel much better about the Huntsman Spider.  Apparently, it is a good one to keep around to eat all the bugs that may come inside your house.  I think our apartment is too small to have a giant, hairy spider just roaming around though. 

10.  If you have an I Phone 4, we can use Face Time Michael and Melissa have been “Face Timing” with us.  It is available on the I Phone 4 and is awesome!  It is just like Skype and Google Chat but on your phone.  You just need a Wi Fi signal to make it work.  If you want to do this with us, we’d love it, so let us know! 

11.  A phone call with grandparents is always special This was more of a reminder than a lesson “learnt” but I called my 92 year old grandma a couple of weeks ago.  She always has the best things to say and has supported us doing this adventure from the first time I mentioned it to her.  She is always excited for us and loves that we will have these memories for years to come.  Then we got to talk to Luke’s grandma and grandpa over the weekend.  It is so great to hear their voices and know they are enjoying hearing about our adventures, too.  They make us feel very blessed to have them in our lives and we can’t wait to see all of them when we come back for our first visit!!!

12.  Getting up at 5:15 a.m. helps with “routine” I have always been a person who needs and loves a routine.  I have always liked to get up at the same time each day, have my ritual for getting ready, and then get to school early so I could get things done before the day started.  Then having a set schedule of routines throughout the school day and in the evening, made a completion to my day!  I loved it!!  I lost my “routine” when we moved to Australia.  Without having the same place to go every day, you lose your routine.  Now that we are feeling settled in our place and I have discovered all of the things that keep me “busy” throughout my days, I finally am back in routine mode!  So all of those things I listed in #1 above are now spread throughout the week and I don't feel so overwhelmed.  YEAH, ROUTINES!!  Luke and I have also been waking up early so we can catch a bus to the gym by his office.  This way we can work out before he has to be at the office.  Getting up that early is awful but once we are finished it has given me a few extra hours in the morning to be productive.  Plus it’s been a good thing to do together to keep us motivated.  By the way, Luke has even been convinced to sign up for a triathlon in April with some coworkers.  I am very proud of him!  He is always so busy with work and I think this will be a fun thing for him to have going on.

13.  Another good quote “When we make plans, God laughs.”  Ain’t that the truth????  J 

14.  More words we have “learnt” lately

cheeky = bold or saucy (making a cheeky comment)

commence = to begin or start

queue = the line

a stone = 14 lbs. (someone saying they wanted to lose a “stone or two”)

Bottleshop = liquor store

Pot/pint = the size of beer you want (they don’t really know if you say “a draw”)

Fortnight = every 2 weeks

What’s on = what’s going on or happening

Give it a go! = Give it a try!

Do you know what you’re after? = Do you know what you want?

Hen’s Night = bachelorette party

Buck’s Night = bachelor party

whilst (said with a Long I sound) = while

to hire = rent (a car, a tux, bike, etc.) *we hired a car in Melbourne

sorted = get yourself organized or things planned out

Mackas = McDonald’s (even commercials say “Mackas”)

Uni (you knee) = college

Gaol = prison

rock melon = cantaloupe

Budgie Smugglers = speedos (guess who needs to get a pair of these very soon????? J)

swimmers/boardies = swimsuits and board shorts

Tellie = television

Toilet = bathroom or restroom (They really only say, “Can I go to the toilet?” or “Where’s the toilet?”)

Maths = math

Rubber = an eraser (This one really bothers me!)

See sign in the window

Another one

Hope you had a good Valentine's Day!!

Some beautiful web designs with the morning sun shining on them.

I wish this picture could really show you what I saw. 

Luke and I noticed these birds on a walk home one night.  They looked like owls but we think they might be something else.

Manly Beach on Australia Day

Manly Beach on Australia Day

A fun lunch with the ladies

Rebecca and I with a giant prawn at the Fish Market

Girls' Night for Rebecca's birthday

Feeling Needed

When I first told Luke this would be my next blog title he said, “Well, what do you mean?  I need you!”  (Insert “Aww’s” or eye rolls here.)  J 

I will explain.  After agonizing months of missing teaching, students, having a job, and just the day to day fun of working with children, I was given the opportunity to tutor four American children who are moving back to the States for the past couple of weeks.  I even got asked to help with the girls’ going away party one evening with 40 little screaming 5-8 year olds!  It was such a great time!!!

Those of you who know me well know that any opportunity I get to babysit, spend time with my friends’ kids, or spend time with my nephews is always a major plus for me.  I am having some major withdrawal with that part of back home very much, too.  So when I was asked to tutor I was a little beside myself!  I was able to bring over several of my teaching necessities for tutoring but once I started going through it all, I was missing many key items.  A very big thank you to Trudy for scanning and emailing me several of the things we like to use and to Nicole for some good 6^th grade info.  I wanted to get the kids all set with learning American money, some basic history, measuring in inches, miles, and pounds, and then just an overview of many other basics and reviewing.  The funny thing is that I thought of all of the things I am trying to learn myself over here and so it made it a little easier to think of what to concentrate on.

When the time came for me to start tutoring I was excited but also very nervous.  I tutored the girls together- a kindergartener and 2^nd grader and the boys together – a 5^th grader and 7^th grader.  I had a new challenge of tutoring two kids at a time, who are different ages, and who are siblings!  I always prefer tutoring one students at a time at the library or anywhere except in their own home because they behave accordingly.  We made it work at their kitchen table, but I had to really keep things moving so the distractions of “home” didn’t interfere.

 I did some major planning and it consumed any “free” time I had during the days and nights for days straight.  I wanted to make sure I was challenging enough but also adding some fun in the mix so they were learning and not always realizing it!  Each day I would learn more about each of them and know a little more about what they could do and what else we needed to work on so I spent more time each night tweaking my lessons.  I would leave extra early to go make copies and be sure I could catch a bus into the city.  Then I would have another 25 minute or so walk to get to their apartment.  After 2 hours of tutoring, a follow-up with the mom, and then walking back to catch a bus during the peak time, I was exhausted!!  But you know what?  It felt so great to be so busy and to COMPLAIN about being busy and to just be NEEDED for something important!  J 

On the last day of our tutoring I made a big Jeopardy game so they could all play together except they each had their own board of questions.  They had no clue what “Jeopardy” even was so I just said, “Nevermind, it’s a fun question game!”  We had a good time and then I had made plans to spend the rest of the day with them to do something fun before their move back. 

After speaking to their mom, we decided I would take them on the Sydney Sightseeing Double Decker bus.  The kids were very excited!  We sat on the top part of the bus and went around the city to all of the major sights.  I had done this by myself back in August when we came over for our initial visit but it was a lot better knowing all of these places this time around!  The bus lets you “hop on and hop off” so that you can spend as much time as you’d like at any location.  We got off the bus and had lunch in the “Rocks.”  After trying to encourage them to choose a type of food they may miss when they move back, they still chose Subway!  The oldest and I had takeaway sushi at the little place next door, though.  I like a lot of wasabi and soy sauce when I’m eating sushi.  When I started to squeeze some out onto my container, the kids gasped and said, “You know that’s not avocado, right??”  Something tells me that they learned that the wrong way!

Next, we decided to go to the Sydney Tower which is located in the middle of the city.  They had passes and had not made it there yet in the time living over here so they were really looking forward to going.  It is an amazing view of the whole city and surrounding areas.  You can also see the Blue Mountains and the area beaches in the distance.  It reminded me of being up in the St. Louis Arch and being able to look out at everything. 

These are four really neat kids.  They are polite and fun to be around.  They each even wrote me a very nice thank you card for teaching them “American things.”  If you had asked me a few months ago if I would be up for walking around this massive city being responsible for four children, I’m not sure I would have felt very confident.  But it was great!  They were also loving that they could share some of their favorites (favourites) and some new things I hadn’t yet explored.  They knew that you have to wait at the crosswalk or you’ll get run over, you have to stay together on the busy sidewalks or you’ll get separated, and that if you are wasting time arguing you must not be having fun.  There was very little arguing all day!  J  The girls both held my hands as we walked around and gave me numerous hugs and thank you’s throughout the day.  Being NEEDED felt pretty awesome those several days!  ;)

This is in Hyde Park.  The kids said they love this area because it looks like you are walking through a fairy tale by how the trees look. 

This is a bird I've seen a lot but the kids told me it is called an "Ibis" (I- biss). 

This was a view from the Sydney Tower and you can see the Harbour Bridge in the distance.

100th Day of Australia!

Why in the world is this significant, you ask?  Well, let me tell you!  In the primary grades we celebrate the 100^th day of school each year.  It is monumental because it is a special day to celebrate all of the accomplishments of the school year so far and a milestone for many kiddoes to know they have been working very hard and learning so much for the past 100 school days.  It’s a day of fun activities and celebrations. 

Last week I started tutoring four children which I will discuss more in my next blog.  The kindergartener asked me how long we’ve been in Australia.  I said, “About 3 months.”  She said, “No, how many DAYS???”  So when I told her it must be a little over 90 days her mouth dropped open and she said, “That’s almost 100!”  And I thought, “Whoa, she’s right!” So I took it upon myself to figure out just how many days we really had been here and on Saturday we hit the big old 1-0-0!  J  Despite the many snow days my teacher friends and nephews are dealing with back home, the 100^th day of school has also finally been celebrated in the past week or so.  So to me, I decided to confirm this day of celebration so I didn’t miss out on my yearly fun. 

On Saturday, we were invited to go kayaking with a few of Luke’s coworkers.  The five of us met that morning at Manly Beach and rented our kayaks for around $100.  The temperature that day was close to, if not over 100 degrees.  The first grade teacher in me said to continue to come up with all of the significant 100’s of the day.  (and I did, but silently- not sure it would have had the same effect on the rest of the group!) J  I would say it has been a milestone for us here in Australia.  In our past 100 days, we have dealt with the many, many, MANY ups and downs that life can bring to you.  But I would also say we have had many accomplishments and most important for me is that we have learned so much…about ourselves, about a new country and its inhabitants, about city life, about new friends, about adjustment and compromise, my list could go on and on!  So thinking of the impact of doing anything for 100 days, you’re very likely to come up with a substantial list, too. 

Our celebration began when we got in our two person kayak.  Our friends, Bryan and Kim had already rented kayaks on another day and had scoped out a great little, secluded beach so we all eagerly paddled that direction.  (Bryan and Kim are who we went to see The Nutcracker with back in December.)  There was no arguing or tipping over of the kayak so all was well!  J  When we got to the little beach it was very inviting.  It sat back in a little cove and wasn’t overly saturated with people as most of the other beaches we have been to.   We laid out our towels and set down our coolers and immediately headed for the water.  The heat was unbearable unless you were actually in the water.  This has been my favorite beach experience so far.  It was so nice to just sit in the calm water and not get thrown down by big waves, dodge all of the other people swimming or surfing, or worry about getting a blue bottle jellyfish sting- though I’m sure they might visit that area at times, too!  As I’ve mentioned in past blogs, we’ve really enjoyed getting to know so many people here and relaxing days like this make it possible for you to really get to know one another on a different level.  This small beach even had an ice cream boat- with a bell just like the ice cream man and a juice and snack boat that would cruise up to shore about once every hour or two with lots of yummy options.  I might be investigating a new part time career option!  ;) 

After several hours of sun, cold beverages, a quick picnic lunch, and basically just a day of pure serenity, we decided to head back to return our kayaks.  The wind definitely made the paddling back a little less “relaxing” but we finally all made it.  We decided to have a few drinks and dinner at the bar by the kayak place.  We continued to talk and share more life stories.  Scott's wife and two kids will be moving over at the end of the school year.  Scott's wife is also an elementary teacher so I am really looking forward to spending time with her once she arrives!  Later in the evening a very interesting conversation came up.  Bryan brought up that he worked at a place called Armco Steel before Cerner.  Then Scott said he also worked there when it was later called, GST, before he worked for Cerner.  This is the same company my dad worked for, for many, many years!!!  We talked about the “family days” and the other things I could remember from that time.  They shared names of who they both knew and I emailed my dad to ask him about the same.  Bryan’s father also worked for Armco and after talking to my dad, he knew him very well.  Again, this world keeps getting smaller and smaller! 

So, sure, we didn’t have a 100^th day celebration like I’ve been used to in my past teaching days, but I would say it was still a memorable and very fun 100^th day of our new life here!

Our kayaks

The Juice and Snack Boat

The Ice Cream Boat

Our kayaks again- the tide let out A Lot by the middle of the day.  The water used to be much closer to our kayaks!  :)

Ahhh...what a great view after a great day!

Luke, Lisa, Bryan, Kim