We have calendars hanging on our walls, and watches on our wrists. Increments of time measured in all different ways. Counting down the days to a 5 year old’s birthday, he can’t wait until the day arrives, while his parents wish the hands of time would slow, it goes by too fast. Each day we have different perceptions of time – days fly by when we are so busy, or they drag on while stuck inside due to bad weather.

Talking to a friend who is moving away, she dreads the next 5 weeks, filled with packing, organizing and saying her good-byes. While for me, I want the next 19 days to fly – to fast-forward seamlessly so I can get home to see my loved ones. She wants more time here, wishes it didn’t sneak up so fast on her and I have a totally different view of the exact same time, just for different reasons. We stand in the same place but don’t see the same things.

We wish we could control time, but all we can do is control how we spend it.

For my wonderful husband, for being offered the opportunity to live in Australia, and for making our lives a great adventure.

For my 2 sweet boys who, even though they drive me completely crazy at times, give me the greatest sense of purpose and a new view of the world.

For my family and friends for all their love and support while we are thousands of miles apart.  

For our health, our home, and our happiness.

For Google for helping me figure out how many grams are in 1/2 cup of butter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just put you to bed, your last night as a four year old. We sang the Birthday song in our house filled with good friends, and as usual I got teary eyed. You were a bit shy and turned into me -  it was all I could do not to completely lose it.

I recently read back to last November, to see what we were up to then and came across this post which: WOW already a year has come and gone and here we are at your 5th birthday.

And right before our very eyes you have become a ”big” boy, soon to be a schoolboy (or a “prep” as they say.) Watching you draw with “textas” (markers) your drawings have evolved into real pictures instead of just scribbles. From zombies to monsters and aliens, people, names and words. You love being the big brother to Jake (most of the time), helping me out at the market keeping an eye on him (he loves to run away, ALL THE TIME.) I overhear you saying very sweet to him “Jakey, stay here, mommy said to.” You continue to make your bed every morning when you realized you could fill your piggy bank with 50cent coins for doing so (I owe you a week’s worth.) You are so proud of yourself when you whistle, tie the drawstring on your shorts and build the coolest rocket ship with legos. You are extremely independent, I am enjoying your willingness to help, as I am sure that will fade soon enough.

I know this past year has been full of changes, and you adapted so well, better than I could have ever expected. Happy 5th birthday to my big boy, my sweetest honey bear.

After spending a day working at the “sausage sizzle” at the “Fete” at Cameron’s school (think: annual carnival) it felt normal to refer to a hamburger roll as a “bread roll” (but aren’t all rolls made out of bread?)

While washing my hands after boxing class in the gym locker room, chatting with a girl from class, she asked “So where are you from?” immediately I thought to myself “oh right, I’m different, I will never get away from that.”

At the grocery store checkout, the cashier pointed to the package of huggies and said “do you want them in a bag?” my answer after a second of thought was “No, I can just put the nappies in my trolley.” I laughed aloud at the sentence that just came out of my mouth and I’m sure she thought I was wacky.

Listening to the radio while driving Cameron to school, the weather report said it would be a bit cooler today, at only 25 degrees. This still does not mean much to me. I know it is not boiling hot and not really cold, but I do not know what it is in Farenheit, thank you Apple for my iphone and my iconvert app.

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It’s funny, living in another country – being immersed in a different culture. Funny, strange, exciting, frustrating, challenging and eye-opening. Really I never thought I would live in any other country besides the US, it’s not like I had this longing to actually live in another country. And now that I have been doing it for more than a year, it really isn’t so bad – it might be more challenging if it had been a country with a different language altogether. Living here is pretty easy, but I know I will always be an outsider, a stranger in a strangeland, I can’t escape that.

I am working on the long overdue “Melbourne Cup Day & Campervan Trip” post, for some reason it is taking me too long and by the time I get around to hitting “publish” it will feel like really old news.

I am currently counting down with my soon-to-be-5-year-old to his big Birthday (today we are at 9), metally preparing myself for the 17 million hour flight home, trying to take full advantage of this summer weather before entering the North American Winter in a few short weeks. This time will go by so fast (thank god!) but I just want to make sure everything is in order. Shopping for Christmas & Hanukkah presents, making tentative plans to see everyone, organize logistics (rental car, mobile phone, bills, cats, etc etc etc.) It is a lot, but all for a good reason

So please forgive me for being so lame with my posting!

I have a lot to write about: the Melbourne Cup and the 5 days in the Campervan…I’ll get to that. But now that it’s November, what I want most to say is this: WE’RE GOING HOME NEXT MONTH FOR OUR FIRST VISIT! NEXT MONTH!

I can’t believe it will be FIFTEEN months that we have been here and not seen our family and friends. I am so excited to see everyone FACE TO FACE and not through a computer screen (yea, I’m referring to YOU Skype, I’m not your biggest fan, ya big tease.)

Yea, so I’ll get back to you about the other stuff this week

I was never big on horse racing, in fact that only time I was anywhere close to a racetrack was at my Senior Prom, which was held at the Garden State Racetrack (which is gone now and turned into a massive shopping center.) Last year at this time, we had just arrived in Australia and everything was new to us. When I was asked if we were going to the races, I wasn’t sure what races they were talking about and a  facsinator was a foreign concept to me. This year we are attending the Melbourne Cup and are getting all dressed up, and I’ll even be wearing a Fascinator. It sounds like it will be a good time, and definitely a lot better than the last time I was at a racetrack.
Check back for photos after Tuesday!

Today was the first of 3 events for Cameron as he transitions to “prep” (kindergarten.) The 2010 “preps” met at the school’s playground for a half hour and then we joined in on the weekly assembly. It was so adorable to see him mix and mingle with the other kids and I even got a bit teary thinking about how my first baby will be starting “real” school in a few months.

Thankfully he knew 2 boys from kinder and 1 from swimming so he was off and playing with them. I can’t wait to see how cute he will look in his navy uniform!

This is my first experience with school as a parent, so I don’t know how kindergarten is in the US, but my first impression was very good. They will match each kid with a year 4 child as a buddy to show them the ropes of school. There are “peer moderators” on the playground that will help solve disputes and it just seemed like a great school atmosphere. The school kids ran almost the whole assembly, speaking in front of all the kids, teachers and parents. I was very impressed with the whole presentation. One thing I have to do some work on: learning the Australian Anthem, and teaching Cameron as well.

Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

I just looked at the calendar and it reads “October 20.” This means that it is LESS THAN TWO MONTHS UNTIL WE TRAVEL HOME.

I REPEAT: IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS WE WILL BE GOING HOME FOR OUR FIRST VISIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Can you tell I’m a bit excited?) I’m thinking I won’t even notice the jetlag because I’ll be so pumped up seeing everyone and everyTHING! The restaurants, the stores, the people! (normal hairstyles, normal clothes – it will be nice to see NORMAL)

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Happy __ Birthday to my sister, my “second mother”, my best friend in the whole entire world. I’ll stop there, we’ll save our tears for when we see each in LESS THAN TWO MONTHS!

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Craig’s mom (Grammy) arrived for a visit on Friday and it has been great! The best was when I went to pick her up from the airport, I had Cameron with me (he was supposed to be in school). When we saw her come out from the customs door, he yelled ”Grammy!” and ran to give her the biggest hug. It was so sweet to see how happy he was.  The boys are eating up all the extra attention and we love having her here. Another bonus - the weather is awesome! I hope this means that Spring is here to stay. Since we will be missing almost 2 months of the summer here, I’m going to try to enjoy all the outside time I possibly can.

To whoever decided it was a good idea to domesticate animals: having our 2 cats here with us just makes our family complete. Even though we have been dealing with PJ’s health lately, they brighten our day and put a smile on our faces. I especially love it when I find one of the boys petting them or “talking”  to them, Cameron seems to understand exactly what PJ is saying when he meows.

To the National Geographic channel on television: I never was much of a science girl, but lately I have loved watching shows with the boys about volcanos, dinosaurs, space, ships and skyscrapers. I just love learning things along with them.

To Google, Wikipedia and the internet in general: for answers to questions I just don’t have. Thank you. What did our parents do without resources like that?

To the powers-that-be: for making sure my friend’s pre-term baby is safe and healthy. Thank you thank you thank you.

To my friends and family that call, email and keep in touch with us: you know who you are and it means more than you could ever know when anyone reaches out to us. I know we are the ones that moved clear across the planet, and I guess I should make more of  an effort  to call, but when the red phone rings and it isn’t a telemarketer, it makes my day!

To my fellow expats, bloggers and real-life down under friends:  for listening to all my complaints, comparisons and questions, and for making me feel so not-alone in this adventure.

To Ben & Jerry’s: for bringing your delicious ice cream all the way to Australia. Although it is not yet in Melbourne, I hear it has made it to Sydney. I cannot wait to inhale an entire pint the first day I see it in the freezer at Coles, and I am not kidding – I will be eating directly from that container of “Coffee Heath Bar Crunch” for dinner that night.

To Melbourne Australia: for making us feel at home here, and for making this such a great place to live.