School Break

Two week breaks between terms make me relish having the kids home for a change. It's reminiscent of those (much longed for) summer days when there must be lists to check off, keeping boredom at bay.

* Apologies in advance for all the pics - but it's a bit of journaling for us here.

Hittin' the countryside...

 Baking and crafts galore...

Lots of tunes (she's a headphone/cell/remote hog) leading to lots of impromptu dance offs, mostly to the awesome demo reel on our piano.

I think I've memorized that whole track by now, come to think of it...

Basically, plenty-o'-solid  PLAYTIME.

And letters written back home.
(ain't she sweet?)

Finally had time for curlers (Mom's very convincing trick to put off the begged-for hair cuts)

We also hit the Nat'l Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Nat'l Museum and High Court all in one 8 hour day. Talk about champions. Besides setting off multiple alarms getting too close to the artwork, they were real Tourist Troopers.

Portraits were very impressive, and High Court will be cooler in session...

 

I'll leave you to imagine the scars Will's next 0.5 seconds led to. 

Ever wondered what the inside of Sydney Opera House looks like?
Wonder no more.

I love how the museums were almost as interesting on the outside as on the inside.

 'Til the next break...

Adrenalitis

 

(Darren) Being diagnosed with low adrenalin levels was devastating. No one ever warned me about adrenalitis so I never saw it coming. That's when a friend who had beaten adrenalitis recommend the right side drive 40th Edition Land Cruiser with with duel fuel and 12" sub. Knocked it right out. That truck saved my life.

A Peek

Ever feel the need to document random things like the kids' new uniforms or that miraculous moment when every bedroom in the house is simultaneously clean? (That's no ordinary moment, I tell ya.)

We're still waiting for the Embassy housing guys to come decorate the walls (not allowed to hang mirrors/art/pictures ourselves) but it's at least looking more like home.

Concluding an enjoyable 2 week term break, posing as tourists in our own city, so more to come...
 
These kids are genuinely excited to go back. Especially since their new school shoes arrived (thanks, Walmart, for shipping to an APO and saving me $200 on the school shoe racket. They may not last all year, but heck, they could get new ones each term and I'd still be saving a bundle. Hooray for APOs!) 

Those savings rolled right into our massive shopping spree at Costco's grand opening in Canberra yesterday. I have to admit it was weird putting all that Kirkland stuff in my cupboards again. I felt close to home,  yet moreso removed because I realized, "hey, I was doing fine without all this stuff." Yes, it's nice to load up on food-storage sizes again, but it threw me off seeing all this familiar "American" food in our new home. It was simply out of place. And the store is identical - talk about a time warp.

I will admit though we lost no time digging into that orangey cheddar cheese block and gigantor bag of peanut butter cups. Ahhhh, definitely a taste of home. 

Australianisms At the Disco

So, apparently, the word "disco" is used differently here. When the kids' school party advertised "best dressed prizes - parents included" for the upcoming Disco, I thought - SWEET! I almost completely disgraced myself (and my kids) by arriving dressed in a full paisley 70's bodysuit. As it turns out I only semi-disgraced myself (and my kids) by showing up in this get up:
 

I take "prizes" seriously y'all.*

Fortunately, I casually asked another mum at school that afternoon if she had any 70's costume-wear. She laughed aloud and explained patiently that it was "stripes & spots" theme only, not a thing to do with the 70's. Who knew "disco" was a key Australianism I'd need? Apparently, it's just a "dance."

Don't say I didn't warn ya.

 The rest of the list:

Naught (zero)
Jelly (jello)
Singlet (tank top)
Faultless (flawless)
Rub out (erase)
Drinking chocolate (hot cocoa)
Spotty (polka-dotted)
Sunnies (sunglasses)
Sausage sizzle (BBQ)
Pumpkin (squash, ie: "butternut pumpkin")
Reckon (think)
Cornflour (cornstarch)
Bi-carb soda (baking soda)
Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Castor sugar (somewhere between powdered sugar and regular white sugar)
Golden syrup (cross between corn syrup & molasses, neither of which I've found)
Corridor (hallway)
Hall (gymnasium)
Plaits (braids)
Pitch (field)
Zed (the letter "z")
Coriander (cilantro)
Zebra (pronounced "zeh-bra" not "zee-bra")

Correction: An Aussie friend pointed out my mistake in listing "Chilly Bin"  for "cooler" on a previous post. I'm told that's the New Zealand term. The Australian term is "Esky." 

Duly noted and my apologies.

*And yes, you bet I DID win first place at the "disco" - although I'm sad to say there were no prizes.

(Unless you call standing up on stage in front of the school and winning the "applause-o-meter" contest next to a couple other embarrassed mums a "prize"....'cause really, what could top that?)