MOVED IN

It is official, we are all moved into our townhouse.  For the last two months, we have been living in our townhouse in Australia but, we have been living here with very minimal furniture.  Stryker was kind enough to rent us furniture for the last two months and it is great however, nothing makes a house feel like a home more than your own furniture.  The wood floors in our house are brown, the walls are a light off white color and there is brown carpet on the top two floors.  Most of the rental furniture was brown - the sofas, bedding, pillows, etc. The girls were dying to get their items here because, although we like brown, we also love other colors...pink, orange, green.  Now they feel like they are alive again.  It feels very warm and like HOME!  The girls said that it felt like Christmas when all of our things arrived.  They are so HAPPY!

Everything was delivered on the 20th of May.  All of the rental furniture was picked up and our items were delivered at the same time.  It was a little hectic coordinating things considering there were 180 items (furniture and boxes) that were delivered and we already had a semi-full house of items that needed to be removed.  Tom was so sweet to stay home with me to help with this process.  For all of the other Stryker moves, we have moved in December.  This is a really hard time to move because of the holidays and it is the busiest time of year for Tom.  Often I have been left to my own devices or my mom has come to help me with the moves.  Tom will often return from his business commitments with everything unpacked and set in place.  This time, he got to experience things first hand and he was a FANTASTIC sport about it.  I could not have done it without his help.

A look at all of the boxes that we unpacked - I was exhausted at the end of this event - 3 days of fun.  :)

As an American, I recognize that we are first and foremost consumers.  I have literally bought into this concept for YEARS and we have way too much stuff!  When all of our stuff arrived, it became quite challenging to fit it all into this spacious townhouse. :) We only brought about a third of our furniture and WOW we estimated just about right.  We only had one item that would not go up the stairs to the third floor.  We quickly moved it to a spot on the second floor - the movers were appreciative with the quick decision because it was a LARGE heavy armoire.

Pictures of our new abode below!  BTW, Mom - we followed your lead and got the pictures up as quickly as possible.   I may have to sleep for a week to recovery from working like a dog, but I can say that we are finally settled into to our place.  It is a great feeling!

Master Bedroom

Little Den

Jane's Room

Grace's Room

Claire's Room Above and Below

VOCAB

When we decided to move to Sydney, one of the many things that gave me comfort was the fact that they speak English.  Well, I can report that although they speak English in this beautiful country many of the words that they use are not the same as the words they use in the USA and as I have mentioned before, they speak with RAPID speed.  I have had many instances where, I don't know what to call things, or I don't understand what it is that they are asking me.  I am so grateful that Tom did not move us to France....:) --Tender Mercies are all around us.

A SAMPLING OF OUR "NEW" VOCABULARY (AU term listed first and USA second)

ARVO = AFTERNOON

TICKS = SECONDS

ROCKMELON = CANTALOUPE

JUMPER = SWEATER/JACKET

TRACKIES = TENNIS SHOES

MOBILE = CELL PHONE

FANCY = LIKE SOMEONE

MACKERS = McDONALD'S

SPROUTER = GUY WHO COULD BE HOT SOMEDAY SOON

BLUDGE = NON-PRODUCTIVE DAY

RUBBER = ERASER

CAPSICUM = RED PEPPER

RING = CALL ON TELEPHONE

CV = RESUME

DIARY = PLANNER USED FOR SCHOOL/LIFE

MUFFTY DAY = DRESS DOWN DAY AT SCHOOL, NO UNIFORM REQUIRED

HEAPS = LOTS

BISCUITS = COOKIES

LOLLIES = CANDY

LIFT = ELEVATOR

TOMATO SAUCE = KETCHUP

FURPHY = RUMOR

PREZZIES = PRESENTS

MATES = FRIENDS

There are many, many more but, thankfully the new nomenclature in the grocery store is easy to figure out because I can look and point to what I need.  For other things, it has not been easy.  I have been known to walk out of places empty handed because I cannot figure out what it is called.  I am sure with time I will figure it all out, but the learning curve is steep!

I will share a quick story about this very experience.  Shortly after we arrived here, I went to buy the girls their uniforms.  All girls wear dresses or skirts to school around here.  Pants are only on sport day. 

As I was in the uniform shop getting the girls their stuff, the sales clerk asked me if I would like to buy a jumper for the girls.  I told her that we did not need a jumper because I had plenty of uniform dresses for them to wear.  I told the lady that my girls were not really excited about wearing a dress to school so I did not want to spend more money on a jumper that they may or may not wear.  She looked at me kinda crazy like....what are you talking about.  As we were checking out, she again asked me if the girls would like a jumper.  I gave her the same response and she proceeded to tell me that it gets cold here in June/July and they may want a jumper.  I responded by telling her that they had tights and I thought they would be fine with the uniform dresses they already had in our checkout basket.  She looked at me again and said "I don't think you know what a jumper is?"  She went to the back of the shop and pulled out a jumper and brought it to me.  

It was definitely not another dress, it was a sweater! I was surprised and so grateful that she decided to show me!  The girls have needed those sweaters/jumpers and worn them everyday since it starting cooling off around here.  We would have been in trouble and I would have had some very grumpy kids!  I appreciate all of the patience that these sweet Australians give me because, I am truly perplexed at times about what they are saying.  Quite honestly sometimes it may as well be FRENCH!  I have great admiration for individuals that uproot themselves by moving to new places where they don't speak the language because I am struggling in the place where they speak ENGLISH.  :)

DRIVIN

Well we have been here for a little over a month now.  We have adjusted however, one of my biggest concerns in moving here was learning to drive on the opposite side of the road.  I was so stressed about it and I wanted to avoid it at all costs.  Factor in the traffic, the tiny, tiny lanes around here (much smaller in size due to the desire to use every possible centimeter of ground efficiently) and our HUGE rental van, I was a complete wreck!

Tom returned to the office a few days after we got here, so I had to jump straight into the deep end.  Every time we got into the car, I would ask the girls to offer a prayer so that we could reach our destination safely.  Those first couple of days we ran quite a few errands and EVERY TIME we got in the car we prayed - at times it was 7 times a day.  I think that the girls thought I was a bit nuts but, it sure made me feel more at ease.  After about a week, I adjusted and now feel really comfortable driving on the opposite side of the road.  

When purchasing a car, I asked Tom to get me something that sat high up on the road, it had to be small so that I felt more comfortable with the tiny lanes, it must fit the family well and have enough cargo room for our luggage because we hope be traveling a lot.  I did not really care if we had extra seats for additional kids because I was most concerned with being able to park it here in Sydney.  They don't have many parking spots for large cars.  The rental van taught me that.  I had a few close calls with expensive automobiles and my fair share of 80 point turns.  I felt like I was 16 again learning to drive.  So HARD!  I decided that my kids will have to have friends with their own cars or I will need to transport them in shifts or give away a kid - always an option!

Our new car--and it ticks all of the boxes!

On another note, we have also been surprised to see along the road, kangaroo and koala crossing signs instead of deer!  Jane said that she would just DIE if I hit a KOALA.  She thinks they are so cute and cuddly.  They may be cute, but those claws really don't appear to be cuddly to me.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

The girls had their first day of school this week.  All three girls were a little nervous and I could understand their fears.  It is hard to start school in a new place.  Adding the uniform component, a new country where people still speak English but, use different words and having no familiar faces, we were feeling a little overwhelmed.  I was so nervous for them, my stomach was in KNOTS.  All day I tried to keep myself busy knowing that come 3:00 pm, I could have 3 really happy people, 3 unhappy people or a combination of the two.  I know that my girls are strong, confident, and willing troopers but at the same time asking them to pick-up and start over was a tall order.

Here they are ready to go....don't they look great in their uniforms.  Such beautiful girls but, I am not biased at all.  :)

Claire was not only starting high school but, she is also participating in a early morning scripture class before school (Seminary).  It meets at 6:30 am and runs until 7:15 am.  This class is something that is offered through our church and she would have started it in 9th grade had we stayed in the states.

Well, the first day went pretty well.  They were still smiling when I picked them up.  There are plenty of things that they liked but, also some things that they did not like.  They were all really happy that they were not the only new kids.  This area is very international due to all of the HUGE companies here.  Therefore many students change from term to term.  In the little girls school (Grace & Jane), there were a total of 10 new students that day.  In Claire's school, there were a total of 12 new students that day.  They were however, the only new Americans.

They were bombarded with all kinds of funny questions.  They watch American television shows here and so their perception of America is really funny.  The girls were asked if they lived by Justin Bieber, if they had ever shopped at a thrift shop (it is in a song and apparently really cool), asked to pronounce many words over and over again (Koala, Kangaroo, Qantas, etc.)  Most Australians speak REALLY fast and shorten everything so to hear a child pronounce all syllables of the words was very funny to the Australian children.  The girls laughed at so many of the things that the Aussie children asked them to do.  I am so glad that they were good sports.

We are going to need to make a few changes to Claire's schedule, many of the classes are not hard enough.  It is material that she studied 2 years ago however, the classes that she is taking are the hardest classes offered at her grade level.  We may need to have her attend some of the classes for a different year, Year 10 or Year 11?  I am going to need to meet with the Principal to chat about it.  I don't want to be the complaining American but, I am going to need to go in sometime next week.  If they can't help me, I will augment her learning at home.  I am sure she will be real excited about that, as will I.  :)

One thing that they do here that is really great in my opinion is the emphasis on physical health.  They really encourage children to be healthy and participate in healthy activities and sports.  Each week the girls have SPORT day in addition to Physical Education/Health.  Claire's is on Thursdays and the little girls is on Fridays.  They wear their sport uniform to school and they participate in SPORT for about half the day.  It is organized sports, soccer, football, volleyball, crickett, etc. depending on the season.  The children are encouraged to tryout for their favorite sport and they are placed on teams.  They are coached and practice about half of the day.  Every once in a while, they meet up for matches with other children from different schools.  It is fantastic and the kids love it.  

Here are the girls in their SPORT uniform...Grace said that she feels like a GYM teacher.  I told her she is the cutest GYM teacher that I know.  I forgot to take a picture of Claire....I am sure she won't mind.

Now Grace is acting like a gym teacher.

Claire and Jane are loving the fact they they spend so much time outside.  They love the active lifestyle that is offered at school.  Grace is getting used to the fact that there is more running, jogging, exercise involved in her day.  She will grow to love it, fingers crossed but, it is not her favorite thing to be sweaty and hot.   One thing that the little girls love is that their campus has wild bunnies that run around it and it is so fun to watch them hop along.  They are not bothered by the children and the children don't bother the bunnies.

I am sure in time, we will work out all of the quirks that can be worked out and learn to live with the ones that cannot be worked out.  They are going to learn how another part of the world handles the education process and I am sure it will enrich their lives.  Cheers mates!