Moving From America to Australia, Again

2014 has been full of planning and purging, baseball playoffs and play dates. New friendships will be turning into old ones... and as we move once again, new friends, and much- loved old friends, lurk in the distance.

Goodbyes, reflections, and regrets fill the air, even though this move to Sydney is all good, it feels almost neglectful to have lived in the San Francisco area almost 2.5 years, and have seen so little.

And I have lame excuses--  the endless hamster wheel of school, activities, sport teams, and laundry... and did I mention the laundry?  But at the end of the day, we did Cali wrong, like really, really wrong, and that's the unfortunate truth.

We put serious efforts into doing whatever we could during our 4.5 years in Sydney, because we knew our time there was finite.  And this move to San Francisco was supposed to permanent, and we were supposed to have plenty of time to "do it all"… but now-- it's done.  San Francisco is done.  We are gone, and it is over.

And we never made it to Lake Tahoe, or Sonoma, or Napa (or anywhere else we could have drank ourself silly on a day tour). We ignored opportunities to see Monterey, Carmel, Sacramento, Big Sur, Yosemite National Park, and The Pez Museum.

And now we are here, back in Sydney, land of kangaroos and didgeridoos.    The kids, now nine and ten years old, are back at their old school, wearing those cute Aussie school uniforms and "giving it a go", reverse-adjusting back to an all-boys school, and the kids who swear like sailors.

And here I am getting back up on that writing horse after a very long hiatus, because Sydney was not supposed to happen again.  It's all very strange, but I'm sure, that I must be back in Australia because I didn't fully get, what I was supposed to get, the first time around.

And this is what we've left behind...

Upon moving to America my boys were introduced to baseball-- and became completed obsessed. This is my nine year old making the first pitch of the season.

And my ten year old: Mr. All Baseball All the Time.



We tried to tour the It's It ice cream sandwich factory, but ended up with no tour, and just a bunch of ginormous ice cream sandwiches; you can see the disappointment on their faces.  Not.



Our dogs are in America with my mom until October due to changes in the Aussie quarantine laws; my nine year old refuses to look at photos of them, because it makes him cry.



My sister and the found autograph book she had signed when we were little.

Basketball clinic with the Harlem Globetrotters.



Luckily, a month before our move back to Sydney, the Florida grandparents came to San Fran and we took an all-day tour to celebrate my mom's birthday and see a few Bay Area highlights.



Makes me sad we didn't do more.  Broken record much?

Pier 39.




Very big trees in Muir Woods with grandparents




My husband got quality time with his dad during our time in America; it brings me tears. Literally.



At least we made it to Ghiradelli Square with a visiting Grandma.



And we ended our big San Fran tour at Scoma's Restaurant for my mom's birthday dinner; this is my mom and sister selfie-taking.  These are the times, and people, I will miss the most.



Goodbye San Fran; hello Sydney.  We are back-- older, possibly wiser, and full of sourdough bread.

My Little Boys are Ameri-Aussies and I'm Giving Them Tall Poppy Syndrome

Last night while he sat in the bathtub, my raspy-voiced seven year-old asked in his Ameri-Aussie accent, "Mum, have you ev-ah her-d the soong 'The Star-Strangled Banner'?" Omigod, I nearly peed in my pants-- the Star Strangled Banner???

I'm now officially quite sure, Angelina and Brad's kids would definitely put mine to shame in the "knowing-about-the-country-you-came-from" category.  Wow.

I said, "Of course I know that song honey-- it's called the 'Star Spangled Banner'; though, I did think your name for it was very awesome too."  And then, I did what any other really wacky parent would do... I busted out in an unusually loud and dramatic rendition of our national anthem.  And it wasn't pretty--- though it was quite fun.  So fun in fact, that in my tiny bathroom with tiled walls, I must have sang it eight or nine times.  Did I mention it was loud?

Anyway, we ended up googling the lyrics (which there were a few I was unsure of) and singing along to them until bedtime.  Needless to say, I'm sure my husband wanted to kill me-- and I'm guessing our neighbors would have helped.

On a completely different topic, living here in Australia has given me a new perspective on so-called bragging-rights.  I never was shy about telling people how awesome my kids were-- until I finally realized that that's not the way most people do things here.

Instead of the mentality I grew up with, which was along the lines of-- everyone is good at something and if you've got it flaunt it.

So you can take Florida Girl out of America, but you can't take America out of Florida Girl, so that being said... I feel like showing off my little guys once in a while, and I'm going to right now...

My seven year old is an amazing tennis player if I do say so myself.  Here's proof:

And my little guy is a creative sponge and plans on "being famous" when he grows up.  I figured I'd give him a head start here... can't hurt, right?

It's as if the talent in our house is seemingly endless...

So don't be hatin' or cuttin' down these poppies, mate.

Puppy Love

She was older, wiser-- she'd been around the block... many, many times I might add.
He was young.  Innocent.  In an unfamiliar, new place.

For several days, the tension in the air could have been cut with a knife.  They gingerly danced around each other, neither wanting to make the first move.

He tried to get close to her; she turned away, pretending not to notice him.

When he wasn't looking, she'd watch him longingly from across the room.

And in a moment of weakness, as she lightly dozed off on the lounge (that's Aussie for couch), her gorgeous blonde curls shining in the light...



he could resist her no more.  And she could feel his eyes piercing her, like the intense Australian sun on summer day.



And he couldn't stop staring, and he knew what he needed to do.



So he played hard to get, because he didn't want to seem too eager...



And he spent some time with the guys, trying to play it cool, ya know-- like it's all about bromance and stuff.








But in the end, a surprise visit (from the gardener, to re-sod the hole someone dug) brought them together-- at the window to gawk.



And that night the deal was sealed...



And so began a love that will last them their lifetimes.

Welcome to the family Baby Sam, we are so happy to have you here you little hunk of chocolate Labradoodle love.

Eczema and Alkaline Water and Epsom Salt and Cerave Cream, Oh My

We've got issues.

We've got a nut allergy.  And a rash which started as little red patches on my son's arms, but has turned into a horrific, two-year long nightmare.

It's eczema, and it's severe.  And it makes me cry every day.

And you could go crazy trying to eradicate any and every thing that could possibly be causing it.  Should we rip out the carpet?  Are the bed sheets organic cotton?  Is it the detergent?  Could it be the dye they used on the sheets?   Maybe it's the pillows, or the grass?  It seems worse after some meals-- is it the milk?  or the fruit?  or broccoli?   Could it be artificial food colors, or possibly natural food colors (or "colours" for my Aussie friends)?  Seriously, I don't want to bore you, but this kind of useless banter could go on and on for days-- or longer.

And dermatologists are crap.  Of course, if you are a dermatologist reading this and are offended, please feel free to tell me what you suggest to treat eczema.  And should your advice relieve my child's eczema I will retract this statement, and publicly, profusely apologize to all dermatologists whose feelings I may have hurt.

Back to dermatologists being crap, dermatologists seem to think it's okay to slather a young child in steroid ointments and call it a day... even if it means the condition comes back two weeks later with a vengeance.  And if you even mention fish oil or, god forbid, anything natural to them, they'll look at you and vehemently insist there is no proof that any of these things help.  I am generalizing, but I have seen several and they appear to be clones of one another.  And considering that my wonderful sister is a pediatric acupuncturist and Dr. of Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, I have an amazing advocate in my corner.

Anyway, in my search for a cure for eczema, I've recently learned about acidity and alkalinity in the body, and the not so easy balancing act required to "get alkaline". We've even purchased this contraption which, if I'm understanding this correctly, electrocutes your water with magnets and sparkles, then divides molecules and something else, and ultimately dispenses magic water that is high in alkaline, or conversely, water high in acidity.   And if you read up on this magic Kangen water, you will quickly find out that the different levels of alkaline or acidity can be used to do things you never imagined you can do with water... like sterilize things (not people) and wash fruit.  Well you can wash fruit with regular water too, but not half as well :).

And so now in our house we are drinking the Kangen water kool-aid.  A water so perfect, and delicious, and molecularly amazing, that we just cannot get enough.

This water is like crack.

And my children have even mastered using the countertop (that's "benchtop" for my Aussies) Levelux Kangen water machine, and can choose their own level of Kangen water, so they can make their own kiddie-water-crack.

The other thing we've done recently (in addition to the numerous supplements, and coconut oil slatherings, and kinesiology appointments), is that we're taking baths in Epsom Salt.

Epsom salt, like witch hazel (which I've used for about 20 years as my face cleanser), is old, tried, and true blue.  So what does Epsom salt do?  The answer is more like-- what does Epsom salt NOT do???

Epsom salt is actually Magnesium Sulfate, which according to my close friend, Google, numerous studies show that magnesium deficiency is the root of all evil, and is potentially a factor in many, many childhood epidemics-- including autism, ADHD, asthma, and last but not least, eczema.   In fact, the benefits of Epsom salt don't stop there... magnesium helps the neurological system function mo bettah.  It alleviates arthritis, can help Alzheimer's patients, and improves circulation.  Seriously, the list goes on and on and on.

Apparently, magnesium is difficult for our bodies to absorb when taken in supplement form, but interestingly enough, it is easily and best absorbed through our skin.  So needless to say, we are bathing in it, a cup of Epsom salt and a spoon of coconut oil and a lot of lukewarm water-- it's like a party in a tub.

So this is where we're at, drinking Kangen alkaline water to neutralize acidity inside, and bathing in Epsom salt to extract toxins and do other things to "fix" us.

Bottom line is, we are going to close this eczema chapter.  No seriously, we are.  I fully support the notion that eczema needs to be treated "from the inside out",  and that, my friends, is exactly what we're going to do.

As I massage lotions and ointments into the red splotches, I tell my baby again, and it's something we talk about often-- everyone's got something.  And we are lucky that our "something" is what it is.  Our conversation then often turns to whether or not we'd want to trade our problems, for someone else's, and some of the issues other children and/ or adults may face.  And even at this young age he understands, and I reassure him-- this may be hard, but it's only for now.   We are totally going to kick eczema's ass... very, very soon.  For real. 

** Update January 2012 **  Our eczema is 100% gone.  In saying that I should note we don't even allow the word to be uttered in our house.  Cerave Cream is an absolute godsend.  Please try this cream on your children or yourselves or anyone who is suffering.  Yes it will sting for about 1 minute if your skin is irritated, but after a few days there will be no stinging because your skin will be in repair mode!

Our Australia and New Zealand Cruise Adventure

We got off the plane and collected our luggage at the Sydney Airport International Terminal.   Our discombobulated family of four approached the Australian Customs x-ray area; our two-week long Australia/ New Zealand cruise holiday was really over.

The customs officer asked the usual questions.  "Are you carrying any fruit or nuts?  Any plants or meat products?".  And we confidently responded, "No, no, and no."  Then from behind me, I hear my seven-year old's little raspy voice say, "We're not going to get caught again, are we mom?"

And I could just imagine his outburst leading to the camera crew of Aussie TV show Border Security swooping down on us,  as it was only a few hours earlier (approximately 4:30am) that we had a small fiasco in the Auckland Airport.   Our seven-year old's Thomas the Train rolling carry-on bag was pulled for "additional security screening"-- you know, where they place the suspicious bag in a mysterious machine, that I'm assuming detects explosives and other really bad things.

And when they found the bottle of Little Noses saline spray stuffed in with Jack the Bunny, the thought occurred to me that I probably should have actually monitored what they put in their carry-on bags - which they were both allowed to pack without parental supervision.  This rings especially true after boarding the ship in Sydney, unzipping the luggage and finding that somehow my five year old had crammed his massively fluffy tiger costume in his carry-on, along with a wide array of blankies and stuffed animals.

Needless to say, our cruise on the Diamond Princess was awesome.


Sailing out of Sydney Harbour at sunset.



 
It wouldn't be a cruise without shuffleboard in a tiger suit, now would it?

Our first stop was Melbourne, Australia.  Within ten minutes of meeting our tour guide, we decided we'd be better off without him; what kind of tour guide asks where we want to go-- I've never been here before, how would I know? 

So we went off on our own...





And wondered around aimlessly until we finally met our friends for a lunch date.


For lunch we met up with our fabulous American friends who used to live in Sydney.  And by fabulous, we're talking the kind of mom who cuts her kids' hair all cool and funky, and at the same time with her other hand she makes stuff like this.  For weeks now I've been trying to teach my kids the proper use of "air quotes"-- here my girl Nat is helping the cause.



Hobart, Tasmania was our second stop.  I could totally live there-- loved it!



Though I would probably try and avoid these cute but not so cuddly guys...



Tasmanian Devil with a bad attitude at the Bonorong Wildlife Reserve.

I think this little wallaby friend quickly responded to the mating call sounds my five year-old animal whisperer was making... apparently she or he was looking for some action.




By the way, we took a tour with Great Expeditions-- Michael (above) was our guide for the day, and if ever in Hobart, Tasmania I'd highly recommend you hook up with him, he made Hobart one of the highlights of our trip.

Next we hit Milford Sound Fjordland.  These were taken from our cruise ship balcony.






Me and a fjord in reflection.
 
Dunedin, New Zealand was gorgeous!  Rolling hills sprinkled with sheep and bicyclists and playgrounds.  We had big, big plans for this day, first stop- The Cadbury Chocolate Factory.



Unfortunately, after we got the kids all jacked-up on sugar, it seemed the windy, mountainous roads were a little too much, and an eruption (literally) of carsickness sent us heading back to the ship.  We did however hit another playground before "the incident" and New Zealand playgrounds are so nice they're worth showing off.

Pre-vomit playground: (I'm sparing you the clothing-covered-with-vomit second playground photos... you're welcome:).

 




Christchurch, New Zealand was reminiscent of Victoria, Canada-- gorgeous flower lined streets, friendly people, and all-around nice nice nice.



My kids in front of the Harley building (incidentally our seven year-old's middle name) learning the fine art of making someone laugh to get a photo smile.



More "Dogs Around the World."  Yes my child wears Crocs with socks-- international tourist extraordinaire.

Taraunga/ Rotorua, New Zealand was like the Daytona Beach of New Zealand, party city.  One lesson I learned during this trip was that the islands of New Zealand were formed by an erupted volcano, and this was evident throughout our trip as we visited beached covered in lava rocks and black speckled sand that was hot as hell.



This is the beach that faces the Pacific Ocean, there was a rad party happening on our day there.



This is the inner harbour beach in Tauranga, with our ship, the Diamond Princess, in the background.

During the cruise we had six days at sea.  Back in the day (when my husband and I were in the cruise business) we sailed as on the QE2  from New York to London, and six days at sea meant a whole lot of "afternoon tea", bingo, and cocktails. 



 On Cunard's QE2 in about 1995, we had probably been dating about a year.

 
Sitting on the deck of the QE2 in the good ole days with my dear friend Rochelle.  Rochelle passed away last month from breast cancer, she was one of those people who everyone adored, and she will be missed by her many, many friends.

Now this may sound ridiculous, but my husband and I have each been on over 100 cruises.   And we have had lots of "days at sea"... but cruising with 5 & 7 year old boys puts a whole new dimension to the whole thing.


Pseudo- room service.  That means, Daddy goes to the buffet, loads up plates of food, and comes back to the room hoping we're happy with his chosen assortment... by the way, we always were.


Brotherly love at sea.

And did I mention there was a talent show? Warning: The Cruiseship Talent Show video below, may be absolutely hilarious-- or could potentially lead to a spontaneous narcolepsy attack; I cannot objectively determine which, you may or may not want to actually watch it.  Oh guess what, after TWO HOURS of trying to upload the video-- blogger says there's an error.  Y'all lucked out on that one.

We had New Years Eve on the open sea, an evening which for most passengers involved seeing balloons dropped from the top of the ship's atrium lobby, and lots of cocktails and champagne.

And you know you're on a cruise ship for New Years when:



For us, New Years Eve was incredibly exciting-- days earlier, we had told our seven year-old that if his tooth (which had been loose for a over a year) was out by midnight 12/31/2010 (or if you're in Australia that's 31/12/2010), then the tooth fairy would quadruple the going rate AND he'd get a sip of real champagne at midnight.




Oh yes he did!  Too funny.  We spent last year's holiday season similarly over-toothy and then, toothless.

So that was our big trip, which had been preceded by months of nonstop visitors from the U.S., including my in-laws, my wonderful friend Shelby who owns this company, and my mom.  And now here I sit, no more houseguests and vacation complete.  There are three more weeks left of school vacation here, I've begun my next project--  convincing my husband we should get another puppy this year. 

Ruby the Labradoodle, stayed at her friend Jaffa the Smokin' Hot Labradoodle's house while we were away.  She's been moping around the house for a week now that she's back to her boring life...  I'd say she really needs a friend.  But hey, it's not all bad... we did celebrate her 1st birthday last week, and she does live quite the posh doggy life-- though I am quite sure she'd be ecstatic if she had a new doggy roommate.

So that's pretty much the last few months in a nutshell-- though I do have a secret...

There's a really funny video from our cruise that's been omitted from this post, it's of my husband and I in an elevator after a couple of drinks, cracking up, and swearing at each other... but I have to leave something to your imaginations...  though I am considering adding it to this post... hmmm, should I-- or should I not?

Sydney Night Noodle Market 2010 With My In-Laws!

After an almost thirty-hour long trip from Florida, my in-laws arrived in Sydney looking unaffected and ready to rock like teenagers on Red Bull.   

The first surprise we had lined up for them, was that instead of going to our house we were bringing them to a hotel for a few nights so we could properly disinfect and eradicate the Swine Flu from every surface in that germ factory we call a house.   Luckily Grandma and Grandpa had had the flu vaccine, and by the time they had arrived in Sydney we had recovered the week prior-- but better safe than sorry.  So I guess you could say they got the bonus package, a few days at a nice hotel with Opera House and Bridge views, and a little extra time to mentally prepare for a week of living with two energetic 5 and 6 year old boys.


The view from the hotel room...  I'm still surprised they agreed to check out.
 
Unfortunately, the weather in Sydney has been very temperamental the last few weeks, the second day they were here record wind gusts were raging through the city.  And for some reason we thought this would be a good time to take the in-laws to the famous Icebergs at Bondi Beach for lunch; the good news is, the surfers were out in full-force and it was a real taste of the Aussie spirit and love for surf.
 
This video doesn't exactly do the treacherous winds justice, but trust me they were insane.  What also didn't come through on the video was the cute, old-married-couple-argument my in-laws were having-- hence the cheeky commentary from yours truly.

So, wintery weather and sporadic blistering sun didn't stop us from showing Grandma and Grandpa the best of Sydney.  And the Sydney Night Noodle Market was calling our name.

Note:  No people at the Night Noodle Markets were harmed by the tiger shown in the photos below; though it is a very realistic looking tiger, he is not real...  he is in fact, my five year old child who wears a tiger costume when and wherever possible.



The 2010 Night Noodle Market, tucked away in the middle of Hyde Park.


I wish I had these paper lanterns in my house.


OMG.  Grandpa and mini-Grandpa.


A little entertainment amongst the food stalls.


I sometimes get comments from readers who think they have seen us out around town but aren't sure... so, if you see a little tiger with big blue eyes--- it probably is us!



Maybe next year they'll hire my tiger as the Chinese dragon's sidekick?


Sydney Night Noodle Markets-- I highly recommend going... and eating many dumplings, and noodles, and some Serendipity Ice Cream!!