Carson Medor Physio Therapist

I can not believe I forgot to blog about this! My SIL Julie reminded me today! As you know Carson broke his arm right before the move. Our last day in Cali/and USA we went to the Medor family Orthopaedic practice and had it x-rayed. Looking good they said but best to stay in the cast for another 7-14 days. The self proclaimed CAST MAN of ORANGE COUNTY(has cast all Medor men at sometime in the last 20 years) came in to look at the cast and immediately proclaimed it inhumane. Well, it was fairly tight and it was starting to rub on of his little fingers but he seemed OK. It is a waterproof cast and he had been swimming nonstop and I was curious to see how the skin was fairing after 3 weeks and....Of course once you hear inhumane you are all in for a new cast, you might as well say yes we will sponsor your new Porsche Dr. FancyPants we will go to any length to help our son.  So they cut off the old inhumane cast, his skin looks PERFECT, they put on a new HUMANE luxurious padded upgraded cast. Car is super brave all is well.
Arrive in Sydney try to set up an appt to have cast removed, this is where it gets tricky, socialized medicine and all. I have condensed this believe it or not. Call Ortho dept at big hospital right by our place, Oh No you can not come here without a referral from a GP OK. Call GP make appt for referral explain what we need to do. OH, you can come here for a referral but we can not cut off the cast, you do that at a Physiotherapist, oh, do they X ray as well, no, you must go somewhere else for that, you will need a referral for that. Do they X ray before or after cast comes off, after, oh what if the Xray determines it should be on, well we re"plaster" it Oh...does the physio look at the Xray, no they send it here and then we determine if you need a referral to the ortho.
Day 8 after new humane luxurious cast by the Cast Man of OC is placed. Car gets fussy on the train moves really quick and his cast flies off, AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!NOOOOOOOO! Is this really happening, Car is scared and will not use his arm. Mike says try and shove it back on, oh that sounds like a plan, Dr. Medor! I try with a light touch, not a shove and I can't get it back on and I am not shoving anything onto a previously fractured wrist! CRAPPO! I calmly put the cast in my purse and pretend it did not happen! A few onlookers are not polite enough to do the same.
Make appt. for next day, they actually could see us that night but Car was a little fried from becoming a physiotherapist at 23 months. Go the Dr. she says she thinks it's good but we should get xray just in case, go to Xray place to make sure, everyone melts, can not get Xray until sat when Daddy is around for support. get xray done, they send xray to Dr, she comes to the phone when I call right away! she says looks pretty good you can see "angulation" but it is healing properly have it xrayed again when he is 5 all should be well! Oh... have it xrayed again so soon in 3 years, aren't we being a tad aggressive!

A few things:
1. Car's skin looked worse after 8 days in new fancy cast than it did in old inhumane cast.
2. We are not on Medicare here, (all Aussies are they look at you like a pirranha when you say you are not) we are not eligible b/c of our visa. We pay out of pocket and then submit, I was really nervous at the xray place, how much will this be I ask? thirty three eighty she says, I think OH NO $3380.00, I ask again, saying thirty three dollars and eighty cents to try and take the positive approach, it is only $33.80. WOW, I tricked em into that one huh?
3. Everyone here sees a GP first for everything, you only see a pediatrician on referral. GP visit for two kids with no insurance $65.00.
4. GP came out to get us herself, no nurses to be seen.
5. Exam room is also her office, so one half desk computer other half exam table etc (all I could think was how dirty your computer and stuff could get). It also looked like Louie Pasteur may have also practiced medicine out of that very same room, complete with glass bottles labeled with words I have never heard.
6. After hours care is by HOUSE CALLS FO' REAL!!! THIS IS COOL!
7. Dr also makes house calls on her lunch hour!

I really do live in 1955 and I think I kinda like it!

Jauque and Jeeves are really Chalk and Cheese

I have learned from LK's work mates that what the old lady really said to me on the street was that the boys were as different as Chalk and Cheese, not the other famous pair Jacque and Jeeves. The work mates added she must have been a Brit b/c this clearly just a Brit saying. Translation:  two things that are very different. If you ask me, some cheese can be chalky and Jacque and Jeeves do many similar things.

From the website Using English.com. Is this what has become of me googling my native tongue?

Idiom Definitions for 'Chalk and cheese'

---

Things, or people, that are like chalk and cheese are very different and have nothing in common.

Cat A Roo version 2.0, Meet the work "mates", all MUMS wear hats & hippie skirts and OhS^%&!!!

2 nights ago I woke to the sound of someone falling down the stairs or so it sounded, since Colin just climbed out of his crib the same day I jumped up wide awake ran into the hall and there was no one on the stairs and everyone was sleeping like angels. Same thing at 4:30. I thought maybe it was our neighbors rolling down the stairs but no raucus ever followed, no ouch yikes oh I fell down the stairs etc...In the morning the rational conclusion was it must have been an animal on the roof. Last night I was lying in bed with Carson who was having a mini meltdown about going to bed, so I was comforting him telling him there was no reason to be afraid when clatter clatter pounce CAT A ROO landed right on the balcony off our bedroom and the sliding glass door was open, screen closed. His eyes were like saucers and he was like sure Mom no reason to be afraid except a Cat A roo just landed on our balcony right..great. Cat A Roo moves like a Koala, uses his tail like a monkey and is just about the coolest craziest thing ever. Tried to get a pic, it was too dark, but Catty was not even fazed by the flash or camera.

Dropped Mike off at a meeting this AM, bc it is life in the 50's and we have one car and really it does not matter b/c I have no real places to go anyhoo! Well we were super early so he got out and was going to have a cappucino while he waited, turns out his marketing manager wife and 9 mo. baby did the same thing. So Mike knocks on the window and asks would you like to meet them so of course we get out and meet them. I am in a total Mom uniform, khaki shorts, sneakers, ponytail and don't forget the cardigan. She had on like three beady necklaces, a flowy dresss with something happening underneath not sure what, gladiator sandals and multiple silver necklaces on her ankles.  I just got back from sorority bid day and she just left a Dead show. They were very very very nice asking how we like it etc...she did not ask me to her Mums group she was heading to.

At the park I went to there were many many other Mums, all in hats(cept me). Must get hat to get friends. Stat. They also wear long flowey hippiesh skirts, those look hideous on me, so hears to hoping people will like me just for me, khaki shorts and all. Most kids wear hats, it is really frowned on if your kids do not, mine refuse, in Aussie culture I have failed my job as Mum. Oh well, my two year old can count to three, take that pansy hat wearers!!!  Another rogue hatless kid came down the slide right after Col and slammed him into the sand face first and then did some kind of wrestle mania long sit on him, all the Dad said was hahaha, must be more careful. I learned my lesson at Mackers and kept my thoughts on the inside and wiped Col off and kept moving. Soon after there was a major fight by the octopus, a little girl was bashing a boy with a truck in the head and he was pulling her hair and the Medor boys were nowhere near! YES! I looked on in smug horror delighted that noone I gave birth to was involved!

Oh Sh^&, not a good day for our rental car a bright blue Ford Falcon with a fin in the back, just what all 4 door sedans need a fin to show how sporty they are. Anyway, I was parked parallel, at Bronte Beach, I did not have to park that way they were two spots open thank goodness. By the time I left of course I was jammed in. I narrowly missed a parking ticket. Thats where the luck ended! I was leaving a very tight spot when crunch I got the guy behind me, I got the guy behind me b/c I thought I was in D and I was actually still in R...are you kidding me, this I can not blame on the wrong side jazz. Am I that idiotic, apparently so, a very very quick look confirmed no damage to him, THANK YOU GOD! Light paint scrapes from his front plate for me, I was shaking like crazy and I think cursing as the boys started saying sh*% as we drove away. To add to the meticulous care of this car we do not own, an orange crayon fell out of the fun bag and melted on the seat making it look like a Cheeto a thon happened in the front seat. oh s%@#!!! We are thinking of getting a nice new car, is this really the best idea, I do not think I can be trusted with nice new things.

Bronte Beach is just south of the famous Bondi, very beautiful very kid friendly, a nice park tons of shaded picnic spot a natural rock pool great playground. Col loves the beach, Car freezes cries and I have to carry him he hates the way sand feels on his feet. At a few points I carried both boys through the sand. Boy did we look like total tourists. All of the men in speedos were laughing, but the laugh was actually on them, they are the ones in speedos! I took a great pic of the shoreline and the rocks and YES! as I looked through them I realized I got a topless lady in the shot. Maybe I will show this to Mike to divert the attention from the Ford Falcon fiasco! See when God closes a door He opens a window!

Totally racist, in a good way

Is that even possible? Here goes...A few days ago we made our way to the Sydney Fish Market, second largets in the world behind Tokyo. I LOVE SEAFOOD, I mean love it, I would eat it every meal, so I am pumped about this excursion. All of the seafood places also serve take away food that is amazing. The big decision is where to eat. Now here is where the racism goes down... You can follow the Caucasions to the greasy fish and chips, fried everything stands(I can say this b/c I am one, right? or so says Dr. Laura) or you can be smart and follow the Asians. Now, I consider myself a bit of an amateur foodie but I have to bow down before most Asians in this department. It is a food culture and I love it. Good food is revered, searched out, shared with friends and family and enjoyed together, it is also usually prized to find AMAZING food for a good value, a description I can not resist. To put it short: Asians don't play when it comes to food. Hence why we followed the Asians to an amazing seafood paradise. Platter for two was big enough for 4 and tasty enough to command $100 or more at nice restaurant...our price $38! Now, don't get me wrong, I know that is a huge generalization to say all Asians know about and enjoy good food, like saying all Southerners love fried food, totally not true 'cept my Mama travels with a deep fryer ya' hear?
As always a few funny things...the birds were so aggressive one swooped right in front of my face to grab one of my oysters, and would have continued to do so through the meal if Carson did not go on birdwatch..."gooooo AWAY BuhhhDIES" mind you most of the birdies were almost as big as big man, but it worked. He also wandered to the next table to try and eat of of this nice young ladies plate, I do not think she was in the family style share your plate kinda mood.

A Cat A Roo

We made the brave decision to be out at night. Brave b/c it requires night driving and brave b/c we are in a beautiful bush like setting and apparently many of Australia's native animals are party animals, up all night sleep all day. Nonetheless, we threw caution to the wind, and it did not pay, walking up the drive to our place out charges a CAT A ROO right towards us, like he is coming for us(Carson and me)! What? you have never heard of a CAT A ROO! I have no idea what this thing was but he looked like a cat in front and a roo in back! CRAZY! One of my little known phobias is mixed up things, usually mythical I admit so that is why it is not a debilitating phobia, it is pretty unlikely I will run into a mermaid  (you will not catch me at Weeki Wachee Springs, no sir) or a Centaur (half man half horse, I had to look it up and that was awful), I could not even watch the old SNL skit Goat Boy, disgusting! So, you can imagine my horror when in real life I was confronted with a mixed up thing! EEK! I did the only sane thing and shoved Carson in front of me to give me a few seconds on the Cat A Roo and hauled it! (kidding, I scooped him up and then totally froze, unfortunately the freezing part is not a joke) As the Cat A Roo was confronted by one of natures most terrifying creatures, a curious toddler he hightailed it! Thus sparing us for another day!
So what is a Cat A Roo? I have scoured the internet looking for pictures that look like ol' Catty but can't find a one! Wouldn't you be impressed if a new species was named after me Catty Rooobin Medoress or something like that?
Could be a small wallaby, but I am certain the one I saw was much more menacing, this must be a tame zoo version! wall

I know your kids cry too so stop staring at me! NOW! PLEASE! IT IS NOT HELPING!

When you have a toddler you know they are emotional and crying is as natural to them as breathing. They have very real feelings and no way to express them. When you have two, well it is a given that someone will usually be upset, maybe not at the same time but someone is not going to like something and the way they tell you is crying. So, I don't like crying either, I want my child to be happy too, I want to have a nice outing with clean quiet children. But, I am blessed with HEALTHY ACTIVE twin toddler boys and that does not seem like a menu option right now, but neither is locking ourselves away until they are over this stage like 20 years from now!

Today we trucked into the city via the train. This is about 1hr+ of stroller time, walking to the station, waiting for the train, riding the 19 minute trip, getting to "lifts" you get the idea. By the time we reached our destination, the Aquarium. CM had enough of riding...I WALK I WALK I WALK I WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! EVERYONE in line gasps, stares, and acts like I just took his diaper off and let him poo in queue. So, I felt self conscious, I know nothing will help, but I felt like I have to look like I was trying. The line (queue) was long I let him out of the stroller and he ran away to the water BAD. Back to the stroller, near hyper ventilation, more gasps and stares and we calmly exited the line to the aquarium. I am sure all of the looky-loos missed us terribly! 

So, here's the deal...I know all of your polite clean 7 year olds were once 2 and I know they cried so please be a dear, pick your jaw off the floor and mind your own bidness. Your staring at me will not make my child stop, it just makes his Mommy more tense, which makes baby more tense which makes more crying!

So, after excusing ourselves from the Aquarium queue we went to the no queue, quieter Wildlife World, and everyone was happy! WE strolled around and looked at all kinds of native scaries, many of which seem to live at the Funky Cold Medina with us (see post for Cat A Roo). A few highlights and funnies of the WW were: 1. A long ramp hallway where they were playing scary sounds and I had the boys "off leash" (out of the BOB) and they froze and would not go up the ramp and I could not get around the stroller to move them and we jammed up traffic for miles, or kilometers depends on your view, they finally made it up the ramp escorted by another family behind us. Another happened during this pic, CH pointed to the roos tail and said "pee pee," I hope he is not disappointed later in life if he does not grow into similar proportions! Another funny thing is there are 3 wombats you can sit on and the boys fought over the same one and then one boy moved and they fought over that one too! Wombat pic attached. A beautiful but tragic highlight was a baby Joey(is that redundant?yes!) that was so cute, it lived with the keepers in a faux pouch b/c Mum rejected it.

Later we made it back to the Aquarium and I have to say it was not worth any of the above mentioned excitement!

Throw down at the "mackers"

Mackers is McD's and it is just as bad as it is in the state, the buildings are just fancier. So, it was an already black day when we decided to stop there for lunch so the kids could burn off some energy after test driving cars, a tedious activity for all! You can imagine my dismay when the boys would not play or eat! And here we were with our awful mackers lunch! Well they would not play b/c there were big kids in the playset way too old to be there and way too big. Well, one 12 ish girl came barreling out and pushed a toddler out of the way and he fell down a few stairs. It made me boil, I mean really you should not be here anyway and to push a little one really??? So I sternly said you girls need to be more careful around the little ones! WELL, newsflash AUSSIE kids are WIMPS! She ran away and hid in the playset and cried for about 15 minutes. I overheard one of her little friends saying she is really upset b/c someone told her off, well thank goodness all old people look the same to 12 y.o b/c they could not remember who was the telling off offender. Nonetheless, we scooped up the kids and hightailed it out before someone could remember that it was the rude American lady. Now, I can never show my face at the Mackers in North Mead, NSW ever again! The shame!

YEAHS and BOOS and the magic of a parent's room

YEAH: Bondi Beach, you are breathtaking, truly, truly magnificent BOO: Why all your restaurant close Monday, I hungry Monday just like Tuesday!
YEAH: Botanic Garden BOO: Carson riding the Mommy horsey, grabbing the horsey's mane and not letting go until daddy pulled him and a large fistfull of hair off of very hurt horsey
YEAH: CBD, you are clean, bustling modern and exciting BOO: $45 parking
YEAH: Train BOO: big gap to mind
SO SO for Manly, not as nice as I wanted it to be BOO: Nate Modri was right again!
YEAH: Taronga Zoo REALLY BIG YEAH parents room at TZ   BOO: buying a $200+ membership then discovering Mike gets hundreds of free passes. Note all Christmas gifts will be from the TZ because I am trying to make the membership pay by utilizing my Zoo Friend discount.
YEAH: speedos on Bondi lifeguards BOO: Speedos on the gentlemen who appear to be the original founders on Bondi, I'll spare you the photos!


 I digress into the wonders of Parent's rooms found in malls, in the city, at the zoo and just about anywhere. If you have ever pumped in a stall, BF in corner while manipulating a hooter hider that refused to do its advertised job, changed your baby on your lap, stroller, seat or horror the floor or had the modesty damning experience of peeing with the door open so you could see your kids in their stroller that would not fit in the stall, these parents rooms will blow your mind. It is a large room with an automatic LARGE door (the urban assault BOB fit through like a Phil and Ted) inside a palace awaits...there are private small rooms for BF equipped with a chair and a LARGE wall toy for older kids to stay occupied, toddler/regular toilets that have a large door and plenty of privacy, changing areas some with lines that roll out from the wall, bottle warmers, microwaves. IT IS HEAVEN! Amazing heaven on earth. 

How does a society that loves babes and mums so much find it impossible to order a few high chairs when outfitting their restaurant? Oh I'm sorry my child just took a "chip" (fry) out of your basket as he saundered about the restaurant, I am used to not having to parent in restaurants, I usually just strap him in and start downing the cosmos! FAST I've only got 23 minutes until they combust and I have to dart out of here like the dine and dash episode of Silver Spoons! 

YEAH: 4 wheel drive grocery carts, seriously you can drive your cart (trolley) to the side if you feel wild! BOO: trying to drive them straight down the aisle BOO: no twinsy carts!
YEAH: Multiple sushi stands at every mall, food court, corner many named Sushi World BOO: finding out all Sushi Worlds are not created equally. This is like the Denver equivalent of OPI nail, many many OPI Nail, only one with Bea.
YEAH: AWESOME Thai and Indian Food BOO: Finding out how fattening ANYTHING with the name curry really is
YEAH: lots of retail therapy BOO: instantly going up a size seriously! And this has nothing to do with the above
YEAH: cute old aussie with lipstick on her teeth that came right up to my face and shouted about the boys "Now they look different as Jack and Jeeves don't they now?" BOO: no idea who Jack and Jeeves are so all I could do was smile
YEAH: all of our long pants and shirts arrived BOO: just in time for the heat wave :)

BOO for slow internet connection thus limiting the number of pics I can feasibly upload! These for pics took 38 minutes fo real!

Toto we are not in Kansas

People are crazy friendly and nice and helpful, it is beautiful, it is CLEAN, the subway is spotless! Eat your heart out NYC Subway or Marta...not one homeless person was using the train for a hotel! No smells of urine...no crazys asking you for money, singing, dancin, cursin, harassin are all strictly prohibited!!!

Most people stop and offer to help if you look like you need it in anyway, lost, trouble with pram(stroller)
The students wear the cutest/craziest uniforms EVER! Cutest on the little ones, unfortunately the uniforms do not change for the high schoolers. Not sure if this image will actually appear but trust me, these uniforms would have you beat up for sure in the States, this uniform literally was on the train with us, it was after school and all 10 seventeen y.o still had on their hats! "I'm a yankee doodle dandee" is all I can think of!









So other funny things...they are obsessed backing into parking spots and parallel parking, seriously national pastimes! There are signs that forbid it and the usual rule following aussie goes ahead and backs in anyway, it is like their DNA wont let them park nose in!


You can not turn on the "tele" without someone playing and or talking about cricket or Rugby, most channels are devoted to this entirely, must get slingbox ASAP! Shows change on the half hour not the hour. For now that is all I can figure out? Oprah from 2007 was on a few days ago. 


Other obsessions: Tunnels (to the delight of the boys) and charging INSANE amounts to use the "motorways" after just 10 days of paying tolls I expect they will be renaming the Harbour Tunnell something with the name Medor in it!


Something that is not an obsession, large street signs and labeling freeways/streets in a manner similar to maps/GPS.

"What a long strange trip it's been..."

We have been nomadic for three weeks now.  I thought living out of suitcases and crashing peoples, basements and guestrooms was reserved for hippies following the Dead, Phish or the Panic....Man... and you know that sooooo describes us! It turns out you can make the freeloading lifestyle yours too! Even if you are 30+ishhy and have a hubby and kids in tow! You would not believe how warm and welcoming people are to let you sleep in their beds, eat their food and pretty much leave a hurricane of twin toddler destruction in your wake.

We have been to and slept in alot of places, and if you know us well we are obsessed with categorizing, ranking and awarding best "ofs" so here are some honors...

2 nights in Crested Butte-most relaxing and "phattest" townhome ever! If I could pick my dream mountain vaca home this would be it! I can't believe we just found this treasure of a town and we are leaving
3 nights at The Byars - most "romantic" :) which seems like an oxymoron paired with their next award for most kid friendly
1 night at The Brackens - best bed EVER. If I could have put it in my suitcase I would have! Once settled I plan on making them UPS it to me! Also best breakfast and dinner!
7 nights at The Montaigne's - best location, best ammenities, best "white lightenings"
6 nights at The Medor's - a tie for best location, best cosmos, best restaurants, best running trails, best shopping, sleeping, music and weather
1 night at the hotel United Flight...best...oh I can not come up with anything! Even though we were in b class it still sucked it!

Now three months in The Medina in North Ryde...sing along funky cold medina...so far the only "best of" is best price...free!

Old a*& blogger

Pic of someone who never acts old, in a very good way! GI...not the boys!

I am technologically old!!! I have no idea what the features are that I am supposed to add to this blog, they give you lots of options but I don't even know what the words means that they are telling me to add. As my nephew says "you can do it, you can learn." I must learn since I shamed my Mama bc she does not text!
So this will not be the fanciest blog on the block fo sho!

Do I have time for this?

Who knows? But here is to putting a blog on my to do list!

Check it.

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