Gwamma Slally and Paaa Paaa are here!

We have visitors! I picked Gil and sally up from the airport first thing Wednesday morning and we have been running them around town ever since!

Charming Papa and Gma with their cuteness. CH is obsessed with having his pic taken, he asked to have it taken and hug his brother, he said, "brother I wuv u," and then he pushed him as he exited the pic! 

Pretending to be lizards at the zoo

Kids Zoo Aussie Style, no shoes, no pants in the water. 

SKY SAFARI!!!!

MED VERSION 1.0 and 3.0 at Gunners Barracks/Ft. Jackson

With Gma on the Hop on Hop Off, on which no hopping was done due to the heat!

Hop on Hop off or as I like to think of it "stay on and pray you can get back to your car before someone passes out from dehydration" by Woolloomoolloo (sp)

Obviously, CH does not get his love of being photographed from his Papa!

Why are the adults so happy and the kids so sad? The babysitter took this picture!

Powerhouse Museum

"My Paaaa Paaaa"

 

A rare moment...Med version 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 in the same picture! We added a Mont. hybrid to the mix to keep em on their toes! Well done CM!

The happiest day of their lives! (so far)

 We went for a early evening walk and as usual we stopped to stare at the fire engine. We usually admire her longingly through the garage door windows but today she was being attended to by Christian, the best fireman ever. Her lights were on and that was very exciting. When he saw us drooling from across the street he invited us over. He spent about 25 minutes with the boys, he let them spray the hose, drive the truck, look all around touch all kinds of buttons and then he gave them little gift bags. CH got so excited when he got his gift bag he raised his arms and screamed..."OH YEAH!!!"

BLISS! I could not stop smiling seeing how happy they were!

 If the thought of those two driving anything/anywhere does not frighten you, nothing will!

CH was so worked up when we left he downed his milk(think college beer chug) and his little hands and arms were shaking!







He reminds me of Rose on the front of the Titanic!

Splashers Water Playground

A cold and overcast summers day (70'F) had us packing up the car and driving out to the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center, Splashers Water Playground. The kids had a great time. It was wildly overstimulating but crazy fun. I would highly recommend it! It was very very crowded. As I was climbing the stairs with Colin to leave, I thought hmmm...that is amazing it is so crowded and all of the kids are getting so crazy but we did not have any incidents. I make it up the stairs to see CH laying on the floor crying really really hard and another kid laying close by, my mind races through a number of possibilities none great, I say to Mike, "Whoa, what happened?" He says, "he just got tackled HARD for no reason."(Mike is not in the heavily nuanced playground scene so he was blissfully unaware it is expected that he sugarcoat the incident to avoid confrontation, which I do not think he should have) Mom of tackler says sternly and with some 'tude , "HE(meaning her son) DID NOT DO ANYTHING, he was just trying to give him a HUG!" I may have said, "HUH?" Then the other dad came up and was really nice and apologizing and trying to get his kid to apologize and "hug" CH, to which CH said "NO,NO,NO" apparently he already had enough "hugs" and then he realized his wife was not happy(hands on hips dirty looks) and we were giving her dirty looks  and then he started giving us dirty looks and then we all just walked away. I hate seeing my baby hurt, but these things happen, kids act crazy, I half thought when I saw the two kids lying there that CH may have been the aggressor. Let me tell you, if he was the aggressor he would have had a stern talkin' to and time out and I would have apologized profusely. I would have not claimed it was a hug!!! ABSURD! If your kid acts out, no biggie, they all do, OWN IT! There is no shame in it, the shame is saying it was a hug. This type of silly parenting is very common here. I wonder do they parent like that at home? Say sweet baby boy hugger throws a prize vase is he just practicing for a cricket match? Or do they go get a switch and let em have it when no one is looking? Once I make a real Aussie friend I will let you know!

Madama Butterfly in a Cirque World

We checked one off of our Sydney Bucket list this weekend. We went to an opera at THE Sydney Opera House. We went with 3 other couples, we got all dressed up(pics would have been great), headed to a fairly nice dinner at Guillaume at Bennelong, the Opera Houses signature restaurant (as if it being the Opera Houses rest. did not tell you all you need to know...great location, food and service below average even by Sydney standards) and then saw the show.  I have wanted to go to the opera since Julia Roberts, the rescued hooker, got all dressed up in a beautiful red dress and loaned jewels and got to fall in love with Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. For me this was not just a Sydney Bucket but a Life Bucket.  The singing was beautiful, and rich and emotional. The opera house is just so darn cool. The lead Madama Butterfly was all you would think an opera singer should be. I was REALLY bored. I kept thinking hurry up and just get on with it Madama Butterfly, off yourself so I can go home and get in my comfy clothes!!! I should have been able to connect some emotion to a woman having to give up her 3 y.o son, but even me, of cry because someone else cries(even strangers) fame,  did not shed a tear. I was shocked at myself! In addition, there was a groaning and or moaning and or snoring person behind me, so distracting!!! My summary is this...Opera is beautiful and lovely I am so glad I went but it is not a medium that I can connect with, if you got me season tickets for the Opera for my bday check the return policy. Give me The Cirque Love Show any day!

Water logged

 To combat the 40'C temps(104'F) We have spent the last 4 days in the pool. Thursday was swimming lessons. Friday Manly pool, the best pool ever. Saturday North Sydney Olympic Pool- Greatest views ever, pool is ok. Sunday back to Manly.

They are wearing their favorite towels from their Great Aunt Sally and G. Uncle Steve. They pretend they are Cookie Monster and Kermit the Frog in the towels. They do puppet shows with the little monster washcloths and use very cute high voices for the puppets.

Pool = SNACKS!

What's in a name?

I just didn't like 6 White Boomers anymore, no reason really, it just didn't seem to fit. Plus, this blog is ultimately a diary for the boys, as they will not remember most of this adventure. So a title to capture them right now is best. This new title is inspired by their new favorite song. They love to have me sing it at the playground while they are on the swing, it is a little embarrassing to sing out loud(see lyrics for the embarrassment), as I do not really know how to appropriately sing all of the lyrics(hey nonny ding dong...).
link www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBgQezOF8kY, listen and try to stay in a bad mood, impossible!

Lyrics to Life Could Be A Dream

Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang
Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay

Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom)
If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom)
If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love
Life could be a dream, sweetheart
(Hello, hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again)

Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom)
If only all my precious plans would come true (sh-boom)
If you would let me spend my whole life lovin' you
Life could be a dream, sweetheart

Now every time I look at you
Something is on my mind (dat-dat-dat-dat-dat-duh)
If you do what I want you to
Baby, we'd be so fine!

Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom)
If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom)
If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love
Life could be a dream, sweetheart

Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da
Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da
Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da, sh-boom!

Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da
Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da
Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da, sh-boom!

Every time I look at you
Somethin' is on my mind
If you do what I want you to
Baby, we'd be so fine!

Life could be a dream
If I could take you up in paradise up above
If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love
Life could be a dream, sweetheart
(Hello hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again) boom sh-boom

Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang (sh-boom)
Ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay
Life could be a dream
Life could be a dream, sweetheart!

Life could be a dream
If only all my precious plans would come true
If you would let me spend my whole life loving you
Life could be a dream, sweetheart

(dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
(dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
(dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
Sweetheart!!

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE, OI OI OI

"Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" is a cheer or chant often performed at Australian sport events. It is a variation of the Oggy Oggy Oggy chant used by both association football and Rugby union fans inGreat Britain from the 1970s onwards. It is usually performed by a crowd uniting to support a sports team or athlete. The alternate is for an individual to chant the line "Aussie, Aussie Aussie!" and the crowd to respond with "Oi! Oi! Oi!"  
It is also just really fun to say when you are happy about Australia!

Wednesday was Australia Day and we celebrated like true Aussies, with friends, barbie, and the beach. It was agreat day organized at the last minute by the unofficial American Ambassador in Mosman, Jenny. 
Think July 4 without the risk of lighting your/your neighbors house on fire with bootleg fireworks.

Check out this set up... Jenny got to the beach at 5 am to stake a prime spot for us. That tent is amazing! Makes our blue pop up look silly!

Notice the change in weather...Notice the Aussie flag flapping...Notice the big white tent on the ground...and yes that is CH in the bottom of the pic pointing and narrating the situation ala dramatic sports announcer. A huge gust of wind came and pulled the tent out of it's stakes that had been planted carefully with a HUGE wooden mallet(like the strongman kind!) The beach let out a collective GASP! Literally 1500 fun loving beachgoers gasped at once, luckily a big palm caught the tent before it ruined Aussie day. The only thing ruined was this amazing tent.  RIP amazing shelter.

Australia Day on Sydney Harbour, 2004
Also called	Foundation Day, Anniversary Day, Survival Day, Invasion Day, Day of Mourning (in 1938 & 1970)
Observed by	Australian citizens and residents
Type	National
Significance	Date of landing of First Fleet inPort Jackson in 1788
Date	26 January
Observances	Family meetings, picnics and barbecues; parades, citizenship ceremonies, Order of Australia honours, Australian of the Year presentation.