I love surprises that go off without a hitch.  I have been planning a surprise birthday party for Emily’s 30th for over a month now.  I told her I had lined up a babysitter and we were going to to the marina with a few friends for dinner, and then just hang out at the tavern for the rest of the evening.  She was OK with the plan but did mention on a couple occasions that it would be fun to go into the city to Leftys Old Time Music Hall.  I said that with Jay away, I didn’t want to venture out on the trains by myself, would be too much since we have the kids to take care of without Jay the next day, blah blah blah.  So we decided we would just get overly dressed up for an evening at the tavern.  We met Katie and Jo for dinner, and Ania showed up a bit later.  Dinner was lovely, but Prince Charming (aka Larry) called at 8:00 to let us know that the chariot awaits.  It was raining a bit, so we were all huddled up under our jackets, following Em as we made our way to the tavern.  Her reaction was priceless when she realized a) hey that is the Cinderella limo we saw that one night at netball and b) holy crap that is here for US!!!!!!  There was lots of screaming and laughing and “oh my god!!!!”.  Classic.  We waved so long to the tavern – see you next time – and off we went.  Em was in a state of shock.  We opened our complimentary bottle of bubbly and laughed and drank champagne and ate Lindt chocolates all the way to Leftys.  Did she really think I was going to take her to the tavern for her 30th birthday?!?!  Our driver, Larry, was so adorable.  Talk about riding in style!  The car attracted quite a lot of attention on the drive in.  It was so fun to see people’s reactions to it.  

   
      
Once inside Leftys, the dancing began, and it didn’t stop until we left at half past midnight.  The people watching was fantastic.  Leftys draws in such an eclectic mix of people.  Old, young, lots of beards, all drawn together by live music that you can’t resist the urge to dance to – and play air guitar.  I tried a new drink, as suggested by an Aussie gal sitting at the bar.  I thought she called it a Sayla and Diet.  Turns out it was a Sailor Jerry and diet, which is like Captain Morgan.  Darn “R” sound – gets me every time.  It was a great suggestion – yummy!  Some of the most memorable people of the night were the old man at the front of the dance floor, the tall drink of water that really needed to drink a tall glass of water (or 10), the Keanu Reeves look alike bartender, the Fred Hoiberg look alike and his Hawaiian shirt mates, and last but not least, the poor bloke that fell in love with Ania at first sight who looked like a lost puppy as he watched us get into the limo and she gave a little princess wave – “all the best”.  Sorry mate, this carriage is for ladies only.  I haven’t laughed that much in I don’t know how long.  Thanks to Jo, Katie, and Ania for making Em’s 30th birthday perfect!!

   
  

                             

Highly recommend GCLuxCars.com for anyone looking for an extra special night out!!

As much fun as Saturday was, Sunday was the opposite.  Em and I were struggling.  Not so much from the booze (for me anyway), but from lack of sleep.  I went to bed at 2:45 and the kids woke me up at 4:45.  We took turns dozing off.  Needless to say, we didn’t get much accomplished during the day.

The week went on, kind of a blur.  We survived.  And then on Thursday, thank God, Jay came home.  Life could get back to normal again.  I don’t think that Lily wants Jay to go away without her ever again.   

   
Disco.

Ty had his first school dance.  He dressed up for the occasion.  Such a handsome little fella.

   
       
Friday night Em and I left Jay in charge of the kids and we went out for a much needed glass of wine.  One turned into a few as we met some super fun people.  The wine bar turned into closing down the tavern.  I’m too old for that.  But, boy, was it fun.   

 

Saturday was go-go-go.  Swim lessons, hair cuts, Costco, birthday party prep.  Who knew preparing for a 5 year old’s birthday party could be so much work.  Ty invited his entire class, and nearly everyone came, plus some other friends.  Em went to the Boat Show with our new friends and was amazed at some of the boats.

Sunday morning Emily picked up her friends Sue, Lynsey, and 4 year old Kaden.  The poor souls arrived in time for the mad rush of the birthday party.  The bouncy house arrived several hours early, so Jay and Ty went to the park to help get it set up.  Then Jay went to pick up the Captain America birthday cake.  We loaded up the buggy and the car with all of the stuff and got everything ready.  Kids food and drinks, adult food and drinks, gift bags, balls, and bag chairs.  Instant party.  The first guests started arriving at 2:00 and the fun began.  I don’t know many of the parents because I don’t do pick up and drop offs at school, so I had fun chatting with everyone.  The kids had a blast.  As we were wrapping up at sunset, an awesome pirate ship floated down the canal.  A perfect ending to a perfect day.  When we got home, Ty opened up the way too many presents.  Thank you to everyone who helped make his day so special!!

   
                               

5.

Hold on.  My baby just turned 5.  In his own words…what the heck?!?!  I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday.  He has packed a lot of life into 5 years.  He is handsome, smart, sweet, determined, and hilarious and awesome.  I love you Ty Bear!

Nanny cam.

While jay and I had to work this week, Em and Lily did all sorts of fun stuff with Sue and Lynsey and Kaden. Snapper Rocks, Currumbin, Movie World, surfers Paradise, Australian Outback Spectacular.

   
                             

Cowboy.

My brother was helping at a branding and a couple ladies that take amazing pictures asked if they could take some of him.  They turned out awesome!  Makes me miss Wyoming…and my brother.   

         

Bandit.

And then Brooke posted pictures of the farm.  I miss my dog.

   
 

Sick.

I think my body is trying to tell me to slow down and rest.  I have been running myself ragged for about a month now, and have not been able to keep away the germs that have been making everyone else sick.  It could be worse, but I have some sort of cold/sinus/sneezing/runny nose yuckiness going on.  Lovely.

Boat.

Saturday morning after swim lessons we went out on the boat.  We went to Jumpin’ Pin so that Ty could test out his new yabby pump from Aunt Brookie.  He caught a ton of yabbies and soldier crabs.  I didn’t take any pictures so Google soldier crab.  The beach was literally crawling with them.  So cool.  We played for a bit on the beach, Lynsey found 10,000 sea shells, we all took a turn on the sand sled I made, and then it was time to head home before the sun set.  The water was like glass – a perfect day at the beach.   

     

Sunday.

We were all going to explore Tambourine Mountain on Sunday, but my cold  needed a rest, and Jay wanted to work on Brumby.  Em took her friends up the mountain, I cleaned and chipped away at Mount Laundry.  I could use about 5 more Sunday’s (back to back).  2 more weeks until Fiji…

G’day mates!

Nanny Cam.

Lily has shown us recently that she is not happy unless she is about a foot taller.   Boy, is she going to be disappointed when she realizes that height is predetermined by genetics, and things are not looking as though they are in her favor.  Good thing she isn’t afraid to climb.  She must have some prop to lift her up to new heights.   This week Em and Lily were busy.  They went to a book time at the library, read by a real ballerina.  They went to a mummy play date at a park.  They cheered Ty on at soccer practice.  They had a lunch date with me at the office.  Busy girlies!  

  

   

  

                                   

                    
 

Tradies.

Anyone that does a specialized trade job (plumber, electrician, carpenter, etc) is called a tradie here.  If you have been following my blog for a while, you may recall some of the drama we have had with tradies.  No worries.  We will get to it tomorrow (or not).  She’ll be right.  We have had a leaky roof causing a really bad stain on the ceiling that looks like it will collapse during the next storm for a year and a half.  Attorneys number one to fix it was to paint over it.  Weird.  It came back.  I have heaps of examples…

We have received unexpected news that there are some people interested in renting our home in the US for a short 3 month contract.  We didn’t have it listed because we were waiting to do the repairs when a friend was available.  But, now that we have a renter, we had to find someone quick to get the job done.  Huge thanks to Ann and Kurt for hooking  us up with a guy that was able to start work immediately.  He is going to have our entire house put back together before the stain on our ceiling is fixed…  I don’t have any pictures of the damage to our house – only some of it after the demo work was done to rip out all of the wet, ruined stuff, but it gives you an idea of what we are dealing with.  Not fun to do from 13,000 miles away, but thankfully we have awesome friends that have been a blessing.

         

Invites.

I finally found the invitations that we wanted for Ty’s birthday (although I had to go back to buy more the next day because why would anyone stock more than 2 packages).  Ty helped by writing his name on all of them, he stuffed the envelopes, and put a sticker on the flap.  He was really excited to invite all of his friends.   If anyone else wants to come, it is Sunday, 24 May from 2-4 at Allabah Park.  See you then!   

  
Tea.

Ty’s class was hosting a Mother’s Day afternoon tea, and there was no way I was going to miss that.  I left work early and didn’t quite know what to expect.  The tea exceeded all of my expectations.  I need to take tea party tips from Mrs H and Mrs Winter.  The kids were all sitting at the front of the classroom and as soon as all of the moms were in the room, they started singing a beautiful Mothers Day song.  I nearly cried.  So sweet.  The tables were all pushed together with tablecloths, a place setting, pretty pink gifts, and an envelope of adorable and precious artwork.  Ty and I decorated cupcakes, drank some juice.  I was so touched by the whole event.  Absolutely perfect.   

         

Soccer.

This term Ty gets to play soccer on Thursdays after school.  Jay and I got to go to his first practice – right after tea.  He was really into it, listened well, ran and ran and ran.  His coach looks like Puckerman from Glee.  Ty looks like a pro.  

   

Wine.

Jay flew home for his niece, Miranda’s, high school graduation.  This is what Em and I needed to survive the next two weeks.   Keep calm and drink wine.

Awards.

We have been encouraging Ty as much as possible to sit quietly and listen at school.  This has not been easy for him.  Even though he doesn’t seem to be able to sit still, the amount of information that he is storing in his little brain is shocking.  He has weekly tasks to do on the computer on a program called Literacy Planet.  He has 5 activities that he has to do before he can play other games.  If he isn’t happy with his score, he can try again to improve it.  He loves it.  Last week he attempted a couple tasks several times, getting better every time.  His dedication paid off – he was so excited to show me his awards on Friday!  Not just one, but TWO awards!  On for brains, one for behavior.  Way to go mate!   

    
 

Saturday.

Our first weekend day without Jay went surprisingly well.  Swim lessons, followed by a trip to Bunnings.  Then it was back home to do what I thought would help calm my nerves and would teach my kids a lesson in organization and colors.  Hello.  My name is Nicole and I sort Legos.  Ty actually enjoyed the activity as well (I have created a monster).  It was amazingly therapeutic.  Highly recommend as a natural remedy for anyone suffering from anxiety and uber-stress.   

  

Oh, and that couch that I wanted to move downstairs for a year and a half that Jay wouldn’t help me with is now sitting downstairs.  And it is awesome.

  A little cleaning, fort building, costume party, and buggy/scooter ride to round out the day.   

       

Mama’s Day.

Ty could not wait for Mothers Day.  At approximately 5:00 AM he came into my bed and said he really needed to go downstairs.  He woke poor Auntie Em up and they came upstairs with not one but two pots of flowers, a perfect card, and Ty’s envelope of crafts made at school, and the biggest smile ever.  Love my kids so much!!!

   
     

The day got me thinking about my own mom.  I miss her so much.  She would do anything for her babies (no matter the age), has sacrificed for us our entire lives, bends over backwards to make us happy, has super model good looks (just ask Andy Reutter) and loves us all so much.  I can only hope to be half the mom to my kids that my mom is to us.  And she is cool. I mean really, how many moms dress up like this for a Halloween party?   

   

Shop.

Against my better judgement, fueled only by the need for Em to look hot on her birthday, we took the kids to Harbour Town.  We got there just in time for lunch and then Lily slept in her pram most of the afternoon.  I think Em came home with 5 pairs of shoes.  Not just shoes.  High heels.  After we finished shopping, we took the kids to see Pitch Perfect 2.  Both kids loved the dancing and singing.   

   When we got home we asked Facebook to vote on which dress Em should wear on her 30th birthday.  Red or blue, it’s up to you.  And the overwhelming winner was…….red!

   
 

Week.

The week has been a blur.  It was one of the busiest/stressful weeks at work. But I have an awesome team that pulled together to get through it all.  At home, Em took care of the day to day stuff – laundry, cooking, cleaning, chauffeur.  Evenings were eating, cleaning, bathing, reading.  Attempts to sleep.  Mostly failed.  Mornings were rush rush rush.  Repeat.  Survive.  We have done surprisingly well, but we miss Jay.

Birthday.

And then it was Friday, May 15.  30 years ago, I got a new baby sister.  She is my 6-year-later twin.  Despite being born with a heart defect, everyone that crosses her path quickly realizes she has the world’s biggest heart.  She is a natural born caretaker.  She is the most carefree, hardworking, hilarious, loving, all around awesome person I know.  I am lucky to have been able to live with her in Perry, Waterloo, and Hope Island during different phases of our lives – when we were kids, when she tried to be a college kid, and when I had 2 kids.  She has been such a blessing to us and I am so lucky to experience this adventure with her.  Happy birthday kiddo!!!

Nanny Cam.

   
      

Mad.

Ty got his school pictures this week.  He looks so handsome and grown up.  As soon as Jay posted the picture on Facebook, several people said he looks like Alfred E Neuman from Mad Magazine.  This side by side picture that my sister, Sundie, made is pretty shocking.  The freckles, the smile, the clothes, the hair, the ears…  Adorable.

   
 

Disco.

In a couple weeks, Ty gets to have a disco at school.  Awards go to Best Dressed and Best Dancer.  He will be rocking his suit.  To prepare, we thought we should see how one of the world’s best dancers moves.  Queue Michael Jackson You Tube videos.  I haven’t ever really sat down and watched MJ videos – they really are impressive.  Lily and Ty were glued to the iPad.  Ty has to work on his moves… 

 

Cowboy Jeans Day.

The first Friday of every month is Jeans Day at the office.  Recently my department has started a little joke about line dancing in our aisle when we have a win during the day.  So we decided that it would be most appropriate for us to all wear our cowboy clothes for the next jeans day. Everyone joined in the fun.  Three of us wore acubras – one lady even brought in her bull whips.  Hilarious and awesome.  Such a fun group of people! 

Ye Ol’ Barn.

I think I have posted pictures before of the old barn on the farm I grew up on. It is nearing the end of its days.  Steven has said every spring for the past 5 years “this is the summer that we are going to bury the barn.”  But he hasn’t done it yet.  I think it is because he can’t bear the thought of losing it.  It is the first thing I see when I turn down the gravel road and get close to home, sitting high on top of the hill.  I have helped cows give birth in that old barn.  I have brushed countless calves, attempting to halfway break them to lead before the county fair.  I have stacked a bazillion bales of hay in this barn.  God.  The heat.  The dust.  The itchiness.  The cute boys that were hired to help.  (I love my husband). The  disgusting wolf spiders that made the barn their home, but as much as I hate spiders they wouldn’t keep me from my hoop.  Oh, my basketball hoop.  I practically lived in the hay mount of the old barn.  I risked my life walking over a floor of straw and 100 year old chicken wire to retrieve a basketball.  I would dangle my heels off the edge so that I could practice my free throws.  I perfected what I will always call “the barn shot” which was as far back as I could go when there wasn’t hay for a floor.  The only time I could practice 3 pointers was when the rest of the barn was stacked with hay.  I was out there in the scorching heat, the freezing cold (wearing gloves with no fingertips), first thing in the morning, last thing at night.  Whenever I was home with no homework to do, you could find me in the barn.  *sigh*. Some might call it obsessive.  I guess we all have a little OCD in us…

As you can tell by the photos, there isn’t much hoop shooting going on in the barn these days.  I probably wouldn’t let Ty or Lily go inside for fear that those bowing boards would finally snap with them inside.  So it is certainly time for it to go.  The memories will never fade. 

   

Here are some more pictures of the beautiful place I call home.  Living on the Gold Coast of Australia is about as different from my life as a kid as it is far away.  This experience makes me appreciate even more how lucky I was.  Missing home a bit, if you can’t tell…

   
   

Floods.

On Friday, the Gold Coast got hammered with torrential downpours.  Flash flooding was happening everywhere.  It took us over twice as long to get home as normal.  Jay looked outside in the middle of the night and the canal was over the brick wall.  Eerie.  There was a bunch of debris floating the next morning – mostly branches – and the water is a chocolate brown color.  But amongst the filth was a beautiful pelican.  Love how his reflection hit the water.  I watched him float up the canal, eat some breakfast, and fly away. 

 

Horses.

The rain wasn’t going to stop Em from driving to Gatton to help some friends of a friend show their Shires.  She has been away from horses for a few months now, and for a girl that practically lived in Ray’s barn, she was missing it quite a bit.  The drive was quite stressful, but she made it.  She slept in a swag in a horse trailer, and according to her it was great.  She and I couldn’t be more opposite on our preference for accommodations…  The group of people that she was helping couldn’t have been more welcoming and inviting.  They heard she was missing bonfires, so they had one for her on Saturday.  Emily introduced them to the wonderful world of s’mores (sans the Hershey bars and graham crackers but with a suitable Aussie replacement).  She came home so happy – it was just what she needed.   

   

May Day.

Big thank you to the Coen’s for bringing back wonderful childhood memories of May Day!  The kids loved getting their baskets.  I will join in the fun next year! 

Locks.

On Saturday we had to run to the mall for a few things.  I am trying to get a head start on Ty’s birthday party planning – not going great.  No idea why 3 Knarts would be sold out of Captain America invitations…  We walked past a salon that wasn’t booked solid.  We looked at Lily with her sheep-dog mullet hair and decided to give her her first hair cut.  She did awesome.  She just sat there, on Jay’s lap, staring at herself in the mirror.  She didn’t move a muscle.  Such a good girl!

   
     

Rest.

Sunday was a relaxing day.  After realizing that Brumby has some wiring issues that were causing it to smoke (yikes) – thankfully before Jay and Ty left the house – the boys took the grass clippings to the dump.   Then they drove around and found the set for Pirates of the Carribbean – still no Johnny sightings…  They decided to go see the new Avengers movie – a good boys day.  Lily and I went grocery shopping and she slept for most of the afternoon.  I penciled in some plans for a trip to Melbourne and the Snowy Mountains and made a pot of chili.  Another week is in the books.  G’day mates!