Run Ty Run!

So yeah. The kids and I have worms. No, unfortunately that was not a typo. WE HAVE FREAKING WORMS IN OUR BELLIES. This was NOT something that we were warned about before we came. I have read heaps of books about Australia, watched several episodes of “Australia: The Story of Us”. I am well aware of all of the dangerous creatures that lurk around every corner and try to kill you here. But I was not aware of worms. I have a vague recollection of some kid at daycare having worms, and I remember thinking NASTY!!! But I never in a cazillion years did I think we would get them. So here’s the backstory… Lily has been having a few accidents, which I know is fairly normal for a young girl who is potty training. However, when the second assumed UTI test results came back negative, we wondered what was causing the accidents. Em was talking to some other mums and they asked Em when the last time Lily was wormed. Um. What? So I worm my dog, and I remember worming the livestock in the farm. But people? Apparently it is totally normal to worm entire families here every 6 months. O.M.G.

Warning: this next section is graphic and not for the faint of heart. And probably TMI, but I cannot hold back on this one. While not completely convinced, but willing to see if it helps Lily, we gave the kids their worming tablets – which was basically a couple squares of a chocolate bar with meds. 24 hours later, Ty pooped out worms. No joke. Little tiny white threadworms. I then proceeded to do some research and decided immediately that I was going to take a dose of worming meds that night. Much to my dismay, 24 hours later, I did the same. And that evening, Lily did as well. SO DISGUSTING!!!!

Em and Jay jumped on the deworming bandwagon. Somehow, they managed to evade the slimy little bastards. How I ended up with them and not Jay and Em is beyond me. I wash my hands 50 times a day. I never share drinks or food with the kids. I never eat anything unless it is on my plate. Em is around Lily all day long. Jay ends up sleeping with both kids most nights. I am totally jealous of their anti-worm situation. Totes jelly. Ugh.

For any Aussies that are reading this, humans getting worms is not a common occurrence in the U.S.

Enough about that…

Aunt Taci.

I am so far behind on my blog. I haven’t written since Staci was here. Have I mentioned how much I hate saying goodbye? This one was only slightly easier because we are moving home in a few months, but it still sucked. Choked back tears, lots of hugs.

Legs.

It just so happened that the morning that Staci was flying out was the same morning that our friend Brian’s mom was flying in from the U.S. They had their 3rd broken leg the night before (crazy long unbelievable story), so I was able to pick up Kate from the airport. We helped out as much as we could – they were also moving into a different house that weekend (seriously – I couldn’t make this up). Despite all of their drama, I have been so impressed with their positive attitudes, perseverance, and ability to remain calm. I can learn a lot from them. :).

Scissors.

You know that temptation that you sometimes get when you are holding a pair of scissors and you see something that would be fun to cut? Well, Ty felt the temptation and couldn’t resist. Unfortunately the object of his desire was his school uniform shirt. These are NOT cheap. And we only have a little more than one term of school to go. So I was pretty upset about the situation. Ty spent a lot of time in his room, and he got a big lecture about how mom and dad have to leave him every day to go to work to make money to buy him clothes, food, a place to live, toys, and holidays, and that he completely disrespected us by cutting his shirt. His punishment was to earn money to pay off his $40 shirt by doing various chores around the house – one gold coin at a time. Until it was paid off, he couldn’t watch TV or play on the iPad, 2 of his favorite things. It took him 2 weeks, but by golly he got that shirt paid off. I quite enjoyed those 2 weeks. I got to sit down and relax while Ty washed dishes. Awesome.

Athletics.

Ty had an athletics carnival (track meet) at school. This came with much anticipation as he showed some sprinting abilities at the start of the cross country race a few months ago. We practiced sprints and long jump the week before the big day. The boys lined up for their race. The tensions were high. Ready. Set. GO!!! Super fast! Ty won!! Oh yeah! He did well in long jump and high jump, as well. Proud of my little athlete.

Watching the videos after the race was almost as intense as seeing it live…

Swim.

My little fish are cute.

Fathers Day.

We celebrated Fathers Day by spending the day on the boat. Both kids fell asleep on the ride to Couran Cove, so the adults got to enjoy a beer and the sunshine for a bit. We headed into the restaurant just as the storm clouds rolled in, and the storm clouds rolled out as we were finishing up. Good timing. Ty made some pretty awesome gifts for Jay. I bought him an Endless Summer print to remind us our time in Australia. It was a great day with the world’s best daddy.

Party.

One of Ty’s friends, Charne, turned 6 and had a royal ball party. Ty put on his suit and looked just like Prince Charming. Em and I stayed for the party, and I couldn’t get over the amount of cuteness in one place. Such a fun night.

Sale.

We started going through all of our belongings to identify what things we do not want to (or cannot) ship back to the U.S. We spent most of Saturday taking photos, cleaning things, and putting together a flier. I have just a few more things to add, but should get it out to coworkers and friends next week. If anyone is interested in some good deals, let me know.

Crabby.

By the end of the day, Em was crabby as, so I sent her to the hot tub with a beer to try to cheer her up.

Road trip.

The hot tub didn’t quite do the trick, so on Sunday, the boys went north to a car race show, and the girls drove south. We were hoping to see some whales, but got distracted by a roadside attraction called The Farm. Of course we had to stop. It was such a cool little place, unplanned and unexpected. There were adorable barns, a restaurant, fresh fruits and veggies, Scottish Highland cattle, heaps of chickens, and a fun playground for the kids. There were heaps of people there, just relaxing and enjoying the day. It was lovely.

Byron.

We headed into Byron Bay for lunch, shopping, and a play in the worlds most beautiful park. This is exactly what Em needed – to go for a drive through the country. When we were leaving Byron, I got on the interstate headed in the wrong direction. I was worried about where I was going to be able to turn around, and was relieved when I finally found a spot. It turned out to be the most beautiful scenic overlook. The lush green countryside, with the deep blue sea beyond, and the clearest blue sky above. Breathtaking. Definitely worth the wrong turn.

Gymnastics.

Lily had her first gymnastics class. She rocked it. She had so much fun, copied what the teachers did, showed a lot of strength. Will definitely be continuing with more of this.

Nanny cam.