The Cardinal Sin

So, we took the boys on a train ride last Monday into Sydney. 

 They were so excited about getting to ride the train...

...as you can tell.

But we had a good time! :) 

While we were in Sydney we bought the boys pencils with a kangaroo and koala toppers. 

Anyways, Pax feel asleep on the way back to Campbelltown and Jude was playing with the pencils.  

Let me just say that we were riding the train back during the evening rush hour, 
so there were a lot of people on the train.

Then all of a sudden Jude YELLS...

"OUCH!!!"

And we said, 

"Jude! What happened?"

Jude said, 

"That Koala bit my face!"

Then I brilliantly said, 

"Why, that mean ol' koala bear!!" 

After I said that noticed every eye on the train look up from their books and newspapers to stare at me. ...and even snicker. 

Then Joe looked at me and said, 

"Uhh...babe. It's not a bear. It's like a Cardinal Sin here to call the koala a bear." 

Evidently, he was right.

How was I suppose to remember 

2nd grade science?

  That the 'Koala Bear' isn't really a bear but a marsupial!  


Australian's even have a song they teach their kids about the koala not being a bear. 

   

Well...never again. 

Wollongong.

Well, not a lot has been going on down here.  We made our first trip outside of Campbelltown today down to the beach at Wollongong.  We made it there just fine.  But, we got lost on the way home.  Stalled the car twice before entering an intersection.  Drove on the wrong side of the road, and almost wrecked because I was looking the wrong way before turning. 


Well, I hope you enjoy the pictures. I won't post them all on here. I think I posted them all on facebook though if you want to see the rest. :)


But these are my FAVORITES. 

Joe took this one! :) 

and this one...obviously.

My Boys

Jude Bird

Mr. Pax

My Babe.

Playing together

Monkey See.   Monkey Do.

My boys :) 

Jude jumped

and then Pax

we had to take a quick potty break before we went home

Could someone please send me a maid?

The house we are staying in at the moment is absolutely perfect! The boys have their own room! There is a large kitchen, beautiful wood and tile floors.  It's wonderful!  I am having a little trouble keeping it clean though. :) Lets see...I mopped 4 days ago, 2 days ago swept, and swept again today. And this is what happened to my sink once I got done mopping today....

Yuck!

The Inevitable Ever Expanding Waistline

Sunday was our first day to worship with South West. The people there are so so kind and inviting.  It was a great first experience.  


A typical Sunday morning starts around 9:00 am. Everyone arrives and we sing a few songs together.  Then we break up into classes. The youth go to their class, and I helped teach the boys with a lady named Shirley, while the others had their class in the main room.  Class lasts around 30 minutes.  


Afterwards, we have morning tea.  


And this is when I decided that it is inevitable, my waistline will be expanding as long as I'm living in this country.  There is no hope. 


Morning tea consisted of tea, of course, coffee, two different kinds of 'biscuits', which American's call cookies, and then Double Chocolate Melting Fudge CAKE!  And of course I did not want to be rude, you know, since it's our first time to church and all.  So I sampled everything they had to offer.  I also didn't want them to think I didn't like their traditions...so I might have had a second helping. (but hey, who's counting) 


I guess this wouldn't be a bad deal if it happened just on Sunday mornings. But these types of tea's happen several times a day.  There is morning tea, afternoon tea, and then supper, which is after dinner tea, that takes places around 8:30-9:00 pm.  And not to mention if someone stops by. It's only polite to offer tea.  


Could someone please tell me, how's a girl gonna keep her figure with obstacles like these? 

You can call me Rach. ;)

The next day here Joe went with our supervisor, Frank, to the primary school to serve breakfast.  Joe said it was a wonderful experience. (Me and the boys get to go next week!) 


Joe spotted a cute little Aussie girl with big blue eyes and blond braided pig tails, and he said his heart just melted. 
She walked up and said,  
"HI FRANK!" 
and then looked and Joe and said,  
"umm, who are you?!" 

And Joe said  
"Well, hi! My name is Joseph. What's your name?"

Then the little girl looked up at him and said, while batting her eyes, "Well...you can call me Rach." 


We're here for a whole 3 days, and Joseph is already getting hit on by the Australian woman.

But hey, who can blame them?

Where's the dollar menu?

On our first day here we were met by Anne Rawlins.  A HIM worker in Gosford.  She came down to help us stay awake, and take care of the kids while we were jet lagged.  There we went to Campbelltown's new mall, MacAurthur Square, which is just referred to as "The Square" here. 

It's so strange walking around.  I know I'm in a foreign country, but the people look somewhat American, speak English, but it's still not "home." They even have a McDonald's! But when we went for lunch on our first day they seemed to be missing my favorite thing about McDonald's. The Dollar Menu. So, we ended up paying $25 dollars for our first meal in Australia...at McDonald's. :)

Evidently, I'm still nursing

Well, we made it!

On here I want to share a few stories that have happened so far.

So, this should be interesting...

On the plane...

We had a wonderful flight from OKC to LAX! They boys did great, fell asleep on the flight and stayed asleep even when we boarded Air New Zealand.



So, this is where my story begins...

I was holding Pax while the other passengers were boarding the plane. Then a man who was a flight attendant came up to me and said...

 “If you are going to nurse your baby on the flight you will have to use this special seat belt.”

Well, for those of us who have nursed our children, for any amount of time,  and successfully weaned them, this statement would, well, have you rather taken back.

It’s not that those first few months,
that your child was attached to your breast,
weren’t precious and unbelievably special beyond all reason.
It’s just that once that time is over you have a sense of overwhelming satisfaction that, “You did it!” and even, liberation! “I’m FINALLY free!” 
No worrying about where you are in 3 hours, 
or if you left enough milk with the sitter,
or if it’s been too long since your baby ate, 
and even “Oh no! Is my milk drying up?” 

No more scrambling to find the Lansinoh, 
checking your shirt in the supermarket to find that the crying baby 3 isles over is causing you to lactate through your shirt,
or wondering if THIS time your baby actually bit your nipple off! 

Oh no, it’s over.  

Chalk your name up as one of 
the greatest mothers whom have ever lived!

A saint!

You’re up there with mother Mary herself!

You have successfully breastfed your child.

But I didn’t let my feelings towards this affect my answer I just said...

 “Oh. Umm, ok.”  (That’s right, I handled it like a pro.)

And he proceeded to say...

“It’s no problem if you nurse the baby the whole flight! We don’t mind! (with a huge smile on his face) Just take this and you’ll be good to go! We love babies and don’t mind if you nurse them at all! It’s a long flight and most babies do need to be nursed, it’s only natural. Well, enjoy the flight and let me know if you need anything!” :)

Good thing Nancy Hartman explained to me that ‘NURSING’ 

in New Zealand and Australia means 

to “hold” and not “breastfeed.” 

whew...crisis adverted. :)