So this is Christmas...

Until recently I did not realized it would be hot here on Christmas. Call it suspension of disbelief, but in my mind it was a little chilly, if not cold, everywhere on Christmas. Fast forward to reality- here in Perth we are just entering summer, this is a wrench in my works.

We have a Christmas tree, and outdoor lights, and a to-do list a meter long, the liquor cabinet is stocked and still it does not really FEEL like Christmas. The stockings are hung, everyone in the family has a cold, we are out of tape, the egg nog is made, it's Christmas right???

Wrong.

It's 85 degrees outside, you have to wear sun screen- there's no sun screen on Christmas!

Imagine cooking a turkey on the Fourth of July. Imagine what bug spray and pumpkin pie smells like.

No frost, no fires, no Bing Crosby, no wassail- GAG! It's summer vacation for Pete's Sake! NO ONE HERE HAS EVER SEEN A CHRISTMAS STORY! There's no easy listening station pumping out Christmas Classics. THERE WAS NO BLACK FRIDAY!

So do Australians have it all wrong? Are they missing out on the "feel" of this amazing holiday because of the warm weather and the urge to head to the beach?

Short answer, No.

So, we are doing what you do in the face of adversity- adapt.

Turkey = shrimp
pie = fruit mince
Christmas Jammies = t-shirt and knickers, (Davis refers to them as "snickers")
cookies = pavlova
fire place = pool
eggnog = bourbon and water
pralines = icy poles
elf on the shelf = ...there is no Southern Hemisphere equivalent...thank you Jesus!

Actually it's liberating- the lack of glitter and pomp. The kids made every ornament on the tree, I'm not up pressing napkins and polishing silver, there is no bird that has to go in the oven before sunrise.

We will wake and open gifts and then maybe go to the beach or a for a bike ride. No smocked outfit you can't get dirty, no clip-on tie. Board shorts and beach towels. Shrimp and a dip in the pool.

Do I miss turkey and stuffing, my family and friends and Feliz Navidad? You bet! But I am hoping my kids learn a lesson this year that has taken me a long time to grasp. Christmas is a feeling- it is a state of mind and life is what you make it. Hot or cold, ham or lamb!

So... fingers crossed I will get a Christmas card post up in the next two days...if not...

Merry Christmas to you and yours! Enjoy the season and whatever it has to offer. We miss you all like a front tooth and hope this finds you happy and healthy.

Much love,
The Atkinsons


Fact- Christmas trees smell like taxi cab air fresheners at 35 degrees Celsius.

First Dance...School switch...O Christmas tree...Thanksgiving recap

SO in Australia primary school education emphasizes socialization, the cornerstone of this is the Christmas Disco!

Lock up your daughters- Davis is going to the disco- the Fiesta Disco, ole!

Vee's Disco was a tamer affair, dress in red and green...she looked like such a young lady it was hard to let her out the door.

SWITCH-A-ROO

After a lot of consideration we are moving Vee from the International School over to the local public school. It will mean sacrificing a long summer break to Texas but, who knows how long we will be here and we cannot organize our time in Australia around three weeks of the year. Vee is excited and Davis is thrilled to have his sister back at his side. We will be able to walk to school and she will have loads more friends closer to home. We have found our local public school to be fantastic, plus it is a true Australian experience. Summer break starts in a week so Vee will bump up to the 4th grade in the "fall", February 3rd.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Because we fully planned on being in Texas for this Christmas we did not pack any decor from home. I have to admit NOT having to go to storage has been my secret Christmas wish, this year it came true! We purchased a tree through the school- it is a sad lopsided scotch pine, but it smells like the holidays and displays our homemade ornaments nicely. Most Aussie's have artificial trees, so a real tree is a treat. We spent the weekend stringing packing peanuts, fondly referred to as ghost poop- thank you Grandpa Ernie. Vee made paper chains and Kirk and Davis made the aluminum foil star. Its looking better but our crafting skills are being tested!

FOOTY ANYONE

In the photos you can see how green everything is. Plants that are shrubs at home are full grown trees here. I need to post a photo of the poinsettia tree down the street, it was blooming in July- AMAZING. During the day it is warm and the sun is really strong, but in the evening the Fremantle "Doctor" kicks in and the breeze cools things down. Pick-up footy in the back yard is a ritual- I cannot say who is better, Vee or Davis but it is a blast to watch!

THANKSGIVING RECAP

After our valiant attempt a Fourth of July dinner we knew better than to try and piece together a Thanksgiving spread. It can be done of course, but its summer....who wants turkey and stuffing?!? So after much deliberation and realization we cooked what we would have for a summer party: Kirk's famous smoked beef brisket, cowboy beans and cole slaw!  We invited some Aussie friends over and blew their minds, drank cold beer and sat by the pool! It was a great way to give thanks for this amazing experience.

This week is crazy with Christmas parties for both kids and the office. I cannot say it really feels like Christmas because of the warm weather but we are getting there. Sadly, I do not think we will be able to pull off a "mailed" Christmas card or a CD....but keep an eye out, we are going to do our best.

Love all around!
Evangeline

Fish and Chips

I have been asked what the local fare is like here in Perth and it is hard to explain until you look at the demographics. The population is a crazy mix: 26% English, 25% Australian, Irish and Scottish at 6% and Italy with 4%, China comes in with 2.9%. The English/Irish/Scottish influence is punctuated by meat pies and morning tea, sausages and the breads available- scones, crumpets and Irish soda. The are British sections in the groceries like our Mexican sections at home- and the tea, my god the tea- it is a whole isle unto itself. But, the thing Aussie's really go for is Fish and Chips. We have tried a lot of places and the kids are now experts. Barramundi, mackerel, cod. Beer battered or panko. Vinegar or lemon. We all have an opinion. The best comes wrapped in paper so you can unfold it on the table and the whole family digs in! Cold beer and napkins are essential- so is a nap afterward.

Cheers,
Evangeline

Warning: Photo Cuteness to follow

I figured I better get the Halloween pictures up before I post about our adventures with Australian Thanksgiving. 

Although we were warned Halloween was not a big deal in AU we found it to be quite the opposite. These photos were taken at Vee's school. They held a carnival and cars parked around the oval, aka football field, and passed candy out of the boot, aka trunk. 

Trunk or Treat! 

It was about 85 degrees, so not much different from a Texas Halloween. Later in the week, on actual All Hallows Eve, we had tons of kids come to the house. The idea of going door to door for candy is still new here so no one knew what to make of the 6 foot man dressed as a Caballero, complete with fake mustache and a pop gun yelling Aye! Aye! Aye!, as kids approached the steps. Everyone left with a smile and a strange kind of candy bar called a Snickers. The candy here is very different and while you can source a Snickers they are not nearly as popular as a Picnic Bar or Turkish Delight. Just like taco night, there are some things I'm not willing to give up and kid size Snickers on Halloween is one of them. 

Halloween- the witch and the warlock/thirsty cowboy

We have continued to take weekly weekend excursions in and around the city. I have a must see list that includes the big three: Kangaroos, Koalas and the elusive and highly prized Platypus. We drove up to Yanchep a few weeks ago and kind-of marked Koala off the list, I say kind-of because the Koalas were in an enclosure not dangling in trees as we walked the trails. That said they are CUTE, the one pictured below in named Millie, she is 19 years old which is very old for Koalas. They have very sharp claws on their paws to climb and strip leaves from the eucalyptus trees, which is also all they really do since they sleep 20 hours a day. Koalas are nocturnal and very slow moving- the main cause of death in Australia is being hit by cars or eaten by dogs. They rarely drink water but get all liquid and nourishment they need from the kilos of eucalyptus they eat everyday. We are hoping to see them wild in the trees when we head to Kangaroo Island in January, I will keep you posted.

Yanchep National Park

Caves, Koalas and Kangaroos- oh my!

This guy snuck up on us while we were looking at the lake.

He gone.

The caves are all limestone and look a lot like the caves we have been in near Inks Lake in Texas.

Davis is always a joy to be with on tours, its just extra special when your a couple of meters underground. #mostpopularguyintheroom

In an attempt to post more frequently I am going to try and approach the blog thing a little differently. Kirk has convinced me I am writing the posts like essays and not as I should be- snapshots of what's going on as it happens. So stay tuned as I try it his way for a while.

Surf Life Saving Club

Every Sunday all across Australia Australians go to church, but not in a building- they go to the beach, its called Surf Life Saving Club. There is no government run Coast Guard here and while there is a volunteer coast guard that works with the Australian Navy most of its duties involve marine vessel rescue and recovery. With 23,000 miles of beach along the coast of Oz there is simply too much sand and surf to effectively monitor and patrol. In 1906 the Bondi Beach Surf Bathing Association was formed, sparking the largest volunteer movement of its kind in Australia. Today three hundred and eleven clubs operate all along the coasts with 165,000 members. To date they have saved 650,000 beach goers from the fierce rips and pounding waves of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The religion of surf safety starts early with weekly Sunday morning training sessions beginning at age four- its called Nippers, and no it has nothing to do with the temperature of the water. Each age group is assigned a color and all the kids don their speedos and colored beanies and hit the beach for an hour and a half of what can only be described as iron man training for children. Sand sprints, push-ups, rescue board relays- it is exhausting just to watch!

Vee and Davis have been going now for the past four weeks and it is amazing to see their confidence build with each session. When we arrived in June I would only let them get in the water up to their knees- I had never seen such big waves nor did I know the first thing about rip currents. I DO know enough about water to respect it, so it was safety first. Now they are learning how to spot rips and get out of them, to dolphin dive through the waves and what the warning flags on the beach mean.

The first day when we were standing on the beach watching 200 kids run in and out of the water it was mind blowing to think that the same thing was happening up and down the beach all over Australia. The motto of SLSC is,  Aussie for Life. While our stint here in Oz may not be forever this experience will definitely stay with us always.

It's the little things

Friends, I apologize for the lack of posts, honestly we are just having too much fun!

That said, we owe you one. So here goes....

Regretfully, reading through my posts I am embarrassed to admit there is more content on taco cravings than the local goings on here in Perth. The text is woefully light on any kind of culture- shame, shame on me. While we have not yet gone into the outback or met the native peoples of Australia trust we have experienced plenty of noteworthy differences right here in our own backyard.

Drum roll please....

Dining out:

• There is no tipping in Australia- none. This sounds too good to be true, until you've waited 20 minutes for your drink order to be taken and another 20 for your beverages to arrive- why hustle around if your good service is not rewarded?
• Condiments will cost you. Tamato Sauce, Mayo or any additional meal accoutrement will set you back at least $1.50
• No free refills.
• Artificial sweeteners are almost non-existent. Of course so is iced tea, so really, what's the point.
• Dogs are allowed almost everywhere. This is music to my best friend, Petunia's, ears. Although she does not receive the same welcome she did at the club, she is a frequent patron at several of the local establishments.
• NEWS FLASH...If you order lemonade you will get a Sprite. To actually receive Lemonade you have to order Lemon Squash.
• Coffee requires a lexicon. Regular black coffee is a called a long black- its a shot of espresso with 2/3 cup hot water. A flat white is basically a latte but with more coffee to milk and without the chocolate dust of a cappuccino.
• Beet root is in everything from burgers to pizza- beware.

All things domestic

• Toilets in Oz have flushing options, less water for #1 - more water for #2. Both buttons at the same time if you are Davis.
• Scents for household cleaners are VERY different. The Windex smells like the spray you use at Ms. Dixie's house when you affect your toilette, the dish washing power is Apple Lime and EVERYTHING else is eucalyptus.
• Electricity is very expensive, dryers are a luxury- so laundry is dried the good old fashioned way- on a line in the sun. Twice a day I get my Laura Inglalls Wilder on and hang laundry. Ahh, the glamorous expat life.
• Each individual socket in the house has a switch to electrify it, no energy is wasted trickling through the plug.
• The mail man comes on a Vespa down the sidewalk. I've almost killed him twice backing out of the drive. We are on a first name basis.
• Most of the roofs are tile, they are not cemented or secured, the tiles just fit together like a puzzle and the aggregate weight holds them in place. 
• Roaches are at least an inch longer here than in Texas. The roaches are an inch smaller than the spiders. I miss Bengal Spray.

Social

• Aussie greetings do not usually include G'day- people ask, "How ya going?"
• Anytime you use the word great in the US, in Australia you can replace it with gorgeous. Try it...everything seems better!
• Prostitution is legal. Not whore houses, just whoring- apparently there is a difference. Interesting point, unlike the US it is not advertised- NO WHERE will you see an advert for workin' girls. You have to be smart and desperate to procure a hooker in Oz.
• No shoes, no problem. People are barefoot everywhere- the grocery store, restaurants, doctors offices, trains- really you don't need shoes, and its a good thing, they are expensive.
• The "flock of seagulls" hair cut is an adolescent boy staple
• Trucker hats are in vogue ages 5-85, so are speedos :(
• There is a shark attack app
• Radio is free and uncut- any and all lyrics are played. No subject is off topic and all material is broadcast...our morning drives are a delicate mix of sex education and creative expletive usage.
• Public schools have six weeks of sailing included into the curriculum. 
• A pound of grapes will cost you $8.00

So, we are "going" well. We feel local. We've made real friends. We love it here.

Always, always, we miss our home by the bay, colors at the club, rum gums, miller lite, coffee talk. I miss the art on my walls, the kids miss their freedom to roam, Kirk misses fishing on the pier and Petunia misses Otis. But, interestingly, it is these "want and misses" that give us confidence and strength here in Perth. We know it will all be there when we return.

Even college football, which amazingly we get here free of charge, and HBO...Australia is like a fancy Hampton Inn, sans the complimentary breakfast. And the humidity.

But just in case, we are keeping our return tickets open. A good defense is the best offense.

Tejas,
Evangeline

Happy Fartieth Birthday

Many people define the strength of their friendships by how well their friends listen and understand them- if this is truly the case than I am correct in my belief that I have powerful, amazing, kick-ass  friendships.

For weeks I have been pining away to my cyberspace amigos about our lack of taco makings and -STOP THE PRESS- no Ranch Dressing, (yes I spell it with a capital R). We have adjusted, we are acclimating, we eat lamb, I still won't do Vegemite- but come on civilized people have needs! Alas, a celebration was on the horizon.

Last week I turned forty...in a new country...really missing my old pals back home. I received so many wonderful emails, texts and facebook messages it made me miss the US like hell and really think about how lucky I am to have people around me, new and old, that I adore and cherish. Thanks for all the love, it made my day.

From those brave enough to face the offices of the US Postal Service, I also received a few packages...spicy, tangy, Texas treasure trove type parcels that had the mailman sniffling and sneezing on his delivery scooter.

All told my loot included 8 packets of Taco Seasoning, 2 2-Alarm Chili kits, moose shaped salad tossers a la Steamboat, 2 packets Knox soup mix, one jar of Caldo Polo, a Dillard's gift card, 2 packets of chili powder, 5 packets Hidden Valley Ranch, cumin, one Tunderado CD, temporary tattoos, birthday candles and a packet of press on mustaches. Plunder in hand, it was a wild and crazy night at El Rancho de Atkinson...WOWZA! With all the mustaches and chili power coating our house it was a fabulous, albeit farty, fortieth. 

You may think we are overstocked- that my BFF's went too far. Not so, the way I see it 8 packets of taco seasoning puts us into mid November. Throw in a few chili nights and maybe some tortilla soup and we are a week out from Christmas Break- Ole!

So you see, to get birthday packages full of all the things I've mentioned wanting and missing from friends reaffinrmed what I already know. I have great friends and cheesy as it sounds, that is the greatest gift of all. 

Currently loving and constantly missing

Currently Loving:

• 68 degrees not a cloud in the sky, no humidity
• Parrots and cockatoos
• Petunia being home
• Chatting about the America's Cup with the check-out gal at the Woolies!
• The beach 

• Kirk being home for dinner
• Enjoying a Flat White in the afternoon- the best coffee in the world
• Walking to school with Davis
• Our house, that finally feels like a home

Constantly Missing:

• The Bay- and all those involved ;)
• Garbage disposals
• Miller Lite
• My garden
• Chick-fil-a 
• Irenie
• Kemah "traffic"
• An ice-maker
• Wine and Whine

Despite all it's differences Australia has charmed us and for the first time I can admit I would be sad if we had to leave tomorrow. No, I do not have BFF's yet or a steady babysitter- they will come. However, three months into this adventure we have had more time together as a family than in the past three years combined. The kids are happy and active, rooting for Footy and grubbing on lamb. The weather is warming and the wildflowers are out, hills covered with lupins and wild geraniums- butterflies working en masse. The whales are making their spring migration north and one was spotted off Cottesloe beach, our beach, a few weeks ago. Whales?

Awesome.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/18802402/whale-captivates-from-freo-to-cottesloe/

Debut Downunder

There are limited opportunities to make an impression in the female circles of expats. The small windows between drop-off and pick-up, a PTA meeting, parents night at school. I found myself floating on the perimeter of conversations wishing for a chance to interject a witty comment- subconsciously raising a banner saying: "I'm smart, I'm fun, you want to drink wine with me.... and possibly hang out at Christmas." Honestly, it's a pathetic, painful right of passage- ESPECIALLY for someone that has spent the last 8 years in Kemah, Texas living amongst family. For weeks I've been desperate for an opportunity to showcase any of my marketable personality traits- alas the awkward carpool interactions prevailed.

Enter Book Week Australia.

Book Week is Australia's attempt at Halloween- Literary! Ha, get it....

Oddly, All Hallows Eve is not widely celebrated in AUS- so costume shops and order online Elvis suits are hard to come by- and expensive. Book Week is a chance to pay homage the characters of your favorite books and wear a costume to school! As a honorary child of the Bowman clan- costuming has been an art I have honed fastidiously over many years...although there are no prizes at book week- WE WERE GOING TO WIN IT.

Of course there are obvious obstacles. We did not import our dress-up cache so supplies were limited. Second- to create the right wow factor I have to convince the kids to dress up as something I can totally kill costume wise. AND we have to have read the book....

Vee, the avid reader and budding costume diva, had lots of ideas; most of which would have taken a BA from a Fashion design school and about $2,000 to create. Davis only had one stipulation- his character must have a weapon. With the clock ticking and my reputation on the line Vee choose the The White Witch from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Davis chose The Knight of The Kitchen- Gareth.

I did some brainstorming, bought a glue gun, some spray paint and hit the Salvation Army- its called the Salvos here.

White Witch Jackpot! I honestly could not have asked for more. There is a large Vietnamese community here and apparently once they get married they give their dresses away to charity- nothing else could explain the incredible selection of tinnie-tiny wedding dresses at the Salvos! Ten dollars bought me the poofiest number I could fit in my car. We made Vee's crown with aluminum icicle spikes and finished the look off with some Turkish Delight and as much make-up artistry as I could muster. Children actually gasped when she walked in the class room! WINNER!

Davis' costume took an IKEA sofa box worth of cardboard, 2 cans of spray paint, 17 hot glue sticks, some duct tape, one sacrificed long sleeve t-shirt and a plastic sword. If you're questioning the weapons at school, let me just say there was not a male child in attendance that was not carrying a gun, a bow, a sword or a wand, (the Harry Potter kind). Men are men here in the land of Oz- Davis fits in seamlessly.

Now, like I said there are no prizes for costuming at book week. Mom's did not come running up to me begging to know my costuming secrets- but sourcing and making the outfits was one of the first things I have gotten to do since we've been here that hinted to the world a little bit of me.

It was nice.

Davis as Gareth, the Knight of the Kitchen


Vee, The White Witch of Narnia

Collection of "new and exciting" books added to Davis' school library, #hardcore

Kangaroo- check!

Despite what you might have heard kangaroos do not run wild in the streets of Perth. We have been here two months now and had never even seen the yellow "look out for kangaroos crossing the street" sign. Davis is pronouncing words with the "r" sound dropped at the end and Vee calls me "mum"; we are becoming way too familiar with this whole Australia thing to NOT have seen a kangaroo- come on!

Determined to view a roo we did some research and chose to visit the John Forrest National Park to go for a hike. The park is big but only about 40km outside of Perth- so a sighting was a bit of a long shot, we were on a mission.

Kirk loves to chat up the park rangers and we always get great information from them, this particular guy gave us the standard map overview and suggested a suitable trail. As we are pulling away from the entry kiosk he gives the kids a wink and says,"You might get lucky and see some kangaroos today! We have a family of them that live behind the tavern." Tavern? Kangaroos? Could there actually be a magical place that mixes wild marsupials with the pleasure and refreshment of cold beer. 

Yes, yes there is.

Let me set the scene. It is a crisp cloudless spring day, the sky is a deep cobalt blue and the breeze is blowing so you can just make out the scent of eucalyptus trees. The first wildflowers of the season have  begun their show- mixed in the dark greens and silvery leaves are splashes of yellow and vibrant crimson. The birds are everywhere, parrots and cockatoos, mingled with the sounds of kookaburras and mag pies; Blonde plays over the loud speaker.

We are seated on the outside patio of the Wildflower Tavern at a long table shared with another family. We are enjoying one of the 12 local beers on tap. The kids are finishing their ice cream while a mob of kangaroos lounge in the shade FOUR FEET AWAY! There is a bucket of food at the corner of the deck where the kids can feed the kangaroos. Everyone is chatting and laughing and largely acting like everything is normal. Like it's just any other Sunday afternoon enjoying friends in the wilderness with kangaroos and ice cream and a bottle of suds.

It was bazaar and fantastic and totally awesome in a way that only Australia can be.

And yes, seeing a kangaroo in the wild is incredible- I squealed like a girl and actually shoved my way in front of a child at the self serve kangaroo feeling station eager to get my turn. I'm not proud but I was so excited! They are really cute and very soft; so cute you forget they are wild. Que our exit.

FACT: Kangaroos growl just like dogs. Vee found this out first hand when she tried to hug one. Then we left.

Thanks Grumps!

My father, known to my children as Grumps, is shall we say "old school". But just because you don't have an iphone or the correct time programed on your dvd player doesn't mean your are not up with the times. Plus, as the old addege goes: its not what you know, its who you know.

Grumps is on a first name basis with his priest, the teller at the bank and the guy at the UPS store- all of whom had a hand in getting this care package from Belton, Texas to Perth, Australia.

The Goldfish will be a lunch box ice breaker at school and everyone is stoked for flap-jacks in the morning!

Thank you dad!

Taco Tuesday

Like most families we have a typical weekly menu we run through, with the occasional 'cooking-show-inspired' deviation.  This change is usually met with such unpleasantness that the old menu item is placed back into rotation- immediately. Obviously, moving to Australia has caused our old familiar favorites to change and adjust as we get use to the fare and what is offered locally. However, on a unanimous vote no substitutions were to be made for Taco Tuesday- we are Texans after all.

Now for a moment refer to your Atlas- we are roughly 9,000 miles away from Mexico- just like Vegemite is a specialty item in the US, so is chili powder in Oz. To pull off decent Mexican food in Australia it takes a perfect storm of culinary illusions so complex I might as well be cooking turkey dinner.

Let me set the stage. Old El Paso has the market cornered here- that said I am slowly but surely paying for every chuckle and snicker I had at some poor pale Midwesterner's expense in the Mexican food ISLE at the grocery store! Forget Goya or Herdez. Hell, I'd give my right arm for some Rosarita and Caldo Polo! I haven't seen a black bean since we landed and if Aussie's could make their Ketchup as thick as their salsa we would all be in a better mood!

We have been vanquished to the Old El Paso Taco Kit; a gastronomical charade that includes taco shells, taco seasoning and a soupy red sauce. To render these ingredients edible we fortify them with coriander (cilantro), Colby cheese (a pale, flavorless, poor melting version of longhorn cheese) and a three dollar lime. Oddly, avocados are readily available so we throw those in too.

I've looked for corn tortillas- and called no glory. Alas, we are stuck with flour tortilla look alikes that have a "freshness sachet" included in the package and expire mid-March of next year...TASTY!

The beans come in three flavors: vile, disgusting and salty. We like salty.

The result is a passable fast food taco. The savages are restless but sated. Ole!

Maybe soon we'll replace Taco Tuesday with something new like Meat Pie Monday or Vegimite Vacay. But for now we are stickin' to our guns!

Remember the Alamo!

The Atkinsons

Uptown Girl

I have lots to report but this is just a news-flash type post. I'm sitting at the library using their amazingly fast Internet while young Vee is at a writing workshop with Australian Girl author Davina Bell. Vee loves the books, although they are a bit harsh. One child pick pocket comes over on a boat from England in shackles to a criminal colony in Australia. That was interesting to explain- stealing is wrong, you will not be rewarded with a book series, carry on. In truth I know she's probably too young for something like this, but I could not help myself- are there literary stage moms? Will this experience be what she sites as her "a-ha" moment when she wins the Pulitzer? I'm calling it now. Yes, yes it will!

Living large in AU,
Evangeline and acclaimed child author Vee Atkinson

No man left behind...or dog.

Today our missing family member will embark, (tee-hee-hee), on her great adventure to Oz. Petunia, our beloved Basset Hound, has been completing her quarantine time at the Norwood Halfway House for Dogs; a fantastic facility that offers spacious screen porches, door to door veterinary services and frequent trips to Dairy Queen for treats. We can not begin to thank deSha and her family for the amazing care they have taken of our best friend. We owe you, like, a kidney!

We would also like to thank our extended club family for all their love and treats- during what has surely been a trying time for the old girl.

We will keep you posted on her progress, she still has another 30 days in Sydney Quarantine before her flight to Perth. If you find yourself in Sydney with nothing to do visiting hours are Monday and Wednesday from 11-12. She likes raw hides and soft serve. And belly rubs.

Camp Photos

Going Native

My dear friend Melinda says that once you buy toilet paper in a new city you’re officially a resident. 

We checked that qualification off the list a few weeks ago, but the purchase of toiletries didn’t make Perth feel anymore like home. For the most part we’ve been house bound, our only outlets tourist destinations, retail and social media- not my top three. Anyone that knows my kids can imagine just how antsy they are without the ability to roam- my chickens are free range!

Monday we turned a corner and started to feel like locals! What did it? Holiday camps, a wall clock, parking garage navigation and taking out the trash. Let me explain.

Camp

First, after LOTS of quality time together I signed the kids up for “holiday camps”. Its winter break here in Oz and just like Americans, Aussie's love their kids- but too much vacation time, is well, too much vacation time. Camp offerings run the gambit- from arts and crafts to sports. It's been me and mi amigos here in Perth for 23 days- so I was ready to sell them to the gypsies! Instead I went for the next best thing: Week 1- Aussie Rules Football for Davis and Soccer for Vee. Week 2 - Circus Camp! 

We are at the middle of Week 1 and the sports camps have been great! Yes Footy is hardcore and sending my baby boy off to camp with an ill fitting mouth guard and a cheap pair of new boots, (cleats in our world), was tough- but he LOVES IT! Football aside, just getting to hang out with other kids and play in the mud has done wonders for moral around the house. Vee is not new to soccer but Americans start organized sports really early compared to the rest of the globe, she is the youngest at Soccer Camp and one of only three girls. Everyone has adopted her as a baby sister and she is loving the attention! Sports Camp ends today, next week we head to the circus!

Tick-tock

There are lots of thing I wish I'd packed but none more than a clock. It sounds weird but without reliable internet and the loss of my iphone I never know what time it is. And to be totally honest, there was a empty nail over the pantry, I see it all day- everyday. I hate bare walls and we have lots of them. I won't buy random posters just to cover the walls, so the least I could do was buy a clock and cover the damn pantry nail- done. For some reason it feels great.

The Dreaded Parking Garage Conquered 

I've gotten pretty good at driving on the left hand side of the road, round-abouts not longer induce sporadic bouts of profanity and we even listen to the radio. But navigating a parking garage is a whole different ball game. There are ramps and ticket booths and dividers and people backing in and out- it’s a war zone!

Now in Texas, the only time I'm ever in a parking garage is for a doctors appointment or maybe a trip to a museum- its rare. Here parking spots are in short supply so there are lots of parking garages. 

The plot thickens; the grocery stores are located in shopping malls.  I'm not sure why this is. But you literally see people pushing carts through like a Dillards. Panty hose and produce, no problem. Liter of milk and a new pair of shoes, why not? I digress.  

Anyway, to get to the store you've go to go to the mall and park in the garage. This week I mustered all my courage and took the plunge. I'm proud to say my car is still in one piece, no sideswipes, no head on collisions and I managed to get a decent spot next to the lift! As if by magic the world is my oyster!

Taking Out the Trash

Today is trash day, not a big deal but it was raining last night and Kirk came home late so he didn't put the can out. This morning I heard the truck and remembered the overflowing bin in the garage. Panicked, I dropped everything and ran out of the house and hauled the bin to the curb...in my nightgown.

It's official, we're locals now.

More soon mates,

The Atkinsons

Photos!

Treasures from the beach! Real sponges! 

Fremantle Prison, looks a lot like a boat inside.
Closed in 1991- hard time for sure!

 Swan Bell Tower

Ice cream fueled city walks!

Waiting for the next train! Just missed it!

Independence Day

So, the Fourth of July is kind of an American thing...this is big time news in the Atkinson house as past celebrations of this holiday have bordered on the absurd. Also, nothing makes you feel more American or patriotic than NOT being in America. Suddenly all those ugly shopping centers and gross fast food joints become, centers of convenience and fair commerce and the Whataburger a foodie pilgrimage. Seriously, we've not been here a month yet and I think I could convince my kids to forgo Christmas for some Chick-fil-a. Ugly American pining...I think not. We are suddenly appreciative of what we had; even if it is something as simple as a decent cheeseburger.

Fast food cravings aside our adventures continue. With school not scheduled to begin until the 24th of July we have dutifully been ticking off landmarks in and around Perth. Now, Vee and Davis are young so loading my county bumpkin children on a train into the city to visit the Western Australia Museum might have been a little too much. And maybe our trek to Fremantle to tour the prison was not the wisest decision; especially since we were treated to demonstrations of the whipping post and the gallows. But I think the most amazing thing I've seen in Perth is how far my kids can walk!

That said, the environment in which we are walking makes all the difference. Last weekend we went to Bold Park and walked the nature loop, 5K. Vee led the whole way, spotting birds and referencing wildflowers. Davis broke down and actually sat in the road no less than four times. Needless to say we scared most of the wildlife away, but we did manage to see lots of parrots and several cockatoos. Note: you can also see these birds while driving down the freeway; but viewing them in a nature reserve makes it special.

I hope this finds you well and enjoying a long weekend with friends, and family and all the things that make America great.

Love from Oz,
the Atkinsons

Fourth of July Feast!
Pictured far right is the world's most expensive ear of corn- good new is it was fantastic.
The 'beanz', not so much.

Houston we have a problem....

Greetings from Western Australia, or WA. WA also stands for Wait Awhile as we landed safe and sound 19 days ago and have JUST been hooked up to Internet in the last 24 hours! Its a small miracle considering Kirk signed up for service three months ago. Needless to say we are thrilled to be connected- even though reaching optimum band width requires me to hold a wire coat hanger in one hand and a piece of tin foil between my teeth. Ahhh the Outback!

Where to start....

The flight was long but uneventful. All of the awesome "treats" everyone gifted the kids with to kill time on the flight were opened on Beltway 8 en route to the airport! Needless to say, everything was a big hit and the kids were VERY entertained. A special thanks to the thoughtful friend that included orange fluorescent Silly Putty.

The flight is about 26 hours broken up by a "lay-over"- note to future visitors, while the luxury and extravagance of Qatar Air might draw you in, no amount of free liquor can make up for an eight hour lay over in Doha...we just made it out alive...consider yourself warned.

We have rented a house outside of Perth, in Peppermint Grove, which is as WASPy and high-falutin' as it sounds. American accents aside, we stick out everywhere we go simply because of how excited the kids are about everything! Sidewalks, paved roads, trains, retail other than Target, taxi cabs and most of all street musicians! Vee and Davis love to hand out money to ANYONE playing an instrument- after dolling out $20 in change, (two dollar coins look like nickels!) we have taken to drawing pictures, writing "Have a nice Day!" on them and handing those out. We don't get the same reaction but we can still buy lunch at noon!

The trains are easy to navigate and driving is not nearly as hard as I expected. I am ashamed to say, any and all cultural benefit the children get from our travels is sure to be nullified by the extreme profanity I use while navigating around town!

This post is a first go so I will cut it short. I promise more as I get the hang of posting photos.

Thanks so much for all your emails, they mean so much. Also, Petunia is still in residence at the TCYC with deSha- thanks to all of you that have been so sweet and loving to her while she awaits her big trip across the pond!

Adios mate!
The Atkinsons