Currently, I am enjoying the cool breezes of 24 degrees and we're all very happy that we survived the heat wave of January 2014. The last 4 days had temperatures of 43 degrees with night time "lows" of 32 and we do not have air-conditioning- it was not enjoyable. There are many things I have learned in the heat though:
#1: Children are far more adaptable than adults. The kids did not complain once about the heat. There were MANY times Keith and I were grouchy about it but the kids just went about their regular life just with rosier cheeks. Keith said he would find them jumping on the beds upstairs (where I am sure the temperatures were high-40s. I am really proud to have kids with such positive attitudes. There are lots of times we are annoyed with their never-ending Tasmanian devil style energy but their positive attitudes are pretty freaking amazing.
#2: Australia is hotter than Africa (or at least the Africa where I've lived). I was surprised by this because I can handle heat but the zookeepers had to give "blood popsicles" to the lions to keep them cool (ew!) and the heat was as shocking to the system at times as -40 is in the dead of winter. I was surprised by this but Aussies - I salute you, it's freaking hot here.
#3: I have learned multiple new "updos" to keep my hair up and off my neck with the sweltering heat so that's an upside. Emily will also let me do them for her when the temperature is over 40.
#4: The Melbourne train schedule alters drastically when the temperature is over 38 because the train tracks BUCKLE. This is a problem when you use public transit daily. Hats off to the PTV staff for standing on platforms directing traffic.
#5: My usual "exczema" from my wedding ring, in the heat, becomes a "crushing case of hand dermatitis" according to the dermatologist. I am on antibiotics and a steroid cream and I'm not allowed to wear my wedding ring until i get it plated or fixed.
#6: Aussie's are serious about their tennis. They Australian Open continued despite 40+ temperatures and no shade in the stands. Spectators were fainting - that's hard core.
#7: There was a brief thunderstorm Thursday evening and I have never been so aware of plant life catching fire from the lightening I had worked out an exit strategy from my current location (there were fires all over Victoria this week).
#8: Absolutely if we had A/C in the house we would have used it but this week was a reminder that we don't need to have our houses always set at 21 degrees come winter or summer. Fans are pretty amazing things and they can do a lot to beat the heat and it was just a reminder to not rely so much on air-conditioning when I get home. People in Aus are pretty amazing that despite the crazy temperatures they get here a lot of people don't have A/C or have it only in one room. Just a reminder to be a little more environmentally conscious with curing our discomforts.
I am really proud of our little family of 4 for surviving these last 4 days of crazy heat. Sleeping on floors with big fans and staying indoors with the blinds drawn every afternoon. Kudos to Keith for taking our kids to the nearby pool for 3 hours every morning. We did it - what doesn't kill us makes us stronger...and there's lots of things trying to kill us here!
Friday, 17 January 2014
Friday, 10 January 2014
Melbourne Aquarium
The other day we decided to go and check out the Melbourne Aquarium. The kids were excited because we had seen pictures of PINJARRA: THE MEGA CROC! Pinjarra is a 50 year old 750 kg crocodile who is the central exhibit at the Melbourne Aquarium.
The Aquarium is beautiful and again they do lots to really engage children. There are little passports for them to stamp at the different exhibits and lots of neat fish I had never seen before: sawfish, elephantfish, etc. I know I've said it before but I really appreciate how places are promoting kid-friendly activities with animals - so smart.
The Shipwreck and Mermaid Garden exhibit is a huge tank with all sorts of sharks and fish and the biggest manta rays I have ever seen. That was the adult favourite part. Manta rays the size of our dining room table swimming overhead in a glass hallway. Then Keith pointed out the sign that the glass can make the sea life look 1/3 smaller than it actually is - unbelievable.
There were kids activities at Pinjarra's exhibit and the kids got their Mega Croc Rock stickers and crocodile tattoos there and then got to stand on the glass panelling over Pinjarra's enclosure. He's pretty impressive. He was found in a farm after a severe flood and I just kept trying to imagine that poor farmer's face! There were other lizards and creepy crawler things in this section - it was not my favourite but of course Cian loved it.
Emily's favourite was probably the penguins. They are the piece de resistance at the end. There was one particular penguin that took a real liking to her and kept following her all along the glass. Even other people started to notice and thought it was super cute that she had a little black and white friend. At first she was a little scared of them but after a while she was just a big of fan of them as they were of her. It was pretty adorable.
It was a pretty fun day Under the Sea.
The Aquarium is beautiful and again they do lots to really engage children. There are little passports for them to stamp at the different exhibits and lots of neat fish I had never seen before: sawfish, elephantfish, etc. I know I've said it before but I really appreciate how places are promoting kid-friendly activities with animals - so smart.
The Shipwreck and Mermaid Garden exhibit is a huge tank with all sorts of sharks and fish and the biggest manta rays I have ever seen. That was the adult favourite part. Manta rays the size of our dining room table swimming overhead in a glass hallway. Then Keith pointed out the sign that the glass can make the sea life look 1/3 smaller than it actually is - unbelievable.
There were kids activities at Pinjarra's exhibit and the kids got their Mega Croc Rock stickers and crocodile tattoos there and then got to stand on the glass panelling over Pinjarra's enclosure. He's pretty impressive. He was found in a farm after a severe flood and I just kept trying to imagine that poor farmer's face! There were other lizards and creepy crawler things in this section - it was not my favourite but of course Cian loved it.
Emily's favourite was probably the penguins. They are the piece de resistance at the end. There was one particular penguin that took a real liking to her and kept following her all along the glass. Even other people started to notice and thought it was super cute that she had a little black and white friend. At first she was a little scared of them but after a while she was just a big of fan of them as they were of her. It was pretty adorable.
It was a pretty fun day Under the Sea.
Grateful Morning
This morning was pretty standard for us. Cian wakes up before everyone else and then proceeds to come into everyone's room to tell them it's morningtime. This is good for us now as we're trying to get him on a schedule in the morning to get out the door for school that starts at the end of January. Keith reminded me earlier that this is the last month he'll ever not have school with the exception of summer holidays. I almost started crying and he realized that maybe I wasn't ready for that hard cold fact. Anyway, I digress.
Keith asked the kids if they wanted skinny pancakes (aka crepes) and of course they did because they are delicious. We had our usual breakfast chaos with Emily repeating things over and over again and Cian trying to appease her "I want syrup" "I want syrup" "I want mommy's pancakes", etc. etc.
Somehow though I was really happy for my leisurely morning when I get to go to work at 9am instead of the usual 7am start as a resident. I got to be there for the morning chaos and drink my Melbourne espresso (God bless the Australians for their strong belief in strong coffee).
Everyone got ready as Keith has been getting the kids out the door by 8:30am every day so that they are a well-oiled machine by the 1st day of school. I was exempt from this hurriedness today though since I could start a little later and I was the thankful recipient of the chorus of "Bye Mommy!" as they paraded out the door like a herd of elephants.
Keith's bribe for today's early morning was the colourful park with the sandbox. Other days this week it's been the pool or the aquarium but my kids are really happy to be outside doing whatever. Keith also told them they had to get out this morning cause it would be hot this afternoon (he was right it was 35 degrees later today). As I was getting ready I could hear their giggles outside and looked out the back window of the house to see them on their bikes. Cian is getting so fast on his pirate bike I wonder if we'll be able to take the training wheels off soon. He was pedaling far ahead of Emily with their sand bucket and shovels on his handlebars. Emily was trying to keep up on her little green tricycle - very much befitting her helmet with the flames on the sides. Behind her stood her dad - always the steadfast anchor to their madness. They don't even know how lucky they are to have him with them every day. And I got to watch it all from a birds-eye view - my beautiful mess of joy and love.
My walk to work was already warm in the early morning but the heat seems to bring out smells from my childhood. The washing on the line and the roses seem to mix together in strong fragrances of memories I forgot that I had. Bittersweet reminders of my grandmother but slowly the balance of that is becoming sweeter. It really is a beautiful way to remember someone - trying out the smells of all the different roses on my morning walk. The Kensington Community Garden across from our house has installed planter boxes and this morning the seniors were out planting their fare before the sun got the better of them. It was beautiful to watch them tend to their plants so lovingly - all the hopes in new growth. I seemed to be noticing all the beauty around me in my small little corner of the world and thinking of how it was sort of a "Normal Rockwell" morning and then turned the corner to a man actually painting a white picket fence a more brilliant shade of white :). That clinched it and I laughed to myself: Oh what a beautiful morning.
Keith asked the kids if they wanted skinny pancakes (aka crepes) and of course they did because they are delicious. We had our usual breakfast chaos with Emily repeating things over and over again and Cian trying to appease her "I want syrup" "I want syrup" "I want mommy's pancakes", etc. etc.
Somehow though I was really happy for my leisurely morning when I get to go to work at 9am instead of the usual 7am start as a resident. I got to be there for the morning chaos and drink my Melbourne espresso (God bless the Australians for their strong belief in strong coffee).
Everyone got ready as Keith has been getting the kids out the door by 8:30am every day so that they are a well-oiled machine by the 1st day of school. I was exempt from this hurriedness today though since I could start a little later and I was the thankful recipient of the chorus of "Bye Mommy!" as they paraded out the door like a herd of elephants.
Keith's bribe for today's early morning was the colourful park with the sandbox. Other days this week it's been the pool or the aquarium but my kids are really happy to be outside doing whatever. Keith also told them they had to get out this morning cause it would be hot this afternoon (he was right it was 35 degrees later today). As I was getting ready I could hear their giggles outside and looked out the back window of the house to see them on their bikes. Cian is getting so fast on his pirate bike I wonder if we'll be able to take the training wheels off soon. He was pedaling far ahead of Emily with their sand bucket and shovels on his handlebars. Emily was trying to keep up on her little green tricycle - very much befitting her helmet with the flames on the sides. Behind her stood her dad - always the steadfast anchor to their madness. They don't even know how lucky they are to have him with them every day. And I got to watch it all from a birds-eye view - my beautiful mess of joy and love.
My walk to work was already warm in the early morning but the heat seems to bring out smells from my childhood. The washing on the line and the roses seem to mix together in strong fragrances of memories I forgot that I had. Bittersweet reminders of my grandmother but slowly the balance of that is becoming sweeter. It really is a beautiful way to remember someone - trying out the smells of all the different roses on my morning walk. The Kensington Community Garden across from our house has installed planter boxes and this morning the seniors were out planting their fare before the sun got the better of them. It was beautiful to watch them tend to their plants so lovingly - all the hopes in new growth. I seemed to be noticing all the beauty around me in my small little corner of the world and thinking of how it was sort of a "Normal Rockwell" morning and then turned the corner to a man actually painting a white picket fence a more brilliant shade of white :). That clinched it and I laughed to myself: Oh what a beautiful morning.
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