New Whiting Family Tradition

Christmas Cricket. Third year in a row (which makes it three times more than most of our Australian friends have been to a cricket match). As with most things, it's really more about the outfits (pink!!) and face/hair paint than the actual sport being played, but still fun.

Perfect day for the surf beach

We've left our beloved Balmoral for a day in the waves. Complete with Yum Cha by the sea. That's Hannah on the bright pink boogie board heading out into the "lineup".

It's a Christmas miracle!

Sun on Christmas Day! We've waited 3 years to swim and drink champagne on the beach and we finally made it. I think we would have had to stay another year if it hadn't happened today. Now I can check that off my Australian bucket list! Of course, there's supposed to be a crazy thunderstorm later today, but we are enjoying it while we can.

Last Day of School

Jumping off the jetty with the principal of the school to celebrate the last day of school for the year.  What a great tradition at Beauty Point!

Tough Mudders

After months of training and many hours spent cajoling one particularly reluctant teammate to add running to his workout routine in order to prepare, Pete and his friends completed a Tough Mudder here in Sydney.  They came home scraped, electrocuted, and of course muddy after 20km of craziness.  Pete actually fell asleep AT the dinner table that night so that might give you an indication of how exhausting it was.  Despite all of that, they're ready to do it again next year!

And one perfect beach buddy for Daddy too

They're off on an adventure while Abbey and I lounge in the sun.

My kind of beach bum

Happy as can be with a bag of chips, comfy chair, and a diet coke. Abbey is my perfect beach companion.

The perfect way to end the day

Picnic dinner on the jetty, pre-bedtime swim with friends, and a race up the beach to be first to dessert. When did Hannah turn into that grown up, athletic specimen by the way?

A tragic addition to our usually cheery blog

By now you will all have probably heard of the nightmare here in Sydney on Monday. Thankfully we and all of our friends here are safe and sound. It was a scary morning watching it all unfold from my office windows as our building is right across from the street from the Lindt cafe where the hostages were held. We were evacuated reasonably quickly however and made it home without any trouble.

It was a somber scene here in the city this morning as I finally made my way back to the office after 2 days working from home. It's a sea of flowers at Martin Place with a touching outpouring of emotion and support for the families on cards and letters left there.

Such a sad day for such a wonderful place.

More overpriced Aussie ridiculousness

I haven't posted about the price of things here for a while as I think I have become desensitized over the last 2 years and somehow have started to think things are a normal price. But a spin around this specialty store carrying imported treats brought me back to reality. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is a box of Twinkies for $20. And I've never even seen those brands of "American" soda so why are they $24 for a 12-pack? You can buy PopTarts in Australia for less than shown here (still overpriced, but in a less insane fashion) but these ones are the "American" version and therefore imported and therefore completely nuts. Will the pricing lunacy never end? I could have photographed dozens of other insultingly priced items, but the shopkeepers were started to glare at me for making the other shoppers (who were actually BUYING things) question their choices. At least the exchange rate is going in our favor recently but that still does not excuse this behavior. I'll miss a LOT of things about Australia but the constant sticker shock will not be one of them. I'm ready to leave a grocery store without feeling like I've been violated.

End of Year Concert

Beauty Point Public School never disappoints when it comes to elaborate productions of singing, dancing and general craziness. Links to YouTube videos of both girls below. Abbey is front row center in hers (looks for the glasses) and Hannah is second row center (two long pigtails).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHRkXyaDuNw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDIkzXPQIdE

It's Christmas in Sydney

First some Christmas tree decorating and then a dip at the beach. Almost the same as the season in New England :)

Public transport with a view

On my way out to dinner and enjoying this scene on my way. Thankfully the storm is passing over my head right now and I'm traveling towards the sun. These 10 minute end-of-the-world storms are definitely going to be one of the things I'll miss.

Happy Birthday Hannah

16 sweaty kids at FlipOut trampoline center and one rainbow cake that was almost my undoing. Can't believe she's 8!! Crazy.

Good morning!

Love my new alarm clock that visits me every morning on the patio off the bedroom. So much better than a blaring clock! No Snooze button though :)

Some signs summer is here in Sydney

1. Weather goes from this...

... to this in about 5 mins.  Note it was still sunny where we were sitting, the storm pretty much rolled in from behind us and had passed us before we knew it.  We were still baking in the sun while lightening crashed down in crazy forks on the headlands across the bay from us.

That's celsius by the way for all you Americans (= 97 F)

2. All parenting skills go out the window after a few drinks at the beach (yes, they are building sand castles with our empty beer bottles)

3. A sea of sun shelters ruins the landscape at the beach but reminds you that Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world.

4. You start to see some seriously creative BBQing (those are indeed beer bottles holding up that grill)

5. Sculptures by the Sea returns.  This one was my favorite, entitled "We're Frying Out Here".  For other great examples of the amazing art displayed in the most beautiful venue on earth, go to http://www.sculpturebythesea.com/Home.aspx

 

6. One is talked into going to Luna Park.  Again and again.

7. You start to see more Rainbow Lorakeets and less possums 

8. The Jacaranda trees are back! That's the view from our new living room by the way.  How awesome is that?!

9. School field trips, Sydney-style.  Maths on the Beach!

10. More trips to the zoo.  Its hard to tell in this picture (blame the disorganized photographer for not getting my phone out in time to catch the action) but Hannah FINALLY got picked to have the bird steal a gold coin from her hand.  Now those 20 trips to the Bird Show at Toronga have finally paid off!

11.  Stinky gym has been swapped for Pilates on the Beach