Bush Turkeys and Bubble Tea

Thursday, June 20:

Yesterday morning, Liz and I began a DIY project of decoupaging their dining table. So we washed the outside table to bring in, and moved the heavy, dining room table outside. But then changed our minds and decided to decoupage the outside table instead. Sooo....we moved the big, heavy table back inside the house and called it our "arm workout" for the day. To continue my "workout," I decided to go for a run. Well, more like a leisurely jog since I was trying not to get lost. Fortunately, I found a bike and pedestrian trail and stuck with that.

That afternoon, we walked down to the park. 

And then came the Bush Turkey. They are quite the pest around here...and very persistent!! One came up to the park and both the kids would go running and screaming to their mom (or mum as they say), pointing at the bush turkey coming their way. He would even go up to a pram (stroller) and start pulling out a bag! We would run it off, but a couple minutes later, the pesky bird would return to try again. They are also very destructive to gardens, always digging and scratching away the dirt. Apparently, there is really nothing you can do to the bird because they are protected, but if you come across their nest (a pile of dirt and sticks), you are allowed to get rid of the nest. 

Last night, Liz's friend from church came over and we spent a few hours chatting, praying, and sharing testimonies. I absolutely love hearing stories, and testimonies are the best kind. :)

Friday, June 21:

This morning, my cute alarm clock came in again. We've begun a routine of William coming in, followed shortly by Emma. One of them usually has a book, we all squish into bed, and I read them a few stories before we get ready for brekkie and then the day. 

It was raining today so we had a lazy morning, then went to the shops (mall) to run a few errands and grab lunch. For dessert I bought a drink from Tea Bar. Being so close to Asia, there is a big Asian population here and plenty of Asian food. I ordered a "bubble" drink which is really just a Boba drink. Same thing, different name.

I'm not sure whether it was the gloomy weather, the constant stimulation of being somewhere new, chasing toddlers all day, still recovering from jet lag, or a combination of all, but I came home really tired so I read awhile and fell asleep to the sound of rain. I felt SO much better after my nap! The kids and I played Kangaroo and hopped around trying to find food and punching away the Lions. It was so funny because last night we made up this Kangaroo scenario. To make things exciting, I pretended to growl and said there were Lions coming so we had to hide! As soon as I growled again, Will's eyes got really big, he ran over and grabbed me tight, and started crying! I reassured him that there was no real Lion and had him listen as I growled. I asked him, "Is that a Lion or is that Jill?" He got a big smile on his face, giggled, and said, "Jill!" But sure enough, as soon as we started playing again, I would growl and he'd freak out! So one time, I "kicked" the "Lion" and had him punch it as well. By today, he is now the only one allowed to punch them and he yells at me anytime I try to do it. :) I think we conquered his fear of the imaginary lion. 

After a dinner of sausages and veggies, I washed the dishes while Liz washed the kids (our new routine), said goodnight to the kids, and watched another episode of Downton. Since Lyle is gone for the week, we're getting in all our chick flicks. :)

More Australian lingo:

Rubbish bin = trash can

Boot = trunk

Winge = whine

Loo and Toilet = bathroom

I'm pretty used to these but as a teacher, this one always throws me off: Zed = Z. So one of the kids will be singing the alphabet song and end it with t-u-v,w-x,y-and-zed (what?! Oh...) 

Also they pronounce zebra with a short e-vowel sound. :)

It's so fun to hear their accents all day long.