Santa Monica

So christmas was finally over, mum had returned to Australia and my birthday had come and gone - it was time to go to LA and get the girl's first Aussie passports and renew Storm's. We thought that we'd combine a little business (the passports) with a little R&R in Santa Monica.

It was the first time that the girls had ever been in the car for any length of time so we were a little nervous. We timed it well with their fist nap and made it as far as Baker before they got unsettled. I spent most of the trip in the back seat entertaining them both. We arrived safe and sound though and the girls were both well behaved the majority of the time.

Now remember that Storm has been in Vegas since we arrived and apart from the business trips has not seen the Pacific since leaving Australia. So we were both anxious to get some sea air in our lungs on the pier at Santa Monica.

It's funny how photos can make you reevaluate things but this photo of me is yukko. I'm going to stick to my fluid retention story (but we all know the truth but trust me it's changing!). But I love the ocean and even the photo is less than flattering I will counter with that fact that I have twins and the time that I have to do exercise and eat well is somewhat limited. I am finding a balance though...

I love this pic of Storm - (sorry Galvins but I hate the T-shirt when it's worn in public!)

Storm and the view from the pier looking north towards Malibu.

Storm and the girls looking back towards the shore from the end of the pier. The pier was so-so. I expected more I suppose. The boardwalk was really cool though and people were just walking, skating and riding bikes all the time we were there. Very cool.

Storm and Sydney (who pretty much stayed awake but well behaved the whole day).

Kendall as per usual slept soundly. Such a good girl!

We went for a walk through the touristy sections of town. (I had to buy a new pair of pants and a cooler top because it was so muggy and I was hot!). Here's me with the girls looking down from the city level towards the pier.

As we were true tourists that day, we went to Bubba Gumps Shrimp Company and had prawns and crab. Yummo!

Sydney really does takes after her daddy!

A pic of my favourite people.

We managed to make it back to the htoel intime for nap and before the series of storm's hit California. We did get hit however on the way back going through El Cajon pass and with some traffic. The girls were so-so behaved especially when they were hungry and tired in the bathrooms at Primm. What a nightmare! But we got home safe and sound with only one passport application complete - Sydney's and Storm's both had something wrong with them and since then we've got Syd's back with Storm's at the consulate right now.

At last!!!!

Some of you may not know but my keys have been "lost" for the last two months. I put the word lost in "" as I know it's hard to believe...me misplacing something?..Storm maybe but definitely not me!

The last time that I remember having them was when Mum was here in early January. We had such a crazy start to the year and I knew that I just couldn't have lost them that I wasn't really stressed about not being able to find them (as I just knew that they were somewhere here in the house because I need the car keys to drive the car home don't I?). At first I thought they must be in a jacket pocket or pair of jeans that I'd put away but after checking all of those places they weren't there. My next thought was that they were in the garage somewhere - perhaps I'd put them down on a box and they'd fallen in etc? We haven't yet gone through the garage to look for them and to generally tidy up as it has been too cold plus we've actually had colds and been wrapping up the 2010 audio event (Yay!).

It kinda sucked as we've been using the one set of keys (because I wasn't paying about $300 to get a new set for the car nor paying the USPS to have another key cut for the P.O. Box) and it's always scary when Storm leaves the house as his reputation for losing things does preceed him! I've been waiting for the call - "Nik, I've lost my keys..." and we've got no spare!

So imagine my surprise when I was adjusting a whole bunch of pillows on the round couch (I have recently bought a whole bunch of new pillows at Target for $6 -bargain - and haven't thrown out all the old ones as yet so I have a surplus at the moment!) as they had all slipped down and were generally uncomfortable to lay on when I noticed something shiny at the back of the chair underneath all the pillows. I reached down and lo and behold...my keys!


I'm so happy that I had to blog about it. I can keep my unblemished record for not losing things (touch wood!)

Movie 6

Movie 5

movie 4

Movie 3

Winter olympics

So, we've been spending a bit of time watching the winter olympics. When we were in Vancouver for the six weeks we really enjoyed the city and all it had to offer. It's been fun watching it all unfold on the tv.

Anyway, it seems that land DOWN UNDER has scored a gold medal in women's snowboarding (who knew we had that much snow? Just kidding,, there's one whole mountain of it!) Yes, Torah Bright is our new icon of success. Congrats girl! Well done!


So Storm asked me what event I would be in if I was in the winter olympics. Without a doubt I said "Curling!".


It has been on every channel, every day and for some unknown reason we are mesmorized by it. We were both fans of lawn bowls at home (our going away party was held at a lawn bowls club) and can appreciate the talent/skill that goes into rolling an object slowly towards another. The fact that you don't have to have a body fat percentage of less than 10 and that you can drink whilst you play, holds a huge fascination for us. Finally, something I can do!

Another homesick moment

So, as I was looking for a pic of Sydney Harbour online I started to look at other pics of places in Oz and I came across this view from North Brother mountain. This is the view from the mountain that my mum's house is at the base of.



I went to primary school in the town at the bottom of the pic (Laurieton) and Ian's seafood restaurant (fantastically painted in 4 shades of blue) used to be found in the town to the left of the mouth of the river in North Haven. (It mysteriously burned down after Ian sold it and the new owners wanted to sell the land to developers!)

Cannot wait to take the girls to the beach (either side of the river mouth will do or the beach that can be found on the lake thats looks like it's just inside the headland on the right hand side. Mum's next door neighbours have an oyster farm on that lake - yummo, oysters kilpatrick and mornay - cannot wait!) In fact I am looking forward to hitting the co-op and eating as many fresh prawns, crabs and fish that I can get my little hands on! Nothing frozen for me thanks!

Homesick

So tonight as we were flicking through the tube we came across HGTV and Jamie Durie's show "The Outdoor Room". In the episode he actually went back to Australia and got some inspiration for a CA backyard project with drought tolerant plants etc. And even though I want to now plant a whole bunch of Kangaroo Paws at the front of the house (maybe with a bottlebrush or two),



the thing that really got me excited was the images of Sydney Harbour. We'll be home in less than 6 weeks (and in Sydney in 8 weeks) and I'm getting really excited!



Nothing beats Sydney Harbour on a beautiful, sunny day with a slight breeze (to take the sting out of the sun). In my opinion it really is one of the most beautiful places on Earth as it marries stunning vistas with the practicality of urban life. It just sucks that it's so expensive to live there.

Can't wait to see it face-to-face again!

Another More Movie 2

Just waiting for this to be loaded properly - stay tuned. (My techno-helper has been a little busy lately but will be on boad shortly)

More movies! Dec 09-Jan 10

Storm has been my techno-helper and put this random hodge-podge of film from our lives from December 2009 to January 2010.

What we've done (and continue to do) is just grab our camera when the girls are doing something either new or cute. So there really is no cohesiveness with the films apart from the fact that the people involved are us and it was the end of last year and the beginning of this one.

You know how everyone hates how they sound when they hear their voice on their answering machine? Well it's double when it's on film and you're actually seen as well. It's true when they say the camera adds 55lbs (yea I know it's 10lbs but I'm trying to make myself feel better.) (On a more positive note - Storm and I are making more of a concerted effort to exercise and eat better. It's getting easier now that the girls are getting older. I can't wait for them to be able to sit for longer periods of time, hold their own bottles and crawl. It'll be so exciting!)

Last day at the Mt Charleston house

It was the last day and again I was trying to take pics of the girls that required only natural light so I got Sydney before the sun hit the house and made it smoking. I really need to work on my focus skills. Maybe I need glasses?




And then showing what a bad mummy I was (too busy trying to get photos), Kendall started to fall asleep in the jumperoo. So cute though. (Note: I did get her out of there the minute that I put the camera down!)

Pics of the girls

So, the house at Mt Charleston had wonderful light coming into it so I thought that I'd try and take some pics of the girls in natural light for a change (otherwise it's always with a flash).

Kendall, my blue eyed dribble queen...


Sydney, showing off her her baby blues too...






Oops! Sydney saw the camera and I got herjust before she got the stunned mullet look that she is renowned for.


Smiling Kendall. She's such a happy girl.




Both girls with Grandma.




Reading with Grandma.

Not so snowy Mt Charleston

So I'm back posting month old stories and pictures. Sorry life is such a catch up game right now for me so until I get caught up you'll just have to live with it.

When we first arrived at the house there was a bit of snow around but not enough to satisfy Storm of course. The house was sunny and bright but not as equipped as we would have liked so it took a couple of trips up and down the mountain (poor Storm!) to make sure we had everything we needed for the week.

We relaxed and enjoyed ourselves and didn't get snowed in (much to Mum's disappointment). The girls were fantastic on their first trip away from home (well we had all the creature comforts so I don't think that it qualifies but anyway...) and the dogs had a ball!

Mum enjoying a cool bevvy after arriving...(not much to see though!)


The dogs had so much fun sniffing and imagining that they were brave, outdoor dogs instead of inside, woossey puppies! I'm telling you that if they came across a chipmunk they'd be petrified!






Oscar is such a pretty boy...


Mum and I took the dogs for a walk on one of the days we were there and the dogs had so much fun in the snow.



Rudy was so funny as he wouldn't go any further up the hill and sat there in the one spot for quite a while. It took a pine cone thrown just underneath him to get him to move. His back legs are getting worse as he gets older. Poor love.




Rudy really loves the smell of snow and gets his kicks out of digging around and really getting down deep.


Doesn't mum look like she belongs in the snow?