The sun must have his hat on

A stunning spot for reading our books on the way home from
the library

Even though I spend my childhood in a hot, sunny climate on the coast, the majority of my life has been in England, especially my first tastes of motherhood.  Therefore it is true to say that over the last six months we have had to do A LOT of acclimatising. Sydney’s Northern Beaches are so incredibly similar to the Natal Coast of South Africa where I grew up as a kid, that I get hit by a huge sense of nostalgia almost on a daily basis.  It’s funny the things that come back to me – the weather and landscape is an obvious one and I think there really is something to be said about the ocean having a calming effect on ones soul.  Every time I see the beautiful blue, I get this amazing feeling of calm that rushes right through me and just makes me want to smile all day. It’s a feeling that’s quite hard to put into words but it’s almost like my soul has come home.    

The vast and endless blue skies have a similar effect on me, as do the sound of lawn mowers buzzing or humming far away in the distance.   The lawn movers actually take me right back to when I was around the same age as Master J or Miss H and my mum used to make me have a lunch time nap.  I remember hating it and thinking how mean she was to make us go and ‘lie down’ after lunch when we would much rather have been out playing in the garden.  We used to lay on our beds, wide awake for what seemed like HOURS listening to lawn mowers buzzing away in the distance waiting for mum to come and open the bedroom door so we could be free again!!  All I can say now is “Mum, I FINALLY get it”.  Those lunch time naps keep my sanity in check these days and I do chuckle to myself every time I tell Master J “I know you’re not tired, and I really do understand that you don’t want to, but……….we’re still having ‘quiet time’ after lunch!  Poor love, I guess it’ll be another twenty odd years before he gets it too! 

taking in the view

Living in the sunshine has given me a new found respect for it.  Skincare has always been one of my passions and I’m very aware of how dangerous the sun can be.  Working with some amazing skincare ranges in the past,  I thought my skin care knowledge was pretty good and my own skin was well protected and looked after, so you can imagine my horror when only a week after we arrived in Sydney an unexplained rash appeared on my face.  In the worst place too, on my forehead right in between my eyes!!!  At first it was just a small, slightly raised rash (about the size of my fingernail) and I just assumed that it was my skin reacting to the glycolic in my moisturiser now that I was more exposed to the sun (glycolic and UV don’t like each other much).  So I stopped using the glycolic for a few days and it didn’t disappear – in fact it became more inflamed and incredibly itchy.  Thank god for make-up as by this point me and the rash were not friends!  It was really baffling me too as I didn’t know what it was and I’m pretty sure I can recognise most skin ailments by just looking at them.  So one afternoon while the kids were playing in the rock pools I started to Google the rash on my iphone………….this probably wasn’t the most sensible thing to do as by the time I got home that evening I had managed to convince myself that I was dying of cancer!!  Ok, so maybe I was being a little over dramatic but the frightening thing was that it did actually match the symptoms of a form of skin cancer (thankfully not the dangerous one) but still it was CANCER!  Well so I thought anyway.  The next day I booked an appointment with the doctor and off I went with the kids.  I showed the doctor my rash (trying really hard not to rattle off my self diagnosis) and she took a closer look under a big magnifying glass.  She didn’t say anything for what seemed like ages and I just couldn’t help but blurt out “Have I got cancer??”  “Yes” she said, totally matter of factly  “It is a form of skin cancer”.  Oh my god I’m going to die, was the first thing that flashed through my head (I’ve always been a bit on the dramatic side), but “Oh right” was all I could muster.  “OMG– I have cancer!  CANCER!” was what I was actually thinking!!  “It’s nothing to worry about” she said.  “It’s very superficial and it’ll just need to be burnt off”.  I had so many questions – When will it happen? Will I have to go into hospital? Will I be referred to a skin specialist? Will it leave a scar?  Will it come back? 

hat and sunnies on

She then offered to burn it off for me right there and then – which threw off guard a little.  I’m used to the British NHS system where you have to wait at least a month or so for anything and if you’re lucky enough to have private cover you still have to wait a few days for the paperwork to process.  Of course I accepted - no time like the present!!  She took out what looked like a little blow-torch and explained she was going to burn the area with liquid nitrogen (gulp).  I had almost forgotten the kids were with me, until I had to explain to Master J why the doctor was about to burn my face with a torch.  “It’s because mummy didn’t put her sun cream on” I told him.  “Will it be really ouchy?” he asked, “I hope not,” I said.  “It may sting a little,” the doctor then told me!  "Oh great" I thought, as I gritted my teeth, not knowing what to expect.  Luckily I had no time to think about it and it was over in a few seconds, but “sting a little” was a serious understatement!!!!  We then went home to explain to Mr D that yes I did have cancer but now it’s all gone!  

I have since seen a skin cancer specialist (I needed a second opinion) and luckily for me it really has all gone.  I also discovered that having whole body skin cancer checks every 6-12 months for the whole family is as normal as going to the dentist in Australia.  So Mr Sun, I will be having my hat on from now on –thanks for the wake up call!!

Timber!

The best thing about this week has been losing the Christmas tree that was growing in the back garden.  Ever since we’ve moved in I’ve hated it.  We have a relatively small patch of garden outside the kids bedroom and this Christmas Tree (well at least that’s what it looks like) is right smack in the middle, making it almost impossible to use the garden properly.  I know I may sound a bit harsh taking such a dislike to a poor Christmas Tree, but this one really wasn’t a pretty looking tree like the ones you have in your home at Christmas time.  It was more like one from the “Grinch that stole Christmas”.  It was HUGE and really ugly and it look up so much room that it literally blocked out the sky.  When I stood out in the garden and looked up it was really dark and creepy up there with loads of dead, sticky branches that looked like they would make the perfect home for many unwanted crawlies!!

Glad we didn't have to clean all this up!

Nicely pruned "council hedges' to the left

It’s no easy thing getting a tree taken down in Sydney, in fact it’s actually a bit of a mission, as all trees (even the ugly annoying ones) are protected by the council.  So much so, that you’re not even allowed to prune anything back more than 10%!  I guess this is ok if you’re a garden lover and take care to prune your garden back every year so that you only need to take off 10%, but when you’ve in a rented property that clearly has not been nurtured for a long time this rule can be a bit of an issue.  Well, certainly to me anyway!  I must have inherited both my grandmother and my mother’s genes as all I want to do is get out there with a huge pair of scissors and chop everything back (or at least supervise Pete doing it).  So we did a little more research and discovered that the only way the council would find out of we did some major chopping was if one of the neighbour’s complained.  Perfect, our neighbour’s are hardly spring chickens and with a bit of buttering up they’d be just fine!!  

 The next problem we had was getting rid of the evidence!!  The council only picks up “green things” once a fortnight and as we had about 10 times the amount that would fit one bin, this was method was going to be a problem.  We couldn’t drive it to the dump either because if you’re not a ‘home owner’ with a permit it costs a fortune to visit the dump.  And besides there was no way those trees cutting were going in my car  - if any spider escaped and decided to make an appearance whilst I was driving somewhere there would be a high chance of a serious accident!!  So back to the drawing board I went and I discovered (thanks to neighbourhood gossip) that a couple of trees on the edge of the garden were actually on council properly and if I phoned the council and complained that they were blocking our light (or something like that) they’d have to come and cut them down.  Luckily for me they agree and when the lovely young lads arrived a week later to do the honors, I made sure I was there with tea and biscuits.   So when I very kindly asked them if they could just take away some of my ‘clippings’ when they cleared up, they were happy to help!  Result!  If only it had been that easy in England!! 

Big bro keeping little sis in check!

The only thing now left to spoil the garden was that damned Christmas Tree.  After much negotiation with the landlord, estate agent and the council, they finally agreed to have it chopped down!  At 7:00 am on Tuesday three young lads arrived with a huge truck, chainsaws and a chipper machine!!  For someone who was supposedly not interested in ‘the big tree chop’, J was dressed and outside within minutes of them arriving. (Wish he’s get dressed that quickly every day!).  I might add that he was wearing his fireman suit as this is obviously the most suitable attire for tree chopping – especially as it had a hard hat!  Mr D was also very reluctant to go to work and was hovering around muttering something about ‘working from home’.  Yeah right, he’d never have got any real work done if he had stayed home. 

At last a little garden for the kids (shame about the grass)

It took them the best part of a whole morning to cut down not one but three horrible trees!!  The poor guys were incredibly patient too - having to stop every 10 minutes to answer another one of J's questions and to let him throw the odd branch into the chipper.  Much to his excitement one lad even found a huntsman spider up the tree and brought it down in his hard hat to show J.  "Mum, mum you have to come and see this spider" he calls "it's so cool - it's a huntsman, come look mum!"  "Oh great" I think, I just knew there were horrible things living up that tree".  Even though I was expecting to see the spider it still made me almost jump 6 feet off the ground (much to everyones amusement I might add).  I can now say that I have officially seen a huntsman and I do not want to see another!!  I also needed eyes the back of my head too, as while trying my best to avoid anything that crawled as well as make sure that J didn't loose an entire arm down the nashing jaws of the chipper, Miss H did her best disappearing act leaving me frantically searching for her under piles of branches while someone was yelling "TIMBER!!!" in the background!!  Enough to get anyones heart racing! 

Once everything was cleared up I was totally amazed by how much more light was in the garden (and flooding though the house).  I could actually see the sky!!  The only thing that is now posing a problem is the grass - or lack of it!!!!!  Those of you that know Mr D and his mild obsession with 'perfectly level lawns' will know that this is now a challenge not to be taken lightly!  Watch out visitors, you may be put to work...................

A quick update - almost 5 months in .....

A typical winters day!

I'm sitting on the balcony with a cup of tea (it's the English in me) and the sun is streaming in across what seems like one side of the sky and the other side looks very grey and angry.  Right in front of me is the most stunning rainbow!  I absolutely love rainbows and they seem to just appear every time there is just a hint of rain.  I could stare at them for hours!!  So far the winter in Sydney has been a little chillier than anticipated - for some reason I just assumed Australia would just be warm all the time.  One of the many misconceptions I’ve had since we moved.  I’m certainly not complaining though as this chilly winter weather with it's endless blue skies and sunshine is a far cry from the grey clouds of London.   It actually makes me smile when I look go outside to hang up all my washing – it’s a complete revelation after years of having washing hanging over every radiator and door frame during the endless winter months, waiting days for it all to dry!  Now it's dry and smelling fresh as a daisy after only a few hours!  Listen to me – turning into a proper housewife already.   

Arts and craft in the playroom

Over the last few months we've moved into our rental in Collaroy and I've tried as best I can to turn it into our 'home'.  Having all our own furniture has definitely helped.  Although like most other women, there are already things that I want to change.  Mr D is a happy man living in a rental as he no longer has to do any DIY on the weekends (apart from hanging up pictures and taking them down and then hanging them up again - every time I change my mind!!!).  We've got some really lovely neighbours too.  A few weeks after we had moved in the lady across the road invited the kids and I over for 'afternoon tea' to meet the other neighbours.  When I turned up, I wasn't expecting to be the only person under the age of 65!!   However it was one of the funniest afternoon I've had in a long time - they were all hysterical and had me in stitches!!  The kids love them too - it's like having 4 grannies living next door and they're constantly running over the road to show Elsie or Janine something or the other!  It's great as they have endless patience and will chat with Master J for ages about some lizard that he's captured or a new trick he's learnt on his scooter.  A story that I've most probably heard a hundred times already!!!  I also get all the latest "neighbourhood" gossip so I feel like I've been a part of the community forever.  

Getting Master J a place at a local Kindy was a bit of a mission when we first arrived.  There are waiting lists for waiting lists in all the good ones and people have their  kids names down for years.  I came pretty close to tears and begging on several occasions before we were finally offered a place!  I have since learnt that there is point system here as well as a waiting list and you get extra points if you’re a working parent or if speak another language other than English at home etc etc!!  Had I known that at the time I would have told the Kindy that Mr D spoke Afrikaans at home and blackmailed Master J with a couple of easy words!!!  Desperate measures for desperate times!!   Luckily he has settled in amazing well considering we’ve moved him half way around the world, taking him away from his little buddies.  But he’s all smiles now and we’re even starting to hear the odd Aussie expression!  Next year he’ll be off to “big school” (gulp) and Miss H will join his Kindy. 

Fun on Manly Beach

There have a been a lot of lifestyle changes for us all and so far they have been fantastic!  We are all just loving the 'great outdoors' and really thrown ourselves into the Aussie way of life.  The kids are in the sea whatever the temperature (hence we had to very quickly buy them a couple of wetsuits or 'steamers' as they call them here) and it's just amazing to watch how much their confidence has grown since we moved.  Master J has gone from not liking his bike at all to riding without his stabilisers - he's very proud of himself.  Little 'lazy legs' Miss H is still flatly refusing to pedal her bike and is perfectly happy to be pushed along!!

Mr D has also settled into his new job and it's such a bonus to have him around so much more now that he no longer comutes to Amsterdam.  We only have one car, so Mr D has had to get used to taking the bus or the ferry to work.  We live a little way out of the city so it takes him about an hour to get to work and back.  Initially he wasn't sure he would cope with the commute (having been home based for the last 6 years) but he has found ways of getting a little 'fun' out of it!!  He has a scooter to get to the bus stop and is now threatening to use a skate board (after stealing Master J's one to practise a few childhood tricks)!!!  

The local wildlife here is pretty interesting too and most certainly keeps me on my toes!  I am very proud to say that I no longer break into a cold sweat every time I see a spider (unless its a killer one of course) and I've even allowed a few to keep their homes in my garden – I’ve discovered it's far better to know where they are.  The first time I went over to my lovely friends Sophie's house, she said "you must go into our room and look at the sea view - it's gorgeous” She was preoccupied in the bathroom at that moment - potty training! So off I went on my own and as I stepped onto the balcony I felt my heart stop for just a moment, and then I got the cold sweats and the jelly legs.........right in front of me spread across the entire balcony was the biggest web spider I have EVER seen!!!!!!!  I slowly backed off the balcony and into the bedroom.  Soph came bounding in all smiles "Gorgeous isn't it?" she said in her Wolverhampton accent (which I love, reminds me of home).  "Absolutely" I say smiling back.  Little did she know I hadn't even seen the sea - the view was the last thing I was looking at!!  We've both now had a good laugh about that, and luckily for me, she has my back when it comes to the eight -legged creepies!! 

We’ve have loads of interesting birds in our garden too.  Lots of  parakeets and cockatoo's, which are pretty amazing to look at but are unbelievable noisy and drive me crackers first thing in the morning.  It also amuses me to see them all sitting on the ground under trees, pecking for worms as if they are pigeons.  A few weeks ago there was the most amazing bird on my washing line – it looked like a little parrot with it's bright reds, blues and greens, that I thought it couldn’t possibly be wild.  I popped over to my neighbours to see if she knew of anyone who might have lost their pet bird and to my slight embarrassment – she came out to have a look, chuckled to herself and told me it was just wildlife!!! (I found out is was a lovebird and where I come from lovebirds sit in cages not on your washing line).  The other day I saw what looked like a turkey waddling around the garden!  I haven't dared ask anyone if it is as I'm sure they'll just laugh at me - but seriously, I think I've seen it all now!!

So all in all I can happily report that we're settling in really well and have made some fabulous new friends.  Sometimes it feels like we've been here forever even though its just been a few months.  If I could change anything, I wish I could have my family a tiny bit closer!!

"Can Miss H please make her way to reception"

One Wednesday morning the kids and I arrive a little early at Fitness First (my favourite gym – said with a large dose of sarcasm) for our weekly swimming lessons.  They race into the changing room, strip off and jump straight into steam room to warm up.  Here we go again I mutter “Come on J and Miss H,  (trying not to shout)  – come out of there please – you know you’ll just upset the old ladies”.  I swear kids are programmed to do the exact opposite of what you tell them – week after week!!  “Swimming starts in 10 minutes, so lets start getting organised” I say, trying to round them up like sheep as they dart off in different directions.  I’ve just about got them sorted when I decide to make a quick visit to the ladies while I have the chance.  I have to take Miss H into the cubicle with me, as I just don’t trust what she’ll get up to when I’m not looking.  At least I can threaten Master J with no treat or some other mean thing if he moves a muscle while I’m in the loo.  Unfortunately Miss H is still at the age where no amount of threatening does any good. 

 I did not anticipate what would happen next.....  The little monkey squashed herself flat as a pancake and escaped underneath the cubicle door - whilst I am mid wee!!  “Miss H, I yell, come back here right now, or mummy will be very cross!!!!”  Nothing…… “MISS H, WHERE ARE YOU??? Nothing…….  “J, I yell, (still from inside the damn cubicle) Where is Miss H, can you see her?.  “She’s run away mum” he says “outside the changing rooms and I couldn’t catch her because you told me not to move until you finished your wee!”  Shit I think!! I fling open the door (no time to wash hands) and rush outside where she is nowhere to be seen!

Trying not to panic I start looking around – she can’t have gone far as this is a fitness centre – there are only so many places she can hide right??  “Little bugger’ I’m thinking to myself.  After a couple of seconds I see a Fitness First person walk past, so I grab him and explain that I’ve lost my daughter – 2 years old, about so high with blonde hair???  He helpfully suggests I go to reception and see if someone will make an announcement for me.  Good plan I think and rush over there.  Still no sign of Miss H I might add!!!  I get to reception and there are a couple of pretty young girls sitting there, so I call one over and explain my predicament.  “Could you please make an announcement as I’ve lost my daughter somewhere in the building.  “Of course she says, what’s her name?”  “Miss H d I say and I’m about to explain that she is only two and so high with blonde hair, wearing pink etc ect when this booming voice comes over the loud speaker and interrupts me “ATTENTION ATTENTION CAN MISS H PLEASE MAKE HER WAY TO RECEPTION.  THAT’S MISS H  PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO RECEPTION”

Seriously??????  She’s two!!!  Oh my god, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry??  I look up at the receptionist who’s beaming back at me completely clueless as to why I’m looking so flabbergasted!! Just as I’m about to explain to her that a  two year old is not going to “come to reception when called” J come running round the corner saying “I’ve found her mum”! 

Bad day at the office!

Today was one of those days where everything was destined to go wrong from the moment I opened my eyes (at 5:30am might I add).   It started off when the heavens literally opened up on me during my morning run.  I'm not talking a bit of English drizzle - I mean good, proper, bucketing rain!!!  There was so much rain that it was pooling everywhere and a bus drove past sending a huge tsunami sized wave right over me!  Not funny!  I was about 2 or 3km away from home at this point so by the time I got home I literally looked like something the cat dragged in.  At least I can be thankful I decided not to do the coastal run otherwise I probably would have been blown off the top of the cliff. 

First stop of the day was Josh’s swimming lesson.  After circling the car park for over half and hour trying to find parking (and there is NOWHERE else to park other than this particular car park) we finally found a space 10 mins after the lesson had started!  I was livid and Josh was howling in the back of the car.  What to do now???   As this was the same car park where I had not so happily received a $200 parking fine on Monday I decided to go in with both kids in tow and complain.  I was just not in the mood today.  Unfortunately the 18 year gym manager really wasn’t interested, so to stop Josh from wailing I had to resort to bribery (a great parenting tactic if I don’t say so myself).   As Josh has been so desperate for a pet and has talked about nothing else for the last few weeks, I suggested that we go to the Pet Shop and get some fish.

Phew, a happy boy again!!  Off to the Pet Shop we go.  (I should mention that just about everywhere I go at the moment I have to carry a potty with me as Hollie, not so long in her ‘big girl pants’ does not yet have the greatest bladder control.  As I have not yet figured out where all the public toilets are, I have just resorted to carrying a potty everywhere I go as its very handy to have in those frantic  ‘wee wee’ moments.  So far today we’ve had to have a wee in every car park!! )  After a good few minutes of trying to choose ‘the perfect’ two fish, we ask the shop lady to get them for us.  Josh is so excited at this point to FINALLY be getting his own pet he is hopping from one foot to the other.  “Could we have the junior fish tank started kit with two fish please” I ask.  “Of course” she say, “I’ll get the tank ready for you and then you can come back on the weekend for the fish”.  I almost get whiplash as I spin round “Sorry” I say, “did you just say we can’t take the fish today????????????” “Yes, you need at least three days to get the water ready before you can put the fish in it”.  Oh god, here we go again – I’m sure in my day you used to be able to chuck a goldfish in a bowl of tap water and it would be just fine.  “You don’t understand” I protest, “I really need to take those fish home today.  I’m sure they’ll be fine.  Otherwise you can break it to him” I half jokingly say glancing over at Josh.  “But they’ll die” she says.  “And………” I’m thinking……I’m about to have to deal with my second melt down of the day”  After a couple of seconds of silence I realise I’m not really thinking of the poor fish and mutter “okay, we’ll just take the tank today then.  “Too Easy” she replies all cheerily!  Grrrrrrrrr

Second round of bribery of the day and we are off to the mall to get milkshakes (via a quick stop in at the doctors to register and make and appointment).  Another ‘wee wee’ in the car park and we set off in the lift.  We arrive in the doctor’s surgery and it is HUGE.  Far bigger than my old surgery back in England.  The waiting room is enormous and open plan with a pharmacy on one side.  It also looks right down the long corridor with all the doctors’ rooms leading off it.  It is pretty full today too.  I double check that no one needs a wee and then settle the kids on some chairs whilst I go and speak to a receptionist.  Two seconds later I am back at the kids after discovering that they are not taking any new patients until the end of July.  Wow, this day really is just getting better and better!!  Final wee check and this time it’s Josh who’s desperate.  I leave all the bags etc on the chair in the waiting room and quickly take them down the corridor into the disabled toilets.  This may be too much info, sorry, but just as I am mid wee Hollie decided to pull the lever under the shower and this massive fountain of water come blasting out of the wall all over her and she just freezes (probably in shock).  There is not much I can do except shout at her to move out of the way.  Finally I jump up and turn it off!!  I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this point.  Surely this kind of thing only happens on comedy shows!!!  Josh is now rolling on the floor laughing and Hollie is literally drowned – with water even dripping off her eyelashes!  I very quickly realise that I have left the bags on a chair in the waiting room, so I can’t even get her changed (luckily I have spare clothes, the one advantage of potty training).  I have no choice but to walk back down the corridor with a soaking wet and dripping child back through the pharmacy and waiting room as if everything is perfectly normal!!!

All this and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet!  

Spider Dance!

When is rains in Sydney it really RAINS!!  I was just on my way out to the gym this evening and as I grabbed the keys and ran out the kitchen door I was suddenly stopped in my tracks by the rain!!  Not because I am afraid of getting wet (ok, well maybe a little) but because I have learnt that the scary and deadly funnel web spiders a.) love rain b.) get washed out of their burrows when it rains so are more likely to be wondering around and c.) come out in the dark to hunt!  Check on all three of these, so I head back into the house and walk the long way around to the car, grabbing a torch on my way out (which also just happend to be a transformer) so that I can check where I am walking, just incase I meet anything I don't want to.  This may seems a little crazy but it's one of the many rituals I have become accustomed to since moving to Australia - and all because of the spiders!!!!

No! They do NOT enhance the view!!

Here are a few rituals I have become accustomed to since we moved:

1.  Before putting any shoes on - tip them upside down and shake!!   Master J has become very good at planting plastic spiders inside wellie boots - gets me EVERY TIME!!  I think I'll need to lie down in a dark room to recover the time a real spider falls out.

2.  I absolutely HATE spider webs.  They are everywhere and i swear they just appear out of nowhere!  Some of them are pretty spectacular I'll admit, but it still doesn't mean I have to like them.  I have kinda got used to seeing the huge ones fairly high up on trees or railings with those enormous yellow legged spiders sitting in the middle of them.  So far I have never seen one of those spiders actually move, so as long as I can see them I'm ok.  What gets me are the webs that you can't see in the bright sunlight.  I have walked straight into a few and the reactions is always the same - sheer panic!! Arms flying in the air, hair shaking, legs jumping up and down, cold sweats......... it's the spider dance (please try not to laugh - I'm sure you'll all be same!!)  I can feel the web on my face and and I am terrified one of those big spiders will have got caught in my hair or is crawling down my arm.  So my defence now is to walk with a stick out in front of me, to break any webs before walking into them.  Don't worry, I try not to do this out in public but ALWAYS in my garden!!  I have a stick at every door (we have 3) and I wave it around in front of me whenever I go outside.  So normal has this become that the kids don't even think I'm crazy!!  I'm sure I must look like a deluded blind person by any onlookers who happen to walk by.   Mother Nature is probably frowning down on me right now!! (or laughing - who know!).

The one with the yellow legs!

3.  The laundry! - A task I have to do most days has also got to be done with the utmost care.  Our laundry room is outside, so before I even go out to it I have to check my shoes and put them on (especially after rain).  I then wave my stick around (with a pile of washing under my arm) and set off down the short path at the side of the house.  The light switch is on the inside of the laundry room wall which poses a problem......... I won't go inside without the light on (this room is exposed to the garden so anything could be in there) and I can't see the light switch to switch it on.  I am too terrified to put my arm around and "pat the wall" to find it in case I touch something scary.  So my treasured spider stick comes in handy once again!!!!  Everyone here keeps telling me how huntsman spiders do not have webs and they just sit on walls.  They are also the size of my hand (so I'm told).  I have not yet come across one but I know it is only a matter of time, which is why it is very important to keep my stick with me at all times!  The day I see one of those on the laundry room wall will be the another day where I will have to lie down in a dark room to recover!!!

Can you see how big t hose webs are??  And how well hidden they are too!!!!

4.  The funnel web spider..........if you google it, it will tell you it is one of the most deadly spiders in the world and can kill a human in less than an hour if a bite is untreated!!  This little bugger scares the shit out of me!  Excuse my language but imagine having him hanging out in your back garden????  It was Easter Sunday when I realised just how careful we have to be.  I was was supposed to hide the eggs in the garden on Saturday night but it was raining and I didn't fancy getting wet, so I left it for Sunday morning.  Mr D was entertaining two excited kiddies and as I stepped out the back door, I happened to look into the recycling bucket and noticed a "not so nice" looking spider.   Instantly I got cold sweats (I can't help it).  I shout over to Mr D to come and dispose of it quickly before it gets out.  He takes one look and says "I think that's a bad one!!!"  Oh great!!  Off I go to get the book and we identify it as the funnel web!!  Slight panic when we realise just how deadly it is. And it's just sitting there at our feet!!!  

How scary does he look?

We moved the bucket and it sprung to it's feet rearing it's fangs up -Holy Shit is all I could muster!! (sorry again for the language) "Get rid of it, do something QUICK!!!" I yell to Mr D  "Wait a minute, let me just get a few photos" is his replies!  Mmmmm, I won't repeat my response!! Anyway, Mr funnel web did not last much longer than that thankfully!!  

A few days later we paid a visit to the Reptile Park and one of the 'crazy' rangers there gave a demonstration on how to 'catch' the funnel web.  All you have to do is get an empty jar and a piece of paper - coax the spider into the jar, slide the paper underneath so you can turn the jar up and then pop the lid on.  Simples!!  YEAH RIGHT!!  I will be standing up on a table if I saw one in the house, not least trying to coax it into a jar!!  He then proceeded to tell us that once you have caught it you have to drive it to the nearest hospital and hand it in so that they can extract the venom to make the anti-venom!!  Something which is apparently very important.  OMG, if catching it isn't bad enough - I am then supposed to have it in the car with me whilst I drive to the hospital?????  Fat chance!!!!!

So anyway, as you can tell, my spider phobia is getting much better I think and as long as we don't meet in a dark laundry room - or at all, we'll all be fine!!

Zumba! Everybody Zumba!

So I have finally joined the gym and I am a very happy camper.  Easily pleased obviously!   I have three aims: to get fit, to attempt to make some friends and to make the MOST of the creche facilities (after all Nanny Mummy does need a break every so often).  I decided to drive all the way to the Fitness First in Collaroy as that is soon to become my regular.  My first class is Zumba.  I drop the kids in the creche (no crying - Bonus!!!), take a quick glance around to see if there are any suitable mums for me to attempt conversation with - nope -oh well next time!  Off to class!  I have heard SO much about this Zumba fitness and how fabulous it is, that I am quite intrigued by it.  The studio is enormous and the instructor does her thing up on a huge stage (far posher than I'm used to) and as it's only a Tuesday morning there is hardly anyone in the class, which is making me feel slightly nervous.  It's much easier to hide at the back of a full class!!  The instructor introduces herself and asks if anyone has never done Zumba before.  (In a split second I am thinking - shall I admit to it or not????  If I do she might make me stand in the front and then I'll look like a complete idiot, but if I don't I might not get any help if I'm looking like a complete idiot!!)  I bravely stick my hand in the air and smile.  Then, yup, you got it - straight to the front!!  Oh god, this is going to be interesting!!!!  

Just as it says on the tin - Zumba is brilliant and I had such a good class.  It was no where near as difficult as I had predicted and I actually managed to do quite well in the front of the class.   I've now done a few Zumba classes and I think I might be getting hooked!!

Next on my list was doing an attack class.  Back to Collaroy I go and drop the kids off in the creche.  This time Josh sees a little boy that he recognised from the last class and got quite excited.  Brilliant I thought, he has someone to play with at last.  Whist waiting for the class to start, I wondered who the mum would be and whether or not I would be brave enough to ask to meet up outside the gym???  I decided that after class I would find out who she is and suggest that we have a drink in the cafe so the kids could play a bit longer.  

Back to attack - this time I decided not to volunteer myself as a complete novice and luckily I found that attack is attack no matter which country you're in!!  And I am sooooo glad to be back at it again.  At last a great workout where I didn't really have to concentrate to much on the moves - although I am pretty sure the instructor had springs in her shoes!!!

At the end of the class I was all ready to introduce myself to a potential new friend and luckily once I got back to the creche Josh was still as enthusiastic as ever.  He told me his new friend was called Zac.  Hi Zac I said, is your mummy on her way to pick you up???  "No, my dad is"  Oh right, I though - and as I turned around there he was!!!  Oh god, this is not at all what I was expecting!!  What do I do now - my plan has suddenly come to a halt!!  I can't ask a dad for coffee - what will he think????  "Come on kids" I say, "lets get going"!!  Such a wimp I know!!!!!  Next time :)

Now that I've got in to the swing of things at the gym, I decided to go to the Fitness First around the corner from our apartment last night.  What bliss, an evening out, even if it is a gym class!  It was a gorgeous evening and the walk to the gym alone was awesome.  It really remind me that I'm in balmy SYDNEY and not redhill.  This time I am trying  Body Combat, another class that I am well accustomed to so no need to volunteer that I'm a newby!  I was totally in my own world waiting for the class to start when the instructor call out "G'day guys, I bet you're all glad to be in here this evening and not outside in the freezing cold! Keep your tops on until you feel warmed up"  Well, that certainly snapped me out of my day dream!  COLD?????  Did I hear that right??  It's 21 degree outside and I even broke a sweat just walking here!!!!  Mmmmmmm these Sydneysiders have NO idea about real cold!!  Made me chuckle!!  Luckily Combat is Combat too and I loved it!!  So much so that I decided to I was ready for double cardio - and I would stay for the Zumba class which was next.

It was the same instructor that took Combat and I again I didn't feel the need to say that was new to Zumba as I think I've kinda got the swing of it now from doing the morning classes!!  WELL, the music started and that's about all I can remember!!!!  OMG, I have never experienced anything like it!!  Firstly the instructor (same one that was yelling at us to punch harder in combat) was suddenly miming her instruction!!  Yep, miming!!  What on earth was that about??  I did not have a clue what was going on.  And to make matter worse, the class was about 100 x faster and 100 x more complicated than the one I had previously done.  It has suddenly become clear that my previous classes were obviously the beginner ones!  My hips were swinging in the wrong direction, I couldn't time the booty shaking with the hip thrusting and who knows what my arms and legs were doing!!   It was hilarious - I really wish I had had someone with me to laugh with!!!  One minute I was shaking my boobs doing some kind of flamenco thing and the next it was full on Bollywood!  The instructor (called Afro Jess) was AMAZING but instead of yelling at us to work harder as she had done in the last class, she was still miming her instructions!!!  That really didn't help little old me who was trying so hard to keep up and EVERYONE else seemed to know exactly what was going on!!  Oh well, not sure I will be going back to that class in a hurry - I might just stick to my beginner class for now!!  

Anyone else out there done Zumba??  Go on, try it, I dare ya!!!!!