Meet the boys

I have done my "Nanny Diaries" blog a disservice by not saying much about James and Josh. So here it is, kiddos...

James
James is your classic 2-year-old boy. One minute he's crying and the next minute, he's running around and laughing. He is absolutely obsessed with Toy Story and carries his Woody doll everywhere he goes. Poor Buzz is constantly falling apart. He tried to make him fly too many times, I guess. James knows a handful of words including, Mama, Dadda, Dosh (Josh), eesh (fish), oh no, Buzz, Woody, nana (pacifier) and more (usually when he wants more food). He is the only toddler I know that can use an iPhone. Jo has games on her phone for him and he knows exactly where to go to get to the games and how to play them. It's incredible. He's such a baby genius! Also, he thinks when he pokes me it's the same as tickling me so he cracks himself up every time he does it. I can always count on James to say or do something silly to make me laugh.

Josh
My little, cuddly baby, Josh, is about to turn 1 on April 7. He is happiest when he's being held. I think he's starting to play me a little bit though. The second he starts fussing, I run over and pick him up. He's too cute to be upset! I'm such a sucker. Joshy is always the first one to finish his food and want more. Often, I catch him eating leaves, dirt or cat food. He's such a mischievous little boy. He can pull himself up and is so close to learning how to walk! I can't wait to see him take his first steps.

James and Josh play so nicely together. They crawl around the house together, share their toys and James even tries to tickle Josh and blow on his belly. I absolutely love and adore the two of them.

The other side of the road

Everything in Australia is basically the complete opposite of back home. It's summer right now for starters but hey, I'm not complaining. Also, they use the metric system which has made me have to think way too much. Why hasn't the U.S. been using it like the rest of the world!? Oh well. Anyway, the most noticeable difference is that cars here are driven on the left side of the road. I can't tell you how many times I've almost gotten run over because I look the wrong way before crossing the street. After going to visit Jo's brother Grant, I got behind the wheel and drove us home. I gripped the steering wheel as hard as I could, drove below the speed limit and didn't allow myself to blink. It was like I was 15 years old again driving around Coral Springs with my permit. Since I'm writing this post, I guess it's obvious I made it home in one piece. Yay!

One week down...

It was Jacqui's (Dave's sister) birthday last night so I went to her birthday party and met the rest of the Baranowski family. They were all so sweet and welcoming! Jacqui's roommate, Jay, had a Mission Beach sweatshirt laying on her bed and I was thrilled to death! Jay is the one who peer pressured me to go to the club after the party. I wanted to be a grandma and go to bed but she told me I was 21 and needed to live it up. I need someone to tell me to stop being a baby every once in a while!

I quickly learned if look like you've had a few too many drinks, you can't get into a bar or club. Also, if you get drunk in the bar or club, they will stop serving you drinks and probably kick you out. I had to talk to three bouncers last night just to get into a club. I guess pre-gaming isn't a big thing here.

In the interest of trying new things, I took a shot of Sambuca. I felt like Katt Williams. It was disgusting and I will never go near that stuff again. It is liquid black liquorice. Yuck!

Anyway, I spent today in bed watching season five of Reba. I should have gone to the beach or at least done something productive but, oh well. I love lazy Sundays.

Coogee

Thought for the day--Coogee beach puts all California beaches to shame. When I suggested the beach, Marisa suggested Coogee, probably because I would get lost going anywhere else. Nonetheless, it was a great choice.

Before stepping onto the beach, I decided to grab my usual smoothie; strawberry-banana, extra banana. Apparently, Australians make smoothies with milk and no ice. I had to convince the guy to put juice in my smoothie instead of milk. He thought I was nuts. I told him I was American. He obliged.

Anyway, we came across a guy who told us he was going shark fishing tomorrow night. We asked how big the shark was and he decided to draw us a diagram in the sand complete with the eyes and fins. I guess Americans aren't the only crazy ones here.

Out on the town

Now that I've taken over Meagan's life, I have her old cell phone. She graciously left important phone numbers for my use. I'll probably be calling her parents any day now. Anyway, I called up her friend, Marisa, and we decided to meet up for some drinks in Surry Hills with her boyfriend and flat mate. Marisa is originally from Pennsylvania so she can totally relate to all of the culture shock I'm experiencing.

Here are the things I've learned about going out in Sydney...
1. You don't tip at bars, restaurants, cabs, etc.
2. People here can drink like champs.
3. When a guy asks for your number, he actually calls. I haven't tested this theory but I hear the rumors are true. Crazy, right?
4. Cider is the girly drink. It's delicious.
5. There are way too many buses and they all take way too long. If you fall asleep on the bus, you'll miss your stop and get lost.

Oh, the places I will go...

I've quickly come to realize there are thousands of things to do with my time. Because I'm such a lover of lists, I knew I had to put this in print. Now, I hope it goes without saying but I plan to see/do/experience everything Sydney has to offer. This list is for the places outside of Sydney I would like to explore.

So here it is (in no particular order)...

-New Zealand
-Melbourne
-Brisbane
-Whitsundays
-Blue Mountains
-Crescent Head Beach
-Cairns
-Perth
-Ayers Rock

Meagan Mather deserves every ounce of credit for this list. For those of you who don't know about Meagan, let me get you up to speed. Meagan was my college roommate (we're so Ross and Chandler) who lived here, yes, in this very house, for the past seven months. Upon my arrival, I found a guide of places to go and things to do. Even better, I found a Friends quote in every drawer I opened. So thank you, Meagan, for my bucket list and allowing me to pull another "1431" and take over your room and basically, your life.

Things the U.S. does not have...

Vegemite! Ok, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, allow me to explain. This dark brown, chocolate looking concoction is used as a spread on crackers, sandwiches and toast. It has a really salty kick to it. People here go crazy over this stuff. I bit the bullet and tried it. Sorry, Australians, it is not my cup of tea. I'll stick with butter.

Another thing we don't have back at home? An aisle full of healthy cereal. If you walked into any grocery store here, you would actually have to search for the junky, sugary, delicious cereal. Even the Special K here is made with almost no sugar. For anyone who knows me but at all, you know how much I love my sugar fix. Ask me how many cavities I have. I dare you.

I'll leave you with this last experience I had that on Sunday...
I went out to lunch with the family. Of course I assumed it was like going out to eat anywhere else-- sit down, look at the menu, consult your food choices with the rest of the table and order. Well, we all know what happens when you assume. Anyway, we went to a restaurant where there are several servers that bring carts of food to your table and you just pick what you want on the spot. It was like a super buffet. Sweet Tomatoes needs to get on it.

That's all I have for now. More later...

'ello mates!

After 24 hours of traveling, I have made it to Sydney, Australia. I've traveled a bit in my life, not a ton, but enough to fairly say this is the most beautiful place I have been. My first stop was Bondi beach. Yeah, I'm a tourist. Anyway, it's not even considered one of Sydney's best beaches but I was still blown away. Although, no one warned me that women lay out topless and all men wear speedos, or banana hammocks for all you Friends fans out there. Also, there was a reality show being filmed there called Bondi Lifeguards or something like that. I see it as Australia's version of Jersey Shore. I'll probably hang out there until I get caught on camera.

I'm living with the Webb family as an aupair in their gorgeous two-story home. Dave, Jo, James (2) and Josh (10 months) have all been so warm and welcoming. So far, we are off to a great start and really enjoying each other's company.

Here are some tid bits I've learned about Australia so far...
-Diapers are called nappies.
-Everything is triple the price. Clearasil face wash is about $17.
-All public restrooms are labeled as "toilets." I can appreciate the bluntness. Also, you can "half flush" or "full flush" a toilet. Half flush for number one and full flush for number two. Australians do this to conserve water.
-Cars more than three years old (that just made cars sound human by the way) must pass an inspection every year to make sure they do not have rust or any other damages.
-There is a coffee shop every time you turn your head. The local coffee is so good that Starbucks is almost extinct here.