So here we are; another few weeks have passed and this year seems to have picked up some serious pace. I really feel like January the 1st hit and I’ve been spinning in circles ever since. Autumn is officially here!
It’s almost the end of term one; the kids just adore school (thank god), and I’m abso-bloody-lutely loving them being there. The house only gets messy between 4 and 6 in the evening, and I can watch, listen to and eat whatever I want all day long with no one looking over my shoulder or demanding I switch off my beloved Michael Bolton album. I know!! (Don’t worry mothers of pre school children, your time will come my pretty’s!)
I have had such an incredible month of being focussed and really pushing myself to write more. I’ve been busy making connections with some awesome, talented ladies who make up a local gaggle of bloggers. I went to my very first ‘Bloggers meet up’ at Boneo Maze and Mini Golf to talk about blogging, get advice, and learn some wonderful tips on getting our blogs to be the best they can be (bear with me, it will take time). Not only that, the morning tea that was served up was absolutely delicious and forced me to ditch the diet for an hour or so. Safe to say I gobbled as many of the caramel slices and as much cake as I could without making too much of an exhibition of myself. I excelled myself. Thankfully we were able to walk off a bit of the cake whilst we explored the place and what a treat that was. The sun was shining, there was so much to see and do, and I was child free! Oh yeah, go me! To be fair, the kids would have bloody loved this place, and I will take them one day, but I just can’t tell you how beautiful it is exploring places as an adult, on my own, with time to talk, drink a hot coffee without interruption and engage in adult conversation without the constant “don’t touch that,” “stop hitting your sister with that stick,” “put the possum down Monty, it’s a wild animal” etc etc etc. Honestly, it’s exhausting just writing about parenting my two, let alone actually trying to master it! So with all this fun I’ve been having I have been literally run out of hours in the day to do much else. That reminds me, I must attempt to get a brush through my hair today, it resembles a rather large tumble weed at present.
So what have the rest of the Wilson’s been up to? Well, we have been making the most of what this awesome city has to offer. Tim took Monty to his first proper game of soccer at Aami Park. They were in corporate hospitality so they weren’t slumming it in the stands by any sense of the imagination! Monty was being served mini burgers and lashings of lemonade by the lovely waitresses, whilst kicking a football around the room with a few of the guys that were there to watch Melbourne v Sydney. Monty adores soccer. I have been trying my best to push him toward rugby, AFL or Footie as they call it here but he’s having none of it. He’s soccer all the way! (Oh gosh, I’m calling Football Soccer and Soccer football, it’s even confusing me, so I hope you’re all keeping up! )
Expat life is treating us all well. Autumn is well underway and secretly I’m looking forward to a bit of cooler weather! Ungrateful rat I know! I will be begging summer to make a swift return in a few weeks’ time I’m sure. When Tim and I visited Melbourne in March last year, it was so cold I had earache and had to wrap a scarf around my head whilst sitting on the top deck of the tourist bus! I was looking super special as always! I cannot believe that’s what we have in store soon.
This summer was glorious. Sweaty, but glorious. Walks on the beach in the evenings, swimming in the ocean, bike rides, trips to the park, movies, paddle boarding, camping…. Days out smothered in factor 50 with large brimmed hats on, praying that the children weren’t going to expire, get sun stroke or die of heat exhaustion. I have looked rather like a sweaty lobster for three months but hey, that’s the Brit in me; and there’s no hiding it. If one more Aussie asks me if I’m sunburnt I may explode! I’m naturally pink!! Very pink!! I’ve always thought it was particularly unfair that my brother got this sort of Latino olive skin, (the main reason I was known as “Huw’s sister” at school and never just Olivia), and I ended up like Miss Piggy with more freckles than my school mates had time to join together in Math’s class! Ah it was always a lot of fun being the human dot to dot puzzle in the classroom.
All in all, a great summer in Melbourne and a big poked out tongue to all the Sydney Siders who cringed at us for moving further south. This summer has also given me the chance to make some friends to drink lots of wine with; I know; it surprises me every time too. When will I get used to this friend making thing? The kids seem to be dab hands at connecting with people and making such good friendship groups so quickly; I guess that’s the beauty of being young, and of course having an awesome mum showing them the ropes!
Last weekend we took the kids to the netball at Hisense Arena which was brill. It’s an incredible venue; we watched some of the Australian Open tennis there in January, and have now seen the netball there too which seems really bizarre only ever having seen it on the TV. Luckily Poppy’s favourite player Caitlin Thwaites has just joined a Melbourne team so she was beside herself. If Caitlin didn’t hear her screams I am truly shocked!! Poppy who is a netball super fan, turned to Tim to say “I love this dad; it really inspires me!” Wow! Taken a back to say the least! She is growing up so fast, I just can’t keep up. Who pressed the fast forward button on my life? Why is 40 careering toward me at break neck speed? Should my crow’s feet be this deep? Why have my hands morphed into my mother’s?
Melbourne is the most wonderful city, it’s so easy to get around and such fun to explore; that is when Monty isn’t kicking pigeons so hard their feathers pop out or having an utter meltdown because we won’t buy him another packet of Mentos. I’m sure he has an addiction to them. (note to self: read ingredients and explore possible addiction) The restaurants, the parks, the events, the museums, they’re all on our doorstep and we are absolutely loving it.
We’ve explored Birrarung Marr Park, Blairgowrie beach, Bunkers Indoor Skate Park and Chelsea’s Bicentennial Park. We’ve gorged on burgers at Huxtaburger, ice creams at MilkCow Au and frozen yoghurt at Yo My Goodness. We’ve watched netball, cricket, and soccer too! No wonder this Wilson is exhausted!! And there’s even more to come!
How on earth am I going to cope when the school holidays arrive in three week’s time?
Now where’s that bottle of Four Pillars?
Olivia xx
Too much of a good thing can be wonderful – Mae West
The Wilsons of Oz 