Making it:)

We are just getting back into our "normal" routine here in Sydney.  Term 3 is up and going for Carter.  I know we are only a week into it, but I think he seems a little more focused this term.  He began the last term coming down from being off for a month and a half and still getting used to so many things that went along with the big move.  He is much more established in our Australia life starting this term.  Sometimes he seems so grown up to me, and then sometimes  I think he acts young for his age.  I guess that is typical.  He got a haircut this weekend and that always seems to make kids look older.  

Carter after his haircut.

Aubrey is really growing up as well.  She is still very shy when meeting new people or going into new situations.  But, I can tell she is getting much more comfortable here in Australia.  She has started to talk to people that she sees on a regular basis (i.e. other moms and kids at Carter's school).  Getting her into a preschool has been a bit of a problem since the move.  She usually goes to Mosman Occasional Care for a few hours once or twice a week though.  They do operate a true preschool for 4 year olds there 1 day a week.  Today she was offered a spot in the preschool program.  Plus, her "best friend", Tilly, also goes to this preschool.  I have a good feeling about this.  Even though she is in a lot of activities, she is really getting used to Mom being close almost all the time.  Since she will be starting Kindy in about 6 months, I want to make sure she will be successful in that environment. 

No big adventures to report on in this post. We did not do much this last weekend.  The weather was kind of cloudy/rainy and I think we were all ready to rest after a busy week.  Carter and I hung out at Warringah Mall on Saturday while Aubrey and Sean went to a car show.  I know that seems a little reversed from the norm, but Carter was dying to get to the mall as his allowance was burning a hole in his pocket and Aubrey was in need of some Dad time.  It worked out pretty well.

Sunday we went up to our favorite farmer's market in Frenchs Forest, even though the weather was not the best.  On the way home, we decided to try an American restaurant called American Heroes that we had seen in Mosman, the suburb we live in.  The restaurant was such a disappointment.  Sean and I both agreed that it was the worst meal we have had since coming to Australia.  We certainly hope that is not what Australians think American food tastes like!  Our first clue should have been that the people running the restaurant were not American.  That is rarely a good sign for any restaurant advertising themselves as representing a certain nationality of food.

Sean and I have both been dealing with a little homesickness lately.  Some of it stems from a few issues we are having with the apartment we are renting.  We thought we had a nice, beautiful, modern apartment.  The building is only about 4-5 years old.  However, the building was designed very poorly and we do not have good landlords.  There is a water problem from the roof and there is water leakage around the windows.  Recently, we have realized there is mold growing in the corner of our bedroom.  That may explain why I am waking up every morning feeling so stuffy.  Additionally, our central heat has not been working.  The central heat/air con was a big reason why we chose this apartment; they are not that common in Sydney.  Even though it does not get THAT cold here, it does get pretty chilly in the apartment at times.  We first contacted the landlord about this problem a month ago.  FINALLY, they sent someone to fix it today.  The bad news is, there is a leak in the system somewhere between our apartment and the roof and there is no way to fix it without doing a major construction project.  I guess the good news is, this is not our problem in the long term since we don't actually own this apartment.  The bad news is, we are only 3 months into a year long lease and we are already tired of the problems with this place.  After owning our own home for almost 10 years, it is so hard to go back to renting.  

Okay, I will quit complaining now.  There are other good, fun things we are planning for.  We are hopefully booking plane tickets later this week for our first visit back home.  We are planning to get to Kansas City around the end of September.  We are timing it around Carter's next school holidays.  We will be home for about 3 1/2 weeks.  We are VERY excited about this.  

Also, I am training for my first race.  I have enjoyed running for a few years now, but I have never entered a single competition.  I was planning on doing my first 5K this past spring in the US, before we decided to move away.  I have now signed up for my first race and I think it is a pretty cool one.  The Sydney Harbour Bridge Run is a 9K race on September 16th.  I hope it is a good experience.  I also hope I can get my endurance up enough to really enjoy it.

We often think of our loved ones at home.  As I am writing this, there is a news story about the Colorado shooting on television.  It just makes me so sad.  My prayers go out to the victims of that horrible tragedy.  Life really is so precious.  Sometimes it is just a struggle to wade through the rough patches and make the conscious effort to focus on the joy in life.