Help, My Blogging Skills Are Fading....

My blogging skills seem to be on hiatus.  I cannot seem to come up with witty ways to make our experiences as of late interesting at all.  Maybe we haven't been doing enough or maybe it is just because some of the glamour is gone and we are now just living life.  Hmmm.

I finally got my Deep Dish pizza to work.  I decided to nix the oil and replace it with-- da-da-da-da-- butter!  What isn't great with a 1/4 of melted butter in it, on it and on the pan?  The crust turned out perfectly and the toppings were quite good as well. If only I had some good Italian sausage or real pepperoni.  Can't seem to find the good stuff here. The best part was that neither of the boys wanted to eat it so more for me!! I even made a second one and put it in the freezer for later on.  I put a picture below, but I was so excited to try it that I ate two pieces before remembering to take a picture....

Not sure if I mentioned this in my blog or just on FB, but Manzie had taken to sleeping (probably more like hiding) in Doug's unpacked suitcase from his last trip to Singapore. Well, he headed back to Singapore on Sunday and took her beloved suitcase with him.  So, what is a Pug to do? Find the next best thing of course- the laundry basket!  It amazes me how a dog with only 80% of her vision and bad hips can still manage to climb into a laundry basket. 

Coop had another swim lesson this week. He loves it so much. He told me it was "Boom-tastic!"  Not really sure what that means, but I am taking it as something good.  He is improving so much each week.  While walking home, he said to me, "Mom, guess what I learned in swimming today?" I, of course, thought he was going to tell me about a new skill he learned, but no, this is Cooper, I should have expected what was coming.  He said, "I learned how to burp underwater so no one can hear me."  I guess this is what the future holds for me raising two boys.  Lovely.

Coop and I did an art project we found on Pinterest (Thank you, Karen).  Pinterest you ask?  Pinterest is an addictive website (Again, thank you Karen because I need more things to suck my time) where you can "pin" all your favourite  (damn that Aussie spelling) things you find on the web in one place and THEN, you get to organise (apparently I now have to spell organize with an "s" or my computer gets mad) them and share them with others. You also get to see what others have pinned and can re-pin what they pinned. Got it?  It is so fun especially for people who are shall we say "hyper-organised" like myself. Anyway, back to the art project. Isn't this cute?

Got my haircut today. Opted for the $39 haircut at Just Cuts instead of the $95 cut everywhere else (Rhonda, how I long for your haircutting skills...). The lady who cut my hair is here from Ireland. It was fun chatting with another "outsider." It was actually just nice to sit and not have to be responsible for anyone but myself. 

Last week I spent over an hour at the Apple Store's Genius Bar getting my hard drive replaced and hoping super, super hard that my photos and music could be salvaged. Well, they were. Not only were they saved, but they were all saved over and over and over again.  Each iTunes song was saved twice.  Not too difficult to deal with.  All my photos in iPhoto were saved 4-5  times.  That is difficult to deal with.  So, I went back to the Apple Store and met with another Genius (these people really are super smart) and spent another hour plus trying to rid my computer of all the duplicates.  Success was had with the iTunes. I am currently running an application to "annihilate" all my duplicated photos. Let's see-- began with 58,088 photos (remember multiple duplicates not obsessive mom who takes way too  many pictures of her udderly adorable and intelligent children and dogs), the programs has 52,566 images to go and has found 2,685 duplicates.  I have been running the program since noon today (now almost 9 pm). Gonna be a long, long night for my computer....

Help, My Blogging Skills Are Fading....

My blogging skills seem to be on hiatus.  I cannot seem to come up with witty ways to make our experiences as of late interesting at all.  Maybe we haven't been doing enough or maybe it is just because some of the glamour is gone and we are now just living life.  Hmmm.

I finally got my Deep Dish pizza to work.  I decided to nix the oil and replace it with-- da-da-da-da-- butter!  What isn't great with a 1/4 of melted butter in it, on it and on the pan?  The crust turned out perfectly and the toppings were quite good as well. If only I had some good Italian sausage or real pepperoni.  Can't seem to find the good stuff here. The best part was that neither of the boys wanted to eat it so more for me!! I even made a second one and put it in the freezer for later on.  I put a picture below, but I was so excited to try it that I ate two pieces before remembering to take a picture....

Not sure if I mentioned this in my blog or just on FB, but Manzie had taken to sleeping (probably more like hiding) in Doug's unpacked suitcase from his last trip to Singapore. Well, he headed back to Singapore on Sunday and took her beloved suitcase with him.  So, what is a Pug to do? Find the next best thing of course- the laundry basket!  It amazes me how a dog with only 80% of her vision and bad hips can still manage to climb into a laundry basket. 

Coop had another swim lesson this week. He loves it so much. He told me it was "Boom-tastic!"  Not really sure what that means, but I am taking it as something good.  He is improving so much each week.  While walking home, he said to me, "Mom, guess what I learned in swimming today?" I, of course, thought he was going to tell me about a new skill he learned, but no, this is Cooper, I should have expected what was coming.  He said, "I learned how to burp underwater so no one can hear me."  I guess this is what the future holds for me raising two boys.  Lovely.

Coop and I did an art project we found on Pinterest (Thank you, Karen).  Pinterest you ask?  Pinterest is an addictive website (Again, thank you Karen because I need more things to suck my time) where you can "pin" all your favourite  (damn that Aussie spelling) things you find on the web in one place and THEN, you get to organise (apparently I now have to spell organize with an "s" or my computer gets mad) them and share them with others. You also get to see what others have pinned and can re-pin what they pinned. Got it?  It is so fun especially for people who are shall we say "hyper-organised" like myself. Anyway, back to the art project. Isn't this cute?

Got my haircut today. Opted for the $39 haircut at Just Cuts instead of the $95 cut everywhere else (Rhonda, how I long for your haircutting skills...). The lady who cut my hair is here from Ireland. It was fun chatting with another "outsider." It was actually just nice to sit and not have to be responsible for anyone but myself. 

Last week I spent over an hour at the Apple Store's Genius Bar getting my hard drive replaced and hoping super, super hard that my photos and music could be salvaged. Well, they were. Not only were they saved, but they were all saved over and over and over again.  Each iTunes song was saved twice.  Not too difficult to deal with.  All my photos in iPhoto were saved 4-5  times.  That is difficult to deal with.  So, I went back to the Apple Store and met with another Genius (these people really are super smart) and spent another hour plus trying to rid my computer of all the duplicates.  Success was had with the iTunes. I am currently running an application to "annihilate" all my duplicated photos. Let's see-- began with 58,088 photos (remember multiple duplicates not obsessive mom who takes way too  many pictures of her udderly adorable and intelligent children and dogs), the programs has 52,566 images to go and has found 2,685 duplicates.  I have been running the program since noon today (now almost 9 pm). Gonna be a long, long night for my computer....

Another Post of Randoms

Been a few days since last writing. Since then we have done a few things.... 

Maritime Museum

We walked to the Maritime Museum on Darling Harbour. It was another beautiful day and the walk was perfect. Even Coop who often complains about walking said, "This is a perfect day." and "Ah, this is the life."  Below are a few snapshots from our walk. 

The monorail

The Darling Harbour Monorail stop

The bridge we walked on to get to the museum

The Maritime Museum

I hadn't really planned to go to see this museum simply because the theme did not really appeal to me, but after a recommendation from another mom, we decided to go. Oh, and it is free.  :)

I love the signal flags. They are so colorful and I like that their simpleness conveys so much.  The flags on the left are hanging outside the museum. Those on the right are inside.

Just an interesting tidbit

Tuck saw this and said, "Wow!"

AU beer can boat...

The poles above on the left are called, "Tituni" and are grave poles made by one of the aboriginal groups in AU. I wish I had more time to read about the creation of these poles and their meaning, but it just wasn't possible with the boys. The poles on the left are actually coffins where the bones of the dead are kept.  Below are some representations of animals.  I am sure you can tell what they are!

 

After our Museum adventure, we grabbed some lunch and played at a local playground and ran around in nearby field.  The boys had a blast.

Just had to add this picture for fun. You have got to love the outfit!

Morning in Hyde Park

Doug arrived home from his month-long trip to Singapore on Sunday morning.  I took the boys to the park so he could sleep a bit. It was another beautiful day here. Coop decided to make a stick nest between the giant roots of a tree in the park.  He worked diligently for quite sometime and only stopped to yell at Tucker who was working just as hard taking the sticks out....

While in the park we heard a helicopter and looked up to see this. A helicopter was removing the letters from the Sydney Tower and replacing them with new letters.  It was quite a site and many people stopped to watch.  

Tucker Painting

Tucker had his first chance to paint since he painted the rug in our place in Bondi Junction. The smile on his face while he painted said it all. He was thrilled to be able to do what his big brother does.

Alarms

We had two fire alarms in our building this week.  A loud voice comes over the speaker IN OUR APARTMENT and says something like, "Emergency, Please evacuate."  over and over.  The first time it happened a hot water heater had exploded somewhere in the building. I had terrible flashbacks from all the fire alarms in the dorms in college.  Ugh.  I had a great time dressing the boys, gearing up the dogs and heading downstairs. Yes, we used the elevator- how the heck else was I going to get out? Don't worry- everyone else used the elevator too. Heck this is Australia where everyone is so laid back so of course we used the elevator! The second alarm of the week was at 5 am (mind you a mere 45 mn after I got Tucker back to bed from a crying fit). The alarm sounded and I went to get the boys who were both freaked as heck. Tucker was shaking and Cooper was in tears. Again I got everyone dressed and geared up the dogs and headed downstairs...in the elevator...with everyone else.  This time a sprinkler in someone's apartment went off while they were using the "kettle."  We were down in the lobby a good hour before we could go back upstairs.  One good thing that came out of these alarms is that we got to finally meet our neighbors!

Another Post of Randoms

Been a few days since last writing. Since then we have done a few things.... 

Maritime Museum

We walked to the Maritime Museum on Darling Harbour. It was another beautiful day and the walk was perfect. Even Coop who often complains about walking said, "This is a perfect day." and "Ah, this is the life."  Below are a few snapshots from our walk. 

The monorail

The Darling Harbour Monorail stop

The bridge we walked on to get to the museum

The Maritime Museum

I hadn't really planned to go to see this museum simply because the theme did not really appeal to me, but after a recommendation from another mom, we decided to go. Oh, and it is free.  :)

I love the signal flags. They are so colorful and I like that their simpleness conveys so much.  The flags on the left are hanging outside the museum. Those on the right are inside.

Just an interesting tidbit

Tuck saw this and said, "Wow!"

AU beer can boat...

The poles above on the left are called, "Tituni" and are grave poles made by one of the aboriginal groups in AU. I wish I had more time to read about the creation of these poles and their meaning, but it just wasn't possible with the boys. The poles on the left are actually coffins where the bones of the dead are kept.  Below are some representations of animals.  I am sure you can tell what they are!

 

After our Museum adventure, we grabbed some lunch and played at a local playground and ran around in nearby field.  The boys had a blast.

Just had to add this picture for fun. You have got to love the outfit!

Morning in Hyde Park

Doug arrived home from his month-long trip to Singapore on Sunday morning.  I took the boys to the park so he could sleep a bit. It was another beautiful day here. Coop decided to make a stick nest between the giant roots of a tree in the park.  He worked diligently for quite sometime and only stopped to yell at Tucker who was working just as hard taking the sticks out....

While in the park we heard a helicopter and looked up to see this. A helicopter was removing the letters from the Sydney Tower and replacing them with new letters.  It was quite a site and many people stopped to watch.  

Tucker Painting

Tucker had his first chance to paint since he painted the rug in our place in Bondi Junction. The smile on his face while he painted said it all. He was thrilled to be able to do what his big brother does.

Alarms

We had two fire alarms in our building this week.  A loud voice comes over the speaker IN OUR APARTMENT and says something like, "Emergency, Please evacuate."  over and over.  The first time it happened a hot water heater had exploded somewhere in the building. I had terrible flashbacks from all the fire alarms in the dorms in college.  Ugh.  I had a great time dressing the boys, gearing up the dogs and heading downstairs. Yes, we used the elevator- how the heck else was I going to get out? Don't worry- everyone else used the elevator too. Heck this is Australia where everyone is so laid back so of course we used the elevator! The second alarm of the week was at 5 am (mind you a mere 45 mn after I got Tucker back to bed from a crying fit). The alarm sounded and I went to get the boys who were both freaked as heck. Tucker was shaking and Cooper was in tears. Again I got everyone dressed and geared up the dogs and headed downstairs...in the elevator...with everyone else.  This time a sprinkler in someone's apartment went off while they were using the "kettle."  We were down in the lobby a good hour before we could go back upstairs.  One good thing that came out of these alarms is that we got to finally meet our neighbors!