Domestic life update

Linton here again...An update mainly for the grandparents (who are all by the way very technically savvy and are loyal readers of this blog).

We have had a lot of questions about how the boys are doing... James and I are extremely proud of Colin and Alex and the way they have fit into their school and life over here. Colin has made a ton of friends and has already been invited to two birthday parties - this weekend and next weekend. Alex is also quite popular in his class and is keeping up to his classmates academically - at the reading level of some of the 8 years olds. (See picture above of Alex and his class on the school grounds - he is the one in the blue sweater hugging/punching his classmate Luca). True to form, Colin is trying every new sport imaginable and Alex has already been in trouble looking up naughty words in the dictionary in class. Homework consists of some reading each night for both of them and some additional assignments for Colin.

I volunteer every Wednesday morning in Alex's classroom during science lesson. The science unit right now is focused on weather so yesterday to demonstrate air pressure, I was in charge of getting the kids to blow up and pop balloons outside. Hilarious! The kids love all the experiments and I am really enjoying getting to know all of Alex's classmates. Very cute group. Last Friday, I went on a little field trip to the library with Colin's class to celebrate Australia's book week. It is great seeing our kids with their class and having the time to volunteer with the school.

On the work front - I am just finishing up a project with UNICEF Canada and will be meeting again with Royal Children's Hospital and Children's Miracle Network Canada here at the beginning of October. We will see what happens with that...

The really decadent and fun part for me is planning our upcoming travels. This Sunday (it is Father's Day here), we have booked another full day coach tour. This time we are driving through the Dandenongs, riding on a historic steam train, touring through the Yarra Valley, stopping at a winery for lunch, and then going to a wildlife sanctuary before heading back to Melbourne. Something in the tour for everyone! Our first big trip is to Cairns September 21st for two weeks in a camper driving down to Brisbane. We are all very much looking forward to that! Then in November, we are driving to Sydney, staying a few days there, flying to Ayer's Rock for my birthday then onto Alice Springs and taking The Ghan overnight train to Adelaide where we will stay a few nights and then fly home to Melbourne.

It is quite wonderful to live focused on each day at a time and have a simple daily routine. Our days right now are very geared around the kids and their activites/needs. The day starts with all of us walking to school together in the morning and ends with all of us eating dinner around our big table in the house, doing homework and watching a silly Australian tv show together at night.

My apologies if this all sounds boring or if this post is not terribly exciting. It is exciting to us because it is such a departure from our crazy busy life in Toronto.

So this one is for the grandparents who have been so supportive of this journey and who we love and miss very much!