Early January 2012...Housing search, pets

Trying to get caught up! I wrote this awhile ago...

Finding a long-term rental house was a struggle. We looked at several properties when we first arrived. There were a couple right next to the ocean, like the grass of the yard met with inlet water…hmmm…not with 3 little kids, especially with deadly creatures in the water. There were a couple on busy streets…hmmmm…what if Johanna managed to get out of the house or yard without me? No, I think we will hold out. There was one very large house in a good neighborhood…hmmm…this has some potential. Then we went to see it...the massive windows on the front of the house on the second floor looked directly into a large apartment building right across the street. Hmmm, I am willing to bet the apartment building came after they built the house. Then we found a really good option a couple weeks later, went to see it the day it went on the market, and were then outbid by another couple. Probably best as it was only going to be a 1 year rental – the new owner is planning on moving up here next fall. Moving again in a year didn’t sound like an ideal plan forward.

Then we found another property that was cheaper than our Conoco housing allowance but didn’t have a pool. I know what you are thinking…how picky we were being??? But honestly we were told by other Conoco employees that we would regret it if we got a property without a pool, especially during “build up” – that time of the year after the dry season, before the wet season, when it is just unbearably hot and muggy. It was the” build up” when we arrived in November, so we had already experienced that kind of heat and believed what we were told. No amount of aircon can cool you off like a dip in a pool. Anyway, lucky for us the owners of this property were keen to rent to ConocoPhillips so they agreed to install a pool for our full monthly allowance. Then Conoco told us they didn’t want to get involved in a lease with a condition that the owner install a pool. It could become a battle if the owners started to drag their feet. We understood this – we didn’t want a battle either. And the owner needed a signed lease in order to get the funding from a bank to install a pool. But there was just nothing else on the market. We were getting tired of living out of a suitcase. Our pets were not going to be allowed to stay in our temporary housing. So we decided to just go for it and trust that the owner would put in the pool. Our agent knew the owners and their agent. We put in the paperwork, got everything lined up. When the owners got the paperwork from Conoco they decided to fire their agent, manage the rental themselves and rent it at the cheaper rate without a pool. Sure wish they decided that 3 weeks previous and saved us all the torment.

The big problem that resulted from it all was we were left in a pickle. The pets were now showing up in two days, we were not going to be moving into this long-term rental property and the place we were staying had a strict no-pet policy. We were scrambling to find another temporary housing option. Our agent found something, but we couldn’t get in there until the following week. We were told we would have to put our pets in a kennel here in Darwin for 4 days. No thank you. That was NOT going to happen. Not to the pets and not to our kids. The kids and I had started counting down from 52 days and were down to 1. We were not going to pick them up from the airport, only to drive them down the road to another kennel and come home empty handed.

I started making calls myself. We would just go to a hotel for a few nights on our own dime if we had to. The kids and I went to see management at the townshouse complex we were staying in. We begged. The nice lady said to come back in the morning – the lady in charge wouldn’t be back until then. I kept making calls. I got some other people in town trying to find a solution for us. The only hotel rooms I could find were one at a discounted rate of $300/night and another at a questionable location. One lady I spoke with told me to have a glass of wine and give her a few minutes to try to help. She called the lady in charge of the rental we could move into the next week. There was someone coming from overseas the next day who had booked the house. They were going to try to move them somewhere else so we could move in right away. But the person coming in was travelling and they couldn’t reach them.

The next morning we still didn’t have anywhere to go. We went to the townhouse complex management again. We begged. We begged some more. Finally she agreed to a couple days. We just had to try to keep it as secret as we could. Yippee!!

The pets arrived. The kids were vibrating, pacing the floor, waiting for the plane to land, then waiting for the pets to be delivered to the pick-up place. We waited. We looked. The kids asked me every 30 seconds how many more minutes. We had arrived early because I wasn’t sure where the place was and didn’t want to be rushed or late. When we arrived the plane was still in the air. It was 20 more minutes before it was on the ground, another 20 before the pets first appeared in our view. We recognized their kennels, the kids started calling out to the pets, the pets responded. The pets were pressing against their doors before they were even in front of us. Aine had her tongue going, licking the air before she could even touch our skin. The guy working there couldn’t break the seal on their kennels fast enough. The other people waiting gave us space to do our chaotic reunion. It was pure sweetness.  Our immediate family was whole again.

After getting the pets pottied, watered and fed we loaded up and headed for an open field. The kids and I had found a place to let Aine out before we went to the pick-up spot so we quickly arrived at the location. We had a toy to throw for Aine and she went after it with everything she had. It was obvious she was happy to be with us and happy to have a wide open space to run again.

After about 10 minutes it became obvious that Aine wasn’t doing well in the heat. After a few throws of her ball we put her back in the air conditioned SUV. She was panting too hard. I rearranged things so I could put her up front and let her rest with the cold air blowing directly on her. It took her about 20 minutes before she stopped panting at an alarming rate. We are going to have to be more careful with her. We’ve adjusted to the heat some, so it didn’t feel really hot to us because it was almost 4 pm. But we were not wearing a fur coat, were not dehydrated, and were not running full out. And we’ve been here for over 7 weeks.

Harmony is now lying on my lap purring. All my kids are under one roof. Life is good. It has been quite an ordeal (and a LOT of money) to get our pets over here. There were numerous times when we debated if we were doing the right thing. Was it the best for the animals? For us? Since we arrived in Darwin it has been obvious that we did the right thing. We were missing them so much, it was nice to know that they were at least in the same country. If there was any doubt in our minds, Ryland drove them away shortly after we got our pets back. He woke up crying his little heart out – he had had a nightmare that some man was trying to take away his pets. Poor little guy. I was so happy that he could see his beloved cat and dog and go back to sleep. Worth every hour, every day, and every dollar.

January 22, 2012......Pictures - crocodiles, lizards, cooling off

Holding a real "baby" crocodile. Don't worry, its mouth was secured shut!

Watching the experts feed the big ones...

We are feeding the "little" ones with fishing poles...

A lizard saying hello...

Croc Park and Zoo...hanging with Daddy in the heat...

Ah, cooling off...

Cooling Aine off at a park...

January 22, 2012......Pictures - Another nature walk, outside Darwin

Our little ray of sunshine...

Our third little snuggle bug...

Our big little boy...

Catching another ride...

January 22, 2012......Pictures - Nature walk on the beach

And the beach beconds...



Looking for treasure...

Finding a little crab...

One of so many mysterious holes surrounded by perfect little balls of sand...



A close-up of the little balls...

Dancing to her song...

I was here...

Overcast but still need shades...

January 22, 2012......Food and other experiments

On New Year’s day we cooked up the croc bbq pack we purchased at the Croc Park. There were meat kabobs, burger and sausage. All were great. The kids also loved it. Croc meat is a delicate white meat that is easily overcooked. It is supposed to be a good source of vitamin B12 and niacin so hopefully will be good for cholesterol too. Given that crocs have out-survived most everything else on the planet that we know of (even dinosaurs) it makes you think their meat can’t be bad for you. We once watched a documentary on some research being done with croc blood and our superbug bacteria. The croc’s blood kills it like it’s nothing.

We haven’t yet tried kangaroo and really want to do that. We also are still figuring out a lot of the seafood here and looking forward to learning how best to prepare it. We have heard there is a market down close to the pier where you can get the fresh stuff. We have to check that out soon. A couple weeks ago Paul got ¾ of a kilogram of a white fish at the store, called Ling. We assume it was ling cod. It was good. The kids cleaned their plates, ate some of ours and were still asking for more. Next on the list to try is barramundi.

We have been eating a lot of stir-fry dishes, with chicken, shrimp (prawns), and beef. The kids and I make our own pizza once in awhile. We just love the wholemeal flour. It’s a larger grain than wholewheat and sweeter. It works great in breads and doughs. You have to watch using it in cookies, though. It adds enough sweetness to affect the resulting taste. I tried it in our first batch of chocolate chip cookies and it didn’t really go. It probably would if I had reduced the amount of sugar.

Last night we tried quail and it was really good. It’s a lot like chicken, as you would expect – just not as much meat on the bones. We have also been enjoying all the fresh fruit. The whole family loves mango, of course. We even put it on top of cooked oatmeal. Star fruit is also a hit. We get a lot of our fruit and veggies at one of the outdoor weekend markets. It’s cheaper and feels good to give money to a local rather than a big corporation. It is also a great outing for the whole family. The kids all get a cold fruit smoothie (with typical and local fruits) and we walk around looking at lots of other vendors – food, clothing, musicians, flowers, jewelry, etc. It’s hot, but fun.

A couple weeks ago we took a drive to see some sights outside Darwin. On the way home we stopped at a town called Humpty Doo. With a name like that, you have to stop, don’t you? We decided to have an early dinner at the “world famous” Humpty Doo Hotel. Here's what the restaurant section looked like...

Paul and I got a buffalo burger “with the lot”. What we got was the most amazing burger I have ever had. Here’s what was between the bread…

-          The usuals - burger meat, tomato, lettuce, cheese

-          Fried egg

-          Slice fried ham

-          Couple slices of beet

-          Couple slices of pineapple

What an amazing combo!

We’ve tried a few experiments since we came over here. One is doing without a microwave. I don’t know if it is healthy to use one or not and I guess that is the point. I am fortunate enough to be able to stay home with my kids so I have more time to prepare food. I started reducing the amount I used the microwave before we left Alaska. I didn’t really use it for much more than heating up coffee by the time we left. It was still there when I needed to reheat something in a pinch, though. Since we landed in AU I have not used a microwave once. And I haven’t missed it a bit. When we moved into our long-term rental house I told Paul I didn’t want to even buy one and we didn’t. Of course I don’t know if our decision will improve our health in the long run. I am pretty confident that it will not decrease the quality of our lives though.

The transition to microwave-free was also aided by our purchase of a Bialetti Moka espresso maker to make coffee. Our good friend, Maja, introduced us to this amazing little piece of cooking equipment on a camping trip in Canada last summer. In the morning we now make a pot of espresso. When we are ready for another cup of coffee we just boil some more plain water to add to the now cold espresso and voila! We have a perfect strength, fresh, perfect temperature cup of coffee.

The other experiment caused more stress for me. Before we left Alaska I happened up on a book called Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. The book changed our lives. I started talking about it here…

http://barry-family-adventures.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-27-2011housing-slowing-down.html

In short, as parents we are the gate-keepers to our children’s lives. The theme of the book is our children get stressed when there is too much – too many choices, too many toys, too many books, too much stuff, too much stimulation of any sort. Their brains are maxed out, trying to process all the input. If you reduce the amount of “stuff” you reduce their stress and they are simply happier and healthier. I was floored. All this time kept bringing in more “stuff”, thinking I was doing good as long as it was educational and good quality. But too much is too much. We weeded and weeded. We still have more to do. We are also going to cycle our toys – keep at least ½ boxed up at a time.

So for Christmas this year we needed a different plan. Every year until now we went after the “Wow” factor. We wanted the kids to be thrilled when they walked down the stairs to the magic of the big pile of toys that were surrounding the tree. How to change that?!?! Santa had to bring something.

We decided the kids would each get one mid-sized toy. In their stockings would be a treat of chocolate, one little toy or two and some tickets to fun places we could go as a family. We are thinking maybe that would involve airplane travel another year. This year, having not yet unpacked from our move and having so much yet to explore here, we could not bring ourselves to think about jumping on an airplane.

As a mother, it would simply crush me if the kids walked downstairs Christmas morning and had a look of disappointment on their faces. So I told the kids…I do not want Santa to bring a bunch of toys anymore. We have too much…we have given away a lot and still have too much. We can pick somewhere you want to go and ask Santa to bring us tickets. Then we will ask for only one toy each. The kids seemed ok with it.

When Christmas Eve came I was nervous. I had bought a couple simple, little toys for the grandparents to give them, as I had promised. They were little digging shovels, and the like. They were the only wrapped presents under the tree. Santa then brought tickets, a chocolate treat and a couple little toys in their stocking. They each got a scooter.

Before we went to bed I looked at the little “pile” and really wondered what they kids were going to think when they came downstairs in the morning. I wasn’t sure. This was going to be their first Christmas without extended family, without snow, without a home, without our pets. I wasn’t sure if we were doing the right thing by changing the Santa thing too.

I shouldn’t have worried at all. Their response after opening and playing with their new things…”Mom, Santa still brought a lot of stuff!” They happily played with their new things. They didn’t get the typical Christmas morning “burn out” from opening too many presents. And neither did we. I am so happy we gave it a try. It just felt healthier. And we were all happier.

December, 2011....Christmas, lists, vehicles, crocs and other wild animals

Before the official start of Christmas, I slipped back to my pre-Australia life. When we arrived in Darwin, I vowed to live life at a pace that my brain could handle. The months leading up to the international move were chaotic to say the least. It was time to slow down.

Just before Christmas the amount of tasks at hand finally got to me and once again I took pen to paper to do up a “To Do” list. I was trying so hard to avoid what ended up being the inevitable. One list was created and like a chocoholic after one little taste, I couldn’t help myself. Other lists followed, some with priority codes – asterisks, circles, numbers. There was banking – domestic wires, international wires; Christmas shopping; grocery shopping; finding a vehicle; buying a vehicle; finding and buying a second vehicle; figuring out how to get the pets from quarantine (in Sydney) to Darwin; looking at more houses, neighborhoods; emails to schools; finding out how to prepare for a cyclone; finding out where to get emergency supplies;…. You all know how it goes. My poor little brain couldn’t hold it all in there, especially in the right order of priority. So I digressed. And my brain hurt, even with all the lists and caffeine. We were not meant to live our lives at this pace.

After Christmas life calmed back down, thankfully. By the end of the year we had bought two vehicles – a Toyota Landcruiser Prado (SUV) for our family and a Honda Civic sedan for Paul to commute to work. Both have manual transmissions and get good gas mileage.  Surprisingly, the pattern for manual shifting is not different over here! You have to do it with your left hand, of course. And our Prado is a 6 speed so the reverse is actually to the left of first gear (which actually makes more sense – you usually go to first gear after you back up). Other than that, it’s the same. Driving a big diesel standard SUV around the city with three little kids by myself is a little more challenging. The almost constant shifting makes it difficult to help them or do interference. It will just keep getting easier, though, as the kids get older and as I (hopefully!) progress beyond struggling driver status.

We really enjoyed slowing down over the holidays. Paul took almost the whole week off and we took a couple days to just go see the sights with the kids. Santa brought us tickets to Crocodile Cove, Crocodile Park and Zoo and the Wave Lagoon. We haven’t yet been to the last one, but the other two were a hoot. Because we are locals now, we got to upgrade to annual passes at both places, which is just awesome. We can learn a little more about all the creatures each time we go. With this intense heat, it is definitely easier to make shorter, more frequent visits.

Crocodile Cove is downtown Darwin and has a mix of crocs and reptiles. We fed the smaller crocs (1 and 2 meters long) with a fishing pole. Boy can they get out of the water! They initially look cute, but when you see how hungry and strong they are, you quickly realize that they have already become predators and we are food. We were warned before we entered the area to keep whatever appendages we wanted to stay attached away from the fence. When Johanna took her fishing pole to feed the “little” guys, the string was not taught so the food wasn’t going low enough for the crocs to jump to it. I reached up to help fix the string on the pole, barely putting my hand beyond the fence and they went crazy jumping after me. Yikes! Those guides meant what they said!

As a side note, I had previously read that Australians are famous for understating things. For example, if something is 200+ miles away, it is quite in their character to say something to the effect… “Yeah, no worries. Just get on this highway and you’ll see it on your right, just down the road.” So…if an Australian emphasizes that I should NOT do something, I need to listen up like I have never listened before.

Back to the Croc Park…We then saw the bigger crocs (5 meters long) being fed by the experts. Now they are scary. You would have to pay me a lot to do that job. The feeder goes into the croc’s tank area and stands on the dry, concrete section with a long pole. He puts the food down by the croc’s mouth until he comes out of the water a little to get it. There is another person in there, presumably to help the poor bloke out should he/she get in trouble. I wouldn’t be convinced. Maybe if my kids were starving and that was the only job left on the planet, maybe I would consider it. I know, never say never, but I think it might be safe to in this case.

Croc Cove has a bunch of crocs of all ages. They even has the famous movie star croc there - the one that was in Crocodile Dundee. He’s big. They also have a dunk tank you can get in and get lowered down in the water, close to a couple of the big crocs. We haven't done that yet. The kids did get to hold a baby croc. He was probably 2 feet long and had his mouth secured so he couldn’t bite. He just lay in their arms. It was cool to feel his very soft skin.

Next it was on to the turtles, lizards, snakes and the like. It seemed that all the snakes were very poisonous and all lived around Darwin. I took pictures and took note. No tall grass for us, thank you.

Crocodile Park and Zoo was also impressive. It was great that they have a variety of wildlife, including kangaroos, wallabies, monkeys, lions, etc.  And of course lots of crocodiles. There is a museum there as well so lots of learning to do. They breed crocodiles and sell the meat there. Of course we had to take some home to try. We got a bbq assortment pack. More on that later…