Where to start...

I've posted this as being the 1st of September, when it is in fact the 24th, but it's taken me 3 weeks to get around to finishing it and I wanted to post another so i'm trying to keep them in oredr. Not that it matters, I suppose you'll all just be glad that I've got around to writing something.

Anyways...

Firstly sorry I know it's been a while. This has been for a few reasons, but in the main just because I have been busy, busy, busy. Although still not much to tell you because it's all pretty mundane at my end. At least for me it is.

Secondly, thanks to all three of my Fathers loves for your continuous updates even when you have no new news to read.

Well your about to get an influx, because it has been about 3 months since I did a real blog and a lot has happened all be it not amazingly interesting. So I'll try and start where I left off, but chances are it's going to get messy and confusing. It just wouldn't be my life if it didn't now would it.

I'm still in Brisbane, fly out of here back to Cairns on October 7th. I'm still working as a Nanny. Everyday I spend with these children just brings home how hard it is going to be leaving them, how much I miss my family and how much I'm desperate to really enjoy them once I'm home.

I'm no longer living with Lauren, I moved out of our flat and in with my "urban family" about 4 weeks ago. It just wasn't working out with us both in each others pockets. My homesickness coupled with a few things I have come to realise since being here meant that it was time to cut loose and just get out of the headspace I was in. It's hard living where you work, mainly because i'm still in someone elses home, but Nic and Jon have made me feel so like a part of the family that I don't really notice. Of course that means there's no differentiation between work and play, but of course there never is with children. Nicoles knee is better. She can drive and wander around ok now. She still has hydrotherapy and physio and things, but in the main she's good. Will be a long tiome for a full recovery though I think.

So the last thing I told you about...

I went to Sydney for a weekend. Whale Beach. Beautiful. Not a lot to tell as I was working and din't really get to see a lot. Flew in over the city and was breathless at the view. Stunning when the sun is reflecting off the harbour and the boats look like toys. However when we got there we drove straight to Nicoles sister Simones house, who'd just had a beautiful little girl "Indy Willa" where we spent the weekend between a B & B and this lovely little cottage type house overlooking a magnificent view of Whale Beach. I was working so I spent the weekend with very little sleep, feeling a bit out of sorts because as much as Nic and Jon make me a part of the family was a little weird because no-one else seemed to know what to do with me. I did however meet Almy, Nicoles Grandmother. Amazing woman. She came to Australia as a refugee in the Second World War and has some of the most phenomenal stories to tell. As you should all know war and how people coped just fascinates me and this woman had me welling up with tears at her troubles. I'd also just recieved an email from Nanny Pam that said how English schools would no longer teach about the Holocaust because of a bunch of twats who don't think it ever happened and so being ridiculous and so typically British we're trying not to piss anyone off. Got pretty het up about it as you can imagine. I am still disgusted that my children will never be taught at school about one of the most attrocious acts of human fear and hatred and...oh I just can't believe it. Anyway...on our last day drove back into the city and saw the bridge and the opera house. View was better up above. Sydney Harbour Bridge is...well it's a bridge and the Opera house...dated and needs a bloody good wash. Sorry, but that's the truth. There was no godsmacking beauty about any of it when my feet were firmly grounded.

Next up...Nic had her knee operation, was in agony but she's a bit of a soldier and so was walking around without crutches after about 3 weeks and at 5 weeks the doctor said ok, no splint, no crutches, crack on.

Next up after this would probably have been the Ekka. Basically the Brisbane equivalent of the Middlesex Show, but larger. I took Tillie and Oskar for the day. Had a Dagwood Dog, which is basically Toad In The Hole on a stick, but it's amazing! Had our faces painted (facebook) was snapped for a newspaper, went on plenty of little childrens rides and saw a fair few animals and a dressage show. The children were dying by the end of it, especially as we spent an eternity walking around the Showbag Pavillion trying to decide on a bag for each of them and their little brother Olly who stayed home with Mummy because trying to take all three of them would have been a feat beyond even supernanny, who I am not! "Showbag Pavillion?" I hear you ask. My Mummys nightmare. A huge warehouse filled with bags and bags of tut for sale cheaper than you'd pay for the entire contenets normally. So, so, so many bags. The Fairies, High 5, The Wiggles, Batman, Superman, Bob The Builder, Cadburys, Nestle, you name it they had a bag for it and of course the choice is far to great for a child and so we spent about an hour wandering desperately trying to pick something. I could have died. I bought a hoody that had a smoking Rabbit on it. Allow the tut...almost. After taking the children for a day I realised that Lauren and I would have to go back so that I could do the grown up rides that I din't even sniff with the children. We bought Ninja showbags and had our faces painted. Video on facebook of us in "The Slingshot"...amazing. Lauren looks like she's facially constipated. Basically it was a giant funfair and of course I couldn't get enough of it. Lauren went on next to nothing because she's a giant wuss. I ended up bored of being the only one into it and we went home to bed as tired as the children had been.

Next...

About 3 weeks ago the Weinerts (that's Jon and Nic's surname, everytime I say the family I feel like i'm married to the mob or something) took me to the Noosa hinterlands. Ninderry it's called. The hinterlands are the mountain ranges set back from the coast of Oz. Hinterlands are the middle part and the tablelands are the tops of the mountains. Anyways went up there for a weekend. Jons friend Jack was turning 50 and they all went dirtbiking (Jonny is huge into motorbikes, dirtbiking in particular.) Jonny organised a huge ride on the Friday and then there was a massive party at the most amazing house afterwards. The Cubby House (facebook) Went on until the wee hours and I was feeling pretty rancid the next day. But no rest for the wicked and certainately not with the three sprockets whom I take care of. Saturday we went to the beach and just hung out around the place, having a much quieter evening before heading off early doors Sunday morning. Nicole and Jonny went off to see some garden show thing, so Itook the sproglets with moi. They were so puffed out they immediately fell asleep for the hour long journey back.

So I believe next in line for a storytelling would be the weekend just gone, which of course was Laurens 21st. She was pretty down and gutted that she'd be spending this birthday here with no-one, but me and that she couldn't have a big party because we don;'t really have anyone to invite and so it was up to me to do something. So I did. Planned it all in advance and everything. Hired a car (KIA, RIO we named him Ryu after the Street Fighter dude) spunky little thing that I did not want to have to give back.. He was just like a go-kart! Anyways so I collect Lauren Wednesday night after my dance classes and take her back to my house. We end up on a late night cruise to MacDonalds for munch. Australian MacDonalds at 1am. Interesting experience. I'm pretty sure the Australians got more than their fair share of freaks and weirdos, but that's only to be expected from a land full of convicts and pot heads. Anyways we went home and crawled into bed, me knowing full well that we had two full days ahead of us. Happy birthday singing total at this point - 1.

Thursday 28th August - Laurens 21st

The children come and hop into bed with me and in the loudest whisper ever Tillie sits on my head as she does most mornings, pokes me and say "aren't you going to get up and make Lauren her breakfast". There goes that surprise. I rolled over and told Lauren that I had planned on bringing her breakfast in bed, but what with the lack of sleep and recent stomach filling of McBurger I was going to wait until we were both awake and kicking-ish. We get up and make our way up to the lounge where the children dump a pile of presents on her lap. She was spoilt rotten by the Weinerts. Board shorts, t-shirt, little water boucning ball, hooded towel and some other bits that I can't remember. I got her a star to mirror what she bought me for my 21st. Eventually we'll get round to choosing them and then we'll have 2 stars in the sky together to commemorate 5 years of friendship and of course this trip. After that me and Nic begin brekkie. Jonny has decided that today he will returf the back garden. So Lauren gets a ride on Grants lap up and down the garden in a bobcat. The video is brilliant. If my stupid phone wasn't buggered it'd be on facebook already. Then we had eggy bread, sausages, bacon, bucks fizz and I almost poisoned Lauren with a raw fried egg. I don't eat fried eggs and I never make them so how am I supposed to know about this splashing oil stuff. Give me a recipe book and I can make a gourmet meal, but I can't fry an egg. Typical me. After brekkie we got dressed and loaded up the car dressed like a couple of fairies. Good look. Lauren has no idea what is going on and has to pack for a few nights away so in my quest to sort her our I end up just throwing a few bits in, something I'll later regret not taking more time over.



We drive along merrily and listen to the cd's that Laurens Mum made her. I sing at the top of my lungs and behave like a nob to try and cheer up missy as she is obviously a bit homesick at this point. She has a bit of a cry and then we just chat crap for a bit. We finally arrive at...



DREAMWORLD.



This is a theme park located about an hour from Brisbane. We trundle inside and begin rides. I'm not going into much detail because basically it was a bit cak and also my memory is rather lacking after eating a special cookie that we aquired for Laurens birthday. I do remember that this resukted in a 6 scoop ice cream sundae though and also some rather funny facial expressions from Lauren on some of the thrilling rides looking as though she's on the teacups on their way to lalaland or some such other totally unadventurous place. So once we've had our fill of Dreamworld (and some rather yummy fudge) we hop back into Ryu and bust a groove North for almost 3 hours. Lauren is still unawares as to where we're going.



Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast for your information. I've booked us into a lovely 2 bedroom apartment right near the beacj for 2 nights. We arrive and we feel as though we're on holiday. It was a good feeling that i'm looking forward to recapturing. We book in, get changed and bust a groove to The Surf Club where our friend Lyndsey (Northern Irish girl we met in Cairns) is working. When she gets off we sit outside having a few ciggies and a drink and end up meeting a mental Aussie called Lizzie and a girl Sarah who also works there. We go back to our apartment where Lizzie ends up turning into a nightmare and insisting upon wrestling me because ":that's what we do in Queensland, we wrestle." I took her down...3 times. She even bodyslammed me onto the arm of a chair and I stioll got up and kicked her arse which she bitched about and pissed me off basically so that in the end I just had to ask her to leave and Sarah obligingly took her. However before Lizzie became a nightmare we presented Lauren with a cake and 21 candles and sang Happy Birthday at least 3 times. I was shouting to passers by in the street three levels down to sing also. I'd had a fair amount of Amaretto to be fair.



Friday we wake up and we feel a bit cak. I get up early and head off to the Patisserie to collect laurens secong cake (still no idea) and then drop in down at The Wharf, where we will later be meeting up with Steve Irwins Whale Watching boat for the third part of Laurens birthday surprise. I go back to the apartment collect Lauren and return with her none the wiser to whats going on until she sees the actual boat. We hop on get tea find a seat and away we go to the open sea.



We spent about 4 hours watching tops of fins bobbing up and down, but nothing spectacular and then suddenly we found this pne whale that breached (jumps up out of the water and turns 180 degrees onto their back) over and over again. Then we kept coming across more and more pods flipping and slapping their fins and all sorts of acrobatics. A few came really close up around the edge of the boat (which they call mugging) and the water is so crystal claer and you can see these beautiful huge creatures moving gracefully right past you. We had an awesome spot at the helm and...it was amazing. Lauren took videos, I'll post the link when she puts them up. After about an hour of this the Captain says ok we're heading back in now. As if they knew these 2 whales leapt right up out of the water and flipped opposite ways. Was an amazing finish. Captain turns the boat around heads back in and then announces over the PA that there's a birthday on board. Out comes the cake from one of the Crew and the whole boat sings Happy Birthday to Lauren. In the middle of the Ocean after seeing all this awesomeness and this cake was AMAZING! Chocolate Mud Cake (a real Aussie cake) with massive belgian chocolate decor on the top. No candles because I figured the wind would blow them out, but it was spectacular. Tasted good too, although in the main everyone else on the boat ate it.



Get back in to port and go driving up through the hinterlands of Noosa. I realise that we'r e right near "The Giant Cubby House" and stop in to show Lauren and say hi to Jack and Noeline who own it. We then head back to the apartemnt order Thai, I have a massively bubbly spa bath (first bath i've been able to have since leaving England!) and my friend Beck whom I met dancing in Brisbane came over for a catch up. After she left I ended up pretty drunk and collapsed into bed at some point.



Had a late checkout the next day so got up late, monged out on the balcony and then packed up and went home. Pretty depressing that was as it was back to the grind feeling. Went to my house to pick up my outfit for the birthday shennanigans and Nic suggested we take the car down to Byron and keep the holiday feeling alive. The original plan had just been to go out clubbing in Brisbane, but me and Lauren liked teh idea of a secind road trip so went to her house grabbed Ben, Shaun and Donal, (Laurens flatmates) got into our fancy dress outfits (facebook pictures) and hopped in the car. We checked into a hostel that told us we looked like trouble and we better not trash the place or vomit everywhere and then went out drinking. We got stopped and thoroughly checked over to get in a few places, but in the main wee were ok and just got drunk and had a laugh. At some point we lost the boys, but we ended up at pretty much the only club in Byron Bay with a nice guy from Essex called Martin. He left after a while and me and Laurnen were ready to call it quits so went back to the hostel and crashed. Had a fair amount of giggling in the process thanks to the boys snoring and Donal dreaming of Shaun.

Anyhow we woke up the next morning rolled down to the beach were the Aussies thought we were all mad swimming in the ocean, before loading back in to the car and heading homeward. Stopped on the way and got BBQ and more alcohol and had a BBQ at Laurens before crashing into bed and sleeping like the dead.

All in all a good weekend.