Fair Brisbane

We recently spent a great weekend in Brisbane, capital of Queensland, and the third largest city in Australia. With a population of about 2 million, it's a big city with a laid back vibe.  It was good to see another part of this gorgeous country, and to realize that not everyone is walking around in bikinis at all times.  I even saw feet encased in high heels - - I had sort of forgotten those existed.

Brisbane has the airy feel of a city on a river, with lots of city park land and gardens.  It also boasts pedestrian shopping areas, markets and lots of outdoor restaurants and cafes.  There are great museums and galleries on offer, but travel with the littlies gears us more towards activities that allow them to run (or crawl, as the case may be) and get their boundless energy out.



Swimming in the hotel's cute little rooftop pool




Hotel room fun. Does anybody actually use shower caps for their intended purpose?

We spent most of Saturday at South Bank, a gorgeous riverside development.  (Hey Toronto, take note: classy waterfront development brings citizens together and embues them with a sense of pride in their city! Hey Doug Ford: they even have a ferris wheel! Maybe you were onto something...).  We spent hours splashing in the fountains, and swimming at the man made beach. The area was full of families, exotic birds and massive lizards.  Great times were had by all.

The man made beach. You can see the river beyond, and the city centre on the other side.

Our little off duty lifesaver

Lilypad pond at South Bank river park

Big J not looking very happy (though he was!).  But check out those aerial roots!

Kangaroos and Koalas and Emus, Oh My!

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the first and oldest koala santuary in Australia.  About 30 minutes outside of Brisbane, it's a small and low key area where koalas, wallabees (a species of small kangaroo) and kangaroos are protected.  The koalas are free to hang out in their enclosures, and the kangaroos, wallabees and emus can roam and hop within the grassy hills.  You can even buy food for the kangaroos and feed them by hand.

M. and Big J feeding a cute little wallabee

This guy was absolutely MASSIVE.  Easily over 6 feet tall if he were standing tall. Check out how muscular his shoulders and upper arms are.  I would NOT want to mess with him.

Coming to a koala sanctuary also involves taking that quintessential of all Australia trip photos: you, cuddling a koala. 

 M. just asked me if I regretted not holding the koala.  I explained that under no circumstances do I ever want to touch a wild animal.  And then he shared with me the fact that although Mr. Koala smelled lovely - -like minty eucalytus, of course--he was also pooing on the trainer at that exact moment.  So, thank you very much, I'll take cuddling my own little human baby (as opposed to my other child, an alien baby) any day.

Obviously, for a three year old, this is all pretty mind blowing.  But I'll admit that my head exploded a bit, when we witnessed the following:



The sanctuary is also home to Emus, as well as caged birds, crocodiles, cassowaries (another gigantic bird that looks like a cross between a peacock and an ostrich) and dingos.  And the massive lizzards that we see everywhere were just walking around as per usual.

Seconds after taking this, the lizard moved, which of course scared the bejesus out of Big J and caused him to scream his little head off.  Case in point. Touching wild animals is generally unwise.

This guy was enormous.  And there is really something otherwordly about emus.

This day was a big highlight for us.  And Big J really was in heaven.  It's a place we definitely plan to return to before leaving this glorious country.

Wanna Start a Hippy Commune With Us?

That's it, it's settled. You'll sell your house and all your worldly possessions, buy up property here, and we'll all settle down together. Jobs, shmobs.  When we're not swapping partners and nursing each other's babies, we'll make hemp necklaces and sell them on the beach.  I can even mix up some psychedelic Kool Aid if that will sell you on it.

If you're more of the reserved type, we'll make it work. It's OK with me if you want to wear your hair in a creepy high poof in the front, and a long, frumpy braid in the back.  M. has Bountiful, Big Love for all of you, so we can accomodate.  Have I convinced you yet?

Today marks 2 months since our arrival in this paradise.  I've spoken at length about the beaches and wildlife. For more on that, see "Wild World", "It's Not Easy Being Grey", "Surf's Up", and stay tuned for an upcoming post featuring kangaroos and koalas. But the Noosa area has much more than the natural world to offer, and the following list includes more elements which we feel make it an incredibly liveable place.  

1) Family friendliness

I am continually amazed at how geared the area is to families.  But not in a cheesy Disney character/McDonald's Happy Meal/Bouncy Castle kind of  way.  Sure, those things exist here.  But the Aussies also seem to get the fact that you can be a parent and (gasp!) not want to spend every minute of your life in parks, zoos, or "family" restaurants.  They get that family time can also be: you sitting down and having some sushi or an Americano, with your kids.    

Lunch at a swish resto on Hastings St. with my new friend Mette, Little J and Littler J (not pictured), who was fast asleep in his stroller.

Here, pretty much all restaurants, even really fancy ones, have a kid's menu, as well as high chairs.  And many restaurants even have a basket of toys, if not a little kiddie area with a table and activities. So you can relax over that Americano, and your kid can sit happily with a colouring book. As a result, you see families in restaurants, everywhere, all the time. We really love eating out, and I appreciate not feeling forced to go only to certain types of places.  I have yet to feel unwelcome when we arrive with kids in tow.  



Little J took Dada out for lunch at the Surf Club after his first surfing lesson.

Most parks here have public barbecues, and on weekends, they're enjoyed by families who are picnicking and grilling up goodness. Surprise of all surprises: lots of Aussie homes don't have their own BBQs as a result. People just prefer to use the barbie communally.

At the park on the Noosa River, enjoying a BBQ dinner for Mette's birthday. 

2. Great public facilities and services

We've been using several of these, and they offer extremely high quality programming. The Noosa Leisure Centre has fitness classes, gymnastics for Big J, and music class for Little J. It has a lovely crèche (babysitting/daycare room), so it's possible for me to do the classes individually with each kid, while the other plays happily with the sweet women in the creche. 

The Noosa Aquatic Centre is an open air swimming facility where both kids go for excellent swimming lessons. They're doing Swim Australia, which is a national swim program that most kids here go through. Big J went from being afraid to dunk his head to "diving" down to the bottom of the pool in the space of about 4 lessons.

The library system is great too. We were able to get visitor's library cards, and when I asked what the late fines were, I was told that they don't have fines. You still check out books as you would anywhere else (for a 3 week period), and you can renew online, etc.  But if you're late or forget to renew, that's ok. They're not interested in charging you, they just want the books back when you're finished with them.

3) Accessibility for people with disabilities

The Australians are way ahead of us in this regard. I'm particularly attuned to accessibility issues because I'm so often pushing a stroller. At home, there are so many places I just can't go, including most stops on the TTC.  It's just shameful.  And at least I have the option to drive or walk to where I need to go, unlike people who need to get around via wheelchair. Here, I have yet to have even the slightest difficulty.  Everything seems to be accessible.

This  photo was taken from the Liberty Swing website.

.
I was blown away when I saw a swing for people in wheelchairs in one of the parks here. It's a massive device, and is Australian designed. When I saw it in action, two grown men were pushing another grown man (in his wheelchair, of course), and he was sailing through the air gleefully. That something so freeing as swinging should be available to anyone, not just typically-abled people seems obvious after seeing that. I've just never seen anything like it, anywhere else. 
http://www.devinelibertyswing.com/


Have you started packing your bags?

Surf's Up

One of the coolest things about living is this area is coming to understand a bit about surfing and surf culture.

M. is learning to surf, so he is teaching me some of the theory, which involves an understanding of how to approach, catch and ride a wave. Most of the time, I have no idea what he's talking about, because surfing is clearly more about muscle memory than anything else. But I like that he uses words like rip, break and beach dump.  To which I can only respond: "Duuuuuuuuude".
    

My Surfer Dude



Surf Wives

 Surf culture is just a whole thing. It seems like everybody surfs in this town; it's just part of life. People "grab a surf" before, after, or in the middle of work. You see teenagers, men and women in their 50s and 60s, and everyone in between doing it. My favourite thing to observe is what I'll call "Surfer Flow". It's the regular sight of a surfer walking down the street, surfboard in hand, barefoot and soaking wet.  No wallet, shoes or towel come between the surfer and his or her pilgrimmage to the ocean. He or she has simply grabbed the board, walked out the door, and jumped into the ocean.  And this is a very common sight in these parts. Hating both being wet and being cold (and worst of all, being wet AND cold), I could never do it.  But more power to them.

 The surf lifeguards who patrol most beaches and are pretty cool too. They're all volunteers. Apparently swimming at public beaches was a big no no during the austere 1920s.  Obviously, lots of people did it anyway, except that it meant lots of them also drowned.  Hence, the establishment of Surf Lifesaving.    When the lifesavers are not saving lives, they're engaging in competitions between clubs.  And just generally looking good.



A Surf Lifesaver at Noosa Main Beach


Every major beach here has its own Surf Lifesaving Club.  And Surf Clubs are just a whole thing too.  They're great hang outs, and generally have the best view in town.  Check out Scary Waxen Lifesaver Dude and Creepy Ceiling Mounted Lifesaver Dude, fixtures at the Noosa SLSC.  Even though they greet you upon your arrival, brunch at the Surf Club (and overlooking the ocean) is pretty much the Best. Sunday. Morning. Ever.


 

Scary Waxen Lifesaver Dude

 

Creepy Ceiling Mounted Lifesaver Dude



The beautiful view from the Noosa Heads Surf Lifesaving Club

Little J having fun at brunch

Big J likes to surf too...

Surf's Up!

Travel with Bubs

Aussies like to call babies "Bubs", a term I find very cute.

I thought it could be useful to share what I've learned about travel with babies and toddlers for those of you considering it, or who are looking for new travel tips. If you don't have kids or plan to travel with kids (or don't love me so much you'll read anything I write), this post will likely interest you about as much as paint drying.

We've taken a 6 week old to Portugal, a 3 month old to California, a 22 month old to Israel, and both an 8 month old and 3 year old to Australia.  On our first trip with a child (to San Francisco), I essentially brought our entire house with us. When you first travel with a baby, it feels like you need to bring everything, just in case. 

I'd like to think we've streamlined the process of travelling with kids a bit since then, but it still does mean bringing lots of stuff. Hopefully, the right gear will make your travels easier and more enjoyable.   And it's all about being prepared for multiple different types of situations.

Here's the gear I think is important for babies and toddlers,  birth-age 2


1) A great stroller, with a good sized under storage bag and a rain cover.
A good sun canopy is gold too.  I've never met a baby who likes sunlight in his or her eyes.  It's also essential that it recline back so that the baby can sleep on the go. Far from necessary, we like cup holders too-- so that we can drink our coffees while we're on the move. Because we HAVE to have our coffees. Never mind that they cost $5 a pop here in Oz. We're just going to pretend its not true, and move on.

2) A comfortable baby carrier, which can be easily stowed in your stroller's under bag. You never know when your baby might need to be cuddled. If you're in the middle of an airport, or in a restaurant or mall and the baby is freaking out in the stroller, these are a HUGE relief. When I travel anywhere, even within the city at home, I usually take a carrier with me, just in case. I love the Ergo Baby for its great support and design.

In our stroller storage basket or in a diaper bag, I tend to carry:

3)A nursing cover or scarf if you're nursing. These tend to double as burb/puke cloths after a feed, stroller blankets or sun shades in a pinch
4) A change of clothes for the bub, in case he/she has an accident, or rolls around in a mud puddle spontaneously
5) Baby wipes and diapers
6) A bib
7) Pacifiers. Soooooooo necessary.  Clips that keep them attached to the baby are a great convenience as well. 
8) Snacks.  Always snacks.
9) Bottles.  Always bottles.
10) Far from essential, but a pack 'n play (portable crib) is a great thing to have. Unless you know you're guaranteed a crib at your destination, it's great to have a safe place for the babe to sleep. If you're doing extended travel, you can bring it with you to use as the baby's crib while away, and then ditch it before coming home (this is our plan). On the down side, they are heavy and a bulky to transport.
11)Also not essential, but if you're nursing, a breast pump is great to have.  It means easily expressing milk if you need to.  And, you can potentially leave the babe with a family member or babysitter, and go exploring on your own for a bit. I love the Medela Swing, because it's tiny and light.  So easy to pack. 

For toddlers aged 2-4, I recommend:

1) A change of clothes, especially extra underwear and pants or shorts
2) A pad of paper and crayons
3) A couple quiet toys, that can be used independently, and in multiple environments, but that won't be too disruptive to others. Puzzles (stored in large ziplock bags), stickers and sticker books, small cars, books with flaps)
4) I hate to say it, but: an iPad or iPhone if you have one. I never thought I'd be "that parent". But here's a truth: kids hate waiting in long lines. And: kids get sick of bus/taxi/plane rides after about 30 minutes, one hour if you're lucky. Here's another truth: so do adults, and we use plenty of tools to keep ourselves busy to avoid boredom during travel. Why wouldn't we offer small kids the same distractions? There are so many amazing educational games, and if they're into a particular show, you can download a bunch of episodes (commercial free! ) from iTunes.

Traveling with two small children:

1)A great double stroller with raincover
2) Snacks. Always snacks
3) Toys they can both use
4) Bibs
5) Diapers for each child, and wipes

Traveling in a hot climate:

1)Muslin blankets to: use as a thin sheet at night, provide shade over the stroller, give the baby something to cuddle with, even when it's hot
2) Sun hats, sunscreen, water bottles
3) UV sun cover for the stroller. Not essential, but good to have. It means that your stroller holding your sleeping kids can remain in full, direct sun, while shading and protecting them from the sun.
4) A small toiletry bag that is left permanently in the stroller with: diapers and wipes, sunscreen, shampoo, soap. Super useful for showering off at the beach, and killing two birds with one stone by avoiding a bath later on
5)"Rashies": long sleeved bathing suit tops that 95% of kids and probably 75% of adults here in Oz wear. There's a hole over the ozone here, and the sun is 10 times stronger. But even in less extreme weather, they're useful for kids and mean more time in the sun, and less worries about sunscreen

We love to travel, and don't want to feel forced into doing only "family friendly" travel.  We think it's possible to  adapt travel to make it appropriate for kids, and it can be a great experience for everyone. 

Anyone have anything to add?

Wild World

A friend recently told me that for her, Australia conjures a sense of pure wildness; a frontier where true danger exists.  This is probably what most people envision.  The fact that my friends and I are children of the 80s means that much of what we know of Australia we learned from Crocodile Dundee - -at least, speaking for myself. :) But in recent years, the other three members of my nuclear family have spent extensive time here in Oz. So I hear much about the cosmpolitanism, culture, and class this country has to offer.  I guess I somehow felt that I wouldn't really encounter that wildness and that danger unless I directly sought it out.

I am learning that these things are not so removed from day to day reality, but rather, co-exist in a stark juxtaposition. The sophistication and modernity are ultimately at the mercy of this fearsome land, powerful waters, and its deadly inhabitants. If the natural world had a spokesperson, he or she would say "Sure, you can have your fine restaurants, your upscale shops, and your museums.  But ultimately, I'm the boss.  And at any moment, without warning, I can ravage you."

OK, I'm getting a little dark here, and that was not my intention with this post.  Rather, it is to honour that land and water and wildlife.  I'm inspired by what I observed yesterday. I had the afternoon to myself, so travelled to a neighbouring town and beach, Peregian Beach.  The town itself is a classy little beach hamlet, with high end boutiques and a French cafe selling a perfect croissant (some of you may know, these are my weakness).  But the beach?  A wild, ominous, albeit GORGEOUS place. It was almost deserted when I was there, and the few surfers were struggling to get on their boards.

There's no way this captures the pounding surf, and the utter wildness of this place .  As I was sitting there, taking it all in, I thought to myself: "Yeah, I could see how a shark could be swimming around an area like this".  Not that I'm actively worried about sharks, but you know what I mean. It's just such a foreign (yet present) reality.

My paradise.  Beach, warm wind, blue sky, pounding surf, croissant, iced coffee.  No sharks allowed.



















Before leaving for this trip, my mother, who's been to Australia about 7 times, regaled me with a story about how one of her colleagues here lost her dog to a crocodile.  The dog was running on the beach (near a river, I think), and a croc just ran up and snatched it.  Her advice was, "You just need to ask the locals, wherever you are." Hmm.  I think I'll heed that advice.   So when I saw this sign on the way down to the beach warning me to watch out for snakes, I picked up the pace just a little (hence the blurriness of this pic.  It was taken at a slight distance).  If I saw this sign at home, would I be concerned?  What would that mean, a rattlesnake at worst?  But in Australia?  I don't want to know.  I'm just going to take their word for it, and steer clear.

Here's the daily wave conditions.

And here's the Peregian Beach lifeguard stand.

I love it all.  I love that there are koalas in my 'hood.  That we see bright green, yellow and red lorakeets (like small parrots) flying around.  That we have a resident possum, who eats the leftovers our kids spill on the deck each night.  That I saw a pure white, BIG parrot perched on a tree on Noosa Main Beach last week.  I don't have a lot of love for snakes, crocs and sharks (and all manner of crazy spiders that inhabit this land).  But I love that we're in a place where we can feel so connected to the land, and yet not feel that we're in control of it. 

And I wish you were all here to experience it with me...

It’s Not Easy Being Grey

It’s a real trip for me that this sign is on our street, five doors down from our house.  We chose this town for its surfing beach, but I was thrilled when I learned that the area is fringed by a gorgeous national park  - - and is actually known for its koala population.  I have yet to see another sign like this on a quiet residential street such as ours. I'm just amazed that a koala could be hanging around in a tree here, and it means that I can’t help myself from always looking up, in the hopes of seeing one.  Then I started to do some research, and learned that Noosa’s koalas have been absolutely decimated over the last few decades. 

This sign is commonly seen on local roadways

Information seems to be really inconsistent.  By some counts, there are only 11 koalas left in Noosa National Park. Other sources predicted that by 2010 the population would be extinct. It seems impossible to believe, especially since M. met a guy the other day who saw one in the woods near here.

Whatever the exact details may be, it is clear that the population is in deep trouble.  The major issues?  Deforestation due to development, dog attacks, road accidents, and chlamydia.  Say what?  Koalas already live a bizarre life, spending 18-20 hours of their day sleeping, and most of their few waking hours getting high on eucalyptus leaves.  They can then find time to be naughty?   

From what I have read, disease is part of the koala’s natural history.  It is uncertain how the chlamydia bacterium originally infected the koala.  Some theories hold that it may have been transmitted by infected mammals that were introduced to the area over the last
40 000 years, while some suggest that the species may have come in contact with it during its evolutionary period.   Chlamydia is transmitted at birth, during mating, and potentially during fights. In koalas, it manifests as conjunctivitis (an eye infection that can lead to blindness), pneumonia and other respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and infections of the reproductive systems which can then lead to infertility.  Beyond chlamydia, koalas are threatened by Koala retrovirus, which causes Koala Immune Deficiency Syndrome (KIDS), an immunodeficiency just like AIDS.  Oh, and they can get lymphoma, leukemia and skin cancer.  Could this possibly be a sadder story?

When koala populations are under stress and fighting for resources disease becomes more prevalent.  As the population weakens, breeding becomes more and more difficult.    In some areas, the infertility rate is reported to be 50% or higher.   And this is how a species becomes extinct.  

It seems like koala conservation is a hotly debated topic here in Oz, since in some areas (where populations have been relocated to new areas), overpopulation is an issue.  There is strong advocacy for them, and the government has invested money into researching retrovirus, retrofitting roads that are known to be dangerous, and in protecting swaths of habitat.  But the developers and new roads and ultimately; let's call a spade a spade-- people -- continue to be the biggest problem. 

Even though these little dudes have claws like knives, and are apparently quite vicious at times,  there’s just something about them.  Save the koalas!!

If you’re interested in reading more about Noosa’s koala issues, read on:

http://www.noosanews.com.au/story/2011/11/11/alarm-at-koala-carnage-noosa-car-road/

http://noosa-journal.whereilive.com.au/news/story/the-tragedy-of-noosas-lost-koalas/

http://www.news.com.au/where-the-bloody-hell-are-noosas-koalas/story-e6freoof-1225954631950

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!

Did I mention that it has been pouring TORRENTIALLY for the past week?  Intense, tropical downpours soak the land multiple times daily.  Yesterday alone saw 22 centimetres fall.  There has been flooding in Brisbane, and in areas of the Sunshine Coast. 

Luckily, our house is up a hill.  Our driveway is essentially at an 80 degree angle, so we don't need to worry much about flooding.  That being said, the entire house feels and smells like a wet blanket. 

Tomorrow is Australia Day, and our plan is to throw some dogs on the barbie.  Hmm, that just didn't sound right.  Think we better make a last minute trip to the grocery store to get some shrimp. 

Let's hope the celebrations don't get rained out!!  

"No Stress"

This is my favourite of the Aussie expressions I've come across thus far.  Like the ubiquitous "no worries", it serves as a regular reminder to chill, baby, chill. 

In a place where it seems like half the population is walking around barefoot, I'm trying to take it to heart.  And it's all coming together. Even though we've done tons of organizing and general life setting up this past week or so (all while shlepping the kids around), life has taken on a relaxed air.

We moved in on Saturday morning. In the past 5 days, we have:

-been to the beach (of prime importance)
-purchased bus passes
-signed Big J up for gymnastics classes
-set up meetings with the day cares in the area
-found a babysitter, spoke to her reference, met her mother (the mom's good idea), set up date night for this week
-stocked the fridge and cupboards
-purchased a few things the house needed (towels, bath mat, high chair). Believe it or not, the little plaza here has a Target!!! I couldn't believe my eyes. It's not as good as the American ones, but is definitely the same company. Yay, Tar-jay!!
-found the medical clinic, taken Little J in (she has a chest infection, but is on the mend), gotten her prescriptions filled

Next up: enrolling Big J in swimming classes, signing up for our own yoga classes, and finding some play groups to bring Little J to.

We are so well located, that we have accomplished much of this within a few blocks of here. Yay small town living!!!

O.K, Kids, It's a House Tour!

Noosa, baby.  It's the bomb. 

If you're too lazy to google it yourself, here is is http://www.visitnoosa.com.au/index.cfm/category/show/experiences/

We found an AMAZING house to rent.  Pretty much by chance.  It's tough to find furnished units to begin with, and one that is available for short term lease is even harder. To find a furnished unit for short term lease in a beach town in the height of summer?  There were exactly two units to choose from.  One was in a tired resort and felt really sterile.  The other one is the one we wound up with, and it's a beautiful, bona fide home. It had only been listed days earlier.

We met the owner by accident.  I had knocked on the door thinking the showing agent would be waiting inside, but the owner answered instead.  Of course, I seized the the opportunity to charm the pants off her (having Little J cozy in the Ergo and looking cute as all get up didn't hurt the cause).  Then, when we went back and forth via the agent, she had faces to put to the names, and ended up being flexible and renting to us for a shorter term than she had originally required.  A lovely person, really.  When we moved in, we found a sweet card wishing us a great stay in her house (she's moved to Sydney to live with friends), a set of candles, and a huge blank canvas on which to "paint our memories of our time in Noosa".   

We both feel that the house far surpasses what we thought we would find.  Scroll down for a tour.

I apologize in advance for my brutal camera skills.  Seth, if you're watching, forgive me. And, my iPhone cut me off before I could show the best part:  our wicked balcony.  So here's a still pic of the place where  we've been spending lots of our time. Now, if only the torrential downpours would stop....

 

Australian Trees Got it Going AWWWNNNN

There really isn't much to say here.  But I'm dead serious.  These exist, in plain view, and they're allowed. 

Elegance in the Sky

I've flown several different international airlines over the past 15 years or so. In my experience and humble opinion, most of the North American and European airlines are mediocre, at best. Some, like Continental, are actually terrible. Though Ukrainian Airlines gives it a good run for its money. And Alitalia....oy. Exceptionally rude service, ancient planes--and no individual TVs! Aerosvit, Aeroflot...are as good as their names. M. flies to the Netherlands regularly on KLM, and says they're alright, nothing to write home about.  I've only had two good experiences: Air France (in keeping with my theory that the French have a right to be snooty because in actual fact, they generally do everything better), and British Airways.

But the Asian airlines are in a completely different class. Japan Airways was my first experience, and I felt like I got an idea of what first class service was like--only I flew economy. The hard shelled travel kits, the water/juice stations, the personal TVs (keep in mind that this was 11 years ago, when in flight entertainment meant 2 or 3 movies played at specific times).  I've flown Malaysian Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, and they all offer exceptional, kind service, delicious food,  new or beautifully maintained planes, gorgeous uniforms, and wonder of all wonders: on time flights. 

So I should have expected nothing less when we booked with Korean Airlines. But knowing that they have historically had a poor flying record made me manage my expectations.

The phone call I received about 2 weeks prior to our departure date tipped me off as to what we had in store for us. It was a Korean Airlines representative, calling to say that they were aware that we would be travelling with two small children. Was the baby still nursing, or should they pre-order her formula and puréed baby food? And as for our toddler: would he like spaghetti, pizza, or hot dogs?

Come again? Have you ever been contacted by an airline for any reason? Other than to confirm that yes, indeed, your bag was accidentally sent to Santiago, not San Diego, and that it *might* arrive in 7 days. And that yes, you'll need to pay out of pocket to buy a new bridesmaids dress for your cousin's wedding. And that depending on how they evaluate your situation, they *might*  be able to reimburse you up to $75.

8 hours into this 14 hour direct flight from Toronto to Seoul, and I am nothing short of amazed.

Our baby bassinette was brought to us promptly, along with a kiddie activity bag which included stickers, a colouring book, pencil crayons and a toy. Our in-flight kits include the standard toothbrush and toothpaste, but also slippers. Which are surprisingly useful on a long haul flight.

 

Little J was pretty into her bassinette (at least, at first...), which just clipped onto the bulkhead seat. 

When our meals arrived, Big J's came in this cute as a button little container.

We both chose the Bibimbap, a Korean fave from back home. Korean Airlines kindly considered that we might not know exactly what to do with the rice, toppings, and sauces, so provided us with this handy guide.

No sooner did I write this paragraph (several hours later) did I happen to open a set of chopsticks to eat my ramen soup snack. And note that they, too, came with thoughtful instructions.

The slogan on the napkin reads, "Caring More About You". You really did care about us, Korean Airlines, you did.

It gets better. Things got a little hairy during meal time, and we literally did not have enough hands to keep Big J from dumping his spaghetti all over the place, while also keeping our meals on our tray tables. Little J decided that it was an opportune moment to start wailing. Within a minute, a flight attendant arrived to ask if she could hold the baby. And then proceeded to comfort and play with Little J for the next few minutes while we got settled. Because it took awhile for us to assemble our bibimbap. And we could just tell she wanted us to enjoy our meal.

    

                                

Later in the flight, I had to politely decline another tray full of huge jars of baby food, because Little J had barely made a dent in the first round.

 

Finally, we need to discuss the uniforms. They had me at the aqua silk blouse and beige pencil skirt. But the structural scarf and wisp like hair accessory? Pure class. 

If you're going to spend 24 hours flying, doing it with Korean is a good call.  Check out the vids below just for fun. Genius branding!

Anatomy of a Suitcase

I can finally breathe.  Our house, for all intents and purposes, is packed.  Our tenant moved in. So I forgot to remove the freezer burned chicken and the almost finished bottle of wine.  We are finally gone.

Well, not really.  We're visiting the grandparents before the big trip, so it's kind of great to have been forced to pack a week early.  Every day, we realize things we've forgotten to do or pack, so it means we still have time to take care of them.

I have to say, I feel like a bit of a rock star for packing so well.  In only 4 suitcases, I was able to fit:

• clothes, jackets, rain coats, shoes for 4 people
• beach mats, towels, bathing suits, water shoes, sunscreen, hats, mosquito net, UV cover for the stroller
• life jackets for both kids
• a helmet and scooter for Big J
• tons of art supplies for Big J, art supplies for me
• a jolly jumper for Little J
• part of a wooden train set, puzzles, a doll, stuffed animals, baby toys, books
• my big digital SLR

Big J has his very own carry-on that is filled with activity books, stickers, and toys for the flight.  And of course, we are in the process of loading up the iPad with as many episodes of Max and Ruby as it will hold.

Anyone have any travel must haves to recommend?

3 more days...

Onwards and Upwards

When you travel as a family of four, with two children under the age of three, it is a LOT of preparation. The snacks. The bottles. The diapers. The blankies. The stroller. The car seats.

When you move your family of four as. far across the globe as you can possibly go, and pack up most of your house before doing so, it is A LOT OF WORK.

I know. Poor me, it's so hard. No, I'm very excited and grateful for this opportunity. But I've been working like a dog for weeks, nope, months, to organize this whole thing.

House rented? Check.
Flights booked? Check.
Travel visas secured? Nope.
New birth certificates issued to appease crazy visa issuing officials? Check.
Travel visas secured? Finally, check.
Travel insurance? Check.
Travel vaccinations done? Check.
Hotel booked? Check.
Baby bathtub,swing, carriers, exersau Ed, bassinette lent out, returned, donated, or sold? Check.
Baby clothes organized by size, bagged, labelled, stowed under beds for future use? Check
Kids dressers and closets emptied? Check.
Our closet and dressers emptied? Check.
Coat closet emptied? Check.
Items donated to Goodwill? Check.
Family photographs taken down and replaced with generic art? Check.
Dinners, brunches, playdates with friends to say goodbye? Check.
Fridge and freezer emptied? Check.
Food cupboards emptied? Check.
Medicine cabinet emptied? Check
Personal items stowed out of sight? Check.
Bank notified? Check.
Double stroller purchased? Check.
Library books returned? Check.
All bed linens washed and changed? Check.
Shower curtain and bath mat washed and replaced? Check.
House cleaned? Check.
Suitcases packed? Check.
Kids to the doctor to have final shot? Check.
Husband to appointment to have his teeth whitened? Seriously? Now? Check.
Professional massage for me? Soon? Hell, yes.
14 hour flight, then 4 hour layover,then 10 hour flight? With a baby? And wiggly toddler? Not yet.
Place to live after first week abroad? Nope.
Appointments for husband and I to get our heads examined? Not booked yet.