Hi every one,

It is the night before Christmas and I am only just now able to get on and check out what is going on here.. I have 10 unread minti mails I have to check so I do not believe that I will have the chance to have a big look around.

Not to mention that I am on the slowest computer ever... :)

Just letting you know that I am alive and well....   Will be back on full time in January sometime.

Merry christmas... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Have a happy new year....

Love jessxxxxx

Well we made it.. Can't say it was the most exciting trip.  First two plane flights Francis was very jumpy, wanted to move look around blah blah blah... He cried for a lot of it no matter what toy we gave him... The third flight was the 15 hour flight and he slept for at least 12 hours, which was fantastic so by the time we actually got here his Melbourne clock was already set...

But four hours before we were about to get off the plane he decided that I needed to smell like baby spew... Yep he chucked up every where and I was not quick enough to grab a sick bag... But a lovely lady brought me a pair of PJ's they give their first class passengers.... So I at least did not feel uncomfortable... But they were wondering why I was getting off the plane in PJ's.. The aircon on the plane has taken the voice of my son, so he is all snotty and grumpy, feeling much better today though.

Today we did the vic market, drove the men crazy but we loved it and despite the fact that Francis was stuck in his pram he was an angel.   It helped that so much was going on that he was looking around and very occpied with all that was happening...

My mother almost had a heart attack at the sight of us, and has sworn at me I don't know how many times because she was unable to fix her house before we got here... But the look on her face was priceless....

Well that is my quick update, I must say I snuck off to tell everyone that I was looking for a phone number so I better get back to it before the hubby busts me for being on minti... So sorry I did not have the time to check in with my mates...

Will speak to you all real soon... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

All is packed and every thing is ready... Have I forgotten something?????? More then likely.. But if it is forgotten then I will just buy one of what ever it is when I get there.
I just hope they don't take away all the maple stuff I have because they think I am going to sell it... Or charge me tax or something stupid like that...  They are gifts but I think I have enough to start a store.

Anyway one more time...

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERY ONE,  AND HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS....

And for you Aussies, remember...... If you drink and drive your a bloody idiot....   (MY dad is a cop and he sent me flashing badges with that on it... No body knew what it was about had to explain it...

Anyways enjoy your time with loved ones....

Ok tonight is my last night before I catch that big plane with my 18 month old son and my husband who will be loaded up on Nicorette....   Oh what a flight this should be...

I went and did some shopping, went to the dollar store picked up some keep the kid quite toys and hope they worked... I was up at 3.00am this morning packing because I had trouble sleeping.. Francis woke up for a cuddle (I think he had a bad dream) and then back to sleep for him at 4.am. Then he was up again at 7am.  I think I managed at least an 1hr and 1/2 sleep.. Now my heart is racing and I am running back and forward, yet nothing actually seems like it is getting done.

I am pretty sure I have every thing we need, now we just need to pack it.... AHHHHH why am I so slack. I am down here (in the basement)  taking a break when really I should be up there making sure the fridge is empty of anything that is going to smell when we get back if forgotten, cleaning out the bins, making sure the dust bunnies don't breed while we are gone.. Good old Roomba should fix that when we get back....

And I still have to take the dog Jack to his little vacation house.    OH my this is going to be an interesting day....

Now MCM, it has been brought to my attention that you are in Melbourne and that I should give you a holla... SO Holla where are you???? Who knows if you feel like meeting up,  just leave me a minti message and I'll find you...   My sister lives in Epping, but I have people spread out every where. I am sure we can find the time to shake hands and say how do you do  if you have the time that is....
I hope I leave a good impression.. LOL 

I will for sure be able to pop in every now and then to blog and let you all know what is going on with our vacation.   So for now I will sign off, and send every one big hugs for Christmas, and the New Year.... 

Ok now the trick is, I have to try and stay off for the rest of the day and get every thing done that needs to be done... If anyone sees me in here tonight please ask me if I have every thing packed and ready to go... If I say NO! Then please send me away and tell me not to come back until it is finished and I have nothing left to do..> Or else it would never get done... Much appreciated.

Love Jessxxxxxxxxxxx

NO......

Why have I not started packing??? Part lazy, Part asked the hubby to get out what he wants to take with him and he has not done it yet.. I am married to the great last minute packer.. We are going for a month and we have not even started packing yet. And I have unfortunately taken on his last minute packing habits... AHHHHHH

But I do have the tickets safely put away with the passports and my residents card...  I have a plug to convert power to Canadian for Pats phone.  Hmmm what else do I need.. OH MY stuff to keep the son occupied on the flight.. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Tomorrow is going to be such a busy day... I should go and get some sleep now... LOL

So if I don't get on before I leave,    I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Christmas and a wonderful New Year.. I hope that every ones wish come true!!!!!!!

Love and happiness to you all...
Jess xxxxxxxxxxx

PS: I hope to get in and post when I can... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ok getting a little nervous now.. The plan was to start packing tomorrow and do the last minute shopping.... Turns out this is not what I am doing.. I am going to take the hubby and camille snowboarding... Francis and I are going to hang out with the in-laws... Can't complain there really I love hanging out with them, I just will be biting my nails until we get home so I can start packing...

I will have to give a list to the hubby on Monday to go and do the last minute shopping.. No doubt list will be followed and added too.

I am worried about the bush fires. Dad tells me they should be hitting his place in a day or so if things can't be controlled.. The area I grew up in is under threat and I have read and been told that a lot of people have been evactuated. Yet a lot are also staying to try to save their houses.

I have heard that planes have been diverted from Melbourne to the Sydney airports... I really hope things get better. Not just because we are going to be there, because I know what it is like to have to worry about the fires.  It is not a fun thing to have to go though.  Not to mention on the selfish side a bit, it is my hubby's first time there and really the last thing I wanted him to have to deal with is fires.  I mean there will be nothing left for him to see if things keep going the way they are going. When people ask him what was Australia like his response would be, every thing is black....

As my parents have a wonderful sense of humor, my husband wanted to take them a bag of Marshmellows..  I know my parents would laugh even if I think it is in bad taste for those that are really in trouble, mind you my folks might be in trouble if things don't cool down. They have no water to fight the fires should they come too close.  And would have to just wave goodbye to their house and the family histroy that is stored with in it.  That is if they don't pack up the stuff and take it to my sisters and I tell you that job would take weeks.

Anyway putting all those worries aside I am still getting excited... :)

Tonight we had my hubby's Christmas party and it was strange for me as I was the bosses wife. Normally this would not bother me, but as I was reminded that although we were  all out to dinner and having a wonderful time my husband is still their boss. The people that work for him, one is just a bit younger then my grandmother, another is about the same age as my dad, and another one is possibly close to 40 but his girl friend is about my age 31... It was so hard for me as the other wives/girlfriends sat there telling stories about there husbands and we are all laughing and having a wonderful time, but I could not really tell any about my husband as he is the boss, and I guess as the boss he still needs to have that sense of Authority. So while the others talk about their husbands leaving their dirty underwear beside the bed instead of putting it in the wash basket that it is sitting right next to, all I could do was laugh and what I wanted to say was.. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT....

Oh well....

xxxxx

As always there are lots of things to be greatful for...  But I'll just pick one!!!!!

That it is almost the 15th of December...

Only one more week of listening to my mother ringing me up and asking me if one plan is better then the other for things to do when we visit knowing full well that what every she has planned is going out the window the minute she realises that it is us she is picking up from the airport and not her sister in-law....

One more week of that sounds good mum, good idea, yes mum, ok mum, what ever you think is a good idea... Yep on the 28th we will be there, ok yes we will catch up those people then. Oh not sure we will have time to do that... BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH...

I have had to listen to months and months of plans being made that are never going to happen and have to agree with them.   The wait is killing me. I love my mum, but I tell you months after months of so called fake phone calls (being that what ever my mum had planned will never eventuate as she has no idea we will be there for an extra two weeks) is really starting to grind my bones...
So I am greatful... One more week and then it is over... LOL

 

WOW I can't believe how time has flown in the past seven years.... 

Tomorrow Canadian time I would have been here in the Province of Quebec for seven years...
And really I was only going to be here for  few months... 
Be wary people if your kids decided to take a year off to travel there is the possibility that they won't come back to live... 
I arrived on the 7th of December 1999 for a vacation to catch up with others that I had let use my house as a halfway house while travelling and they were returning the favor...
Little did we all know it would lead to Marriage, children, new language, cold weather...

In the past seven years so much has happened it is amazing when I look back at it...I learnt to drive on the wrong side of the road, how to chip an inch of ice off my car in 20 minutes just so that I could open the door to get in.  I learnt to speak a new language at the age of 24 just by listening to people and taking note when people corrected my French, or asking why the hell they were laughing at me, and not being embarraced when I find out that I just asked them if they had seen a red pussy... And I am afraid I don't mean cat... What I thought I was saying was red plate.. Turns out I was wrong, very wrong..
I became a step mum and started sprouting a family of my own...  We own our own home, Husband started his own business,  I learnt that I could work in a French enviroment all I need was the chance and was greatful when I was finally given it. (which improved my french ten folds).  I also learnt that my French Family loved me before they knew what I was saying and still loved me afterwards when I could actually converse with them... I am not sure if it was because I could make them laugh with my discusting mistakes or because they really enjoyed my company.. LOL I am pretty sure these days it is both, although I don't make so many  mistakes now..

Basically the last seven years have been a blast, I have grown up so much and even more so since having my son, being a step mother is one thing but when you actually have a child from birth it is amazing how much we grow. Mind you the kid in me still comes out more often then not.. LOL

And although I miss my Australian family and friends a hell of a lot (mind you I'll get my family friends fix next week yea!!!!!)  I would not change a minute of it... Oh I might change that little accident I had with the BMW a few years back... LOL 

Cheers every one... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

I can't believe it, only 9 more sleeps to go before we are in sunny Australia. As we will be landing in Melbourne I am hoping it will be sunny...

We had our first big snow fall yesterday, which was rather pretty to watch, and extreemly funny to send the dog outside and watch him bark at the falling snow flakes.. (it is his first winter)..

Francis is yet to decide if he likes it.. The falling part he can do with out. I am afraid for the moment he has his mothers snow legs. But being that he is half canadian I am hoping that he gets used to the snow, because I would hate to think that he would not enjoy it, being that the snow here lasts for what seems like ever....  He hates putting on his snow suit, and I'll admit I hate putting it on him. But he has two choices, freeze or not to freeze...

Camille on the other hand loves the snow... And will be sooooo excited on the weekend when we give her the new snowboard.. They will be going snowboarding on Sunday, little does she know that she'll be on a new one..

Anyway don't know what else to blog about tonight so I'll get to looking around some more.. Until later... xxxxxxxxxxxxx

One day I just got the camera out and told my son to make beautiful eyes while talking to my mother on the phone and this is what he did..  I am saying it in French... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvPPqZ0AkIs

See my Tabblo>

Well once again thank you so much for the roomba!

I am now off to bed.. And will for sure be having sweet dreams.. LOL  I am sooo excited...

I can't believe that next week I will be in Australia.. Well still have 10 days there abouts but when I think about it the clock just struck midnight so that means next week I'll be there sunning it up..

So much exciting stuff happening.. LOL Camille is going to be stoked to get her christmas present early.. She is getting a snowboard..  Because we won't be here for Christmas her mother has been so kind to let her come and stay with us the weekend before we leave.. YIPPEEEEE....  We will have a surprise early christmas for her..

Not sure how exactly we will do it, we were thinking about after she goes to bed we will wrap it up and pop it on the sofa so when she comes down for breakfast we'll be woken up with screams of excitement.. Hmmm on second thought I think we will wait until we wake up first then give it to her.. It is actually her christmas gift from her grandfather so we might also see if we can sneak it in the car and go over to their place so they can give it to her personally...  So this week I'll be going in search of a present from us...  I was hoping that she might be able to hold out so we can bring her something back from australia.

Anyway that is it from me.. I am a bit to excited to sleep at the moment.. Have not won anything before other then those plastic beads or key rings you get at the show by shoving a ball down a clowns mouth.. Yeah for the roomba...

Thanks you again to the team Minti and of course all the members who make this a wonderful place to hang out and share...

THANK YOU...

Night all...

 

Well I was sitting up stairs watching something horribly boring on the telly, so I said to the hubby do you mind if I go down stairs....   I was going to try and stick it out and give myself a night off from the comp, but really the hubby was watching something that I was just not interested in....

I open up my yahoo messanger, and mumtobekim, sent me three instant messages telling me to go to my lounge NOW....

So I did just that and what do you know I have won a Roomba....

THANK YOU............ Matt, Rachel and Clay,  I can't thank you enough for putting this site together. It has helped with advice, and let me give a few tips of my own, and also I have found some really fantastic people that even though I don't know them personally I feel as if I know them....

Me so excited..... WOW...  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU......

Anything else that I was going to blog about I can't remember right now as I am just thinking about the roomba... LOL

 

I have been uploading all sorts of things on my computer to make it go, and tonight I found my old sims2 disk and decided to have a play, and in doing so ran out of minti time tonight...

But never fear I'll no doubt be back tomorrow.. LOL if not that is because I am enjoying some family time...

Night all..... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi every one.. It has been an interesting night here.

I went to bed early due to a power failure, of course it would happen just before as I signed into minti.

The wind is going at 75km, and our BBQ is history... Good thing we don't need it.. Our trees are covered in Ice, it looks pretty but I don't want to go outside... Way to cold, and I might be a bit on the heavy side but I believe I will still get blown away..

Have not been able to go back to sleep the wind is way to loud... The kids are up, Camille is entertaining Francis, but I have to go and have a shower as I have to attempt to go to my friends house this morning although right now I am really not in the mood for seeing what is going on outside.

But I will so I'll have a quick look around and then take off..

Bye all will try and catch up with Minti later...