Granita's Second Weekend

We didn't do much on Friday. I dropped Ellis and Cyp at school/work and then headed back home to get Granita so we could go to playgroup with Rowan. Another Cdn mom - Tracey - had suggested it and I figured that Rowan could use some playtime too. I usually just ignore him on my days off from Ellis (well as much as I can) but I decided it might be good to take him to a playgroup - get him good and tired and then maybe I could ignore him more....

It was unfortunately pouring rain - in that Vancouver grey kinda way. It seemed like it would go on for days. Granita is not impressed with Brizzy. One of the moms at the playgroup asked her what she thought of Brizzy and I think she said "not much." or something to that effect. I think she noted the look of displeasure on the mom's face and then started to backpeddle.

I've noticed people get quite offended here if you don't rave about Brisbane. People ask me how I'm liking it all the time. I usually say something like "it's ok." and then note that their faces look slightly displeased. So I say "I miss my friends and family." and then they look happy again. Oh - right, it's not Brizzy's fault. Who could not love it here? 300 days of sunshine a year and maybe not as cultured as Sydney and Melbourne, but more of a small town friendly feel.

Sometimes I'm feeling in an "I hate all things Australian" mood and start going off about everything bad here. It usually centres around Origin the electricity company. I never completed part 2 of that blog - actually, there is a part 3, 4 and 5, needless to say it is not good. I don't usually get such a receptive response when I do rant. Nobody likes to hear negative things about their homes I guess but Australia really has some issues.

Ok - enough of that. One thing that they do do well is playgroup. The other moms actually talk to you. It is quite astounding actually - I don't think another mom actually talked to me in Vancouver. Here, everyone is super friendly and nice. Plus - they know what playgroup is about. It's about letting the kids run amuck and ignoring them so you can talk to another mom who understands just how monotonous a day can be.

Anyway, it was a good playgroup - I will try to get back and it worked. Rowan passed out at the end and then slept for hours.

In fact, Anita and I did not know what to do with ourselves. I will have to figure out an activity to do when Rowan sleeps. I suppose I could have cleaned, but I just didn't feel like it.

Friday night Hannah the sitter came. Cyp, Anita and I went to the Tibetan Kitchen and had another good meal. I think Brizzy does restaurants pretty well. We talked about Australia a lot and mainly those Australian accents. Somehow we got onto the word marriage.

Granita says - "you know, I always thought it was pronounced marry age."

This prompted some chuckles from me and Cyp. Then I said - it's like in that song "love and marriage, love and marriage, goes together like a horse and carriage."

At which point Granita paused and then said - "What? it's not carry age? I always thought they were just slurring it in the song."

"Granita - that is going in the blog."

Afterwards we took Granita to the Kangaroo cliffs to see the view of the city and the river. We dragged her down the steps (she got vertigo) and then hauled her up again (she got puffed). But I think she enjoyed it.

We then headed home to find a tired Hannah. Poor girl - both boys had pooped in their diapers (I was afraid of that as Ellis had been at school all day). But she coped.

On Saturday we went to the West End market. It really is a good market. Reminds me a bit of home. We ate bad (for you that is) food and chased the kids around the field a bit. I finally got up the courage to have my brows threaded - it's a funny thing as you have quite the audience. The woman who did it asked if I wanted my mustache done as well and my loving husband said "and what about your beard?" Don't let anyone tell you it doesn't hurt cause it does. Yow. Finally made it to Mick's Nuts where we got some pesticide free almonds, some macadamias (and some white chocolate covered ones for me - heh). Confirmed that they do not have unsweetened baking chocolate here as if they don't have it at Mick's, I don't think they'd have it anywhere.

As we were walking along, Ellis was practicing his rhymes.

"Beer rhymes with cheer!" that got a chuckle from the 20 something guys that were walking in front of us.

We headed home - Rowan insists on walking everywhere now and is at that lovely stage where he has to investigate every piece of flotsam and jetsam he comes across. We went for a swim in the pool (brrr) and that wore Rowan out so he napped. I took Ellis to the wine shop - they are getting to know us there - and then to the park I discovered last weekend with Rowan.

"mummy - you know - I can say things to you and you listen when Rowan isn't here."

ugh.

This then led to some enlightened conversation from Ellis.

"mummy - sometimes your tummy doesn't notice your dinner and it just gets poohed out."

This led to a discussion about corn.

I convinced Ellis we should explore a bit (as I get bored with parks fast) and we walked around the corner and found the big pipe. This is the same big pipe that G & G found - it appears that they didn't find the park around the corner. This park is very close to our house.

Ellis decided we should explore in the other direction as well so we did. We tried to go around the block to find our car, but our car turned up somewhere where I didn't expect.

"maybe it moved." said Ellis.

"nope - it's just these darn crazy streets in Brizzy."

Another crazy thing about our neighbourhood - on our walk around the block, we saw houses with huge grass tennis courts and in ground pools (think Southwest marine drive) and then a two person shack next door. Weird.

On our way home we decided to drive up the hill we found - Gower Street. It's even more crazy that Bywong. Poor little car almost didn't make it.

We had cornflake chicken for dinner and unfortunately I think I food poisoned Rowan. He woke up this morning at 3 am going urp. I held him over the side of the bed and out came dinner. I hope he hasn't picked up a flu bug.