Happy Valentine's Day

Love and greetings from down under. It has been a crazy 6 weeks, but things are calming so let the blogging begin. I haven't been able to blog because my computer just made it to me. Yes, Australia really is on the other side of the world. We received a notice that our air shipment had arrived into the country, but that it was evacuated because the shipping station where it was being held for inspection and quarantine flooded. The flooding combined with the Christmas back log delayed and delayed and delayed our air shipment. I won't even comment on the delays of the sea shipment. Did you know it will change ships 3 times mid ocean, which is apparently tricky when there is a cyclone. Details. So anyway, got the computer and then the computer decided not to read the photo card. Blah, blah. So the few pics that I do have are from my phone, but some is better than none.

The girls started school a month ago today and so far so good. It is a private Anglican all girl's school called St.Margaret's. Bailey calls it Australian Hogwarts and it definitely has that feel to it. The school sits on a beautiful sprawling hilltop overlooking the city. It is a series of buildings connected by passages and staircases. No they do not move and as of yet none of the photos talk, but you never know. One of the biggest adjustments has been that all of the schools in AU have compulsory uniforms. So every morning the girls dress head to toe in school required clothing. The rules are fairly rigid and specific. For example there: is a correct placement for the collar pins, hair must be back and tied with a ribbon either white, brown or navy. Socks must be folded, not scrunched. Panama or straw hat is to worn to and from school and between classes in Year 7 and up. Play hat to be worn for PE and recess. (Hats are a big deal here.) There are several pluses to the uniform as well. For example you are always dressed right and there is no debate over what to wear. The negatives are it is hot and the skirts are long and made of thick material. I also really have to stay on top of the laundry. There is no, "just wear something else." But the big plus is don't they look spiffy. Can you hear Julie Andrews singing in the background or is it me?

Our house is close enough to school that we walk in mornings. There are just 2 problems with that: the amount of stuff we have to carry and the HILL. The girls are required to dress for HPE (they add a health to the traditional PE and then for fun say with this a really hard "ch" so it sounds like Haych PE). I am not really sure where that came from either. Anyway, the girls have to carry gym clothes and right now they are swimming so that means swim suit, goggles, cap, rash guard, and towel PLUS the required sunscreen and brush. So they load all of this in their school issue sports bag and then add to it their backpacks aka rucksack loaded with typical and not so typical school gear. It takes us several few minutes to pick the bags up and get balanced. I am learning that before we are halfway to school I will be carrying at least 3 bags. So once loaded we head off to school which is straight up the hill. You Texans remember what those look like, right? Picture climbing up beltway 8, it is steep. But we make it, slowly, but surely we get there and the girls taught me that if you walk backward up the hill you get an amazing view of the city and river. Not a bad way to start off the day. . .