This & That...

     Last Saturday, December 1, Andrea, Adam, Olivia, and Owen drove down to Windang from Sydney for the day. The weather was perfect so that meant BEACH DAY!!!

Lunch at Oh Dang! café in Windang

     Later on, after dinner at the Windang Club, it was time to walk back to the car and head home to Sydney. After playing at the beach all afternoon, I'm pretty sure Olivia and Owen slept the whole way home.

     Golf was the order of the day on Monday - just a 3 kilometer bike ride away at the Port Kembla Golf Club.

     Check out this warning sign at the golf course. Luckily, we didn't spot any slitherers. (Or any kangaroos, emus, or koalas for that matter.)

 

     Tuesday was Steve's SKYDIVING DAY!!! I'll describe that very soon in another, special post.
     On Wednesday, after my French conversation group in North Wollongong, Steve and I took the train up to Sydney. Our mission was to take Owen and Olivia swimming at their neighborhood pool to help them learn how to swim. With Andrea we made three adults and two kids, so it was easy to give Olivia and Owen lots of individual attention. While they are not quite swimming yet, both kids loved being in the water and seemed unafraid of putting their heads underwater or even jumping into water over their heads if we were there to catch them. We'll definitely be taking back them to the pool, and I think they'll be swimming very soon. Afterwards we went straight from the pool for Mexican food. Both kids were starving!
     On Thursday morning, it was time to walk Owen and Olivia to Sunshine Kids daycare before Steve and I boarded the train back south.

     But before returning to Windang, we met up with friends Jan and Bob in Wollongong. On several previous trips to Australia, Steve and I housesat for Jan and Bob while they were vacationing. They live in Maianbar, a lovely area south of Sydney near Cronulla. It was great to see Jan and Bob again and we enjoyed catching up over a yummy lunch at a beach café in North Wollongong. Steve noticed this anatomically correct bathroom sign at the café...

     Bob and Jan's son, Simon, and his wife Camille are good friends with Andrea and Adam. Simon and Camille currently live in Portland, Oregon and have a 15-month old daughter named Holly. Starting next week, Simon, Camille, and Holly will be in Australia for the holidays, and so we are hoping to all get together -- grandparents, kids, and grandkids -- while everyone is in country.
     Meanwhile, today is a catch-up day for me in Windang and Steve is off golfing. Stay tuned for photos from Steve's big skydive!