Slo-mo (no-mo) Wifi

I grow weary trying to keep a log of the day-to-day life without a wifi connection. So as occasion has permitted, I've uploaded a picture or two at a time while shopping in a location with wifi. So here is a collection of random pictures that give you a little glimpse of some moments we've had. There is a bonus video at the end to make you really appreciate the life you have. 

I've said many times that cottage cheese is a magic food. You can have it with fruit. You can have it with vegetables. You can put it in smoothies, bake with it, put it in pasta. Breakfast, lunch, dinner AND dessert! The list is endless! But cottage cheese in Australia is sharp and chalky and pasty and not creamy. It is not magic. 

I'm mostly done with our living room. Not sure I'd pick this if it was permanent but our rental house is pretty brown and boring so we decided to go fun and funky. The ribbons on the wall are still waiting for something good to hang from them. I saved them from the packaging around a couple of blankets I bought. The color was perfect so I'm hanging on to them.

Karly said, "Mom...no." 

It was their first day in Australian school. They are now halfway through the year they just finished in the States (grades 8 and 5), but the curriculum seems a little more behind than that. We're working it all out. Hopefully they'll still learn something. Indonesian is part of the curriculum and since we are planning a trip there while on this side of the globe, that should be enriching. 

The uniforms are so expensive no one expects you to have multiple items. You just rewear. I'm wondering where the logic is. I spend over $550 outfitting the three of them with the bare basics. I also had to buy an iPad for Karly. They are required. And they don't have any sort of group buy in, or discount or anything. At least I get to keep that when we come back. Cha-CHING. 

Scenes I see more frequently. We have one living room as part of the kitchen area. Everyone is always together and they are having fun. No one has wifi or much of anything else to do so we spend more time talking. It's great. 

Don't let this fool you. There is also something called LiquorLand, which is directly across the street from a very lovely church. 

I see these trees everywhere. They are in their off season covered with golden berries. They are so adorable. And below is a 3 second video because a still shot just didn't do them justice. 

Someone knocked on my door with a free bed and sofa. While he was out moving them from his house to mine, he asked if we would watch his puppy. Uh...YES! Henry had a blast chasing him around our house. And by around I mean AROUND. We have about 4 feet alley ways on the east and west of our house with a small courtyard in the back. So they would run up one side, across the back, and then down the west alleyway until they couldn't go anymore. Then repeat the process in reverse. 

I don't know what this is. But's it's on a street corner. 

Naked children with shopping bags, and mother playing a disproportionately large accordion. 

Also not sure about this.

Millie, on the day she met her teacher and classmates. They were very friendly and are enamored by her "sophisticated" accent. One of Karly's classmates wanted to know if she had ever seen a squirrel. And the rest were pretty curious about her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Only one said they were going to try it at home. The rest didn't want to consider the thought. 

Got a fireman costume at Costco and it was a hit. He's been rescuing all of us from real and imagined dangers. 

Part of the resourcefulness that comes from necessity. We decorated with paint chips and Henry and Millie put them to use in another way. 

Those are about the size of soccer balls. 

There isn't much frame of reference here. These are HUGE. Probably 36" long. 

Adorable succulents I found at the hardware store. I haven't bought any plants yet but I will soon be starting some seeds and getting some herbs and vegetables growing. And succulents. Yes. 

Leo, showing the patio furniture we have. We found a flat basketball in the shrubs. I'm sure when the weather warms a little more I will find something better to sit on out there.

I'm at the library and I got these:

You can be sure there will be more to come about this later. 

And if you have felt impatient getting to the bottom of this post, let me just put things in perspective for you. THIS is how fast the wifi is. And I had to leave my house and go to the library to get it.