Let it Snow... Let it Snow... Let it Snow...

It was very cold here last week with temperatures topping a massive 4 degrees Celsius and then on Friday night it started to snow. We woke up on Saturday morning to Sabine running into our bedroom saying 'it snowed, it snowed!' and when we woke up the whole village was covered in white. This is a photo of our deck.

We had a fantastic weekend of snow angels and snow men and hot cocoa by the fire. Davy and the kids built a snowman but try as we might he just won't come to life like frosty did. Here's "snowy", our snowman.

There is still a lot of snow around and it looks just beautiful. We all feel very lucky to be here and hopefully we'll have a white Christmas. (Weird) It doesn't really feel like Christmas time....There'll be no champagne and nibbles on that deck!

Poor Davy gets pelted with snowballs whenever he is outside with the kids. I can see that getting old very quickly.

We're off to Disneyland in the next week or so, so that's the coming true of two big wishes....as a child I was desperate to go to Disneyland (as we all were I think) and as an grown up I've wanted to live somewhere where it snowed so I guess the message here is be careful what you wish for, it might just come true. (I've only been here 6 months and I'm already turning into a cheesy American!) later y'all xxx

whaddup bitches ( a lesson in culture)

Have taken following notes re American culture


Number of pumpkins carved into jack o lanterns with the leatherman - 2
Number of pumpkins carved with spooky bat scene - 1 (see picture)
Number of pumpkins whose insides were gross, wet and disgusting - 3
Number of candies given to our children during trick or treat - 2350000 (feels like)
Number of tricks - 1
Number of calories consumed by Bianca in the form of candy in two days of Halloween - 6598222 (feels like)
Number of people seen shopping or going about normal daily business in full costume - 2 (geisha and vampire)


Number of Mitchells dressed up as a policeman with handcuffs etc - 1 (davy)
Number of Mitchells dressed as the Cat in the Hat - 1 (george)
Number of witchy Mitchells - 1 (sabine)

Number of "Real Men Love Jesus" bumper stickers spotted - 3
Number of "Real Women Love Jesus" bumper stickers spotted - 0
Number of bumper stickers suggesting Bush is a good president - 3
Number of bumper Stickers suggesting one should vote for Hillary - 0
Number of bumper stickers suggesting Bush is the "Worst Ever" - 1
Number of Bumper stickers describing what Arnie does to himself in his own time - 1

Number of Kevin Costner sightings - 0
Number of Posh or Becks sightings - 0
Number of Celebrity sightings - 0

Side note; Language barrier
She's a ho fo sho translates to She is undoubtedly a prostitute of some description
So Cal is short for Southern California as in 'OMG that is so socal'
OMG is short for Oh My God as in OMG where the #$@! is Kevin Costner!

No Bull....there is an actual fake bull

As our beautiful friend Chris Harle pointed out we've seen fire and we've seen rain. Natural disasters do seem to be following us around but truly the Californian fires are a way away. We're all very safe and Arnie is nowhere in sight. Sooo glad we decided against purchasing a Malibu mansion though. phew......


We're all settled into our fabulous new house which is very large and accommodating for guests so why not blow a couple of thousand and come on over. The move sucked a little, but moves generally do. Here's a picture of the kids in the UHaul




In other news, marriage my friends is about compromise, give and take and in my case staying at home while your husband hangs out in a suite at the L.A. Hilton on Emmys night, supposedly for a "geotech conference" and i use the term "geotech conference" lightly as there did not seem to be much geoteching going on people. Begrudgingly, here's a picture of the terrible conditions endured......











Obviously at a "geotech conference" one has to ride a mechanical bull. Here is a picture or, as I like to call it, evidence..



The bull did leave some unsightly and I'm told reasonably painful bruises so some comfort can be sought in that.....




Comfort can also be found from the wonderful Tim Veness, who travelled over for the "geotech conference" and brought with him a most welcome thing...a big bottle of coopers. Thanks Tim. Here's a picture of Tim in front of the big Universal Studios ball thingy which is obviously an important mecca for geotech types.


So that's where we're up to. Stay tuned.....next week is Halloween. Pumpkins have been carved, costumes have been purchased, it's all happening people.....

Strange Days Are These

After a strange and somewhat horrible week of confrontations with Landlords, strange rashes, confrontations with Doctors, settling in at schools and major property decisions (which all resulted in a teeny bout of homesickness) the Mitchells are back baby! And furthermore, we're moving. (obviously after confrontation with landlord).
We have taken a 12 month lease on a lovely house just down the road (but far enough away from the above mentioned landlord). We're moving in tomorrow so I will post pictures of the house and moving adventures (of which there should be many as David's only helper is me and 'muscles' George Mitchell). Hopefully it won't end in divorce.

But my main news is the fabulous resilient settling in powers of our children who, I'm sure you will all agree are the most fabulous children in America. George started preschool and loves it. He has a new friend called Matthew and they always hold hands (heads up Sal!)
Sabine is starting to shine at her new school. Today she won an award for best demonstrating this weeks rule of 'treat others as you would be treated'. For your viewing pleasure I have managed to overcome the tremendous obstacle of my own technological ineptness and have not only taken a video of her receiving the award but have downloaded things and run things and posted things and in general been brilliant while not understanding what it is I'm doing in the manner of all geniuses. Here it is .......(probably this will win an Emmy).


It's kind of hard to see her in the video so here is a picture as well so Nana doesn't go mad on me
Isn't she fabbo? So now we are off to move our still unopened boxes and try to navigate our way through the maze that is satellite broadband, digital television and American phone companies......(oh dear, could be another trying week!)

International School Career leaves Mother in Foetal Positon

We are so proud of our girl today! She started school today at her new American school and what a superstar she is. There was hardly a nerve in sight....she was much more excited and only looked lost for a minute or two standing in her class line. Then she started a conversation with the little girl in front and bob's your uncle. bff. Triumph!!


If only the same could be said for the neurotic mother. I fought back the tears as she stood a little lost in the line then I teared up completely I'm afraid while the precious little thing tried to keep her cool as everyone around her said the pledge of allegiance. God Bless Her. Then I practically followed her to her classroom. The poor child couldn't lose me. Directly following that I made my way to the car (mustang) and cried my head off.

Later, when the neurotic mother had to phone the school on completely unrelated business she happened, just in the passing of normal conversation mind you, to ask the office lady if she perchance had heard any crying around the halls that morning. The neurotic mother was told "I went into Year One Mrs Mitchell and I met your daughter. She is a lovely sweet child. She's fine." I mean god. I was only casually asking. Now we can't wait for her to come home and hear all about it. Even George keeps saying "I wonder how Sabine's going......" She'll be home in 4 hours and 48 minutes so I'll let you know......

The Other Side of the Ocean

When I was a little girl, swimming peacefully in the glassy waters of North Avoca I would sometimes look out at the horizon and wonder what I would see if i could see all the way across...(read; what I would see see see if I could see across the sea sea sea.) I am happy to report that I have found out! And here's a picture....

Ahhh the serenity......Imagine also if you will helicopters and aeroplanes going over every few minutes dragging massive flapping billboards behind them. mmmmmmm

So this is Santa Monica. Because of some weird brain freeze type moment we forgot to bring our Rollerblades and hot pants with us but fear not! There were still many fabulous attractions. We experienced Santa Monica as a kind of Manly on American steroids (no muscle beach pun intended) It was an amusement park, it was an aquarium, it was a big pier, it was posing and it was posh shops. We had a great time! Here are some highlights.......

One has to sample the local cuisine......

Then one has to get one's skimpys on and work off the calories

consumed in a very public way...........

Any aggression in the kiddies can be worked out on kiddie sized dodgem cars that they are allowed to drive (how fun would that have been when you were five?)

Then it was time to find the Mustang and start our 3 hour journey out of the car park. We really did have such a great day and will definitely go back.....maybe not on the hottest, busiest day on the Labour day long weekend though! Next time I'm thinking Malibu........

Davy Mitchell isn't a Thinker, Davy Mitchell is a Driver

After months of planning and weeks of execution, after countless spanners were thrown into the works, the Mitchells have finally purchased a Mustang (when in Rome.......) and here's a picture

Isn't she lovely? Davy and I love her almost like a third child, which incidentally there will never be as it won't fit in the back of our beloved car. It's the best fun driving car we've had since the Volkswagon Bug with the added benefit that it goes like the stink. Sabine and George fit snuggly in the back but have been given strict instructions to stop growing. Now the only decision we have is whether to put black stripes over the roof and bonnet as is American custom. What do you think?

Trebuchet Smebuchet

What a wonderful response we've had from our beautiful friends and family re the launch of our high tech bloggy thingo. I am especially pleased at the responses that have come our way in the form of poetry, filling the world with such high quality art. Hooray to Dene who managed to rhyme Trebuchet in the comments section thereby giving us a flimsy segway type reason for putting a link on our blog to Mick's fabulous You Tube video. For those of you who don't know David had a fantastic send-off from Australia in the form of a Trebuchet building day. If you would like to know what a trebuchet is (as i did) check out the video. If you would like to know why one would build a trebuchet, I can't help you. I just really don't know. Until five minutes ago I didn't even know how to spell Trebuchet. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_usgPnuan8

Tooth Fairy Please Stay Away

In other news Sabine finally lost her first tooth. It was hanging in there for many weeks but finally came out at dinner. Riveting. Anyhoo, at bedtime there were tears from both Sabine and George. George was afraid of the tooth fairy. "How big is she? How will she get in? What if I see her?" Sabine didn't want to give up 'a piece of myself'. In the end a compromise was achieved whereby I would pay Sabine two dollars, she would keep the tooth forever and give George one of the dollars and everyone would just go to sleep.

Poppy Mark has suggested that the tooth could be made into a necklace as is traditionally done with shark teeth. The gag photo is for the amusement of Poppy Mark . Apologies to everyone else.

The Aliens Have Landed

Obviously a lot has happened to the Mitchells over the past eight weeks and, as is pretty usual, I've really been a bit slack in keeping in touch. Well, all that's about to change with this high tech bloggy thingo! To celebrate the first episode I've gone to the enormous trouble of summarising the past eight weeks and magically weaving it into a poem! It's got pictures and all!


We left Maitland in the rain
We jumped aboard the jet plane
Bianca and Sabine didn't sleep much in the air
Davy and George can sleep anywhere!


We landed in the USA
We stayed in the badlands for four weeks and one day
People at midnight screamed, swore and cried
and shot guns in the air on the Fourth o' July


We went to San Diego for a few days
We watched a Killer Whale put on a display
We fed the dolphins frozen fish
We bought it for $US5.00 a dish!

Meanwhile......

Davy was an alien with no social
Bianca was nothing, about which she was vocal
Then Davy got his blessed number
and at night we could peacefully slumber (except for the guns and the shouting and the swearing)


Bianca sped during the driving test
Davy passed and with his license was the best
Bianca passed on the second go
but was told to watch the lead toe (which will be hard in the mustang)


Now we're here in Bear Valley Springs
You drive through a security gate to get in
It's very pretty with deer and squirrels
Which are like rats but cuter.


The big truck came and bought all our things
The men unloaded the boxes what they bringed
It's very nice to have our clothes and stuff
But nothing fits because of Reece's Peanut Butter Cups


But our favourite so far
was when we jumped in the car
and drove to LAX
to pick up Millie who flew with Jet Pets!

last but not least.......

We went to see about a 'stang in Corona
Your man said he couldn't sign her over 'cause he didn't own her
It's too long a story for this rhyme
But we'll have a mustang before next time!