In America

The last few weeks have been very exciting. We have done all sorts of new things and some not so new things.

Just after our last post, we made a trip in an airplane to Montana and Minnesota. Now an airplane ride is nothing new to Princess and Thor, but seeing the northern US is. Poor Princess has not wrapped her brain around the whole country, state, city definition. The entire time we were gone, she kept asking when we were going 'back to America'. America apparently being Granny and Pawpaw's house. Even Auntie who lives only 30 minutes away 'doesn't live in America'.

The quote of our trip - uttered by one of Princess' new four year old friends, 'Hey Princess, want me to get you a gun?' Now before you all cringe, dive under your seats and mutter all sorts of things about gun laws, parental neglect, and the like, I will hastily add that we were in Montana, it was hunting season, and he was talking about a TOY! Princess, having grown up in Australia, not Montana, just gave him a blank look and all went outside to play with a nice, safe car.

They may not know what a gun is, but they're well versed in 'car'.

After we spent time in Montana, we moved on to Minnesota. Thor and Princess learned all about tatoos before we managed to make it back to Texas. Want to join us on our next trip? We also took the kids bowling for the first time. Have you ever tried bowling overhand? Princess can show you. It's not as bad as it sounds - I only narrowly beat her! Thor spent the session inspecting the mechanisms of the ball return machine.

Hmm. I think I can build one of these at our new house.

Our time at Granny and Pawpaws has also been really good for baking: 3 cakes, 3 pans of brownies, 2 batches of cinnamon roles (or from Thor - cimamamom rolls).

Cooking 101

The best part of baking, of course, is licking out the bowl. After helping great-grandma make brownies, Princess issued the following caution: 'Greatgrandma, make sure you watch them very closely. If they bake too long, they won't taste good.' And so one year of 'cooking' experience instructs 80.

And the kids have discovered the wonder of ice cream sandwiches. For the Aussies in the group, these are bricks of ice cream squished between two soft, chocolate cookie like pieces. Today, Princess didn't want to have afternoon tea with the rest of us. She wanted to wait for Pawpaw to come back. 'I really like ice cream sandwiches'. Apparently Pawpaw offers better afternoon tea than we do!

We really have been somewhere.

All this travelling, of course, wears some members of the family out. By virtue of being the youngest, you'd think Thor would get tired first, but no way! Our little guy has energy to burn. His sister, is another story.

Mommy's energy matches Princess'

While Thor and Daddy carry on