I need to pee

So it's been a while since I've posted about something that I love about Newfoundland, but while we've been in Australia I've realised that there's something about NL that I really really miss.

Toilets.

If you go shopping or eating pretty much anywhere in NL, you are guaranteed that there will be a toilet for customers to use.

Not so in Australia.  There may be a shared toilet that the customers of 20 different shops/cafe's can use, or there might be a public toilet within a 10 minute walk of the shop you're in, but it doesn't seem to be that common to have toilets in the shop/cafe!

So there you go, another thing that I like about Newfoundland.

(Whew, the pressures off having to think of anything else for at least another month or 2).

Signs of age

Today we went to the shops and I had to use the loo.  On the back of the cubicle door was an ad for some TV show which (judging by the picture) featured lots of young, muscle-y, good looking men.

I looked at the boy man in the picture and decided that he wasn't actually very good looking at all.  In fact, I think I thought that he looked pretty boring and vacuous and not in the slightest bit interesting.

So - is this a side effect of age?  That your definition of beauty changes?  That you prefer the looks of someone who has character to those of someone who's chiselled perfection?

Perhaps it is (to women at least) - I hope so.

Kiddie Friendly Oz

I love being here.  I love it, but it's always so bitter sweet, because I know that at some stage I'm going to have to leave my family again, and that just breaks my heart.  Over and over again.  Guilt sucks.

Anyway, guilt and broken hearts aside, Kalani and I are having a playground-centric time here in Oz.

You know that I'm not good with being a stay-at-home Mum?  Well, it turns out that being on holiday with a toddler is just the same as being a stay-at-home Mum.  You have day after day after day to fill with 'fun' activities for your toddler to partake in, just so they don't go mental and behave like a total monster and wreck your parents house.

Sooooo.... every day we've been waking before the crack of dawn and gone off in search of a fun but safe playground/kiddie zone to entertain Kalani in (actually, the last 2 mornings K hasn't woken up until after 7 - it's excellent.  I'm under no illusion that it'll keep going, but it's excellent while it does).  

We've been to a train museum (where K had a meltdown when it was time to go).

We've been to an excellent playground in New Farm Park that has walkways through parts of the tree (K also had a meltdown here when we wanted him to get off a merry-go-round type contraption).

We've been to another great playground a bit closer to home that has waterways through it (2 meltdowns here - one when I took him out of the water since he was getting soaked, and the second when it was time to go).

We've been to a Koala sanctuary (multiple meltdowns again - the 'lying down on the ground (amongst all the bird poo) and screaming' type).

And we've been to the beach (erm - no meltdown here - how strange - I guess we'll go back there).

And it's been fun.  Lots and lots of fun.  It's been really nice to not have (much of) a time limit imposed on how long we can stay at the playground or the beach.  It's been nice not to have to rush around everywhere dragging K with me.  It's been beautiful to watch him interact with my mum who is probably his bestest buddy in the whole world - they just click together - it's really lovely to watch.

So the rest of our time here will be spent doing more kiddie friendly stuff, and that's fine with me.

Lollipop anyone?

Travelling With A Toddler

So you're thinking of embarking on a long plane journey - just you and your toddler?

Need some advice?

Don't.

Seriously.  Just don't.

If you're going to anyway because you have to, or you're totally insane and think it couldn't be all that bad (I fell into this category), then I have some more advice ...

1. Take LOTS of outfit changes for your toddler.  Either that, or bring along some waterproof clothes - ones that keep the food/drinks out, and the crazy runny poop in (what is it about plane journey's that stuffs up small stomachs?).

2. Be prepared to have a very close audience when you go the toilet.  You're probably used to having an audience when you go to the loo anyway, but taking your little one with you when you need to pee (or whatever) on an airplane toilet is a lot more .... erm ... confined.  Be prepared as well for questions like "Wot dat mummy?" when you're trying to pull your pants up right in front of them (and I mean RIGHT in front of them!).

3. Lose any TV restrictions at the check-in gate.  TV is your bestest buddy on a long plane journey.  God bless the Wiggles - I couldn't have done it without them.

4. Be prepared for many toddler meltdowns and at least 1 very large mummy (or daddy) meltdown.  So large that the rest of the passengers become a little fearful looking when you make eye-contact afterwards.

5. Be prepared to get no sleep whatsoever.  Firstly your toddler probably won't sleep that much, which means you can't either.  Then, when they do finally manage to stop talking/prodding/screaming/throwing things and go to sleep, you can't go to sleep since you're holding them in a strange position, or you're sitting on the edge of your seat so they have enough room to sleep, or you're now so used to staying awake no matter what, that you can't go to sleep even though you feel like you're about to implode from tiredness.

6.  And finally, once you arrive and have gulped down a very large glass of wine, be prepared to totally forget all about how horrific the last X number of hours was as you thank the Wright Brothers for allowing you to travel safely 1/2 way around the world so that you can share your most precious thing in the world with your family.

Thanks dudes, though I really wish that someone would take after Scotty and invent an instant tele-transporter jobby so that our homeward journey is a little easier.