I still call Australia...

I teared up a bit when I walked in on Mr 5 explaining this picture to his Sunday School teacher - it is Australia, on the earth, complete with Tasmania ("because there is always an island") underneath the sun. He obviously only had the blue pencil, but what a great picture hey? I love my boy.

American undies for kids

Just realised that our standard little boy undies are not standard here... This is what is standard. I have seen them around but figured it must be the parent preference (and, to be completely honest, thought they were a bit fussy and over the top?!). Our five year old is completely fascinated with them. We're having trouble with sizing because they seem to depend on the child having a butt and/or waist to put in the undies (I think we have a small animated stick).
Oh, and while I'm on it? Bonds singlets aren't sold here either. although we have found an alternative called Hanes that we hope will do.
What sort of country is this?!

Bathroom cabinet

Exercise: This is our bathroom cabinet. Find the Neosporin.

I think this illustrates how tired and stressed we get sometimes :)

Baseball!! New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles

We booked these tickets about three months ago, to a matinee game of Orioles vs Yankees, in Baltimore. We deliberately left the baby at home with a sitter, and boy were we glad we did that.
I loved it! The atmosphere of expectation, the lights, the crowd entertainment, the security rushing on after each innings (and off as the next innings started), it was all really cool. I hope we get to some more baseball games next year (season nearly finished this year). It was refreshing to watch a truly non-contact sport actually. No-one was trying to physically rip anyone's ears off or anything.
We had pretty good seats, middling in quality. As it happened, we were in the middle of a whole lot of Yankees fans, but that didn't stop the atmosphere being really nice. People were very relaxed, generally very respectful, and really just there to watch the game, not get all het up because the ref made a bad call.
Major League baseball has a really long season - about 8 months? And they play games practically every night of the week, In fact, the game we watched was part of a triple header - Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights of Orioles vs Yankees.
Score ended up being 3-2 Yankees won, but it came down to the last Orioles batter in the last innings, needing to hit a ball such that he didn't get out and his team mate on 3rd got home without getting out. which he didn't, but it was heaps exciting!
Things I was surprised about:
Most innings were scoreless - ie, no-one got home, infact, hardly any people got to first base without getting out. There were lots of catches, and lots of good fielding, and lots of strikeouts. The 5 people that did get home were due to homeruns being hit. (Not even 5 home runs, but enough, maybe three, to get 5 people home).
They play that if three people get out, that is the end of your turn, so instead of like cricket, where you have to get the entire team out, here, you just have to get three out, and then it is your turn to bat. Probably just as well, given there are 9 innings.
How much movement there was in the audience - there was always someone walking up and down the aisle, getting in and out of a row, or selling cold beers. The New Yorkers commented that during an innings they don't let you walk up and down the aisle, you have to wait to the end of an innings. I support that idea!

French Toast Casserole

Second attempt at dish that we can see potential in. No fruit toast, no sugar. I put in too much bread, and couldn't resist sprinkling nutmeg and cinnamon and a little butter on top. I put the spices because I had a sudden yearning for mum's bread and butter pudding, which is strange, because I hated it as a kid.
And, I served it with maple syrup... I needed an easy night from the kids.
Still have a way to go with this one.

Seafood chowder

I knew seafood chowder exists, it was an entree at our wedding reception, but that is the total experience (and I didn't get served the chowder at the wedding reception). Aparently it was lovely.
So, here is my first ever Seafood Chowder at home (I didn't cook!!). I get it now, it is like soup, only with seafood instead of chicken or beef. Probably handy for finishing off leftovers in fishing communities. Our seafood - shrimp (prawns), scallops, two types of white fish, crab. Very enjoyable!

Lemon Grass - Thai Restaurant

We took the opportunity to go out to dinner while we had grandparents around to babysit, and went to this restaurant. We have not had proper Thai for so long... so long. I could have happily ordered the entire menu.
What we ended up getting:
Spring Rolls and some sort of steamed pork dumpling for starters (entree)
Panang curry and Duck salad (bits of duck deep fried and put on a bed of greens of some sort with a hot chilli sauce? The duck was cold, and awesome.) for entree (mains), with steamed rice.
I had a Lemon Grass Mojito (with Bacardi light rum, mint, ginger, lime juice, and I think that was all) and Steve had a Thai beer of some sort.
My only reservations - I reserved a table for 7.30 pm, and when we arrived at 7.30 pm, the place was packed with the early diners, and no table was reserved. We got drinks and sat outside until a table came free, which was about 15 mins.
It is a small restaurant, although they have opened a second restaurant somewhere else, probably not more than cafe size. They have tables outside, and a pretty generous veggie patch where they evidently grow their own herbs and possibly other stuff. Service was quick and knowledgable.
We were very happy. I had to restrain myself from closing my eyes and mmming after every mouthful! In fact, that is why the photo is half way through, because I forgot.