Southern Highlands

We started our trip at friends house in the southern highlands. After the 3.5 hr flight from MN to LA, and after the 14 hr flt from LA to Sydney, we did an hour long subway chase to an outer suburb of sydney and waited at a train station for 2 hours for the outer suburb train to our friends house that lasted another hour. It was amazing we even remembered how to shower and get into bed by the time we got there. The children did amazingly well on this 24 hour journey. The biggest fit we had from the 3 yr old was when we landed in sydney and were waiting to get off the plane. She looked at me and said, "Are we in australia?" Me: "Yes." Her: "We can go swimminging in australia?" Me: "Yes, probably not today, but yes we'll go swimming." Her: "But you said we could go swimming in australia." Me: "Yes, but not today." It was as if i told her santa clause doesn't exist. She screamed her head off. She screamed, then screamed louder and yelled, "I PEED MY PANTS!!!!" And indeed. She peed her pants.

Here's the 3 yr old with our friends demolishing a gingerbread cake filled with smarties made by her grandad for her bday. We didn't know grandad knew how to make gingerbread houses. It's amazing what grandchildren will make you do.

Here are the children of our friends who adored the baby. They loved holding the baby, looking at the baby and touching the baby. And, by god, if they touched the baby, the toddler touched the baby.