spring 2017 updates.

Arden at her favourite toy store - the one with the animatronic dinosaur.

We had a really nice Spring season this year. Here are some boring updates.

twinsies.

Spring weather in Melbourne is always fun. After a few weeks of record heat in November, a weekend record rainstorm was predicted. There were warnings for residents to stay indoors, stores were putting sandbags in their entryways in anticipation, newspapers printed old photos of the last time a record rainstorm hit Melbourne (like something out of The Day After Tomorrow), and most shockingly of all - our maternal child and health centre cancelled playgroup! What resulted was a fairly significant rainfall on and off, but nothing out of the ordinary. There were places around Victoria that got flooded for sure, but Melbourne itself did not.

On the last day of the predicted "rainstorm of the century" we actually went (lawn) bowling for the first time with some friends. When my friend Ronelle initially invited us to go bowling, I'd pictured something much different (as in, what Australians call "ten pin bowling"), but this was also fun, and didn't involve renting a pair of hideous shoes.

Arden's a natural.

obligatory bowling selfie.

I turned 32, which was very fun. Arden turned two. Also, Thanksgiving came and went without fuss as it's not a celebrated holiday here (and that's how I like it! haha).

birthday brunch!

Arden is still thriving in her swimming and music classes. She gets very excited about going, and likes to "practice" the things she learns on her plush toys at home (helping them swim on their backs or jump into the pool). We recently had to switch locations and teachers for her music class, so she's been a bit shy this term, but she's getting very good at following directions in general, which is really fun to see. Her rhythm is really good, and she loves to "dance" (although usually she prefers being carried by one of us while WE dance, which is exhausting!).

Arden's face right before her "favourite part" of her favourite song (Jewel's "Sammy the Spider") comes on.

Arden recently had her first music "concert", where she (and I) got to "perform" a few actions to songs. She's pretty serious about it. We're very proud.

first blue ribbon!

performing "The Wheels on the Bus"

The Melbourne Maternal and Child Health teams threw a huge playgroup party for kids, which Arden loved. She even sat still long enough to get her face painted, which was pretty cute.

baby's first ink.

Fun fact: every November, Melbourne puts on the Night Noodle Markets - a 2+ week-long festival featuring dozens of Asian-themed food and drink stalls scattered over a picturesque site called Birrarung Marr. And every year we’ve lived here (not counting the first week we arrived in Melbourne), we've coincidentally hosted an American friend and taken them to this event (year one: my college friend Sara; year two: our Seattle friends Zach and Kyara; year three: Ben's cousin TJ).

This year, my college friend Lane was in town for work, and I all but dragged him and his friends to the noodle markets so we could continue our silly streak. Thankfully, they loved it! It's always great to see old friends in Melbourne. Who wants to visit the noodle markets (and us) next November? :)

thanks for hanging out, Lane!

Arden loves noodles.

And finally, this November marks our four-year anniversary of moving to Melbourne! It's still hard to believe how much has changed (and how much hasn't) in four years. We're still living in the same apartment and are still huge fans of the MCU; but we're also four years older, a few accomplishments wiser, and we've multiplied so now there's three of us. It's been a crazy journey, but wonderful just the same. We're grateful for our time here, and will hopefully keep having a great time no matter where we live in the future. :)

Mario and Super Mario.

CK

Also, have you guys seen this show yet? I did not think I'd be a fan, but I'm OBSESSED. Welcome back, Frank.