Koalas, Kangas, Bats . . . Oh My!

We went to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary this weekend to visit the local wildlife. (We actually went 2 days in a row because I cried the entire trip on Saturday so we had to go back on Sunday.) Anyways, I was able to get up-close and personal with so many cool animals! I sang "Baa Baa Black Sheep" to the black sheep, helped dad feed the birds, got to pet some kangaroos, and sat close to these weird looking birds called emus. I also saw so many different kinds of koala bears. We bought a family pass to this "zoo" because it's only 5 miles from our house and we might go back alot!

Evan . . . the cool dude!

I just had to share one of my latest accomplishments with everyone! I am now sleeping in a big boy bed! Mom and dad thought it was going to be a really hard adjustment but they were wrong! There is still a room in our house that has a crib in it like my crib in Moline but they tell me it's for the baby. I love to go in the baby room and play with all my old toys! Oh yeah, I also love to sit in the drivers seat of mom and dad's car - it is so cool. I wanted to share a picture of the great Pop-Tarts & Goldfish crackers that dad's John Deere friends brought me from America (there are ALOT more than what is in this picture!) Can you believe they don't sell these things in Australia??!!

Uh Oh! . . . Mom found EBAY Australia!

I have really been missing my Cozy Coupe car that I had in Moline. Well, the other day dad came home with a car, trailer, and gas pump just for me to ride on our back patio. It is great! Mom said she bought it all on ebay Australia and so dad had to go to their house and pick everything up when he paid for it. I'm just happy that I have more outdoor toys to play with everyday! I take my puppy outside with me and he either rides in the trailer or next to me in the car. We also met a family in playgroup that is getting ready to move to the US for a year and they have said that we might be able to borrow some of their toys while they are gone! Whoo hoo!



This weekend we went to the Sunshine Coast and I finally got to see the OCEAN and the BEACH . . . but it was raining again! (It never rains in Brisbane but always seems to rain whenever we go to the beach.) The only picture mom got this time was of dad, me, and Cindy (a John Deere co-worker that is visiting this week from the US) walking on the wet sand toward the water. I didn't really like it and started crying. I hope the ocean water gets warmer as summer approaches!
Have a great week!

My Day in Toowoomba . . . I Love Trains!

This weekend we went to Toowoomba, Queensland and I got to ride a steam-powered train . . . twice! It was kinda cold in Toowoomba because the elevation is higher there and it's winter around here but I still had alot of fun at the parks and riding the trains.

I went to the ABC Learning Center for the first time today and had alot of fun. They have alot of great toys and I enjoyed running and playing outside. They also have a sand pit there with soft, white sand and lots of diggers and dumpers in it. I am learning to call it "sand" even though it looks alot like snow (I called it snow the first time I saw it!) I think I'll like going to the center one day a week. Mom also signed me up for gymnastics so on Friday we will go to Gym Tots and see what that is all about. Mom is keeping me hoppin'!

Toys, toys, toys! Yeah!

My toys finally got here last Friday and boy was it great to see them! Mom and dad sent so many toys that I had forgotten I had some of them. We met some new American friends that just moved here with John Deere this week. Angie (one of our new friends) has been driving us around in their car so that we could get out of the house so that has been nice BUT dad bought mom a car yesterday so now mom and I can get out of the house more often! Yeah! I also started a new playgroup today that has about 15 other kids in it. We are the only Americans in the groups but there are alot of Australians and some families from India, Japan, and the UK too. I am going to start at a new Learning Center on Monday and will go one day a week and mom and I are going to go to rhyme time at the library on Wednesdays, so we will keep pretty busy.

Here is a picture of dad doing my hair in the bathtub. Boy do I look crazy!


One of my bikes came in our air shipment so I have loved riding it around on our back patio. The patio is right outside our kitchen and family room so mom lets me come and go as I please so that I can enjoy the outdoors. It's pretty neat. Hopefully mom finds me a cozy coupe car like the one I had in Moline so I can ride it on the patio too! Dad also put together my tricycle that Grandma & Grandpa Dammast gave me for Christmas. I can't reach the pedals yet . . . see me struggling? But dad says he'll tape wood blocks to the pedals so that I can reach better.

My first few days . . .

Here are some pictures of me during my first few days in Australia. This place pretty much seems the same as where we came from but people kinda talk funny and mom doesn't have a car so I am REALLY BORED just hanging out with her all day at our new house! Mom and Daddy say our shipment hasn't arrived and that is why I don't have all my toys yet. Geez, I wish Customs wasn't so slow. My 2nd birthday is coming soon though so hopefully I'll get some new big boy toys to play with in my new house!


Here is a picture of me sitting like a big boy eating dinner in our new house. We don't have my booster seat yet (it's in the shipment that hasn't arrived) so I have to sit up on this big phone book to eat and play with playdough.


We have this cool fountain in our backyard that I love to play and splash in. I tried to step in it today with my socks and shoes and ended up getting soaked. I just love to play in the water! I can't wait for my little swimming pool to get here!


I just love dogs - can't you tell? That dog we found in the backyard of our new house has never come back - darn! I guess these dogs and my dog blanket will have to keep me company here in Australia. I really love my "Lauren Brown" puppy (the black dog) because it reminds me of my friend Lauren Brown and all of my other friends that I had to say good-bye to at Kimmy's House in Moline.