the calm after the storm

The rain and storm clouds passed over in the night, and the house filled with a cyclone of children in a Christmas frenzy also calmed so today was a quiet one. We actually slept until 7:45am even though 3 of the 4 kids were up an hour earlier. Thanks to modern technology we spoke to our families for a bit and heard about the exciting present opening. There is one more iPad in the family, Murray and Diana, so we are going to try and use FaceTime tomorrow or sometime this week while we have WiFi.  Nice to be having this long holiday and great to hear voices from home as well.

Today, Boxing Day in Canada, we decided to go downtown and see what some sales would be like. Yes, crazy I know, as if somehow in a different country it would be different. I have waited all this time for a week in Melbourne to shop for family and wanted to get straight to it! The trains, trams and buses are brilliant here and we are only 2 blocks from a station that takes us right downtown in about 15 minutes. We were returning an item as well so that felt like justification to head into the madness. There were thousands of people out with the same crazy idea, all walking the streets and browsing shops. Doesn't seem so crazy in 24 degree weather.

We saw Mark's office and grabbed a quick lunch before parting ways and doing some further exploring. We also passed RMIT where Jeff went to university and showed the boys. I found a few items and we just enjoyed being out walking after 2 days of eating although the boys were at about the limit when we headed home around 4:15.

Thomas, Kyle and Henri

the historic steel drop building inside the Mall in Melbourne

great marketing - this giant iPod touch was fully operational from the outer wall of the building,  playing Angry Birds

this Samsung unit was dropping Santa hats on our heads

apparently famous Christmas window display, video to follow

Thomas thought anything with his name was pretty cool

the local government buildings done up for the holidays

The kids played with their new toys and we got them dinner and off to bed so we could have an adult dinner of yummy left overs and a glass of wine. Lovely to share food and company with great friends.