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Cristina...  Luke and I are once again babysitting Harrison. We walked him down to the park and as soon as we got there, I noticed THREE freakin magpies in the trees lining the play area. I showed Luke and I said we needed to get out of there...he called me paranoid. One of the magpies was walking on the ground and Harrison went to chase it...much to my horror. I was freaking out, and Luke told me that they wouldn't attack because they were used to people being in that area. I wasn't convinced. I ended up spending the whole time at the park under the platform to the slide...because that was pretty much the safest spot at the park and I surely didn't trust those magpies. Well, Harrison started running down the sidewalk, so we figured it was time to leave. I had my eye on those magpies though! I turned my sunglasses on the back of my head, found a pretty big stick on the ground under the platform, and got up to leave. As soon as I got the "pusher" (stroller) and started walking down the sidewalk...I figured we were safe from the magpies, so I took my sunglasses off the back of my head and was about to put them on my face the right way when I see a FLOCK...as in about FIVE magpies swooping towards us...I turned around and held my stick high and they avoided me...but Luke had no clue...so I screamed at him to hurry up and turn around to look at the magpie and poor Harrison crouched down. Luke turned around fast enough to not get hit, but it was still VERY close to his head. I put the sunglasses back on the back of my head and held the stick as high as possible the rest of the way home...much to the embarassment of Luke. Hah. I HATE THOSE MAGPIES. They are so weird with the "as long as you keep an eye on them they don't mess with you" thing. It kind of freaks me out. Luke's operation went well. Good thing, because he can be quite the sulk. Hah. We haven't really done much since we came back from Melbourne last Friday. On Saturday we made our rounds and saw all the kids. Ella is so big now...she was 5 months old when I first saw her, and now she just turned 1 a couple of weeks ago! Ashlyn is my ultimate favorite Australian girl. She is two now and is my little shadow. We brought her back to Luke's to spend the night with me, since Jack was at a sleep over and Deb (Luke's sister in law) was exhausted...so we treated her to a night to herself (and the newborn Taylah!). Ashlyn followed me all around the house and was constantly saying "where is Cristina" if I wasn't in the same room as her. She is precious. Sunday was family Tea to celebrate Ella's and Matthew (Luke's bro/Ella's dad)'s birthdays. It was fun having all the little kids over and to feel comfortable hanging out with all of his siblings now. Tuesday we babysat Harrison again. Which is always fun. And then we stayed for tea (tea=dinner) at Eudora's (Harrison's mum/Luke's sister). After tea went to the "pictures" to see Talledega Nights. Today I decided to be good, and went for a walk. The walk went well until I was almost back home...and then it was tramatic. They have these birds here called "magpies" and they are these big birds with big strong beaks. Well apparently their eggs are in the process of hatching...which means the adult magpies are very protective of their nest. I FREAKIN GOT ATTACKED. This huge bird swooped down and rammed my shoulder with its beak. So I freaked out a little bit, but it flew to the power line, so I kept walking...and it attacked me again. So I screamed and ran to the closest porch. Just my luck...they had a huge dog barking at me through the fence and no one was home. So it was a standoff between me and this bird (which was back on the power line staring me down)...and this dog barking at me. For a good twenty minutes I sat on this porch. And said the Rosary. Finally the bird flew across the street and past a building. So I started running. And as soon as I rounded the corner, it ATTACKED ME AGAIN...so now I am on the ground crawling because I am too terrified to stand up. I managed to pull myself onto the porch of this house...I was shaking terribly by now. The dumb bird is sitting on the side of the house waiting for me to leave. And I rang the door bell and this nice old man came outside and escorted me to a safe distance away...where I ran the rest of the block home. I googled magpies when I got inside and calmed down enough to stop shaking...and this is what I found out... " During the nesting season between August and October, after the chicks have hatched, both male and female magpies often vigorously defend the nest by swooping and diving at potential intruders. Care should be taken not to approach nest sites during this short period. " And from another site: "Magpie attacks For most of the year magpies are not aggressive, but for four to six weeks during nesting they will often defend their territory vigorously. People walking past may be seen as 'invaders' of the territory, prompting the magpies to fly low and fast over the person clacking their bills as they pass overhead. The experience of a magpie attack can be quite alarming, but it is usually only a warning. Only occasionally will a bird actually strike the intruder on the head with its beak or claws. If this unusual behaviour persists, there are ways of reducing the risk of physical injury to humans. If a magpie swoops at you: Walk quickly and carefully away from the area, and avoid walking there when magpies are swooping. Make a temporary sign to warn other people. Magpies are less likely to swoop if you look at them. Try to keep an eye on the magpie, at the same time walking carefully away. Alternatively, you can draw or sew a pair of eyes onto the back of a hat, and wear it when walking through the area. You can also try wearing your sunglasses on the back of your head. Wear a bicycle or skateboard helmet. Any sort of hat, even a hat made from an ice cream container or cardboard box, will help protect you. Carry an open umbrella, or a stick or small branch, above your head but do not swing it at the magpie, as this will only provoke it to attack. If you are riding a bicycle when the magpie swoops, get off the bicycle and wheel it quickly through the area. Your bicycle helmet will protect your head, and you can attach a tall red safety flag to your bicycle or hold a stick or branch as a deterrent. " I think this justifies my reasons for not being exactly fond of animals. Well I am here babysitting Harrison. He is super precious and lots of fun. Hayden won his game last night. He plays indoor soccer, and there are like 5 or 6 kids on a team and they don't have a coach. It's up to the 10 year olds to decide who plays goal, sits out, etc. I was impressed how well they took turns on their own. Today I am babysitting all day, and Luke has an oral assignment at the Uni. I am going to take Harrison for a walk to the park soon and then it will lunch time and then nap time! Tomorrow I am babysitting again, and then Luke and I are going to Melbourne for Luke's first operation on Thursday morning! It's a minor operation, but please say a prayer that it still goes smoothly! He has his bigger operation on October 17. I guess that is all...not really much to update about! Please leave comments! And please leave your name with your comments! Well kids, after four different plane rides and several delayed departures, I have finally made it back to Australia! Luke, along with his "mum", dad, and nephew Jack were at the airport waiting for me! I saw Brian (dad) first, and then Luke and Jack (the six year old nephew) and Julie (mum) came running over. They were expecting me to come out of the other door! Well, we all went to the Melbourne Show (which is like a state fair type thing) and that was a lot of fun! Jack is my favorite Australian kid! I went on the bumper cars and the big slide with him! Luke also bought me a chinese medicine massage, and the guy put these pieces of tape with some medicine on it on my shoulders. Well needless to say, the sun got to me while walking around the Show and I now have two big rectangle tan marks from the tape by my neck. After a fun filled day, we drove the two hours to Churchill (Jack and I took a nap on the way home). When we got back to Churchill we dropped Jack off at his house where I got to finally meet my newest niece Taylah. She was born August 25 and is super precious. And Ashlyn (two year old niece) was also awake and came and gave me the biggest hug when she saw me. I was really surprise to see all of his nieces and nephews remember me. I know he has been showing them pictures of me and making them learn my name, but it was still fun to watch them get excited when I walked in the door. Today I got up and we went to his sister's house to see the rest of our nephews (Hayden 11, Jacob 7, and Harrison 2), They are precious and I get to babysit Harrison tomorrow and Wednesday! I am so excited! Well it's lunch time now, so I better get going...we are going to watch Hayden's in-door soccer game later tonight! No news yet about the wedding. Uncle Johnny...I know you think I need a lesson in time management skills, but I wish you would have followed my life the last week I was in the States...you would have taken notes! Ask my mom...she'll tell ya! Well kids, I fly out on Friday to go back to Australia. I will be over there for six weeks and will be updating this journal while I am there! Luke finally proposed to me!!!!!!!!!!!! We went out to dinner and then walked along the Yarra River (its a river walk type thing, like New Orleans) and then we walked through a park and while we were walking on the sidewalk this guy fell off his bike and went sliding across the street into a parked car. We went over to make sure he was ok since he hit his head kind of hard. He was ok, but pretty shaken up. After that we walked to this pretty water fountain and sat down on a bench where Luke distracted me by showing me something down the street and when I turned around he had the ring out. He got down on one knee and said something like "I love you Cristina Gayle Eligio. Will you marry me?" and I of course said "Duh!" but then said "Of course Luke Joseph Pavey I will marry you!!!" And he put the ring on my finger...but its a little big...I have to get it resized!!! But it is so pretty!!! Tomorrow his family is having an engagement dinner for us! This is all so exciting!!! Oh, and the American wedding is tentatively set for December 16th...and shocking news...I am pretty sure I want to have it in Pensacola now at the church downtown! Hey mom, we aren't going on the plane ride anymore! A reli run sounds like a deli run to me. Anyways, we went up to the north of the state to see his Aunt and Uncle (his mom's brother) and two of his cousins. His cousins are both old and have children and one of them had their 18th Birthday while we were there. So we went to his Barbie (BBQ). We also went to the town his mom grew up in. It's called Mount Beauty and you can see the whole town from on top of a mountain. We went to The Gorge. Which is a place that overlooked where his grandfather lived...it is also the site where his grandfather's ashes were scattered. And I climbed to the top of a mountain!!! It was a crazy walk...but it was worth it when I got to the top! I know I always say this, but pictures will be coming soon!!! I am at the Uni lab again...Luke started classes today, so I am here while he is in class. Well, not much is planned for the remaining time I am here. We will be taking a plane around at some point during this week. Luke's friend Phil (the one with the painted face and tongue) builds airplanes (aeroplanes is what they call them here) and his exgirlfriend (they broke up a week or so ago) is a pilot. Her dad owns a plane company, and she is going to take us up on one of her flights. So that should be fun. And it is safe, don't worry. Phil is actually a sound and intelligent guy. I went camping for the first time last week. We went from Wednesday to Friday and I totally got a sunburn during the six mile hike up a mountain...or what I call a mountain. Luke calls it a hill. Camping was a lot of fun, putting the bugs and seagulls attacking me aside. The beaches there were beautiful and of course I took lots of pictures. I think I am just going to upload them all to one site and then post a link to the site. But not today. We are at Luke's "Uni" (thats what they say for university because they shorten everything down to a "y" or "ie" sound) and we don't have the camera or pictures here. Tomorrow we are taking off to go to the north of the state (Victoria) to go to Bright to visit his aunts and uncles and cousins on his mom's side. So that should be loads of fun! Well thats all for now. I will respond to everyone's comments next time!!! Love you all!!! Current mood: productive. Current music: the uni students talking loudly in a computer room. Ok, I have lots of pictures now... To view them just ( click here ) |
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