Back, but still settling

I really don't cope well with breaks from blogging. That's why I tend to write everyday, except on holidays in in exceptional circumstances like we've just had: moving internationally and then having almost no internet access. Thankfully, though, that is over now, and I can get back into stride and have a writing outlet.

Here's what's happened recently (it's felt like about a month since we left Japan, even though it is only 12 days):

Arrived in Cairns, Australia: 30 June
Played around in Cairns, got mobile phones (US=cell phones), made "new" friends, went on a trip to the outer reef, went snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef etc.
Flew to Brisbane, Australia and moved into our new house: 5 July.

We've spent all the days since then doing "settling" things, like

• completing steps to enroll in our local school
• unpacking boxes
• shopping for needed items
• joining the Lang Park PCYC on Monday night so the boys can do wrestling
• organising getting the right sized fridge/freezer combo.
• unpacking boxes
• working on getting internet (a complex and confusing business)
• reorganising stuff we got out of boxes
• phoning important agencies to notify them we're in the country again and changing our address with them
• figuring out which of the eight bikes we've received fits our family and actually works (turned out only three of the eight) and buying necessary bike-type items (helmets, locks, new bikes etc).
• receiving more stuff (mattresses, more couches, printers) and rearranging the house again to fit them
• reconnecting with the library (oh joy!!!)
• partying with friends over the football on Wednesday night
• buying more food (daily, it seems)
• trying to figure out how the TV works (we couldn't get all the channels at first)

And so on! Settling is very unsettling. There is so much to get used to, everywhere we turn. As on of our son's commented about just the school uniform shopping this morning,

"There's just too much to get used to."

And indeed sometimes it feels that way. At other times it just feels wonderful to be here. Then something happens and we wish we were back in Japan where life was pretty comfortable and predictable.

School starts next Thursday (17th), then I suppose we'll start to get more into a routine. Perhaps our days will start to feel normal sometime after that.

PS I've been trying for a couple of hours, off and on, now to upload photos for this post from my new phone, but failed. Sorry. You'll have to wait as we dash off to yet another shopping centre for optometrist appointments, and other random shopping.