Wacky Wednesday at Taronga Zoo

Happy Wednesday!  Wacky Wednesday!  Today Yunny, Gaga and Dianna took Misses Bug to Taronga Zoo.  Marianne and I splurged on a yearly pass- so now we can come back any or every day for the next year!  Not bad.  Dyllan was especially excited to see all the animals- as most of the books we ready are about animals.  She can finally put a picture and a sound to the real thing!  She was fascinated with the snakes.. each cage we went by she would "sssssssssss" at them.  She also loved the giraffes, and the monkeys.  She thought the turtles were pretty cool too.  Well.... she actually loved all the animals.. the elephants, chimpanzees, penguins, and sheep too!  Taronga Zoo is HUGE- so we only got through about half of it this trip- but half was plenty for one day.  There is a good change we will be visiting the zoo again real soon- its only about 15 min (drive) from our house- and only $6 for parking (for "zoo friends"- which we are now!  no big deal..)

Chimpanzee's- they were super active.. and entertaining-  to say the least!

Wacky Wednesday



The Wacky Wednesday Crew

 Yesterday I decided to join Dyllan and go to Wacky Wednesday.  Dianna, one of Marianne's good friends and a Wacky Wednesday regular- picked Dyllan and I up- and we headed for Mossman to visit Dan at work.  Yunny, Granny and Gaga met us at the little cafe below Dan's work so that we could see Dan and get a tour of his club.

Granny, Gaga , and "Lady Gaga"
(Gaga has now nick named Dyllan "Lady Gaga")

Showing his claws?

Best Friends Forever.
Dianna and Yunny

Singing Dutch songs to Dyllan.. no time for posing for the camera!

.. Dutch song

Still singing

Looking for gold, money, goodies.. or a Kleenex...

Classic Gaga smile! 

Being told by a gal who knew A LOT about family genes.. that Dan resembles Gaga. 
(Apparently you get your looks (as a guy) from your mothers father (hairline, smile, etc)
 I see it!

Not sure what the hand puppets are for...?  But Gaga is amused!

"Lemme go! "

"humph"

After coffee in Mosman- we headed down to the Bathers Pavilion for High Tea
View is Gorgeous!  (Dan and I came here on the day we got engaged.)

Reading..

High Tea- a tier of goodies! 
Dyllan ate most of it!!  "Miss Piggy" was in full force!

Bull Dog
- snarfing down the last of the crackers.

Visas Shmeezas and Wacky Wednesday's

Dyllan's passport photo, haha.




I have been pretty busy lately, working on my my visa application.  It is quite a bit of work, and it just doesn't seem to end.  Fortunately, I was able to get Dyllan's application for Australian citizenship turned in last week- so that at least one of us is legally here for more than 3 months.  See, Dyllan and I came over here as "tourists" with the intention of applying for our visas/citizenship once we arrived.  Dyllan's was easy- a little paperwork, certified copies of her birth certificate, passport, photo, and $120.  Mine, however, is much more complicated.  Before we left the US, I had to get FBI police checks and finger prints- and wait 6 weeks for the results.  Luckily, Dad was able to mail them to me, because we left before they arrived.  On top of an FBI clearance, I need to have a full health check (blood tests, xrays, the works- not to mention $310), 2 statutory declarations from Australian citizens

Oh, but it doesn't stop with the FBI clearance and health checks, the list goes on...

Here is my check list...

• Form 47SP- Application for migration to Australia by a partner (Me)
• Form 40SP- Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia (Dan)
• Evidence that Dan is 18 or older- certified copy of birth certificate and passport
• Evidence that Dan can support me - pay stubs from the last 2 years, letters from employers, tax assessments
• Certified copies of all of our passports and birth certificates
• Certified copy of our marriage certificate
• 2 recent passport size photos of all of us- with certification on back
• Evidence of a genuine and continuing relationship
• At least 2 statutory declarations bu a supporting witness relating to a partner visa application- basically 2 Australian citizens supporting our claim that our relationship is genuine and continuing.
• Form 80 - Personal particulars for character assessment
• $2, 575 (yikes!)

Oh boy.. well the good news is... I am almost DONE!  Just need to finish my love story and wait for the FBI checks to arrive.  Phew! 

Thankfully, on Wednesday- Yunny offered to take Miss Bug off my hands for a few hours so that I could get some work done.  For as long as I have known Dan, his mom has taken her parents out every Wednesday for "Wacky Wednesday".  "Wacky Wednesday"  happens every week without fail- and usually consists of sitting down at a cafe for coffee and conversation, and many times followed by a little shopping at the "op shops" (second hand stores).  Over the years several people have tagged along on Wacky Wednesdays- good friends, other family members... so it was only fitting that the newest member of the family come along.  Dyllan had a ball.  She got her own seat, a "babychino" (milk), and lots of attention!  After coffee, they took Gaga (Marianne's dad) to the op shop for a new shirt.  I didnt see the one he came in.. but the new one looks pretty sharp!  It even had the tags on!

Gaga, Dianna (a good family friend who usually joins Wacky Wednesdays, Dyllan, Yunny, Granny)
Notice Dyllan's purse on the table.. full of snacks.

Just learned to wave to people.  Cant stop her now...

Playing with Granny.