Crazy ATM experiences…

ATM machines in Wisconsin are sometimes referred to as tyme machines. This was very confusing the first time someone asked me if I knew where the closest “time” machine was. I thought they were crazy and kind of just stared at them. This probably made them think I was crazy.

I found an actual one and took a pic for you to see

I also went to a self-service ATM. This freaked me out!!! I pulled the car up (btw, these are different from the drive-up ATMs) and filled out the deposit form. Next I had to the deposit slip in a capsule, put the capsule in a huge see-thru pipe and press a button that sends the capsule to the bank…Crazy!

This is the capsule (on my lap so the lady wouldn't shout at me for taking pictures...)

The thingy that you out the capsule in, look at the green button (it's the send buton)

So… TYME use to be a Wisconsin based company that operated ATM’s, they were mainly a Midwest company and had a large logo on their machines (see below). This led to people calling them TYME machines… that being said in 2002 TYME merged with PULSE and decided to take the PULSE name, therefore eliminating all TYME machines and leaving us Wisconsinites looking like fools wandering around talking about magical ‘time’ machines that don’t really exist anymore… we have quite a few things we do here in Wisconsin that aren’t typical for the entire US, but we like it that way, we have character J

This is a cool picture Tyler found of a TYME machine

Daylight savings time…

I like to think of this as the time when my body timing is totally thrown off, and I have to re-explain what the time difference now is. It takes us so long to work out and get used to the change that by the time we work it out, it’s time to change it again. Ugh! At the moment it’s 7 hours but changes to 8 hours in Fall? Or is it Spring…UGH

So I was going to go into a history lesson on daylight savings time, but I will just refer those who care to learn more to here (http://www.snopes.com/science/daylight.asp) … long story short it gives us more daylight because for 6 months out of the year in the Midwest we live in a frozen, grey, gloomy world… anytime we can do something to get more light we do it… so I don’t complain… but it is kind of annoying in some cases : /

Kettles and the United States…

So apparently in the USA people do not own kettles. When I arrived at my host family’s house I asked them where they keep the kettle, they looked at me like I was crazy and told me to boil a mug of water for two minutes if I wanted hot water (this was after I had to buy some tea since they aren’t big tea drinkers.)

I was a little shocked since I feel like kettles are standard in all SA homes. All the other au pairs I spoke to commented on this too, stating that they too lived in a kettle-less American home.

After hearing my story about having a kettle in SA, my host family made the sweet gesture to by me a kettle…one that goes on the stove, and whistles. Which brings me to another problem, now I have to listen for the whistling of the kettle, and if I don’t position it correctly on the stove the plastic piece that makes the whistling noise gets melted.

After hearing my sad story about how much I loved using an electric kettle when I was back in SA, Tyler’s dad and step-mom brought me my very own electric kettle!!! Yah, now my friends love coming for tea at my house.

Oh the electric kettle… I will have it known that my apartment is now also furnished with an electric kettle… while I will admit they work, I would argue that boiling water in the microwave or putting it in a kettle on the stove equally as fast and easy. However I am told they are much better, I think nostalgia plays a large roll in this… but I am American, what the hell do I know… 

What’s news anyway?

So, recently I was thinking about the fact that I haven’t blogged for a while. This made me sad, but then I thought about the fact that I haven’t had much to say until…

I thought about the fact that there is so much that happens that I don’t blog because it isn’t a about a big trip or adventure…but even the small stories are fun to write about. So here goes…

I like many “Bokkie on the Move” fans am excited to see Robyn make her triumphant return to the blogosphere… unlike the many though I have additional reason to be excited, I get to once again have a forum to share my opinions with a crowd of always attentive readers… I still can’t believe she is allowing me to do this… brave woman… anyways, on with the stuff you guys care about. 

Tyler and I (in case you had forgotten what we looked like)

Dance class…

Tyler and I decided to attend a ballroom dancing dance together, since it gave us couple time, and exercise time. I have got to admit after the first few lessons I wasn’t sure if I had the patience or strength in my toes to see this course through. We were showed the first move moves of the foxtrot. Then we were supposed to replicate the work Leo and Dorothy (our instructors) did. They are an elder couple that is always getting at each other, but they are also really cute.

So first off, I would like to say that when I get old I want to be just like Leo... the man can barely walk upright, but when the music starts he looks like he is in his early twenties again. Granted he was a bit forgetful at times, but the man can dance.

We started dancing and I noticed Tyler was doing the steps (well pretty much) but the timing had no variation. Instead of slow, quick, quick, slow we were doing slow, stand on my foot, miss a step, wrong step… I explained to Tyler the counting and tried to count it for him, but that confused his feet. So I tried to tell him right, left, right, left but that confused my feet. We spent about 20 minutes in complete silence not even looking at each other in fear of forgetting our steps.

Then there’s the problem of who gets to lead, traditionally it’s the man…but when the women knows the steps…and has a fear of losing control, it’s gets tricky. So, we had mini arguments about who should be leading (him), and who should know their steps (him again.)

While I can say that my first stab at dancing wasn't pretty, I can say that I don't think it was as bad as the above referenced, however the end product was pretty good, I would say once we got over the initial getting comfortable with the whole thing I did pretty good... certainly better than my other male counterparts. 

Luckily we stuck through it and were even told by our teacher we look like “dancing with the stars.”  I am also glad we never ended up like any of the other couples…
A. A young Asian couple that had a big fight one day…and never came back
B. The old married couple that are repeating the beginners class
C. The awkward couple, I am still trying to work out if he is a giant … or she is a midget. (They were in the class after us, but we got to see them every week.)
D. The couple who after one particular argument, the husbands asked Leo to dance with his wife to find out what was wrong with her…nice!

I think the part I enjoyed most, was that before we would dance together as a couple, Leo would split the room and put the guys on one side, and the women on the other so he could show us our parts, during this part the women would listen intently and you could see they were interested and enjoying themselves... whereas the men would stand around and complain about being there, and talk about all the things they would rather be doing. 

The good news is we are moving onto the next class and we are still a couple!

I survived! I was even told I was good enough to move on to the intermediate course... I wasn't sure how I would like dance classes, but overall I would say it was a positive experience, now we just have to find a time to actually use the moves we learned, there are not too many places where two 25 year olds can go and ballroom dance... although we are talking about doing a salsa dancing class with another couple... should be interesting!

Let’s talk about kids…

I have this feeling that I look after the smartest cutest kids ever. I have compiled a couple of ‘gems’ straight from the mouths of babes…

This is from the boys 3rd birthday

A while ago AJ was playing in her play tent and tunnel. She asked me to join her as I was about to enter the side door she informed me I had to climb through the tunnel. Oh gosh…it’s tiny! But I tried anyway, about half way through I let out a huge sigh.
AJ then looked at me and she “Robyn, you know what Arial does when she too f…um big to go through a tunnel…she just squeezes in.” (Yes, a 5 year old almost called me fat…LOL)

AJ looking cute

I was sitting outside with Finn, when I told him I had sand in my shoes. He said, “Well it’s okay Rara cos I have sand in my pants…in my butt.” I couldn’t stop laughing!

Crazy, cute kid!

Finn also told me excitedly that he and Braden are getting big boy beds soon. I told him I already have a big girl bed, he responded “No, only Braden and me have big beds, you have a giant one!”

Big smiles

Yet another Finn quip, I put my shoes on to go outside (ballet slippers or pumps) and he looked at them and said “oh those are cute shoes Rara” then looked at my top (an off the shoulder one) and said “you shirt is falling off” and proceeded to try (without much luck) to balance the front of my shirt on my shoulder.

Sibling love

Braden on the other hand saw the jeans I was wearing the other day (hippie inspired flower power pants) and told me “I like you flowers Rara. I don’t have pants like that. I want flower pants too.” Can you imagine?

Superhero? I think so!

As we were going outside on Monday Braden looked for the sun (which was on the other side of the house and exclaimed “Rara, why won’t the sun play with me? See, he’s hiding away now?” Aw…

Braden told me the other day (after listening to Diego's Animal Jamboree cd) that my middle name must be Robyn. I was confused as to why he thought that, then he said, "cos your name is Rocking Robyn" (Robin...like the song!) Haha. I told that, that wasn't my name and he said "No, but that's you NIXname."

On his birthday (I brought them superhero capes)

And my personal favourite which I know my family will really enjoy…

Well I suppose I should give the back story to it. (Correct me if I’m wrong family)
My aunt Samantha was often asked, as little kids are, “How much do you love me?” The biggest number she knew was 5, so love in my family is now measured by 5. (This is probably a good time to tell you all that I love you 5, by the way)

So I always tell the boys I love them, and they (usually) respond that they love me too. When I ask them how much we occasionally have confusion. They tell me that I love them 5 (since I always say that) but they love me two (since there response of I love you too is now two) But the other day while I was driving Braden piped up “Rara, you know I love you so much, I love you capital 5.” Oh my, how cute is that?! Seriously!

Cute!!! Boys!

Hey guys :)

Please let me know what you think of the new blog layout. I was trying something new.

Hope you are all well

Bokkie :)