Ballet Class

When D turned 2, she recieved for her birthday a children's book about ballet. All about the positions, moves, attire, performances, etc. Apparently, it was educational AND inspiring.

D has been begging to take ballet lessons ever since. So, we enrolled her this term to begin Teeny Ballet with other 3 and 4-year-olds. She loves it. She watches the instructor and imitates (to the best of her ability) every move she makes.

As I watch her each week, it is very hard not to laugh out loud. D is the youngest in the class, and she tries her very best. She is very serious thoughout the class and her little 3-year-old body just cracks me up. This first video is "Ballerina Trots."

Below is the video of "Flying Hops." It's my favorite part. D isn't getting a lot of air time yet, but A for effort.

Come to Daddy!

We've been waiting for C to reach the next big milestone. He has been cruising around the furniture since July or August, getting more and more confident all the time. But not confident enough to let go and try out those feet! However, Friday night, when daddy came home from work, must have been the moment he was waiting for. C took his first steps, finally letting go of the sofa and taking 2 steps to T. I missed the event, busy in the kitchen cooking dinner. But our boy was kind enough to do it 2 more times so I could see the new skill.

We've been encouraging more steps all weekend and sometimes C happily goes for it. We'll get some video up soon.

Happy Halloween from Perth!

Halloween is such great fun. D enjoys it more and more each year. And T and I truly enjoy watching her get into the spirit. The holiday is not really celebrated by many here in Australia. In the month prior, a few stores carried a small selection of candy or decorations. Costumes here are called "Fancy Dress" and they are available year round, though not in the quantities and number of locations that you can get them back home at Halloween. But, we still insist on celebrating and giving the children some semblance of Trick or Treating.

So, we did celebrate over the past week and it was great. First, and most important, was teaching D a few new jokes. I'm a stickler for some type of "trick" if you are going to be given free candy. D learned 4 new jokes.

Our friends, the Schellhases hosted a great Halloween party last weekend. D arrived in a pink princess dress, but throughout the party, made appearances in several other dresses belonging to the host children. It gave costume party a whole new meaning. We were also wowed by my friend Maggie's handmade, knitted ghost finger puppets and yummy mummy cupcakes.

Friday, I dressed the kids up and we did a little trick or treating at T's office. The kids visited various cubicles and D traded jokes for candy. Then, with some friends expecting our visit, we popped over for some front door trick or treating. It was our luck that a house down the street was decorated for Halloween so we stopped there as well. There was a crowd of children knocking on doors but few were in any sort of costume and I think they were getting very few sweets from the houses they visited. I say, if you can adopt the candy part of the holiday, you can figure out the costume part too!

C was spectacularly cooperative, wearing the Jack Sparrow braids with his pirate ensemble.

D can flutter and wave a wand with the best of them.

Saturday, was the Halloween Festibul (as D calls it) at the International School of Western Australia. This was good fun for D and I. The boys stayed home this time, as it would have been pretty late for C. We took the kids last year but the weather was not so nice. This year, the weather was gorgeous and the people came out to celebrate! The American Women's Club helps with the event and they put on a great festival, though it only went on from 6-8 pm.

The evening included games and prizes, Trick or Trunking (where 40+ people decorate the trucks of their cars and the kids go from car to car in the parking lot for candy. There is a prize for the best trunk), grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, pony rides, and a bake sale. It was a full evening and it attracted LOTS of people, most kids in costume.

D was very good to allow me to take video of 2 of her jokes. I promised her that everyone who reads our blog would laugh their heads off. Don't make a liar out of me! These are the funniest jokes you've ever heard, right!? (the punchline is "tweets!")

Is 'Uh-Oh' a word?

When D was 12 months old, she had 8-10 words. It was a blessing that she could communicate so young. We never had that frustrating phase where the child wants to convey some need or want but doesn't have the verbal ability to do so.

C is now 12 months old. We've been anxiously awaiting the first word in hopes of having 2 early talkers. T insists he's been saying "Dada" for months (It's just babble). Will it be "more"? It really ought to be "Mama". But, I think we'll have to settle for "Uh-oh!"

Dictionary.com defines uh-oh as an interjection "used to indicate concern or chagrin at a mildly unfortunate event". C started declaring this about a week and a half ago whenever he would drop/spill/tip over any of the items he comes into contact during the day. (And dropping/spilling/tipping is big, frequent fun for him these days). In fact, I suspect some of the "accidents" are deliberate when I hear the "uh-oh" before the cup/spoon/pancake/toy/book takes a hit.

D continues to amaze (and entertain) us with the new words she puts into conversation. Lately I've enjoyed her use of "safety violation" when witenessing a person riding a bike with no helmet or a person in a car wearing no seatbelt. This morning (and this one is good for a laugh or a scare) she named the imaginary king in her pretend kingdom "soul-ja" because he has lots of soldiers. Not sure where that one came from.

Sibling Revelry and Other Adventures in Parenting

Well, Daddy is away and C is taking the task of being "Man of the House" very seriously. What ever would we do without him!? (That's the television remote in his hand)

I was cooking this morning and both kids were playing so nicely together in the playroom. I enjoyed the sweet sound of their laughter. I wanted to know what had them laughing but not enough to risk interrupting them and causing them to stop. Soon, they joined me in the kitchen to show off their latest stunt. Good times.

Finally, we took a trip to the grocery store yesterday and left the car at home. One thing I love about living here is having most things within walking distance. I hope to have this when we move back to the US too. Anyway, we walked and toted our goods home in the buggy. Most things fit in the basket below, but D did me the favor of holding a bag of fruit on her lap.

It was near lunch time and often C gets fussy as we approach noon but he was quiet and content in his seat, under the sun cover (where I can't see him well).

We arrived home and I quickly discovered why C was so content. He had chewed up the fresh zucchini I had placed in the basket at his feet. The stem was gone and the poor vegetable was missing half a dozen chunks! C likes zucchini!

Farewall to an Amazing Lady

Family and friends, we are sad to report that T's Grandma, Virginia Sweeney, passed away on Wednesday. Services will be held Saturday in Creston, IA.

She was one of the neatest ladies I've ever met. So sweet, so kind, so funny. We've had many great memories and laughs with Grandma, who has always had such a sharp mind and fantastic wit.

D shares her middle name with Grandma.

It is always very hard to say good-bye each time we are headed out overseas but we are very pleased that C was able to meet Grandma on our trip home last December.

T is in the air right now, traveling back to attend the funeral. The kids and I are not taking this trip. The journey is very, very long and we would be in no shape to attend services when we arrive. T will be back here in Perth on Thursday.

D and I have been looking at photos and having nice talks about her "Granny." Grandma always delighted in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And D is always happy to entertain!

Thank you to those of you who might offer up some prayers for Grandma, T, and all of the family.

First Birthday Festivities

C's first birthday went very well. Thanks to all our marvelous family and friends who sent greetings, gifts, hugs and kisses, and who attended his birthday party. The celebrations left the little guy exhausted- but feeling loved!

We had a couple of Skype calls on Friday and C opened a few gifts that arrived from overseas. Thanks grandparents!

We held the party Saturday afternoon and, unfortunately, the weather was quite cool and windy. But, never the less, some of the time was spent outdoors will the bubble machine (thanks Maggie!) and a round of Pass the Parcel. But the guests spent most of the time inside eating and enjoying good company.

This was C's first taste of Nana's layered ice cream cake. I made him his own miniature version. He seemed to really enjoy the icing. Who wouldn't?

Below (and this is a shout out to you ladies from IHS) is my work of art. We threw C's party with an ocean theme and I couldn't pass up the idea once I found it. For anyone who can't tell, it's a whale carved from a watermelon. The watermelons here are more round than oblong so I wasn't sure how well he would turn out but, I think all the guests knew what I was aiming to create.

Sunday was spent recovering from the party and enjoying the leftover balloons. Few things bring out squeals of delight like having a dozen balloons thrown at you in the kitchen. If only they could last forever...

Our gift to C was a bouncy castle/paddling pool combo thing that will come out of it's box when the weather is a bit warmer. We'll post photos then. That could be a blog post all by itself!

All Weekends Should be 3 Days!

We've just had a 3-day weekend here in Western Australia. Much needed for all of us! It was a smash hit with D and C to have daddy home for 3 straight days. We did our best to stay busy!

On Saturday, The Perth Royal Show began, which is a lot like a state fair. Loads of fun for families! T and I haven't been to the Iowa State Fair in ages. It brought back fond memories. Though there wasn't a single thing sclupted out of butter. :(

We went with our fabulous friends, the Moores, who are great fun to go on adventures with.

Of course, there was a petting zoo! C wasn't quite sure what to think, he did a lot of observing.

But D had a ball feeding the animals (whether they were hungry or not!). Beside the petting zoo was a fabulous stage set up with dancers and singers to entertain the children. It was difficult to tear D away when it was time to move on. Here she is in the white hat and pink top.

During C's nap in the buggy, we visited the rides. At 3, D is big enough to handle the carousel, teacups, and, of course, the giant slide.

We were all pretty wiped out by the end of the day, but very satisfied with our adventure and all the yummy "fair food" we indulged in. No funnel cakes, but we were pleased with the "Dagwood Dogs" (corn dogs) and cheesy, curly fries.

Sunday was a treat with glorious sunshine. After church, T prepared the bicycles and trailor for our first family ride. I haven't ridden a bicycle in so long. But what a great time!

Monday was the most beautiful and we woke and said, "Let's go to the beach!" It's been months since we truly did a day at the beach, as winter is cool, wet, and often windy here. But on Monday, we had perfect weather for it.

We loaded up all the gear: the tent, buckets and spades, hats, sunscreen, picnic blanket, swim ring, etc. And off we went to the beach at Hilarys Boat Harbor. C is old enough to really enjoy the sand and water now. That makes it much more enjoyable for me too! Last summer's beach trips pretty much consisted of me sitting in the tent beside our son as he ate his fingers while T and D enjoyed the sun, sand, and water. It's a whole new experience this year!

Looking forward to many more bike rides and beach days! Hello spring!

Let the Biting Begin

There's a new sound around our house these days. It's the sound of C biting off bits of crackers and cookies (biscuits). Now that C has sprouted his 4 front teeth, he is successfully biting off bits of his favorite crunchy foods. For the past few months, eating such snacks involved a lot of slobber and gums (and mess) but nowadays, I am watching C's face look ever so satisfied with his new found crunch/snap. Still a lot of gums once the bit of food is in his mouth, but the molars will show up in good time.

We are making plans for C's 1st birthday bash. He's so demanding! What with the live band, ice sculpture, and caviar! I told him he had to choose 1 big-ticket item. I wasn't paying for all 3! What a diva! Actually, he doesn't have too many demands. I imagine a get together with friends, finger foods, and a few new toys will be a satisfactory way to celebrate his first year. He's just happy to have 4 teeth!

Rottnest Island and Fremantle

While our latest visitors were here in August, we had the pleasure of visiting a few spots that we hadn't yet thoroughly explored. Rottnest Island is just a short ferry ride off the coast of Western Australia. Fremantle is a suburb on the coast with great shopping, food, a market, and museums that celebrate Western Australia's maritime history.

We'd gotten mixed reviews from locals about Rottnest Island, who call it "Rotto." Some said "Don't bother." Others said, "You have to spend a week." We all took the ferry over for a day, and we're excited to spend a weekend sometime!

The island is famous (and named, sort-of) for it's small, furry inhabitants, the quokkas. They are tiny, round relatives of the kangaroo. When the island was first explored, the English thought they were rats and that the island was useless. So they began to call the island "Rat's Nest" which later became Rottnest.

We booked a 1.5 hour bus tour that covered the whole island. It's a small, but really beautiful place. It has reefs to explore either by scuba or snokel, a playground, restaurants, bicycle rentals, and, of course, lovely beaches.

Lunch was delicious. Here you can see D enjoying the world's largest kids' meal cheeseburger. It was as big as my regular menu burger. Right about the size of her head.

Fremantle, or "Freo,"was also a wonderful time. Most shopping centers in Western Australia are closed on Sundays. There a few grocery stores here and there that stay open 7 days but most do not. Fremantle was a happening place all day Sunday. We plan to head there more often. We visited the market, had lunch in the sunshine, enjoyed Baskin Robbins ice cream, and then toured the Maritime Museum. It was a marvelous day.

D loved exploring the boats on display at the museum as well as watching an odd (but very talented) street performer who played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes to honor the baby whale that was euthanized in Sydney Harbor that week.

It was really nice having T's mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law here for a week. It went by too fast.

Friday Morning Gymanstics

After a few weeks of requests, here are photos of D at gymnastics. It's lots of fun for her, C, and myself. When I called for information a couple of months ago, I was looking for a program where I could just watch from the seats with C. But, they told me at her age, parents had to participate with the children and any younger siblings are welcome to crawl around on the mats or join in where possible. I was thrilled and signed us up right away.

The kids do 2 or 3 circuits each session with a break for water and fresh fruit about half-way through. Sometimes the ciruits focus on balance, bars, coordination, or jumping and landing.

Still can't reach it! Maybe next week!

C loves all the space to move and mats to roll around on. Now that he is crawling, he tries to join the circuit, but he's not quite ready for the springboards and forward rolls yet.

D's favorite thing to do is jump off the spring boards. Funny photo, but they aren't easy to snap!

Fix My Kids!

It's been just over 2 weeks now since the kiddos came down with nasty colds. Is there anything worse than your kids suffering with illness? Not sure how well I would handle serious illness. Neither seems able to get over the coughing, sneezing, and runny nose. They are resting, drinking fluids, and eating well. Any more ideas?

It's not a great time to post new photos of the kids as there would surely be that lovely, shiny spot below each nostril. So I thought I would catch up on topics I've previously missed blogging about. Like, our new house in North Perth.

A select few of you have had live Skype tours, (sorry for the shaky broadcast) but for the rest, I've snapped a few photos. Our home is 1 of 3 built on the lot, we have the property to the rear so it's a long driveway and very little backyard, but it's nice and quiet. Here's the front.

The playroom. Master bedroom.

Living room.

Kitchen.

D's room.

C's room.

Backyard.

We also have a guest room but it is full of clutter at the moment so no photo for you. You'll just have to come visit us and see it for yourselves!

I'm Due for a Blog!

Has it really been 3 weeks since my last blog!? Time is flying. You all need an update.

We are busy hosting company at the moment. T's mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law are here in Perth with us. We are all having a nice time. There are lots of things to see in the area and we've had gorgeous weather to get out and spend some time outdoors. Today, we took the ferry to Rottnest Island. What a beautiful place! I'll blog more about that and post photos later. We'll have to go back for a long weekend or something to snorkel and just relax on the beach.

C cut his 3rd tooth today. He's not having the troubles he had with the first 2 teeth. Those seemed to cause a lot of discomfort.

D is VERY busy with her aunt and uncle. She has them drawing flowers, reading her stories and skipping rope. Life is good for the girl. She has also been offered enrollment at one of the Catholic schools in our area so we are all very excited about that. The school year begins in February here in Australia. So, she will begin 2 full days per week in February 2009, in what is called kindergarten here, or "Kindy."

Like I mentioned earlier, we've had gorgeous weather here the last few weeks. It looks like winter may be wrapping up and our days will again be filled with 70 degree temps and sunshine. I'm starting to move winter hats and sweatshirts out of my backpack and replace them with wide-brimmed hats and sunscreen. We're all looking forward to spending time at the beach again. Now, if I can just teach C not to eat the sand!

Rockstar and Happy Chappy

I could not possibly take enough photos or video of my children. It's pretty much every day that they are doing countless funny, entertaining things. I ought to have a camera permanently built into my hand. Since that isn't really an option, I try to get the camera out as often as possible to capture their antics.

C's happy disposition earned him a couple of nicknames while we were in Bali. He smiled constantly at anyone who made eye contact and several friendly Australians gave him the name Smileychops. And others chose Happy Chappy. They've stuck and we're enjoying using them on our grinning little man.







And though he smiles at everyone, no one can make him giggle like D does.

And, those of you who Skype with us have probably seen and heard D's rockstar performance. But, for those who haven't, you'll have to see her rock. She was given an electric guitar and microphone with amplifier for her 3rd birthday. (Not from her parents, I can assure you.) And, at the same time, was inspired by David Cook's ability to adapt songs to his own rocker style on American Idol. At the moment, the video I have of these performances are too long to post on blogger. I'll work on taking a shorter video and get it posted soon.

So Now I'm 30

It really isn't so bad at all, being 30. In fact, it's a lot like being 29. And that went just fine for me too. I wasn't anticipating too much emotion over this milestone birthday and it has been quite pleasant.

Thank you to everyone who remembered the day! It made it special to get cards, emails, and food! I actually celebrated several times. I went out with a big group of girlfriends last Wednesday night. We had a marvelous dinner with live Jazz and tasty cocktails. The band even played and sang "Happy Birthday" to me as the waiter brought my dessert with a sparkler stuck in the top. It was great fun!

Friday was another girls' night out with the moms from playgroup. Lots of talking and laughing and food!

Sunday (my actual birthday) was lovely. Church, a food expo, a (much needed) nap, and then a BBQ with friends.

Todd and I will have a night out, just the 2 of us, on Friday. Hopefully, I'll remember to snap some photos to post. Surely, you are curious to see what I look like as a 30-year-old!

No Parades or Fireworks, But There Was Budweiser and Oreos!

Happy belated 4th of July to my fellow Americans! We had a nice Independence day here in Perth, but it wasn't the wild day we are accustomed to back home.

We began the day at Toddler Jam with our good friends Kelly, Jacob, and Ollie. D wore her stars and stripes and I pulled something red, white, blue, and stripey from C's closet. D received many compliments on her ensemble. (Thanks again, Connie, it was lovely to get 2 years out of this adorable dress!)

That evening, T's office hosted a nice 4th of July party. Everyone was invited, not just the Americans, so there was a nice big crowd. They brought in American beer (as was mentioned in the title), ordered pizzas and treated us all to Oreo cookies! So American!

The Social Club put a lot of work into the party. They gave an American trivia game and posted information about American cities and landmarks all over the office. It was very well done and a lot of fun.

We even had party favors that Delaney has worn several times over the weekend.

Just so you know: Australia has their own day of patriotism and celebration (including fireworks). They celebrate Australia Day in January.