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.