Augusta

While Rissie was here, she and I took the boys down to Augusta where we spent the night and explored the area.

Both boys were excited to get out of town.

Our trip included a stop at the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse that Spencer and I visited last year.  It was a windy day, but we just missed the rain, and Rissie and Eliot even spotted some whales from their look-out.

Eliot was a trooper, climbing all of those stairs all the way to the top.

It was just Rissie and Eliot on the tour, so Eliot got to have a lot of hands-on lessons in the mechanical workings of the lighthouse.

He even earned a certificate for making it to the top of the lighthouse.  You probably can't see the certificate very well, but the look on Eliot's face speaks volumes.

Four is the minimum age for climbing the lighthouse, so Peter and I stayed below and watched the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean splash up against one another.  Peter also threw rocks through the fence and told me several times that he wanted to "sim" in the "oh-sin."

Can you see us way down below on the board-walk?

We stopped to check out an old water wheel that was covered in calcification

The area was covered in rocky tide pools.  We stayed for a long time so the boys could throw pebbles into the water and explore.

Aunt Rissie and Eliot Explore Rottnest Island

Last month my sister came to stay with us for a few weeks.  It was a busy visit and I didn't really have a chance to take any pictures.  This is okay, though, because she took plenty of really great shots and sent them to me.

While she was here, she took Eliot over to Rottnest Island for a little day-long excursion.  She had visited the island alone last year when she was here, so she had some idea of places to take him.  They had a great time.

We got up early to drive them down to Fremantle where they caught the ferry.

Eliot was very excited about the bicycle rental.  Apparently he was also very diligent about helmet use and often reminded Aunt Rissie.

Exploring the rocky shoreline.

Eliot was very impressed with this life ring and was excited to have his picture taken with it.

It turned out to be a really nice day so Eliot took a dip in the clear water.

A close encounter with a quokka.  He got to feed some of them, which was a real thrill.

This was a picture taken toward the end of their day.  The look of utter exhaustion on Eliot's face means that the outing was a huge success.

A visit to Canada

At the beginning of June Spencer had the chance to return to Canada to give a paper at a conference that was held in Victoria, British Colombia.  He had been looking forward to this conference more than others he has attended because it meant that he would have a chance to see members of his family that he may not have otherwise seen until the end of our tenure here in Perth.  On his way he had a layover in LA where he caught up with cousins Melissa and Lindsey before heading north where he had a chance to visit with his grandparents and his Aunt Coleen.  He also got to stay with his brother Aaron and sister-in-law Patti, who live in Vancouver, and his brother Doug made it down from Edmonton to join them.  From what I can tell, it was a great visit.  The boys and I have enjoyed hearing about the trip and seeing the pictures of some of the places he visited.  The pictures are beautiful.  Is it possible to be homesick for a place that isn't technically your home?

Spencer and his grandparents

Visiting with Aunt Coleen

The Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC

The Butchart Gardens

The Little Things

A while ago my sister told me about an article she'd read about something the author called The Forgotten Milestones.  What they meant by this was all of the things in your child's development that you missed because you didn't realize that it was the last.  Like the last time they crawled, or sucked their thumb, or snuggled a favourite toy.  I know, right?  Like parenthood isn't loaded down with enough guilt as it is.  I'm reminded of this every time I scroll through Pinterest and notice another childhood keepsake craft that I've not made.  But then I remember that childhood isn't about me getting the right experiences, or me getting the right photo opp, or me getting the right keepsakes.  In fact, my boys' childhood isn't about me at all.  It's about them and the experiences that they have, which we've tried to document in various ways.  I love witnessing their little blossoming lives, and am humbled by the influence I have on them.  I might not catch it when Eliot sets Yellow Bear down for the last time, or when Peter says "Gek" for the last time.  But that's okay.  It'll just mean that my boys and I have been too busy living.

Eliot hosted a Christmas party for the bears.  Complete with paper hats.

Peter, trying to get a drink from the bathroom sink.

Sharing a book with a friend.

If you're not making a huge mess, you're not playing hard enough.

Farmyard Fun

During the school holiday a few weeks ago, the boys and I were delighted to discover farm animals hanging out at our local shopping centre.

Eliot had a great time brushing the sheep and would sprinkle straw across their backs so as to have more brushing to do.

This was about as far away from me as Peter was willing to go.  I couldn't really blame him.  Most of the sheep and goats were eye level with him and some of them were pretty brazen, looking for anything edible.

It took a little while for Eliot to get the hang of feeding the animals.  It tickled his hand so he kept pulling back and spilling the food.

Once he figured it out, though, he was determined to keep them all well-fed.

Why is Eliot asleep on the floor?

A.  Because Peter dared him.
B.  Because, being recently inspired by the lives of Franciscan monks, he has decided to avoid as many creature comforts as possible.
C.  Because that's where mountain lions sleep.

The correct answer is C.  Last week Eliot was Mr Mountain Lion.  He became so wrapped up in his new persona that he decided to sleep on the floor because, as he explained it to me, that is where mountain lions sleep.  I tried to convince him that his own bed was a nice comfortable mountain lion bed, that mountain lions are actually quite fond of comfortable beds.  But to no avail.  He was absolutely determined to sleep on the floor.  I was able, at least, to get him to sleep on a fluffy lamb fleece.  But as you can see in the picture he shifted around and ended up on the hard floor.  We moved him back into his own bed after he'd fallen asleep.  For several nights Eliot went to sleep on the floor.  I went along with it and tried to make the floor as snug as possible.  He seems to have moved on now and goes to sleep in his own bed.  I really can't complain.  As a child I was notorious for pretending to be some animal or other.  My parents always humoured me.  At least, I don't have any memories of them not humouring me.  It's fun to see Eliot's imagination expanding and taking up the world around him.  Even if it means having to move him to his bed after he's fallen asleep.

Speaking Peter

If you want to learn to speak fluent Peter here are a few pointers that you may find helpful.

First, it's important to begin by focusing on your B's, D's, and G's.  You'll use them a lot.  Here are a few examples:

Peter:  Deter
Milk:  Gek  (still his favourite drink)
Truck:  Guk  (he loves watching for trucks out of the window, especially the garbage truck)

Bump:  Bup

Uh-oh:  Bu-po

Raisins:  Dai-sehs

Computer:  Dooter
Dessert:  Dert
Please:  Ease
Thank-you:  Dee-doo
La-dee-doo (a word adopted from Noni meaning any kind of physical mis-hap, as in "climb down from that table before you do a la-dee-doo"):  A-dee-doo

Always use the person's name when thanking them, i.e. Dee-Doo Daddy, Dee-Doo Mommy, and (my personal favourite) Dee-Doo Ed-et.

Sentences are short, to the point, and sometimes repeated with a slight variation on a single theme:  Wheh Daddy, Mommy?  Wheh Ed-et, Mommy?  Wheh Me, Mommy? 

When the lines of communication break down, quickly resort to an ear-splitting scream or obnoxious yell.  This will not restore communication, but you might find it somewhat cathartic.  Unless it gets you some alone time in another room, which it may.

And, above all, you must be prepared to adapt to changes in this rapidly evolving dialect.

Good luck.