Happy Anniversary

Spencer and I enjoy giving one another anniversary gifts with a traditional theme.  For example, the traditional gift for the first anniversary is paper.  Spencer bought me some books that he purchased in Paris where he was staying on a research trip, and I got him tickets to a ball game and a plane ticket to take me to Paris so that we could be together on our first anniversary.  This year the traditional gifts were either iron (US) or sugar (UK).  We went with candy and a night out to a restaurant, leaving Eliot and Peter with a babysitter for the first time--which actually went really well since we put Peter to bed before we left and Eliot turned out to be so delighted to hang out with a fresh new face that he was a model of good behaviour.

We went to a restaurant called C Blu (those planning visits take note) which was recommended to me by one of the moms in the play group I take the boys to.  Our table was situated next to a window that was open to the fresh air and had a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean where the sunset was just starting to fade.  As the evening darkened you could see the lighthouse winking far away on Rottnest Island and the sparkling lights of ocean-going vessels along the horizon.  It was lovely.  We've had our share of adventure in the past six years that have brought us to where we are now.  We reflected on them as we drove home to the two little people that have brought the biggest change and the grandest adventure (and to whom this blog is truly dedicated).  Celebrating with our little picnic in Versailles those years ago, we certainly never imagined we'd be here now.

Too hot for the beach

It's official, this has been Perth's hottest summer in some 40-odd years, and its second hottest summer on record.  So the good news: statistically it's nearly impossible for it to be this hot next summer.

When the temperature climbs it's often nice to head to the beach but there have been days when it was too hot for the beach.  I know that sounds odd.  Kind of like saying it's too cold to snow.  But it's true.  And now we can say that we've experienced both.  I took the boys to the beach several weeks ago on just such a too-hot-for-the-beach day and we spent the whole time languishing in the shade.  If you ventured out into the sun, the sand scorched your feet.  Needless to say, the visit didn't last long.

We have had other less than charming beach experiences.  A couple of months ago we thought we'd go down to the beach for the afternoon.  It was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining and a cooling breeze had kicked up.  Little did we know that when a cooling breeze kicks up it means that at the beach the breeze is going to be kicking the you-know-what out of anyone who wanders into its path.  We huddled in a lump with our towels over our heads to keep the sand out of our ears.  That was another short visit.

For the most part, though, our beach outings have been lovely.  When the sun:wind:sand:water ratio is just right and you spread a blanket out under a couple of umbrellas and pull out some snacks...it really is just about perfect.

Just having a nose through the books

Peter's interest in books is beginning to broaden. He is discovering that they are not only good for relieving the discomfort of teething. It's also fun to turn the pages, look at the pictures and listen to fun new sounds.

Swimming Lessons

Last week after Eliot's swimming lesson, the teacher mentioned to me that he (Eliot) was a little hesitant to put his whole face in the water and wondered if goggles might help. That week we purchased a pair and Eliot thinks they are the greatest things ever. I was a little worried that he would be resistant to them, but there was no need to worry. He has even worked them into his evening routine. No shower is complete without putting on the goggles and dunking his face into a bucket of water.

His lesson today went very well. He used his goggles and didn't seem to have any trouble plunging himself into the water.

Peter had a great time watching, even if he did get a little sweaty. He was nearly as wet as Eliot was by the end of the lesson.

The Spirit of Exploration

A few weeks ago, during the boys' afternoon nap, I sat down exhausted. Why was the apartment such a mess? It didn't used to be so messy. Was I getting sloppy? What was going on? In the bathroom there were diapers strewn across the floor. Bath toys were all over the shower floor and trailed out onto the bath mat. The hamper of dirty clothes had been emptied, each item flung in a different direction.

Things were just as bad out in the living room. Books that hadn't been touched since we got settled in here were pulled out onto the floor. The bead maze was lying on its side. Plastic lids and cooking utensils were mixed in with the books. Shoes that had been neatly arranged beside the door were now scattered in disarray. A piece of toast was peeking out from under the couch. Then it struck me. Of course! We have a crawler! How had I forgotten about this stage? Peter, who has been eyeing everything around him for months, now has the ability to go check it out, and he's not wasting any time.

The shower is one of his all-time favorite spots.

No corner is above his notice.

Checking out the air conditioner, and enjoying a nice blast of cool air.

Testing the strength of our screen door.

Off to something new!

Advance Australia Fair!

January 26th was Australia Day. We celebrated with a trip to the swimming pool. Eliot practiced some of the skills he's been picking up in his swimming lessons. Peter enjoyed cooling off in the pool and spent some quality time with Daddy in the shade while Eliot and I went to the big pool and did some jumping off the side and catching respectively.

Later in the evening we drove up to the church building to meet up with some friends and watch the fireworks. Our church is at the top of a hill and has a great view of the city. Unpredicted storm clouds came rolling in, however, and as the rain began to fall we took the boys and high-tailed it home before the fireworks began. It made me sad because I'd talked up the fireworks to Eliot and he kept asking where they were going to "go boom in the sky." After I put Peter to bed I noticed that we could just see the fireworks (which did not get rained out) from our windows. So Eliot stood on a chair and caught a glimpse of his first fireworks. I think next year he and Peter will both be better prepared to enjoy them more fully. And hopefully it won't rain.

Eliot found a really cool stick while we were waiting for our friends and watching the storm. So the trip was not a total loss :)

The Boys

The other day my mother sent me an email asking for an update on what the boys are doing right now. I'd been intending to do an EFG (Especially for Grandparents) post anyway so I thought this would be a good time to share some of the new little tricks our little Eliot and Peter are up to. (Note: some of the pictures match up with what I've written about and some of them just show other things the boys are doing these days.)

Motor Skills:

Eliot thinks jumping is the greatest thing ever. He still loves trampolines, but now he loves to jump off of things. The side of a pool, a stool, a chair, the couch, you name it, he's probably jumped off of it (or at least thought about jumping off of it).

Peter has officially moved into the crawling phase and enjoys exploring the apartment. He especially loves getting into the shower. He has started to pull himself up on the couch and enjoys climbing up and over Eliot's step stool. Sometimes when Eliot is still on it.

Reading:

Peter is still at the age when the quality of a book is based primarily on its mouthfeel. There is one board book in particular that he enjoys. He, of course, loves to chew on it, but if you can pry it's pages apart he also enjoys looking through it because there's a little mirror at the end that he can smile into.

Eliot loves to be read to. His favorites are too numerous to be listed, but some of the titles he is currently into are Winnie the Pooh, Bats at the Beach, and anything by Dr Seuss. He will also sit for a few pages of more advanced tomes like Little House on the Prairie or Wind in the Willows.

Language:

It amazes me how much Eliot's use of language has developed even since we arrived here. His sentences are more complex, "Mama get the phone please" and he's experimenting more with subtlety, "Mama watch little bit Curious George?" His phone skills have come a long way as well.

Peter loves to squeal and make a variety of noises. And of course he loves to giggle.

Interests:

Peter has a strange and compelling fascination with our cordless phone. Whenever he sees it his eyes widen, his little feet kick in excitement, he trembles all over and he clutches at it beseechingly. Once you give it to him he enjoys pushing the buttons and hearing it beep until you eventually have to persuade him to give it up. And when I say 'persuade' I of course mean pry it from his firm grip. He also enjoys rummaging through this and that, and trying to play with whatever Eliot is playing with at any given moment.

Eliot still loves Yellow Bear above all others. He is also fascinated by the way things work and fit together. He 'helped' us assemble the fans that we purchased. He also 'helped' with his crib when it arrived. He likes to pull apart and reassemble his little toys, and I'm sometimes amazed at what he's able to figure out. When we were visiting with some friends they brought out a contraption that held soap for blowing bubbles. Eliot was far more interested in puzzling out the contraption than with blowing any bubbles.

(I love that they're making the same face.)

Outings:

Eliot loves his swimming lessons. He also enjoys trips to the beach, to the library, to the grocery store and to the park. He must walk but does a good job of holding hands or holding on to the stroller. When he gets tired he'll ride in the stroller and snuggle Yellow Bear.

Peter is pretty much just along for the ride. He seems to enjoy any outing that involves air conditioning. The beach is nice as long as it's not too windy and he can relax on a blanket in the shade of an umbrella. On hot afternoons I take the boys to a wading pool that's shaded with a canopy. Peter loves splashing in the cool water. He's a good sport.

All in all our little boys are doing well and getting bigger every day. Even with the challenges and frustrations, they are delightful little guys and we love them.