I bought my first stereo and CD player with babysitting money the summer before I started high school. I heard about the internet in high school but never actually used it until I took my first college class in summer school after graduation. My college graduation gift was a cell phone and I had to keep track of those 200 precious minutes each month or risk paying a fortune in extra charges. Things have come so far since then and that was only 10 years ago!
My kids are growing up thinking any song they want to hear will come on the radio, thanks to our ipod. Every picture is ready for immediate approval on our digital camera. They assume every TV show is ready to watch the second they ask for it because of the DVR. Ben thinks every VHS tape is Dumbo because that's the only video he's ever watched (and don't ask me why we have several old videos here and no VCR). They both love seeing pictures and playing games on my computer, so I finally introduced them to the world of youtube today. Just things like funny animals and silly accidents but they are HOOKED. Before I realized it, we'd spent half an hour laughing at cats doing flips and old men falling off trampolines. Wow, technology is great. Then I have a heart attack about what it will be like when they're older and on facebook or youtube themselves...but one day at a time! For now we'll enjoy the innocent pleasures of the internet.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Mama's Little Helper
I love Mondays right now. Ben goes to school at 9:15, then Alex and I get to hang out together for several hours. We go straight to his gymnastics class then have a little time for errands or house cleaning before naptime. Today Alex was determined to help me do everything around the house...this is such a fun age! I love getting to spend some one on one time with my little guy. He helped me sweep the porch outside...
...and vacuumed with me inside. Good thing these are such fun activities because they happen a lot! I'm really enjoying seeing Alex's sweet personality and helpful nature when no one else is around to fight with him.
We had a really nice weekend but the only pictures I got were Sunday afternoon at Port Beach, just a couple miles down the road from our house. People were lined up along the coast as far as we could see to watch the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner pull out from the Port of Fremantle. I think these faces tell you how interesting this was to the boys!
We happened to run into a friend and her boys so they got dirty in the sand while we watched the big boat get moving.
This is one huge boat...I wish I could give better perspective of the size. We're looking across the shipping port at it and it just dwarfed everything. It was carrying 3,800 passengers and crew and was the biggest cruise ship in the world a few years ago.
Pulling out through the channel.
And finally out to sea. Too bad it was a hazy day.
At home we got to watch it turn out to sea while we ate dinner on the porch. It was pretty impressive.
Here's a fun little video to show what happens every night after bath time....two little naked boys running around like mad before they collapse for the night.
...and vacuumed with me inside. Good thing these are such fun activities because they happen a lot! I'm really enjoying seeing Alex's sweet personality and helpful nature when no one else is around to fight with him.
We had a really nice weekend but the only pictures I got were Sunday afternoon at Port Beach, just a couple miles down the road from our house. People were lined up along the coast as far as we could see to watch the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner pull out from the Port of Fremantle. I think these faces tell you how interesting this was to the boys!
We happened to run into a friend and her boys so they got dirty in the sand while we watched the big boat get moving.
This is one huge boat...I wish I could give better perspective of the size. We're looking across the shipping port at it and it just dwarfed everything. It was carrying 3,800 passengers and crew and was the biggest cruise ship in the world a few years ago.
Pulling out through the channel.
And finally out to sea. Too bad it was a hazy day.
At home we got to watch it turn out to sea while we ate dinner on the porch. It was pretty impressive.
Here's a fun little video to show what happens every night after bath time....two little naked boys running around like mad before they collapse for the night.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
To Be Young
You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again. ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau
There is no end to the imagination and excitement of these two. I can't remember having even a fraction of their energy!
Cops and robbers is the newest game in this house but the younger Kirkham boy is the one with the most dramatic response to a shoot-out.
There is no end to the imagination and excitement of these two. I can't remember having even a fraction of their energy!
Cops and robbers is the newest game in this house but the younger Kirkham boy is the one with the most dramatic response to a shoot-out.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Specs McKirkham
Ben's glasses haven't slowed him down a bit! He puts them on first thing in the morning and plays with them some during the day, but otherwise they stay put until bedtime. His teacher today said he sat still for the first time during story time so apparently being able to see the book is much more entertaining! Hopefully his life just got a lot better. We still need to go back for an adjustment to keep the glasses from slipping but otherwise they appear to be perfect for him.
The guys went boating together at the playground last week.
Captain Alex is ready to go!
These boys manage to find water anywhere. This fountain is in Perth city (where we ventured Saturday to spend $15 on Welch's grape jelly, but it was oh so worth it...this blackcurrant stuff is not the same) and since I only had one change of clothes for the train ride home, Ben got the dry shorts and Alex got the shirt. Since people ride this commuter train barefoot and in bikinis during the summer, I didn't figure my half-naked kids would cause too much of a stir. Turns out the train was packed with people going to the AC/DC concert so we were definitely not the ones raising eyebrows.
Now that Ben can see more, he's helping Alex make more of a mess than ever. They found my extra makeup stash and Ben was thoughtfully applying lip gloss to Alex's mouth. I'm pretty sure it was mostly going on his tongue since it was peppermint flavored.
We had a picnic by the beach on Sunday and wheeled the kids down the street in the wagon...great fun!
The ocean was so calm it was more like a lake. We even saw a black swan...maybe he got the beach confused with the river?
There is a Sculpture by the Sea event going on at the moment. The people watching was much more entertaining thanthe big structures they hauled out to our otherwise lovely beach. Maybe I just don't get it, but I would call a lot of them eyesores. And most were for sale at prices starting around $5,000....I think we'll pass this year...
The guys went boating together at the playground last week.
Captain Alex is ready to go!
These boys manage to find water anywhere. This fountain is in Perth city (where we ventured Saturday to spend $15 on Welch's grape jelly, but it was oh so worth it...this blackcurrant stuff is not the same) and since I only had one change of clothes for the train ride home, Ben got the dry shorts and Alex got the shirt. Since people ride this commuter train barefoot and in bikinis during the summer, I didn't figure my half-naked kids would cause too much of a stir. Turns out the train was packed with people going to the AC/DC concert so we were definitely not the ones raising eyebrows.
Now that Ben can see more, he's helping Alex make more of a mess than ever. They found my extra makeup stash and Ben was thoughtfully applying lip gloss to Alex's mouth. I'm pretty sure it was mostly going on his tongue since it was peppermint flavored.
We had a picnic by the beach on Sunday and wheeled the kids down the street in the wagon...great fun!
The ocean was so calm it was more like a lake. We even saw a black swan...maybe he got the beach confused with the river?
There is a Sculpture by the Sea event going on at the moment. The people watching was much more entertaining thanthe big structures they hauled out to our otherwise lovely beach. Maybe I just don't get it, but I would call a lot of them eyesores. And most were for sale at prices starting around $5,000....I think we'll pass this year...
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Extreme Makeover
There's only so much you can do to change the image of a 3-year old boy but we did it all today. Here is Ben's before:
And after:
We got him a good haircut and a great new pair of glasses (spectacles here, although that sounds a little old for him) and that really changed his sweet little face. He looks so much older already! We've been talking about getting his new glasses for a week now and I was really curious to see how he would react. The lady that helped us today explained to Ben that his glasses would sleep in their case next to his bed every night, then she gave him a little bag of "goodies" with the case and cleaner and wipes. About 10 minutes later at another store, I watched Ben take off his glasses and carefully fold them up, then wish them good night and tuck them into their case. I thought things weren't going well. I didn't want to push him today because I'm sure it's disorienting to be getting glasses for the first time but as soon as we got home he pulled his glasses back out and put on his favorite 3-D glasses, too. That may be a bit of overkill but it's making him happy and his real glasses have been on ever since. Hopefully he's seeing a big improvement in his vision with these glasses!
They haven't changed the attitude, though!
This little boy cracks me up!
And not to be left out...little monkey kept saying "cheese! smile!"
Update: As I was posting this, I noticed an odd squeaky noise upstairs. Ben was "cleaning" his glasses and putting them away. Somehow they ended up dirtier than they started. This could get challenging!
And after:
We got him a good haircut and a great new pair of glasses (spectacles here, although that sounds a little old for him) and that really changed his sweet little face. He looks so much older already! We've been talking about getting his new glasses for a week now and I was really curious to see how he would react. The lady that helped us today explained to Ben that his glasses would sleep in their case next to his bed every night, then she gave him a little bag of "goodies" with the case and cleaner and wipes. About 10 minutes later at another store, I watched Ben take off his glasses and carefully fold them up, then wish them good night and tuck them into their case. I thought things weren't going well. I didn't want to push him today because I'm sure it's disorienting to be getting glasses for the first time but as soon as we got home he pulled his glasses back out and put on his favorite 3-D glasses, too. That may be a bit of overkill but it's making him happy and his real glasses have been on ever since. Hopefully he's seeing a big improvement in his vision with these glasses!
They haven't changed the attitude, though!
This little boy cracks me up!
And not to be left out...little monkey kept saying "cheese! smile!"
Update: As I was posting this, I noticed an odd squeaky noise upstairs. Ben was "cleaning" his glasses and putting them away. Somehow they ended up dirtier than they started. This could get challenging!
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Motherhood
It's a tough job. It's being on call every waking minute (and some extra waking minutes overnight when needed) 365 days a year to little people that don't understand you used to have a life of your own. The details and to-do lists and tedium can be overwhelming some days. I've learned to appreciate things like 30 seconds of peace to use the bathroom alone or eating my meal while it's still warm instead of begging two little people to eat theirs.
But then I read a blog like this (www.laylagrace.org) and suddenly my head is clear. The fact the my boys can fight means they're physically healthy. The fact that they can yell "no" and ask 1,000 questions a day means they can hear and talk and learn and wonder. The fact that they won't go more than 5 minutes without asking what I'm doing means they love me and enjoy my company. And the real truth is that even while I'm dying for a little time to myself sometimes, my life would be incredibly empty without them and their hugs and kisses and leg-dragging affection. I cannot imagine what Layla's family is going through right now watching their 2-year old succumb to cancer but I'm praying for them and thanking God for our abundant blessings.
But then I read a blog like this (www.laylagrace.org) and suddenly my head is clear. The fact the my boys can fight means they're physically healthy. The fact that they can yell "no" and ask 1,000 questions a day means they can hear and talk and learn and wonder. The fact that they won't go more than 5 minutes without asking what I'm doing means they love me and enjoy my company. And the real truth is that even while I'm dying for a little time to myself sometimes, my life would be incredibly empty without them and their hugs and kisses and leg-dragging affection. I cannot imagine what Layla's family is going through right now watching their 2-year old succumb to cancer but I'm praying for them and thanking God for our abundant blessings.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Mandurah
Today is Labour Day (yes, that's the correct spelling here and no, I don't use "ou" for colour, favour, or any other words since I'm still American) so we had a 3-day weekend. We took another trip out of town to check out Mandurah, a great town just over an hour south of Perth. It's been so nice to be able to drive and get out of town after two years of living on a tiny island nation and having to fly everywhere.
The boys had a busy day Friday getting ready. They washed their cars and Ben was busy drying his while Alex figured out the finer details of the drain. After I walked inside to put the camera away all those toys on the ground disappeared into that drain...will that ever lose its excitement? (but luckily my skinny arms can reach down to the water level to fish them out)
Afterward, the guys warmed up in a nice bath. It does amaze me that it can be 102F outside and any wind can make your wet skin cold pretty quickly because the humidity is so low. Total opposite of Houston where you can pour sweat for hours and feel hotter.
Then they had to play with boxes while I packed their bags. Ben filled his box with every toy from his room determined to take them to the hotel but I finally convinced him that we weren't staying in a hotel just to play with toys. But to all new moms or moms-to-be out there: yes, all you really need to give your kids are boxes. don't bother with the toys!
We woke up Saturday morning and wandered down to Mandurah, then had a nice lunch at a cafe off the river. It was a HOT day so we didn't explore the foreshore as much as I would have liked.
Ben was waiting anxiously for his food to arrive. You can see the brilliant aqua water over his shoulder. I didn't get a good picture but Mandurah is on a river and criss-crossed with canals so all the beautiful water made for great scenery.
We spent the afternoon in the pool cooling off (no camera, though) and Ben and Alex both had a terrific time. They jumped and splashed and played until they couldn't move any more which would explain why we saw this in the backseat after 5 minutes of driving:
On Sunday morning we hit the beach first thing. The sand was darker here but the water was still clear and we chose this beach since it barely had waves. Ours is the blue tent in the middle. The beach did fill up a little more by mid-day but can you believe this is the crowd on a holiday weekend? No US beach would be this empty.
Alex crammed as much watermelon as possible into that big mouth.
Ben and Daddy spent a long time working on a sand castle.
I finally got Alex to give in and take a nap in the tent! It took a lot of crying but he finally wore himself out and gave up. I love sleeping at the beach and have always hoped we could teach the kids to nap out there, too!
I watched several pelicans floating and fishing.
These two were diving together.
Ben with the finished masterpiece.
Nice work, Daddy!
But what's more fun that a beach? Or even a great box? A bucket full of water.
And balloons aren't too shabby, either.
The kids each got one at dinner and it kept them busy (and awake) while Matt and I enjoyed some of the best ribs we've had in years.
Alex and I were up before sunrise this morning so we took a walk along the waterfront to watch the ducks and pelicans.
This guy enjoyed the sunrise with us.
While we were sitting on a dock watching the birds a lone dolphin swam all around us while he was obviously hunting some fish. This was the best picture I got but it was a lot of fun seeing him so close to us for several minutes.
We made it back home before lunchtime with two happy, tired kids. I went to check on Ben as rest time because it was really quiet in his room and this would explain it. He totally passed out on his floor. Rest time works really well for us because I don't ever ask him to sleep anymore but now he usually does fall asleep if he's tired enough but other days just plays for an hour or so.
We got to wrap up a great weekend over dinner with our friend Aaron, in town from Houston for work. It is so wonderful to see old friends from home and get to catch up half a world away.
Thanks, Aaron, for stopping in and bringing treats for everyone!
The boys had a busy day Friday getting ready. They washed their cars and Ben was busy drying his while Alex figured out the finer details of the drain. After I walked inside to put the camera away all those toys on the ground disappeared into that drain...will that ever lose its excitement? (but luckily my skinny arms can reach down to the water level to fish them out)
Afterward, the guys warmed up in a nice bath. It does amaze me that it can be 102F outside and any wind can make your wet skin cold pretty quickly because the humidity is so low. Total opposite of Houston where you can pour sweat for hours and feel hotter.
Then they had to play with boxes while I packed their bags. Ben filled his box with every toy from his room determined to take them to the hotel but I finally convinced him that we weren't staying in a hotel just to play with toys. But to all new moms or moms-to-be out there: yes, all you really need to give your kids are boxes. don't bother with the toys!
We woke up Saturday morning and wandered down to Mandurah, then had a nice lunch at a cafe off the river. It was a HOT day so we didn't explore the foreshore as much as I would have liked.
Ben was waiting anxiously for his food to arrive. You can see the brilliant aqua water over his shoulder. I didn't get a good picture but Mandurah is on a river and criss-crossed with canals so all the beautiful water made for great scenery.
We spent the afternoon in the pool cooling off (no camera, though) and Ben and Alex both had a terrific time. They jumped and splashed and played until they couldn't move any more which would explain why we saw this in the backseat after 5 minutes of driving:
On Sunday morning we hit the beach first thing. The sand was darker here but the water was still clear and we chose this beach since it barely had waves. Ours is the blue tent in the middle. The beach did fill up a little more by mid-day but can you believe this is the crowd on a holiday weekend? No US beach would be this empty.
Alex crammed as much watermelon as possible into that big mouth.
Ben and Daddy spent a long time working on a sand castle.
I finally got Alex to give in and take a nap in the tent! It took a lot of crying but he finally wore himself out and gave up. I love sleeping at the beach and have always hoped we could teach the kids to nap out there, too!
I watched several pelicans floating and fishing.
These two were diving together.
Ben with the finished masterpiece.
Nice work, Daddy!
But what's more fun that a beach? Or even a great box? A bucket full of water.
And balloons aren't too shabby, either.
The kids each got one at dinner and it kept them busy (and awake) while Matt and I enjoyed some of the best ribs we've had in years.
Alex and I were up before sunrise this morning so we took a walk along the waterfront to watch the ducks and pelicans.
This guy enjoyed the sunrise with us.
While we were sitting on a dock watching the birds a lone dolphin swam all around us while he was obviously hunting some fish. This was the best picture I got but it was a lot of fun seeing him so close to us for several minutes.
We made it back home before lunchtime with two happy, tired kids. I went to check on Ben as rest time because it was really quiet in his room and this would explain it. He totally passed out on his floor. Rest time works really well for us because I don't ever ask him to sleep anymore but now he usually does fall asleep if he's tired enough but other days just plays for an hour or so.
We got to wrap up a great weekend over dinner with our friend Aaron, in town from Houston for work. It is so wonderful to see old friends from home and get to catch up half a world away.
Thanks, Aaron, for stopping in and bringing treats for everyone!
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