4 Years Old!!

Is it possible?? Is my sweet baby Ben really four years old already? Was it really four years ago that we had a baby so unexpectedly and got blessed with this beautiful little boy despite all our worst fears for his survival and well-being? Praise God for helping Ben start from this tiny fragile body to the big, healthy boy we know today.

I can finally look at most of his early pictures now without getting emotional but Ben's birthday will always bring back a little of the shock and fear of having a 1lb 9oz baby on life support. Not the way anyone pictures getting initiated into the world of parenthood. But look at the amazing little boy he has grown into. (and yes, I specifically chose a picture with jelly on his cheeks to keep things authentic)

The age of 3 has been an absolute joy and a roller coaster ride...every day has been exciting and emotional and insightful. His amazing vocabulary has let us into the wonders of that little head and let us know everything, and I do mean everything, he is thinking about from 7am to 7pm. We still run into the whining and outbursts, but for the most part he is a tiny little adult and blows my mind regularly. Ben is smart, incredibly observant to his surroundings, curious, thoughtful, loving, funny, and imaginative. He makes me laugh every single day. He takes care of Alex, shares things with him, and assaults him daily but won't stand for anyone else mistreating his little brother. No one gives better hugs or makes such wonderful pretend ice cream.

Ben is tall and thin and doesn't have an ounce of fat on him anywhere. We both love that he's still so easy to pick up and throw around and he doesn't have much fear of any physical feats - he's determined to keep jumping off the steps until he breaks. He's still quite the dancer but chooses to be more intellectual these days unless he particularly loves a song or see Alex dancing. Ben will do anything for a cupcake or marshmallow. He has a special voice for his puppy and treats him like a lifelong friend. I think he would watch TV all day without moving but the minute to door opens he's outside running around like a crazy man.

If he can see that I'm sad or tired, Ben will give me kisses and tell me everything will be okay. He's still jealous of my lap and will fight for space if Alex is in it. Ben loves to sing and regularly gets called out at school for singing (loudly, I'm sure) when it's quiet time....we often hear him singing until he goes to sleep at night. Routine is important to him and he has a huge checklist of things he wants done before bedtime, including about a dozen little friends in bed with him. His favorite meal is anything with french fries. When we go to McDonalds, I ask if he wants a cheeseburger or nuggets and he inevitably answers "french fries!".

Current favorite phrases:
"Mama, why are you not talking?" (usually when I've zoned out in the car after 30 minutes of questions)
"Why?" this applies to everything, as in: why is it Tuesday? why is it dinnertime? why is that the hamper?
"I am very cross." I blame this one on his teacher and her british roots.
"Alex, are you readdddaaayyy??" Usually before they get in trouble for something like jumping on the couch.
"Sorry, I can't do that because I'm too ____" Fill in the blank with: tired, busy, hungry, tall, little, etc etc. The reason need not fit the request.
"Mama, I love you." Typically a while after he's gotten in trouble for something and is trying to make sure we're still friends, but it never fails to melt my heart, especially if he tilts his head and grabs my cheek. This boy will break some hearts one day. Ladies, you have been warned.

Ben, I love you with all my heart. You make me a better person each day because I want to be at my very best to raise you into a strong, intelligent, loving, God-fearing, man of character. You make me proud each and every day. I look forward to what this next year holds in store for you!

Three Years Abroad

Believe it or not, today marks three years since we moved overseas! Life has changed so much...just look at little Ben on his first international flight.

I've also been thinking about how much I've changed over the past three years, living on two very different continents and learning about the world outside of America. This experience has definitely made me more outgoing and much less uncomfortable in situations where I don't know anyone. I used to break out in a cold sweat thinking of going to a social event with total strangers and now I look forward to meeting some new people and having interesting conversations. My brain converts from fahrenheit to celsius, feet to meters, and ounces to milliliters automatically. I have to remind myself that it is correct for drivers in the movies to sit on the left side. I plan my mornings around which days it's convenient to skype with my parents or call my sister, since there is no calling Texas after 10am here (at least not if I want to stay on good terms with anyone!). For all its ups and downs, this has been a wonderful experience for us all.

No matter where home is at the moment, the boys always know how to have a good time. Sometimes that just involves figuring out how to get an arm or two free from one's shirt!

We made cupcakes to take to Ben's school on Wednesday and Ben decided that his puppy needed a birthday celebration himself. Favorite animal + candle = near disaster, of course, but we managed to keep puppy from being incinerated and enjoyed the cupcakes.

Alex was playing quietly in the yard, which any mother would know means he was making some kind of trouble. Turns out our sprinklers had left a puddle in the pool and he found it with no problems.

We got to watch Daddy catch a few waves at the beach in front of the house recently. The boys loved it even though I'm not sure they ever knew which one was Matt.

NOT what anyone woman wants to see while watching her husband in the ocean - a large fin. The first time it surfaced it was going straight and fast, but then it came up again and was obviously a dolphin hunting fish and not a shark. Matt said he and several other surfers watched the dolphin riding a few waves of his own.

The boys' attention drifted, naturally, and they spread plenty of grass on the sidewalk. Such fun.

A nice way to spend a late afternoon!

Alex's First Movie

One rainy day last week, we met Robin and Austin for a blockbuster movie event - Mickey Mouse and the Choo-Choo Express. Since Alex is a huge fan of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse it seemed like a perfect time for his first movie. Here's a typical picture in front of the sign...neither kid is looking, although Ben appears to be smiling so that's a small victory. And if you notice, it says "$6 tickets!" and believe me, that's a bargain here.

The kids did great and only moved their arms to shovel popcorn into their mouths. I'd say Alex is a big fan of the movies. His friend Austin wasn't quite as into the movie (which was just under an hour) but had a great time climbing on the seats.

Afterward we let all the boys play in the arcade and naturally they chose the racing game first thing.

And who needs the movies for entertainment?

These guys come up with plenty on their own.

We were lucky enough to get a private concert and dance performance over the weekend. Hollywood, watch out!

We've been fortunate to have some more gorgeous days and even got to eat dinner on the porch again.

Check out this unbelievable sunset! The colors lasted for over half an hour and I couldn't quit taking pictures.

The Baby

I've always been a fan of the traits of birth order, probably because I was the baby growing up in a family of firstborns and then went on to marry a firstborn. They tend to take charge, set goals, be opinionated, and strive for perfection. Babies of the family (the last born) tend to be more people-oriented, affectionate, and attention-seeking. So far that is already proving to be true for both of my kids. Ben is so picky and precise and expects things to be perfect. Alex is quickly turning into our little entertainer and has spent the morning keeping me laughing with his antics.

He hijacked my vacuum to try it on his clothes and body parts.

So much fun!!

This just about killed me. He walked up the stairs and stood quietly until I noticed he had two pacis in his mouth then he laughed and laughed with me.

He's also making poot noises with his mouth and saying "stinky" or "excuse me". I guess potty humor has no age limit! I'll have to get a video of that soon.

Happy Mother's Day!

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

People often ask what I miss the most about living overseas and my first answer is always my mom. (no offense to my wonderful dad, of course) She's always been an inspiration to me and an example of love, patience, and thoughtfulness that I understand and appreciate more with each passing day now that I'm a mother myself. Even across thousands of miles, she's still a huge source of encouragement, advice, and comfort to me all the time, no matter when I call or what I'm interrupting. I love you, Mom!

March 2006

August 2008 (that's Alex in the sling)

December 2009

April 2010, with Stacey and future grandson Reid

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and moms-to-be! Hope you get a chance to celebrate the amazing gift and awesome responsibility that is motherhood.

Our Week In Pictures

We've been back in business around here lately - the business of keeping two boys from killing one another on a daily basis. These guys really love each other but they're both really good at pushing one another's buttons (and doing it just out of my sight most of the time). It's good to see a few moments like these when they're standing in such close vicinity and not assaulting one another.

Big kiss! They're both great kissers at the moment. Ben puckers his lips up and Alex says "mmmmmmmmwuhhh!" about 5 seconds after you're done kissing him.

We had a fun playdate at the park after Ben's school one day and Alex was thrilled to find a leaky fountain. He was soaked immediately but didn't seem to mind. Since it's pretty chilly now and definitely cool by the end of the day, I was thankful for the spare outfit I carry in my bag all the time. Helps that both kids can wear the same clothes, too!

All dry and back in action. I was wearing a sweater and felt cold just looking at him but Alex didn't seem to mind a bit.

"Little bitty shopping carts" have been very popular this week. I do my big trip to the grocery store on Mondays while Ben is at school and I only have to wrangle one child through the store. When I'm feeling particularly patient (or just want to punish myself?) I'll let Alex walk and when he's extra lucky he gets the little cart in Claremont. Tons of fun for him, moving weapon to the rest of the world.

Ikea is a favorite in this house for two reasons: more little shopping carts...


...and their fantastic chocolate mousse.

It's a race to see who can finish first, which is why we each get our own every time.

Our other fun outing this week was to the indoor playground. We met Austin there for a great morning of boy craziness.

Nothing could be better than a room full of balls to a preschool aged boy!

Ben got some air in the big bouncy castle.

All the boys did so much laughing and jumping.

Ben was really sweet to help Alex in the huge play structure. It's 3 stories tall and Alex wasn't quite able to do everything himself. Here he was a little freaked out by a rope bridge that moved substantially when they walked across it and Ben took Alex's hand to lead him back to the solid surface. Later, Alex got all the way to the top and couldn't climb up the last platform to reach the slide down to the bottom. Parents aren't allowed inside the structure so all I could do was try to yell instructions to Alex who could have cared less, so instead I sent my little helper up several times to give his little brother a boost. With Ben's help, Alex climbed up the last step and rode the big slide down about 30 minutes later than I'd planned to leave. Then both boys begged to do it all again. Looks like we'll be headed back there soon.

It's still really pleasant to sit out on our balcony during the day right now, although it's too cold in the mornings and evenings. I was having lunch there a few days ago and noticed white feathers drifting from the tree directly in front of me every once in a while. When I studied the tree, I noticed a hawk was also enjoying his lunch at the same time, only his was a cockatoo instead of a sandwich. Pretty interesting to watch, but not necessarily at meal time.

My favorite thing about Perth by far - the amazing sunsets. The sun has moved north enough for us to enjoy it dipping into the ocean each evening (about 5:30 these days). Tonight I actually saw the green flash at the very last moment of sunlight but I didn't have my camera...hope to get that recorded one day. Here was a nice one a few days ago.

Month of Anniversaries

I can't believe it's May already. Somehow April slipped past without me even noticing. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that it's late fall here and April and May are permanently etched in my mind as spring months so I'm all confused. I will always refer to June, July, and August as summer but here I have to qualify my statement and remind people I'm talking about Texas summer. So realizing it's May has really started me thinking about all the big things in our lives that have happened this month. Ten years ago I graduated from college (Matt was a semester behind me but let's not remind him of that..ha!), eight years ago tomorrow Matt and I got married, six years ago we bought our first house, four years ago we had our sweet Ben (although we weren't expecting him until September), three years ago we sold that first house and left Texas to move overseas, one year ago we found out we were moving again. This May will hopefully not be quite as memorable in the grand scheme of things but it will be a fun month of celebrating the events that brought us here today. Here's a look at two crazy kids eight years ago, courtesy of our scanner since we got married just before the digital age:


We haven't done much the past week or so because I've been busy catching up from our fun weekends. The weather is still just warm enough to really enjoy being outside so we're visiting parks and playgrounds nearly every day since I know the cold, rainy weather is just around the corner.

We met up with Austin at King's Park last week. I love how Alex managed to get dirty in about 30 seconds flat. Also love how Ben is so busy driving or flying in both of these pictures he couldn't be bothered to look up.

Alex discovered the magic of the vacuum last week. I let him suck up as much popcorn as he wanted because I figured it couldn't hurt anything. Wrong. Watch the video below and you'll understand why I needed some chopsticks and patience a minute later.