RJ suffered from a horrible bout of chicken pox for a day, but awoke the next morning completely spot free with no symptoms! Vaccine FTW!

Dad tied up a tennis ball to use for teeball practice. RJ pointed out that it's so much easier to whack a ball using a tennis racket.

LR loves to laugh. Dad loves to take photos. Sometimes they happen at the same time.

At the Naturescape area, LR carefully constructed a channel around someone else's dam, and drained the upper pond.

RJ: Zero days without injury!

At the train station, RJ enjoys a delicious spearmint milk.

Mum wonders why the most annoying people on the train always sit right next to her.

RJ discovers a small vase at the achaeological dig site.

LR carefully sorts the fragments, ultimately piecing together a cup and saucer!

Mom helps RJ assemble the pieces without skewering his hand on ceramic shards.

LR tries her hand at some stone carving. It's harder than it looks but gets easier once you get into a groove.

Dad explains some of the finer points of carving to RJ, who knows it all already.

LR also used a loom to weave a section of belt, or strap, or something... Probably a bookmark. When in doubt, you can always use something as a bookmark.

RJ poses next to the massive lego creation.

Mom took everyone out to breakfast on Dad's birthday! Grammy and Poppa showed up too!

RJ helped roll out the pizza crusts for Dad's birthday dinner.

... but Mom had to help on some of them.

LR puts the finishing touches on Dad's birthday cake.

Happy Birthday to you!!!!

We took a quick trip to Dwellingup before the worst heat of the summer arrived. By begging for edamame soy beans, Scarlet established once and for all that she is not a real dog.

RJ hunts carefully for tadpoles in the stream. He ended up catching four or five in about ten minutes.

Scarlet found herself a nice comfy spot to lay down in.

RJ and LR take shelter underneath the 'tent' that dad helped them build. Sorry Dad, only room for two in here!

Oh nevermind, we can move over for you.

A few days later, it was time for Thanksgiving dinner! Aunty Jess shows us just how much fun making corn bread can really be.

Grammy and Jess working together.

Even Uncle Troy and Aunty Bron from Melbourne were there! Hey guys!

Poppa did a great job carving the turkey.

Mom teaches LR the finer points of stealing the most delicious bits from the turkey before it's even served.

Here boy! Jump! Up! Up! Good RJ! ... (and you wonder why the boy has issues)

After a huge turkey feast and too much pie, Poppa and RJ go over the hand-traced turkeys that he made in class that day.

RJ's friend C visited for a sleepover. The next morning, the two of them insisted on pancakes, the internationally recognised breakfast of bloodthirsty pirates and fierce centurions.

At Grammy's birthday party, RJ taught Great Grandpa Maury everything you need to know about Bakugans.

RJ and Great Grandma Dot have a detailed discussion about garden snails.

LR contributes to the huge painting by adding the symbols for river, sun and lots and lots of fire.

There were also people dressed up as wildflowers. Zamia, the poisonous warrior wildflower was our favorite.

A picture... of us... sitting in wildflowers... again?

One of our close friends had a baby and she brought him over for a visit!

Mom went into school for another big science afternoon with RJ's class.

Mom pops some dry ice bubbles, releasing little clouds of mist.

The kids had to line up at each of the stations to get the parts for the next stage.

Now that Winter's over and the weather has cleared up, we can head down to Cottesloe for fish and chips at the beach.

The best thing about fish and chips at the beach is running around and playing on the edge of the wall.

LR and RJ sprint around the corner, then throw themselves off the edge.

Jump, LR! JUMP!

RJ and Mom enjoy a quiet moment while LR does a few more crazy jumps.

Mom and LR wave a final goodbye before getting in the car. Say HI to everyone for us!

RJ and Dad spent a bunch of time running around the different local parks.

You can run...

...but you can't hide, RJ!

RJ reads through the secret messages in the geocache.

Dad and RJ went on a photo excursion out at an orchard. There were flowers everywhere!

Just about to head home, but it looks like there's still time for ice cream after all!

Grammy and Poppa's house is still under construction.

... but that just makes it more fun to climb through and explore.

PB, and MS follow RJ across the park to the secret hidden location.

RJ shows PB and MS the geocache and helps them get the logbook out.

MS takes a moment to sign the geocaching logbook.

Poppa and Grammy hanging out at their new park.

Come on, Poppa! We're dying to get some food!

PB shows RJ the best tricks to reach the top of the mountain while waiting for dinner to arrive.

RJ does his own special dance during his school concert.

Make a wish! Mom slices into her favorite cake, pinapple upside-down cake!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Poppa and LR look over some of his pictures of New York as RJ backflips in the background.

RJ takes the ball in his soccer finals! Go Ninjas!

Coach Jeremy presents RJ with a medal with a congratulatory handshake.

RJ rescued this waterlogged dragonfly at the beach and resuscitated it successfully.

The kids dressed up as their favourite characters for Book Day: RJ as Korlo the Gatekeeper and LR as Nancy Drew.

We spent a weekend up at Gingin, and a friend brought along their dirt bike. LR thought it was AWESOME.

RJ enjoys a piece of cake while taking a break on the pizza oven.

LR threatens to jump on Dad's head from a great height.

A huge stone warrior, bewildered at his sudden relocation to Australia, makes friends with LR.

RJ admires the warrior's collection of snakes, and wants to join the club.

After dark, LR and a friend posed for some light-painting antics.

Big news: RJ has started piano lessons and loves it! In other news, the song "Chopsticks" is taking an unassailable position as least favourite of all time (amongst parents age 30-39).

LR awoke to a huge pile of presents. Yeah!!!!

Her main present was a sewing kit, complete with pins, needles, fabric, thread, yarn, knitting needles, scissors and marking chalk, and most importantly, a big box with lots of little compartments to keep it all organised.

LR opens one of her presents from RJ, a glowing speaker for her ipod. He spent a lot of time with Mom carefully choosing something he knew she would like.

LR also received a phone call from the USA. Grandma Wendy and Grandpa Jeff called to wish her Happy Birthday!

Grammy stopped by to deliver her present (from Poppa too). An art kit with charcoal, pencils, brushes, and a sketch pad -- perfect for taking with you, anywhere.

Dad promised he would decorate her cake exactly as she wanted it. LR joined in to help make it perfect. Requirements: the planet Saturn, bacterial colonies, a strand of DNA and some writing.

Mom sets down the cake as LR dangerously wields the notorious Birthday Cake Knife.

LR's birthday party was a carefully planned event. Everyone was required to wear a costume. LR chose to dress as a princess.

LR and the girls played different games at the park.

Food time! A horde of hungry girls swarms the table.

While one group of girls played games across the road, the rest performed for the video camera in a suspensful tale of deceit and treachery (directed by Dad). The footage was edited while the kids ate cake and other goodies. Once done, they all sat down to watch themselves in their own movie. The entire concept was LR's plan from the beginning and everyone loved it!

Seven birthdays, and seven teeth down!

RJ's favorite present was this jaw from a 10ft lemon shark.

His other big present was a set of Lego PowerMiners, mostly because it comes with the largest rock monster available.

After school, it was time for RJ's "Not a party" Party in the park. Half the kids joined our train that snaked through the school toward our house.

A big part of your birthday is the birthday hat... RJ decided it was good enough to wear all day long.

LR is happy to hang out with some of RJ's friends... for a little while.

Kid pile-up at the swing!

RJ blows out the candles... Only one girlfriend this year!

Mum hands out the delicious cupcakes that Grammy made.

C and RJ peek over the edge of the slide before disappearing.

Apparently, a slide is the most fun if it has seven people on it.

Later that night, after dinner, we had another cake for RJ.

The next day, RJ invited two of his friends to go to the movies with us.

We always wave to the train drivers as they arrive at the station.

The three guys watch the world cruise by out of the window of the train.

We had fun spinning a huge stone sphere balanced on a fountain. We got it moving really fast!

One the way to the theatre, we stopped to watch a street performer do some amazing juggling tricks.

The kids enjoy the traditional 'Choc Bombs' -- chocolate covered ice cream cones. We used to get them at the movies as kids too!

RJ hits number five today! Congrats, mate!

Nothing like starting a birthday with a whirlwind of shrieking children wearing underpants outside their clothes and on their heads.

Mum and the kids whipped up a delicious german chocolate cake.

To minimise our greenhouse gas contribution (and avoid the nuisance of having a cake totally covered in candle wax) we do the number of years in binary.

It also makes it a lot easier to blow out the candles!

Time for TOTAL CAKE DESTRUCTION!!! RAAAAAARRGH!

The kids made LOTS of presents: cards, bracelets, necklaces, and even a container for putting stuff in. It was great!

Off to the park across the street for a play. Mum said that dad and the kids needed to get some energy out.

The kids stopped briefly for icy-poles. Dad agreed not to chase them until they were done, but changed his mind half-way through. The best thing about 'Rules Chasey' is that when you're IT, you get to make a new rule or change an old one.

Foolish Dad should have made a 'No climbing out of my reach' rule. He's going to stuck being IT for a while.

Aha! Dad can reach you here! You're in trouble now LR!!!

Dad took LR and RJ on the train into the city to look for a present for Mum's birthday.

RJ brought his pet spider along. He just loves skidding around the department store floors.

Haaaapppyyy birthday to youuuuuuuuu!

RJ and Dad worked together to build this little robot. Mum loves the screeching electronic noises it makes, as well as the fact that it responds to voice commands, but only when shouted at THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS.

LR goes for a super kick at her soccer finals!

Go the mighty Jets!!!

RJ continued bouncing and bouncing and bouncing.

RJ and his favorite trampoline coach. He made her a very special thank you card.

RJ went for his first sleep-over at a friend's place. We got a call from him at 8:30pm saying he was bored and wanted to come home now.

LR and T. spent an afternoon climbing the walls, and discovering magic seeds growing on our tree.

M., C., and RJ enjoyed some killer cupcakes at M.'s birthday party.

RJ (as Cecil the Compsognathus) and LR (as Rapunzel) dressed up as their favorite characters for book day.

Rapunzel considers letting down her hair, before heading off to her ivory tower.

RJ explains to one of his classmates how a compsognathus can escape a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

RJ and C. have taken up jedi training (martial arts) once a week.

Poppa points out some of the finer details of the Iris Award second place winner to Dad's cousin Judith. Dad didn't win, but it was a fantastic exhibition regardless.

Mum had a big surprise when she ordered a margarita for our post-exhibition dinner... It was bigger than her head!

She's wonderful.

She makes a great pirate.

She looks great first thing in the morning.

She has a bit of a checkered past.

And she's always fun to have around!