The First Big Hurt

It had to happen some time to one of them: the first "big hurt" of childhood. The image is of Sammy in the emergency department about 25 minutes after getting her upper lip sutured earlier this morning. She's doing fine now but, understandably, very tired.

Isaac Newton said "a body in motion tends to remain in motion unless acted upon..." by the upper lip. She fell while running across a part of the home she's been in daily since she could walk. Except last night she stopped herself with her face. It looks almost inconsequential until you notice it crosses from the face onto the lip itself. So we got to meet the friendly plastic surgeon.

As a parent, you know someone is going to get hurt sooner or later. But you expect (at least we did) that it would be something dramatic like getting hit with your first baseball or falling in the park, not a measly fall in the kitchen. 

Basket Cases

Robert and Samantha are complete basket cases! Here they are from earlier in the month sharing the toy basket and watching television. Very often they sit separately, in their own basket.

What is it about wicker baskets? They also have an affinity for our table linen basket, a round basket of approximately 2.5 feet tall. They love to topple it over, and roll it around. Sometimes they just crawl inside. This evening we watched in awe as they learned how to topple it and pick it up by its ends (top and bottom) and carry it around the dining room. 

To watch them work is like watching an army of ants. For tiny infants, they are capable of amazing tasks, lifting and moving heavy objects. Samantha likes to pull the parrot's cage around with Robert hanging off the side!

We watch in wonder of their accomplishments.

A Blast From The Past

One of the challenges parents face is keeping up with hundreds of pictures of their kids. We're no different. We try our best to share the best images and videos electronically through email or this blog but, every so often, something falls through the cracks. The film below is a good example.

"Grandparents Visit 2008" was filmed when the children were just a couple of months old. This was their first time seeing Nana and Pop Pop (Ron & Barbara), during their visit to New York for their 50th anniversary celebration. The film sat around for a long time in an unused camera. A year has passed and it's time to take a look.

It's amazing to compare this footage, where they are so tiny and helpless, to the footage in the preceding post. Enjoy.

Grandparents Visit 2008 from Robert Kerner on Vimeo.

Our Afternoons

The Walk Out from Robert Kerner on Vimeo.

This film represents our typical afternoon pickup at daycare. The kids have been able to walk out of daycare under their own power for the last few weeks, though not every daycare worker lets them. We let the twins run around in the building atrium for a few minutes before loading them into the stroller for the ride home. Every kid in the center seems attracted to the big green lamp post.

Robert and Samantha have been walking now for quite some time, but this is the first film where you see them both walking together. Sam is actually very good at going up steps, probably due to the fact that she's a little taller than 1-minute older brother Robert.

If you wish to see a larger version of any film on this blog, you can click on the the name of the film under the viewing window and it will take you directly to Vimeo.

Enjoy.

First Assistant Camerman

As you may know if you follow this blog, Bob's interests have evolved from photography into videography. He produces the short films you see on this page. He recently completed fabrication of a dolly, which is used to produce smooth motion shots when following moving subjects. Robert, as you can see from the picture, developed an immediate fondness for the new contraption.

In other news, Robert and Samantha are running all around and have begun exploring the stairs. Sammy can make it to the second floor without assistance but with supervision, of course. This morning they were introduced to that all-American breakfast: pancakes at IHOP.

That's it for now. Robert wants to make a film.

Swinging At The Park

Robert is walking around now! He particularly likes climbing over things and can overcome the containment barriers we set up in the living room. Sammy prefers the stairs when she can get to them.

We went to our favorite park a couple of weekends ago to play on the swings. Enjoy.

Swing from Robert Kerner on Vimeo.

Today is Mother's Day

One year ago today our beautiful children entered this world. They have no understanding of age or the custom of celebrating a birthday. They spent their day at daycare with wonderful and caring people while we went to work and school. Perhaps we will celebrate with them later this evening or tomorrow.

A more fitting celebration-it seems- would be to give thanks for Donna. This is her mother's day, the day she brought Samantha and Robert into our lives. The national mother's day may not be for several days, but I'm celebrating it tonight.

Thank you, Donna, for being a spectacular mom. The picture above is from our first journey out of the house with the newborns in June.

Happy Mother's Day.

Bob