Nowhere is this more obvious than when it comes to the kids’ birthdays. Every year they get custom made, personalised cards where I spend half a day finding images and manipulating photographs in order to paste their faces into some film or TV show they enjoy.
If you scroll to the bottom of the post of Meg is 9, for example, you will see her expertly inserted into the Ice Age 2 poster. And last year, my blending of Rogan into Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine character from the X-Men (see They Grow Up So Fast) had a couple of people wondering how an 11 year old could grow such a healthy set of sideburns.
This year I’ve been able to capitalise on Rogan’s refusal to get a hair cut for the past 9 months by splicing his head almost seamlessly on to Orlando Bloom’s body from a Pirates of the Caribbean scene.
It was a bit of a shock to see Rogan looking so grown up, and I can imagine him breaking a few hearts when he gets old enough to be interested in such matters.
Mind you, I wouldn’t be too surprised at some point to hear, “Why can’t you just buy us birthday cards like normal parents?”
Rogan of the Caribbean
Funny post, Kim! You've got a very good-looking boy, and no harm at all in him borrowing Orlando Bloom's body just for a bit until his own catches up. When it does, for God's sake disconnect your phone. But you've already been through teenagers, so why am I telling you?
ReplyDeleteAren't kids' birthdays the most wonderful combination of bittersweet joy and misery? Maybe it is just me, but I find them such a mixture of fun and toil...
Even if your kids do ever complain about what you do with their birthday cards (and it is almost a given that they will), keep doing it. Some day they will realize just how special those cards are.
Rogan is gorgeous, I love his hair.
ReplyDeleteI presume your 'avatar' is that photograph. How do you get one of those there?
Mary - it's always an overload of excitement and almost guaranteed there'll be tears before bedtime, but he's enjoyed his presents already and I'm taking him to the cinema to watch Fantastic Four 2 this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteEryl - yes, the avatar is the photo that apppears in your profile and next to your blogger comments, if you have one.
In order to have one, you first of all need to have a photo on the web, then you put the URL or web address of that photo into the "Photo URL" bit where you edit your profile (see your dashboard).
So if you wanted to use the one of you holding the coffee, for example, right click on the photo and select "properties", then copy the URL (bit beginning with http://photos1.blogger
and ending with
multipart29277.jpg)
add it to your profile, then save/update.
If that makes no sense, email me and I'll walk you through it.
I bet there are some 12 year old girls at Rogan's school who already have a crush on him...
ReplyDeleteNice work!
OMG that is so kewl...What a really cool birthday card!!!
ReplyDeleteI bet if that son of yours printed out that card to make some invitations for say ...a pizza party birthday ...the girls would go nutso!!!!
I like that you take the time to make cards for your kids. Used to be a time when the kids would take the time to make them for mom and dad too.
That's so cute. What a handsome birthday boy with those curls of his. I started giving my son the power to say "no" to a haircut a couple of years ago when he balked too much. He now asks for them; begs sometimes. I tease him, "get me the bowl and scissors, willya?" (it's part of my job description to be annoying to teens and I do that well.)
ReplyDeleteYou are very nervy to have such an avatar, Kim. I haven't taken a decent picture in a long time, but you'll not see any of them until I do.
I saw the man in my boy last week - it was awesome. Your boy is lovely too.. better keep your sword handy though... Girls will be swarming the ship shortly.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Rogan.
ReplyDeleteTell him he has fantastic hair. Is the phone ringing off the hook with calls from 12 year old girls yet?
And, from one photoshopper to another, great job on the card!
Thanks for the birthday wishes. I think there could be a couple of girls at school that have the hots for him, but so far Rogan is still denying any interest and thinks that girls are odd creatures that he's having nothing to do with.
ReplyDeleteI think things could change over the next year though
Wow - can you splice me onto Julia Raberts' body?
ReplyDeleteAmy - easy peasy. But first you have to have a photo of you taken that I can use.
ReplyDeletegreat card! happy birthday to your son! you're a good man, sugar!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Rogan.
ReplyDeleteGreat card!
When my daughter was 12, she attended a bat mitvah of one of her girlfriends. At the celebration after the ceremony, they hired a photographer who made on-the-spot images of the kids as you did--inserting their awkward-aged faces atop grown-up celeb bodies. I will never forget gasping aloud when I saw my sweet little girl as the image of a very mature Cosmo cover girl! Rogan is certainly not awkward in his looks--he is adorable! Happy birthday to him.
ReplyDeletePhotoshop imagery at it's best! I very much like the Wolverine pic, but Rogan looks very convincing as Orlando Bloom. Be grateful he has no interest in girls (yet) - before you know it he'll be asking to have 'sleepovers', and the phone will be going off ALL day. Enjoy the (relative) quiet while you can!
ReplyDeleteKim, maybe you're busy sleeping now because you won't be getting any sleep when Rogan gets interested in girls.
ReplyDeleteI loved the pictures of Meg and of Rogan. I wonder--after some of Mary and Eryl's questions, if you couldn't have a little online training session for those of us who are technologically challenged. My daughter-in-law just showed me how to make an avatar, and links, but I love your photo tricks. Is Photoshop software?
ReplyDeleteYay! That is soooo cute. I wish I were as talented. I am not artisitc in any way. )=
ReplyDeleteI often look at older boys and then back at my 2 1/2 year old son and sigh that he, too will be older someday.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course with their father's devastatingly good looks, what is left for us to do but worry about our sons and the girls that will fall for them?
Kids these days... they grow up so fast, and become pirates.
ReplyDeleteAs if to emphasise his growing up, Rogan is off to the high school with his class (he's currently in P7) for the next couple of days so that when he starts there full time after the summer, it won't be such a shock to his system.
ReplyDeleteCarole - yes photoshop is software for maipulating images. A very good but completely free alternative is a programme called GIMP (visit www.gimp.org) and there are all sorts of free turorials for it on the web.
A late Happy Birthday Rogan. You look very handsome.xoxox
ReplyDeleteI love this! I thought it was a movie star!
ReplyDeleteFirstly, Happy B-Day Rogan. Secondly, I see that the photoshop images are keeping up with his maturatiy. Last year he was vicious Wolverine; Today he's the lovable passionate pirate that Orlando plays.
ReplyDeleteOne..two puberty is looking for you:)