The beach! (part one)

We had a great week at the beach with the whole family. We are very thankful to my brother-in-law John's grandparents for allowing us to use their home at Ocean Isle beach. It was the perfect set-up and we enjoyed lots of time together, both on and off the beach. Austin wowed us with his love of the waves (smaller ones) and he was in the water most of the time on the beach. Bennett didn't love the ocean as much (though he would sit on the edge with me) but he liked finding shells, digging and chasing seagulls. And eating snacks of course. Here are a few of our pictures, with more to come another post.

Looking at boats from the dock at Dockside- famous Calabash fried seafood restaurant and enjoying the pinwheel Nana got for Austin. The funny thing is Austin only knows the name for a pinwheel in Chinese "feng che" or wind-vehicle.

Learning a new "skill"- video game playing- with Uncle Mark. I think Austin has a ways to go before he is proficient (thankfully). But he had lots of fun with his uncles.

Bennett is suddenly interested in letters and calls most letters "A". He had lots of fun drawing in the sand with shells or watching other people draw letters- here he is getting some help from Aunt Emmy. Bennett knows B and D too- but he calls D the "Daddy A". I guess "A" means letter to him.

Here is the boys' first cousin...Campbell the black lab puppy. She is a new addition for Charlotte and John and the boys LOVE her. Bennett rolls around on the floor with her and feeds her from the table...Austin likes to call her to come and give her treats. She was a great addition to our trip.

Near the end of the week, we went to the end of the island (a 5 minute drive) where lots of tide pools form during low tide. This was both boys' (and most adults I think) favorite place and time of day. The boys would run and run on the wide beach and splash and swim in the little pools. We tried for a family shot- it was windy but everyone is looking.

What's your name?

I have blogged in the past about how upset Austin used to get when random strangers in China would ask him routine questions, like what's your name and how old are you. Well, he has had an interesting change since we have been back in the States. He has been much more outgoing with random strangers and very talkative. He has been going up to random people in grocery stores, restaurants or wherever we are and asking them their name and how old they are (it doesn't matter if they are 5 or 65, he asks everyone their age). He kind of has a set list of things he talks about. He will tell them his name and age too, and often ask for their last name, then tell them he just moved to a new house but it is still in the same city (people don't often understand or get it when he tells them where we live), that Bree lives next door and that he is going to school in the fall. It is hilarious and he usually gets some good responses.

I don't know if he is just in a very inquisitive stage at the moment or if he just feels more free in a place where everyone speaks English and can understand him, but he is much more interactive with random people than he has ever been in his life. When we first got to the US this summer, he would often ask if this person or that speaks English and why? Now he seems to be getting the fact that most people here speak English. It will be interesting to see what will happen when we go back to China- will he continue this in Chinese or not? Either way, it has been entertaining and quite funny to see this more extroverted Austin.

Well, we are loving our week at the beach. I will have more posts about our week later, but Austin loves the ocean and it's hard to get him to come in. Well, I am out at a coffee shop checking email, so it will be next week before I post again.

Happy Birthday Nana

What a treat to get to celebrate Nana's birthday in person! We celebrated a day late, since we and my mom had busy days yesterday. We had a partial celebration anyway, since next week at the beach all the family will be together and have a big celebration of all the summer birthdays in the family.

Austin picked out a present for Nana- a cookie sheet with "boy" shapes of cars and airplanes and rockets. First he wanted to get her a microwave, which I steered him away from. Then he was adamant about a pan for cooking and got really excited when we saw this cookie sheet at Target. We also made a cake together which he picked out from a picture on a cooking website.

We love my mom and have enjoyed the time together. Today she had the day off of work while Chris and I had several appointments. The boys had a great time with her. We appreciate her patience, creative ideas and servant heart for us. Love you Mom!

Austin has been unusually affectionate lately and responds pretty well to reverse psychology "Don't give me a hug!"

The Kids Museum

Last Friday my mom had the day off of work and took us to the Children's Museum of Richmond- which Austin dubs "the kids' museum". The boys loved it. We walked in, paid for the tickets, rounded a corner and both boys took off. Running. In different directions. Austin was so excited he just kept running from thing to thing. They had many fun things to do for both a 21 month old and a 3 and half year old and neither wanted to leave when it was time to go. Other than what is pictured, they had dress up clothes, a play grocery store, bank, theater, mechanic shop with a car, apple tree with "apples" you could pick, a "barnyard" and more. A funny note- when Austin found the dress up clothes, I asked him if he wanted to be a fireman.

"No Mommy I want to dress like a girl"
me "ummm"
Nana" Ok Austin here is a pink tutu"
Ha. He did wear it, but quickly abandoned it for a fireman's coat, then a doctor coat. Chris happened to be the bathroom at this moment or he might never have worn the pink tutu :)

The ambulance. They have a real, life-size ambulance with flashing lights and everything (fortunately not the siren). This was definitely Austins favorite thing and he liked to drive it and then become the doctor in the hospital behind it.

Dr. Austin is checking Nana to make sure she's ok. For a long time now, Austin has said he is going to be a doctor when "I'm a man", except a doctor for teeth, so technically a dentist. He got lots of medical practice.

Bennett found the craft room. He loves to color right now and had a blast coloring after sticking his hand in someone's abandoned, wet finger paint-ing. He has much more patience for small motor skill tasks than Austin does.

A giant xylophone - just Austin's style.

Bennett had the puzzle done in 2 minutes. He loves puzzles these days.

This was by far Bennett's favorite activity and Austin enjoyed it too. They had these giant, clear tubes with strong air blowing through them. You would stick a colored silk square through the door and it would shoot it through the tubes and then with a final puff, blow it out a high hole. It would then float to the ground. Bennett squealed with every final puff...

Happy Fourth!

It is always fun to celebrate the 4th of July in America. We spent the second year in a row- amazingly- at our good friends' the Enghauser's cabin in Cumberland County. It is the perfect place for a yummy, laid back party. I took my camera but then took no pictures! Sometimes taking pictures while running after little ones is just too tiring. But they have a lake that Chris and Austin swam in. Bennett and I went out in the paddle boat for awhile. My mom came too and we saw some old friends, ate yummy things and relaxed. We prayed around their flagpole and said the Pledge of Allegiance, so I felt like we had a taste of being patriotic. We left before fireworks started. Poor Austin has been kept up late a LOT lately and after 7 pm with no nap, he hits a wall. He starts breaking down about ridiculous things (like he has to put his shoes on a certain way or only he can close the car door) and gets a bit hysterical. He wasn't that bad tonight, but I think I need to guard his bedtime more carefully now. He just has been pushed beyond his coping capacity.

We went to the Children's Museum on Friday with Nana and both boys had a blast. The pictures are not on the computer yet so I will save those for next time. We also got to visit with our good friend from UNC and early China days, Anne Fletcher and her kids. Her parents live in Richmond and it was such a treat to see her and catch up.

Happy Birthday America! You have lots to be thankful for.

Birds and the hose

The boys are usually very entertained by the backyard here. My dad is especially good at making anything seem interesting. He is passing on his love of birds and bird watching to the boys. He has about 6 birdfeeders outside the kitchen window and both boys will look for birds over morning cereal. Bennett will excitedly point out "bird, bird!" and Austin is getting good at recognizing birds...robins, cardinals, bluebirds to name a few. We have also had some interesting escapades chasing the squirrels off of the feeders. One morning Austin and i figured out that they were climbing on the grill, taking a flying leap off it onto the feeder. Austin would run outside and yell at them until they ran away.

Last night Austin helped Bop refill all the bird feeders. He was very attentive and wanted to fill them all up to the very top. Today he watched the birds eating and said "Look, they're eating my food!"

Bop also loves his yard and Austin will help him water the flowers. At first, he would not go outside at all. It seemed so weird. Then finally we realized he was afraid it would storm (thunder) and of airplane noises. I am not sure where the airplane noise fear came from, unless he thinks it is thunder. A bad storm right before we left China started a phobia of storms. Now, 3 weeks after being here he has finally warmed up to being outside again. Here are a few shots from last night.

Austin feels very powerful with the hose I think...he loved to hold it, water the flowers, fill the plastic pool and almost squirted Mommy with my nice new camera. Fortunately I escaped.

Bennett hung out with Nana awhile before wandering around the yard. He later became fascinated with pieces of grass, ants (he calls all bugs ants but he was right that time) and dirt.

The night always ends with books...sometimes Austin only wants me to read, but often Bop or Nana take turns reading and he especially loves a read on the water bed. Both boys cannot get over the excitement of my parents water bed and last night was no exception. Bop and Nana always have a great supply of new books to keep the boys reading.