My Favorite Things...Sharing the Love

Guest columnist Chris here. Recently it has been very meaningful to share experiences with Austin in two of the things I love the most...music and football.

I've been working on some songs in my "home studio", but figured a good way to get time with Austin is to let him be a part of (some of) it. So, I took a song I'm working on, muted the vocal track, and told Austin, "Make up a story and sing it over this. Go!" I think he has some talent for improv with his musicality, imagination and randomness. We've done a few songs, the first of which (I think it's his best work musically) has been named "Dead Pizza". In my work as a music critic, I've uncovered that the protagonist in this narrative is Sydney, the Jack Russel terrier we're taking care of over the summer. Sydney is a girl dog, but is referred to as "he" in the song, possibly for purposes of anonymity. Or because Austin doesn't know that Sydney is a girl.
The song is a journey of discovery. Click on the link to listen.

http://www.box.net/shared/6e6l​ 2yb10c670sqjndte

His sophomore effort was over a tune that he named months before. I had come up with a new guitar riff, and asked Austin "what should this tune be named". His answer was "Bridges Too". I've always been unsure whether it should be "Bridges Too", "Bridges Two", or "Bridges To". The following video may shed some light on it, but I think the experience is the richest when we see it in multiple layers. The actual song of mine is called "Catacombs", the words of which I wrote after our visit to the catacombs outside Rome, but the tune proper is indeed "Bridges 2/Too/Two/To". This is Austin's improvised interpretation...







Are You Ready for Some Football?

I'm not as ready since I probably have a completely torn ACL. But, I'm still helping with the Guardians by coaching and refereeing. We have practice on Tuesday nights and games on Sunday nights. I usually only go on Sunday to have more time with family during the week, but I figured this week, as I won't be actively playing, I could take Austin along. Upon arrival, as I was conferring with other coaches about the practice schedule, the next thing I see is Austin, right with one of the Guardian players doing some warm-up exercises.The practice consisted of a series of competitive drills involving passing and catching, defense, blocking, and tackling. I was the judge awarding points to each team. Austin was my assistant who help up a placard with a numeral 1 thru 4 to signal to the scorekeeper. These are the placards we use for down-markers in games.

During a water break, Austin, seeing as he was good and warmed-up, decided it was time he go toe-to-toe with a Guardian. Not just any Guardian, but the biggest guy on the team, Peng (pronounced "Pung"). Peng probably weighs about 330 pounds.



Austin was screaming in delight and disbelief as he was chased by this...BIG...MAN.

But, look below to see who got the best of whom...


Anticipation had built throughout the night as I had told Austin that I would try to use my connections to give him the opportunity to lead the "1,2,3 GUARDIANS!!!" shout as we all huddle together at the end of practice. Well, the connections worked. Our head coach introduced Austin, saying (in Chinese) "We have a very special, honored guest tonight to lead us in our final cheer". Hands came together as I elevated Austin in the middle of the mass of men. After a brief moment of hesitation, Austin said confidently, "One, two, three"... I think the soundwaves from 30 shouting "GUARDIANS!!!!: blew him back a couple inches, but he came out smiling. So did I.

Backyard fun

We finally got a blow up pool for the backyard. While it has rained the past two weeks straight almost, today was sunny and really hot! I was really glad I had gotten this umbrella a few weeks ago too- it was really needed in the heat. Angie and I set up the swing next to the pool in the shade and tried to stay cool.

It was kind of an adventure filling up the pool. There are no outdoor spickets and we had to run a hose from our bathtub, out the bedroom window and down into the pool. After multiple attempts to get the host properly fitted to the shower, we finally got it working.

Yesterday Chris had the day off and we considered going out as a family to do something fun, but it was pouring down rain and I was not feeling super energetic (more and more that is true these days). Austin really wanted to go play in the rain, so Chris and the boys put on swimsuits and played in the rain! They had a great time, tromped through the pond and got all wet.

The pool

I was excited to find out there is a pool in our general area that is nice and cheap. It is still a fifteen minute drive (made easy by the car we are now driving) away, but it is not too crowded and has one big shallow pool as well as a deeper pool for lap swimming. Technically little kids are only allowed in the shallow pool (which has a really shallow part and a deeper part that goes up to Austin's shoulders) but that is where we would mostly be anyway. Also technically they don't allow sunscreen. What?!! One day (I was not there this day) a bunch of foreigners were there all slabbing it on when they tried to stop them. They don't want it to get the water dirty. As if it were dirty (and its waterproof )and even so, more important than skin cancer? Well, don't worry, grandmas. We still put it on, we just do it before we get to the pool. They seem to have calmed down a but since that one day, but you never know what funny rules you might encounter (like not letting pregnant women swim. But that was 2006 in another city when I was pregnant with Austin. Despite my fears they have not made an issue of that). The funny thing is as a culture China is so afraid of the sun and want their skin to stay white...however they do not burn that easily and usually swim at night, so I guess sunscreen isn't much of an issue.

Anyway, we have started going most Wednesday and Friday mornings. Jason (our neighbor) has graciously offered to give some of the kids swim lessons (he was a big swimmer in high school). So Austin has been to quite a few. He has at least gotten back to where he was at the end of last summer and I think a smidge further, though I still would not call him a swimmer. But maybe in another month he might be dog padling at least. We will see. I have a few pictures, though not many since one mom with two non-swimmers and a lot of water are not a great combination for the camera.

Bennett looks like such the swimmer doesn't he? Lest you be fooled, he usually starts asking for a sandwich moments after getting to the pool and will barely leave my side until he eats something. Even then, he stays in the shallowest part and usually wants me right beside him. I did get him this little boat that he likes some of the time, but he doesn't worry me too much at the pool. I found he enjoys it much more though if I just let him eat his lunch at 10:30 am- if not he asks to eat and doesn't swim much. Funny guy.

Austin attempting to use the kickboard. He doesn't really get it, but he likes to play with it. He did learn how to blow bubbles out of his nose and will go under water a little more freely since he doesn't have to use one hand to plug his nose. By the way, the pool requires swim caps and so we wear them.

Gardens and diagnosis

Our tomato plants just produced their first fruits! They aren't much to look at it, but Austin is faithful to help me water and we enjoyed fresh tomatoes at dinner last night. Note the fireman outfit is key to helping water well.

My basil is really coming up nicely now. For all the seeds we planted, only about 3 stalks came up and at first I was worried they would not grow at all. But those three are thriving and we enjoyed it in our pasta last night. LOVE fresh basil!

Our first two tomatoes and the fresh basil. They tasted great- I made a simple cold pasta of fresh tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and cheese. Yummy but so easy. Austin was thrilled to pick our tomatoes and they tasted much better than any we could buy.

We have had many visitors in town lately. Last weekend we invited the Beemers- Chris' former SS teacher and her husband- 0ver to dinner. They are here for 3 months doing medical work and it was fun to host them. Dr. Beemer is an orthopedic surgeon, so Chris got him to look at his knee and recent MRI he had taken. Well, the not very good news was: Chris' ACL did not show up and after a physical exam too it seems it probably is completely torn. Very sad for Chris, especially b/c that limits his football playing. At some point in the future (probably next summer) surgery will probably be needed. But thankful for a good diagnosis.

Bennett very much wanted Dr. Beemer to fix the owie on his arm. Bennett kept insisting he "take my arm" off but finally was pacified with this bandage made out of a paper towel. It is healing nicely now :).

We also enjoyed a nice visit with some ladies from Richmond who are teaching at a summer camp this month. Unfortunately we did not get any pictures but we had a really nice visit and Bennett especially attached himself to one of them and said he wanted to "go back to "Merica" with Allison Ayi." WE decided however that we would keep him here :). All right, better go post while the internet is working (this post failed last night).

Austin's school trip

Last weekend Austin's school had an overnight trip for any parents and students who wanted to come. We opted not to stay overnight, since Jason was with us and there was a lot going on, but we did drive up for the day. It was about 90 minutes away, near mountains and the Great Wall in a nice little spot. We feel like sometimes it is hard to get to know other parents at the school and Austin has had basically zero play time with school friends (other than Bree and Clark, our neighbors) since starting school. So we were excited to go and it ended up being a fun day.

Holding a baby goat. This place had a goat farm of sorts- the goats would go freely up the mountain in the day and back to the pen at night. Austin is holding a 2 day old baby goat, with Teacher Zhou.

We hiked a little ways up part of the mountain. I am sure we did not get very high, but we probably would not have gone anywhere if Bennett was not "riding in Daddy's backpack". Fortunately he liked riding (who wouldn't). Austin got rather tired so we only went a bit. Some people attempted to hike to the Great Wall- but after 2 hours hiking I don't think anyone actually made it. Remember everyone had children who were 6 and under.

Some of the group we started out hiking with. We lost them after awhile- Austin got really tired and wanted to take lots of rests. It was also pretty hot. But fun to be together for awhile.

On the hike- Austin was in the lead before he got too tired.

We all were back at the restaurant at the cabin site for lunch. Then after lunch someone had brought a big blow up pool and the kids all played together and had tons of fun. It was fun to see Austin playing with some friends from school. That boy in the picture is the one Austin bit a couple months ago- but they seem to have moved past that incident! One boy climbed in completely naked, which led Bennett to quickly do the same. Austin also wanted everything off, but I said he had to keep his underwear on. Eventually I got shirts back on both boys b/c I was afraid they would get burned. But I have some unblogworthy photos of Bennett's rear covered in mud. They all had fun.

Fun with Uncle Jason

Ok, here it goes! My attempt to catch up with our so-so internet. It is better than it was a few days ago. Ok, 3 attempts later here are some pictures.

We went to the Summer Palace- the emperor's (and mostly Empress Dowager's) summer home. We spent most of the time on a paddle boat, which in my opinion is the best way to see the Summer Palace. We were away from the crowds of people wanting to touch, talk to and take pictures with my children on many long, narrow corridors. It was cooler and we had a picnic lunch on the boat.

Jason with the boys in a rickshaw near the Hutongs- one of the oldest areas of Beijing where many old homes are preserved.

Near HouHai- the back lake near the Hutongs.

Jason's last full day here we went on a trip with Austin's school in the mountains, near the Great Wall. I will do another whole post on this trip another time- notice the matching Cardinal hats.

Having fun reading with Uncle Jason.

Jason took quite a few videos I would like to share sometime, but for today I am thankful these pictures loaded. Also, in other news, Austin has recorded two songs with Chris lately. Improv jazz songs- Chris told him to "sing a story you make up to this tune". We cannot get them on the blog at the moment, but they are on Chris' Facebook if you are a FB user and can check it out there for now!

More posts coming I hope!

So I started this nice long post about Uncle Jason's visit, but our internet has been SOOOO slow lately that I can't get any pictures to load (don't even think about video) and I am hoping even these few sentences will make it online. I waited a long time to even get the blogger start page going. SOOO, we had a great time and had to say goodbye this morning, but hopefully can get a real post going sometime soon. I also wish my mom and Nana a Happy (slightly belated) Birthday and want to post about her sometime too. Here is hoping to better internet speed soon!

A Full House

We have an exciting last few days. Chris' brother Jason arrived safely Sunday night about 12:30 AM to our house after 24 hours of travel. We are so excited to have him visit and have been having lots of fun. About an hour after Jason arrived, Ashlei called me to tell me her water had broken! Almost three weeks early, but they had to take off for the hospital. I slept the rest of the night at their house and brought Grady (and Sidney the dog) back home with me Monday morning. Grady has done great and plays with the boys like he has always lived here. So we have had Jason in the guest room, Grady in a tent downstairs and Sidney...wherever she wants to be.

Monday we took everyone to the Bird's Nest and Olympic park to take in some of the sights. The boys ran around in the hot sun and had fun, ending with a McDonald's lunch (it is right inside the Olympic park). We took it easier today. I took Grady to meet his didi (little brother) and Chris and Jason played baseball with the boys at home. So it has been a full but fun filled week so far. Tomorrow Grady with stay with Jason H., Bree and Jesh and hope to take in the Summer Palace. Hoping it will be a little cooler than Monday.

Grady with his new didi: Langdon Cloud Warren, born on July 4th!

More fun with old friends

I am trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon...somehow the summer schedule, visitors and my big tummy (which means I am more tired) have gotten in the way. Tonight we had the fun privilege of getting to see Nate Sims...who was probably 7 or 8 when we first met him the year we moved to China. He is now 19 and in college! but here in BJ for an intensive summer language program. We love the Sims family and it feels like a strange reversal in some ways that he is now here hanging out with our kids and eating dinner at our house...when Chris and I spent many, many days and nights playing with the Sims' kids and eating lots of meals at Daniel and Marian's home. Of course, Graham was also a very frequent visitor at the Sim home and it seems fitting we are all together for a time. Nate is going to spend the night and go to church with us- get a break from the dorm.

They are all laughing at this face below:

Bennett eats a cupcake with no reservations!

The big boy with our little guys. If our boys turn out anything like Nate, we will have lots to be thankful for! Nate has done great at being a "TCK" Third Culture Kid. He grew up half in Chinese school, half homeschooled. Had lots of foreign and local friends, befriended a minority classmate in high school and became an almost adopted member of their village and now is navigating American college where he is majoring in linguistics and Chinese.

The silly face picture.

"New" old friends

We have had such fun reconnecting and hanging out with some "new" old friends here this summer. Our good friends from our former city, Graham and Ashlei and their son Grady are here living in our neighborhood this summer waiting the birth of boy #2. Grady is Bennett and Jesh's age and they have become great buddies in just the few weeks they have been together. It is so fun for us to get lots of time with Graham and Ashlei too. We have been grilling out together, making pizza, splashing in the pool and just living life.



Then this weekend was a special treat- my friend Laura from both Carolina and China came to visit me and Ashlei. We had a great weekend together- mostly talking and catching up as well as a shopping/eating girls' night out.

I feel like people come and go a lot in our lives here overseas, but am really thankful for these friends who have been here in this country (though we really live far apart within China) with us and done life together for awhile.