This is the day

"This is the day which the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it". What a good verse and reminder that each day is one the Lord has made. I have needed that reminder lately as life has gotten more than a little crazy. This past week the apartment above us has continued to renovate, using loud drills directly above us for a large portion of the day. Since the boys are pretty scared, we have spent a LOT of time out of the house. They break for lunch from 12-2, so I have been putting the boys down early for naps. They are both asleep...it is 1:36, so we have about 20 more minutes. We are probably moving next Friday or Saturday. We still have not signed an apartment lease, but are leaning towards one. Some friends of ours are also considering moving there..to the apartment next door...so we are waiting on their decision before making the final one. And then it turns out I do NOT have a bulging disc, but possibly some other unknown problem that is causing my tingling problems. I will wait till we return to the US to see another doctor there and try to get some more tests done. So, a lot on our plate. But today Austin was singing "This is the Day" and all of a sudden I realized Bennett was trying to sing it too! He was SO cute. Here is a little clip.

Austin's debut

Whew...sorry for a week of silence. We are suddenly in the midst of a whirlwind. I found out last week from a CT scan that I have a bulging disc. I will see a spine specialist tomorrow and am hoping he will be recommending physical therapy as the main source of treatment (a minority of people need surgery...hopefully I am not one of them). We might be moving. In the next 10 days. Our landlord wants to increase the rent by 50%. Our area has an excellent elementary school and housing price have soared. We have had a good deal for this area, but no more. At this point, we are pretty sure we cannot afford the new price, especially since predictions are the dollar will drop even more against the renminbi. Our contract is up July 1...but we will not be here on July 1. So we either have to sign a contract and move before we fly back to the U.S. May 13...or sign a 3 month contract (IF he even will consider it) at the higher price while no one is living here. Neither are very good options. So yesterday and today I have been looking at apartments in another area of town. Some other friends are also considering moving there...so we will see. Also, they are renovating the apartment directly above us. The drilling is so loud I can barely hear Chris if he is sitting next to me on the couch talking. The boys are terrified and the past two days we have been out of the house from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm. Not very fun. Not sure how I will pack us to move if this continues.

Anyway, onto more fun news. Saturday Chris was asked to play at a local fundraiser event. Care for Children is a British group that has a school for special needs children- both international and local. They have a big fair with big inflatable castle for jumping on, lots of food vendors, art vendors, face painting etc. We were told that Zhang Zi Yi would be there...arguably the most famous Chinese actress (Hero, Crouching Tiger, Memoirs of a Geisha, Rush Hour 2 etc). I think she supports this charity. So, Chris and his band played. Austin had his violin and got up on stage during the concert and "played" along with Chris. He was so cute and seemed to like performing and definitely helped attract a crowd.

Bennett was not to be left out...he got up on stage after Austin got down and danced to the music.

Then at the end of the day, Zhang Zi Yi was there and was choosing raffle winners on stage. While she was up there, Austin decided to climb back on stage with his violin. So he practically upstaged her as she was announcing raffle winners. Her manager kept telling me she had seen Austin before...but I can't imagine she had. All in all, it was a fun day for all of us, though we were so tired when we got home.

Here is Austin with Zhang Zi Yi behind him (the pretty one in the middle).

They allowed a group photo with her afterwards (too many people for individual pictures- which I can totally relate to. I may not be globally famous, but probably as many people want to take my picture or my children's picture in this country as they want to with Zhang Zi Yi...such is the life of a white person in China). She is the one in the hat, if you don't recognize her.

Austins' first quiet time?

As I think I have shared before, Austin often gets defensive or antagonistic when we try to teach him spiritual things. Not always, but he often will refuse to listen to a Bible story at night or doesn't want to pray. But I know he is listening and picking up on things all the same. Sunday night he was in the bath and kept telling Chris "I don't love God." He says this sometimes when we tell him God loves him ("but I don't love God, He just loves me"). But then after the bath, suddenly Austin bounds out of his room saying "I love God now. I am happy now because I love God." We encouraged him in his newfound love for God...not knowing how long it would last. Sometimes he says he can't love Jesus at night...but he will again in the morning. Funny kid.

So then after he said he loved God, he went in his room. It was time for bedtime stories. But he had gotten one of his Bible story books down and was looking at it on the bed. He didn't want to read stories with me. He said "Mommy, I need to read the Bible so I can be close to God." This is something we tell him when he asks us why we read it. "Mommy, I need to be close to God. So go out please and don't let Bennett in either." So I complied. He sat in there awhile, looking at the stories and sometimes I would hear him describing Daniel and the lions or Jonah and the big fish. After awhile he came out and said he was close to God now. As we were putting him to bed we asked him if he loved God now and he said "Yeah I do. He's fun." I am still smiling as I think about it. I don't know if this will last (tonight he did not want to read a Bible story before bed) but am glad he is "catching " things even if he doesn't respond all that well to actual teaching time. And of course we pray for his heart a lot to grow to love God all the time. Now that I think about it, I need to pray that for myself too!

Video time

Most days, the late afternoon time between the end of nap and dinner time is the craziest part of the day. Something happens to children around 4:30 or 5:00 it seems that just makes everything a HUGE deal. Hunger and post nap tiredness, plus antsy- ness at the end of the day I guess makes for a bad combination. Lately since the weather has been (ever so slightly warmer...as in highs in low 50's, lows still in the 30's) we try to go outside around this time if possible. But then at some point I have to work on dinner and usually the boys get to watch a short video. They are so cute now. Once the word "video" is mentioned, Austin and Bennett will both run to the living room and plop themselves down in front of our coffee table/trunk. They always sit side by side against the trunk and if Bennett doesn't come at first, Austin will always call for him. While I don't really like the fact that TV is usually a daily part of the routine, it sure does help to have those 30 minutes to get dinner ready without someone screaming by my side or tears flowing while the playing goes sour.

So this sight is a daily one and a cute one that always makes me smile. Bennett may sit the whole time, though the more likely scenario is that he will get up 10-15 minutes into it and wander into the kitchen to find me ( and usually cry for something to eat...this boy has a hard time waiting anytime past 5 pm to eat dinner, no matter how many snacks he has had in the afternoon).

Here they are watching a new video time discovery...The Wiggles. This Australian- based show is amazingly cheesy, but somehow that makes it super attractive. It is Austin's current favorite, though it gets old for me to listen to sometimes. Another funny thing...someone made this DVD of taped off TV shows. But the boys have almost never seen America TV and we rarely watch local TV, and so these commercials come one. Austin can't stand them and doesn't really know what they are...he just wants the show to come back on. Funny how he will grow up mostly without seeing them...which is a good thing I think!

Austin reads in French

This is one of the funniest things I have seen in awhile. Lately when Chris reads to Austin, he (Austin) always wants Chris to read in another language or accent. So Chris has often been reading with a French or Spanish accent or German or ...whatever he feels inspired by at the moment. So Austin has been imitating him and is actually very good at imitating the accent.

So, yesterday we were SKYPing with my parents and Austin decided he would "read" to them in a French accent. Perhaps he was inspired by "Grandpere". A long time ago, my Dad thought he wanted to be called by the French name for grandpa, Grandpere. We all sort of laughed about it and later Austin called him "Bop" so Grandpere was forgotten. But yesterday Chris got Austin to say "Grandpere" with a French accent to Bop on the computer. Then Austin actually decided he would read to them in a French accent.
So here it is!

Spin

Lately Austin likes to spin around and around the living room till he gets too dizzy and falls down. It is amazing how he can do this over and over without feeling sick or getting tired of it. Well, he was doing it today and guess who wanted to join in the fun? Bennett of course. He didn't spin as long- probably not even long enough to get dizzy, but he still knew you were supposed to fall down after you were done. Here is a little video clip.

Mine, mine, mine

Bennett has learned a new word...mine. Where did he learn it from, you might ask? From his older brother of course. However, Bennett does not quite get it. It took me a few days to understand what he means by the word mine. Apparently, he thinks the word mine means it is Austin's! Because whenever Bennett might try to grab something that is Austin's, Austin screams "mine". We are trying to work on this sharing/patience thing. Anyway, I started laughing the other night when Bennett picked up blue puppy and started saying "mine, mine, mine" before kindly handing it to Austin. He also will point to Austin's tooth brush, shoes and a few other things that he knows are Austin's and say "mine". So funny. I am sure it won't be long before he is screaming it about his own things, but for now when he says it, it is usually because he knows it is his brother's thing and wants to give it to him.

Today I had to pull out my down jacket again. Ugh. It was actually a beautiful day, but cold and very windy. The winds are so fierce this time of year...it almost blew the stroller (with Bennett in it) completely out of my hands. Warm weather, please come soon!

Toga men

After the bath last night, Chris wrapped Bennett up tightly in his towel. I think maybe he was inspired by his recent trip to Rome? Anyway, both boys still love bath time with Daddy (he is the default bath-giver, if he is around).

Bree's birthday party

Princess Bree...Happy Birthday!

Yesterday the much anticipated event arrived- Bree's 4th birthday party. All week Austin would ask me what day it was..meaning, "is today Saturday, the day of Bree's party?". I guess he is old enough to know that parties are fun and especially since it is his good friend Bree. The party was a big success and full of people both big and small. Austin had a great time, Bennett cried a lot. I think mostly Bennett is getting his eye teeth and has cried a lot all week, though food was somewhat of a comfort. It was a princess party (or prince if you were a boy)...see for yourselves.

Austin insisted that he was not a prince, he was a king! I guess he wants to be on top. Or he might just think "prince" sounds too much like "princess" and was clarifying his masculinity. I'm not sure.

Austin refused to smile for this shot (again), but here he is with his best buds Bree and Sydney, with another older princess, Abby. (and Bree's little brother Jesh is trying to get in too).

This was a game where you had to dance with a teddy bear to a song and do what it tells you...like put your bear on your head. Most of the time Austin was a spectator and just watched, but in the end he started to participate.

This is Bree opening the card Austin made her. He picked pink and purple because he knew they were her favorite colors. I wrote down verbatim what Austin dictated to me inside the card. This is what it said. "Happy Birthday Bree. I love you. I am so glad to go to your birthday party. Yes, I will. Love, Austin and Bennett." So cute. I have never heard him say anything about loving Bree before, but we thought it was cute.

We stayed a little late for our crew, but enjoyed games, watching all the kids, yummy pizza, cake of course and some fun friends. I think it will be talked about for weeks and even possibly months to come.

1980

This post is about an event that happened a couple weeks ago now, but I never got around to blogging about it. My good friend here Emily celebrated her 30th birthday and we had a "back to 1980" surprise party for her (the year she was born). We all dressed in 80's attire (which was surprisingly easy to find clothes for...I think the 80's are making a comeback). My friend Jenny was the brainchild behind this and hosted...she decorated her house with pictures and 80's memorabilia. It was a very fun night of games and laughing. Here are some of the crazy pictures.

It is funny but Chris and I both got really into the dressing up part. I can't remember the last time we dressed up, but it was fun...being children of the 80's made it more fun, though I am pretty sure I never wore an outfit like this as a child. Can you see my yellow leg warmers?

Here are all the ladies...see all the pictures hanging behind us? Jenny had decorated with pictures of Michael Jackson, the Goonies, Belinda Carlisle...anything 80's was fair game.

Here is Emily, the birthday girl. She of course did not know it was an 80's themed party, but Jenny prepared by getting her an outfit to wear on her arrival. I am really thankful for Emily's friendship and am glad she is here (she is Sydney's mom, of playgroup if you remember). She has been a really great friend to me.

Dan and Jenny were the hosts' and did a fabulous job. I think Jenny won "best outfit" award hands down. Chris and I have gotten to be good friends with them especially this year and are really sad that they (along with their 5 kids) will be moving back to the US this summer. We will miss them lots!

reading

Austin is really into reading books. He actually knows quite a few words by sight now, but also has a LOT of our books mostly memorized. So now when he is at nap, I often hear him reading books and usually he gets most of it right. I don't know how much is actual reading and how much is memorization, but he is into books. One if his favorite ones to read out loud is one from Nai Nai called "A Potty for Me". I am not sure if being a boy automatically makes you like bathroom books or not...but he does. Here is a little clip of him "reading" it.

Two Mornings on Omaha Beach

They came from the north.
Maybe some saw
the sun in its rising
off to the left,
coming up clear,
lighting ahead for their good

and lighting upon for their doom.

To my right is it struggling
to break through the gray?
Or maybe beneath
it’s tasting its final
moments of cover
before the exposure
pebbles may never obscure.

Three months, March to June
a steady increase
from frigid to cool,
perhaps never numbing
was surely unnoticed,
for bullets, not water,

were stinging their flesh on that day.

I’m wearing three layers,

the wind is not biting
and thus my descent
to that first enclosure
brings me no shivering
till after I slowly
and gingerly enter the dark.

Open wide,
and naked,
(flanked by the walls)
from knee-deep and on
to vast yellow death-field
that offered no shelter
they asked that their loved ones be told so.

Searched, known,

from rising to lying
and far sides of seas
and Sheol’s dark couches,
feebly reciting
a comforting song
I ask the soul-searchlight to flood out this bunker.

Anxiously waiting for handwritten letters

are mothers and wives,
fathers and sisters,
longing
to read them to sons
and daughters without a telegrammed message.

I hit play on my camera
and there they are peeking
‘round corners and laughing;
two three-year-old children
share no common words
but now share they neither
distinction of Allied and Axis.

Craft floated in
and doors were pushed open
to water and salt
to sand and sharp metal,
and on that first wave
nine out of ten
tasted of having blood shed.

In shallow tide pool

I taste
and I look again
this time at her picture
and ache
from the “no, don’t leave them behind”.

But many were left
in homes or left buried
in green Norman pastures.

We were not left.
For in the Invasion,
broken humanity’s
beachhead encountered the Crucial assault.

Happy Easter

Check out my two handsome boys! Austin's jacket was a hand-me-down from our neighbor...too cute.

Happy Easter! He is Risen...He is Risen indeed. Today was a full and meaningful day, to say the least. We enjoyed a full service at church today, with Chris playing the mandolin along with many others in the band. I was SO glad we started with my favorite Easter song, Jesus Christ is Risen Today. There have been many Easters where that was NOT on the playlist, but this year I was not disappointed. It was a good service and I teared up quite a few times thinking of our last week and the gift of life and resurrection.

Thank you Nana for the wonderful Easter basket package! I didn't add a thing to it...they LOVED the Biscuit books, jelly beans and the chocolate bunnies (well, we are waiting till tomorrow to eat those, since they had a lot of candy already). A funny story...I did not give Bennett any of the mini-Cadbury cream eggs (i figured he didn't need them and I LOVE them) but I put one in Austin's basket. Well, I see Bennett chewing and chewing something and was afraid he put too many jelly beans in his mouth. I reached in and found he had put a whole, foil-wrapped mini cadbury egg in his mouth and was saying "Mmmmm". I pulled out as much foil as I could, but I think some of it was swallowed.

Then we headed over to a local park with a large crowd of friends. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, the warmest we have had yet by a long shot. In the mid-70's or even close to 80 in the sun. Our friend Dan commented "Well, we had spring from 6 am to 7 am this morning". Two weeks ago we had 6 inches of snow and today was hot. We ate good food, enjoyed the sunshine, threw the ball and Bennett even napped in his stroller. Austin and Chris disappeared for over an hour on an adventure, Austin informed me. Austin found sticks and pretended to fish in the lake, someone let him "drive" a kids' jeep that really goes and he heard a man playing the saxophone.

Here is the big group of foreigners making a scene. I don't know how many cameras snapped pix of our group, but it was a lot.

Bennett hanging out with a frisbee. Check out the sky! It was so beautiful. The only problem with that is that everyone else in the city seemed to be outside at the park too...and the main grass area was roped off, so it was a bit cramped. But that is par for the course here.

Mmmm- let me check out all this food. I made deviled eggs...Easter is the only time of year I make them.

We came home late afternoon, ready to chill. We had signed up to be part of Hope Church prayer vigil at 5 pm out time (5 am there, not the most popular time to sign up. I decided to walk outside during my time. It seemed the Lord had a divine appointment for us though at that time. As I walked outside my gate, a young couple approached me. The girl was clearly very embarrassed, but asked if I could help them get something to eat. I talked with her more (she didn't look extremely poor) to find out their story. It turned out she and her boyfriend had come to our city, hoping to stay with a friend of theirs and look for work. But as it turned out, their friend had moved away, they had spent all their money on 2 nights of a hotel and were in trouble. They had no place to stay, way to get home or money for a meal. So, we prayed and considered this a providential meeting. We all went to a local restaurant for dinner, where we were able to hear more of their story and share with them why today was such a special day. Both of them were really interested in the big story. The girl's parents were both believers, though she did not have a very clear idea of what that meant. As I write this, Chris is with them at the train station, sending them home. They were both very grateful but embarrassed, but we pray they will make changes in their lives and follow the risen one!

B is for...

Benign! The results are officially in and my dad's tumor is benign. We are SO grateful and glad to get this news. There are still lots of small challenges ahead and things to pray for, but we are delighted that the big one is behind. Please do continue to pray for his recovery, low platelet count (from blood loss during surgery) and for perseverance for a long recovery from this surgery.

Today was a beautiful day, but so windy and still really cold. We did play outside twice and I am glad for blue skies, but also anxious for some warm weather.

We found you can watch the Jesus film for children online and today watched part of it with Austin to celebrate Good Friday. He likes watching the story, but somehow seems fixated on the part where "the soldiers hit Jesus". Maybe it is a boy thing or who knows, but that is the part he kept talking about. But i think he is starting to "get" the story a little more this year.

Bennett is talking a lot these days. Here is a little clip of him doing his favorite animal noises. I realized we definitely need more video of Bennett talking.