Singing and pirates

I guess my only excuse for sporadic posting lately is the fact that I am almost 9 months pregnant. I am definitely wearing out earlier at night (my usual time to update the blog). We were away this weekend and settling back at home now. We made a last trip to the pool today. It is open another week, but school starts for Austin next Tuesday and while it is pretty fun, it is a lot of work to get everyone to the pool. Austin learned a lot this summer though- he can do a back float, kick with his arms in front of him on his front side, loves going under water and will jump off the side of the pool with no floating device (well, where he can still stand but it is somewhat deep for him). He made vast improvement and has lost a lot (but not all) fear of the water.

Here are some random pictures and videos. Austin has decided lately he wanted to dress up like a pirate and was very creative in assembling his outfit. We are thinking maybe he will have a pirate party when he turns 5...but we will see. Lots will happen between now and then!

You can see his eye patch (he first made an eye patch from a piece of an egg carton, but then we found one of those eye covers they give you on planes and used it instead. The exercise mat wrapped around his leg is his wooden leg. All his own idea.

We used to sing with Austin before bed and when he was 2 + he refused to sing and for some reason didn't want to. And for some reason we got in a bed time routine that excluded singing for about 2 years. Recently we decided we needed to resurrect that habit and it has been so fun. Bennett LOVES it and I feel bad that Austin's 2 year old whim robbed him of this tradition but he gets really into it. Austin likes it again and Chris plays guitar. You can see a highlight of Bennett's eager singing.


The weather was hot today, but has showed signs of cooling off recently. I am ready for cooler weather. It continues to be a rainy, muggy, cloudy summer here. We are thinking lots about my sis Charlotte and brother-in-law John today- they are in the air somewhere on their way to Nairobi, Kenya for 4 months. We are excited for them. OK, good night from here.

Mei Mei

Here she is! I never posted my 20 week ultrasound picture because, well to be honest she looked like a skeleton or something. It was just a weird shot so I didn't. This is the profile of her head...her mouth and nose on the top middle and you barely make out an ear right in the middle of the circle. And yes, apparently her head is big...does look a bit like her brothers to me, though you might not be able to tell much at all. But for the curious, here she is. Looking to make an appearance in around 6 or 7 weeks we think.

the good news and the bad

Well, the bad news is that Bennett started throwing up tonight. After a long nap, he did not quite seem himself and before dinner was asking me to "tuck him in" on the floor, where he was laying on Jimmy Dog. I convinced him to lay on the couch. I actually did not feel very well today either so Chris picked up McDonalds on his way home, but Bennett didn't want any food. After laying on the couch awhile, he threw up, to be repeated an hour later. Poor thing, he is asleep now but I am doubtful it will be a full night of sleep for most of us. But praying maybe that was all, we will see.

The good news is we had a good check up for mei mei yesterday. They did another ultrasound (which is standard at this hospital in the 3rd trimester). Everything looked healthy, she is already head down. However, it does seem like she is going to follow her brothers with a big head- her head was measuring a month ahead of the rest of her. They also estimate she is already 2.3 kilos or a little over 5 pounds! Yikes, I hope they are wrong because 6 or 7 more weeks in here might mean I am birthing a big baby. Otherwise, we are thankful for a good check up. I got another ultrasound picture that I will scan in soon, but I am too tired to do it tonight.

Otherwise, it was a really slow week around here. Lots of rain. We made it to the pool today, but the water was really cold, it was very overcast and started raining so it was a shorter trip than usual.

B is for Bennett and the Quiet Quail O

Bennett is a piece of work these days. He is both hilarious and obstinate, learning new things and then reverting to being Mommy's sidekick.

He recently has become very interested in learning his letters. Poor thing, I am sure he has had less than half the attention Austin had from us poured into reading and teaching his ABC's, but he seems to know them all now anyway. Lately he loves books we have that teach ABC's and loves to say what each letter is for. Example, his favorites are A, B, M and D, for Austin, Bennett, Mommy and Daddy. Ever since we started potty training, he often says when he goes the bathroom "pee pee and poo poo both start with P". Almost every time. He originally said "pee pee and poo poo rhyme"( I have no idea what gave him that idea) but I corrected him and it stuck.

The other day we were passing this furniture store, oddly titled "QM". The letters are huge and on the top of the building. When we passed it, he said "It's the quiet quail O". He knows Q is for quiet quail (from a Curious George book) and recognized it, but I guess forgot the name of Q and came up with the closest thing. He is so cute and endearing, but then also has a very stubborn side too. Lately he is fixated on these 3 or 4 toys that he insists on carrying with him everywhere around the house. He would take them outside too if I let him but I definitely do not. Usually it is Jimmy doggie (his giant golden retriever), his drawing pad and either a play cupcake or ice cream cone. Chris said he will use this in a talk illustration about the hindrance of sin- how it is hard to hold on to things so tightly because of how much it weighs us down. Bennett is constantly dropping one, can't find one or has a hard time doing things because his hands are so full but he refuses to let go of one or more. Funny little guy, but they really do hinder him a lot of the time.

He still loves to be by my side most days and lately asks me about every 5 minutes if I will go downstairs and play with him. Most of the time he asks this at a most inconvenient time, like in the middle of washing breakfast dishes or something like that. While it often is not what I want to stop and go do, I have been trying to just stop and play with him more. He loves it and a lot will change in a couple of months and I keep reminding myself to treasure this time with Bennett now. So we have spent time lately, mostly playing "riding the boat" (a comforter on the floor of the basement that he and Austin usually say is a boat. We usually wake up and go to sleep multiple times on the boat and in between sleeping he makes me food (especially ice cream) and we "eat" it. That is definitely the favorite pretend game these days.

Today at nap when I woke him up he looked at me and said "mommy I'm little". True and not true too! I'm glad he is still little, but feels like he is getting so big (as in older) lately. Is sometimes wish I could bottle this stage of cute sayings up and affection up.

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.