A night for a stroll

Last night after dinner we went to Kelly Drive to get some exercise. It's close by, enjoyable and we don't have to be out for too long. Well we ended up with the kids on the bike path headed towards the city. They biked for a long time. Dave and I were in flip flops & dress shoes, thinking that we would just be on a stroll around the azelea gardens.
Lilia brought her "i" phone so she could take pictures.

Opportunity

On Monday we dropped the car off for an inspection with a very trusted mechanic. I showed Alex the mechanics garage and then we walked next door to this place that rents out small machinery.
We were walking back to the car when this big burly man comes out. I explained how much Alex loves "diggers" and the guy said, "Does he want to sit on it?"
I was so excited for Alex, "Sure!" I exclaimed.
So Alex got to not only sit on this digger, but sit on the man's lap while he rode it and controlled the arm up and down.
Next they went over to the bobcat, also known as a skid loader. They drove that across the parking lot and back again. It was the coolest!!!

Wanted: Brown Squirrel

Help, Bell's been kidnapped.
Seriously I'm not kidding. Lilia had this Bell figurine out back on the little porch thing, on the table. I looked out back while I was eating my lunch just now and saw a squirrel on the ledge of the railing with Bell in it's mouth!!!!!
Dave opened the door and yelled for the squirrel to drop it, but it ran away up a tree. I wonder if he chose it to be his future bride? Maybe he thinks Bell will make a nice companion in his nest during the cold, long winter months? Maybe she can do something tasty with all the nuts he stored?
What ever he does with it, it's bye bye Bell!

Quotes from the days

Here are some recent funny quotes from the kids...
Yesterday after Lilia ate a huge dinner I said, "Wow Lilia your belly is so big!"
She lifted up her shirt and said, "Yeah."
Alex pointed to her belly and said, "Basketball in."
Lilia and I laughed so hard.

Today we were picking up Lilia from preschool and we drive past some construction. I pointed out to Alex that there was a "spinny truck," referring to a concrete truck. (Easier to say I guess.) He said, "Want Eeya (Lilia) see spinny truck."
So on the way home Alex pointed it out to Lilia, "Eeya see spinny truck."
Then we were coming over the hill on Lancaster Ave, just past Overbrook high school and Alex shouts, "Eeya see center city." To which Lilia replies, "Oh snap!"
It's more funny if you could hear his pronunciation of "Center city." Anyway, we see it 3 times a week, twice a day and he gets excited every time.

Later today Lilia asked me a question. Context: Yesterday Lilia got two cavities filled. (What 4 yr old has to start flossing!!!!!!!!!!!!! She has horrible teeth; we brush twice a day.)
So she asked me, "Mom my cavity filled hurts, can I put ice cream on it?"

Alex's cute quirks

Alex is so different from Lilia. One morning I was outside cleaning up leaves and he exclaims, "I want to help." So he proceeds to pick up leaves and put them in the trash bag.
Today I was putting the groceries away, while Alex was standing there watching for a minute. He them chimed in, "I want to help."
As you can see from the photo, whatever he took out of the grocery bags went right into the fridge. Frozen french fries to go with our turkey burgers are in front of the milk. Cereal boxes and triscuts are on the bottom ledge, and candy corn is being stuffed into the vegetable draw. I hardly think it counts as a vegetable, but we'll certainly add it to our diet.
I mentioned that Alex is so different from Lilia because for her to clean up anything is like pulling teeth. However for Alex to clean up anything, he gladly jumps in. In fact something he freely enjoys is dumping out the tub of Mr. Potato Head parts and then putting them back in. I'm not worried about this weird quirk. He's so friendly to anyone and everyone. He constantly says, "Hi man," to strangers that walk by, he gives excellent eye contact, and he's very outgoing. He just likes things neat and tidy like his mom.

My new friend

Yesterday morning I got to bring a new Chinese friend and her son to the zoo. Her name is Jing. I met Jing at the BBQ at Clark Park 2 weeks ago. When we talked at the BBQ I learned that she is really open to Christianity. 
As we talked yesterday I learned that she went to a Chinese baptismal service at Grace Chapel. That's where she first heard the gospel. When they sung praise songs, she said she was moved and almost cried. She told me what she understood of the gospel and then I got to fill in the gaps and explain it a little further. 
She was so happy to have come to the zoo with me. Her son had a great time too. She also said that the next time we get together she wants to learn more about God and Christianity. I plan on sharing with her the Chinese/English version of "Knowing God Personally."
Praise God!!! Pray for Jing. She is SO close to becoming a Christian. Her parents have no objections, and she already believes that there is a God. Those are 2 huge barriers that many Chinese get stuck at. Praise the Lord!

1st Day of Preschool

Today was Lilia's first day of preschool. She is starting her 2nd year at Overbrook Preschool. I love that place. It's really wonderful!
The shirt she is wearing is one she made this summer. I love the back. She wanted it to say "Lilia" and then she wanted a number below it. (I'm pretty sure she got the idea from Alex's Philies shirt.) The number she picked was 6100.
Right away she started playing with play-doh. Alex jumped in too playing with all the cars, trucks and fire engines.
I just picked her up from school and the first thing she told me about was that she got to meet a hermit crab. "Hermit crabs are shy." If you know Lilia, you know that would make her day because she LOVES animals. She talks about being a deer hunter one day, but one that keeps them as pets, not one that kills them.
When I asked her, "Did you like your first day?" She replied, "Kind of."

Alex

This was a GIANT net in Foot Locker

Curious George, Monkey, Stinky Bear & Alex "The Gang" 

Racing match box cars

Rac

Thoughts

Tonight I met Lilia's teacher. Lilia is starting her second year of preschool at Overbrook Preschool, which I am super pleased with. It's a really wonderful school. Her teacher is originally from Greece and has been in the country for 20 years. She still has a beautiful thick accent.
Lilia also has 2 Chinese girls in her class. I met the moms tonight. It's so cool that everything around her is  so international. I hope that constantly being around other cultures, whether it's Chinese students from the ministry, her school or even our neighborhood, will cause her to be more well rounded.
After I left school I realized that Lilia needs a new school bag for the year. I really didn't want to get into the habit of buying a new one every year. It seems so wasteful. However, her one from last year is ripping and that won't due. She doesn't have another bag that goes over her shoulders so I quick stopped at Target to find one. I had zero luck. They were completely sold out. Big surprise right! Duh. Why did I wait so long? I did end my night with a laugh when I looked down at my shirt, after I checked out mind you, and saw that I still was wearing my "Cat in the Hat" name tag that read, "Katie (Lilia's mom)."

Lilia's quote of the day

The scene: Dave, Courtney and I were at the dining room table having a staff meeting.
The kids were cheerfully playing on the carpet in the living room.
Que in Alex making grunting sounds and saying, "See poopy Eeya." (Eeya = Lilia)
Lilia yells in to us, "Mom, Alex is making a poopy and that makes me hungry."
We burst out laughing while at the same time completely grossed out and trying understand what she meant by that.

A must do!

Don't you just LOVE this idea! Succulents in tea cups! I mean, just too cute, right? I am totally stealing this idea. I got the idea from this blog...

Moredeisgnplease Blog

P.S. Any one have any old tea cups they want to donate to me?

A labor day to remember

On Sunday when we came home from church our neighbor Mal was outside yelling at his buddies. He was drunk and probably high too. After things cooled down our family came back out. Mal's girlfirend lives at the house and she has a son, Elijah. He is 5. I found out from Elijah's mom that he watched tv all day Sunday while she worked and Mal had a BBQ.
Dave and I decided to ask if Elijah could join us for a labor day picnic. She was happy that he would have something to do because she worked all day Monday too. So she dropped him off before work and he spent the day with us. After some quick sandwiches we headed over the bridge to NJ for a labor day picnic with church friends. They roasted a 90lb pig that was so delicious! There were tons of kids and Elijah had a great time.
Elijah is full of personality, he's loud (fits in well with our family) and very sweet and obedient. He had a couple of funny quotes yesterday,
This one was in the context of trying to play some "fun music" in which he was highly disappointed in. He said, "Put on some hot music!"
The next one was when he told us "His two most favorite things in the world are rainbows and ... karate." Dave and I burst out laughing at how extremely opposite those two loves were.