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A typical week

Life here has started to settle into a rhythm. The day starts with Chris heading for the bus; on some days, we take him to the office as well. I hesitate to wake Davin, but he leaps out of bed when we mention that we are taking Dad to the “big buildings.” Davin loves the chance to see the big buildings in uptown Charlotte (there is no downtown Charlotte). The city is growing and there are several construction sites, some near Chris’s office. Davin points out every crane, bridge, city bus, tractor, and other vehicles that contribute to the pulse of a burgeoning city.

Both boys love breakfast and they are usually eager to eat a good meal, so I try to make breakfast for them when possible. We tried a new variety to one of our favorites: adding blueberries to “german pancakes” or “puff oven pancakes.” I love eating breakfast together.

As new residents of Charlotte, it has been fun to seek out new adventures. Part of the adventure is the fun of figuring out how to handle two boys at once. (I’m sure those of you with more than two will sigh and think longingly of the days when you only had two to take care of.) We have a good time together, though. Davin is growing into his new role as the big brother; lately I have noticed better obedience and more patience with not having things his way. Some of our adventures include visiting the Charlotte Child at Play museum, going to the local library, and playing with new friends. We recently got a pass to the Harris YMCA; the boys love the indoor and outdoor pools. Rowan is quite a little fish! He loves to kick and splash as if he is swimming. I love the opportunity to swim again too.

Chris invited us to meet him for lunch and we found a fun plaza across from his office. There are several quaint restaurants, lovely gardens, and even a splash fountain for kids. We tried Jolina Tex-Mex and Barbeque Kitchen. Of course it wasn’t as good as eating in Austin, but it keeps us from being too homesick. Chris has had a fun time finding other good places to eat in Charlotte and we look forward to having lunch with him again.

Of course, we spend a lot of time at “the new house”, as Davin often calls it. Adventures are fun, but down-time is important too. Davin plays golf in the yard for hours and both boys love the bucket swing. Rowan will contentedly play with toys; he isn’t crawling yet and seems happy to be in one place with a pile of toys to discover. Even without toys, Davin can keep himself entertained. In Davin’s world, he is in a constant and on-going baseball game and he is always up to bat. He cocks his hands back as if he is waiting for the pitch, the imaginary bat clutched in his sweaty hands. He waits for you to pitch him the ball. “…it’s a high fast pitch and Rees knocks it out of the park!” “Over the fence!” Davin usually exclaims as he runs in a circle around the living room and slides into home base. Another fascination these days is garages. Garages have been a love-hate item for Davin. He first noticed them when he was two at Grandma Nissen’s house and consistently said “noise” every time we opened the garage door. For awhile, he was deathly afraid of garages; he would refuse to walk through one. The only way to get him through a garage would be to carry him and he would close his eyes and cling to me tightly, trembling a little. He must have made peace with the idea of a garage because now he loves them and points out every house that has one. Chris bought some bamboo place mats for our table and Davin has found them to be perfect garage doors. Ironically we have never had a garage, do not currently have one, and will likely not have one until his fascination with them is over (and he is put in charge of cleaning it instead). The small glimpses that I have into Davin’s imaginary world are amazing; the world is a different place through his eyes.

At the end of our day, we anxiously await the hour in which Chris returns and we swarm him when he comes home. Davin asks him constantly if he was at work all day, trying to figure out why Dad disappears for hours in the day. We eat dinner together, play a little more, and then it is bath time. Rowan loves bath time. He giggles as I take off his clothes and squeals with delight when I put him in the tub. He loves to lie on his back, kicking and splashing. Bubble baths with his big brother are fun too! Davin could play in a bubble bath for an hour or longer if we let him. Yay for bath time! After bath, it’s off to bed, and time for Chris and I to enjoy some much needed time together.

Comments

Maile said…
We love bath time here, too. On the days when it's just too hot to go out or we just don't feel like it, I just stick the kids in a bubble bath. I get to do a little reading and they have fun entertaining (fighting) each other for at least half an hour. =)
August 3, 2008 at 5:50 PM
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