waterbugs

On June 29th we had a really bad storm rip through our area.  We didn't get much rain from it to help our drought, but the winds did a lot of damage uprooting trees and some people were without power for 3-5 days.  I watched the storm start up out a window at work, and the amount of dust flying through the air was crazy, almost like something out of a movie.





The winds picked up our huge metal and plastic swing set and threw it several feet until the fence stopped it.  We haven't moved it back into place yet.  It is going to take more than just Kevin and me to drag it across the yard and get it uprighted.  We had a little baby pool that was filled with water and blew away in the storm.  I didn't feel too badly about it because it was really two small for both of our kids and I was thinking of getting something bigger for them.





We picked up a much bigger 10 foot pool that is just right for the family.  The kids can both touch, they can pick up their feet and float and swim if they want too, adults can sit and the water hits just below our shoulders, and all four of us can comfortably fit.  We've been in the pool every day since we got it except one day when we went out of town.  I love getting in with them because I can sit and relax, the kids are contained, they aren't messing up the house, they actually play together, and we're having fun together.  We're singing songs and playing games.  I taught Hannah how to play "Simon Says" last week and she thinks it is hilarious.  I'm hoping that it is good for Hudson's vocabulary.  I'm using all of my Mandarin body part words I know with Simon says.  I *know* that Hudson understood me today when I said tóu fa and he pointed to his hair.  Yay!





This little waterbug was quite frightened of water when we first brought him home.  He screamed with fear when I sat him down in the bathtub.  Hudson's foster mama had Johnson & Johnson bath wipes with his things, and it makes me think that she wiped him down and didn't put him in a tub or in the sink.  We're come a long way in a short period of time, but Hudson is still quite afraid of laying down in water.




My older waterbug likes to float on her back and swim around with her puddle jumper on.  She doesn't want to go under.  I bought her some goggles yesterday.  We'll see if I can convince her to wear them and try swimming under water again.

Everything Hudson's foster mama told us about him is spot on.  He's easy going, playful, eats everything, plays well with other kids, and is very curious.  He's comforted with a big hug.  If he's crying, he is most likely hungry, so try a snack.  She didn't say anything about screaming for pleasure.  He screeches when he's bored in the car.  He's so curious that he gets his hands on anything with buttons.  He'll run straight for a box fan in a new room and attempt to stick his fingers inside it.  We spend a lot of time running after him and preventing disasters.  But what else would one expect from a curious and robust 18 month old boy?

Having a sibling has brought out aggressive actions in Hannah that we have never seen in her before.  She does a lot of blocking, preventing Hudson from touching things or from getting attention because she wants more.  It's all normal sibling stuff, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

The kids are fine.  We're worn out!