Summer in the 'Burbs- in Pictures

It's a summer of firsts- Trey's first time in the US, Cosi's first time in a pool, first trip to the beach, etc. And like all good parents, we've got our cameras handy for all those moments, as well as the mundane ones. Here's a few snapshots of life in the States this summer (as always, remember that you can click on a picture to enlarge it).

Cosi's day almost always includes a walk through the neighborhood. One in the morning and one in the evening, whenever possible:


















Cosi really likes it when the whole family goes on a walk. She either pushes a baby doll stroller or tries to "help" Mommy push Trey's stroller.
















Cosi really likes to 'help'. Laundry, vacuuming, carrying groceries- yesterday at the mall she offered to help an employee push a cart of merchandise. She was politely refused.

An almost daily part of Cosi's routine is helping Mommy or Nana water the flowers. (Truth be told, Cosi usually ends up as wet as the flowers...)























Trey got a nice big gift from Mommy and Daddy (OK, who are we kidding, the gift was for ourselves as well!)- a bouncy seat! At first he wasn't too sold on the idea:
















But he warmed up to it:
















And now he plays in it so much, we're worried about it getting water damage from all his drool!
















An essential part of every sunny day is a dip in the pool. For weeks before arriving in the US, we were trying to prepare Cosi for the swimming pool, but how do you explain that in terms she can understand? We opted for telling her about the "big bath outside," since baths and being outside are two of her favorite things. She took to the pool like, well, like a fish in water. The challenge is that she will try to jump in the water even when she doesn't have floaties on. After a few trips to the deep end (Rob, April, and Pawpaw have all taken turns jumping in to pull her out), we now have a "floaties on before you leave the house and until you get back inside" policy.


















However, our little extrovert does not like to be the only one swimming. If you even think about sitting poolside, she'll insist "Mommy jump? Please? Daddy Jump! Push Daddy!" (She likes to 'push' Daddy in the pool, a fun activity we probably shouldn't encourage.)


















For Cosi, no day is complete without a bath, and last week she got a particularly special bath- she got to share one with Trey! guess which of the kids was more excited about that idea:
















A number of people have asked how Cosi is dealing with having a baby brother. The short answer is that she's doing very well. She loves him and is fascinated by him. She likes to bring him toys, pretend to feed him (mimicking how Mommy feeds him), she tries to make him laugh, and she always wants to hold him. She still has moments of jealousy, but overall she's becoming a great big sister. Trey, overall, really likes his sister. He is fascinated by her, and yet he also has a healthy fear of her (she's quite unpredictable and is prone to sudden ear-piercing squeals).























Shortly after arriving in the US, we were treated to a beach vacation. On the way down to the beach, we spent some time with family in Newport News, and Trey got to hang out with his "twin cousin":
















The beach was exciting, and Cosi certainly turned a few heads:


















Trey, too, got to spend some time on the shore and seemed to enjoy it:


















While at the beach, Cosi really, REALLY enjoyed riding on and driving the golf cart around the resort (more on that another time- a true cross-cultural experience). The problem is that ever since then, Cosi has wanted to drive every vehicle she sees. I thought I had at least 10 more years before she started bugging me to give her the keys to the car!


















And what is more suburban American than running through a sprinkler in the summer?









































In our next post, we'll share about our recent trip to that great American summer tradition- the County Fair! (Cosi + Roller Coaster + Deep Fried Twinkie = ?)