Hot Pursuit

Joshua's latest iPad passion has shifted from Angry Birds to "Need for Speed, Hot Pursuit", a police car chasing game.

Boys' life

Riding the shuttle home after school.

Going to the lego store with grandparents.

Making pancakes with mom--I don't know why they're not wearing clothes!

Boys' bikes parked and locked outside Taekwando practice

Mandarin Immersion School

Joshua has completed 1 1/2 weeks of his mandarin immersion school and so far, so good.  When I asks him if he understands what his teacher is saying to him, he says, "No, I just follow their hand motions."  He asked me the other day if he could also go to the "afterschool" program, so I guess he's enjoying school enough to want to spend even more time there.

Money

Joshua is very conscientious of money, making money, counting money, saving money, spending money.

The other day when we were at the bakery looking Annette's birthday cake, he declared that he had $7 saved up from his job and toe nail money.

He gets $1 a week if he does a good job of getting ready in the morning (get dressed, eat breakfast, ready to leave for school) ; and this is gross--for not chewing on his nails, Annette has promised him lump sums like 3 or 4+ dollars.

Apple picking

Eeny Meeny

This morning at breakfast, both boys wanted Annette to sit next to them. So instead of fighting, I overhead Joshua suggest to Sam to use eeny meeny to decide who would get Annette. And since they haven't figured out the secret of eeny meeny miney mo yet (start with the other guy), they genuinely use it all the time when faced with an arbitrary decision.

Later, while shopping for their potty training prizes, Samuel was torn between picking the green trailer tractor truck, or the blue one. He couldn't decide, so finally, he just kneeled down in the middle of the store aisle, in front of his trucks and started to count slowly, "Eeny, meeny, miney mo....". The green one won.

Ireland

Joshua had a wonderful time in Ireland. He said at one point, "I want to move to Ireland!" He enjoyed playing with his new friend Matty, loved buying things with his new currencies: Euros and Sterlings, playing at the beach, and the "rock quarry" in Hamish's yard. I was impressed with what a good traveler he has become, except for his car sickness. Thankfully, the only time he vomited was right after his last car ride in the airport parking lot (and not in Hamish's car!).

Dusk at Rossnowlaugh, on the west coast of Ireland

Fun at Carnfunnock Country Park in Larne

Climbing the hills behind the caravan in Donegal

Looking for cockles and mussels.