Watch Out Lance!

Hello everyone!

Oliver and I are still soaking up the sun and my little brown bunny is really enjoying the life of the mobile! Oliver loves to socialize with the people on the beach, especially if they have a big sandcastle he can destroy or a little pool he can splash in.

Oliver is also gearing up for the Tour! He has taken a liking to riding around the island, energy supplied by mama, and we go for a ride everyday. And of course, we visit friends throughout the ride, people always wanting a quick squeeze of Oliver's chubby thighs!

From across the pond, Eric is working his fanny off at his intership. He is working for the financial ombudsman service. Below is an excerpt from one of our online chats where Eric explained who is was working for.

"It is a agency created by the government, sort of like a mediation system for financial relations, between insured/insurer, lender/borrower, etc. Ombudsman is a position, think about it as the Secretary of something. Hillary Clinton is the Secretary of State. If I worked for the State Department I would be working for Hillary Clinton. A certain guy is the Financial Ombudsman, I am working for the agency he heads: the financial ombudsman service. I am on the legal side of things working with the General Counsel. We have different kinds of Ombudsmen in the US, just not one for finance it is called something different."

Other than working, Eric has been exploring London and nearby towns. He has biked through parts of the Cotswolds, seen Romeo and Juliet at The Globe (in the standing only paupers area), took in a Cricket match, gone to the British National Museum a couple of times (it's only a block from his flat) and savored a pint at the pub Lewis and Tolkien and other Inklings frequented. All in all he is making the most of his time in England! It helps greatly that he has a close friend from highschool living in London and a friend of ours from Furman (Will Henderson) interning over there as well; Will and Eric have really been creative with getting the most out of there pounds!

Well, I need to go get geared up for the beach and Oliver!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

Salty, Sandy, and Sweaty

Oliver and Henry at the beach!

The tough life continues...Oliver and I are now spending our days splashing in the ocean (on the days Oliver likes the ocean, he's rather fickle about it), and splashing in the sand! Yes, you read that correctly, Oliver doesn't really dig, he sweeps and splashes the sand around him. He, obviously, gets covered in sand and eventually rubs sand in his eyes, which greatly offends him. Poor thing.

Oliver is a bit quirky about life at the beach. He is, as mentioned before, fickle about his love of the ocean, so today Granddaddy brought his blowup pool to the beach for him...a bit embarassing for all involved except King Oliver. And at other times Oliver decides he doesn't want to jump the dribble of waves that make their way to him, he wants to go out deep and jump the big waves. He just can't seem to make up his mind about the old Atlantic. All of these activities involve a great deal of mommy-energy though and wear me out thoroughly, so falling asleep sure doesn't take too long.

Oliver has also found some inside activities he enjoys, mainly playing with cardboard boxes, ripping apart magazines and chewing on plastic lids. Cheap entertainment, fine by me.

Here is a vidoe of Oliver's new found love, paper.

Wow, what a month!

Eric is in London now, he arrived Thursday May 28th and Oliver and I miss him alot. I am greatly looking forward to living vicariously through Eric. I kept the travel books so that I could suggest museums, theatres, gardens and wonderful touristy things for him to do like ride on the famous red double-decker buses and perhaps take a dip in the English Channel.

But back to this month, Oliver has had a big time visiting with 'lots of folks he loves and we love. We spent a week in Seneca with GrandMaddie and Grandpa Ric and Oliver definately got to live the high life on the lake. He loved swinging in his dolphin swing, taking dips in the washtub swimming pool and tasting the sand at the edge of the lake. He also got to go on his first boat ride which he would have loved if maybe his cheeks weren't so big and perhaps his neck were a little longer...see life jackets are a bit bulky, especially if you yourself are a bit bulky! Standing up worked a bit better, however it is a bit tiring for the one stabilizing our big-boned boy!

Random Updates:

Oliver is now clapping alot, and clapping for anything that happens and for anyone that crosses his line of vision.

Oliver likes to grunt and flex every muscle in his body.

Oliver can now pull himself to sitting on his knees and once he stood up! (in the washtub/swimming pool).

Oliver still will not crawl. And he and I are getting a bit frustrated at his immobility. Oh well, maybe the ocean will tempt him a bit, or perhaps his cousin Henry will.

And Oliver still enjoys a good jumping session, as well as a good peekaboo fun with GrandMaddie.

Speaking of cousin Henry, that is our next destination. I believe Oliver and I will head to the beach on Monday and get to visit Granddaddy, my sisiter and of course cousin Henry! Here we come salty air and sand in your britches!

Oliver loves the water!

Goings Ons

These days it is far easier for me to think in lists rather than sentences. I suppose this is because I have lists circling in my head and jotted down somewhere of just about everything going on in our lives, a list of what to pack to take this summer and a list of what to pack up so it doesn't mildew over the next 3 months, a list or running summary of what Oliver has or hasn't eaten, a list of what Eric needs to get done before he journeys across the Atlantic, a constant list of people I need to write and say hello to...so here is a list of bits of us.

-Eric finished up exams.

-Oliver has discovered the joy of blowing spit bubbles and sticking out his tongue (he especially loves this during mealtime)

-I finished a book, A Severe Mercy

-Oliver slept until 6 o'clock for the second time in his life (only waking up once at 1 o'clock to eat a bit)

-Eric and I watched a movie, Last King of Scotland.

-My goal is to finish the 3 other books I have in rotation, The Gambler, World Without End, and Son of a Witch

-Oliver does this weird inchworm crawl, but only in his crib and only Eric has witnessed it.

-Eric and I both have enjoyed the weekend together, but it feels odd actually having him around to love and play with Oliver.

-Eric's discovered his favorite plant, the Fiddlehead Fern

-Oliver has discovered his favorite plant...to eat, the Dandelion

-Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury is one of my all time favorite books. (I have read it maybe 4, maybe 5 times)

-Eric is reading, Gossamer by Lois Lowry and The Stand by Stephen King. I think reading these two at the same time is interesting

-Oliver is reading, Goodnight Moon by Margeret Wise Brown and I Love You Stinky Face by somebody.

-Oliver likes to sit outside and play with twigs from the apple tree, swing under the apple tree, and sometimes while I am talking to our chinese neighbor who doesn't speak English eat the apple tree blossoms.

-and that is some of our goings ons.

-oh and I ate a ridiculous amount of chocolate today, Happy Mother's Day!

Oliver looking a bit concerned, probably because of the copious amounts of chocolate consumes by his mama

This post is kind of long, because I put 3 videos up since I missed posting last week. Not a whole lot to say about last week, Oliver had to go to the doctor for an ear infection and still has a runny nose from his cold, Eric finished up classes, and we began to feel the sun's warmth! That's it.

Eric's first exam is today! I put an exclamation because that means he is 66% of the way through Law School...almost! And because he is finishing up his second year, we are busy up here organizing, packing, doing alot of laundry and of course playing.

Oliver, like most children I think, loves to be outside, and as the weather continues to warm and the apple trees begin to blossom along with the tulips there is never a shortage of new things to look at and screech at. I too quite enjoy being outside, so our days have been filled with strolling around town, playing on the picnic blanket, swinging under the apple tree (this activity comes complete with an awesome jingle I made up), and of course helping daddy/Eric through his colonoscopy.

Ah yes, great fun was had this past Monday up in Burlington. (The colonoscopy showed symptoms consistent with Crohn's, we are thankful to have had a look inside and have a doctor that seems to really strive for Eric's best health!) And, of course Oliver had a blast flirting with the recovery room nurse. He cooed and laughed and even wimpered when she would leave, he is too much. Never mind that he had insisted I hold him in my arms and push and empty stroller around the hospital for the last half hour, little booger. But as the videos show, he is so hard to resist!

Oliver Moments

Every day Oliver moments happen and no two are alike as the following videos show. (Although, there is a touch of mischief or playfulness always.) As I am typing this Eric and Oliver and I are tossing his new ball around, and Oliver's squeels hint of a hope that some accident or incident will occur.

Our Oliver is a sweet baby, personable, enjoying not only our company but interested in our conversations with Gregg and Gloria at the PO, or Nick and Sean from school. I love listening and visiting with just about anyone, and our sweet boy seems to like a good story as well. I think his goofiness will give him plenty of stories of his own though and I'm sure his cousins, being so close in age, will be there right beside him developing the plot!

In the second video, Oliver is demonstrating to, I think all 3 cousins, how to properly enjoy the wonderful Black and White book. Eating the ears off the Easter Bunny. Full after a good read.

The Road Before Us

Oliver is midway through his 6 month and seems to enjoy his surroundings more and more, especially when the things surrounding him are fun to chew. And along with chewing everything in sight, Oliver is rolling over (especially while sleeping), "talking" and sitting and playing (by himself!). I'm liking the fact that Oliver isn't mobile yet, but can entertain himself for little bits of time. I can now take care of projects like packing up our winter clothes in Rubbermaid containers and Space Bags, and ya'll know how much I love organizing and purging junk so this latest project put a smile on my face to complete! Now, if only the weather would cooperate so I don't look silly for packing up the sweaters.

And looking ahead, we are nearing the end of Eric's second year in law school! In 5 short weeks we will be back in the South! The end of a semester always zooms by and this one is going to be no different. Eric of course has exams to study for and papers to write, I'll be busy trying to organize what will be making the trek down south, and Oliver will be busy giving his daddy and mommy slobbery kisses, gnawing on his toys and discovering the flowers of Spring!

Oliver's first ball Loving Oliver

Books are good for you, try one, Oliver did.