T minus 22: Olympic Architecture in Beijing

Only 22 more days until the opening ceremonies. This is a link to a fantastic article in the New York Times about some of the new architecture in Beijing for the Olympics. Be sure to click on the multimedia presentation in the left column of the article to see how some of these amazing structures were built.

Twenty years ago today...

Who will it be?!?!

In the next 2-3 weeks, we will have the 20,000th visitor to Two Pearls! Who will it be? Thanks to the Site Meter counter, I can see the location of each visitor to the site. I don't know who you are, but sometimes I can guess based on the location. Won't it be fun to see who visits us that day?

China Week on the Travel Channel

Do you get the Travel Channel? If so, they are having China Week the week of July 27th. Click on this link, and then click on China Week under TV Events in the column on the left for a complete schedule. Sigh...I'm ready to go back already! I can hardly wait for the Olympics to start just so I can see all those great human interest stories they do about the country.

My Uncle V

Late last week, my Great Uncle V died. He's been ill for quite some time following a stroke several years ago. He's been living with his sister D and her husband R for many years now, and they did such a great job taking care of him. His wife, my great Aunt L (sister of my maternal grandmother), died about 16-17 years ago. They were always some of my favorite relatives to visit as a kid because they spoiled us! They took us on vacation with them, treated us to meals out, and even let us eat TV dinners when we stayed over at their place!

We last saw Uncle V last summer when we visited PA, and he did get to meet Sophie, although she wasn't too happy to sit on his lap.

Matching Gals

Oooo...I love these coordinated dresses! These were another find from the Wooden Soldier's tent sale last summer. Actually EJ already had her dress and I was able to find one in Sophie's size to match.

Oh say, can you see... (in honor of Independence Day weekend)

Oh say, can you see...what's living in the woodpile at the end of our driveway? A snake! Or a sssssssnnnaaaaaayyyy as Sophie calls it. It's your typical green garden-variety snake. He likes to sun himself on the rocks behind the woodpile. And K just said he needed to clean that up, because we didn't have many fires last winter and the wood is rotting out there.

Oh say, can you see EJ in the bike parade? This is one of her favorite holiday activities at the lake. The kids have craft time under the big top in the morning and they decorate their bikes with crepe paper, flags, and balloons. Then, armed with kazoos, they parade around the campground and lodge, serenading everyone with patriotic songs.


Oh say, can you see who's wearing those Foster Grants? It's Sophie, enjoying the brass band concert on the 4th.


Oh say can you see little Sophie sleeping in the next morning? She and I hung out in the camper and she slept right through all the booms of the fireworks the night before. She did wake up a little early, so she came in bed with us and went back to sleep. EJ and I got our showers, and I thought this was a cute shot of EJ staring at the little sleeping beauty.


Oh say, can you see the Atlantic Ocean from the top of New England? My dad was here visiting last week. Okay, he was really working as our babysitter while daycare was closed. And then we treated him to a little vacation in the mountains. On Saturday, we took him up the Mt. Washington Auto Road to the highest peak in the northeast, 6288 feet above sea level. It was a great day for the drive. We'd done this once before when EJ was a baby, and it was very foggy at the top. Mt. Washington holds the record for the highest wind speed ever recorded, and hurricane-force winds are recorded one out of every three days at the peak. The drive is a bit scary with the curves and the narrow road, but worth every penny for the view once you're there. Just go on a sunny clear day! It was 78 at the base of the mountain and 56 at the top, where you're above the tree line.

Sophie and Pap Pap became fast friends. He walked in the door the previous weekend and said "Hey Sophie, come give me a big hug!" And she did. And she kissed him. She gives the two-cheeks kind of kisses. And then they were buddies all week, except at naptime, where she wanted Mama to lay her down. They didn't work too well since I was working. But she did let "Sistuh" lay her down. Anyway, my dad became reacquainted with the joy of changing dirty diapers about 40 years after he changed his last one! Thanks, Pap Pap!

Here's a family shot taken at the very peak:


So, now we're officially on the summer schedule. EJ goes to Sophie's daycare 3 or 4 days a week (she's still deciding), and there is an inground pool there. When I picked the girls up yesterday, they were both still in the pool and Sophie was having the best time splashing around. When I got home tonight, Sophie looked up at me and shouted "SIM!!" It took me a few minutes to figure out that it was "swim!". She's just stringing so many words together that it's adorable. Yesterday, there was a little painting in her cubby at school. I put it in her bag to bring home and she immediately pulled it right back out and announced "I make it! I make it!" She was SO proud of that painting.