Happy Thanksgiving!

 Today is Thanksgiving. There are so many things that my family and I are thankful for! What a wonderful God we have who gives us so many blessings!!!

Today I am extra thankful for:

·         ---My brother. Lately I have been having a hard time sharing with him now that he is crawling and getting into my things, but I still love him. I try to remember to give him hugs several times a day.

·        --- My cars. I know these are just toys, but I am thankful for them nonetheless. (Yes, I use that big word!) I am especially thankful for my Lightening McQueen, Tow Mater, and my Beijing Bus.

·         ---Beet and Deet. I KNOW that they are really called blanket and nuk, but I like my words better. I would have a really hard time getting to sleep without them.

·         ---Traffic. I love traffic. The area near our house had terrible traffic especially in the evenings. I love all the cars, busses, bikes, motorcycles, and people going every which way. There is so much honking and noise. What a wonderful thing!

·         ---Jesus. I like to recite one of my books, “Jesus loves to hear me pray. He died to take my sins away. I’ll live with him in heaven some day.”

·         ---Books. Listening to Mom or Dad read is one of my favorite things.

·         ---Cereal, oranges, cookies, toast, eggs, quesadillas, bacon, chuar bread, pancakes, and broccoli. YUM.

·         ---Mommy and Daddy. They said they are SO thankful for smart, healthy, and sweet boys like me and Weston too!

·         ---All of our friends and family back in the States. I love that we have the technology to see and talk to them often. I miss them, but Skype has been wonderful.

·         ---Playgrounds. They are fun.

·         ---My new friends here in Beijing. My family and I have been so blessed to have Friends of China members here to help us and make us feel like we are all a family. Everyone is so helpful and fun. … I also love our new Chinese friends. What a blessing to have them in our lives too!

·         ---The moon. I just really like finding the moon.

There are so many more things that I am thankful for. Mom and Dad say we should say thanks to God every day, and not just on Thanksgiving. What a great idea! :)

Weston wants me to tell you that he is thankful for: food, (Cheerios, banana, and bread especially.), his new ability to say “Mama” “Dada” and “More”, and his stacking cups because they are so fun to knock over.

This morning Mommy, Weston, and I met Daddy, all the teachers and kids from Homeschool at the Preschool. We had around 35 kids and 15 adults there to give thanks together and eat a meal. There was SO much food! I had a great time seeing everyone. Weston and I were really good boys, but we were SO tired when we got home since it was WAY past our nap times... Tonight we are heading over to some friends' house to eat and hang out with all the Americans. We will be thankful there too! :)... Not this Sunday but the next we will have our Official Thanksgiving meal and get together with turkey and everything. That also will be fun.

Mommy is INSISTING that she write something:

Happy Thanksgiving to our family and friends back in the States! Safe travels, and God bless you!!

I Get Around

Go, dogs. Go!

Go on skates or go by bike.

Go by foot- run, skip, or hike!

Go by scooter! Go by skis- bundle up so you don’t freeze.

Go by blimp, by boat, by car. Go, dogs. Go! It’s not too far!

In case you don’t know, that’s a quote from one of my first favorite books, “Go Dog, Go!” I often repeat this in my mind as we travel around Beijing. Here’s why:

My family and I use many means of transportation. In a country where it’s just not that convenient to have a car, we sometimes have to get creative when it comes to how we get around. I mean, I am really good at driving the Little Tykes car that I had when we lived in Milwaukee, but somehow I don’t think I would get too far here.

The main way my family gets from here to there is by zi xing che. Mommy detests hers and even convinced Daddy that she didn’t need one for the first 2 weeks we were here. BUT since it’s free to ride a bike, and faster than walking she had to give in. By the way, I LOVE IT!!!! I have my own seat on the back of Mom’s bike. I hold on to my little handle bars and always say “Go fast, Mommy.” and “Race, Daddy!” What is really funny is when Mom wears a button down sweater and it flies our behind her. The other day I let it flap over my head like a cape! I was laughing so hard! Weston rides on Daddy’s back in a backpack while he bikes. At first Mom was not big on this idea. But so far it is working out well. Wes sometimes falls asleep while he is in there so it can’t be that bad. We both like to look around at all the buses and other bikes while we are riding.

 

Side story: So the other day I was riding on the back of the bike while Daddy was driving. I started hitting his back and saying “Stop Daddy! Stop Daddy!!” He pulled over and asked me what was wrong in a very concerned voice. I turned around and looked at the traffic light and said “It’s red, Daddy.” … Jeepers, I was just looking out for our safety!!

Mommy says she thinks walking is best. I don’t mind it usually because I sometimes get to run ahead if Weston is in the stroller by himself. Often I will turn around and run back to Daddy and say “Watch out for bikes and cars, Daddy.” Then I hold his hand because I sure don’t want to get run over!  I don’t mind  riding in the stroller either, because then I can have a rest. My favorite times are when Wes and I get to ride in there together. I “take care” of him by craning my head around his and saying “Hi Weston” (only a few…ok maybe a few more than a few… times in a row) and sometimes taking off his hat. I am a really good big brother!!

Every once in awhile I get to ride in a taxi. CABS ARE HERE!!!!! The driver is usually a nice man who doesn’t understand a word of what I am saying, but likes to laugh anyway. I am a funny guy though, so who wouldn’t? My whole family gets to ride in the back together. I like this better than when we drove our car in the States because I can have Mom and Dad’s full attention. I like that, in case you didn’t know…. Cab drivers usually don’t drive as politely as most people in the Midwest, but that’s fine with me! That just means they honk even more than Mommy did in Milwaukee! … The other night while we were riding home we were singing Jesus Loves the Little Children. The driver was tapping his hand along to the beat. Maybe the words reached his heart!! :)

I saved the best for last---- the subway!!! I really, really, really like to ride on the subway train, as I call it. My family has two subway stations that are near our house. It is less than a 10 minute bike ride to either one. There are SO many subways lines in Beijing. We can get pretty close to anywhere in the city by riding on them. Most of them are underground but one of them that’s near our house is an elevated train. I like to ride on either kind. The people here are very kind and most of the time someone gets up to give me and Mommy seats. Then I get to play cars or just make new friends. Sometimes the trains are pretty crowded but during the day, when Weston and I travel with Mom and Dad, they usually aren’t too bad. 

By the way- Wes and I are Really good at holding on on the subway train!

Here's a video I wanted to share. The subway doesn't usually look like this, but on National Holiday there were a lot of people in Beijing who wanted to go places. 

Well that's about all I can tell you about how I get around. Soon I want to tell you about all the foods that I like to eat (and some that I don't really like to eat) so be on the lookout for that blog! 

TianAnMen and Zhongshan Park

Hey again!

So we had an interesting time being tourists this week. I want to tell you about our adventures going down to the TianAnMen Square area.

The whitest Chinese kid you will ever see! :)

The sea of people trying to get to get near TianAnMen.
The road was blocked off to the right of this pic.

So Mom and Dad were TRYING to be cool (They are getting old, so it’s hard work for them sometimes) and thought it would be a good idea to head down to one of the biggest tourist attractions in Beijing on Monday, October 1. Monday, October 1 = National Day here in China. (Think 4^th of July minus cooking out and parades, plus millions of people)  Let’s just call this day a fail. In a nutshell: rode the subway for about an hour and a half (Mommy says it’s Daddy’s fault that we didn’t get off at the correct station), walked 20 mins- just far enough to get to a barricaded street about 2 blocks away from TianAnMen Square, and shuffled (and when I say shuffled I mean, walked like penguins for another 20 mins) back  to the subway to ride about another hour and a half home. Our family was worn out.

BUT did that stop us from trying again the next day??? No way! After lunch that following afternoon we got back on the subway, got off at the right station and were there in about an hour. YAY! I was sooooo excited. I kept telling everyone around me, “Going to Tiananmen Square” I don’t really think I even knew what that meant, but it sure was fun to say!

There were still so many people in this area, but it was fun to feel like a tourist with everyone else. We walked around in front of the Forbidden City, first. I got to see Mao’s picture on the wall for the first time. He is not that nice to look at. We will just leave it at that. If you can’t say something nice, you shouldn’t say anything at all, right?

Then we took an underground walkway to get across the street to Tiananmen. There were quite a lot of people there, but I did get to run around in there a little bit. It was all decorated for the holiday with flowers and TV boards. There was a big picture of a man who I think is going to be the new president. He’s got a sweet mustache.

This isn't even bad. Sometimes there are 20 people
taking pics at a time!

I think now would be a good time to mention that I am famous. Yup, it’s like I have paparazzi following me whenever I leave our area of town. During this national holiday people seem to think that I am even more special and cute. Anytime that Mom has me stand in a certain place for a picture everyone around wants to snap a shot too. People also were constantly asking me to take a picture with them. Sometimes I would allow them to, but sometimes I would run away. Mom and Dad pretty much let me decide if I want to take pics with people I don’t know. Weston sometimes gets this treatment too, but since he is usually being held by Mom or Dad it’s not as often. Random people do ask to hold him though, but my parents ALWAYS say NO to that. I also think that’s a little weird… We especially get our pictures taken by Chinese people when Wes and I are in a picture together. Mom and Dad had us sit in a couple different places together and when they were finished they would turn around and there would be up to TWENTY people standing behind them taking pictures too! The game we made up was to take pictures of them like they were doing to Weston and me. It was pretty funny.

Weston and I outside one of the buildings

Anyway, next we went to Zhongshan Park. It is just to the west of the Forbidden City. It was originally an imperial pleasure garden. It was awesome! There were so many flowers and old Cypress trees. It also had some Chinese style buildings and gates and a section of all bamboo. We spent a couple hours running around in there. The weather was beautiful and it wasn’t TOO crowded. We are going to go back there another day because they also have an indoor playground area, but it closed for the day 5 minutes before we got there! I was really sad, but I was a big boy when my parents explained what was going on.

Family at ZhongShan Park

After we left the park we got to go to McDonalds on the way home. I was super excited to have chicken nuggets! We even got to get some ice cream because Daddy and I were good boys!

First Post from the Other Side of the World!

On our way to Beijing

Hey everyone! Or I should say “Nimen hao!”

I want to tell everyone all about my family’s new life in Beijing, China. We are loving it!!! Everything is so exciting and different.

We live in an area of Beijing  called Wudaokou. It’s a pretty busy place, especially in the evenings. But there are lots of places to eat, markets, and grocery stores here. I really like going out in the neighborhood. My favorite place is the alley. This is what we call the little area near our apartment complex. I love going there to get fruit and my favorite food: xiao bing. It’s a round bun that is a little sweet. I also like “bun treats” from the same baker. Mom and Dad aren’t sure what they are called in Chinese so we just call them bun treats. They are similar to a caramel roll. YUM! The alley people LOVE to talk to me in Chinese. I say “Ni Hao” (That means “Hello” to all you waiguo ren) to everyone I see.

I am really LOVING learning to speak Chinese. I often ask Mom or Dad “What does ____ say?” Meaning, “How do you say ____ in Chinese?”  I especially like to learn the words for different fruits and also animals. Our friend, Hillary, comes over sometimes and teaches me lots of new things. Sometimes I even say things to Mom that she doesn’t understand. It’s pretty awesome.

Fiona and I with our mommies-- Elva and Mommy

I met my first Chinese playmate the other day. Her name is Fiona and she’s 3 ½ (but I am taller than her!) Her mom and mine were friends the last time Mommy and Daddy lived in Beijing. Within minutes of meeting each other we were running around and laughing with each other. At supper we shared some juice, Cheerios, and a couple Smarties. Hopefully I can see her again soon.

My "schoolwork"

Daddy has to go to school almost everyday. When he comes home I get very excited. He tells me that things are going well and they even get to move into a better building in a couple weeks. That is great news for him and for the school. … While Daddy is at school Mommy, Weston, and I hang out. I have really started to enjoy playing with Weston, but am pretty possessive of my cars. … Mommy and I have started doing “schoolwork” together. I practice writing lines and circles in a book. Today I even got to make squares and triangles. I am so proud when I can do it all by myself! I also have a sticker book in which I read the letters and find the sticker to match. It’s really fun!

Sometimes I get to go outside on the playground in our complex. I got a bike that I ride around down there too! I am such a big boy now!

Weston showing off his teeth

In case you didn’t hear- Weston has 3 teeth now! Two are in pretty far, but the other one is just peeking. Sometimes he bites Mommy on the arm or leg when she isn’t looking. We laugh about that!!! Also he really wants to crawl! He sits and leans forward really far. Every once in awhile he tips over and cries. That is not good, but he’s tough. Mom sits him back up and he tries again… Also Wes has become a chatterbox! He just jabbers “Da da da da” a lot and makes a noise like he can’t breathe. Haha. I like to imitate him to make him laugh… One other thing that Wes and I do together is eat snack! I really like yogurt and any kind of fruit, but Weston eats rice cereal and either fruit or veggies baby food. (I tried it- YUCK!) We both sit at the table and chow down. That is so fun! I can’t wait until Weston is old enough to do MORE things with me!!!

Driving on Weston Mountain

Eating snack

Next week is National Holiday here in China. Daddy has a week off from school and the whole country travels. We are going to stay around Beijing, but we are planning to see some fun stuff. If you want to come visit we will do fun stuff with you too! J

I will try to post again soon! It’s really hard finding time to get on the computer when I am busy playing cars all the time!

Playing on my bed

Daddy and his boys

Oh Brother!

I am a big brother! You might know that already since I have been a brother for about three weeks now, but I have been so busy that I haven't had time to tell you about it.

I pretty much think that being an older brother is the best. When Gramma and Aunt Trish came to stay with me when Mom and Dad went to the hospital I didn't know what was going on. I was a little upset when they left, but I think Mommy was sadder than I was!

Mommy told me the story about what happened when my little brother, Weston Kurk, was born: It was February 29 (Leap Day!) and Mom thought the baby was coming soon. Her doctor told her at 11:30 in the morning that it was going to be awhile so they were going to start an induction at 2 pm. Mom and Dad went to the hospital then but Weston was eager to come out, it turns out! He was born at 3:29 pm, only 50 minutes after Mommy got in the room! I am so proud of my mom because she didn't have any of the medication she wanted and also Weston got stuck for a little bit. But with Daddy and Aunt Trisha's help she made it!

 Here are a couple pictures of Weston soon after he was born:

A couple hours later I got to go to the hospital and meet my little brother and see Mom and Dad. I was so excited!!! I even brought Mommy some flowers because I love her.

I loved my brother at first sight! I found his nose right away!!!

Grandma Kramer, Aunt Trisha, Grandma and Grandpa Scriver, Uncle Bryan, and Aunt Heather all came to see Weston at the hospital that night. The next day our good friends, Neil and Becky (and their son, Caleb) came too. Wes is a popular guy, just like me!!!

 Mom, Dad, and Weston came home from the hospital a couple days later. I met them at the door. I was so excited they were home!

Our next few days were super busy! Grandpa Kramer and Aunt Karissa came to stay for a couple days to meet Weston and also be a part of his baptism.

Seeing Wes get baptized was so cool! I got to go in the front with Mom, Dad, and Weston's godparents, Bryan and Trisha. Then pastor put water on my brother's head. That was my favorite part! Every time we have gone to church since that day I say "waaaaaaater" and look for the baptismal font. I wish I coulda splashed around in there!

Since then we have been doing great at the Scriver house. Mom is getting used to taking care of three boys instead of two and I am great at helping her with Weston. I get diapers for her and help pat Weston's back after he eats. I am also doing much better about being a good boy when I want Mommy's attention. At first I was kinda naughty, but now I use nice words and actions to get what I want.

Alright, well I am going to get off of here and get to bed. It's waaaaaaay past my bedtime. I have to get in my crib so that I can sing the "Elmo's World" song and say "MommyDaddy, Daddydoodle, Jayvee" and other stuff like that. (Yes, I say Jayvee's name right now!! It's exciting!)

Here's a few more pics for you to enjoy!

Letters!

Since I am now officially 19 months and 7 days old I figured that it's about time I learn my alphabet. Each day I ask Mom and Dad to play "letters" with me. So we take magnetic letters and they quiz me on what each one is. I like to hold them up myself too and shout the name. I know all 26! But my faves are the letters that spell my name and also W and Y. They are so fun to say! Next time you see me ask me to spell Rogan. I can do it all by myself.


Then, the other night I got a big surprise. Daddy got out a toy for me that I was so amazed with. It was a puzzle shaped floor mat that had letters on it that I could take apart and put together. Mom thought that I did such a great job that she wanted to get it on video. So here are a couple of clips.....

After I got tired of putting the letters in the puzzle mat I decided that I should run and spin on my mat. Daddy really was encouraging! :)...





Mommy asked me to let you know that she now has less than 2 weeks to go until her due date, but is ready to have my brother at any time. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers so Mommy and my brother can have a healthy and safe delivery. :) ... Here's a pic of my mom with her big tummy!

Oh and Daddy wanted you to see his tummy too! :)












 A couple other new things that I do now are: saying "Morning" when I get up and putting together 2-3 word sentences. I can be so funny! A new favorite thing to do is help Mom cook. I love to stand on the chair next to her and stir in my own bowl and help her dump things into the pan she is using. I also really like to watch Sesame Street and videos of myself (and my mom and dad) on the computer. AND I have so much fun when Mommy puts music on and I dance and clap along. A couple of songs that I like best are "If You're Happy and You Know it" and "Driving all the way to Minneapolis"

Ok well that's all for this blog post. I'm sure that I will have a lot to say when my new brother is born. I am so excited to meet him!!!