The end of the summer??

Cerntainly not for us!! Cloudy or not, the summer isn't over yet. Not in North Carolina! Yes, we saw a a tree or two whose leaves were actually turning red, but that doesn't mean a thing in the Carolinas. There is nothing nicer than the springy fall they invented in these parts of the States (God bless America). But hey, it's still August!

Besides, we have a couple more trips planned that do include the beach. Charleston? Of course!

Lia is a huge fan of water. Ok, the sea monster still scares her, but no pool can be big enough, no water table deep enough. Have I told you about Lia's first time at a pool? She ran straight into the water, no fear, no hesitation (another thing, she doesn't get from me. I have difficulties breathing when I watch diving movies). She's a professional 'showerer' too. Which makes it very easy to rinse the shampoo off her head. No more baths for Lia, who is enjoying her showers like a grown up.

And her day at the pool? She had blue lips and was shaking from the cold, yet had to be dragged out of the water. Thata girl.
Watch a splashing nut! Video!

The Outer Banks

After returning home to the States we didn't last very long on the couch. We decided to get to know our State a bit better and treated ourselves to a trip to the Outer Banks, a string of islands off the coast of North Carolina. Five days of fresh air and walks on the beach! AND an adventurous trip on a speed boat along the lovely East Coast! We even saw some dolphins!

Ok, I guess we did more lounging than walking, but who can resist a locally crafted hammock?

Swing!

Father and daughter on dolphin watch:


Even though it was August, the weather got a bit chillier than anticipated. On we put four layers of summer clothes, left our shoes in the car, and braved the wind and rain to boost our health!



Watch Lia enjoying a rainy day at the beach! (Video) (Oh, and please excuse our language!)

Sweet reunion

Back in the States! Most exciting event after getting back? The nutty reunion of the Peanuts. Lorenzo was waiting outside his house, and when our car pulled up he squatted down and screamed from the top of his lungs for an entire minute! What happiness! Of course the nuts took off where they left a month before. Ever since we're back they are all giggles. Every day Lia is asking me to go and see Lorenzo. When I tell her that we are going on a car ride, she will ask me "Lo?" And yes, most of the time she gets lucky. Unless we have to go grocery shopping. What disappointment. Recently, she is also including little Francsca in her query: "Lo? Baby?" And off we go, to the Cardarelli residence, to meet an overly excited toddler who is impatiently pacing up and down the street.

Lia & Lo gone crazy

Watch the Peanuts in a drinking competition! Video!

Want to learn more about the Peanuts' crazy ways of enjoying each other's nutty company? Click here!

Mamane and other fruit

Mamane (emphasis on last syllable) - that's Lia's word for banana, the Mama of all fruit! Fruit are her absolute favorite, and nobody will be surprised to know that she finished both bowls of blueberries. Now with vegetables, meat, and fish, well, that's a different story. Lia has become a bit more picky. Pictures of empty lunch plates and inflated bellies haven't been taken in months. Too bad, but who has the time to sit down and eat when there are much more important things to digest? Places to explore? Lia isn't very shy, and that's something we're pretty proud of. No, she won't just take anybody's hand, but she will look you straight in the eye and and maybe show you a toothy smile if you seem to deserve it. And then she'll talk your ear off. That's because Lia isn't very shy with words either. Her vocabulary is a funny mixture of German, English, and even Hebrew, all embedded in baby babbling that actually makes up 90% of her talking and is confidently and convincingly brought forward. Some of her 'real' words have a funny Lia-twist to them, like 'Mamane' for Banane or 'Boot' for Brot (German = bread). Her dear boyfriend's name is 'Lo', 'Auf' is her word for sunglasses (putting on shades = Sonnenbrille AUFstetzen), and 'Hallo' means telephone. She will say 'tuck' for truck, and 'dati' to say thank you, a cute combination of danke and grazie. Now if she wants to drink water she will only use the Hebrew word 'maiim'. Of course we've already presented Lia's impressive Hebrew skills to her Israeli relatives. A book is a 'book', and if one story isn't enough, she will ask for 'moj'. Lia's alphabet doesn't include an R yet. To Lia, Babel is no state of confusion but one of sense and clarity. It's really sad that we soon have to leave the States. Hopefully Lia will find the American R before we leave and hold on tight to it! Rrrrrrrrrrrr.