Love is in Stiles: July 2015

July 2015

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So, once again it has been months since I posted. Eeek! Sorry about that.

But here is a little recap of our July, with a tooooon of pictures.

I am not sure if I already mentioned, but I recently took a photography course. My friend from church, the sweetest and most talented and creative person I know, Ai Lau, knew a photographer and asked him if he would teach some lessons. So, my now friend, Baljit, taught her. Then she started posting her pictures on Facebook and they were SO incredible. She had just gotten a DSLR about six months before and her pictures were good, but now they were just stunning. So I asked her about the course, and took it myself. Along with three other ladies in our branch. :)

I loved everything I learned, but I still have a long way to go. Sadly, my autofocus on my camera has gone as well. But that is a sad tale I won't go into.

And- that is the explanation of why there are suddenly even more pictures than normal.

July in Hong Kong is hot hot hot and humid humid humid.

Maverick loves his bike! He says "bike bike bike" and sits on the seat even in the house, waiting for me to push it around.

Maverick loves the beach and the pool, but he is apprehensive about cold water. This is us at the rock pools just behind my sister's building. There is a big waterfall with granite boulders that goes up into the hills behind the house. It really is gorgeous, but momma only stays for a little while because there are mosquitoes like CRAY!

Momma save me!

Mom was playing with the shutter speed, trying to freeze the water drops.

More shutter speed changes to show the water moving.

We have also been working on potty training Mav. He had started to take off his own diaper whenever it was dirty. Or he would pat his crotch, say "do do do do", bring me a clean diaper, and lay down on the ground to get changed. "Do do" apparently means 'diaper' or 'potty'. So we took these signs to mean he was ready for potty training.
He is pretty good while he is in the house, we haven't started working on outside yet. We did a "naked week" where me and him hung around the house (IMPORTANT NOTE- only he was naked), and he got to eat and drink anything he wanted (meaning lots of juice, crackers, and candy). He got a little potty seat that he adores. And whenever he goes potty he gets a treat- a Skittle or M&M. Sometimes he gets tricky and sits on the potty, gets his treat, and runs away without peeing. Drives me nuts, but it is also kind of impressive!

He also loves to flush the potty himself. Repeatedly. He runs in there randomly and flushes until I catch him.

This is his 'cheezer' face.

So happy about apple juice- he never gets juice normally.

Mean mommy took a picture before she helped Mav out of this potty seat headlock. Classic.

Naked week success!

This boy also turned 18 months in July!
Other than working on potty training, and having full blown toddler temper-tantrums all of the time, the biggest achievement of the month was that he can now attend nursery at church! WOOOT! This means that I only have to chase him through church for one hour every Sunday, instead of three! Running up and down the aisles, screaming, racing up to play keys on the piano while there are speakers, hitting, throwing everything in sight- just one hour instead of three, glory be! Plus I can get more spiritual enlightenment when he isn't with me because I can focus. That too. :)

Another favorite thing to do is to go to the splash-pad in nearby Tung Chung. It makes Maverick super happy, which is adorable. But you have to watch him, or he will stick his head directly above the holes the water shoots out of, and those things are highly pressurized! He is one curious cat. Wherever we go people tell me how 'handsome' he is, and love his 'big blue eyes' and that he is 'happy' and 'curious' and 'clever'. I agree with them all- but that cleverness and curiosity often lead to trouble. What a little boy he is!

Cousin Hazel is Maverick's best friend. All day every day he asks for "Haza and Lola". If we ever go outside and don't head towards their house, he cries hysterically. They are great with him! Always playing with him, feeding him, and protecting him. Here Hazel is carrying him so sweetly.