Summertime@Biltmore Lake

Hiking the Biltmore Lake trails

Ready for summer...

“Look…there’s a chickadee,” Austin says excitedly as he stands by the sliding glass doors in our living room looking out on the deck. Early morning is peak bird watching time even though we don’t put out bird feeders because of the bear population around Biltmore Lake. Birds having plenty to feed on this time of year. 

            A large robin perches on the deck railing. I see him often in the mornings, but Austin has already identified him.  “There’s a robin!” he tells me confidently. “His belly is orange”. On our walks (and his choosing to run) around the lake he stops, holds up his index finger and announces “woodpecker!”.  Sure enough, we hear the rhythmic rat tat tat tat even though we weren’t listening for it.

I doubt whether most four-year-old boys notice birds as Austin does. Perhaps it’s because we live in an area with lots of trees and wildlife. But I like to think that Austin is a born lover of nature because he’s always noticed flowers, plants, insects and birds even in his inner city Washington DC neighborhood. Jessica would point out plants and birds as she walked him in his stroller when he was a toddler. Austin, being a observer, took it all in and so he is aware of much of the natural world around him.

            When Austin was at our house last week we’d go for a short walk in the evenings and he would count the brown rabbits with their white puffy cotton tails scurrying around here.  There are plenty this time of year.  He would slowly inch up to one but just as he got very close, the rabbit would scamper off.  It became a challenge and a game but the rabbits were too quick for him. Austin was not so keen to go with me up Pink Beds Trail, however. He had overheard someone a few days ago mention that a bear had been sighted on Pink Beds.  He was not about to go to the end of that trail even three days later.  Nothing gets by this child, I thought.  He remembers everything and he is cautious.

            “Guess what…”is still very much a part of Austin’s chatter and is his lead into telling you everything he knows and is thinking about.  He is a wonderful companion and loves to carry on long conversations.  Jessica says there are few kids his own age who talk as much or as clearly as he does so there isn’t much spoken interaction with other four-year-old kids.  Perhaps he doesn’t notice as he is very much his own person and not shy.

“No way”  with a head shake is another of Austin’s  expressions as he can be very strong minded.  On this visit I watched him go through all his personality changes – from anger to pouting, to all smiles and giggling, to kindness and sweetness.  Then there is a part of him that likes to direct things, tell you what to do…orchestrate. Jessica says it’s the “German Huber genes” coming out.  He has a stubborn side that won’t let go when he gets something in his head he wants to do or some forbidden food he knows he can’t have like cookies or ice cream before a meal.

          The latest challenge for him is handling winning and losing. He plays to win whether it’s Candyland, Go Fish, Baseball, or Running.  He expects to win every single time which is a problem, of course.  I proposed a prize for the loser of Candyland which totally backfired because Austin is too smart.  He deliberately lost so he could win!  His parents deal with this in a calm way and acknowledge that he will grow out of this.

Biltmore Lake Playground

            One morning I told Austin that we would go together to the lake for the morning to swim and play on the swings at the playground. I opened the garage door so we could go in the Prius.

He said excitedly, “You have a Toyota??” 

“How did you know it’s a Toyota?” I asked him taken aback.

He smiled shyly, pointed at the logo on the trunk of the car, and then in a sing song voice he said “Toyota…takes you where you want to go!”

“I’m afraid he picked that up from watching too much ESPN,” Jessica told me apologetically.

             I still smile and can hear him pronounce Toyota with a drawn out “yo” sound.

Austin was thrilled to sit in the front seat buckled in for the very short drive down to the lake while I felt slightly guilty not having transferred the car seat for such a short distance.  Every time after this when we would go somewhere he would beg “can we go in the Toyota?” We might say “no, we have to go in the Subaru so we will all fit” and he would not be impressed. He picked out Toyotas in the parking lot but is obviously not taken with any other car makers. If only the Toyota company knew about Austin Aaronson’s excitement about their cars!

Once at the beach I pulled out his red long sleeved swim shirt for sun protection when Austin pointed out to me that it was made of a special “fabric”.  Again, where did he learn that word and what four year old pays attention?  Nothing gets past this child, I thought.  

We ended each day snuggled in the big armchair in the loft  ith books to read before bedtime.  “What shall we read tonight?”  I would ask after showing him what was in the pile for that evening.

“This one and this one…” Austin pointed.  So we started with the new nonfiction book on the planet Mars that the children’s librarian at the library had selected and told me my grandson would love.  I was skeptical as it looked way too advanced.  Not only was Austin interested he wanted to read it again. The giggling started when we read two Mo Willems Elephant and Piggie books. The friendship between Gerald, an Elephant, and Piggie, his best friend is endearing, the timing, humor, and lesson to be learned perfectly paced for a four year old.  We read each one at least three times. We said goodnight with a hug and kiss and then Mommy appeared for the final bedtime ritual…and all was quiet.

Until next summer...

            The visit is over and I am filled with memories of family and summer activities at Biltmore Lake.  I am remembering how much Austin loves all the family involved in what he is doing.  Whether it’s being outfielders in a whiffle ball game, building sandcastles together on the beach, watching him hit the tennis ball with his Dad, taking walks together on the trails, and going on outings as we did to Chimney Rock for the day. We share in the joy and fun of doing activities that bring us together.

Family together at Sierra Nevada Brewery

Building sand castles

Playing tennis...

Family fun @Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock, N.C.