Cristina (Ting) Higgins Herman's Blog

Photos

2012-01-04T14:45:00.001-08:00

Lunch with my man.
Man we're happy school is back in. :)

Bandidas, Commercial drive.

A muddy play at QE.

A fulfilling day so far.
And fun photos to prove it!

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2012-01-04T14:38:00.001-08:00

This is how the new year has started; sleepy!

Such is this time if year for me. Wet, cold and blah.

But this new app makes me happy.

Photos to follow.

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Happy Birthday Lucas!

2011-10-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

The little guy turned 7 last weekend, so we celebrated this weekend with a wild and crazy birthday party of glow bowling, cake and pinata. Amazingly, we survived. Last year I swore I would never do another large boys' birthday, but I found myself in the same predicament all of a sudden with 15 kids RSVPing yes for the party. Yikes.

Unfortunately the morning had gone poorly at Lucas' soccer game. Lucas received a hard ball to the face in goal and he couldn't turn himself around to get past it - which ended in frustration for all. We consequently started our birthday proceedings grumpy The result of which was my telling him that his Spongebob pinata would get no arms as a result. Lol. Regardless, I thought the results of the previous evenings late-night crafting was fairly decent.

The saving grace for the party and my sanity (besides the weather) was Rob. He deftly undertook the job of entertaining the kids with a game of "Robert Says" to whittle away the time until the glorious moment up pick-up. He was my hero!

All in all, the party was a success with very few injuries, entertained kids, and a happy birthday boy.

But... could someone please remind me to make it smaller next year!!!

A lot to be thankful for

2011-10-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

What a cliche!

However it has been a hell of a year and yet there still resonates in me a deeply grounded understanding that life is giving and good and that all that is, simply is. Sigh....

I feel that it was about this time last year that life went to pot for me. But now that I look back on the fall of 2010, I realize that I had heaped way too much onto my plate. I was working full time at school plus had taken on a part-time contract facilitating workshops in high schools for a research project. I had organized and hosted a huge 70th birthday for my beloved mom. We had committed to a confused rescued three-month old puppy. Mia's part time participation preschool hours were sucking up my free time with duty days and evening meetings. Lucas had just been diagnosed and we were only starting our journey to understanding how we could help him be more successful. I was playing hockey, Mia dancing, Lucas swimming and playing soccer and Rob busily working away at a pretty new job.

It was a lot.

Period.

And so, I put my head under the sand, dug deep and began to breathe.

Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe...

That's all I've done all year since, really.

I've hardly seen friends. We've not had a lot of adventures. We quit a lot of activities and we busied ourselves instead with fortifying foundations of health and well being.

And that's ok. :)

So here we are a year later on Thanksgiving weekend. Lucas has just turned 7 and is finding himself more every day. The puppy is one. Mia is successfully settled in kindergarten. Rob is well-established in his job. I'm working a little less and learning to balance a little better.

My head, dare I say, is coming out from under the sand and we are getting there..

And as I emerge and see things that make me smile again.

Like a weekend that went well.

All of it.

Very few disasters, tears or upsets.

Goals of laundry, marking and exercise were met.

Cookies were made. Dogs were walked. Friends were played with. Phone calls made.

We slept in.

Breathing feels nice now. Not hard.

A journey never ends of course. And I write this with the knowledge that things get better after they get worse. And that's ok.

People surprise me.

Like my students. One class of young 'uns liked a new novel so much that they decided to buy it with their own money and study it together.

Ummm... really?

And the other class.

The ones who frustrate me daily because I just can't get into the swing of the split level I'm teaching.

They all want to take my class again. They like me. Really? I thought I was doing a crappy job.

And the grade ten class in the summer that raised $300 bucks for Red Cross African famine relief when I suggested quietly that a donation would mean more than us eating cookies on our last day.

Sigh.

There is always sadness and disappointment.

October has seen a death in the family. And breast cancer.

But.

My world is good.

People envelope me in their warmth.

And with that I can emerge a little less scarred.

And for that...

I am thankful.

Savary Island year four

2011-08-24T19:36:00.001-07:00

We are deep into week two at our favorite piece of paradise. So far we have had great weather and lots of beach time with very few glitches. As usual an abundance of wildlife has thrilled us; seals, sea lions, snakes, starfish, crabs, eagles, herons, woodpeckers, Sand dollars, and lots of deer.

Sadly, Hunter had a run in with a mama deer who did not like his naughty aggression. She clobbered him in his rear and took out a grand portion of butt. Rob and Mia spent a large part of their day driving him to the vet in Powell River where he will stay overnight and have the tissue connected tomorrow. Pour little guy... But it kind of serves him right for being such a pest.

Well, we're off to get the kids to bed - Mia with a fresh bee sting and us with bellies full of Rangoli and Reisling, yum!!

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Finally Summer

2011-07-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

Sickness

2011-06-06T16:10:00.001-07:00

Daddy has hockey fever. We are all worried about him, but are assured it will pass soon.

Lucas' class has caught it as well, as you can see.

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2011-05-17T16:00:00.001-07:00

Lucas is now writing his own Captain Underpants.
Watch out Dav!

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Music to my Ears

2011-05-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

Rob and I are sitting upstairs catching up on the day whilst listening to Lucas read through the vents. We are amazed with his increased ability and grateful to all his teachers who have supported his journey through literacy this grade one year. I myself remember struggling with reading and sobbing tears of frustration when left to my own devices at Duthies in Arbutus Village after being told to find a book I could read before we left! (No offense Mom, I'm sure you were near and as frustrated as I was!) It was such a break-through to me when I realized I could indeed read, and the skill quickly developed into a love for a medium that remains one of my very favorite. Indeed to this day there is little else better than sinking into a good book.

So today I say thank you to Dav Pilkey, author of the Adventures of Captain Underpants series, for although I frown upon any book that uses gimme or wanna, I am thrilled that my son is sitting up reading, and asking to be allowed just a little more before bed!

A Seattle Getaway

2011-04-23T22:36:00.001-07:00

Rob and I left town yesterday to spend some quality time together. After a 3.5 hour border wait, we made it to Seattle for a great gastro-pub dinner. In our funky room at the Hotel Max, Rob fell asleep after the movie was running playing for about a minute. A good sleep later, we shared a light breakfast, picked up a big wine order and headed downtown to have a walk around. After parking our car well underground, we got into the elevator where Rob decided to have a little jump. Many springy bounces later, our elevator became stuck, and this is where we remain at this point while the rest of you enjoy the warmest Saturday we've seen in months.

We may not have Internet connection, but at least we have our iPhones. I'm guessing at least an hour, but it's been 40 minutes so far and they just banged on the wall to say the elevator company was on it's way. Not sure this was what we had in mind for quality time!

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Update: Well I guess Carol was just in requesting an update; we are NOT still in the elevator. It took an hour and a lot of patience, but we were released with nary a scrape or a piddle in our pants. (Although the latter was constantly on my mind!) After we got up to level ground we decided we were too hungry and needed to head back in the car and get to our chosen lunch spot. The parking attendant was incredulous that we didn't think we should pay for parking, so we swallowed our pride and paid for our experience. Truly unbelievable! The drive home took twice as long as the drive down... but the border wait was shorter coming back and the Easter bunny arrived Sunday morning without a hitch. Next time we may tale our mini-vacation downtown?

Spring Break Goodtimes

2011-03-31T14:10:00.001-07:00

Although I must admit to looking forward to Monday just a little, Spring break has been great so far. I was initially rather disappointed that Rob couldn't get any time off to go anywhere but in the long run I think it has been a blessing. The kids have really slid nicely into the rhythm of slower days with less rushing, and I have loved being able to drink the whole pot of coffee every morning! Miraculously the two monsters have also found a happy place in their relationship and have been caught playing together for longer and longer periods of time. Wonderful! I'm keeping my optimism high for a great spring.

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Things I Love

2011-02-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

It has been a hard year for all of us.

But still, there are wonderful things all around us.

Here are some everyday things I love.

Everyone absorbed in their own medium. Mia playing on Starfall, Lucas playing Plants vs. Zombies on the i-phone and Rob working.

My dogs. How I love my dogs and the countless hours we spend in the forest together. They keep me sane on many a day. (Except for when hunter is on a chewing tirade!)

How often Mia is dressed up like a bunny. Often she can be found delivering home made paper Easter eggs to all. I find them in the pockets of all my things.

Lucas reading. And reading. And reading. This makes me blissfully happy and proud.

Food. Good food in particular. Like these llapingachos and fried eggs. Mmmmmm.

How I can actually mark 30 essays a week in these conditions. Honestly, is this not multi-tasking at its best?

Smiles, which make us all happy.

Ample supplies of red pens and mechanical pencils. These were all Christmas gifts. No joke.

And finally, no picture, but the sun. The healing sun reminds me that the spring will soon be here.

It's been a Loooonng Time...

2011-01-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

Not up for writing too much yet - there is so much to catch up on and I don't know where to start and what to skip. Here are some photos to get me started and show you that we are still here! lol

First up is my purple hair which the kids love because it smells like Popsicles and I love because it averts viewers gaze from my grey.

Mia choreographed and danced an amazing dance piece with her dance partner and friend for their dance school's Christmas show. They were AMAZING and Rob and I were jumping out of our seats with excitement and surprise!

Lucas has grown and grown and grown. he's having some wonderful success with reading, swimming, riding a bike with gears (and I can barely keep up!) and growing muscles as you can see from the picture!

Christmas was blissfully quiet.

These are totally out of order, but Mia turned 4 years old! Wow!!!

We got a puppy who the kids named Hunter. His Mama was a Coonhound and his rascally Pops left without a trace so we don't know who to send the bill to.... We rescued him from a kill shelter in North Carolina. He doesn't like our rain here much but is enjoying our beaches and forests, so he says. He also wonders how his Mama got replaced by an overly furry black and white senior male. Pillo pretends to dislike Hunter but secretly loves the cuddles and walkies. And hey, what big brother doesn't love a little sibling to boss around?!

Mom turned 70 and the boys came from Toronto (and Boston) to celebrate. We had a blast!

Everybody participated in Movember.

Lucas turned six with an awesome climbing party. Rob took three time-outs from the party and we secretly thanked our lucky stars that we would only ever have to do one sixth birthday for Lucas. Large groups of six year old boys are beyond my wrangling capabilities.

Snails became pets and were finally named, labelled and released bearing permanent tattoos. They have not been seen since but we are eagerly awaiting their spring return.

That's all for now, but I have high hopes to return with more poignant stories and crazy photos for you all.

Until that time, I wish you all a Happy New Year. May it bring much joy. Lap it up. :)

Savary Year Three

2010-08-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Productivity is the product of???

2010-08-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

I have had a busy, busy week, and I'm not sure why. After weeks of lethargy and apathy towards all thing domestic, I suppose that the arrival of August brought with it a big slap of reality and wallop of truth that the summer days are growing few and I need to get my house in order! With that in mind, and after taking all my "good" consignment to the store, I set about pillaging and plundering the dark recesses of our home for all stuff unwanted, forgotten, not needed or simply outgrown. I ended up with a basement full of "stuff," a desire to purge, a hunger for cash and the insanity of thinking a yard sale would solve it all. So today, on the rainiest of weekends we've seen since Canada Day, I set about manifesting my dreams in soggy reality. It went well. I came home with only half the stuff I left with and a pocketful of cash that the kids have pretty much pre-spent. How they see the sale of baby items as their return... well I'm not sure, because to me, the sale of things like a breast pump, baby carriers and potties all speaks of endless nights and days of work for meeeeeeee... but hey - who am I to judge?

My week also consisted of beginning a sewing class, making a batch of pickles, and attending a wedding; not to mention marking a class of English essays. Oh yes, and I also read a novel.

Why can't I be like this all the time?!

Summer Adventures Part I

2010-07-28T18:37:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the blurry pic. One thing about blogspot is that editing photos once they have been uploaded is an impossibility in terms of placement as well as permanence.

These photos are from a crazy fun weekend wandering the sea-to-sky in a `borrowed` van that we bid for the use of and successfully won at Mia`s preschool`s silent auction in the spring. It was a riot travelling around in the Westfalia; slow, bumpy and way too far away to pass the kids anything from the front seat, but we all loved the novelty of sleeping in it at night. Campsites were at a premium and since we had not pre-booked anything, we ended up in a couple of weird places. The kids were so great about the adventure of it all, and equally thrilled with our odd choices of parking spots. We loved the knowing looks from other camper van owners, the contraptions of the van itself and the knowledge that we could pretty much park it and relax anywhere we wanted. Which we did! Such a joyous weekend of nothing but slow paced moving and swimming was a wonderful break from the everyday and two nights felt like a week.

The weather has been amazing! After the wettest, coldest spring in my short memory, summer hit with full force and we have been sucking up the rays and fun ever since.

After my last post, summer school began and I hunkered down to the job of getting 29 adult students in eleventh grade English whipped into shape in a short six weeks. This is no small undertaking as the classes are long, the weeks are short and the summer breeds ambivalence, slothfulness and exhaustion; the latter being formed from late nights up watching fireworks, drinking wine, sitting on beaches and in my case trying to get kids to sleep when they are too hot too sleep. Ok... you got me; they all apply to me except the fireworks watching. Fireworks bore me. Lol.

Truly, I have a wonderful class of very eager students who are devouring their assigned readings, doing all their homework and even thanking me for my insightful lessons. I am very grateful and slightly humbled (as usual) as I had entered the summer term feeling very burnt out and worried that I couldn`t or wouldn`t give my best to my students this summer. However when students work so hard it really makes me do the same and the resulting relationship is gold. I only have two and a half weeks to go with this set, and I am already lamenting the fact that I will have to say goodbye to this group.

After classes are done for the day (11 am - yay me!) I have the rest of the day to play with the kids. We have been swimming and visiting parks and doing lots of just hanging out. Lucas had a week at Southlands Young Farmer Camp. His week was an amazing experience for all of us. The camp was so relaxed and calm - the farm itself seemed to veil us in a speed reminiscent of un-named illegal narcotics that will have to be edited from this post when the kids are old enough to read it. The effect was delightful on us all as Lucas slipped into a relaxed week of harvesting fruits and veggies, chick holding, baking in the Cobb oven, feeding goats, chasing frogs and dragonflies, planting, pony riding, beekeeping and all sorts of other delightful things I wasn`t privy to. Mia and I hung out at the farm as much as we could and pet the horses as much as they would let us. As she was disappointed that she couldn`t do the camp, she got to have a pony ride mid week. Fantastic fun for all of us including Pillo, who got to sniff all sorts of delightful farm smells and hang out in the doggie paddock.

Canada Day Camping

2010-07-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Celebrating our home and native land in its home and native surroundings. If you look closely you can see that Rob is holding up two fishing lures.

We made it up to Porpoise Bay on the Sunshine Coast this last weekend to do a little camping. Sadly, so did the rain. :( After arriving very late on Wednesday evening (you try putting up a tent in the dark dark night with two sleepy kids who won't share the headlamps!) we awoke to buckets of rain being hurled at our tent. We did not emerge, and after an hour of not emerging, Rob decided he would boot out and buy a shelter. No, not a tarp - that would have required some super seriously soggy tree-climbing. A "shelter." Faaaaaaaannnnncccccyyyy! But it saved the trip!

Here is Lucas far up in a tree. He discovered that he could hide things in the trees and the girls couldn't get them... or me for that matter.

Our first rainy day saw the boys out on a fishing trip and the girls having a lovely long slumber in the damp tent. I desperately wished I had remembered a book, but it was relaxing to do absolutely nothing for a few hours.

On Friday we were joined by Julia and Ava. The glee was felt all around as the kids settled in to tent snuggles, biking and marshmallow roasting. We all enjoyed an awesome dinner of crabs brought back by Rob and Lucas.

Mia consumed a lot of marshmallows.

And by the end of the trip, we finally saw some sunshine and were able to frolic in the ocean and dig at the beach. Ju and I enjoyed a long and leisurely day of chatting and playing with the girls while the boys were out fishing again.

Now it is back to work as I undertake six weeks of summer school. I look forward to the day when I don't need to teach in the summer anymore, but in the meantime I will enjoy the time in class with another pleasant group of students and be home in time to spend the days playing with the kids.

June was BUSY!!!

2010-06-29T22:14:00.002-07:00

We've had some time to hang with adult friends...amazing!

June has been a crazy month of endings; and in many ways beginnings. Back in September when the school year began, I wasn't entirely sure what our year would look like. The big world of elementary school and my baby starting preschool seemed immense. We initially backed off on

activities so as to allow the kids a smooth start, but as the year heated up, the activities piled on. All in all, it has been a super year for all of us. I can't believe how much the kids have grown and how much they have learnt. Lucas has amazed us all with his wit and intelligence. Mia has blossomed into an independent, bold child. It has been amazing to watch and thrilling to imagine what life will bring for them and us as well. We are blessed with happiness, health and security.

The rain has been a bummer...but you wouldn't believe how hard we've played this month anyways. We've camped, biked, danced, swum, beach-combed and played soccer all the way through June. Hooray!

Soccer was not a hit, but Lucas is a fantastic goalie!

Mia, third from the front of the row, danced all year. She changed from a tiny timid watcher to a happy bouncing, singing participator. Yeah Mia!
Lucas said goodbye to kindergarten today and is running towards grade one. From a kid who wasn't so sure he wanted to go to school, he has morphed into a computing, word-sounding-out, school-loving kid with a troupe of great friends to mark the year. We are so proud of him!

And so into summer vacation we go. (For them anyways, Rob and I are still working!) Tomorrow we leave for another camping trip on the Sunshine Coast and a plethora of summer plans are underway with the kids.

Thank you to everyone who has read their way through the ups and downs of our school year. I know the blogging has been sporadic, but such is life right now!

Soooo.... (Graphic in Nature)

2010-06-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Rob bought a pig's head. To cook. The plan; head cheese. Lucas was quite excited...because he likes cheese. Hmmm. I was not so sure that he was going to be thrilled about it.

Rob went online to learn how to prepare the pig's head. Rob got slightly turned off. Decided that instead of shaving its whiskers, burning the remaining hair and de-boning (removing the skull), he would rather skin it and use the skull to make Pozole. (Mexican soup we love.)

Ting skinned pig's head.

Not thrilled right now. I swear the pig opened his eyes when I first dug in, but glad Rob chose (wisely) not to let Lucas take the head to school for show-and-tell.

I'll let you know how the pozole was... if I can eat it. :(

Rainbows

2010-05-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today was not all rainbows... far from it in fact. But when a day ends with a walk/bike under a rainbow like this, I think life will be just fine.

Rainbows. Amen.

Folly - As Defined by our Day.

2010-05-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

I will arrange my food, yes. But no, I will not eat it.

folly n. , pl. , -lies . A lack of good sense, understanding, or foresight. An act or instance of foolishness: regretted the follies of his youth.

A lack of good sense: Lucas. Why is it that the human brain takes so long to mature? Does it not seem logical that the offspring of each species be born with some intrinsic good sense, rather than acquire it by trial and error?

This is the bike park in Whistler. Grown-up boys were doing amazing things here. The picture does not do it justice, and I could not get a shot of our five year old riding it, because I was too busy running beside him in fear. Lucas persevered for three quarters of an hour. He bailed **BIG** twice. We will return tomorrow. A new bike and better helmet will need to be purchased.

Understanding: Ting and Rob. We are not five-year-old boys, and this has been brazenly apparent today. We do not understand why he is naughty at school. We do not get why he must tease his sister. We certainly cannot figure out why he is good at math. We see no appeal in bubble-gum ice cream. We fall short of understanding the need for a water gun. Why are parents not consistently able to understand their children? To *get* them; feel their emotions, ride the same bike bumps, as it may be. For those we love, why do we have the capacity to shut the door to understanding where they are at? Are we wrong or do we simply lack the sense?

Foresight: Um...yeah, that's us again. Why does it come as a surprise to us that our children are their own people? That they may not be mini-images of us? That Mia may never play field hockey, snowboard or love reading. That Lucas may never love wine, soccer or watching hockey? Ok, it's not a surprise, but we seem to continue to place our own values on their individual choices even though we know better. How hard for them to have such narrow-minded parents, wouldn't you say? Haha...

Folly: a day well spent, even if it meant relearning a few things about ourselves and our kids.

Cupcakes, cousins, caterpillars and close-ups.

2010-05-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

This May has been fabulous, I'm sure most of you would agree. The weather; divine. My flowers; resplendent. The company; titillating. Hehehehehe... but it has been a good start to the month.

This last sunny weekend saw us gardening up a storm and sharing birthday cupcakes with family and friends. The picture above makes me reel with how big the boys have gotten. They look so grown up!

Mia and Lucas have been talking for weeks about it almost being caterpillar season and today we finally found one. It was really interesting for me to see how Mia received the joy of having a busy, fuzzy caterpillar crawl all over her. We've always considered Lucas to be our "bug" guy - and I think sometimes we forget that Mia has been just a bit too young to fully understand the experience. Today, that little caterpillar provided an hour's worth of sheer joy as the kids took turns having him explore them. When this afternoon's rain storm set in, Lucas was out in the rain building it a home with a roof so that he wouldn't get hurt. Sigh. Thank you caterpillar, for an afternoon well-enjoyed. :)

Why God Made Kids

2010-05-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Just in from doing some weeding with some "help" from Lucas and Mia. I was getting a wee bit irritated with the exposure of my spring bulbs and *may* have grumped at them.

"Mommy," interrupted Lucas, "God MADE kids for helping Mommies."

True.

Happy Mother's Day!

Palm Desert 2010

2010-04-25T08:35:00.001-07:00

Mia snuggles Jackson and Hannah. Lucas would have none of it.

The winter had us wanting for a wee bit of sunshine, and so we took a quick trip down to the club in Palm Desert for a few days. After a brief stop to visit cousins in Bellingham, we boarded the el-cheapo express to LA where we picked up our car and drove to Palm Desert. Yes - a little round-about, but it saved us hundreds and only added a couple of hours travel time. (This is what I kept reminding myself when in the mids of "Are we there yets?") LOL

Ah. The pool. Warm sun. We would drive and drive for this.

The club (aka Club Intrawest Palm Desert) is replete with super tame wildlife. The jackrabbits abound the gardens. (We preferred to call them jackalopes ala Scooby Doo) And Lucas and Mia were convinced they could catch one. Not so much...but cute!

The ducks, on the other hand, are so tame they come and eat out of your hand, and one was even so bold as to come into our vacation home and have a gander (hahaha) around and see if there were any more crumbs to be had. This one is having a go at getting the goods from Lucas, who was holding out I guess!

We visited The Living Desert, an amazing interactive zoo. Mia spent close to an hour grooming goats. That's a girl after her daddy's heart.

Friends were made at the club, and Lucas learned to swim. Yay! he just kind of got his float and was off!

At the end of the week we drove to Santa Monica to see Rob's old haunt. We had a fun afternoon at the pier, riding bikes on Venice Beach and taking the kids for dinner to a pub!

No prizes were won in the climbing of this ladder!

(Embarrassing photos of my attempt were not recorded!)

Wonton Beards

2010-03-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Rob and Mia, after learning how to make wontons at preschool for Chinese New Year, decided that they should make some at home for us. I suppose that Mia felt she should be like her dad for the occasion, so she gave herself a beard. Teehee.

The wontons were divine. :)

Lincoln City, Oregon

2010-03-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Little man has always dreamed of finding bull rushes, or whatever these are, and espied these from the highway with delight. We gingerly carried them all the way to our cabin, where they enjoyed a spot of fame for a week.

Alas, Spring Break is over. We had a wonderful and rather impromptu visit down the Oregon coast to enjoy the week off. It was a good few days of beach combing, warm fires and stormy days. The kids and Pillo were bewitched by the big waves, miles of sand and hours of meandering. Even though I think we'd all have rather been in swimsuits than parkas, it settled some peace back into our creaky souls. Delightful... as was the Oregon wine, good laughs and ferociously competitive Settlers of Catan games.

Mom finds beach treasure and the kids come running to see.

Lucas and Mia now understand erosion. Oh yes, and tsunami zone.

This is Lucas' sea snake. He came home with us where he dried out on the porch. Lucas was determined to bring him home as his next show and tell. After four days, he agreed that it maybe wasn't the best of ideas. Phew.

Big waves; cold ears.

Happy dog.

This, for me, was the highlight of the trip. Before I tell the story, let me preface it with a little background. Historically, the Oregon Coast as well as many other places along the pacific coastline, have been host to the finds of Japanese glass fishing floats, many of them years old, and highly sought after by collectors. In 1999, to celebrate this history, as well as to commemorate a town rich with artisans, the town dispersed 2000 hand blown glass floats along the shores for beachcombers to discover and keep. They have continued this tradition every year since, and having read about the festival before our trip, I secretly harbored a keen desire to discover such a glass float. To no avail.

On the last day of our trip the storms had been so great that we were feeling a bit crazy and decided that we would bundle up despite the beating rain and howling wind and have a quick boo at the tidal pools. We chose to go to the Devil's Punchbowl. Within moments of arriving we saw this grungy large ball way down the beach. The story is a bit unclear here... Lucas, Rob and I all claiming to have found it first! But truly, the find is mine because as Lucas says, you really love that glass float, right mommy? Yes Lukey, I do. :)

I took it into the visitor's centre to have it registered only to find them baffled with my float. It turned out to be a genuine one. At least three years old, likely much more, and having traveled a long way, the float was mine to keep and enjoy. It's cleaner now, and sitting proudly on the mantelpiece. It will serve as a reminder of a great week with a great family; the treasure that was already ours before we found it.

Friday Fun

2010-02-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

This is what I get when I ask the kids for a nice photo... oh boy.

I love this photo of mom and Lucas. I have this same pose from them taken just about every year.

Today I love my sister and other fun facts

2010-02-15T18:56:00.001-08:00

Most days, your sister is just there, kind of like the footstool or that giant pair of clodhoppers parked in front of the door. Sometimes it's in the way, sometimes you notice it and give it some attention, often you just walk right on past. Of course there are also the days you give it a swift kick in the ... heel? just because you can.

Then, there are days you love your sister. And when I mean love... wow, do I mean love. Seriously. Pouring juice for her. Giving her piggy backs. Washing her back in the tub? Checking to make sure her teeth are getting brushed. Getting her pj's out. Tucking her in, and... yup... I hear a song being sung by a doting brother. Sigh... so sweet... too bad it never lasts long!

The above picture illustrates how sommeliers keep wobbly tiles weighted down. The guy below in the chapeau is a really good tiler. I got a new kitchen floor for valentine's day. How romantic.

Argh, I caught meeself a wee lassie. I might make her walk the plank or I might grind her bones to make me bread. For the time being I'll just dry her.

The Herman boys had a go at ice hockey last week. I was having a hard time deciding who was funnier to watch; Scott on ice like a deer on a frozen lake, Rob in his crammed on helmet with six year old boys skating circles around him while he "played hockey with them," or Lucas' valiant attempts that each ended in a harder fall than the last.

Password Failure

2010-01-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since my last post that I almost forgot my password... hahaha... that's awful news.

Last night my mom and I watched Julie and Julia, which, if you haven't seen it, is about a chef who decides to cook all of Julia Child's recipes (524) from "Mastering the art of French Cooking" within a year and blog about it. Her blog ends up being incredibly successful, leading to her book and eventual movie deal. Harumph. It just made me feel unworthy. Not because I can't cook up a mean dinner 9which I most certainly can) but because I can't get my ass in gear to write this blog more often. And I truly love writing. I also read recently about the virtues of blogging in terms of honing one's writing skills. I agree, but it also made me feel pangs of remorse and a little bit of panic because it was a blogger I enjoy who has decided to take a break from blogging. I need to find a way to make this a quicker, easier and more delightful experience.

I could lay down every excuse there is from kids and marking to reality tv and waxing my legs, but the truth is, it can be a chore. (As can waxing my legs...really.)

So now that I'm on a break and approaching a term with a little less work, I will start to re-assess this blog and what I'm doing with it. Any suggestions as to how I can get back on a role would be appreciated!

Seasonal Love

2009-12-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Eve

2009-12-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

Today the kids opened up some gifts that were not for them. Mia was most disgusted to find a pair of socks, and Lucas cleverly tried to tape up the gift he opened. The unexpected outcome of this was that the kids *I think* finally got the fact that Christmas may have just a wee but more to do about giving than receiving. They spent the next part of the morning collecting unwanted toys, wrapping them up for each other and placing them under the tree with glee. I actually think they will be quite happy to open them.

Our activity for the day was swimming at Watermania in Richmond, where we witnessed a drowning and resuscitation. We were rather upset until we witnessed another and realized that they must have been simulated. I wasn't pleased. For heaven's sake, the place was crawling with kids out on the holiday break! Truth be told, I think I was more concerned than the kids. Lucas was more miffed that he had to get out of the pool where he had his eyes on a large boat to have a ride in. I suppose there was some sort of training going on, but it was a bit disheartening. Nonetheless, we had a blast in the waves and hot pools. Unfortunately the ride home, amidst yelling and screaming at each other, the fighting while I made dinner, the uneaten dinner and the wallops received during bath had me at my wits end by bedtime.

The elves have been busy bringing treats to the kids' advent calendars each morning and today was no exception. The exception has come, when at this late day of advent, the advent calendars hold notes for the elves. You see... as the kids were a little naughty today Mummy had to make a very unfortunate call to the North Pole to leave a message for Santa; as is, of course, a mother's duty. The elves took down the message with due sobriety and the children were most concerned. Thus the notes. Lucas' reads "Lucas Forgive Please" and Mia's is a drawing of Santa and a transcribed apology of sorts. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow?

The Week Before Christmas

2009-12-21T16:28:00.000-08:00

Are you watching me Santa? Aren't I being good? Will you still come? Will you? mark this down in your book please, not earlier today when I hit her, ok?

Alright, so the above picture was taken while waiting in line to see Santa, so I'm sure there was some extra incentive for adorable behavior.

Here's Mia just before her performance for her ballet class. I'm pretty pleased with how her $3.00 tutu turned out!

Mia also had a preschool party. This is her and a friend watching the (slightly inappropriate) belly-dancing performance. Lucas took so many pictures that my battery ran out. I think he liked to silver sequined bikini she was wearing... lol.

Lucas performed in the school's Christmas concert. I was amazed the kids' retention o f lyrics. He definitively does not inherit that for me, as Rib can certainly attest to!

This will be a low-key Christmas, and I'm so glad for that in many ways. We have not been frenetically shopping, and I feel relieved that everyone understands., It's really quite liberating. Today I slept in, played Lego and modelling clay for almost three hours (in our pajamas), ate pbj sandwiches and went to see "The Princess and the Frog". Delightful. I'm looking forward to quite a few more days like today over the holiday. If only my residual marking could take care of itself!

Looking like Christmas

2009-12-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

Despite a very bad run of luck the few last weeks, there is joy and anticipation in the air. The kids are thrilled that Rob's job-loss has meant more time with Daddy at home, and Christmas looms large. Re-organizing our live smeans re-prioritizing and this is always a good thing to do. Life often finds us so busy that we don't have time to slow down and think about what we'd like our lives to look like; I'm hoping this time will give us a chance to do so. Wish us luck as we look for work and pick ourselves up off the ground...

Mia had a lovely 3rd birthday celebrated with all her friends and family. It was a great day and a wonderful way to celebrate the joyful, loving and giving child that is our daughter. (oh yes, and goofy too!)

Doesn't she look like a football player unwillingly dressed up in a dress?!

Happy Birthday Mia! We love you!!!

The Blog Wagon - hold on to the reins

2009-11-23T22:35:00.001-08:00

If there is such a a thing as a blog wagon, I have surely fallen off of it. I apologize but will move forward in my quest for eternal commemoration of my humble life with crazy kids, furry friends and enabling husband.

Life is ... I know you already guessed it... busy. Sometimes the wind blows in unexpected directions and I guess this last month or two has seen it blow more unpredictably than even we were expecting.

Let me recap by framing my thoughts for you. Today when having coffee with a close friend and telling her all my woes, I got around to the empty cup that currently is my blog. When I actually needed to verbalize what is what that was holding me back it was essentially these two things;

1. I feel that I musn't leave anything out. I suffer from pangs of guilt if I haven't documented, say Halloween (which I haven't) or a birthday. I fear that myself or one of the kids will look back on it one day and say hey - what was I for Halloween that year anyways... and I will feel horrible. Hahaha. I know it sounds funny.

2. I strive for optimism. When I just can't seem to muster the courage to be so, I can't seem to write my blog.

Now, at this point in reading you should be making this conclusion; Ting is feeling guilty that she hasn't written about the last month and a half, and Ting has not been very optimistic during this time period. You would be correct about both.

And so for now I will sign off. But fear not, I will be back on-line soon. I can feel it...

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-10-12T20:52:00.001-07:00

I have so very many things to be thankful for and this weekend was a joyous reminder of why life is good. This was because I really enjoyed my weekend. From start to finish I was enjoying the activities we had chosen and the people I was doing them with. What more can I have asked for?

Late Saturday Rob came home from his wine-making trip in Naramata to spend a little time with us for the weekend. With much jumpiness to their anticipation, I knew we had to get out on Saturday morning, so we opted to take the new Canada line to Richmond Centre. Lucas picked out some much needed new clothes - which I found funny since he has only very recently become even remotely interested in what he is wearing. Mia got her new ballet shoes and leotard to start dance class this week. Then we ate sushi and sky-trained it back. All good. Not long after arriving home and taking Pillo out for a bit of air and exercise, we headed to the mall to watch "Cloudy with Meatballs." I was very dubious about taking two kids to a full-length film and was anticipating much wiggling, talking, and numerous potty-breaks. But they were great! The film, not so much, but the kids loved it. I actually kind of relaxed. I couldn't even fold laundry like I normally do if we watch a movie at home!

Sunday was family thanksgiving lunch, which I planned to photo document, but couldn't because of the overwhelming desire to EAT everything in front of me. Yum. That's all I can say.

Then today we got our butts in gear and went to what I think is Vancouver's #1 top place to eat turkey sandwiches; Dog Mountain on Seymour. Rob was dubious about the hiking capabilities of the kids, but they were heroes.

It was icy and cold, but Lucas loved poking the ice and the cold only seemed to bother Rob and I! (Oh and Pillo was a bit miffed when he went for a lick of the lake!)

Lucas and I searched for faerie rings for quite a while under these mushrooms. Later when I told Rob that he and Mia had missed them, he informed me that we didn't see any faeries because we should have been looking for smurfs. I loved that Lucas gave him "the look" as if to say, "Daddy, you're a dumb - ass, there's no such thing as smurfs." Teehee.

If you regularly read this blog or know my son, then I have no need to tell you that Lucas, my nature lover, was enthralled with the fact that these whiskeyjacks (?) were happy to eat out of his hands. He admitted when we were snuggling in bed that he hadn't really believed me when I told him they would.

Mountain goats. The two of them. Yay.

(I only heard, "I hate dog mountain and I don't love hiking," a few times at the veeeery end of the hike! )

September Photo Highlights

2009-10-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Look at me mom - I'm warming up for the Terry Fox run, really, I am!

This was soo cute. There are two kindergarten classes in the photo. They did six laps of the field, and it was hysterical and extremely endearing to watch. Kids run funny. teehee.

Lucas gets personal with a corn snake at the Southlands Country fair. Happy Lucas.

Mia gets personal with Fancy the pony at the Southlands Country Fair. Happy Mia.

Gadzooks

2009-09-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

I knew it would be busy; I really did. But I didn't imagine that I would be this busy. I am essentially a moving machine and show up to teach every evening with a not-so-glamorous sweat that no one seems to understand. But it's the motion you see, the endless movement that I can't seem to quell as I find my mom-legs. Notice I said mom? I think I'm there. Elementary school is finding a way to redefine me in way I wasn't ready for. All of a sudden I am swamped in fundraising brochures, meetings, book bags, forms, and other countless details that need to be remembered. Heaven forbid I be the mom who forgot the dollar for the Terry Fox Run or didn't show up for Friday Family Reading time. My poor brain is busting from all the details of preschool and kindergarten that I must manage while still having something organized for dinner and making sure the everyone gets to where they need to be that day. Oh yeah, and then I go to work. Mayhem. An absolute shit-show. But somehow, I am doing it. Let me write a list for you;

- preschool (am)

- kindergarten (pm)

- teaching (late pm)

- parent rep for kindergarten

- duty days and art coordinator for preschool

- field hockey

- team rep for field hockey

- swimming classes x2

- birthday parties

- hubby will be departing any day for a two-week wine adventure

Ok , the list isn't that long... and I know... it's my own fault I'm volunteering to help so much, but I want to. So, what to do? Any words of advice or encouragement in the form of a comment would be greatly appreciated. I just keep reminding myself that "this too, will pass" but the reality is that I love these days. Lucas is adjusting to kindergarten well, Mia LOVES preschool, I'm happy playing hockey again, I've got nice students and supportive colleagues, my hubby helps as much as he can and sometimes I go out. It's really all good, just busy.

Photos aren't uploading right now. I'll add some later.

Savary Year Two

2009-09-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

This year's trip to Savary Island was once again the highlight of everyone's summer. The island seems to have some sort of healing power on us as a family and we all worked out the kinks and bugs of a busy year. The lack of media alone brings us right back to the roots of our relationships and the way we relate to the time granted us in our days here. Such a pleasure as well as such a reminder to live the rest of our year in a state closer to that which fills our spirits when living in the trees and on the beaches of a quiet island.

We started our week with a visit from our friends the Witts who were sailing up to Cortes for the week. We had a crab and rib feast, plenty of wine, some ghost stories, a pitch-black forest walk and then a day of sun on the beach the next day.

(Sorry - I couldn't erase this so you get Lucas and I twice!)

Many a creature was found, loved, photographed and released. (Except for a few unlucky crabs!)

Lucas was able to cycle the hilly five kilometers across the island and we had a couple of phenomenal days at the unbelievable South Beach.

View of South Beach from the steep trail down.

The water was as clear as glass.

We caught the sunset on the aptly named Sunset trail off of Indian Point,

made new friends,

and just lazed away.

Heavenly; we can't wait for next August...

Something I love

2009-08-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

School is out for summer. Yay! I finished all my summer school reports on Saturday night and handed them in on Monday. Although it's been a long year, I must say that as I reflect back on it, it has been incredibly rewarding. I feel so fortunate to have landed in a job where I feel capable yet challenged, needed and also appreciated.

The student population of our schools (VSB Adult Ed for those of you reading who might not know) is extremely diverse in so many ways; race, religion, age, education, and experience to name a few. The one thing they seem to have in common is a desire to learn and a true, and I truly mean "true," appreciation of the value of education in their lives. I have taught everyone from kids who failed and are trying again, professionals whose credentials don't transfer from their country of origin, those who never got the chance by choice or circumstance to finish high school , seniors who haven't given up on the need or ability to continue to learn and every type of person in between. I have been touched on innumerable occasions by the stories these people bring with them, and humbled every day by my own good fortune in life. The amount of work the majority of my students put into passing and often surpassing my classes blows me away as well as motivates me to work harder to give them the skills that will help them in their own personal quests.

And I'll tell you, do those needs ever differ. A large part of the challenge that I love is creating a curriculum that is rich enough in meaning to people from all these different places; to students trying to get into university, to second-generation Canadians, to new immigrants who would like to work at jobs requiring our system's most basic of requirements: graduation from high school. How can a nineteen-year-old Canadian born middle-class teen fathom the heartache of a man forced to flee his country with only the clothes on his back? The months of living in refugee camps? Seeing friends maimed or killed in war-affected countries? How can a young new bride of an arranged marriage comprehend the doctor who left his successful practice to start again in Vancouver; doing janitorial work by night, studying in high school by day. But more importantly, how can I make one class work for all these diverse people? How can I help each of these individuals move forward in their lives? What can I, whose own life experience and knowledge pales in comparison, give them?

I guess I only give them the best of what I can. I teach them the skills they need in a sometimes-backwards system that places emphasis on knowledge that is not always useful in real life, but necessary to get them into the colleges or universities they dream of. I try and give them the self-assurance that they can do it, no matter how tough, no matter how humiliating it feels. I give them a safe place to explore their abilities with a language either new, rusty, or weak. I treat them like friends. I respect them as adults. I learn from their stories, their laughs, their tears and their words.

And so as I begin to relax and unwind from a year of more work than I was expecting, I just thought I'd take a minute to write down why it is that I do my job and why it is that I love my job.

I think I'll print this out and frame it above my desk for next years endless hours of marking essays... !

This is why...

2009-08-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

This is why we spend endless cranky moments putting sunscreen on our children...

This week I had a patch of basal cell carcinoma - skin cancer - removed from my face. It is the type that is likely from juvenile sun exposure before the age of twenty. I'm blaming mine on the time we spent in Africa rather than stupidity in my teen years, but it sure has put into perspective the reasons why we protect our skin. Today I drove past Kits beach; packed with people bronzing themselves, and I cringed. I really did.

There were seven of them... and a moose.

2009-07-22T20:07:00.001-07:00

We are just back from a long-anticipated moms-and-kids only camping trip to Manning Park. Even though several people told me I was mad to undertake such a trip (there were seven kids between the ages of 2 and 8) the trip was awesome. Great wildlife, great weather, great moms, great kids. I would even do it again!

A moose walked by our campsite. Have you ever seen a moose before? I certainly never had... and was thrilled. The photo leaves a lot to be desired, but you can only imagine the excitement and also trepidation of seven kids at seeing this guy! The deer that walked by later in the day was anti-climactic, to say the least!

Balmy breeze, bursting sun, bountiful friends... brilliant day.

Ground squirrels provided hours of entertainment for both Lucas and I. Lucas was very determined to catch one, much to my entertainment!

What's smore better than smores and friends?

God and his UFO

2009-07-17T09:32:00.001-07:00

Lucas wants to know why God doesn't leave a crop circle when he visits Earth to make all the beautiful things. I'm considering telling him that its because God is magical... am I doing this wrong??

A Couple of Quick Trips

2009-06-28T21:29:00.001-07:00

With only a week and a half off between terms, Rob and I decided to make good use of the time by planning a couple of trips. The first was a visit to the Okanagan without the kids. Yup. You heard that right - without the kids. This was the first time we've had a trip just the two of us since we had the little guys. Unfortunately, it was slightly spoiled by the fact that my marks and reports were due on Monday at noon and having finished teaching Friday at 7:30 - they were definitely not finished. That excuse only got me out of one wine tour :P but I did enjoy meeting the owners of Cedar Creek Winery, who also graciously put us up at Greata Ranch. We enjoyed a gorgeous afternoon under the sun tasting their wines, chatting and enjoying some splendid appies.

The next day I had the pleasure to finally meet Heidi and Michael Noble of Joie Winery in Naramata. Rob had been morel mushroom picking with them a few years back and always spoke highly of them and their endeavours. It was interesting to hear about the adventures that led them to where they are today. Again, a fun afternoon of barrel-tasting and good company.

The only photo I took was of the speeding ticket we got on the way there though. Hehehe... good tunes, no kids...

Later in the week we headed south to Larrabee State Park for a little camping excursion. The kids were in their element exploring the animals (man is banana slug slime hard to get off of hands!) They are such great campers; keen to try it all and shy of nothing nature has to offer. Lucas got himself pretty beaten up falling on barnacle-y and slippery rocks as well as totally wiping out on his bike, but he fared well. The tidal pools were amazing and we even saw a deer wandering through the campgrounds. The smores we built were also pretty damn good this time around if I may say so myself! We all came home pooped and stinking like camp fire, but it was great.

Tomorrow we start bike camp for Lucas and Swimming camp for Mia (and me!)

Strawberry Days

2009-06-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

The marking and reports are done. Lucas is done preschool. School is ouououououttttt for... another week when I start summer term :( Ah well. We went strawberry picking today which was a dusty, sticky, funny mess enjoyed by all. Let the photos speak for themselves:

Friends

2009-06-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Preschool, for Lucas, is over. It has been a wonderful experience that saw both him and I grow in more ways than I thought preschool could. He started a babe and is leaving a boy. Even though I am excited about kindergarten, I am sad to see the end of the days at Little People's. We have all made wonderful friendships and learned amazing things. Thank you Little People - Teacher Liz, Teacher Lena and Teacher Alexandra as well as all the other families that supported Lucas and I as we grew.

4, 3, 2, 1

2009-06-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Here are the Herman - Higgins, Killam - Aitken clan all lined up by age.

Lucas 4, Owen, 3, Mia 2 and Clare 1.

It's amazing where life leads us. Did we really make all those kids???

An aside from kidlets and pets...

2009-06-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

The following link is an excellent article about the branch of the Vancouver School Board that I work for. I won't be angry if you skip it and pretend you never saw this post, but if you're interested in knowing a wee bit more about where I'm working these days you may find this informative.

URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-school-of-second-chances/article1180987/

(I was going to write an article just like this after grad ...but I guess I was beat to it! Next time I'll get my ass in gear before it gets stolen...heeheee... )

Mind you, I don't have the capability of publishing in the Globe and Mail, do I?

Sooooo...

2009-06-10T23:19:00.000-07:00

Ding dong, the frog is gone,
The crazy frog is goooooone.....

I must have jinxed things with my last post about our dear Froggy. After fixing him a up a super-duper new frog condo and stocking it with oh so many live, jumping fesh crickets, the little green bugger jammed his belly full and made a run for the border. Or the back door - no one is really sure. We searched the house on hands and knees for over an hour until Lucas exclaimed, exasperated with my persistence, "Oh Mommy, it's ok. It can just die. Let's go to school." What a realist. Shit.

I think I'm getting a couple of birds soon. Two baby zebra finches. Although Rob is pushing for chickens... Any votes?

Ode to a Frog

2009-05-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Frog,

Why jump you with such grace and height

From tables, hands and chairs?

Do you aim to bring yourself a death

More dreadful in despair

Than the poor passing of our dear

Broccoli butterfly

So beautiful, so tame and sweet

Who rarely yearned to fly?

Does your sweet moist home

So full of bugs

Not fill you with desire

To spend another day with us

And hear the wee town criers?

I must confess.

There are some days

I'd rather lounge with you

among the crickets

Plastic plants

Within safe walls to rest.

Today we took you in the yard

You jumped among the grass.

How lovely and how camouflaged

You seemed until at last

We saw that crow hovering nearby you

His eyes a sharp clear stare

And off we hustled you back in

To your new home fresh and clean.

Eat my friend now

Enjoy your home,

It can't be all that bad.

If you were to leave us by feast

or feat

We would all be slightly sad.

Body Art

2009-05-30T19:59:00.001-07:00

Mia is a really great little girl. She's most generally kind, loving, understanding and freakishly intuitive for a girl of only two and a half. And Mia loves to colour her body. Daily it seems.

Wednesdays are Rob's day off and he generally takes the kids out for the morning so that I can do some marking. However this last Wednesday we decided that Mia would stay home with me for whatever reason. I worried that I would get nothing done, but on the contrary she was a pleasure. She sat with me playing playdough and stringing beads while I marked, and only interrupted me for milk or apples about every ten minutes or so. Really, this is not bad!

When it came time to have a shower for work, we decided that bringing her markers and paper into the bathroom would be the best aversion. And what a lovely, quiet shower I had! And what a lovely, colourful zebra Mia made! So funny.

This bottom picture is this afternoon's blue goo - created by Lucas and enjoyed thoroughly by Mia. I had to cut her blue legs out of the picture due to my son's bareness!

Aaaahhhhhhhhhh.....

2009-05-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

A smiley day at the beach with good friends puts songs in my heart.

It's hard to believe that this pic of the same two little guys at the beach was only a few short years ago.

Random Catch-Up

2009-05-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

So, I sure am not very good at this blogging thing anymore. Life has become very full indeed and I find it increasingly frustrating to get any time to myself that does not involve marking or teaching. Ergh. Compounding this has been the fact that our computer died (largely due in part to a jumbo cup of cold,cold milk being poured over it.) That computer, now dubbed old faithful, has been brought back to life by a kind student and has taken the role of the kid and nanny computer since all our data was mysteriously lost in it's last illness. The irony is that the speedy sleek new computer does not want to connect to the internet for long periods of time. I spent a large part of mother's day growling to an innocent man in the Philippines who kept telling me that I could not avail of his service until I gave him my credit card number. When I finally buckled, against all my better sense, he instructed me to download an upgrade for vista from the internet. Bastards. It still doesn't work well and I refuse to call again after refusing their six calls for sixty bucks deal. Bastards, I repeat. So do I return the new and very expensive computer, buy a new modem or swallow my pride and call Linksys again? A greedy part of me loves to be able to surf at the same time as a kid or Rob. It's a novelty in our our house that I could (and am) quickly getting used to!

The last few weeks passed with a realization that I am simply not as important as I once was. Ha! Rob and I passed incredibly boring birthdays that saw ourselves hosting our own family festivities and cleaning up the mess afterwards. The old thrill of surprises and parties has obviously gone the way of the cuckoo bird and somehow messages posted on my facebook wall just don't cut it. When commiserating with Julia, I was relieved to hear that she felt much the same way. Next year I vow I will just go ahead and make a fuss out of ourselves! Get your dancing shoes on!

Rob worked all day mother's day and I spent the afternoon (post linksys call) with my mom and the kids. The kids were CRANKY all day, we ordered sushi (dry and bland) and laughed at ourselves - what else could we do?! The best part of the celebration was the Friday before when Lucas' preschool hosted a mother's day tea complete with wrapped gifts of kid-made jewellery, kid-baked scones with kid-mushed strawberry jam and hand-printed cards. Too cute.

Work has been really, really busy for me as I am deep into my nine-week stint teaching two English 12 classes. I am very pleased with my ability to cope with the prep and marking, not to mention the meal planning and making, housework and driving(!) but it has been quite a feat with Rob's schedule not letting up at all. I fully deserve the title of SuperMom right now. And, might I be so bold to say, super teacher? Ha! That one may be less than true! It has been really rewarding, however, to teach a great group of students who are (mostly) keen and interested in the material and process alike. I still can't wait for summer though!

Speaking of summer, will it ever come? Last year I vowed to not buy summer clothes, and I'm sticking to that again this year. It has been such a cold spring. The only light in that is that when we have had lovely warm days, we've made great use of them. This last Sunday Rob dropped us off at Coal Harbour on his way to work and we rode into Stanley Park on our bikes. Lucas was a hero weaving through pedestrians and bikers, backpack on and teddy hanging like a dead bear from his handlebars. We made several stops to adjust sunglasses and look at the wildlife, but the crowning moment was his sudden braking when we reached second(?) beach and he saw the playground, beach and pool. We spent the afternoon swimming in the surprisingly warm pool and crab hunting under the rocks - pure bliss. As was the beer can chicken for dinner when we arrived home!

Lucas and Mia, dare I say it, are getting along very well these days. I feel grateful and blessed to see them interacting together, mostly happily. Mia is so easy-going to go along with Lucas' plans and Lucas is quite content to help her when she can't quite get it. Most of the time... I'm beginning to see the light at times, thank the Lord. But no, we're not having a third. I think our friend Jeff convinced us of that! Maybe another dog though...?!

I'm sure I have thousands of other things to tell you, my anonymous readers, but at this point in the chaotic morning, I must revert back to looking after food and floors.

Hope all is well with each of you. xox Ting

"Go Canucks Go! Go Golfing!"

(As heard by most of 41st ave from Lucas yelling out the window of the truck while waving a Canucks flag post game six.)

Sometimes life is just so f$%#ing busy, no?

2009-04-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

Time has a mind of its own. Sometimes it ticks by with painful tedium as I spend countless hours wiping down the same tables, sweeping the same floors, making the same peanut butter and jam sandwiches and saying the same things. "Broken record" is such a brilliant cliche really.

Yet then at all-too-often times (often predictable ones like before I have to get to work or dinner time) things begin to swirl and spin around me and I find that time itself has sped up and a coffee that can normally be consumed at a comfortable temperature now needs to be gulped, knots in hair must be pulled or hidden, clutter jammed into nooks and crannies, lesson ideas and to-do lists written on scraps of paper soon forgotten in my bag. Everything gets louder and I begin to twitch with anxiety about how I'll ever get it all done much less the kids dressed, but I do.

Ahhh, these are the days. And so I blog, to take a moment to reflect on it all. Because it is all there; fast and slow alike it brings with it a true wealth of gritty life that brings every conceivable emotion into our lives. And savour it I must, for it will soon pass and I will forget how pissed off I was, how embarrassed I felt, how naive it sounded, or how stupid I was. And if I forget, then how will I move through and laugh at myself the next time? Which I must, for this laughter and lightness is what makes me largely who I want to be. When I feel like I could pop someones head off like the top of a dandelion and then I listen to a child's rational behind those irksome actions, how can I not laugh at my own foolishness and wonder at the development of cognition. Life is so rich and so I also savour the joy of so many special cuddles, spoken sentiments of undying love, moments of pure silliness, laughter that makes me pee, observations that I may not have ever noticed on my own.

Since my last post we've;

- been to Baker and done some skiing and settling with the lovely Aitkens

- been to a good friends wedding

- terrorized the Loden (Rob's workplace) for 24hours of family fun

- gone back to Whistler to frolick in the pool

- homed a very tame and loving broccoli butterfly named Anna for a week (L)

- buried a mourned a beautiful yellow butterfly named Anna (L)

- realized that you really do go MUCH faster without training wheels (L)

- built and erupted numerous volcanoes (L)

- grown an incredible mop of hair that doesn't want a cut (L)

- finally got the hang of pooping on the potty (M)

- decided that Roberto Luongo is our favorite hockey player (M)

- named all our dolls Sally (M)

- accepted grandpa into our circle (M)

- taken on very full-time work for the next nine weeks (T)

- discovered that there is actually a video game I enjoy (T)

- become embarrassingly sore from 45 minutes of non-stop Dance Revolution (?)

- accepted numerous awards for his restaurant (R)

- lived on law-defying amounts of limited sleep (R)

- been accused of narcolepsy (R)

We also had a lovely Easter - I'll try and post those pics tomorrow!

And so here is this week's Tingolosophy:

When they make you snap, laugh.

When they make you fret, let go.

When they make you laugh, laugh hard.

When they cry, cry with them.

When it's just not fair, fix it.

When they dawdle, dawdle with them.

If their shoes don't match, who cares.

When you are asked to hold a slimy insect that repulses you, hold it.

Pick up other owners' dogshit. (Ok, I just threw that one in to see if you were reading)

When they show initiative, caring, insight and growth, acknowledge and foster it in the knowledge that it, like them, will grow.

And, time, like them ,will wax and wane, but it will always keep going and before we know it all we will have are the memories.

Mentholate your Life

2009-02-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

If you are ever faced with the predicament of Vick's Vapor Rub in hair, take it from me; it may not come out.
Corn starch provides some relief.

Vancouver, BC. During the wee hours of Thursday morning, in a small home in East Vancouver, a small child of two awoke with a mischievous spirit flapping in her desires. Realizing that her exhausted mommy lay blissfully asleep in the little girl's own bed, only moments earlier cradling this small wee child in her arms, the girl left to see where her daddy might be. He was not found on his usual late-night roost of the sofa; tv blaring, remote in hand, but instead tucked up into his own bed. Faced with the confusion of not having anyone to change the channel from sports to cartoons, as her older brother still remained sleeping himself, the tot decided to stay close to her daddy and entertain herself until someone awoke and brought her cold, cold milk.

The next part is speculation, but it is believed that the poor neglected child took herself to the washroom where she successfully emptied her bladder but forgot to put her pants back on. Upon returning to her daddy, she noticed an enticing green jar lying beside his collection of used tissues. To her great surprise and happiness, it was easy to open and smelled deliciously of daddy himself. A grand dip of the fingers and that squishy, cold joy was in her hand and ready for business. With glee she lathered her half-clothed body and then took another handful. This bolder dip went into her hair and manipulated until her hair was just right. Daddy snored on and mommy still lay blissfully unsuspecting in the child's bed, so the youngster jumped in to wriggle beside her warm and cozy daddy.

When Mommy awoke shortly after, it was with trepidation that she exited the children's bedroom. Something smelled amiss - surely her husband had not drowned himself in a bottle of Vick's Vapor Rub the evening before? Perhaps the tenants were aromatherapyizing some bad chi out of their house? A Laura Secord truck dumped its contents in the lane? Do they still make those chocolates? ... ... ... Oh. A beaver. A slick, oily beaver preparing for a trip down the river? Perhaps the beaver has a bad cold? No.... Oh.... Yes.... Good morning bug.

Although hours of research have now been conducted by the family, over twelve washes with various different household products performed and countless tsk-tskings have been heard, it remains to be seen if Vaseline comes out of hair or mentholatum out of anything.

And what do the parents have to say for themselves? They were both quoted as saying that although they realized raising children was fraught with adventure, they had yet to imagine their second child could trump their first for mischievousness. And the elder child? When last seen, a serene smile permeated his every move as he basked in the novelty of not being the naughty one.

Palm Desert/Disneyland

2009-02-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

I should be marking right now; it's really great incentive for blogging...

We needed a bit of sun and family time after the hectic holidays, so we popped down to the states for a quick visit to the club in Palm Desert and Pooh Bear. It was our first time visiting the Intrawest down there, and we were very impressed. The rooms and grounds were gorgeous and immaculately kept. The staff was great, as usual, and the club's amenities lived up to our expectations. The kids pool, for me, was a huge seller. It was shaded and only a couple of feet at its deepest. Mia spent a long day luxuriating in her own private pool while Lucas played in the big family pool. I think there are a total of five pools on the property and more than double that number in hot tubs and barbecues!

Our patio looking over the golf course. The ducks came to visit each morning to see if they could get any crumbs. (And boy did they ever at our place!)

Apparently I liked this picture a lot... the coffee sure was good!

Angels... caught in time for ever... hahahahahahaha...

Teddy REALLY soaked up the sun. He was starting to feel a little grizzly this winter, but some down time on the patio and a round of golf while we were out at the living desert really did wonders for his demeanour. I did worry a bit about his evening consumption, but hey, I figure that every bear needs a little time off from his work, right?

Pool party girl. I don't think she took those glasses off for two days straight.

Mia's trip highlights are, in no particular order, swimming in the "hot pool" under the stars at night and the kids pool by day, falling asleep in Mommy's arms in the bath tub, dancing to the live band at "Las Casuelas Terraza" in downtown Palm Springs, getting hundreds of kisses from Snoopy at Knottsberry Farm, and OMGoodness... meeting Pooh Bear and Tigger in person at Disneyland.

My little man.

Lucas' highlights were all the Daddy time playing foosball, swimming and wrestling, the miniature train exhibit at The Living Desert, the giant bag of hot kettle corn, swimming under the stars in the hot pools, the Sidewinder at Knottsberry farm, and OMGoodness ... Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland.

I personally choose to forget the travelling aspect of the trip and focus on the warmth of the sun, the hugs and the laughter.

Do you remember the Teacups?!

All in all, a great trip. It was far too short, but it did a lot of good for our souls.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Boobies

2009-01-26T21:43:00.000-08:00

"Mommy, what are boobies?"

"They are breasts Lucas."

-long pause-

"Daddy? What are boobies?"

"They are breasts. You know, like what women have." (This is accompanied by wild thumping of the chest like an orangutan.)

"Oh. Yeah."

-pause-

"They're booby-traps, right?"

"Yes Lucas. And you have to be very careful because once you get caught by a booby-trap then you'll end up married with two kids."

"Ok Daddy."

Doing Time for Christmas

2009-01-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the late blog. I think I went into sleep mode over the Christmas break - all of me, but most especially my motivation to do anything much more than sleep and eat. The snow, as much as I truly love it, was a short lived thrill that, coupled with a family cold, turned into a deep frustration. We didn't get even an eighth of what we had intended to do done over the break. But this, was not necessarily a bad thing.

I think not finishing my Christmas shopping put a good stop to that last-minute panic phenomenon. Although it was a sour disappointment to not receive my photo order (six gifts... ouch) it created much warmer gift-giving once the snow had melted.

We only once got stuck in the snow; Christmas day, everyone including Mom was packed in the truck, the turkey needed to go into Mom's oven and there were three cars stuck at the bottom of our very steep street. In a moment of testosterone combined with acute frustration and engorged SUV pride, an unnamed male attempted to pull a u-turn in two-feet deep snow. The upside of that was that we chatted with and met some neighbours who kindly spent three quarters of an hour digging us out. Lucas very kindly spent the whole forty five minutes giving us advice on how to best get out of the situation.

I spent New Year's Eve shovelling my mom's car out of her garage, down the lane and then back into a parking spot beside her house. All for a couple of bottles of wine and some cheese. I could have walked in ten minutes, but for some stupid reason I thought I should "rescue" her from her own seclusion. Instead I bought myself a serious case of self loathing. However once again I was impressed with the help of kind neighbours as well as the pig-headedness of a certain gender. Let's just say that three different strange men got into the car and tried to gun it in their chivalric attempt to save me. By midnight I realized that my suspicion of arthritis in my hands was very likely right. Hmmm, Happy New Year.
I am now consequently have a mid-life moment. I turn 35 this year, close enough! I must press forward with my to-do list.

The best snow moment for me came when spending an afternoon shovelling. I was down the walk and the kids were safely playing in the yard when I heard a small voice calling me from far away. When I rounded the corner I saw Mia lodged, literally, in a bank of snow off the side of the back steps. She had one leg and one arm completely stuck and was madly waving the others at a hilariously cartoonish angle. I really wanted to run in the house and get the camera before I got her out, but compassion won over humour.

I read an amazing book in about 48 hours, much to Rob's frustration at my ability tune all out. If you need a good read, check out The Book of the Negroes by Lawrence Hill.

Lucas now has a serious case of space curiosity as well as super hero impersonation.

I never got the dollhouse I wanted when I was little - not depravity, just a long story. Anyhow, this year Santa brought one for Mia. We love it.

I hope you all had a great holiday and 2009 brings you lots of good things. :) Ting

Pre-Christmas

2008-12-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

It's almost here... A naked elf has been seen running around the snow-bound house causing all sorts of mischief.

Wine box inserts are turned into parking-garage castles.

Cuddles are warm and safe; the sofa is coveted by all.

Tape is to be pulled and pulled. Gifts to be wrapped.

We awake to the smell of preschool baking; bananas, rosemary, milk, water, flour, sugar and red food-colouring, of course. Mmmmmm.....

The biggest tree we could (not) fit in our house has been bought and now decorated.

More sleepy cuddles needed. (We don't see Daddy a lot.)

Lots of onions to caramelize and tenderloin and prosciutto wrapped asparagus to barbecue.

Good food, wine and friends to be enjoyed.

Happy Pre-Christmas Festivities to all!

My Baby is Two?

2008-11-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Mia - you're two?

Where did these last two years go?

They whirled past in clouds of hope, love and joy.

You've only just begun to show us what you are

A loving, gentle soul with the wit of an owl

The roar of a lion, the impishness of a monkey,

the loyalty of a treasured dog,

the words of an admired parrot.

You entered our world quielty and calmly

And as you grow you teach us to be more

More kind, more forgiving, more loving.

How many kisses do I need before I sleep?

How many hugs do I get when I wake up?

You sense my holes and fill my need.

Always forgiving, always there.

Happy Birthday Hija.

Te amo.

Busy times...

2008-11-22T08:02:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post, it's birthday season here and we are SWAMPED with it! nevertheless, we managed to get a way to Whistler for a quick family weekend. Rob slept much of the trip, which was much needed, and the rest of us just kind of hung out. The kids were really taken with the birds who fed right out of their hands. We had a little 'cangrejada' (crab pig-out) for Mom's birthday, got whooped by Rob at a couple of games of Settlers, took Mom on a wild, dark ride down the water slide after perhaps a little too much wine and had a good unwind.

On a side note, I bought these homeopathic tablets for Lucas to see if I could cure some of his daily irritable angst. Whether or not they are effective can be debated, but the package made me laugh (and dream) so I had to give them a go...

November Highs and Lows

2008-11-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

November. What can I say? It brings a sense of urgency with it. Too many birthdays to celebrate and not enough time to do them all up with due diligence, in my opinion. It also brings the shadow that could be Christmas hovering on the horizon; the appearance of too many store flyers showing us what we lack in our already full lives.

The rain has come and beat down what was left of the garden and wreaks havoc on the beautiful leaves that our trees have fleetingly bestowed upon the world. It plays with my moods, my plans my hair. November's moods have also affected those of the kids. Lucas has been unpredictable most of the month. (Not that predictability is much of a child's characteristic in general.) He seems to feel the emotional energy of those around him and not quite know what to make of it. He has been asking for Chola for a few days now; asking questions about heaven, children with no parents, and the origins of humanity. (Not quite in those words.) He is such a perceptive and pensive little fellow that my heart aches when I need to tell him the truth about something that hurts my own sensitivities. But with inspiring clarity he also reminds me of the goodness of all that surrounds us. Tonight we prayed, something he has never been taught to do, but through questioning and conversation we got around to the idea that he wanted to say hello to Chola, to thank "God" for the sunshine and a playdate today and to ask for stickers for tomorrow. I wasn't so sure about that last one; I think he just threw it in for good measure or perhaps as a testing stick for this new concept. He made my heart pound with joy as I put him to bed and my senses reel with confusion as I thought back on all the angst we've had over power struggles in the last few weeks. Growing up is hard. It's hard for him and it's also hard for me. I'm learning every day; to be more patient, to seek more moments of unblemished happiness in whatever it is that surrounds me, to listen without judgement and learn from everything that occurs, be it good or bad.

This week I'm trying to wait longer before I answer. They say the average response time is three seconds, but that we should give it seven. I encourage you to try it. I've been quite astounded at how much more I'm hearing and how much more is shared with me from both children and adults alike.

Enough musing. Here is my joy. The smiles, however dirty or crooked bring a smile to me which is returned with another smile which in turn receives a smile, a laugh, a hug, a kiss... the circle repeats itself and so it should... until somebody steals a toy... then watch out!

Thank you for moths on a cold,rainy day.

Halloween

2008-11-02T20:23:00.001-08:00

Halloween was busy, of course. We had an extended sleep over at Aba's house and lots of costume changes.

Lucas made a ghouly vampire and Mia a busy little lady bug. There wasn't a lot of posing to be had.

Mia's first "cognizant" Halloween was pretty funny. Her cousin Logan taught her to sing the "smell my feet" chant, of which she really only took to the feet-smelling part. Little independent Mia walked, candy bag in firm tow, singing "smell my feet, smell my feet" for three blocks. She refused to close that candy bag when a treat was deposited but instead remained stalwart with big pleading eyes while her brother and cousin raced off. This often resulted in an extra treat, but mostly in me pleading from the bottom of the stairs for her to say thank you and come with mommy now. Near the end of the excursion she plopped her sweaty little monkey self down in the wet leaves and sang smell my feet, smell my feet. It brought tears to my eyes. That and the amount of candy those two have eaten the last three days, but those were different tears.

So Proud

2008-10-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Voya, the restaurant Rob has been working so passionately on for the last year, is up and running. Very smoothly, it would appear, as judged by this amazing first review in today's Westender. Congratulations Rob!

http://www.westender.com/articles/entry/five-star-voya-is-worth-the-long-wait/

Pre-Halloween Fun

2008-10-26T19:27:00.001-07:00

"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

"Oh? Did you say that's a Christmas song? I never knew, and evidently the kids don't either..."

There is lots of spooky energy spiriting its way around our house. Not surprising for two very spirited kids, of course.

Today was "Daddy Day" (Lord, that makes it sound like we're divorced not just that I'm a restaurant widow!) We went to the pumpkin patch for a whole lot of fun; warm donuts being one of them.

It did not disappoint. The weather was fantastic, the pumpkins were abundant, the mud was deep and the line ups were manageable.

Oh yeah, and the hay was dry and oh-so-throw-able!

Until Mia had had enough. It's going to be a busy week!

Turkey day

2008-10-23T22:06:00.001-07:00

I must admit, I have always loved Thanksgiving. I love the turn of the season, the change in the local harvests, the return to the school year and the celebration of family. To me, an occasion in which we get together simply to be together and count our blessings is itself, a blessing. There are no grand expectations except of a moist turkey, heaps of stuffing, pickles (of course), pumpkin pie and a house full of love. This year was no disappointment. In fact it was one of the best we've had in years. The kids are finally old enough to entertain themselves and each other fairly harmoniously and so we were able to eat and chat in peace.

And so with this strange virtual genre of blogging, I thank each of you; family, friend, reader or passer-by for all that you are and all that you do. May your days be filled with joy and your soul rest contented while you sleep. Happy (belated) Thanksgiving to you all.

Happy 4th Lucas!

2008-10-23T21:32:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Lucas' 4th Birthday in grand style as usual. We had 21 kids, many more adults and a whole bunch of laughs. Lucas' chosen theme of a bike party went over well. The kids and parents did a great job of decorating bikes, scooters and ride-ons and then had a wild, multi-speed parade down to the school where the kids rode around a pre-set course in happy delirium. Even better was that the parents got to watch the event while sipping hot coffee.

After a frenetic lunch the young ones whacked an unsuspecting Lightening McQueen pinata and were whisked away in a sugary blur. Aaahhhh.. another one hits the dust.

These two fantastic photos are taken by our good friend Jeff Ow, not me, as you may be able to tell. Any of you young enough to be getting married or lucky enough to be getting married again (hahaha!) should check out his really fantastic photography.

Isn't this an amazing shot?

Mia, Rob and Jeff relax at the park

The birthday boy and lots of cake fans.

There's nothing quite like waking up the next morning to new toys.

A pox

2008-09-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

A pox on ye who told my son that one could make jelly out of quince. (Was it me?)

We, I mean I, spent a large part of today peeling, coring and boiling itty-bitty sour fruit. You can see how it turned out based on the look on Lucas' face. Yech.

A Kitchen Upgrade

2008-09-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of chaos. Voya, the restaurant Rob is helping to open, is just about at opening date, Lucas' birthday is around the corner, and we decided to re-do our kitchen. Yikes!

Rob has been fearlessly pioneering away; burning the candle at both ends.

I have been doing what I can, including a bit of plumbing; a secret talent.

Although not finished, I couldn't wait to show you how things are shaping up.

I kind of dig Rob in his safety glasses! Now bring on the floor!!!

Mia Ballerina

2008-09-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Mia and I have started Mommy and Me ballet. She loves it. I do too. Enough said.

Oops...

2008-09-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

I read my last blog entry today... and was horrified at my writing and typos. I'm ashamed to admit, being the teacher I am, that I didn't edit before I posted. Ah well. My apologies to anyone offended or disgruntled by my lack of care. ;P

Today was the start of pirate week at school. Lucas, perhaps only slightly coerced by me, came fully outfitted in pirate gear. I experienced my first case of, "Oh my Lord, what have I done to my child... will he now be ostracized by the other children?" when I quickly realized that he was the only child in pirate garb. Har.

Lucas, my brave soul, was pretty much unshaken by it all and walked around proudly for almost a whole five minutes. He then took of the head-gear and continued with the day. I was happy to see that by the time I had come to pick him up there were several other children and teachers then sporting pirate-wear. Lucas also proudly showed me his telescope he had made. (Which we used to view the spectacular new moon tonight.)

Mia had her second Spanish and Art class today and I was thrilled to learn that she was LOVING it. Last week was success, but I wasn't sure if it was just a fluke. But this week... oh my... she was in finger paint heaven and completely bewitched by all the Spanish-speaking attention she was getting. She is so much fun right now. I can't wait to see how she does in her first ballet class tomorrow.

Happy sunny-days to all.

Savary Island - A Photo Tour

2008-09-13T19:13:00.001-07:00

The end of the summer was a lovely break from work with lots of great family time at home and on Savary Island. Plans took their time to get together with Rob's unpredictable work situation, but at the last moment he was able to join us for the full week.

And Savary? It was amazing... the island was everything I had hoped. The cabin we rented was perfect; quiet, private, safe, close to and containing everything we needed. We spent our days zipping all over the island to explore beaches on the cabin's rusty, too-small bikes; Mia in the trailer and Lucas either riding his own bike our hitching a ride on my rat trap. The rain we received inspired giant forts and roasted marshmallows by the fireplace as well as slug hunting on soggy hikes. We ate oysters we harvested ourselves, built marvelous driftwood castles, collected hundreds of shells and sand dollars, watched incredulously as deer munched wild blueberries beside our porch, whispered quietly as the gigantic woodpeckers made their way through mottled trees, read our books while children slept, swung in trees, had candle-lit baths, found sand-snakes and became very creative with food rations. Lucas ate ice-cream for breakfast twice, we forgot our bike helmets and rode recklessly down bumpy roads, blew a tire, lost cash out of open pockets, and didn't care. Lucas and Rob rented a rickety scooter that cost a fortune, lost it's speedometer while driving and wouldn't start after it was stopped. Mia had baths in a bucket on the porch after the beach, played nude golf and slept in a nest on the bedroom floor. Lucas slept in a tent, played magnetic fishing by candlelight, whipped around on a hot-pink run-bike abandoned at the cabin, was buried alive, and perfected his throw of a tennis ball. It was great time to connect as a family, extended for a few days and then blissfully just us for the rest. No phones, no internet, no tv, no computer, no light. A very happy puppy and a super unwound family.

We can't wait for next year to do it all again.

Camping at Porpoise Bay

2008-08-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

Since we are leaving for Savary Island on Saturday and I'll surely want to post pictures after that, I thought I'd better throw some up from our long weekend jaunt to Porpoise Bay, Sechelt.

It was a really fun-filled weekend of giant starfish and jellyfish, a squishy tent, racoon invasions, smores and late-night lantern reads. Unfortunately my camera ran out of batteries, so I only have photos from the first drizzly day.

Mia and Pillo

2008-08-14T20:22:00.001-07:00

Ok, how funny is Pillo in this picture?!

So much fun...

2008-07-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

...such little time to write about it.

Summer has come. And with it has come a tidal wave of activity that seemed about ready to burst through the walls of our house only weeks ago. Thank goodness the weather faeries cooperated and agreed to let us enjoy our summer with the somewhat normalcy of anticipated good weather.

I had a great week off between terms, and am now two weeks into summer school, but this new schedule of working only mornings is allowing me to really enjoy the best of what the summer days have to offer. Our weekends have also been jam-packed. Yippee!

Let me take you on a small photo journey of some of the highlights of the last few weeks.

These pictures are from a weekend camping with our good friends the Humes. Kirstie and I decided to be really brave and take the four kids camping without our other halves. Although my greatest fear was losing a child in the woods, the greatest obstacle ended up being the accident on highway 99 that closed the highway for several hours. We left Vancouver at 12:30 and arrived at Alice Lake (just outside of Squamish) at 7pm. Yes. I also am surprised we made it. We discovered the trick to too many hours with small children in a car that is not moving very fast is to give the kid that is annoying you most to the other mom. We each spent the tormentous drive feeling sorry for the other and slightly smug that we didn't have to deal with child X. Brilliant.

It was a fantastic trip. We lost no children. We had great weather. We even slept a little. We were very pleased with ourselves for our gumption and are planning another spouse less weekend.

We have acquired a frog. My mother laughed somewhat hysterically when I told her this and then said, "You don't remember your frog Lily Higgins, do you?" I chose to ignore the underhanded allknowingness of her comments... but now three weeks, three pet-store for crickets, two water changes and no interest from the children has made me review her remarks. Apparently Lily Higgins was re appropriated to the pond next door.

Anyone want a fire-bellied toad? (At least for a few weeks?!)

Lucas now loves my camera. My new camera. The one I saved my pennies for and have been coveting for a long time. The one that weighs more than he can typically handle carrying around. That one, yes. But to his credit, he can take some fine photos with it. For example these lovely portraits of Rob and I. Who would have known that my camera was capable of taking pictures of me?

A breakfast joint in Pike Place Market, Seattle. By Lucas Herman.

Constructing in the Children's Museum in Seattle.

Immediately after the camping trip we took a family trip to Seattle. I was none too pleased with the border line-ups nor the traffic on the highway, having already spent far more time in our truck than I ever wanted to that week, but the trip was worth the wait. It was in luxurious contrast to camping and we had some really good times seeing the tourist sites and just hanging around.

Mia is building her own sand box (or mud puddle) in the back yard. I may have to break down and buy a sand box.

Mom has left for Ecuador for six weeks. It has left me feeling a little sad and lonely, for who else will listen to my endless babble day in and day out?, but I am happy that she will spend the summer with her cousins.

Biking the sea wall in Stanley Park.

Good Times

2008-06-21T21:05:00.001-07:00

Beer and burgers on the patio at The Garibaldi Lift Company watching the mountain bikers. Lucas and Mia were both fascinated and inspired. (As were Rob and I, but it also made us feel old and out of shape!)

We spent a rather last-minute, but well deserved long weekend at Whistler this last weekend; serendipity allowing us the few gorgeous days of sun that June has seen so far. After our last get-away, which found us condo jailed without rain gear forcing us to abort our plans, this was a rare treat. We packed a whole lot of fun into few short days including celebrating Rob for father's day in grand style at the water park, a fishing adventure at Rainbow Park, scandalous dining at The Old Spaghetti Factory, and many, many trips down the Intrawest water slide. I think we all came home with chlorine bleached hair and wrinkled skin.

These picture are so amazing to me. My mom has countless photos on this same dock (Lakeside Park) on Alta lake right by our old cabin, but in it are George and I - not much older than Lucas and Mia are here.

Rainbow Park fishies being terrorized by children with nets. All in good fun and back to the lake they went.

The catch.

Happiness is coming home from Whistler to discover your strawberry plant has been busy making gloriously red, shiny, sweet fruit.

Cold Activities

2008-06-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know it's not THAT cold, but it certainly is annoying that our summer refuses to actually commit. Our activities this week were not as sun-loving as I was craving, but that was partially due to a some little colds that Lucas, Mia and I have acquired.

On Tuesday we got to see our primo Pucci, which is always great. Mia took full advantage of snuggles and Lucas of cookies by George.

On Thursday I treated myself to a pedicure which I promptly tucked into socks and shoes for work because I was freezing. By Friday we all felt pretty under the weather so we stayed in our pj's most of the day. (Ok, Lucas stayed in them all day) Here is a photo of our castle that we made. It was the first time I had seen Mia actually have a longer than ten minute interest in the crafts, but she still went to bed that night with glitter glued into her hair.

Saturday was all about work and chores, but today we packed a picnic and went to Maplewood Farm. It was a great choice for an overcast day. We all had a blast that included lots of goat hugs, chicken chasing and a pretty darn cute pony ride.

Tinga, Tinga, quite contrary,

2008-05-26T22:44:00.001-07:00

How does your garden grow?

A Great Day...

2008-05-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

...and pictures to prove it! (At least the end of it!)

We had a wonderful weekend enjoying some sunshine. Saturday afternoon was spent at our local South Hill festival; eating cotton-candy, bouncing in an inflatable pirate ship, panning for gold, exploring a fire truck and deciding not to wait in the pony-ride line-up. The four of us had a lovely bbq of wee lambykin chops, grilled asparagus and new potatoes accompanied by a lovely bottle of Malbec. Cheap and cheerful... and enough for Rob and I to both fall asleep blissfully with the kids at eight!

We spent today at Spanish Banks dog beach picnicking and and playing in the low tide. Everyone came home sandy, sticky and happy - but none more than I because we made a quick detour for me to pick up a little treat - a new camera! Yay!!! After much thought, I decided that I would foray back into the SLR world, and picked up an entry level digital Nikon that will hopefully do a heck of a lot better than the last few compact cameras we've had.

Here are a couple of my first few photos. Remember; dirty kids = happy kids!

Oh my...

2008-05-18T15:44:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that I haven't blogged since March 28th.

It's super easy to go a few weeks without writing, seeing as the kids keep me so busy - but this is ridiculous! My excuses (as I feel excuses are needed!) are twofold:

1. My camera has broken, and somehow it doesn't seem as much fun to post without photos
2. I have been teaching night classes, leaving me very little time on the computer to do much more than quickly scan my emails and maybe pound out a quick reply

So now, with a month and a half to catch up on, I haven't the slightest clue as to what to say. I'm sure a lot has passed - here's what I recollect; in a shortened form:

Lots of work:
I began two new contracts: Communications 12 Mon - Thurs nights and Grammar and Writing 3 Saturdays. This has been great - I've had a lot more time with the kids, but it has taken a toll on my body as I'm on the go from 7 am until 11 at night. I've also signed a contract to teach English 11 for a six week summer school class. To my great surprise, I had my years teaching at Bodwell counted a by VSB and my pay scale adjusted accordingly. I was very pleased - to say the least.

Fitness:
I'm taking a fitness bootcamp. I'm sore.

Birthdays:
I turned old and Rob turned slightly older. Both these events were uneventful. It's all about the kids now. Today we celebrated my nephew's birthday in grand scale. I made a checkers-themed cake that I was rather proud of - alas no photos though.

Mother's day:
Lucas made me strawberry jam and some gorgeous art at school and I got a massage at the spa in the Whistler Fairmont. All good.

Time off:
We had booked a week in Whistler before I signed these latest contracts. We couldn't use it all so we ended up with a pretty crazy trip that saw Rob drive the highway four times in three days, Mom take the Greyhound, Rob's parents use the room for two nights, and a whole lot of drizzle. Ah well. Mom and I also had a wild day away shopping a few weeks ago. We hit the Seattle Premium Outlet mall for a few hours that turned into many hours and came home with a car stuffed with stuff. Good fun.

Garden:
What can I say. With the weird weather we've had, my garden has had a hard time catching up. I had several fatalities with the surprise snow, and one Gerber sat upon by a miscalculated bottom. My clematis, rhododendrons and jasmine are finally blooming this week and all is resplendent.

Kids:
Gosh I love those little monsters. Mia is saying new words every day. So is Lucas - who has now decided that he would like to be a doctor when he grows up. Or something to do with bugs. Probably the latter, but he says he doesn't need any schooling with the latter because he has so much experience. I might have to agree actually. School, gymnastics, swimming, biking, digging - all is well.

I will not let this happen again... for a while... and I will post some photos as soon as I get a new camera and find something to take pictures of.

Spring Break Fun

2008-03-28T18:37:00.001-07:00

We had a very busy and fun spring and Easter holiday. It was great to be able to get out with the kids without having to worry about being called in to work. We hit all our favorite haunts and even enjoyed that one super sunny day at the beach. The Easter weekend saw the four of us sneak down to Lynden to stay at a little farm cottage http://www.pleasantdreamsfarm.com/ Although slightly more rustic than I had anticipated, the kids loved getting up close and personal with the animals. Rob and I packed in as much activity as Mia and Lucas could handle and we all came back pooped but happy for it. This week has seen us getting back at work and school as well the beginning of a few projects around the house.

Jericho beach totem poles.

A gorgeous day.

Pirate booty and washed up treasure.

Painting eggs with Aba.

How to make a two-hour border wait a little more entertaining. (And sticky.)

Up to no good.

Close encounters of the poultry kind.

Mia falls in love.Pygmy goat butt. Mmmmm.....

My favorite Chola pic

2008-03-20T10:31:00.001-07:00

A Sad Farewell

2008-03-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

Today we said good bye to our dear friend and companion Chola. After fifteen years with us, it was time to let her go after a quick turn for the worse.

Fifteen years ago this weekend, March 1st, 1993, my dad died from pancreatic cancer. It seemed almost fitting that Chola, who came into my life as a way to heal from the sorrow I was suffering, left us at this fifteen year mark. I imagine that she is up in heaven somewhere barking her crazy bark as she romps with my dad and some of her doggy-friends who have already passed. She was a great gift to me, seeing me through many years of healing. She was a friend who never left my side, always had a cuddle for me, and could make me laugh on a dime. She always knew when I needed a nuzzle and quickly turned it into a love-in - usually with her bum pushed up against us for that extra scratch. Chola loved to bark...and bark...and bark! It was always hard to get a word in when anyone arrived until Chola was attended to. When Rob and I got married, Justine led Chola down the aisle for us. I'm sure that she thought the party was all about her the way she held herself with pride!

I have so many favorite memories of Chola, starting with meeting her in Vernon where my Uncle Bill lovingly picked her out for me. She was such a little runt that I had to carry her (she was only three months old) when we took her for a walk in the park. Val drove my car all the way home while I just cuddled Chola in my lap. The night I turned nineteen we had a big party at Mom's house, and who can forget Chola running around the yard wearing that pink baseball hat (which she later ate!) and wearing diapers. Thanks Val! I remember waking up the next morning, with quite a hangover in tow, and wondering what the hell had happened to my room and where that goddamn noise was coming from. That's when I stepped in the pee. But I couldn't have been happier really!

Chola never walked on a leash. When she was itty bitty she was always instinctively at my heels and just kind of stayed with that. I did take her to obedience lessons where I had to lie repeatedly about her pedigree so as to be allowed to take the class. She barely squeaked by with a pass on graduation day... because of her barking! But the real time I took it for Chola was my only brush with the law. I received a ticket at Kits beach for walking her off-leash and upon the advice of several well-meaning dog-activists, I decided to fight the ticket in court. What a mistake! I looked like a blithering idiot as I mumbled and stumbled my way through my court appearance - my only supporter an old man with a fistful of parking tickets he didn't think he should pay. Needless to say, I didn't win my case, but did manage to get the ticket fine reduced due to my student status!

Chola was such a great companion on so many adventures. From reckless rollerblading through the streets of Kits to numerous hiking trips, she made for the best exercise buddy a gal could have. Some of my best memories with her involve snowshoeing on Cypress, her amazing healing abilities while I zoomed around town on my bike, lazing about Meagre creek while she explored, hiking the Juan de Fuca with Ewart and Deanna, swimming at Lost Lake and Buntzen Lake doggy beaches (where she would swim after me in circles then try and climb me if she could) countless visits to doggy play group at Connaught park and walks through the UBC forest, camping trips that always left me on the ground and her on the thermarest, sharing raw oysters and pepperoni in Tofino, kayaking with her in my lap in Vernon.

Chola lived and loved life to its fullest. She will be sadly missed and gladly remembered.

Crocodiles

2008-02-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

We have finally gotten over a couple of weeks of being sick. All four of us came down with strep throat and were just wiped out by it. The kids had high fevers for five days before it even occurred to Rob and I that they might be suffering from something other than a common cold. I can't tell you how horrible it was to be sick myself and have to deal with two sick kids. Nobody was very happy! But the antibiotics kicked in pretty fast and we got back to school, work and play this last week. The sunshine of the last few days has also really helped us to start feeling more alive.

Yesterday we did a mad dash to Bellingham to attend the memorial service for Rob's Aunt Linda who passed away last week. Although a sad event, it was lovely to see the extended family. Rob and I were also so pleased to see how well both Lucas and Mia managed a busy day and a large event. I'm sure the candy-studded cookies helped, but they really were a joy to have around to brighten the mood. Lucas was very pleased to visit the United Steak and show us which creeks the crocodiles would live in when it warmed up a little. I was starting to wonder if he was having some sort of weird premonitions about global warming...

Speaking of Lukey-isms, here are a few of our current favorites;

Daddy, when I ride my bike I have to watch out for pop-holes.

Mommy? I think Daddy needs a band-aid for the zip on his face.

Don't worry, I won't eat too much jump food.

He is one entertaining kid these days!

Rob bought me an i-touch for valentine's Day and I went from saying "What in the world do I need an mp3 player for?" to being absolutely obsessed with the thing. Here's a great picture of the boys listening to the new Jack Johnson on it. Lucas had the thing figured out within the day.

Today Rob and I had to loosen the tied on out weeping birch in the backyard. It has grown so much that they've left permanent scars in its bark. We were quite amazed. Just as the garden is showing incredible growth right now, so seem to be the kids. Mia can't seem to eat enough and is growing upwards like a little weed. She is also a showing an amazing aptitude for laughter and speech, to the delight of all.

Picture Day

2008-02-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

Do you still have your school group photos from elementary school? I know I do, and have spent many a gleeful moment laughing over them when they emerge from some banged up shoe box in my old closet at my mom's house. In fact I still have the ones from preschool; as I tried to explain to Lucas yesterday while we waited for him to "be ready" to have his photo taken. It didn't help that the guy who came in to do the photos was 3/4's clown and only 1/4 photographer. Many a tear was shed by children who just couldn't handle one more ragged stuffed barney or dora emerging from his bag of tricks. And the broccoli ice cream joke... it got pretty tired after about the third kid. But none was more difficult to photograph than our son, of course. Four adults (well three and a half if you count the photographer) twenty minutes, props, bribes and trickery. I'm curious to see what the results will be! It certainly put an even greater value on the shots our good friend and photographer Jeff has taken. I must admit, however, the comic value in watching our school photographer try to organize seventeen preschoolers to stay forward facing, in place, and with no tears or skirts around their necks for the group photo was worth its weight in gold. (What a weird expression...I'm sure I'm using it wrong!)

January

2008-02-04T10:41:00.000-08:00

January started off with a torrent of work for me. I'm working for the Vancouver School Board as a teacher on call for the adult system, and it seemed that everyone either took long holidays or got really sick. I also was thrilled to get my first temporary contract with the VSB which will start in Febuary. I'm finding the hours just right - enough time to spend with the kids balanced with me time and interesting classes to teach. Except for the fact that I haven't had enough field hockey with the fields being frozen or snow-covered, it's been a great start to 2008.

Oh yeah, and maybe except the fact that I didn't supervise Lucas and a bottle of dish soap well enough... (see above picture... you should have seen the floor)

We had a great weekend with our friends the Ows in Whistler. The weather was beautiful, there was a lot of fresh snow and most importantly, we survived five kids and four adults in the condo.

Now for the hairy update. I was thrilled to realize that Mia's hair is now long enough for ponytails. Rob came home from work last week to find Mia, Lucas and I all sporting the trendy new Herman style. Lucas' mop, of course, got completely tangled and dreadlocked. We'd been talking about a trim for him, so it seemed like the time. Rob took him over to magicuts this last weekend. Now normally this creates a pretty cheap and reasonable haircut sported by most male children this side of town. This time, however, the lady would not be convinced that Lucas was indeed a boy. (Or more likely it was that she didn't understand.) Anyhow, he came home with a haircut most reminicent of Rob's prince valiant bob circa 1995. Do some of you remember? Apparently Lucas has inherited those hair genes that result in weird haircuts. Anyways, I did a complete hack job that night trying to fix it and today (likely the result of two haircuts in two days) Lucas took matters into his own hands. Not too much damage done, but some people's valentine cards may come glued with curly locks. Sweet, I'd think. No pictures until it grows out... oh actually I take that back. This is all in time for photo day at school this week. Of course.

Sleepy heads with colds post Whistler pre haircuts.

Lucas loves doing headstands and makes me feel nostalgic for the days when I would hang out around the house upside down.

Rob's Post

2008-01-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

Lucas has discovered watching hockey games on tv. This is his "Canucks are winning" face.

This is his "Canucks are losing face."

This is him trying to figure out offside.

Canucks score!

A Good Food Day

2008-01-11T07:59:00.001-08:00

Like most kids, Lucas has his food quirks. The photo above is an example of how he deems a dinner should look. (He served himself dinner this night.) I certainly find it exhausting finding both kid and parent friendly meals day in and day out that are easy to make, nutritious and affordable. That being said, sometimes you have a good food day...

I finally found my ultimate recipe for chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. These turned out soft and chewy in the centre but slightly crunchy on their browned edges. Mmmmm.. divine. The amount in the above photo attests to their yumminess as we started with about three dozen yesterday afternoon. Here's my recipe;

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dinner pickings were slim so I got creative and ended up with a delightful pork scaloppine in citrus balsamic sauce served over gnocchi. We had green beans with red pepper and pine nuts on the side. Everybody had happy bellies last night!

Wishing all of you a good food day too. xox Ting

Feliz Navidad

2007-12-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas was opulent and excessive, making me feel horrible about the inequality of humanity, but it was great. The kids had a blast, and everything was relatively calm and smooth. The only frustration was when the bottle of port ran dry last night when Rob and I were having movie night.

Mom came and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas here. She delighted in being awoken by Lucas at 6:30 in the morning but couldn't convince him to stay in bed any longer. He was sure that he had heard reindeer bells during the night, so was not in the least surprised to see the presents under the tree. He was, however, extremely excited to open them. The hour wait until his grandparents and uncle got here was almost unbearable.

Even though I've only been working a few days a week, it was nice to get some time off to hang out about the house and try to complete the puzzle of how to fit all the new toys into such a small space! We've also had the pleasure of spending some time with friends and their kids.

Pretty dresses supplied by Abuela had plenty of opportunities to be worn.

Lucas and I had an awesome day of skiing on Seymour. It was his first time on skis, and he did a commendable job. He was able a to walk independently on flats but got a little (!) wobbly on any hills. We managed to do four runs; two on the tow rope and two on the chairlift. I have to admit that I now understand why I hated the tow rope when I was a kid. My body still hurts from basically carrying Lucas up the tow while trying to stay on it myself. The last thing I wanted was to fall, put skis back on and try and get up it again! The lift was much better although Lucas' ski bindings were set so low that I was freaking out when he started swinging his legs!

The day brought back so many memories of skiing with my dad when I was little. I just love that I can share this with my kids now. Amazing how life comes full circles sometimes.

It's almost here!

2007-12-23T14:09:00.001-08:00

Tis the season for too much candy, anticipation and partying. We are no exception here. We have heard' "Is it Christmas today?" every day now since the advent calendar showed its ugly face. (Much to Mia's chagrin as the elves mistakenly thought Mia was too young for a calendar this year.)

Sushi night. (Mama too tired to cook.)

Lucas and I have been busy drawing, pasting and cooking up Christmas stuff.

Doggies always need love.

Preschool Christmas Party.

Lucas and his cousin attack the gingerbread train.

Baby is one!

2007-12-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that a year has passed since we had Mia, but even more unbelievable is how much she has changed in that year. Even though we saw how fast Lucas grew, I am still amazed at how much humans develop in their first few years of life. From a tiny nursling baby that was so completely dependant on others, Mia has changed into a toddler with abilities that felt so far away not long ago.

She has been solidly walking for about a month now. On Wednesday we were out at the park after all that rain passed and she was out ambling through the puddles in her muddy buddy and rain boots, carrying the dog's chuck-it. It feels too soon. I already miss the crawling. It's funny how with Lucas I couldn't wait for each milestone to be reached; first smile, sitting up, crawling, grasping, eating solids, pulling to a stand, cruising, walking, speaking, weaning etc. But with Mia, and the knowledge that we are unlikely to have another, I mourn each stage as it passes, willing myself to hold onto the memory of her kicking feet as she nurses with pleasure, the sound of a well diapered bottom hitting the ground in an attempt to stand, the discovery of the first threads of successful communication (where's your nose - that's right! There it is!) the kisses sprinkled generously on family, dogs and dollies.

Mia is turning into an amazing little girl with a wickedly wonderful (or wonderfully wicked) personality. She babbles and laughs all day. She delights in pestering Lucas and knows just how to get his knickers in a knot, then imitates his exclamations of protest. She eats like it's her last meal, dances on a whim, and smiles with little encouragement. I am delighted to see that she has a gap between her two front teeth - to some it may only stand as reminder of orthodontic bills to come, but to me it brings a sense of guilty possession and pride that she is both mine and just like me. (Those of you who have known me for a very long time will perhaps remember my own gapped smile that so characterised me as a child.)

So with this I say goodbye to my baby girl and hello to my child. I can't wait to walk beside you as you explore this world, yourself and the possibilities that are there for you. Happy Birthday Mia. I love you. Mommy

Fall Pics (very late!)

2007-11-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

October passed by as perhaps the longest month in record for me. I have never felt so entirely busy from morning until night (and then many times during the night.) After Rob left from his weekend whirlwind visit I was left to my own devices with squirrely kids, cold and wet weather and spooked pups. (Fireworks) It was a loooooooong month of doing almost nothing but looking after the kids and secretly wanting to strangle Rob for not being there. Thank goodness for field hockey, my mom, my inlaws and some good friends for keeping me sane and somewhat still capable of speaking to adults. Here is a very late selection of pictures.

Mia's first independent go at painting

Lucas and his buddy on a fantastically cold, muddy and fun visit to the pumpkin patch.

Lucas the spider at his preschool.

Mommy realized she should have sewn the arms on using elastic a little too late.

Out for trick or treating. Mia was the only cooperative one for pictures... and barely.

Mia learns that chocolate is good. (Second child - what can I say...)

Mount Pleasant community Centre drop-in play gym. AKA where we go to pick up any virus that happens to be going around. We were sick for weeks after this visit!

Pitiful, I know...

2007-10-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I found myself in the local liquor store, Mia in the sling Lucas in my grasp. Now normally I have my dear husband to provide me with delicious wine and cold beer; two of my favorite things in life. However I was feeling his absence and decide that I would go and get myself some booze. However my demonic little angel Lucas was very overtired from a recent cold which inevitably leads to painful stubbornness. (A trait honestly come by as both Taurean parents are notoriously also obstinate.) He insisted that the wine bottles needed to be counted. And by this he meant touching each and every one as he went by it. My firm disapproval sent him into a puddle of tears as he fell limply on the liquor store floor with the injustice of it all. As I pleaded with him to just hold himself together for only a few moments longer because Mommy desperately needed her wine, a kindly employee came over and this is about how our conversation went.

"Can I help you with anything?" asked the man while trying to hide the look of disapproval on his face.

"Yes, I've kind of got my hands full."

"I can see that. What are you looking for?"

"Wine. Red. Not too cheap - but not a fortune. Quick."

"What grape?"

"Now." I gasped.

"How about this?" he tried pitifully.

"Great," I replied, paid, and was off.

Let me tell you, Rob was veeeerrrry disappointed in my choice when he asked the dreaded question on the phone last night. But me? Well, let's just say I was feeling better while I read my book by the fire... sipping crappy wine.

Another Note

2007-10-28T19:33:00.001-07:00

I just re-read my last few posts and realized that you may not be able to follow the train of our busy lives without a little fill-in.

Rob's new job had some setbacks in the opening date of their restaurant (very common) and had to put it back a few months. In the meantime, they decided to send him to Santa Monica to work in their place there at the Viceroy Hotel. This all came very unexpectedly and threw a huge curve ball into our carefully orchestrated transitional fall. Thus I am alone with the kids until December.

A bail-out, a bird, a birthday and a bump

2007-10-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

First things first, for those not yet in the know, I finally decided that I had had enough of living the single working mom lifestyle and quit my job. What a relief. I have so much respect for those who can make it work, but I was a disaster at it. Enough said.

This was the first Thanksgiving in years that I have truly enjoyed. Last year I was so pregnant and tired that I just lay on the sofa having hardly been able to eat any turkey. But this year... I let out my belt and dug in. The kids are at an age now that they played well together and we all enjoyed the company and the food in relative peace. It was lovely to have Rob home with us for the weekend, but of course it passed all too fast. He arrived the Saturday of the long weekend, spent a whirlwind couple of days with us, and was gone on Wednesday morning. We will see him again in November for another couple of days and then he should be home again for good at the end of the month. I am now back to the kiddy-routine of playing, eating, bathing and sleeping; albeit on a budget!

Lucas' birthday was a blast. We celebrated with some friends here at the house and enjoyed a Cinemazoo presentation of all sorts of wild and wonderful creatures. Personally, I was amazed at how long the kids stayed still for and how frightened some of the adults were! Ah... childhood innocence and adult fears...

As for the bump, well, that came after a particularly joyful stand and clap on Mia's part. In her highchair, that is. She tumbled out backwards and had a good fall. (Lucas really doesn't get it when I say that.. who made up that expression anyways?!) She suffered a bad concussion and had to be taken to Children's Hospital where we spent a good part of our night under observation. (Her for trauma, I'm fairly sure me for negligence.) After a frightening week of doctor and a repeat emergency room visit, we are fairly confident that she escaped this one unscathed. I am now so much more aware of the little safety details that are so easy to become relaxed with. I am also so very thankful for having a support network of friends of family to help me out. Being alone when things like this happen... not good. Especially when there is another child to be looked after as well. :(

So we are in recovery here. Readjusting schedules and getting ourselves into a better groove with less stress. (Hopefully.)

PS. I'm so sorry about the sideways pictures... another new program that I thought I had figured out... thought.

noisy new steps

2007-10-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

soooo cute...

2007-09-19T16:26:00.001-07:00

Good ones

2007-09-19T16:16:00.001-07:00

September

2007-09-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of a windstorm of activity and emotion. The winds are warm , but furious and I feel it is all I can do to dig my heels in and hold my family close while the world transforms around us. It's at times like this that our values and trust in what is good keeps us strong in knowing that we will reappear after the storm - only stronger for having held firm whilst in its midst.

Lucas has begun preschool, Rob has begun his new job, my job starts next week at which time the kids will be watched by our parents Monday through Friday, childcare exchanges have begun, field hockey starts this week and swimming the next. Rob is now home for dinner, bath and bed, and packed lunches need to be found in the morning. Alarms ring at horribly early times and toddlers are wrestled into clothes before Max and Ruby videos have been thoroughly finished. There is never quite enough coffee in the pot.

I am doing everything possible to prepare us all for all this transition, but I feel that my head might explode with small details of it all. Spare clothes, labels, family photos to print, breast milk to pump and pump and pump, meals to shop for, organize and cook; to hell with the laundry.

It's funny but last night after I ran out after dinner and putting Mia to bed, went to a meeting for preschool and raced home again I had this surreal thought; I really AM a mother now. I suppose all these last three years I have sort of felt a bit like I was playing house. But good golly, that feeling has worn off and I have admitted defeat. I am Mom. I was looking around the meeting at the other Moms and thinking, Man these gals all look like Moms.. and then I thought shit, so do I. I had just arrived with food smushed into my clothes (the same ones I was in when I did duty at the preschool in the morning) and smelling like garlic and onions. Nothing wrong with it of course. As I said to Rob last week, I really am living a dream, to be a mom and sit on the floor getting grubby with sticky toddlers; it's all good! I suppose it is just the working mom part that I dread at this point. But I can always jump ship if it all feels too much.

On a side note, Rob and I celebrated our five year anniversary last weekend by going to Guu on Thurlow. If you are a fan of Japanese "bar" food and have a good sense of adventure as well as palate, I highly recommend it. We had a fantastic meal at very good prices.

I hope all your September starts are beginning well for each of you. xox Ting

Lucas and Mia heading out to a party in the bike trailer.

What's happening around here...

2007-08-17T18:58:00.001-07:00

Lucas is now drawing cars, buses and trains. We think they are fabulous!

So we now have a new computer in the form of a new hard drive. Finally. Although I am pleased that we can finally rely on a computer once again, I was a bit flabbergasted at the way it happened. Over the last few months I have logged probably close to twenty hours on the phone trying to get this thing fixed; to no avail. Then Rob got uber annoyed, and since I was on holiday, took over the phoning duty for the week. One phone call, and just like that Dell is sending us a new computer. Timing? I'd like to think so.

We have been really enjoying Rob's evening shifts by getting the most out of our days, but alas it is coming to an end in just a few short weeks. This is all for the good however, since Rob has just given notice at Cincin after signing a contract to work as the Loden Hotel's Restaurant Manager. This is a fantastic new position for Rob as he will have the opportunity to help this Kor group hotel open their food and beverage program from ground up. Buying a cellar of wine you say... a dream job. Very exciting.

I am still wavering about work for September. None of my master plans have panned out for me yet, although I have a had a couple of offers. I'm pretty torn about the prospect of leaving the kids to work. There are days I would absolutely love to get out and at it again, but my heart is here right now, I must admit. And with two clever and loving children I think that makes sense, don't you?!

When the SHAW guy came to rewire our cable, he found Lucas and I wearing our new space man hats. Hopefully they didn't interfere with the reception...

We decided to change Lucas' preschool for September after getting a position in a parent participation preschool. We are pretty darn excited about being able to be part of this new stage in Lucas' life by spending days in the classroom and taking on tasks. Mia and I are also looking forward to a little peace and quiet..hahaha...

In reality, Mia is becoming the furthest thing from quiet and Rob and I are beginning to question what wild genes we are passing down. Mia has mastered the art of singing, babbling, and best of all the tell tale shriek that means "Mommy, Daddy Lucas is (fill in the blank)" She loves nothing better than wrestling with Lucas (really) and teasing him endlessly by stealing whatever he is playing with. She happily digs in the dirt, and has eaten way too much sand at the park. We have given up on baby toys entirely. She has taken after Lucas in skilled crawling and loves climbing into the fridge if she catches it open. I have caught her at the top of our Ikea kitchen stool, up flights of stairs in the laundry room and on top of slumbering dogs. She is communicating clearly her need for arms, sleep and food. And boy, can she put that back. She out-eats Lucas 4 out of five meals. No joke.

Lucas is the fastest things on wheels these days, and we have been amazed at his bike riding skills. These pictures are from a sunny Saturday in the UBC endowment lands. That kid rode (with a little pushing) for two hours! We were all pooped at the end!

congratulations!

2007-08-17T18:53:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Juan, Lydia and Matias on the arrival of their daughter and little sister Taya Jane. This is not much of a picture, but she is cute as a button!