On the move

I'm sitting in a room on the eleventh floor over looking Victoria. We have a few last bits to pack into the uhaul and the cleaning is happening today. Tomorrow is Canada Day so we'll hangout with friends and watch the fireworks before we get onto the COHO ferry to Port Angeles on the Mainland, in the US. We have a couple of days to get to Oregon so we plan to look around the Wasington Coast, snail fashion with our trailer follwing along.

Everyone is sad to be leaving Victoria, thou Izabel doesn't realise it yet. Liam had a hard time on the last day of school, his teachers this year have been a great fit for him and the school as a whole is a warm friendly welcoming place for us all.

the hockey song

I mentioned this event a few posts ago, today I found this on good ol' you tube, Mr B on guitar is Liam's teacher, you won't recognise anyone else :)

Show business

"So Madeline and I are in show business aren't we mummy?"

Liam and Madeline appeared in Liam's end of year ballet with Boston Dance Collective's show, Madeline's not technically with this school but Liam's ballet teacher created a part for her which she was delighted about.  

Liam also managed to appear in three things for the scholl talent show, a comedy routine

 with a classmate, a tap dance by himself and a group dance item with the junior dancers.

Friday and last night Liam's school choir performed with the Arbutus Singers  Liam was very popular with the crowd.  Last night there were treats afterwards and lots of people talked to the kids who'd stayed up for them.

The preceeding week we had final classes for tap (Liam and Madeline) and Ballet 

(Madeline) as well.  

Pole

During our trip to Tofino with visiting family in July they erected this pole. It was a fun thing, they dug a deep hole and put up a really tall pole.
We visited Tofino again this weekend and called in on the same beach, we were impressed to see the same pole in the same location, if slightly tilted. I really hadn't expect to see it still there.

lastest achievement

Culture

Liam's working on getting all aspects of Canadian culture in his time here.  After school on fridays now you'll find us in the playground watching and playing street hockey.  One of the other mum's from school has done the organising and there's a dad whose been a hockey coach who does the on court control, with which ever other dads are around.  Last week there as a huge turn out.  Liam had a great time and wanted his own stick (and so Madeline wanted one too).  We purchased a hockey set which has two goals and two sticks and a ball.  So now thats set up in the basement and I can hear Richard and Liam down there now.

Spring break

Today is the last day of Spring Break, we didn't do anything specifically this break but both kids played at friends and had friends over here.  

We did go to Swan Lake Nature House where they had a CSI activity discovering who had killed the duck in the truck, Liam really enjoyed this it was a little old for Madeline but she enjoyed some of it.  They tested a sbstance on the body, which they had to collect, they interviewed the neighbour, reviewed possible suspects and took their case to the judge.  There were also bins with compost and various bones which you exposed and identified. 

So tomorrow its back to school.   We got report cards before Spring break, there were no surprises, Liam is popular not great at focussing, could improve his writting, but otherwise is at grade level.

Wellington

Richard wanted some pictures of Wellington since people ask so I finally put this together.

pictures

2009 02 10

In Wellington

It feels like the time here in NZ is fast coming to an end, this week has been interesting because I've done lots of visiting people who I didn't see last time. Richard is sanding the flakey paint on our house and so has been in the neighbourhood. I wandered around the yard and looked at the growth of all our tree's chatted to neighbours as they walked past on the street and popped over and had a cuppa with some.
Our wee niece arrived on saturday so friday night was long and full of timing contractions, doing accupressure, passing drinks and povitive affirmations. It's the first birth I've been to that was planned as a hospital birth, the birthing units are OK, they move into the new hospital next week so I guess they have been better, but they don't stand the comparison to Liam's time in Denver Children's Hospital, and the ward is definately an experience I'm pleased to have missed. The new mother seems to be going well, today the men folk including Liam are helping shift them to their new abode.
My league experience is coming in handy, but I am aware that I haven't done calls for a while. I went to a LLL meeting here too which was a lovely huggy feeling with lots of people I've meet before and leaders I enjoy seeing.  

Today we're off to the park with the small and middle one's and a bit of shopping think we'll try to take the bus.

Back Down Under

The kids and I flew to NZ on Friday last week, without Richard who has some work to complete before he's allowed to join us. The prospect of flying with three children by myself was stressful, but the actuallity of it was mostly unevently. Our friendly airline concierge introduced herself to us at Vancouver Airport and helped us onto the plane. Mostly the older two were entertained by the onboard service, but I had enough other colouring books and things to fill the time. Most of the flight all the children slept, myself not as much but Izabel was on me as she's a lap traveler still and with nine infants on the plane, didn't manage to get a bassenet. Getting off the plane I did manage to leave the passports in the seat pocket but again my handy concierge was able to retreve tem for me and we were still out (through some extras special lanes) to the bags before they were on the carosel. Murray met us in Auckland which made the trasit easier, we had breakfast then continued to Wellington where we were met again and driven to Wainuiomata. The kids were excitted to see all the welcoming partys, Madeline had fallen asleep traveling to Wellington so she was still sleeping in the backpack to get of the plane.
So far since we've been here I've mostly collected the things we needed, undies, pj's togs, that weren't worth bringing and the kids have constructed and adventured around the Wainui yards.
I have joined the evening walk that mum and Ruth do, my knees don't think it's that great an idea but the rest of me feels better for it.

Today was the first venture out and the kids and I saw Cathie before a trip to some Wellington Parks and a Cable car trip for them and a Cafe lunch with Mere's antenatal group for Iza and me.

Seasons Greeting

Winter break is almost over but as we were winding up for Christmas the kids dance all had watching days.

These are from the tap class that Liam and Madeline were in together.

The last week had the school Christmas concert, Liam's ballet watching day and lots of snow (by Victoria standards anyway).  

richard (with a small amount of assistance) made a snow fort in the front yard so he and the kids had hot chocolates and buttered toast in it.

Liam and Richard went to a Salmon Kings game and the girls and I went to a friends Yule party and it snowed about 10cm while they were at the game. The roof of the fort colasped from the weight by the morning. 

The kids and I had a couple of days to finish christmas preparations including the annual Santa photo, Izabel wasn't keen on the big man so I'm in this years pic too. 

We had trouble getting children to sleep on Christmas eve rather than anyone waking up to early so the day started in a fairly civilied manner with stockings at about 8.30.  We followed that with Eggs benidict, 

home made hollindaise and all. Then presents, present construction and "lunch" at about 4.30.

From 2008 12 25

All of us have had colds over the break and Izabel still has a nasty cough so there haven't been a lot of outings but we have managed a couple of sledding sessions at Beacon Hill park and some bike rides. 

Today Richard, Liam and Madeline saw a movie and I did some sewing. 

Life in a snow globe

snowglobe home.JPG
Originally uploaded by XyV

We have snow!

Yesterday was grey and overcast still but today was really sunny and windy, so the snow blowing of the roof and whirling around in the sunshine gives a very christmassy feel. It's -5 with a wind chill making it feel like -18
I'm glad we brought the snow gear with us from Santa Fe, thou Madeline's is getting a bit on the small size.

starting to feel a lot like Xmas?

The days are shorter the weather is cooler, I've just mixed up the fruit and booze for a Christmas cake so the house smells a lot like Chritmas anyway. Im trying to make and send cards but so far I haven't completed any, so don't hold you breath for one.

In fact my calander is completely stuff up, it feels like Christmas but then I expect it to be summer and I can never remember what month it is 'cause the weather clues are wrong.

Princesses at two o'clock

We're into the clean up and wash the dishes now but this afternoon our house full of princesses, and a couple of princes.
We have finally had Madeline's birthday party and she and all her friends seemed to have a good time. We started with a castle construction with the superfort, then made tiara's and followed that up with pizza, fruit and cake. Madeline got some presents and was pleased with them.

From Madeline's 4th Party

last night

 

So as you can see from the pictures in the last post we had a party with cake for the 1st birthday. Thrifty's the grocery store here does a free cake for first birthdays. They have quite a good bakery so it wasn't a bad cake.
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, the kids enjoyed having friends to play and there weren't too many people so it din't feel overwelming for Izabel either. she got some presents too, which was unexpected especially since I planned the party between wednesday and friday, and most people didn't get invited till friday.

one

Today was the Breastfeeding challenge again. Last year it was outside and very cold. Today is a lovely warm day, but the challenge was set up at a movie theatre, I think it worked well as a venue. The unfortunate thing was that the microphone wasn't working. I don't know how many people were there but the theatre was full. The girls and I went and I/we got two prizes, one for how long I've been breastfeeding and one for how old my eldest nurser is. We saw lots of people we know from all sorts of places so it was a fun morning.

Liam's off at a birthday party for two of the children from his class. cake and bouncy castle, not sure how he'll be when he returns!
He's settled into school really well and has made lots of friends both in his class and generally in the playground (I know you're all really surprised by that). I feel like I've meet lots of new people too.

Madeline's enjoying preschool and its going well. She turned four last week and is concerned that her friends haven't come for a party. We took cupcakes to strong start (a preschool thing that Izabel and I go to too) and the kids iced them and sang happy birthday, she was pleased with that but wants a party with cake and goodie bags. I'm planning to do something but I haven't figured it out yet. We also have Izabel's birthday next week and we need to do something for that too.

Aunty Meg has been to visit which we all enjoyed. Madeline doesn't really think people should get to leave again, or if anyone's going on a plane she should get to go too. She's feeling a bit disappointed this weekend, no party, no plane, Liam has a goodie bag and she doesn't. Still she's had several presents she really likes.

Izabel is trying to stand up and she manages it for several seconds she walks around the furniture very successfully.

The weather is cooling down quite quickly and the days are very much shorter, these last two weeks I have had to convince the children that it is time to get up and moving even thou Madeline is convinced its not morning.

It's thanksgiving weekend here this weekend and I am thankful to still be here, in this house and not moving house or country this month. I am not doing a turkey. I do see the appeal of thanksgiving as a holiday thou, it all about friends family and food without the trouble of gifts.

The same but different

It's a little deja'vu feeling to be back in the same house we moved into a year ago, in fact we moved back in on the same day. The house looks much as it did but we have more stuff so it's taking longer to put things in places.
This time of course I have an almost one year old crawling around the place, pulling up on things. She finds the front loading washer fascinating. Pulls up on the door and watches it going around.

Liam is going to the local school this year. He's in a composite grade 1/2 class with Mr Borich so far (day 5) he likes it. Mr B as they all call him plays the guitar and this seems to be the main feature of school so far. That and he likes coming home with his agenda book and instructions for us. We walk down and back and so far I've only picked him up in the car twice, once Madeline's dance starts tomorrow we'll need to pick up in the car on tuesdays, the timing could be better, I have to get across town in 15min, which will be tight.

Madeline will start Preschool tomorrow and unlike any of my other school choices I have done no research into their style in fact its run by ECE's and they have no parent participants, but she'll go two mornings a week and it's conveniently in the same building as Liam's class.

Madeline, Izabel and I went to a creative play morning last week at the James Bay Project. Madeline enjoyed it more than Izabel, thou she had a nice sleep and enjoyed the songs at the end. Izabel and I might go to a toddler drop in tomorrow, which will be quite a novelty.

Victoria is having a long balmy summer this year, I'm sure it was colder last year, thou the nights and mornings are getting cooler I find that halfway to school the extra layer I put on is no longer necessary.

We had a good trip around northern BC at the beginning of August. We took the ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert then drove to Jasper National Park, along the Icefields Parkway and back. We spent a lot of time in the car which the kids got a bit sick of. I'll put some pictures up one I download the camera.