Travel alert

I just set up a fare tracker at bing.com/travel to see if Christmas fares to Edmonton will go up or down. We'll see if this site lives up to the hype.

The search is over...

We found a nice bunk bed for the girl's room. It will be ready for pick up in 4 - 6 weeks as it is coming from the Winnipeg warehouse.

http://www.westcoastkids.ca/Dutailier---Felix-Bunk-Bed

Oil in gum?!

This was a very interesting article on oil use in products we consume (buy) such as chewing gum, crayons and candles. A few good suggestions!

http://rcbc.bc.ca/files/u6/Tip_of_the_Month_-_Aug_2010.pdf

Recycle your running shoes...

Now you don't have to throw out your worn out running shoes, you can take them to the Nike store near you so that they can be recycled into tennis courts.

http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/

Letter to Santa

One week before Halloween and Coco has already written her letter to Santa. I love this time of year because anything the kids want (they always want something) can be a gift from Santa. They soon forget.

We were at Opus and Coco saw these Elmer glue glazes, all shiny and sparkly. "Ask Santa". So she has.

Boo!

New jackets

Searched a few "lost and founds" and did not find Hazel's jacket. They are sad and scary boxes, with mouldy, wet hats and gloves, dirty hoodies and even sadder, beautiful winter jackets. At least ours was well worn, bitten and fixed many times over at the collar. Coco went through a biting-jacket-collar phase.

I had trudged the kids around to a few consignment stores, falling short on warm coats or even affordable, stylish ones. So, I went to Superstore Main Street.

Voila. Done. And now, we are going to find the lost one. Murphy's Law.

How do these things happen?!

Seems I have LOST Hazel's winter jacket, a pink, puffy hand-me-down from Coco. I am wracking my brain. Left at the skating rink? Seems the only explanation as it hasn't been winter jacket weather until today really. Anyway, it is super ANNOYING!

Plus, I can not find a navy and white Gap summer dress that Coco was wearing. A really cool find at our local consignment store. Where that went missing, I have NO idea.

Please universe, do not let me loose more things... for a long while anyway.

Busy week!

With the 2 year old in preschool and the 5 year old in Kindergarten, I thought I'd have some free time. It hasn't really worked out that way. I do 2 duty days a month at the preschool and have had lots of family visits this Fall. I can't complain though, I go to the gym one day a week and yoga one day on the weekend. It is busy, busy, busy!

This week looks like this...

Monday: Duty Day at Preschool
Tuesday: Gym
Wed: Help at preschool with Halloween Party
Thurs: Morning skate with 2 year old
Friday: Volunteer at Kindergarten

Crib has left the house...

I love craigslist. Just sold the crib within 24 hours. Got $200.

A few weeks ago I sold all the cloth diapers.

Watch out... we are on a selling roll over here. Hang on to your tooth brushes.

Interesting website...

This website has some cool stuff about living in small spaces and the advantages they offer... less space to clean, less "stuff" to manage. Hurray for small space living. http://www.hiddenabundance.com/

Art!

We've been making art.

The bird's nest was done at Arts Umbrella but the other stuff is home projects. Hint: salt was used in two.

Beach Day

Lovely day so we took Lucky and the girls to the beach. Collected some rocks, Coco balanced on a log with the help of Bruce. Lucky balanced on the log too. Oh and Coco got her hair cut yesterday. Trés chic.

We can breathe a sigh of relief...

Hazel is 2 1/2 years old now. She doesn't put small toys in her mouth... usually.

However the other day, she must have had an urge to feel the smooth texture of a shiny glass marble type rock (the girls refer to this rock as their "globe" and they have three) against the inside of her mouth. The rock was in her mouth. She swallowed it.

That's right! It is round about the size of a quarter and as thick in the widest part as about 1 mm. She scared herself. She cried.

I googled "My kid swallowed a marble". We surmised she would likely poo it out. Not as bad as swallowing a pointy object. Hopefully surgery would not be required.

Two days later, she did poo it out. We are very happy. It is now in the garbage!

Drawing

Hazel's first face and Coco's funny little people.

Chauldecott water park

Sunny summer days were here briefly. We went to the water park. Coco got into a water "war"... boys vs girls. She made many new friends and could not stop taking about their "secret plans", "hideout" and "safe zone" for days after. Hazel was very content running under the freezing cold water for ages.

Greek Days

Every year, the Greeks have a big party on a street near my house. They close down 4 lanes of traffic for 5 or 6 city blocks. It is packed! Big stage with traditional Greek dancing. A lot of lined up food kiosks. We ventured in with the double stroller and ventured out after a short time.

Double stroller + crowded street + smoky meat barbeques + loud music = head ache.

We did see a fun street performer ride a very high unicycle while juggling three basket balls. He looked like he might have been Greek.

Ballet recital

Fun!

Beach barbeque

Hey - I'm peeing in the ocean!





Beach barbeques can be a lot of work... packing everything, forgetting matches (thank goodness Asian men in their early twenties still carry lighters), forgetting plates, having your dog throw up salt water then having disgusting runny poo to pick up, then having your kids and consequently your car and house covered in sand BUT THEY ARE WORTH IT. We had fun with our friends and hope to do it more this summer.

Summer fun.

The girls managed to empty out a thing of bubble mix onto themselves and the back deck then squirt each other with these fun water guns from their Great Aunt Joan. I.t was straight into the sink for a rinse for Hazel.

Sky Lights half done

The outside work is complete. The inside drywall has been cut (Thank you Bruce!!!!). Now the finishing on the inside needs to be completed. But, man, they rock! They really open up the two small rooms upstairs. Every time i look at them, I think it was money well spent. No buyer's remorse here.

Front closet

One more step closer to getting finished.

The farm is open for the season.

Love, love, love the UBC Farm. From now until the Fall, it is open on Saturdays for the farmer's market. We saw the chickens, two cows, a super zydeco trio, and lots of plants. In one pic, Hazel is giving the band a twoonie. In another pic, Coco is showing her doll's bum. She asked me to take a pic. Easier to say "yes" than argue with a 4 year old about whether a doll's bum is photo-worthy.

What is funny about these pics is A) Hazel is wearing her pjamas (she didn't want to get dressed) B) Coco is wearing Hazel's 2 year old dress!

Too cute

Hazel loves her daddy, even though she and Coco attacked him in a backyard, plastic bubble wand sword fight last night. It was hilarious.

Chile

Full domestication reached... Bruce made a delicious bean chile stew from a recipe he found in Canadian Living magazine. We have leftovers if you'd like to come over for a bowl.

They can dance.

Coco and Hazel dancing to the tunes on the roof. Rock was blaring all day on account of the roofers.

More space, please

Bruce is totally redoing the front entrance so we can have some space to put our ever growing collection of skates, helmets, sun hats, mittens, tennis gear, rain coats, rubber boots... you get the picture. Should be SWEET when completed. Will post more as it happens.

Baptism was fun

We had a ton of fun at our friend's baptism on Sunday afternoon. The priest was funny. We reflected on family and what that means. I am very thankful for my family and their love.

Then, we noshed on sushi and an assortment of canopies while sipping champagne and a lovely sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, back at the family home. I parked and walked the block over there so as not to have to drive under the influence.

New roof, new roof, new roof!

I feel VERY grownup, having a new roof put on the house! Also, getting two sky lights put on the side that faces the street. Should be finished tomorrow.

Music to my ears!

I was upstairs, doing stuff on my computer. The girls were being very quiet downstairs, so I thought I'd better go see what they were up to... I found them snuggled in bed and Coco was reading stories to Hazel. This made me feel very warm inside, on par with a "vegetable plate" request! The story is a Dr. Seus one..

Cruising to catastrophe

Thinking of cruising? It is very important to investigate a cruise ship companies environmental policies before giving that company your business because there are many companies out there that dump untreated food waste, etc into the oceans. So, ironically, what you are cruising to see, ie. pristine water and sea life, might not be there any longer due to cruise ships.

Oil gushing into the ocean doesn't help either.

Made in China?

Millions of the 16-ounce glasses sold by McDonald's found to contain cadmium, a known carcinogen

Coco has an admirer

I dropped Coco and Hazel off at the Dunbar playroom so I could go to the Dunbar gym for 1 hour.

When I returned, Coco showed me 5 pictures a little boy had drawn for her.

He came over and said to her "These are for you lovely".

Coco turned to me and whispered "I think I'm in love".

Little Miss Helpful

Hazel is quite independent these days... her favorite four words... I CAN DO IT! She stacked her bowl into the dishwasher the other day. She regularly empties her potty into the toilet (I cringe). She likes to climb into her car seat (I try to leave 5 minutes earlier to allow for this).

My favorite conversation...

"Hazel, please put on your jacket."

"No"

"It is actually very cold outside"

"No, thank you."

Craft day!

We attempted paper maché again. The girls had fun. Let's just say... it got a little messy!!!!!