Art Class!!

The boys have a new art class after school in the Lake Cowichan high school art classroom .... It's awesome timing on a Wednesday!!  I got off work a bit early today so the boys weren't expecting chris and I to both be there to pick them up. 

They both showed off their paintings!

They seem to be holding their own in a class full of girls!!  

Tuesday

School, work, piano, play in the sun, dinner, hot tub .....

I'm so glad when I get home from town... The driving gets wearing ... Today the kids had piano and when we got home we played outside in the sun.  Actually, Isaac read his book for awhile on his own while Elliot came with me - I am trying to run or be active every day, so today I ran (yesturday I ran too!!) .... So he biked while I ran ... It was fun. 

Then we all met up at the gym while chris was building up the ramp for the plasma cars ... Such a creative soul. 

This ramp used to be the waterslide but now it's the launching point for a race track!!

Jon was showing his friends the camp and came in to show them the work chris has done in the gym ... Isaac was pretty stoked to hitch a ride. 

Tonight, chris worked at the gym while I read ... When he came home, he read to Isaac.  When he reads to Isaac, Elliot comes to visit me. 

And then when chris is finished reading, he comes and collects Elliot on the "Daddy Express"... Man, I love these kids ... They are honestly the best part of life!!

Elliot got Mme Pegg ...

The teacher renowned for a ton of homework!!! He was pretty freaked out at the beginning of the year, even tears on the first day. But this boy has really seemed to be up for the task.  I realize it's still only September, but he finishes his homework with no complaining, works on his dictee and his spelling.... 

He is super smart and I'm pretty proud of him. Tonight, Mme Pegg called me at home... Which is always super unnerving.  Turns out there is a little punk named 'Ever' in his class Who has been teasing Elliot about his speech impediment.  Apparently there were some older kids who overheard this happening and told the teacher. Elliot hadn't mentioned this really to me before, so I was happy to hear that the teacher was taking first steps in communications. Apparently she has already spoken to Elliot as well, so this is going to make him stronger!! It's nice that stuff like this doesn't seem to break him, he doesn't seem to care or notice too much.... But it's definitely something we are all going to stay on top of. And he also seems pretty happy that he takes self-defense. I thought it was funny that he brought that up tonight... No kid of mine is allowed to be a victim. You look everyone in the eye and stand up straight....it's a big world baby - take it on!!

Homeward Bound!!

I decided to see if the line had died down after I had my coffee fix. By 2, chris had texted to say he was sick and was looking forward to me getting home. So, I  texted Dave to let me know when he was heading home from Whistler (he's a realtor who had some business up here today)..... And I hadn't heard from the team yet, so I assumed they were still up on the mountain slogging it out!! So I figured I should make my way out to the ferry ..... 

Turns out, no more line ups!! And I got a gondola to myself!!

While I was riding up, Dave texted to let me know he was waiting for me at the bus loop!  I could see him from the air!! (His is the black car!)

So we rode back down together ... Kristen fed me lunch when we got back and then we were ferry bound!!! On the way to the ferry, Darlene texted me this at almost 4:30.... 5 hours after they started!!!  Pretty excited for them that they finished!  I was starting to worry after I heard that there was a girl who sprained her ankle 1/2 hour into the obstacle course and it took paramedics like an hour to get to her!!

So I'm on the ferry ... Will be glad to get home ...

Worth the trip .... Can't wait get to be home ... Almost there!!

Downpour at Mudderella!!!

Ok!! So this is hilarious!!

I was coming up to Whistler with a super fun group of women to support them in their quest to crawl through the mud together.  I was going to be their photographer and Sherpa!!  But I was just in for a fun girls weekend away!

So lots of fun and laughs and food was consumed on the Friday night - mission accomplished based on that night alone!  

Kristen and I left them last night after hottubs and wine to come home to a warm cozy bed and I was going to meet them back in the morning!!

So after a nice morning with Kristens family ... Dave made crepes, kids were adorable ...

And we were getting ready to leave for the mountain when Daves contact breaks in half in his eye!!  So while Kristen runs to London Drugs for an eye flush since no flushing or poking around manually was helping ... I looked after these crazies:

 Yes, they are more than adorable ... Little Maryn has grown up so much since our baby cuddles !!  

So Kristen came home, flushing attempts continued, as did texts from my team wondering where I was?  I'm sad I missed their start and I heard from someone who just finished that they took 3 hours ... So here I sit!! 

In the Starbucks in Whistler village!! I love the vibe and busy-ness of it all!!! And by the way? It has started to POUR!!!  I came in here initially to grab a coffee to stand in line to head up in the gondola but guess what!? That 10 minute gondola ride was almost an hour wait!! Hahaha ... Oh man! Rain! Mud! Cold! AND lines?  No thanks! I'm good .... Pretty happy just chilling here.  Let me know when it's time to head to the ferry ... I am starting to miss my kids!

Mudderella!!

A seamless breakfast with Rachel Christie this morning as she dropped me off at the ferry and took my car home .... A quiet and quick ferry ride to vancouver to meet the Mudderella team!!

Checking into the hotel (theirs not mine! I'm sleeping at Kristins house in my own bed ...) (Susan! This is the whistler worldmark! I've always wanted to know what it was like .... It's lovely)

Mongolia Grill!  Fill your bowl and they cook it for you! Awesome !

Kristin came for supper and spent the evening with us ....

We all wandered the village, then when our feet got sore, we headed back to the condo for a hot tub, a glass of wine and more snacks...... Now I'm back at Kristins and we stayed up til almost midnight talking and I'm in the most comfortable bed!!

The teams start time is 11:45 tommorow... So it will be a slow and chill morning ! Then I will take pictures and cheer on my team!!

Thursdays .... Love Thursdays ...

Mainly I like Thursdays because I never really know what is going to happen that day. On this day, I knew I was going to drop the boys off but that's all I really knew.  

Turns out that Nikki didn't really know what she was going to do today either!  So we met at our favorite little coffee shop (I just had to take a picture of these morning glory muffins.  I have no idea how the owner makes them so massive and amazing-she also decided to slip in there while I was paying for my muffin that she never eats what she bakes, she only eats vegetables and salads... Ppfft)

While we were meeting for coffee, Nikki said she needed to head to Victoria to get some hair product for her salon, so I decided to join her on her road trip... We stopped at the thrift store on the way down. Turns out she gets overwhelmed pretty quickly so we didn't stay too long LOL... Light weight! :-)

We did some shopping in Uptown after we picked up hair product. I've always wanted to go into those stores that sell hair product only for hairdressers.... Like such an insider club that I've never been privy to....It actually wasn't that exciting.  I got some purple shampoo to keep my highlights bright (thank you insider club for only charging 1/4 of what they charge in the salon!!) .... 

Shopping in Uptown was fun, we tried on dresses and she bought a dress and I bought a new shirt .... Drinks at starbucks and then home ... 

I was laughing pretty hard at her because she seem to have one face for every picture ... so finally in this next picture, I was trying to give her pointers. She tried. 

She wanted to have one more do-over and because I am her friend I will only how you the better one but oh man, I laughed. 

As we are driving home, I started to get a headache. Which is strange because I never get headaches. So after we went our separate ways, I started to head for home and I barely made it! Holy cow that drive takes forever when you aren't feeling well.... Once I got home I took some meds, took a bath, had a nap and now I feel better but wow that was brutal!!!  Glad to be home!! I love home!

Them kids are crazy ....

These kids ..... They keep this place jumping ...

This is how they 'help' Chris at the gym. 

I'm trying .... Oh I'm trying!!!

Sunday ....

Beautiful evening for a walk .....

Our nature hike adventure was cut a little short when we approached the fence that we were going up to to get to our trail ..... this bear had beat us to it .... so we turned around and walked home!

*I think the bear scared me more than I gave it credit for because it haunted my dreams last night and ate my traveling partner who was off on an adventure with me!  I came around a corner and her suitcase was sitting there and the bear was on top of her, eating her.  I back stepped quietly then ran.  Scary dream ....

Dreaming of Mexico ...

Pretty excited to have a direction to work towards!  Since our dollar is so bad in the states, my sweet friend Amanda told me that her parents were willing to sell us their timeshare week down in Puerto Vallarta in early December.  Flights are reasonable with our points and the place looks amazing...here is the link!! www.velasvallarta.com/

It's a one bedroom suite with a full kitchen in a beautiful and safe part of Puerto Vallarta.  Her mom was fun to talk with tonight as she described all the details of our visit -- 'don't get taxi's at the airport, cross the road and look for the yellow taxi's and they will take you to the hotel for 7 pesos ....more than half the price the airport taxis will charge!" .... she also talked about where to eat, where the walmart is (!!), where to get groceries..... it got me really excited!!

I told the boys we need to start learning a little more Spanish to prepare us for our time down there!!!

Girls Night ...

She brought wine and dessert and I made Thai noodle soup from scratch ..... Chris took the boys swimming .... We walked and watched "Age of Adelaine" ....I wish I lived closer to town .... I swear I'd have more fun with more friends!!  But for now, tonight was great!! We laugh a ton .....

 

Chris's screen saver ....

I love that this is his screen saver. She smiles, knowingly, each time I log in. 

Tuesday night dinner and propellers!!

Pots of homemade soup are coming out again now that it's Fall.  Both boys enjoy cooking, so tonight, both of them jumped right in! (This mom has been quiet and a little triggered today, so all boys in the house have shown me all hands on deck)....Here is Elliot sautéing the onions and garlic. 

And Isaac was good to grate the cheese for the final step in the broccoli and cheese soup...

The soup was fantastic ... I wish we had made a double batch ....

After dinner, Chris spray painted a chain black and worked to get this propeller of my grandfathers up on the wall in our livingroom.  It actually looks really great ... quite the show-piece.

New Tramp in town ...

Zalinks got a new Olympic size trampoline from one of the two "make a wish" and "fulfill a dream" foundation for Jaxons cancer wish, I don't know which one sent it over .... But it's huge and we jumped on it and had fun. 

Even with the torrential downpour, my kids stayed out there jumping!! Crazy kids!!

Climbed right into the hottub ... Clothes on and all!