A weekend in Van

 For the Remembrance Day long weekend we had an extra long one so we headed to Van for the weekend.  We went to our usual, the Sutton Place and were upgraded to a two bedroom, our favourite, saw two celebrities in the hotel, went to the aquarium, the Science Centre and Granville Island.  It was an awesome weekend!

Batman and family!

 We were Batman, Robin, the Joker and Catwoman this year.  So fun, but Charlie was freaked by Daddy's mask.  He'll be more into it next year for sure!

Papa Rocks!

 Love!  Thanks for all of your energy and enthusiasm this trip Papa!

Tye's Bday

While we were gone Papa took you to Jumpin' Jiminys for Tye's 4th Birthday Party!  Look how cute and sweaty you guys are!

Vegas!

 While Grandma and Papa were in town Mommy and Daddy had a chance to get away to Vegas for five days!  We went to the Life is Beautiful Festival downtown Vegas and saw the Alabama Shakes, Beck, Purity Ring, Kings of Leon, The Killers and Mommy's new favourite Vampire Weekend.

 So much fun!  But we missed our boys!  Daddy also went to a one day driving course with Mercedes and survived to tell the tale.

Best margs ever:

 Ezra Koenig and friends:

Halloween at the pumpkin patch

Grandma and Papa took you to the pumpkin patch with your class just before halloween.  This is you with Finn with the pretty masks you made!

Will Art

Just had to post this little gem.

Hahahahaha!

My adorable babes!

 I might be biased but I think these are just the cutest faces possible!

 You two really do play very well together.  We've been waiting for this!

 Awwwww

We took the plunge!

 Ok so I'd been resisting this for a long time but, we need it!  I finally took the plunge into a mini-van and so far no regrets!  Honestly, whatever makes life easier these days is welcome by me!

This van is totally tricked out!  It is the only minivan out there with AWD which was really important to Daddy since we are a skiing family.  It has all the bells and whistles like dual moon roofs and a really large screen to occupy you guys in the back.  I must say, I really love it.

Don't worry, Mommy will be back into a luxury vehicle again the future!

Victoria with us all

 One weekend we all went to Victoria for the day.  Of course we ended up at Canoe, an old favourite, and discovered some new favourites ie, short rib poutine, yum!

Afterwards Grandma and Papa took Will to the Imax theatre and Daddy, Charlie and I went home on our own.  Of course, we had to take two cars since we have no room for six...which leads me to our next post....

Mommy and Daddy go to Seattle!

 The weekedn after my Birthday Daddy and I headed off to Seattle for a four day long weekend and left you both with Grandma and Papa.  Thanks all!

We needed a little R and R and we sure did have fun!

We stayed at the Inn at the Market and absolutely fell in love with that boutique hotel.  The location is amazing and we could just walk down to the market or to La Panier for a croissant and cafe latte in the morning, it was divine.

On our first night we walked down to Elliott's Oyster House by the water and ate ourselves full of seafood!

 On the second night we had amazing Korean BBQ at Chan and then headed out to Cowgirls and watched the hilarity of people riding the mechanical bull all night, haha!

 We also took an underground tour of the city as it was before the big fire of 1889.  So cool!

Charlie's Swim Class!

Now that I have Wednesdays to spend with just you I signed us up for some Duck swim classes.  Actually, this is our first of three duck swim classes.  I figure it will be just as fun on the second and third tries and you can't advance until you're two so we're going to do it over and over!

You are just the same as Will.  Put you beside a pool and you will run straight to the water and try to jump right in....

It is so absurd to stand with the other moms and listen to them explain how little Jimmy is having to redo this class because he just can't have any water touch his face.  I have never experienced this type of child!  I am having to time our arrival at the pool just so so that we are not hanging around the deck for too long since the entire time prior to class I spend pulling you back away from the water while you try anything you can to manipulate me into letting you get closer and closer so that you can wriggle into the water.  I'm talking shallow end/deep end, it doesn't matter!

You just love it and I dread the end of class when I have to hail you out of the water to much protest!

Two little water babies you are!

My Birthday!

 Daddy and I actually got to go out for an adult night with friends to celebrate Mommy's birthday!  What a great night at Asteras where they make a killer Mousaka!  It was such a nice evening with the Gills, Lams and Hilcheys!

Waiting for Grandma and Papa

Grandma and Papa came and spent 5 weeks with us this September to October!  Charlie and I went to the airport to get them and I just had to include this very sweet photo.  You loved watching the planes land!  So happy to have Grandma and Papa here!

Charlie's Allergies

A few weeks ago Charlie started getting stuffy.  With Will we just assumed he had a cold and steamed him and snot suckered him but this time around Mommy and Daddy are on high alert.  We got you in with Dr Coates right away and unfortunately our instincts we were right.  Dairy and tree nuts are the culprit.  We had already eliminated dairy and seen an improvement.  But nuts don't seem to be affecting you.  We are already on the non-dairy track with Will so we are fine with it.  Just hoping you guys grow out of this!  Poor babe!

Parksville Waterpark

 One mid-September Wednesday was particularly hot and Mommy got to thinking that we weren't going to have many more of these.  So we went to pick up Will from school very early in the afternoon and the three of us headed to the park.  It was scorching hot and we had a blast at the park and waterpark.  We got hotdogs and fries from the snack bar and soaked up the sun for what turned out to be the very last time this year.

Pet store

Now that Will is back in school Charlie and I have Wednesdays all to ourselves.  I usually look at where we can go around town.  The farm, swimming, an event.  But sometimes I find that just going out and about and doing errands is just as fun.  You got a total kick out the pet store!  The Guinea pigs in particular got your attention.  I just love your little finger here how it's so pressed up against the glass and I can hear your little voice in exclamation.  Ah!

Our trip to DemX

I just came across this picture and it brought back a memory of the funny story that I just had to include.  Last summer I took Will to DemX, right by Coombs, which is a yard full of things from demolished buildings or renos.  People come here to reuse things or repurpose things and we were looking for something to build a fire pit out of.  I had these large wheels in mind.  

The owner took us out on the golf cart and took us around to look.  At one point you were standing right here and looked around.  You turned to the owner and said "This is all junk."

I thought I would die.

The owner sort of laughed and said well it did start that way...

All I could think was "You took the words right out of my mouth!"

Just a little Charlie story

Charlie, you are changing every day lately.  Your words and understanding are coming along in leaps and bounds.  You turned 15 months old last week and I'm really remembering this time with Will and treasuring it for how special it is.  Just yesterday Ba for bunny turned into Bunny.  You are understanding everything we say to you as well.  The other day I asked you to pick up teddy and bring it to Will and you did just that.  I was amazed!  I will never underestimate what you can comprehend again, I am going to speak to you in true, full sentences because I believe you can grasp it!

You have yet to say Mama but can point to me and point to me in a photo.  You know exactly who each of us are in the family.  You are crazy for dogs lately, just like Will and if I say the word you make a guttural growling noise.  Of course, I gasp and act scared and you just laugh and laugh!

Lately when I come home from work you come running to the gate and I scoop you up and ask for a kiss.  You lean in and let me kiss you, you know exactly what I'm saying.  

Your favourite bunny is from Chapters and we went there yesterday, just you and I, and you spotted an entire shelf of your special stuffy and just went crazy!  I was ok with it of course, and those stuffies sure got a lot of hugs :)

Tonight Daddy tucked you in and he told me a funny story.  You had rolled onto your tummy as usual and we tend to rub your bum until you drift off or pretty close.  He said that you grabbed his hand and pushed it gently away as in "I'm good."  Daddy left and you didn't make a sound, haha!

You are an excellent sleeper except for a couple of nights this past month where you have woken and are cranky.  The vast majority of the time you sleep right through for twelve hours.  Because you're teething right now we are attentive to you and we do sometimes give you Tylenol if we think you might be sore.  In other news thank goodness your 82 finally arrived (3 months past due??).  Mommy was losing serious sleep over that one.

You are such a sweet little guy and I am looking forward to continuing our Wednesdays together.  Mommy put those aside just for us.  I am wanting to have some one on one time just you and I.  This Wednesday I think we'll visit Tiger Lily Farm in Errington and see what they have to offer.  You get such a kick out of dogs lately, I can't imagine the enthusiasm goats and chickens will get!  If it's fun we can make it a tradition.

The other Charlieism you're up to lately is saying Ka for car whenever one passes.  That's fun as we're leaving Nanoose, your little voice coming out of the backseat every 30 seconds or so.  But when we hit the hwy it gets crazy!  Ka, ka, ka!  You get the picture...

You're also big on No right now.  Charlie, it's time for bed.  No.  You get the context right and all.

It's the funniest little breathy No too.  We just have to get it on video.  Will do asap.

Oh and you're doing somersaults now!  Well, sort of.  You tend to bend over and put your head on the ground, sort of downward dog.  Then you need our help to push you the rest of the way over, but it's an honest start.  Will have to get that on video too! 

Well that's about it for the Charlie update.  So much changing so quickly I wonder what new and amazing thing you'll do tomorrow!  Love you! X

Shark Brothers

Depending on timing we do a little playing after bath time.  And if we get really crazy we dress you two in matching PJs.  Daddy wants to dress you both in matching clothes all the time now.  Beware!

The First Day of School!

 Look at our big boy!  First day of JK4!  We're so proud of you Will!  I know you'll just WOW your teachers this year at school, like you WOW us every day!

 Mommy and Daddy came out to cheer on Arbutus House at the Welcome Back Breakfast!  Go Arbutus!

Alaska!

 A few weeks prior to the end of summer Mommy decided she and Will needed a little bonding time together before bog boy Will starts school five days a week in the JK4 program.  I can't even believe my little baby boy is four years old already!  I knew it would be a hectic year for all of us and I felt like we needed to end the summer on a (super) high note!  

There are just too many photos of our adventure to include here but these are some of the highlights of our trip.

On Monday, August 26th Daddy dropped us off Harbour Air downtown Nanaimo and we flew into Van landing at Canada Place right next to the Disney Wonder.  From our first moments on the ship I knew it was going to be a truly magical vacation for us and boy was it!  It was one of my personal favourite vacations ever and I'm so glad I got to share it with you!  I'm sure that you will be able to remember all of the special moments from this trip as I will.  

It inspired a love of Disney cruises in me and I truly hope that this cruise was the first of many for the whole family.  I love all things Disney!

Will on Meade Glacier:

 Watching Humpback whales in Juneau:

 The Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau:

 Of all the characers Belle was your obsession this cruise!

Love!

VIEX 2013

 We went to the VIEX again this year (Daddy and I have been going since before we had children funnily enough).  It was lots of fun for you guys and will continue to be in the future I'm sure.  We ran into everyone we knew there of course (the Sansalones were there on day three of their three day pass-now that's commitment!).  

Charlie really enjoyed plucking the low-hangers from the wooden trees!  I mean really enjoyed!  We  picked and replaced and picked and replaced every apple over and over, placing each one in a bushel.  Charlie is into repetition right now...

 You can even pat the cows at the fair!  What this photo doesn't show is when the cow shifted her weight practically rolling over on Charlie.  Phew!

Next we were off to a Tae Kwon Do demo on a side stage.  They were blasting Kung FU fighting from the speakers and Will and this other little guy just proceeded to tear things up at the side of the stage.  You both were dancing/Kung Fuing like madmen.  Daddy and I were laughing so hard!  It was amazing!

 Look at Will go!  It was only last summer that you were so hesitant to go on the rides by yourself!  What a difference a year makes!  Charlie is so lucky that he will have a big brother like you to teach him the ropes!