Pender Island

Summer is here!  

Another great time had at Pender Island!  Lazing around by the adults and lots of time for the kids to roam around the many beaches that the island has to offer.   Exploring the tidal pools, lifting every rock and seeing what it has to offer, shrieks of excitement as new animals reveal themselves.  Crabs, eels, sea worms, sea stars, sea anemones, sucker fish, sea cucumbers, seals, porpoises, deers, and eagles were plentiful as the kids scoured the beaches and collected their favorites in their buckets.  I was just starting to get into the groove of Island Life, when our time had come to an end.  This trip continues to be a family favourite as we relax on this island oasis with good friends and no responsibilities . . . well we do have the three rug rats to worry about.

The boys hanging out together on a nightly walk along the trails . . . full, action packed days meant easier night time routines.

I don't think Mich took off this hoodie the whole time . . . even as the temperature rose.

I am the mighty Joshy!

Even Emma got into the swing of things and started to pick up the little crabs that she would find.  Everything she found had a creative name for example, "Crabby Crab and Fishy Fish".

These are the experiences that I love to be able to provide for my kids . . . getting outdoors, exploring something new, learning through doing, and allowing their own curiosity to guide their play.

It is great when the kids get along so well and find ways to entertain themselves.

Emma enjoyed feeding the deers that came to visit us everyday.  I loved how she would talk in a 'whisper voice' at full volume as she tried not to scare the deer away.

Stacey and Emma searching for Crabby Crabs.

Josh loved fishing for the little fish found in the different tidal pools.  

Emma's Three

My little Emma is three . . . it is scary how quickly the time seems to be flying by, which simply reminds me to stop, slow down and enjoy the little things in life and make the most of each day together.  Just like her mother, her birthday seemed to last for weeks with little parties here and there. Mich planned a very special Emma Day where they started off having High Tea in Steveston and then off to the salon to have their nails done and finally off to the WaterPark.  I know that with all of the testosterone flowing through our house, Mich does love having a little girl to do all of the things that she wouldn't be able to do with our boys.  Having tea parties, getting their nails done . . . and eventually watching those Girly Movies together.

Emma loved the new kitchen that she got for her birthday

Splishn' and Splashin' at the water park

My little girl being pampered and primped with her mommy.

Look out Mich, she is taking over your Princess title!

Another great party thrown together by your mom.
                                                                                                         schwartzchronicles

Happy Birthday my little Emma.  Love you!
                                                                                                         schwartzchronicles

Emma & Daddy Night

I must say that the amount of just Emma and daddy time has been pretty limited and I have been looking forward to spending time with her away from the boys . . . Don't get me wrong,  I love spending time as a family, but I rarely get this chance.  We left Michelle and the boys at Boyd park and headed up to the dyke for a little bike ride into Steveston.  As we made our way, I was pointing out all of the interesting things along the way.  We saw ducks, dogs, cows, and fountains.  As I was riding I realized that I was talking to myself as little Emma had fallen asleep on the back of my bike.  Let's just say that Emma and Daddy day is off to a slow start.  So what better thing to do, but hang out on the patio at Starbucks . . . people watching and working on the blog.  The only teaser is that, I can't even order a drink because Emma is strapped on my bike . . . Snoozing away.  This reminds me of going to the PNE and watching all of my friends go on the rides because I was not tall enough . . . story of my life.

Ah Emma woke up, time to get on with our day.  Next stop, sushi for dinner at a local eatery.  Emma was a little hungry after her nap as she had a cucumber roll and chicken teriyaki don for dinner. T he little one can eat when she wants too.  Dinner was "yummy" according to Emma . . . it was fun just chatting with Emma, without being interupted by the boys or Michelle for that manner.   I think she has got the gift of the gab and is learning to "Wonder" from her mother.  Lets just say that Emma's favourite thing to say is, "why?????".  I don't know about you, but trying to explain and reason with a two year old is an uphill battle to say the least.  Although our chat was light and fun, our conversation resembled a scene taken from the movie Goundhog Day! "Why is that man eating?" "Because he is hungry". "Why is he eating here?" "Because he likes this restaurant". "Why does he like this restaurant". "Because the food is yummy". "Why is the food yummy?" "Because the cooks are good cooks" "Why is that man eating?" Arg! As a dad, I have learned the art of diversion and redirection when it comes to conversational skills with my kids . . . I think this is a prerequisite for going into the CIA . . . if you can reason with a two year old, you are in!
Next stop Steveston Park for some swings and exploration.  Emma loves the swings, the bigger the push, the bigger the smiles.  She especially likes the "under duck Daddy!"  We played on the swings for awhile and then went over to the rockers, she loved helping her daddy up when I got stuck.  Lets just say that these were not built for 38 year old men . . .

I know, I know, photography faux pas . . . yes, that is my shadow taking the picture.

It was nice to be able to focus on Emma, rather than being pulled three different ways.

We finished off our night going to Steveston Docks to look at the boats, the fish and enjoy some Timothy's frozen yoghurt.  This was Emma's first visit to Timothy's and she enjoyed every lick of it.  She ate the strawberry frozen yoghurt and I had the blueberry.  Emma enjoyed it so much that she wanted me to scare the little birds away because she thought they were going to eat her treat.  I told her not to worry because, "birds don't eat ice cream, they eat little girls!"

"Yummy Daddy.  I like the special place.

A great night with my Little Emma . . . yes, those are running shoes with a dress.  She wanted to wear her runners like daddy.  Lets just say that Michelle was not impressed.  Oh well.

Squamish / Whistler

Since we were stuck in traffic, we decided to make the best of our day by heading back to Alice Lake to spend some time on the beach.  Josh brought his GPS so that we could do some geocaching, but unfortunately we could not find the two caches that were located close by.  We had a good time searching the area and doing our best job to be as stealth as we could.  We went back, sat on the beach, and watched Emma making her sand soup.  Emma does love to play in the water.  It is amazing how a bucket, shovel, and some water can keep our kids entertained for hours.

After a little while, we decided to get away from the wind and go for a hike through the trails . . . lets just say that hiking is no longer hiking as the boys love playing Man Tracker.  Even my little Emma started to say, "I am Man Tracker, you go and hide".  As we came out of one of the trails we were surprised to find a little bike park that the boys just had to try.  The boys rode for awhile and Emma spent most of her time sliding down the slide at the park.

Another spot that we have enjoyed going to is Shannon Falls as it is a good spot for the kids to stretch their legs and get out of the car for a bit.

I must admit that I do love the kid's sense of humour as they are always looking at ways to ham it up!

Slowing down and enjoying the little moments in life.  

Cautious Josh crawling along the fallen tree, whereas Jamie casually strolling behind him . . . I love this picture.  A tale of two kids with different personalities.  By the end, Josh was practically running across this log and jumping off of it.

A new flavour to add to my Road Trip diners would be . . . FAT BURGERS.  Yes, Fat Burgers, doesn't sound too healthy or appetizing, but I must admit that it is one tasty, cardiac stopper of a treat for the road.  The Californian Burger combo is definitely a four napkin meal as the insides become the outside . . . there is no real subtle way to eat one of these burgers.  If you are trying to impress someone on a first date, this is not the place for you as you will walk out with more grease on your face than in your gut!

Whistler is one of my favourite weekend getaways as there is lots to do as a family.  We always hit the local bike park and the boys get a kick out of riding the dirt trails and watching the older kids perform their big air jumps.  Josh is beginning to whip around on his bike trying new things on the bike park and the skate park.  It is amazing how well Jamie rides as he is already riding some tracks that Josh could not ride by himself last year.  Even Emma got into the action as I took her on the dirt track on my bike . . . I couldn't see her myself, but the constant giggling from behind me was enough for me to continue riding around.

Finally, we found our first geocache of the weekend.  This was a cool one that the kids enjoyed opening up and picking out their prize.

Perspective

There have been two events for whatever reason have really made me think about me and more importantly my family . . .
1)  My soccer accident that occurred about 14 years ago . . . yes, 14 years ago.  I have always been one of those people that believed that it would 'never happen to me' so when it did, it really made me think that I wasn't the Superman that I thought I was.  I could be hurt and become sick even though I didn't have any serious side affects to Kryptonite . . . and that there were other things out there that may hurt me.  It was really from that event, that really changed my perspective on life and how fragile life can be.  Every time I look at a picture of me, I am often reminded of my accident as I notice some of the differences in my face . . . it is not a sad thing for me, but a good reminder for me to live as positively as I can.
2) On a more recent note, we were driving up to Whistler and we were stopped on the Sea to Sky Highway.   As the seconds turned into minutes, we began to wonder why we were at a stand still.  With three kids sitting in the backseat, we decided that we would try to investigate and find out what was going on.  As Michelle walked up the street, I turned on the radio to see if any news was being aired . . . much to our horror there was a head on collision about 5 km up the road.  I couldn't stop thinking about how the two families would be changed from this point on . . . it is not only the families, but the "villages" that care for the occupants in the vehicles.  Life can change in an instant and unfortunately this event has reminded me that I can't control everything that happens, therefore, I need to make sure that I don't take things in my life for granted.
Perspective . . . lets just say that I held my family really close to me this long weekend and appreciated the big events, but more importantly the little things that we did together from the hugs, kisses, and the many giggles shared by us all.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a day that we love to spend together appreciating the little things in life . . . and Michelle is one of those little things in life . . . okay, maybe just in stature.  I am not sure how she does it, but she manages to do it all for our family and her friends in a thoughtful and caring way, despite having the most difficult job in the world, which some believe is tolerating my antics as a dad and husband.  Yes, I can be a pain once in a while believe it or not.  As I read over different parts of our family blog and reminisce about our adventures, I am continually reminded of how lucky we are to have such a SuperMom in our lives.  If it wasn't for her, we would all have scurvy and be eating a daily diet of Ichiban.  Happy Mother's Day!! We love you all the way to the moon!!!

Looking for mussels, crabs, and throwing rocks into the water.

Climbing a Mt. Everest.

Look ma, no hands!!

Kits Beach has a great park for all of the kids.

What Were We Thinking?

For the past few years, Michelle and I have talked about how the boys birthday parties are becoming a little too big to be held at our house . . . too many kids in a confined area is not a recipe for a sane birthday experience for the parents. We tried to pursuade Jamie to have an "offsite" party, but Jamie wanted to have a party at home. Don't get me wrong, Jamie has come up with some great ideas, for example, he had a chocolate party, a rock star party, a workerman party, and this year he wanted the ultimate game show party. So after a few nights spent googling game shows we came up with what we thought would be a fun, but organised party for 16 boys . . . yes, 16 boys!!! Despite the overly excited and hyperactive boys walking through the threshold of our backyard we tried as best we could to ignore the sarcastic parents as they turned their backs on Michelle and I mumbling, "good luck". Lets just say that some of the parents were not even in our backyard before they sprinted the other way with a huge grin on their faces. I must admit that the party was successful because at the end of the day the only thing that mattered was whether or not Jamie enjoyed his party and he did. We started the party with the kids running the Gauntlet in our backyard version of Wipeout, which required them to run across our backyard and back again while the other kids threw beachballs and balloons. Next, we played Deal or No Deal, where candy, hockey cards, and Pokemon cards were the prizes. It was really funny because for the rest of the party the kids would say, "Deal" or "No Deal" whenever we offered them something. "Who wants a cupcake?" "DEAL!!" The final game that we played was Silent Library where the kids were subjected to some interesting challenges.  Another fun, but exhausting party for our not so little Jamie.

Gee, I wonder how Josh and Jamie both lost in Silent Library this round??

A great time had by all, but I do think that next year I will push for the "offsite" party a little more.  I can't wait to hear what theme Jamie would like for next year.