vancouver and environs: post #2

ferry-boating to vancouver island

Has it really been a week since the last post? Eep - time flies when you're having fun! I haven't been too connected here, since there's much to do and mucho people to see and kids to keep me away from the screen etc. But here's a run-down of the last seven or eight days, off the top of my head:

Alana is walking! I feel horrible (only just a bit) that I don't have any video of this, but she is walking, and doing so more and more consistently. Eek! And she stood up on her own today in the middle of the room. She's also learning and saying more words (book, juice, bread), and is less into eating books and more into reading them. Cute cute cute!

clockwise from top left: suiting up for a walk in the rain, dancing in undies, boogey in undies, painting a birdhouse, fun at the park and meeting the downstairs cat

We went to Comox for almost two full days - over on Saturday morning and back mid-day on Monday, and it was awesome. It was so good to see Sarah, and the place that she's staying is beautiful; there's an apple orchard with deer cruising around, and the beach, a grocery store and an amazing park are all five minutes away tops (walking). The last time we were there I didn't have a convincing feeling that I could ever call the area home, but this time with the weather and the company and the fun that the kids had outside climbing trees and picking apples and blackberries, it all seemed like it could fit. (Could.)

Ooooooh... I went OUT! - out on the town. Last Friday night was Lindsey's stagette (she weds her beau this coming Sunday, eek!) and it was superfun: a bunch of girls, wine, laughs, more wine, and a celebration of Lindsey - it all adds up to SUPERFUN. I drank lots of water and was on my way home just after midnight, and even though the morning came pretty quickly there after five hours of wine-sleep, I didn't feel too too bad. Thanks goodness for late night snacks and that nagging reminder that my kids wouldn't respond to any requests for quiet time or nap time or go-away-for-awhile time the next day. To the happy couple!

i love everything about these pictures: beyond happy to be with dad, two brinkmans, and looking up at the big guy

Hendrik was a supertrooper yesterday: after the Comox-Nanaimo-Horseshoe Bay trek, we spent the afternoon ici chez mes parents, and then got back in the car for a long-ish trip out to Langley and caught game one of the NORCECAs. It was the cutest, seeing him run to Steve when we got there, and to see the two smiles on big and little Brinkman... sigh. And Hendrik loved watching the game and loved loved LOVED running around on the court afterwards, dishing out high-fives to the guys and booming and serving and throwing himself all over the place. He was well behaved all throughout the night, and didn't fall asleep until we started the drive home at 10:00.

at maplewood farm with barb and her girls

We've been to the farm with Jenny and Ellie and Barb and Stella and Chiara, and to a few fah-bu-lous parks around here, and to drop-in gymnastics down at the rec centre (it was awesome!). Add back yard time with Gramma and Gramps, and the visit is looking like one of the best ones yet!