Sweet Corn

Chris came home with 21 ears of sweet corn today. His plant allows a local farmer to use land inside their fence and plants sweet corn for the employees to pick in return. The kids enjoyed learning how to shuck it. I don't know what possessed him to pick so much other than he is as addicted to corn-on-the-cob as our children. I need to to look up some corn recipes....pronto!

Brody es Tres Anos!

The little guy turned three today. We celebrated with friends at a local park with Star Wars cupcakes, juice, and plenty of running around. Brody said his favorite thing was the spinning tire swing because it "went fast" and then he "couldn't see" (was dizzy) and then he "fell down."

After lunch and a nap, he opened his presents and had a great time playing with his new Batman and Star Wars "guys."

He has decided that he does not care for Robin and proceeded to run him over with the Batmobile that Honey and G.P. bought him. There was also a little sibling skirmish when Georgia was trying to point out that Han Solo did not belong in the Batcave. He was having none of it and they had to go to separate corners.

We ended the night by blowing out his Darth Vader candle on his chocolate cake.

First Grader in the House

Today was Georgia's first day of first grade. She is a veteran bus rider and has been ready for school to start again since the end of May. She found a backpack while we were in Canada and being the lover of all things unique, was very sure that no one at school would have one that matched.

So off she went, five inches taller and the slight reluctance of a kindergartner gone. If you think it is kind of early for school, she has a balanced school calendar, which starts at the end of July, but gives her a three week break in both the fall and spring.

When she got home, she reported that her teacher, Miss Smith is very funny, very cool and that they each have their own mailbox in her classroom.

Ziplining

While in Whistler, we made sure we saw some of the mountain sights from another vantage point...upside down. I so wanted to try it and it was FANTASTIC. Not to be outdone, Chris followed right behind. We are not at all competitive.....does it show?

Kacee

Chris

Shannon Falls and Tree Trekking

The kids with Honey & G.P.


On the way to Whistler, we drove up the Sea to Sky Coastal Highway. It is being completely redone for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The views of the mountains and lakes were spectacular. We made a stop at Shannon Falls which is the third largest waterfall in British Columbia at 1100 feet or 335 meters to those Canadians.

We also took an ecotour on our first day in Whistler called Tree Trek. We climbed on platforms and suspension bridges in the canopy of the largest coastal temperate rain forest in the world. It was very interesting and the views were breathtaking, being hundreds of feet off the ground. Brody was not that thrilled to be carried around in a backpack, but we gave him treats and he trooped through it.

Vancouver, Eh?

After spending a leisurely hour and a half at the border crossing, we finally made it into Canada. I was a little disappointed that they don't stamp passports there, but whatever. They peeked in our packed minivan and quickly sped us through the checkpoint. Guess they didn't want to dive into a backseat of toys, crumbs and over-excited children!

Vancouver was pleasant. Georgia loved the Canadian money, especially their "looneys and twoneys" which are their one and two dollar coins. The dollar coin has a loon on the back, thus the "looney" and the twoney is worth two looneys and looks like a bulls eye.

Brody, G.P. & Georgia

Chris and G.P. played golf while Honey, the kids and I took this tiny Aquabus to Granville Island. I felt almost like three men in a tub, but the kids loved every minute of it. The island has this really cool market with every kind of food imaginable and tons of unique shops. Georgia was a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices to eat and I finally convinced her to try a crepe. It was as entertaining to watch them being made as they were to eat. I wish I had taken some pictures at the market, but I was too busy taking in all the colors, textures and smells. Oh, and making sure the fresh cherries that Brody was eating didn't end up on his clothes. They were so juicy, he face was literally dripping.

Later, we went to the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, which had a living maze made of evergreens and some gorgeous grounds that the kids had a blast running around in.

Georgia with a topiary "My Little Pony"

Brody & Georgia in the sculpture garden

Seattle Fourth of July

We flew into Seattle to start our vacation and met up with Honey and G.P. at the airport shortly after. There was a small hiccup when the golf clubs did not arrive with the rest of our luggage at the baggage claim. I saw Chris' face and could see our vacation going right into the toilet before it ever got started. He has this little "thundercloud" looking expression that he passed on to our children. Thankfully, they were placed with the over sized bags. Whew!

The weather was wonderfully cool and Seattle is a really neat, slightly funky city--of course we did not see any of its famous rain! After riding a ferry boat across Elliott Bay, we had some pretty good fish and shrimp at this little hole in the wall place on the dock. The kids had never been on a boat before, so it was a highlight for them.

We roamed around the Space Needle after dinner while I tried to figure out what location would give us a good vantage point for the fireworks but not be too crowded. After reading in this travel book about an overlook with panoramic views of the city, and seeing that it was just six blocks away, we headed out. Of course my map had no topography on it and the last two blocks were seemingly straight up (Flashbacks from San Francisco). It was a difficult climb and I am fairly certain that all of our party was ticked at me...some vocalizing it, some not, some not having caught their breath enough to curse me out.

Of course we had to wait another hour for it to get dark..9:50 pm! Thankfully, I come prepared with glow sticks. Brody had a a good time playing "light sabres" with Honey.

The fireworks were beautiful. The climb down the hill was my punishment....my knee did not thank me.