September? Back to school?!?! What??

How the hell did that happen? I was lazing around on the beach enjoying summer when all of a sudden September knocks on the door and brings with it a whole pile of stuff-to-do. Very quickly the pile turned into a snowball and it's started rolling down a hill; things are accelerating very rapidly.

Bronwyn has her first full day at school today. She didn't even want me to be there for lunch. She is becoming so independent. I am looking forward to 3pm and hearing all about it (although I'm sure all I'll hear is "it was alright"). I am slowly becoming an unwelcome visitor to her own little world.

I really enjoy the short (6 or 7 minute) walk to school. Also, we have met quiet a few parents and kids in the neighbourhood and through other friends that it didn't seem completely new and "alien". Bronwyn sees school as full of possibilities and potential friendships. Not to be cynical, but I wonder how long it will take the school-system to knock that out of her...

River is starting a new preschool (I've already had 3 meetings regarding that alone). It's gradual entry; more like snail-pace entry. By Christmas we should have him inf for a full day...if we're lucky! We just lost one of our much loved Behaviour Interventionists. She took the summer off and decided not to return to Vancouver. So now we have to find a new one to work with River. That means interviews, training and getting them up to speed. It also means more change for River. Oh well, these things happen.

We had a good labour day weekend...lead up to the momentous first day of school.

Monday: Mainly relaxation and getting things ready. I did a 12km run (in the rain)...it wasn't too bad. My hips ached a bit, but I am trying to extend my runs a bit.

Sunday: I took Bronwyn back to the PNE. We had such a good time. She got to see the Super Dogs again. We sat in front and Bronwyn barked (instead of clapping). Then she ran around on all fours and pretended to be a dog, while wearing her dog outfit..so sweet!

I took her on the Scrambler...a ride that propels you around in your cart, while the whole ride also spins. She loved it! We ate chips, donuts, and candy-floss and when we arrived home Bronwyn felt like throwing up...a good day at the fair!

Saturday: We took a trip down to Tower Beach (near UBC). It was a particularly windy day. Tower Beach is one of my favourite parts of the coastline; rugged and pebbly with waves crashing in and knocking the pebbles against each other, so you hear the clacking sound as the tide recedes. It's a good spot for looking and listening, and relaxing. We also set up some driftwood "targets" and did some pebble-throwing target practise, which was fun.

Happy (belated) Canada Day...

It was Canada Day last Wednesday, July 1st. It's a big event here and people tend to go a bit crazy. We wanted to head to the beach and avoid the crowds - who thankfully all flock to the same area. We decided to head down to a beach near UBC. It is called "Tower Beach" and is a walk around the coastline from Wreck Beach (Vancouver's famous "clothing optional" beach). We took trail #3 down from UBC at S.W. Marine Drive. There are a lot of steps down to the beach and it looked like they had been recently renovated. Even so it is a steep walk down, but well worth it. We actually went down twice. Once during the afternoon, but it was very windy, and although we brought a camera, we neglected to put in batteries. So we returned after dinner - the wind had died down a little - and that's when we took some pictures. Bear in mind River is over 30lbs and Mark had to carry him up and down the stairs twice in one day...what a guy!

The steps are quite steep - but it is a beautiful walk through a lush forest.

Bronwyn, as usual, goes on ahead...

There are 2 old gun towers along this part of the coastline, remnants of the second world war. This is part of the walk around the coast that Mark and I used to do before the kids were born. Back then we'd start at Spanish Banks and walk all the way round to Wreck Beach. When you get to the bottom of the stairs you arrive at one of the Towers. Surrounding the tower are huge boulders and rocks as well as various logs and wood pieces that have been washed ashore over time. The beach is mainly rocky, but when the tide is low there are some sandy parts. We love the pebbles that line the shore and, when you bring the kids they can throw, sort, and collect them.

It is a part of the beach that we have always enjoyed for it's beauty and also for the sound of the tide as it washes over the pebbles. As it retreats you can hear a soft clicking sound as all the pebbles rest back against each other. I've always thought of making a recording of that sound and then play it when I need to relax. In fact, next time I'm there I'll make a sound clip.

This is the view along the beach from the tower towards Spanish Banks. Behind the beach is steep forested cliff. We have seen bald eagles and herons flying and resting there. We also saw some seals that were fishing in the incoming tide.

The view across the beach is of the sunshine coast and a couple of islands...I can never remember which ones. Even though it was Canada Day and the usual beaches were beyond crowded, we had this beach mostly to ourselves, which was wonderful. I will throw in this picture of Mark and River because it is lovely. We had a good Canada Day.