Camping with the girls...

 

A little belated. But here are some pictures of a camping trip that I took the weekend before last, with Bronwyn and her friend Gala. We returned to Sasquatch Provincial Park. As I've mentioned before, it is hard to resist; a quiet campground only 2.5 hrs from the city...with full cell coverage (if you're with Telus). It was a very lovely, fun trip.

The rain held off and we even managed to get some sun. I stayed in the background as usual; providing drinks, snacks, and some mediation when needed (which wasn't often). The girls had a fabulous time.

We did a fun walk down to the creek; the same one we went to when we camped with Bronwyn's friend, Nicky back in May. Then the water in the creek was high and fast due to Spring run off. Bronwyn and Gala washed their faces with smooth pebbles.

 Gala entertained us on the walk with a magic trick that she did with 3 pebbles...you had to choose one and she would shake them in her hands and 'magically', she would drop the one you chose into your hands. It was a cool trick but sadly she left the stones behind at the campsite.

We got a great campsite by the lake and they were able to explore the lakeside and take off on their own to the nearby playground. They even made a couple of friends. I enjoyed listening to them talk and getting a glimpse into their 7-year old world. Brownyn made up a song that they both sang at the tops of their voices;

Paradise is mi-ine,
God we rule the wo-orld


Paradise is mi-ine,
God we rule the wo-orld

Paradise is mi-ine,
God we rule the wo-orld

SAY IT

God we rule the wo-orld!

I suggested she said "Yeah" instead of "God"...it seemed it bit Evangelical sounding to my ears. She said it was "God" as in "Oh my God!" and did not take my suggestion.

We also walked the lakside trail. Slightly rainy and muddy, but all the better for it. To their shrieking delight the girls found a couple of frogs.

The leaves were steadily falling; carpeting the trail and draped over branches and twigs. Everything look golden. Bronwyn said to Gala, "Wow, this is beautiful!" and Gala replied, "Yes, it is!" And so are they.

The water level in the lake was quite low, leaving mudflats on the lakeside shore. These were too hard to resist and they made their way across to "islands of mud" as the clouds gathered and the day grew darker.

The sunset early and the we told stories around the campfire. Or rather I listened to them telling their stories and marvelled at the outrageous imagination of 7-year olds. This was Gala's first trip without her mom or dad. As evening crept in she would get quite homesick and she woke up both nights missing her mum. After the first night I wasn't sure she would want to stay a second. But the days were filled with laughter, chatter, play and discovery; no time to miss home. So she was brave and stayed a second night, again feeling the pit of homesickness as we sat around the fire and she realised that night was coming. I remember how that felt; I couldn't even go on a sleepover as a girl because I would miss my mum so much. Gala was brave and I was very impressed. So was Bronwyn. It was a really special trip and one that I think I will long remember. I hope they will too.

Settling in...

We are into October and the kids seem to be settling into school. River seems to be okay with kindergarten, although there are still some anxieties. He has a very inexperienced Special Education Assistant. This made us nervous at first. Some ways of dealing with River (and kids with autism in general) are way better than others. River's has quite a severe communication delay so it takes time to understand him and read his behaviour. Anyway, he decided to try out, and got away with, some behaviours that are not conducive to learning, i.e., running around the classroom and crawling under tables, and being really silly, etc. However, in the past couple of weeks we have worked with River's SEA and with the school. Matt has been willing to come to the house to work with River's ABA interventionists and also with our consultant. Sometimes inexperience matched with a willingness to learn can be a better thing than experience. So River seems happy and is beginning to understand what is expected of him. He's even brought some little projects home that he completed; cutting and pasting type of stuff. We still pull him out 3 times a week for at-home Behaviour Intervention sessions, which he needs. The school is fine with this and so it is working well. So far I am quite encouraged, but it is early days so I am still a little wary. I'm not sure what we are getting into with IEP's (Individualized Education Plans) and all that. Also speech therapy has gone by the wayside as we wait to go on the school board's list.

The other kids in the class seem to accept River. He cannot really communicate with them and they, being only 4 and 5 years olds, lack the patience that is needed to wait for an understandable, 'typical' response from him. But they take an interest and I think we may be able to put together a birthday party for him. It will be the first birthday party that River has invited his peers to!

He is very into garbage trucks...I could write a whole seperate post on it because I know a lot about garbage trucks now, oh yes. We also discovered that there are A LOT of people out there who are into garbage trucks. You may even be one of them. We discovered all kinds of YouTube videos. I even made one for him of the garbage truck going down our own alley. That is a favourite video. His favourite truck is the "side-hauler"...in case you're interested

Here's one of his favourite vids. A treat for all you garbage truck lovers...and you know you're out there! And the music is a cool too.



Bronwyn continues to love school. I hope it stays that way...but doubt that it will. She is growing up so fast it is amazing.

I am putting out feelers (not very successfully) for work. Trying to find references and update my resume. It is scarier than I thought it would be. The world is not a forgiving place; particularly if you are a woman in her 40's who has left the workplace for 5 years. Thinking about working and what I can do...thinking about childcare (and childcare for River in particular) is giving me some anxiety I must admit. But it must be done. Five years is long enough and I am ready to do something else besides being a stay-at-home mum.

There's a small...and boring update. I will try to do more regular updates. I am conscious of the fact that I have slacked off lately. It happens.

Cascade Peninsula and other happenings....

Bronwyn skipping rocks into Harrison Lake

So here we are entering the 2nd...or is it 3rd week of September. Bronwyn is ensconced in her grade 2/3 split class; reacquainting with old friends and tentatively making the first strides towards new friendships. She is an assertive, straightforward girl...but she is shy to approach other kids she doesn't know. She told me at first that she wasn't going to be able to make friends. I gave her my pearls of wisdom: "Well young grasshopper, a wise woman once said, 'If you want a friend....be a friend'" (deep, I know). I think I got that from a fortune cookie. Or maybe I read it somewhere. That reminds me that I have a new pet peeve, particularly regarding websites and blogs. It is including out-of-context quotes (of wisdom?) from writers, philosophers, poets etc., in everything you write. Padding your writing with quotes from more intelligent, philosophical minds...does not mean that you are. It's getting tiresome. Let's face it...most quotes are harvested from a websites of quotations. If you Google 'Famous Quotes' plus your chosen subject, most likely you'll get pages containing bite-sized chunks of wisdom that you can take anywhere. It happens all the time on FB... Here's mine, "Random quoting of people who are wiser and more profound than you does not make you either wise or profound, or support your point (if you have one)". Feel free to use that. I think for fun I will add completely random quotes to this blog.

Last weekend we took a trip to beautiful Cascade Penninsula, a forestry campground on Lake Harrison. The weather was great; sunny and very warm. We did have to move camp spots because some rowdies turned up and played VERY BAD music loudly and non-stop. But once we moved it was fabulous. Bronwyn taught me to skip rocks and River had a great time. He absolutely loves camping and was really well behaved. Here are a few pictures.

Lake Harrison from Cascade Peninsula

Lake Harrison

Sticks are cool!

Bronwyn's "berry henna"

The closest we could get them for a picture!

Pressing on, pressing on...I have skipped a few blog-worthy things. Like the excellent night out I had with my wonderful sister. We went to see Ray LaMontagne at the Orpheum, then stayed the night at a hotel, and spent the following day lounging and then doing some downtown shopping (or rather looking...shopping requires having money). I live 20 minutes from downtown but very rarely go there. It felt like we were tourists. It was great fun. I am so lucky to have my sister and best friend living here in Vancouver. I took Bronwyn to the PNE to see Superdogs...she dressed as a dog. I got a kick that she's still unselfconscious enough to dress as a dog for Superdogs.

Bronwyn-the-dog petting "Pot Roast"

I have also done other stuff. Which will now be forgotten and lost in time. Oh well. Life can be go by fast sometimes. As I once read:

 "Contents and colours may vary. Please retain package for future reference." 

It was on a box of crayons. And it is very true, especially for a box of crayons; varied colours, I think, being an essential component. Worth remembering.

OMG! OMG! OMG!

School has finally started! It's, like, totally awesome...seriously! As much as I love my spawn, I love them to be in school! Actually, it has only started for Bronwyn...River still has to wait for a couple of weeks. He is doing "gradual" entry to kindergarten...loosely defined as "not-very-gradual" entry at all. I am trying not to worry about River being in kindergarten. I think he will really enjoy it. It wasn't quite the back-to-school experience Bronwyn was hoping for; put in a kind of holding class where she knows no-one while school sort out their numbers and decide who is going where. Hopefully, she will be in her new class next week and can then start to make some friends. The aura of fear and excitement that surrounds the kids during the first days of the school year is almost palpable. Combined with the smell of cleaning fluid and wax crayons, it gives me vivid flashbacks of my own experiences, about 100 years ago.

Now it is time for me to begin thinking about going back to work. The type of work that you get paid to do. I'd like to get back into teaching, but I don't know how feasible that is going to be. I will need to do some research. If not teaching then I will have to think of something else.

Boring blog updates lately. Now I don't have children disrupting me every minute I may be able to write something down! We are enjoying some very good weather right now...so we're still out and about with friends and having fun. Fall will likely see us begin to hibernate. I am already looking for a knitting project.

Relief!

Got the results and the lump is benign. That word is music to my ears! Biopsies are no fun at all...neither is the wait (which, thankfully, was not very long). I shouldn't have to go back for another year. Hurray! Well, there is a chance that the lump will have to be removed anyway...but I am not bothered about that. It is not the same type of surgery as before and I think the surgeon may just decide to leave it for now. Now...back to summer. What?? There's only a week left! Then it's back to school for the kids who have reached the lolling about, bored, swinging legs and sighing stage of the summer holidays. To school with you!

No encore, thank you!

I went for a mammogram and ultrasound the other day...always fun! I was hoping for the all-clear...silly me. Oh no, not so fast, you don't get let off that lightly. A few days later I get a call from BCCA.
- 'You need to come in for an ultra-sound guided biopsy. Monday at 11:00am.'
- 'Errr...say, whaaat? Okay...what is that?'
- 'It's a biopsy guided by ultra-sound.'
- 'Oh thanks for clearing up my confusion.' So helpful.

Apparently it is ordered by the radiologist and done under local anesthetic; it takes about an hour. That's the amount of information I have been given. So here we go again. Nothing to worry about, lots of women have biopsies. Only it is not so easy for me to say that now. I was disappointed, to say the least. Called back in for yet another examination on the other breast. Excuse my language but...fuck that! I'm hoping they're just being hyper-vigilant, as they should be, but really? But do I need this? No I fucking do not!! Deep breaths...and try not to think about it. At least I will get another opportunity to flutter my eye-lashes at the handsome Oncologist...joke! I would never do anything like that. It would be very unprofessional and I take my patient responsibilities very seriously. I debated whether to say anything to anyone; sympathy and concern are not always welcome because we'd rather not need either. But of course I appreciate it is well meaning. And it is always nice to be cared about.

Despite having that in the back of my mind, we had a good week. It has been fun hanging with Jenn and Sapphire and Little River...as well as Nicole and Gala. The girls have had a great time playing in the sun. They seem to have ironed out their differences and are having a good time together. Bronwyn can be very bossy. But I have absolutely no idea where she gets it from.

So I am just trying to look forward to a relaxing weekend with the kids. Weather looks good so we will spend some time at the beach, feed carrots to fat rabbits, and maybe take a trip to Granville Island. And I will try not to think about Monday or any of that.

I'm back...

Eeek...it's been a while. Where have I been? Certainly not sitting at the computer updating this thing. Oh no...the weather has been good and we have been spending our time at the beach, at playgrounds, watching bunnies, and generally enjoying the outdoors on our own, and with friends. Dust has gathered on surfaces, the laundry basket is overflowing and every one is down to the their last pair of underwear. Disintegrated cheerios coat the living room floor, along with the sand that is trailed in from our sandals. The (new!) fridge is relatively empty, as are the cupboards. There may as well be a sign on the door saying, "Gone Fishing". Potential burglars probably look through the windows and assume we've already been done over. But we waited a while for some good weather and goddammit we're going to enjoy it.

Big River and Little River

Feeding the wabbits

Close to Jericho beach there is an area of brambles and hedges, pock-marked with rabbit holes, known as the "Bunny Circle". Here bunnies live happily (or 'hoppily'...eh eh) and freely; stretching out in the sun, having 100s of babies, getting fat and lazy on carrots and lettuce. I think their only predators are coyotes...but they don't seem overly worried about it; lounging openly in the sun and not even backing down to the barking of frantic dogs. The kids love going there to visit the cute bunnies and force carrots upon them. Occasionally we have seen hamsters huddled together and hiding. I'm not sure the hamsters stay for very long. Why do people drop off their hamsters to live in the 'wild'?

Leaving the safety of their little plastic world, they are forced out into the land of bunnies, crows and coyotes. Yeah, they'll get a better life; if you consider bewildered panic, quickly followed by paralyzing terror at finding yourself as the main course to be a "better life".

In other news I bought some new toothpaste. It is called Crest Pro-Health and it contains grit. It is like brushing your teeth with sand. Nowhere on the package does it say that there is grit in the toothpaste. It is very odd. Be warned...

Almost summer

The weather hasn't been very consistent this summer (well, I guess it's been consistently cloudy and cool). But what is more annoying than crappy weather? Answer: the endless complaining about it. On and on and on. It's weather...nothing personal, nothing can be done...no one is in control. It's just weather. Please stop moaning about it. And if you're from the UK then you should be used to endless grey, damp days...year round. In fact, even if you're from Vancouver it should come as no surprise. Despite this erratic weather we have been able to enjoy some trips to the beach and to spend time with friends. And that is what summer is all about. Our friends Pete and Jenn and their kids Sapphire and River (another River!) are back in town for summer. We have had some fun hanging out and catching up.

Girls playing in the cold water at sunset

The baby and the bathwater...

The weekend after we got back from Saltery Bay was Vancouver's annual Folk Fest. It is usually great music, great atmosphere and a really eclectic mix of people. Unfortunately, this year was a bit of a wash-out, but it was still good fun. We didn't actually pay to go inside because we are broke...but next year (weather permitting) I think that we will. The girls had a money-making idea going where, for a donation, they would ask someone what animal they'd like them to be. The girls would then act like said animal for about 5 seconds. It was a cute and funny....scam. They made $30 in about two hours. 

Nicole getting her chakras cleansed by a man with a large didgeridoo

I did a quick camping trip this weekend. I went to Cascade Peninsula; somewhere I have not been before. A beautiful campsite 13km up a logging road and tucked beside the shores of Lake Harrison. For some reason I only did one night. Why the hell didn't I stay for 2...what is the matter with me? Stupid Vicky...stupid, stupid!

View of Harrison Lake from the campsite

Looking over Harrison Lake from the logging road

Harrison

But I enjoyed a day by the lake and on Sunday we had beautiful sunny day and a trip down to the beach.

Let Me Fade

by The Miserable Rich. A "chamber pop" band (whatever that is) from England. I think this is a great break-up song...and just a good song. The video of traumatized squirrels is hilarious.

Saltery Bay

Bronwyn and a Bull Whip Kelp

We were supposed to spend the whole of last week camping at Saltery Bay, but unfortunately, we had to cut it short. The trip started out well; sunshine and warmth on the journey there. Two beautiful ferry rides with a lovely drive in between. Even the 1000th listen through of "Rock the Casbah" (River's current favourite song) and "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele (Bronwyn's favourite) was okay. And we enjoyed a bright, sun-drenched afternoon in Mermaid Cove. Sunday was also a warm sunny-ish day. This is our 3rd trip to Saltery Bay and I think I covered the area and campground in previous posts. It is a beautiful place to visit. However, we'll probably have to go somewhere else next year, though Bronwyn loves it there. We like it too, but I am reluctant to go to the same place every year and so we're caught between making something a "family tradition" and exploring something new.

Earl's Cove ferry terminal

River loved the trip. For some reason that we can't quite figure out he calls camping "everyone". He kept saying, "I want to go back to everyone". I think it is something from last year. Sleeping was tough. River could not settle and appeared very anxious and agitated by the evening. This resulted in lots of silly behaviour; making noises, laughing, hand- flapping and screaming and babbling excitedly. It is very difficult to distract him. However, by the 3rd night he was settling in.

Bronwyn had a fabulous time jumping around the rocks and exploring the tide pools for crabs and starfish. But there is no question that it is also a lot of work...for us. It is the type of vacation where you need a vacation at the end. The old saying that a "family holiday"' is an oxymoron rings true. No way of getting around it; we were exhausted! We did get to do the things we wanted to: explored the rocks and shoreline, paddled in the kayak. I took Bronwyn out in the kayak for the first time together, which was fun...even if my arms felt like they were going to fall off by the end. We did a bit of swimming and made lots of fires. River was more adventurous this year, climbing and scrambling over the rocks. It was good to see him challenging himself, even if it was scary to watch. Visions of him falling off the rocks into deep water kept flashing before my eyes, making it difficult to relax. All thing considered, I think he preferred hanging around at the campsite where he could play around, line up the chairs and climb in and out of the van.

On Tuesday we woke to rain, but it cleared up in the afternoon. On Wednesday we woke to a solid downpour that had been going on all night. The forecast showed more of the same. We were not into completing any kind of survival challenge so, sadly, it was time to pack-up and make the journey back home. The weather has not been great this summer...I hope it picks up soon!

Bronwyn "roasted" fern branches

How to stop smoke getting in your eyes...wear goggles!

shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom de boom

Whooohooo... School is out! Seeee ya Grade one!. Now onto summer. If someone could just turn on the sun we'll do fine. For some reason when I think of the end of the school year, I am always reminded of the final scene from Grease. Not sure why...perhaps as a young-un it gave me some kind of hope. Albeit fleeting...and false. At my school at the end of the year you just hid and tried to sneak out like a ninja so that no-one would throw eggs at you...or worse. But Grease showed us all that high school could be fun! Really. Teenage pregnancy, drugs, bullies, no future, ...none of that seemed to matter...it was about friends and being accepted for who you are. Unless who you are happened to be a friendly, shy girl...in which case you'd better change into a slut pretty damn quick if you want to get anywhere... Good memories...great lyrics too!

Beware the mob...

It was a scary scene. Crowds of people all gathered in one relatively small area, jostled and knocked against one another. Peace and harmony were purely reliant on a good outcome. There was a noticeable police presence. And of course all the onlookers who just stood around aimlessly taking pictures. Crazy music blared from loudspeakers while average looking people performed lively dances on top of tall platforms. Some spectators walked around in strange costumes talking to people and laughing. Alcohol was involved. Black smoke was rising visibly and everywhere there was the smell of fire and burning...and souvlaki. Yes, Greek Fest 2011: a mass of frustrated drooling proletariat wondering if they will ever, ever get their souvlaki. 100 people line-ups on a hot sunny day. Even regular Vancouverites who would never think of doing anything wrong or stealing stuff or being bad in any way, got caught up in in the tension. There were definitely people (obviously from out-of-town, or "anarchists") trying to jump the queues. A small mob who were set on making trouble, no matter who got souvlaki. You know the type, craftily pushing their way to the front of the line and then, when spotted, "Oh, isn't this the back of the line? Sorry, I didn't see the line-up of a 1000 people...silly me." Of course the hard core instigator looked menacing enough to be allowed his "small mistake". Even I felt the heat. I live a few blocks away, I can go get souvlaki any time I want to...but I don't. Why? Because I don't much care for it. But on THAT day, Greek Fest day, my senses overloaded with the smells and sights of 1000s of skewers of very tasty looking char-grilled chicken pieces, I wanted some souvlaki, godammit, and I wanted it fast! Good job I hadn't brought a lighter and a molotov cocktail along with me 'cos I was ready for a RIOT!

I tried to push River in his stroller through a sea of legs that wouldn't move. I hate crowds at the best of times. It was difficult for me to get us through and people looked at me with angry eyes, as if I had meant to smash their ankles with the stroller. Well, for the record, angry-eyed people, I am a Vancouverite (which if you are up-to-date on local current affairs, is similar to being a "good fairy"), not an out-of-towner intent on causing trouble, so look away and think nicely about me.

With little regard for his own safety, Mike took on the task of braving the lines to get souvlaki. I stayed behind with the kids and waited...and waited...it seemed hopeless. He'd obviously got caught by the mob. Grabbed and forced at skewer-point to dance, arms linked and feet kicking, to crazy Bourzouki music. The kids, bored of jumping on top of the newspaper stands, started swarming around me, whining like massive, prehistoric mosquitoes...I was starting to panic. Soon I was going to smash over stands and start looting. Finally, Mike returned, hands full of souvlaki. And there it was: a few pieces of Greek style barbequed chicken, looking like grilled baby gerbils, wrapped in pitta bread. Quite tasty, I suppose, though I still don't much care for it. But it just goes to show how easy it is to get caught up in the mob mentality. We must be ever vigilant.

Fortunately, the police didn't need to read the riot act or do much of anything...although we left relatively early. Most people walked back and forth eating Greek-style donuts, waited 2 hours for their souvlaki, then went home. Perhaps thinking they'd had a good time. But it could have been a lot worse if those lines had moved more slowly. I don't think we'll go next year.