Halloween Hijinx

This is not our usual Halloween photo shoot. This year there have been no costumed strolls to the Tot Lot for some cute pictures on the slide and swings. And chances are....it's not going to happen. Why? Well, let me explain:

* Sarah has chosen to be Strawberry Shortcake this Halloween. Her outfit is a bright pink tutu skirt, a strawberry tank top and ill-fitting "fancy shoes" that she insists on wearing even if they give her blisters in 10 minutes. In other words, she is wearing the same thing she does every other day, with one exception: "The Wig". We found a true Strawberry Shortcake wig, and she was thrilled with it....for less than 10 minutes. Turns out, Sarah is just as fussy about itchy wigs as she is about bunchy socks. So she will be trick-or-treating as....Strawberry Shortcake disguised as Sarah.
Here is the only picture I have of her before she discovered the wig itches:

I'm not sure where the real Strawberry Shortcake hails from, but it's certainly nowhere local. There is a rainfall warning in effect tonight, so picture this costume UNDERNEATH her rain jacket, rain pants and rain boots. Minus the wig. It's gonna be LEGENDARY!

* Liam wanted to be a Lego brick for Halloween, but fortunately we checked the weather report before we invested too much time in our cardboard creation. Nothing worse than a soggy Lego. So he has happily returned to the Police costume for the second year running, although this year's model is new and improved. He will be on the lookout for bad guys.....

*.....IF he makes it that far. Turns out, Liam has a case of CROUP and was in the hospital until 2am last night. (This morning?) He's exhausted. (I'm exhausted.) He's cranky. (I'm cranky.) He feels terrible. AND he is exhibiting the hyperactive side-effects of the steroid treatment they gave him at the hospital. Throw in a few Halloween candies, and Superstorm Sandy will have nothing on him! He is currently upstairs "trying" to take a nap. "Trying" means he is crying, screaming and yelling "MOM! MOM! MOM! MOM! MOM! MOM! MOM????? MOM! MOM! MOM! MOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM?!?!?!?!" and arguing that a nap is not necessary. I beg to differ.

But we're getting ready anyway. The pumpkin is carved. The seeds are roasted. We've been building our sugar tolerance for some time now. And by "we" I mean "me". Here is Sarah sorting the candies before putting them in the bowl for tonight. Notice the uneven distribution of Coffee Crisps? Yeah. That's not a coincidence....

Happy Halloween....may next year be a little less spooky! :)

Where Is The Love?

A couple weeks ago we did some camping at Nairn Falls and Joffre Lakes. I'm guessing the pictures are pretty self-explanatory from that description!
So there's Lake #1:

Here's Liam, all rarin' to go....

Group shot.....

And no, we are not in jail. Just trying to coax Sarah into a picture in front of Nairn Falls. Can't you just FEEL the love from her in these photos? Oh yes, she is all over the hiking. Alllllll over it. ;)

Drop Your Weapons!

Liam asked me to take this photo and submit it to "The Lego People". He is sure that this close-up of "The Criminals" being surrounded by all means of Police vehicles will earn him a job on a Master Builder team.

Now, does anyone have a contact with "The Lego People"?

Backpack Boys

This weekend Liam and Matt headed out on their first backcountry camping experience. We decided Sarah just wasn't ready for this kind of trip, so us girls stayed behind and followed Sarah's whims wherever they took us. Namely, to the library, a couple viewings of The Princess and The Frog, and out for fish and chips.

We sent the guys off early in the morning. Liam was especially psyched. Matt may have been having second thoughts...

 They headed for the hills (literally), and before long they were at the Garibaldi Lake trailhead, north of Squamish. Look out, this boy has a baggie full of trail mix and he's ready to hike!

 

 

And hike they did! Somewhere along their 12km climb (7 1/2 miles for my old school readers!) Drill Sargent Matt Daddy allowed a break and Liam made a friend. I received this video from them just before they went out of cell range, and I may have watched it 20x in a row. Come on, how cute is he?!

 

Finally (or about five hours later) they made it to the lake, where they found that Liam had become somewhat of a celebrity among fellow hikers. The ranger stationed to the area had to see the Wonder Boy Hiker for himself, and shook Liam's hand. This hike was no small feat...for small feet! :)  Special mention should also go to Matt for carrying a 50lb pack all the way. Liam's pack may look large...but contains an ultra light sleeping bag. And a gluten free bagel. But come to think of it, those gluten free bagels are pretty dense.....

Anyways, here is the Lake!

 

They set up the tent, made some dinner, washed dishes, and then Liam begged to go to bed. (So THAT is all it takes!)

In the tent, all-important headlamp in place!

They were back at it, bright and early this next morning. Take down the tent...

 

Oatmeal and hot chocolate for breakfast in the hut! 

 

Pose for another picture....

 

 

 And back down the hill. Done, at last!

Liam was BEAMING with pride when he walked through the door that night. Matt was LIMPING in pain when he hobbled through the door that night. :)  Good job guys. 

And, if you were wondering, the fish and chips were AWESOME.

 

Chocolate Ice Cream

Enough said.

Post-Grad

Oh, I'm a bad mommy. I can't believe I didn't post pictures of such a proud day: Liam's Preschool Graduation!
There was a highly choreographed "Entrance" which included a parent rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and all the kids walked under a "tunnel" made by the parents' raised hands. (So begins the Moms' crying jag....) Liam, however, made a wrong turn and had to be retrieved from the other end of the playground and brought back into line. He tried so hard.

A few serious moments, and the teachers presented him with a folio of his artwork from the past 2 years. They had previously asked each student what they want to be when they grow up, where they will want to live, and who they want to live with. Liam answered, "A policeman AND a fireman, in our house with Mom, Dad and Sarah."

 Celebration time!

I'm wearing the scarf he made me for Mother's Day in my hair. Love that boy.

Once they had some juice and cookies, it was all over.....

 Next up: Sarah's turn!

The Original Bay Days?

We recently took the kids for a hike on the HBC Trail near Otter Lake.

The historic significance of this fur trade route (est. in 1849!) was lost on the kids....but the opportunity for a poser shot or two was not!

 

 

I think Mojo felt a connection to the past....