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....

Running Of The Bulls (In A China Shop)

There are some days it's clear that your average trip to the playground or a walk around the block just isn't gonna cut it: there is way too much energy bottled up inside! Friday was one of those days, so we took to the empty high school track for a few laps. Sarah was ready to pack it in after 1 time around, but was content to cheer Liam on...and roll around on that curious soccer turf. And since the place was empty and had great visibility, Liam and I put in a few more rounds....in fact, Liam ran 2km before it started to rain and Sarah got chilly (ie. it was time to go!). Perhaps he will have a place at the Summer Olympics, 2028?

Five Year Plan

 

So I didn't make one of those when Liam was born. Our plan was a little more seat-of-our-pants-ish. We got a few hours of sleep in somewhere....figured out how to feed him so he wouldn't blow up. Perfected the Baby Straightjacket manoeuvre to outsmart eczema. And then somewhere along the way he started walking, talking, and becoming the funniest little (brainy!) kid I know.
I give you, Liam's 5th Birthday Interview:

Q: How old are you today?
Five.

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Chicken. 

Mom's Note: I am quite certain it's not. We had chicken for dinner the night before this interview, but chicken is a pretty neutral food. Gluten free pizza on the other hand - fine dining. Same goes for gluten free toast with (soy) peanut butter and honey, or butter and cinnamon/sugar. :)  For the record, peas and hot dogs are tantrum-worthy fare.

Q: What is your favorite colour?

A: Purple, red and blue, and orange.

Q: What is your favorite toy?
A: My police car.

Q: Which one?

A: My Lego police car. The dog transpile (sic) unit.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do?
A: Play police.

Mom's Note: This is definitely true. In fact, he plays police so much that a boy at preschool got tired of it and threw a block at his face. Cut his nose.

Q: Who is your best friend?
A: Colin.

Q: What school do you go to?
A: Friendly Forest.

Q: What is your favorite activity at school?
A: Playing outside.

Q: Who was your teacher this year?
A: Glenda.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: Ride a police motorcycle.

Q: What was your favorite present you got this year?
A: The…my money. 

Mom's Note: He has big plans for his birthday money. But the big deal this birthday was the Lego Forest Police Station, complete with mailbox trap door and coffee mugs! (He can't tell anyone about this station without mentioning those two points, so I thought I better include them here!)

Q: If you had a lot of money, what would you do with it?

A: Buy a car.

Q: Why?

A: Because when I grow up I want to ride a car, too.

Q: What is your favorite book?
A: My favorite book….I like….Time For A Tale.

Mom's Note: Again, this was the bedtime story the night before.

Q: What is something you like about Mom?
A: You let me watch cartoons very early in the morning.

Mom's Note: Yep. Go ahead and judge. But until the coffee pot is fired up, I don't want to hear about Sibling Injustice. I just don't.

Q: What is something you like about Dad?:

A: Wrestling!

Q: What is something you like about Sarah?:

A: Playing.

Q: What do you like to play?

A: In her tent.

Q: What is something you like about yourself?:

A: Going to bed.
Mom's Note: Huh? This interview has just about reached 5 year old attention span limits!

Q: What is your favorite TV show?

A: Rescue Heroes and Wild Kratz.

Q: What are you most looking forward to about being 5?:

A: Going to Kindergarten!

Mom's Note: I like the enthusiasm, but I don't believe it for a second!

Miss Mommy

Sarah has her fair share of dolls. Soft ones, blinking ones, some with long, brushable hair. But for some reason, none have the same allure as this hard plastic, drawn-on baby that Liam picked out at the flea market when his little sister was just a few weeks old. When "baby" and Sarah were just about the same size, this particular doll would give us heart palpitations when we would find it's legs poking out of the couch, or catch a glimpse of it lying at the bottom of the stairs. But there's no mistaking one for the other anymore! "Baby" remains nameless, but Sarah totes it around everywhere. They "go out for coffee" and take walks all day long. She brings Baby to me for babysitting when Sarah goes out to "run a marathon" (a few times a day)....and Baby never ever has to endure a dirty bum - Sarah stops for impromptu diaper and outfit changes every few steps. Then usually drops it head first in search of a snack.

Island Adventure

A couple weeks ago we had an early summer adventure on Vancouver Island...too early for the sun to join us, unfortunately!
We spent some time at Long Beach...

 

We poked some unsuspecting anemones....

We took the kids to see we were married...

I did a little running....

 

...a little diverting....

....a little more diverting (which was a welcome distraction at the top of a hill about 38km in!)...

...a little celebrating...

...and then a little camping!

 

Some more beach time, and a clue in to why Matt's neck is often sore...

 

 

And by the end of the trip we put the kids in ejection seats....

Horsing Around

A few weeks ago the kids got to take a horseback riding lesson courtesy of a great Groupon deal. The drive out the stable was long and the lesson was short, but the kids LOVED it....despite Sarah's expression in the first photo!
Meet Henry (Sarah) and Cocoa (Liam)!

A Jolly Good Fellow

Liam, you are beyond excited to be a Big Kid. You chat endlessly about animals and Lego and police-catching-criminals tactics, and rovers landing on Mars and how to craft anything and everything from recycled objects. You say "I have a good idea" several times every day...this usually involves an elaborate science experiment or building project. You amaze me every single day with how much knowledge you have soaked up in five years. Your vocabulary is incredible, your memory for facts and events is better than my own, and your imagination is inspiring.
Counting isn't your thing. You've mastered up to 12 but we have spent weeks trying to lengthen the sequence to 20 and you just don't care. You know what the numbers are, but aren't very particular about the order. We have gone so far as to number the stairs in our home (there are 25) and recite them every time we walk up....you ignore it. And yet you built your first Lego almost entirely by yourself this week...a 199-piece ambulance. It took hours, but you were focused and you got it done. Amazing. This does not mean you're not off the hook on the counting. ;)
You love to run. And run and run and run and run. And you are fast. I ran a marathon two weeks ago,  yet racing home from the park with you this week (just a couple blocks!) left me completely winded. But you run for the pure joy of it, and it makes you giddy. A couple of days ago we spent an hour at the park....Sarah blew bubbles and went on the swing, and you strapped on your Spiderman swim goggles, fashioned your raincoat into a cape, and ran the length of the field over and over. Once you nearly tripped head over heels, but only because you spotted a buttercup in the field and had to bring it back for me. Love.
Oh sure, you have your moments. You can be moody and tempermental, and you scream and stomp when you're really mad. You are loud and make lots of laser sounds and jump around like 5 year old boys do. But mostly you are a gentle soul. If the house is quiet when you wake up, you silently tiptoe downstairs and help yourself to some yogurt from the fridge. You might colour a picture. You play Lego. And last week I came downstairs to find you next to a cracked open window, your puppy under one arm, "just listening to the morning birds." In cooler months, you seek out the heat registers and sit right on top of them, flipping through a Lego pamphlet, enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning. You appreciate the details. I like that about you.
You tell me your secrets. Like how you found a box of Tic Tacs and hid it under your bed, sneaking one or two whenever you go to your room for "a bit of space from Sarah." And how you use a light-up snow globe to read in bed when it's lights out time. When your secrets stop being so darn cute, I'll stop sharing them here. Promise. :)
You love babies. With every fiber of your being. Your excitement around them is so intense that you shake a little, and use every bit of your willpower not to squeeze their cheeks, as we have reminded you at least 1000 times. You do not always succeed at this. Sometimes you have the same enthusiasm for Sarah....she is so over it. You two certainly know how to push each other's buttons, but your relationship is changing for the better. Spats and squabbles are a daily occurence, but you are starting to really play together. You hardly ever fight with each other outdoors, which makes me especially happy for summer!
You just graduated from preschool last week. You loved it, but are very nervous about Kindergarten this fall. So am I. We'll get through it, bud. Because you are ready to be a Big Kid. These are exciting times!
And with that, Liam, you are five. Happy Birthday, my sweet little boy. Love you to Infinity and Beyond. Always.
Mom