Sunday 30 August 2009

Hanging with our buds

I think we should market this all day, no agenda birthday party idea. KJ's birthday up in Parksville...

We no longer hold ourselves to just one hula at a time:


Lounging in the heat:


Mitch n' Ferg schemin':


Cruisin' the hood (from "dawn" to dusk)...



Kristal and Gillian performing the sport that's sweeping the nation: sitting-in-the-heat-shooting-elastic-band-paper-planes-into-hula-hoops:


Ferg squinting for Jupiter:

Sunday 23 August 2009

Cycling/ castle maze/ bass face

Effie's been a daily bicycling fiend lately.
Effie and Hamish racing down the goose...


But it's tough when ya gotta wait for the smaller kids!


Here's our biking marker/ rest stop - "the bench". Not too shabby a spot.


This is how kids open presents at birthday parties (Finn's in this case). Darn annoying for curious adults!


This is what kids like playing in at birthday parties. Darn annoying for taller adults. Chuck does alright in it though!!


Effie n' 7 week old Ella:


Bass face:

Friday 21 August 2009

I love my family

Today a delivery person came and delivered love.
And all I had to do was sign for it!


Thursday 20 August 2009

Busking in action

Playing a catchy tune she created, here's Effie along side a very enthusiastic patron...

Busker EL Video

Wednesday 19 August 2009

Busker



From the home-to-work-email-lines-of-communication-vault:
(ignore the change in the underwear drawer bit... too much information!)

Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 11:32 AM
Subject: Busking!

I foolishly said something to Fergus this morning as he played the guitar with his hat on the floor beside him, about turning it over so people could put money in it.

He ran downstairs and set up shop busking in the living room! He came upstairs twice, once after each song, to complain that he had finished a song and no one had put any money in his hat!

So off Effie and I went in search of coin. (NB I can't find the change usually hidden in your undies drawer???!!! Help me out!)

We have now paid him quite a bit and enjoyed many songs. Effie is out of pennies and my purse is considerably lighter.

Please come home adequately prepared to be fleeced!

xo
PS He plays as if he were playing bass, with the guitar upright between his legs, playing the strings all the way up the neck. He is beyond adorable, but when I asked if I could kiss/hug the musician I was told no. Apparently even paying doesn't get me any special privileges!


Now everyone plays with their hat out...

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Musical Explosion

So, for the past week and a half or so we've all been engaged in two new familial adventures - riding bikes and "playing" music. Gillian bought a guitar and has been learning diligently thanks to her online "tutor" (some Australian dude). And then we had a local unschooling rock band session that was such a blast that we plan to have regular meet ups. I did not plan on getting involved myself but the seductive lure of the electric bass guitar drew me in wholly. I have now borrowed Murray's bass in an effort to wow everyone with my coolness next time we get together. My musical "learning" style, like with most things, is the complete opposite of Gillian's. She's all about repetitiveness, form and perfection - studying the exact placement of the fingers, the correct alignment of the pick... it's working and she's doing great. Me, I'm all about finding whatever way possible to play simple, cool bass-heavy tunes like "seven nation army". I also like the idea of plugging in and making loud sounds.

Fergus seems keen on the drums. He has some sticks and bangs away on whatever is within reach. His current favorite bit is banging the sticks together at the start of a tune (similarly, his favorite part of bike rides is having everybody lineup and then saying "ready,set, go"). For Effie, she has a role in the rock band as a singer and conveniently knows all the words to the Grease and Abba songs that we "play".

Deep in concentration:


It took her a week to get up the nerve to take the tags off...


At the session, Steven played the synth drums (you should see the man do a drum roll!):


Three people trying to follow along...


Two people who actually know what they are doing:


One person who has completely no idea what he is doing:


Memet's photo of, obviously, the guts of the band:

I shot the sheriff

Here's Effie picking blueberries down at the local blueberry picking blueberry farm place thingy. I'm proud to say that the last time I picked blueberries was when I was younger than Effie back in Haney (circa 1974), where I passed out after a combination of too much sun, too many "free" berries and too much a.m. radio.

Thursday 13 August 2009

Fishy rainy beach

Aaaaahhh... rain. How we adore you so. Wetter of forests, evacuator of beaches... nice to have you back.




We caught some fish... some already dead fish.


...and made a dead fish castle.

Wednesday 12 August 2009

The wobbly banterer

Goosey enjoying Memet's trail-a-bike...

Goose Caboose

Sunday 9 August 2009

Effie rides a bike...

... that isn't Auntie Gini's 142 lb, 1970's model with training wheels. This is what happens when the neighbors leave their stuff at our place...



Ferg's unique riding style:


Saturday 8 August 2009

Danny, Keith and Laurie







Yes, we've moved on from tinker toy Rock Band to tinker toy Partridge Family.

Shirley was out having a business dinner.

Monday 3 August 2009

The Big Heat

Effie stays cool in the heat through dips in the lake, waffles and Fiddler on the Roof. Ferg prefers banana slushies and flannel outfits.





Ferg was excited to see that his spilled pop looked like Electro from Spiderman:


And... Happy Birthday Gillian: loving wife/ mother/ daughter/ sister/ succumber to internet evils Facebook...



Oh, and... I know a few people who would be totally into this: Nutella and Gummi Bear Sandwich (featuring the Best. Song. Ever!)