Sunday 27 June 2010

The Next Level

Effie joined a Saturday afternoon Pokémon league yesterday, something she scoped out and followed through with on her own. This is an intriguing development as we're not exactly joiners at this point in our lives. But she was very determined to advance to the next level of this game she adores and studies so much, so off she went to join far more experienced strangers in a series of battles. When she returned home, Effie was very excited to tell me that each player plays five games and you get two points for a win and one point for a lose and that she had won five points! The points get counted toward some free cards so the added motivation is there for her.

An afternoon of playing was followed by an evening of deck-rebuilding and card searching on the web:

Saturday 26 June 2010

When not watching the World Cup...

Ferg has been big-time into creating Spore creatures lately. Spore boy:


Another of those "yikes!" moments:


Here's a few shots from the WildKids windup... Ben and Ferg making stepping stones for the garden at the Boys and Girls Club:


Ferg stealing some lunches!


Kiddos at the trough:


Ferg and an Argentinian footy star checking out some brave swimmers:


On the Goose...



C'mon England (some fans channeling Howard Jones):

Monday 21 June 2010

Duncan trip

On the weekend we went up to Kristal and Rob's to help celebrate Matty Watty's 11th birthday. Despite our luggage, we were only gone from the house for a little over 24 hours...


Kristal now has chickens!


Jumping:


Massive sword battle:


Chilly swimming (for the less-than-sane set):


Ella!


Mosquito time:


Sam sitting on his birthday boy brother cause that's what Fergus' card told him to do!


Seven to nine kiddos sleeping in a tent:


Rob's Grannie came over for some cake and then took off in Rob's mustang (haven't... seen... her... since):

Saturday 19 June 2010

Garden Gnomes

Our pea growing "competition" with Grandpa, which we were gloatingly winning, hit a bit of a snag today as we discovered that a deer somehow mysteriously managed to compromise the fencing...



Doubling our efforts:



Well, at least deer do not enjoy mint:

Monday 14 June 2010

Meat pie sausage roll...

... c'mon England gis a goal.

or at least stop letting in the easy ones.



Here's "that goal" recreated with legos

And "Meat Pie Sausage Roll"... quite possibly the worst music video ever.

Sunday 13 June 2010

Greybeards at Life is Good

The Greybeards and the HBC's had me, and many others, doing the crazy dance at LIG 2010. Here's some video (a mash-up because I have a short attention span when it comes to filming):

Deck building

Effie's been spending full days lately building up some Pokemon game decks in preapration for battle. This is what it looks like from her helper's perspective:


And... first decent day of Spring shots:


Saturday 12 June 2010

Ta To Po

Two fourths of the Wahoo Winklers performing, by popular demand, Cheryl Wheeler's Potato Song at Life is Good (with Jeff on shaker)...

Wednesday 9 June 2010

Desperation made a fool of me



We're nearly ready to get the oven fixed!

Tuesday 8 June 2010

Vivid and in his prime

Here's a picture of Fergus directing me as to where I should locate my fort prior to our sword battle:



I snapped this picture rather quickly as I wanted to document the first time he wore jeans (floods in fact!) in case it never happened again. He grabbed these pants out of his "pants roughneck" because he liked the look of the pockets and the loop's sword-holding abilities - he did not know they were jeans until I told him. Anyway, he looks different in this picture - a further sign of his burgeoning development.

The other night Fergus woke up at three in the morning with pain in both legs. A blurry-eyed bit of googling as he soothed in the bath came up with "growing pains" and in fact, as described by the all-mighty-web, the pain was gone in the morning. Yes, that crazy haired boy in the pajamas and bare feet of six months ago appears to have evolved into what stands before us today. Fortunately we can joyfully and fully embrace all the various Fergus' we come across in our lives!

Arrow shooting

Here are some of Kelly's archery pics from yesterday's Wild Kids adventure. Apparently, both kids "got it" and were hitting the mark. I think we need to now look into getting one of these set ups at home!


Friday 4 June 2010

There never need be longing in your eyes

A few observations from the latest/ greatest gathering of radicals...

Our kids develop greater freedom of movement with each passing conference. Their independence grows and shines. Strange then that somehow this year we spent the majority of our time playing, eating and conversing together in the hallway outside our room with the neighbours! Best funshop ever!

The rain kept washing away our vehicle’s window paint. On two occasions, “The Sun Shines Out Of Our Behinds” was reduced to mere splotches of green and yellow paint forcing further contemplation of the meaning of this curious quotation.

Fergus seemed to be continuously “next” in line for a video game controller each time I checked in with him. He does like to observe and he was particularly enthralled with watching “Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts” - a cool vehicle building game (only available on xbox of course!).

I’m replacing our “Schools Are For Fish” bumper sticker with the less negative, though possibly equally radical, “Grades are for Meat and Eggs... not Children”. Best bumper sticker that I saw recently that I won’t be putting on the vehicle: “Keep Your Rosaries Off My Ovaries”.

Kids never seem to tire of vending machines!?!

Kimya Dawson is an excellent performer with a beautifully distinct voice and an arsenal of quirky tunes. I’m a fan. But she could have sung about flying zebras bombing China with blue bananas and the crowd would have gobbled it up and made mighty linkages between her words and de-schooling, such was the level of sycophancy on display. Me included.

Shockingly, sixty guys in a room trying to discuss sixty perspectives on unschooling doesn’t work. It forever leaves me cold. Time to change the formula. I may have ideas.

What happened to the egg-man? Did his beard consume him?

I love how teens congregate, loiter, form cuddle puddles and skilfully make some people falsely believe they are not doing anything worthwhile. I also love how they cannot be pigeon-holed because for every teen socializing with “the group”, another is off talking to an adult about college and travelling or helping a seven year old set up their sales counter. Teens still make me a little nervous however.

What do Americans have against root beer and ginger ale?

Could Vancouver, Washington possibly change its name? It’s too confusing for us BC’ers. May I suggest “George”.

The day we drove home we barely managed to squeak on the 7 pm, Victoria-bound boat despite arriving at the terminal an hour and a half in advance of the sailing. The high volume for a Tuesday confused us, as did the half hour wait at the border. Until, that is, we started noticing a likeness amongst many of the ferry passengers and deduced that multitudes of young people were returning from the Sasquatch Music Festival held in The Gorge, Washington. It was on the car deck in our vehicle, watching Avatar and hiding from the bees which had escaped from a transport truck (“you should get out there and take some photos of bee swarms for the blog”, Gillian offered) when I flippantly uttered “the great unwashed”, in reference to that seemingly similar look that embodies today’s music festival goer (that was a long sentence). I enjoy being flippant and I do tend to mock others, however, I also believe that people in dotted-up station wagons with radical bumper stickers shouldn’t throw such stones (not to mention the fact that I’m a huge fan of many of the bands these people were returning from seeing). So, although in this instance I wasn’t really disparaging them as much as pre-judging, my level of tolerance could stand to be raised a notch or two.

Ruckus:

iPad:

"Just sittin'"

Buddies - Gillian & Lebron:

A man and his wife:

Wednesday 2 June 2010

Singing and suchlike

Talent: Take Me Out To The Ball Game at Life is Good 2010


Non-Talent: Say Goodbye (Driving To Portland Alt. Version)


For a slightly better version featuring muscles (though very little in the way of nipple guitar I must say), go here