Long weekend with the cousins

Riding a motorcycle


Fall leaf pickup



Ferg stayed up late to watch the Formula 1 with Grandad


"Cousin Itt" gets a trim


Effie and Cully

Eight

Link to Movie

“I couldn't be the one to follow/ I couldn't if I tried/ Following the aimless calling/ Miracle conspires”

Driving (and Navigating)

We're currently on our (approximately) 547th major family road trip of the year - this time to honour Effie's request to celebrate her 8th birthday with grannie and grandad, her cousins and her aunties and uncles in Penticton. And bonus for us - her birthday this year falls the day before thanksgiving. Mmmmm gravy!

Thursday night's trip consisted of the 1.5 hour ferry ride to the mainland and the 5.5 hour drive to the Okanagan that included my first ever McDonald's experience since "Fast Food Nation", a quick zip past always exciting Popkum and our first sighting of snow of the season on the sides of the road through the mountains.

Amazingly, all this was completed sans official navigation since the vehicle's official navigator recently mandated a moratorium on official navigation! This pronouncement occurred during a particularly contentious navigational moment last weekend when the driver allegedly/ may have/ possibly said something about the navigator being the worst navigator in the history of the world as we cruised past a required turn. Allegedly.

On the boat...



The ferry's arcade has now replaced the play place as our point of destination...


Fergie's lego-car building fascination continues...


Effie has very specific instructions for her birthday meal which includes making the cake with grannie (it will be decorated with the 20 pounds of candy we brought up)...

Saltspring Island Redux

Two trips to saltspring in two months? Something must be up!?! We spent two nights on St. Mary's lake thanks to M&M and their fabby-do cabin. It also just happened to be the coldest, rainiest weekend since April but that didn't stop us from our beach adventures and Fergus from sporting his summer gear.








Just minding her own business... until....

A creative day

Effie's balloon-a-puppy

A straw n' tape alphabet (obviously the "c" is blue in honour of her daddy)

The Vikings have been pitching their tent in the village again

A good use of firewood

Evening happenings

Effie at sunset...


Fergus at sunset...

Tooth Indigestion

Effie lost two teeth last night - one of them literally. She figures she must have swallowed her top front tooth while in the bath. Yum!

Here's the note left by the fairy:

There once was a girl who swallowed her tooth
She liked dolls, movies and selling cards at her booth
She made lots of money
And tried not to sound funny
But when she was thirsty she asked for some jooth

What's the protocol on making fun of your kids?

Meanwhile, Fergus had a bowl of Nerds...

The Sunday Roving Picnic (have blanket will travel)

No such thing as a stationary, lie-down-and-relax picnic around here. Effie's picnics are the best... eggs, plenty of water, granola bars and about 63 different treats.


(we didn't eat this little fella)

A Fall Weekend

Grandma found the new, much coveted, previously recalled (lead paint) James. Yeah Grandma!


MarioKart is huge around here right now

Movie sorting

Fergus' massive birthday frisbee spawned impromptu hoola-hooping

Cutting up Grandma's flower petals into an aromatic fragrance - yum

Turns out Rocket Balloons get caught in trees - Who'd a thunk it

Effie pics

May have created a photo documenting monster...

Exhibit A: Fergus asked Effie to take this picture of his cereal's dehydrated strawberry before adding it to his "collection"(?)

Hand portrait

Exciting things happen when you're waiting in the car

Photo Journal

Effie's been documenting her days lately with her "new" camera, including a recent day out with Nanci that featured a trip to the tea house...