Christmas 2011

I gotta say, I’m loving this holiday season without any snow so far! Just this past weekend we went for a long bike ride down the Galloping Goose Trail into downtown (almost) Victoria with the kids. It was a great day to be outside and we had plenty of fine company along the trail with many other people walking, jogging, and cycling. It’s looking like we won’t get any snow here at all this year, of course it’s only December so we’ll see what January brings.

Last year we did have snow a couple of times, but it didn’t stick around long. This year we’re off to Fernie to visit my brother Wren, his wife and their little one. My parents will join us there as well. I’m pretty sure there will be plenty of snow in Fernie, which will satisfy this year’s white Christmas urges!

This has been a long and challenging year. Erick has been swamped with his MBA studies, while I started a full time job (finally) in June. The kids are growing up fast (thank goodness!) and starting to play together, sometimes without fighting! I suspect that being in separate classrooms for daycare is helping on that front.

Erick will be starting a co-op job in January, so we’ll have to figure out how to juggle dropping off and picking up the kids for daycare. My work term has been extended until July 1st so I don’t have to start the year frantically looking for another job quite yet.

We are really looking forward to this next phase of life – no more school for either of us for awhile – as we start to settle into our new city and make it our home.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Robin

Happy 3rd Birthday Kian

So we don't really go big with the birthdays around here. But I did manage to whip up a cake and candles, wrap a gift, and bring cookies to daycare for Kian this year.

I can't believe Kian is 3 already! He's turning into a really interesting little person. I'm looking forward to when Keira hits 3.

Beach Days

Now that the summer weather is starting to make itself known, we're spending lots of weekend mornings at the beach! Our favourite is Willow Beach Park but we will also likely visit Thetis Lake as well.

Great weekend!

Well, we had a great weekend! Saturday morning at Willow Beach Park. Kids playing in the sand. Sunday morning at Thetis Lake Beach. More playing in the sand. So much playing that I completely forgot to pull out the camera and take pictures! Next time!

Back to work at last!

I am about to finish my first week at the new job. I was thrilled to land a position with the Faculty of Law at UVic that was not a step down from my previous position at the University of Manitoba. I had taken to applying for clerk and receptionist type positions and had signed up with a temp agency just to get myself into the workforce. I'm extremely grateful not to have needed those steps in the end.

Going into day four tomorrow, I think I have a fairly decent handle on what I'll be doing. I'm sure I'll have many questions along the way, but at this point I'm feeling ready to take it all on!

Having a job makes me a happier person. Even though it means cramming cleaning, making lunches, laundry, grocery shopping, various errands, and family time into a shorter window of time, the quality of that time goes way up when I have a workplace to go to during the day.

It also makes weekends extra special. Last weekend, the long weekend, we went out to Fisherman's Wharf to check out the sights, the wharf, the seals, and the playground. We also took the kids to the pool, which they always love. We went to Playland when it was raining, playgrounds when it wasn't raining, and set up a second water table (this one went on the front patio). We even went for a nice bike ride.

I'm really looking forward to the weather getting warmer so that we can spend more time playing at the beach and outside in general.

Some recent pics...

I'm Baaa-aack!

So it's been awhile since my last post. A lot has happened and nothing has happened. Does that make any sense?!

Erick finished up his semester and then went to China for 2 weeks for school. My parents came for a week visit while he was away. He is now settled into his summer coop position with the government. Hopefully gaining valuable contacts for a future career.

I continue to look for work to no avail. Well, mostly no avail. I'm not yet gainfully employed but I've managed to get a couple of interviews. I've signed on with a temp agency which doesn't pay much, but will hopefully start me on the road to gaining much needed local references.

I'm taking a memoir writing course and am awaiting copies of my grandmother's journals so that I can work on her memoir or biography, depending on what the journals are like (apparently there is a difference between the two!) I'm also thinking of volunteering with the Victoria Writers Society as an editorial assistant. I've written and sent off 2 children's stories to a local publisher. No word yet as it takes a loooooong time to hear back from them.

The kids are both mainly settled into a nearby daycare. Kian is growing up so quickly and keeps telling us that he is 'getting bigger.' Keira is resisting starting to walk. She's taken steps here and there already, but doesn't seem interested in doing more of it.

The weather is starting to warm up and we're having more days without rain. We've filled the water table on the back patio which entertains Kian until the point where he gets too wet or too cold to stay out there. And Keira is happy playing on her own for a surprising amount of time.

I am itching to get back into the workforce and hope it happens REALLY soon!

That's all for now. I will attempt to write more, not because I expect anything exciting to happen, but because I need to keep busy until I'm back to being employed.

All about Keira

So Keira is crawling really well these days. She can move fast! She's also pulling herself up on all of the furniture and jumping in her crib. I suspect that she'll also be an early walker but we'll see.

Kian is having to make a big adjustment now that Keira can get at all of his toys instead of just the ones he selects for her. We hear a lot of "no baby no" and "baby want mommy" from him! We're hoping to get out of this phase as quickly as possible because when we tell him he has to share, he usually cries, throws toys, falls on the floor, and other fun things! Although they do play well together some of the time too!

Personally I'm looking forward to them being 3 and 5 years old. I think life might get a little easier then. We'll see though!

Naked Boy

Kian is learning how to dress himself. He really likes to pick out his own shirt in the morning. The past few mornings he has been so excited about getting his own clothes, that he has gotten up ridiculously early, stripped down to his diaper, and pulled clothes for the day out of his armoire.

This morning he decided to wear his Thomas pajamas (the pants are easier to put on than his jeans.) The only problem was that he put the shirt on upside down. Yes, upside down, not inside out or backwards. Erick walked into his bedroom and there was Kian with the neck of his shirt around his waist!

Christmas Highlights

So we headed back to Manitoba for Christmas and it was cold cold cold! We got stranded in Neepawa for a night on our way up to Winnipegosis to see Erick's family. I don't think I went outside even once after we got up there. Kian went out with Grams and Jael though, and they had lots of fun with all of the snow.

Then back down to Steinbach to see my family. I didn't go outside much in Steinbach either! Keira learned to crawl during our visit.

We spent a few days right over Christmas in Winnipeg to spend some time with Erick's family.

It was great to see family and friends again! Plus the kids loved all of the extra attention.

But at the end of our trip, it was nice to come back home and be in our own space, and in our new climate. It sure is a lot warmer out here!