Your Milleytude fix

Some of you, who shall remain nameless, apparently need more milley than others .  unfortunately, i have this aversion to posting random prattle every day, if i have nothing i really want to say.  but, since you asked, this is some of what i’ve been up to:

Obviously, the colour scheme could use some work.  In my defense, i was trying to practise restraint in the art store, not buying every colour of marker in thin AND thick.  Below, a little onesie i’ve monogrammed for a friend’s new babe:

Now, of course, I have run out of new t-shirts to paint, and am covertly eyeing all white items of clothing. watch out.  Any suggestions for cheap sources of good quality t-shirts?  Or, bring me anything you want personalized.

WARNING:  POTENTIALLY NARCISSISTIC SELF-REFLECTION TO FOLLOW

but on to other things.  Firstly, i’m feeling a bit miffed that our fits-and-starts summer seems to be seeping into autumn with a whimper, rather than a bang.  Likewise, i’m feeling stressy about agatha’s start of school, which is really a new beginning for all of us, as we try to adjust to mornings that begin before 9 or 10 am (and clearly, bedtimes before midnight for me!), new social possibilities, new challenges, triumphs, traumas, etc..  so much for cool as a cucumber, eh, Vanessa????

Otherwise, i’m trying to find childcare for edmund so I can begin to compartmentalize all the creative projects into a single day (hah!) per week and find some perspective, oh, and income–if i must   i’ll be starting to teach in a few weeks, so that should support my expensive fabric habit, at least for a while.

That takes care of the emotional side of things, mostly.  As for spiritual health, i’m finding that i’ve missed our church community this topsy turvy summer, and am looking forward to getting back into that routine as well.  Physically, i’m a wee bit sluggish, what with all the changes of venue and good eating and late nights.  oh, and a growing addiction to Mario Kart on the Wii isn’t helping any.

Perhaps of more interest, though, is that i’ve been reading lots more this summer, and learning to love fiction again.  Yeah!!!!  I look forward to your recommendations, you bookish types, as we head into cooler days…oh wait, we’ve had those all along, haven’t we?

So, a more general Question or 2 o’ the day:  Reflecting back on this summer, what event/moment/book/film/etc. stands out as most memorable?  Are you glad to be moving into the fall, or do you feel like you were just getting into the summer swing, and now find yourself a little dazed to realize that fall is just around the corner?

Great Times, Great Friends

Despite that i have been a teensy weensy bit sad today about the start of kindergarten (and the end of my birthday), i am here going to document some of the fun that was had yesterday:

We had a great time.

And today, just when i was, as i’ve mentioned, feeling a little blue, this arrived in the mail for Agatha:

Thank you, Nicole!  Do i not have some of the best friends in the universe?  i think so.

Question o’ the Day:  What’s the best card you’ve ever received?

A Quick Hello

well, we’re back. hopelessly drowning in stuff, but all in one piece. i trust all of you are doing well, counting the hours now until my birthday (tomorrow). i accept gifts, cash and gift cards.

question o’ the day: What is your favourite birthday tradition? give me some ideas….

More stuff white people like…apparently.

So…we’re back at my parents after our first camping excursion as a family (of four).  First off, i should say that the concept of camping is inherently weird.  and it does, in fact, seem to be one of those things that (primarily) white people like.  it’s quite bizarre, if you think about it–driving to some artificially-gravelled enclosure with obligatory fire pit for…communing with nature?  setting things on fire (legally)?  eating crappy processed food?  having perpetually dirty feet?  listening to drunken ramblings?  screaming babies and toddlers? 

clearly, i have “issues with my issues,” as jaegen would say.  i mean, there are s’mores.

Obviously, a high point.  Lowest point: being woken from almost-sleep at 10 pm by severly distressed and bemigrained husband that i might, on his behalf, accost neighbouring campers requesting as many advil as they can spare.  Hoping that husband’s headache abates before night flight to hospital some 50 km away. oh, and i had a ‘lurker’ headache or pre-migraine myself.  sweeeeeet times.

All in all, a thoroughly educational adventure.  The digs were swell; my parents have a seriously skookum tent trailer and all the camping accoutrements (including deluxe s’smores ingredients).  We’ll know to pack drugs for grownups next time (to save jaegen from trying to gag down kids’ advil).  we’ll bring the kids’ bikes. oh, and i finally finished the Twilight books–bizarrely, i didn’t find the fourth and final book that bad.  in fact, i was sort of nostalgic for all the characters by the end. weird.  normally, as you all know, i’m such a critic.  (ladies: feel free to discuss this further with me.  it would be good if i kicked my critical faculties back into gear).

Oh, before i forget, yet another thing that white people like:  naming their houses/cabins.  all along green lake where we stayed, there were these signs proclaiming, “Bankrupt Manor,” “The Braggy Bunch”, or my favourite, “Knott Don Work Inn”.  ugh.  ever notice how you never see, “Singhs By the Sea”?  Or, “Nguyen in Rome”?  Or, “Chan’s Cove”?  Seriously dorky, people.  seriously.

Question O’ the Day:  Whatever your ethnic/religious/political/national background, what would you name your abode, were you forced to give it a title?

Oh, and the sunset…

Cariboo Time

So, you may all be wondering what we’ve been up to the last few days.  or, more probably, your summer is so chock full of delight and wonderment, that you haven’t even had time to think of us.  shame on you.  seriously, though, we are having a loverly time here. (Cue photo of idyllic countryside and bonding with maternal grandparents)

Likewise, i have discovered yet another crafty thing i may become obsessed with.  i’m thinking i want to make one-off, hand-drawn tees in weird and wonderful tattoo-esque patterns.  behold, my first attempt:

tatoo pattern kiddie

the idea is to start designing stuff boys can wear.  we’ll see where it goes.  anyhoo, this has been a cursory and totally pathetic post, but i’ve got to run.  my sisters are going to go mental with all the childminding they’ve been doing.

question o’ the day, then:  What is on the docket for the rest of your summer?  chillaxin? escaping the city?  family time?

much love to all.

p.s. vanessa, you have ruined my life with your book selections.  i am a hopelessly cranky, distracted person who just wants to be left alone to read overwrought, vampire romance fiction.   i’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!

i am in arcadia….er…cariboo country

hello, friends.

i will be posting here whenever possible over the next two weeks (it’s very helpful that my sisters’ computer is in the dining/living area).  likewise, i will be doing my best to gain lots of weight eating tasty food (prepared by my mother), which you unfortunately can’t partake in, and taking photos of all the pastoral loveliness, which you can–provided i can move my ever larger bottom over to the computer.

Question o’ the day:  what is your favourite parent-prepared dish?

some very, very, very belated milleyweddingfestextravaganza photos

i’ve just received our dvd of the photos, and have taken a rather biased selection and here proffer them for your viewing. enjoy.

i came, i saw, i got the cap

here, jaegen attempts to get edmund to model the swim cap i received for the keats-gibsons swim:

ladies and jellyspoons, boys and gorillas…

i’m back on the grid!  i have been living on an island for 4 weeks and have now finally swum to shore. kidding about the swim home part; though, i did participate in a distance swim (more on that later).

i have been partaking of the island living, and all this week, just itching to blog, i have been struggling with how to best encapsulate the experience, without boring all of you with the plethora of mundane details.  So, in the spirit of meg fowler, i have decided to give you a list (though, mine can hardly compete with her list making skillz).

Here we go!

Keats Island Happenings

4 (!) walks to Barnabas for ice cream

8 novels read (4 serious, 4 fun)

1 unknown virus and 3-day fever (Edmund)

1 windstorm in perfect sunshine preventing trip to local clinic for fever diagnosis

1 unopened correct-dosage bottle of amoxicilin for lay diagnosis of ear infection

1 trip to lonsdale clinic for unexplained rash

1 explained rash due to allergic reaction to administration of unprescribed antibiotics

1 blissful trip back to keats with now-healthy toddler, new waffle iron, and 2 new novels

1 coldest july day on record with no wellies

9 days of cabin renos

7 runs to salmon rock and back (i named the hills this time!)

2 days of unexpected (and welcome) rigolo time

2 dresses made

3 canvasses painted

5 wknds of milley madness and food consumption

1 shameful and humourous boat driving experience

2 trips to perfect Pebble Beach

200 photos and some video

1 swim from keats to gibsons (a lifelong dream)

I really could go on.  but i won’t.  instead, i’ll use up all my free memory with photos and perhaps a video.

This is just one of a series, but i think (biased as i am) that it’s a beautiful shot of a little person who only looks into the camera when growled at.

And then, there’s this guy.  not exactly what you’d call, “camera shy”.

just thought i’d record what a day of cabin renos actually looks like.  and that’s only part of the living room

this is quintessentially agatha (including trademarked hand gestures).  she and uncle martin are exhaustively cataloguing all the baddies from Super Mario Galaxy.  it took three weekends.  wow, bet he’s wondering what kind of family he married into.

storytime with mama.  another essential happening at the cabin.

much like post-bath cuddles.

here, agatha’s just a tad excited about the lollipop she’s been given (in exchange for a papercraft one-up mushroom she made for the camp).

and, this photo tells several stories not immediately apparent.  first, and most obviously, edmund loves saffron.  second, it shows that his beloved stuffed animal, Puppyia, went missing, (long story) and was graciously replaced by “new puppy” (thanks, auntie tara).  here, New Puppy is being named, “Saffrony” by an over-sugared, over-excited, post-first-ocean-swim edmund. whew. it’s hard to keep up with all the happenings in a toddler’s life.

so, i think i do have a video, but i’ll have to post it later.  for now, a question o’ the day:

what is the highlight/lowlight of your summer so far?  and ‘fess up!  i know some of you are doing some very interesting things…roadtrips…seal rehab…junk hauling….and regular things, too. and, i want to hear it all!!!