Tabitha

Not much longer I can call this one "almost as tall as Dad" I suspect....

Kelly

This kikei's dream of drinking straight from the coconut has come true! Only had one sip, but, the dream....the dream has been fulfilled. Aloha.

 

 

Helen

Here, this... 

this is one of those evenings where my heart is filled to the brim with gratitude for this craziness and wonderfulness that Adrian and I share. 

Amidst all those bumps... this:)

Shannon

This boy can not get enough hockey! This weekend the Canucks came to play. His dad found out when they were practicing. They were able to get up close and watch. A stray puck was collected to be treasured forever! And then he hit the ice in his own game and was the only goal scorer. It's these moments when passions meet mentors that dreams really do come true.

Shannon

When you can negotiate a massage while watching a fave show, life becomes sweeter. This week has been all about negotiations . My lesson is to step back, a fair deal looks different to each individual. And the skills are theirs to be owned. 

Tabitha

 

 We walked on this sunny day to get grapes for one and hot chocolate for the other.  Offers to share the hot chocolate were declined; when you want a grape I guess that's all you need.

Kelly

 

When your 6 year old needs a Jason Voorhees minifig, you make that shit happen.

 

 

 

Helen

We're not traveling to distant lands right now.  In the meantime we're getting our "cultural infusion" at home.

Haruka kindly made mitarashi dango and the test audience loved it.  However, henceforth it will be known as "washi jungle" courtesy of the blonde.

Helen

  All we needed this week:

Cake pop armour.

(With thanks to Gillian et al. They were delicious.)

Shannon

 

This boy dressed himself to take me on a hot date. Time with just the two of us. These are the moments when I can see him more fully as the person he knows he is.

 

 

 

Tabitha

Today, while my eldest went to a protest to protect the environment
with his grandmother, my youngest had a playdate via Skype.  I mean an
active playdate.  Two boys (or is that power rangers?), 4000
kilometres away from each other, jumping on the bed and saving the
world (they might need to get their passports).

 

 

Kelly

 My Dad is a talented artist, though he would never agree with me. I love drawing. So this day of drawing with my Dad and kids was special. We had fun and the generation gap closed for the afternoon.

January 06, 2013

Kelly

An artist is born! 

After 7 years of zero interest in picking up a pencil, this boy is creating up to 30 artist trading cards a day. Here he is with a day's worth of artwork, posing alongside Fat Cat, a new friend he was gifted this week.

Helen

Today I was offered help to make supper by the tallest one "because it would be fun,"

and the middler emptied the dishwasher because he saw it needed to be done.

The girl made hot drinks "because they would be perfect" after the walk.

I remembered the advice that I should "make them help"

and thought that though i do ask sometimes,

they offer when they feel free to do so.

Shannon

17 days on the road filled with friendship and laughter. They remind me that friendship isn't necessarily an everyday sort of thing. It's more like a right now in the moment sort of treasure to be visit whenever possible.

Tabitha

This stunning Lego creation consists of a water blaster, a fire shooter, a water tank, and (perhaps obviously) a bowl of soup.  Blast off!