Merry Christmas!

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" 2 Cor. 9:15

Canadian Thanksgiving

We have been wanting to go to Canada, so we thought, why not Thanksgiving?

We left Thanksgiving morning.  It was a breeze.  No one was in our way.  Everyone in Canada was working so everything was open, yet not many customers.  Fabulous.  Our kids ran like wild banshees and we only got dirty looks like we were rude Americans.

First we checked out the Capilano suspension bridge, or otherwise known as the "shake shake bridge".  For R's reading pleasure, each steel cable can withstand 100,000 lbs of force.  It replaced a hemp rope cable that, amazingly, when tested once removed, withstood 100,000 lbs of force.  The steel cable was replaced sometime after world war II, but the hemp rope was placed there in the early 1900's.  My favorite part of this park was the cliff walk.  They made a board walk along a cliff that was set up so you feel like you have jumped off the edge of the cliff and are floating right before you hit the ground.  I kept feeling like all of my children walking in front of me were about to fall to their deaths.  They had no problem walking around or leaning on the metal mesh railings while my stomach dropped every time they would lean on the mesh.

T and W had a different favorite part.  The miniature "shake shake bridges".  Essentially these were six bridges roughly in the shape of a hexagon up the side of fir trees.  An adult sized treehouse!  I didn't read the signs until after we got done about how parents are responsible for keeping their children from running until we got down.  I was wondering why the other kids weren't having nearly as much fun as ours..... But we had fun.

Jeremy was there for the food.  We pigged out on schnitzel, teriyaki noodles, dim sum and warm soup.  T and w also enjoyed their meal bar breakfasts and......... the chocolate turkey.

Instead of cooking a turkey we ate chocolate turkeys from Sees.  Sweetest one I've ever had.  Plenty of juice oozing out of their mouths as they ate it big mouthfuls at a time.  Tucker downed the entire thing in about 5 minutes.  I had turned around to help Ethan with something.  When I looked again, all that was left of Tucker's chocolate turkey was the front part of the claws.  I told him it's ok, that he didn't have to eat it all and could save it for later.  He looked at it and said.  "oh yeah.  I'm full.  I'll save it for later"  Whitney had eaten half and commented that she was "feeling full".  I bet. 

Tucker called the hotel room the "quiet place".  It might be because after all that turkey, he felt like bouncing off the walls.  Who's idea was that??!!  Jeremy was trying to keep them settled down and quiet so Ethan could sleep.  There was no pool in the hotel like Mommy was planning on to swim in during Ethan's early bedtime.  Oops.  The next morning, though, we found a ball pit in the shopping area downstairs.  Major bummer.  Had I known it was there, we would have hung out there so Ethan could sleep.  Oh well.  We spent the entire next morning there, once it was discovered.

Although I'm not sure why we were worried about Ethan sleeping.  He doesn't sleep in public.  Apparently hotel rooms count as public places.  He fell asleep around 7 pm after having three 1/2 hour naps all day long.  Then he screamed from 8 until 10.  Whitney was the only one that could sleep through that.  The rest of us were up until 10, including Tucker.

The end result of our Thanksgiving tree.  The pictures below are just close ups for me to remember what kind of stuff they chose to put up

Best pic we have of how long this bridge is.  It is up probably about 160 feet above a river canyon.  We could see a few straggling salmon coming up the river.  They were about the size of our pinkie nail, if that helps with how high up it is.  Or two full grow firs, about 80 feet in height at full maturity

They were on a log over a pond that they made into a bridge/path over the water and balancing on the log in a safe manner

Papa taking pictures of wildlife.  We then saw this same bird at the aquarium the next day

Thanksgiving night.  They had fun bouncing from the cot to the bed and generally checking out the new room to sleep in.  There was also a balcony and we could see a bridge lit up as well as the ferry dock from the balcony. We braved the cold to snuggle together and watch it all. 

After the ball pit the next day, we went to the aquarium.  The Vancouver aquarium is definitely worth going to.  Especially when all the kids are free admission.  One of the benefits of having twins.  That place was comparible to the the Monterey Bay aquarium.  We spent hours and hours just looking at the first five tanks.  We also had fun watching the sea turtle and the sting ray for a long time.  Daddy and Mommy were interested in the Beluga whales and the dophins, but the big kids especially liked the moving lights, the strawberry anenomes and the blue starfish.  They were having a jellyfish month. I was in heaven.  I love looking at them and there was exhibit after exhibit to look at them.

After the aquarium we had the fastest yummiest dinner as all the kids had had it with being good in public looking at stuff for two days straight.  One last restaurant was about the last of it.  All in all we had a blast.

The park had set up this picture frame thing you could take pictures in. T wanted his picture in this frame.  I put in all of the pics we have of him in this frame because each one is a very real facial expression I regularly see on his face everyday, actually captured in a photo

T giving the fish a leaf.  He was pretty smart about this. He asked if he could throw in a leaf because "a leaf won't hurt the fish, Mom"

one of three of E's snuggle naps

Accidently disobeying the rules.  I was encouraging it unknowingly

my favorite part.  This is also where J saw a bald eagle flying below us to capture some of the salmon in the river

a purple tree for W!

This light moved slowly on the floor.  They spent a lot of time chasing it

This was a tiny area that they could just fit into to look up at the fish

at the end of running on one of the shake shake bridges

best view of these adult sized tree houses 2-3 stories up off the ground

walking on the log and looking at the fish

proof all three kids were on this trip.  I'm squatting down because to stand up this close to the plexiglass made me feel like falling

This must be what it is like to walk the plank. I did ok and then stopped short about 3 feet from the edge.  W and T helping me get to the end.  You can see through the grate we were standing on

balcony snuggle at hotel room

in the cubbyhole viewing area

balcony snuggle with the tree on top of the building in the background

amused with the glass coffee table.  Poor maid

t being a meow meow and excited about where he was sleeping that night

W and T jumping from W's bed to our bed, just getting it all ready

Nemo lives.  What aquarium can't have a clown fish display these days?

Dori too!

J took a long time to get the shot of front and back of them with the turtle



With their favorite pink display

first exhibit.  Spent about 10 minutes alone here looking at blue starfish and pink anenomes

E nap!

Turtle observing children

some of my favorite jellyfish

toddler memories

Almost all of us

On the favorite play structure

Checking out the display salmon eggs on the bridge

Favorite play structure

Scenery shot of J's  This is the night we "chased the moon"

Scenery shot of J's

Look at the size of the fish here!

Salmon action shot

W is on the left in the background.  At the state fair

T on "fire" with his "party hat on"  This is obviously a very old picture

riding the bike downhill

Pandas in the tree

E's current most common pose

This is what T did with the origami paper.  He LOVES using this thing

Playing with pandas from papa's trip

Just playing with pandas

T being cute

Narita Japan.  It inspired J to bring home origami paper for the kids

W!  Just kidding, but not too far off

Great Wall

Great Wall

Tiniman square

Something is wrong with J's liver.....

W's favorite pic from Bangkok

kyoto

kyoto

kyoto bamboo forest

kyoto

Kyoto monkey park.  W and T. W on left!

E!

"I LOVE this thing!"

Another very common view of E at the moment eating a burp cloth

Pandas eating mango mochi ice cream in their tree

first sink bath

T eating apple pie dough and sugar apples while making a fabulous pie with J

scenery shot of J.  Yes, this is a local pic in the fall

The tree in our yard

W in the same tree

W popping out of the top of the tree and telling me about the beautiful leaves she found.  These later became hair bows for mop

T in dump.  I believe there is a pic just like this of Uncle R

Posing for mommy's photo shoot

It always surprised me how they randomly remember things. I guess it isn't random.  It is something they remember because it was something they like or was traumatic or whatever.  I had a discussion with my mom about when certain things that I vaguely remember happening.  She said most of those things were when I was about 3 or 3 1/2.  It will be interesting to see what Tucker and Whitney remember.

I have a friend that watched them this past week.  It is one of my friends, not theirs, just remember.  When I told them who was coming to watch them, they remembered her and were not at all concerned about whether or not I was staying or leaving.  They apparently had a blast with her.  The other day they asked about her in their list of friends:  "Are Joe and Aisley coming over?  Sister Black?  Jake the King?  Milli?"  Wow.  She hit the friend list.  I was trying to figure out why they would remember her, but she thinks it's because she gave them sticky rice when we ate dinner together and showed them how to stick it together and eat it with their fingers.  They really like sticky rice.  It's a bit like candy the way it was prepared.  Oh yeah.....

Another thing that they noticed and remembered was the bracelet they wore "to get into the balloon party".  They had to have a bracelet with my phone number on it to go to Wiggle Works.  So now that has been incorporated into play.  You have to have a bracelet to play with wild balloons.

They remember who bought them what presents.  I heard them mentioning Grandma in the Attic during their play, so I paid attention to what they were playing.  It's been awhile since they have seen that Grandma.  I guess they were playing something with Woof Woof and Meow Meow, and mentioning how she was the one that gave them those stuffed animals.  Crazy!

They also remember that they got candy when they were dressed up as Thing One and Thing Two.  I think they are also realizing their birthday is coming soon.  Here is what a very frequent conversation goes "What are you going to be for Halloween?"  Stare.  Then, if one of them is brave enough, usually Tucker, they explain that they need to be "three for Halloween, then four".  I'm guessing he knows that his birthday is after Halloween.  When Jeremy first asked them what they wanted to be for Halloween, he got a long, long stare from both of them.  Tucker said "Thing 2".  Because, according to his memory, you don't get candy wearing any other outfit.  And you don't want to miss out on candy.  When I pulled out their Halloween bags, they already had nicknames that they both automatically knew and must have given them last year without me understanding them.  Candy and Ghosty.

With practice Tucker can navigate the "what are you going to be for Halloween" question with anyone and Whitney, with people she knows.  Tucker is a lollypop, Whitney is a cupcake, Mommy is a leaf, and Ethan is the very hungry caterpillar.  It took forever for me to get a hold of a copy of the book from library, but Whitney was the most excited about checking out.  We have read it every night in preparation for the big night.  Whitney says each family member name when I that item in the book.  It is very cute how excited she it.  Only problem with this costume is that it makes zero sense unless Ethan is with us.  We are his accessories.  But we love being his accessories.

Tucker calls candy "trick or treats" at the moment.  I gave him a bite of candy today and he said "Mom, you shared your trick or treat with me".

We tried flying a kite.  It didn't work out so well.  It was barely windy enough to catch it and i had to run a bunch, but I couldn't run with Ethan, so I left him sitting in his stroller.  That meant I had to keep turning around to keep him in sight.  That doesn't work so well.  Oh well.  The park had better entertainment.  The vine maples here have huge leaves usually the size of our hands and bigger.  They also suddenly drop their leaves.  Like in 3 days time.  These trees are easily 4 stories high.  So the leaf pile we walked through on the path today made a ton of noise.  All the kids liked it and laughed as we walked through a pile that we had to shout at each other to hear each other talk.  The other great thing about this park is that is has a skate park that isn't in use in the middle of the day.  Tucker loves that place.  He likes to ride his bike on it.  Whitney likes to run around on it and bring different toys, but doesn't like riding her bike on it as much.  She brought wagon there to pretend to be Percy.  Tucker worked and worked until he figured out how to get up the biggest incline by starting from another incline and pedaling down it really fast to get up the next one.  I did not teach that to him.  It must be common boy knowledge, this skill.  Finding things that are fun (and sometimes almost kill you) purely because you are working at the maximum edge of your physical abilities.  Like Jeremy and hiking a canyon with a torn ACL and medial meniscus.  No worries.  I have no intention of doing his rehab.

I showed them how to take a picture with the camera. They like practicing.  They do pretty ok with vigilant supervision.  I have included some pictures of their choosing and taking.  I didn't help them at all except for the part about not dropping the camera.

We have a buck that is hanging out in the neighborhood this year.  I think it was the baby that we had last summer.  Haven't seen him except for the past couple of days, but it is pretty cool to see a deer with a rack on it's head.

Ethan finally figured out how to roll to the left.  Hallelujah.  He likes to roll to the left from his stomach to back to stomach without stopping.  I think he is liking the mobility.  He likes to practice at least 1/2 hour 4 times a day.  He also has taken up laughing with great joy when we toss him in the air.  We like to practice this with him at least 5 minutes 4 times a day.  He seems to be a lot more purposeful in his reaching.  He seems to look at something and want to grab it and get it about 75% of the time now.  He likes books and blankets.  Probably because these are things his siblings like and don't particularly like sharing with him.  I've had to already start teaching him that those things are not for sliming up with his "germs on his hands".  Today Tucker was turning off his time out timer on the microwave.  Tucker wanted to know how to get the number 34 on the display, so I was showing him, but Ethan was also very enthralled and paying very close attention.  I have a feeling that even though there is one of him, he will be a more normal child as far as getting into things he is not ready to get into goes.  He spends lots of time already doing those things and being very, very interested in getting mobile to reach them.

There were a few sweet moments with Tucker and his siblings.  Today Tucker was with me when we went to get Ethan out of his crib.  Ethan woke up all smiles and was grinning and moving his whole body at the sight of Tucker.  I told Tucker that he cheers Ethan up and Tucker said "It cheers me up to see Ethan, too."  Ooohhh! 

Tucker has starting pummelling Whitney lately.  She likes to tell him how to play with his toys and he gets mad.  And hits really hard.  I'm not sure how to handle it of late because if I say, go to time out, he gets up and gets as many hard, hard hits on her as he can on the way over.  Time out doesn't work too well.  So today I decided to hold his hands when he starts hitting.   All that did was make him cry.  Since he can't express his emotion through hitting, he had to cry or talk it out.  We talked about how that time Whitney accidentally let go of the slinky and it wasn't on purpose when it flung back and hit him.  I asked if he wanted a kiss from Whitney.  He said yes.  She said that she would give him two kisses.  They were so kind and cute.  But then as the day wore on, expressing his emotions with words was just way too much for him and he couldn't do it.  I think I either need to enroll him in sports or get a punching bag for him.

He can also be very loving and kind with Woof Woof.  He told Woof Woof the other day: "Woof!  You are sooo cuuute" with such a loving and tender voice. 

Here's a few things they frequently say.  Some of them don't make a lot of sense.  "baking powder".  When they play with the dishes while I'm washing them, they call the bubbles their baking powder.  "heavy pine cone".  I'm not sure why they say this, either.  Tucker is usually referred to as heavy pine cone.  They use the term when someone or something is too heavy.  I think it is like a pine cone that pulls down a branch?  but I'm not really sure and don't really get it.

Whitney came in crying today, not wanting to play outside because "Tucker says he's not Tucker!  Aaagghh!"  It cracks me up and annoys me a bit.  When Mina comes home from work, she often greets Tucker and Whitney.  Tucker tells her " I'm not Tucker, I'm Panda!" or "I'm not Tucker, I'm Woof Woof!"  Ok Tucker.  Whatever you say.  Mina just thinks she doesn't understand him because her English isn't too good, but it's really because it makes very little sense to others.

Tucker has moved on from only wearing red shirts.  He still prefers them first, but he will also chose shirts that have any black and white on them as that means he is "Panda" that day.  He also likes some of the grey sweat shirts because he can be "Spencer" that day.  Most of his blue shirts are not Thomas blue in color, so he waits until all the other shirts are dirty before wearing those.  He also has taken to asking for a white shirt.  He got tee shirts to wear under his shirts.  He likes it because it means he's big like Papa.

I hung a shelf.  That was exciting.  We used Daddy's stud finder.  They can use that tool like an expert.  It also prompted them to find their hammers to help me hammer the nails in.

This week their choices at the grocery store were as follows.  A Hello Kitty treat.  Marshmallows with strawberry flavor on the inside.  The other one was a pomegranate.  They love both.  Whitney picked out both, but once Whitney made a selection, Tucker wanted one, too.

Whitney prefers not to eat oatmeal.  They also are trying to learn the names of different meal times, but to them it is just a time to eat.  They call it snack, breakfast, lunch, dinner.  Whatever guess they think the meal is.  When I was making oatmeal for breakfast one morning, Whitney asked what I was making and was very disappointed.  She exclaimed "Mom!  I wanted grill cheese for this lunch!"  Tucker asked in perfect Spanglish for avena squares after his avena.

I have been rotating our 72 hour kits.  That has been a hit.  I decided to put in Balance bars, a kind of protein bar, as their food.  They finally have expired.  I think Whitney and Tucker want the next batch to expire soon.  They love eating those things.  I've been letting them eat them for snacks at the park on the random sunny days we've had.  I've been telling them which ones are Grandpa's favorites.  The first time I let them have one, Tucker downed it in 5 bites, about 5 seconds.  He wanted more, of course.  Whitney tells me "this is what we will eat if we have to leave our house quickly".  Yep. I'm thinking she would enjoy that part of an emergency.  I might need to reconsider how many I thought would be enough for three days.  Tucker wants about double of what I think he needs.  Yet another thing to look forward to visiting grandparents.  Meal bars for dinner!!!  Yeah!!!  Great idea!!

Jeremy was watching nature videos about killer whales the other day.  Apparently there is a place in Patagonia where the whales eat the seals off the beach.  People can stand on the beach and watch these huge whales up pretty close.  Tucker and Whitney liked the show, too.  Jeremy tried skipping the parts about eating the seals, but they didn't seem to be at all concerned about it when he didn't quite skip far enough.  Now Papa has new shows he watches with them instead of just Dora and Thomas.  Nature shows. 

We were reading a book that has a picture of a meal set at a table.  Tucker pointed to the napkin and said "that napkin is there in case our lips get soggy".

I battle a little bit with not going to the playground on a beautiful dry and sunny day at this point of the year.  However, I needed to get some yard work done that would be so much easier to do if it didn't get wet.  So I felt a bit guilty when Whitney asked to go to the playground because it was sunny.  It turned out better than I thought.  I told her we needed to work and we did the work together.  We were removing moss from the rocks.  I removed it and they threw it in the trash can with "scoop".  We had a lot of fun together.  It reminded me that we need to have fun together as a family working and playing and that the goal really is to have doing stuff together.  I knew this time it worked because at night when I asked Whitney what she enjoyed that day she said she "liked working for Mommy".  When we finished getting up the moss she also said "I will work for you so you can have time to read more books".  I don't mind reading books for her help!  Anyone that might read this must know that this is one random successful time after many, many not as rewarding times.

Ethan likes to run his hand over my shirts when he is eating.  Whitney noticed him doing it one day and pointed out "Mom!  He likes feeling sheets like me!".  Yep.  Must be siblings, those two.

We went looking for signs of fall.  I asked them what they could see that tells them it is fall.  Whitney picked up a red leaf and said " I found this leaf that tells me it's fall!"  Tucker kept walking.  He did find us tons and tons of mushrooms.  I guess fall is the time of year for mushrooms.  It amazes me how well Tucker can find them.  He is good at spotting them when at first glance I don't see them.  It reminds me of Scott's ability to spot frogs.

Tucker gets major helmet hair after riding his bike.  The first time I fixed his helmet hair, I rubbed it out.  Now he takes off his helmet, laughs, exclaims "helmet hair!" and rubs it out himself.
 
I asked Whitney after Joe and Aisley had been over if Whitney had fun.  She looked at me with that serious stare of hers and pronounced "I like playing with Aisley".  Blue Chalk was not mentioned.  I think she was remembering when just Aisley came over to play and how we had a blast having a girls day together.

Ethan, on the other hand, really likes playing with them both.  Joe and Aisley really like babies apparently.  They had so much fun playing with Ethan and making him laugh.  They rolled Ethan over and over working together to do it gently and Ethan shrieked with laughter.

Ethan is getting better and better at slurping down rice cereal.  Sometimes I think it is too much work, but when he is hungry it works very nicely.  He finally figured out how to open his mouth.  That was the hard part.  Getting him to just open his mouth without having to get the spoon in before his fingers.  Good thing because he doesn't get enough calories in the day apparently and has started waking up starving once or twice at night.  Definitely need to figure out how to get back out of that habit of a newborn. 

Tucker and Whitney's new game using the tents mimics their day.  They line up the three big tents.  I'm in the first one, Tucker's in the next and Whitney is in the last.  Just like in the car.  Tucker helps me put in a CD, then calls out the different numbers to me to push the button and starts singing the appropriate song.  We really need a new CD of kid music.  They also asked if I wanted to watch Curious George.  That is the one that is in the DVD player in the van.  I keep forgetting to take it out.  One time they got to watch Curious George in the Safeway parking lot so I could feed Ethan after a longer than anticipated shopping trip.  They are really good at helping me find the groceries, but it takes a bit longer to do it that way.

One of the tents has holes for bean bags.  We have yet to play with it that way.  Tucker used it to give me a ticket to go on a train ride with Grandma. 

Tucker has a big wheel truck that also doubles as hair clippers.  He used it to give me a "hair cut".  He mimics my hair cutting strategies so perfectly.  He asked me if it tickled too much when he went around my ears.  He also said " let me check" which is what I say to him when I need to get the last bits of uneven hair on his neckline that he never likes to have me cut.  He always shrugs his shoulders. And lastly, he ran and got me a lolly pop, because that is what he gets when his hair cut is over.  It was a big plastic bead and he stuck it in my mouth to "suck" on.

I think they grew.  Either that or they got a bit more adventurous.  There are some more branches that got "pruned" on the rhody bush.  I had to get in there and finish pruning the branches so it was a smooth cut.  Whitney was in heaven.  A bird nest!  Her size!  And even big enough for "her bird" (Tucker) to have a nest right next to hers on the driveway.  Yeah, those branches do wrap funny to make a bird nest.  Dump was really helpful after that, too.  He loaded up the leaves and dumped them into the trash can.  Creaky Cranky (mommy) helped lift him to dump it in.

Here are some things I hope they remember, but they are still really young.  We had our first big kid dates with parents.  I got to spend time with just Whitney and Jeremy was with Tucker.  I'm not really sure the boys have fun.  I got the usual short answer from Jeremy, Yeah.  Tucker told me all about his frog umbrella and not much else.  But Whitney and I, well I had a blast and I think she did, too.  I had no idea how fun it is to have one child.  We went to the Kid's Museum together.  When we got there, we did a little shopping.  I let her pick out some items.  She picked an ice cream hair clip and this foam play dough type stuff that she loves.  Next we played.  Just us.  I didn't realize how snuggly she is.  She usually defers to her brothers all the time.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe because she knows they need snuggles more or something.  When we were playing and sitting, she sat in my lap.  She gave me a few Mommy snuggles and said "my mommy!" a few times, too.  We played with the salmon fillet toy in the kitchen in the tree house, trains, built a house out of big blocks that she could sit in, looked through colored plastic toys at the lights to see what colors they were, looked at the fish, looked through the microscope, looked at the What Do People Do All Day book at the page that is ripped in our version, made monsters and just plain enjoyed each other's company.  She has started asking me "what did your mommy do when you were little?" or "what did you do when you were a baby" questions and she asked me some of those. We topped it off with a visit to the frozen yogurt bar.  I think she didn't want the time to end because this is the first time that I've really had a hard time to get her to leave a place.  She is usually pretty good about doing it the first or second time I ask her.

When we got home and Tucker was gone, we built a city with blocks around the tape road I made in the playroom, finished a puzzle, played with her new toy, made bread and snuggled some more.

Tucker went with Papa to the Kid Museum, too.  They left around lunch, so they went to lunch together.  Papa made his dream come true.  They went to Panda Express.  There were pandas everywhere!  Just what he is paying attention to now!  Jeremy said they played with the trains quite a bit.  He also said he kind of lost track of Tucker for a little, but Tucker didn't panic, although he went looking for him.  I guess Jeremy didn't realize that the tree house had a back exit.  They came back with the frog umbrella Tucker has been looking forward to plus more toys.  Jeremy apparently loves that place, too.