Happy 8 Months Melody.

You bring us joy

You bring us laughter

After all, what more could we ask for

Today you are 8 months old

You've come so far

As babies go you've certainly raised the bar

We love you so

And we're so happy that you're with us

Everyday with you seems like Christmas

Back from Kelowna.

The family had a great time in Kelowna visiting with Scott, Michelle, Sydney and Nolan. The weather was hot, the pool was cool and catching up with old friends is always wonderful. The new house is simply amazing and not just because they have a pool.

The kids have sure grown, Malcolm got along very well with both of them. Sydney is the sweetest little girl, she entertained Melody for countless hours, playing with her and keeping her company. Nolan was especially generous letting Malcolm play with his toys and share his books.

The sleeping situation is always unpredictable, but for the most part things worked out very well. Malcolm and Roger slept upstairs while Tracey and Melody took the basement. Both kids adapted quite well to the new environment. The sad part is Melody and Malcolm both managed to pick up the flu the last day they were there. They're both fighting coughs and fevers. Let's hope they both recover fast. In the meantime, here are some pics from the trip and their mini-photoshoot at the house.

Lunch at the A&W in Merritt:

Beautiful Sky in Kelowna:

Fire Kelowna Style:

Underwater Family Shot:

Melody Relaxing in the pool:

Leb wohl mein Freund, güte reise.

This week we had to bid farewell to our good friend Ryan, as he made his way back to Vienna. It was a week filled with good times and good laughs. It's pretty unbelievable that he and his family have been living in Austria for two years now. Here's a picture of uncle Ryan helping Malcolm walk along a beam.

Here's the shot below with the boys on his last day in Vancouver. See you next year Dr. Ryan. Next time we'll see you is Andrew stag! We all better start preparing for that doozy. Roger's started drinking more regularly to strengthen his liver for that one.

A big ball of worry, that's what kids are...

No matter how old kids get, parents tend to worry about everything along the way. First it all starts with, how they're eating, how they're sleeping, are they pooping enough, are they peeing enough, so many concerns. Unfortunately, it never stops. During this next stage, we're worried about socialization, confidence, manners, and what we're fighting with right now is what is and what is not acceptable behaviour.

It's interesting because now that Malcolm is older some of the same fears that we had when he was a baby don't really even come into consideration when it comes to Melody, and like I've said before Tracey and Roger both agree that raising a toddler is way more challenging than a the baby ever was, well Malcolm anyway. The emotional and developmental stages are so different, so much more delicate to keep in check. We constantly walk along a tightrope made of eggshells, where any slight mis-step or movement can either send the boy into unbridled laughter or at the other end of the spectrum inconsolable frustration and despair. The maddening thing is that we just don't know what we're going to get. Right now if we can keep it to one meltdown a day we consider the day a good day. Today, was not one of those days.

Nevermind terrible 2's...

It's been a rough go lately, as Roger tweeted the other day: "Reasoning with a 3 year old is an exercise in futility. Doing and saying the exact opposite of what you want is utterly exhausting."
Malcolm has been less than reasonable when it comes to doing simple things. Any number of things can set him off and his defiance to daily tasks like eating breakfast or cleaning up his toys sometimes send him into a crying and screaming rage. I think that Roger and Tracey's recent approach of working with a reward system for good behaviour has been working with some success; however, it isn't easy. We all know that Malcolm is dealing with a lot of things, the development of his brain, identity and not to mention the start of preschool. These are all stressful events at the best of times. We're all trying our best, let's just hope that things improve. I guess the most heartbreaking thing is that we know he can be so, so good. He's an articulate, energetic, intelligent and inquisitive little boy, too bad that boy leaves sometimes and we're left with an unreasonable, inconsolable, little lump.

Whew what a weekend!

We're still waiting for the warm weather to arrive, is it really July? Roger, Tracey, Malcolm, Melody, Chad, Wendy and Aaden headed over to Bowen Island on Friday. A fun time was had by all, sunny skies, a nice (albeit anti-climactic) walk, and a rather relaxing lunch at Doc Morgans. I'm not sure if the group will be heading back any time soon, but it's certainly quaint and laid back. Here are some pictures from the trip.




Here are some other pictures taken at the playground tonight. Malcolm got a new hoodie and new shoes.



Melody is cutting more teeth, two upper lateral incisors. Funny thing is that she's following exactly in her brother's footsteps.

Happy Canada Day and Happy Anniversary Obi.

It's been 5 years since Roger and Tracey made that fateful trip to Victoria. It's the one and only instance where Roger and Tracey spent the whole time in the car for the ferry ride. They wanted to make sure I was ok for the trip over. I don't remember, but they tell me that the ride was a bit traumatic. I lost my lunch two times and made a mess all over Tracey. Quite a christening it was. And to top it all off, Cleo, Tracey's then cat scratched my eye and drew blood. A mere 6 hours since I became a part of the family, I was already off to the vet for treatment. Luckily things have quieted down, and that cat is long gone, whew! The pictures are from a quick photo shoot that Roger did to mark the occasion.