Happy 18 Months Melody.

We missed Melody's 18th month milestone the other day, my apologies. She sure has come a long way. Here are some of the things she can do:

She understands sign language and signs for:
Milk, water, bath, all done, apple, strawberry, out, sleep

She's got some words, but they're not always immediately apparent:
Hi, Dad, Mom, Grandma, hat, hot, baby

She can also:
Feed herself, walk, almost run, stand on one leg, stamp her feet, jump on the trampoline, climb stairs, clap her hands, pick up very small objects with her pincher grip, give a kiss, wave hello and goodbye, give hugs and high fives, and most importantly recognize what she should and shouldn't put in her mouth. She can even shake her head no and nod her head yes. Lately, she's been shaking her head no when we ask her it's time for bed, which has been trouble. She certainly understands so many more things than we realize. Often times she picks up a scrap and heads to the garbage to throw it away. Tracey even asks her to put away her laundry and she shoves them into the appropriate drawer when asked. Well, suffice to say she growing and developing quite well. We can't wait for the word explosion to happen, but certainly she understands a whole lot of what's going on around her. Happy 18 months Melody, it has been delightful so far keep up the good work!

They did it... after 17 years the Canucks have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

It's taken 17 years for the Vancouver Canucks to reach the Stanley Cup final, we'll just have to wait and see who we are going to face from the East. It will either be the Boston Bruins or the Tampa Bay Lightning. The excitement is growing in the city and we can't wait for the next round to start.

Another weekend bites the dust.

Weekends seem to zoom by oh so quickly these days and this past one was no exception. On Saturday the family went over to uncle Andrews house and on Sunday we headed to the pool to attend a birthday party. Lucky the party ended just in time to catch the first game of the Western Final against the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks. The Canucks defeated the Sharks by a score of 3-2. Game 2 is on Wednesday.

Malcolm and Melody both were unsure in the beginning, but they took to the water like ducks soon after. Roger took the waterproof Olympus Tough 6000 along for the ride. Here are two pictures from the pool party.

Nicole in competition again.

Nicole came by the house because she was in another singing and dancing competition nearby. Here she is in her 60's outfit. She had two song and dance numbers to perform tonight. Let's wish her luck. Doesn't she look great?

Here's our other performer, not quite ready for the stage yet:

17 long years since our last trip to the Western Final!

We did it, finally made it to round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We'll have to find out who we face either the Wings of Detroit or the Sharks of San Jose. All the games have been so stressful, it's funny to read on Twitter and FB all the comments about ulcers and stress watching the Canucks. Anyway no matter who we face we have to get to the final, it is our destiny. Here's a picture of Asia and Malcolm taking in the game against Nashville. They both have no choice in growing up as Canuck fans.

Despite a disruptive night....

Well the kids did seem better today, maybe it was the sunshine, maybe it was the opportunity to run outside, who knows. Coughs are still hanging around, but as mentioned previously we hope things won't get any worse. We all went out to Trout Lake today to walk around and enjoy the good weather, even me... whoo hoo! It's been a while since we've gone out as a whole family on an outing. Too bad that the weather is turning sour starting tomorrow, we certainly enjoyed the warm temperatures we had today. Melody sure liked the swing, just like her brother.

Colds again, argh!

Sad to report that the kids are sick again, coughs, runny noses, and less than happy attitudes. It sure has been quite a bad year with respect to colds, it just seems to rotate around. We're hoping that it won't get any worse for either of them. The picture above was taken on Friday, Daddy day. Roger takes Fridays off to take care of Melody. Here she is enjoying her lunch: soba noodles, smoked salmon, muffin, apples and her milk. We're pretty lucky she eats almost everything; however, she's been off of some of her greens lately. If only Malcolm would eat as well as she does, we'd have less issues with meal times.

Egg hunts and etc...

It was a pretty busy weekend as always... finally we had some dry weather to go and play outside. On Saturday the family went down to the Coal Harbour Community Centre to take part in a big Easter Egg Hunt. Fun was had by all, especially Malcolm, Melody and Aaden. They had face-painting, a giant bouncy house, toys, crafts and even some rabbits/bunnies on hand for petting. On Sunday, Roger even got out to cut the grass for the first time this season. It was cute to see Malcolm going over the lawn with his bubble mower pretending to cut the grass. Roger's just waiting until he's old enough to do it for real.

Also, we're happy to celebrate the Canuck's third win in a row, one more and they're on to the next round. Here are some pictures from the Easter Egg Hunt:

Uh oh, not again.

So I think we're in for another round of colds at the house. Poor Grandma has been sick for over two weeks with a sore throat and other cold symptoms. It's tough when the kids get sick, they're cranky, don't sleep well and it drains energy from the house. From the looks of things, it's going to be a bit milder than before so I guess for that we should be thankful.

In other news, Nicole took first prize in her category at the PEAK Invitational Dance Competition on the weekend. She did so awesome, she sang and danced her little heart out. She was sure swell.

Roger's back.

Roger was away on business for four days and we're all relieved he's back now. It's definitely a lot of work taking care of all the household duties alone, but luckily things went off without a hitch. Tracey did great taking care of the whole family.

Malcolm's digestive issues are still wreaking havoc with things still. When he has to go, it affects his mood, energy and attitude. We're all hoping he'll grow out of it soon. For the most part, it's probably tied to his diet. He eats a lot of carbs, dairy, and not so many vegetables and fiber.

The family did their annual trek to the Vancouver International Car Show, this year for the first time it was being held at the new convention centre. It's a beautiful building.

The boy is growing up...

Roger and Tracey had their first parent/teacher conference last week. The meeting went very well, Malcolm's teachers went on and on about how far he's come since he first started. He's gained confidence, his independence has increased and most of all he's shown that he's a compassionate little boy that really cares about others. They specifically mentioned that he's the first to rush to someone's aid if they get hurt. He often runs to the freezer to give them some ice. It's really heart-warming to know that Malcolm is exhibiting such exemplary behaviour. We are all so very proud of him. His transition to full-day kindergarten in the fall should be very smooth. Way to go Malcolm, you're doing great.

Super moon or not, we're not used to seeing this...

So we just went a week battling Malcolm's fever and cough and now it looks like Melody's got the same thing. Luckily, it's no where near as severe, but it certainly hasn't been any cake walk. Her fever, cough, lack of appetite and now broken sleep has certainly evaporated any good mood she's had the last few days. We managed to get out this weekend despite both kids being under the weather. Here are some pictures from the weekend, including Roger's version of the Supermoon.

Happy Birthday to me, I'm 6 today.

Many things have changed in 6 years, looking back on it all there's a lot that went on most notably, we added two more family members and even saw a few pass away. I guess that's the nature of one's life, a culmination of experiences and moments we share together with different people. As time goes on, some of the strangers we meet become friends and some of the friends we have turn into strangers. In the wake of the Japanese earthquake tragedy, it makes you realize how fragile it can all be. We are absolutely lucky to have what we have and now more than ever it's time to reflect and be thankful. I love my family and I know my family loves me. What more could I ask for on my birthday than that.

Here's my birthday photo and some taken this week at Grandpa Harry's store. It's the first time Melody was there since she's learned to walk, although she played strange at first she quickly got the lay of the land and got acquainted with all the merchandise in the store.



P.S. We really hope Malcolm feels better soon. He's got an awful flu right now with a relentless cough and high fever.

Malcolm last ice skating class...

Whoa, it sure did go by fast. Malcolm made some really great improvements this winter. He's gone from literally not being able to stand, to being able to stand and walk unassisted (even glide a bit on his own). Hats off to Rick his instructor. Here are some pictures from his last lesson. 

Melody has been good, she's been such a happy little girl. She sure does have some funny habits though. Many times throughout the day she'll go to her closet and pull down her jacket and hat to put on. She's also got something for shoes, she loves playing with them and carrying them around the house. It's sure been fun with her, watching her grow and soon she'll be able to talk!

Happy 15 months Melody.

Wow 15 months already. Melody sure has come a long way. She measures 30" in height, weighs 24lbs and has a head circumference of 19". Growth percentiles have been leveling out, she's basically in the 50th percentile (except for head size, she's in the 75th in that category, just like her brother was).

She's been walking for quite a while now and has some awesome dexterity. Tracey believes it has to do will the baby-led weaning as she's been feeding herself since she was 6 months old. Annoyingly she can also pull off the electrical safety covers off of the outlets, cheeky monkey. One of the best things about her little pincher grip is that she can pick up every small speck, dust ball, or bit of paper off of the ground and feverishly comes and gives it to Roger or Tracey to dispose of, quite fascinating really, most kids would just eat it.

I'm not sure if babies can have shoe fetishes, but Melody sure loves shoes. She can't get enough of them whether they are her own or not. Words aren't coming fast and furious yet, but she sure understands a whole lot. It's cute to see her put electronic devices to her ear and pretend to say hello. So adorable to watch her put all sorts of hats on her head and say, "Hhaa". She also been using a few signs like milk, more, and waving bye-bye anytime someone puts on their jacket.

Happy 15 months Melody, you've been a dream. Keep up the good work.

Snowy weekend in Vancouver - New Westminster

We had a pretty snowy weekend on Saturday and Sunday. The whole family went for a walk to the park to take in all the wonderful white. Malcolm had great fun at the playground going down the slides. See the videos below. Incidentally, all the photos and video below were taken with Roger's iPhone.

Happy Belated Birthday to our friend Wendy.

Happy Birthday to you

We all love your super doo

You're such a good friend

We hope that will never end

You kindness see no bounds

It really quite astounds

You are simply the best

Head and shoulders above the rest

Happy Birthday Papa Mel.

We had a surprise party for Papa Mel on Saturday, boy was he surprised. Malcolm did his best to keep things a secret. Almost 50 friends and family attended the event. Now what to do with all those left-overs.

Roger asked Mel what the most memorable moment has been in his eighty years and he said it was the day he got married. Next year will mark 60 years of marriage for them, amazing.

A couple of firsts for Malcolm.

On Sunday, Roger and Tracey took Malcolm to see his first movie at the movie theatre. All in all, it went well but he was a little scared during some of the scenes. They went to see Tangled, Disney's adaptation of the classic story of Rapunzel. He ate two bowls of popcorn, drank his apple juice and sat through pretty much the whole movie without uttering a peep. I don't think Malcolm will all of a sudden want to see more movies, but he did say he might want to see Cars 2, in June.
Also, as you can see from the pictures above Malcolm got to see his very first NHL hockey game. Grandpa Harry got some free tickets to a luxury box and Malcolm and Roger went to the game. They ate Pizza, Churros, Chicken Strips, Popcorn, Dibs, and drank Cranberry Cocktail and Orange juice till their hearts were content. Malcolm was a little scared from all the noise when the Canucks scored, but he soon got used to it and cheered along with the rest of the crowd quite willingly. Suffice to say, he fell right asleep as soon as they got home, which was 2 hours past his regular bedtime. Final score, Canucks 4, Ottawa 2. Thanks Grandpa Harry. Here's a link to some more pictures.

Life in balance...

No one ever said that raising kids was easy and to those of you who think it is, here's the reality:
-Scheduling, without it things fall apart (Reality = things sometime fall apart anyway no matter how hard you try)
-Plan, plan, plan (Reality = kids are unpredictable no matter how well you plan)
-Sure parenthood is rewarding, but sometimes it can also bring the lowest of lows
-There's simply not enough time in the day to do everything
-Sometimes you feel like whatever you do, it doesn't change anything
-You cannot rationalize with kids who don't quite grasp concepts like "being late".
-Some things are simply beyond your control no matter how hard you try and force it
Suffice to say, although Tracey and Roger appreciate all that they have with respect to Malcolm and Melody, it doesn't mean that they sometimes wish that life could be easier. They do their very best to make sure both kids are safe, loved, fed, encouraged, and nurtured... too bad the nuances of each of those activities can be so complex and taxing. Malcolm is at an age now where he is inquisitive, eloquent, and even charming; however, with these traits also come things like unbelievably stubborn, at times manic, and irrational. Tracey and Roger both await the day where life is simpler, less hectic, and peaceful. Is that asking too much?

Here are some pictures from Tracey's birthday dinner at Memphis Blues. It was a meat-fest!.