Port Alberni Day Trip

 

Jeffington

 This post is funny but gross.  Fair warning.  Jia likes all seafood.  I do not.  Actually to my dismay, Eric and all five kids love seafood. I request that the family cook it when I'm not there. So in the middle of the night the following was just gross. Letting the kids be who they're going to be is hard sometimes ;)

Texts at 2:30 am with Jia.

Jia: baby crab in my mussels

Me: I don't even know what to think of that.

Me: Are you facinated? Repulsed? Intrigued?

Me: Did you eat the mussels? Did you eat the crab? How did you cook them?

Jia: i boiled them

Jia: they were good but i could've made a different sauce and pan cooked them to make them even better

Jia: i haven’t eaten the crab yet, i'm saving it for last

Me: Omg

Me: That tiny thing isn't food is it?  Isn't there a shell?

Jia: oh, yes theres a shell

Jia: it's very fragile but crunchy

Me: My tummy rolled over at the thought.

Jia: what should I name it?

Me: I don't think we need to name dead things.

Jia: caleb said jeffington

Me: Always interesting chatting with you.

Rathtrevor

Today was long.  It was complicated with a lot of moving parts.  We did it though!  We're here.  Eric met us at the mall for dinner after helping friends with a cement pour. He got both units parked in our site and set both of them up before he left. On to Lili's to pick up her little fridge she doesn't need in her apartment.

We all just stayed out of his way while he did the set up for both units.

Our set up for four nights.

Carpet between the units so we can go barefoot.

No fire set up this trip.  Early in for snacks and movies.

Mom is having fun aquainting herself with all things Cheese ;)

Oh, and Eric does have a long list of things to do but the new shocks for Oscar arrived today.  Who wants to guess what he'll do first?  Yard, shower, closet or Oscar?

Snacks on the fine china;)

 

Cowabunga Dude!!

 

 This was too much fun.

Someone was super excited.  

Ok, it was me.  Haha.

Raphael and Michelangelo.

Kai didn't want a hug.  Good choice.  I hugged Raphael and they're WET.  Turtles, so of course.  Duh.

Kai-Man is growing a mustache!

He thinks that's super funny.

Mall time with frozen treats.

Eric made a tik tok dinner last night.

Smash tacos.  

They were really good.  On the approved, everyone will eat it list.

Lili went to see Katy Perry in Vancouver with a friend.  She looked adorable.  They really enjoyed the show.

I stole this from the Easter Seal page from the dock ribbon cutting event.

We are enroute to Parksville, Rathtrevor.  I'm camping in the Falcon with the boys.  Mom is coming and staying in Cheese.  Lili and Fei are planning to visit.  Eric is happy to get to stay home.  He feels burdened by his long list of projects and chores.  Jia works all weekend.

Tiles

 

Day 3 of the shower project.  We went to the restore and they have a big section of tiles.  We finally found something we can live with.  Not a match but not a clash either.  Eric says it's mascara and lipstick.  

Renovating

 So, time in stores, time driving around for hours today and yesterday, trying to shop local.  No luck.  Lots of stupid conversations. We can order our size shower basin online but only in bisque.  I found a kit on sale online at Home Hardware but it's a size smaller.  We finally gave up today and just went and ordered it in the store. It should be here Friday. Eric will have to fill in the gaps with moldings.  Also zero luck finding matching tiles.  We did however find lino to match our floor that we can put in the new closet project.  But I'm not sure I want to extend the old diner look into the closet.  

As we discuss what retirement looks like and we contemplate selling the house and downsizing it definitely is making us reconsider the idea of a fixer upper.  The prices are insane on building supplies.

I've been trying to convey my plan to Eric for the hardware to lift the heavy wall on Cheese.  Today we played in Home Hardware in their hardware section and finally spoke the same language with each other and we have a plan formulated.

Shower Woes

 

Ceiling stains and drilled holes to let the water out.  Patching once it dries.  More and more projects mounting for Eric.

He is upstairs now, ripping the shower out.  Moisture is behind the wall.  Which means he isn't getting away with losing one row of tiles at the bottom but possibly all of them.  Replacing tiles at $100 a row.  This isn't fun stuff.  A new closet was fun.  This is not.  

I have avoided going upstairs to see.  It will just be distressing.

This coming weekend is booked for Rathtrevor.  The plan was for Eric and the boys to go with me driving back and forth so I could get Jia to work and stay home at night so she isn't home alone.  The new plan is for me to go camping with the boys and leaving Eric home with Jia.

Lili and Fei were booked to go to Tofino with a friend but they've had to cancel so Fei will be home now too.  Mom is coming camping with us. I'm towing Cheese for her, Eric will bring the Falcon and get us set up before he goes back home.

I've still got it stuck in my head that I want to figure out car camping in Onyx.  I can use the bed Eric made but it's not my goal.  I want simple, light weight and a way to manage on my own and have it stay in Onyx.  Tall order.  I found a picture last night of what I want.  I forgot to save the picture for Eric.  Another damn project for him though.  He likes to be busy but we might be pushing the limits here.

Update.

The mess part is over.  The bottom shower tray was what was leaking.

The shopping for a new kit has begun.  We can get just the tray but there is no way to know if the doors will fit what we order so we're stuck buying a whole kit.  My tile walls get to stay though.  Finding matching tiles for the bottom row is proving more difficult than it should.  

This, I'm trying to create this in Onyx.  We found the shelves in Home Hardware.  We came home to measure things and the center console is in the way of the plan.  Grrr.  So close.  Back to the drawing board.

Easter Seal Camp Phase 1

Phase 1 of the new compound was the new accessible dock.  Which was lovely.  Kai still found three places to trip.  

It was a perfect day for the ribbon cutting.  Warm with a slight breeze.

Most of the new dock has a railing except the part directly across from the ramp down. I'm not an engineer and I wasn't on the planning committee, but...seems an odd decision to me. I'd be scared to go down in a wheelchair.

I was hoping for the regular good food but it was catered.  The food was good.  However it was just hamburgers and hotdogs.  Mom got a veggie burger.

Kai adores hot dogs and this one was huge so he was happy.

Speeches first.

Kai showed his displeasure by closing his eyes and pretending to snore loudly.  His indication to other people that he is bored.  This after he guzzled a whole can of pop and loudly belched in a quiet moment between speakers.  Sigh.  You'd think I'd be over getting embarrassed.  

Home to discover the pump is still leaking.  I put in an online request to the company about what to do.  This one was shipped new to us in October.  We had company for a visit.  I drove Jia to work.  When we came into the living room to eat we discovered our bathroom is leaking through the living room ceiling again.  Eric thinks he knows where it's coming from, our shower.  That's 20 plus years old.  He can't remove the base without breaking it.  We don't know if we can find an exact size replacement.  The amount of time spent repairing things around here is just nuts.  We've been in this house long enough that we're now replacing and repairing the things we put in when we got here.

Peach Dole Whip

 

Peach Dole Whip at Disneyland.  Yes Please! Who is ready to go with me? 

My niece Avery had her baby this morning.  Perry Marie Jager, 6lbs 8oz. Mama and baby both doing well.  Baby is in the Vic General NICU resting in an incubator for a bit.  She arrived 5 weeks early. Such happy news.   

It's always something.

The old pump had a recall for fire.  New pump is now leaking a river across the deck.  Oy.  Eric has taken new one apart and is attempting to fix the leak.  He has the old one here still for for plumbing parts.  No hot tub today.

When we were in Stamp River Eric noticed the bathroom vent lid was broken.  On the way home it blew off the trailer.  He wanted to upgrade to a superfan so we took the one off the parts trailer.  It was a smaller size than the hole so he spent three days fabricating.  It works fabulously and it looks good to me.  

Yesterday we set out to get insurance on the utility trailer and Cheese.  We took the really long way and went to Chemainus thrift store first.  Then to Stocking Creek Farm for blueberries.  They're huge and crazy delicious.  We ate the whole pint.  None made it home to the kids.  Oops.

On the way back to Duncan we came up behind Albi in the gelato truck so we opted to just follow him and hope for ice cream at the end.  He ended up in Shawnigan at a wedding.  When he got there he couldn't get the truck to go in gear to back up.  His trusty mechanic was there, right behind him, with his tools that now live in Oscar and he was able to fix the clutch cable for him.  Free gelato for services rendered.  Blackberry, chocolate and Oreo.  The top was back on Oscar. It was a gorgeous drive. We then took back roads to Walmart to get the insurance.  I started shopping, Eric checked his lottery tickets and we completely forgot the insurance.  Guess what we're doing later today :)

Thrift store haul.  Some days are pretty fun in there.  A console organizer for Onyx. A Kind Human water bottle for me.  That doesn't have a straw, that bugs can climb down.  Yes, that happened on the last camping trip and I sucked it up into my mouth.  The trauma is real. A light that goes around your neck for Eric to use for small detail things in his shop. A glass candy container for Fei's gold collection. Shirt for Eric.  A can opener. Speedo for me.  New shoes for Eric. A camping hat for me and a box for tools or makeup depending on who gets it, Eric or Jia.  All for $30.  Treasure hunting.  I've been looking for solutions to the absolutely horrible storage situation in Onyx, I have high hopes for this tray thing with side pockets.

Finally home to the kidlets.  Tried a new idea for dinner.  Butter Chicken pizza.  It was a win.  

I typed in kidlets and auto fill put in killers.  

The boys declined going out with us again.  We had a great day off.  I just don't understand the teens being so insistent on staying home.  

Everything we do is lame I guess.

Kai gets up really early, like 5am.  We re-implemented the no screens until after lunch rule.  Now he stays in bed until 7.  So the strategy is working.  He typically does puzzles or plays with Lego but this morning he is back to the squiggles.  We haven't seen this in quite a while.

Dog Groomer Extraordinaire.

 

Eric rested on the porch with me for a bit.  Then was ruminating what he would do next.  I suggested he help me groom the babies.  He doesn't love this job.  He graciously agreed.  It only took two hours for all three.  Hair cuts for the girls. Toes and baths for all three.

Now, Finny here is a HUGE drama boy.  He kicked up such a snarling, squirming, biting  protest that we had to wrap a towel on his head.  Man alive is he loud. Actual screaming. It was a nightmare but we got it done.  He was last for the bath and he was super dramatic for that too but not nearly as bad as getting toes done.  I got in the tub with a nightie on to help protect my skin and moved like lightning.  He had the fastest bath ever.  No sweet cuddles for this guy.  He was so mad he barked for 15 minutes after he was toweled and let loose. 

This wee Coco monkey is a dream.  Shocking, I know. She loves the attention.  Eric holds her so I can do her toes.  The rest I can manage on my own.  She even loves the bath and there were lots of hugs.

Sassy here takes the longest.  Most fur, smallest and she is scared to death through it all.  I do what I can calmly just the two of us then Eric has to step in and hold her so I can get the cutting and toes done.  She remains super sweet through it all and just politely says no thankyou as she yanks her paws away non stop.  Haha.  Then acts like she was simply amazing.

Eric says I take way too long.  I asked him if he wanted to cut and clip.  He did not.  He did bring each to me for their baths and then did the baby cuddle towel down.  

The zoomies and complaining is all done.  They're all three shaking from cold and excitement and they're now in their positions for a bit of down time.  Phew.

Someone is still shaking violently and softly crying so he is hiding under his baby blankie.

Not a lot of pictures taking going on in general.  We're all ok.  Some of us are just a lot busier than others ;)

The pool is heavenly during these hot days.  

Home again.