All the same size.

 

Kai gets to work on puzzles every day at school.  He still loves them.  A couple of his classmates are joining him now.  Quite often when we get there to pick him up he asks to stay longer to work on the puzzle.  I bought him a cats on holiday puzzle today at the thrift store to take in and he was excited about bringing a cute one in. I hope all the pieces are in it.

These were from a hot minute ago.  Pink shirt day.  Except both boys outgrew their 'be kind shirts' so they raided my closet.

Hillarious.

The girls got haircuts.  I still need to get to their baths.  We're just constantly trying to keep up these days.

Mom went to the mainland for a couple days to say final goodbyes to her cousin and lifelong friend.  So we had Poppy.  She made it to the couch only because we put big brute/Coco in dog jail for a bit. Poppy did great staying overnights.

Fei did a thing, same car, but spiffed up. When she bought it there were a ton of swirly scratches.  A nice spa package at Island Spa and it came out looking just beautiful.  

An atmospheric rainy day today.  Eric and I had no intention of staying home.  The teens rejected heading out and we were open to pretty much any plan.  We ended up going to the new farmers market replacing Russels. Visited our thrift store.  Lunch from Ping's, which was fabulous and ended with visiting the Ladysmith thrift store.  Two thrift stores in one day.  Haha.  Then we were tired so came home.

The haul.  Jia, Kai, Luk and I are all basically the same size.  So we give Jia first right of refusal as the pickiest.  Then Luk.  Then Kai.  Jia said yes to two, Luk to two, two for me, one for Eric, the rest for Kai.  It's so funny.  There is often confusion about whose shirt is whose. The OP sandals for Eric were $1.  

On the clothing thing....my favorite jeans have gone missing.  I was fussing a few weeks before Vegas about trying to tighten the button.  But we couldn't find them.  Five weeks of searching.  Then Eric said he found them. He gave me a folded pair of jeans.  I was so happy to have them that I skipped bothering about the button and just put them in my trip pile.  Come the morning we are leaving and I went to put them on but they weren't mine.  They were Kai's.  Omg.  So a big panic and search ensued.  I had packed everything revolving around that pair.  I ended up trying on jeans from everyone's pile.  I found a pair that fit from Eric, Jia, Kai and Luk.  Haha.  How are we all the same size?!  I picked a pair for the trip but wasn't happy about it at all.  But it was what it was.  We still haven't found 'the pair' but Eric did find a rrpla ement pair of Santanas in the right size in the thrift store for me.  The straight leg isn't my favorite but they feel good otherwise.  I still hold out hope that one day the favorite pair will resurface.  They're in this house in someone's pile.  

I just had to get them today.

Lazy Ones.

I quite possibly have more pajamas than anyone ever in the history of time.  Did I need these ones? Absolutely not.  But so fun.

In other news, Jia has been wearing cheap earrings, some granulation has developed.  I suggested going back to the good gold earrings she was pierced with.  Jia had put them in a ziploc bag.  Eric did some cleaning in the room and threw the ziploc out.  I mean they are used for snacks so it looked like random food garbage.  $120 dollar pair of earrings.  Oy.  He is such a good Dad that he went out to the garage and sifted through three big bags of garbage and actually found them!!  I saw him coming to the door with a ziploc in hand and hollered for Jia to come down.  There was squealing and an air hug because ew.  Poor guy.  Hero cookies all the way on this one.

We are surrounded in so many people struggling.  The politics are out of control.  The local Facebook groups have crap stories every day of local happenings.  Our stress level is higher than usual.  Hugs to everyone who needs it these days.  We layed in bed this morning listening to a helicopter overhead looking for a local missing man.  A friend from school whose son was missing just reported today that he was found.  Now another friend has had to report their son missing.  The whole world needs a break.

For today our family is all well and I'm grateful to not be worrying too much inside our walls.  

Happy Birthday Lili!

 

Oreo cheescake truffles.  Sooo yum.

Japantown for dinner.  Food is decent, prices weren't crazy.

How is she 23 already?!

Sketchy stuff.

 

Off to do some sketchy stuff, doo da, doo da.  

We went in at hill 60 and did the sketchy, back, fun road to the forestry pools.  We had only done part of the trail before.  So it was a good run today.  Lots of sketchy parts ;)

This view though.  Way better in person.

Back home.  Eric is making us potato soup for dinner. Smells sooo good.

Sunny in Feb.

 

Eric and I had to go to Victoria yesterday to sign papers with our lawyer to dissolve our numbered company.  It doesn't hold shares anymore so is pointless.  I noticed Eric had more ducks on his dash.  It's his representation of our family.  Haha.  I'm the black duck. Does that make me the black sheep/duck of the family?

Malahat Skywalk.

They have season passes on sale for the price of a day visit.  I told Eric I'd rather be in the forest than in the city or shopping so we stopped in and got the passes and enjoyed a lovely walk in the sun.

We picked up May Gold and brought it in to enjoy on the patio at the Skywalk. 

Mr went on the slide.  I was prepared to follow him down but panicked in the last second and walked down.  He was sitting patiently in the sun at the bottom waiting.

We were home in time to get the boys from school.  Kai and I settled in on the porch.

Toes out in the sun on Feb 28!!

Totally wild.

Last weekend I was 4x4ing in snow and ice.

Jia is struggling harder than the normal struggle.  Keeping it real here.  The sleep disorder is way out of control. Eric is ready with Oscar gassed up and ready to go explore but I'm thinking we might need to go get Jia from work today so we're sticking closer to home.  Hopefully the sun sticks around for an Oscar adventure day tomorrow.

Treasure

I'm at my desk.  The boys just got home from school.  Kai came up to give me a 'pearl' he found today at school.  True treasure and he chose to gift his Mama.  Sob.  So sweet.

Eric has been outside for days building something.  Lots of loud tools and welding going on.  I asked, he said a protective plate for the winch.  It's actually a sweet bush bar.  He has looked previously but didn't like how they interrupt the look of the grill.  Can't find what you want...learn to fabricate it yourself.  Wild.  It looks good on Oscar.

On another note, while discussing theft, I said we don't really have anything valuable to take here and Eric was quick to say "well, Oscar".  Haha.  

I had a much dreaded appointment with my Endocrinologist today.  She is difficult to talk to, bossy and it feels often that she sees diabetes as the biggest issue in my world and it's hard to convey that the colectomy and short bowel syndrome are the overriding issue 24/7. Diabetes is like an annoying footnote in comparison.

There is a push for diabetes classes, constant blood monitoring, finger pricks before and after each meal and a sleep study.  I worked up the guts and today instead of saying I'd make an appointment I said, I'm almost 60, I do things I don't want to do everyday and I KNOW I don't want to do a sleep study at a sleep center or wear a c-pap machine to sleep.  The idea of having someone watch me sleep on camera in a strange place is just not in my comfort zone.  Surprisingly, she heard me and let it go.  We'll leave that for when I'm not sleeping.  Anyways, she also reported all numbers are good and some improving and I'm one of her easiest patients.  That was shocking.  

Onyx's first mud.

 

Lili moved out on the 16th.  I was taking pictures but she wasn't feeling it.  I did sneak this one.  She is in a very nice house in an affluent neighborhood overlooking Departure Bay.  It's a nice set up for her.

Her view.  Waiting for a clear day and a better picture.

Our washer suddenly died.  We can't dilly dally on appliances.  We had three loads waiting Sat morning and it just died Friday night.  My plan was to attempt the back road from Lake Cowichan  through Bamfield to Port Alberni.  Instead we were shopping for a washer.  Yuk.  We picked one from the Brick.  Brought it home and headed out to take the old one to the dump.  Instead of hanging around watching Eric install and plumb the new one I took off in Onyx and met four fcc Mom's and a few kids for coffee in Nanaimo.  Lili met me there.

First mud!!

We had a few hours free today while Jia was at work.  I asked Fei, Luk and Kai if they wanted to go 4 wheeling and they actually all said yes.  Amazing.

Today was a nice clear mild day, so the plan was to take Onyx to the view spot we found a couple weeks ago for a picture.

When you climb up for an hour and get into the clouds and there is no view.

My first Jeeping day following Oscar.

Way too much fun!

Lots of mud, needed 4x4, snow, ice, ruts and puddles.  Onyx was fabulous.  No BC pin stripping thankfully.  I'm not ready for her to get scratches.

This is the view a few minutes from the bottom.  I need a do over come summer.

This could definitely be habit forming.  It was fun getting to drive.  Loved having a co-pilot and using the radios was fun.

Oscar's crew.

We packed the fire and chairs but it was too muddy to contemplate so we ate our lunch in the Jeeps.  Not quite the plan but a good adventure none the less.

The weekend flew by.