Heading into Easter

Walking on the Trans Canada Trail with Gramma and Grampa.

Jia was sooo thrilled to be holding Lacie.

Hola' from Cafe Mexico!

Didn't even occur to Jia to sit with us on the sidelines at the school assembly.

Yup, that's Jia way up there in the alien monster head at Burger King!!

GASP, that is Jia way up at the top!  It was nervewracking for us watching but she had a riot.

Lili took Jia down the slide.  We can tell how good a time Jia is having by the amount of drool on her shirts.  Notice how exciting it was in the playcenter!

Video link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1a-FDJnFYc

Jia was asked to join in at the girls dance class, the girls even found a skirt for her to wear, she was sooo thrilled.  Notice the drool. 

Super busy days.  We've been our usual busy, catching up from being sick and now getting the RV ready for the first camping trip of the year.  Getting the unit Jia ready has been interesting.  She loves, loves, loves her little bunk.  We bought the girls toy boxes for the ends of their beds and she just sits in there and plays while we work.  I didn't think we'd get done but the push was on over the weekend and we got it all ready!  Including a trip to the big city for a 4 bike rack.  Eric had a hitch for the RV fabricated and we can now put all the bikes on the RV or the car.  Very exciting.  We'll have a few years before we have to figure out what to do with the fifth bike.  We talked/forced Fei to move to an upper bunk, much to her dismay.  I got a bed rail and her things have been moved up and she seems happy enough now.  We tried for a couple weeks to find a bracket for our RV TV with no luck so gave up and bought a new TV/DVD and braket.  It's quite fabulous after the old system, we tried watching a movie in there but Jia can climb up to our bed and reach the TV and she wants to sit right in front of it.  So, we gave up and took the kids to Burger King to play in the indoor play center.  Which Jia LOVED.  After working all weekend we took a break and went to Cafe Mexico for dinner.  It's one of my favorite places to go and the girls like it well enough, plus they get virgin margaritas there.  Mmmm. 

Our driveway is crazy packed so the decision was finally made to let our boat go.  Frankly no way we can get back to boating until Jia is older so what's the point in keeping it.  It's already sat unused since Lili came home.  I put an ad on a local used site and got 30 calls/e-mails within an hour!!  First guy to respond was supposed to pick it up the next night but he didn't show.  Eric called the next guy and he was there in 15mins, turned out we knew him and he was very excited.  Young fellow with a young family, he has the same boat but the floor has rotted out, he is going to switch his motor/cable/gears to our boat.  I'm so pleased it will be getting used.  I thought I'd be happy to have it out of the yard but I got a lump in my throat watching it go down the driveway. 

Next to go was the camper.  First family to come and look bought it right away.  Yay.  I am for sure sad about that but it will be great to see it out of the driveway and will allow for some parking space.  Not sure what to do about our trailer, since the relatives have their trailer in it's spot.  For now it's in front of the house, but we can't see out the front windows and we aren't keen to park it on the lawn.

Lili's teacher came for a short visit and house tour yesterday, Lili was so excited to show off her house/cat/room to her.  So sweet.  The really funny part was we asked Jia to show Mrs. Nowiki her room and she totally led the way, marched right in and opened her dresser and pointed out her rocking chair, crib and bed.  How hillarious.

Jia is quite the ham.  She is such a happy girl, totally on the go and her comprehension is just huge.  I bought her a pair of sports sandals and asked her to try them on.  I got busy and didn't see what she did with them and had no idea if they fit or not.  I found them later, lined up neatly in-between Lili and Fei's sports sandals at the front door!  She is still packing her toy rat everywhere with her.  She isn't talking as much but still making just as much noise.  She refuses under any circumstances to call me Mama.  I'm Dad, just like Dad and her Sisters Dad and Dad.  Lacie and Isabel rate getting their names used :) 

Lili joined the cross country running at school.  She didn't think she should because she thought she'd be the slowest runner there.  Gramma and I told her to go ahead and try if she wanted to.  So, she asked her teacher if she could go get the permission slip.  We took her to the track and she couldn't run the required amount but a few days later my Dad ran with her and Fei and all three of them did the 1.2kms.  The running has started at school and she has been coming in last.  We just keep telling her it's ok, someone has to be last.  This past Monday she was so thrilled to come home and report that were two other grade 3 girls behind her.  Today they're being timed.  She's fairly certain she won't be picked but we're proud of her for trying.  Oh, and it turns out Miss Fei is a really good little runner!  Who knew?!  She can't wait to join next year when she is in grade 3. 

There is a skipping club at school that they're both going to and they love that. 

Right now they are all about the camping trip.  I don't know how we'll get Jia to sleep in a bed, should be interesting.  I'm thinking she'll sleep eventually just like she did in the pack and play but the naps will be a no go.  I might have to take her for very long quiet walks.   Many years ago, when Lili and Fei were both still napping, we used to put them in the car with air conditioning and go for long drives when we were camping.  There was just no way they would settle in the trailer with so much going on outside.  With gas so high, we won't be doing that.  I'm cautiously thinking camping will be ok with a baby but it will certainly be more work than we're used to!