Colds.

 

When I picked up Kai one afternoon he wasn't in his class, he was independently in his Leadership class with no e.a. support.  Wild.  I told Luk and his friend about it and his friend said "ya, he was with me, we played Connect 4 and he won".  Wow.  Then his teacher sent me this, apparently he was directing kids on the Terry Fox run. Versus running in it ;)  Perfect except it's crazy to imagine him directing anyone.  We also saw some social skills stepping up at his playgroup.  When I got there he asked to stay longer because he was enjoying playing Uno with a group of six.  That was surprising and fun to watch.

Mom and Poppy came with me to see the surgeon in Victoria.  The visit was ok.  Not fun, but ok.  I'm now waiting for appointments for an mri and then a sedated sigmoid scope with the surgeon to do some biopsies and see what else might be going on.  I thought I had one fistula, she could see three open ones and suspects more internally.  So more serious than I thought.  I'm to continue my hot tub soaks as often as tolerated, since they're literally holding off infections and abcesses.  

Eric took himself to Victoria the next day for a biopsy on his back.  I had hoped to drive him but it wasn't a good idea for me to drive after fainting the night before.  I'm so dramatic.  

The closet is at lock up.  The rains can come now.  

Lili brought us home ducks from San Francisco.  Green for Eric and a red Jeep one for me.  Too cute.

Luk was at a bday party on Saturday.  They attempted an escape room in Nanaimo.  They didn't make it out.  Haha.  The Mom texted me that she could hear them asking the front counter for constant hints.  They had fun though.

Lili was sick.  Then Luk, then Jia, then me and today Kai and Eric.  Fei is the only one to escape it.  If only we could all get sick at the same time instead of dragging it out for three weeks.

It looked like a cold for for Lili, Luk and Jia.  For me it was fevers, chills, diarrhea, vomiting amd some cold symptoms.  Kai has a runny nose and cough today but he of course isn't mentioning anything.  Eric so far just feels off.  So annoying.

I did feel a bit trapped here lately.  Eric is working, helping friends.  I didn't stray far from home.  I slept for two days when I was sick.  Then Saturday I was finally feeling normal again but had to drive kidlets around.  Today I stuck around home.  Mostly just puttered doing house chores.  Pretty sure I'll be stuck here most of this week with Kai.

Lili - San Fran Pics

 

Bryn and Lili

They had a great weekend together.

Alcatraz.

Fortune cookie factory.

Shaun Cassidy

 

Preteen Shelley is screeching and dancing and crying a little bit.

Tickets to see the first heart throb!

I didn't hesitate, I saw he was coming to Vancouver and leaped on to Ticketmaster and attempted purchasing for half an hour!!  Stupid app.  Stupid defunct visa cards.  Tried 3 cards, all three failed for various reasons and none seemed fixable in the moment.  Lili to the rescue.  She got them through her account.  I'm still annoyed but trying to focus just on the part that I get to go see Shaun Cassidy!!

I tried to pay Lili back but she is refusing. Says this is my 60th Birthday gift.  So that's fun.  I don't know why she wants to go with me to see a teen star from the 70's.  Haha.  I went on Hotwire and scored a room at a Sandman for $103.  

So fun.

Luk's 14th Birthday

 

Luk has a nice group of friends.  We enjoyed their company.

We could hear them all over the park,  even when they went on the forest trail.  Haha.  The park turned out to be a good plan.

A new experience eating Indian for five of them.  One declined and ordered fries.  One ordered prawns but didn't eat because he doesn't like sauce, he filled up on naan and rice.  The rest of us enjoyed the food.

They were loud but it was a happy excited loud.  Except when there were moments when all of them were on their phones.

We packed snack bags for the park.

Happy 14th Birthday Luk!

French Beach

 

Mill Bay this morning.  A seal swam right up to see us.  The picture is too dark, the sun didn't cooperate.  We have this shot with Oscar.  I tried.

Fine tuning things.  New red boxes.  One is the kitchen.  One is the utility closet.  The cutest stove in the world works fabulously.

So cozy.  Warm and dry all night.

My mini, mini rv.  Haha.

Dinner on French Beach.

Just gorgeous.

We stopped at the Pacheedaht Beach in Port Renfrew.  Oops.  Mom misjudged the tide coming in.  Wet, sandy shoes and a wet, sandy Poppy.

We drove back roads through Lake Cowichan, Port Renfrew and camped in Shirley.  Then home via Sooke, Mill Bay and Cowichan Bay.  

It was a good drive. Lots to see.

We have a lot of future car camping road trip adventures planned.  If only we weren't coming into the cold season. I'm not ready to give up but it was admittedly quite cold outside last night. We went to bed as soon as dark hit.  I slept great again.  Mom, not so much.  She has more work to do to get things comfy enough with her bed.

Raptors

 

Eric and Ken worked all day on their moho brakes.  The kids hung out with screens.  Shannon and I snuck out and hung with some pretty cool birds.

This guy wad sleepy and gave us a hello hoot.

This 5 month old baby was cool. He was loud and extremely curios about everything.  He was rescued at 2 months, having fallen from the nest.  His sibling died.  He has a congenital issue with his feathers and was just deemed by the vet unable to be released.  He doesn't have a name yet. 

Walter.  Heart.  We watched him in the flying demonstration.  He flew so close to us that I could feel his wind on my face.

I got my camp set up all back together and Mom and I are off again today.  The rain was pretty intense last night but it's stopped now.  Fingers crossed.  I've packed food that doesn't require cooking, just in case. I've downloaded a movie and a new book, so I'm set.

Hawaii!!!

 

I have been searching for ages and ages for a Hawaii cruise.

Royal Carribean has a sale on one of the ones I had flagged.  So, FINALLY, I booked Eric and I.  Sooooo excited.  377 days until we go.

When we were in Alaska our little ship was moored beside this behemoth.  I said to Eric that I wanted on that one.  Haha. 

Love coincidences.

We were on the ship to the right.

Can I mention that this ship has bumper cars on it?!

More importantly, it's  the only cruise I found that cruises past the whole Na Pali State Park.  Or....the Jurassic Park.  So, we are both pretty excited about this part.

Our first port will be Seattle and normally that would be boring to me BUT it does mean I can go back to the zoo and hang out with the Gorillas again.  

I am nervous to sail open seas.  Bonus here with this one is that it's one way.  So, I only have to endure open sea one way and Eric only has to endure flying one way.  

We will have 8 of the 12 days at sea.

I'm scared.  I fear complete boredom.  Eric sees complete relaxation and can't wait.  

The roof is almost done on the closet.  Just the ridge left to do.  He was hoping to have it done today but we ran out of time.  He got it done before the rains!

Lili is off to San Francisco, I was hoping for people pictures but this is what she sent.  Haha.  She is visiting a friend.

Duncan's 1st new Jeep Meet on Friday nights. A couple more came in after I parked on the end.  Yes, I'm the only one that didn't back in.  It was too intimidating with everyone there already.

I was running errands today in Onyx and I moved my water jugs to the bed to give Eric more foot space.  Ya.  We know not to put water on the bed.  We even said out loud that we shouldn't. It of course tipped over and it of course leaked. Oy.  So tonight we stripped it all down and brought it in to dry out. Mom and I are heading out Sunday so the foam should hopefully dry by then.  I need a better water situation.  I'd love an outside container attached to the back.  Off to go shop Amazon for such an item ;)