Sports Day

The whole school warms up. The schoole is divided into colour coded teams. Maia is yellow.

Maia's sweet little class.

A couple of her 'best' friends

Tossing the ball at the snowman sprint

I remember Long Jump and Sprints - with maybe a three-legged race thrown in for fun. Maia's school believes in obstacle courses and team work.

Maia Bags the Stawamus Chief

She scaled ladders of great height

climbed chains that caused fright

Neared the top well before night

She danced

and yelled with delight.

On May 13, 2007 Maia saw her dream to make it to the top of the Stawamas Chief come true. The 93 million year old granite mololith soars over 650 meters straight up - making it the second tallest granite face in the world. The hike is about 7km return - and Maia rocked. When we got down she tucked into the largest chocolate-covered-strawberry-waffle-bowl-sunday that Dairy Queen had to offer. She stopped, with a tablespoon remaining. and offered us a bite.

The Skip-et craze

I'm not sure I've got the spelling correct, but this toy has taken Emily Carr Elementary's kindergarten by storm. At least 4 kids have them in this class of 15 by my count. We gave in to peer pressure - but Maia paid for it with her money. (Mental note - roll the hundreds of dimes before we get to store)

New Camera Test

We bought a new (o.k. refurbished) Digital SLR and a very nice lens to go with it. One of the first test shots.... I think we'll keep it.

DOGSLEDDING!

We spent a pleasant and exciting morning at Whistler yesterday. Today's mission: take a dogsled tour with a local tour company.



Lots of fun and boy do you go fast on the downhill runs. Not so quick on the uphills in the slushy snow. Good thing the guide suggested that I (Evan) get out and push a bit up the hills. We all got a chance to mush the dogs. Highly recommended but stick to middle of winter when the snow is a bit firmer.

Diane also got to go on a "Sno-Limo" at Whistler. http://www.sno-limo.com/
She said it was lots of fun too.

Maia is off to Bike camp this Spring Break.

Our trip to Toronto on VIA rail

All Aboard!Champange departure.

Maia was happy with the meals - this is a cornish game hen

passing time in the observation car

Sleepy but happy at breakfast

Mum, Maia and I took a 3-day train trip from Vancouver to Toronto. It was very easy to get used to the 1st class service!

Fun with Maia

Maia at the Snowflake Ball - she and 175 little girls dressed in their finest finery for the event

Maia's new wheels. Daddy got Maia a little sports car for her transport when we move aboard

Testing the new wetsuit. Mama found a teeny tiny wetsuit at the used gear store

A wintery day with Colleen

Maia, cousin Colleen and I headed to Grouse Mountain for some fun in the snow.

Christmas 2006

We spent Chrisams at my mum's this year. The cousins had a blast. We did a bit of skiing and generally indulged in eggnog and sloth.

Decorating the tree.

























First ski of the year!

Some of the missing moments...

Maia at the Cowichan Maritime Museum

Checking out a Saltspring Island Store

Checking out an Icecream shop

On Saltspring posing for a Geocaching article

In Chemainus posing at the bakery

Selling Poppies on Rememberance Day

Some of you have heard Maia shouting "No Paparazzi," this may give you an idea why. This fall she posed for images for 8 different magazine stories. Remembrance Day wasn't a photo shoot though.

Embrace the winter...

Maia and her kindergarten class went snowshoeing this past week. I was the lucky parent chosen to join the 26 5-yr olds.

I have a really, really hard job. This past weekend Ev and Maia joined me on a press trip. We went floating down the Squamish River and saw hundreds and hundreds of Eagles. The were roosting, feeding, soaring and generally impressing the heck out of us. This story should be a treat to write.

November Fun and Grumps

The Fun!

The Grumps...

Halloween

Behold - feminism's fifth-wave

Ever since seeing a group of "big girls" dressed head to toe in pink, Maia has dreamed of the day when she too could become a Spark. "Mummy, when I'm big enough I want to be a beautiful pink girl and then a bride."
Well that first wonderful day has come and Maia has made her pledge to "Share and be a Friend" to all the other bright pink girls.


Today Princess Maia galloped up to me on her trusty steed Butterfly, "I'm busy with Princess business." She told me. "I won't be available to set the table."
Was she off to slay a dragon? I asked.
"Of course not - that's so old fashioned. Princes slay dragons, while Princesses do the important stuff. Anyway..." She called, as she galloped out of sight. "Princes are expendable."