Merry Christmas

We know it is late, but we wanted to get a holiday post in. We've had a great holiday so far. On Christmas Eve we were lucky to have Cathy, an old friend, stop by and share with us our feast. This year we successfully cooked a Christmas goose. It was delicious.

Heidi was great. She took everything in and, again this year, knew that something exciting was happening. Though she is less and less afraid of Santa (she still calls him "scary"), she hasn't quite figured the whole story.

On Christmas morning Heidi did very well under the tree. She has been enjoying her Duplo Lego and all of the new toys with smaller pieces. She has also been modelling all of the lovely clothes she received. Thanks to all of the Santas who helped make this a great Christmas.

In the evening we visited the Allen's for a Turkey Supper. It was yet another great meal and time with 'family'. It was great to see everyone.

Again, let us take this time to wish everyone all of the of the season, a great New Year and we hope your Christmas was as great as ours.

C, C, & H

The Tree is Up

The other day we had Ellen and Corinne over for supper and tree decorating. Some pretty good times with the girls in Victoria! We had some high priced help with the decorating and Heidi got to see the Christmas tree choo choo train! It was a lot of fun. Heidi is really getting into Christmas. She no longer calls the Santa hat "scary hat" anymore - instead she will actively seek out the hat and say "Ho Ho Ho" when she puts it on. I think she is beginning to understand that something is going on and the best is yet to come.

After the tree was put up, we all sat down to a delicious Swiss Raclette. I think that
both Ellen and Corinne have been converted to fans of this great Swiss culinary tradition. Unfortunately when Christa went to Thrifty Foods, there was only one wedge of Oka Cheese available at any Thrifty Foods grocery store in Victoria. We had to make due with a substitute, but it wasn't a big deal. Melted Cheese seems to be a favourite no matter what variety.

Finally, an update on the move. Chris, Christa and Heidi have all moved back to Victoria now. We are still making the odd trip to do some repairs and painting in Nanaimo. Fortunately we have been able to to find someone to rent the place in Nanaimo starting in February. Christa is completely done with school and has started the process of finding a teaching job. In the meantime though we are having a great time getting ready for Christmas and the holiday season.

Christa is a Teacher

We are all together in Nanaimo for the last time in a while. Christa has finished her education programme completely. She will be going to her convocation ceremony on Friday. Heidi is enjoying her last few days with her Day Care friends as well. It will be sad to separate her from the good friends that she has made there. One of her favourites is Dudley the dog.

In the mean time Christa and Chris are preparing to rent the property we have here and preparing to move everyone back to Victoria for a family Christmas there. Now that work and school are simmering down in intensity we are all getting into the holiday spirit. Heidi saw Santa Claus at the local mall (though she cowered and hid behind Mommy's legs).

Christa's Movie List

General Heidi Christmas List

Clothes:
We've linked to a few items that we saw at Baby Gap, but clothes in general are great gifts for Heidi. She is wearing size 2 now and if the item is seasonal like a coat we think she can wear a size 4 even. She could always use a cute dress, but everyday clothes are nice and useful.

Toys:
We are just about are running out of cages for all of the animals at our stuffie zoo, so please choose stuffed animals wisely. We are big fans of the Imaginarium brand of toys at Toys R Us. this brand seems to have nice simple wooden toys with lots of imaginative uses. Heidi seems to enjoy drawing, and playing with blocks; she is figuring out simple puzzles, dances and sings with music and loves being active. We are trying to keep clear of large toys and really branded toys like Elmos, Bratz and Doras. We've thought about things like magna-doodle, blocks, and wooden train sets. She already has a big can of Duplo Lego coming her way.

Other:
Heidi has really enjoyed reading books and having books read to her. Often, her favourites involve animals. The Bombay Company sells mahogany steps for short people to climb into a tall bed and Heidi is just such a person.

Clothes for Heidi

Here are some jackets we tried on at the Gap:

• Plaid Wool Coat
• Brown Wool Coat

We tried on the coats in both size 2 and 4. Both sizes fit. The later size will of course last longer.

Weekend Winter Wonderland

We are just wrapping up a great weekend together in Nanaimo. Chris was able to make the trip up from Victoria (hopefully he can make it home tonight despite the snow). The weather up in Nanaimo has been wild. After a clear day on Friday the snow fell all weekend.


We were able to get out and enjoy it though. Bowen Park was completely blanketed in snow and we found Heidi's snow suit (a little small) and her sled. She enjoyed the snow a lot more this year and had a great time sliding down the hill.

Overall it has been a great weekend together. Do take a look at Heidi's hat. It was made for her by her mother and she doesn't leave home without it.

Chris' Christmas Equipment List

Chris has been busy cycling to and from work. It is getting cooler now, so here are some ideas for Christmas gifts to encourage this green activity:

• MEC Vest
• Soft Shell Jacket
• Sunglasses with exchangeable lenses (tinted and clear)
• Long sleeved shirts

Chris is also looking for some camping/travelling equipment (especially for his upcoming trip).

• E-Trex Legend HCx GPS Receiver
• Water Filter
  

Chris' Christmas Movie List

Here is a shortlist of DVD movies for Chris. Stay tuned as he perfects the list as days go by.

Christa's Christmas Book List:

Here are some books that Christa has mentioned that she would like for Christmas. We will spending our Holidays at our Condo in Victoria.

Back Together Again

After spending about a month at work in California, Chris is back with Christa and Heidi. We all spent a great weekend together, swimming and generally carrying on like a small gang of monkeys. It was great fun. Here are is a picture of Heidi wearing her Papa's famous hat:



Here is another picture with Heidi and her doggy Snoopy:

Some fun at the park

Heidi and Mom enjoyed enjoyed some rare sunshine over the weekend. Heidi especially loved going down the slide and playing in the leaves.

October 07

Heidi had some fun dressing up for Halloween and playing with Dudley the Dog at daycare.

San Diego

I'm in San Diego for a couple of days with work. It has been a very interesting visit. First, was the concern that the recent fires would interfere with the purpose of our trip. Fortunately, the concern over the fires waned as we arrived. On our first day some smoke was definitely visible in the air around town, but by the second and now the third day their is almost no indication in the air. You can definitely see that wild fires have happened recently. Some embankments along the major highways are scorched, and just outside the Stadium is a camp for Internally Displaced People (IDPs). Ironically, the first big thing I saw as I found my first Starbucks was a domestic fire in an apartment building across the street from where I was having a coffee.

So far, I like San Diego. It has a great light rail trolley service and vibrant downtown. Unfortunately the difference between the nice places and the rough places is stark. A trolley ride across town reveals large inequalities that in this day and age and in an affluent Western country is hard to swallow.

Chris

Thanksgiving!

I know this is a little late, but we just wanted to say that over Thanksgiving we had a great time. Chris, Christa and Heidi joined Ellen, Polly and Will for a Turkey extravaganza in Sidney by the Sea! We all pitched in and made a lot of very good food. If only we took pictures.

China Beach

This summer we wanted to get some camping in, but weren't sure how to proceed. We decided that we should do a test run, and we packed up the car as though we were heading out on a hiking expedition and set forth for China Beach. We spent a wonderful weekend at this little Provincial Campground at the trail head of the Juan de Fuca Marine trail.

Heidi loved the beach, though she was a little unsure about the frigid water and big waves of the Pacific Ocean. The sand, and various flotsam was certainly a constant source of entertainment. the campsite also provided many an opportunity to explore and play. Overall the weekend was a success and prepared us for a longer and more ambitious hiking expedition - more to come.

-Chris

Manitoba Cottage Time

I'm finally getting around to updating some of the sites that I pretend to keep up to date. This summer has been very fun and very busy. It all started out with a beautiful trip to Manitoba. Christa Heidi and I spent a little over a week staying at my Grandparents cottage by a lake North of Winnipeg. It was absolutely fantastic. We were close enough to visit with people in the city and in a great location to enjoy the out of doors.

Heidi took her first boat ride and was able to meet all sorts of family and friends. It was a truly great experience.

-Chris

July 1 in North Vancouver

Dominion Day in North Van was a lot of fun. I was working, but I could tell that there were a lot of people out enjoying themselves and celebrating the day. It was nice to see. Though the affair was not as grand as the celebrations in Ottawa, it was also a lot more controlled.

It was nice to be in the Vancouver are too. It has been a while since I last spent time here. I walked around downtown. The work being done on the Canada Line is tremendous, but what really struck me was the way that Vancouver is developing into a beautiful, urban city. There is a clear pride taken in the architecture and the design of downtown space that one can live in and not feel overwhelmed by steel, glass and concrete. It is a nice place - if you can afford it.


Chris

Portland Rose Fest

I'm in Portland Oregon enjoying the annual Rose Festival. It's quite the affair. There are tonnes of people here and they are all quite friendly. I'm waiting in a cafe along the parade route surfing and soaking things in. People have camped out on the streets in order to be in a position to watch the parade. Apparently there has been a major change in the parade culture. It used to be that you could tape off your place along the route, write your family name (in tape) and be assured of a spot. Last night the cops pulled up all of the tape. Oh well, it all seems quite orderly still, but I'm worried about the coffee line behind me.

Chris

Skype

Chris is out gallivanting across the Pacific North West these days. We've started using Skype to communicate. It's free/cheap and is available anywhere an internet connection is available. Check it out. Our accounts are chrismaier6 and christamaier6

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Baching It

I am back in Victoria after my "Alaskan Cruise". It has been a long time since I was home in Victoria, and I'm really just settling in and relaxing after a busy time on the high seas.

With Christa up in Nanaimo though, things are rough. I'm back to the bachelor routine of switching up the kind of burger I have for supper. Today I had a buffalo burger tomorrow... chicken or salmon.

Chris

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Birthday in Victoria

Today was a bittersweet day. It was Heidi's birthday! She turned one year old today, but it also marked the end of Chris' parental leave. The whole family went down to Victoria to celebrate the birthday with Ellen and the Allens. It was a wonderful day. Heidi had a great time and was full of beans, funny noises and curiosity all day long. Her chocolate cake kept her going past her bedtime too. Unfortunately, when the evening came to an end Heidi and Christa were off to Nanaimo without Chris. He will be staying in Victoria working while Christa finishes her semester.

I'll miss you two! - Chris

Yes, I am Cool!

Yup, that's right I'm cool. The folks at the Starbucks Drive Through recognise me and know my order. Today they saw me coming and asked me if I wanted a Grande Dark Roast with Cream before I could open my mouth! As Christa points out only the moderately cool are known inside, you have to be pretty cool to be known in the drive through!



Chris

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Walking Baby

Funny Noises Baby

Here is my first attempt at posting a video tot he Blog. Leave a comment and tell me what you think, or if it didn't work.

A Walk in the Park

We've all been enjoying some of the nice weather that has been appearing once in a while. Heidi has been enjoying the play structures that are in the park too. We've met several other kids that have played with Heidi. She enjoys eating the bark mulch around the structures and going down the slide.

The picture is taken in the park down by the fish ladder. There is a duck pond with a gaggle of overfed ducks that don't pay much attention. There has been a great deal of rain and the river behind us is quite high.

Incredible

After a week of frantic clock watching and browser refreshing Heidi and Chris were unsuccessful all week trying to get one of the "very limited quantities" Starbucks T-Shirts. But on her day off and first attempt Christa snagged one! Not fair!

UPDATE (24 Feb): Success Chris now has one too, thanks to his spouse's superior surfing skills.

News

Christa has recently finished a week long practice teaching session and is back to the books and theory of her classes. Chris and Heidi are back to their routine and are taking advantage of the local pool.

The weather here has taken a turn towards positive temperatures and is beginning to look and feel much more like a typical West Coast winter. We blame global warming for all of that cold weather!

A new photo gallery has been uploaded and contains pictures from Christmas. You can access all of the photo galleries or just the new one.

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Dodging Trees

Now that we are back and enjoying the fine BC weather we went for a nice drive down the Nanaimo parkway to the mall. On our way I started feeling the effects of the wind that had poicked up as we proceeded North. Then I noticed that there were things falling from the sky, large things. In fact 3-5 foot tree branches were being hurled off the trees! This was the first time that I had to slow down and manoeuvre for flying debris!

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Home!

We made it home! After a very long day of travel we are now back in Nanaimo and settling into our routine. Heidi is adjusting quickly to the time change and is eager to explore her old stomping grounds again. She isn't too board with only one jester to keep her entertained. All of the new Christmas presents: toys and stuffed animals are getting a workout.

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