Blue Sky!

There was a resounding cry the other day. "Blue Sky! Mommy, blue sky!" This from Siena Cate, who is almost 3 1/2. It had been so long since we had seen it - for a bit, we in BC were on track for a record 30 consecutive days of rain... the blue sky came on day 30, lost the record, and it has proceeded to rain most every day since.

Those moments of blue sky, and sometimes even of sunshine, have been few and far between since just before Christmas. I confess it is getting to me - dark mornings til usually after 7:30, dark evenings starting at 4:30... there was one afternoon last month when I picked the kids up from preschool at 3:00, and one of them asked, "Mom, why did you wait until bed time to pick us up today?"

My Son's First Sentence

Today was fairly magical. Sterling (age 5 minus two weeks), has taken an interest in writing and spelling. We won't focus on the fact that this has largely come about because a younger friend (younger being a relative term at almost five - this friend is just two months younger) was "caught" spelling a sentence at Montessori last week. There seems to be a genetic disposition towards a bit of academic competition (NOT something that Montessori encourages, but the genetics from me are quite strong). Whatever the reason, with help from a six year old friend in his class, Sterling wrote the following sentence (accompanied by drawing, which I hope to someday figure out how to upload): i did hrd wrc with mi dad (translation for those who flunked phonics: I did hard work with my dad). He was busting with pride, and even though I know how much help he got and how base competition is as a source of motivation, I almost cried. Here is our first born, writing a real sentence out! I'm awash in feelings of how time flies.

EDITED: for some other stories, you can look here at flickr.com

This weird thing called Blogging

I've been chastened to realize that sending ones blog address out in the Christmas post means that people are going to go and read your blog... and quickly come to the conclusion that I have no consistency. I've been reading a bunch of other blogs this week (in an attempt to find a post holiday craft project), and, my what a wondrous, odd art this thing called blogging is!

So I will try to put into practice what I am learning - short, sweet, personal. And often. Once a month seems a ripoff, especially if you are my family and you thought you'd find out what happened this week in the Hansen Household on Bowen Island.

Where's the ice cream when you NEED it?

This pregnancy thing has thrown me for a loop. I know, I know, this is number three, and in many ways, just about everything with this pregnancy is old hat. Not much phases me. But being on an island adds its own realm of surrealness. Unlike previous pregnancies (in southern California), there isn't much going for me in the way of satisfying a craving. Four restaurants (one is sushi), a general store (closes at 8:30) and a health food store (closes earlier and costs more)... not much can be done when I really, really want Rolo ice cream at 10 p.m. Of course, this delights Chris - he is the king of healthful eating, and advocates high quantities of protein, none of which is supposed to come from ice cream. Alas. But the craving continues.