Life on Bowen

Come Visit Anytime

2006-11-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

Well, we are now in a new place, and with it, a new blog. Come visit anytime! The Fairy Mum is up and running, and we'd love to hear from you there. Cheers!

The Final Week

2006-11-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

Ah, it's been quite a week, leading up to today. Lots of "final" moments, many goodbyes. Last day of art class at school. Last walk up and down the hill from school. The School Board had a really sweet goodbye dinner for us at Tuscany, which included some lovely parting prizes for both Chris and I, including several photos from local photographer Claudia Schaeffer. The next evening Chris and I had the most wonderful dinner with dear friends at Blue Eyed Mary's, my personal favorite on Bowen. Incredible food, incredible friends. A blessing. Sunday saw us at church and a fabulous church potluck (these people can cook!). After a hard day of packing (while our kids were blissfully at a friends for a final playdate), we had dinner with friends on Bowen. Monday we spent the day packing like mad, Siena in school all day (to her great delight), Sterling quite sick at home in bed (really, Sterling, I'll let you go to school if you want, even though you are sick. No, Mom, I want to sleep). It was a crazy day, early to bed, so exhausted, so overwhelmed by what is left and what today means. And then here we are, on the day we will leave. It is almost more than can be borne.

Library Cards

2006-10-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Even in the midst of all our packing and frantic preparing to leave busyness, we made time for one last "first" on Bowen. The kids and I went to the library and got them their own library cards. Sure, we could have gotten these first cards anywhere we live, but it was somehow very important to me that they have this special moment on Bowen. It was nothing earth shaking - the lovely library volunteer had me fill out the forms, the kids waited with minimal pushing and excitement, they received their cards and each signed them (oh, the signatures, the sweet, sweet signatures). We weren't able to take any cards out with them - too close to leaving - but those precious cards are already packed away in their wallet (Sterling) and special box (Siena).

The Blessing

2006-10-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

I was humbled. Moving this time is more than I can handle alone. So I sent out a "help me with childcare" email to my dear girl friends and my equally dear church. And the response...the blessing of a place like this. A friend from church - a business man turned poet, with kids past high school, offered to come to my house to help watch the kids this week. Another - again a lovely woman from church - emailed to say she had glitter pens and play doh dots (I don't even know what they are!) for Siena to enjoy. Siena doesn't know her well, but when I mentioned glitter, her eyes lit up and she said, I want to go there. Another morning freed up for me to focus on packing and moving. And my friends, all busy themselves, ready to take any and all the kids at a moments notice. Blessing is too mild a word for the gift they are all being to me.

And then today. Today we packed the house. We - though Chris is gone for the week at the Screenwriters Expo, though I have a kindergartener, a preschooler and a 6 month old, though many of my friends have kids in that age range (read: hard to find two minutes to spare to go to the bathroom much less help pack)... The dear students and family at L'Abri came to my rescue today. Eight of us here at my house, and two back at L'Abri watching 5 under 5 (two are 6 month olds). In the space of three hours, we packed 80% of the house, stopping only because the pizza finally arrived and everything that was left is needed for us to live here the next 9 days. Imagine - what might have taken me, with kids around, a week to do, we accomplished with high spirits, laughter and great conversation, in three hours. And then they stayed and blessed me with their company while we ate pizza and ice cream and talked.

Is it hokey for me to say that I've got tears running down my face right now? That I cannot for the life of me imagine leaving this place, filled with people from far and near who invariably treat each other with such kindness and joy-filled service? I can't. Imagine leaving. Although with my house in boxes, it does seem inevitable.

Last Time "Off"

2006-10-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

Went to the mainland for the last time yesterday. It was a kind of spontaneous trip - for us there has never been much spontaneity in going onto the mainland, as it takes a fair bit of coordination with the kids and the ferry. Chris left for a week long screenwriting expo, and I needed to pick up boxes and packing tape for a weekend packing frenzy. So off I went...

And in part, it shows the beauty of this island life we live. I could watch the ferry coming and going from my kitchen, so I knew it was a few minutes late due to the fog (I can also hear the fog horn warning as it pulls in and out of the cove, one of my favorite sounds). I could call the kids preschool teacher, a friend, and say, I know they aren't due until 12:30, but can I bring them in at 10? I could drive the kids to school on the way to the ferry line up, realize it was full and going to overload, park, and still walk (okay, almost run) the kids up the hill to Artisan Square where the school is, and walk back to my car. Siena could fall while we were climbing the wet from rain trail, and the teacher was immediately present when we arrived to help her get cleaned up and give her hugs and love. I could know the person in the car next to me and have a great conversation while waiting for the (still late) ferry to arrive. I could nurse Sage in the car while I was waiting. We could go up to the passenger deck, post signs of all our "for sale" last minute, please don't make me move this, furniture items (and get calls on them later in the day).

Then we are on the mainland. It is busy and always a bit of a rush (I had to pick up the kids at a certain time). Drop off an entire mini-van load to the goodwill. Find the U-Haul and buy what seemed like an astonishingly expensive amount of boxes and packing supplies - and be helped by a wonderfully kind and perceptive customer (not the staff, needless to say), who loaded all the big boxes into the car for me while Sage had her one and only, "I hate being loaded and unloaded from the car all day" fit. Eat at an A and W Root Beer Stand (something about that always reminds me of college). Go to "The Real Canadian Superstore" and, because we are moving and I made a list and promised not to buy anything that wasn't on it, manage to move through the entire store in under an hour. I took pictures because it is an experience - one which I won't be able to repeat again for who knows how long, if ever. What a nut-job I am, but when life is "easy" again - when shopping is something that we can do everyday with ease, I want to remember how much I appreciated going to the store when it was only once a month. How full my cart would get trying to load up on 7 gallons of milk at a time. The race back to the ferry, hoping against hope that I hadn't cut it too short and would have to spend an hour waiting for it to return. The joy of being one of the last cars to make it onto the ferry, even though it seemed impossible (the ferry marshals can be amazing at wedging one more car onto the back of the ferry deck). And the delight in going upstairs, running into someone (usually many someone's) that we know, chatting and watching the beautiful scenery - Howe Sound, a log boom, the mountains (mist covered today), the approaching site of Bowen, decked in green and yellow splendor for the autumn, the announcement that we are approaching Snug Cove and that foot passengers will be disembarking on the car deck...

It was hard not to cry today, knowing that it would be the last time I would make the trip back onto Bowen for some time. I have, from the very first time we came here, had a physical response to approaching the island - a full body sigh, almost, which releases the pressure and mayhem of the mainland and "normal" life, the speed and the population and the consumerism, and the embracing of the retreat onto island life, replete with friends and community and living. Even as I write this I know how much I will miss that, even as I am gleefully rushing out to a Trader Joe's for a last minute recipe item, or winning an ebay auction and shipping it to myself without thought of tax or customs. I will miss it so much.

Canadian Thanksgiving

2006-10-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Ah, the holiday season is beginning! We celebrated Thanksgiving Canadian style this past weekend. It is still a novelty to me, to be thinking about Thanksgiving before Halloween, and while the sun is still shining and the days warm and bright. Makes more sense in the harvest scheme of things, but not in the deeply ingrained cultural, Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November kind of way.

It was a typical Thanksgiving day here - we celebrated with friends on Bowen, on Sunday evening. It seems that the meal can and does take place anytime over the long weekend - Thanksgiving Day is actually on Monday (it coincides with American Columbus Day), but folks don't particularly seem interested in waiting until Monday to eat the turkey. In fact, there isn't always a turkey, or even a real set tradition of what "should" be eaten. In many ways it is really fun - a total hodge-podge of what makes people happy to eat. Because so many of us on Bowen are family-less, it is the best combination of those you want to be with, lots of laughter and few expectations. Thre is much to be thankful for this year - even as we look towards our upcoming move.

Six Months Old

2006-10-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

Sage is six months old today - a whole half year, flown by so quickly. She continues to be such a treasure, just like her big brother and sister.

What are we doing at six months? Sage now sleeps till almost 7 in everyday (it depends on when her siblings wake up and make noise). She eats (still nursing exclusively, although she is VERY interested in what is on my plate at mealtimes - we will wait until we get to DC, but boy, is she ready!), and then plays on the bed with Sterling and Siena competing for her attention. She usually has a shorter or longer nap in the morning, then eats again (notice a pattern?), plays around, sitting up now (for quite a longish time before she falls over), grabbing at toys and grunting quiet little grunts. We usually walk the kids to afternoon school, and then she comes home, eats and takes what we hope will be a nice long nap (on great days, this can be three hours! Yippee for Mommy time). After her nap, she, don't be surprised, eats, and hangs out with the rest of us through dinner and clean up. Bedtime is usually at 8, and then she enjoys a "dream feed" at ten, and, for the first time last night, slept through until seven! Hurrah for good night sleeps for everyone!

Isn't that the life? And what are the rest of us doing? Continuing to purge and purge from our house, preparing ourselves for the awful day when we have to stop purging and start packing (I'm putting it off until the end). The kids are loving school and playdates and the fact that the sun is still shining, even though it is October (what a gift that is!). Chris is traveling a bit for screenwriting symposiums, and gathering insight and materials for moving on to the next phase of his story-telling work, The Story Collective.

And to leave you all with two of my favorite photos from Sage's sixth month "birthday" photos:

Art Friday with Saffron

2006-09-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, today is one of my favorite days - both kids are at Montessori having Art Friday with their incredible teacher, Saffron. She is as wonderful as her name. And it is the only morning I have when both kids are at school. It is lovely. Sage is napping, the sun has been streaming in our front windows and the house is toasty warm (we have been experiencing probably the finest September I have ever felt), and I have been enjoying a respite from pre-packing to just enjoy. Lovely.

We are down to a little less than five weeks from moving date. Chris and I continue to pare down our household, one file, fabric and food item at a time. Each day we pick something and go through it, usually finding at least some things which we haven't looked at or used in the last two years. We are getting good at the old reduce/reuse/recycle mantra. Our friends are getting loaded with the treasures we cannot justify storing (or carrying on the plane). I've created a few projects to use up those things I just love (like some black ribbon with white polka-dots - who can just give that away?). It is hard work - giving away those little things you love, that you've been moving for years, that you would like to be the kind of person who has used them. But it feels so good to get rid of the guilt associated with those things that each time I look at them I think "man, I shouldn't have bought that/ stored that/ taken that..." We will leave with a lighter load, both practically and emotionally!

We are all dealing with the grieving process of moving from here. And hoping we might be able to return someday. Sterling in particular is very sad, and has the hardest time expressing it. We've been awash in playdates lately, trying to give him as much time with these friends as possible. Siena is sad, but also very excited about the adventure, and riding on the Metro when we get to DC. Sage is very excited that she continues to wake up and see me at every turn (ah, I LOVE this stage). Ironically, our little Canuck is the only one who won't have memories of Canada.

FIVE MONTHS!

2006-09-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

Ah, five months old. What a blissful age - sleeping fairly well (at least during the day!), nursing well, smiling and laughing and trying to sit up... does life get better than this? What are we doing at five months? Up at 7 a.m., usually, with our big brother and sister, awake until we are grumpy by 8:30 or 9, sleeping for a bit of a nap (with a favorite softy at our face), up and eating again. Slobbering as much as possible on everything we can possibly gnaw throughout the midday. Playing on a play mat, discovering our feet. Rolling both forward and back and all over the floor and crib. Taking a nice long nap (on a good day) in the afternoon while brother and sister go to school (yea for Mommy!). Loving to be in the front pack, going for walks and watching the leaves flutter in the sky. Laughing at daddy. Sitting up for just a few moments at a time. Taking showers with mommy and staring wide-eyed in the wet. Going to sleep at 7:30 (and still waking up two times a night). What a sweet little pixie.

First Ballet Class...and other accomplishments

2006-09-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

This will be our Siena-centric post of the month. Yesterday was a day of celebration - first, Siena has, in her words, "finished sucking my thumb." We had challenged both she and Sterling to start that process (for Sterling it has been a few months, for Siena, we began on her birthday a month ago). It wasn't going anywhere fast, so we decided to offer them a rational deal (what, dealing on a rational level with preschoolers? I think we were in an idealistic moment, but hey, as you will read, it worked with one of them!). "Big Kids" don't suck there thumbs. But "Little Kids" do. Unfortunately, Little Kids don't get to eat any treats (sugar), so as long as our two kids were still sucking their thumbs, there would be no treats. We set two days as the sign post of self-control on the matter - two days with no thumb sucking, and they could celebrate with a special treat (ice cream, of course). It took Siena only five days of trying, and then she made up her mind, and viola! she is weaned of it. Here she is celebrating with an early morning ice cream cone (it never tasted so good!). We are so very PROUD of her!

And in other news, yesterday was also Siena's first ballet class. She was tickled pink - pink leotard, pink slippers, a pink smiley face for her "mark" on the dance floor. The teacher is a wonderful dancer, who understands not only the three to five year old mind and ability, but the parent who just wants ballet to be FUN and not about a dance recital. So today she learned first position, danced slowly and quickly, waved purple ribbons in the air, played dress up and did some coloring. It was a huge success!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2006-09-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

Don't know when I'll be back again. But boy, I hate to go.

I guess we should have known, being Americans, that our stay in Canada was not permanent. But I think we never saw moving as a choice to move to Canada, but simply to Bowen Island. Unfortunately, Immigration Canada does actually recognize Bowen Island as part of their world, and that means that we are illegal here. Not terribly, and after so many years in southern California, where "illegal alien" has some pretty concrete connotations, saying it feels strange. But the reality is, we have been allowed to reside and live on Bowen because Chris has a student permit, and he is no longer a student.

There are other reasons too, of course. We are actually American, and being in Canada is a cultural change for us. Not one that we dislike, but one that exists, and there are things which we deal with that make it more difficult than easy (paying taxes in two countries is just one example). We are also very far from our family, which makes all of life more complicated! And, Chris is raring to go in moving to the next stage of his Story Collective/ Piko Fellowship (we are calling it Piko Version 2.0), and with our ability to work in Canada non-existent, that becomes quite difficult.

Needless to say, nothing can really describe how sad we are at making this decision. We not only love the location - the beauty surrounding us, the water and the green and the mountains, the ferry, the isolation and community - but we love the people here. We have friends for life here, people we don't ever want to live away from, much less MOVE away from.

But move we must. The plan is tentative and firm at the same time. We will go trick-or-treating on Halloween - the ultimate Bowen holiday - watch the fabulous island fireworks in the evening, and then catch the last ferry off Bowen. We will cross the border late that night, stay in a hotel in Washington, and fly out from the Seattle Airport on Nov. 1 (hence, leaving on a jet plane). The car is taking its own special cross country trip from Seattle, hopefully not arriving too long after we get there.

And where is there? Temporarily, Washington DC (from the OC to BC to DC is our route, it seems). The vast majority of my family is on the East Coast, and this will allow us all to reconnect and build on our family relationships. The kids will get to know Gramma and Papa Carlos (and great aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc). in a real way, not the hyper environment of a vacation. It will be a time for Chris to work with those he has already met in the DC area, and those he will meet because of them. Our prayer is that this six months (a total estimate) will be a time for us to grow as a family, and to develop his next move strategically. Where will we end up after that? It really is anyone's guess. Thankfully, we don't need to know that today, because I am too busy grieving for our move from this place.

Harvest Moon Rising

2006-09-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

Actually, I don't know if it was the "harvest" moon, but it was an amazing moonrise none-the-less. Two nights ago, I lay in bed and watched out our window as an incredibly bright spot appeared on the mountain range across Howe Sound. I wish I had a camera sitting by my bedside. Slowly, the bright dot (which at first I thought was the local ski resort lit up for some reason) grew and grew, and even though it was slow and stately, it took only a few moments, maybe one minute, for the moon to rise up until it was a full moon, balanced on the mountain top. The glow it produced was striking and I just watched in awe. To think we will leave this behind!?

Way Too Behind

2006-09-11T14:07:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you just get too far behind. I have a list the length of my arm of blog postings that I have wanted to make. Today I managed to write two of them, but realized that it just isn't practical to think that, one month later, I can write about blueberry picking. I'd like to get to it, because this has become a wonderful family journal for us, and not having some of these posts means a missing memory. But I've got my scrapbooks in front of me, and those tell the stories almost as meaningfully. For now, I will say that I have missed taking the time to write regularly, and hope that, as we have a little more than a month on Bowen, that I'll be able to post things as they happen, and let the past lie. It's the dilemma with something like this - great ideals, not so great follow through. So, here's some grace for myself. Moving on!!

Yard Sale Boy

2006-09-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

As we would say in my family, This Boy is a Heinemann! He's got the YARD SALE genes... though in his case it is much less about going to yard sales and getting bargains (that would be my family), but about SELLING and MAKING MONEY (that would be Chris's family!).
So here he is, sitting at his first ever "yard sale" - a small table of his no longer wanted toys, sitting at the end of our driveway with Dad, late afternoon, and too shy to say anything to anyone. Amazingly, he made quite a few sales, and came home shining.

Needless to say, we've had to have more and more sales since then. A few weeks after the first sale, it became about making more money, so we had to add lemonade to the works:

And then, it kept going. People on Bowen are entirely too generous - his 50 cent lemonade was often paid for with loonies or toonies (one or two dollars), and once even a five dollar bill (no, no, keep the change as a tip!). Very generous, though not great on the "Learning Important Life Skills" scale.
Anyway, it all culminated this last weekend when we bought a table at the community yard sale at the local Sun Market. Last sale of the summer. We loaded up all that we could from our own house (everything that we don't want to store or ship)and sat in the rain with about twenty other tables to sell. It was hardly a raging success, but we did sell quite a few things, and in the drippy, chilly rain, Sterling was finally able to say that he was ready to stop selling. Until next season!

The Birthday Girl!

2006-09-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe she is four already! Such a short time to becoming such a big girl. It was a whirlwind month of celebrations - we began in late July with the special 2-3-4 tea party for Siena Cate and her friends, and then went to Seattle for her birthday (okay, we were going to Seattle anyway, it just made it more "exciting" for the stay in a cheap hotel to be about her birthday and not about our adult plans!), where we visited with our friend Samuel, had dinner at a Mexican restaurant (her request), ice cream, My Little Ponies, the works. Then we had a real birthday party - in the enchanted forest, where fairies and princesses are known to giggle and play. She and two girlfriends (and one boy friend, who I think was very grateful to have Sterling there) made princess crowns, clothespin fairies, ate magic cheese wands, and built fairy houses. It was a great success - and we all had fun watching these little fairy girls flit about. Here is my favorite photo of that day...

Life On Bowen...

2006-09-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

Is about to end for us. The last blog was about the four sleeps left until preschool/kindergarten began again. And this one is about the sad, very sad fact that there are only fifty-three sleeps until we move from our island idyll. In fact, that is all I am going to write right now, as that fact alone nearly unglues me. Stay tuned for a fuller update as I pull myself together!

Only Four More Sleeps...

2006-09-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

... and school starts again! And that means that at long last blogs will begin again. I have a long list of posts - birthdays have come and gone, summer activities, crafts and kids. I hope to have a rash of blogs coming out next week.

Until then, enjoy this final weekend of summer!

The New Gardener

2006-07-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

One of Siena's early birthday presents was a mini-greenhouse. Today we put it together, planted some flowers and bunny's tails, and used my cleaning squirt bottle (cleans with water only, thanks to the microfibers cloths I use with it, I'm told) to water them. She was thrilled with her gift - though she was wondering why, one hour later, nothing had grown yet ("it all died mommy, why?"). Lots of learning to happen now - and she is walking in the footsteps of her Gigi - great Grandmother!

Red Sox Fans Start Young

2006-07-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

It has been YEARS since I've lived in New England, but I am still a true Red Sox fan. Some of our closest friends on Bowen are Australians who have lived outside of Boston for five years. Today we had our two babies wearing some Red Sox gear that was sent to her - I don't feel that I can publish his picture without her permission, so you'll have to just enjoy this of Sage, waving her arms around and cheering for the next home run!

Two-Three-Four Birthday Tea Party

2006-07-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated a triple summer birthday party for Siena and two of her little friends - turning two, three and four (Siena is turning four next month). It was perfect. Siena was able to have the initial excitement for her birthday a bit ahead of time, and to celebrate with her younger friends, and then on her birthday to celebrate with her four year old friends. We chose a tea party because, well, who doesn't like a tea party? Instant theme, easy to carry out, and it includes lunch. Perfect!

The girls were all dressed up (they're girls, after all), and I brought a few simple crafts - paper crowns to decorate and wear (kingly crowns for the brothers who attended), and wrapping ribbons and bells attached to wands for fairy princess wands, and a fun princess cake. For decorations we just used some fun pink sheer fabric for the table, and then a giant butterfly tent that Siena was given as a gift - a real favorite that she doesn't get to use often because she shares her bedroom with Sterling.

The girls all had a good time. I really cherish that my family has so many close friends who have children off all different ages. I am constantly grateful when a friend's 10 year old actually wants to play with my four year old. So it is especially nice for me to encourage Siena to have friends who are younger, and to celebrate those relationships together. And how lucky I am to be surrounded by such lovely mums!

And of course, Sage was her youngest fan. Siena picked out her party dress as well!

The Ultimate Holiday Week

2006-07-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

We have discovered it. It is very nearly the perfect holiday for a family of five, all under age 5 (well, except the parents, and sometimes we act like it). This past week we were nurtured at a special Bowen Island/West Vancouver/Mount Vernon, WA weeklong camp at Barnabas Landing. This is a very special camp located on very nearby Keats Island. We had been there two years ago, literally one week after we had moved to Canada. Last year we had company from California with us during that week, so we missed it (and loved having our company!).

This year we decided that the location (simply gorgeous both at the camp itself and the views it looks out to), the number of activities designed for children, and the friends going made it the perfect option for this summer. Most families come and tent under the stars in the apple orchard, but I just couldn't see us stressing out through middle of the night feedings and early morning risings with our three, so we rented a room. There are two lovely buildings with bed and breakfast style rooms. The view from our window made it very difficult to convince Chris to close the blinds at night (it is dark until after 10 here, so even with the kids asleep, we can look out on Creation in all of its glory). The kids each built a nest in the corners of the room, and Sage slept in a pack and play in the closet, en route to the bathroom. She was an incredible trooper - she took great naps, slept well at night, and generally ignored the great amounts of noise that go on about her.

The week is loosely structured like this - breakfast as a family, followed by family huddle in the morning (singing songs, watching a Narnia inspired skit, getting ready for the day). Then the kids go off in age appropriate groups with incredibly loving counselors. While the kids are happily at "class" with their "teacher" (this is a tribute to how much my kids love school), the adults had time as a group for discussion and lecture. This year the topic was "Soul Food" - and our leaders were Rory Holland, Ron Reed, and Jordan Roberts. There is no official website for Jordan, and the two links I'm providing here can do NO justice to the really spectacular nature of this screenwriter/director. In addition to writing and directing his own film, Around the Bend, Jordan was brought in to write and direct the thoughtful narration to March of the Penguins. There is so much I could say about the individuals, but I want to respect their privacy and simply say that my soul was fed in getting to know them better and getting to know our group better. Families reunite for lunch and an afternoon together - on the waterfront, at crafts, hiking, sleeping, eating... something for everyone! After dinner, the entire group gathers for a fire-less campfire experience, and then the kids return to their counselors, who read them a bedtime story (at least if they are my kids age... I suspect the older kids get to play night games and go for swims and basically revel in the supervised opportunity to be about without their parents), and put them to bed, while the adults return to more time for soul food. A nearly perfect combination of time with and without the kids!

It is amazing to me how a group of 69 people, from ages 3 months to, well, much, much older (lets say 45 and make everyone feel good!), can come together for five days, and with the desire to be open with themselves and their families, become fast friends and a genuine community. Within a day, we are all sharing kids, passing babies, bouncing on the water trampoline, eating more tasty meals than could be believed, and having deep, life changing conversations at the same time.

There is also the great generosity of spirit that emerges from a group like this. Poetry was shared, kleenex passed, a night of great music (Bowen is so fortunate to be home to the likes of Shari Ulrich and David Graff), the give and take of helping each other handle the children... I felt so cared for in this environment. It is definitely in part to the people who come, but even more to the people who run Barnabas Landing. Everything they do is imbued with a sense of service to the Divine, and it overflows to the their staff and their guests. We all walk away refreshed and blessed.

Three Months Old

2006-07-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

The birthdays, the birthdays. The kids are tickled each week and month as we "celebrate" Sage's "birthdays." Well, the time is flying past and now she is three months old. And just a joy!

For the record, here is what we are doing at three months:
Taking great naps - she still naps three to four times a day
Eating well - Sage loves nursing, but thankfully only once at night!
Loving life - Sage coos, smiles, tries to laugh, and generally is beside herself with happiness when we are paying lots of attention to her - which we are happy to oblige!
Physically - trying to sit up a bit, loves to stand on our laps, rolls over from front to back and is arching her back to roll from back to front. She's got very strong neck muscles and a firm grip with her little hands.

We couldn't be happier with her - the kids love her, we love her, and she is beginning to show how much she loves us back!

Whistler Week

2006-07-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

It is lovely to have grandparents who want to spend time with the whole family. This past week all of us have been visiting with Chris's mom and dad at a condo in Whistler. It was a wonderful chance to be able to be together in a place that has something for everyone:
Hiking and Berry Picking for us all (the wild blueberries were incredible)

Spending time laughing together (Sage is in love with her Poppy)

Biking in the dirt bike park (Sterling took his training wheels off and hasn't looked back! Here he is after only one day of practicing sans wheels, riding up and down the "jumps" at the Whistler BMX park)

Building Fairy Houses (Siena isn't a bike rider yet, but she had just as much fun building special fairy houses by the side of the bike path)

Nonna and Poppy enjoyed daily hikes, despite the rain. They took each of the kids out on a special date night - dinner alone with Nonna and Poppy, with dessert and a trip to the toy shop at the end. While the kids loved the treats, they each felt so grown up to spend time alone with their special grandparents. And for the parents - we loved having time "alone" (mostly - Sage is always with me!) with each of our kids as well. Two is so much easier than three!

What a wonderful week we've had! We are home now, ready for a night at home before packing up and heading off again tomorrow (this time to Barnabas Family Camp).

Our Canadian Girl

2006-07-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

Just another thought after yesterday's festivities... Sage is a Canadian citizen. In fact, at this point, she is NOT an American citizen yet. I knew/know that. But what struck me yesterday is the fact that she will forever be a Canadian citizen. Obvious, I know, but somehow, because I am American, it seems that all my children should be too. But even after we finally get to the immigrations office and have her dual citizenship established, she will remain Canadian by birth. Wow. I guess even after we move from Canada, we'll be celebrating Canada Day from now on!

O Canada!

2006-07-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day! What, you in the US didn't even know it was today? Well, we almost didn't either.

The events were scheduled from 12 to 3. We arrived at 12:30, and the festival field was dotted with picnic blankets, kids were running everywhere, and the edges of the field were lined with tables (like booths, only not). The fire truck was there, the ambulance (for viewing, not safety), someone with a huge pet snake (not sure what that had to do with Canada Day, but the kids were fascinated)... face painting, free little flags, free copies of the song "O Canada" in English and French (what a relief, now I can figure out what the lyrics are, if I could only remember the tune), maple leaf temporary tattoos (even Sage got one, on her arm), and balloons. Even cake! There was a local band playing (they were really good), tug o wars, the works. We all had a really nice time, saw tons of people we know, got squirted by the fire truck hose (and cried afterwards that we were wet and cold now), Sage napped on her picnic blanket (have we mentioned she is nearly perfect?), and everyone had fun.

But no fireworks. And by that I don't mean just the pyrotechnic kind. It was very, well, pleasant. Accomodating. Nice. Very much like Canada itself.

11 weeks old!

2006-06-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

Sterling and Art

2006-06-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Both kids seem to love making and creating art - coloring, drawing, painting, and now clay work. These are Sterling's first attempts at working with clay - all on his own. He had the ideas for what to make, and then made quite a few things last night while I made dinner. There is a lizard (with lots of delightful fingers) and an elephant with the best trunk I've ever seen.

School's Out for the Summer

2006-06-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if it is an "at last, sigh of relief" or "oh no, sigh of concern" that school is over for the summer. I still have plenty to do as the President, but the kids celebrated their last day this week. Monday they had one normal day of school, normal being a relative term, as they played outside the entire time, and Siena wanted to know why they weren't having indoor school (she really enjoys the sense of accomplishment she gets when she is doing normal "work" at Montessori).

On Tuesday there was a Rites of Passage ceremony - formally celebrating the year we've had and announcing where the kids will be in the fall. Sterling can hardly believe he is going to be a kindergartener next fall! It was fun to see him this year. Last year he was so shy he wouldn't participate in the group singing and had a really diffficult time going forward for his award. This year he was a big guy, encouraging the younger boys to join in and standing for his award more with impatience to get to play than with shyness.

And now we are done. Summer is here - we've already had a pool day and two beach days. Today we hope to garden some. For more about the non-kids portion of our lives, you can check out my blog: extending the table.

Weekend Away

2006-06-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Whew. We made it. Our first weekend/travel trip with three kids. This weekend we drove six hours to the Okanagan Valley to attend a conference at the Naramata Centre. The kids did great, and so did the adults.

The highlight of the weekend was that we survived - newborn and all. Sage slept great throughout, both in the little cottage we stayed in as well as during her MANY hours in the front pack. And there was only minimal crying in the long hours of car riding.

But nearly equal in highlight power - the Naramata Centre craftroom! The wonderfully generous staff there opened up not only the "craft room" but also the "paper room" for the kids and I to use. Imagine - a full PAPER room - literally full of paper, all organized and ready to use. I was in heaven! Here's a few photos - the first two of craft room shelves, the last of one wall of the paper room (one of three!).

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

2006-06-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

Today was a grand Sunday indeed. Chris and I were blessed to have all three of our children baptized this evening in a special service at our church. A dear friend, who is a Pastor (although not at our church) officiated, for the baptism of Sterling, Siena, Sage, and two other wee ones. The babies were perfect - not a peep out of them (Sage slept through the entire service). Sterling and Siena also did well. It was the second church of the day for them, and sitting still in the front row, and then being "on display" AND getting "wet" was quite a bit to handle. Pastor Mark is a friend of theirs as well, and his gentleness did much to help them through their nerves (as did being held by mommy and daddy).

It was a moving service for me. At the beginning, the congregation sang, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" - and there I was, sitting with Sage sleeping peacefully in my arms, Sterling and Siena Cate on either side of me, Chris next to them. Thinking back to more than five years ago when we wondered if we would ever have children, to sleepless nights when we've wondered why we have children, to the surprise of becoming pregnant with Sage, and now actually being a parent to three incredible children... well, Great is His Faithfulness, indeed.

You all - my family, and our friends who are like family - are a big part of our "body of Christ." Would that we could have flown each of you out to be with us. But I am content to know that you pray not only for our family, but for our children and their own faith as well. Today was the first "official" step in a lifetime of faith and life in the body of Christ. What a blessing that is!

Two Months Old

2006-06-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the time continues to shoot past me. Sage is two months old now- and doing so well. We had a week of "colic" in the middle of this month, which was scary (Sterling's three months of non-stop screaming still rings in our ears five years later), but then she settled in and is doing well. Sleeping alone has been an issue, and we tried to stay with her til she could settle down... some nights that meant almost an hour sitting next to a crying baby. A few nights ago I couldn't take it anymore, so I prayed for her, set her down, and left. She was asleep in minutes. Same the next day. So something must have clicked and now she can get herself to sleep pretty well, as long as I time the nap well.

I will try to upload some photos soon - she is a beauty!

SAGE – One Month Already

2006-05-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Can I believe it has already been nearly a month? Not really. Sage continues to amaze us with her sweetness and spirit. She has definitely woken up from those blissful first weeks of no crying and lots of sleeping, but we are still just blessed by how easy going she is. She only cries when something goes wrong – hungry, tired, hurt. As soon as whatever is attended to, she rests contentedly with us. Her huge eyes follow all kinds of things in the air, and then she snuggles down to relatively peaceful sleep.

The kids adore her – Sterling in particular likes to hold her in front of other people – kind of a territorial thing, I think. Siena wants to hold and wiggle with her constantly, and I must say that Sage handles it all very well. I am looking forward to being able to have them give her a bottle occasionally, since I suspect that will become a highlight of the older kids week.

Chris and I laugh. In some ways, it is like Sage is a first child. I am loathe to start doing work outside the home again – it is far too comfortable and enjoyable to just stay in with her. I need to make a decision about whether or not or how much school board work I am willing to resume. I began to handle a few things this last week, but it begins to feel like a drag when I get pulled away from the kids to handle the issues of running a school.

I had hoped to make some birth announcements, and surely we will at some point, but for now, I’m too busy taking pictures and just watching this new wee one.

PINKY VS. PACI

2006-05-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

Pacifier, soother, dummy, paci, binky… so many names, so much plastic. I was so adamantly opposed to using a pacifier with Sterling and Siena Cate. I remember trying one, once, with Sterling. Like all babies, his tongue reaction was to spit it out, which I took as sign that he would never take one. Never even tried with Siena.

Oh, how things change! Sage loves to have something in her mouth. I can only nurse for so long, and so my pinky finger becomes her constant soother. A few nights ago, after an hour of pinky time (I had fallen asleep and didn’t realize how much that long can begin to hurt so small a finger), I was desperate, and more than willing to try the pacifier. No luck. I tried several times, several ways, but she just won’t have any of it. So pinky it is. In some ways, I am happy – I find the pinky is more active than passive as I spend time with her, and I never have to pick my pinky up off the ground. But I am praying (as is Sterling) for the day she finds her own thumb!

Here she is!

2006-04-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

A photo to satisfy this mother's proud heart!

SHE'S HERE!!

2006-04-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

A short note just to celebrate the arrival of Sage Charis to our family! Born Monday, April 10, 00:01 a.m. Perfect in every way.

Don't know how blogger etiquette works, but I'll risk offending some rule by just quoting what my husband wrote that day and sent out to our family... it was a crazy labor and delivery story...

"To our great excitement and astonishment Sage Charis Hansen was born last night at 12:01, at 6lb13oz and 20 inches.

It was quite the adventure. The labor came on extremely fast. She was three weeks early and so neither of us expected her to be born last night. Yesterday morning Jennifer had some strong contractions but they stopped later at church and did not return in any serious way until the evening. At 9:30 last night we had to make a decision. Would we spend the night on Bowen or take the last ferry to the mainland? Thanks be to God we decided to go. We called a friend to stay with Sterling and Siena and we left. We arrived at the place we were to spend the night and got settled and went to bed at 11:07. At this point we did not think there was much chance anything would happen that night. So I nodded off to sleep. Two minutes later Jennifer yelped. Her water had broke and labor came on very strong. She could no longer walk so at 11:15 Jennifer crawled on all fours out the door, down the hallway, and into the elevator. I raced out the door when it next stopped. I came face to face with four people waiting to get on the elevator. Jennifer crawled out, still on all fours. But then I realized that we were not on the ground floor. The elevator was very small, only enough room for four people. By the time we turned around and Jennifer began to crawl back into the elevator the four others had gotten in. I yelled at them to get out but they did not respond. I had to pull two of them out before the doors could close. As we descended the two men stood there petrified, they were Asian, and when one of them finally spoke he said, "We speak no English." Poor guys. When we got to the bottom there were five others waiting for the elevator. Jennifer crawled out as I ran ahead to get the car door opened. I ran back to get her and the others, big eyed, watched us. I yelled, "Baby!" and the two apparently non-English speaking women started to shout back, "bay-be?... BAY-BEE!!!!"

It took twp contractions to get Jennifer across the parking lot and into the car. We only had four blocks to drive, but I did not know where to park and get into the hospital after hours. We found an entrance but it was locked and deserted. A nurse walked out and I ran in and asked her for a wheelchair. She left to get one and it seemed like forever for her to return. Jennifer at this point was screaming in the back of the minivan. (We took out the back seat and with blankets and comforters made a little bed for her to lie down on.) When the wheelchair came she was barely able to get on. Then the nurse said I needed to park the car and enter through the emergency room entrance. I did, but I was in a panic. They would not let me into the hospital. Once I convinced them to get in there was no one around to show me where to go. So I ran up and down hallway after abandoned hallway. Eventually I found my way to Jennifer. At 11:40. Our midwife arrived at 11:45. Sage was born at 12:01.

It was a very painful and intense delivery. We discovered that our baby was a girl and that she was very healthy. We were given the most fantastic care from the nurses and our midwife. I cannot stress how impressed we are with it all. They have treated birth like a normal event – not a medical one – and given time for everything. There was no rush. So Sage was able to nurse right away and we had about an hour together as a family before the testing and vitamin K shot, etc were performed. In all it was a terrific experience.

We intend to go home tomorrow afternoon, so feel free to give us a call then. We talked to Sterling and Siena first thing this morning and I could tell how excited they were. However, they are much more excited about sleeping over at their friends house tonight – so they will not meet Sage until tomorrow."

Hopefully we'll take a few minutes from staring at her tomorrow to post a photo or two!

More Update

2006-04-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

Saw the hospital, doctor and midwife yesterday, and pending the results of yesterdays bloodwork, we are still on track for a normal delivery! Yippee. My levels remain low and my overall health high, so we will give the baby time to finish growing and come in its own time. Another week of time with the kids and finishing up little projects will be nice!

A Liver and Baby Update

2006-04-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

We have been monitoring it now for two weeks, and as we approach 37 weeks pregnant, here's an update!

The baby continues to have a strong and healthy heartbeat, and to move around all the time. Space is getting tight in there, so we are at the stage of seeing little heels and elbows try to poke through my side, which is very fun.

I continue to have all over body itchiness - with little red welts to make sure we haven't missed that my liver is not processing well. Thankfully, the itching hasn't increased, so it is manageable without medication, and despite my vanity (my beautiful ball of a belly has pox marks all over it), I am well. I have finally overcome the winter cough/cold that had me laid up for almost three weeks, and now I am just eager to get the house and ourselves ready for this coming baby!

The cholestasis has not gone away - but my most recent bloodwork shows that it isn't getting worse. I have been going in for weekly bloodwork and fetal monitoring (they just listen to the baby's heartbeat for half an hour and watch to make sure it is happy and healthy). Normally they induce before 37 weeks, but the obstetrian who is consulting with my midwives has felt that the case is mild enough to wait until this Thursday (my actual 37 week date) to do another round of monitoring and then make a decision then. I also see my midwives then, so hopefully we will all be able to come to a consensus about the best approach to take. There is a delicate balance between having a fully cooked baby, who comes in its own time, and making sure that we have the baby before my liver can do any damage to it or to me. I have found my midwives to be very proactive, the obstetrician to be very measured and approachable, and the hospital to be filled with caring nurses. We are in good hands, and as long as we can get ourselves off the island in time, all will be well. And certainly, being in the Lord's hands means that whatever, whenever, wherever, we are confident that we are in the best of hands and only good will come from this.

I've given up my work with the school, for the most part, and have worked hard at resting (it is definitely like work for me to lie in bed all day!). I am not officially on bedrest - but have been trying to lay low and give my body as much support to stay strong as I can. Our community here has been amazing - the love and care we have received from all sides has kept our spirits high and my anxiety low.

The kids are great - they take much of this in stride, and mostly can't wait for the baby to come because it means a sleepover at their best friends house. We have a dear friend here on island who has a tiny one month old, and holding him yesterday, I am eager to meet this peanut inside!

My body run amock!

2006-03-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

Well, it's one thing to be sick with a cold, which given our climate and the fact that I am in and out of my kids' preschool four days a week, isn't much of a surprise, but it's another to find out that your body is rebelling on you.

While we were in California, I noticed that my skin was particularly itchy. I thought it was just climate change, scratched a bit, lotioned a lot, and let it go at that. But back at home, it has only increased, and it is now all over my body, not the expected belly stretching itching that anyone at 36 weeks would expect. Three days ago I had my regular midwife appointment, and at the last minute, the itching got the better of me and I remembered to ask her about it. She immediately recognized that it could be liver related and ordered a series of blood tests. Luckily, the next day was the one day each week when a lab clinic opens for three hours on the island, so I was able not only to do it at home, but not have to wait very long to do so.

The results returned the next day - I have something called obstetric cholestasis. A bad definition would be that something has caused my liver's bile duct to not allow the normal amount of bile salts through to my intestine for processing, meaning that there is a back up in my liver. My liver can't support all of that, so the extra spills into my bloodstream. My bloodstream runs near the surface of my skin, and by some miracle, attempts to rid itself of these extra toxins by popping through my skin. Of course this also means that my blood flow going to the baby is toxic. The midwife called with the results and sent us immediately to the hospital to consult with an obstetrician.

Great doctor - she was calm and not given to a rash decision (some of the websites - it can be dangerous to google! - stress that stillbirths become common and that a very early induction is required), so we had fetal monitoring (baby is happy!) and bloodwork. At this point I am elevated but not high, so we are going to wait and see - 35 weeks is a bit early to consider meeting this peanut!

Home from Vacation

2006-03-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

Well, we are all back home from our jaunts around the world. The kids and I were gone for a week in Southern California, staying with Chris's grandmother. It wasn't nearly as warm as I would have liked - but it was sunny, and to feel real sand on my feet was a balm. We spent a day at Disneyland, time at the beach, time with Sterling just sick in bed (and me so grateful that the view from Great Grandma's is so lovely), visited with a few friends... it was really nice.

Chris is also back from his 12 day trip to Sierra Leone. It required approx. 41 hours of flight/transfer time in each direction, a nine hour time change, 7 days in the country, and lots of overwhelming cultural experiences. He was there as part of a team - director and assistant, writer, and Chris (producer) - scouting out information for a feature film that they hope to film in the next year. It is a fictional story about the recent civil war there. While in the country, they had rather astonishing access to interviewing several people who had fought in the war, as well as to view the countryside, spend an afternoon in a diamond mine, sleep under their mosquito nets in the 100 degree nights... Lots of culture shock, some amazing film footage (they filmed a documentary while there), and a good opportunity to get to know one another as a team.

Chris arrived to California a few days after we did, so we all had some time together there as a family.

Now we are home, have some friends (from Bowen, moved back east) here for a visit, I'm getting over a cold, and now we are realizing that, at 33 weeks pregnant, the baby is coming sooner than later!

Learning how to add

2006-02-20T18:34:00.000-08:00

Sterling surprised me last night with a little math lesson as we were lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. "Mom," he said in his little voice. "One and one is two." Perhaps one of the most helpful things that I have learned from Montessori is to play it cool and not blow things out of proportion, at least not in front of the kids. "Yup, that's right," was all I said. And then he continues, "and two and two make four." Big pause, you could see the wheels cranking around. "Three and three make... six. Four and four make seven, hmmm, eight." He was on a roll. "And what do five and five make?" I asked. "TEN!" Triumph.

He has no idea what addition is. He often counts by saying, "one, two, three, four, five, the number after five, seven, eight..." But little by little this world of numbers is making a home in his head.

It's a Small World

2006-02-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

Last September, my in-laws took a trip to the Galapagos. While there, they left two postcards, addressed to Sterling and Siena respectively, at the "Whaler's Post Office." Marked "hand deliver only" these postcards are left to be picked up by someone who can, as it says, hand deliver the cards to the recipient. Amazingly, we received Sterling's within two weeks (faster than real post), hand delivered by a couple from the mainland who thought a trip over to Bowen would be an adventure.

But Siena's did not come. She was pretty distraught when a card did not come for her, but, as three year olds are wont to do, promptly forgot about it. And frankly, after several weeks, so did I!

Then, a few weeks ago (four months after the postcard was left in the Galapagos), the kids and I were at Parent-Tot Gym time. I hollered across the room, "good job, Siena!" and a mom turned to me and asked, "is her last name Hansen?" Not the usual response, and I cautiously said, Yes... turns out they have been looking for us! This other mom's in-laws were in the Galapagos last October, and picked up two BC postcards. They grabbed Siena's because their son and his family lived on Bowen, and it had taken them that long to get it onto our little island. My mother-in-law had transposed a number on our address, so this family had been looking for us... and found us at play gym! When I got home later that day, the postcard, as well as a photo of the Whalers Post Office, was waiting on my desk for me! Siena was delighted.

Blue Sky!

2006-01-23T09:51:00.000-08:00

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

2006-01-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

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

2006-01-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

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?

2006-01-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

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.

Back Online

2005-12-16T15:40:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile. Actually, it's been a long while. It was fun to begin this project - and then the summer got hectic, and then in August we discovered we were - SURPRISE - pregnant with child number three! A great surprise, accompanied by a fair amount of all-day morning sickness and general tiredness. Now that we are almost half way there... no more excuses.

This winter on Bowen has been wonderful. It is very cold, but almost no rain, lots of snow on the mountains, some snow on Bowen, and a fine fire in the fireplace makes it all seem pretty cozy. At least for the adults - the kids get a bit stir crazy after a few days of indoor weather.

So, for now, with no more excuses but a busy holiday - which really just means lots of fodder for blogs, I sign back on and say Happy Holidays!

Home again, home again

2005-07-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

We got home last night on the 8:30 ferry, after a very long weekend away in Oregon. We spent a wonderful few days with family that we love, doing things that were fun, and yet, when we pulled through the ticket booth in Horseshoe Bay, I felt an involuntary sigh of relief flood through me. Home. Twenty minutes on the ferry, a few minutes of waiting at the dock, two minutes of driving, and life can continue as normal.

Now, normal is a relative thing. We have friends visiting us from California, and I think that they don't find much "normal" about our life at all. A first visit to Bowen is often surreal - it's 8:15 p.m., and someone wants a latte, but, oh well, not on Bowen. Or the desire to buy ice cream at the grocery store off island - well intentioned, but it would just be cream by the time we got home. We live in near the Cove, so I try to walk as much as possible and drive as little as necessary. Up and down the hills, nothing like the flat lands of southern California.Of course, to me, all these are the reasons I love Bowen.

When in the States, Chris and I tend to go on shopping binges, because it is simply so EASY to jump in the car and hit any number of cheap and easy stores. But by the end of two days of this kind of "let's just go and see what we find" kind of instant gratification, I always feel emotionally bloated, and ready for a break. On Bowen, we spend almost nothing, we buy little, and we make do. So, we can't get a latte at night, we can't run to the Superstore when the fancy strikes, going to a movie on a whim is a thing of the past. So what? We get to go for walks and pick berries until our hands are stained and our tummies are full. Everywhere we walk or drive, we run into people we know and love. Probably, this isn't normal by anyone's standards. But I find it pretty fabulous, nonetheless.

Happy INDEPENDENCE Day!

2005-07-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

We bought our 4 1/2 year old son Sterling his first bike. I was thinking we'd buy him a great tricycle to try out on, but Chris and I miscommunicated, and next thing I know, I've got a beaming son, showing me the bike that daddy picked out. And a helmet to match. Joy knows no end.

We're staying in a hotel in Oregon, and, sadly, that hotel room is shy on bike building tools. Daddy and Sterling went outside to build the bike and ride it around the parking lot, but alas, the attempt was a bust. "Mommy, I can't even wait for tomorrow" was the mantra for the next 24 hours.

By the time we landed at our cousins house (replete with tools), he had almost forgotten, and got lost in a squirt gun war. But the bike got built, Daddy was a hero, and Sterling discovered independence. Up and down the country road he went, helmet on, face earnest and legs working hard. He loved it so much that most of the 12 hour drive back to Bowen was spent worrying over when and where he'd get to ride it again. When he'd get to show his best friend. Telling the waiter at the restaurant that he had a new bike.

Finally, we ended up on the ferry, and since it was half empty, there was an entire lane, dedicated, it would seem, to bike riding. What bliss.

Small Island Doctors

2005-06-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

What a great place this is... lots of room to run and play, lots of room to trip and fall, lots of gravel to trip and fall upon. And me with two toddlers, one of which has a nebulous relationship with gravity (hint: gravity usually wins). So, my friend from California, backpacking her 6 month old, Sterling (age 4), Siena (age 2.75) and I are walking to the library. Siena trips and falls right into a pile of gravel which is supposed to represent a sidewalk (or, in her case, a side-fall). Lots of tears, lots of screams, and, usually, that's about it. Only this time her mouth is covered in blood.

Needless to say, we've walked from home, and it is a very steep path uphill to return. I grabbed Siena up, try to calm her down, and make a smart choice. I was thinking of taking her down to the barber in hopes of borrowing some sink time to clean up her face. When Siena began to spit blood, my friend suggested we backtrack to our island doctor's office. Good plan.

But our Doctor's office is locked. Instead I rush into the other doctor's office, whom we've never met, and immediately I'm met by the doctor, his schedule patient ("I guess we'll wait a minute, Doc") and am shown into an awaiting office. No questions, no problems. I've got my MSP card (a Canadian insurance/medical card), and that's enough. Doesn't even matter that, in reality, all we've got is a profusely bleeding lip and one loud screamer. I was able to clean Siena up myself while Stering played with one of the office toys and the baby got a bottle. The doctor took a look, everyone is fine, and after some thanks and best wishes, we are on our way. Oh yeah, they did ask for our phone number. But that was it!

Where else could someone take a child, just for the sake of an easy cleanup, into an awaiting doctor's office, be treated so well, and just pay with a thank you? I love Bowen Island.

Saying Goodbye

2005-06-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

When we moved her 11 months ago, it never occurred to me to think about how it would feel to say goodbye. Or, if it did, it was the thought of us saying goodbye to Bowen. But last week one of our dearest Bowen families moved back to Ontario.

We met the Longs right after we moved here, at a mutual friends pool. And then our two oldest kids (being 3 and 4 makes "oldest" seem highly relative) were in the local Montessori school together. We mum's got to know each other in Mum's group each week. And relationships, all good ones, grow and change. Our families became families together. Got a need? Call Gina and Andrew. Need a play change for the kids? Call 'em up. Bust a lung? Call up the Hansens. It went both ways, and it was lovely. Community at its absolute finest.

But many good things must come to an end, and while I would have wished it be have been later rather than sooner, I wouldn't give up those 10 months of friendship. So, last Wednesday, two moms and three kids ran alongside the ferry line up, waving goodbye to a mom and a dad and two kids. Then we stood on the pier and waved and screamed goodbye as they waved from the ferry sundeck.

Remembering clearly the day I stood by a flapping Canadian flag, wind in my face, Snug Cove before me, awaiting whatever adventure Bowen Island might hold for us, I thought what a sad sight it was, watching a family do the same in reverse.

Saying goodbye is hard.

My Huckleberry Haven

2005-06-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

It began so innocently last summer in our rental house. There was a giant blackberry bush next to the house, and throughout the few weeks of blackberry season, we would all be out there, stripping it clean each day. I’ve always heard that one has to fight off the birds to get to the berries, but on Bowen, there are so many wild berry bushes that there is more than enough for everyone.

Last summer we’d drive to the ferry line up early, just so we could pick berries (into empty yogurt containers kept in the car for this purpose) while we waited. There was a patch that ran the length of the town, from the little public library to the old gas station. Sterling in particular loved it, even though there were prickles to attend to. Siena in particular disliked it, because there were prickles that constantly threatened her sense of security. Last year I was paranoid about there being enough berries, so I was too often saying things like, “don’t eat so many, we are supposed to be picking them for jam.” Now I know – now I know that after we made jam till we couldn’t stand the heat in the kitchen, after we’d frozen sheet tray after sheet tray of cleaned berries, after nine months and two houses and lots of opportunities to make berry desserts – there is always enough.

But it isn’t blackberry season yet on Bowen Island. The blackberry bushes have bloomed, and their large but dainty white blossoms are everywhere. Sterling wanted to pick those blooms, as something new to add to his collection of flowers (that’s another entry entirely), but when I told him that each bloom he picked meant one less berry to eat, that he understood.

It isn’t blackberry season, but an early spring heat wave a few weeks back, coupled with great torrents of rain on a regular basis has meant that it is definitely berry season. The first thing the kids and I noticed were bright ORANGE blackberries. Of course, that means they aren’t blackberries at all, but they have the shaping of a raspberry/blackberry. The color is incredible, like a tiny little translucent pumpkin. Then we realized that some of them were the deepest purple-red shade. We kept looking and began tasting. Some were too tart in a very bland way. The tart was there, but only after you’d thought, “now, were did that berry taste go?” Our knowledgeable island friends have informed us that these are salmonberries, and they run the gamut of orange to red, depending on the bush. When you can find a perfectly ripe berry – slips off the stem and into your hand easily, but doesn’t smoosh, then the taste is actually quite good. It’s growing on me, at least.

About a week after we began to notice the salmonberries, I came home to find Sterling flushed and secretive… he and Daddy had found a new berry and he had been waiting all morning to show me. Huckleberries! There is a bush right on the trail near our house – it is one of the more beautiful and delicate berry bushes I’ve seen. Picture, if you will, a blueberry bush that has grown to twice or three times the height without growing outwards. The taste is very similar to the blueberries from the Northwest – tangy and sweet at the same time. The berry itself isn’t too different in shape, although the huckleberry bushes on Bowen sprout little red berries instead of blue. Daily we go out and pick them off. The few bushes near our house are close enough that I can let Sterling and Siena run to them alone. They are behind a bit of a curve in the path, so I am sure that half the fun is in feeling like they are totally on their own, without Mum being able to see or supervise. Whenever things get dicey inside, with too many short people needing too much attention, I simply have to say, “hey, have you guys picked berries today?” and off they go. I’d love to say I’ve made something great with our pickings, but it is so stinking time consuming that we rarely come home with more than a handful.

Until today, that is.

Today, I discovered my huckleberry haven. It began as a family trip to the road leading to Bowen Bay Beach. For much of the road, it is just road, no side streets, no houses. And for every cut down tree trunk, there are half a dozen huckleberry bushes (they apparently grow best in cut growth). So off we go, all four of us, to pick huckleberries. But, I still forget that the big berry pickers are only 2 and 4, so it quickly turned into an attempt to rally the troops past each prickly bush, each little dip in the ground, and huckleberry picking is so much about experience and not about producing big buckets of berries that we had to give up.

Salmonberries are by nature larger and more rewarding, so we drove till we found a big patch, sated ourselves on salmonberries, and even managed to pick about four cups worth. Siena likes this so much better, as many of the salmonberries are at her height, and she can eat, as she did tonight, until she feels a tummy ache.

But we get greedy, and we always want a few more. Chris knew of a trail near Grafton Lake that is lined with berry bushes, so off we went. The berry bushes were there, but someone forgot to leave the salmonberries attached, and it was vastly disappointing. We walked farther and farther down the trail, hoping to find a bush heavy with berry.

We did, but they ended up being huckleberry bushes! Right near the lake there is an area that is resplendent with bushes. I started picking (I like huckleberries more than salmonberries, ease of picking or no), and just couldn’t stop. Pick this bush clean, head in a bit further, pick that bush clean. The kids ran hither and yon (carefully staying away from the lake, never fear), picking what they could and finding “guns” of tree branches on the ground (that too, is another entry for another day). And I picked. And went further into the underbrush.

As I’ve said, huckleberry bushes can be quite tall and are not very thick. The branches are thin, the leaves are delicate and light green, the berries usually quite high up. After picking for over 30 minutes, I discovered myself in a patch that literally surrounded me. I was in a little enclave in the forest, huckleberries all around, picking quietly by myself. It was heaven. Occasionally the kids would rush in, try to steal some huckleberries, and rush off to chase off some pirates or something, and I’d just keep picking.

When I finally got tired of picking, I looked into my bucket. An hour of picking from healthy bushes yielded… 2 cups!