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Ventriloquists are Fun

Amber on December 18, 2009 11 Comments

This week my 4-year-old Hannah and I were invited to see children’s entertainer and ventriloquist Kellie Haines perform Journey to the North Pole. I was asked to attend because I agreed to write about Kellie. I’ll take any chance to look cool to my kid, and going to a Christmas show with just my daughter sounded like fun.

We arrived at the theatre and took a bathroom break. That’s how 4-year-olds roll. I held the stall door shut for Hannah because this is the glamourous life I lead, people. Don’t let anybody tell you that family blogging isn’t first class all the way.

Holding the stall door shut

We had two reserved seats in the theatre’s second row. Primo location, really. But Hannah decided she would rather sit in the first row. That kid’s got chutzpah, what can I say? Anyways, they very kindly moved our reserved signs. We could have taken them off, of course, but Hannah really liked them.

Look at us, we have reserved seating!

Hannah, sitting in the new and improved front row seat

The rest of the show’s patrons were students from five local elementary schools. It was a field trip and the energy was high. There was much in the way of talking and seat-kicking and making pretend bunny ears over the head of the kid in front of you. It turns out that 6-year-olds are still pretty much the same as they have always been. It’s sort of comforting, really.

The stage, set up and ready for action

Before the show started a very nice gentleman reminded everyone that it was time to stop using our mouths and start using our ears. But the show was really not about sitting still and being quiet, opening with the classic, “Are you ready? I can’t hear you!” The kids screamed and yelled and laughed and pointed throughout the show. Kellie has been practicing her ventriloquism since she was 8 and she’s very good. Magrau the bird was the wise-cracking sidekick, and he brought down the house by stealing cupcakes and making jokes involving underwear.

Kellie and Magrau having a little chat

Hannah laughed loudest at Magrau, but was more taken by Kamilla, the 4-year-old frog puppet. Being a 4-year-old girl herself, she seemed to feel they have more in common, although she told me she thought Kamilla wasn’t really a frog.

Kellie and Kamilla

After the show, there was an appearance by Santa, bearing goodie bags. Hannah got to try a Wagon Wheel and was in raptures. Chocolate, marshmallow and cookie all in one package was too good to be true. We were also invited backstage to meet Kellie and the puppets. Hannah got to have a chat with Kamilla and talked Kellie into letting her try on some lipstick.

Kellie shares make-up tips with Hannah

It was really great to spend the afternoon with just Hannah, and watch her enjoy herself so thoroughly. Front row seats, underwear jokes, 4-year-old frogs, a Wagon Wheel and lipstick were just too much fun for my kid. Although she continues to puzzle about just how those puppets were talking, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. I would like to say a big thank you to Kellie for inviting us to the show, and I would recommend checking her out if you have the chance.

PS – I have advanced to the second round of the Canadian Blog Awards! From now until December 19 you can vote every day. Look for Strocel.com in the Family and Blog Post Series categories. This is the last time I’ll hound you about this, promise!

Tagged With: Bloggy McBloggerson, Kids, Reviews, Things to do

The Annual Pumpkin Patch Extravaganza!

Amber on October 23, 2009 5 Comments

On Tuesday we took our annual trip to the Laity Pumpkin Patch in Maple Ridge. This is the third year in a row that we’ve gone, and unfortunately Jon wasn’t able to make it this time. But I loaded up the kids and headed out myself, crossing my fingers for smooth sailing. We visited at around 2:15pm, and that was a great time to go because the school groups were gone, but the after-school rush hadn’t started yet. We had a great time, and we found some wonderful pumpkins.

And, of course, I took many photos.

Jacob playing on a ‘tractor’

Hannah playing with the wooden sheep

Watching the ducks

Jacob was blown away by all the small pumpkins

An old-timey pumpkin family

How will we choose from so many?

Me holding our selections (framing courtesy of Hannah)

Hannah does her princess pose amidst many pumpkins

Do you do the annual pumpkin patch trip, too? Or do you have another go-to pumpkin source?

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Halloween, Things to do

Watercolors

Amber on August 19, 2009 8 Comments

Whenever I think of painting I think of a cheap tin of watercolors, the kind that you packed in your bag to take with you on your first day of school. They always came with a complimentary paintbrush tucked into a slot in the middle, and they had a very distinctive smell. Sort of like crayons, or pencils, or new wooden rulers. Come to think of it, most school supplies have a very distinctive smell. But then, I do tend to smell everything, so that might explain things.

Painting with watercolors is a scene that I can re-create very vividly in my mind. There’s a cup of water, which has taken on a very unappealing milky-brown hue. There’s a piece of waste paper, which is used to blot paint and test colour. There are drips on the page where there oughtn’t to be drips, thanks to too much water on the brush. And there’s the act of swirling your wet brush in the dry paint, making circles until it’s just the way you want it to be. If I close my eyes I can even hear the sound it makes.

Some flowers we picked on a walk, serving as inspiration

Now I have children and we have tried a few different kinds of paints, but watercolors work best. They are the least messy, being solid and spill-proof when they’re not in use. They are also by far the easiest to use, since you open one lid and have access to all the colours in one spot. You don’t have to open bottles and dole out small portions of 6 colours individually, or deal with the messy fingers that come with finger painting. Watercolors remain my paint of choice.

Hannah at work with her watercolors

Watercolors have their faults, to be sure. Somehow darker colours always end up on top of lighter ones, obscuring the true shade. I doubt any clean little white cake has stayed white in the entire history of watercolors. Getting just the right ratio of paint to water can be a challenge. Paint that is too watery or too dry is neither satisfying nor good for painting with. And certain colours always run out first. Black and pink are gone while that weird yellow-green remains untouched. And of course watercolors aren’t terribly vivid.

Hannah concentrates on her painting

Nothing in life is perfect, but much is still good. And I think that watercolors fall into that camp. Still good. Our colours are all mixed up, and the glass of water is never clean. Sometimes the baby gets into them while they’re still wet and that’s a total fiasco. And there was that time that 2-year-old Hannah painted her feet blue and tracked the colour through the whole house. That was not a fun evening.

But in spite of the lack of perfection, I love watching my daughter paint. She concentrates so deeply, takes her time, lays out her materials just so. She’s absorbed by painting in a way that’s second only to watching television, from what I can see. For the price of a tin of watercolors, I have a little painter. It’s so, so lovely.

Tagged With: Kids, Parenting, Things to do

Weekend in Port Moody

Amber on April 25, 2009 4 Comments

Last month I went through all of Hannah’s clothes, sorting and discarding items she’d outgrown. I wasn’t meaning to organize my 4-year-old’s wardrobe, but when Hannah and her friend decided to spend their playdate piling every single stitch of Hannah’s clothing in the middle of her floor they forced my hand. And so I took advantage of the situation (after some disgruntled admonitions in my daughter’s general direction).

What I discovered is that Hannah is actually out of summer clothing. Which didn’t seem like a big deal back in March when it was still cold and even occasionally snowy. But now that warmer days are here I can see that some shorts and sun dresses may be in order. I sort of hate to spend a ton of money on clothes that will end up covered in food, paint, and dirt, though.

Luckily, this weekend they’re holding the Kids Only Swap Meet in Port Moody. Today and tomorrow, from 9am – 1pm at the Port Moody Arena there will be more than 60 tables filled with used kid’s clothing, toys, books, and furniture. The thing I love about buying second-hand items is that it’s actually a really earth-friendly choice. Re-using old items, instead of discarding them and buying new ones, reduces waste. Since many of us are still celebrating Earth Day, I can think of no better choice than to spend the morning searching for deals.

On a completely different note, this weekend is also ArtsConnect’s Annual ArtWalk in Port Moody. (Fun fact – Port Moody calls itself the City of the Arts!) From 12pm – 5pm today and tomorrow over 50 artists will be opening their studios for free tours. And while I doubt that you will find a lot of clothes that your kids can get dirty on the ArtWalk, I’m sure you will find some amazing local creations. And remember, buying local and contributing to a sustainable local economy is environmentally friendly, too.

My good friend Kirsten of Yummy Yarn participated in last year’s ArtWalk (although they called it the Studio Tour way back in the olden days of 2008). She’s not on the tour this year as she’s expecting a baby any day. And the last I heard she was hoping that any day would come sooner rather than later. So I will be thinking of her, and hoping that she delivers before the weekend is out. After all, as much fun as swap meets and studio tours may be, new babies are infinitely better.

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Things to do

Westcoast Adventures

Amber on March 25, 2009 3 Comments

Jon has a good friend named Danny Sayson. They’ve worked together covering local sports for years. They work behind the scenes, running replays. Danny stands apart because of his fabulous hair, which he keeps looking its best by wearing his headset flipped back instead of in the standard over-the-top configuration. It may be that Jon is telling these stories because he is a little bit jealous, I don’t know. Either way he did procure some photographic evidence.

Danny wears his headset flipped back

Danny also runs his own video production company, creating the most amazing wedding videos. In fact we attended his wedding 5 years ago, and I can verify first-hand that the video was quite something. I can also verify that Danny is a lucky man, his wife is beautiful. And since then they have welcomed their own little guy to the family.

Danny and his beautiful bride cut the cake

A few years back Danny embarked on a labour of love and created his own TV series. It’s called Westcoast Adventures, and it’s all about fun and adventure here in BC. It features activities from shopping at the Richmond Night Market to sky-diving in Pitt Meadows. Danny poured a lot of time, energy, and money into the project. And now it looks like that work has finally paid off.

Westcoast Adventures has been picked up by several PBS stations, with a potential audience of 12.8 million (!!!). The stations are KCTS, KSPS, KWSU, and KTNW, so if you have access to any of those stations check out the broadcast schedule. The first episode airs tonight at 7:30 pm on KCTS. If that doesn’t work for you, the episodes will be available online following their broadcast on PBS.

I realize I sound like a commercial today. But there’s so much work that goes into a project like this, with no guarantee of success. Jon has worked in TV and video production since he was 16 and it’s rather mind-blowing to see the effort involved in creating something as basic as a TV commercial. It takes a lot of heart to create a whole TV series and then get it on the air, and I’m just thrilled for Danny that he’s done it. And of course I’m also glad that he’s showcasing this beautiful place that I call home. I’ll take any chance I can get to learn about fun things I can do right here in my own backyard.

(Plus, I hear that Jon has a credit for the help and advice he offered Danny, and I do love to see my husband’s name on air.)

I won’t be able to watch tonight, because I don’t have a TV these days. But I will be logging in following the airings. And of course I will be hoping that Westcoast Adventures enjoys a very successful run!

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Things to do

Festival du Bois

Amber on March 7, 2009 2 Comments

Logging and forestry played an integral role in the early days of British Columbia. My own community was founded because it was the home of Fraser Mills. The old lumber mill, which closed in 2001, was at one time the largest in the British Empire. My husband’s grandfather, father, and uncles all worked there at one time or another, as did my own grandfather.

In the early years, though, there weren’t many people living in what is now suburban Vancouver. And the mill needed people to run it. So in 1909 they recruited their first 100 workers from Quebec. These settlers formed the community known as Maillardville, which retains pieces of its francophone flavour to this day. Indeed, it is because of this history that my community will play host to the Village de Francophone 2010, where French-speaking athletes will stay during the 2010 Olympic games.

First French kindergarten opens in 1968
Photo courtesy of Our Lady of Lourdes

This year, of course, is the 100th anniversary of the formation of Maillardville, and the Maillardville 100 ans festivities are marking the occasion. The biggest celebration, really the biggest Francophone party in BC every year, is the Festival du Bois. It’s a huge celebration of all things French Canadian, with a particular focus on Maillardville’s history. I hear that the food just might be the best part – can you say maple taffy?

If you’ll be in the Vancouver area this weekend it might be worth a visit to the festival, at Mackin Park in Coquitlam. You can get all the details on their website in English or French.

Oh, and in the interests of public service, daylight savings time starts tomorrow. So remember to ‘spring forward’ before you go to sleep tonight.

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Things to do

Nature Walk

Amber on February 11, 2009 4 Comments

I’m having a bit of a rough go of it these days. Jacob is a delightful baby, but he doesn’t sleep all night like his sister did. I’m not worried about it, I know that he will outgrow it in time. But for now I am frequently sleep-deprived. The result is that I’m often impatient with Hannah, which isn’t great because it’s not her fault.

The one sure-fire way I’ve found to turn a bad day into a good one is to bundle the children up and head outdoors. When we get a sunny day at this time of year, it’s especially important to take advantage of it. I carry along a bag, and Hannah puts her ‘collections’ inside it. All of the special treasures like leaves, sticks, and pine cones that we come across. Jacob naps on my back, and Hannah and I throw rocks into the stream and pet mossy trees. And then we all feel very much better.

Here are a few photos I took during a recent nature walk in our neighbourhood.

You can find more photos from our walk, as well as our other adventures, on Flickr.

Tagged With: Kids, Things to do

Spirit of BC Week

Amber on February 7, 2009 1 Comment

So you all know that Vancouver is hosting the Olympic Winter Games next year, right? In fact, it’s pretty much exactly one year until the whole shebang kicks off with the Opening Ceremonies on February 12, 2010.

In order to capitalize on our role as an Olympic city 2010 Legacies Now is working to promote arts, literacy, and sport up until the games, and beyond. Together with the provincial government they are sponsoring Spirit of BC, to promote community pride and get everyone involved in all of the opportunities arising from Vancouver 2010.

February 6 – 10 is Spirit of BC Week, a week long celebration in communities across the province. The official kick-off is happening today in Port Coquitlam. And all week and on through February a variety of events are taking place in dozens of communities.

The big thing seems to be free family skates, so I think we’ll see if we can find a time to take our own little skater out to show off her newly-acquired skills (she can actually stand up on her own and skate a little now!). But there’s a bunch more stuff too. If you’re in BC, check it out, and celebrate the one-year countdown to Vancouver 2010 games.

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Things to do

Skating Lesson

Amber on January 13, 2009 4 Comments

We are Canadians. Although we live in a part of the country where the climate rarely provides outdoor ice, we still view skating as an important skill. After all, you have to know how to skate if you’re going to play hockey. And even those of us who’ve never played hockey have probably logged some time inside the rink.

So, as part of our never-ending quest to find fun activities for our preschooler, we’ve enrolled Hannah in her first skating lessons. I saw a photo of happy children pushing plastic shopping carts around the ice in the rec guide. I showed this to Hannah, and said, “Look at that, would you like to try?” Hannah was excited at the prospect, telling everyone that she would be going to skating lessons and pushing a little shopping cart.

Hannah in her new helmet

These days kids need a hockey helmet with a full face cage. I tasked Jon with acquiring it, and the nice man at the sporting goods store sold him a kid’s helmet. Only it didn’t really fit Hannah all that well, so back it went. Then he called all over to find the right size, and he finally did, driving across town on his lunch break to secure it. We got that one home and although the box indicated it should be good, the actual helmet inside was a larger size. Finally, it occurred to us to check out Canadian Tire (motto: We have Canadian stuff), and we found the right helmet for our little skater.

On the morning of the first skating class we were running late (of course). Then when Jon tried to zip up Hannah’s winter coat he realized the zipper wasn’t really working properly. After both of us tried it, and now running even later, we gave up and dressed Hannah in a sweater and her fall coat. Luckily she has another warm coat, but it lives at daycare, which is of course closed on Saturdays.

Practicing her game face

We managed to make it to the rec centre, but the parking was a total fiasco because a good portion of the spots are still covered by snow. With 5 minutes left until class Jon dropped Hannah and I off out front, and we ran to the skate rental counter. I got the skates, and wrestled them onto Hannah’s feet. She she told me that the elastic on her head hurt, but I was running and didn’t really take the time I should have. We finally located her class, and she was off.

The class went well. There were 4 little kids and 1 instructor, and they spent the 30 minutes learning how to stand up. Hannah managed it on her own several times, and not everyone did. Of course she fell after a few seconds, but going from lying on your stomach to standing on ice unsupported is a big deal. We thought she was doing really well. When she got off the ice, though, it was apparent that something was up.

Grumpy kid after class

Hannah was upset that she hadn’t gotten to push a toy shopping cart. (Way to go, mom, with the photo and the assuming). She was discouraged because she couldn’t stay upright on her skates. Her hair elastic was bothering her, and her skates were bothering her. In short, it hadn’t been quite what she envisioned.

We talked to Hannah about how skating is hard to learn. We promised to bring her warm coat from daycare next time, to omit the hair elastic, and to spend more time making sure her skates were on properly and comfortable on her feet. I think that if we can actually leave the house on time it’s bound to be better. Anyways, Hannah is feeling better about the whole thing, and is ready to go back on Saturday. We’ll give it at least a few weeks. I think that it’s too early to tell if skating is doomed or not, based on one hectic morning.

What I do know for sure is that a whole bunch of preschoolers in snow suits and massive helmets are ridiculously cute. They’re like little bobble-heads, crawling around on the ice. Wee little Canadians with dreams of hockey glory – if they can ever learn to stand up on skates.

Tagged With: Kids, Things to do

Light the Lake

Amber on December 6, 2008 Leave a Comment

Tomorrow night is the annual Light the Lake event at Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam. This will be the first year that we attend, and we’re looking forward to it. So far Hannah has been completely awe-struck by every single Christmas light and decoration we’ve seen, so I imagine this will be right up her alley.

In addition to looking like a lot of fun, the event raises money for student aid at Douglas College. Admission is free, and kids can buy an activity pass for $2.50 that allows them to participate in all of the crafts and games. If you’re up for some family fun, why not check it out?