2, 4, 6, 8 Who do we appreciate........

.... Daddy

This has been a little saying of Liam's for a while now, and it was very apt for Father's Day today.

We had a lovely lazy Sunday morning in honour of the day, and after eating lunch, we took a stroll.

We walked out from Maple Ridge Park where volunteers helped release fish in to the Alouette River. They are trying to rejuvenate the local salmon population since the building of the dam upstream.

A trip to where BC began

Liam's preschool organised their end of year trip to Fort Langley today. This is where 'British Columbia' was founded, just 150 years ago. It is very different from the historical buildings in the UK, but amazing to think how much has grown up in BC in such a short time.

Hudson's Bay Company established Fort Langley as a trading post to trade with the First Nations of the West Coast. The enterprise grew, evolved, and influenced history, leading to the creation of the colony of British Columbia. Furs were shipped to Europe via Cape Horn, produce was traded to the Russians in Alaska, local cranberries found their way to California, and Fraser River salmon was enjoyed as far away as Hawaii. In 1858, rumours of gold on the Fraser River caused a massive influx of Americans to the area. Fearing annexation by the United States, British Columbia was proclaimed a Crown Colony on this site by James Douglas on November 19, 1858.

The kids watched the blacksmith bend Iron, and tried their hands at panning for gold, rolling barrels, carrying fur bales and building a wooden slat hut.....

and their 'best bit' was running the ramparts.

What is in a word?

"Muh...............Oh................Muh ....... Muuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmy, this word says Mom"

When I left the UK, I never thought I would utter words like 'garbage' on a daily basis. Provo is a very small island, and although it is a British territory, it is very close to Miami and there is definite influence from America in the English spoken by everyone. Still, I didn't think I'd end up changing my words, especially at home. I'm not even sure that it was because we lived there for 6 years, but more that we had our first baby there.

With a new baby, comes all the new vocab to go with them. I used the word 'nappy' at home, but interchanged it with the alien 'diaper' when amongst other Mums. 'Diaper pail' followed on naturally instead of nappy bin, and I have used that exclusively ever since. However, I never brought myself to say 'pail and shovel' when we went to the beach with a good old 'bucket and spade'.

I now liken it to moving around the UK with the different dialects and phrases. Poking your head through the door isn't so easy to do in certain parts of the country. One phrase I grew up with and still use is "Can you hang those clothes on the maiden?".

With the move to Canada, we have garbage days and gas stations, so it is natural to go with the flow, especially if you want to be understood quickly. I still say rubbish and petrol sometimes, but only at home and I wonder which the kids will favour. I tend to say bonnet still for hood, but have moved towards trunk for the boot.

I asked if I could have a lift from an american friend, and they really didn't understand what I meant until I realised I need to translate to 'ride'. Asking where the kitchen rolls were in the 'store' was also slightly problematic until I remembered 'paper towel'. It is not every word, so we have to remember which words have an alternative.

As for the 'translation' of bum bag- well, I am not sure I am allowed to write the normal translation here.  Such an innocent word here has such a different meaning in the UK. I have already been caught out calling Liam's eraser, a rubber, and have to really make sure I say eraser from now on. Perhaps, this is the more common word in the UK now too?

I find it much harder to see the alternatives written down or to write them myself, and I still see some as 'misspellings'. As Liam starts sounding out words, I can't interchange 'Mum' for 'Mom' so easily and it is one word that I can't bring myself to say differently.

Now ladybug on the other hand is so much more appropriate than ladybird, don't you think?

If you go out in the woods today....

You're sure to have a big surprise..............today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.

We were at the Coquitlam Teddy Bears Picnic today and the kids were armed with their teddy bears, Star and Lewis, and a book each.

Maya had her favourite bear book "It's The Bear" by Jez Alborough which is a very fitting tale about a little boy going on a picnic with his Mum, but being scared of bears. Sure enough a big bear comes to join him but *spoiler alert * he his more interested in the blueberry pie. It is really well written and is full of catchy rhyming couplets so the kids can fill in the blanks. Every time I read it, I get caught up in it, never mind the kids. As written on the back 'the suspense is just scary enough for preschoolers' as the boy hides in the picnic hamper.

Liam had his chosen bear book "Bears on Wheels" by Stan and Jan Berenstein (who have written over 300 Berenstein Bear books). This one starts and ends with one bear on one wheel (picture a bear on a unicycle) and has many combinations in between, including twenty-one on none as all the bears topple off their cycles. This is such a great book for us as Liam can read it already, it is so memorable and easily worked out from the pictures if he forgets, and because Maya can begin to point and count the wheels and the bears.

We enjoyed our picnic and then the kids joined in with Mr I and the Rainbow Singers.

The bears stayed away today, but we did see this one in the woods last week:

He may have been a bit too close for comfort, but hopefully he would have only been interested in Blueberry Pie.

It is a puzzle

I am watching ice hockey and cheering on the Vancouver Canucks playing against the Boston Bruins for the Stanley Cup. I have been caught up in this alternate reality for the last few weeks and watching all the hockey games along with the rest of the family... the street.....the province....the country. There is a glacier that you can't help but skate along with, and the fast flowing game can get anyone hooked. OK, enough of the puns.

This kind of support no longer surprises me. We have been living in Canada for over 2 years now, and we were here whilst Vancouver hosted the Olympics. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing. Canadians pull this stuff off. There really is a sense of community when it comes to organising any event from the local city days to Canada Day, Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas, the Olympics to Ice Hockey. There are always parades, fairs, stalls and freebies, loads of fun stuff to do for the kids and fireworks.

Whilst watching the hockey game, we manage to cook and eat a very tasty curry - how English, and Liam starts his puzzle (or is that jigsaw) of the world. This seems to sum up our version of cultural identity. We take in pieces of everywhere.

My husband, Mike, and I were born in the UK- England and Northern Ireland. Liam was born in the USA and Maya was born in Canada. We have lived in the UK, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Canada. We were in the USA for a few months. There are huge differences in the histories of these places, how we have been part of them and how they are becoming part of our lives. I am enjoying showing my kids the best that places have to offer, and can't wait to show them the rest of the world.

Where next?

Go Canucks Go. In Liam's words 'Go Whitecaps Go' (The Vancouver soccer team- oops).

Run, Liam, Run

My son, Liam (3), loves his balance bike. He has had it since his second birthday and in the early days I remember shouting 'run, Liam, run' when he first got the hang of it. I was caught up in the moment and proud of my little boy.

Now, I find myself shouting 'slow down, Liam, slow down' as he ventures a little too far away. His little sister, Maya (20 months), needs no encouragement as she is so determined to keep up with her big brother.

I am always wary of encouraging but never 'pushing' my kids. I want them to enjoy being little and I don't want to hold them back. Balance bikes are great because kids can go at their own pace, gain freedom and be kids. However, we still make sure they wear their helmets and know road safety. Most importantly, we ride right there alongside them.

I want to share a bit about my balance of work, play and education of ourselves and our kids. I want to keep some of the 'moments' on record, and as my kids develop original thoughts, I want to make sure that I keep hold of my own. Please feel free to come along for the ride.