Stevenson Canada tour 2009

We're back from a 2 week trek through Canada. We could not mention our visit on the blog as it was a total surprise for Diane's 50th birthday party, which was great. We did a horrible job of picture taking... as in, we didn't take many, and the camera we used did not want to focus so what we did take turned out blurry. In fact, of our 6 parents we only have photos of one of them! So, sorry Alan, Lorraine, Terry, Val and Tim. Also aunty Amy, uncle Dragon and uncle Jess. Not to mention our extended families on both sides who we got to see at various partyies during which we neglected to pull out our cameras. Anyhow, that makes this posting relatively short, so here's where we went and what we did!

First stop, after 13 hour of travel: Manitoba!
We stayed the first couple nights with Alan and Lorraine in their awesome new condo. Teri also came to town for the surprise and was with us through the entire MB journey. We did such important Winnipeg tasks as renewing Bronson's passport and partying with the Hudons and Stevensons. This is the 3rd visit in a row where our first stop is the passport office and I still forget to come prepared with lunch and a good book.
Next we moved on to Diane's surprise party and Portage la Prairie. Edmund and I went to PlaP early with aunty Denise and The Family to set up. This is when Edmund first met great grandma Bazinet; he quickly made himself comfortable in her arms and this is where he preffered to hang out over the next couple days, sleeping and burping. Diane was very suprised about her party and our suprise visit - thank you to all who contributed to our flights, it was great to be able to make it! We spent a lazy Sunday chatting and eating. Eating and chatting. And then came the day trips...

Morden - home of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Center, pictured here is Bruce the Masosaur


Next to Morris to visit Great grandma Stevenson (turned 95 this month!) and lunch with Uncle Del and Aunty BarbThen to Winnipeg to visit the Museum of Man and Nature (oh sorry, that's the old "sexist" name, now it's the Manitoba Museum)... well Matt, B and Teri went there with cousin Aaron and Ethan, I went to the Winnipeg Art Gallery with Edmund.

Then down to the Forks for supper and play time.
cousins Ethan and little Kaiden with B

Great grandma Bazinet with her great grandsons

Bronson did not enjoy playing with Ethan at all.

On to Beautiful British Columbia (which was much colder and sporadically rainier) than Manitoba

Here grandma Val met us in Vancouver and whisked us to the ferry which we only caught on time because Matthew and I forced her to speed a little. In Port Alberni we were busy busy. First off, my parents have a Wii and a Wii fit, so we were all about that at first. Then cousin Sky and aunty Jean came to town to play, the Barker aunts were up island and my cousin Martin over from Vancouver so we picknicked on Saturday, then we had E's baptism, Fathers day and was my aunty Ev's suprise 80th birthday party on sunday, then on Monday I refused to leave the house, then we did a little sight seeing, then it was back home. PLUS, as I am ought to do, I cam down with a sinus infection and took 3 hour naps daily. On top of all of this, uncle Jess, aunty Amy and uncle Dragon were around being super entertaining. So, we were busy. Very busy. 1 week is simply not enough for either MB or BC (neither/nor?).

Edmunds baptism at Alberni alley United Church

(Thank you to Lorraine for crocheting the outfit in time!)
Great Grandpa Tony

Cathedral grove
To reach Port Alberni from anywhere East, north or south of the island one must drive through Cathedral grove, a park of old growth forest and major tourist attraction. We drove through this area at least twicce a day as we rushed around doing our visiting, etc. Every time Bronson would tell us that there were Dinosaurs and/or Monkeys in it and say "Woooow", so we felt we owed it to him to make a stop here and let him check out the big trees. It's hard to remember that the So Cal forests are deserts with shrubs and that's what he's grown up with. We had a good time looking around, and alas Bronson feels that there may be dinosaur bones under the trees, but no dinosaurs hiding in the forest.

Vancouver, heading home...
On Wed we flew out of Vancouver, so we took the ferry back to the mainland and visited my good friend Melissa and her kids for awhile before we needed to check in at the airport.

Here's Edmund with his girlfriend Angeline, she was born ~1week before him

Of course David and Bronson wanted in on the pics, too. David is 2 months older than B.

It was nice getting home to our apartment, it was clean (for the 15 seconds until B woke up and realized he needed to play with every single toy), warm and ours. The days since have been wonderfully sunny, too hot really. The stores are stocked with fresh cherries and strawberried and peaches, apricots, nectarines and pears. Our patio plants and garden have survived and our neighbors and friends are glad to see us. Yesterday afternoon there was a wonderful hour while Bronson, Edmund and I lay together on a blanket outside watching the clouds drift (I later realized B was feverish - no wonder he wasn't running around and getting dirty).

Now that we've passed the half way mark of our time down here I'm starting to really appreciate the weather and the access that this city gives us.

In other news - I start my new job tomorrow as personal assistant to a professor @ Caltech. I am both excited to have another purpose in life and sad that I will have to leave my boys for 4 hours a day and that Matt will now have to work nights too. I am also irritated that I will need to get out of my pjs prior to 7am.

Also - I now love the tv show 30 rock. Yay Air Canada and the seat back tvs.

Dinosaurs and smiling babies

Last weekend we visited the Natural History Museum again. Here is B in front of the Dinosaur bones, then a couple pictures of the awesome Dinosaur puppets they have there that put on Dino encounter shows. The puppeteer is in the dino, and it seems really real. B loves it.


Here's where our garden has gotten to, things are growing! I had to thin out the lettuce, I planted too many seeds too close. So for dinner I had the thinnings as my salad, as well as some chives.


Here's my first garden harvest, everything in this dish is from my garden, except the tomato, the balsamic vinegar and the goat cheese.

Here are my boys being my boys.

Smiles & Spaceships... and other updates
My happy boys were giving me smiles this morning, I caught a few on camera but they really don't do them justice.

Well, Edmund is now 2 months old and we've been busy since my last update. We celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary on the 7th, a nice little Mothers day, then Matts birthday on the 12th with a free trip to Disneyland for Matt and B, and celebrated him again yesterday with 9 hours of board games and a carrot cake.

I've gotten a new job with better part time hours, more flexibility and better pay. More details to come in later postings, I want to focus on my leave right now, but it's good knowing I have a job lined up for July.

One humid Saturday we went to the Jet Propulsion League (JPL)'s open house. The JPL is a part of NASA and they're closely affiliated with Caltech. They create and control the Mars rovers from there, and also design many telescopes and space vehicles. How could we go wrong taking our 2 year old to see robots and spaceships. We couldn't. It was a really great day. Highlight of the day was when a mini Mars rover drove over Bronson.

B giving a lecture about a spaceship.

Matt and B doing their first spacewalk.

"Robot tickles"

Edmund has been growing and growing and growing. He is now quite interactive and loves to look at the vertical slatted blinds we have in our apartment. He moves his eyes and head to follow noises and objects. He has discovered his hands and is starting to bat at toys held above him. He's sleeping alright during the day and night - no major complaints with regards to that. He is also so beautiful!

As for B, he loves playing with the girls next door and is always saying their names and asking to go play with them. He is also loving his Sunday playdates with his friend Jessie. Today B showed real interest in the potty, so we might be headed for the next stage, which is good because the size 6 diapers aren't really cutting it anymore and it's hard to find size 7's. B has alot to say and loves webcamming with his grandparents. He also likes to watch "Jon Stert" and "Col bear" because he's always hoping they'll talk about "Obama" and he's pretty sure Colbert's eagle is going to catch him one of these days.

E @ 2 months

B @ 2 months




Here is our plot in the little Caltech community garden on campus. It is 6' x 5' and we are attempting to plant a french intensive garden in it. On Mothers Day we spent a few hours there while Matt and B (both shirtless) double dug the plot. On Tuesday E and I spent a few hours planting the vegetables and setting up the irrigation.

My husband grew me a rose! and other updates...

Matthew planted some roses when the bushes on campus went to seed last year. He now has several miniature rose bushes, and one flowered! Just for me... :)

We've been taking it pretty easy down here, B has found new toys hidden under the bed for him, I guess we'll have to find a new hiding place for sale toys. Here he is constructing and such.

Bronson is sure getting bigger, he's a whole head above the table, he's talking way more and started to add in between words like "in" and "at" to his sentences. He's moving into 4T clothes and... da da da ddddaaaaahhhh, he's just moved into a booster seat in the car (with the high back) He loves his new "captain" chair, and I love that he can climb in and out on his own. Ka-Chow.

We've been spending our days playing with the neighbor kids and getting paperwork done. I've been laid off, so I'm applying for jobs to come back to after mat leave. We are also getting Edmunds passport and Canadian citizenship docs in order which has been a bit of a wild goose chase across LA. In the past week we've been to downtown LA more often that the previous 2.5 years total.

Edmund is growing growing growing, now in 3 month clothes. He is more alert than before and craving stimulation. He spends alot of time looking at my paintings, which is a luxury B did not have at this age as we were driving from BC to Cali at this point in his development.

DOES THIS FACE LOOK FAMILIAR?

Edmund @ ~ 6 weeks

Bronson @ ~6 weeks

Very similar in looks, but not so much in mannerisms.

Happy Easter!

Our easter was a nice sunny day full of family time. In the morning we went to the zoo where Bronson pet a bunny and made bunny ears. Then we of course visited animals :)
After coming home and having lunch we all took naps! Then in the afternoon we did an egg hunt on the patio. In the evening we played and tidied and had baths and supper. It was a nice day.

Bye bye Grandma Val

After a lovely month long visit/work term my mom has returned to the great white north. We loved having her and after 2 days without her Matt and I are exhausted! How do so many people have multiple children, this is insane!

On mom's last day (Wednesday) we took a walk and went to park group where they had an Easter egg hunt. B really enjoyed himself even though I made us late and there weren't too many eggs left hidden. He was still thrilled to find any. It was good practice for tomorrow, none the less. This may be his last year where he gets to find all the eggs himself.

At 3 and a half weeks Edmund is showing us that he wants to move, already! He rolled over a few days ago. That's right, 3 weeks old and he rolled over. B didn't roll until he was 4 months old.