We Checked That Off Our List!

Our school year ended in June with Alaina receiving awards for being the top Grade 9 student in math and science, and Janae for being the top student in Directing/Scriptwriting 11. Eric also got an award from his music school for having the top score in his category at the piano festival this past spring.

 

Since we replaced our old van with a newer car in the spring, we knew this was going to be another "staycation" year, so we made a list of things we wanted to do close to home. Now, about halfway through summer holidays, we have checked off most of them!

1. Scandinavian Festival: check!

Eric has wanted to compete in the hobby horse race for the past few years, but it's always been too hot or nobody wanted to stay long enough. This year, he finally got to do it--and his Auntie Sheri and cousins (Tyler and Trevor) were even there to watch!

2. Riding our bikes to Birchwood Dairy: check!

Jason loves to go for bike rides ... but the kids need some incentive. I came up with the idea of riding to an ice cream shop a couple of years ago, and it's been a family tradition ever since :) 

3. Corn pizza at Kraus Berry Farm: check!

Janae dreams about this pizza and has finally converted Alaina and Eric to its unique combination of ingredients (corn, artichoke hearts, pizza sauce and cheese). We look forward to enjoying it at this beautiful farm every summer.

4. Inside Out 2: check!

We got the entire family out for this one ... we thought the original was better, but the sequel was pretty good.

5. Bard on the Beach: check!

 

We went to see Twelfth Night in July and will go back for Hamlet in August.

6. Cat Café: check!

 

 

My kids have been wanting to visit a cat cafe in Vancouver for years, and we finally made it happen. This one had 24 rescue cats from all over Canada. We spent about an hour there, petting different cats and seeing how they lived together quite peacefully. Afterwards, we were happy to come home to our own Pumpkin, who we agreed was the best cat of all :)

7. Swimming at the Walnut Grove pool: check!

I didn't take any pictures, but the kids and I had a good time--Eric and Janae even went off the highest high dive twice. 

8. Steveston Boardwalk: check!

 

Janae went whale watching with her biology class in May and told us about Steveston. This had already been on our list because it was one of the filming locations of Once Upon a Time, which we recently re-watched with Eric. We found the show's clock tower (it doesn't have a clock in real life!) and Granny's diner, and also enjoyed walking by the water and seeing Fisherman's Wharf.

 

9. Picking blueberries and making tarts: check!

 

Eric and I have picked LOTS of blueberries at Grandma's, with lots more still to come. We've made two tarts, many blueberry pancakes and waffles, and a few batches of muffins ... our freezer is full of blueberries, too.

10. Join the library's summer reading club: check!

Alaina started the summer by reading A Thousand Splendid Suns in two days and then The Help in less than a week. Now she's working on Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, which will take a little longer. She and Eric joined the summer reading club and then got Janae to join as well. Eric and I went to a presentation at the library about orphan wildlife, and we've been back to get his stickers for each week of reading completed.

11. White Rock: check!

We visited White Rock on July 13 for my sister Sheri's 50th birthday party. This was a beautiful day by the ocean, enjoying time with our family. I especially loved remembering growing up there--so nice to be with my mom and sisters.

 

Some bonus activities that weren't even on our list:

Dog sitting....

 

We were a little nervous about this one, since we are all more comfortably cat people, but Eric and Alaina had so much fun with Daisy while we watched her last weekend.

 

Donuts....

Whenever we drive by this donut shop going to and from Janae's friend Grace's house, it's always closed--but Grace tells us how good it is! A few weeks ago, Alaina and I were driving by, and it was open ... so we tried it out. Definitely some of the best donuts we've ever tasted!

Visiting Eric's friend's kittens....

Eric's friend Adam was telling us about his cat's latest litter of kittens, and then we got to go see them! I sent this picture to Janae and she wanted me to bring one home. They were so adorable!

We still have another month and a few more things to check off--we're looking forward to waterslides, a wedding, the beach and of course more ice cream before school starts again in September....