Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Driveway Picnic

Driftwood Removal by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on September 1st]

This morning Skye and Willow and Robin and Mommy and I took Dennis for a walk around the block... Skye and I found a sprinkler to run and play in, so we came home, turned on the sprinkler, and played! Then we set up towels on the driveway and had picnic. I even made toast.

The Montreal crew left before lunch - I was pretty sad to see them go, but luckily Papa was home, and we spent some quality time together. I even took him for a pretty long walk in the afternoon... we went to the playground, and then got confused about who was leading us where and where we were going.

After Dinner, Mommy and Daddy did some grocery shopping... I stayed with Papa and we did some fun math problems.


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Family CNE Trip

Starfish by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

What an eventful day! Mommy and Robin and Papa and Skye and Willow and I took the bus, subway, and the streetcar to the Canadian National Exhibition! It took a while, but once we were there, boy was I happy.

First we watched a busker, and then we checked out the farm animals - we all stood amazed as Papa knew more about the pigs than anyone else, and educated everyone there about them. Speaking of pigs, then we went to the food building for lunch, and I ate a massive load of pork ribs.

Once lunch was done, Skye and I rode on a whole bunch of fun rides and stuff - poor Willow was really put out that she was too small to go on anything. It's okay, Skye and I had a blast together!

We headed home in the late afternoon (taking the streetcar, subway, and the bus) where I played with Skye. Grandpa made cheeseburgers, Aunt Diane made pie, and Papa went out to a baseball game with Daddy!


Monday, August 29, 2011

Fishing with Papa

Deserted by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

I had a nice morning with Robin and Skye and Willow before we pretty much abandoned them in the house with Dennis, as Mommy and Daddy and I drove off to Brockport, New York.

The drive down was pretty uneventful, aside from having to wait at the border for a whole hour. We were worried we'd hit the edge of Hurricane Irene, but the weather was fine. Once we arrived at Uncle Johnny's, the wind picked up a bit, but nothing major.

Papa and I did a lot of fishing in the back yard, and Aunt Gayle made me lots of food for lunch. Daddy was running on only four hours sleep, so we couldn't stay long, much to my dismay. Mommy and Papa and I took turns keeping him awake on the long drive home.

Did I mention that I enjoyed fishing with Papa? Well, I did!


Sunday, August 28, 2011

Skye, Willow, Robin & Diane

Minigolf Waterfall by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

I was up pretty early this morning, and kept myself busy playing computer games. Mommy went right back into my bedroom and continued cleaning and tidying it - I eventually helped get Daddy out of bed, and then he and I both helped tidy and watched Jack Layton's funeral on television.

We went to the butcher in the early afternoon, and stopped by the bakery for pastires... we had lunch when we got home, and soon after that, Aunt Diane and Cousins Robin, Skye, and Willow arrived! Skye and Willow and I played and played and had a really good time.

Once bedtime rolled around there was some drama... I was pretty worked up and got a little bit lippy with my parents, probably due to all of the activity around here. Eventually I asked to be left alone to calm down, which is good. Tomorrow we drive to New York State to pick up Papa... let's hope the Hurricane Evacuation doesn't cause too many traffic problems.


Saturday, August 27, 2011

Swan Rides and Real Swans

Ocean Run by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

This morning Gammy came over and helped get me ready for our big day together - she and I went on a big class field trip (with the class she teaches) to the Toronto Island! The ferry ride there was good, although not as awesome as the ferry rides we went on in British Columbia.

We skipped most of the stuff on the island and pretty much stuck to the amusement park. I went on the ferris wheel, the swan rides, the merry-go-round, the train ride... we had a nice picnic, I played with another little girl named Nicki, and most of Gammy's students went out of their way to fill me with candy! We even fed breadsticks to real swans, which tried to follow us home on the ferry.

The rest of the day was pretty quiet by comparison... I stood by and watched Mommy continue to clean out and fix up my closet and stuff. It should be ready for tomorrow!


Friday, August 26, 2011

Cleaning out the Closet

West Edmonton Ferris Wheel by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

The weather was weird today - it kept looking as though it was going to rain, then not, and then it got cloudy, then it rained a bit... it made planning the day's activities kinda tough. Still, I managed to have a lovely game of croquet with Gammy in the back yard.

Mommy worked like a fiend in my bedroom today, continuing to clean and re-model my closet. I tried to make a parachute out of a plastic bag for my toys, but got frustrated when it didn't work right, and I ended up working myself into a tizzy. I did manage to assist Mommy in building some new storage shelves.

Seeing as how my room was a disaster area (what with the content of my closet all over my bed), I got to sleep in my parents' bed tonight, where I kicked and kneed Daddy as he tried to sleep. Hah!


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Actual Chut!

Asulkan Trail 02 by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 26th]

Mommy decided to tidy my closet today, so for a large chunk of the day she went in there and worked away. Her allergies ended up getting the better of her, and I didn't see her very much, but... she DID manage to get a lot of work done. I happily entertained myself for most of the time.

A few months back when Cool Uncle Gareth was visiting, I invented a food called 'Chut' (eggplant, peanut butter, and crackers). Mommy made a version of that for dinner, and wouldn't you know... it was great! Also - I don't like eggplant!

Before bed, Daddy took Mommy and I out to run some errands. We stopped by Home Depot, and picked up our organic food order from Claire's house. I didn't get in as much of a play date with Claire as I wanted.

I tried to sleep with a crazy lightning storm happening outside my window, to very little success.

Listening to: The Muppets - The Green Album


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Playing with Boys

On Deck by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 25th]

I woke up to discover that Dennis had pulled one of his own toenails out in the middle of the night, so we kinda had to watch him and make sure his foot was okay. It didn't seem to bother him whatsoever.

Mommy and I were gonna head off to the library and the farmer's market, but once again G.G. in Guelph collapsed, so Grandpa had to drive out there... so there was drama. Mommy and I did eventually make our way over there before it closed.

While I was at the library today, there was some field trip happening - I played with one of the boys on the field trip, but I guess he doesn't get many girls to play with him because he kept asking "Why are you playing with me? Are you in love with me or something?"

Daddy took Mommy and I out for coffee and mason jars (Mommy has some canning to do) before bed. Luckily, it didn't seem to mess with my sleep.


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Disappointment x 2

Desert Frolic by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

Some disappointment this morning... first of all, we found out that cousin Robin's car is in the shop, so she & Brian & Nevi & Skye & Willow won't be visiting this week. Darn it! Also, Mommy and Daddy and I thought we had dentist's appointments tomorrow, but it turns out the appointments were today, and we missed them. Double darn it!

I spent the day being crafty. I made a puppet, several watercolour paintings, and a get well card for G.G., who has been falling down a lot at her apartment. Also, Mommy and I watched some excrutiatingly boring real estate-related television.

Mommy and I also took Dennis for several walks today, and Gammy and Grandpa have old friends from Australia visiting them, so I went over to be social.


Monday, August 22, 2011

Thunderstorm!

On the Ferry with Daddy by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

I woke up at a pretty good hour, and had a lovely Sunday morning of television watching and video game playing. It was kinda rainy outside, so our plans to do anything were somewhat scuppered... although I did eventually convince my folks that we should go to the mall.

Late in the day, we did just that - but not before a crazy out-of-nowhere thunderstorm came in and totally pelted the house, kinda wrecking the backyard with felled branches and overflowing gutters. The drive to the mall revealed that we actually fared pretty well - there are trees in the road and stuff!

The mall was fine... we got some popcorn, Mommy got new pants, and I picked out a new dress. Then it was back home, where Mommy and I did a lot of room tidying and stuff, anticipating Robin and crew's visit tomorrow!

Listening to: The Weekend - Thursday


Sunday, August 21, 2011

More Sleep Issues

Ferry Wind 2 by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

Mommy and I had a nice meal of chocolate chip pancakes this morning... we woke up Daddy and had him finish off the leftovers. Mommy sure has turned making gluten-free pancakes into a legitimate work of art.

Daddy and I watched some cooking shows while we had lunch, and then he drove Mommy and I out to Markham, where we bought some crafty odds and ends and stuff. Once that was done, we finally got around to doing the much-needed grocery shopping.

Once again, I had a really rough time falling asleep (although at least this only time it took a long time and wasn't wrought with crying). Mommy and Daddy took turns lying with me until I passed out.

Listening to: Wild Beasts - Smother


Saturday, August 20, 2011

Snail Watching

Mountain Goats by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

Mommy got me up at a normal hour again, and made the firm decision to really wear me out today, so that I'd be good and rested at bedtime. We really don't want to repeat the craziness of the last few nights.

Mommy and Dennis and I walked over to the garden this morning, where I watched a snail walk along the length of a bench and up a fence post. Pretty entertaining. Dennis has always flopped down on the ground whenever he sees another dog, but since he stayed with Gammy and Grandpa while we were on vacation, he does it all the time, without fail. Weird.

Speaking of Gammy and Grandpa, I did some nice visiting with them in the afternoon. After Daddy came home from work, we had a nice dinner outside. I was really dreading going to bed again (and not being able to sleep), but it was actually okay. Not exactly back to normal, but after about an hour with Mommy lying next to me, I fell asleep for the night.


Friday, August 19, 2011

Still Jet Lagged

Athabasca Glacier 02 by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 20th]

After last night's bedtime drama, Mommy made sure that I got up at a normal hour, to make sure that my sleeping schedule was reset. We had a quiet morning, taking walks and stuff... we went to the store, and Mommy sent me inside with a five dollar bill. I bought cream, and she let me go right back in to buy penny candy with the change. I was so happy!

We went to the Eastlynn market after lunch, which was a pretty huge disappointment, and we didn't end up getting many groceries or anything. There was hardly anything there! We came home and Mommy made a pizza for dinner (Daddy was at his company's summer party tonight).

Once again, there were hours and hours of bedtime drama. I was so worried about not automatically falling asleep that it drove both Mommy and I ragged. I finally fell asleep in her bed at about midnight, just before Daddy got home from his work party. Here's hoping tomorrow is better.


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Jet Lag

At the Mall with Etana by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

Crossing several time zones in less than two days can kinda screw up your system. I actually slept in really late this morning - which was pretty good, I guess. Once we were all ready and everything, Mommy and I took a walk over to the garden. We discovered that while we were gone, several or our tomato plants rotted, which was a shame, but we made the best of it.

After lunch, Mommy and I took it pretty easy - Mommy did some tidying, and the two of us played some board games and stuff. Food was somewhat difficult to scrounge (we really need to go grocery shopping) but we made do.

At bedtime, I was pretty awake - the jet lag was still messing me up. It was a pretty dramatic and overwrought scene... I cried, whined, whimpered... you name it. All to put off going to sleep. I really need to get my schedule aligned.


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Flight Home

Pacific Mud by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

Etena got dropped off at Naisa's house first thing this morning, which was pretty awesome - the two of us were up to our old tricks, making noise and having fun. Once Samara and all of our parents were up and all of our bags were packed, we drove over to Whyte avenue to do some shopping!

First off, we visited the bookstore, where we all got books and coffee. We went into the store where Naisa works, and into some antique stores and clothing stores and stuff. Pretty fun! Next, we walked over to a sushi restaurant, where I had some good sushi, and Daddy had some bad sushi.

We bid a sad farewell to Naisa and Etana and Samara in the early afternoon and drove over to the airport, where we bid adieu to our rental car companion. The plane ride home from Edmonton to Toronto felt like it went by really really fast - I was once again fantastically well behaved, which suited Daddy fine considering his headache, stomach ache, and exhaustion.

I was really happy to be home... Dennis was pretty excited to see us. Mommy made me a quick dinner, and then I had some difficulty going to bed.


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Fun with Time Zones

In a Tree by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

Well, we left the last hotel we're gonna stay in on our massive summer vacation and headed back out onto the road, driving past Mount Robson, the largest mountain in the North American Rockies. It was tall!

We made it to Jasper in time for a late breakfast, only to discover that we forgot about the time zone change... meaning we actually were having lunch, not breakfast. It didn't take us too long to drive out of Alberta, and we bid the Rocky Mountains a fond, loving farewell.

We shot like rockets across the Yellowhead highway to Edmonton, where we were re-united with Naisa and Samara and Smithembiso, not to mention Etana's Mommy Mattea, Paul, and my old friend Ndumiso! We all went out for a delicious Chinese dinner, and Mommy let me worry about my wheat allergies for another time. I even got to have fortune cookies!

I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night.


Monday, August 15, 2011

Squamish to Valemount

Desert Fence by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

Mommy and Daddy and I got our act together and left Squamish at a pretty good hour, stopping for gas and breakfast. The Sea to Sky highway continued to be beautiful, but we hit a pretty decent rainstorm once we drove through Whistler. Since we had a lot of ground to cover, we didn't stop much.

The rain ended once we got through the Coast Mountains (and once we got around the endless slow-moving traffic). We stopped in the desert for gasoline outside of Lillooet, and continued on through Kamloops, stopping in Cache Creek for lunch. And onward we drove and drove and drove, back into the Rocky Mountains, and trailing behind frustrating batches of slow-moving cars and campers.

We finally made it to Valemount in time for dinner - Daddy would have kept driving if we didn't make him stop. We hit another rainstorm, which caused all of the other travellers to fill up the hotels - luckily we got a cheap two-bedroom suite (!) at the Ramada Inn. We went for a 'mountain man' dinner of roast beef and prime rib before turning in for the night.

Squamish to the Alberta border. Nine hours of driving. Nice work, Daddy!


Sunday, August 14, 2011

The Saturday Market

Ferry Railing by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

This morning we packed all of our gear into our Ford Focus and bid adieu to the place we were staying at on Salt Spring Island… after a nice chat with our host, we drove down to Ganges in order to attend the Saturday market, where Mommy and Daddy bought some nice trinkets ten years ago. And boy, were they ever shocked to discover what the market had turned into over the course of a decade. It was MASSIVE. There were probably more people at the market today than lived on the island in 2001. It was so crowded! Unbelievable! I played in the playground while Daddy supervised, and Mommy braved the crowds to buy souvenirs for people back home.

We had lunch (and brunch beforehand) in a nice cafe, and then hit up a pretty awesome quilting store. Then we drove down to Long Harbour and waited for our ferry. I was so quiet and well behaved, my parents were quite impressed! Even on the long ferry ride back to mainland Canada, I was awesome. Daddy's favourite part of the day was when the two of us sat on the top deck and watched the water go by. Pretty nice. I think we all got sunburns.

The drive from the ferry dock to Squamish was equally lovely… we drove through downtown Vancouver and hit up the now-expanded Sea to Sky highway, which was gorgeous. We checked into the very same hotel that Mommy and Daddy checked into on the first night of their honeymoon, exactly ten years ago, and got subs for dinner. A long day of driving towards Edmonton tomorrow.


Saturday, August 13, 2011

Salt Spring Island

Ruckle Park Panorama by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 14th]

We've officially run out of clean clothes and stuff, so Mommy and Daddy and I spent the morning in 'downtown' Ganges searching for a laundromat. Eventually we found it, with some help from the local chamber of commerce. We did two loads of laundry while I played in the playground.

We went back to the Treehouse café for lunch, which was great (again) and then finally walked around town and had some delicious gelato. Then it was time to do some grocery shopping and head back to our cottage, where we prepped for a massive hike.

We drove out to Ruckle park, which like everything else around here, has really changed over the past ten years since Mommy and Daddy were here on their honeymoon. There were campgrounds all over, but we still managed to enjoy the tide pools and rocky crags and stuff… and even found a rainforest hike. Due to how well it's been kept, Mommy and Daddy think they were probably the last people to walk it, back in 2001.

We were all pretty exhausted (a two and a half hour hike!) so we went back to the cottage for our first home-cooked dinner since Edmonton. Mommy and Daddy and I laid Carcassonne on the floor, and then it was bedtime!


Friday, August 12, 2011

The Home For Mentally Disturbed Parrots

Parrot Conversation by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 13th]

I was pretty sad to leave Errington this morning - I really liked our little place, and the family who own and ran it. Ah well. The first thing we did was visit the local home for mentally deranged parrots. That's right - a refuge for crazy exotic birds. I don't know why, but it never occurred to Daddy that it might be kinda loud in there. Anyway, it was weird, but cool. I had a long chat with a little green parrot, Mommy made friends with a Cockatoo that wanted to eat her pullover, and a massive blue parrot swooped out of nowhere and landed on Daddy's head.

Once that insanity was done with (Daddy could have done without watching birds eat themselves alive due to depression), we went to a local farm and tried out several variety of cheeses and visited a (non-parrot) petting zoo. Then it was off to the Parksville community beach for a picnic, a romp in the playground (I loved the zip line) and a visit to the amazing international sandcastle competition!

Finally, we began the drive to the ferry dock just outside of Duncan. Mommy had a sore back, so she snoozed for most of the trip. The ferry ride to Salt Spring Island was really short - we found our new little cottage, and then went to Ganges for dinner. This island sure has changed a lot since my parents were here on their honeymoon.

That reminds me… today is their tenth wedding anniversary! It was kind of a non-event… in fact, Daddy forgot to even give Mommy the tin toy train he bought her as a gift.

Ten years and counting! Amazing! Happy Anniversary!


Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Pacific Ocean

Pacific Fun by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 13th]

Mommy and Daddy and I went back to Coombs after breakfast, where Daddy bought even more smoked salmon. We packed ourselves a picnic lunch and headed out - we stopped at Cathedral Grove park, where I got to walk around and check out 1000+ year-old giant cedars. It was really cool, although some of the other tourists were kinda annoying us. Anyway, it was great.

Next, we made the very very long and treacherous drive through Port Alberni to Pacific Rim National Park. We ate our lunch at the bog trail - a really weird little hike along an elevated boardwalk, which weaved its way through some pretty alien swampland. It was eerily quiet, but really neat.

Finally, we made the quick drive over to the Pacific Ocean (Wicininnish beach, to be precise). Any worries Mommy and Daddy had about the drive being long and the weather being miserable were put to rest - I had a blast! I ran all over the beach, I played in the sand, and the coolest part - Mommy and I checked out some of the rocky tide pools and got to see anemones, barnacles, kelp, hermit crabs, and all kinds of weird creatures. Amazing!

I snoozed for the long drive back to Errington - we stopped in Coombs again, this time for a lovely Italian dinner. I was exhausted, but thankfully I was subdued and exhausted, and not crazy and exhausted. Another winner of a day!


Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Crudbuckets

Minigolf Flowers by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 12th]

This morning we all woke up and had a lovely breakfast (farm fresh eggs and everything) before heading out for Englishman River Falls - a pretty amazing old-growth forest / hiking area just a few minutes away from our little villa. It was pretty awesome, although my mood was a bit all over the place.

After a quick stop back at our cottage, we drove out to Coombs, where we hit up Goats on the Roof, a ice little local market that was, apparently, filled with (a) the best smoked salmon Daddy had ever eaten and (b) everyone else on planet Earth. We braved the crowds and had a picnic over by the parking lot, which was quite nice! Ask Daddy about that salmon. He'd love to tell people about it.

Next, we drove over to Qualicum Beach, where we did some window shopping and stuff in the village, and then over to the beach itself. Even though the tide was in and the water was cold, I played in the water with some older kid that I met - she was awesome. We took turns dragging logs from the beach into the water. My friend used the word "Crudbuckets" instead of "Darn it", so my folks just called her 'Crudbuckets'. I think her actual name was Lilly, but Daddy thinks that's boring in comparison.

We FINALLY got in a game of mini-golf before heading over to a well-reviewed restaurant for dinner. It was pricy and good, but not as good as yesterday's food and experience, aside from the fact that bald eagles kept flying over our heads!

We headed back to the villa, where our hosts invited us to roast marshmallows over a campfire with their family. Isn't that awesome? What a great way to cap off a pretty full day.


Tuesday, August 09, 2011

The Queen of Oak Bay

Ferry Wind by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 10th]

Mommy and Daddy and I left Kamloops pretty early this morning, as we had a lot of ground to cover. We even changed our route up a bit, due to some traffic reports… instead of heading to Vancouver via the desert and Whistler, we headed south via Hope. Still, it was a scenic drive… and it took way faster than any of us expected.

We had lunch in Abbotsford, in an unassuming little mini-mall sushi restaurant which turned out to be fantastic. Then we drove on through Vancouver over to Horseshoe Bay, where we waited and waited for the ferry to load up and leave. I was pretty awesome during the wait, but turned into something of a spaz once the ferry left. I really did have a blast aboard the Queen of Oak Bay… I thought it was amazing!

Once we arrived in Nanaimo, it was a quick drive over to the Bed & Breakfast we have reserved… or should I say, the private villa we seem to have accidentally rented. This place is amazing! We may never leave! Even though it was pretty late, we drove all over Parksville until we found a restaurant. I ate a massive bowl of mussels at a pretty fancy establishment.

Once again on this vacation, I'm up waaaay past my bedtime.


Monday, August 08, 2011

The Asulkan Trail

Asulkan Trail 01 by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 10th]

Mommy and Daddy and I had a lovely breakfast in the smokehouse attached to our hotel first thing in the morning before leaving Golden for parts west. It didn't take us very long for us to arrive in Rogers Pass, which was pretty cool - really busy, but neat. We visited the info centre and then drove over to the site of a major hike that kicked my parents' butts ten years ago.

Now, we didn't go NEARLY as far as they did a decade ago, but we still walked up and up and up for several hours, encountering beautiful scenery and having a fantastic time along the way. My parents were so proud of how well I did! It must have been about 4 or 5 km of walking, all said and done.

We drove to Revelstoke once we were done for a pretty late (but yummy) lunch, and then got stuck in a nasty traffic jam due to a Winnebago driving off of the side of a mountain just outside of Salmon Arm. I got pretty bored, and then fell asleep just in time to miss Mommy and Daddy getting kinda lost in the desert just outside of Kamloops.

Once we arrived in Kamloops, we finally did what I was hoping for, and got dinner at a Subway before going to bed at our motel.


Sunday, August 07, 2011

The Columbia Icefields

Athabasca Glacier 01 by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 9th]

Despite a blistering thunderstorm in the middle of the night, I slept well. Mommy and Daddy and I were up and hit the road pretty early, saying goodbye to Naisa and Etana and Samara and Smithembiso. The highway out of Edmonton was pretty clear and empty, so we hit the mountains surprisingly quickly. Once I saw those mountains, I was pretty awestruck - and the deeper we got into the mountains, the more amazing it was. It made my parents really happy to hear my unbridled enthusiasm!

We stopped in Jasper and had a delicious little lunch at a nice restaurant, and met a nice family from Melford Sask, who we kept running into on the rest of the day's journey along the Icefields parkway. Along that drive, we saw lasagna-eating birds, chipmunks, massive ravens, an elk, a family of mountain goats, and two bears - one grizzly and one black - really up close!

We hit the Columbia Icefields in the late afternoon - Mommy and Daddy and I walked right up to the Athabasca glacier, which was one of the more amazing things any of us have done this year. Pretty mind-blowing, but we were pretty exhausted after the (chilly) hike. We still managed to find the time to also hike around Peyto lake.

Mommy and I got pretty exhausted by then, and couldn't settle on what to eat for dinner in Lake Louise… Daddy drove us into British Columbia, where we found a little Motel and smokehouse in Golden. What an amazing day!


Saturday, August 06, 2011

The West Edmonton Mall

With Samara by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 7th]

Etana and I woke up pretty early this morning and horsed around for several early hours while everyone around us tried to sleep. Once Naisa's baby Samara woke up, everyone else did, pretty much.

Once things had reached a reasonable hour, Naisa and Samara and Etana and Mommy and Daddy and I drove out to the International House of Pancakes for breakfast and some exceptional service, too! Delicious.

Next, we all drove over to the West Edmonton Mall, which was easily as huge as legend led us to believe. We skipped the wave pool, the skating rink, the pirate ship, and the mini golf and headed over to the amusement park. Etana and I went on a bunch of rides, and tired ourselves out at the big playground before visiting Starbucks on the way out again.

At this point, I was already exhausted… but we still managed to make our way (along with Naisa's husband Smithembiso) to Paul & Cynthia Bujold's apartment for a lasagna dinner and a cool movie. Somehow, I kept it together throughout. Once we got back to Naisa's place, though… Etana and I both crashed pretty hard.


Friday, August 05, 2011

THE LIMO IS HERE!!!

Safety Instructions by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy on August 7th]

I somehow managed to get through the night, despite my sheer excitement for the day's journey. Once I was up, Mommy and I did some last-minute packing and sorting… we delivered Dennis' crate (and Dennis himself) to Gammy and Grandpa, who will be looking after him while we're on vacation.

Daddy came home from work in the afternoon - Mommy and I took Dennis for one last walk, and then once we got back, the airport limo arrived, which caused me to should and exclaim "THE LIMO IS HERE!" despite not technically even knowing what a limo is.

We went to a restaurant at the airport, but… they lost our food! We ended up waiting until we couldn't wait any longer, and then boarded our flight for Edmonton. I kept my headphones in pretty much the entire time, which meant every time I spoke, I was REALLY LOUD. I weaved a pot holder during the flight, which I was pretty proud of. I was really well behaved for the whole thing.

Daddy traded in our rental car for one that would play his iPhone, once we arrived. We drove in to Edmonton and found Naisa's place pretty easily… It's so late for me that I crawled into bed with visiting Etana (who was already asleep) and passed out.


Thursday, August 04, 2011

Ready to Go

New TARDIS 04 by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

I spent most of the day looking forward to tomorrow, when Mommy and Daddy and I will fly out to Edmonton in the evening. Somehow, I had to get through the day, just waiting for it to be tomorrow!

Since we'll be doing a lot of driving on our vacation, Mommy anticipates some back issues. So the two of us took the bus to the Chiropractor's office. Mommy told him to be pretty ruthless, and he was! As soon as that was better, we grabbed some coffee and looked (to no avail) for colourforms at the toy store.

After Daddy came home from work, we had a nice dinner and ran a few errands - we got dog food for Dennis (who will be looked after by Gammy and Grandpa while we're gone) and went to the bookstore, where I met and played with some other kids.


Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Sassy

Happy Birthday by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

Mommy and I started out the day by taking Dennis for a much-needed walk around the block, before returning home for breakfast. Once that was out of the way, we took the bus over to the farmer's market!

First, we went into the library, returned some borrowed books, and chose some brand new ones. Then we went back to the farmer's market and got some goodies... and then found a decent patch of the field to have a picnic on, which was great.

On the way to run some errands, we stopped at a paint store where I met a really cute little dog named Maya. Maya and I spent quite a long time together while Mommy browsed. Finally, we hit up a new sorbet shop, and I got some delicious sorbet.

Keeping my fingers crossed - over the past few weeks, I've had the odd wheat or milk product here and there and I haven't shown a single allergic reaction. Of course, my attitude has been sassier than normal, but that could just be because I'm six now.


Tuesday, August 02, 2011

BB & GG

New TARDIS 03 by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

Today we picked Blueberries (BB's) and visited my Great-Grandmother (GG)!

The morning was fairly low-key... I visited with Gammy and Grandpa while Mommy prepped breakfast and stuff. Daddy and I had our usual smoked salmon lunch (Daddy had the day off due to it being a holiday), and then we headed out for the day!

First off, we went to Andrews Scenic Acres, and did a lot of berry picking. The berries were quite bountiful! We got a load of raspberries and several loads of blueberries. I made sure to insist that Daddy be careful... last time we were there, he was attacked by wasps! I didn't let him forget it.

Once that was all finished, we drove over to Guelph to visit GG. She had a hard time seeing me and I was talking WAY too fast for her (or almost anyone else) to follow, but we all had a nice visit nonetheless. She was sure glad to see us!

We had a long drive home... I was bummed that my iPod wasn't working, but Daddy humoured me by playing mostly my favourite songs in the car. Let's hope I'm less picky on our lengthy vacation road trip later this week.

Listening to: Jason Falkner - All Quiet On The Noise Floor


Monday, August 01, 2011

Waiting for my Parents to leave

New TARDIS 02 by Clover_1
[As transcribed by Daddy]

I was pretty excited this morning when Claire and Jen came over for brunch... unfortunately Jason and Connor were both sick, so they weren't able to make it. No problem, though... Claire and I had a great time playing - there was some great food thanks to our parents, and the weather was nice, too.

As soon as Jen and Claire had to leave, I couldn't wait for my parents to leave for the wedding they were supposed to go to... unfortunately, that was a mere five hours away. I spent that five hours on the computer, playing in my room, and then taking Dennis for a walk around the block.

Once my parents left for that wedding, I went over to Gammy and Grandpa's place for dinner and a really really long walk around the neighbourhood. Dennis got kinda tired given the heat, so we cut the walk short. Gammy read several books to me before bed, and I went to sleep a happy kid.


I'm a happy kid living with my parents and our dog in Toronto. I'm goofy, sweet, smart, extremely chatty, and pretty much the cutest kid on the face of the Earth!