Leaving San Diego was kind of heart wrenching. All of a sudden we sort of felt like we belonged and the kids were blossoming at every turn. That pool in the backyard that they'd always enjoyed became, like, the best thing ever. 7 days before we moved out. The slide that they'd refused to use for 4 summers all of a sudden got some action. The avocado tree was not producing though, so that was some solace. I tried to eat as many of our oranges and grapefruits as I could before we left, except that slicing my lip open surfing kind of got in the way of that. Acidic fruit and raw wounds don't go well together.
Kai had his first sleep over, which was definitely blog-worthy. And Teia ended up having one too, thanks to a visit from cousin Eva.
Greg's retirement was also blog worthy but it was immediately followed by moving out of our house and sleeping in several different beds before we all came to rest in Victoria. And now it is the eve of School Starting, exactly 2 months since we touched down in BC and became CDN residents.
It isn't lost on us what a gift this summer has been. To have been able to spend two months settling in here with all of us home. No work, no structured activities. I really wasn't sure what it would be like. The kids have absolutely loved it. It hasn't been all adventure, all the time. There is a mountain of paperwork to get established in a new country and we're still wading our way through that. But we tried to balance our time so that things got done but we also had local adventures and some a little further afield.
The kids have continued to enjoy swimming although mostly in lakes since we left SD. They have also become avid little bikers. Not to mention logging plenty of miles on their scooters. Tide pools have been explored, ducks have been fed, trails have been hiked, beaches have been combed, rocks and trees have been climbed.
T told me just tonight that she is starting to forget San Diego and that she likes Victoria b/c it has less traffic and more wildlife (that's my girl). Kai isn't forgetting San Diego at all and is often wondering when we'll be headed back for the promised trip. But it does seem that BC has agreed with them so far. And Greg? He is a full-on BC guy, already.
A few weeks ago, K also decided that he was no longer going to be afraid of dogs. Just like that. He decided it didn't make any sense and he isn't afraid. Clearly he is still a bit skittish and nervous around them but he has mentally reframed it for himself so he no longer runs away and frets. He stands his ground and when he does find himself jumping out of the way, he quickly reminds us that he is "surprised but not scared." He has even declared dogs his new favorite thing and has started sleeping with a stuffed dog. And acting like a dog. Really. This is big.
Another big summer event was Granddad's 70th birthday. This turned out to be a family get together at Auntie Karen's river front place as well as a few days spent at Granddad's and at Gramma and Poppa Mike's place on Wolfe Island. Blog worthy. And missed.....I will get back up to speed. Or at least I will try. My list for my BC life is pretty ambitious but I'll do my best. Or maybe Greg will take over for awhile. After all, he has started a "lifestyle" job :-)
Another summer highlight was our short trip to Hornby Island with long time Victoria friends. I really wanted Greg to experience a Gulf Island and there is no better one to start with than Hornby. Although we were only there for a few days, we managed to sample the magical mountain bike trails, take in the stunning views and sunsets, do lots of beach combing, catch jelly fish and sand dollars, shop for pottery and the quintessential Hornby experience, listen to angsty female folk singers while sitting in an orchard as the sun goes down, drinking lattes and craft beer.
And so tomorrow, this unforgettable summer comes to an end. It kind of feels like it came to an end about 10 days ago when the first rainy, cool weather of the summer blew in and Greg started work with a trip to Halifax. But tomorrow it is official. T said tonight she is "kinda sad" but she just can't wait to bust out her new headphones for some computer work at her new school. She's sort of bummed that her class supply list did not require a 4G memory stick, like Kai's did. And my read on Kai is that he is cautiously optimistic about his new school, although he isn't saying much. Except that he hopes there will be a stuffed dog in the classroom ;-)
Stay tuned....
