Halloween: Maia putting the green face paint on a very patient Ross.

Maia wins Third Place in an Art Contest

Maia entered the BC Days Kids Art Contest when Lance took her camping this summer at Goldstream Park We received the happy news that she had won third place in the kids 4-6 years category when we got home from Hawaii. Maia was thrilled! Her prize was a quite outstanding package from MEC and consisted of a day pack, a compass, binoculars, headlamp, water bottle, a first aid kit and other small items for day trips. Maia declared that the First Aid Kit was her favourite part of the prize.

To see Maia's Art go to the BC Parks website: bcparks.ca and click of the Kids Art Contest Winners. Maia's art is the 3rd place winner in the 4-6.

Here is the direct link: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/kidspage/art_contest_2006/winners_2006.html

Yay Maia!

Halloween and Pumpkins

I had better post this one, as no sooner had that annual pumpkin fest ended then Christmas decorations went up in the halls of the malls.

So here it is: Halloween and Pumpkins

Well, no sooner had we returned from our annual trip to Kona, then Halloween was here. I arrived home with the kids to cool fog in Victoria, after a week of sunshine, heat and humidity on the big Island. We went from swimming and wearing shorts and bathing suits all day long, to digging out the toques and fleece as winter settles in here on the West Coast.

Ross, who is learning more words everyday was quick to pick up ‘pumpkin’ and by Saturday afternoon we were off to the local pumpkin patch at Mitchell’s Farm to pick put a few good ones. I love Mitchell’s for pumpkins. The field is large and impressive as far as fields go…you can see the orange pumpkins a mile away and as you get closer you can see whole families tromping their way through the dirt searching for the perfect one.

Ross was typically more interested in anything and everything as well as the pumpkins, from the twisty vines running throughout the field, to the wheelbarrows used for transporting the haul to the scales, to the adjacent empty dirt field. Finally Dad and I settled on a few good ones and hauled them home.

When it was time for carve the pumpkins, I cut off the tops and Maia and Ross helped to dig out the seeds, pulp and strings. I tried to keep the goo confined to the newspaper on the kitchen floor but soon there were strings of flesh on the oven, the dishwasher, the fridge and most of the lower cabinets and Ross was using the ladle to whack the lumps of flesh and seeds around the floor as if he was playing hockey. When I figure out how to get video up I might post the video.

For Halloween night we chose to go to my friend Heather’s house as she lives in a great family neighbourhood whereas we live on a dead end street with no kids and no treat action. I decided Ross could be easily dressed as a bean, with his green sweatshirt, green pants and green toque. Maia completed the disguise by applying green face makeup all over his face. Ross quite patiently sat on the kitchen floor for 10 minutes while Maia carefully covered him in with green.
Maia was a sort of dancing Princess again this year for trick or treating but was most interested in helping her 2 year old friend Sylvie with the process of going door to door. She insisted on holding Sylvie’s hand most of the time we were out, occasionally zipping off to get in a quick house when Sylvie was dawdling too long.

Ross spent the evening 'ooooohing' at all the lit pumpkins that decorated the houses, until he figured out that there was chocolate involved and then began exclaiming 'choc-laht' and raiding the cany bowl at Heather's house. At least he hasn't figured out how to open wrappers...yet!

Lucy