Just a heads up that I will most likely be taking a brief hiatus from the blogging world for about a week. We are out of our house tomorrow and into the inlaw's place for a couple weeks.. Internet access is going to be a spotty situation, so it might be a while til I load new pics!
Our lives are currently a whirlwind of boxes,packing tape and bubble wrap. But in between the moving prep we still managed to squeezed in a couple of hours at the Fall Fest here in Victoria. Even though we have lived in this city for 4.5 years we had never actually experienced Fall Fest.We quickly figured out why as soon as we were brought up to the event site on a wagon pulled by a decrepit John Deere tractor. Small children everywhere! Toddlers grooving to the tunes on a live stage. Older children hunting for candy in bales of straw. All children completely creeped out by a clown with a hot-pink wig (oh wait, I guess that was me).
Lily is quite the helper these days- especially in the kitchen. She cooks up little surprises for us when we turn away for a moment. Do I foresee culinary school in her future?
One of the highlights of being in a multi-national family is the ability to celebrate a myriad of holidays! Monday we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with all of the Victoria family. As you can see I do not have any pictures from the actual meal, this is because we devoured everything before I had a chance to whip out the camera. So instead I will share a few pics from the after-meal festivities, which mostly revolved around chasing after toddlers to make sure that they did not break Grandma's porcelain treasures!
Sometimes I worry that the Lil is bored being stuck at home with us most days. But then I find her in the following predicaments and my fears are put to ease...
I am thrilled to announce that Ben has finally received word that his greencard interview will be taking place in Montreal on November 12th!! That means we will be moving down in 1 month. Finally we can get on with this next chapter in our lives...
We are in the midst of packing up our home for the big move on October 24th. The trick is going to be fitting a 4+ bedroom house into a moving truck and then arranging all of our 'items' into a new 2 bedroom home. I hope that this time period in our lives can be a great personal challenge to stop acting so North American and to put less emphasis/importance on the quantity of crap that we own.I have issues with wanting too much 'stuff' but I recognize this flaw and I am trying to nip it in the bud. Obviously easier said than done- this is coming from a girl who has 60+ pairs of shoes (most are from Ross or Target rather than Manolo Blahnik but that is still a significant amount of footwear). I am already wincing at the thought of trying to squeeze my wardrobe into an apartment size closet. I am not even taking into account Ben's stuff- he will have to fend for himself!
Just as I was feeling a bit boo-hoo and all Mother Teresa-like about purging our life of extra 'stuff' I stumbled upon a blog called Under $1000 Per Month. The blog is written by Emily, a young stay-at home Mom with two kids and another due to pop out any day. The intriguing part of this blog is that she literally runs their life and budget on the $1000 a month that her husband brings home. She takes some pretty drastic measures (in my opinion) to operate their household- a 500 sq. foot apartment, homemade sausage roll, a home garden and clothing either purchased at yard sales or handed-down from friends and family. After reading Emily's blog for a few moments it becomes crystal clear that she is not complaining about her situation, rather she is content and just sharing her journey. Living minimalistic is her choice.
Today we gathered a group together and supported the boobs (pun intended) by participating in the CIBC Run for the Cure against breast cancer. The weather was crisp and clear and the supporters came out in droves to run a 5K around the University of Victoria.
This is my third year participating in the Run for the Cure and the event always brings to focus the sheer number of people whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. Participants are given either a white shirt (like the ones that our group wore) or a pink shirt to indicate if the person is a breast cancer survivor. It is simultaneously exciting and emotional to be surrounded by people who have the names of loved ones that they are running for etched onto their race bibs. I ran behind someone who was 'running for sister Sue' for a good portion of the race. In good faith we run because we hope that through the money and awareness raised through events such as this that 'sister Sue' and even Ben's grandmother would be around with us a while longer.
Renee doing some serious racing!
Heidi and her spandexy friend in red.
Michelle closing in on the finish line.
Mom and Lil shot. Don't be sad Lil you can run next year after you master the whole walking thing!We have been watching an unhealthy amount of movies/TV on DVD for the last month or so. Blame it on the whole impending move/immigration process, coupled with the fact that we are self-made prisoners in our own home once the wild child retires for the night. Not to mention the weather just recently turned crummy. Now that I have spouted off all of the excuses I could think of as to why we watch too much TV, I will now share about a few flicks that recently caught our eye.
Curb Your Enthusiasm- After a recent foray into the local DVD shop, we came upon several seasons of the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm. I was always mildly intrigued by the looks of this show, but usually opted for something a bit more au courant. In a moment of desperate boredom we decided to rent the first season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Can I just say, GOOD decision on our part. This show is hilarious! Curb Your Enthusiasm is based around the antics of Larry David, real-life creator of Seinfeld. The humor is similar that that of Seinfeld but with a more risque form of dialogue (it is on HBO after all). The sets of thirty minute shows click along at a frantic pace and leave the viewer howling with laughter. I can't wait to glue myself to the couch and watch all 8 seasons!
Grade: A-
District 9- Occasionally once the child is in bed we will sneak out for a late night taste of true 
cinema. Don't worry we lock all our doors and leave her with a cell phone in case of emergency. J/K... or am I? Anyways, I had been itching to check out District 9, the hottest sci-fi movie to hit the theaters in a while. District 9 takes place in the city of Johannesburg where the people of South Africa have decided to quarantine a population of unwanted alien visitors to a militarized refugee camp. The aliens (also known as 'Prawns') are treated like herded animals and must learn to survive in squalor and corruption. It is no coincidence that this 'alien movie' takes place in South Africa, the entire movie is a metaphor for the apartheid that has haunted this region over the last several decades. I can say that this is one of the first movies that has left me rooting for the aliens and shuddering in disgust from the human race. If you can stomach some stylized violence I highly recommend checking it out District 9.
Grade: A
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past- What can I say about Ghosts of Girlfriends Past? Save your money and keep the two hours of your life for better use. This mundane, over-sexualized, pseudo-comedy, featuring the sometimes attractive but generally irritating Matthew McConaughey (I mean honestly when is the last time you saw him in anything decent?) was a huge flop. The story-line is supposed to mimic that of Dickens' A Christmas Carol with McConaughey in the role of a modern-day Scrooge. To be honest, the story-line is not that bad, the irritating characters are what make this movie suck. If you are in the mood for something fun and light I would suggest looking elsewhere.
Grade: D
Camille: Be warned this is a weird one. Disguised with the cover of a typical chick flick, this film
is anything but typical. Just keep in mind that sometimes weird can be a good thing.Starring Sienna Miller and James Dean look-alike James Franco, Camille is a twisted honeymoon tale of a couple traveling to Niagra Falls. The plot has a few unexpected twists that have a tendency to leave the viewer going, 'huh?' but has an overall whimsical feel. If you are into blue horses, neon-red wigs and the occasional dose of romance I would suggest giving Camille a chance.
Grade: B
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