Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!
Originally uploaded by the five mckays

Hope everyone is enjoying a fun-filled holiday! We're doing fabulously well, and keeping very busy! We've decided to embrace the whole idea of the 12 days of Christmas this year, draging out how long we can listen to holiday music, read books, do crafts, enjoy baking and get things that we wanted to do done! Then on Jan. 6, we'll take down the tree and put it all away! We're also trying to get out and enjoy a seasonal activity each day, whether it be skiing, skating, watching the Nutcracker or birthday bowling parties!

Christmas was a lot of fun - especially since the kids slept in until 8:30!!! We opened a few gifts, spoked to many loved ones on the phone, ate fabulous food, and then it SNOWED! Here, in Vancouver, on Christmas Day - how magical is that?!!! The kids had gotten a new sled under the tree, so they were especially thrilled to be able to try it out right away!

I uploaded a few photos on flickr - more soon!!!!!

Happy Winter Solstice!

We've wrapped up yet another successful Solstice party here at the McKay residence. It's always a lot of fun to gather with friends, neighbours and loved ones to eat great food, drink mulled wines and spiced meads, share gifts and catch up with each other while the kids run around on another floor of the house!

Of course, earlier today, you would have heard a different tune as we were trying desperately to clean the house and finish up some last minute shopping - more like, "why the heck are we so crazy, who planned this party anyways" etc. But in the end, it's always well worth the effort!!!!

And the nice thing about having lots of friends with kids is that everyone is gone by 8:15! So we promptly tidied up a little, put the kids to bed, changed into our pyjamas and marveled at how we now have 3 days of NOTHING to do - no more shopping, no more party plans, no more stress. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, what a great feeling! We were just thinking about going to bed early...

When who should arrive at our doorstep but Scott Williams and his wife - raring to join the party!!!!! Jamie answered the door to an incredulous, "Dude, you're in your pyjamas. It's only 9:30. I thought the party was tonight."!!!!!! We enjoyed another drink with them and chatted for half an hour. And then they informed us that they should get going as they haven't had dinner yet and were starting to get hungry.

Wow, do I ever feel OLD!!!!!!!

Kea's violin recital

Kea's violin recital
Originally uploaded by the five mckays

Here's a shot of Kea's violin recital - at the very last minute, she decided to play along with her friend Lael. Not realizing, of course, that it's much more difficult to play WITH someone (you've never actually played with before!) - she was only thinking about how Lael was too nervous to get up there, and that maybe it would be easier for her to play together! And they did amazingly well, considering it was so last minute! One thing I really enjoyed was how comfortable Kea seemed to play in front of others.......at one point her and Lael were playing totally different parts, and Kea was lost so she stopped, said "Just a second" went back to the teacher and got them all to start back at the same point together! And it didn't seem to bother her at all.

She played Doe A Deer and Twinkle Twinkle. I'm told she's doing amazingly well for having started a couple of months ago. I personally am really looking forward to moving into more of a repetoire! Fiddling jigs would be nice!!!!!

skating sisters
Originally uploaded by the five mckays

I uploaded a few photos of the girls skating - we made a trip up to Grouse Mountain this morning in the sunshine and fresh snow, and I was really astounded by how much Tiegan was actually SKATING this time! Something just clicked for her, and she was gliding quickly all over the place. So much fun - neither of them wanted to get off the ice after a full hour and a half of skating! Next step, ski lessons!

visit with santa

visit with santa
Originally uploaded by the five mckays

The holidays are definitely in full swing around here - skating as much as possible, listening to all of our Christmas CD's, decorating the house with greenery, cutting out snowflakes, drawing reindeer, finishing up holiday cards and doing some baking!!!! I can't believe how quickly Christmas is sneaking up on us this year - and I'm becoming increasingly realistic about all that we're going to do!!!!

Today we shared the Vancouver Aquarium with Nana Heather, and the girls were very excited to share all of their favourite corners. We saw a beluga show, a dolphin show, the bats were as active as ever, and we were very excited to see the sloth hanging out on a low branch right above our heads. Until it shat on Ryland's head, that is. Peeeeeyuuuuuu, stinky! Poor guy, but we concole ourselves with the thought that it'll somehow bring him good luck?!

After the aquarium, we took the Stanley Park train to see all of the Christmas lights they have up - very magical, and it definitely helped put us all in the festive mood. Somehow the holidays are just sneaking up on us this year, I cannot believe that it's less than 2 weeks until our annual Solstice party - time to get our butts in gear!!!!

It's been really great to have an early riser get up with the girls in the morning. Jamie took Monday off work to hang out with us all, and we were cracking ourselves up listening to the conversations downstairs. Tiegan in particular has been really cracking us up lately, though unfortunately I don't think Heather appreciates it as much. "You're going to die, you know. You're really old so that means you're going to die soon." Then today, over a discussion on how to pronounce 'scones', Tiegan announces, "You must say it that way because you're old, and we say it our way because we're all young." Uh, okay then. Next lesson is all about tact - wonder when that'll sink in for her?

Heather leaves tomorrow, so I'm supposedly getting everyone's gifts ready to send back with her. I should really get on that!!!!!! Have a good night!

kea's self-portrait

kea's self-portrait
Originally uploaded by the five mckays

I also thought I'd share this painting from Kea, the family artiste!!!!

jamie and heather
Originally uploaded by the five mckays

Nana Heather is in town for a few days, so we're enjoying some of the seasonal delights while she's here to share them with us. Yesterday we went up to Grouse Mountain, our little bit of winter paradise just outside of the city. The kids could ice skate on the outdoor pond, roll around in the snow and catch snowflakes on their tongues, but we don't have to shovel our driveway or salt our walkway as by the time we drive down from the mountain, we're back to the greenery of Vancouver! Best of both worlds, really!!!!!

While we were up there, we also got to listen to some great Christmas carols sung by a local gospel choir over lunch. WOW! Almost makes me want to take up singing....though even in my imagination I'm not nearly that good!!!!! (As usual, more photos of our afternoon up on flickr)

Ryland is sick with a cold AGAIN. He's pretty miserable, and has kept us up for three nights in a row with fever, not really able to breath properly, and I have to assume general achiness from all his whining. Today I finally brought him to the doctor just to make sure it wasn't more than a cold - and it looks like one of his ears is quite red but she wanted to see if the cold would pass so if he's still feverish and up all night by Monday we'll bring him back in. That is, if we all survive this pace - ugh!!!!

I think it is truly the sign of love when you can be woken up for the 13th time, both totally groggy, one of you covered in muccus and other bodily fluids, and you are able to not bite each others heads off. It also a sign of true love when your partner drags his sorry butt out of bed at 6:30 with the older kids to make pancakes downstairs, and lets you catch an extra hour or two of sleep! My standards used to be so different, but these days, this epitomizes true love to me!

This afternoon the girls are going to a Jackson Pollock themed birthday party, where they get to throw paint, burst water-balloons filled with paint and create messy masterpieces. Should be a good time!

Jamie and I will be heading to the nearest coffee shop for our drug of choice.

Getting caught up in the holiday madness......

Kea with newest missing tooth
Originally uploaded by the five mckays

We're still here - or at least half here! I feel like every night I go to bed with the bestest of intentions. We're going to bake cookies and create that Advent wreath (FINALLY!) and finish up our holiday letter, address all of our cards, etc. And then we're kept up all night long once again by one kid or another, and suddenly the next day is shot! I have been doing a couple of things a day, but the list in my head is barely getting touched! Oh well, what we do is what we do. With older kids, you can hardly help but get into the holiday spirit!!!!

I HAVE managed to upload some recent photos to the flickr acocount, so feel free to check those out.....and perhaps you can look forward to a card in the mail if I ever get a chance!!! For now I'm going to bed early and looking forward to ice-skating in the morning! G'night.

Happy December 1st!

Today we woke up to a winter wonderland - a very unusual happening for us Vancouverites. Jamie and I celebrated by heading up to Cypress Mountain for a couple hours of cross-country skiing. Quite heavenly, really, with snow covered trees, very few people, snow up to our knees in places, and great views of the city below. And then we went for brunch at a local cafe for uninterrupted conversation. Wow, what a novelty.

That would be FIVE hours without any children today, can you believe it? I feel very refreshed and rather human-like. And almost ready to bake a bunch of gingerbread cookies with the girls tonight. While listening to some holiday music...I was insistant that NOTHING Chrismasy was going up until Dec. 1, but now that the date has arrived, you can be sure we'll be ALL about the holidays for the next month in the McKay household!!!!

Happy first day of December to you all!