We titled this blog first steps for many reasons. The first reason is that last night, Lauren took her first steps. She was so excited and so were we! (We have a video of her at the end of the blog!) The other reason for the title is that we seem to be taking lots of first steps ourselves. We feel like we are starting off with baby steps...they are small, and unsteady, but the more steps that are taken the more confidence we gain and the more excited we become.An example of the kids being more confident in this urban city of ours is public transit. Regan and Benjamin continually ask to sit "in the back of the bus" (no strollers allowed in the back). They are becoming very familiar with things here and even know when to "ding the bell/pull the cord" to get off at our different stops. We do not ride the skytrain nearly as often as the bus, but when we do, the kids like to try and snag the seat in the very front. They feel like they are on a roller coaster and even hold their hands up in the air when going around curves. One time, we were racing to get that prized seat and soon realized (when the train started moving) that we were actually in the back of the train. So, we watched from behind.
We took this picture of the track while we were waiting on the platform to get on. I have really been impressed at how well public transportation can work if it is done properly. I just didn't grow up in a city that depended on it, so it has been a change. We have ridden a few times in a van with a friend here, and (didn't think I would ever say it but..) I think I prefer transit. Katherine still thinks our van is parked in one of the mall parking lots here. I'm not sure when she will figure it out. She just assumes that one of those vans is ours.
So, we have had some requests to see our house. We rent the upstairs of a house. We have three bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. We share the laundry room with the people that rent below us. It did take us couple of days to figure out where the washer/dryer was. We have to walk out the back door, down the steps, use a key for the door going to the downstairs apartment, and that is where it is. There is another door (with another lock) going to the actual apartment, but we would not have figured that one out on our own. Thankfully, we met our downstairs neighbors quickly and they filled us in on some things. Anyways, this is our living room. Behind the couch, we have made it a play area. I really like it because it gives us a central place for toys where they can have fun and it doesn't make the house look like a wreck.
This is the girls' room (Katherine's bed to the left and Regan's bed to the right). They love sharing a room.
And this is Benjamin and Lauren's room. One of Benjamin's prized possessions has become this little UT scarf that is around his puppy's neck. All his stuffed animals get to take turns wearing it. He said that it reminds him of his home in Tennessee. I would not have pictured that as his "keepsake" from his "old home", but it makes a lot of sense now. I mean, we did live in Knoxville...the place that thrives on big orange football. Even the choir wears orange on gameday weekends :) Ahh, those good ole days. We really stand out when our Tennessee apparel is worn here. People in Vancouver like to wear blacks, grays, and some browns. It can be a good conversation starter though :)
Regan took this picture and wanted to add it to the blog. We walk out our front door, down the steps, down the walkway, take a left, and catch the bus at the corner every day. The yard isn't very big, but we still have fun in it. Jonathan played tag with the kids the other day. I thought it was funny because I haven't seen anyone playing in their yards yet. Lots of people walk and ride bikes, but not just play. I guess they go to the parks for that or maybe they stay inside, but who can stay inside on a pretty day?
Katherine playing tag with Daddy. She made it safely to base.
We didn't want to take up every picture with a picture of every room/view of our house, but I did want to share my new favorite picture. It really makes our house feel like home. This was a last minute purchase just four days before we hooped on the plane. We went to get a picture of all the cousins together and in the process they snapped these. I couln't resist :) So, we had it shipped to Canada and I'm really glad we did. We have had some requests to "store" this for us when we move again, but we are still trying to figure out if we can take it with us. Thanks for the offers! :)Enjoy the video below!
