first things first

we've been so busy enjoying the "last" of the summer and ramping up with work for fall that time has flown by!

the last thing i remember, we were in penticton and i was all on top of the day 1 & 2 photos from our trip.  that would probably be because for one whole day i couldn't figure out how to connect to the internet.  oh, the things that would get done in the world (or at least our house!) without internet access...  it would put a small dent in my factoid knowledge base and ability to impulse shop, but i would get so much more done!  

anyway, we were in penticton, enjoying the many beaches, the crickets, visiting with family, the fruit and the hot summer weather.  we spent mornings each day getting our little blanket village set up on alternating beaches (skaha one day, okanagan the next, rinse, repeat).  cole experimented with the many ways to flap, track, fling and whip sand on our blankets and ourselves, and we learned exactly how many forms ice cream can take. he enjoyed chatting up groups of teenagers and splashing about in the water and with our various inflatable toys (baby boat/turtle/dollar boogie board from the thrift store).  we even managed to get ourselves (with floaties and in shallow water) out to the floating platform on skaha lake.  

naptimes and bedtimes were a bit of a gong show - we tried sleeping in a big-kid bed and it was very exciting for cole.  it didn't really matter - he was jolly as all get out, even on the day he didn't nap at all!  contrary to the opinion i've held firmly for more than two years, the apocalypse did not come!  i wouldn't really like to do it again because i like my mid-day work time, but it was good to know that nothing terrible happened.  cole enjoyed his later holiday bedtimes - he marveled at the fact that "the sky is blue out!" at night.

after naptime each day we went on random adventures - to stops at lang, red rooster and see ya later vineyards, to the delightful naramata farmer's market, to tickleberries for ice cream, to the beach, the giant peach/ice cream stand, the boardwalk and the various delightful beachside playgrounds and parks.  

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cole was crazy for auntie patti, uncle danny and abby the dog.  every morning he woke up and asked "where are uncle danny, auntie patti and abby the dog?" and he was fascinated with abby's food, feeding her, looking for treats for her and hoping to eat her treats...  we had a great visit and dinner with auntie kathy, uncle al and cousins scott and ryan - he enjoyed pointing at everyone and calling them silly...  and he developed a fast soft spot for the luxury of the hot tub, forever asking "you wanna go in the hot tub?"  

our trip home was the best kind - uneventful.  well, except for a major barfing incident.  i've been spoiled - cole spat up only once when he was a baby, he didn't get a cold until he was nearly two and he's generally contained in terms of fluids...  fruit logs (available at fruit stands near you!) + windy roads + reading....  he had his moment, which freaked us both out, but i knew all was well when i stripped him down and put him up front in his diapers for a moment. right away he started ejecting and inserting cds, happy as a clam, asking what happened.  now, if i could only get the smell out of the car...

still no marmots in manning park, but we had a quick stop there for bathroom breaks and lunch.  cole told everyone that he was going to sleep in the car and less than five minutes out of the parking lot he was sound asleep for the rest of the trip home.

sometimes i forget that cole is two.  sometimes i he's very two - all asserting independence and creatng his identity and not eating food (except for fruit logs, apparently).  but most of the time he's just a fun little dude.  i really enjoy his easy-going personality, his quirky jokes, how he rolls with the flow.  am looking forward to our next solo jaunt! 

crickets ahoy!

coco and i made our way up the crow's nest highway yesterday on our annual pilgrimage to the sunny shores of penticton.  so far, so good.  four thumbs up!  chit chat to come, photos for now.  must get back to listening to the crickets.

marmot-less manning park.  they'd better be there on our trip home!

 stopping for fruit at bear's in keremeos.

always ones to take pity of a slightly irregular cucumber.

stopping to dip our toes in yellow lake.

and to have our photo taken by friendly people from saskatoon.

 coco getting reacquainted with "abby the dog" as he calls her.  

boating at okanagan beach.  last year's water toy is looking mighty small!

we miss you jamie but look, we're on the beach!  
and superman just crawled out of the lake!  ;-) xo 

 burying people in the sand - fun for all involved!

 peeping at the horses (and their fascinating poop).

at red rooster, an annual stop.

only one grape was harmed during this adventure.

see you soon!

one foot in the fire, one on the face of the sun

so it's been hot lately. really, really hot. the kind of hot that has you sitting around the house in canada's cheapest nightgown (not just for the maternity ward anymore!). we've had some record-breaking days here in vancouver this week and where have i been? oh, the okanagan. because when you live somewhere experiencing an unusually fierce and long-lasting heatwave it's of course logical to go someplace even hotter.

it just turned out that way, with the heat, but i was so glad that we could get away to penticton...

did the road trip up with just cole. i hadn't taken him on such a long drive solo since he was a baby, so i was a little hopeful and a little unsure if it'd be hellish or fine. it was fine. cole slept the way there until manning park, where we ate lunch and chased marmots. he helped me pick my car snacks at the lodge, we played in a few rivers along the way and then he slept from outside of princeton until penticton. such a relief.

i did pack an aresenal of crackers and small toys from my 'mystery drawer', so he was well entertained/distracted. the only hitch - i stopped to put a blanket in the window so he could sleep, just outside of princeton, and i "somehow" managed to roll the window up with my finger still inside. (somehow = i'm routinely clumsy and distractable). i've broken a finger once before and it was only very slightly less painful. i got myself free after a moment of sheer pain and wondering what would happen to cole if i passed out while stuck in the window on the side of the road... no harm done in the end, surprisingly!

we stayed in the beautiful home of our lovely auntie patti. you could not ask for a better place - wonderful company, the fenced yard is huge and grassy, there are raspberry bushes, hummingbirds, a friendly dog named abby, a hot tub and a basement full of different toys! stairs to climb, strange things to poke and a reflective table that he found most enjoyable... i think cole wondered what disneyland i'd suddenly transported him to! we shared ice cream sandwiches on the deck and listened to the crickets at night. cole didn't sleep well - teething and the heat combined to make his nights rocky, but we did thoroughly enjoy our days!

he was a little timid around abby at first, but every morning he would sit up and say "pup, pup" and point upstairs (we were staying in a wonderfully cool basement bedroom). we'd get up and he'd climb the stairs on all fours until he found her. he made the most out of access to a dog - even tasting her food and splashing around in her water. thankfully she is very patient and well used to babies and their ways.

and the lakes! oh the lakes!!

we got a floaty for cole and had no end of fun with it. we went to a beach everyday - often enough to decide that i like okanagan beach better than skaha - it's shallow for ages, has sandbars and shady poplar trees and is just perfect. i'm really getting my money's worth from that bathing suit i bought online! cole gathered rocks and tugged at tree branches and gave me the sweetest hugs while covered in sand. we traipsed to the giant peach concession stand in search of peach drink, but alas they don't sell any anymore. "back in my day..."

stopped at the red rooster winery one evening in the most beautiful golden light. cole fell asleep in the car on the way home from the beach, so i drove to naramata and ate tacos (why is there no taco bell in vancouver?!) and he woke up just as we were driving by. you really can't beat the prices of wine from the source, even if it means you have to endure the pointed looks of uptight folks who may have wondered if i was tasting while baby-wrangling. seriously folks - you have no idea how much that would help, but alas i was not... so far have tried their 2007 gerwertzaminer and it's so crisp and fruity.

and of course we stopped for fruit at bears fruit stand on the way home. again - you can't beat the prices or taste of farm-fresh. i got a trunk full - big box of apricots, small box of peaches, cherries, apples, zuchinni, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, honey and a loaf of bread for $32. cole loved their old tractor (rusty + danger = fun).

cole slept all the way to manning park, where we stopped to eat lunch (beware - i got more mosquito bites in the restaurant than i did rummaging around in raspberry bushes at twilight!) and chase marmots again...

and i realized that we did this same exact trip during this exact time last year, except we didn't go swimming. can't believe the difference a year makes: