Pumpkins

My two pumpkins were at the pumpkin patch today!  A quick photo from Krystle's phone; full dump from the "good" camera coming later...

 Melt.

And fun in the leaves up the street

 Riles is seriously the sweetest child.  Wonderful.

Have toddlers, will travel.

I've been antsy in my job, trying to find a balance between my ambitions and goals as a parent, and energy (aka lack thereof, after our two punks have put me through the ringer).  I needed a change, and was looking into options, which was challenging as we don't want to leave Vancouver just yet.   I just took a new job (same company), that will involve significant travel through out western US + canada.  My territory is now Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Seattle, Portland, Spokane, San Jose, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Orange County, LA and San Diego.  oh man.  That's a long list.

I found initially I focused in a negative way on the travel, as has everyone I spoke of.  "How will your kids cope", trying to figure out how to make it easier on Simon (who also works full time and will really be the one picking up the slack).  Until recently, I would have thought of this as a work vs. family tradeoff, not symbiosis  But in thinking through it, I realized that it's right not just for me and my career, but for our family.

By traveling 2-3 days/week, our kids will be without me for 2-3 mornings and 2-3 nights per week (depending on flight times).  However, that also means that I will work from HOME the other days per week and non-traveling weeks.  And I've really learned to appreciate this in the times I've been able to in my existing role, especially since we got a nanny.  I come upstairs for coffee, bathroom, lunch; and each time we get a visit or a feed or a hug or a story.  Just a few minutes, but think of how often you see the people at work in your breaks, and now imagine that's your kids.  I love being able to feed Vani before sleep, or walk the dog to pick up Riles at pre-school at 2:30 when I can take a "lunch" break, and meet his friends and share in his excitement "fresh".  I work nights to make up for it, but have actual quality time in the day.

To me, the travel is 80% worth this freedom (could I really say 100%?  just wait for the first txt from Simon saying "get home now the kids haven't stopped crying" for me to feel miserable).  But the predictable commute to an 8-5 job would be worse.  I know there are many self-employed or stay at home options; right now let's just take those off the table for a few months.

Who really gets impacted by this?  Simon.  He's a rockstar, but having the two kids alone will be hard, even for him.  By going nanny this year vs. daycare, we pay the same but have a lot more flexibility and fortunately are not having to rush them out the door in the morning.  The number of times she's met them unfed, in pajamas...   And now we're arranging to have her help with bedtime on some of the nights I'll be gone in exchange for Mondays off when Riley is with Si's dad and Vani in daycare.  Still not easy.  So so grateful for my amazing supportive husband.

So wish us luck and stay tuned. 

PS Proud moment?  I was being approached for this job but almost didn't apply as it said 70% travel.  Instead, I applied, and wrote an email clarifying what I could do as far as travel (more than three day trip only once / two months, one week per month requesting only day-trips (calgary, portland and seattle are easy for this).  Ends up being around 40-50%.  Also highlighted benefit to the company (better responsiveness while not traveling, limiting budget).   Since the bosses know I have kids, and have no clue what to do with working females (is it just my companies, or do no executives have working wives?), they all had different perspectives on how much I'd be willing to travel.  By writing it down, we are all on the same page, and I can reference it back when someone is pushing for a heavier travel schedule.

artiste

Vani goes to playschool two days a week, for socialization (I know that sounds like she's a dog... but it is kind of the same thing and I can't think a better word).

Yesterday she was the only one there in the morning.  They were fascinated that one little girl could draw on every. single. piece. of. paper.

She's a very busy child, this

Fall

Still so behind its intimidating, so we'll TDM the posts, k?

October has been drop-dead wonderful weather-wise.  Loving Vancouver right now.
Stunning thanksgiving weekend, 17', still hanging our laundry on the line.  Mid-october?  Thank YOU!

Some quick photos below, from our lovely nanny Krystle's phone (she sends us photos almost every day, so great to stay in touch with what's going on).  I don't know what she does that makes them behave so well, but I can attest from the times working from home that they really are good as gold for her.

Not so much for us.  Especially as they now compete (enthusiastically) for toys and attention.

Vani.  Seriously.  So much cuter with ponytails

 Fishie kiss

 This sequence makes me so happy.  Especially as the terrorist is going through a biting and slapping phase.  This cuteness below isn't normal, but I'll take the pictures!

 Beach

 Another super cute sequence below.  She's even putting the hat on gently.  Normally, that would be a WHOP!

 One of the last days at the beach

Pics from one of the few rainy days so far...

A summer's worth of photos

Now that we rely so heavily on our phones (aka I just found out where Si put the camera... from June), its tough coordinating photos on each others phones.  Yes, I know, that's what dropbox et al are for.  When will we learn?

So.  Three months worth of photos from Si's phone, dumped below.

Shawndra + Bill's wedding, below.
Riley's silly face

 Hands down the most kid-friendly wedding I've ever been to.   Dress up chests, games, a trucks to distract the kids.  Brilling.  Vani loved her toolbelt fashion accessory.

 LOVE LOVE LOVE this kid.

 Vani stole a five-year-old's shoes and would not take them off all day.  Even though they kept falling off.  She slid around in them and obsessed about replacing them when they fell off.  Again, is she my daughter?!  (that stubborn streak does look familiar though...)

 An evening @ Barnet Marine park.  Vani is holding Tenge's remote collar (which we don't normally use punitively, just on a low vibrate setting to catch his attention from afar).  Only later did we realize she was zapping the poor thing!

 Bike rides

 Love how the helmet accentuates the cheeks.

 Chris + co in Vernon

 Tenting = awesome

 This kid adores his daddy so much it makes me jealous sometimes.  Coming to terms with being second fiddle.

 OOOH. Smelly in here!  A potty with a view.  Vons is v. self-aware and dramatically points and declares "oh-oh" when she's gotta go.

 Almost forgot about those damn drain tiles.  Digging them out was one thing.  Realizing that while we'd brought in a dump truck of gravel to fill them in, we now had the equivalent of a dump truck worth of soil to sift and relocate was another.  This was a rediculous amount of work, mostly late at night with headlights.

 Love moments like this.

 Got tractor?

I'm happy with all we got done this summer.  Renos came after evenings out, bike rides etc.  Riles enjoying kits beach below.

 Riles on the General Lee @ the ranch

 Riley started pre-school and loves it!  Only funny as they make such a big deal of two hours in pre-school (pre-orientation, orientation, parent participation etc).  Meanwhile he's been in f/t daycare two years prior no problem.

 Another late night project; re-sealing our driveway.  That's us out there at midnight with headlamps.

 Roger driving the boat.  This box was then decorated so many different ways (my favorite - glass-bottomed boat with fishies swimming below).  Kids + box == days of fun!

While Riley still happily chills in our Littlelife carrier @ 3.5, this independent young lady will have nothing to do with silly stroller etc.

 ... Except maybe to push them.  Picnic with Roger @ Barnet.

 Heart melt.  Riles loves to pretend fix his bike.

 ... and finally a new (to us) one!  He never had training wheels since he learned balance on the strider bike, and Riles just rocks anything with wheels.

 Snuggles

Some lovely moments below at the ranch, a special place.  With we had our "real" camera with us, but it was just catching a moment after picking some apples in the field by the snag.

 Finally!  Our daughter smiles!  So now I have to post repetitives, so accustomed am I to the "oh, she's not death-staring?  Post it!" filter.

 This snag is iconic of the ranch.

 I think cameras have a special smell for dogs.

 And from this weekend, finally (nearly) finished Riley's bed!  Wheel and shifter, switches (Hence nearly, must make them light up...); lights, grill and license plate on front.  Yay us!  That was only a three-month project.