So many people!

It is hard to capture in a photograph what it is like in downtown Vancouver these days.  There are people everywhere! 

The city has been asking people to take transit to the downtown core instead of driving, so despite having a free parking spot on Robson street, we thought the kids would like to have their first ride on the Skytrain to see some of the Olympic spirit. 

We arrived at the station and bought our tickets, only to find that we could not get on with seven people and a stroller.  We waited as five crammed trains passed us before we decided it would be better just to ride the train in the opposite direction.  We sat right at the front of the train and did a loop through New Westminster back to Vancouver.  The kids loved it!   

We then got back in our car and parked downtown in the empty parking lot so that we could walk around and see the sites.

Some photos from around town

We have Olympic fever!  We have spent the last 2 afternoons hanging out with the crowds in downtown Vancouver.  Here are a few photos from our journey.

This is the Para-Olympic clock...set to start in just 26 days.  I really wish we had bought tickets to a sledge hockey game.  What a cool sport that is!  Note the cherry blossoms that are already on the trees.  It was 14C today!

The Olympic cauldron, lit by the Great One.  Unfortunately, we could not get close to the flame as it is surrounded by a very large fence.  Besides, there were so many people there trying to get a look at it, that we would not have gotten very close even without the fence.

The Lion outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.  The Art Gallery is free during the Olympics and features the body drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci.  These works were loaned to Vancouver from the Queen's private collection and are the first time they have left the palace.  Very cool!  Johnny and I intend to see them without the kids.

This is a small view of the crowds that were out today.  It is impossible to get anywhere very fast, especially with two strollers!  People are everywhere.  One thing that did stand out though, is that everybody has been very polite and seemed to be so relaxed.  It was very civilized.   Unfortunately, shortly after I put my camera away from this shot, we walked by Cindy Crawford and I did not get a picture.  Oh well, I am sure she probably didn't want me taking her picture anyway.  :)

Shaylah's moment with the torch.

The outside of The Bay.

The reflection of the Canadian flag on a building.

Johnny and I get to go to our first event (curling) on Wednesday morning, so we plan on taking the afternoon to explore without the kids.  Stay tuned.....

Our Olympic Torch Experience.

I decided that today was the day we were going to go and see the Olympic Torch. I would have loved to go to the Coquitlam celebration with friends, or take in the Vancouver celebration with the celebrities, but I work on Thursdays and Fridays....so today was the day. I took all three kids by myself and am pretty proud that we survived all together!  I was quite afraid I would lose one of them on my own, so I wrote down my cell phone number and put it in Shaylah's pocket just in case.  Good thing she didn't need it.

Each child had their face painted with one of the mascots.  Shaylah chose Quatchi.

Caelan wanted Miga.

Ashlyn decided on Sumi.

Here are the kids waiting for the torch to come.  They were so good and stayed where they were supposed to.  I was amazed.

The cauldron prior to it being lit.

The cauldron being lit.  It was amazing to be part of this experience!

Eyes

It is amazing how different each of our children's eyes are, yet they are all so beautiful.

Ashlyn's eyes are an amazing shade of grey.

 

Shaylah's are a deep blue.

Caelan's are dark brown.

This has been Ashlyn's hairstyle since the beginning of December....up in a ponytail.  The reason is not to keep her hair off her face, but to hide the big gob of glue that is still stuck to her hair.

Ashlyn fell down the stairs and had to be taken to the ER one evening about 2 months ago.  She had quite a gash on her head and definitely needed stitches.  The ER doctor decided it would be better to glue the scalp together, rather than use staples, so that we wouldn't have to return to have them removed.  At the time I was happy with the decision, thinking it was great that they didn't have to shave her head.  Now I am thinking it was the wrong decision.  While the glue has come away from her scalp, there is no way to get it out of her hair.  I am actually going to have to cut it out and remove a much larger section of hair than anticipated.  I am delaying this as long as possible and just hiding it with her ponytail for now....unless anyone out there knows how to get glue out of hair?

Television

Shaylah was stopped by a talent agency in the mall today wondering if she would like to be contacted by an agent and do an upcoming audition.  I looked at her and asked her if she would like to be an actress on TV.  Her reply: "No, I would rather just watch TV."  End of discussion! 

Little Ballerina

There are two activities that Shaylah loves more than anything.  The first one is swimming and the second is ballet.  This is Shaylah on her way to her weekly ballet class.

Shaylah at the start of her class.

It is also worth noting that this class is for 3-1/2 to 5 year olds.  Shaylah is one of the youngest in the class and by far the tallest.

Just a Minute

"Just a minute please".  I find myself saying this phrase to the kids over and over each day.  Usually I am also thinking in my head "I only have two arms!  Please let me finish the first 20 things you asked me to do!".

The New Throne

I always said I would never get one of these silly little toilet seats because I did not want to have to clean them.  Shaylah toilet-trained on a regular toilet seat and was completely trained by the time she was 2 years old.  Caelan was also doing fine on a regular toilet, but Ashlyn would not go anywhere near it.  I thought this little seat might entice her.  I was wrong!  She still wants nothing to do with toilet training and now Caelan won't go near the regular toilet.  He loves his new throne!  I am already regretting this purchase.

Sisters...

Oops!  I mean brother and sister!  Caelan insisted he wanted to match his big sister for bedtime tonight.  What you can't see is the purple sparkly nailpolish that they are both wearing.  He was pretty proud of himself and Shaylah thought it was quite funny.  Good thing Daddy was in Victoria today!