This blog is a gift to my wife, Renee, and my children, Adele, Athan, Audrey, Anne, Amelia, and Andrea.

Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

Monday, November 21, 2022

Family Alberta Trip 2021

Spirit Island

 Heaven on Earth: Spirit Island, Maligne Lake

After being mostly cooped up at home for a year and a half after the COVID pandemic started in 2020, we made our first out-of-province trip in September 2021.  The last time Renee and I were in Western Canada was before we had kids, about 13 years prior (although I had been several times in between for work), and we really wanted to go back.  The scenery is quintessential Canada!  I believe that when foreigners think of Canada, the Rockies and its vast beauty is usually what come to mind first.  We definitely wanted to share this with our kids.

Getting There

Flair Airlines

As you may know, I'm a frugal person and the way I travel is no different.  Part of the fun to planning a trip is finding deals (recall the time we flew the entire family to Orlando for $350 USD) and getting my money's worth!  It was no different this time.  Our itinerary was really to go to Banff and Jasper and not visiting the cities; so, it didn't matter which airport we flew into.  Google Flights or Kayak are great tools to help find the best option.  We ended up choosing to fly Flair into Grande Prairie, which is about 4 hours north of Jasper.  The cost for the 7 of us + 1 baby and my parents came to a grand total of $1287, including luggage, or less than $150/seat.  My credit card also has a perk where it provides a $100 reimbursement of luggage fees and so, the costs was even less than that.  Not as good as $75/seat to Orlando, but not too shabby either! The one risk that we did take with Flair was flight delays and cancellations.  Upon reading their reviews, either of those were almost a certainty, but we weren't in a rush to get anywhere so we were happy with throwing the dice.

The flight there was indeed a bit delayed, but certainly within tolerance.  I'm not quite sure why but I feel like Flair purposely split up our seating because we didn't pay to choose our seats.  Our party of 9 + 1 were not seated contiguously and were split up across many different aisles.  That was entirely unnecessary and not the right way to encourage travelers to spend more by choosing seats.  Flair went out of their way to make our trip less enjoyable.

We landed in Grande Prairie in the late afternoon and picked up our 2 Caravans (my cousin Wai Yee, her husband and my buddy Matthew and their son, Ewan, tagged along as well) and started our drive to Jasper.  On the way there, we saw a black bear at dusk, which was a nice treat.  However, once it got dark and started raining, our drive became a bit treacherous.  The only road from Grande Prairie to Jasper was an unlit single lane highway.  Much of the drive was through uninhabited nature with only a couple of small towns in between.  For a few moments, I did wonder what would happen if our van broke down or if we drove into a ditch, etc.  Luckily, we didn't end up having to experience that and arrived safely in Jasper!

First Stop: Jasper SkyTram

Renee, Andrea and I at Whistlers Peak

Our plan was to go up to Whistlers Peak via the Jasper SkyTram the first morning we were there.  The weather wasn't super nice and was overcast. I was a bit disappointed and considered whether we should go up the mountain at a later time.  Renee called and was told that the booking cannot be changed and so I reluctantly agreed to go.  Boy, was I wrong!  I now think overcast skies is the best condition to go.  Since Whistler Peaks is at a high elevation, all of the clouds were actually beneath us when we got to the upper station.  Once we were up there, the skies were clear with an occasional cloud drifting over us (reminds me of Jesus' Transfiguration, but I digress).  The best part was that we stood on top of a sea of clouds!


Maligne Lake: Nothing Bad About This Place!

Us at Spirit Island

Our next stop was Maligne Lake. We had actually been there back in 2008, but unfortunately, it was tremendously foggy that morning and we decided not to take the boat ride to Spirit Island.  It was so foggy that we likely would not have even seen Spirit Island at all.  This time around, we planned as best as we could for better weather.  When buying the boat tickets, we found that the morning trips were less expensive, and we concluded that it was either because of the possibility of fog and also the direction from which the sun was shining.  When we got there, we weren't disappointed!  The view was absolutely stunning and felt surreal.  It was so beautiful that it really felt like heaven on earth!  Having now been to Spirit Island, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, I would have to say that Spirit Island/Maligne Lake is the most beautiful!

Dinner After Maligne Lake
Dinner After Maligne Lake

Sulphur Skyline Trail: Early Snow

The next day, our plan was to spend a few hours hiking the Sulphur Skyline Trail.  I did quite a bit of research and concluded that with our hiking experience as a family, the 8km out-and-back trail, with 650m elevation was quite doable, given enough breaks.  We would get to the top of the mountain and be rewarded with some really great views.  The last 400 m would be a steep climb to the top, but certainly achievable.  We got to the trail head just after lunchtime and started off enthusiastically.  Before long, we were already 1.5 km into it, which would be more than a third the way up the mountain.  The slope was not steep and everyone was still smiles.

As we continued, we saw a bit of melt water running down the side of the trail and also some snow beside the trail.  We weren't expecting that as per the photos we saw online.  We continued on and as we climbed higher in elevation, there was some wet snow on the trail.  Some of the kids' shoes got wet and we started hearing some complaints.

We pressed on and as we climbed higher up the mountain, the snow also rose higher above our shoes.  The younger kids were now really whining as they slipped repeatedly and got much of their socks soaked.  The group eventually split into two with the faster ones in front (me, grandparents and older kids) and the slower ones in the back.  Our progress slowed considerably, and eventually, the slower group decided to turn back as the going was just a bit too slippery.

We finally reached the plateau just before the summit.  The snow was about 20 cm deep at this point.  We got there after about 4 hours on the trail.  As you can see in the picture at the plateau, not many smiles! LOL!



The grandparents and younger kids decided to take a rest there on the plateau while Adele and I tried for the summit.  Although the trail cut across the side of the mountain, the slope was still very steep, especially with the trail being snow covered.  After giving it a try, I decided against it, as I had Andrea strapped to me and also had to lead the group back down the mountain.  I wasn't about to find out how we would fair if I hurt myself and/or Andrea.

By the time we finished taking some pictures, it was already 5 pm.  Since it took us about almost 4 to get up, I thought it might not be too wise to stay for much longer.  I would hate to be walking in the middle of a forest at dusk.  Who knows what wild beasts would be lurking in search for a nice meal!  We were probably the last big group that descended down the mountain.

Renee, Wai Yee, and Matthew were waiting for at the bottom of the mountain.  After seeing countless number of hikers come down the mountain, they were starting to get worried that one or more of us had gotten hurt at the top.  They were getting ready to call the authorities to get help.  Luckily, it only took us 2 hours to descend the mountain, since we slid down the snowy trail for a good part of the way.  All of us were so happy to come back down all in one piece!

This hike was definitely the most exhausting and treacherous activity of the entire trip.  The kids cried and complained, my dad slipped and fell on a rock hidden under the snow, and I didn't even get to the summit.  However, at the end of the trip, a number of the kids thought the hike was the highlight!  I guess what gives us more joy isn't comfort or pleasure, but rather, accomplishment and persevering through setbacks.

One last interesting note...after the hike, we spoke with some locals and they told us that it was very odd that that much snow had fallen in early September.  Not sure if we can consider ourselves lucky or unlucky.  I'm sure if it hadn't snowed, our hike would have been much easier, but would it have been as memorable?

View from (Almost) the Summit of the Sulphur Skyline Trail

More Sightseeing

The next day, we left Jasper and headed south for Banff.  Over the next 2 days, we saw the Athabasca Falls, Bow Lake, Canmore, and Takkakaw Falls.  The drive between Jasper and Banff, along the Icefields Parkway, was a sight in and of itself.  Ontarians will all agree how boring it is to drive along Highway 401.  Aside from farmland and buildings, there really isn't much to see in Ontario.  The Icefields Parkway is the complete opposite with mountains, rivers, and the occasional wildlife.  Although the distance between the two towns is less than 300 km apart, we budgeted more time since we knew we would make frequent stops to take in the scenery.  Breathtaking and jaw-dropping are adjectives I would use to describe the drive!

Athabasca Falls with Mount Kerkeslin in the Background

Mom and Me at Bow Lake

Mandatory Pic of Kids Lined Up

Mount Rundle and Amelia and Adele

Andrea in Front of Mount Rundle

Enjoying Ice-cream in Canmore

Takkakaw Falls


Emerald Lake: It's Not All About Alberta!

While the title of this post refers to our "Alberta" trip, we did drive over the border to visit Emerald Lake (and Takkakaw Falls) in British Columbia.  The water in the lake was indeed an emerald colour and it was a real treat canoeing in it.  Emerald Lake has become quite popular as compared to the last time we were here.  However, once we got out on our canoe, we got away from the crowds and the feeling was very serene as we took in the beautiful scenery!

Canoeing on Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake: Looks More Like a Painting!


Daddy Time!

What would a trip be without some shopping (insert sarcasm), right?  As Renee and others went shopping in Banff, I took the 4 younger girls to visit the Cascade of Time Garden.  It's a bit off the beaten path as we wouldn't have visited this garden had I not had some time with the kids to myself.  To be honest, we were looking for a playground initially, but ended up coming here after not finding too many choices.  It was actually a really nice garden!  I appreciated the time to bond with them and just simply spending quality time together.  Being in an incredibly scenic place was an added bonus!


Quintessential Banff: Lake Louise and Moraine Lake

Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are 2 quintessential places to visit when you're in Banff.  This is our second time here and we still enjoyed it very much.  Lake Louise is the more popular spot and very touristy.  I personally prefer Moraine Lake.  Although there are still a lot of visitors, Moraine Lake is a bit less developed (i.e. there is no giant hotel sitting right next to it).  You will get great pics at either lake.  We got to Lake Louise first at around 3pm.  As you can see in the photo below, the sun was just above the mountain looking out at the lake, and the mountains were a bit in the shadow.  So, there was a bit to be desired from the photos. Similarly at Moraine Lake, the sun was situated a bit behind the mountains as well.  If you ever go, I would recommend going earlier in the day and perhaps early morning to avoid the crowds.  I did get a few decent shots there and so, wasn't too disappointed. The weather was great...another plus there!

Just a fun little side note.  I brought my Panasonic Lumix mirrorless digital camera that I had bought some years back.  Although I only have the kit lens with the camera, it's supposed to be a pretty good camera.  However, I have to say, my LG Velvet (not even a top tier phone) took pictures that were "better" to the untrained eye. Sure, it's got more post-processing and likely more artifacts upon closer inspection, but the versatility and ease just couldn't be beat!  All of the pictures in the post were taken by my phone camera.  Technology has indeed come a long way.

Athan on the Shores of Lake Louise

Moraine Lake

Glacier and Skywalk

Our last sightseeing day consisted of driving from Banff north to Hinton (town past Jasper).  On the way there, we stopped at the Columbia Icefields where we took a tour onto the Athabasca Glacier.  It was quite a cool experience (excuse the pun), especially for the kids!  The tour also included a visit to the Skywalk, which was built after we visited the last time.  It's got a glass floor lookout that juts out from the side of the cliff.  I really enjoyed that as well.  Again, something that I would recommend doing.

Atop the Athabasca Glacier

Panoramic View on the Glacier

Skywalk


Audrey and Amelia and the Athabasca Glacier

Flying Out (Almost)!

The next day, we drove 4 hours back to Grande Prairie to hop onto our flight back to Toronto.  Typical of Flair fashion, the flight was delayed.  We sat in the airport patiently waiting for the flight to be ready.  Eventually, we realized that the plane wasn't even at the terminal.  At about 7pm, they finally announced that the flight was cancelled.  At first, they said that we would need to get to Edmonton to catch a flight from there to Toronto.  As you can imagine, there was quite a bit of commotion.  The Flair ground crew was pretty clueless as to what had to happen next.  First, they told us we had to find our way to Edmonton on our own.  Then, they said they would provide us a bus ride to Edmonton.  After a few hours of waiting, we were finally told that a plane was going to fly in the next morning to take us back to Toronto.  That was a much better solution than a 4.5 hr drive to Edmonton.

However, that was not the end of the long day at the airport.  According to regulations, the airline must provide us a stay if a flight is cancelled.  The ground crew again appeared to be fairly inexperienced with this.  We later found out that Flair had only started flying into Grande Prairie the month prior and so the crew had likely never encountered a cancelled flight before.  I guess we were the "lucky" ones to experience this.  Eventually, we were sent to a local hotel to stay the night.  That should have been an easy thing, but again, the crew told us that they would arrange a shuttle to take us all to the hotel.  After waiting for an hour or so, there was none to be found.  A lot of people started taking taxis there.  Uber and Lyft were not operating in Grande Prairie, which made it a bit more difficult to order a cab at the same time as 100 other people.  Finally, we got to the hotel safely around 11 pm.  We had not had dinner and everyone was exhausted.  We ended up buying a bunch of instant cup noodles at the hotel pantry and had that for dinner.  The kids didn't seem to mind that at all and I would have to confess I enjoyed it too!

The next morning was quite uneventful.  We got to the airport and saw the plane land at the terminal.  All travelers gave the crew a round of applause.  Everyone was glad that we now had a way back home!  After a few hours we were home and felt pretty glad to be back.  

Would I take another Flair flight?  I think so, but just like we did on this trip, we would ensure that we did not need to be at the destination or home on a tight timeline.  The experience was generally pleasant (outside of the cancellation) and travelers just need to know what to expect going in.  You do get what you pay for.


Athan Reacting to Our Cancelled Flight

Finally Boarding Our Return Flight!

Final Thoughts

I really do enjoy traveling with the family.  It is a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun and a sure way to make lasting memories.  In everyday life, I feel like I get caught up with everything that needs to be done, whether it's work, getting the kids to their next activity, church responsibilities, housework, etc.  Everything just seems to be a blur and there's little time to enjoy each other's company.  When I'm on a trip, I can be there and present, instead of thinking about the next thing.  We really only have one thing to do while we're on a trip and that is to enjoy ourselves while experiencing something that is new or at least, outside of the ordinary and mundane.

There will come a time when we no longer will be able to spend as much as we have with each other. Whether that is me with my parents or with the kids.  Life changes, kids will move out, and not everyone lives forever.  We really do need to cherish these moments.  I take this as my responsibility as a father, husband, and son to maximize this joy.  Sometimes, we also get to learn a few things when we go on trips - like not underestimating hiking uphill in 20 cm of snow!
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Monday, December 21, 2020

Clearly Loved: A Chronicle of Andrea's Birth

 

1-day Old at the Hospital

When we found out that our 6th child will be a girl, one thing that we knew was going to be difficult was naming her.  When we named Athan (Athanasius is his actual name, which is that of one of the great Doctors of the Church, and means "eternal life"), we weren't purposely planning on naming all our kids with "A" names.  Once we started the trend, it was difficult to stop and so after Adele, Athan, Audrey, Anne, and Amelia, it was starting to be hard to find a name that suits both our liking.  My rule had always been traditional, Christian but yet not too common.  We had a shortlist of names: Andrea, Alicia, Arya, Agatha, amongst others.  Up till the day of Andrea's birth, we had pretty much settled on Alicia.  As you have guessed, that was not to be!  More on that later...

Ill Prepared
If you've known Renee and I for a while, you'll know that we're pretty chillaxed people.  We tend to go with the flow and are easygoing in general.  Sometimes that's good in keeping harmony but we also tend to underestimate the urgency of things...you know, things like giving birth!

About 2 years ago, we had a flood in our basement (a story worthy of another post on its own) due to a burst water line.  Insurance would cover the damage but I procrastinated and procrastinated until this past summer dealing with it.  It wasn't until the claim deadline of 2 years from the date of the flood was approaching that I finally submitted all required documents and had the claim approved.  Our contractor also did not have any opening until late in the year, and in the end, he could not come to complete the repair/reno until after Andrea would be born.

So, we ended cleaning out 7 years' worth of junk out of the basement a month or so ago, with lots of help from my father.  We must have donated about 20 garbage bags full of stuff to Value Village and threw out another 10 bags. We also moved a bunch of stuff from the basement to the main floor and our hallway on the second floor, and also our bedroom.  In short, our house was a mess and was not in the best shape to receive our newborn baby.

We had a false alarm on November 26, when Renee felt some pain in her tummy, thinking that they were contractions.  It turned out that she was just experiencing some pain after having stood up for a prolonged amount of time that day.  Then, early in the morning of the November 30, Renee's mucus plug came out.  She told the kids that the baby might come that day.  I kind of brushed it off, saying to myself that for one of the pregnancies, she gave birth a full week after the mucus plug had come out.

November 30 was a Monday and I recall that I was in the middle of a team meeting at around 11 am when I was rudely interrupted.  Renee came barging into the bedroom and pushed me aside.  I gave her a look and she just said, "I'm going to take a shower."  Usually, when I'm in the middle of a meeting, she would not tell me such inconsequential things and so I paused and said, "Ok.......", waiting for her to give me a reason.  She then said, "I'm having contractions."

"What?" I thought to myself, suddenly snapping out of it.  I soon ended my team meeting and realized the gravity of situation.  Given that Renee was tested GBS positive, she needed to be administered antibiotics 4 hours before giving birth.  For Amelia's birth, we took our sweet time and Renee ended up having to slow down her labour to keep Amelia in for the required 4 hours.  I began sweating because I was 100% not prepared.  I immediately began packing up stuff for the hospital stay including my personal stuff since we were going to be there at least for a couple of days, and also everything that we would need including the car seat, stroller, etc.  By 1:45 pm, we were heading out the door even though Renee's contractions weren't that strong yet nor were they 5 minutes apart, which was the typical frequency at which one would leave for the hospital.

Wide Awake!


Feast of St. Andrew
A few days prior to that day, Adele was protesting that she didn't like the name Alicia.  She just didn't like the sound of the name, but both Renee and I liked the name.  Interestingly enough, Alicia came from the German name, Adelaide, which is related to Adele.  Lol!  Maybe Adele wanted to be the only Adele in the family!

Adele liked the name Andrea, but pronounced on-DREY-a, instead of the more commonly pronounced AN-dree-a.  I preferred the latter because it would be such an annoying thing when people would read your name and be constantly pronouncing it wrong.  Renee told Adele that if the baby was born on November 30, the feast day of St. Andrew, we would name her Andrea instead of Alicia.  I laughed, because this was the exact thing that I was hoping to happen with Adele before she was born.  Adele was born on May 10, but if she had been born on May 13, which was the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, she would have been called Fatima.  Since this didn't happen to Adele, I didn't think it would happen with this birth....I guess I was wrong!

So, Andrea was named Andrea because she was born on November 30, the feast day of St. Andrew.  It is pronounced AN-dree-a as well! 😁 

Her birthday is also quite easy to remember.  It's exactly 2 weeks after Renee's and  (Edit: I was clearly not in the right mind due to lack of sleep, because Nov 30 is 16 days after Nov 14, Renee's birthday) 1 month before mine!


At the Hospital
We arrived at Trillium Health Centre (Mississauga Hospital) at around 2:15 pm. With the current COVID situation, I would only be allowed into the hospital after Renee was admitted to the birthing suite.  So, I dropped her off at the hospital and she proceeded to the birthing unit to be assessed.  Luckily, Renee's OB, Dr. Kim Rogers was also on duty that day and she would be the one to deliver the baby.  Upon assessment, Renee was about 2 to 3 cm dilated (out of 10 cm), which would normally have been early, but since she needed to be on antibiotics for 4 hours, Dr. Rogers commented that it was a good time to be arrive.

I drove to the nearby McDonald's to grab a coffee as I waited.  Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Renee was getting admitted. She first got tested for COVID, followed by some bloodwork. There was a young nurse in training at that time and that nurse attempted to take some blood samples.  Also at the same time were two student doctors who were asking Renee questions about her pregnancy.  As the nurse stabbed Renee in the arm with a needle, she burst Renee's vein and blood quickly splattered down her arm.  As this was happening, the student doctors continued to ask Renee questions as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.  The young nurse froze and her accompanying nurse quickly covered Renee's vein with a piece of gauge and stopped the bleeding.  Sadly, I wasn't there to witness this hilarious moment, but Renee said she had a drop of sweat run down her face. LOL!

After some time, Renee messaged me and asked me to come to the birthing unit.  I got to the hospital at around 4 pm and was promptly screened at the entrance.  The hospital staff informed me that my cloth mask was not acceptable inside the hospital and handed me a surgical mask.  They also phoned the birthing unit and asked if I was permitted to go in.  I'm glad they're doing this level of screening to prevent any outbreaks at the hospital.

Big(ger) Baby
When I got into the birthing room, I found Renee with two nurses: Jas and Mei Ling.  She was fairly comfortable and was having a nice chat with the two of them.  The contractions were still not quite 5 minutes apart and not very strong either.  We would normally have been still at home at this stage, but we didn't want to have the same experience as with Amelia's birth where Renee had to really slow herself down to keep Amelia in!  Renee was administered the anti-biotics at 3:15 pm and so, we would want to wait until at least 7:15 pm to give birth.

From, 3:15 pm until around 6:45 pm, the progress was slow and we were ok with it.  At 6:55 pm, Renee was still only about 3 cm dilated.  Dr. Rogers decided to break Renee's water to speed things up.  With our past experience, breaking the water definitely increased the pace of things.  By 8:00 pm, Renee's contractions started to become more painful.  By 8:45 pm, Dr. Rogers was in the room getting ready to deliver the baby.

At one point, the contractions were so painful that Renee squirmed around and almost kicked our nurse!  Bless Dr. Rogers, she calmed Renee down with a pep talk and from that point on, we made really good progress.  With Amelia, Renee pushed a couple of times and Amelia was born, but with Andrea, she was determined to stay inside mommy's warm tummy!  I think it took about 6 or 7 contractions and lots of hard pushing until Andrea was born at 9:10 pm.

When Andrea came out, she looked almost exactly the same as Anne when she was born!  She was 50 cm long, with a head circumference of 33 cm, and weighed in at 6 lb and 11 oz.  She was the heaviest of all of our kids, which probably explained why it took quite a bit of effort to get her out!  Andrea was also the only one who was born within the band of birth weight where we did not have to stay for 36 hours to have bloodwork done.

Almost a Vacation
We had a fairly good first night at the hospital.  Since bloodwork was not required, the nurses came by much less frequently than for our other babies.  We did get some rest at night, although there were a couple of hours where Andrea needed to be held.  So, I held her and walked around the room until she eventually fell asleep in my arms.  Since she wouldn't stay asleep when I put her down, I had to hold her while I sat (and fell asleep) in a chair.

We slept quite a bit the next day as well and only really woke up to feed Andrea or ourselves.  When the lunch delivery lady came by to collect Renee's finished lunch, Renee told her that it was delicious.  Her eyes widened and she was speechless for about a few seconds.  Then, she said to us, "Nobody likes the food here!"  We laughed, but to be honest, the food was very comforting (yes, I had some too LOL)!

We even bought a dessert crepe at the crepe place downstairs in the hospital.  It actually did feel like a vacation.  Since no visitors were allowed, we were there by ourselves with 1 child, as opposed to the normal 5 kids!  Meanwhile, my parents were the ones slaving away at home, keeping the kids focused on online learning and bathing and feeding them!  Thanks to Susanna and Hilton for their constant help!

Clearly Strong!
Andrea's full name is Andrea Claire Hiu Ying Wong 黃曉瀅. Andrea (or Andrew) means "manly" LOL...but also means strong.  Both the names Claire and 瀅 mean "clear", with 瀅 specifically describing the clarity of water.  I'm somehow drawn to French names if you haven't noticed (Renee, Adele, Audrey, Anne) and have always liked the name Claire.  瀅 was Renee's idea but I did secretly like that name as well (at least the sound of the character), but never really suggested it as Chinese is not my strong suit.  On the day Andrea was born, it was raining quite a bit, and it seemed like God gives us his blessing on the name we've chosen, like He had done with Adele and Amelia.

And so, I ask the Lord to bless Andrea with strength and clarity in her days ahead!
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Saturday, May 23, 2020

COVID-19 Baby Boom? Is it real? Yes...and No. 6 is On Its Way!


Yes, we have anecdotal evidence that the COVID-19 lockdown has started a baby boom!  Renee and I are pleased to introduce Baby No. 6!  Amelia is now two and a half years old so we're definitely overdue! LOL! This time, we're really going to fill the Odyssey and there will not be any spots for the grandparents! 😭 

The kids are very thrilled with the news and couldn't wait to tell their friends.  The oldest two are praying for a little brother and the younger three are hoping for a baby girl.  We do think it'd be nice for Athan to finally have a brother, and we are running out of "A" girl names as well! 😜

Baby's due date will be early December and I'm really hoping the pandemic will be over by then.  I really wish I will be allowed to accompany Renee during and after the delivery in the hospital.  All of our kids were on the light side and had to stay in the hospital for a couple of nights.  So, it'd be good to be able to be there with Renee and baby.  Please keep us in your prayers!
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Wednesday, April 15, 2020

2019: A Year in Review - Part III: The Kids

If you haven't read Part I and Part II, please do!

How can a 2019 review be complete without talking about the kids?!

Mommy/Daddy and Kid Dates
We have been asked whether with so many kids, the younger ones get less of our attention.  Answer is definitely a yes.  How could it not be so?  Am I worried about it?  Not really!  Think about it this way.  Sure, they get less attention from their parents, but they have so much more interaction with their siblings that I think their social skills are greatly improved as a result.  Imagine that you have 4 other siblings living with you...would your negotiation and communication skills not be much better? Would you not be much better in navigating through conflict?  I think that's a yes.

With the coronavirus lockdown, the benefit of having many siblings is obvious.  Our kids did not once complain that they were bored in the past 4 weeks of staying at home.  In fact, it's pretty much business as usual for them.  With 7 people in the house, there's never a quiet moment!

Now, having said that, we do recognize the need for attention from us parents.  So, last year, we started a new tradition of 1-on-1 Mommy/Daddy and kid dates.  Renee or I would take one kid out on a date and just spend some 1-on-1 time with them.  We use this time to let them know that they're unique, special and are deserving of our undivided attention.  Both of us actually really enjoy it because it's rare that we get to spend some quiet time with each of them.

We don't do anything too fancy.  Sometimes we got out to the mall.  At other times, we go and grab some food or spend an hour or so at Chuck E Cheese.  Some outings are more extravagant, like one time I got a couple of Leafs tickets from work and went with Athan.  The point is that we spend some quality time together.  Before the lockdown, we tried to do a date once every week or two.  It means each kid gets to go on a date with either of us every month or two.  I would recommend that you parents try something like this with your kids!


Adele


Adele turned 10 last year.  She continues to do well in all her endeavours and plays the role of big sister perfectly!  She requires very little attention from us and in fact, helps out with her little brother and sisters.  We're so grateful to have Adele's help as always.

Last year, I started to introduce some programming to Adele beyond what she got at school.  I first got her to take some online HTML/CSS courses, which she had completed, but I felt it was still a bit too advanced for a beginner at her level.  Eventually, in 2020, I found a really good program created by MIT called Scratch, which is very age appropriate and teaches programming fundamentals.  I recommend this to kids 8 or older.

Adele competed in her first triathlon in the summer.  She did very well and I'm so proud of her.  I hope one day, the two of us can run in a race together!  I'm too weak a swimmer so it'll have to be a run or a bike ride!  Sorry, Adele!  Lol!

Adele Running Past the Finish Line in Her First Triathlon

Daddy and Adele Date - Enjoying a Cold Drink at Starbucks


Athan

Athan had a great year last year!  He turned 8 and also had his First Communion this year.  He reminds me so much of myself when I was young.  I was a very playful kid and by that, I mean all I wanted to do was play!  I would moan and whine at the thought of doing homework or studying.  This certainly drove my parents insane, especially during my earlier years in Hong Kong where grades were everything.  I certainly didn't ask for this attribute and now know that's just part of how kids learn, through play.  As a result, I give Athan some leniency in this area.  I encourage play but try to direct him to productive playing (that's a term I just invented).  Instead of letting him just stare at the TV or play video games, I try to switch things up and encourage creativity in the things that he deems fun.

He has matured quite a bit in the past few years.  We no longer need to ask him if his homework is done; he just knows to complete it himself.  He is doing well in school and loves to play soccer.  He's been taking Karate lessons since he was 4, but his interest doesn't seem to be there 100%.  We will be re-evaluating whether to redirect his time and energy elsewhere once he completes his red belt (about half way to black belt).

He's also good help with his little sisters.  Although he loves to taunt them and make them scream, he is more than willing to read to them before going to bed.  He's a fun brother to have around and without Athan, things would just be a bit on the dull side.



Audrey 

Audrey entered Grade 1 this year and turned 6 years old.  Both Adele and Athan started reading fairly proficiently in SK, but Audrey had struggled a bit in SK.  Since she's an October baby, we weren't too concerned.  In September, I asked Adele to help Audrey with her reading.  I'm glad to report that at the moment, Audrey is reading at a Grade 2 level (thank you Adele)!  Her penmanship is also superb.  I look at her handwriting and am a bit ashamed that it looks much better than my own! In fact, she has the best penmanship out of all her siblings!

She took a year of ballet and had her first recital in June.  As you can see below, she was adorable in her little costume!  When September came around to re-enroll, she actually asked not to re-enroll in dance because she wanted to take up visual arts, which is where her real strength lies.  I think she gets it from mommy!  You can see a sample of her work below in Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church's calendar.  Thanks to Grandma for enrolling Adele and Audrey in the competition.  Adele's drawing also made it on the calendar!


Audrey's Drawing Featured on Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church Calendar

Anne
Anne turned 3 in 2019 and this will be her last year at home before she starts JK.  It turns out that the more fair-skinned kids in the family are more rascally than the others! Lol!  She has quite the character and is at the same time lovable and deserving of reprimand!  She's definitely the life of the party!


She started ballet lessons in September and is absolutely enjoying it.  Whenever we have some music playing at home, she would start dancing to the music.  It is really by nature and not nurture that she has this interest and talent.  Since we have more data points in the number of kids (lol), we can confidently say that their interests and talents are usually not due to what we want them to be, but rather, are gifted by God.

Anne also really knows how to tearjerk with her words.  There was one occasion where she was over tired during dinner and was not being cooperative.  I reprimanded her and after dinner when I was changing her into her PJs, she said, "Daddy, I miss you all day (when you are) at work!"  Upon hearing it, I suddenly choked up and was full of regret about how I had reprimanded her earlier.  She's a smart cookie, maybe a bit too smart with her words!



Amelia
Amelia turned 1 last year (2 years old now) and is growing really quickly!  She's running around and talking in full sentences.  Of all five kids, I think she looks like me the most!  She is always smiley and loves to participate in all family activities.  It is really easy to make her cry - just tell her it's nap time or bedtime and she will immediately start whining or be on the verge of crying, because she doesn't want to be left alone in her room; she wants to be part of whatever is happening.

Being the youngest, she's definitely the loudest with her screams and cries; she needs to get the attention!  She's not to be bullied and she uses her voice to ensure that.




We are so blessed to have our wonderful kids!  Is it tough to parent 5 kids at the same time?  You bet!  But boy, do we feel privileged to be their parents!  We hope we're doing an ok job!
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Sunday, April 12, 2020

2019: A Year in Review - Part II: Our Travels

Trip to Tobermory

Before we start...if you haven't read Part I of my 2019 review, go here.

A few years ago, I wrote about the perception of the acceleration of time, that is, that time seems to pass by more quickly as we age.  Since then, I read that this can be explained by our brain activity.  When we were young, everything that the brain experiences is new and the brain needs to process all of that incoming information.  As we age, things start to become mundane and the brain goes more on autopilot.  As a result, time seems to pass more quickly.  This seems like a pretty good explanation to me!

So, a way to slow down how we perceive time passes would be to create new experiences for ourselves.  A great way to do this is to travel.  It doesn't necessarily need to be far away, but just needs to be different from our ordinary lives.  Traveling is also a great way to create memories for ourselves and our kids.  I still remember so much of what we did when we were in Orlando in 2018.  I absolutely advocate going on a vacation each year with the family!  It's much better than spending the money on a certain gadget!


Blue Mountains - June
At the end of June, we went to Blue Mountains for several days.  I actually like Blue Mountains better in the summer than in the winter, probably because I'm a novice skier and can't justify the high cost of skiing at Blue.  In the summer, accommodations are much cheaper and a lot of the places provide access to a somewhat private pool.  The kids don't like swimming lessons much, but they love playing in the pool!

We didn't do much outside of swimming, hiking, and watching movies.  I guess this was a trip more for me than for everyone else! Lol!  I really being able to spend time with Renee and the kids, in a less stressful environment compared to our weekends!  Beavertails were also great!


 


Tobermory - July/August
I've always wanted to go to Tobermory.  For some reason, I'm really attracted to blue, turquoise water!  My parents, my brother Eric's family along with us stayed a week there.  It has recently become an annual family tradition to go somewhere together for a week in the summer.  I really enjoy this time because I get to spend time with Eric and my dad, whom I don't see as often.  You kids out there reading this now...someday, you will grow up and will start your own lives, and you will find that you miss seeing everyday the annoying sibling(s) that you have.  So, treasure the time you have now!

During our trip, we took a ferry to Flowerpot Island that is famous for its flowerpot-like rock formations.  They're pretty cool to look at.  Eric, his sons Nick and Ben, myself, Adele and Athan camped on the island for one night.  There are only a handful of sites on the island so it was quite an experience.

 Flowerpot Rock Formation at Flowerpot Island

Our campsite was close to a dock and we spent some time jumping into the cold water.  Check out the video of my nephew Ben below!

My Nephew, Ben, Jumping Off a Dock into the Cold Water

We also visited the Grotto near Tobermory.  It's one of the more popular attractions there.  The grotto is actually quite treacherous to get to.  To get there, one would need to climb down a rocky cliff.  Aside from a few signs telling you not to do stupid things since people have died here before, there are no stairs, railings, or any other safety measures.  After scoping out the path down, we decided that the grandparents and the younger kids should not go down.

Renee, Joanne (Eric's wife), and the older kids decided to do the climb down, while Eric and I helped get the younger kids settled down.  We brought them with the grandparents to a rocky beach on the other side of the grotto.  Once they were happily settled, Eric and I headed off to the grotto.  Instead of walking back to the cliff and climbing down, we thought it would be easier to swim there.

I wouldn't say it was the worst of ideas, but it definitely was a less than ideal exercise.  We walked along the rocks as far as we could before we had to jump into the water.  Once we jumped in, we realized the water was very cold!  A quick google tells me that the average water temperature in the summer at Tobermory is between 15 and 20°C.  It doesn't sound that cold, but at 25°C, one's breathing starts to be affected by the cold water temperature.  At 20°C, it's considered "dangerously cold" to swim in.  It took us about 3 to 5 minutes to get to the other side, where the grotto was.  By the time we got there, both of our arms and legs started getting numb and it began to be difficult to swim.  Given another 5 minutes in the water, we probably would have drowned.  Once we got there, we were happy to see the wives and kids already in the grotto.  We took some jumps from inside the grotto into the cold water before heading back to the beach.

Aside from these exciting adventures, we also enjoyed movies, whiskey and cigars (the latter two by the men only!).  Overall, this was a great trip and many good memories were made!

Rocky Beach at the Grotto (the Grotto is on the Other Side of the Rocks at the Back) 

The Grotto is at the Bottom


Cherry Beach Resort - August/September
Over the Labour Day long weekend, we, along with Renee's parents, siblings and, her best friend Melissa and husband Danny went to Cherry Beach Resort in Prince Edward County (near Sandbanks).  

The resort is a pretty neat place.  It has a number of different water sports, a swimming pool, basketball and tennis court, and other activities.  The kids got to go on a canoe which was a first for some of them.  Adele, while paddling, hit her own nose with the oar, causing it to bleed profusely in the middle of the lake!  We also spent quite a bit of time playing board and card games, and watching old movies on DVDs (poor internet there).  Adele and I also discovered Sim City on my phone, which we somewhat quickly got bored of.  To cap off the trip, the resort provided a free hot dog dinner along with nice fireworks!  All in all, a really fun trip spent with nice company!

As an aside, Melissa and Danny have a company called ComfyComfy that sells buckwheat pillows, among other things.  If you have neck pain or just need better support sleeping, try their pillows out!  Renee and I have a number of their pillows in our home.  You can also find them on Amazon.  (No, I don't get commissions. lol)

Melissa, Her Daughter Maddy, and Audrey





Finger Lakes, New York - November
For Renee's birthday, I surprised her with a trip to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.  It was only the two of us who went, thanks to the grandparents who took care of all 5 kids!  I don't remember when our previous "us only" trip was; so this was quite a treat!

Our trip started with a stay at Harbour House in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Harbour House is one of our favourite hotels in Ontario.  It's super cozy and nice and never disappoints!  They had a packaged deal with a discount on dinner and spa, which was both very enjoyable.  Dinner was at HobNob and our couple's massage the next morning was at Secret Garden Spa, also in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

After our massage, we left for Aurora, NY and arrived at dusk.  We stayed at Wallcourt Hall, which is one of several hotels in the small town, that is owned by Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl.  The town has been revived and has got a nice, small American town feel to it.  There's not much to do there, but it's very scenic and is a perfect getaway for Torontonians who have gotten bored of Muskoka.  The drive from Toronto is around 4 to 5 hours.

Renee Pretending to Read in Our Wallcourt Hall Room 

Our Room Was Really Nicely Decorated

I thought that every Hong Kong immigrant to Toronto has been to the Corning Museum of Glass, since it's one of the stops between Toronto and New York City on the 美東四日遊 (4-day Eastern US bus tour).  To my surprise, Renee has never been there, and since it's been 30 years since I've been there, we spent a day there.  It's a small but very neat museum, and one could easily spend a day there looking at the exhibits and watching the entertaining glass blowing demos.

Corning Museum of Glass

After the museum, we swung by Watkins Glen State Park, hoping to walk on the trails to see the waterfalls there.  Unfortunately, the trails were closed for the season.  We did snap a few pictures at the trailhead.  Maybe we'll be back with the kids in the future!

 Watkins Glen State Park

A few days quickly passed, which to be honest, was enough since we missed the kids.  We were also quite sure they were a handful for our parents.  Thanks again, Mom and Dad!  But before heading back to Toronto, we made a quick stop at Waterloo Premium Outlets which definitely won me some brownie points!  How can a birthday trip not include shopping, right?!

That sums up our travel in 2019.  Although we didn't do any big trips, these small trips were all very enjoyable and they made quite a few memorable moments for us to reminisce on  for years to come!

Stay tuned for my final post on an update on each of our 5 rascals!
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