Who IS this young man?

He's sprouted like a bamboo shoot in the past few months! And for those of you that don't know, bamboo can sprout up and attain great heights in just one night! We just can't believe how fast he's changing. It's scary, sad and exciting all at the same time.

It's been a busy time for all since Christmas. After the holidays were over, JC did NOT want to go back to day-care. We struggled with the whole concept of day-care yet again and Cindy did quite a bit of research, deciding to enroll him in a Montessori preschool. We're impressed with the curriculum and the price is actually better than the daycare. Unfortunately, the minimum age is 2.5 years old and the "students" must be toilet trained. So, as you can imagine, we're busy getting JC comfortable with the whole idea of sittin' on the ol' crapper so he'll be ready in the fall. You can't imagine how proud daddy was when the first pebblets appeared at the bottom of the bowl. A brand new Transformer (tm) was behind my back, ready to present to encourage a repeat next time around. Since last week, he's informed us that he has to "poo poo potty" three more times, so we're on a roll (fingers crossed). However, I think he's going to wise up to the idea that the Transformer is the same each and every time. His verbal skills continue to amaze us and make us laugh hysterically. The other day, he blew in my face and said "dada too windy". We were at the Superstore on Thursday and I was pushing him around in the cart and he looked past me at Cindy, who was looking at some cheese and said "momma, what doing? come on!" I'm sure I'm just a biased dadda, but I think that is pretty impressive for a 23 month old ;)

Otherwise, things are good business-wise (for now). Byron and I had a great time in the arctic at the end of January. His job was to collect caribou kidneys, liver, bone and meat from local hunters. You'd be amazed at some of the things we laid our eyes on in these hunter's houses. Whole caribou on the kitchen floor - blood collagulating as it drips on the floor and pools in the corners. Us, with our Dewalt reciprocating saw laying into each beast and sawing off the parts we needed. In some cases, the animals were frozen, which meant we had to keep putting the saw battery under the truck heater as the batteries fizzled out so quickly because the temperature was so low. One night, we put on as many layers as we could and stood outside in -50C with windchill. Within a few minutes, ice had formed all around my glasses so I could only see the faint halo of the streetlights. We called it a tie and within the time it took to take off my gloves and take two photos of Byron, I got frostbite on my thumb and pointer finger. In fact, I had to thaw them out by popping them in my mouth since they were rock hard. I was a little worried for the hours that followed, but once they started hurting, I felt relieved. The amazing (and sad) thing, is that these people keep dogs outside during these times. Dogs that aren't meant to be there - short haired dogs. It infuriates me and I'm sure to speak up every chance I get. Otherwise, in general, I feel a little uneasy with all this doom and gloom, recession news that dominates the news headlines. There seems to be no escape. I'm not sure what next year will hold for me if this recession/pending depression keeps up. I need to start diversifying, and fast. Thankfully, Kelvin has offered to help me get a website up, so I hope that will garner some interest from potential clients. At least things are remaining busy for now, albeit my clients definitely are monitoring the budgets a little more closely. If worse comes to worst, at least I'll have guns and ammo in the closet when martial law is imposed and looters roam the streets after all the world governments collapse and the four horsemen of the apocalyse come riding out of the blood-coloured sky. ;)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year all. We've added some recent photos from the last month or so to our website. Password is "JC"

http://ccje.zenfolio.com/

Merry Christmas Friends

Well, it's the 24th and another Christmas is upon us. It always seems to sneak up so fast; our dinner feels like it was MONTHS ago already. We've taken a lot of pictures lately as we've done quite a few day trips, but I haven't been very organized. When I get a chance, I'll upload some of the better ones here. But, in the meantime, we want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hopefully the new year brings you all continued prosperity, no ill effects of the economic slow-down and "pregosity" for all those wishing for it ;)

Fall Happenings

hey all,

Here's the latest happenings in the Lee household.

Dada - things are not as chaotic workwise, given that a lot of animals and plants are now dormant, dead or preparing for hibernation. That, and of course the downturn in real estate development and turn-over. However, work is already ramping up for next spring, so it looks as though I'll be guaranteed another 1 year contract (minimum) with my primary client, which is good news. It's always comforting to know there is some certainty in ones future, particularly in these uncertain times. My ol' Keystone colleague, Byron, also recently has gone out on his own so we've talked about partnering up down the road. I've started looking into advertising to get the word out on the street. It's surprisingly pricey, but it is something that will likely pay off so I have to design a promotional advert (on my "to do" list) as well as get a snazzy website (also on my "to do" list) up and running. Other than that, now that I have more time for myself, Toshiki and I have signed up for a camera course (thought it was about time to learn the intracies of our SLRs) and are planning to sign up for our firearms licenses in early 2009. That, and I've set an early New Year's Resolution - to start exercising regularly again. We're going to see if its possible to get our semi-fit, semi-muscular bodies back to the way they were in the late 1990s... this should be an interesting experiment.

Mama - mama has a new team leader coming into her group so she is somewhat apprehensive as it is always a challenge having a new boss. She is putting the word out there that she is interested in taking on an acting team leader role, which is very exciting. The accident uncertainty drags on. ICBC continue to drag their heels and the lawyer is having a challenging time collecting evidence. Cindy and I got a citizens copy of the police report, which has the other parties name, address, phone # etc. I am concerned that if this person is a vindictive individual (and has the same form) he could do something, knowing where we live. Egads. Otherwise, she continues to visit the barrage of physio, chiro and counsellor and has been referred to an active rehab program.

JC - JC loved daycare the first two days, and absolutely hated it the third time around. We'll see how he is tomorrow (so far, he's only been going once a week as a result of all these Monday holidays and trips). In the three times he's been, he's picked up three viruses, which we've all caught. It's like an on-going cold that never lets up. Two people that I've talked to have said that when their kids started day care, at least one member of their family was sick for upwards of A YEAR. That, my friends, is a scary premise. I hope he is just getting caught up to the bacterial barrage that circulates in that school and will lessen the viral transmissions when he actually starts school. Otherwise, JC continues to be the light of our lives. He counted to 10 the other day as I was changing his diaper, which blew me away (his counting to 10, not the smell of his diaper). He also is trying to assemble the alphabet, which sounds like, A, S, LMNOP, X, 8, R, Z, gibberish. He's got some working out to do, but it's coming along. It's getting much easier to communicate with him now as well. He is assembling words into short sentences ("I want" and "please; thank-you") and is speaking key words such as "more" and "out". It's an exciting time.

Elsa - Elsa hasn't relapsed and continues to tear around the house. I can tell she is often visibly frustrated by the lack of attention we give her now (relative to the days without a child), but try to include her in as many activities as possible. That, and Joshua continues to spend more and more time with her, albeit for every one hug and snuggle, there are two swats and smacks.

In summary, we're going to pull a Lozada-Mackey and instead of posting the pics here, will direct you to our photo website: http://ccje.zenfolio.com

It essentially summarizes what we've been up to lately.

Summer Blitz

... or something like that. We admit, we've been checking the blogs occasionally, but we've typically gotten our friend update "fix" from Facebook. That said, you all deserve something a little more detailed so here we go:

It's been a busy summer - this is the first summer I can remember when we've hardly SEEN any of you! I'm sure it has a lot to do with all the budding parents in the group (and pregos), as it never ceases to amaze me how much time a child can take up in your average day. For those of you with more than 1, you have my respect (and sympathy). But honestly, it's been fun re-discovering life's simple pleasures, such as popping bubbles, running a hand under a faucet and smelling flowers. One can learn A LOT from a child and we are constantly reminded of this as we watch Joshua explore the world around him. He's already reciting about 30 words, which all sound very cute to us. He seems to have a favorite word of the week - bird, jet, bus, hat, hair, eyes,... this week, the word of the week is "this" (as he points at everything - I think he is acting what each item is).

I still can't believe the longest day has already come and gone! This summer has just flown by - soon fall will be upon us. Cindy and I are starting to look into vacations. I've worked really hard this year and want to treat us all to a nice vacation. We can't fly too far, as Joshua would need to be sleeping or could get a little distressed. I think a 6 hour flight is the upper limit. Any ideas?

We got our car back since the accident. I was hoping it would have been a write-off, but reportedly, it would have had to have been in and around $13k+ in damages and was only around $11k, which is still a lot! It was all cosmetic. All the repairs were bolt on replacement parts, which were all brand new factory Mazda... I'm sure I still won't be able to convince a buyer of that if/when the time comes to sell. ICBC informs us that the investigation is still underway despite the clear evidence. The other guy hired a lawyer and is stating that HE was hit, so we're becoming concerned and are considering hiring our own as a precautionary measure. One never knows how a story can be twisted and how witness statements can change over time, or worse yet, if another witness "appears" out of the wood work that contradicts everyone else's testimony. I know, I know, I'm being paranoid.

Cindy and I started looking into daycares. We wanted to avoid this as much as possible, but because my schedule varies from week to week and my parents have a limited ability to adapt and watch him for an extended period (as they find it tiring), the time has come. We're not in a huge rush and are managing to make it work right now, but we have very little time left at the end of each day to do anything aside from preparing for the next day. The weekends are usually catch-up time. This is not a sustainable scenario, so as long as we want to maintain our sanity.

I continue to enjoy the new challenges of running my own business - it's a lot of work - everything from invoicing to marketing is now my duty. It's kind of nice though, because I don't have to go to numerous meetings or put forth numerous requests to enact change. For instance, I recently increased my mileage rate, but having tried to do something at my previous company would have taken months and hours of deliberation and meetings. The work continues to allow me to expand my skill set and knowledge of various types of biological work. That said, I'm madly saving for a rainy day - it's always a little unnerving when one listens to the news about a slowing economy and a potential US recession. That said, I am fairly confident that our work is largely independent of the state of the global market. In the months to come, I may look into developing a more formalized partnership with my main client.

Cindy recently spent a week in Prince George with her parents. She enjoyed the opportunity to immerse JC in Vietnamese culture and since I was in the arctic, it was perfect timing. He learned how to eat corn through watching his grandpa (see picture).

I've attached some other pictures, which include a recent walk through Old Orchard Park in Port Moody where JC discovered flowers, his toy car and truck collection and last weekend's trip to Crescent Beach to spend the day with my main client and his family.

1 Wedding and Almost a Funeral

What a stressful weekend... in a good way AND in a bad way. I emceed Tracey & Shawn's wedding on Saturday - that was fun, albeit a gasp from the front row may have indicated that my comments were a little too "Russell-Peterish". That said, it was more laughs than not, so that was good. I was surprised how much improv I had to do, as I wasn't prepared for the last minute programme changes and the various small transitions. Overall, it was a great wedding, we managed to keep it on schedule and Cindy and I both enjoyed the music video, the speeches, chatting with friends and seeing Shawn and Tracey in the spotlight. Congrats you two!

Then on Sunday, Cindy got in a bad accident - hit from a motorcycle running a red light. I got the call I always dreaded (i.e. your wife and son have been in a bad accident). She and I are still very shaken up. On Sunday evening, Elsa started acting strangely, losing coordination with her back legs. By Monday evening, her hindquarters kept falling to the side and she was clearly in pain (back spasms and whimpering). Cindy and I were already exhausted from the car accident and based on my research, it looked like Elsa might be suffering from a herniated disc, or intervertebral disc disorder. I took her to the emergency and the vet wanted to charge $700 for an overnight stay hooked up to an IV. After some consideration and discussion, I decided to take her home and opted for an intramuscular injection of dexamethazone instead so she could get a good nights rest (if she stayed overnight, she would be up and crying all night). I had to weigh the odds and I THINK I made the right choice. The next day, I had a busy work day and Cindy had no car, so my mom took Elsa to our regular vet and they put her on a perscription of oral steroids. If it doesn't improve, we'll be looking at a $1,000 myelogram and a $5000-9000 back surgery. Regardless, we will have to change the way she moves around the house and prevent her from jumping off things or going up and down stairs. In hind sight, we should have been more careful all these years, as dachshunds are very prone to this. Cindy and I are still exhausted, as we have appointments with ICBC tomorrow, the body shop, and two doctor appointments. Yep, Joshua picked up a bad virus at the hospital when he was getting checked up. There was an older gentleman in the emergency who had just returned from a cruise and was complaining of norwalk virus symptoms and now Joshua is puking and can't hold down any food. Good times.

I am posting a link to my online album. I would ask that you please do not share this album with people we don't know, as some albums have sensitive information (thanks in advance!). The album includes full-size versions of all of the wedding photos - click on each photo and on the top left, there will appear a set of icons, one of which will allow you to download the full-size version of photo. I'll keep them up there for a month or so...

http://ccje.zenfolio.com

Time Marches On

Wow, time flies! This is probably the first time I have let the blog go in excess of a month without posting. However, admittedly, Facebook along with its instantaneous updates and messages is a little bit more enticing as of late.

In any event, in the last little while, Cindy and I have both been getting used to big changes. As most of you know, I quit my comfortable, stable job and am now working on my own. Getting adjusted has had it's challenges - everything from setting up the home office, to creating invoices, to the lack of my daily coffee chat with co-workers, to marketing to potential clients, to not getting paid for vacation days. I now do a multitude of tasks in any given day, may of which I used to take for granted. However, so far I have been extremely satisfied with my decision and am very thankful for all the opportunities my new primary client has given me. He and I work very well and he appears to be extremely satisfied with the quality of my work. It has given him opportunities to pursue other prospective clients, and in doing so, has has been able to provide me with additional new and exciting opportunities. That, and I love not having to commute.

Cindy, as well, has been re-adjusting to life at work. The commute from Port Moody is just under an hour, and includes the 25 minute train ride, 1 bus ride, the skytrain and a walk from Stadium station. I've got to give her credit, as I detest long commutes. Thankfully, her work is only P/T - 3 times a week. This is great, as it allows me to work longer on the days she is home. During the days she works, I work from 8:30-2:30. During this period, Joshua spends time at my parents. I spend time with him in the morning and in the afternoon. This is great, as it gives me bonding time and I get to wrestle around with him, play "trucks" or watch the birds. The challenge, oftentimes, is trying to field client phone calls or answer high priority emails while holding on to Joshua. One thing I did not anticipate, is having all these kid show theme songs stuck in my head throughout the day!

Speaking of Joshua - wow - it is fantastic to see this little bubbly, chubby and happy baby grow into a toddler - pointing, inquiring, manipulating his environment and speaking his native baby tongue. On nearly a daily basis, Cindy and I are surprised by his latest feat and enjoy re-discovering some of life's simplest pleasures alongside him. The week before his 1st birthday, he mastered walking and is now zooming around the house. Unfortunately, we were planning to hold a big birthday bash using Toshiki's big, beautiful, bright and new common room at his complex. Three weeks prior to Joshua's birthday, it was available, and in the span of a week, booked up through to the end of April. We checked a few alternatives, but were unsuccessful. We will have to plan well in advance next year. I've posted a few recent pictures below (if anyone actually reads this!).

Where's has all the Elastin gone....?

On the weekend, my family and I celebrated my 31st birthday. Looking in the mirror these days, I notice three things - more grey hair, longer, more rogue eyebrow and nose hairs and worst of all... less resilient skin! Time is definitely starting it's long and slow onslaught. Sure, I'm being a little facetious, but I am observing these things, trivial as they might be.

In other news, Cindy is preparing to return to work next month. We're really not looking forward to this, as we've grown quite accustomed to the schedue and this will mean earlier mornings and later evenings. All things must come to an end I suppose.

My work is quickly ramping up. Additionally, I've sent out a few proposals, which has resulted in some additional secured contracts. My main contract pays 30-days after each invoice date. So, for all the work in February, I issue the receipt on February 28th and don't get paid until March 28th... ouch... well, once the ball is rolling, it will be okay. At least I saved up in anticipation of this.

Joshua is now climbing stairs and is down to holding one hand while walking. Pics from the last little while are posted below:

Family Updates

Last week, Cindy got a call from the chief and was informed she had been promoted to a higher position. The increased responsibilities means more direct dealings with lawyers, chartered accountants and large corporations but she will be up to the challenge upon her return in March.

In other news, Joshua is now furniture surfing - he is able to pull himself up from a crawling position and move around the family room. It is very fun to watch him standing up under his own volition and power as we can see that he is really PROUD of himself. He laughs so uncontrollably and purely that we cannot help but join in. When we're finally done, we've long forgotten what we were laughing about!

Saying Goodbye is Never Easy

Today, I gave notice at work. I woke up early - around 5am, and couldn't fall back asleep so decided to go in early to "do the deed" before the masses arrived. I arrived just before 7am and checked my emails. Being the first day back, there were many, which kept me preoccupied as I procrastinated. I was also waiting for the accounts payable clerk to arrive as she had my bonus cheque. Part of me (the paranoid part) thought that if I gave notice before getting the cheque, they might rescind it! I double and triple checked my check-list of "to do" items to make sure I had everything I needed just in case they booted me out on the spot. The principals of my company have a bit of a reputation for being quite "proud" and occasionally have burned bridges and perhaps said some things they later regretted (or not). By 7:40am, I knew that the accounts payable clerk wasn't going to be in before 8am, so started my walk to one of the owner's offices (the one I get along with best). As I started walking towards his office, a strong sense of dread came over me - the kind where you just want to run away and hide; however, I continued toward his office. Upon closing the door, he inquired "why are you closing the door - it's never good when someone closes the door". I let him know that I had played this scenario in my head numerous times and had dreamt about it at least 5 times over the holidays, but have decided to start my own company and will also be sub-contracting my services to a well respected senior biologist to gain the experience I feel I still need. This setup will allow me to work less, and will allow Cindy to work part-time. Those two factors will allow us to potentially forego day-care (and associated costs), which was a big incentive. He inquired as to whether the deal was finalized and if anything could be done to change my mind but I assured him that I was moving forward with it. He informed me that he would inform the other owners (much to my relief).

From 8:00 - 9:30am, I snuck around and stayed to myself. I anticipated some back lash, but I thought perhaps the recent Christmas holidays would cushion any ill will. At 10am, I was informed that all owners and managers were now "in the know" and was told to write a formal resignation letter for the file. I was asked how long I'd be available for and I stated that I'd like to finish my current projects and would be available until the end of the month if they so desired. At 11am, I got called into one of the principals office. I thought this was it - the point in which they tear a strip off me and express their discontent. However, it wasn't like that! Sure, I was told that they were disappointed in my decision, asked if they could do anything to change my mind and wanted to hear my reasoning again, but afterwards, they seemed amenable to it, saying it was for "the right reasons". Throughout the rest of the day, I got a lot of heckling from my co-workers (to be expected) but all the dread I had was clearly unwarranted. I am surmising that it is because I am not going to the direct competition (bad blood) and perhaps because of my dedication to the company during my time there. I still have mixed feelings, as I do enjoy many components of my work and my colleagues. However, since the departure of my old boss a few months ago, things in our department have changed and am still confident that it's for the best.

When I got home this evening, Cindy and I went to go look at a used crib we saw on Craigslist (one street over, funnily enough). The guy asked what I do for a living, and after mentioning I was an environmental consultant, he started asking a bunch of questions. Turns out, he is a realtor and all his realtor friends are fearful of selling/marketing any property with a watercourse or ditch on it. I told him I could help, and after chatting somemore, he asked me to do a Powerpoint presentation at his realtors meeting next Tuesday. Kinda funny how the world works sometimes. The big guy upstairs must be looking out for me. Almost like when I was looking for a sign as to whether I should stay or quit ... I got a sign alright, LOUD AND CLEAR... but that is another story.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Seasonal Photos:

Ghostly Tale

Last week I was at a 3-day conference downtown with numerous other consultants and government personnel. The instructor liked to start every day by asking what certain people what they had done the evening before. One lady, who worked for Natural Resources Canada (NRC) and seemed quite normal, told quite a tale:

She said she and her husband recently purchased a heritage house in Vancouver. Her husband often works shifts meaning she is home alone on occasion. She said the previous night she awoke to see a little boy at the foot of her bed. And, it wasn't the first time, having seen him twice prior. The last time she saw him, she inquired with neighbours to ask if anything bad had happened in the house. Supposedly, a little boy that matched his description had died while crossing the street at a crosswalk in front of her house. She thinks it is the little boy looking for his mother. Do you believe in ghosts?

Welcome Back Salmon!

On Saturday, Cindy and I went to Hoy Creek park in Coquitlam to observe the returning salmon. There were lots of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta, for your scientific types) making their way up the creek, and a few spawned out carcasses making the air a little "ripe" in certain areas. We were surprised how many little hatcheries are present in the Coquitlam and Port Moody areas. So far, we've seen four - all run by volunteers. Unfortunately, annual salmon returns are still down, likely the result of a combination of over-fishing, global warming , sea-lice and increased predation.

Over the past few weeks, things have been pretty routine. Joshua came down with a rash last week. We originally thought it was the result of a food allergy or perhaps a teething rash. We systematically ruled out diaper rash, eczema, chicken pox and roseola. Our trip to the clinic was unsuccessful, as the doctor couldn't identify the rash either. We were referred to a specialist, who was VERY knowledgeable. He identified the rash as being caused by an run-of-the-mill enterovirus... something that we or someone that held him may have been carrying. Unfortauntely, in babies (which have minimal immunity), it manifests itself as a rash once the low-grade fever has broken. There are very few rashes that require medical attention, but being first time parents, we wanted to err on the safe side.

Anyhow - I've uploaded some recent pictures below - enjoy:

It's Getting C-O-L-D

C-C-C-C-COLD. Here comes the bigger natural gas bills, the darker nights and the dirtier cars! :( On the bright side, my grass is now green, luscious and beautiful. Myself, Cindy and Toshiki struggled this past year to improve the grass in our yard as an easy home improvement project. You'd be amazed at what some seed, and weed and feed fertilizer can do. The previous owners let the grass go, particularly along the side of the house, which was infested with weeds and the evilist of evil crabgrass. We must have pulled out two whole garbage bags of the sneaky grass from our lawn, which is barely noticeable from a distance but can spread like wildfire. Now, Cindy wants me to start tackling bigger projects, like renovating the bathrooms. Winter will be a good time to do that, I suppose.

Work has been very hectic - I'm still trying to find a week that I can take off. My co-workers just tell me to "book it and leave" but I know that my clients would be very unhappy, especially as three of them keep pestering me for a completed report. Of course, the timelines are completely ridiculous (i.e. here is the information, can you write me a 100 page Environmental Impact Assessment with Cumulative Effects, Regulatory Consultation, Figures, Appendicies and an Environmental Management Plan in 2 weeks? ). Uhhhh no. That doesn't stop them from hounding me on a near daily basis though. That said, work is still enjoyable, although I DIDN'T enjoy standing around our booth at the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) conference at the Pan Pacific last week. I am just not a very good salesman! We interviewed 5 people for junior and intermediate biologist positions. The principles of my company went with my recommendations, which is a nice affirmation. Hopefully these hires will alleviate some of my work pressures and allow me to transition further into management.

In other, more fun news, Joshua reached his 6-month milestone on the 26th. We took a bunch of pictures in and around that date, including a few screen-caps from my camcorder during his "Water Babies" swimming lesson. They aren't of the greatest quality, but you get the idea. He sure is growing up fast, which is a little scary, as we see the baby features disappearin' and toddler features a-comin'. Pictures are here:

http://www.pbase.com/cindyandchrislee/joshua_-_6_months password is: joshua

August - Redux

Two weeks ago, we started feeding Joshua PABLUM, which is essentially a rice-cereal. He LOVES it. In fact, when the bowl is empty, he gets ANGRY, reaching out for the spoon and bowl. What a greedy guy! A few days ago, we made the jump to YAMS. He appeared to like it at first, then seemed vehemently opposed, then appeared to accept it. Cindy bought a few jars of carrots, peas and squash - perhaps these will be more successful. She read that it is better to start babies off with less sweet foods first (i.e. start off with vegetables instead of fruits) as it is harder to start off with sweet foods, followed by blander foods.

Cindy's parents came into town last weekend - it's been nice having them here to clean and cook, and although it has cramped my style a bit, the insane amount of work I've had to do has kept me very busy. Much busier than I should be, in fact. I have been trying to find a week that I can take off, to catch up on things and relax; however, my boss gave his 2 weeks notice last week and this past week has been a blur. I do not see an opening to take a stress free vacation in the foreseeable future. Not only is my boss loading me down with most of his projects, but with other senior project managers on vacation, I am literally doing four people's jobs. To put things into perspective, I completed an Endangered Species field study in May and I haven't even started writing it yet. ARGGH. On the bright side, they're interviewing both junior and senior people to help me out... hopefully the junior staff member will be competent that likes orders barked at him/her by yours truly. On the bright side, this is giving me a lot of senior project management and client relations experience, which can only help me in the long run.

Weekends are catch-up time - thanks to Toshiki for helping me sprinkle and rake the top-soil over my lawn. It took us 5 hours to move about 2 cubic yards of dirt over the entire lawn, prior to which we power raked and seeded following a power aeration. The grass currently looks horrible, but "fingers crossed" for next year. Weeding is another time consuming task - mannnn, we're old aren't we? :)

Post Josh Groban Concert Report

Wow - Josh Groban is one talented guy. We were surprised how packed GM Place was - all the floor seats and lower bowl were sold out, with a few seats to spare on the upper bowl. He really has made a name for himself over the past few years. Cindy was the one who brought the concert to my attention and we quickly brought two tickets. We've both been fans of his for quite some time, with his powerful, operatic voice, impressive range and stirring lyrics. We were blown away by the first song "You are Loved (Don't give up)" - primarily because of the quiet start and then sudden burst of volume and illuminating set lights. He then went on to sing while playing piano (very well I might add)... and then even to play DRUMS for one song (flawlessly as well!). Now that's talent! One of the neatest parts was when he let his solo violinist play one song without him - she started with very complicated rifts, getting increasingly disjointed and abstract (akin to Michael J. Fox's rendition of "Johnny B. Goode" in Back to the Future), and just when we thought it was over, she jumped into a full-on version of Led Zeppelin's "KASHMIR" with the band. That really got the crowd rockin'. A definite recommendation for all those that enjoy his music.

Back from Prince George & Back to Work

Last week, Cindy, Joshua and I went up to Prince George to visit Cindy's parents / Joshua's Ong Ngoai (grandpa) and Ba Ngoai (grandma). We drove. It was actually okay - Joshua slept through most of it and we enjoyed cruising through the small towns. It is somewhat depressing to see these once thriving mining and logging towns on life support. And, the Mountain Pine Beetle has nearly decimated the forests from Cache Creek to Prince George and beyond. Many of the once luscious golf courses are now red-brown skeletal eye-sores. This accelerated destruction has happened recently, as there were far fewer impacted trees last trip (2 years ago).

Cindy and I enjoyed a little extra sleep as the grandparents washed Joshua in the morning (it was nice to sleep from 10pm to nearly 10am. We also enjoyed Cindy's mom's cooking - she literally cooked the whole time we were there and then sent us packing with a cooler full of food. Mmmm Mmmmm. Now that we're back, we're in full swing - getting Joshua to sleep in his own bed. The last 3 nights, he's actually fallen asleep without a tear . Cindy and I are elated. We're hoping that he'll be as good this weekend when Cindy and I go to the Josh Groban concert on Friday and will be babysat by the grandparents!

A few photos below from the Prince George Trip, including our day trek through the "Forests for the World" park.

The Simpson-Lee's!

Behold, the Simpson-Lee's! Coming to a television near you. The pilot episode revolves around a 4 month old boy named Joshua, who is learning sit up and sleep in his own bassinet. For the first few nights (and counting), he decides to transform (vis a vis Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde) into the crying, stubborn Mr. Non-Sleeper! His daddy plays the tough-love role, whereas his mommy has to fight the urge to over-mother. Despite mommy's trip to the library and the borrowing of four books on how to get your baby to sleep at night, she still struggles with his tears, much to his daddy's dismay. But, by and large, they continue to marvel in Joshua's development and dynamic, "smiley" personality (during the day at least). Both mommy and daddy could swear that he already said "Mama", "Dada" and "Hi!" Of course, they realize that when babies open their mouth and make sounds for at least half of every waking day, some resemblance to words are bound to transpire.

Oh, and if you're interested in wasting some time, "Simpsonize" yourself - go to www.simpsonizeme.com - I got the idea from Vince's blog - his Simpson character looks just like him!

7-7-07

The following events took place in and around 7-7-07, reportedly one of the luckiest days in history:

Cindy has been organizing a get-together with her friends from prenatal class. Due to various scheduling conflicts, the date kept getting changed, but on Friday the gals finally managed to get in sync and they met down at Rocky Point Park for an afternoon walk filled with chatting and exchanging of stories. The next outing is already in the works, albeit the babies may be left with the husbands for this one! GULP!

On Saturday (7-7-07), I was finally able to give my father his Father's Day gift. You see, my dad used to own a 1961 Austin Healey (in silver), which he sold when he got married. Lately, he has been doing a lot of reminiscing. He even bought 2 model versions and an old advertisement wall plaque. He has also been attending classic car shows and taking lots of pictures. In any event, I contacted the president of the Austin Healey club of B.C. back in May and asked if anyone would be willing to give my dad a ride. I had 3 people reply (much to my surprise) and on Saturday, one mint green Healey pulled up in our driveway while my dad was watching TV unsuspectingly. Well, let's just say he was SO happy that when he smiled, he actually showed his teeth (a rarity indeed - now THATS happy) and they were off for a drive around Coquitlam. I heard the engine purring a ways off and came to the door to see that he had driven it back. He said I helped him re-live his dream of driving that car again, so a big THANKS to the man who helped me make that dream a reality.

Also on 7-7-07 was Joshua's first spin in the Fisher Price Jump-a-roo. He's sturdy enough now to hold his neck and sit up (wobbly) so into the Jump-a-roo he went. He enjoyed it immensely and quickly learned that if he propelled himself upward, he'd be rewarded by a musical song and lights. We were most surprised to see how much his manual dexterity has come along. He is now able to focus on objects and manipulate them with his hands with precision. Soon, it will be a Playstation Controller ;)

Finally, for those of you that know my cousin David, we're happy to convey the message that he and his wife, Melissa, had a whopping 9 lb, 2 oz baby boy on 7-7-07. Dark, wavy hair and grey green eyes (according to Grandma). We shall post pictures as they become available.

Cindy's 30th

Thanks to everyone for coming and celebrating Cindy's 30th b-day with us. It was great to see everyone and enjoy the fabulous food! I am just disappointed that the weather wasn't cooperating as I think it would have been fun to have the kiddies outside in the yard. Ahhh well, there is always next time. At the rate we're reproducing, soon there will be more kids than adults! We appreciate everyone's contributions, including the food, the atmosphere highlights (balloons, flowers, etc.) and the generous gifts. Nice to socialize with everyone, although for a crowd that size, it was a bit of a fevered pitch for awhile. Sorry if we zoned out on any of you - it wasn't intentional! Toshiki took some pictures on his SLR - perhaps once he returns from his business development trip, we can post them up.

Reunion and Making Friends

On Sunday, the family went to the prenatal reunion. It was fun eating lunch and hearing all the other mother's stories - some good, some bad, some SCARY! I won't bore you with the gory details, although I will say one of the smallest girls (far right) had the biggest baby - naturally - 9 lbs, 2 ozs ;) Cindy has made a few friends here, and they plan on getting together for mom-baby activities soon. There appear to be a lot of amenities for new moms these days - mom and baby movies, mom and baby yoga, mom and baby fitness, mom and baby library reads, etc. We weighed Joshua on the scale there and he is already a whopping 12 lbs, 2 oz. Gotta love those baby rolls!

Today, Cindy went over to the home of our good friend Jocelyn, to visit her baby, Melea. Joshua and Melea became fast friends and some might say that this was his first date ;) He looks quite proud to have Melea on his arm heh heh.

Party-on Dude! - Joshua - 6 weeks

As Joshua gets older, he is becoming much more interactive. Smiling when he is touched, giggling and "talking" in his baby language. Gotta love the digital SLR, which allows us to capture lots of frames of Joshua as he wriggles around. This is one of my favorites, as I can envision him saying "PARTY-ON DUDE!"

I've added a bunch of photos taken yesterday to our PBASE page:

http://www.pbase.com/cindyandchrislee/joshua_six_weeks

password: baby

1 in 1,000,000....?

A few weeks ago, we bought a second car. Cindy is having to use the car more often for doctor appointments, mommy stuff, recreation, friend outings etc. The car we bought serves as a commuter car for me. I wanted something older, reliable, with relatively low kilometres and good gas mileage. BUT, I didn't want to drive around a beater - it still had to have a sense of "style" without costing an arm and a leg. The car I ended up buying was a heated garage kept BMW 325i owned by an elderly japanese gentleman, which was reportedly only driven in the summer. When I did the checks, everyone I talked to commented on what a nice car it was and how much time he spent babying it - and I agreed! I remember driving it home, thinking to myself how NEW it seemed - no scratches, no big dings, etc.

The first time I filled it up, I took off the gas cap. UGH - the gas cap was old lookin' - a bit discolored, scratched and a bit rusty. I remember thinking to myself "mannnn, this car is in amazing shape with the exception of this hideous gas cap!". That thought entered the dormant recesses of my brain as I decided to live with it's shortcoming.

On the weekend, Cindy and I went for a walk down to Newport Village to check out the Port Moody Arts Show. As we were walking home, I saw something black in the long grass on the side of the road that caught my eye. For what ever reason, I decided to check it out. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a gas cap. I kinda laughed to myself, remembering my ugly gas cap and thinking "wouldn't it be funny if it was a BMW gas cap?". Sure enough, as I picked it up, I recognized the BMW logo. The gas cap was flawless and shiny. I took it home and sure enough, it fit perfectly. What are the chances? 1 in 1,000,000...? or greater?

OLD ONE ON THE LEFT, NEW ONE ON THE RIGHT!

Nature Park & Steveston

... with the nice weather on Sunday, I decided to take "the family" out to Richmond Nature Park and Steveston (Cindy's idea). My co-worker was banding birds in the park, and caught a orange-crowned warbler when we were there.



It was exciting and we received an informative nature lesson. We spent an hour walking the trails and Cindy spotted a bullfrog that eluded me - a biologist in the making?

Then, on to Steveston to walk around and enjoy the ambiance and sights & sounds. Cindy enjoyed looking at all the fresh fish and prawns for sale right from the fishing boats. We'll definitely have to make a re-visit in the summer to try out some of the restaurants when Joshua is a bit older. Who says a baby ties you down? ;)

When we got home, Joshua was sleeping on the nursing pillow, and had his arm outstretched in a fist like he was giving a "FIGHT THE POWER!" speech - too funny! Joshua becomes more interactive every day and we find ourselves just staring at him as he makes his many faces - very entertaining.