Random March Photos.

 March was a bit of a whirlwind of travels and Spring Break and watching the garden grow.

I realized that I have stopped taking a lot of photos of the kids. So, made an effort to remedy that this month. 

 Evelyn has been studiously working on her drawing skills. She took a book out from the library about drawing Fairies and has been incorporating sketching techniques into her pictures.

 The kids were able to go to a birthday party for their cousin Megan who turned 6. The kids all sang 'Bonne Fete' for her. For some reason, they always seem to sing in French when they get together. One of the cousins, Ashley, is in French Immersion, so this may contribute to the alternate language singing.

We did a day trip to Vancouver to visit Science World. We walked on the Ferry and took transit. It was actually quite easy to get around and the kids enjoyed the Skytrain. We missed the return ferry and enjoyed the wait in Horseshoe bay playing at the park and getting some ice cream.

In the afternoon, we hopped off the train near the stadiums downtown and walked around a bit. Now, we are a bit naive of the layout of downtown Vancouver and managed to wander into the ... less desirable area. The kids were excellent about holding our hands and never once let go. Ryan saw 2 drug deals, and during one, after the handover of money, the dealer did not pass the drugs, but said "The kids" and moved the buyer off the the side to complete the transaction. We noted several other people notice us with the kids and modify their behavior or the language and behavior of their companions because of the kids presence. It made me wonder if a good way to change a bad area might be to encourage children to walk through and be present. For the most part, our kids were oblivious to the subtleties of what was going on around them, but the adults in the area seemed acutely aware of the kids. I found it encouraging that they cared to protect our kids innocence and that the presence of the kids seemed to awaken some conscience in them that allowed for a small amount of self control. It would make an interesting behavior study.

A block or two later, and we were in Gastown! Amazing how the whole atmosphere can change block by block.

Ethan totally passed out on Ryan's lap on the bus ride to the Ferry. It was a busy day. Then they were ready to go until we finally got home. It was a nice Staycation!