Youth Triathlon 2014

Sunday was Mother's Day and Elise competed in her third youth triathlon. She's enjoyed it in the past and asked to do it again this year. She was in the 8-9 category which meant a longer course, so we did some pre-race preparation. She attended an orientation to familiarize herself with the course and then she and I did a few evening practice sessions in the weeks leading up to the race.

Race day came and she was nervous, but everything went well. Both Pam and I were impressed at her swimming, since the practice sessions were a little "rough", and she really poured it on in the run with a big sprint to the finish line. It was a gorgeous day and I'm pretty sure she'll want to do it again next year.

Photos from the day...

We finished the day off with a trip up the new gondola. We had a great picnic in the sun and enjoyed walking the tourist trails. On another note, Pam's surgery for May was cancelled due to an emergency medical leave for the doctor, but she has a new date set for June 17th. We have our fingers crossed.

Life Goes On

Our winter-spring transition has been full of ups and downs. A very dry period following Christmas allowed us to climb and hike, activities normally reserved for warmer times of the year. But as February rolled through, winter made its presence known by breathing life into a slowly dying ski season. The ski areas were pleased, as were the many local skiers, and I managed to do a few excellent ski tours because of it.

Elise's first ski tour near Cayoosh Peak in the Duffy Lakes area. She skied 3 km to the cabin!

 

 
After the birthdays in early February, both Elise and I came down with a nasty stomach flu, one that hung on for a number of days. Through a series of unfortunate events, Elise developed a negative association with skiing (ski school in particular) due to her illness and this propagated throughout the remainder of the season. Although she was skiing as well as ever, her lessons did not go well leaving a big question mark over how to proceed the following year.

Last day of ski school. Waffles at the Crystal Lodge on Blackcomb.

Ski tour to Red Heather just north of Squamish.

Our two-week Spring Break trip to Pentiction was the next winter casualty. I took a bad fall two days before we were set to leave turning our plans upside down. I bruised a rib and injured my wrist quite badly making it impossible for me to climb or do much of anything. We scrambled for a Plan B, but in the end decided to just stay home and make the best of the situation by walking, beach combing, socializing with friends, et cetera. However, the worst was yet to come.

On the last day of Spring Break, Pam took Elise to ski school in Whistler. Pam skied powder with her friend Jen in the morning and then met Elise for lunch. Elise was having another terrible day at ski school so Pam signed her out and they went skiing for the afternoon with Jen and her son, Eric. Elise loves to race, so Pam agreed to do the GMC race course with her. The light was flat and the snow was sticky. Elise took off and while Pam tried to keep up, she caught an edge and took a bad fall, injuring her left knee. It was bad enough that she had to be taken off the mountain by toboggan. Jen got the kids and then drove everyone to Squamish where Pam was dropped at the emergency room.

Pam ski touring near Mt. Decker about two weeks before the fateful day.

After X-rays and an MRI the following day, it was determined she had a complete tear of the ACL and a grade 1-2 tear of the LCL (the lateral collateral ligament). We consulted with our GP and the knee surgeon from Whistler to formulate a plan. At the surgeon's advice, she was put in a brace to help mend the LCL before undergoing ACL surgery in May - her tentative date is set for the 20th. The irony of all this is Pam was set to have meniscus surgery on her OTHER knee the week after the accident. We cancelled that surgery - a very tough decision - so she now has two injured knees, although the old injury is still quite functional.

Assuming she does not have to have LCL surgery (the worse case scenario) the ACL repair will take approximately 6 months to rehab, so we've cancelled all summer and fall plans. Our trusted physiotherapist in Vancouver, Paolo, has put Pam on a muscle building routine at the gym to prepare her for surgery. This has given her focus and helps fill her days. She's on disability and will likely not work again until next fall.

On the Spearhead Traverse with Jim Sandford. We did it in just under 8 hours,a highlight of my winter.

To help pass the time, we went to Penticton over the Easter holiday weekend and camped with a group of Squamish friends. Elise had a grand time raging in the campground morning, noon and night. The kids brought their bikes and raced along the trails between games by the lake shore. Most did some climbing, but the highlight was definitely the Easter egg hunt in the forest on Sunday morning. The Easter bunny brought lots of chocolate to Penticton.

The campsite at Banbury Green in Penticton.

We are now back at home catching up on work and household chores. Pam has a follow-up appointment with the surgeon in early May to determine whether the LCL has stabilized. This will determine whether or not the May 20th surgical date gets confirmed. Until then, we are trying to find ways to fill our time. Our normally active, outdoor-oriented lifestyle has been put on hold for the foreseeable future.

I'll update as we learn more...

Talent Show

Elise has been taking "hip-hop" dance lessons this winter and when her elementary school announced they were hosting their first annual talent show, Elise jumped at the chance to enter. This video shows her performing her routine for Katy Perry's "Roar". About 15 kids got up in front of the school and performed, and I thought the kids who did solo performances were the bravest!

Birthday Number Eight

The eight birthday party has come and gone. Elise seemed keen, but as the big day approached she confided in me that she wasn’t as excited as she’d been in the past. She said this in a somewhat perplexed manner, and I thought it was an interesting comment. Regardless, she had tons of fun and it turned into a very full weekend.

Her actual birthday was Friday, but we planned the party for Saturday morning since Pam had to work on Friday and thought an after-school celebration would be too hectic. This is how the two-day itinerary panned out:

Friday

7:30 am – Official family present opening, favourite breakfast (French toast)

8:30 am – Lego building

9:00 am – Pick up Tim and Josie and head to Whistler to ski for the day with Dad

12:00 pm – Lunch in the Glacier Creek Lodge: fries, hot chocolate and two-bite brownies

3:00 pm – Marshmallow treat at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Whistler

4:00 pm – Lego building back at home

5:00 pm – Hip-hop dance class

6:30 pm – Indian meal out: garlic naan, vegetable pakora and butter chicken

7:30 pm to 9:00 pm – Lego building

Saturday

8:00 am – Get up, Lego building, get dressed for party

9:00 am – Friends arrive for birthday party, chaos ensues

9:30 am – Pancake breakfast

10:00 am – Crafts

10:30 am – Cake and presents

11:00 am – Climb, jump, dance and rage in the garage

11:30 am – Friends go home, Lego building

1:30 pm – Drive to Levitt Lake, skate all afternoon, bonfire, roast marshmallows

6:30 pm – Drive home in the dark, dinner, Lego building

Opening her presents on Friday morning. She loved all her gifts (thanks everyone!) but she was especially pleased with the Lego Dolphin Cruiser, the present she'd hoped for from Mom and Dad.

Her favourite breakfast, French toast! Wearing the new hat that "Ahnie" knit for her.

Lego work before skiing.

Fooling around in the Horstman Hut with her friend Josie. It was a clear cold day, so we took a couple of indoor breaks to stay warm between runs. While I was taking this picture, some low-life was outside stealing my ski poles form the rack! Luckily the ski patrol lent me a pair so I didn't have to ski the rest of the day pole-less.

A sweet treat from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Whistler after skiing. We save this for special occasions.

In the dress Grandma Bourdon sewed for her, getting ready for her party on Saturday morning.

The pancake portion of the party.

The cake. She asked for a heart, so Pam arranged cupcakes in a heart-type formation.It worked, and was very tasty I must say!

The craft portion of the party. The kids got busy and came up with some interesting ideas. The two boys used the most material, by far!

Amazingly, Tia emerged from hiding to join the party.This after I told the kids "you'll never, ever see her".

Hazel had my vote for the best craft. She made this little blue bird out of plasticine and feathers.

Digging into the cake.

Digging into the presents. All of the kids brought her lovely gifts, including some beautiful presents that were homemade.

Eric Wild made his own wrapping paper complete with complicated artwork. I especially liked the "angler fish" - I had to take a picture.

After the cake and presents the kids requested some garage climbing. In this shot, I told them to all get on the wall. Elise is hanging from the ceiling. It kind of looks like she's levitating!

Things got a little crazy once the music started. Maya is doing a full front flip (!) and Elise is doing her Madonna dance moves to the song "Vogue".

Cooling off with a bit of playground time in the backyard. It was clear but chilly!

After the party finished, we rested and then joined forces with Jen and Eric Wild for some awesome skating at Levitt Lake north of Squamish. Elise was psyched! She really got the hang of skating this winter and loves outdoor ice. She was the first one on the ice and immediately took off. Pam says Elise now skates better than her.

Atwell (right) and Dalton Dome (left) from Levitt Lake. It was a gorgeous day, but this photo hints at how little snow we've got in the mountains this year.

Check out that ice! It was black - clear as glass.

Eric and Jen...

There was a huge fire that burned all afternoon long by the cabins. We enjoyed hanging out, warming up and roasting marshmallows while we socialized with the cabin owners and other skaters.

When I asked Elise how she liked the skating while driving back to Squamish she told me it was the best day of her life! That's a little dramatic, but she really did have a great time. I'd say the two-day birthday weekend was a success this year.