Chris and Christa Online

Winter Update

CM2-NET — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:54:00 +0000

It has been a while since the last post to the site. We've been very busy. After Christa graduated in December we've fully moved out of our Condo in Nanaimo, spruced it up and rented it. Meanwhile Christa is working almost full time as a teacher on call with (substitute) with the Greater Victoria School District. Heidi is now in DayCare full time and enjoying it. Chris is busy getting ready for his upcoming trip.

We've been shocked at just how busy Christa has been teaching. We credit some of the underrated education she's received. Because she went to Malaspina (not UVic) she is qualified to teach K-12 (not just High School) and the much-maligned "BBB" French profile from RMC has helped permit her to be qualified to teach that beautiful language. She has worked every day this week and often only misses a call once a week.

The last couple of months, though busy, have afforded us some very good time together as a family. You can see some of the great pictures we've taken at a new gallery c/o Google here.

A Great Weekend

CM2-NET — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 03:41:00 +0000

We just finished a great weekend. Chris, Christa and Heidi all went up to Mt Washington. We spent our time snowshoeing around some of the area that we hiked this summer. Chris and Christa had snowshoes and Heidi was pulled around in a sled that was harnessed to Chris. There were plenty of dogs being walked to keep Heidi entertained and talking about dogs for the indefinite future.

Russell has made his way to the island and we're looking forward to a gathering of the clans and a fondue this evening. Ellen and Corrine should be joining us.

As an aside, we are trying out Skype as an alternative to a long distance phone plan. Obviously you can still call us on our various phone lines, but you can also reach us using the skype contact name "chris.christa.maier"

New Gallery

CM2-NET — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:22:00 +0000

We've added a new photo Gallery today. You can find it here. We will also keep a link to it with all of the other photo galleries here.

Happy New Year

CM2-NET — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:10:00 +0000

We want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! We hope that everyone will find 2008 to be full of happiness, joy and good fortune. We've had a great 2007 and are looking forward to all of the opportunities, challenges and excitement that this new year promises to bring.

We've had a great holiday season so far and as it is winding down we are still smiling away at all of the memories. For New Year's Eve we had a quiet night at home. Miss Heidi had her first authentic Swiss Fondue. We made the cheese sauce from scratch. It was quite the affair and Heidi seemed to enjoy it. After Heidi went to bed we cooked a delicious English Pudding a friend made for us - delicious. The rest of the evening and into the morning was spent watching the final few episodes of Lost - a television program we have become addicted to watching on DVD.

Again, all the best in the New Year.

Merry Christmas

CM2-NET — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:36:00 +0000

We know it is late, but we wanted to get a holiday post in. We've had a great holiday so far. On Christmas Eve we were lucky to have Cathy, an old friend, stop by and share with us our feast. This year we successfully cooked a Christmas goose. It was delicious.

Heidi was great. She took everything in and, again this year, knew that something exciting was happening. Though she is less and less afraid of Santa (she still calls him "scary"), she hasn't quite figured the whole story.

On Christmas morning Heidi did very well under the tree. She has been enjoying her Duplo Lego and all of the new toys with smaller pieces. She has also been modelling all of the lovely clothes she received. Thanks to all of the Santas who helped make this a great Christmas.

In the evening we visited the Allen's for a Turkey Supper. It was yet another great meal and time with 'family'. It was great to see everyone.

Again, let us take this time to wish everyone all of the of the season, a great New Year and we hope your Christmas was as great as ours.

C, C, & H

The Tree is Up

CM2-NET — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 06:45:00 +0000

The other day we had Ellen and Corinne over for supper and tree decorating. Some pretty good times with the girls in Victoria! We had some high priced help with the decorating and Heidi got to see the Christmas tree choo choo train! It was a lot of fun. Heidi is really getting into Christmas. She no longer calls the Santa hat "scary hat" anymore - instead she will actively seek out the hat and say "Ho Ho Ho" when she puts it on. I think she is beginning to understand that something is going on and the best is yet to come.

After the tree was put up, we all sat down to a delicious Swiss Raclette. I think that
both Ellen and Corinne have been converted to fans of this great Swiss culinary tradition. Unfortunately when Christa went to Thrifty Foods, there was only one wedge of Oka Cheese available at any Thrifty Foods grocery store in Victoria. We had to make due with a substitute, but it wasn't a big deal. Melted Cheese seems to be a favourite no matter what variety.

Finally, an update on the move. Chris, Christa and Heidi have all moved back to Victoria now. We are still making the odd trip to do some repairs and painting in Nanaimo. Fortunately we have been able to to find someone to rent the place in Nanaimo starting in February. Christa is completely done with school and has started the process of finding a teaching job. In the meantime though we are having a great time getting ready for Christmas and the holiday season.

Christa is a Teacher

CM2-NET — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 04:17:00 +0000

We are all together in Nanaimo for the last time in a while. Christa has finished her education programme completely. She will be going to her convocation ceremony on Friday. Heidi is enjoying her last few days with her Day Care friends as well. It will be sad to separate her from the good friends that she has made there. One of her favourites is Dudley the dog.

In the mean time Christa and Chris are preparing to rent the property we have here and preparing to move everyone back to Victoria for a family Christmas there. Now that work and school are simmering down in intensity we are all getting into the holiday spirit. Heidi saw Santa Claus at the local mall (though she cowered and hid behind Mommy's legs).

Christa's Movie List

CM2-NET — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:54:00 +0000

General Heidi Christmas List

CM2-NET — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:28:00 +0000

Clothes:
We've linked to a few items that we saw at Baby Gap, but clothes in general are great gifts for Heidi. She is wearing size 2 now and if the item is seasonal like a coat we think she can wear a size 4 even. She could always use a cute dress, but everyday clothes are nice and useful.

Toys:
We are just about are running out of cages for all of the animals at our stuffie zoo, so please choose stuffed animals wisely. We are big fans of the Imaginarium brand of toys at Toys R Us. this brand seems to have nice simple wooden toys with lots of imaginative uses. Heidi seems to enjoy drawing, and playing with blocks; she is figuring out simple puzzles, dances and sings with music and loves being active. We are trying to keep clear of large toys and really branded toys like Elmos, Bratz and Doras. We've thought about things like magna-doodle, blocks, and wooden train sets. She already has a big can of Duplo Lego coming her way.

Other:
Heidi has really enjoyed reading books and having books read to her. Often, her favourites involve animals. The Bombay Company sells mahogany steps for short people to climb into a tall bed and Heidi is just such a person.

Clothes for Heidi

CM2-NET — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:36:00 +0000

Here are some jackets we tried on at the Gap:

We tried on the coats in both size 2 and 4. Both sizes fit. The later size will of course last longer.

Weekend Winter Wonderland

CM2-NET — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 23:01:00 +0000

We are just wrapping up a great weekend together in Nanaimo. Chris was able to make the trip up from Victoria (hopefully he can make it home tonight despite the snow). The weather up in Nanaimo has been wild. After a clear day on Friday the snow fell all weekend.

We were able to get out and enjoy it though. Bowen Park was completely blanketed in snow and we found Heidi's snow suit (a little small) and her sled. She enjoyed the snow a lot more this year and had a great time sliding down the hill.

Overall it has been a great weekend together. Do take a look at Heidi's hat. It was made for her by her mother and she doesn't leave home without it.

Chris' Christmas Equipment List

CM2-NET — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:11:00 +0000

Chris has been busy cycling to and from work. It is getting cooler now, so here are some ideas for Christmas gifts to encourage this green activity:

MEC Vest
Soft Shell Jacket
Sunglasses with exchangeable lenses (tinted and clear)
Long sleeved shirts

Chris is also looking for some camping/travelling equipment (especially for his upcoming trip).

Chris' Christmas Movie List

CM2-NET — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:28:00 +0000

Here is a shortlist of DVD movies for Chris. Stay tuned as he perfects the list as days go by.

Christa's Christmas Book List:

CM2-NET — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:07:00 +0000

Here are some books that Christa has mentioned that she would like for Christmas. We will spending our Holidays at our Condo in Victoria.

Back Together Again

CM2-NET — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 03:53:00 +0000

After spending about a month at work in California, Chris is back with Christa and Heidi. We all spent a great weekend together, swimming and generally carrying on like a small gang of monkeys. It was great fun. Here are is a picture of Heidi wearing her Papa's famous hat:

Here is another picture with Heidi and her doggy Snoopy:

Some fun at the park

CM2-NET — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:48:00 +0000

Heidi and Mom enjoyed enjoyed some rare sunshine over the weekend. Heidi especially loved going down the slide and playing in the leaves.

October 07

CM2-NET — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:35:00 +0000

Heidi had some fun dressing up for Halloween and playing with Dudley the Dog at daycare.

San Diego

CM2-NET — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 23:18:00 +0000

I'm in San Diego for a couple of days with work. It has been a very interesting visit. First, was the concern that the recent fires would interfere with the purpose of our trip. Fortunately, the concern over the fires waned as we arrived. On our first day some smoke was definitely visible in the air around town, but by the second and now the third day their is almost no indication in the air. You can definitely see that wild fires have happened recently. Some embankments along the major highways are scorched, and just outside the Stadium is a camp for Internally Displaced People (IDPs). Ironically, the first big thing I saw as I found my first Starbucks was a domestic fire in an apartment building across the street from where I was having a coffee.

So far, I like San Diego. It has a great light rail trolley service and vibrant downtown. Unfortunately the difference between the nice places and the rough places is stark. A trolley ride across town reveals large inequalities that in this day and age and in an affluent Western country is hard to swallow.

Chris

Thanksgiving!

CM2-NET — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:28:00 +0000

I know this is a little late, but we just wanted to say that over Thanksgiving we had a great time. Chris, Christa and Heidi joined Ellen, Polly and Will for a Turkey extravaganza in Sidney by the Sea! We all pitched in and made a lot of very good food. If only we took pictures.

China Beach

CM2-NET — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 16:09:00 +0000

This summer we wanted to get some camping in, but weren't sure how to proceed. We decided that we should do a test run, and we packed up the car as though we were heading out on a hiking expedition and set forth for China Beach. We spent a wonderful weekend at this little Provincial Campground at the trail head of the Juan de Fuca Marine trail.

Heidi loved the beach, though she was a little unsure about the frigid water and big waves of the Pacific Ocean. The sand, and various flotsam was certainly a constant source of entertainment. the campsite also provided many an opportunity to explore and play. Overall the weekend was a success and prepared us for a longer and more ambitious hiking expedition - more to come.

-Chris

Manitoba Cottage Time

CM2-NET — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:42:00 +0000

I'm finally getting around to updating some of the sites that I pretend to keep up to date. This summer has been very fun and very busy. It all started out with a beautiful trip to Manitoba. Christa Heidi and I spent a little over a week staying at my Grandparents cottage by a lake North of Winnipeg. It was absolutely fantastic. We were close enough to visit with people in the city and in a great location to enjoy the out of doors.

Heidi took her first boat ride and was able to meet all sorts of family and friends. It was a truly great experience.

-Chris

July 1 in North Vancouver

CM2-NET — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:16:00 +0000

Dominion Day in North Van was a lot of fun. I was working, but I could tell that there were a lot of people out enjoying themselves and celebrating the day. It was nice to see. Though the affair was not as grand as the celebrations in Ottawa, it was also a lot more controlled.

It was nice to be in the Vancouver are too. It has been a while since I last spent time here. I walked around downtown. The work being done on the Canada Line is tremendous, but what really struck me was the way that Vancouver is developing into a beautiful, urban city. There is a clear pride taken in the architecture and the design of downtown space that one can live in and not feel overwhelmed by steel, glass and concrete. It is a nice place - if you can afford it.

Chris

Portland Rose Fest

CM2-NET — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 17:54:00 +0000

I'm in Portland Oregon enjoying the annual Rose Festival. It's quite the affair. There are tonnes of people here and they are all quite friendly. I'm waiting in a cafe along the parade route surfing and soaking things in. People have camped out on the streets in order to be in a position to watch the parade. Apparently there has been a major change in the parade culture. It used to be that you could tape off your place along the route, write your family name (in tape) and be assured of a spot. Last night the cops pulled up all of the tape. Oh well, it all seems quite orderly still, but I'm worried about the coffee line behind me.

Chris

Skype

CM2-NET — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:19:00 +0000

Chris is out gallivanting across the Pacific North West these days. We've started using Skype to communicate. It's free/cheap and is available anywhere an internet connection is available. Check it out. Our accounts are chrismaier6 and christamaier6

Baching It

CM2-NET — Fri, 18 May 2007 02:35:00 +0000

I am back in Victoria after my "Alaskan Cruise". It has been a long time since I was home in Victoria, and I'm really just settling in and relaxing after a busy time on the high seas.

With Christa up in Nanaimo though, things are rough. I'm back to the bachelor routine of switching up the kind of burger I have for supper. Today I had a buffalo burger tomorrow... chicken or salmon.

Chris