Travelog for: Ollie Kikabeer

Abby is working on a project for school that is based in New Brighton Park in a back corner of Vancouver, so I tagged along to see the park.  In the 19th century there was a hotel (also home to Vancouver's first post office) and a number of other buildings here, and it was also called 'End of the Line' because this was the end of the stagecoach line from downtown Vancouver.  In the latter half of the 19th century, this is where all the best people in Vancouver vacationed.  None of this exists anymore and nobody is sure where the hotel actually stood, but it was nice to visit the park anyway.



This monument says:

Here Vancouver Began
All was forest towering to the skies.  British Royal Engineers surveyed it into lots, 1863, and named the area "Hastings Townsite" to honour Admiral Hastings, British Navy.

Everything Began At Hastings
The first post office, customs, road, bridge, hotel, stable, telegraph, dock, ferry, playing field, museum, C.P.R Offices (Canadian Pacific Railway).  It was the most fashionable watering place in British Columbia.

New Brighton Park
Retains the name of a hotel built here in 1880 known as the new "Brighton House"



The park is rather large, and it has some nice views.

This year Abby let us bake her a birthday cake.  It is near Halloween, so we wanted to make it Halloween candy-themed.

First we melted together butter and chocolate.





Then you add sugar...



Eggs one at a time...



Then flour and baking soda, alternating with water.





Then, we poured it into two pans.





Next, it was time to make frosting.  We mixed together white and brown sugar, butter, milk and corn syrup.



Boiled it for a few minutes...



Once it cooled we added butter and whipped it up.



Onto the cake!





Next was the fun part.  We lined the cake with Kit Kat bars...



Then topped it off with M&Ms!  Voila!  A Halloween candy-themed birthday cake!

Happy Halloween!!!

Everybody has such good costumes this year.  Hedgie dressed up as an archaeologist, Roderich dressed up as the Cheshire Cat, Charlie Bear dressed up as a Care Bear, Ewan E. Ewok dressed up as a Hawaiian Person, and I dressed up as a witch!



We showed Abby's Mom our costumes and she was so impressed that she gave us candy!



Next, we helped decorate the garden in preparation for Trick-or-Treaters.



This is what it looked like at night.  Spooky!

A new TV has arrived, Bussi who is travelling along the WWTVT.

Today we are going for a drive to see some of the local scenery.





We drove to Grant Narrows Regional Park.







We went for a walk down this dike.



We didn't walk all of the way, but we did go to this look-out tower.



The views are really pretty.

Maple Ridge's first snow.

Charlie Bear and I are both leaving today.  Everyone gathered to say goodbye.

Hey Momma-

I am in the USA!!! The South East part in North Carolina!! I was greeted by lots of toys when I got here! Tealc who is my host-mom's (Monica) at home toy, his sister, Vahla and UrselHH from Germany and Tapsa from Finland. It was so great to meet so many other toys.

I will update more as the days go on. Just wanted to check in and let you know that I am safe and sound. I can't wait for Christmas! It's going to be here before we know it !!!!

More to come,

Love Ollie

sings *HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Host-Mom... HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you... HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear Host-Mom... HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you...*


You guessed it right, mom, today is our host-mom's birthday! Monica is turning 25 years young. She is 1/4 of a century old!! WOW! I don't think I am ever going to get that OLD...

To celebrate her special day, us toys sang happy birthday to her and wished her well for the coming year. Unfortunate for her that her birthday is so close to Christmas that she doesn't get as many presents.

Host-dad surprised her by sending her a beautiful boquet of flowers with red roses especially themed with a gold vase and red ribbon for the Christmas holidays. Also came a plushie snowman in a bag with a Happy Birthday mylar balloon attached. Isn't he romantic and sweet? At least he remembered her birthday! HA!

Not much happened today b/c Host-dad had to work but he did take Monica out for a lovely dinner at Olive Garden. Unfortunately us toys didn't get to go because Host-dad wanted to be alone with Host-mom for a special night out. We completely understood.

Happy Birthday, Monica, hope you had a blessed day and a great 25th year!

Love,
Ollie

Hi Mommy!

It started SNOWING!! tonight. Monica said it was pretty cold outside but she would take us toys out for a bit so we could enjoy the falling of the snowflakes. It was falling pretty hard, but the pictures we took do it no justice unfortunately. She sat us up on her car and let us enjoy the night air and cool temps and then after a brief time she said it was too cold and we needed to go back inside. I couldn't have agreed with her more! BRRRRR!!

Once we got inside she let us sit by the window and watch the rest of the snow fall until bed time. I think the snow falling is beautiful but it is definitely too cold outside to be out for very long.

Frozen,
Ollie

Hello Mom!


Guess what?!?! We went shopping at Walmart today!!! I didn't know what Walmart was, but it sure sounded interesting. Our host-mom said that it is a big mega store that sells groceries, along with clothing and other merchandise. Kind of the catch-all store. I was excited. Monica told us that she had some last minute grocery items she needed to get so that she could finish the desserts she had planned to make for the holiday parties we were going to.

It was so much fun to go to Walmart. We got to play in the aisles and even got to see Santa's toyland. I didn't know he had a shop set up at Walmart!!! Take a look at all the fun we had. Do they have a Walmart by us mom? If we do, we should go more often, I think you will like it.

I can't wait, Christmas is only a couple of days away. I just want to see Santa!

*sings* We wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS, we wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS, we wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! *sings*

As you can guess Mom, its Christmas Day!

I am so excited to enjoy all the activities my host mom and dad have in store for today. Also I am excited because I think Santa was here!!! The cookies Tealc put out for Santa were ALL GONE!! Can you believe it? I don't even know how Santa got in the house because they don't have a fireplace, but I guess that is one of the many miracles of the holiday season and spirit!

Last night Monica made us go to bed pretty early just in case Santa came to visit their house first. She said that we better hope that we had all been good little boys and girls so that we wouldn't get a lump of coal in our stockings. Tealc read us a cute Christmas Sesame Story and off to bed we went.

In the morning we woke up to find a stocking waiting for each of us! Thanks Monica, Adam and Tealc! Tealc said he helped his mom pick out the stockings- of course all of ours but his. He also said that he helped pick the goodies inside. Monica said she had to go back to the store in secret to pick out a stocking for Tealc as well.

When we opened the stockings to our surprise they were filled to the brim with candies and other goodies. It was a sweet treat to receive this cold Christmas morning.

Monica spent the day baking some more pies while we watched some Christmas specials on television with Adam. They had a parade on, and some cute Christmasy type of movies. After a while we got ready to go to Adam's moms house to celebrate with his mom and younger brothers.

Those are whose presents we helped to wrap earlier in the week.

When we got to Adam's mom's house, we saw the most beautiful Christmas tree. So many lights. Monica took a picture of us toys  just so we could show you how lovely it was. We ate some pizza for Christmas dinner, isn't that funny mom? Then we were able to eat dessert! YUM! Monica is a good baker. She made the most delicious pies I have ever tasted. You might have to ask her what her secret recipe is. HA!

After a while, it was getting late and the roads were going to be slick with ice and sleet so we decided to head home. Plus all of us  including Monica and Adam were very tired from being up all day celebrating and enjoying the festivities.

Miss you bunches mom and can't wait to see you after the new year!

With Love,

Ollie

xoxo

HAPPY NEW YEAR! *Blows horn*

It's 2011, mom!!!!

Last night Monica and Adam let us toys stay up so we could ring in the new year at midnight. We got to watch the New Year's Eve special on television and even got towatch the 'Ball Drop' in Times Square, NY. It was so cool. We all counted down... 10... 9...8...7...5...

I had so much fun ringing in the new year! I wish I could always stay up until midnight! What do you think mom? Can we change my bedtime when I get home? No? *shucks* it was worth a shot to ask!

I miss you bunches and bunches!

Love of love,

Ollie

Hello Mom,

I have been so busy having so much fun that I haven't had a chance to update. I know, shame on me for not letting you know how I am doing.

Today we sent off two of my new friends on another journey. Tapsa and UrselHH left. I will definitely miss them both, but I look forward to seeing them sometime soon on another journey.

Tapsa is headed to New York and UrselHH is headed to Portugal. I wonder where I will be going next? Maybe back home?

It was sad seeing them leave but it was their time to move on. More time for me and Tealc to have some fun by ourselves!

I'll get more updates finished in the next few days so that you can see everything I have done.

Monica said that you were missing me terribly and possibly wanted me to come home. Do you miss me mom? I miss you terribly.

More to come...

I love you mom. Can't wait to see you again soon.

Hey Mom-

Today we had another snow day so we had to spend most of the day inside. What a bummer! At least Tealc and I got to go out in the snow for a little bit. It was way too cold so we had Monica bring us back inside to the warm house. BRRRR!

Lots of love

Ollie