The highlight of our little trip to Whistler was definitely the time we spent at the Scandinave Spa. A short drive outside Whistler, the Scandinave Spa is set in a beautiful mountainside setting. Although offering massage services, the Spa is best known for its Scandinavian Baths. Through a series of warm – cold – relax, you can spend your day between the pools, the saunas and the relaxation rooms or hammocks.
The Scandinave experience is not the same as a traditional spa experience. Staff are few, so the services are different. Unlike a traditional spa, you won’t be offered snacks or teas or juices. There’s a little bistro where you can buy your lunch, but otherwise you make do with water. You are given a towel, but bathrobes and sandals cost extra. The massages are simple are as good as you’ll get at any other spa – I loved mine!
All of these may take away from your experience, but really they don’t. You are going for the setting. And you can stay all day. I had no idea you could stay all day, so I didn’t bring my book. That’s something I’ll change for next time! The whole spa is a “quiet zone”, so my plugged-in self could only last through a few hours of relaxation without needing something to “do”. ;)
For those of you looking to relax on a cheaper budget, you can just pay for all-day bath access, sans massage, and have a fantastic day for it!
A few weeks back, Ianiv & I took off for another single night of baby-free time. It was a close thing, as Aiden came down with a fever and flu the night before we were set to leave. After much hemming and hawing, we decided that with his fever broken, he was fine with his Babby. And he was.
We drove out to Whistler to stay at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, our second time at this hotel. The first time we stayed there we conceived Aiden ;)
The hotel is in a more quiet area of Whistler, which is nice, and we enjoyed a number of walks to the Village. There was a liquor store across from the hotel as well, which was super convenient. Our room was standard for a Fairmont, though our early arrival landed us with two queens vs a king. No biggie. My only complaint was the in-hotel dining, where your options for breakfast were too expensive or cafeteria-style.
Some of Aiden’s big “firsts” have all involved Daddy. His first 100% accurately pronounced word was Daddy. His first two-word sentence was “Hi, Daddy” and now his first 3-word sentence is for Daddy too. And what better day for it than on Father’s Day? We tried to get Aiden to say “Happy Daddy Day”, but all he could say was “Happy Day” or “Happy D Day” until this one absolutely perfect moment:
SO SWEET!!
We spent our Father’s Day having a family breakfast and going to Car Free Day on Main Street. As you can see, Aiden made Daddy a card, though he definitely prefers using stickers to pens right now!
I’ve read all of the Wicked trilogy (Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men) and have always wanted to see the theatrical adaptation. I was not disappointed! The production tells the story of Elphaba as a young girl, growing up in the shadow because of her green colour. She attends University with her sister, Nessarose, who is wheelchair-bound and meets there Glinda, the popular and petty opposite of Elphaba. Both fall in love with the same man, Fiyero. And through it all is a political struggle for the rights of Animals (sentient animals who can talk).
At University, Elphaba discovers her “quirky” side is an aptitude for being a witch and begins to dream of someday doing good. However, on her path to doing good, and meeting the Wizard of Oz, her good deeds are misconstrued and used against her to brand her as “wicked.”
The 2011 Wicked Vancouver cast included Ann Brummel (Elphaba), Marilyn Caskey (Madame Morrible) and Tiffany Haas (Glinda understudy). We had an understudy for The Wizard as well. Despite having two understudies, the play was beautifully performed. The first scene with Glinda was a little rocky, but she seemed to find her footing after that and performed perfectly. Ann Brummel did an amazing job as Elphaba. Truly beautiful.
It’s been 3 months since Aiden has cut any new teeth. The last to come in were the molars and I’ve been expecting the last lower incisor to pop up, as they are supposed to come in pairs (Left, Right). However, that’s not what’s happened. Today Aiden cut his top canines, putting his teeth total up to 13.
Cutting new teeth also explains why Aiden was up 4 times last night. Poor Daddy had a rough night (since he tends to Aiden’s wakes most of the time now).
