Brrrrr! This morning we bundled up and headed down to Second Beach in Stanley Park to enjoy the sunshine. It was absolutely freezing and the wind was so strong that my ears felt like they were on fire from the cold, but Miss G didn’t mind one bit. She had two new playgrounds to explore and discover, plus many, many warm layers, so the cold was the last of her worries.
Here’s our morning in photographs…
Bundled up for the cold.
Super excited.
‘I thought we were just having a leisurely swing, Papa?’
‘Everyone hold on!’
Mama and G.
Slide race!
The perfect hiding spot.
Moccasin feet.
‘Uh, Papa? What are you doing?’
Wheeeee!
♥
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After a morning downtown and a nap at home, we headed down to the River District to finish off the day with one last dose of fresh air. Tricycle riding, dog watching, playground jumping ensued, and quacking at ducks ensued.
♥
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Our house is still littered with Christmas things and bags waiting to be unpacked, but ahhhh… Does it ever feel good to be home. It was back to business as usual today – morning park visit, a trip to the library, hot drinks and treats at SweetSalt, hours (and hours and hours) of football, and afternoon baking. All the things Sundays are made of.
♥
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Brad has officially left the tech world (for now at least), and is back to teaching (yay!) Lucky for Grae, that’s meant several recent visits to Papa’s new school. Her absolute favourite part? Exploring its magical forest and discovering new playgrounds, teepees, stages, stump seats, and hideaways.
Oh. And practicing her stellar yoga moves in the woods.
With the number of parks we visit around Vancouver, Gracen and I may as well be labelled playground connoisseurs. And while Grae has fun wherever we are, there is one playground that seems to be her clear favourite. It’s not big and it’s nothing over the top fancy, but it’s just perfect for her.
It’s the playground at the Langara YMCA on 49th at Alberta.
It’s one of those playgrounds that is perfectly suited to littler kids (I’d say probably ages 1.5 to 5). With the exception of getting in and out of the swings and climbing onto the airplane bouncers which are still a little too high, Gracen can do everything on her own at this playground. What makes it even better is the big firetruck apparatus she pretends to drive, the drums built into one of the climbing structures, the plastic bubble she loves to curl up in, and the covered area, complete with mini picnic tables for snacks and lunch on the go.
If you’re a parent to a toddler and you’re not too far away, I’d say a visit to this little playground would be well worth the trip.
Vancouver parents, which park/playground do you and your little one(s) enjoy most?
♥
Photos edited with Instagram. Find me under jkossowan.
My little lady may insist on wearing a pretty little skirt, a white top, and glittery shoes to the playground, but that doesn’t stop her from getting down and dirty in the sandbox…
This morning the 3 of us packed up our things and headed into Vernon to Grandma Sue’s house for the long weekend. My brother, sister-in-law, and their 3 munchkins arrived late last night from Alberta, so we’ve got the whole crew here (not to mention that my dad arrives from Alberta tomorrow too!) Gracen was so excited to see her cousins this morning that she went around handing out hugs and kisses to each one of them on repeat. After hanging out at the house for a little bit, Uncle Gary headed out dirt biking, and the rest of us decided to walk down to a nearby park for some outdoor fun. The kids pulled each other in the wagon, played on the playground, met new friends, and stared longingly at the {closed} peanut pool before it was time to head back for lunch and naps. Here’s our morning in photos…
Gracen and her cousin, Kinslee, just hanging out in the wagon together.
So happy to be hanging out with her cousins!
Chayton taking the little girls for a spin.
Korbin swinging with his new friends.
Loving the ring toss game Auntie Roz brought along.
Because we didn’t really get to celebrate the real Father’s Day properly last week, we said we’d set aside a little time to do something special during our Okanagan vacation. So this morning, after Bradley had a chance to sleep in, we all got ready, packed up some things, and made our way to Polson Park. Once there, we played at the playground, explored the park, had a little picnic, opened the gift G and I made for Brad, and visited with the ducks. Despite the fact that much of the park was covered in a generous layer of water due to the recent rain, it was a gorgeous morning. The sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, and the park was as green as could be.
Here is our morning in photos… Swinging with Papa.
Soooo happy.
Snuggles and sandwiches.
Checking out the water park.
Grae and Mama.
A little gift.
Checking out Papa’s 2nd annual Father’s Day photo book.
Those who really know me, know my love for Davison Orchards. I love everything about it – the grown on site produce, the fresh-pressed apple juice, the unique gifts found in the country market, the fact that it’s family run… I could go on and on. It’s just such a quaint, feel good place to visit. And the best thing is that it seems to be getting better and better with time.
Since our vacation has been a little wet these last couple of days, we decided we’d make the most out of our dry morning, and headed into Vernon to visit my favourite spot. Gracen loved it. We did spend some time at Davison’s last summer, but Gracen was only 10 or 11 months old then…still a baby. This time was different. She was big enough to run around the orchard, take full advantage of the play ground, and feed and pet the animals…grown enough to take it all in.
Our first stop was the playground. Gracen was beyond excited to ride the tractor, play on the tire horses, and zoom down the slide. In fact, she was having such a blast that it was hard to pull her away in order to go and check out the rest of the orchard.With the promise of seeing animals, our little animal lover followed us up the hill into the orchard. And she was very pleased she did. We saw rabbits, chickens, goats, sheep, and a donkey. Not only did she get to see the animals, but she also got to pet and feed some of them too. Her favourite part was retrieving the food from the dispenser, carefully placing it in the cup, and turning the wheel to send the treats up to the greedy goat waiting on the bridge above head. And although she was a little apprehensive, she even fed one of the goats by hand. Next, we headed to the Kids Corral – a newer addition to the farm. It was awesome. Giant slides, a plasma car track, duck racing lanes, and a huge sandpit (complete with real tractors and an old truck) were just part of the fun. There was also a teepee to hide in, a corn maze to make your way through, a tree house perfect for enjoying the view, and a cow bell ringing station for those wanting to make some noise. The coolest part though? The biggest sensory bin I’ve ever seen (and you know I love me a good sensory bin). It was actually a shed filled with dried corn, shovels, and tractors… Amazing! The best part is that we’re hoping to do another visit next weekend when my brother, sister-in-law, and all of Miss G’s cousins arrive. Can’t wait. It’s sure to be quadruple the fun {and quadruple the craziness!}
I got this question from a local mom last time I posted about Granville Island, and I thought I’d share…
It looks like you guys go to Granville Island a lot. This summer my son will be at the age where he can enjoy these sort of outings, but the trouble is, I usually only go to the Public Market when I go to Granville Island. Where are all of these cool little spots you take your daughter to? Any tips?
I’m actually really happy to answer this question, because although I’ve always loved Granville Island, the truth is, up until we moved back to Vancouver from the Middle East, I was a Public Market and boardwalk kind of girl too. Here’s what our normal visit looks like now:
1. First off, free parking! I know that many of my friends pay for parking off the island and walk on, or park in pay lots on the island. Not necessary! If you park in the lot right beside Bridges restaurant (near the public market, but not in front of it – off to the side) you can have a free stall for 3 hours! And as long as you arrive before 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. (even on weekends) you shouldn’t have a problem finding a spot.
2. Public Market. We normally stop and get a little treat for Mama and a little treat for Grae when we visit. Grae’s treat often comes from Terra Breads. They have amazing fresh-baked bread of all sorts and can quickly tell you the ingredients in any of their homemade goodies as they keep a recipe binder on hand under the counter. Grae’s favourites are the cheese flutes (an extra special treat because they are made with white flour) and the walnut bread. If not bread, we normally stop at The Grainry. They have all kinds of natural and organic goodies for purchase in small quantities, and Grae almost always ends up choosing their no-sugar-added/unsulphered dried mango or apple. For me, it’s coffee! My newest stop of choice is Nons. They’re quick, they accept debit, and they’re located right beside the bank machine if you need to take out some cash.
3. Public Seating Area. After gathering our goodies, we almost always head outside to enjoy the seating area in front of the Public Market. Gracen watches the birds (while I put on my brave face and try not to pass my ridiculous fear of feathery friends down to my daughter), we watch the boats come and go, and enjoy the musical performances that are often happening. The only thing I don’t enjoy about this part of our day is the incredibly greedy/aggressive small dog-sized seagulls who are always trolling above head. Although it has gotten much better now that the crowds are out, we’ve been swarmed twice and let me tell you, it is FREAKY. The first time actually resulted in blood after Gracen’s finger was bit by a seagull desperate for her bread, and I’ll tell you all about today after this list. Best advice – keep all food completely tucked away.
4. Boat play structure. After our fill of aquabuses, birds, and bands, we normally stroll over to the Kid’s Market. While the Kid’s Market itself is not my favourite place, Gracen does love all of the at-toddler-eye-level toys for sale in the shops, so sometimes we take a quick browse. Most days, however, we head straight out back to the little boat play structure. Gracen rotates between the role of captain and passenger inevitably makes a new little friend or two.
5. Water park & playground. After finishing up with the play boat, we walk along the little path to the water park and playground area. The water park is still fairly new to us because we weren’t here last summer and it’s not been quite warm enough lately, but she did experiment with it a little today, and I can tell that it’s going to be a summer favourite. On the other hand, the playground is an old favourite. Between the saucer swing, the climbing structure/merry-go-round, the slides, the sand pit, and the kid-operated river, we can easily spend a couple hours there. The plus is that the False Creek Community Centre is right next to it, and we almost always duck in for a quick potty break.
6. Ron Basford Park. After coaxing Grae away from the playground, we head along the little seawall to Ron Basford Park. I personally think it’s Granville Island’s best kept secret. It’s a basically a giant grass-covered hill that is has a little path that leads to a Canadian flag at the tippy top. It’s the perfect place to let your little one run off some energy, and even better yet – it’s the perfect place for a snack stop or picnic.
7. Seawall. After leaving the park, we usually follow the seawall in front of the Granville Island Hotel and past the Sea Village. I’m not sure who loves the Sea Village more – me or Grae… How cool would it be to have your house on the water?! By the time we reach last one, without fail, Gracen’s request is loud and clear, “More home! More home!”
8. Performers. On the way back to our car, I always try to scope out one or two performances that are live in action. Grae normally gets out of her stroller so she can let loose and dance or sway to the music. After a few songs, we head back to our vehicle, load up our things, and make our way home for some lunch and a nap.
Now onto today…
What’s worse than being attacked by greedy dog-sized seagulls? Being shit on by said seagulls first, then being attacked. True story. Ugh…
Grae and I were minding our business while watching the aqua buses come and go this morning when I felt a series of warm, goopy plops hit my arm and hand. Sick. As I’m one-handedly attempting to open the diaper bag and retrieve a handful of wipes, 3 giant seagulls start swarming us. Globs of shit still all over me, I abruptly grab Gracen’s bread flute out of her hand, chuck in into the bag, and start fending off seagulls left and right. Grae’s now crying, the bird crap is dripping off of my hand, and the best part? I realize that this is all taking place in front of a row of busy window seats. I look up to see 3 people waving. Oh, let me die now…
Even worse? Me literally washing my sweater with hand soap in the bathroom sink, then ringing it out and putting it back on soaking wet because it was chilly, I had a strapless dress on, and didn’t bring anything else. FML. One thing was for sure, I wasn’t going to let a large load of bird crap ruin our morning. We had driven all the way there and Gracen was excited to explore, so on our way we went, albeit dripping wet. Here are a few photos from the better parts of today’s Granville Island adventure…
After a busy weekend with Gracen’s Grandma and Grandpa (a.k.a. ‘Manmaw’ and ‘Poppop’) here, we headed out for a relaxing afternoon at the park. We decided to visit one of our favourites a little ways from home, and on the drive over, Gracen spotted a different playground out the window and asked to visit. It was too late for me to jump into the lefthand turn lane, so I quickly decided we’d do both. Why not, right? We went to the original one as planned first, then stopped at the other one on the way home. A mini playground crawl to end our weekend was just what the doctor ordered.
Let me tell you, it’s not easy coordinating the schedules of 5 busy mamas, 3 on-the-go toddlers, and 2 adorably smushy babies. But we finally did it. And on a gorgeous day no less. Gracen and I met up with several of my good friends and their munchkins at Granville Island this morning and it was wonderful.
Grae and I arrived early, grabbed our usual Terra Breads treat (her) and coffee (me), and headed outside to visit with the birds. I don’t know if it’s because of the increased traffic or not, but since the weather’s picked up and the island’s been busier, the seagull situation has been much better than this winter when the bird incident happened. In fact, they were so scarce today that we took out a little bag of bird seed I had tucked away and Grae fed the pigeons. It was the first time she’d fed birds and she was beyond excited about it. She’d shove her little hand into the bag and slowly pull out a fist stuffed full of seed. Food in hand, she’d carefully walk to an open area, crouch down, release the seeds, and purposefully brush her hands against one another, ridding her palms of the extras. Then she’d take a few steps back, wait anxiously, and when the pigeons would start feasting on the meal she’d provided, she’d proudly run back to me shouting, “Bird! Eat, eat, eat! More! More!”
Once our friends arrived, it was off for a little stroll along the seawall. We made our way to the playground where the “big kids” had a blast getting filthy and soaking wet in the sand area. Gracen went down the slide on repeat and playtime ended with all 3 toddlers smushed together on the saucer swing. Adorableness at its best.
Gracen loved the fact that they were setting up for the upcoming Children’s Festival… Especially because it meant serious chats with a bookworm and a fist-clenching ride on a pirate ship.
After a picnic lunch under the shade of a tree and a little more playtime, it was time to head home. There’s really nothing like a day filled with friends, fresh air, and sunshine…