Guess who arrived tonight… And guess who is up past her bedtime chomping on a slice of watermelon while showing Manmaw our {blossom-covered} garden…
Category Archives: in photos
In Search of a Better View
Our little daredevil watching a game of basketball at the school across the street. Luckily there’s a big bed covered in a cushy duvet and tons of pillows right there…
Today’s Find
Organic, wholewheat pasta shaped like elk?! Yes please.
An Afternoon in Kerrisdale
When I woke up this morning with a killer headache and stinging sore throat, I knew that it would have to be an out and about kind of day in order to avoid a lazy, feel-sorry-for-my-sick-self day where Gracen would miss out on the beautiful sunshine and 20 degree weather. Luckily, a quick trip to the library and our stroller fitness class took care of the morning. We got outside, got some fresh air, and Grae got in some quality baby time while I lunged and squatted my way around Queen E park.
Without anything really planned for this afternoon, we decided to head down to Kerrisdale, one of my favourite quaint little Vancouver neighbourhoods. 
First off, we tried our hand at thrifting. I must admit, I love the idea of thrifting and finding beautiful pieces that have histories of their own, but I’m not very good at it. The only times I’ve really had any luck was when I found a sweet little table and chair set for Gracen’s first Christmas in Canada and when Charlotte and I randomly came across an adorable little doll crib and bookshelf for Grae’s nursery. Today was no different, however, Miss G loved sifting through shelves of children’s books, and ended up choosing three to take home.
After our thrifting adventure, we walked hand and hand down the sidewalk, popping in and out of shops, visiting with puppies, and waving at strangers.
Stopping at this flower shop was a must. Of course Miss G smelled her way down the line.
Our next stop was a gorgeous little toy store. The moment Gracen spotted the window display, she shouted “Nin! Nin!” (In! In!) and pulled me towards the door. Almost every item in the shop was absolutely beautiful and the best part was that in the back there was a little play area for munchkins.
Last stop – treats! An Apricot Delight Roll from Cobs for Miss G and an iced coffee from Artigiano’s for Mama… The perfect ending to our afternoon. ♥
The Little Things…
Today’s backyard discovery…
I absolutely adore how magical the little things are when seen through Gracen’s eyes.
♥
Bathing Beauty
Does it get any sweeter than this?
Earth Day Parade and Festival
This morning Grae and I ventured out for some more Earth Day fun, but this time in Grandview Park, just off of Commercial Drive. Our day was filled with playground fun, parade watching, live music, speeches, sunshine, and fresh air.
♥
Earth Day Festival in Everett Crowley Park
This morning Miss G and I ventured just a little ways down Marine Drive to a spot we’ve never been before… Everett Crowley Park. Once a landfill, the park is now a huge green space filled with trees, trails, and wildlife – the perfect spot for an annual Earth Day festival.
We arrived fairly early on, meaning that Gracen had her pick of equipment to test out and play with.
We really didn’t know how to properly use this little contraption, but all that mattered to Grae was that it was purple, sparkly, and perfect for swinging around.
After enjoying the toys, we joined the mass and lined up to create some outdoor art. First job – collecting a stash of pretty rocks, glass stones, and shells.
Gracen would have been perfectly happy if playing with her pretty rocks was the activity in itself.
But there was more… We were waiting on some cement mix.
When it arrived, she carefully transferred her gems into the mix, giving each a gentle poke in order to set them in.
With her project finished and in the drying area, we headed off to the face painting station. Earlier on, Grae had seen a little girl with a sparkly butterfly mask painted on her face, and she was certain she wanted one too. The line was painfully slow moving, but we used our time in it as a lunch break and made some friends along the way.
Before we knew it, it was Gracen’s turn.
She sat bravely and patiently, inspecting the artist as she painted.
When it came time to painting the black outline, Grae decided she was done and wanted nothing more to do with the whole process. Luckily, the painter had a trick up her sleeves – sparkles!
So with the promise of sparkles being added at the end, Miss G sat a minute longer.
And she was glad she did. You should have seen the proud little look on her face when she saw herself in the mirror!
Face painting complete, my little butterfly and I headed back to collect her {almost} dry garden rock.
Pleased as punch, she insisted on walking herself out of the park and carrying her cement block the entire way. I’d say it was a good day.
Thank Goodness
Ugh. What a day. It’s never a good sign when you fly out of your house, race down to the highway, and suddenly find yourself in gridlocked traffic, crawling so slowly that the speedometer remains at zero, with no end in sight. And that was just the beginning of my morning. By the time things got moving, it was already ten minutes until the time I wanted arrive at the school I was subbing at in Surrey, and I was still only a few kilometres from our house. Needless to say, I was a little panicked. I hate being anything less than 35 minutes early when I’m subbing. (There’s nothing worse than walking into a random classroom full of expectant students, unknown routines, and never-seen assignments without having time to devise a game plan for the day.) Well imagine my surprise when I race up to what was supposed to be my destination, only to realize that, in fact, it was not. I may have cussed out Google Maps right then and there. It’s now ten after eight, the warning bell rings in 25 minutes, and my phone Map app is now telling me that I’m 18 minutes away. I wanted to scream. Desperate, I put in an SOS call to Brad’s cell, and there’s no answer. You’d think I’d know my own house number for moments just like these, but ridiculously, I do not. What are you going to do? As I aimlessly race around Surrey side streets in search of school signs {blinded by the insane sunshine no less}, I madly scroll through my recent calls in search of my phone number. Jackpot! Found it. Bradley picks up. Desperate, I bark, “Hi babe. I need your help!” And then just like that, he’s gone. My phone is powering down (this has been a problem recently – my phone just decides to shut down – and at the most inopportune times might I add). Sweet Jesus. So now I’m left, lost on some side road in Surrey, without an address, phone, or GPS. FML. The kicker? It wasn’t Brad I called. It was my father-in-law up in the Okanagan. And with my insane plea for help and subsequent disappearance, he’s now worried. (Of course, I had no idea. I didn’t find any of this out until I had happily taught half of the day away in a classroom full of the most lovely grade seven students I’ve ever met.) So after several failed attempts to get ahold of Bradley, he wakes Brad’s brother (who also lives in Vancouver) and sends him over to our house to investigate. DI.SAS.TER. All caused by me and a slip of my finger.
Of course, he walked into our house to find out that everything was fine. I had eventually made it to my school, Gracen was busy playing, and Bradley was cleaning the house. False alarm.
All I have to say is that on days like today, it’s a good thing I get to come home to this happy little bean.
David Gray’s Greatest Hits and the generous glass of red wine I’m currently consuming helps too.
Anyone Need a Ride?
Gracen at your service!
A Hoola Hoop… At Last!
Weeks ago, little Miss G fell in love with a mini hoola hoop that was sitting in our backyard (a toy-littered lawn has become a regular thing recently, courtesy of the 5 very lovely, but highly unsupervised children that live in our basement suite). Each time we were outside, she’d play with it for a few minutes and then we’d carefully place it next to the stairwell, only to find it back in the middle of the lawn ready to be played with the next time we were heading out.
But here’s the silly part. Because she loved it so much and because Easter was just around the corner, I may have told Grae that the Easter Bunny would bring her a mini hoola hoop of her own. Big mistake. Before one makes promises on behalf of the Easter Bunny, they should really check out the local stock first. Long story short, there were no mini hoola hoops to be found, and although she was more than spoiled on Easter Sunday, I felt bad for not fulfilling the promise I had made.
Well lo and behold, guess what we found today while we were at the dollar store of all places?! The most perfect little hoola hoop ever! And in aqua no less! Grae was thrilled.
And more than anything, I was thrilled that I had finally followed through on my silly little promise. Lesson learned.
Sand and Surprises
What do you do when you’ve gotten your munchkin all excited about going out and playing in the newly-filled long jump pit across the street, only to walk out the door to realize it’s pouring rain (the diagonal wind-powered rain that gets you straight in the face over and over again)? You put on your big girl panties, tuck your camera into your jacket, pull on your hood, and go make some sand castles. 
That’s what you do. ☺
A New Do
This afternoon Miss G brought two elastics to me, pointed to her head, and announced, “Nin!” The result? Two of the teeniest, tiniest little loops you’ve ever seen. So stinkin’ adorable!
Shopping Date
I must admit, I’ve been terrible about sticking with Gracen’s regular bedtime lately. There’s really no excuse, but the extra sunlight at the end of the day, paired with the beautiful weather we’ve had lately, has made it tempting to stay outdoors a little later. The result is a late dinner, a late bath, and a late bedtime. Which wouldn’t be terrible if she made up the extra time by sleeping in a little the next day, but that doesn’t happen. Our little early bird wakes up at 6:30 a.m. regardless, and if she hasn’t gotten her full 12 hours of sleep, she can be a little off for the remainder of the day. Such was the case today. By 9:30, she was ready for a nap on the way out to South Surrey for our shopping date with Steph and Baby Tate.
She woke up a short 15 minutes later when we arrived at our destination and was a bit of a grumpypants. Luckily, visiting with Baby Tate and playing in the kids section of Indigo! are immediate mood lifters.
The four of us grabbed coffee (steamed milk for Miss G of course), visited, and did some shopping. Together, Grae and I picked out this sweet little dress for one of the upcoming weddings we have planned for this summer. I loved the colours and she loved the pockets {that can be filled with nuts}, so it was an easy pick. She also got to pick out a pair of on-sale flip flops and this heart-covered pair was the natural choice. She was so excited about her new goodies that she insisted she try them on as soon as we walked in the door.
Is there anything cuter than ten tiny toes in a pair of flip flops? I doubt it. ☺
Highlights
A few highlights from Miss G’s day…
Learning what a piggy bank is for and begging Mama for more and more and MORE! coins.
A trip to our mail lady.
Gracen taking a rock from her pocket, placing it carefully on each piece of equipment at the playground, and giving it “rides”.
The other highlight of our day was attending our first of several Stroller Fitness classes in Queen Elizabeth Park. Gracen was a go-with-the-flow gal and loved that her baby friend Tate was able to join us. Sadly, there are no pictures of the adorableness that was our babies all lined up in strollers… We were much too busy running up hills and lunging around the park for that!