Whew. Today Gracen and I spent over 2.5 hours driving, an addition 1.5 hours sitting at border crossings, and 3 hours bopping around Bellingham running errands and getting some shopping done. We powered straight through lunchtime and nap time, and through it all, Miss G was an absolute pleasure.
This girl. She’s my sidekick, my partner in crime, and my biggest fan. And I couldn’t love her more.
One of my favourite memories is the many family movie nights that filled the weekends of my childhood. They often involved treats (um, hello blue fish, shoestring licorice, and pink popcorn!), floor beds, and cheesy feel good movies, which landed them firmly in the extra special category as far as family activities were concerned.
Since having Grae, the idea of starting a little family movie tradition of our own has always been something I’ve looked forward to. While Grae doesn’t have a whole lot of experience watching television and is still a little young for movies, our dreary Vancouver weather brought about a spontaneous first family movie afternoon today. (Okay, it was more like a first movie 30 minutes…but who’s counting, right?)
With a couch-turned-bed, heaps of pillows and blankets, a ridiculous amount of stove popped popcorn, we settled in to the original Toy Story (which was the Pixar movie I found with the lowest age rating on www.commonsensemedia.com). It was Grae’s first ever movie, my first ever Pixar film, and our very first attempt at a movie afternoon as a family of 3. It lasted for as long as it took Grae to fill her belly with popcorn, but I’d say it was a perfect beginning to a tradition in the making.
If there’s one wish I have for Gracen (other than that she grows up to be a healthy, compassionate girl who finds true happiness and does something that she is deeply passionate about with her life), it’s that she always loves to read. We started reading to Grae the day she was born and it’s always been a favourite time for both of us… A time to unwind, relax, get lost in a story, and start great conversations. Words can’t explain how much it thrills me to find her, more often than not, emersed in a book (or pile of books) when the house has grown a little *too* quiet.
This is how I found Miss G this morning. I was getting ready for the day while she played independently when she came to me and asked for a bowl of o’s. I retrieved her one and went to deliver them to her room to find that she had laid out a blanket, circled it with books, and was needing the o’s in order to read her Cheerio book.
Needless to say, I’ve always got an eye out for ways to keep reading special and fun for our little lady. We borrow new library books once a week, we spend rainy days in the kids’ section of book stores, we visit our library’s story time regularly, we spend loads of time in Grae’s closet book nook, and can often be found snuggled up in my bed with a big stack of books. It’s something neither of us tires of.
Just recently, we found another way celebrate Grae’s love of reading. Through the Families Against Boredom Vancouver Facebook page, we learned about regular story times at Pottery Barn Kids and decided to give it a go. We first went around Halloween, and Gracen loved it so much that we’ve been back again since. It happens at the back of the store with itty bitty recliners and rockers all gathered around the storyteller’s large recliner.
At our location, the lady who runs story time (Erin) is absolutely amazing! She’s soft and gentle and makes a purpose to get to know each child and call them by name. She’s just one of those people who is meant to be around kids, you know? She’s got this way about her that makes you drawn to listen to her every word, and it totally works. Gracen enjoys each moment and then asks if we can go again the following week.
We normally arrive a little bit early so we can explore and take in the beauty that is PBK, and then we stay for a little bit afterwards so that Grae can play. We never feel like we’re overstaying our welcome – in fact, the staff members are very sweet and invite Gracen to play and explore for as long as she likes.
It’s so nice to have found another lovely indoor activity, and with the rainy winter upon us, I can see it becoming a weekly outing.
♥
The Vancouver location of Pottery Barn Kids is at 2835 Granville Street, between 12th and 13th. Story times happen Tuesday at 11 a.m. with special holiday story times happening on December 4th, 11th, and 18th. If you’re not in Vancouver, call your local store or click here to find out about story times and special events in your city. Even our PBK store in Kuwait had regular special events, so your store probably does too. ☺
One of my favourite parts of Tuesday afternoons… Coming home after our parent and tot ballet class and watching my mini ballerina practice her moves as I make dinner.
In all honesty, I very rarely ever wish that my time with Gracen would pass more quickly. Today, however, was just one of those days. Despite a couple of really enjoyable activities, by the end of the day, I was feeling a little exhausted. My solution to ‘just one of those days’? Forgetting about the nightly ‘making dinner / cleaning up the mess / doing dishes afterwards’ routine and heading out to share a bento box with my little lady instead. A perfect end to a tough day.
When I told Gracen that we would be headed to the Okanagan for the weekend, she immediately exclaimed that she was excited and started listing off all of the things she wanted to do while there, one of which was “Old MacDonald’s Farm”. Confused, I asked her what she meant. Her response? “Old MacDonald’s Farm – apple treat drink!” Such a funny little thing. With that, I knew she actually meant Davison Orchards, home of the appleanche (a pure apple slushy drink we let her try this summer).
So this morning, after a little sleep in for Brad and I and a little play for Grae, Manmaw, and Poppop, my girl and I headed into Vernon for a Davison visit. The orchard was extra beautiful today… sunshiny, packed with pumpkins, and sprinkled with autumn displays. Gracen loved every minute as always, and thought the pumpkin people were especially funny.
“thankful” // first stop: animals
goat feeding
donkey love
greedy sheep // corn barn
farmer grae // climb
corn maze // pumpkin family
sunshine // hoedown
♥
Photos edited with Instagram. Find me under jkossowan.
We’ve been back in swim classes now for a few weeks and Miss G is just loving it. The classes are upbeat, fun, and filled with songs and play, but teach beginning swimming skills at the same time. So far, we’ve been practicing most of the same skills we learned last session… Front starfish floats, back starfish floats, wall push offs (front and back), jumping into the water from sitting and standing positions, blowing bubbles, and dipping different parts of our faces in the water. Last time I wrote about swimming lessons, I mentioned that I was feeling pretty unsure about the upcoming ‘submersion lesson’. Luckily, when it happened, I felt comfortable with the way it was introduced and Gracen was fine about quickly being dunked under when it was done as part of a fun song. Ever since, we’ve made sure to practice at least once or twice each time we visit the pool, just so she stays okay with it.
Today, the first submersion day of this set of classes, Grae opted to go to the teacher (which is huge in itself because Gracen is quite shy and sensitive and our instructor is quite loud and direct) and be passed under the water to me. Not only did she try it, but she came up smiling, did another really long underwater pass, and then continued to ask to do it again and again long after the instructor had exited the pool.
I’m so proud of our little fishy and I’m thrilled that she loves being in the water.
Today it was back to ballet class for Miss G and I. And though Grae was a little bit sensitive when it came to loud stomping and ‘angry feet’ last week, this week she participated in everything quite happily. We’d talked about how funny it is to stomp around loudly and make your feet look angry for the last few days, and with a couple of tiny reminders at the beginning of the class, she was just fine this time around. In fact, she was having so much fun that she spent most of the class on the other side of the room, dancing and participating without any help or reassurance from Mama.
pre-class warm-up // ribbon dancing
mini ballerina // post – class beach ball hands
Have I mentioned how cute a studio filled with giggling tutu-clad toddlers is? Trust me, it’s ridiculous.
♥
Photos edited with Instagram. Find me under jkossowan.
After a particularly crazy registration day, filled with chaos, confusion, and papers carelessly strewn about the table and floor, I must admit I was a little nervous about our first day of Grae’s Strong Start Program today… The good news? Today was much calmer. The people were fewer, the atmosphere was friendlier, and there was plenty of fun to be had.
As part of our effort to use our car less and spend more time walking and biking, Grae and I walked to the school first thing this morning, parked our stroller outside (despite the secretary’s warning), and headed into the classroom. Gracen very excitedly put her things in a cubby and jumped into playing right away. Puzzles, paint, play dough, dolls, blocks, books, and games filled the class and begged for her attention. She slowly made her way around the room, playing at each station for a good long time before tidying up and moving on. After free play time, we all went to the gym, where Grae worked up an appetite throwing and chasing balls. We returned to the room to find a small snack set out at each table spot (each family contributes fruit for the snack) and Grae was extremely pleased to see the strawberries she had chosen especially for the occasion out and ready for her friends to eat. She happily gobbled up her fruit while visiting with friends, and then it was off to the carpet for circle time.
After a great morning, circle time was the only part of the class that was a little too much. Though the teacher has a great repertoire of songs and action poems and stories to share with the kids, it’s difficult to have the kids quiet and engaged when the adults in the room are not demonstrating good listening skills themselves. I must admit, the mix of visiting, cell phone talking, and toy playing all happening while the teacher was trying to run a fun, but structured carpet time for the kiddos made my teacher skin crawl a little. We stuck it out for most of it, but near the end (after nearly 3 hours at school), Gracen was reaching her limit and it was becoming increasingly difficult to explain why she couldn’t have toys to play with although many others did. Rather than dragging it out longer than necessary, we very quietly dismissed ourselves before the end of class, as did a couple of other parents and tots.
Other than the circle time being a little disappointing, the only other thing I found a bit surprising was how little English was spoken throughout the morning. Not a terrible thing… I think it’s great that Grae is exposed to different languages, and living in the Middle East for four years certainly got me used to situations like these where I have no idea what people are saying around me… Yet it definitely makes it harder to connect with other parents and it is a little surprising in a program that {I think} is intended to prepare children for what will eventually become their public school education. Oh, well… I think it’s still going to be a great experience for Miss G, English or not.
Overall, I’d say it was a pretty good morning. Better than expected actually. Gracen had a great time and left with a couple of new art projects in hand and a couple of new friends to come back to next week.
♥
Photos edited with Instagram. Find me under jkossowan.
For more information on Strong Start BC programs, as well as a complete list of SS programs offered around the province, visit here.
What does an afternoon outdoors, a big blanket, a toddler, and a mama attempting to read the newspaper equal? Impromptu newspaper collages… Bust out the scissors and the glue!
♥
Photos edited with Instagram. Find me under jkossowan.
Tonight, as I was finishing up dinner, I looked out the window to see this…
Gracen adores her Papa and they always find little things to do together that I would never think of (see photo number 2).
As I was back at the stove, a little voice called into the house, “Mama, Mama! Clome!! Grae Grae rolls.” I went outside to see what all the excitement was about and received this demonstration…
These two. They just kill me.
♥
Photos edited with Instagram. Find me under jkossowan.