The Outpost Cafe

6 / 7 / 121 / 23 / 13

Today Gracen and I visited one of the places that has long been on my ‘rainy day to do list’… And while it wasn’t actually raining, it was one of those dreary, chilly days that makes you crave a good cup of coffee in the warmth of a quietly busy cafe. We headed down Fraser Street in search of The Outpost Cafe, and after circling the block twice and driving past three times, I finally noticed the shop nestled in a small string of semi-deserted-looking businesses. I’d heard all kinds of good things about the delicious coffee, homemade food, and open-to-the-public and child-friendly ‘staffroom’, and despite its very modest storefront, it did not disappoint. My latte was perfectly satisfying and the separate munchkin-centred room was exactly what all coffee shops need in order to allow caffeine-craving mamas a few minutes to enjoy their fix. I sipped my latte leisurely while Grae gobbled up her Larabar (she spilt her entire steamed milk not a moment after purchasing it) and moved on to investigating each and every toy the room had to offer. And on top of all the fun things left out to explore, the room hosts a giant blackboard wall {along with several buckets of colourful chalk} just waiting to be drawn upon.

Gracen had an absolute blast and I had what was one of my most peaceful cups of coffee I’ve had since Gracen arrived in this world 21 months ago. Here’s to another rainy day escape being added to our repertoire.

♥

Letting Loose, Play Palace Style

6 / 1 / 125 / 13 / 13

After waking up to yet another {very} rainy day, I decided it was time for some dry, indoor fun this time around… So off to the Kerrisdale Play Palace we went! I don’t know what it was about today (perhaps it was her nearly 13 hour sleep last night or it being her second visit – she’s a veteran now), but Gracen was absolute WILD woman! Walking into the rink was like letting a bucking bronco loose after keeping him in the gates for an abnormally long time. The moment she stepped foot onto the concrete, she was running and jumping and squealing and flinging her little body around like it was the last day she’d ever get to play in her life. Just a guess, but apparently she thinks the Play Palace is pretty awesome.

She didn’t waste any time getting down to business. First she hit up some old favourites…

And then it was off to try some new things… See that little monkey climbing up that inflatable ladder? Last time she got half way up, panicked, and we had to retrieve her. Not this time though. Apparently she’s a big girl now because she climbed up and zoomed down on repeat.

And then there was this. Never in her life has she ever gone down a slide on anything but her bottom, but today she was all about belly-down, face-first.

Oh, and going down with her little ‘yeehaw arm’ in full effect.

Later on, she saw a big girl climb up for a ride on the shark’s back, and she was desperate to do the same. After letting her try and try again to get on, I finally broke all the rules, climbed up onto the inflatable while the supervisor wasn’t looking, and helped her up. (Shhhhh… Don’t tell.)
Strangely enough though, today’s absolute favourite was the foosball tables. She kept going back to them again and again and when I told her we only had time to do one more thing, she picked going back for some more table football.

It was the perfect way to spend our rainy morning. I left with a dishevelled, tired little monkey who was more than ready for her nap when we got home.

♥

iPhoneography // Vancouver International Children’s Festival

5 / 31 / 126 / 1 / 12

Despite the weatherman’s prediction of a sunny day, in true Vancouver style, we woke up a healthy dose of liquid sunshine this morning. Instead of putting our plans on hold though, Gracen and I decided to throw on our gumboots, brave the rain, and head down to Granville Island for the Vancouver International Children’s Festival as planned. And I’m glad we did. Gracen really enjoyed the Twist & Toddle activity tent, as well as the shadow puppetry tent, face painting station, and the musical performances, and the rain really didn’t bother us in the least. I’m looking forward to attending again next year when more of the activities are age-appropriate for this little lady…

puzzle play // water table fun

firefighter Grae to the rescue // mama’s baby bird

colouring // shadow puppetry (Grae was the fish)

face painting pro // sweet cheeks

lunch in the rain // puddle jumping

♥

If you’re a Vancouver mama heading down to the festival to partake in the activity zones, be sure to bring cash, as that’s the only form of payment accepted. Also, something to be aware of is that everyone has to pay to enter the activity areas, including mamas supervising their little ones and the teeniest of infants, which is a little unusual.

A Granville Island Playdate

5 / 26 / 125 / 26 / 12

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…

♥

Penguins!

5 / 24 / 125 / 24 / 12

Although I really wanted to take Gracen to the members only penguin premier last week, events that start at 5:30 p.m. don’t really work for our 6:30 p.m. to bed gal. But that’s okay. I’ll happily skip evening events order to continue having a little lady that sleeps 12 hours through the night and another 2 during the day any day of the week. In our house, a well-rested munchkin equals a happy mama. We meant to get to the aquarium the day after the premier, but play dates and days-too-gorgeous-to-not-spend-at-the-beach got in our way. We finally made it there this morning though, and let me tell you, the penguins are ridiculously cute. They even wear beaded bracelets around their flippers. The penguin show was good {from what I could hear over the audience chatter} and the new habitat is pretty cool, albeit smaller and less grand than what I was expecting. Gracen’s favourite part was a little kids’ area they had set up in a corner where they were offering penguin bingo sheets and mini pencils. The only thing I was a little disappointed about was the fact that there is no seating or standing area where children can see the penguins when they’re up on the rock area of their environment (which is where they were both times we visited). Of course, you can just hold them up for a better view, but it makes for tired arms and a lack of good photo opportunities if you’re the only parent accompanying your child. A little inconvenient, but not a deal breaker. We enjoyed seeing the penguins enough to stop by twice during our visit and will definitely be back again.

♥

Grumplestiltskin

5 / 18 / 125 / 20 / 12

Today was just one of those days… Despite her usual 12 hour nighttime sleep and usual 2 hour midday nap, Gracen was out of sorts. Unfortunately, we had a beach play date planned for the day, and not even that cured it. Being little miss routine, she wanted the morning to go as it always does when we visit the beach (playground, walk, optional hot drink, beach play) and that’s just not how it happened today. Grae’s little friend was actually getting over a sickness and she wasn’t quite her usual self either. Not going to lie… It wasn’t a great combination. Luckily, we did manage to have many good moments too.

But after a long day, I must say that I’m perfectly happy having the evening to clean my house, work on some Littlest Lulu orders, and unwind while my wee one peacefully sleeps the night away (and hopefully the grumpiness off). Days like today sure make me appreciate the “easy” days with my happy-go-lucky little lady. Here’s hoping for a better day tomorrow.

An Itty Bitty Bob

5 / 17 / 125 / 22 / 13

Gracen doesn’t have a ton of hair (possibly part of the reason why she’s mistaken for a boy so often). But in the last few weeks, she’s grown some wildly long wispy hairs at the front, and her mullet has become even more mullet-y. It was time for a trim. Since we had such a good experience with Gracen’s first ever haircut, we headed back down to Melonhead on Broadway this morning. We snuck in without an appointment, and although we had a different stylist this time around, she was every bit as lovely, quick, and gentle as the one we had last time. In the comfort of her pink covetable, Gracen pretty much sat perfectly still the entire time and just let the stylist do her thing. I love this place. I’ve been witness to many crying, wiggling kids {with moms frantically trying to bribe them into sitting still with juice boxes and fruit snacks} in regular hair salons, and without a word of exaggeration, every child having their hair cut this morning was happily sitting still, enjoying their visit.

Here are some photos of my little lady before, during, and after her second ever haircut…

She left the salon with the sweetest little bob I’ve ever seen, an inverted pony, and a teeny tiny clip.

Melt my Mama heart.

♥

Mother’s Day, Just Me and My Girl

5 / 13 / 125 / 14 / 12

With Bradley at work again this Mother’s Day, my little lady and I got to have a special day, just the two of us. It started out with a low-key morning of puzzles, stories, and tickles at home while sipping tea and slowly getting ready for our day.

When we were good and ready, we ventured out to do something we rarely ever do – eat out, just the two of us. We went to Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, a little restaurant on Main Street that is carbon neutral and offers an organic menu. Despite the fact that it was incredibly busy and they could have used another server, we loved it. The menu was filled with local, organic foods, their juices were fresh-squeezed, they gave Gracen crayons and a colouring page (which she was thrilled about), and there was a kids’ corner, complete with two wooden play kitchens, several tiny aprons, and an assortment of pots, pans, and felt food. We ordered an organic fresh-squeezed orange juice (Grae even got a few sips and loved it this time around) and a Bradner Farms flatbread pizza, topped with local organic free-range chicken, nut-free pesto, roasted red bell peppers, and red onions. It was a delish. And to top it off – all moms got a complimentary fudge brownie topped with fresh whipped cream, raspberry coulis, and mint leaves… Who could ask for more?

After lunch, we headed home for Gracen’s nap. She slumbered peacefully while I prepped and packed for day two at the beach. When she awoke a couple hours later, we climbed into the car and made our way to Spanish Banks for another beach adventure. The afternoon passed quickly as we frolicked in the sand, splashed in the water, and collected all sorts of drift wood, and before we knew it, it was time to head home for dinner, bath time, and bedtime.

Although I’ve already had the perfect day with my wee one, tomorrow we get to do it all over again, as Brad is off and we’ve officially marked the day as our family Mother’s Day. Bring on more beach time any day!

♥

Vitamin D

5 / 12 / 125 / 13 / 12

I am so, so lucky to have a wee one that loves being outdoors as much as I do. We spent our morning at Granville Island playing on playgrounds, watching birds and boats, strolling the seawall, and taking in live performances, then came home just long enough for a nap, and headed right back out the door. Our afternoon adventure took us down to Jericho Beach, where we played in the sand, dipped our toes in the ocean, and collected ocean treasures.

Captain Grae.

Water collection.

Cruisin’ around the water park (can’t wait ’til it opens!)

Running with the birds.

Paddle boarders passing by.

Unicycle excitement. (Grae was more interested in the rocks.)

Tuckered out.

First visit to Jericho Beach.

Sand scooping.

Collecting.

“Gifts” for Mama.

And at the end of the day, after a healthy dose of vitamin D, we reluctantly headed home, hoping for another sunshiny day outdoors again tomorrow.

♥

A Beach Morning

5 / 6 / 125 / 7 / 12

A few photos from our beautiful Sunday morning at the beach…

Low tide.

Log driving.

Monkey.

A Sunday morning treat.

Grae’s idea of beach footwear.

Giggles.

In search of treasure.

Treasure collection.

Stuck.

Vancouver girl.

It was one of those days where you just never want to go inside. I truly love where we live.

♥

A New Playground

5 / 5 / 123 / 13 / 13

Have I mentioned how much I love taking Miss G to new parks and playgrounds? I don’t know what it is, because we have plenty of great favourites already, but I feel like I’m always driving around with my playground radar in full effect. I’ll spot one in the distance, take a quick survey (Saucer swing – score! FOUR slides – sweet! Check out that merry-go-round!), make note of the location, and add it to my mental list of places to visit soon. (Oh, the things that get you excited as a mommy!)

Anyways, I scoped out this beauty of a playground a few weeks ago, and we just got to visiting it this afternoon. It was well worth the wait, let me tell you. The school it belongs to (Dr. Annie B. Jamieson) doesn’t look like much. It’s not new or fancy, but its playground sure is! It’s actually two separate playgrounds – one that is geared more towards older kids, and one towards younger ones. There are multiple swing sets, a saucer swing, one of the safest seeming merry-go-rounds I’ve come across, FIVE slides, and some really cool climbing apparatuses. Not to mention that it’s located right in / next to a park with a giant green space, a walking path, and an outdoor fitness park much like the one in our favourite Kuwait park. (Oh, Kuwait… How I miss you sometimes…)

Of course I took about a million photographs while there. Here are a select “few”:
All about spinning.

Sliding.

Trying to balance like Papa.

Swinging froggy-style.

Wheee!

Mama’s turn.

Just chillin’.

Little climber.

‘I’d be much happier if I had some company on this cool merry-go-round’…

Somehow I got convinced. Barf.

Our favourite – a saucer swing!

Fun!

Riding on her “bell buh” (bellybutton), as she calls it.

Her favourite way to ride… While someone sang Rock a Bye Baby of course.

I think we nearly put her to sleep! Time for dinner, a bath, and bedtime.

♥

Kerrisdale Play Palace

5 / 3 / 125 / 13 / 13

This morning, as we stepped foot into a little old arena on the westside, I was transported back in time. A time in the late 80’s / early 90’s where I spent hours and hours in little old arenas, freezing my tush off while watching my brother’s countless hockey games. Only this was Kerrisdale. And it’s quite obviously 2012.

But despite the dingy smell, yellow lights, and chilly temperature, the Kerrisdale arena, which is transformed into the Kerrisdale Play Place each spring, is truly a hidden gem for those of us who live in a city that gets as much rain as we do. It’s filled with inflatable slides, obstacle courses, and bouncy castles, gym equipment, musical instruments, and ride-on cars and toys, making it much more than just your usual play gym drop in session. And let me tell you, Gracen LOVED it. I don’t think she stopped squealing for more than 5 seconds during our entire visit. Here our some photos from our visit…

On the pirate-themed ocean inflatable in the preschooler area:

Playing with floor toys and equipment in the preschooler area:

In the preschooler bouncy castle:

Riding plasma cars in the main area:

Shooting some hoops in the main area:

A couple of hours of squealing-good fun for a few bucks? You really can’t go wrong. My only advice if you plan to visit.. Firstly, dress warm (it’s chilly in there!) Second, wear or bring socks (they’re mandatory in all areas for children and in the preschool play area for adults). And lastly, don’t be fooled by the jumping jack/push up/karate choppin’ sit up-doing attendant… He’s surprisingly on his game and will catch and scold you if you sneak up the giant inflatable slide with your munchkin. ☺

We ♥ IKEA

5 / 3 / 125 / 3 / 12

I can hear the voices of my dad and brother already… Sure, the furniture probably isn’t the highest of quality, but seriously? We love IKEA. Grae and I headed to our giant, shiny new store this afternoon, just for fun. She adores the new kids’ play area so much that I think she’d stand and watch children play through the glass all afternoon long. Of course, she’d rather be on the other side of the glass, so after her countless requests to go “Nin!”, we put her up against the height chart just to see… 3 inches to go. (Sadly, those 3 inches will probably be gained much faster than I’ll want them to.) With that, we headed up to the showroom and made our way straight to the kids’ area. Gracen hugged stuffies, laid on beds, and touched/tried every toy available.

Of course, we stopped in at the Swedish food market on the way out too. Although we still have plenty of elk-shaped pasta, we did take home some of the most delicious-smelling blueberry tea and a package of multigrain crispbread that Miss G picked out herself.

♥

Kerrisdale Carnival Days

4 / 28 / 124 / 29 / 12

This morning we headed down to Kerrisdale for their annual Carnival Days. Not going to lie – what was supposed to be a fun, low-key morning turned out a little rough. On top of Grae waking up at 5:00 a.m. in a freezing cold room due to her window accidentally being left open overnight (parenting fail) and running very late (such is the case when 4 people are trying to get ready and get out the door in a teeny tiny one bathroom house), I was grumpy, Brad was grumpy, and Gracen was grumpy. Poor Grandma Charlotte was the only one in a good mood and she was stuck with us 3 crab trees.

Either way, Gracen enjoyed the parade. She plunked herself down on the street to watch the tame parts (like baseball teams walking by) and then jumped in someone’s arms when horses or a loud band marched past.

The good news is that our day, which got off to a rocky start, got better after some lunch and a nap… It’s amazing what some good food and rest can do.

An Afternoon in Kerrisdale

4 / 23 / 124 / 23 / 12

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. ♥