Beaches, bubble blowing, and building sand castles…
What summer afternoons are made for.
♥
Tag Archives: outdoor fun
The Simple Things
I’m ashamed to say that this is what our yard looks like right now. The garden beds are badly overgrown and the grass could better be described as a clover field. Inexcusable, really, but I blame it on the fact that we’ve been on vacation. Must rectify the situation asap.
With that out of the way, is there anything more wonderful than the joy bubbles bring?
I don’t think so. Well, not many, at least. I just love watching little ones squeal with delight as they chase bubbles floating in the wind. Such a simple, simple thing, yet it brings so much excitement.
That being said, why is it that we saw {young} children with electronics at Jericho today? Since when did iPads and handheld gaming devices become beach toys? And when did bubbles and buckets and seashells become not enough? Please say it isn’t so.
♥
Maple Grove Pool
I can’t tell you how excited I am that summer seems to finally be arriving to Vancouver. And with the new warm weather comes the opportunity to find fun new warm weather places/activities around the city to keep Miss G and I busy throughout the summer months.
I must admit, I’ve been eyeing up this list of Vancouver wading pools and water parks for a long while now… So with the sun shining and our little house growing warm, we picked a pool, packed up our gear, and headed out to Kerrisdale this afternoon.
This beautiful little spot is part of Maple Grove Park, just off of SW Marine at Yew (6875 Yew Street). The pool is a really good size and hosts a gradual walk-in entry and a shallow ‘sandbar’, which are perfect for little ones who want to sit and splash and play. The shallower side also hosts a small slide, which Gracen was a HUGE fan of. The other side of the pool is a little deeper (just over a metre at its deepest point) and is perfect for older kiddos. Not only does it have a net and basketball hoop, but it also has a cement island in the middle for those who want to perch up in the sun.
The best part is that the pool is surrounded by plenty of grassy space and tall trees, making space to play, picnic, and get out of the sun easy to find.
As you can see in the photos, the pool wasn’t very busy when we visited (although I’m sure it gets busier – especially on the weekends) despite the fact that the weather was beautiful and the water was surprisingly warm. Needless to say, Gracen loved it.
After a snack in the sunshine and some time to dry off, we headed over to the park’s playground, which was a perfect way to end our afternoon.
♥
Maple Grove Pool is open from 10:15 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. daily, with the closing time being an hour earlier after August 21st. Admission is as follows: munckins 2 and under are free, children 3 to 18 years are $1.50, and adults are $2.50. Concession items are available and both admission and concession accept cash only.
Canada Day
Despite the poor weather forecast, we woke up to a GORGEOUS, sunshiny Canada day. And thank goodness, because what would Canada Day be without picnics, playgrounds, and outdoor concerts? We spent our morning at Davison Orchards (again!) with friends and our afternoon at Polson Park with Gido, Grandma Charlotte, and a visit from “my Vernon kids” (a family I babysat for from the time I was 12 years old until I was 25!), and then finished the day off with a pizza party in Grandma Sue’s backyard. Could we have asked for a better day? I think not.
Gracen and Kinslee, ready to celebrate.
Very happy to be back at Davison Ochards’ Kiddie Corral.
Taking in the view.
Spish splash.
Wheeeee!
Kinslee and Uncle Gary inspecting the duck run.
‘I spy a donkey, Mama.’
Sheep feeding with ‘Auntie’ Hayley and Sloan.
Love.
Munchkins! Gracen, Sloan, Korbin, and Kins.
Although not thrilled about it, Chay joined us for a group shot too.
Polson water park fun!
Loving every minute.
Swinging in her swimsuit.
Cousins.
Happy Canada Day, everyone!
♥
Photos by Auntie Roz
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it or not, but my sister-in-law, Roz, is an amazingly talented photographer who has worked very hard throughout the last year to build her business (Roz Edge Photography) and personal photography style. Lucky for us, she snapped a few photos of Gracen over the weekend and was kind enough to send them our way. 
Aren’t these beautiful? I absolutely adore the soft, whimsical, almost dreamy feel of her photos.
She’s based out of the Calgary area and does it all – weddings, engagements, maternity, families, kids, newborns, and even boudoir. I highly recommend booking a session with her if you’re nearby. Her prices are ridiculously reasonable, and based on the demand she’s had this year alone, I doubt they’ll stay that way for much longer, so don’t wait.
You can check out her website here and her Facebook page here.
♥
Off to the Beach
After naps for the girls and some down time for the boys, we decided to pack up the kiddos and head to a beach / park this afternoon. We packed bathing suits just in case, but given the fact that the weather hasn’t been that warm, I figured that the water would be freezing and the kids wouldn’t want to go in. I was wrong. While the girls stayed on the safe side and stayed pretty dry, the boys went full on swimming. Brrrr! 
Our crew. Minus the mommies of course. Typical situation – mamas behind the cameras.
Splish splash!
Gracen “offering” almonds to Kinslee by shoving them in her mouth.
Papa and his little lady.
Missing feet {and hands}.
Castle building {and crushing}.
Teamwork.
A “Papa push”, as Miss G calls it.
Dry and ready for some playground time.
Strong girl!
♥
Yay for Cousins!
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.
A ride courtesy of her {6 weeks} younger cousin.
‘Oh, peanut pool, why aren’t you open?’
A heavy load for KJ.
Perhaps Korbin can sneak us in?
♥
Okanagan Sun
I’m very happy to report that our Okanagan weather is finally back to normal. Thank goodness. Perfect for lazy afternoons in the backyard just like today’s…
Snacks in the sunshine.
Testing the water.
Rides on Papa the pony.
Time to go in…
Chilly!
Our two ingredient ice cream turned 3 ingredient ice cream – a raspberry sorbet of sorts.
Deeeee-licious!
Doesn’t get much better.
♥
Ice Cream & Wagon Rides
This afternoon I attempted my first ever batch of ‘one ingredient ice cream’ (mine is actually 2 ingredient ice cream because I decided to add pure vanilla) while Gracen and Papa put together a new wagon that Manmaw and PopPop had tucked away in their garage…
The result was a wagon ride with a bowl of ‘ice cream’ and one very happy doodlebug.
♥
A Vernon Favourite: Davison Orchards
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!}
♥
Cousin Vanessa’s Wedding Day
Today, Brad’s cousin, Vanessa, got married right here on the family farm. As much as we spent our morning wishing and hoping that the rain would would not grace us with its presence, it did. All. day. long. So when 2:30 rolled around, we made our way down the long gravel driveway with golf umbrellas, trying our best to get out of the way of incoming cars and minimize the amount of mud entering our shoes. While I arrived at the wedding with puddle-filled shoes and mud in between my toes, Miss G arrived, clean, dry, and warm. 
Just as we were asked to take our {hay bail} seats, something miraculous happened… The rain stopped. It couldn’t have been more perfect. We enjoyed a beautiful short and sweet ceremony, while Grae gobbled down a container full of raspberries, a mandarin orange, and part of an apple (hungry girl!)
After the ceremony was complete, we enjoyed a few minutes without rain. Gracen explored the yard and checked out the playhouse, and we were able to snap photos of her with her Great Grandpa Leo and Manmaw.
But sadly, the dryness was short-lived. The rain started coming down in full force once again, and the crowds rushed under the dinner tent to take cover. Gracen did really well with being trapped in her seat and happily coloured, read, and enjoyed more snacks, but with a 3 hour break until dinner and very little space to move, we headed back to Manmaw’s house an hour in to work off some energy before dinner.
We arrived back just as they were starting to call tables for dinner, and Grae kept busy with jam towers while we waited for our turn.
It rained on and off during dinner and dessert (apple fritters – delish!), but whenever it let up, we’d take Gracen out for some exploring time.
She was having a great time picking at the hay bails and smelling the flowers, until she saw another little guest wearing a polar bear hat, that is. After that, it was straight to the photo booth to check out the props. And they were awesome. With each new hat, she’d ask me to take her photo so that she could see it on the camera display. 
Unfortunately, we had to leave before the speeches and slideshow began (two of my favourite parts), but bedtime was calling. Congrats, Vanessa and Cody!
♥
Hello, Vacay!
Overall, last night’s trip was a success. While our little lady didn’t fall asleep until 9:57 p.m. (three and a half hours past her usual bedtime!!), she happily chatted, counted, read, and practiced saying “Hello Mamnaw!” until she finally zonked out when the sun went down. We arrived at Brad’s parents’ place around midnight and successfully put Grae back to sleep, despite the excitement of a bedroom filled with new treasures just waiting to be explored.
This morning we woke up to birds chirping and the Okanagan sunshine in full effect. Hello, vacation! Here are some photos of our day…
Pool filled and warming in the sunshine.
Chatting with Bella.
Loving the new tire swing PopPop made.
Very pleased with her new bracelet.
Grae’s treat of choice.
Home with her farmer’s market treasures.
An evening walk.
Piggy back rides.♥
Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin
Today we gathered up some supplies, transferred the rice we dyed yesterday into a bin, and headed out into the backyard for some fun.
Gracen helped me pick out the items to add to our rainbow rice sensory bin. We kept things pretty simple today… Spoons, containers, cups, and a teapot (hmm… I wonder whose selection that was!)
First job – take everything out and get those colours mixed together!
The result? Rainbow rice!
Soooo beautiful!
Next job – filling up every single container in sight.
And then things got wild. For a while, it was raining rice, and shortly after the whole bucket tipped over, Grae still inside. The good thing was that Miss G found picking it all up and putting it back in the bin just as fun as dumping it in the first place.
♥
You can see Gracen’s other sensory bins here.
Granville Island: Favourite Places & Today’s Disaster
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…
♥
Baby Bath Station
I was beyond thrilled when I stumbled upon Happy Hooligans a couple of weeks ago. Jackie, the woman behind the blog runs an in-home daycare and is all about old-fashioned play, open-ended exploration, and letting kiddos get down and dirty. My kind of gal! Upon scrolling through her posts, I immediately knew that this activity would be a huge hit with Miss G. The only problem was that I wanted to surprise Grae with it on a sunny day.
Well, today that day finally arrived! I laid a blanket out in our backyard, filled a bin with some warm, soapy water, added a couple of drops of blue food colouring, and we had a bath. Next, I collected a couple of wash cloths, hand towels, a tooth brush, a hair brush, a bath poof (that’s my technical term), a water-filled mister, and a couple nearly empty soap bottles topped up with water. Gracen’s contribution was her naked and nearly 50 year old baby doll that used to be mine and was Grandma Sue’s before that. Voila – a baby bath station!
On a side note, have I ever mentioned the fact that there are 7 people living in the basement suite of our house? Because there is. Well 7 permanent residents, plus a few of extended family members that are around A LOT. In a suite that is probably fit for 2 or 3 college students who don’t care to cook. And while they’re quite nice, having that many people living below us can be quite challenging at times… The constant come and go, picking up after 5 children other than our own (in a yard that is supposed to be entirely ours), and the noise… Oh, the noise!
Why am I mentioning all this in a post about a baby bath station, you wonder? Well, because the middle child of the 5, a sweet little girl who is 6 years old, has taken quite a liking to Gracen and the activities I set up for her. For the past month or two, it seems like the moment we head out into the yard, she comes running up the stairs to join us. And while I really don’t mind including her and watching her for an hour here or there, it sometimes makes new activities fall a little flat. Because she’s several years older, she dives into new activities without a thought. But Grae, on the other hand, needs a little time to cautiously explore and figure things out before really getting into some things. The result is that Gracen sits backs and watches, doesn’t get involved, and then moves on to something else entirely.
Needless to say, today’s sensory bin got off to a bit of slow start. Gracen was really excited to get started, and had some fun, but once it became difficult to get her hands on any of the goodies, she sat back, watched, and soon decided she’d rather do something else while her little friend enjoyed her new baby bath.
I felt bad, but after a little while, I politely dismissed us from the backyard and shifted our things over to the solarium. The perk with having to move? The solarium was so nice and warm that the little lady was able to don her tankini. With a little more space to move and explore, Gracen really got into it.
There was washing, scrubbing, hair brushing, and grooming… And before long, our little fishy went for a bath of her own. It was inevitable, really.
Soon it became a bath a tooth brushing station for two.
Probably the favourite part of the whole station though, was this little one dollar purple spray bottle.
Somehow, over an hour in, our little bath station shifted gears a little…
With baby’s hair groomed just so, Gracen wanted her hair done too. She asked for a ponytail, quickly changed her mind to two ponies, and by the time she was done with the pack of elastics, she wanted eight. This was the result. She thought it was pretty hilarious and asked me to take photo after photo, just so she could see herself on the camera’s display.
Overall, this new sensory experience was a huge hit. When all was said and done, Gracen was clean, smiley, and sufficiently pruned.
♥
You can see Gracen’s beach, ocean, gardening, moon dough, construction, and bird-themed
bins by clicking on the links.