This morning we headed out to Kamloops to visit some family we have there, as well as my Baba who is in town visiting. I took almost no pictures during our visit, but I did manage to capture this one of Brad and Grae playing in the backyard pool. There’s something special about being thrown high in the air by your Papa knowing that you’ll be caught safely on the way down, isn’t there? By the number of times Miss G exclaimed, ‘AGAIN! AGAIN!’, I’d say she agrees with me.
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.
♥
I’m not ashamed to say that we were back at Maple Grove Pool again today… Yes, again. But what’s not to love? Picnics, swimming, splashing, and playing, all while soaking up some vitamin D (doused in all-natural sunscreen and covered by a huge sunhat, of course…) These are the things that summer is made of.
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In an effort to keep cool while enjoying the sunshine, we tried a new outdoor pool today… The outdoor pool at Hillcrest Centre. It was a beautiful afternoon and we certainly enjoyed ourselves, but I must say, it was no competition for the lovely Maple Grove Pool. While we love Hillcrest’s indoor pool, the outdoor one was just okay. The downsides? The wading area is quite small and the non-slip pool bottom is really pokey. While probably great for safety, it’s hard on your hands, knees, and bottom, not to mention your suit! The other thing I wasn’t super keen on was the {very powerful} spray apparatus. While a ton of fun for older kids, being sprayed in the face while not expecting it was not a lot of fun for Miss G or I, and because of it’s water pressure, there are not many areas where you’re out of its range. The perks? It’s really close to us and the admission also allows you to use the indoor pool which is nice if you need a break from the sun. While it wasn’t our favourite, we’ll probably try visiting again on a morning when there may be fewer older kids and less chance of being the spray apparatus’ target.
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This afternoon we set out to visit another wading pool off of the Vancouver wading pools & spray parks list, but weren’t overly successful. In fact, we down right failed. I’d decided we’d to go to Balaclava Park in Dunbar, as I love the area and had read good things online. We arrived without issue to find a giant park, busy with an adult soccer tournament, but the problem was that there was no pool in sight… Now we didn’t get out of the car to scour every square inch of the park, but I figured I’d probably see some sign of a pool while circling the park very slowly again and again, no? No such luck. There was a {very} small concrete enclosure which looked like it might be used by beginning skateboarders, but could that have been it? I have no idea. To me, no water = no pool. So on we went. Back to Maple Grove Pool for the second time in the last few days. And you know what? Miss G didn’t mind a bit. Plus, she had Bubba there this time to share in all the fun.
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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.
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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.
Sometimes ordinary days are the best kind. Don’t get me wrong, Little G and I love to get out, go on adventures, and visit fun places, but sometimes normal, everyday kind of days equally wonderful. Today was one of those.
Some H2O and an energy bite post-swimming lesson. (I’m happy to report, by the way, that our submersion day went well. It was presented in a way I was comfortable trying and Miss Grae did not come up choking, crying, or looking at me like I had betrayed her. In fact, she seemed just fine. Yay for that.)
A playground stop was in order afterwards. Shhhhh… Don’t tell Mama Gracen’s hiding.
Strolling in the sunshine.
In the words of Grae, “dig-a-dig-a-dig-ah”.
Backyard antics.
A quiet moment in the shade of our plum tree.
Tricycle tricks.
Sandbox play with the little girl from downstairs.
Itty bitty bookworm.
An afternoon treat – frothy raspberry milk.
Just like Mama. (Grae loves this ring I had custom made in Kuwait. It says ‘Brad and Jen’ in Arabic, so I love that she loves it.)
A homemade popsicle for dessert.
Double-fisting. (Of course Mama’s desert looked just as yummy as her own.)
Oops. That’s not the popsicle hand.
Freshly bathed and ready for bedtime stories.
I’m so lucky to spend my days soaking in these magical little moments.
♥
We took our little fishy to her third swimming lesson this morning, and since Brad and I were both able to go, I took the opportunity to take a couple of photos. This little lady LOVES the water, and although our instructor is a little brash, our lessons have been really fun so far. To date, she’s practiced splashing, blowing bubbles, dipping her ears and chin in the water, doing front and back floats, and doing front and back wall push offs. Next lesson’s skill? Submersion. And us moms have already been told that it would be better if dads attend the session because dads have no qualms about putting their babies under water… Should be interesting!
It may just be the protective mama in me talking, but all I have to say is that I won’t do anything that might jeopardize my little fishy’s love for the water… We’ll see how it goes. ☺
Ridiculously cute while so wrong baby bikini #2. (Number one can be seen here.)
At last.
Today Gracen came out of her bedroom with her bathing suit around her neck saying, “Pool! Pool!” Perhaps she wants to go swimming?
Just a regular day with Miss Grae today…
Early morning antics.
Laundry “helper”.
Little swimmer.
Post-nap routine. Milk, snack, blanket, and quiet time.
Single pony.
Play dough play.
Before dinner walk.
Crackers and cheese at the park.
Frozen blueberries for dessert.
Emergency sink bath.
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You think this little lady had a good time at the pool this afternoon?!
We swam, splished, and splashed for two full hours before I pretty much had to pull her away from the water. There’s no doubt she’s a little fish.
