Thrifted Thursday

          Today's Thrifted Thursday comes to you via the Vernon Value Village. Now heres the thing- first of all the Vernon Value Village is usually the most disappointing of the bunch- there is never really anything good. And two Value Village has become way too expensive these days for my thrifting tastes! Pricing has gotten out of hand and more often than not one can turn up items that are priced the same as new items at the mall. I am however a creature of habit and often go into VV just to browse- hoping to stumble upon a gem. Thats the thing about thrifting-  you never know what might turn up and so no stone should be left un-turned which proved true on this particular day when we hit gold- figuratively speaking in the thrifting department!

           Just as I was turning away from the racks and towards the check out a little scrap of blue and polka dot fabric caught my eye- quickly followed by a quick flip of the seam to check for finishing. A quick quality check goes a long way and I always check to make sure something is well made. This day the thrifting goddess was smiling down on me and revealed that this scrap of blue fabric was in fact a hand made (by someone) dress- we quickly slip it over my girl's head and it was like the dress was made just for her.

        My Girlie was thrilled of course- she is going through a phase of all dresses and skirts all the time. And so when paired with her fancy new space boots and a favourite green cardi she was all set to head out for some serious playing!

        Shopping for a six year old can be tricky- on a recent foray into conventional shopping at the mall( which is rare for either of us) I discovered that once a girl reaches size 6 apparently the clothes are designed to fit a size 6- 14. Trappings such as spaghetti straps and low or no back lines abound and don't even get me started on the crappy fabric. Not to say that this is an ideal situation for a 14 year old either and one day when I have a 14 year old daughter I'm sure I will once again be railing at the state of fashion. But come on- what happened to sweet little Easter dresses with a side of modesty?

         So needless to say when my Girlie slid that little blue dress with the most perfect of twirling skirts over her head and it settled onto her shoulders and we zipped up the zip I let out a whisper of Thanks! By the way did I mention the most best dress ever was only $3.99?

Into The Woods We Go

       Yesterday morning we packed up first thing and headed into the woods- to get there was quite the journey but well worth it-  the cost of a bit of quiet solitude beside a stream in the woods. As with last weekend we just needed to get out of the city- the weather would not have allowed any other plan as it was the first really hot day of the season- yes hot enough for swim suits and ice cream cones!

       Our destination was Golden Ears Provincial Park- a place I had not visited in several years- the last time I was there was with a dear friend and her wee toddler- that wee toddler is now on the brink of being a teen- time really does move too fast. I remember sitting by the shores of Alouette Lake- all those years ago- and watching my friend with her daughter- thinking "I'm going to bring my kids here... one day".

       The Littles found a little spot by the stream and played in the glacial cold waters until their feet were numb and they didn't even notice- the sunshine warming their backs. We played and snacked, relaxed and visited- you see Opa joined us on our adventures this weekend- and so the Littles were spoiled with love and treats. River rocks were collected and sorted into colour coded piles- then tossed back into the water with resounding splashes! Sticks were thrown and giant branches were maneuvered into dam like structures that immediately washed downstream- but fun was had by all.

       I pulled up a spot on a beach towel and started work on yet another wee tiny hat for another wee tiny baby soon to be born- this hat is special- knit with lots of love in the dappled sunlight next to a little creek- infused with giggles, fresh air and fun. This hat has magic in it.

     All too soon it was time to pack up and head back to the city- our hearts calmed by the gurgling waters, our bodies tiered by the hard work of play and our minds stilled by the wind in the trees- living as our family does- in the heart of downtown- we need to seek our connection to nature- it is so easy to be out of touch with that aspect of our souls. So with our cups filled to the top with happiness and nature we leave the woods- connected and at peace.

   P.S- lessons I learned this weekend: I need more than 1 first aide kit- as in I need a 1st Aide Kit in every bag I carry- ditto with the sunscreen, also once children of this age go into the water they rarely wish to come back out- even to eat- account for this at breakfast before heading outside!

Life With Boys

      Life with a boy is always interesting- never a dull moment- complicated and highly emotional- filled with lots of hugs and laughter as well as an overwhelming ( or so it sometimes seems) amounts of complicated toys. 

       This unassuming pile of scrap wood arrived at our house late last summer -scraps from Poppa's workshop- the Mr. had some project up his sleeve- ownership of said wood scrap was quickly taken over by The Boy and these five pieces of board have become one of his favourite things to play with.

       At first they were just stacked up- you know like regular blocks- and knocked over- so fun and satisfying but that is a baby's game and soon the wood blocks became a road for Hot Wheels cars. In the most recent incarnation the wood blocks have become some sort of complicated Star Wars game- I don't understand it- I only know that it keeps him occupied for large amounts of time!

        I guess some things never change in the life of boys- they don't like to pick up, they don't like raisins in their bread and the most basic of toys will give them hours of imaginative play. This weekend we are heading back to Poppa's house- the Boy has already put in a request for more wood blocks and... he is hoping to learn how to build things- which will be a whole other can of worms!

Let It Snow!

       One of the things I miss most about living in the Okanagan is the snow- granted I don't drive and so I never really worry about that side of things- but I miss seeing it- the variation in tone, the undulating softness of a backyard transformed. Don't tell my parents but I even miss shovelling it- for a gal who is none too fond of exercise an hour shovelling the driveway was a perfect way to keep fit. Of course what I miss the most is playing in it- the winter is so much fun when you have snow to play in!

      Since my sister and I were small I can remember being bundled up and thrown ( OK ceremoniously escorted) outside- I can remember after reality set in (that mom was not going to let us back in) we would find so much fun out in the snowbanks. Digging tunnels through our front yard the one year the snow was as high as my shoulders, building forts out of the huge piles at the end of our driveway, trying to balance precariously on top of the crust of snow to see who could walk the furthest. Those were some good yet cold times!

      Some things don't change- as I sit here typing this in my warm wool socks, my trusty hot latte at my elbow, the men folk of the neighbourhood are all coming out like small boys to shovel the driveways. I watch them one at a time peak out their door, go back in to grab their gloves or a hat and then head out- of course these are boys with toys now and I can see a few snow blowers making fast work of last nights snowfall. I wonder if when clearing the driveway they feel like they are a kid again- outside in the fresh snow?

       So, yesterday, when one is faced with such a gift as a backyard full of fresh, untouched powdery snow we did as any "good" Canadian would do- grabbed the toboggan and headed out for some fun! Even Momo and Poppa got in on the action going down the run a few times- Miss Lo has decided she prefers to be pulled on top of that snow rather than walk and I can't say that I blame her!

       Yesterday it snowed and snowed- had we been at the Coast it would have just been one of those rainy days that you tuck in and watch movies, read and build forts- but here at this elevation it turned into a magical day. We have big plans for the snow today- a bonfire with cousins, another walk in the forest and of course more tobogganing!

the Sea is Singing

    Before the Mr. and I were a Mr. and Mrs., before we even thought of having children of our own, when we were brand new and just figuring each other out we lived in a magical kingdom by the sea. Streets lined in lush trees, trendy little cafes and all paths lead to the Pacific Ocean. Back then life seamed to be constantly handing us lemons and we really struggled, but we could always find joy and healing at the edge of the water on a towel listening to the waves whisper.

   We lived in a tiny 500 square foot walk up apartment that was classified as having "character", if by "character" you mean silver fish and bad plumbing then yes it had "character". But it was cheap as chips and as mentioned adjacent to the beach- in fact if it was winter and you leaned out our bedroom window you could catch a glimmer of English Bay through the branches or the bare trees, the water dancing in the sun or the fog rolling in. We took advantage of living so close to the beach every chance we could beating a path between our favourite swimming spot (Second Beach), Delany's coffee shop and our home. It was one of the best times of my life and the memories are held close.

     It is with a full heart that we now bring our kids to this same beach, we live a bit further away and walking there can be a bit of a chore but it must be done. The magic of Second beach, or any beach really, early in the morning with the sun still weak but the wind warm on your shoulders is not to be missed. The beach regulars in their get ups swimming the harbour as the tide slips out, or claiming "their" spot for the day, no tourists yet and so we basically have the place to ourselves.

       Exploring the tidal pools and rocks reveals creatures left behind by the tide, tiny minnows, baby crabs, star fish, kelp and shells picked clean by the sly crow. This in it's self is an education the kids will never get in school and to touch and feel and see the ocean is such an important thing for it makes it a real thing to be looked after with care. These ocean babies of mine know things I have only so very recently become familiar and comfortable with- the idea of swimming where such large creatures of the deep live and lurk.

At the end of the day with sand still between their toes, with that languid docile feeling one gets from being in water and sun we sit in the shade and wait for a ride from daddy. Too tiered to walk home, all the lunch eaten and fingers sticky with treats. That feeling that only a day at the beach can bring- shear exhaustion with a happy smile before drifting off to sleep- the sea singing to them in their dreams.

Block Printing with the Kiddos

    I dont know if it needs to be said again- but we do a lot of art around here! Not just me with the making or the Mr. with the drawing but these kiddos of ours are what some classify as Craftaholics! Keeping them engaged with fresh art projects can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, I often worry they will be bored when they hit school as we do things well above what is considered "appropriate" for their age.

   I remember my own parents encouraging me as a kid- I was sent to the Kelowna Art Gallery's summer art classes- this was when the K.A.G was still in the same building the Kelowna Museum. Our  classes were held downstairs in the basement of the museum. It was dark and cool and smelled amazing down there; I felt like I was part of some sort of secret club. Catching glimpses of the stuffed bob cat from the taxidermy collection getting cleaned, racks of vintage clothing that no one ever got to see and shelves of native artifacts. I had back stage access AND got to learn about drawing positive and negative space-I was 8.

      I feel that if I turned out OK (if not a little precocious) with such an early introduction to art then these Littles of ours will be just fine as well. In that spirit today we tried doing a bit of block printing; a pal of the boy's is having a birthday party this weekend and we needed a bit of wrapping paper. So we set up out on the deck- a lot of living goes on out there- and the kids drew out their designs onto soft Safety Cut blocks.

     Of course I did the dirty work as I often do- wielding the Lino knife and cutting out the designs as best that I could.  There was quite a bit of tiny detail that I found difficult to get cleanly cut out so we compromised and a select few areas were what made the cut( bwahaha- insert lame art joke here)!

                     Miss Lo is really into faces lately- so of course she made this funny little guy!

     The boy is a lot more abstract in his style but was pretty addement that the blue stamp in a rocket ship- of course! Once we got everything cut out( I trimmed away the excess rubber with scissors- time is always of the essence when working with toddlers) I handed over a few stamp pads and off the went- stamping to their hearts content. Usually we would use ink and roll it on with a brayer but it is really warm out today and I felt the ink would dry too quickly.

   The key I find to mixing toddlers and art is to have everything you need on hand and all set up, things can quickly go awry if you have to step away to grab a wash cloth. The other thing is to set the kids up themselves to succeed at the project- don't give them something they will get frustrated with and mad about. Kids often hear "No" so often - why not let art be a place where "No" doesn't exist? With that in mind I feel it is important to still challenge them and help them down their road of exploration.

     I feel I should mention our kids are always kept safe- we never give them art supplies that would be toxic or harm-full to them in any way. People occasionally think that kids art supplies should be cheap- often these cheap products from the dollar store, for example, are not up to standard and not non toxic.

      When buying art supplies for children look for it to specifically say Non Toxic as well as having that "AP" or Approved Product seal posted clearly on the label. Supplies bought through a reputable retailer such as Opus Framing and Art Supplies have been carefully picked by the company and usually give the best results. All the art supplies we used today, with the exception of the stamp pads, came from Opus- they are a wonderful resource and always happy to help!