Our Family Day

       Our government, in British Columbia, has decreed that we the hard working citizens should have a day to be with our families and relax or apparently shop-  at the bare minimum spend some quality time with our loved ones in February- and so this weekend we enjoyed our first long weekend from here on out to be known as Family Day. There were happenings all over the city of Vancouver geared towards getting families to spend some time and money together- with so much to chose from we did what we often do when faced with a decision- we went to the beach.

     It is true that Monday was not the glorious sun dappled day that Sunday had been- no when we woke it was to the fog hanging low over the water and the incessant mist that accompanies that thick as pea soup fog. We were not in a great hurry to get out and about so when we finally bundled up it was only to head over to Burgoo in Point Grey- one of our favourite comfort food establishments where we enjoyed some amazing dish of slow cooked meat, Lima beans, eggs, cheese and buscuits. The waiter seemed slightly confused when we ordered Caesars (Bloody Mary's for you Yanks) and thought I was talking about a side salad- uh no the drink with Vodka please- it is a long weekend after all!

       Well fortified with booze ( OK I was- not the driver) we headed out to our favourite spot in all of Vancouver- Spanish Banks. Oh how we have missed it out there- yes it was cold but we had plenty of wool and hot beverages so we dug some holes and hunted for beach glass- talked about the summer and how much we miss the feel of sand between our toes. Just as we were leaving- like a glimmer of hope- the sun broke through the clouds for a few seconds- summer is coming I can feel it!

     As I mentioned in my brief post yesterday that for us every weekend is Family Day- a time to celebrate the togetherness of our small family- as well as extended family and friends (who are like our family). Our focus as parents is creating that family first atmosphere for our Littles- so the fact that the government has now decided it is important and family time needs to be encouraged is nice but still a little sad- I know there are plenty of families out there who are disconnected and floundering. I know not everyone can stay at home with their Littles and we are so lucky we can do that!

       At any rate our chilly afternoon at the beach was great fun- we had hot beverages and birthday cake- cause that's how February birthdays get celebrated in our family! We went for a little beach combing excursion and Miss Lo was very happy to find large amounts of beach glass- I guess no one else has been around collecting in a few months!

         Exhausted, chilly and a bit scraped up (The Boy) we headed back to the warmth of the truck and then home- that same satisfied sleepy feeling from the summer creeping over each of us- all tucked in to watch a movie while dinner cooked, sand leaking out of pockets and pant cuffs onto the couch- reminding us of our adventure. I would have to say that for a first this Family Day was near to being a perfect day!

Family Day

       Today is the first official B.C. Family Day- yay a statutory holiday in February- just what we all needed! I would never to be one to turn my nose up at an extra day off but for us pretty much every day is family day because family is truly at the centre of our lives. There are so many activities going on in Vancouver today it s difficult to chose from just one- The Art Gallery, Robson Square, Mount Seymour for tubing- oh the choices! I think another latte and possibly some left over birthday cake are in order while we try and figure out what to do!

Party Prep

    Wow I feel like we are in some sort of birthday marathon here- then again February always feels like that for us! We have three birthday with in a week of each other this month- and now that we have kids that has become the main event- long gone are the birthday celebrations that revolved around the beer sampler at Yaletown Brewing! I know times are a changing and one day these Littles of our are going to want big parties with their entire class- so I am stretching the simple toddler party out as long as I possibly can!

   This year we are celebrating The Boy turning five at Collage Collage- our favourite art studio and crafty store! They offer a great venue for a simple and easy party $140 gets you an hour and a half, a story, a craft and eight kids- all parents need to do is provide the cake or cupcakes. One aspect of this type of party that I love is that Collage Collage is such a beautiful and inspiring space there is no need for decorations- the books, art and supplies are a lovely back drop to any celebration and are sure to get everyone's creative juices flowing!

    That said of course I could not let the opportunity for some creative cuteness slip by! We will be snacking on cloud cookies and blue cupcakes, sipping bevies through these awesome mustache straws from Dilly Dally Party Alley and posing for hilarious pictures with some fun props- like this artist mustache on a stick from Dilly Dally. All our guests of course will get to take home their art project- which I am keeping quiet on as it is a surprise- as well as cute little felt pins that I made based on our Valentine craft from last week. Five is a real milestone and I think this is the perfect party for our special kid- encompassing some of his favourite things; cake, crafts, friends and mustaches!

      It's Friday Friends! I am looking forward to kicking back Saturday after the party with a large glass of wine, or three, and having a visit with my mom and cousin. This also marks British Columbia's first Family Weekend and so Monday is a holiday- we will be celebrating another birthday and taking part in some of the family events the city of Vancouver is offering! I hope weather you have a long weekend or not that it is filled with family, friends and lots of love! See you all Tuesday!

Pirate Daze

       The deal is that on your birthday you get to pick what we do for an afternoon activity- and so The Boy decided that in addition to a dance party we needed to hang up our newly finished pirate ship painting. Seems fairly simple doesn't it? Well like all good fun around here the very word Pirate had us all running to the dress up box and Momma searching for an eyeliner- reserved specifically for drawing fierce Pirate scars and mustaches. We take Pirates very seriously around these parts!

     So three fierce Pirates and one captive Momma spent the afternoon celebrating our newly turned five boy with mini pizzas and a favourite book- Small Saul by Ashley Spires. About a misfit Pirate named Saul who belongs on the Sea and yet struggles to find his way to fit in- spoiler alert he fits in by being himself- awesome book- much loved by Littles and Momma alike!

     Our newly finished painting was "installed" over The Boy's bed- inspired by those lovely ladies from Banquet Atelier as well as the Small Saul book. We started this off last week- I drew the ship and the Littles spent a rainy afternoon filling in the colour. Once they were done I went back in with black paint to outline the entire thing and add in lost detail- like the skull and cross bone's flag. Just think of this painting as a large colouring page to be filled in but instead of crayons we used paints, brushes and the occasional elbow!

       I love to watch our Little's imaginations at work and as they get older they become more and more confident in their play- very elaborate games are created and often last days, their bedroom becomes the zoo on a regular basis and our patio a ship with a deck that needs to be swabbed- OK I may have tricked them into this last game but hey it works!

P.S. does everyone enjoy how Miss Lo's version of a Pirate is part ice dancer and part Christmas Elf?

Happy Birthday Buddy!

    I Took His Hand and Followed

My dishes went unwashed today.

I didn't make the bed,

I took his hand and followed

Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,

My little son and I,

Exploring all the great outdoors

Beneath the summer sky.

We waded in a crystal stream,

We wandered through a wood;

My kitchen wasn't swept today

But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun dappled glade

And now my small son knows

How Mother Bunny hides her nest,

Where Jack-In-Pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,

We climbed a sunlit hill,

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,

We plucked a Daffodil.

That my house was neglected,

That I didn't brush the stairs,

In twenty years, no one on earth

Will know or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy

To noble manhood grow,

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know.

Mrs. Roy L Peifer

Our Boy is Turning Five

      It really feels like just yesterday that we were patiently waiting for our first wee babe to make his arrival- yes we knew he would be a he- no doubt about it on the ultra sound. I loved being pregnant I felt great and beautiful and like I was doing something important for the first time ever- I was growing a human! Then this little man arrived a week early- as first babes often do- and we were parents just like that in what felt like a blink of an eye.

        We had no idea what we were doing and so we did what felt right- I didn't want to let this one out of my sight and so he slept with us- in our bed or beside us in his bassinet. This first wee babe of mine and I were insuperable- I took this kid everywhere- on his first day out of the hospital we went out for breakfast and for some reason people were surprised- they kept asking us why we weren't at home. Anyways as I mentioned we had no idea what we were doing we just did what felt right and then at some point we started to feel like we were getting the hang of things- he slept through the night, ate everything offered and had the sweetest disposition- my little buddy.

      Somewhere along the way we began to refer to him as The Boy- as in The Boy climbed the bookshelves again, The Boy broke a jar of pasta sauce on the tile floor, The Boy ate goose poop. Yes this wee babe of ours had turned into a toddler and once again the Mr. and I had to adapt and did not know what we were doing- but adapt and evolve we did and once again we just did what we felt right- we met temper tantrums with hugs and the occasional time out, we met his voracious appetite with kale and organic sausages, we met his extreme energy with lots of outdoor adventures.

        We have watched him grow from a rambunctious little kid into an active and slightly more cautious "big" kid- his words not ours. Watching The Boy discover his world has opened our eyes again to our world around us- reminding us to be excited about things like sand and leaves and all the other treasures that are down on the ground.

    Five years- he is going to be five years tomorrow- and oh I look at him and still see the wee little babe at the top of the screen. I think about all the things he has learned about just in the past year alone fishing, building things with a saw, soccer, gardening, camping, where sand comes from- this alone fills me with awe. We made this kid and we ( and all the people who love him) are filling him up one grain of knowledge at a time- I can see things when they click for him and it is amazing!

       This "big" kid of ours is so excited about life- he has such huge feelings about living and he is learning to navigate those feelings which can be overwhelming at times. Once again the Mr. and I find ourselves like fish out of water- not always sure what to do or say. We remember all to vividly the unfairness of childhood and try to be sensitive to that- at least trying to provide an explanation when a grievance arises- why do adults get to stay up?

    This world of boy is completely unknown to me as I grew up with a sister- the wrestling, the mess and the shear amount of dirt that seems to follow this kid. Right now on your fifth birthday my boy you love so much- Lego is at the top of your list- you love to build things- and take them apart for that matter. You love the beach, running, hide and seek, singing and music of all sorts- but mostly Black Keys, dancing, being chased and donuts. You have an insane imagination- as in it is weird and crazy and we love it!

    I love the person you are becoming- sensitive and emotional- two important traits in any person but especially to be fostered in a young man. I want you to be sensitive to yourself and other people- too often men are told to suck it up and be a man- I want you to be sensitive. You are thoughtful and always seem to know when a person needs something like an extra blanket- I hope you never loose this compassion for others. You are quick to anger and to forgive- immediately remorseful- this will be a tough path to travel I know it well but you are strong.

    My sweet boy, my little buddy, my Golden Pig we love you so- we are so proud of you! We might not always know what we are doing  or where we are going-but we can always figure it out together.        Happy Birthday!

A Peek at Our Weekend

       Wow another weekend has been and went - sitting here on Monday morning in the quiet, sipping my first sip of latte I am feeling so grateful for such a solidly good weekend. Of course we were up to our usual tricks at soccer and ballet first thing Saturday morning and then a funny thing happened on our way to the Farmer's Market- the sun started peaking through! Amazing- just a sliver but there it was!

      The market was packed this weekend- not only was it member's appreciation day but it was also the start of food truck month- if I read my email right every Saturday there will be new and different food trucks( in addition to the regulars like Vij's). It looked like most of Vancouver must have gotten the same email as I did because like I said the market was packed! We tried Beignets - the donut like concoction covered in powdered sugar and cinnamon from the South- these delicious bites have been on my food bucket list for quite some time and they were every bit yummy as I suspected!

       Sunday was filled with waffles, cartoons and little chores that have been neglected for too many months! February is Birthday month in our home The Boy, The Mr. then Me- we always have an influx of visitors and just knowing my Mom is coming makes me want to tidy closets and clean out the fridge!

    Before I erupted into a cleaning super hero we had a laid back morning with sleeping in and waffles and general lounging about- oh and several episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- so funny that our Littles love the cartoons that we used to love! After breakfast the Mr. took the kiddos out on an adventure of their own and I had the house to myself for a few hours- an unheard luxury in these parts!

       I will admit that I have what is commonly known as cleaning A.D.D.- as in I skip around from one job to the next- so it was only natural that in the course of cleaning out the closets I decided to bring out my Spring clothes- all the light airy fabrics and colours were calling my name! Into storage went all the heavy plaids and long johns that are really only necessary for a portion of the year in our neck of the woods. February is a transition month in my closet- lots of pretty light things combined with chunky knits and boots- my favourite combination!

       The thing about sorting closets out is I often come across things like these mini moccasins- the ones on the left were mine and the ones on the right were Miss Lo's- I am faced at times like this with a very physical representation of how fast these Littles of mine are growing! The Boy is turning five this week- five! It literally feels like just yesterday I was waddling around waiting for him to make an appearance and now he is turning five! My heart is breaking a little friends- I'm not sure if this is normal but I am sad my babies are growing up so fast.

       Then we have an afternoon in the sunshine- playing in sand and water- The Boy finding other boys to play with and Miss Lo climbing to the top of the play structure like the big girls and I am so proud that these big kids are ours! Oh this week is going to be hard for me- I am already getting emotional just retracing our birth day- it was a day that changed us forever. I started down a path to being a better, stronger person- less fragile- a parent. 

     Oh what a weekend- with those week February rays gently bathing us in the sandbox, the delicious food and lots of time spent with friends- we can chock this one up as a good one!