Spring Has Sprung

We have had the most spectacular few days here in Vancouver, it has literally felt like summer with a stretch of beautiful, warm, sunny days.  The past couple of days have sped by as we've tried to fill every moment we can with being outdoors and enjoying the sun!

I finally got around to blowing up Sydney's bouncy castle for the first time this week.  Man, did she love it!

She filled the inside with the bag of 100 balls that I got to go along with it and had such fun tossing them through the hoop on the inside and then sliding down the slide to get out.

Then she decided that it would be a good idea to fill her little swimming pool with the balls and go for a little dip with them.

I seriously can't wait for summer!  What a fun afternoon in the backyard that was!

Sydney and I took some time to compile a photo album to send off to my Dad for his birthday which is coming up next week.  I so rarely get pictures printed these days, with digital photography and all.  It was so nice to actually have printed pictures and get them together in an album.

Yesterday morning while Sydney was at school I was rushing about frantically trying to squeeze in some exercise, do a Costco run, and get a few errands done.  I managed to stop for a quick, yet very serene, bite at the Butter bakery for lunch on my way back to school to get Syd.

I just love the bright and airy space here and the food and treats are so delicious!

While I was in the neighborhood I quickly stopped my Macgillycuddy's to check out what they had and got a couple of cute things for Sydney:

She just loves this high chair for her babies, it is so cute seeing her put the babes in and pretend to feed them!

Just had to have this ladybug dress, it's a tad big at the moment but she was still so excited to have it!

This afternoon we met up with our friends Sarah and Emma and Eva and Collette in Steveston Village to play and enjoy the sun.

The girls had a great time playing at the playground at the Steveston Community Centre and then we walked to the pier and had ice cream and watched the boats.  What a perfect spring day!

I met up with my friend Mel this morning for tea and she gave me a bag of her very famous granola.  She makes this granola from scratch and has just launched a business selling it.  It is delicious! 

 

We have so enjoyed a wonderful spring week in Vancouver! 

Old Dog, New Tricks

Back in January Sydney started taking piano lessons from a very sweet lady who teaches piano and lives up the street from us.  She is doing really well with it, seems to have taken to it very naturally and is learning slowly and surely what she is meant to do.

I have always wanted to learn to play the piano, but figured I was likely too old to even bother to learn, until one day I got to chatting with Maureen, Syd's piano teacher, who told me that she has students of all ages, the oldest one being 70 years old!  She said if I was keen, she'd be happy to take me on as a student.

So this morning I had my first official piano lesson.

It was great.  I actually really loved it.  I learned so much in the hour that I spent with Maureen and was playing three simple songs by the end of my time there.  It was very cool!

I love stretching my brain and learning something new and am excited to continue going to lessons and learning alongside Sydney!

Seems you can teach an old dog new tricks after all!

Settling Back In

The past few days have been all about settling back into life as we know it after returning home from our wonderful Hawaiian vacation.

Everyone keeps telling me that I look so relaxed and tanned, it's nice.  I'm still feeling a lot of that holiday feeling, glad it's lingering!

Here's what the past few days have looked like around here:

Seeds

While we were away the seeds that we planted, as if by magic, decided to sprout.  Sydney was so thrilled to find that they had grown.  I can't wait to plant them outdoors next month so that Syd can have her own little garden to tend to!

Gifts

Sydney's buddy Leo brought her home a very special little gift from Las Vegas where he and his family were recently vacationing.  Sydney now has her very own personalized licence plate for her bike!

Last night I discovered a little package for Sydney on our front porch, a gift bag from William and Kaitlyn's Gruffalo party that we missed while we were away.

Inside were the most amazing treats which all carried the theme so well!

We especially loved the hand made flashcard matching game and this beautifully painted personalized canvas for Syd!

Plates

Sydney brought home two lovely plates from school the other day that she made.  I love looking at them alongside the one she made last year and seeing how much her art has grown!

Birthdays!

This past weekend brought two very special birthday celebrations.  Sydney's friend Leo from preschool has the sweetest little sister, Tessa, who just turned two.  We were invited to join in the celebration of her party, it was a blast!

Sydney's friend Ollie also had his 3rd birthday this weekend so Sydney, Daddy and I enjoyed a visit with our neighborhood friends while the kids had a ball bouncing in Ollie's new bouncy castle and decorating cookies.

Ollie's cake was the most awesome looking Thomas the Tank Engine!

I love the #3 cookies that he had too!

Sydney came home with a loot bag filled with fun things too, she was very pleased!

Dinner

Saturday evening I hosted a long awaited dinner party for our friends Ryan and Christina and Lori and Marcus and their families.   I made both traditional and vegetarian lasagne and we had a lovely meal and visit together.

Marcus brought us a special magnum of Italian wine from his cellar for the occasion!

And Christina brought the yummiest dessert, a praline cake for the adults and rainbow cupcakes for the kids, so fun!

We had the best visit together and the kids so enjoyed playing together too!

Shopping

I hit up The Gap the other day while Syd was at preschool and got a bunch of fun summer things for Sydney.  I am so in the mood to buy summer clothes after spending a week in the sun!

Today I headed to the brand new Marshalls on Marine Drive to check it out.  It was fun wandering around checking out all of the fun discount things that they have!

I love how their changing rooms have hooks that say "Definitely" and "Possibly".  I always have two piles when I'm trying things on and this made it easier to sort everything out!

I left with a couple of things for myself and the cutest tiny dancer costume for Syd.

She loved it so much, she actually squealed when she saw it!

Art

Syd's art file was bulging at school, check out some of her latest creations!

It is good to be back at home and into the swing of normal life again.  It sure feels like spring here, check out our street lined with the most amazing pink cherry blossoms, love it!

Happy Monday!