Actually, this post has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day other than that today is, in fact, that day and that means we are halfway through February. Not sure how that happened so quickly when January lasted roughly three hundred days.
We did fit in some fun in January though, even as we found our way back into daily rhythm after the holidays. We had two snow days with Peter home from work. Snow in our part of Canada is a pretty big novelty. We get maybe two really excellent days of snow per year. As parents to young children, we know we have to take advantage of it immediately because it might not last all day.
At the end of January, we got away for a little family weekend to the city. We’re only forty minutes by ferry from Vancouver but usually when we go our time is filled with errands and visits. So we like to take time now and then to just enjoy the city. We booked a hotel and left our car behind for two nights.
Highlights for the girls included riding the SkyTrain, going on escalators, being on the 9th floor of the hotel, and having a television.
Saturday was filled with crepes, walking in the rain and a visit to Science World (because of the rain).
Family picture! 
Almost every picture of Rose was blurry! But shouldn’t we all look at ourselves in the mirror with that much joy?
We also enjoyed park time at a playground in Coal Harbour and sushi Saturday night, waffles and a visit to Stanley Park on Sunday morning.
February started off in a less exciting way with a little bit of sickness, particularly for Rose. It feels like if there is a virus going around, she catches it. (Possibly the rest of us put our hands in our mouths less.) Snow switched to rain switched to hail and slush and back to rain. We’re getting through it with lots of Lego, lots of books, and a bit of Puffin Rock.
How’s your February going so far?
Karissa Reads Books 
I didn’t realize that over by Vancouver you guys don’t really get snow. Any idea why not? And poor Rose! It’s hard to keep one’s fingers out of one’s mouth sometimes! 😂
My very unscientific understanding of it is that because we’re in a pocket where warmer temperatures off the coast get trapped by the mountains and so it just doesn’t get cold enough. Our weather is very similar to Seattle’s – lots of rain, not super hot in the summer but not super cold in the winter either.
Ah, yep. That’s definitely the mountains!
Your family is so lovely, it’s such a joy reading about your life and seeing your gorgeous photos! Other than the sickness it sounds like you’ve all been having a fun year so far. And I’m jealous over your lack of snow! I think if I only had a couple of days of it per year maybe I’d like it more, lol. It’s blowing all over the place here in Iowa, and it’s not the sort that would make a good snowman! But I remember having more fun with it as a kid, and it looks like your girls enjoyed the snow days. 🙂
Thank you! They’re super fun! The snow is such a novelty here; we all get very excited about it and then almost immediately I’m exhausted by getting kids in and out of snow suits! Snow being rare also means that we’re really unprepared for it so it doesn’t take much to close the schools/businesses etc. Makes it like a little holiday for a couple of days!
Excellent snowman! We’re much the same – it’s rare for us to get snow that lasts so we have to rush out for a snowball fight whenever we get the opportunity! But when it does last we’re completely unprepared so everything grinds to a halt till it thaws…
That sounds exactly like us! The schools shut down and businesses close. The town ran out of road salt after about three days!