John Harvey Photo

June 2018

Go to Slide Show Smaller Images We do visit Granville Island a Lot


Vancouver International Children's Festival

Granville Island has held a children's festival for as long as I remember - every year for a week, the parking went from bad to just terrible.  The festival has actually been going for roughly 40 years.  We were down at Granville Island because of a class at the rec center and the kids wanted to go into the play area.  Saturday we were busy, but Sunday we went.

Claira Getting Face Paint UnicornNara Getting Face Paint Butterfly
There is a face painting tent with about 20 people paining faces.  I've never seen so many painters all in the same place.  Claira picked a tricky picture so there was a bit of a wait.

Claira And Nara With Face Paint
 
Next up was a ball pit on a large scale - yoga balls!  About 8 kids go in at a time and it's a giant scavenger hunt for the balls marked "Sun" and "Moon".  Nara got pretty good at it - Claira really enjoyed hiding and the effect of the static electricity on her hair.

Nara Found MoonLots Of Static ElectricityClaira Hiding From Dad

Nara With Ukulele
One of the local music stores (Long and McQuade) runs a Musical Petting Zoo - a large tent full of instruments that the kids can try out.  The kids started with the stringed instruments and gave them a pretty good try!

Claira Playing Guitar

The main attraction were the electronic drum sets.  These kits comes with headphones so the kids can bash as much as they want and they don't bother other people.  The kids though it was almost magic to smack the rubber pads and yet hear strong drum sounds on their headphones. 

Nara Playing DrumsClaira Playing Drums

And of course their are crafts!

Claira Doing CraftsClaira With Bird Craft
The project was a bird tied together with ribbon.  There were feathers you could glue on and lots of markers to color your bird.  What really impressed me was all of the volunteers!  A whole bunch of high school students were behind the tables helping the kids through the various stages.  It was really nice to see the kids helping kids.

First Time This Year at the Water Park

Nara First Slide Of Year
Living near Granville Island means you can walk down, have an activity and walk home all in the same hour.  The water park open after the May long weekend so we brought bathing suits.  You know it's a bad sign when you have to ask the staff to turn on the water slide.  Nara had three slides, Claira just one before they got too cold.

Claira First Slide Of Year

The park has new hoses this year so the spray goes a lot farther.  Unfortunately Claira got soaked with the large fountain and it ended her day.  The kids had lunch at the picnic table and we went home.

Nara With Water HoseClaira Got ColdHaving Lunch With Empty Waterpark

Richmond Night Market

Kids Breaking Out Of Egg

It's been something like a decade since I've last been to the Richmond Night Market.    Years ago the show split and there were two competing markets and neither did well.  We are back to a single night market and it seems to be doing quite well.  We parked outside (there was a 45 minute line up to get into the free parking lot) and waited perhaps 20 minutes to pay our admission fee (4.25 each adult, kids were free).



Claira Near Stairs
The attractions have gotten much fancier.  They had a giant pool with paddle boats - 10 dollars for a roughly a 10 minute paddle.  While the kids did get life jackets, they weren't CSA certified and we missing straps so I don't know how effective they would have been.  The kids had a good time.


Claira Having Fun PaddlingKids Paddling In PoolNara Paddling

Large Crowds At Food Booths
The real attraction is the food.  Each food stall makes between three and a dozen different things, generally from place in Asia.  While there are a lot of classic food stall food (bubble tea, curry fish balls), there are also lot of fusion items such as waffles with Asian fruits or tornado potatoes. 


Claira With WaffleNara Eating From Stick
Our kids picked the most safe thing possible - waffles (in an interesting shape that lends itself to a skewer) with chocolate, thin slices strawberries and some powdered sugar.    They were about 7 dollars a serving.


Kids With Lit Balloons
The market also has product stalls (think socks, phone repair and silly knives) and a few stalls had these balloons with lights ($10 each).  The kids walked home with a pair. 

Clairas' Gymnastics Photo Day

Claira's gymnastics is near the end of their term.  They had a "Hawaii" themed day that includes an opportunity for parents to take photos of their kids.

Claira Dressed As Plastic HawaiianClaira Bouncing On TrampolineClaira Upside Down  
Claira HooraClaira Getting Stamp

Crab Park Before Chinese Class

It was a beautiful day and the kids were going a bit squirrelly at home (Helen was working) so we decided to go to Crab Park before we went to Chinese class.  The parking situation is a bit dire (it's really better to bike if you can), but we paid and got parking.  The kids really enjoyed some time on the playground in the warm sun.

Claira On PlaygroundNara On Hot SlideNara Trying Monkey Bars

Crab park has a great view of Canada Place where the cruise ships dock.  At this time of the year cruise ships are arriving and going up to Alaska at a regular pace - almost every day there is a large or small cruise ship changing over for a new cruise.

Golden Princess Eclipsing Seabourn Sojourn

Keira and Kaylee's Birthday

Keira and Kaylee are my cousin's daughters.  They happen to have the same birthday 2 years apart.  Their mother, my cousin kindly invited us to their birthday party at Queens park in New West.  Marcus and James were also invited so the four kids played together for a few hours.

Queens Park has a lot of attractions in a small area.  They have a lot of playground including a two story climbing structure.  The kids like to play grounders (a variation on tag) but unfortunately Claira had a tough time getting out of "it".

Claira Running In GrassPlaying GroundersPlaying On ClimberMarcus Running Up Ramp

Queens park also has a nice petting zoo. 

Nice To Have Your Own GoatLooking At Out Of Bounds AnimalsYoung Chickens In Cages

Thanks again to Sonia and her family for inviting us!

Claira's Birthday

Claira At Top Of Slide

This year Claira wanted to go to the Adventure Zone at Granville Island for her birthday.  We have held so many birthdays here that the staff know us by name and we knew to book it a few months in advance.   
 


Crawling in the play gym with the kids is getting tricky.  The kids are bigger and faster and they don't always see having a parent around as being helpful.  I stuck around with some of the younger kids, but the older kids did their own thing.

Claira With Balls In ClimberNara And James Playing Projector GamesEmris Climbing With Balls
 
Claira really wanted a chocolate plaque that said Happy Birthday - it turned into a special order.  Getting 2 dozen cupcakes at 10am on a Sunday is actually a bit tricky - most of the cupcake places don't open that early or can't provide the numbers that early.  We wound up going with whole foods who had no problem with the special order.

Clairas Number Six CandleLong Line Of Gift BagsClaira With Her CakeClaira Blowing Out Candles

 
After the birthday party, we went out to the water park to play around before coming home.

Focus Stacked Head And Torso
You sometimes don't appreciate the nature in your back yard.  In the summer it's not unusual to see a dragon fly float by the sidewalks around our condo.  Down at Granville Island there are a few freshwater ponds where the dragonflies likely grow up before they get to the flying stage.  While I got some photos of an insect perched, I was able to watch another animal laying eggs in the water.  Considering it's an international tourist attraction, it's nice to see wildlife finding a way.

Eight Spotted Skimmer Focus Stacked

 
  Marcus Running In Water Park
Let the kids go at a water park and they can figure out what to do.  The water is never "warm" so they do limit their time actually getting wet.

Marcus Running Behind SprayPlanning Next Run In Water Park
 
  Marcus Drying OffClaira Drying Off

We brought towels, dried the kids off and walked home. 

Claira's Ballet Class

Nara took Ballet when she was younger but the teach moved so the classes stopped.  Claira wanted to as well and we finally found a class available at the Granville Island Community Center.  Her last class of the spring semester was today and they let parents in to see them dance.  Her class was less than half full - I suspect many families were out of town for Canada Day.
 
Claira Legs CrossedHopping With ClothsClaira Jumping

 Modern Ballet
The kids had two dance numbers.  First they did Sleeping Bunnies where they started by lying down and then "woke up" and hopped around until the song told them to lie down again.



Two Scarves
The next dance was a bit more choreographed.  The kids had practices but the instructor was behind us reminding them of the  of the moves.




Two Scarves
Person: Claira
Tags: ballet
Marcus Running Up Ramp
Person: Marcus
Claira At Top Of Slide
Person: Claira
Marcus Running Behind Spray
Person: Marcus
Altitude: 18m (59 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Granville Island, water park
Nara Eating From Stick
Person: Nara
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Eight Spotted Skimmer Focus Stacked
Species: Libellula forensis (Eight-spotted Skimmer)
Altitude: 20m (65 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: dragonfly, Granville Island
Claira Doing Crafts
Person: Claira
Nara On Hot Slide
Person: Nara
Tags: playground, slide
Claira Near Stairs
Person: Claira
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: paddle boat, Richmond Night Market
Nice To Have Your Own Goat
Person: James, Marcus, Nara
Tags: petting zoo
Nara Paddling
Person: Nara
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: paddle boat, Richmond Night Market
Modern Ballet
Person: Claira
Tags: ballet
Claira Legs Crossed
Person: Claira
Tags: ballet
Claira With Her Cake
Person: Claira
Claira Running In Grass
Person: Claira
Claira On Playground
Person: Claira
Claira Got Cold
Person: Claira
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Hopping With Cloths
Person: Claira
Tags: ballet
Claira Hoora
Person: Claira
Focus Stacked Head And Torso
Species: Libellula forensis (Eight-spotted Skimmer)
Altitude: 20m (65 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: dragonfly
Nara With Water Hose
Person: Nara
Tags: Granville Island, water park
Nara And James Playing Projector Games
Person: Nara
Claira With Balls In Climber
Person: Claira
Claira Bouncing On Trampoline
Person: Claira
Tags: gymnastics, trampoline
Claira First Slide Of Year
Person: Claira
Altitude: 12m (39 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Granville Island, slide, water park, water slide
Having Lunch With Empty Waterpark
Person: Claira, Nara
Altitude: 8m (26 feet)
Location: Go To...
Marcus Running In Water Park
Person: Marcus
Altitude: 18m (59 feet)
Location: Go To...
Clairas Number Six Candle
Tags: birthday cake, cup cake
Nara Playing Drums
Person: Nara
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira Playing Drums
Person: Claira
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Playing Grounders
Person: Marcus, Nara
Golden Princess Eclipsing Seabourn Sojourn
Tags: cruise ship, ship, Vancouver
Claira Having Fun Paddling
Person: Claira
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: paddle boat, Richmond Night Market
Nara First Slide Of Year
Person: Nara
Altitude: 13m (42 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Granville Island, slide, water park, water slide
Claira Blowing Out Candles
Person: Claira
Large Crowds At Food Booths
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: crowd, Richmond Night Market
Nara With Ukulele
Person: Nara
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Marcus Drying Off
Person: Marcus
Location: Go To...
Planning Next Run In Water Park
Person: Marcus, James, Claira, Nara
Location: Go To...
Claira With Bird Craft
Person: Claira
Claira Getting Face Paint Unicorn
Person: Claira
Altitude: 17m (55 feet)
Location: Go To...
Young Chickens In Cages
Person: James
Altitude: 110m (360 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira Getting Stamp
Tags: gymnastics, stamp
Claira Jumping
Person: Claira
Tags: ballet
Kids Paddling In Pool
Person: Claira, Nara
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: paddle boat, Richmond Night Market
Looking At Out Of Bounds Animals
Person: James, Claira, Marcus, Nara
Tags: petting zoo
Emris Climbing With Balls
Nara Found Moon
Person: Nara
Altitude: 4m (13 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira Drying Off
Person: Claira
Location: Go To...
Nara Trying Monkey Bars
Person: Nara
Tags: monkey bars, playground
Claira With Waffle
Person: Claira
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Nara Getting Face Paint Butterfly
Person: Nara
Altitude: 17m (55 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira Upside Down
Person: Claira
Tags: gymnastics, upside down
Claira Dressed As Plastic Hawaiian
Person: Claira
Tags: costume, gymnastics
Kids Breaking Out Of Egg
Person: Claira, Nara
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Long Line Of Gift Bags
Lots Of Static Electricity
Person: Claira
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira Playing Guitar
Person: Claira
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Playing On Climber
Person: Marcus, Claira, Nara
Altitude: 99m (324 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: playground
Claira Hiding From Dad
Person: Claira
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Kids With Lit Balloons
Person: Claira, Nara
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: lights, night, Richmond Night Market
Claira And Nara With Face Paint
Person: Claira, Nara
Altitude: 4m (13 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: face paint, Granville Island
Tags: Granville Island(6), ballet(6), Richmond Night Market(6), gymnastics(4), paddle boat(4), water park(4)
People: Claira(37), Nara(21), Marcus(9), James(4)
From: John Harvey Photo > Blogs for 2023 to 2005 > June 2018

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