6 Ways to Thaw a Frozen Heart this March

As the gentle fog lifted from my weary dream dust-filled eyes and the fluffy white clouds started to shift within my mind this morning, I held Henry as I pulled open the blind in our family room to find an anything but a warm welcome to the day. More snow. More snow!!! 

Moments later Alexa woke she bolted to that same window with the same enthusiasm she had for the first (and unexpected) snowfall this year. I'm going to guess it's been seven snowfalls since and each time, she greets the snow as if it was the first time she has ever seen it in her life. To her it is a great miracle and gift. While I have been feeling more and more less appreciative of the snow, the kids certainly make it more bearable.

However, I'm finding with each passing snowfall we are more and more interested in venturing further and further from home in order to overcome our weather woes. Here are 6 activities / adventures your kids will love irrespective of the weather:

4Cats masterpiece and one of its proud creators

1. Succumb - Take them outside anyway. I know it's wet, it's dirty, it's cold. However, as we know, most kids, love to get wet and dirty. Find some stained play clothes or clothes they're about to grow out of and throw it on. Yes, let them have their cake and eat it too (without any parent guilt about sugar). Alexa's pre-school just had pyjama day and I'm not going to lie, I layered her in pyjamas she'd outgrown over some tights (to make them look like they still fit - shameful I know). In my defence, I found her exactly where I expected too, in the sandbox, outside on a reasonably wet day. When we got home, I stripped her down and tossed the pyjamas. I snickered as though I just got an unexpected 5% discount. Mama win.
    
2. Extreme Air Park (Langley) - This place feels like a world of intermittent gravity and an overload of giddiness. Plus it has a sponge pit, which my kids hadn't even dreamed about yet in their new little lives. They have glow jumping, basketball on trampolines (so you too can be LeBron James), and dodge ball. While it was a bit pricey $32/hour, we truthfully couldn't have lasted more than that, my kids were happy cranky when we left... 
3. Arts and Crafts at 4Cats Studio - I know, I know, you can do crafts at home. 4Cats offers a lot of variation and have guided art classes depending on your kids' ages and interests. We completed a splatter party for Alexa and her friends that ended up looking like a cross between Andy Warhol's bright charisma crossed with Jackson Pollock's  artistic chaos. We've had the piece stretched and hung in our main hall upstairs. 4 Cats classes start at $10 and last 45 minutes. 
4. South Surrey's Stay and Play - South Surrey Rec Centre offers a full gymnasium full of toys, oversized blocks, bikes, balls, and sports equipment for a very reasonable price of free.  I really liked the Stay and Play because it's a wide open space to run around and the kids activities are all self-paced. Check the South Surrey Rec Centre for times, but most week days Stay and Play occurs right in our wheel house (between 9 and 11:30/12:00 pm).
5. Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre - I think most, if not all, kids like two things, snow and sand/swimming. So if you're over the snow, like I am, then why not try the flip side? This pool, still new to the area (opened Summer 2016), offers so much joy and exhaustion. The perfect combination for making any upcoming nap an easy task. Deep dive pools, lap pools, hot tubs, a water slide (though my kids are too small for the big slide, Alexa is quite happy with their toddler offering), a toddler area with splash buckets, and a lazy river.
6. Storytime at White Rock Library - Offered each Wednesday in March at 10:30 am, story time for kids is a fabulous break from the usual. I love that my kids enjoy going to the library at such an early age. Henry loves picking every book off the shelf, whereas Alexa beams with pride when she finally determines her next selection. Afterwards, we settle in for the half hour guided story time, often giggling, singing, and/or simply learning about a new adventure, emotion, or character. En route to home we often stop for lunch on the water, Charlie Don't Surf, is quickly becoming a fan favourite, and if not, it's often one sweet Cupcake from Grandview Corners to be gleefully devoured after our lunch and nap.

If none of these options sound convincing or of any interest whatsoever, I will endeavour to continue my quest to inspire you in a future post. However, I can offer one more suggestion, that guarantees to uplift even the most frozen heart: Hit The Road!

Tomorrow I take my own advice, a short vacation with the family, and a long overdue change of scenery. South Surrey / White Rock, we love you, but you've been unusually cruel this year... I'll keep you posted on all our ongoings, but until then... I hope you'll share your fabulous ideas on how to stay motivated, happy, and creative as a parent in this never-ending winter adventure.

I wish you much blissful ruckus.