We're still here!

Hi everyone! We're still here, I just haven't had the energy to post much. This post will likely be a huge mish-mash of all things since January.

I can hardly believe that Spring is just around the corner. This weekend we change the clocks and I love this time of year. It's getting dark much later and I'm already looking forward to the summer. We've been busy since January. We started taking family Mandarin lesson each Saturday. The lessons are very different from the traditional Chinese School lessons I remember taking. The class size is very small (5 other kids in the class) and the parents stay and learn at the same time. The class consists mostly of games and songs that we play in order to learn phrases. I like that it's 'fun' and a very natural way for kids to learn language. The difficult part for Josh and I is that we have to be more diligent in practicing and using the phrases with the kids at home.

Since the Mandarin classes are in Richmond, we head over to my parents house after class each week. I love that we can spend more time with Gong Gong and Po Po. Seeing them every week has sure made a difference with the kids and how they interact with their grandparents. It's great to have the regular visit and the kids are feeling totally at home. This Sunday we dropped the kids off while Josh and I went to Richmond Centre for a mid-afternoon date! Actually, Josh needed to get some new clothes so we had lunch together and did some shopping. Just like the old days!

Saturday afternoons are also swimming lessons, so as you can guess, we are dead tired by the end of the day. The kids love swimming so at least it's easy to get them there. The nice thing is that we end up spending a full family day out. Usually we'll drive for a quick nap and then head to a coffee shop or Granville Island for a snack. Ethan is still in the Parent and Tot lessons until he turns 3 and he just loves the water. Maddy is also doing well in her lessons and learning to glide and kick more for distance. Soon, they'll be so good, that I'll have to go back for adult lessons in order to catch up!

Since Jaunary we've also been busy with birthday parties, Chinese New Year, Valentines and even some adult only get-togethers. I'm loving this stage because it's way easier to leave the kids with sitters and have some date nights for Josh and I. This year we were able to go to several Dine Out Vancouver dinners. It was awesome! I think I enjoyed the food and dining experience even more now that we know what it's like to not be able to go out as easily as we used to!

I promise to be back soon with some updates on the kids. It's been a really long time!