I'm certain I can't be the only one who finds themselves looking at the listless strawberries (can fruit be listless?) in the grocery store and longing for spring and summer.
This is an unusual state for me - I'm one of those weirdos who likes the rain and the cloudy days, but since having children I've realized two important things about our drier seasons: first, the produce is better and cheaper (that's important when you have children that can consume berries faster than Hoover vacuums) and second, playing outside is a lot more fun when it can be accomplished without a a half hour of wrangling small, squirming bodies into a full complement of rain-proof gear.
Yes, my love for the winter season here has been beaten down by the high cost of berries and the torture of getting muddybuddies onto a toddler . it's a good thing I don't live in, say, Alberta or northern Quebec. I'd probably have given up on life by now, considering the additional challenges of sub-zero temperatures.
Sadly, the truth of the matter is that there's still plenty of winter ahead of us. It is, after all, just the start of February. The Metro Vancouver rain festival doesn't end for a few more months yet.
So, in the spirit of boosting fellow parents who may be feeling a little listless themselves, here are a few events in the local area that may help pass the time while the clouds do their annual never-ending rain festival.
Be mine
In New Westminster, drop in at the city's museum and archives on Feb. 12 to learn about oldtime Valentines and make your own cards to send out to friends and family. A little history, a little arts and crafts and a good price: by donation. The family drop-in is all ages and runs from 1 to 3 p.m. at 302 Royal Ave. Call 604527-4640 for more information.
Sweetheart skate
In Burnaby, check out the Valentine's skate on Feb. 11 from 12: 30 to 3 p.m., at Bill Copeland Sports Centre, 3676 Kensington Ave. The event includes ice skating, face painting, Valentine's crafts and games. Regular admission and rental rates apply. Call 604-297-4521 for more information.
Beat the cold
This is fitting, considering the time of year and my complaints about the cold weather - and, better yet, it can be done anywhere.
Feb. 9 is National Sweater Day, an annual event organized by the World Wildlife Federation to encourage people to turn down the heat (and lower energy consumption) and put on a sweater instead. They're encouraging people to put on bright, colourful sweaters to make a statement and show support for climate change action.
So dig into the back of the closet and find that old, gaudy, crazy sweater - and if anyone has something to say about it, tell them you're helping the earth. And, while you're at it, take a photo of yourself, your family, your coworkers or friends in your big sweaters and send them my way at cmyers@ burnabynow.com and I'll include them in our online photo galleries.
Information, including packages for schools and businesses, is online at http: //wwf.ca/take action/sweater_day.
Kids fair
We were pleased to hear that the first (and hopefully annual) Royal City Kids Fair had a great turnout at its recent event at the Fraser River Discovery Centre. Bobs and Lolo were on hand to perform and a variety of exhibitors and vendors were there for local families to check out. When we hear about next year's fair, we'll spread the word.
Have a family-friendly event, activity or story to tell us about? Send details to cmyers@royalcityrecord. com. Follow Christina on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ ChristinaMyersA.
