It's been so rainy here in Vancouver and I have definitely done my fair share of complaining. However, I'm grateful for companies like Battat Toys that help keep our imagination, learning, and playing, alive & well during these LONG rainy days.

Meet Little Miss Independent - Kinsley is quickly growing up before my eyes! This little shopping cart is one of the best toys for Kinsley. She pushes this cart around my house in circles, filling it with groceries, stuffies, blankets even trying to climb in herself. I love toys that allow children to be imaginative and I feel like I'm doing my part by giving her "Mom 101" training at an early age. Pretty soon she will be driving and buying my groceries for me....right!!! (insert: Crying Tears Emoji).

Kinsley's dress is from Beau Hudson - one of my favourite clothing companies!

I think what these rainy days have taught me the most is to make the most out of your time together. Some days we have strapped on rain boots and jackets and just embraced the rain. Other days we've invited our cousins over and had a puzzle-solving, fort-making, and train-track-building kind of morning. 

This Sea Puzzle from Battat has knobs so little hands can easily hold to twist and fit into place. The crab who likes to "pinch, pinch, pinch" is our favourite! The alphabet puzzle is a must have for any toddler. It is magnet....game changer....so you don't lose pieces when you are putting it away!
PS. Why aren't all puzzles magnetic?!

Lately, I've been loving this top from Pink Blush Maternity. Secret - it's actually a maternity top, but I'm not pregnant! :). This Light Blue Zipper top is flowy and comfortable and perfect to pair with jeans in the winter and shorts in the summer. It comes in white, black, grey, blue, pink etc. which is wonderful because when I find a shirt I love, I tend to go back and buy it in three different colours. 

I am so grateful my sister and I have been off on maternity leave together. Well, technically neither us get paid anymore to be on maternity leave, but we both chose to stay home with our kids and I am grateful for her friendship. Her love for my kids is heart-warming and she is constantly getting down on the floor and building the greatest train track with Jake. 

She doesn't know it yet but I will definitely be borrowing this shirt from Lauren. It's from Pink Blush and I just love the scallop detailing on the edges that give a feminine touch, not to mention it is super soft!  

Battat also creates these wonderful wooden trains with magnets that can attach to each other to form one big long train.  I mistakenly told Jake to put the Passenger train on the tracks and he quickly informed me "Mom, that's not a passenger train, that's a Freight Train". Sorry bud!

Some days my sister and I get together and vent or complain about the tough moments of motherhood, but most of the time we get to encourage each other as mothers and also enjoy our children who are learning and playing together.
Last week the kids were playing trains together, when we stopped for a moment and watched as the three of them all interacted, shared and drove their trains.
It was a moment we won't easily forget. 

This is my crew.
I am so grateful for these two that keep me on my toes, keep my grounded, humbled, and constantly reminded to be filled with grace and patience. I love them and wouldn't trade rainy days with them for anything! (Although we won't decline a flight to sunny California)!

Jake's shirt - Gymboree
Cairo's shirt - Crazy 8
Kinsley's dress - Beau Hudson