Unexpected One on One Time
If you were following along with my Instagram stories on the weekend, you would have seen our family headed out for a fun day together, but at our first stop at the park James got sick (let me tell you, he cleared out that park faster than I even knew was possible!).
After Curtis and I cleaned him and the park equipment up, Curtis told me he would take James home and Georgia and I should stay to enjoy some time together and could just take the train home when we were done. He's amazing and I was immediately so grateful for the chance to spend some special one on one time with my little girl. She was my first baby, we used to hang out just the two of us all of the time, and this unexpected chance to really focus on just her and make her feel special was a great silver lining to the day.
If you find yourself downtown Calgary for a date with your 4 year old, here are some of our favourite/kid friendly things that we did in Inglewood and the East Village:
We started at the east end of Inglewood, where they recently finished a new playground. It's a pretty great one, and we got to spend as long as she wanted there, such a special treat. Once we started walking to the shops Georgia said she wanted to stop at the spice store. I love The Silk Road Spice Merchant, their selection and quality is fantastic and so much fun to browse through, and Georgia loves the play kitchen area they have set up for kids, so it's a win-win for us.
Next on our list was Plant, such a great little shop full of everything you need for indoor plants. Georgia and I helped one another pick out a plant and pot for each of our bedrooms, she has such a love of living things, especially ones she can take care of.
Further down from there was the Gummi Boutique, a sweet candy store where I found some old school Fizz candies and got to share a piece of my childhood with her.
We walked from there all the way down Inglewood's main street until we reached the Esker Foundation's window display. Georgia was mesmerized, and I'd been looking for an opportunity to check out their free admission art exhibit (which changes 3 times a year), so we went up to the fourth floor of the building and wandered around. I just followed her around and got to see what interested her most and what she was drawn to. Her favourite was the, "PINK ROOM, MOM!!!"
Since it was a beautiful day and we weren't that far from East Village, we walked over to Sidewalk Citizen for some lunch. It's one of our favourite bakeries, I think you could order anything there and it will be delicious. Georgia picked out a croissant and a macaroon and was in heaven. We sat on the patio outside near the river and Georgia was so excited that we were allowed to eat outside at a restaurant! There's a great playground nearby on 6 St. SE, which is where we ended our adventures.
If you find yourself downtown Calgary with your 4 year old, I definitely recommend making some memories and exploring the variety of interests in Inglewood. It's such a great place to discover together, the day ended with the two of us feeling much closer to one another, and gave us a chance to really get to know each other, especially for me because she is growing so much as a person.
