We all piled into the van and drove to the Vancouver Aquarium yesterday, an outing that involved four adults and five kids — a ratio that works quite well, but still requires a frequent body count lest we lose a stray kidlet in the weekend Aquarium melee.
I drove us around Stanley Park beforehand to view the storm devastation, passing by gigantic uprooted trees and mounds of churned soil. There’s been a massive cleanup to clear out toppled trees, but the damage is visible and extensive: the forests are thinned out, barriers knocked down, gardens completely destroyed, sections of the park closed off. It’s going to take a long time before Stanley Park returns to its former glory.
The Aquarium has been renovated and further expansion is planned, I’ve been told. The main attraction — to the kids, anyway — was Clown Fish Cove. It’s grown from a small wing downstairs to a larger section on the main floor by my favourite tank of jellyfish.
We were joined by Dad and Sophie for dinner in New Westminster at The Old Spaghetti Factory, where we had our own long table to fit our party of 11 (six adults and five kids). It was coordinated pandemonium!
We picked up the twins’ birthday cake on the way home and here’s a little preview of the festivities:
We celebrated a bit early, so we could have a party while I’m in town. I woke up early this morning and eventually all five kids joined me, expecting — what else? — cake for breakfast!
(More photos after I return to Toronto.)
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