With Christmas over, I was ready for the next adventure - 3 nights in New York with my sister. The day of our flight dawned very snowy, but we didn't think too much of it. After all, this is Canada right - they deal with snowy conditions all the time, don't they? We arrived at the airport in plenty of time, checked in without a problem and cleared US customs quite quickly. (It is nice to be able to clear customs before you even leave!) We sat down for lunch before we flew, and kept an eye on the departure schedule; in spite of the weather our flight was still on track to leave on time and there were only a couple of delays and cancellations.
And then... 15 mins before our flight is due to depart, while we are standing around wondering why there are no staff at the boarding gate (or anywhere else in sight) our flight status goes from "on time" to "cancelled". NOOOOOOOO! So a group of us are waiting at the gate, stuck, not knowing what to do next. We can't go back the way we came in (they get nasty when you try to barge the wrong way through customs and security) and we can't go forward as that involves going through Canadian customs and there are no doors open for us. Waiting, waiting, frustration building, blood pressure going up, voices raising. A couple of people were getting really fired up and I was trying to avoid them; I was hoping that by being nice we stood a better chance of getting on another flight that day. Finally, an airline staff member arrives. Amazingly 'helpful' really, he gave us a pamphlet (yes, seriously), took us out through customs and told us where to collect our luggage. Ummm, is that it dude?? We were sent up to the ticket counter to re-book our flight, but I saw a phone number on our very informative pamplet and though it might be an idea to try it instead of jostling with the angry mob in the queue. An hour and 20 minutes later, we had the best deal we could have - we were booked on the same flight the next day. We were pretty disappointed to not make it that day (our accommodation had been pre-paid) but from talking to the staff at the airport (once we found someone who was actually helpful and friendly) we were damn lucky to get on that flight. Thank goodness for a helpful staff member on the phone!
So, a taxi home with glum faces. I'd given hubby a heads up so he'd briefed our 3 year old. "Mum, are you a bit sad?" Anytime there was a nappy that needed changing, or kids needing food, my refrain of the evening was: "I'm not even supposed to be here today!!" (Clerks anyone?)
The next day, take 2. Back to the airport, more boarding passes, back through customs. (I have 2 stamps in my passport on the same page -apparantly I arrived in the US twice in 2 days.) This time though - success! Take-off, landing, luggage, taxi, hotel. The hotel was a little....disappointing....nothing really wrong with it but it was like a bad conversion of an old backpackers. Our 2 single beds were so close together that we may as well have shared a king! Anyway, there was no time to dwell on that - we had things to do! Step one: book a Broadway show. With tickets to see Mary Poppins that night in our hot little hands, we trekked up 5th Avenue (along with at least a million other people - New York was crazy busy) to Tiffany's. Also crazy busy! But the crowds did not deter us - we left with little blue bags in hand!
And back to 42nd Street we went (with a quick bite to sustain us) to the New Amsterdam theatre. A beautiful theatre I have to say; very good that Disney took the effort to restore it so well during the Broadway revival of the 90s. Mary Poppins was fantastic too - a good fun musical and the kids did a great job with their big roles. After the show we managed to squeeze in a visit to the M&M store (cheesy merchandise anyone?) and a hot chocolate before we went back to the tiny hotel room to hit the hay.
NYC - Day 2. Up and out, breakfast, then on to the Rockefeller Centre to check out the view from the Top of the Rock. The queues looked daunting, but thankfully moved quite quickly. A little overcast, but a great view. Next stop, MoMA. Again - crazy busy. (Is anyone else noticing this theme??) The crowds around some of the big ticket items like Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' and Munch's 'The Scream' were unbelievable. So much for 'enjoying' art too - everyone was just taking photos on their iDevices! At least I had a chance to soak up some Picasso and Monet without a jostling crowd. We managed to get lunch at a cafe there with a minimum of waiting (desite the fact that the cafe was - you guessed it - crazy busy!) before checking out some more art and heading out. Next step, shopping. Bloomingdales was our store of choice for a browse ....and a buy :)
Feet up in our little room for a bit, before freshening up for dinner. We went to a traditional New York Steakhouse and had too much food and a bottle of wine while sitting in a red velvet booth with mood lighting. A good end to a busy day. Tempting as it was to go out after for cocktails, colds convinced us to head home for a decent night's sleep.
Day 3, and the bubbly morning TV presenter tells us: "It's a 5 layer day today!" Apparantly the wind chill was going to be a killer. Not enough to deter us though, as we headed to our nearest subway station to go and check out the Brooklyn Bridge. Surprisingly - crazy busy! A beautiful, blue sky day though. And yes, I'll admit that the wind was pretty cold on the face, but apart from that I really didn't feel cold at all. I must be getting tough after living in Ottawa!
After a coffee, we hit the pavement and walked through Chinatown and Little Italy, where it made sense to stop for a pizza for lunch. The table next to us had 2 Aussies at it - some of the many Aussie accents we heard over the few days. We then crossed town, through SoHo and West Village (it's funny to see quiet residential streets in the middle of such a big and busy city) to the High Line. It's an old elevated railway line which has been converted to a park. I can see that it would be fantastic in summer to stop for a drink and soak up the view, but in winter it was really just people walking. Sadly, the afternoon (my last) was ticking by, so we caught the subway back to our 'hood (but did manage to squeeze in some shoe shopping!) so that I could be ready to catch the shuttle to the airport.
It was sad to say goodbye to my sister as she headed off to her next hotel and I got on the shuttle to the airport. I grabbed a bite to eat which was thankfully substantial as my flight home was delayed by about 2 hours. I don't know what I would have done without a good book, but even so I was struggling to keep my eyes open by the time I got in the front door. Lucky I have a good hubby - he went to work a bit later the next day so that I could sleep in a bit while he got the kids up, dressed and fed. I was still damn tired though!!
So, that was the Big Apple. It was my second bite (couldn't resist the bad pun - sorry!) and I look forward to going back for another taste while we are here in Ottawa. Since I've been back, it's been pretty quiet. Another round of colds has passed through the house, and school/playgroups etc were all on break, but we were back into our normal routine this week just gone. I'll write more about life in Ottawa next time!
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Christmas!
Santa Claus is coming, strike that..... has BEEN to town! The dust has finally settled after a busy few days and I am enjoying the chance to sit here with a cup of tea and unwind. (Aren't laptops great - what did we do before we could work on a couch??) Anyway, let's rewind a week or so....
The first event on the week's calender was the school Christmas party. Knowing that 2 babies at such an event would be very hard work, I arranged a babysitter, and after being at the party I was pretty happy with my decision.The staff at the party did a great job. Each group of tables had a different Christmas themed activity, so Miss 3 and I made decorations, coloured pictures and decorated Christmas tree shaped Rice Krispy (Rice Bubbles to us Aussies!) treats (which lasted about 1 minute!) Then, we ate party food! What more could you want as a 3 year old? After that, the parents were treated to some singing of carols in the gym, complete with the shaking of jingle bells.Very cute.
We had a big dump of snow finally which was fantastic. It was snowman time! We tried the method we'd been told, which was to roll a snowball, then roll it on the ground. It works, but blimey it gets big and heavy quickly - especially when your only helper is a 3 year old! Great fun though. It was also great to just play in the snow with Miss 3...."Mum, throw snowballs at me!" "Ok!!" It'll be fantastic next year when the twins are old enough to run around outside too. Especially if they can figure out how to put their own mittens on, although not likely!
It ws a Saturday evening and we took the mob across the street to have drinks with the neighbours. Great fun, even if the children did demolish the cheese with their hands! I also got my neighbour hooked on my homemade rum balls :) We came home, ate dinner and my sister and I decided that we couldn't let all those warm-up drinks go to waste so we headed out on the town for some drinks and dancing. We'd quizzed the neighbour to figure out where would be good to go, and after having a classy cocktail, we went to a lounge/club type venue with 3 floors with 3 different types of music. We thought it would only be fair to have a drink on each level :) Our final destination was the top floor which had the best dance floor, and was where we stayed until home time, in spite of some very 'interesting' characters!
I think that as a mum it's important to go out dancing all night now and again... if just to remind yourself why you don't do it every weekend :) The next day my feet and knees hurt and I was damn tired! Thankfully, we had no real plans, so I was able to sleep it off before Christmas Eve. It was pretty cold that day, so my sister, Miss 3 and myself spent the day making bright coloured paper chains to hang around all the windows. They looked particularly good behind the Christmas tree if I do say so myself! Before bed, we arranged all the presents under the tree (always gives me a tingle of anticipation) and made sure that 'Santa' had his treats of a Freddo Frog and juice. (Miss 3's rationale - I really like these things so Santa will too.)
Christmas Day itself passed in a whir of wrapping paper, food, drink and new toys. Probably much the same as other families! Although one big difference from most Aussie families was that we all really enjoyed having hot food - a refreshing change from salads! There is nothing quite like hot roast turkey with gravy and roast veg. We had cranberry on the side too, which the kids loved. After a big, late lunch it was cheese and crackers for dinner - again! Oh well, it is the silly season :) Unfortunately, there was no snow on the day; so we'll have to hope for next year.
Boxing Day is apparantly sledding day for a few families with young kids in this neighbourhood. So off we trekked to Rideau Hall, the home of the Governor General. And when I say trekked, I mean walked a block :) Apart from the brisk air (-12) it was a beautiful sunny day. We were happy to discover that Miss 3 is quite fearless scooting down a hill; it should make our February skiing holiday more fun. We were also happy to discover how easy it is to pull a kid along in a sled.
So... that was Christmas 2012 for us here in Ottawa. Not much planned for tomorrow, just a little flight to NEW YORK CITY with my sister for a girls trip!! No, not excited at all!! Although, I must confess it will be weird to be away from the kids. I have done the right thing though, and set up play dates for hubby and kids so that he doesn't get cabin fever. I'm fairly sure that the few days will go pretty quickly for me at least. So, off to bed I go and I'll fill you in on NYC later.
Night, night!
The first event on the week's calender was the school Christmas party. Knowing that 2 babies at such an event would be very hard work, I arranged a babysitter, and after being at the party I was pretty happy with my decision.The staff at the party did a great job. Each group of tables had a different Christmas themed activity, so Miss 3 and I made decorations, coloured pictures and decorated Christmas tree shaped Rice Krispy (Rice Bubbles to us Aussies!) treats (which lasted about 1 minute!) Then, we ate party food! What more could you want as a 3 year old? After that, the parents were treated to some singing of carols in the gym, complete with the shaking of jingle bells.Very cute.
We had a big dump of snow finally which was fantastic. It was snowman time! We tried the method we'd been told, which was to roll a snowball, then roll it on the ground. It works, but blimey it gets big and heavy quickly - especially when your only helper is a 3 year old! Great fun though. It was also great to just play in the snow with Miss 3...."Mum, throw snowballs at me!" "Ok!!" It'll be fantastic next year when the twins are old enough to run around outside too. Especially if they can figure out how to put their own mittens on, although not likely!
It ws a Saturday evening and we took the mob across the street to have drinks with the neighbours. Great fun, even if the children did demolish the cheese with their hands! I also got my neighbour hooked on my homemade rum balls :) We came home, ate dinner and my sister and I decided that we couldn't let all those warm-up drinks go to waste so we headed out on the town for some drinks and dancing. We'd quizzed the neighbour to figure out where would be good to go, and after having a classy cocktail, we went to a lounge/club type venue with 3 floors with 3 different types of music. We thought it would only be fair to have a drink on each level :) Our final destination was the top floor which had the best dance floor, and was where we stayed until home time, in spite of some very 'interesting' characters!
I think that as a mum it's important to go out dancing all night now and again... if just to remind yourself why you don't do it every weekend :) The next day my feet and knees hurt and I was damn tired! Thankfully, we had no real plans, so I was able to sleep it off before Christmas Eve. It was pretty cold that day, so my sister, Miss 3 and myself spent the day making bright coloured paper chains to hang around all the windows. They looked particularly good behind the Christmas tree if I do say so myself! Before bed, we arranged all the presents under the tree (always gives me a tingle of anticipation) and made sure that 'Santa' had his treats of a Freddo Frog and juice. (Miss 3's rationale - I really like these things so Santa will too.)
Christmas Day itself passed in a whir of wrapping paper, food, drink and new toys. Probably much the same as other families! Although one big difference from most Aussie families was that we all really enjoyed having hot food - a refreshing change from salads! There is nothing quite like hot roast turkey with gravy and roast veg. We had cranberry on the side too, which the kids loved. After a big, late lunch it was cheese and crackers for dinner - again! Oh well, it is the silly season :) Unfortunately, there was no snow on the day; so we'll have to hope for next year.
Boxing Day is apparantly sledding day for a few families with young kids in this neighbourhood. So off we trekked to Rideau Hall, the home of the Governor General. And when I say trekked, I mean walked a block :) Apart from the brisk air (-12) it was a beautiful sunny day. We were happy to discover that Miss 3 is quite fearless scooting down a hill; it should make our February skiing holiday more fun. We were also happy to discover how easy it is to pull a kid along in a sled.
So... that was Christmas 2012 for us here in Ottawa. Not much planned for tomorrow, just a little flight to NEW YORK CITY with my sister for a girls trip!! No, not excited at all!! Although, I must confess it will be weird to be away from the kids. I have done the right thing though, and set up play dates for hubby and kids so that he doesn't get cabin fever. I'm fairly sure that the few days will go pretty quickly for me at least. So, off to bed I go and I'll fill you in on NYC later.
Night, night!
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
'Tis the season.....
a) to have sniffles?
b) to go it alone?
c) to have a house guest?
d) to eat and drink too much?
e) to deal with ice and snow?
f) for the man in the red suit?
g) all of the above?
And the answer is g! In a way a lot has happened since my last post, but at the same time not very much. The dreaded winter cold hit our house with a vengeance, about 3 times now I think. Of course, not everyone gets sick at once: all the kids take turns, followed by the adults. By the time everyone is finally healthy, another cold comes home! I do of course know exactly how to avoid getting sick, but as that involves never, ever leaving the house with the kids and never, ever inviting anyone over, we are happy to take the risk :)
Hubby has been busy with work over the last couple of months, with 2 work trips in 3 weeks in November. That included a week overseas, which to be honest seemed to involve as much beer, food, nights out and sightseeing as actual work. (We'll see how long until he reads this and complains to me!!) To be honest I was a little worried about doing it alone with all the kids. Being a twin dad, hubby is pretty hands on and the logistics of getting 14 month old twins and a 3 and a half year old to bed every night can be a little daunting. Thankfully, the kids were mostly good, I got a little extra babysitting help and a plus was that I caught up on lots of rom coms. (Yes, I can be such a girl sometimes.) The only real downer was on his second trip away (thankfully only 3 nights) where I injured my ribs on the first night. (Short version: I had a cold and coughed while twisting to pick up a cuppa. I wouldn't recommend it.) Repeatedly picking up kids, in and out of prams and cars, high chairs and bathing - all quite painful. Luckily a few trips to the physio have made a huge difference. I still can't believe that I managed to do it to be honest!
December arrived and with it an Aussie visitor - a beloved aunt (my sister). Miss 3 came to the airport and was unbelievably excited - ran over and leapt into Aunty's arms for a very long hug with the biggest grin on her face. Of course now my poor sister now has a little voice in her ear all day every day, and even at midnight last night! We've had a chat about that :) We probably haven't done as much sightseeing as I'd hoped we might (see point a, and also some pretty cold days where little kids get cranky being out too long) but we made a good afternoon of it today traipsing around the city in the endlesss snow, rain and slush. At least it was warm - 0 degrees! And so what if all the photos have a carpet of white falling from the sky? At least there is no doubt as to when we were out and about! Anyway, the damp, slushy weather wasn't anything a Beavertail (a local treat, kind of like a flat donut) in the afternoon didn't fix.
And this leads nicely into d....eating and drinking too much. Something we all tend to do at this time of year; thanks to Jane Caro for a quote I read in The Age "If you don't put on weight during the festive season you're doing it wrong." It's also something we tend to do when we have a house guest. (Wine and cheese before dinner anyone? Out for dinner shall we? Movie munchies perhaps?) In fact, we did just have wine and cheese for dinner the other night - a 'quiet' evening with another family of 5 but we figure that the hommus with baby carrots made it a balanced meal. So much for setting a good example for your children! Even playgroup is a source of too much food, beacuse of course we had a Christmas party where everyone brought a plate (potluck as they call it in these parts) which of course were plates of biscuits and crackers and cake. (Oh my!) This week also brings a school Christmas party and drinks with the neighbours, so I may need to live on water and carrot sticks inbetween!
So there is no doubting that winter has arrived. The temperature has been more variable then I thought it would be with maximums anything from -8 to 4 over the last couple of weeks. Still, it is the sort of weather where you make sure that you have hats, coats gloves/mittens for everyone ready to go on and a snowsuit for Miss 3 for school so she can play outside. (Gosh it doesn't take long at all to get the kids out the door..................) One thing you don't think about as an Aussie (well, it doesn't come naturally to me anyway) is that you also need to consider the time it takes to get the car ready. A morning of 0 or so with fluffy snow is fine; you start the car and it is just about warm enough to drive after brushing off the snow. Colder takes longer, ice can take a while. We also have a tall car, making it impossible for me to effectively clean anything off the roof, so I end up with a constant drip of water on the windscreen, with the odd chunk of ice sliding down. We have quickly become thankful that we live on a bus route as it means our road is always cleared straight away. Interesting fact; the wiper fluid that is rated to -40 is explosive. Don't think I'd want that under the bonnet in Australia somehow....
So, kids and Christmas, you have to see the man in the red suit. We trekked to the local 'mall' to have our visit and photo and I have to say they had a fantastic set-up. When Santa arrived, the queue was let through into his little, circular area, where the line then waited around the back of Santa's chair. Around here was a slide, snowmen with benches for photo ops, a DVD playing, igloos for the kids to crawl in and out of - in short a genius idea. The kids were all amused waiting and the time went so much faster,even if a lot of them were pretty excitable by the time they reached Santa. Sadly, the twins decided that they didn't like Santa (screaming in unison anyone?) but Miss 3 leapt onto his knee for the first time ever and had a lovely chat. Of course, then Santa turned up at the playgroup Christmas party, and while happy with her book, she was wondering what happened to the Lego she asked for. Nothing a quick explanation that Santa saves the best gifts for the big day didn't fix! Wouldn't it be nice to be that innocent again?
So, that's about that. I'm actually looking forward to a quiet day at home tomorrow (well, as quiet as a day at home can be!) given that next week will be busy. I'm also hoping to redeem myself after falling a little short in mother of the year today. I somehow didn't quite click the child gate on the stairs this morning, and the twins who have always in the past enjoyed pushing it shut to hear the click, today made a break for it up the stairs. I had one on the landing and one near the top (where the world is not very child-proofed and Miss 3 keeps her little toys) when Miss 3 casually called out "Mum - my sisters are up the stairs!" Cue heart attack for mum! They were not happy about getting caught to be honest - not sure what their plan was! I also didn't hear Miss 3 get up at midnight and come down to see her aunty, after which she decided to sleep on the couch?? At least she used a blanket I guess! Needless to say, I will do better tomorrow!
So off to bed I go so I can be alert and ready! Merry Christmas, and wish us snow everyone :)
b) to go it alone?
c) to have a house guest?
d) to eat and drink too much?
e) to deal with ice and snow?
f) for the man in the red suit?
g) all of the above?
And the answer is g! In a way a lot has happened since my last post, but at the same time not very much. The dreaded winter cold hit our house with a vengeance, about 3 times now I think. Of course, not everyone gets sick at once: all the kids take turns, followed by the adults. By the time everyone is finally healthy, another cold comes home! I do of course know exactly how to avoid getting sick, but as that involves never, ever leaving the house with the kids and never, ever inviting anyone over, we are happy to take the risk :)
Hubby has been busy with work over the last couple of months, with 2 work trips in 3 weeks in November. That included a week overseas, which to be honest seemed to involve as much beer, food, nights out and sightseeing as actual work. (We'll see how long until he reads this and complains to me!!) To be honest I was a little worried about doing it alone with all the kids. Being a twin dad, hubby is pretty hands on and the logistics of getting 14 month old twins and a 3 and a half year old to bed every night can be a little daunting. Thankfully, the kids were mostly good, I got a little extra babysitting help and a plus was that I caught up on lots of rom coms. (Yes, I can be such a girl sometimes.) The only real downer was on his second trip away (thankfully only 3 nights) where I injured my ribs on the first night. (Short version: I had a cold and coughed while twisting to pick up a cuppa. I wouldn't recommend it.) Repeatedly picking up kids, in and out of prams and cars, high chairs and bathing - all quite painful. Luckily a few trips to the physio have made a huge difference. I still can't believe that I managed to do it to be honest!
December arrived and with it an Aussie visitor - a beloved aunt (my sister). Miss 3 came to the airport and was unbelievably excited - ran over and leapt into Aunty's arms for a very long hug with the biggest grin on her face. Of course now my poor sister now has a little voice in her ear all day every day, and even at midnight last night! We've had a chat about that :) We probably haven't done as much sightseeing as I'd hoped we might (see point a, and also some pretty cold days where little kids get cranky being out too long) but we made a good afternoon of it today traipsing around the city in the endlesss snow, rain and slush. At least it was warm - 0 degrees! And so what if all the photos have a carpet of white falling from the sky? At least there is no doubt as to when we were out and about! Anyway, the damp, slushy weather wasn't anything a Beavertail (a local treat, kind of like a flat donut) in the afternoon didn't fix.
And this leads nicely into d....eating and drinking too much. Something we all tend to do at this time of year; thanks to Jane Caro for a quote I read in The Age "If you don't put on weight during the festive season you're doing it wrong." It's also something we tend to do when we have a house guest. (Wine and cheese before dinner anyone? Out for dinner shall we? Movie munchies perhaps?) In fact, we did just have wine and cheese for dinner the other night - a 'quiet' evening with another family of 5 but we figure that the hommus with baby carrots made it a balanced meal. So much for setting a good example for your children! Even playgroup is a source of too much food, beacuse of course we had a Christmas party where everyone brought a plate (potluck as they call it in these parts) which of course were plates of biscuits and crackers and cake. (Oh my!) This week also brings a school Christmas party and drinks with the neighbours, so I may need to live on water and carrot sticks inbetween!
So there is no doubting that winter has arrived. The temperature has been more variable then I thought it would be with maximums anything from -8 to 4 over the last couple of weeks. Still, it is the sort of weather where you make sure that you have hats, coats gloves/mittens for everyone ready to go on and a snowsuit for Miss 3 for school so she can play outside. (Gosh it doesn't take long at all to get the kids out the door..................) One thing you don't think about as an Aussie (well, it doesn't come naturally to me anyway) is that you also need to consider the time it takes to get the car ready. A morning of 0 or so with fluffy snow is fine; you start the car and it is just about warm enough to drive after brushing off the snow. Colder takes longer, ice can take a while. We also have a tall car, making it impossible for me to effectively clean anything off the roof, so I end up with a constant drip of water on the windscreen, with the odd chunk of ice sliding down. We have quickly become thankful that we live on a bus route as it means our road is always cleared straight away. Interesting fact; the wiper fluid that is rated to -40 is explosive. Don't think I'd want that under the bonnet in Australia somehow....
So, kids and Christmas, you have to see the man in the red suit. We trekked to the local 'mall' to have our visit and photo and I have to say they had a fantastic set-up. When Santa arrived, the queue was let through into his little, circular area, where the line then waited around the back of Santa's chair. Around here was a slide, snowmen with benches for photo ops, a DVD playing, igloos for the kids to crawl in and out of - in short a genius idea. The kids were all amused waiting and the time went so much faster,even if a lot of them were pretty excitable by the time they reached Santa. Sadly, the twins decided that they didn't like Santa (screaming in unison anyone?) but Miss 3 leapt onto his knee for the first time ever and had a lovely chat. Of course, then Santa turned up at the playgroup Christmas party, and while happy with her book, she was wondering what happened to the Lego she asked for. Nothing a quick explanation that Santa saves the best gifts for the big day didn't fix! Wouldn't it be nice to be that innocent again?
So, that's about that. I'm actually looking forward to a quiet day at home tomorrow (well, as quiet as a day at home can be!) given that next week will be busy. I'm also hoping to redeem myself after falling a little short in mother of the year today. I somehow didn't quite click the child gate on the stairs this morning, and the twins who have always in the past enjoyed pushing it shut to hear the click, today made a break for it up the stairs. I had one on the landing and one near the top (where the world is not very child-proofed and Miss 3 keeps her little toys) when Miss 3 casually called out "Mum - my sisters are up the stairs!" Cue heart attack for mum! They were not happy about getting caught to be honest - not sure what their plan was! I also didn't hear Miss 3 get up at midnight and come down to see her aunty, after which she decided to sleep on the couch?? At least she used a blanket I guess! Needless to say, I will do better tomorrow!
So off to bed I go so I can be alert and ready! Merry Christmas, and wish us snow everyone :)
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Halloween
I begin by saying, well done Ottawa, well done. We had heard that our neighbourhood was one of the best to experience this tradition and it didn't disappoint. Signs began appearing early - zombie hands in garden beds, bloody handprints on doors and of course that universal symbol of Halloween the pumpkin. There were actually a lot of community events we didn't even attend for reasons various. But anyway, onto what we did do.
The week began with a playgroup Halloween party. It was great for Miss 3 to get another wear out of her (very girly I might say) pirate costume, and who doesn't like party food? That afternoon, hubby got to work carving out pumpkins. The type of pumpkin used over here costs about $3, has very soft flesh that just scoops out, and seeds which are delicious roasted. I was very impressed with the final result - 2 pumpkin faces and my favourite, a haunted castle. (In fact, my favourite of all the pumpkins I saw.)
And so the big day arrived. I hung some orange and black tinsel on the porch, stocked the 'candy' bowls and fielded yet another enquiry from Miss 3 as to whether it was time to get dressed into costume. Finally, a pirate and a witch set off, with loot bag in hand.
Our first stop was actually at the Opposition Leader's house. We went with our neighbour writes for an online political magazine, so was checking out the local government figures. All I know is that it was a grand and beautiful house, filled with lots of cowboys as well as other costumes, and Miss 3 and her friend were delighted to get a second treat bag when the photographer missed them getting candy from the opposition leader the first time! From there we really just did a block. The rule was that if there was a pumpkin (or decoration of some sort) out the front and a light was on then you knocked. There were a lot of doors answered! There were screams coming from the Governor-General's (they pay actors and set up a haunted house) so we erred on the side of caution and gave it a miss with our little kids. The queue for the Prime Minister's was long all night, so that was missed too. Apart from a fall (who doesn't stack it running to get more candy from the next house?) and a quick trip home to re-gather spirits, I think Miss 3 had as much fun as she's ever had! And where were the twins in all this? Too little to go trick or treating they were at home as hubby handed out just a bit of candy ( I mean about 400 pieces!!) trying to escape out the door every time it opened :)
Then, just to top the week off, hubby and I went to a grown-up Halloween party the following weekend. Alcohol and fancy dress - what's not to like! It was great for us to be able to get into the spirit of it too, so the Excutioner and the Fortune Teller had fun and were a little tired the next day.
So, that's about that. It's so good when something lives up to your expectations. Not much to report since then, except cold weather. I've now done the walk to school in -3 and the forecast high for Thursday is 0. A flurry of snow caught us by surprise at the shops today too - I don't think the twins knew what to think!
Off now to continue my role as domestic goddess; I'm baking for my book club tomorrow. The next report will likely be the arrival of winter....brrrrrrr.....
(Note: I apologise for the frequent use of the word 'candy' but it is quicker and easier then writing chocolates and lollies.)
The week began with a playgroup Halloween party. It was great for Miss 3 to get another wear out of her (very girly I might say) pirate costume, and who doesn't like party food? That afternoon, hubby got to work carving out pumpkins. The type of pumpkin used over here costs about $3, has very soft flesh that just scoops out, and seeds which are delicious roasted. I was very impressed with the final result - 2 pumpkin faces and my favourite, a haunted castle. (In fact, my favourite of all the pumpkins I saw.)
And so the big day arrived. I hung some orange and black tinsel on the porch, stocked the 'candy' bowls and fielded yet another enquiry from Miss 3 as to whether it was time to get dressed into costume. Finally, a pirate and a witch set off, with loot bag in hand.
Our first stop was actually at the Opposition Leader's house. We went with our neighbour writes for an online political magazine, so was checking out the local government figures. All I know is that it was a grand and beautiful house, filled with lots of cowboys as well as other costumes, and Miss 3 and her friend were delighted to get a second treat bag when the photographer missed them getting candy from the opposition leader the first time! From there we really just did a block. The rule was that if there was a pumpkin (or decoration of some sort) out the front and a light was on then you knocked. There were a lot of doors answered! There were screams coming from the Governor-General's (they pay actors and set up a haunted house) so we erred on the side of caution and gave it a miss with our little kids. The queue for the Prime Minister's was long all night, so that was missed too. Apart from a fall (who doesn't stack it running to get more candy from the next house?) and a quick trip home to re-gather spirits, I think Miss 3 had as much fun as she's ever had! And where were the twins in all this? Too little to go trick or treating they were at home as hubby handed out just a bit of candy ( I mean about 400 pieces!!) trying to escape out the door every time it opened :)
Then, just to top the week off, hubby and I went to a grown-up Halloween party the following weekend. Alcohol and fancy dress - what's not to like! It was great for us to be able to get into the spirit of it too, so the Excutioner and the Fortune Teller had fun and were a little tired the next day.
So, that's about that. It's so good when something lives up to your expectations. Not much to report since then, except cold weather. I've now done the walk to school in -3 and the forecast high for Thursday is 0. A flurry of snow caught us by surprise at the shops today too - I don't think the twins knew what to think!
Off now to continue my role as domestic goddess; I'm baking for my book club tomorrow. The next report will likely be the arrival of winter....brrrrrrr.....
(Note: I apologise for the frequent use of the word 'candy' but it is quicker and easier then writing chocolates and lollies.)
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Fall
Ah - fall. It's funny, but initially I rebelled against the term 'fall'. Come on people, it's autumn - right? But now I find myself speaking about 'fall'. The name makes so much more sense here then back in Australia. For one, the leaves 'fall' from the trees at quite a rate. If it's windy, you look at the window to see raining leaves. The other good reason for the name: the temperature fairly plummets over the course of a few weeks. We counted 6 weeks between using our air conditioning and using our heating. I sit here now (in a cosy house) as rain 'falls' outside on a 5 degree day. We even had a brief flurry of snow 'fall' during the week. So....fall it is.
One of the most exciting thing about fall for our 3 year old is school. Nursery school here has lots of options - children can do anything from 2 half days to 5 full days. We chose 2 full days. (Mostly because I don't want to be walking up and back every few hours :) It's about me too - right?) Miss 3 talks about her teachers all the time. She comes home with lots of artwork (fridge space is tight), new songs and stories of her exciting days. She is not the kid that hangs on to mum or dad not wanting to start the school day. Quite the contrary - I have to remind her to say goodbye sometimes! I must confess that it is exciting for me to have some quieter time with just the twins too. She is also taking a dance class one afternoon - and I'm actually teaching it! It seemed like a good idea at the time. I had actually forgotten though, how difficult it can be for 3, 4 and 5 year olds to concentrate - especially at the end of a long school day. Felt a little shell-shocked after the first lesson, but week 2 was better. Hoping for a steady improvement!
With the start of the school year, comes the start of playgroups and other activities. It would be quite easy to book myself up every day, but I just go to one playgroup with all the kids, and one with just the twins. The theory was, that by taking just the twins to a playgroup I'd be able to relax a bit and chat with the other mums. That is not what's happened. The fact is, that Miss 3 is so happy to be at playgroup and play with other kids that she is no trouble at all. The twins are actually harder work at the playgroup without her (a familar face) to watch running around. I must confess that I'm looking forward to the separation anxiety passing.
A big community event here (all the neighbourhoods do one at some time during the year) is the community garage sale. Literally the whole neighbourhood gets involved - loads of houses have stalls, community groups have stalls, bake sales, or sell coffee and hot dog vans turn up to join in the fun. We wandered around for an hour or so. We managed to pick up some great kids stuff, and I found a couple of good books too. The bonus was that most things we bought were a dollar or less. A great community event - if only they did stuff like that at home.
We miss free TV. In the beginning we were paying the minimum for cable TV here as we couldn't see the point in having hundreds of channels. However - when we lost the only good sports channel we had, hubby took action and we ended up with a lot more channels - most pointless, but some good. One massive bonus was that we now had the channel that screens AFL football. They show the games live, which is normally about 2 in the morning, so we'd tape games, avoid facebook and watch them later in the day. We decided that it was our duty to indoctrinate Canadians into the game so we had a grand final lunch. An added point of interest for the Canadians, is that there was actually a Canadian playing; Mike Pyke an ex-rugby player. I'm pleased to report that they were all very impressed with the game and couldn't believe how fit and skilled the players are. I think we'll be able to convince them to watch more games next season.
But, one of the most exciting things about fall so far, is that it brought a visitor from Australia. It was great to have one of my oldest friends here for a few days, and she paid for the guest room with a large jar of vegemite :) We drove down to Brockville (south of here, on the St Lawrence river which forms a border with the US) and did a cruise. The region is famous for the 1000 Islands (there are actually more) and it's a nice day out, seeing some of the islands and the holiday cabins people build on them. (Yes, you can buy an island.) I also took the opportunity to have a night out; we had a great dinner in a restaurant with nice ambience, yummy food and a cute and flirty waiter. Good times.
Well I think it's time to sign off for now. We are currently bracing ourselves for Halloween, so I'l report on how that goes. But with the cold, rainy weather today, I might take myself to the couch with a good book :)
Au revoir!
One of the most exciting thing about fall for our 3 year old is school. Nursery school here has lots of options - children can do anything from 2 half days to 5 full days. We chose 2 full days. (Mostly because I don't want to be walking up and back every few hours :) It's about me too - right?) Miss 3 talks about her teachers all the time. She comes home with lots of artwork (fridge space is tight), new songs and stories of her exciting days. She is not the kid that hangs on to mum or dad not wanting to start the school day. Quite the contrary - I have to remind her to say goodbye sometimes! I must confess that it is exciting for me to have some quieter time with just the twins too. She is also taking a dance class one afternoon - and I'm actually teaching it! It seemed like a good idea at the time. I had actually forgotten though, how difficult it can be for 3, 4 and 5 year olds to concentrate - especially at the end of a long school day. Felt a little shell-shocked after the first lesson, but week 2 was better. Hoping for a steady improvement!
With the start of the school year, comes the start of playgroups and other activities. It would be quite easy to book myself up every day, but I just go to one playgroup with all the kids, and one with just the twins. The theory was, that by taking just the twins to a playgroup I'd be able to relax a bit and chat with the other mums. That is not what's happened. The fact is, that Miss 3 is so happy to be at playgroup and play with other kids that she is no trouble at all. The twins are actually harder work at the playgroup without her (a familar face) to watch running around. I must confess that I'm looking forward to the separation anxiety passing.
A big community event here (all the neighbourhoods do one at some time during the year) is the community garage sale. Literally the whole neighbourhood gets involved - loads of houses have stalls, community groups have stalls, bake sales, or sell coffee and hot dog vans turn up to join in the fun. We wandered around for an hour or so. We managed to pick up some great kids stuff, and I found a couple of good books too. The bonus was that most things we bought were a dollar or less. A great community event - if only they did stuff like that at home.
We miss free TV. In the beginning we were paying the minimum for cable TV here as we couldn't see the point in having hundreds of channels. However - when we lost the only good sports channel we had, hubby took action and we ended up with a lot more channels - most pointless, but some good. One massive bonus was that we now had the channel that screens AFL football. They show the games live, which is normally about 2 in the morning, so we'd tape games, avoid facebook and watch them later in the day. We decided that it was our duty to indoctrinate Canadians into the game so we had a grand final lunch. An added point of interest for the Canadians, is that there was actually a Canadian playing; Mike Pyke an ex-rugby player. I'm pleased to report that they were all very impressed with the game and couldn't believe how fit and skilled the players are. I think we'll be able to convince them to watch more games next season.
But, one of the most exciting things about fall so far, is that it brought a visitor from Australia. It was great to have one of my oldest friends here for a few days, and she paid for the guest room with a large jar of vegemite :) We drove down to Brockville (south of here, on the St Lawrence river which forms a border with the US) and did a cruise. The region is famous for the 1000 Islands (there are actually more) and it's a nice day out, seeing some of the islands and the holiday cabins people build on them. (Yes, you can buy an island.) I also took the opportunity to have a night out; we had a great dinner in a restaurant with nice ambience, yummy food and a cute and flirty waiter. Good times.
Well I think it's time to sign off for now. We are currently bracing ourselves for Halloween, so I'l report on how that goes. But with the cold, rainy weather today, I might take myself to the couch with a good book :)
Au revoir!
Monday, 3 September 2012
Shopping in the USA (and other stuff)
My dad thought it was pretty funny that we were planning a holiday. "But you just got there!"Admittedly, it wasn't that long since we arrived in the land of the maple leaf, but hubby had been working for 11 or 12 weeks and we wanted to get away and do some outlet shopping to prepare ourselves for winter. There was mixed success, but still a good week away.
On the Monday, we headed south and went to Upper Canada Village before crossing the border. It's a collection of old buildings from over 100 years ago, and people work as they would have at the time. We visited the old school (girls on the right, boys on the left), saw a blacksmith at work, were sure to get out of the way of the horse and cart, saw wool being spun and the flour and saw mills at work. They actually make enough flour and bread to use at the cafes there, as well as having extra to sell. There was also a family centre with lots of activities for kids. It was a good day out, and Miss 3 quite enjoyed herself. It's just a shame that the twins aren't yet old enough to enjoy that sort of day out.
From there, the drive was not how we wanted it to be. There was traffic holding us up, it took us a while to cross the border and it turns out that the twins are not the good travellers that we hoped they'd be. Oh well. After having to stop for dinner on the road (not the plan!) we made it to the hotel in one piece. Tuesday was outlet shopping. We managed to do most of a day with all the kids, but left before 3 to get everyone back to the hotel. On Thursday, hubby and I shopped in shifts - I have never bought so much in 3 hours before in my life. Lots of bargains, including $45 snow booots and a down jacket, so I'm feeling a little more prepared for winter. (Although the weather is still warm here - it's hard to believe how cold it will get!) Hubby didn't have quite as much success, but that's what happens when you have giant feet! Sadly, there was not much luck buying winter clothes for the kids, but we did buy them some other cute stuff - planning for next summer.
On the Wednesday we did a little sightseeing. We were staying in Waterloo (west of Syracuse) which is in the Finger Lakes region. We went to the Seneca Lake National Park and they had a fantastic water playground for kids. Miss 3 had a ball running around in the streams of water. She loved it so much, she didn't want to leave, even though she was shivering and getting tired. Quite a scene (which can be quite embarrassing). She'd been so good at the start of the week, but was beginning to get a bit worn out.
The trip home was thankfully more pleasant. We just stopped in Syracuse and found a shopping centre that had an old-fashioned merry-go-round in the food court. (Nothing like the promise of a ruide to ensure a 3 year old will behave!) With coffee and lunch sorted, we were ready to head home, and thankfully only had to make 1 stop. It is always nice to get home; especially with kids - they are so much less trouble at home in their own environment.
A week after we got home, the twins had their first birthday.Woohoo - we survived a year with twins! It ended up being a quiet affair - but presents and cake are always good. That night, hubby and I went out for dinner to a restaurant that specialised in BBQ meat. Hubby had a full rack of baby back ribs, and I had a tasting plate of ribs, chicken and beef brisket. We foolishly ordered plenty of sides too. It was delicious, but I think we both ate tooo much! While we digested, we checked out Mosaika, a free sound and light show projected into Parliament Hill (good, but very Canadian!) and finished the night with a Beavertail and a walk home.
It's the Labour Day public holiday here, so it's been pretty quiet. Tomorrow, school starts, so I'm looking forward to Miss 3 getting out - she gets bored with me at home! Unitl next time :)
On the Monday, we headed south and went to Upper Canada Village before crossing the border. It's a collection of old buildings from over 100 years ago, and people work as they would have at the time. We visited the old school (girls on the right, boys on the left), saw a blacksmith at work, were sure to get out of the way of the horse and cart, saw wool being spun and the flour and saw mills at work. They actually make enough flour and bread to use at the cafes there, as well as having extra to sell. There was also a family centre with lots of activities for kids. It was a good day out, and Miss 3 quite enjoyed herself. It's just a shame that the twins aren't yet old enough to enjoy that sort of day out.
From there, the drive was not how we wanted it to be. There was traffic holding us up, it took us a while to cross the border and it turns out that the twins are not the good travellers that we hoped they'd be. Oh well. After having to stop for dinner on the road (not the plan!) we made it to the hotel in one piece. Tuesday was outlet shopping. We managed to do most of a day with all the kids, but left before 3 to get everyone back to the hotel. On Thursday, hubby and I shopped in shifts - I have never bought so much in 3 hours before in my life. Lots of bargains, including $45 snow booots and a down jacket, so I'm feeling a little more prepared for winter. (Although the weather is still warm here - it's hard to believe how cold it will get!) Hubby didn't have quite as much success, but that's what happens when you have giant feet! Sadly, there was not much luck buying winter clothes for the kids, but we did buy them some other cute stuff - planning for next summer.
On the Wednesday we did a little sightseeing. We were staying in Waterloo (west of Syracuse) which is in the Finger Lakes region. We went to the Seneca Lake National Park and they had a fantastic water playground for kids. Miss 3 had a ball running around in the streams of water. She loved it so much, she didn't want to leave, even though she was shivering and getting tired. Quite a scene (which can be quite embarrassing). She'd been so good at the start of the week, but was beginning to get a bit worn out.
The trip home was thankfully more pleasant. We just stopped in Syracuse and found a shopping centre that had an old-fashioned merry-go-round in the food court. (Nothing like the promise of a ruide to ensure a 3 year old will behave!) With coffee and lunch sorted, we were ready to head home, and thankfully only had to make 1 stop. It is always nice to get home; especially with kids - they are so much less trouble at home in their own environment.
A week after we got home, the twins had their first birthday.Woohoo - we survived a year with twins! It ended up being a quiet affair - but presents and cake are always good. That night, hubby and I went out for dinner to a restaurant that specialised in BBQ meat. Hubby had a full rack of baby back ribs, and I had a tasting plate of ribs, chicken and beef brisket. We foolishly ordered plenty of sides too. It was delicious, but I think we both ate tooo much! While we digested, we checked out Mosaika, a free sound and light show projected into Parliament Hill (good, but very Canadian!) and finished the night with a Beavertail and a walk home.
It's the Labour Day public holiday here, so it's been pretty quiet. Tomorrow, school starts, so I'm looking forward to Miss 3 getting out - she gets bored with me at home! Unitl next time :)
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Busy life
Well, I've been meaning to write for a couple of weeks now. I feel a bit like a naughty student who has been avoiding her homework. In my defence, Ottawa and the people who live here do seem to arrange an endless merry-go-round of social events. There have even been lots of events in our neighbourhood that we didn't go to, such as the Lumiere Lanterns and the fireworks festival. I think that everyone is making the most of summer before the long winter that we'll face.
One of the first thing we did with free time on a weekend was visit the Governor General's to see the changing of the guard. (Yes - full red uniforms, bagpipes and all.) His residence, Rideau Hall is....hmm... let's see, at least a 5 minute walk from our house :) (We can hear the bagpipes from our backyard.) There is also a great kids playground, so Miss 3 was well entertained and the twins happily sat on a picnic rug and watched the world go by.
The following week, hubby had to go away for work, but I easily kept myself entertained. Visitors for coffee, playgroup and summer camp meant that the week flew by. I also arranged a teenage babysittter for one afternoon; I took myself out for a coffee and read a book in peace and quiet - bliss! We tried out another babysitter (because we can!) on Saturday night and went out for dinner. I had the Kitchen's Choice - I had no idea what I'd be eating until it turned up at the table! It was fish and it was delicious. I was also impressed with the price of cocktails :) It was a busy weekend - we also managed to get a last minute babysitter on Sunday so we could go out for drinks for one of hubby's work friend's birthday. I was stuffed on Monday!
More of the same followed the next week. Miss 3 is still loving summer school (lots of play and art from what she tells me) and we had visitors for morning tea and went to playgroup. On the weekend, I went to a Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery with a group of other Aussie women here for postings. The exhibition was nice, but I think I enjoyed the coffe and chat beforehand and the lunch afterwards more! My uncle and his wife (Canadian relatives yes - but a long story) came to stay with us on the Saturday night - so more wine and food. Although the drinking done on the next weekend took me back to my youth! An English couple had a drinks party. Yes - that's right, just come over and drink, the sort of thing you'd do BC (before children). The delicious strawberry gin cocktail I was handed at the start signalled a great night, and only the fact that we had a 15 year old babysitter dragged us home.
The next week was quieter during the day (just playgroup and summer camp) but there were other interesting events. The first was that I joined a gym. I actually had no intention of joining, but it was cheaper to do that, then to go to one casual class during the week. Odd? I think so! I was also invited to a book club, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's such a refreshing change as a stay at home mum to actually get out and talk about something other then kids. The week was followe by the biggest weekend I've had in a while. On Friday evening we had our neighbours over for a drink. They have daughters similar ages to ours, like a drink at the end of the week and live across the street - perfect! Saturday night we had hubby's work friends over for dinner. I knew it was a good night when we ran out of red wine. One of those nights when everyone is chatting about anything and everything and the time flies. It was hard to pull up for Sunday - we had an Aussie couple and their daughter over for lunch. Next time I think I need to stretch out our social engagements!
Thankfully the next week was much quieter although with summer camp finishing and no playgroup on, it was looking a bit dull. I did arrange visitors though (Miss 3 loves an audience) and I thought a trip to Ikea would make for a fun morning. The plan was to drop Miss 3 off at the playground, meander around and pick up a couple of things I needed, then have meatballs for lunch. Well, at least the meatballs worked out. The playground was closed, and Miss 3 did not react well. I was extremely close to leaving, but couldn't face the thought of getting her back into the car! Apparantly, someone had an accident in the ball pit the prevous day and it takes 6 hours to clean and sanitise. Whie I find it reassuring that they do take care with the cleaning, I was not happy about dealing with the resulting tantrum! Thankfully, she decided that she did want meatballs for lunch and I managed to get her around the shop to get what I needed. I think next time I'll call first!
This has ended up being a quiet weekend which is kind of nice. It gives us the time to just play with the kids. The twins are on the move since my last entry - what started as rolling and dragging themselves around the floor has become proper crawling for T1 and a fast commando style for T2. It's cute to watch and they are happy to be able to get to things. Unfortunately, I now need eyes in the back of my head! Luckily, Miss 3 is a good big sister and will let me know what they're up to.
Well, it's getting late here (well, late for someone who'll be up to kids in the morning) so I think it's time to sign off. I'll try not to be so tardy with my next entry!
One of the first thing we did with free time on a weekend was visit the Governor General's to see the changing of the guard. (Yes - full red uniforms, bagpipes and all.) His residence, Rideau Hall is....hmm... let's see, at least a 5 minute walk from our house :) (We can hear the bagpipes from our backyard.) There is also a great kids playground, so Miss 3 was well entertained and the twins happily sat on a picnic rug and watched the world go by.
The following week, hubby had to go away for work, but I easily kept myself entertained. Visitors for coffee, playgroup and summer camp meant that the week flew by. I also arranged a teenage babysittter for one afternoon; I took myself out for a coffee and read a book in peace and quiet - bliss! We tried out another babysitter (because we can!) on Saturday night and went out for dinner. I had the Kitchen's Choice - I had no idea what I'd be eating until it turned up at the table! It was fish and it was delicious. I was also impressed with the price of cocktails :) It was a busy weekend - we also managed to get a last minute babysitter on Sunday so we could go out for drinks for one of hubby's work friend's birthday. I was stuffed on Monday!
More of the same followed the next week. Miss 3 is still loving summer school (lots of play and art from what she tells me) and we had visitors for morning tea and went to playgroup. On the weekend, I went to a Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery with a group of other Aussie women here for postings. The exhibition was nice, but I think I enjoyed the coffe and chat beforehand and the lunch afterwards more! My uncle and his wife (Canadian relatives yes - but a long story) came to stay with us on the Saturday night - so more wine and food. Although the drinking done on the next weekend took me back to my youth! An English couple had a drinks party. Yes - that's right, just come over and drink, the sort of thing you'd do BC (before children). The delicious strawberry gin cocktail I was handed at the start signalled a great night, and only the fact that we had a 15 year old babysitter dragged us home.
The next week was quieter during the day (just playgroup and summer camp) but there were other interesting events. The first was that I joined a gym. I actually had no intention of joining, but it was cheaper to do that, then to go to one casual class during the week. Odd? I think so! I was also invited to a book club, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's such a refreshing change as a stay at home mum to actually get out and talk about something other then kids. The week was followe by the biggest weekend I've had in a while. On Friday evening we had our neighbours over for a drink. They have daughters similar ages to ours, like a drink at the end of the week and live across the street - perfect! Saturday night we had hubby's work friends over for dinner. I knew it was a good night when we ran out of red wine. One of those nights when everyone is chatting about anything and everything and the time flies. It was hard to pull up for Sunday - we had an Aussie couple and their daughter over for lunch. Next time I think I need to stretch out our social engagements!
Thankfully the next week was much quieter although with summer camp finishing and no playgroup on, it was looking a bit dull. I did arrange visitors though (Miss 3 loves an audience) and I thought a trip to Ikea would make for a fun morning. The plan was to drop Miss 3 off at the playground, meander around and pick up a couple of things I needed, then have meatballs for lunch. Well, at least the meatballs worked out. The playground was closed, and Miss 3 did not react well. I was extremely close to leaving, but couldn't face the thought of getting her back into the car! Apparantly, someone had an accident in the ball pit the prevous day and it takes 6 hours to clean and sanitise. Whie I find it reassuring that they do take care with the cleaning, I was not happy about dealing with the resulting tantrum! Thankfully, she decided that she did want meatballs for lunch and I managed to get her around the shop to get what I needed. I think next time I'll call first!
This has ended up being a quiet weekend which is kind of nice. It gives us the time to just play with the kids. The twins are on the move since my last entry - what started as rolling and dragging themselves around the floor has become proper crawling for T1 and a fast commando style for T2. It's cute to watch and they are happy to be able to get to things. Unfortunately, I now need eyes in the back of my head! Luckily, Miss 3 is a good big sister and will let me know what they're up to.
Well, it's getting late here (well, late for someone who'll be up to kids in the morning) so I think it's time to sign off. I'll try not to be so tardy with my next entry!
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