Confession time; since my last post the joy of winter wore off. In a hurry I might add. I was tired of taking forever to get everyone bundled up to leave the house. I was sick of wearing snow boots everywhere. I cursed at having to clean piles of snow off the car, again, to be able to go anywhere. The day before the first official day of spring we had a dump of snow, and I wanted to cry as the radio announcer told me that "On this day last year it was a sunny 24 degrees!" Yeah - thanks for that! Now, a week after Easter there is still snow in the corners of the backyard, but we've managed to clear most of it out of the way, and warmer days and some spring rain has done a lot of melting. It's also a point of pride that we survived an Ottawa winter without too much grief. Although the twins weren't keen on being outside, Miss 3 pretty much never complained about the cold and hubby and I managed to mostly get out and do what we wanted/needed to do. I am also impressed that we made it through the season without losing any mittens! (We came close, but it was found 2 days later on our route home.) So, warmer days have been a treat. My first run of the season happened on Friday in a windy 4 degrees. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine with a coffee this afternoon in a 'balmy' 8 degrees while the kids played. Lower temps and flurries are forecast for later in the week, but I'm hoping that if I ignore them they'll go away...... The forecast does change all the time after all :)
We have been up to the usual routine since my last post: school, playgroup, playdates, the odd lunch with friends. An Aussie family we're friends with were headed home and we caught up with them a few times, most notably for a trip to a sugar shack, where they make maple syrup. Around this time every year, they tap the maple trees, boil off the liquid to thicken and there you have maple syrup. It can only happen when the temperature is within a certain range. There are quite a few sugar shacks in the Ottawa surrounds, and they usually do brunch buffets with pancakes, French toast, maple ham and other goodies. While not a sophisticated dining experience (more of a food hall feel) it is a great morning out. The one we went too had a mascot bear, maple taffy on snow, petting zoo, playground, horse and cart rides as well as the actual smoky sugar shack and the requisite gift shop. We were a little worried that the twins would be difficult, as most of the activities were outside and they refused to walk on snow. (Maybe it felt too unstable?) Thankfully, they ate themselves into a food coma at brunch (It's quite amazing how much French toast they fit in!) and just sat watching the world go by - too full to move!
As Easter approached, we pretty well put plans for an outside easter egg hunt to bed. Too much snow still... and rain forecast on Easter Sunday. Thanks Mother Nature! We did manage to find some things to do though. On the Saturday, we went to the Museum of Civilisation which also houses the Children's Museum. It's one of those things we've been meaning to do for ages, but hadn't quite got around to. Really fantastic though, and we will definitely go back, hopefully when the twins are less inclined to just wander off in opposite directions! The displays are set up like real buildings and streets (there is even a consecrated church) and the Children's Museum is like a trip around the world where kids get a passport which they stamp as they visit various displays such as ride a camel in the desert or load a crate onto a boat in port. On the Saturday night we had the neighbours over for drinks, because what's a long weekend without drinks with friends?? On Easter Sunday we searched for eggs inside, and discovered that twin 1 does not like chocolate. If she wasn't identical to her sister I'd wonder if she's really mine!
The weekend just past we had the chance to celebrate the marriage of friends - always good fun. There was a moment where I was worried the night was coming to an abrupt end though, as I saw missed calls from the babysitter. Oh no, what's wrong, my mind was ticking over. I listened to my voice mail, and it turned out that her 'crisis' was that she couldn't get the computer to connect to the internet!! Ha - kids today! In fairness to her, she was trying to access some homework online. Thankfully, I talked her through it (although her generation is supposedly better at this stuff) and disaster was averted!
There's not much in particular to say about the kids. Miss 3 (soon to be Miss 4!) has grown since Christmas. She is suddenly looking very tall next to some of her friends and classmates.She is particularly enjoying the melt; the week she was able to get back into her tree fort generated huge excitement and the trampoline went back together on the weekend which is keeping her happy. The twins are getting more mobile and agile every day. They are walkng up and down our 2 split level stairs just hanging onto a doll's stroller and getting good at climbing....onto the back of the couch, the dining table (less then a week after I told my sister-in-law that they don't do that!) side tables. Nothing is safe!! They always look so pleased with themselves too.
So, that's that for now. A quick note for my friends back home: we hosted a games night a few weeks ago. In boys v girls Trivial Pursuit the girls won :) As for future plans, no more holidays for a little while (sadly) but we're hoping to get in a couple of dinners and nights out as the weather continues to warm up. We are just excited about getting outside more, and maybe one day, leaving the house in just a t-shirt and shorts :)
Monday, 8 April 2013
Thursday, 21 February 2013
Winter fun
I sit here looking out the window into a backyard buried under snow and grey skies. The temperature is -13. I had to pick up Miss 3 from school early on Tuesday as they had to switch off the heat to fix the furnace and couldn't keep the kids there without heat. A friend went for her morning drive-through coffee a few weeks ago to find her car window frozen shut. (Awkward.) It makes 'winter fun' seem an odd title to choose (especially for an Aussie who is beginning to feel a little envious of family and friends back home enjoying summer) but there is a lot of fun to be had. And a winter holiday always lifts the spirits too :)
Winter sport in this part of the world pretty well revolves around hockey. With the NHL lockout, I think many fans were feeling devastated, and there was an awful lot of curling on TV too - I guess they had to fill the schedule somehow! Although the lockout did end and the NHL season resumed, we had already made plans to go and see the Ottawa 67s, the minor league team. They were thumped by Guelph, but it was still fun to go and try and learn some more about the game. (Hubby has been watching a bit on TV so could explain most of the rules.) We finished off the weekend with a few hours of skiing at one of our local hills. It felt good to be back on the slopes (I realised it's been 5 years) although wearing in new ski boots is not overly enjoyable. We were glad we went early that day as the wind picked up after lunch and started blowing us up the slopes!
The next weekend was Australia Day. Our traditional activities of BBQ and Hottest 100 were out of the question. Cooking outside is just not an option, and the time difference meant that the Hottest 100 number 1 would be announced at about 4 in the morning. Luckily, an Aussie friend came to the rescue and we went to her house and had drinks. Her kids had put Aussie flags up everywhere and I made sure to take an Aussie bottle of wine. We just hung out, chatted, and let cheese and crackers and sausage rolls substitute for dinner. (Oh, and there was fruit too!) A very laid back 'Aussie' vibe, even if it was -lots outside.
That is something I've noticed actually; it can be harder to entertain in winter, as if you don't have the space in your house there is no option of hanging out on a patio. I think cafe blinds and an outdoor heater would struggle to cut it somehow.... It does mean that when people do arrange something, it just seems extra fun as everyone is keen to make the most of it. Our neighbour decided to have a Ladies 80s night. She sent her husband and kids packing to her sister-in-law's, pushed the furniture to one side and invited loads of ladies from the neighbourhood. It was fantastic - a number of people dressed up (yes, me too) and we had cheesy 80s music blaring all night for dancing. I think I especially enjoyed it as most social events tend to be couple or family affairs, so it was great to have a girls' night. Although I didn't get home until 2am so the next morning was hard work! And of course it never rains, it pours - the next night we had a Wardroom dinner. It was a lovely night out with loads of good food and good company but I confesss I may have enjoyed it more if I'd been a little less tired.
Every winter, Ottawa hosts a winter festival called Winterlude. The Rideau Canal freezes over so they open it for skating, they have ice sculptures and food stalls set up, and across the river on the Quebec side they have ice slides and outdoor activities. Well, we couldn't miss all that could we? Hubby took Miss 3 over to see the ice slides and other activities and she had an absolute ball. Kids love playing outside in the cold, as long as they're dressed warmly enough. Sadly the twins don't really enjoy it yet, but next year the whole mob can get more involved. As a family, the next day we all went to check out the sculptures and the skating. They even had an interactive sculpture that kids could help build - they had little coloured blocks of ice that they'd help the kids add to the mountain of colour that was building. We wandered down to the canal and went for a walk (or should I say 'slide'?) on the ice too. Miss 3 is still pretty clueless on skates so we thought we'd save that bit for next year. I was glad I was pushing the pram though - excellent for balance on ice :) It was amazing to see how many people were out skating and also buying Beavertails and other goods from the stalls set up on the actual canal.
A week of skiing - much easier to arrange from Ottawa then Perth strangely.... We had been looking forward to this week for a while. Mt Tremblant is in Quebec and is quite a large (and it turns out, very pretty) resort which is only 2 hours drive away. We headed up on Monday afternoon and were very happy to check into our large suite at the hotel. It's always good when you don't have to share a bedroom with kids on holiday, and even better when you don't have to share a bathroom. We also had a gas fireplace in our room which is quite fabulous at the end of the day with a glass of red. I feel relaxed just thinking about it! Anyway, we had the twins booked in for 3 days of day care, Miss 3 for a mix of day care and ski school and 3 days of child-free skiing bliss for us. Our first day did not get off to a brilliant start. Miss 3 woke up super early, of course waking the twins up in the process. (Switching on the lights and talking will do that.) The day care drop off was okay, but then Miss 3 went shy and silly when she went to ski school....because her teacher was a boy. "But I wanted a girl teacher!" Eventually he won her over enough that we could escape and hit the slopes oursleves. We caught the gondola to the top, only to discover that we couldn't actually see much at all due to the weather. We ended up sking down the opposite side of the mountain to what we intended! The weather did thankfully pick up. I finished a bit earlier then hubby, so had a chance to grab a coffee and check out Miss 3's form on the bunny slope. She was pretty wobbly, but her instructor was an absolute star to persist with her, as she was apparantly pretty hard work until after lunch. She did decide that she would rather just go to day care then ski again, so we agreed - much easier for everyone!
So after a slightly bumpy start, the next 2 days were fantastic. The weather was very mild (between -6 and -3 at the summit) the snow was good, hubby got out to first tracks, the kids did well in day care and my boots started to be less uncomfortable. We were given free hot chocolates on the second afternoon; the ski patrol noticed hubby look to give way when entering a track so gave us the passes as they were rewarding good behaviour. They had free tubing at night, so I took Miss 3 after dinner and we both had a blast. It's a fun activity that makes you feel like a kid again anyway, especially when you're sliding down with a squealing, laughing, excited 3 year old. Miss 3 and I also took a ride in the free, open topped village gondola on the last morning which she thought was very exciting..."like flying" she told me. A great week, but like all holidays it had to end. Having child-free time was particularly nice too. Of course I still haven't made it to the bottom of the washing basket since we've been back - maybe tomorrow!
When we first arrived, locals kept telling us (with glee I might add!) "Winter is really cold....really hard work.....you'll get sick of it" but I think we've done a good job at staying mostly positive. I don't think we've commented on the cold much more then the locals to be honest. The challenge is now to keep that up, as I've noticed some locals start to complain that they've had enough winter for the year. I'll keep you posted!
Winter sport in this part of the world pretty well revolves around hockey. With the NHL lockout, I think many fans were feeling devastated, and there was an awful lot of curling on TV too - I guess they had to fill the schedule somehow! Although the lockout did end and the NHL season resumed, we had already made plans to go and see the Ottawa 67s, the minor league team. They were thumped by Guelph, but it was still fun to go and try and learn some more about the game. (Hubby has been watching a bit on TV so could explain most of the rules.) We finished off the weekend with a few hours of skiing at one of our local hills. It felt good to be back on the slopes (I realised it's been 5 years) although wearing in new ski boots is not overly enjoyable. We were glad we went early that day as the wind picked up after lunch and started blowing us up the slopes!
The next weekend was Australia Day. Our traditional activities of BBQ and Hottest 100 were out of the question. Cooking outside is just not an option, and the time difference meant that the Hottest 100 number 1 would be announced at about 4 in the morning. Luckily, an Aussie friend came to the rescue and we went to her house and had drinks. Her kids had put Aussie flags up everywhere and I made sure to take an Aussie bottle of wine. We just hung out, chatted, and let cheese and crackers and sausage rolls substitute for dinner. (Oh, and there was fruit too!) A very laid back 'Aussie' vibe, even if it was -lots outside.
That is something I've noticed actually; it can be harder to entertain in winter, as if you don't have the space in your house there is no option of hanging out on a patio. I think cafe blinds and an outdoor heater would struggle to cut it somehow.... It does mean that when people do arrange something, it just seems extra fun as everyone is keen to make the most of it. Our neighbour decided to have a Ladies 80s night. She sent her husband and kids packing to her sister-in-law's, pushed the furniture to one side and invited loads of ladies from the neighbourhood. It was fantastic - a number of people dressed up (yes, me too) and we had cheesy 80s music blaring all night for dancing. I think I especially enjoyed it as most social events tend to be couple or family affairs, so it was great to have a girls' night. Although I didn't get home until 2am so the next morning was hard work! And of course it never rains, it pours - the next night we had a Wardroom dinner. It was a lovely night out with loads of good food and good company but I confesss I may have enjoyed it more if I'd been a little less tired.
Every winter, Ottawa hosts a winter festival called Winterlude. The Rideau Canal freezes over so they open it for skating, they have ice sculptures and food stalls set up, and across the river on the Quebec side they have ice slides and outdoor activities. Well, we couldn't miss all that could we? Hubby took Miss 3 over to see the ice slides and other activities and she had an absolute ball. Kids love playing outside in the cold, as long as they're dressed warmly enough. Sadly the twins don't really enjoy it yet, but next year the whole mob can get more involved. As a family, the next day we all went to check out the sculptures and the skating. They even had an interactive sculpture that kids could help build - they had little coloured blocks of ice that they'd help the kids add to the mountain of colour that was building. We wandered down to the canal and went for a walk (or should I say 'slide'?) on the ice too. Miss 3 is still pretty clueless on skates so we thought we'd save that bit for next year. I was glad I was pushing the pram though - excellent for balance on ice :) It was amazing to see how many people were out skating and also buying Beavertails and other goods from the stalls set up on the actual canal.
A week of skiing - much easier to arrange from Ottawa then Perth strangely.... We had been looking forward to this week for a while. Mt Tremblant is in Quebec and is quite a large (and it turns out, very pretty) resort which is only 2 hours drive away. We headed up on Monday afternoon and were very happy to check into our large suite at the hotel. It's always good when you don't have to share a bedroom with kids on holiday, and even better when you don't have to share a bathroom. We also had a gas fireplace in our room which is quite fabulous at the end of the day with a glass of red. I feel relaxed just thinking about it! Anyway, we had the twins booked in for 3 days of day care, Miss 3 for a mix of day care and ski school and 3 days of child-free skiing bliss for us. Our first day did not get off to a brilliant start. Miss 3 woke up super early, of course waking the twins up in the process. (Switching on the lights and talking will do that.) The day care drop off was okay, but then Miss 3 went shy and silly when she went to ski school....because her teacher was a boy. "But I wanted a girl teacher!" Eventually he won her over enough that we could escape and hit the slopes oursleves. We caught the gondola to the top, only to discover that we couldn't actually see much at all due to the weather. We ended up sking down the opposite side of the mountain to what we intended! The weather did thankfully pick up. I finished a bit earlier then hubby, so had a chance to grab a coffee and check out Miss 3's form on the bunny slope. She was pretty wobbly, but her instructor was an absolute star to persist with her, as she was apparantly pretty hard work until after lunch. She did decide that she would rather just go to day care then ski again, so we agreed - much easier for everyone!
So after a slightly bumpy start, the next 2 days were fantastic. The weather was very mild (between -6 and -3 at the summit) the snow was good, hubby got out to first tracks, the kids did well in day care and my boots started to be less uncomfortable. We were given free hot chocolates on the second afternoon; the ski patrol noticed hubby look to give way when entering a track so gave us the passes as they were rewarding good behaviour. They had free tubing at night, so I took Miss 3 after dinner and we both had a blast. It's a fun activity that makes you feel like a kid again anyway, especially when you're sliding down with a squealing, laughing, excited 3 year old. Miss 3 and I also took a ride in the free, open topped village gondola on the last morning which she thought was very exciting..."like flying" she told me. A great week, but like all holidays it had to end. Having child-free time was particularly nice too. Of course I still haven't made it to the bottom of the washing basket since we've been back - maybe tomorrow!
When we first arrived, locals kept telling us (with glee I might add!) "Winter is really cold....really hard work.....you'll get sick of it" but I think we've done a good job at staying mostly positive. I don't think we've commented on the cold much more then the locals to be honest. The challenge is now to keep that up, as I've noticed some locals start to complain that they've had enough winter for the year. I'll keep you posted!
Sunday, 13 January 2013
NYC (without kids!)
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!
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!
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!
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