There is a world of white outside the window. It takes 3 times as long to get the kids dressed to leave the house. Roads are suddenly much narrower. You need to allow extra time to clean the snow off the car before you can drive anywhere. Last year's excitement about the upcoming Canadian winter is missing in action. Yep - winter is back.
It's not all bad though. There is something particularly magical about watching gentle flurries fall while setting up a Christmas tree. Even as an adult I feel excited about Christmas here, just because it feels more like Christmas. This is despite having grown up with hot, sunny Christmases. Speaking to another Aussie (who has lived here for about 13 years) she agrees that she'd pick a winter Christmas over a summer one every year.(Although we both agree we'd rather have a hot New Year's but you can't have it all!) The backyard becomes a winter landscape for the kids to play in. It's perfect weather to curl up with a hot drink, eat hot dinners, sleep in on weekends. The Christmas lights come on in the afternoon, so young kids can actually enjoy them. The local ski fields are slowly opening up their lifts and runs. What's not to love?
Last year, the twins were not mad on winter. They started walking after the snow had already fallen, so never really got the hang of being outside. This year, they are off to a slow start, but are slowly getting used to being out in the snow. Of course, trying to get their thumbs into their mittens (and then getting them to keep their mittens on!) was a challenge, but they are getting into the routine of what needs to be done to go outside and starting to be more helpful. They love being dragged around the yard on a sled, and are quite fascinated by how Miss 4 madly throws herself around in the snow. Hopefully another couple of weeks and they'll embrace it a little more.
Miss 4 has no problems with the snow and the cold. The first really big fall we had was on a school day, and was the lovely, sticky snow that clings to everything and makes the world pretty. It is also perfect for snowman making. When I dropped her off at school that day, her teachers were excited too - as soon as they were all in and role taken they headed straight out to build snowmen and play in the snow. What a fun experience - one that is pretty special for an Aussie kid to have. I had also bought some snow brick makers and hubby built an igloo for the kids to play in. We are making sure to take plenty of photos as the kids are too young to really remember and might not believe us when we tell them we had an igloo in our backyard!
Apart from the snow, things have been going along as usual. Miss 4 has had some more birthday parties; of course! One had a high tea theme, and when I arrived to collect her I found her eating mini cakes and drinking pink lemonade out of a miniature china tea cup. Another was a pizza party, where they made their own pizzas for lunch and even the cake looked like a pizza! We've also had lots of playdates with the usual friends, including one lovely friend whose mum picked Miss 4 up from school for me and took her home for the afternoon before dropping her home. It was a very quiet afternoon at home indeed!
Christmas themed events are also appearing on the calender now. Last weekend, hubby's work had a Kid's Christmas party. We decided that the twins were probably a little young (as it was a sit still and watch a magic show event) but Miss 4 had a lovely time, ate pizza and hot dogs for lunch and even got a gift from the jolly man in the red suit. It was a craft activity, which she finished with me within half an hour of getting home! And on Friday, the school had it's Christmas concert, where we were entertained by students from Kindergarten to Grade 2 as they sung various holiday and winter themed songs, including a lot in French. What they lacked in ability, they certainly made up for with enthusiasm, especially the younger years. Miss 4 is still singing "Il neige, il neige" as she plays in the house. We were also lucky that the twins could go into their classroom to play while the concert was on, as seating was pretty tight and they are very wriggly.
We've also managed some grown up socialising. We had friends over for pre-Christmas drinks (before they flew out for the holidays) which was good fun, as our kids all play pretty well together so we mostly got to sit and chat while they ran around. We also had a night out in Byward Market for a friend's birthday. Hubby and I snuck in a quick dinner first before meeting at the pub for drinks. A group of us then went out dancing which was great fun. They played a lot of cheesy 90s music (Baby Got Back, Salt 'n' Pepa, Bon Jovi, Spice Girls) so we had a blast dancing and singing at the top of our lungs. Of course, the next day my feet hurt from dancing in heels, my ears were ringing from the loud music and my voice was croaky from having to yell to be heard (and I was tired of course!) but still loads of fun and worth a little bit of pain the next day.
This weekend was been interesting, in slightly unexpected ways. Our only plans were for a dinner with hubby's work friends Saturday night, so we spent the day at home (a maximum of -20) baking, hanging out, basically having a quiet day inside. Then at about 1:30 we see smoke billowing out of a house over our back fence, as well as flames. The fire brigade turned up pretty quickly, but it took them a while to get it under control. Of course, they cut the power while fighting the fire, and we lost ours too. So it was very cold, it gets dark at 4 and we had no power so no lights and no heating; and we were supposed to be going out at 6:30 and leaving the kids with a babysitter. Hmmm, now what?? Much time was spent negotiating alternate plans that involved the kindness of friends and neighbours, and at 5 when it was really too dark to function, even with candles, and the house was getting chilly we went to the neighbours across the road to hang out with the kids. Just as we were about to call our babysitter and pick up all our supplies, our power was back. Phew!
So we made it out to a lovely dinner (I finally got to meet some of hubby's colleagues who he talks about), but of course (never a dull moment) a winter storm came through. So it was a very careful drive home on roads where you couldn't see any lines, although at least we did have the foresight to park at City Hall which has underground heated parking :) Woke this morning to about 20cms of fresh snow. It was some fun outside time for the kids, with much milder weather then yesterday (only -10). The afternoon has been spent finishing everything that we couldn't do yesterday with no power (decorating gingerbread, the washing in the dryer, this blog!)
The last few days of school are coming up and it will be nice to have a break from getting everyone out the door in the morning. (Of course, they'll probably get bored and restless and I'll be counting the days until it goes back!) It's all about Christmas from here on in, so I'll let you know how that goes. Merry Christmas!
Sunday, 15 December 2013
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Time flies.......Halloween and more
A month has passed since I last wrote and much has happened. The lovely fall sunshine I was writing about is now well and truly gone. We had about 5cms of snow yesterday, although today's rain has pretty much cleared that up already. Nights have been dipping below zero and there is a definite chill in the air in the mornings, which means that it is coat, beanie and mitten weather; so taking that little bit longer to leave the house every day. Daylight saving has finished too, which is great in the mornings (it was getting bloody hard to get out of bed!) but the afternoons are darkening fairly quickly. On the plus side, it's good weather for roasts, soup and the slow cooker which is always nice at the start of the cold season.
Thanksgiving weekend was mid-October here in Canada. (Apparently the timing is due to the harvest season; we harvest earlier in Canada then the US as we're further north, so Thanksgiving is earlier. It makes perfect sense.) Most people tend to spend time with families and eat turkey, as it's just us we made the most of the 3 day weekend to get out and about. We picked a sunny day to go back to the Agriculture Museum (Miss 4 had just had a field trip there the previous week, but we didn't get to see much); of course the twins are scared of animals so didn't enjoy it as much as we thought they might. ("Look at the baby goat!" Reply was an emphatic head shake "No!") Luckily they had a great tractor exhibit, with simulators the kids could ride in, they have an awesome playground and they had Thanksgiving themed craft activities. On a rainy day we hit the Aviation Museum (our closest) and the kids ran around all the planes and climbed onto everything they were allowed to. It's great having museum memberships here - they are relatively cheap and they mean you always have an activity for a quiet weekend or rainy day, without feeling like you have to spend the whole day because you've paid an entry fee. We also used the long weekend to get ready for winter - the kids all needed new winter boots of course and we managed to find a good quality brand on special, which is important when you need to buy 3 pairs!
The next weekend the wardroom had an Oktoberfest event. We'd arranged to go with another couple and friends of theirs, and it's always nice to get a grown up night out. It was great to catch up and eat the German themed buffet; they had also gone to the trouble of organising a German brass band in lederhosen and all! Of course the band was in such a tiny space that you couldn't talk at all over their music, so we ended up standing in the bar area downstairs. We also thought they might have arranged some German beers or steins, but no, just the regular drinks at the bar. Oh well. The next day Miss 4 had a birthday party (of course!) at an indoor trampoline park. She was super excited, and this time Dad got to take her and socialise with the other parents. We're getting to know lots of the other kindergarten parents through all these parties!
Next weekend the neighbourhood Halloween festivities began On Saturday, the school had a Halloween dance. I thought the twins might be a bit young to enjoy it, but knew that some of Miss 4's friends would be there so off we went. It was a fundraiser, but for $10 a ticket they had a hotdog and juice, a DJ with music and lights as well as a stack of games with prizes. My favourite game was eat the gummy work out of the open mouth of a papier-mache crocodile without using your hands ie stick your head in the crocodile's mouth. Miss 4 had a great time, even if her witch's hat kept falling off. (It was mine from last year so probably a little big.) We had a grown-up Halloween party that night which was also fun. We only really knew the host, so re-used last year's costumes (executioner and fortune teller). I probably should have had a glass or 2 less of wine, but otherwise a well organised night with some great costumes. The next day was Halloween Howl, a community event down at the local park (or I should say in the fieldhouse at the park). The kids all turn up in costume (Miss 4 gave last year's pirate outfit another go) and walk a block to the retirement home to show the residents their costumes. They gave the kids treats and it was a lovely experience for both groups - the kids love to show off and get treats obviously, and the old folks really enjoyed seeing them all; it was clear that lots have mobility issues so wouldn't get a chance to see Halloween celebrations any other way. After the parade, it was back to the fieldhouse for more games and Halloween themed craft activities. A fabulous volunteer-run event.
Halloween itself arrived and the school had parties in the classroom for the younger years - so I sent a witch and 2 bunnies off for the morning. Despite not wanting to keep their bunny heads on, the twins loved their costumes, and actually refused to take them off. Miss 4's class sang some Halloween songs and posed for photos for the mums and dads at the start which was great. We had a quiet afternoon at home before it was time for trick or treating. We had arranged for an Aussie couple to come over (they wanted to see what this whole Halloween thing was about) which was great as they held the fort at our house and handed out candy while we took the kids out. We weren't sure how the twins would go, but they kept their costumes, on bunny heads and all, and carried their little pumpkin buckets upright, not dropping a single treat. I think they were just excited to be out wandering the streets after dark to be honest! We only did one block with them (which was enough to fill their buckets!) before we came home, where I manned the fort while hubby, Miss 4 and our friends went to check out the Governor General's. He always has a haunted house set up, and although it apparently looked fantastic, Miss 4 wasn't game to go in. She may have been put off by the 'witch' she met outside who gave her an apple - when she arrived home she was most concerned and insisted I throw it straight in the bin - it came from a witch so it must be poisoned!! A great fun night - we'll never see Halloween like it again sadly.
After so many child-centered activities, it was nice to do some things for us the next weekend. We met 2 couples at the Chelsea pub for dinner on Saturday night. Chelsea is across the river in Quebec, and the pub is a lovely, cosy wooden building right on the edge of the Gatineau National Park (also where our closest skiing is). They are friends we know though the kids, so it was nice to catch up sans enfants for once. Hubby was given (through work) hockey tickets for the Senators game on the Sunday so we trundled out to the stadium for the afternoon. It was good to get out to a game, but it really is a nightmare getting in and especially out of the carpark, made worse by the fact the Sens lost in a shoot out after overtime. The goalie also had to be stretchered off the ice, although it turned out to be nothing serious thankfully.
So that's that. This weekend has been quiet. Hubby was away for work and only got back late Friday and apart from another birthday party (this time at a gymnastics centre) we mostly stayed close to home. Next time I write I suspect it will be to tell tales of snow and winter.......Where is the year going??
Thanksgiving weekend was mid-October here in Canada. (Apparently the timing is due to the harvest season; we harvest earlier in Canada then the US as we're further north, so Thanksgiving is earlier. It makes perfect sense.) Most people tend to spend time with families and eat turkey, as it's just us we made the most of the 3 day weekend to get out and about. We picked a sunny day to go back to the Agriculture Museum (Miss 4 had just had a field trip there the previous week, but we didn't get to see much); of course the twins are scared of animals so didn't enjoy it as much as we thought they might. ("Look at the baby goat!" Reply was an emphatic head shake "No!") Luckily they had a great tractor exhibit, with simulators the kids could ride in, they have an awesome playground and they had Thanksgiving themed craft activities. On a rainy day we hit the Aviation Museum (our closest) and the kids ran around all the planes and climbed onto everything they were allowed to. It's great having museum memberships here - they are relatively cheap and they mean you always have an activity for a quiet weekend or rainy day, without feeling like you have to spend the whole day because you've paid an entry fee. We also used the long weekend to get ready for winter - the kids all needed new winter boots of course and we managed to find a good quality brand on special, which is important when you need to buy 3 pairs!
The next weekend the wardroom had an Oktoberfest event. We'd arranged to go with another couple and friends of theirs, and it's always nice to get a grown up night out. It was great to catch up and eat the German themed buffet; they had also gone to the trouble of organising a German brass band in lederhosen and all! Of course the band was in such a tiny space that you couldn't talk at all over their music, so we ended up standing in the bar area downstairs. We also thought they might have arranged some German beers or steins, but no, just the regular drinks at the bar. Oh well. The next day Miss 4 had a birthday party (of course!) at an indoor trampoline park. She was super excited, and this time Dad got to take her and socialise with the other parents. We're getting to know lots of the other kindergarten parents through all these parties!
Next weekend the neighbourhood Halloween festivities began On Saturday, the school had a Halloween dance. I thought the twins might be a bit young to enjoy it, but knew that some of Miss 4's friends would be there so off we went. It was a fundraiser, but for $10 a ticket they had a hotdog and juice, a DJ with music and lights as well as a stack of games with prizes. My favourite game was eat the gummy work out of the open mouth of a papier-mache crocodile without using your hands ie stick your head in the crocodile's mouth. Miss 4 had a great time, even if her witch's hat kept falling off. (It was mine from last year so probably a little big.) We had a grown-up Halloween party that night which was also fun. We only really knew the host, so re-used last year's costumes (executioner and fortune teller). I probably should have had a glass or 2 less of wine, but otherwise a well organised night with some great costumes. The next day was Halloween Howl, a community event down at the local park (or I should say in the fieldhouse at the park). The kids all turn up in costume (Miss 4 gave last year's pirate outfit another go) and walk a block to the retirement home to show the residents their costumes. They gave the kids treats and it was a lovely experience for both groups - the kids love to show off and get treats obviously, and the old folks really enjoyed seeing them all; it was clear that lots have mobility issues so wouldn't get a chance to see Halloween celebrations any other way. After the parade, it was back to the fieldhouse for more games and Halloween themed craft activities. A fabulous volunteer-run event.
Halloween itself arrived and the school had parties in the classroom for the younger years - so I sent a witch and 2 bunnies off for the morning. Despite not wanting to keep their bunny heads on, the twins loved their costumes, and actually refused to take them off. Miss 4's class sang some Halloween songs and posed for photos for the mums and dads at the start which was great. We had a quiet afternoon at home before it was time for trick or treating. We had arranged for an Aussie couple to come over (they wanted to see what this whole Halloween thing was about) which was great as they held the fort at our house and handed out candy while we took the kids out. We weren't sure how the twins would go, but they kept their costumes, on bunny heads and all, and carried their little pumpkin buckets upright, not dropping a single treat. I think they were just excited to be out wandering the streets after dark to be honest! We only did one block with them (which was enough to fill their buckets!) before we came home, where I manned the fort while hubby, Miss 4 and our friends went to check out the Governor General's. He always has a haunted house set up, and although it apparently looked fantastic, Miss 4 wasn't game to go in. She may have been put off by the 'witch' she met outside who gave her an apple - when she arrived home she was most concerned and insisted I throw it straight in the bin - it came from a witch so it must be poisoned!! A great fun night - we'll never see Halloween like it again sadly.
After so many child-centered activities, it was nice to do some things for us the next weekend. We met 2 couples at the Chelsea pub for dinner on Saturday night. Chelsea is across the river in Quebec, and the pub is a lovely, cosy wooden building right on the edge of the Gatineau National Park (also where our closest skiing is). They are friends we know though the kids, so it was nice to catch up sans enfants for once. Hubby was given (through work) hockey tickets for the Senators game on the Sunday so we trundled out to the stadium for the afternoon. It was good to get out to a game, but it really is a nightmare getting in and especially out of the carpark, made worse by the fact the Sens lost in a shoot out after overtime. The goalie also had to be stretchered off the ice, although it turned out to be nothing serious thankfully.
So that's that. This weekend has been quiet. Hubby was away for work and only got back late Friday and apart from another birthday party (this time at a gymnastics centre) we mostly stayed close to home. Next time I write I suspect it will be to tell tales of snow and winter.......Where is the year going??
Friday, 11 October 2013
The new routine
Well, it turns out I was wrong. There I was, thinking that things would settle down and be less busy once we were back in the school routine, but with school every morning, as well as playdates, playgroup and dancing recommencing, we've been busier then ever! A lot has actually revolved around Miss 4's social life...
So, 2 weeks into school and we had a weekend of birthday parties. On the Saturday afternoon was a princess-themed celebration for twins from Miss 4's class - and the parents had invited the whole class to their party at home. Brave! They did request that a parent stayed with each child, and thoughtfully provided beer, wine and plenty of snacks for everyone. Miss 4 was very excited to actually wear her princess dress-up out of the house. It was actually quite a lovely afternoon; the sun was shining and the parents stood around and chatted watching the kids play. They also had cupcakes which the kids got to decorate themselves which was a great idea with a crowd and the kids loved it. (Quite amazing how many smarties/sprinkles some kids managed to squeeze on!) We waved goodbye to all with a "See you tomorrow"; on Sunday we took a 50 minute drive to a horse ranch for a pony ride birthday party. Again, the whole class was invited and it was lots of fun for the kids. There were actually a whole bunch of friendly animals running around: dogs, hairy piglets and kittens that were quite happy to be passed around groups of 4 year old girls. The kids all got pony rides, a wagon ride, a tour of the barn and a hot dog lunch and had a fantastic day out.
The next weekend and.... Miss 4 had another birthday party! This one was a friend from outside school, so was smaller and quieter; in fact no parent was needed to stay which was even better. It was fairy-themed so I think the 6 little fairies loved running around with their wands, jumping on the bouncy castle and making fairy crafts. We'd also had a few playdates in between all these parties - both the usual friends as well as new friends from her class. Because lots of her friends stay at school all day and she only does mornings, I find it easier to get her home if she has something to look forward to in the afternoon.
Another big day out for Miss 4 was the day I took her to the Wiggles concert. She still loves watching them on TV here (and I am happy to let her watch it - it is about the only Aussie kids content we get!) and I thought I'd take her to the show. We were sitting in the theatre, waiting for it to start and she keeps asking me "Is it going to be the real Wiggles from TV?" I don't think she quite believed it would be, so when they walked out onto the stage, her face just lit up with excitement and she jumped to her feet and danced away. Our seats were 2 in from the aisle, but as the aisle seat holders didn't turn up, we shuffled over and had a great view. Even more exciting, was that she got to say hello to Simon (the new red Wiggle) and tell him we were from Australia, as well as high 5 Captain Feathersword and say hi to Lachie (the new purple Wiggle). And of course we left with a souvenir - a giant yellow and black bow on a headband, just like the one Emma (the new yellow Wiggle) wears. Miss 4 did run out of steam a bit at the end, but I have to say I quite enjoyed it too - they really do put on a great show, with a few jokes thrown in for the grown ups.
But the excitement didn't end there. No, no, Miss 4 also had her first field trip this week! She was super excited to get to ride on a school bus and head off with her little friends to the Agriculture Museum. I went along as well, and it was nice to be a fly on the wall and see what she is like in a classroom. (Very enthused and ready to volunteer!) It was a great trip for 4 year olds; they were taught about harvest season, and how the native North Americans grew corn, beans and pumpkin together (the 3 Sisters). They got to act out the story of the 3 Sisters, heard about how Halloween traditions evolved and best of all, got to pick a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch and decorate it.
I suppose I should mention how the twins are going. Apart from being hard work to get anywhere (what these shoes? how about these ones? No, I want to sit here, wait no there, or hang on while I run away.....you get the picture!) they are good. T1 is still a little apprehensive getting dropped off at school, but generally they are having lots of fun and I'm really struggling to get them to leave and come home at lunchtime. They are getting better at climbing, swinging and running so we're making sure that they get the most out of the lovely fall sunshine we're getting at the moment. We did have an incident this week - T2 thought it would be a great idea to take the little ride on toy down the split level of 2 stairs, she tipped forward and crashed her head into the leg of the dining table. Thankfully it didn't open up and bleed, but it wasn't far off, so we're very thankful that she avoided stitches. It was of course in pretty much the exact same spot where her big sister needed stitches at the same age.... these kids need to be more careful!
It hasn't all been about the kids this last month. We've managed to do some grown up social activities as well. I snuck out for a girls drinks and dinner, we had an Aussie couple over for a meal, dinner out in Byward Market for a visiting friend's birthday and we hosted a BBQ for the AFL grand final. Of course, we had to avoid all social media for a day (as we watched it about 12 hours after it started) and I was pretty excited as Fremantle had made the final Alas, they lost, but it was still a fun day sharing the game with a bunch of Canadians and going over to Rideau Hall for a kick of the footy after the game too.
We also had our last visitor (we think) for this posting; a friend with her 2 year old boy. There was a bit of conflict amongst all the 2 year olds (we have 2 of most things, not enough apparently!) but it was great to hang out and the kids did a much better job of playing together when it was nice to play outside. We did lots of the usual stuff - coffee in the market, checking out the city sights, Museum of Civilisation and playing at the Governor General's. They also snuck away for a few days to do some sightseeing. It was also very handy for me having an extra grown-up in the house as I could run Miss 4 to and from school on the days the twins didn't go without getting the whole mob organised.
Just because we could, we took a few days last weekend and travelled down to Niagara. I've actually been there twice in winter, so was looking forward to all the attractions actually being operational. We left on Friday and after a quick stop to see family Friday night, we popped into Niagara-on-the-Lake for lunch on the Saturday; very picturesque. (As a bonus we found proper pies, pasties and sausage rolls for lunch. Very hard to come by in this part of the world!) We finally arrived in Niagara on Saturday afternoon, but as the Maid of the Mist was booked, we only had time to check out the rapids walk a little downstream. After loading up at the buffet breakfast on Sunday, we ticked a bunch of items off the list: Behind the falls (noisy and damp, but the kids were fine with it), Niagara's Fury, a 4D movie experience (too scary for the kids and we had to leave) and the famous Maid of the Mist. It really is a fantastic experience - you really appreciate the immense size and power of the Falls when you're right at the bottom. We all got very wet though - it didn't help that the twins didn't like wearing the hoods on their ponchos. The thing that did surprise me was that the twins in particular really liked looking at the Falls. We kept having to lift them up so they could see over the fence and point at all the "water", and in our hotel room they kept pressing up to the glass to look out at the view. The other highlight for the kids was catching the bus around the various sights (first bus trip for the twins) and splashing in the many puddles left by rain and spray from the falls. I'd been given a tip to take gumboots and many other parents watched the girls splashing around and said "I wish I'd thought of that!"
We got home Monday evening and have had a short week - no school today (Friday) due to teacher PD and Monday is Thanksgiving so it's a long weekend for everyone. We have no real plans, but the weather is supposed to be nice so we'll maybe get out to a museum, or play at the park. Of course, fall leaves are the best entertainment going around - Miss 4 loves to rake and the twins love to put them in the bin. Happy with that! But right now, it's t-shirt weather (20 and sunny) so I think I'll head outside :) 'Til next time...
So, 2 weeks into school and we had a weekend of birthday parties. On the Saturday afternoon was a princess-themed celebration for twins from Miss 4's class - and the parents had invited the whole class to their party at home. Brave! They did request that a parent stayed with each child, and thoughtfully provided beer, wine and plenty of snacks for everyone. Miss 4 was very excited to actually wear her princess dress-up out of the house. It was actually quite a lovely afternoon; the sun was shining and the parents stood around and chatted watching the kids play. They also had cupcakes which the kids got to decorate themselves which was a great idea with a crowd and the kids loved it. (Quite amazing how many smarties/sprinkles some kids managed to squeeze on!) We waved goodbye to all with a "See you tomorrow"; on Sunday we took a 50 minute drive to a horse ranch for a pony ride birthday party. Again, the whole class was invited and it was lots of fun for the kids. There were actually a whole bunch of friendly animals running around: dogs, hairy piglets and kittens that were quite happy to be passed around groups of 4 year old girls. The kids all got pony rides, a wagon ride, a tour of the barn and a hot dog lunch and had a fantastic day out.
The next weekend and.... Miss 4 had another birthday party! This one was a friend from outside school, so was smaller and quieter; in fact no parent was needed to stay which was even better. It was fairy-themed so I think the 6 little fairies loved running around with their wands, jumping on the bouncy castle and making fairy crafts. We'd also had a few playdates in between all these parties - both the usual friends as well as new friends from her class. Because lots of her friends stay at school all day and she only does mornings, I find it easier to get her home if she has something to look forward to in the afternoon.
Another big day out for Miss 4 was the day I took her to the Wiggles concert. She still loves watching them on TV here (and I am happy to let her watch it - it is about the only Aussie kids content we get!) and I thought I'd take her to the show. We were sitting in the theatre, waiting for it to start and she keeps asking me "Is it going to be the real Wiggles from TV?" I don't think she quite believed it would be, so when they walked out onto the stage, her face just lit up with excitement and she jumped to her feet and danced away. Our seats were 2 in from the aisle, but as the aisle seat holders didn't turn up, we shuffled over and had a great view. Even more exciting, was that she got to say hello to Simon (the new red Wiggle) and tell him we were from Australia, as well as high 5 Captain Feathersword and say hi to Lachie (the new purple Wiggle). And of course we left with a souvenir - a giant yellow and black bow on a headband, just like the one Emma (the new yellow Wiggle) wears. Miss 4 did run out of steam a bit at the end, but I have to say I quite enjoyed it too - they really do put on a great show, with a few jokes thrown in for the grown ups.
But the excitement didn't end there. No, no, Miss 4 also had her first field trip this week! She was super excited to get to ride on a school bus and head off with her little friends to the Agriculture Museum. I went along as well, and it was nice to be a fly on the wall and see what she is like in a classroom. (Very enthused and ready to volunteer!) It was a great trip for 4 year olds; they were taught about harvest season, and how the native North Americans grew corn, beans and pumpkin together (the 3 Sisters). They got to act out the story of the 3 Sisters, heard about how Halloween traditions evolved and best of all, got to pick a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch and decorate it.
I suppose I should mention how the twins are going. Apart from being hard work to get anywhere (what these shoes? how about these ones? No, I want to sit here, wait no there, or hang on while I run away.....you get the picture!) they are good. T1 is still a little apprehensive getting dropped off at school, but generally they are having lots of fun and I'm really struggling to get them to leave and come home at lunchtime. They are getting better at climbing, swinging and running so we're making sure that they get the most out of the lovely fall sunshine we're getting at the moment. We did have an incident this week - T2 thought it would be a great idea to take the little ride on toy down the split level of 2 stairs, she tipped forward and crashed her head into the leg of the dining table. Thankfully it didn't open up and bleed, but it wasn't far off, so we're very thankful that she avoided stitches. It was of course in pretty much the exact same spot where her big sister needed stitches at the same age.... these kids need to be more careful!
It hasn't all been about the kids this last month. We've managed to do some grown up social activities as well. I snuck out for a girls drinks and dinner, we had an Aussie couple over for a meal, dinner out in Byward Market for a visiting friend's birthday and we hosted a BBQ for the AFL grand final. Of course, we had to avoid all social media for a day (as we watched it about 12 hours after it started) and I was pretty excited as Fremantle had made the final Alas, they lost, but it was still a fun day sharing the game with a bunch of Canadians and going over to Rideau Hall for a kick of the footy after the game too.
We also had our last visitor (we think) for this posting; a friend with her 2 year old boy. There was a bit of conflict amongst all the 2 year olds (we have 2 of most things, not enough apparently!) but it was great to hang out and the kids did a much better job of playing together when it was nice to play outside. We did lots of the usual stuff - coffee in the market, checking out the city sights, Museum of Civilisation and playing at the Governor General's. They also snuck away for a few days to do some sightseeing. It was also very handy for me having an extra grown-up in the house as I could run Miss 4 to and from school on the days the twins didn't go without getting the whole mob organised.
Just because we could, we took a few days last weekend and travelled down to Niagara. I've actually been there twice in winter, so was looking forward to all the attractions actually being operational. We left on Friday and after a quick stop to see family Friday night, we popped into Niagara-on-the-Lake for lunch on the Saturday; very picturesque. (As a bonus we found proper pies, pasties and sausage rolls for lunch. Very hard to come by in this part of the world!) We finally arrived in Niagara on Saturday afternoon, but as the Maid of the Mist was booked, we only had time to check out the rapids walk a little downstream. After loading up at the buffet breakfast on Sunday, we ticked a bunch of items off the list: Behind the falls (noisy and damp, but the kids were fine with it), Niagara's Fury, a 4D movie experience (too scary for the kids and we had to leave) and the famous Maid of the Mist. It really is a fantastic experience - you really appreciate the immense size and power of the Falls when you're right at the bottom. We all got very wet though - it didn't help that the twins didn't like wearing the hoods on their ponchos. The thing that did surprise me was that the twins in particular really liked looking at the Falls. We kept having to lift them up so they could see over the fence and point at all the "water", and in our hotel room they kept pressing up to the glass to look out at the view. The other highlight for the kids was catching the bus around the various sights (first bus trip for the twins) and splashing in the many puddles left by rain and spray from the falls. I'd been given a tip to take gumboots and many other parents watched the girls splashing around and said "I wish I'd thought of that!"
We got home Monday evening and have had a short week - no school today (Friday) due to teacher PD and Monday is Thanksgiving so it's a long weekend for everyone. We have no real plans, but the weather is supposed to be nice so we'll maybe get out to a museum, or play at the park. Of course, fall leaves are the best entertainment going around - Miss 4 loves to rake and the twins love to put them in the bin. Happy with that! But right now, it's t-shirt weather (20 and sunny) so I think I'll head outside :) 'Til next time...
Sunday, 8 September 2013
Festivals, birthdays, a holiday, school and visitors -oh my!
Well, we certainly made the most of the end of the school holidays! I think it will be easiest to launch right into it, picking up from where I left off last time. Ah yes, the cricket....
You may remember that I was heading off to the Governor General's grounds (Rideau Hall) to see the 'Canadian Ashes', which is played between the British and Australian High Commissions. We were fortunate with the weather - after rain earlier in the day, the sun stayed out and it was a really lovely afternoon to be outside. The big news is that the Aussies won (yay for us!) and retained the trophy. The kids and I didn't actually stay for the whole game as it didn't wrap up until around 7:30, but I was quite chuffed that I managed to keep the twins from running onto the field for a whole hour. After that I managed to corral them in the cricket nets for a while as they ran around, before I thought it best to head home. Miss 4 had a lovely time too, as there were a number of other kids there for her to run around on the sidelines with. The game itself was good fun - got to see hubby open the bowling and a few catches taken (although we missed him in action with the bat). It was also pretty funny, when the Governor General himself thought he'd pop down for a look with his grandkids - the game stopped momentarily so he and the kids could go out into the middle and have a quick hit!
The next day (Saturday) was a busy one - in the morning we headed into the city to check out the South Asia Festival. It probably didn't have as much there to do as we'd hoped; and also started later then we thought - luckily it was a nice morning to be out in the city! There were a few things for the kids to do though such as bouncy castles and painting, and entertainment on a stage. In the evening, our local park hosted the annual Lumiere Festival (a lantern festival) which was pretty amazing. They also had entertainment (stilt walkers, Chinese dancers, random pirates - arrrghhh) as well as some absolutely gorgeous lanterns, many of which were works of art. We had dinner at the park, but had to leave just as they were lighting up as the kids were all getting pretty tired. I did sneak back later though to soak it up - an incredible atmosphere with all the lanterns lit, fire twirlers, music and everyone wearing glow sticks/bracelets etc. I managed to catch a glimpse of the fireworks festival across the river in Quebec on the walk home too. We finished our busy weekend with a BBQ dinner at a friend's on Sunday night.
The next week was the annual family BBQ hosted by hubby's work. Like last year, it was at the Aviation Museum and for a small price included food for all, as well as a bouncy castle and games for the kids. Unfortunately, it was the worst weather of the week on that day so everyone was huddled underneath the small shelter as they ate their hot dogs and hamburgers. The kids all still managed to have fun though - the rain mostly held off for the twins to play in the playground, and apart from a meltdown when she had to get off the bouncy castle as her friend was allowed on, Miss 4 had fun too.
On the following weekend, we celebrated the twins second birthdays a week early. (Wow - 2 years -where does the time go?) It was lots of fun. We invited a few families who we've seen the most of (so, who know the twins best) and had an evening BBQ. That way, it was acceptable to serve wine and beer :) I fed the kids full of lollies and chips, sent them home with lolly bags, and made rainbow cupcakes, which looked great thanks to the neon food colouring. Of course, the twins chose not to have a sleep that afternoon, so we were pretty worried that they would turn into tired monsters, but they seemed to really enjoy having so many familiar faces around and tucked into the party food with glee. They did seem to find the coloured cakes disturbing though, as they only licked off the frosting and didn't eat the cake at all! When I brought the bubbles out at the end of the night they were in heaven chasing them around and powered on for a late night, even without their sleep. A great day.
The last week of August we managed to squeeze in a few days in Quebec City. We absolutely loved it - I could rave about it for ages, but I'll stick to the highlights. In general, it almost feels like being in Europe - obviously it is French speaking and combine that with the cobbled streets, historic squares and city walls around the old town, it has such charm. Hubby found us awesome accommodation - a converted loft above a shop right in the heart of the old town. Our car was left in a parking building the whole time and we explored on foot. We really did do an awful lot of just walking around, looking at the sights and taking lots of photos. A couple of attractions we checked out were the Citadelle for the changing of the guard (complete with goat mascot who relieved himself on the parade ground much to the amusement of Miss 4!) and the Observation Tower for great views over the town and lots of historical displays. In a happy accident of timing, friends of ours were there at the same time of us, so we took turns babysitting so we could get a night out without kids. That gave us a chance to get a steak and frites dinner (traditional fare) and see the free Cirque du Soleil show at the port. Although some items had to be shortened due to rain (some pretty clear safety issues) what we saw was fantastic, and because we got there a bit late, we actually got to stand right up the front so had an excellent view. On our way out, we detoured past the Montmorency Falls and took the cable car up to the top - very windy that day but great views.
We were finally home again on Monday evening, and on Tuesday school started! We'd had a school orientation the previous week where the girls all got to meet their teachers - Miss 4 was up in Kindergarten and the twins are doing 2 half days of nursery school (really like daycare in a school environment). I'd also been busy making sure Miss 4 had all the uniform she needed (she looks super grown up in a uniform!) as well as making sure everyone had the right shoes that fit. They all had foot growth of a whole size over spring/summer! So the first week of school seems to have gone well. The twins both had a few 'moments' (so the teachers tell me) but are very happy when they get to play outside and seem in no hurry to come home at the end of the day. Miss 4 was very excited to see all her friends from last year and has already been invited to 2 birthday parties for next weekend. She has done her first homework and can already recite a list of colours in French. I was tired getting everyone in and out the door all week, but it will be great once everyone is used to the routine.
Another reason I was tired was that we had visitors with us for a couple of nights during the week. They were the friends we'd seen in Quebec City; after a quick stop in Montreal they came through Ottawa and stayed with us. Although we didn't get out with them very much due to school (although we did have a lovely afternoon in the sunshine at Rideau Hall) it was fun having friends from back home stay with us, and we sat around in the evenings with a glass of wine and chocolate catching up on the last few years.
So, that is the end of summer. Although the seasons don't officially change for another 2 weeks, it is starting to feel like fall. The mornings are pretty crisp and cool and the leaves are starting to turn and drop (bring on the rake). We're looking forward to another visitor in a week and a bit, but things will be slowing down now school is back. Until next time :)
You may remember that I was heading off to the Governor General's grounds (Rideau Hall) to see the 'Canadian Ashes', which is played between the British and Australian High Commissions. We were fortunate with the weather - after rain earlier in the day, the sun stayed out and it was a really lovely afternoon to be outside. The big news is that the Aussies won (yay for us!) and retained the trophy. The kids and I didn't actually stay for the whole game as it didn't wrap up until around 7:30, but I was quite chuffed that I managed to keep the twins from running onto the field for a whole hour. After that I managed to corral them in the cricket nets for a while as they ran around, before I thought it best to head home. Miss 4 had a lovely time too, as there were a number of other kids there for her to run around on the sidelines with. The game itself was good fun - got to see hubby open the bowling and a few catches taken (although we missed him in action with the bat). It was also pretty funny, when the Governor General himself thought he'd pop down for a look with his grandkids - the game stopped momentarily so he and the kids could go out into the middle and have a quick hit!
The next day (Saturday) was a busy one - in the morning we headed into the city to check out the South Asia Festival. It probably didn't have as much there to do as we'd hoped; and also started later then we thought - luckily it was a nice morning to be out in the city! There were a few things for the kids to do though such as bouncy castles and painting, and entertainment on a stage. In the evening, our local park hosted the annual Lumiere Festival (a lantern festival) which was pretty amazing. They also had entertainment (stilt walkers, Chinese dancers, random pirates - arrrghhh) as well as some absolutely gorgeous lanterns, many of which were works of art. We had dinner at the park, but had to leave just as they were lighting up as the kids were all getting pretty tired. I did sneak back later though to soak it up - an incredible atmosphere with all the lanterns lit, fire twirlers, music and everyone wearing glow sticks/bracelets etc. I managed to catch a glimpse of the fireworks festival across the river in Quebec on the walk home too. We finished our busy weekend with a BBQ dinner at a friend's on Sunday night.
The next week was the annual family BBQ hosted by hubby's work. Like last year, it was at the Aviation Museum and for a small price included food for all, as well as a bouncy castle and games for the kids. Unfortunately, it was the worst weather of the week on that day so everyone was huddled underneath the small shelter as they ate their hot dogs and hamburgers. The kids all still managed to have fun though - the rain mostly held off for the twins to play in the playground, and apart from a meltdown when she had to get off the bouncy castle as her friend was allowed on, Miss 4 had fun too.
On the following weekend, we celebrated the twins second birthdays a week early. (Wow - 2 years -where does the time go?) It was lots of fun. We invited a few families who we've seen the most of (so, who know the twins best) and had an evening BBQ. That way, it was acceptable to serve wine and beer :) I fed the kids full of lollies and chips, sent them home with lolly bags, and made rainbow cupcakes, which looked great thanks to the neon food colouring. Of course, the twins chose not to have a sleep that afternoon, so we were pretty worried that they would turn into tired monsters, but they seemed to really enjoy having so many familiar faces around and tucked into the party food with glee. They did seem to find the coloured cakes disturbing though, as they only licked off the frosting and didn't eat the cake at all! When I brought the bubbles out at the end of the night they were in heaven chasing them around and powered on for a late night, even without their sleep. A great day.
The last week of August we managed to squeeze in a few days in Quebec City. We absolutely loved it - I could rave about it for ages, but I'll stick to the highlights. In general, it almost feels like being in Europe - obviously it is French speaking and combine that with the cobbled streets, historic squares and city walls around the old town, it has such charm. Hubby found us awesome accommodation - a converted loft above a shop right in the heart of the old town. Our car was left in a parking building the whole time and we explored on foot. We really did do an awful lot of just walking around, looking at the sights and taking lots of photos. A couple of attractions we checked out were the Citadelle for the changing of the guard (complete with goat mascot who relieved himself on the parade ground much to the amusement of Miss 4!) and the Observation Tower for great views over the town and lots of historical displays. In a happy accident of timing, friends of ours were there at the same time of us, so we took turns babysitting so we could get a night out without kids. That gave us a chance to get a steak and frites dinner (traditional fare) and see the free Cirque du Soleil show at the port. Although some items had to be shortened due to rain (some pretty clear safety issues) what we saw was fantastic, and because we got there a bit late, we actually got to stand right up the front so had an excellent view. On our way out, we detoured past the Montmorency Falls and took the cable car up to the top - very windy that day but great views.
We were finally home again on Monday evening, and on Tuesday school started! We'd had a school orientation the previous week where the girls all got to meet their teachers - Miss 4 was up in Kindergarten and the twins are doing 2 half days of nursery school (really like daycare in a school environment). I'd also been busy making sure Miss 4 had all the uniform she needed (she looks super grown up in a uniform!) as well as making sure everyone had the right shoes that fit. They all had foot growth of a whole size over spring/summer! So the first week of school seems to have gone well. The twins both had a few 'moments' (so the teachers tell me) but are very happy when they get to play outside and seem in no hurry to come home at the end of the day. Miss 4 was very excited to see all her friends from last year and has already been invited to 2 birthday parties for next weekend. She has done her first homework and can already recite a list of colours in French. I was tired getting everyone in and out the door all week, but it will be great once everyone is used to the routine.
Another reason I was tired was that we had visitors with us for a couple of nights during the week. They were the friends we'd seen in Quebec City; after a quick stop in Montreal they came through Ottawa and stayed with us. Although we didn't get out with them very much due to school (although we did have a lovely afternoon in the sunshine at Rideau Hall) it was fun having friends from back home stay with us, and we sat around in the evenings with a glass of wine and chocolate catching up on the last few years.
So, that is the end of summer. Although the seasons don't officially change for another 2 weeks, it is starting to feel like fall. The mornings are pretty crisp and cool and the leaves are starting to turn and drop (bring on the rake). We're looking forward to another visitor in a week and a bit, but things will be slowing down now school is back. Until next time :)
Friday, 16 August 2013
This is Summer - eh?
Ah yes, glorious summer days. Sunshine, warmth.... unless you live in Ottawa this year that is! No really, it hasn't been that bad - we've had lots of sun and days in the mid-high 20s, but it is quite different from last summer which was in the 30s for a lot of the time with high humidity and warm nights. Not having lots of heat and humidity has made it far easier to get out and about with the kids without everyone getting hot and cranky, and sleeping at night has been a breeze - we've even needed a light blanket most nights. There was an impressive thunderstorm the other night that woke us up at about 3am, but generally it's been great - and busy of course!
Over the last few weeks, we signed up Miss 4 for a day of summer camp a week at her school. She loved it - they did cool activities like Yoga and Tae Kwon Do and we loved it too as she would be nicely worn out from a busy day and we could have a quiet day at home or arrange a playdate with younger children the twin's age. (Not that they play with other kids - who needs to when you have each other?!) Of course, she also generated a lot of artwork, so I need to sort through and secretly recycle - between school work and the drawings/colouring she does at home we're getting overrun! At least the twins just scribble still, I'm sure in a few years we'll have enough to wallpaper the whole house :)
We've had 2 sets of visitors since my last blog too, which was great. The first couple (Aussies posted to the Washington area) came the weekend after hubby's folks left. They only had a couple of nights with us, but we managed to get a bit in. They were blessed with the best weather of the summer (high 20s and sunny) so we spent a day in the city (beginning with a coffee in the market of course) before seeing the sights. I did bring the kids home for lunch, but hubby stayed out with our guests and they did a lot of walking but managed to have a beer in the sunshine in the afternoon. Our babysitter was booked so that we could have a night out, and we had a delicious dinner in the market before going to Mosaika - a sound and light show about Canada projected onto Parliament. Hubby and I went last year, and it was quite a similar show this year, but it's still a good option, especially with out-of-towners. It was a perfect night for it too - warm and dry, so no need for a jacket or a picnic rug. An ice cream for the walk home topped off the night. The next day we stayed closer to home (the grounds of Rideau Hall, home of the G-G) before they flew out early afternoon.
Our second set of visitors came 2 weeks ago and that was pretty crazy, but also lots of fun. Our friends are posted to Boston and have 2 kids - a 5 year old and a 2 1/2 year old. Miss 4 was very excited to have a visitor sleeping in her room; we would have been excited too if they hadn't woken up super early and started chatting loudly! Funny to overhear them though :) We had a very busy few days. We went to the Museum of Civilisation again (this time, Miss 4 and I got to stay while hubby brought the twins home early) and they loved it; the kids all had a fantastic time. Hubby and I watched all the kids at the Rideau Hall playground so that our friends could do the tour of the Governor General's residence (something we should probably get around to doing one of these days). Our fabulous babysitter agreed to look after all 5 kids (although we did put the younger ones to bed before we went) so that we could have a night out to dinner. It was fantastic - went to a local restaurant that is amazing and had a great night with a very funny waiter. It was good to be the rowdy table...and rowdy because we were having fun and not because of noisy kids! We also did the traditional trip to the boulangerie at Byward Market for a bowl of coffee and pastries before seeing the sights, and also checking out the Busker Festival. They also snuck out with hubby one night to see Mosaika. As well as that there was lots of hanging out in our backyard having a drink while the kids played. The twins were getting quite used to house guests by this point and loved the extra attention and Miss 4 loved having a playmate so the kids were sad to see them go....although I think they were all pretty tired from all the excitement as they slept a bit more in the few days afterwards!
Last weekend we managed to be busy too. On Saturday afternoon we drove down to Kingston (when will the twins get the memo about sleeping in the car...???) to spend the afternoon and evening with my uncle and his family. (One of my cousins is about to move while another is back briefly from overseas.) It was a beautiful day and very nice of them to let us crash the start of their family week. They'd rented a gorgeous 'cottage' (ok, I'm calling it a house!) right on Lake Ontario with a huge backyard that conveniently included kid's play equipment. On Sunday we had a pool party to go to, and while the unheated pool was not really warm enough for me (anything deeper then my belly button involved too much flinching and Miss 4 had very chattery teeth) it was a nice day to be outside with good company.
Well, that's all the big stuff but we've also been busy in between all that. There's been a friend's birthday BBQ and friends here for drinks and BBQs (always nice to catch up with whole families, as opposed to the usual mum and kid playdates). We've had playdates at parks (including a nice morning up at Gatineau Park on a lovely walking trail) as well as homes (our friend's who have a bouncy castle are always a big hit!) I took Miss 4 to another movie with one of her little friends (Epic - I liked it but she may have been a little young, the bad guys were scary and Spoiler Alert the Queen is killed early on). It's funny to think that I was worried that summer would drag by without the routine of school and playgroups, but quite the opposite it's flown by and it's hard to believe that we're back into our routine in a few weeks.
I'll fill you in on the tail end of our summer adventures next blog. Right now, I'm glad to see the sun out, and hoping it stays out as the British and Australian High Commissions are having an 'Ashes' cricket match at the G-Gs this afternoon. Hubby is opening the bowling I think. Should be fun - go Aussies!
Over the last few weeks, we signed up Miss 4 for a day of summer camp a week at her school. She loved it - they did cool activities like Yoga and Tae Kwon Do and we loved it too as she would be nicely worn out from a busy day and we could have a quiet day at home or arrange a playdate with younger children the twin's age. (Not that they play with other kids - who needs to when you have each other?!) Of course, she also generated a lot of artwork, so I need to sort through and secretly recycle - between school work and the drawings/colouring she does at home we're getting overrun! At least the twins just scribble still, I'm sure in a few years we'll have enough to wallpaper the whole house :)
We've had 2 sets of visitors since my last blog too, which was great. The first couple (Aussies posted to the Washington area) came the weekend after hubby's folks left. They only had a couple of nights with us, but we managed to get a bit in. They were blessed with the best weather of the summer (high 20s and sunny) so we spent a day in the city (beginning with a coffee in the market of course) before seeing the sights. I did bring the kids home for lunch, but hubby stayed out with our guests and they did a lot of walking but managed to have a beer in the sunshine in the afternoon. Our babysitter was booked so that we could have a night out, and we had a delicious dinner in the market before going to Mosaika - a sound and light show about Canada projected onto Parliament. Hubby and I went last year, and it was quite a similar show this year, but it's still a good option, especially with out-of-towners. It was a perfect night for it too - warm and dry, so no need for a jacket or a picnic rug. An ice cream for the walk home topped off the night. The next day we stayed closer to home (the grounds of Rideau Hall, home of the G-G) before they flew out early afternoon.
Our second set of visitors came 2 weeks ago and that was pretty crazy, but also lots of fun. Our friends are posted to Boston and have 2 kids - a 5 year old and a 2 1/2 year old. Miss 4 was very excited to have a visitor sleeping in her room; we would have been excited too if they hadn't woken up super early and started chatting loudly! Funny to overhear them though :) We had a very busy few days. We went to the Museum of Civilisation again (this time, Miss 4 and I got to stay while hubby brought the twins home early) and they loved it; the kids all had a fantastic time. Hubby and I watched all the kids at the Rideau Hall playground so that our friends could do the tour of the Governor General's residence (something we should probably get around to doing one of these days). Our fabulous babysitter agreed to look after all 5 kids (although we did put the younger ones to bed before we went) so that we could have a night out to dinner. It was fantastic - went to a local restaurant that is amazing and had a great night with a very funny waiter. It was good to be the rowdy table...and rowdy because we were having fun and not because of noisy kids! We also did the traditional trip to the boulangerie at Byward Market for a bowl of coffee and pastries before seeing the sights, and also checking out the Busker Festival. They also snuck out with hubby one night to see Mosaika. As well as that there was lots of hanging out in our backyard having a drink while the kids played. The twins were getting quite used to house guests by this point and loved the extra attention and Miss 4 loved having a playmate so the kids were sad to see them go....although I think they were all pretty tired from all the excitement as they slept a bit more in the few days afterwards!
Last weekend we managed to be busy too. On Saturday afternoon we drove down to Kingston (when will the twins get the memo about sleeping in the car...???) to spend the afternoon and evening with my uncle and his family. (One of my cousins is about to move while another is back briefly from overseas.) It was a beautiful day and very nice of them to let us crash the start of their family week. They'd rented a gorgeous 'cottage' (ok, I'm calling it a house!) right on Lake Ontario with a huge backyard that conveniently included kid's play equipment. On Sunday we had a pool party to go to, and while the unheated pool was not really warm enough for me (anything deeper then my belly button involved too much flinching and Miss 4 had very chattery teeth) it was a nice day to be outside with good company.
Well, that's all the big stuff but we've also been busy in between all that. There's been a friend's birthday BBQ and friends here for drinks and BBQs (always nice to catch up with whole families, as opposed to the usual mum and kid playdates). We've had playdates at parks (including a nice morning up at Gatineau Park on a lovely walking trail) as well as homes (our friend's who have a bouncy castle are always a big hit!) I took Miss 4 to another movie with one of her little friends (Epic - I liked it but she may have been a little young, the bad guys were scary and Spoiler Alert the Queen is killed early on). It's funny to think that I was worried that summer would drag by without the routine of school and playgroups, but quite the opposite it's flown by and it's hard to believe that we're back into our routine in a few weeks.
I'll fill you in on the tail end of our summer adventures next blog. Right now, I'm glad to see the sun out, and hoping it stays out as the British and Australian High Commissions are having an 'Ashes' cricket match at the G-Gs this afternoon. Hubby is opening the bowling I think. Should be fun - go Aussies!
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Busy month = naughty blogger
So, I fully intended to write this blog a week or maybe 3 ago, but with school ending, house guests, a trip to Montreal as well as the usual out and about the last 6 weeks have flown by. I promise to try not to waffle :)
One exciting event was Miss 4's dance recital - her first. Now, having taught young children dancing for a number of years, I know from experience that you can never predict how they will go on the stage. Some kids who are great in class freeze, others who are shy and retiring, suddenly smile and flaunt their talent. Miss 4 was pretty excited, and even let me put her hair into a bun with no complaint (it had been a bone of contention in the days before). She was normally pretty good in class, and I'm proud to say that she was good on the stage too. Lots of waving at Dad, but did most of the steps at the right time. There was lots of positive feedback from all the parents which was great to hear. The only negative is that she has been singing the songs she danced to ever since and driving us crazy!
Hubby was lucky enough to have a weekend away to the Montreal Grand Prix. He thoroughly enjoyed it (being raised in Adelaide he kind of grew up with it) and from the photos he seemed to have a pretty good view of the action. They had ways to get the fans involved too, like a tyre changing experience (he and his friend were 5th fastest) and he also picked up some tips for our upcoming trip to Montreal.
The next week, and school ended for the summer - already?? Miss 4's teachers had fantastic folders made up for each member of the class, which had a selection of their artwork, as well as a certificate and photos of them in action in the classroom. She has enjoyed her year so much that it was a little sad to say goodbye to the teachers that she loves so much. A few days after that we made a trip to the Science Museum. It had lots of interesting displays (if only Miss 4 would stand still long enough for us to read any of them) and some big old steam trains to climb on. We even let the twins out to roam, and although they wandered off to the nearest set of steps every time, at least they stayed in view and followed us when we moved on and called them. A promising development.
And another week ticked over...and one of the playgroups we attended in the year finished. For the last one the coordinator arranged a visit from a fire truck. Great fun - the firemen were all very friendly and let the kids climb all over the truck and into the cab. They also all got a red plastic fire helmet (which the twins squashed within 5 minutes of getting home, oh well!) The rest of the week was a blur of organising as hubby's parents arrived for a visit, just making it late on the Friday night after getting stuck in Banff due to a landslide. It was great to see them, and although the twins took a little while to warm up to them (they usually do with new people) Miss 4 was super excited and had hugs and kisses from the moment she saw them. I think that's mainly because of Skype - it's a great way for kids to stay in touch with relatives who live far away.
Granny and Papa's first weekend with us was busy. Saturday morning was the annual Teddy Bear's Picnic at the Governor-General's. It was raining which took a little shine off the day, but we managed to enjoy a couple of activities (merry-go-round, pancakes) before hubby and Papa took the twins home. Granny and I stayed out with Miss 4 to do a few more activities, which was extra fun when she bumped into one of her school friends. Sunday was a much brighter day, and we headed into Byward market for a bowl of coffee at the boulangerie before wandering around the sights of Ottawa. It was also the weekend of RibFest. Yes, the smell of barbecued meat wherever you went so lunch was covered. It was delicious I have to say!
Monday saw all seven of us pile into the Odyssey and head to Montreal. The twins didn't get the memo about having a big sleep in the car, but we made it without too much complaining. Hubby had found a house to rent in a nice part of town, and while we found it pretty odd some of the personal stuff that the owners left behind (photos, personal bills and accounts, an iPod??) it fit the bill for our crowd. The kids had a run around at a local park in the afternoon before we started our sightseeing on Tuesday. We really just wandered around Montreal that day; from the old town with it's cobblestones and churches to the centre of town where they were setting up for the Jazz Festival. Miss 4 was a bit of a star and walked pretty much all day (we figure 7 or 8 kms?) with minimal complaining and only needed a piggyback at the end. (We couldn't fit our big pram with buggy board for her in the car so only had a lightweight twin umbrella stroller for the twins.) On Wednesday we went to the top of Mont Royal (a bit foggy unfortunately) before giving the kids a run at Westmount Park which was lovely. Hubby then dropped Granny, Papa, Miss 4 and myself at Schwatz's (a Montreal institution) for their famous smoked meat sandwiches and we did a museum in the afternoon (lots on the history of Montreal) before catching the Metro home. It was Miss 4's first time on an underground railway (or any railway to think of it) and she thought that part was exciting too. Thursday we went to the islands where hubby got to drive the Grand Prix track and we just hung out for a bit; the kids and I then had a quiet afternoon at home while hubby and his folks checked out a brewery. Friday was bucketing with rain, so we ended up driving home in the morning. Then of course I had farewell drinks for a friend who was headed to the UK for a few months so I tizzied up and out I went. Whew!
A major tourist attraction in these parts is the Museum of Civilisation - I know I've mentioned it before and I'm pretty sure that it's one of the places we'll often take visitors. Granny and Papa thought it was fantastic and it was particularly helpful to have extra hands on deck while in the Children's Museum. We also managed to get a look through some displays that we'd run out of time to look at on our first visit. There were more farewell drinks on the agenda that night - for a Canadian Navy friend and his wife who are posting to Washington. The grandparents came in very handy; there was no need to organise a babysitter for a change. We were lucky with a sunny Sunday and the twins were treated to a trip to the park while Miss 3 had a birthday party to attend.
Monday was Canada Day. We had talked it up a bit (remembering what great fun it was last year) and we all had our red and white t-shirts and were ready to go. The plan was to do some activities at Major's Hill Park in the city, before hubby would bring the kids home and the rest of us would check out the free lunchtime concert. It was mostly good, the biggest problem was that Miss 4 was a little partied out after a pretty busy week and was being a bit grumpy. She did manage to get on a mini train ride, but lost interest in the face painting by the time she was close to the front of the (very long) queue. Luckily we'd arranged to meet some friends and that did perk her up for a while. Of course, time snuck away from us, and by the time we'd had an early lunch and split forces, we were too late to get a good spot for the concert and were stuck outside the fence. Oh well, there was generally a good atmosphere and we could kind of see on the big TV screens. I treated the in-laws to a Beavertail afterwards which gave us energy for the walk home. Later that night hubby took his folks out to see the fireworks. Because we live close to the city, you don't have to go far to get a good view (apart from the trees you'd see them from our front yard) but you could certainly hear them - I was worried they'd wake the kids up! Pretty spectacular by all accounts.
Granny and Papa took off for a few days of sightseeing and we had a 'normal' week - lots of playdates. Their last weekend was just trying to squeeze in a couple of last experiences (pancakes, poutine) and spending time playing with the kids. They took off on Monday for the last leg of their adventure before heading home. Today I managed to take Miss 4 out for a special afternoon: lunch, shopping and a movie. Is it just me or was it good casting to have Nicholas Cage as a caveman in the The Croods??
We are looking forward to more visitors this weekend, as well as a day a week of summer camp for Miss 4, playdates and drinks with friends on weekends. I think the summer will be gone before we know it!
One exciting event was Miss 4's dance recital - her first. Now, having taught young children dancing for a number of years, I know from experience that you can never predict how they will go on the stage. Some kids who are great in class freeze, others who are shy and retiring, suddenly smile and flaunt their talent. Miss 4 was pretty excited, and even let me put her hair into a bun with no complaint (it had been a bone of contention in the days before). She was normally pretty good in class, and I'm proud to say that she was good on the stage too. Lots of waving at Dad, but did most of the steps at the right time. There was lots of positive feedback from all the parents which was great to hear. The only negative is that she has been singing the songs she danced to ever since and driving us crazy!
Hubby was lucky enough to have a weekend away to the Montreal Grand Prix. He thoroughly enjoyed it (being raised in Adelaide he kind of grew up with it) and from the photos he seemed to have a pretty good view of the action. They had ways to get the fans involved too, like a tyre changing experience (he and his friend were 5th fastest) and he also picked up some tips for our upcoming trip to Montreal.
The next week, and school ended for the summer - already?? Miss 4's teachers had fantastic folders made up for each member of the class, which had a selection of their artwork, as well as a certificate and photos of them in action in the classroom. She has enjoyed her year so much that it was a little sad to say goodbye to the teachers that she loves so much. A few days after that we made a trip to the Science Museum. It had lots of interesting displays (if only Miss 4 would stand still long enough for us to read any of them) and some big old steam trains to climb on. We even let the twins out to roam, and although they wandered off to the nearest set of steps every time, at least they stayed in view and followed us when we moved on and called them. A promising development.
And another week ticked over...and one of the playgroups we attended in the year finished. For the last one the coordinator arranged a visit from a fire truck. Great fun - the firemen were all very friendly and let the kids climb all over the truck and into the cab. They also all got a red plastic fire helmet (which the twins squashed within 5 minutes of getting home, oh well!) The rest of the week was a blur of organising as hubby's parents arrived for a visit, just making it late on the Friday night after getting stuck in Banff due to a landslide. It was great to see them, and although the twins took a little while to warm up to them (they usually do with new people) Miss 4 was super excited and had hugs and kisses from the moment she saw them. I think that's mainly because of Skype - it's a great way for kids to stay in touch with relatives who live far away.
Granny and Papa's first weekend with us was busy. Saturday morning was the annual Teddy Bear's Picnic at the Governor-General's. It was raining which took a little shine off the day, but we managed to enjoy a couple of activities (merry-go-round, pancakes) before hubby and Papa took the twins home. Granny and I stayed out with Miss 4 to do a few more activities, which was extra fun when she bumped into one of her school friends. Sunday was a much brighter day, and we headed into Byward market for a bowl of coffee at the boulangerie before wandering around the sights of Ottawa. It was also the weekend of RibFest. Yes, the smell of barbecued meat wherever you went so lunch was covered. It was delicious I have to say!
Monday saw all seven of us pile into the Odyssey and head to Montreal. The twins didn't get the memo about having a big sleep in the car, but we made it without too much complaining. Hubby had found a house to rent in a nice part of town, and while we found it pretty odd some of the personal stuff that the owners left behind (photos, personal bills and accounts, an iPod??) it fit the bill for our crowd. The kids had a run around at a local park in the afternoon before we started our sightseeing on Tuesday. We really just wandered around Montreal that day; from the old town with it's cobblestones and churches to the centre of town where they were setting up for the Jazz Festival. Miss 4 was a bit of a star and walked pretty much all day (we figure 7 or 8 kms?) with minimal complaining and only needed a piggyback at the end. (We couldn't fit our big pram with buggy board for her in the car so only had a lightweight twin umbrella stroller for the twins.) On Wednesday we went to the top of Mont Royal (a bit foggy unfortunately) before giving the kids a run at Westmount Park which was lovely. Hubby then dropped Granny, Papa, Miss 4 and myself at Schwatz's (a Montreal institution) for their famous smoked meat sandwiches and we did a museum in the afternoon (lots on the history of Montreal) before catching the Metro home. It was Miss 4's first time on an underground railway (or any railway to think of it) and she thought that part was exciting too. Thursday we went to the islands where hubby got to drive the Grand Prix track and we just hung out for a bit; the kids and I then had a quiet afternoon at home while hubby and his folks checked out a brewery. Friday was bucketing with rain, so we ended up driving home in the morning. Then of course I had farewell drinks for a friend who was headed to the UK for a few months so I tizzied up and out I went. Whew!
A major tourist attraction in these parts is the Museum of Civilisation - I know I've mentioned it before and I'm pretty sure that it's one of the places we'll often take visitors. Granny and Papa thought it was fantastic and it was particularly helpful to have extra hands on deck while in the Children's Museum. We also managed to get a look through some displays that we'd run out of time to look at on our first visit. There were more farewell drinks on the agenda that night - for a Canadian Navy friend and his wife who are posting to Washington. The grandparents came in very handy; there was no need to organise a babysitter for a change. We were lucky with a sunny Sunday and the twins were treated to a trip to the park while Miss 3 had a birthday party to attend.
Monday was Canada Day. We had talked it up a bit (remembering what great fun it was last year) and we all had our red and white t-shirts and were ready to go. The plan was to do some activities at Major's Hill Park in the city, before hubby would bring the kids home and the rest of us would check out the free lunchtime concert. It was mostly good, the biggest problem was that Miss 4 was a little partied out after a pretty busy week and was being a bit grumpy. She did manage to get on a mini train ride, but lost interest in the face painting by the time she was close to the front of the (very long) queue. Luckily we'd arranged to meet some friends and that did perk her up for a while. Of course, time snuck away from us, and by the time we'd had an early lunch and split forces, we were too late to get a good spot for the concert and were stuck outside the fence. Oh well, there was generally a good atmosphere and we could kind of see on the big TV screens. I treated the in-laws to a Beavertail afterwards which gave us energy for the walk home. Later that night hubby took his folks out to see the fireworks. Because we live close to the city, you don't have to go far to get a good view (apart from the trees you'd see them from our front yard) but you could certainly hear them - I was worried they'd wake the kids up! Pretty spectacular by all accounts.
Granny and Papa took off for a few days of sightseeing and we had a 'normal' week - lots of playdates. Their last weekend was just trying to squeeze in a couple of last experiences (pancakes, poutine) and spending time playing with the kids. They took off on Monday for the last leg of their adventure before heading home. Today I managed to take Miss 4 out for a special afternoon: lunch, shopping and a movie. Is it just me or was it good casting to have Nicholas Cage as a caveman in the The Croods??
We are looking forward to more visitors this weekend, as well as a day a week of summer camp for Miss 4, playdates and drinks with friends on weekends. I think the summer will be gone before we know it!
Saturday, 1 June 2013
One year in.....
It's official. Today is one year since we landed in Canada. Time is a funny thing - on one hand it feels like we've been here for longer, on the other life back in Perth still seems close and familiar. As far as the kids are concerned though, I think Ottawa is pretty much their whole experience. The twins are now 21 months, so have spent more of their short lives here then in Australia and Miss 4 struggles to remember things from back home unless we are looking at photos, or things that we talk about all the time. She was even complaining about the heat when it was 27 and humid! This from the child who didn't complain about the cold all winter. I did warn her that Perth gets a lot hotter and if she keeps complaining when we're back in Perth we'll have to ship her back here ;) Anyway, onto what we've been up to the last few weeks.
As Spring gains momentum and the weather warms up, lots of schools and communities start having fairs and other events. We'd heard about a nursery school fundraising in an area called the Glebe, just south of the city, and thought we'd check that out. Of course the weather wasn't playing along (damp and overcast) forcing lots of activities inside which took some of the shine off the day. Luckily though, it was also the time for the annual Tulip festival which was close by, so went for a wander to check it out. Quite spectacular - just thousands of tulips in colour-coded displays. The reason behind it all is that during WWII, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands sheltered from the conflict in Canada. As a thank you after the war, she sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada, and the Netherlands still sends Canada 10,000 every year. A beautiful disply of friendship between the 2 countries.
The following weekend was the Victoria Day long weekend. Saturday whizzed by with a lovely picnic lunch and play at a playground, followed by friends over for drinks and nibbles in the afternoon sunshine while 6 kids ran around in the backyard. Sunday we had more visitors for a morning coffee (and they brought delicious scones with them) before the weather turned wet again. (Note: there is an awful lot of Spring rain in these parts!) On the Monday, we went to the Aviation museum. Lots of good displays, a kids playroom, kids craft activities, the chance to sit in a couple of cockpits....it would have been all good except that the twins were in an 'escaping' mood. They became obsessed with running away into the lobby and toward the doors, which they thought was hilarious. Not so funny for poor mum and dad chasing and catching them. Of course then they didn't want to leave and come home. Twin 1 was so desperate to get out the gate when we got home, that she managed to push past me and face plant with an awful thud onto the pavers outside. Ouch! Blood and tears, but thankfully no serious damage.
Of course mid-week we had another near-miss injury. Miss 4 cracked her head on the corner of a table. There was blood, a big egg was coming up, but thankfully icing it made a world of difference. A bit harder and I think stitches would have been required. I spent the rest of the week waiting for Twin 2 to hurt herself - things do come in threes they say! That was a week and a half ago and so far so good......(touch wood!)
A wardroom dinner the next weekend sold out before we bought tickets, but as a number of hubby's work friends also missed out, we decided to have our own night out. It ended up being a great night; five couples at a riverside brewery, which had a good variety of pub food and a good variety of beers. The tasting plate of beer proved very popular I must say. A fun night. Another of hubby's colleagues came over on Saturday for a BBQ lunch. It's always nice to finally put a face to the name, and his boys did a great job playing with Miss 4 even thought they were older. In Ottawa, it was also a big weekend as it was race weekend, where there are a number of shorter fun runs, as well as a marathon. I had tried to enter a short run, but the spaces had all sold out weeks before. (I've made a note for next year.) The Ottawa marathon itself was running on Sunday, and our neighbourhood had the race run through at around the 36 km mark. A couple of locals organise a cheering station down at the local park, and it has won the best cheering station for the last 5 years and was keen to win again. (Seriously - I think it's called the best community spirit?) Anyway, we wandered down to the park on Sunday and couldn't believe a) how many people were running the marathon and b) how many people we knew who were at the park. Pretty much the whole neighbourhood turned out and it was a fantastic atmosphere. By the time we arrived, the elite runners were well and truly gone, but the crowd was still going mad for all the runners still passing. Pumping music, an announcer giving shout out to runners from the community, kids with noisemakers, people in costume - great fun. And the whole thing is right next to one of our local playgrounds so the little ones were happy. We'll go back next year for sure.
The weather over the last week has been a funny mix - warming up but also quite wet at times. Hubby and Miss 4 knew all about it on Wednesday when they went off to their weekly soccer league. The weather was overcast but fine and warm. About half an hour in, the skies opened and the field emptied. Of course by the time they had walked home, they were wet through to the skin. Miss 4 had never been that wet in the rain before and was not looking very impressed. Oh well, I thought it was funny! Nothing a towel down and a change of clothes didn't fix. It did take 2 full days for her sneakers to dry out though.
Friday was a warm sunny day and I thought it would be nice to take all the kids to the playground at the Governer-General's for a play and a picnic morning tea. I'm still trying to decide if it was worth the effort! The humidity meant that the twins little legs (in shorts for the first time) kept sticking to the slide. Miss 4 managed to graze her knee (as well complaining about the heat) so I ended up feeling cranky trying to keep everyone else happy! Thankfully I had planned a girls' trip to the movies last night which is always good to improve one's mood. We saw The Great Gatsby, ate Malteasers and popcorn and decided that the critics had been a little harsh. Today, rain threatened all day, but thankfully held off, as it was Miss 4's school fair. A great day. Everything was bought and sold on a ticket basis, so we started the day with $20 of tickets. Games (which all had prizes) were one ticket each, the bouncy castle was 2, food was mostly one ticket, there were horse and cart rides for 3 tickets. $20 provided lunch for us all, lots of entertainment (and some fairly silly prizes) for Miss 4 and some bake sale treats. Got to be happy with that!
A couple of things on the agenda for tomorrow; Miss 4 has an afternoon playdate and we're planning to go out for dinner. Next week will be exciting though - Miss 4 has her first dance recital! Now to convince her to let me put her hair into a bun....I'll let you know how it goes!
As Spring gains momentum and the weather warms up, lots of schools and communities start having fairs and other events. We'd heard about a nursery school fundraising in an area called the Glebe, just south of the city, and thought we'd check that out. Of course the weather wasn't playing along (damp and overcast) forcing lots of activities inside which took some of the shine off the day. Luckily though, it was also the time for the annual Tulip festival which was close by, so went for a wander to check it out. Quite spectacular - just thousands of tulips in colour-coded displays. The reason behind it all is that during WWII, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands sheltered from the conflict in Canada. As a thank you after the war, she sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada, and the Netherlands still sends Canada 10,000 every year. A beautiful disply of friendship between the 2 countries.
The following weekend was the Victoria Day long weekend. Saturday whizzed by with a lovely picnic lunch and play at a playground, followed by friends over for drinks and nibbles in the afternoon sunshine while 6 kids ran around in the backyard. Sunday we had more visitors for a morning coffee (and they brought delicious scones with them) before the weather turned wet again. (Note: there is an awful lot of Spring rain in these parts!) On the Monday, we went to the Aviation museum. Lots of good displays, a kids playroom, kids craft activities, the chance to sit in a couple of cockpits....it would have been all good except that the twins were in an 'escaping' mood. They became obsessed with running away into the lobby and toward the doors, which they thought was hilarious. Not so funny for poor mum and dad chasing and catching them. Of course then they didn't want to leave and come home. Twin 1 was so desperate to get out the gate when we got home, that she managed to push past me and face plant with an awful thud onto the pavers outside. Ouch! Blood and tears, but thankfully no serious damage.
Of course mid-week we had another near-miss injury. Miss 4 cracked her head on the corner of a table. There was blood, a big egg was coming up, but thankfully icing it made a world of difference. A bit harder and I think stitches would have been required. I spent the rest of the week waiting for Twin 2 to hurt herself - things do come in threes they say! That was a week and a half ago and so far so good......(touch wood!)
A wardroom dinner the next weekend sold out before we bought tickets, but as a number of hubby's work friends also missed out, we decided to have our own night out. It ended up being a great night; five couples at a riverside brewery, which had a good variety of pub food and a good variety of beers. The tasting plate of beer proved very popular I must say. A fun night. Another of hubby's colleagues came over on Saturday for a BBQ lunch. It's always nice to finally put a face to the name, and his boys did a great job playing with Miss 4 even thought they were older. In Ottawa, it was also a big weekend as it was race weekend, where there are a number of shorter fun runs, as well as a marathon. I had tried to enter a short run, but the spaces had all sold out weeks before. (I've made a note for next year.) The Ottawa marathon itself was running on Sunday, and our neighbourhood had the race run through at around the 36 km mark. A couple of locals organise a cheering station down at the local park, and it has won the best cheering station for the last 5 years and was keen to win again. (Seriously - I think it's called the best community spirit?) Anyway, we wandered down to the park on Sunday and couldn't believe a) how many people were running the marathon and b) how many people we knew who were at the park. Pretty much the whole neighbourhood turned out and it was a fantastic atmosphere. By the time we arrived, the elite runners were well and truly gone, but the crowd was still going mad for all the runners still passing. Pumping music, an announcer giving shout out to runners from the community, kids with noisemakers, people in costume - great fun. And the whole thing is right next to one of our local playgrounds so the little ones were happy. We'll go back next year for sure.
The weather over the last week has been a funny mix - warming up but also quite wet at times. Hubby and Miss 4 knew all about it on Wednesday when they went off to their weekly soccer league. The weather was overcast but fine and warm. About half an hour in, the skies opened and the field emptied. Of course by the time they had walked home, they were wet through to the skin. Miss 4 had never been that wet in the rain before and was not looking very impressed. Oh well, I thought it was funny! Nothing a towel down and a change of clothes didn't fix. It did take 2 full days for her sneakers to dry out though.
Friday was a warm sunny day and I thought it would be nice to take all the kids to the playground at the Governer-General's for a play and a picnic morning tea. I'm still trying to decide if it was worth the effort! The humidity meant that the twins little legs (in shorts for the first time) kept sticking to the slide. Miss 4 managed to graze her knee (as well complaining about the heat) so I ended up feeling cranky trying to keep everyone else happy! Thankfully I had planned a girls' trip to the movies last night which is always good to improve one's mood. We saw The Great Gatsby, ate Malteasers and popcorn and decided that the critics had been a little harsh. Today, rain threatened all day, but thankfully held off, as it was Miss 4's school fair. A great day. Everything was bought and sold on a ticket basis, so we started the day with $20 of tickets. Games (which all had prizes) were one ticket each, the bouncy castle was 2, food was mostly one ticket, there were horse and cart rides for 3 tickets. $20 provided lunch for us all, lots of entertainment (and some fairly silly prizes) for Miss 4 and some bake sale treats. Got to be happy with that!
A couple of things on the agenda for tomorrow; Miss 4 has an afternoon playdate and we're planning to go out for dinner. Next week will be exciting though - Miss 4 has her first dance recital! Now to convince her to let me put her hair into a bun....I'll let you know how it goes!
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