Ah, Ottawa the week before the official first day of spring. Snow, cold temperatures and wind chill. Wouldn't expect anything less! Okay, it hasn't actually been that bad the last couple of weeks. There's been the odd day above zero, and some sunshine which has made it nice to play outside. Quite a relief as the official meteorologists are telling us it's been the coldest winter in 20 years. Anyway, despite the weather, we've been carrying on as usual, trying to get as much as possible out of our last Canadian winter.
The weekend after I last wrote, hubby and I spent a day skiing at Mont St-Marie. It's about an hour north of us and quite a bit bigger then our local hills. It was a nice day to be out, sunny patches and not too cold, but there hadn't been much fresh snow so the slopes were really icy. I'd had a bad cold the week before, so ran out of energy by lunch, but was prepared and had a book in the car. Worked nicely - I relaxed next to a window for an hour after lunch while hubby skied some more before he'd had enough of the icy conditions too. We finished the weekend off with a family dinner out at a pizza place - the kids love going out for dinner.
Another week of business as usual. I did break it up by going to the pub one night with some other mum friends which was great fun - it can be so hard to talk during the week without being interrupted by kids. A busy weekend followed - friends over for Saturday morning tea, my neighbours annual Ladies' 80's night on the Saturday (a real hoot once again, and even more people dressed up then last year) and a trip to the Science Museum on the Sunday. The kids even managed to sit still (kind of) through half a demonstration on cryogenics, although the big hits once again were the trains and the crazy kitchen.
The following weekend and daylight savings (aka 'summer' time - ha!) began. We did have beautiful blue skies with relatively mild temperatures and managed to make the most of it. Saturday saw us lunching with friends who live in Chelsea - it's across the river in Quebec and is like 'hills' living if you want an Aussie comparison. After eating, we walked to their local park so the kids could all romp around in the (deep) snow. Hubby even started throwing the bigger kids into the air - they left quite an impression as they thumped down into a metre of snow and thought it was hilarious. Sunday we were up bright and early for a morning of dog sledding. We went to a place only half an hour north of here, and after meeting the dogs had a 10 minute lesson on how to drive a sled. Then we were given our sled with 6 dogs each and a guide to follow and off we went! It is actually harder then it looks - corners in particular felt tricky as you lean your body the opposite way to skiing (which we've been doing a bit of) so it felt counter-intuitive. I must confess to falling off a couple of times, including when the sled hit a tree! Going up hills is pretty funny too - one dog will decide to stop and pee, so of course all the others then have to pee on the same spot! It was an amazing experience though - following trails through the snowy woods and even across a frozen lake under a bright blue sky. Just to finish off the weekend, we walked down to the Rideau River with the kids in the afternoon to see the explosions. Yep - it was the annual blowing up of the ice on the river before spring. Quite entertaining watching columns of ice shoot into the air with a bang. Because it was such a lovely sunny afternoon the kids were loving being outside and played for ages in the snow by the river bank.
This week just gone has been the first week of the March break school holiday. I've been working hard trying to keep the little monkeys entertained all week. (I must say that school holidays were much more fun when I was a teacher and not a parent!!) We've filled our week with lots of playdates, baking, drawing, a trip to the Aviation Museum and playing outside. I even managed to take Miss 4 out for a special big girl afternoon out with mum - Subway, shopping and the movies. We saw "Free Birds" about 2 turkeys who travel back in time to get turkey off the Thanksgiving menu. (Very North American, but had some good voice talent and was pretty entertaining as far as kids movies go.) So it's a quiet day at home today (Saturday) as we get ready for next week.
Tomorrow, we board a plane with the kids for the first time since we arrived here (at a stupidly early time too) to head to Banff! We are excited about seeing the Rockies and skiing, not so excited about the plane trip. This entry is a little rushed as I need to go and pack now, but will be sure to let you know how it all goes - if we still have our sanity that is! Bye for now.
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Friday, 21 February 2014
Lake Placid and Winterlude
Who doesn't love a ski holiday? Especially when you can drive to your destination in a few short hours! It's a huge advantage to living in the snowy north of Canada. We (well, mostly hubby really) had arranged a week in Lake Placid with another couple and a family of 4 who are friends from back home and who are all on North American postings. We were excited not only about the skiing, but about sightseeing around the old Olympic venue facilities and spending time with friends.
So, on the last Saturday in January, we loaded up the trusty Odyssey full of clothes, gear and kids, popped the skis on the roof and hit the road to Lake Placid. The kids were good in the car, and the lunch stop in Cornwall was very exciting for them, as we found that the McDonalds had an indoor playground - a real rarity, so it was great for them to run and climb and burn off some energy. Crossing the border into the US is always a hassle, as we need to get out of the car, be fingerprinted etc, but thankfully it was super quiet and the staff were all friendly and smiled indulgently as the kids ran around. The drive through the Adirondacks into Lake Placid was pretty too, and we made good time and arrived mid-afternoon to our fabulous house. It was plenty big enough for 6 adults and 5 kids, with loads of rooms for everyone to sleep, 4 bathrooms, a fireplace, a converted deck area where the kids could play and be out of the way as well as a hot tub on the back deck. What more could you want?
Sunday dawned bright, sunny....and very cold. We all wore many layers and full face masks to cope with the -25 at the base and -35 at the summit of Whiteface mountain. At least it wasn't windy :) It was a good first day finding runs we liked on the mountain and we were all ready to come home at the end of the day. The parents were all taking turns to stay home with the kids, so the friend on duty that day looked a little worn out but the kids were all happy. On the second day we put the kids into daycare (the younger ones) and a ski and play day (the older two) and hit the slopes again. I decided to sign up for a lesson to improve my skills and was pleasantly surprised to find myself alone for my 2 hour group lesson. Good value! My instructor was a local so we had some good chats on the lifts and he gave me some suggestions of runs I would like, as well as of course honing my skiing. The third day I ended up being the only one of our friends skiing (hubby was having his turn with the kids) and it was cold again, with wind this time. It worked out okay though - I just got the gondola up the mountain every time. Sure it meant taking your skis on and off each time, but it's much warmer then being on a chairlift alone (which happened often as it wasn't very crowded midweek) and also much more conducive to chatting. One of the friendly ski patrol also pointed out where some deer were grazing under the gondola so I kept my eye out for them for the rest of the holiday - they had lovely fuzzy winter coats and looked super cute. The Wednesday was my fourth day of skiing straight so I was starting to feel a little tired. We had the kids in the daycare again which worked out well - by the end of the day when I'd had enough I skied across to the Kid's area and watched Miss 4 at the end of her afternoon lesson. She looked like she was having a ball - easily getting on and off the chairlift, turning and following her instructor with ease and even keeping her skis in parallel. Hubby and I are very happy with how she's taken to it.
After 4 days if skiing, I was ready to do some sightseeing. Hubby and I spent the next day (whilst another friend kindly watched the kids) checking out the Olympic venues. We went to the ski jump which is still used for training; you can catch the lift to the top and see just how mad they are to go down and leap off. The old stadium(s) (there was one from the 1932 games which they extended and built a new rink in for the 1980 games) are open to the public; we did a tour so got to hear lots of anecdotes. (Lots of cool stories about the early bobsledders and how mad they were - google pictures of the old bobsleds and you'll see why!!)There is also an Olympic museum attached to the stadium, which is quite small but has a few interesting bits and pieces. The highlight for us though was the bobsled experience. Yep - you can pay money to sit in a bobsled (with a driver and a brakeman to push you off) and hurtle down the track. Quite an intense experience and over very quickly!! I have a whole new respect for those athletes who sprint so quickly, then cram themselves into their sleds in seconds. The track is still used often for training - in fact we were told that the Aussie Olympians (bobsled and skeleton) did some training there a few weeks before. I can definitely recommend it if you're ever in the neighbourhood....
That night, after the kids were in bed, the other adults all decided to go out for a skate on the outdoor speed skating track. I don't even own skates so was happy to stay home. On the couch with a cup of tea as they got back, the first thing I'm told by a friend is "There's a bit of blood, but it's not as bad as it looks.." What?? Yep - hubby had crashed on the ice, and despite his helmet, opened up a cut above his eye, as well as hurting his shoulder. His eye was turning interesting shades of purple and swelling up before our eyes. Thankfully, one of our friends has paramedic experience, so she dashed off to the chemist and came back with supplies to patch him up. The biggest downside was that he missed his last day of skiing the next day (while I was staying home with the kids) as he couldn't see well enough. He has now sworn off skating!
It had been a great holiday but like all good things it had to end. We stopped in Saranac Lake on the drive home to check out their ice castle (seriously, they had a castle by the lake made of enormous blocks of ice) before heading back over the border and home.....to many loads of washing. An uneventful drive, although it started to snow quite heavily by the time we made it home. It's always good to sleep in your own bed again and certainly easier to get the twins to go to bed.
Of course, this time of year is also when Ottawa/Gatineau has their winter festival - Winterlude or Bal de Neige. The day after we arrived home, we headed across the river to check out their ice slides. Great fun. They had some that could fit the whole family, as well as loads of smaller ones. The kids all loved them, but the twins were a bit little to walk up the steep snowy hills themselves so hubby and I had to carry them up - so we lost interest well before they did! They had some other activities, but it was jam packed as the weather was mild, and hard to move around with lots of fresh snow, so we settled with ice slides and a Beavertail snack before coming home.
The next weekend we headed into Ottawa to check out the ice sculptures.Again, they were very impressive and again they had stuff for kids - blocks of coloured ice to 'build' with, as well as small coloured cubes to help build art with. All three loved it. We also caught the tail end of a timed ice sculpting challenge - it's amazing what they do with quite crude tools. It was a sunny day so the canal was busy with skaters too - no one in our family though!
Apart from that it's just been the usual busy. Dinner at a friend's house, playdates (including one we went to on sled as there was too much fresh snow on the footpath to consider taking the pram) a night ski (our local hill feels very small after Whiteface) and the usual school and playgroup routine. Today was interesting in that it was the warmest day we've had virtually since winter started (ie it was above zero) and it rained all day. With the snow banks everywhere there is nowhere for the rain to go, so there are massive puddles everywhere which will freeze overnight so we're expecting an icy day tomorrow!
The year is speeding away. This weekend we're planning to head to Mont Saint Marie for a day of skiing, next weekend there is a school dance and a night out and it's also only two weeks until the March break from school. Where does the time go???
So, on the last Saturday in January, we loaded up the trusty Odyssey full of clothes, gear and kids, popped the skis on the roof and hit the road to Lake Placid. The kids were good in the car, and the lunch stop in Cornwall was very exciting for them, as we found that the McDonalds had an indoor playground - a real rarity, so it was great for them to run and climb and burn off some energy. Crossing the border into the US is always a hassle, as we need to get out of the car, be fingerprinted etc, but thankfully it was super quiet and the staff were all friendly and smiled indulgently as the kids ran around. The drive through the Adirondacks into Lake Placid was pretty too, and we made good time and arrived mid-afternoon to our fabulous house. It was plenty big enough for 6 adults and 5 kids, with loads of rooms for everyone to sleep, 4 bathrooms, a fireplace, a converted deck area where the kids could play and be out of the way as well as a hot tub on the back deck. What more could you want?
Sunday dawned bright, sunny....and very cold. We all wore many layers and full face masks to cope with the -25 at the base and -35 at the summit of Whiteface mountain. At least it wasn't windy :) It was a good first day finding runs we liked on the mountain and we were all ready to come home at the end of the day. The parents were all taking turns to stay home with the kids, so the friend on duty that day looked a little worn out but the kids were all happy. On the second day we put the kids into daycare (the younger ones) and a ski and play day (the older two) and hit the slopes again. I decided to sign up for a lesson to improve my skills and was pleasantly surprised to find myself alone for my 2 hour group lesson. Good value! My instructor was a local so we had some good chats on the lifts and he gave me some suggestions of runs I would like, as well as of course honing my skiing. The third day I ended up being the only one of our friends skiing (hubby was having his turn with the kids) and it was cold again, with wind this time. It worked out okay though - I just got the gondola up the mountain every time. Sure it meant taking your skis on and off each time, but it's much warmer then being on a chairlift alone (which happened often as it wasn't very crowded midweek) and also much more conducive to chatting. One of the friendly ski patrol also pointed out where some deer were grazing under the gondola so I kept my eye out for them for the rest of the holiday - they had lovely fuzzy winter coats and looked super cute. The Wednesday was my fourth day of skiing straight so I was starting to feel a little tired. We had the kids in the daycare again which worked out well - by the end of the day when I'd had enough I skied across to the Kid's area and watched Miss 4 at the end of her afternoon lesson. She looked like she was having a ball - easily getting on and off the chairlift, turning and following her instructor with ease and even keeping her skis in parallel. Hubby and I are very happy with how she's taken to it.
After 4 days if skiing, I was ready to do some sightseeing. Hubby and I spent the next day (whilst another friend kindly watched the kids) checking out the Olympic venues. We went to the ski jump which is still used for training; you can catch the lift to the top and see just how mad they are to go down and leap off. The old stadium(s) (there was one from the 1932 games which they extended and built a new rink in for the 1980 games) are open to the public; we did a tour so got to hear lots of anecdotes. (Lots of cool stories about the early bobsledders and how mad they were - google pictures of the old bobsleds and you'll see why!!)There is also an Olympic museum attached to the stadium, which is quite small but has a few interesting bits and pieces. The highlight for us though was the bobsled experience. Yep - you can pay money to sit in a bobsled (with a driver and a brakeman to push you off) and hurtle down the track. Quite an intense experience and over very quickly!! I have a whole new respect for those athletes who sprint so quickly, then cram themselves into their sleds in seconds. The track is still used often for training - in fact we were told that the Aussie Olympians (bobsled and skeleton) did some training there a few weeks before. I can definitely recommend it if you're ever in the neighbourhood....
That night, after the kids were in bed, the other adults all decided to go out for a skate on the outdoor speed skating track. I don't even own skates so was happy to stay home. On the couch with a cup of tea as they got back, the first thing I'm told by a friend is "There's a bit of blood, but it's not as bad as it looks.." What?? Yep - hubby had crashed on the ice, and despite his helmet, opened up a cut above his eye, as well as hurting his shoulder. His eye was turning interesting shades of purple and swelling up before our eyes. Thankfully, one of our friends has paramedic experience, so she dashed off to the chemist and came back with supplies to patch him up. The biggest downside was that he missed his last day of skiing the next day (while I was staying home with the kids) as he couldn't see well enough. He has now sworn off skating!
It had been a great holiday but like all good things it had to end. We stopped in Saranac Lake on the drive home to check out their ice castle (seriously, they had a castle by the lake made of enormous blocks of ice) before heading back over the border and home.....to many loads of washing. An uneventful drive, although it started to snow quite heavily by the time we made it home. It's always good to sleep in your own bed again and certainly easier to get the twins to go to bed.
Of course, this time of year is also when Ottawa/Gatineau has their winter festival - Winterlude or Bal de Neige. The day after we arrived home, we headed across the river to check out their ice slides. Great fun. They had some that could fit the whole family, as well as loads of smaller ones. The kids all loved them, but the twins were a bit little to walk up the steep snowy hills themselves so hubby and I had to carry them up - so we lost interest well before they did! They had some other activities, but it was jam packed as the weather was mild, and hard to move around with lots of fresh snow, so we settled with ice slides and a Beavertail snack before coming home.
The next weekend we headed into Ottawa to check out the ice sculptures.Again, they were very impressive and again they had stuff for kids - blocks of coloured ice to 'build' with, as well as small coloured cubes to help build art with. All three loved it. We also caught the tail end of a timed ice sculpting challenge - it's amazing what they do with quite crude tools. It was a sunny day so the canal was busy with skaters too - no one in our family though!
Apart from that it's just been the usual busy. Dinner at a friend's house, playdates (including one we went to on sled as there was too much fresh snow on the footpath to consider taking the pram) a night ski (our local hill feels very small after Whiteface) and the usual school and playgroup routine. Today was interesting in that it was the warmest day we've had virtually since winter started (ie it was above zero) and it rained all day. With the snow banks everywhere there is nowhere for the rain to go, so there are massive puddles everywhere which will freeze overnight so we're expecting an icy day tomorrow!
The year is speeding away. This weekend we're planning to head to Mont Saint Marie for a day of skiing, next weekend there is a school dance and a night out and it's also only two weeks until the March break from school. Where does the time go???
Monday, 3 February 2014
A bit late - Christmas, New Year and more on winter
Blimey! Where has the time gone? I was hoping to blog before we went on holiday last week (more on that later) but it never happened, and now I realise that I haven't written for a month and a half and have lots to share. Here goes...
When I last wrote, the year was winding up. The kids all had a great last week of school. The younger classes all had a pyjama day, where they got to take their teddy bears in, have milk and cookies for morning tea and be read "The Night Before Christmas" which I think is such a cute idea. Miss 4 had actually been feeling a little unwell, but thankfully was okay to make it to school or she would have been devastated! The classes all had Christmas parties too - the twins' class needed the parents to stay which was okay. They had lots of fun craft activities for the kids (including Fruit Loop necklaces to make - once the girls figured out they could eat them not much crafting happened!!) and a visit from Santa. The twins decided they were still scared of Santa so no photo there, but they still had lots of fun. At least Miss 4 was excited to see Santa in her class.
The weekend before Christmas we caught up with some good friends for drinks. She's Aussie and had her parents visiting, and they brought along some Aussie goodies for us (Twisties anyone?) Six kids running around, lots of drinks and nibbles, listening to familiar accents - great fun. The Monday night before Christmas we went into the city to check out the Christmas lights. The good thing is you can go out quite early as it gets dark by 4:30 at that time of year, unfortunately, we didn't think the lights were that great and it was actually damn cold that night. Oh well, the kids were happy as we had dinner out in Byward Market.
Christmas Eve, hubby didn't have to work and we were all ready for Christmas Day, so we went out to the Science Museum. We'd been once before and thought it was just okay, but when we went back we realised that we'd missed a big section that had been closed on our previous visit, which included the Crazy Kitchen and kid's play area. Our three all had lots of fun, and the trains were a bit hit again too.
Christmas Day was sunny and cold. A pretty day, but not great for outdoor play. Because it was just us, it was a bit weird - once we'd opened the presents we really didn't have anything to do. The boulangerie in the market was open so we headed to the city for a morning coffee and Christmas cookies for the kids. Of course, we also had a hot turkey dinner with gravy, roast veg and cranberry jelly followed by pudding for dessert - I doubt we'll be doing that again any Christmas soon!
We were actually quite busy in the week between Christmas and New Year. Miss 4 was signed up for 3 mornings of ski lessons. We'd tried her at skiing last year, and she never quite got it, but being another year older and that bit stronger made a huge difference. She loved it, was a real trouper even thought the first day was very cold and was super excited to get off the magic carpet and onto the chairlift and up the proper hill on the last day. Hubby mentioned that he could take her skiing sometime now, and she was worried that Dad wouldn't keep up with her! In that week we also had our neighbours over for drinks and a catch up, visited the Aviation Museum (the kids love climbing in all the planes), went to the pub for dinner and had one of hubby's work friends over for dinner with his family (they have 4 kids so it was madness but fun).
An unplanned adventure for the week was when a very naughty twin climbed (well, fell really) our of her cot. Damn - that meant we had to convert their cots into toddler beds, which meant that they wouldn't stay in bed and kept getting up in the night and wandering around. It was particularly disconcerting when you woke in the middle of the night to find a little person standing next to your bed staring at you! After a rough couple of weeks, we eventually solved the problem with a special clock that shows the sun and a sleeping star, and a child gate on their bedroom door.
New Year's Eve arrived and we actually had plans! We haven't often bothered since we had kids, but this year we had friends over - one of Miss 4's school friends with her parents who we get along with well. As it was just 3 of them we'd arranged for a sleepover, and the kids were super excited. It was a lovely night - we had dinner, put the twins to bed, set the girls up with a movie and played board games. We eventually convinced the girls to go to sleep and made it past midnight to see in the New Year. We were all a bit tired the next day and were happy to have a quiet day at home.
It was very cold the first few days of the new year - the maximum temperatures were in the -20s and the wind chill was in the -30s. To avoid cabin fever, I thought I'd take the girls out to pick up a few things at the shops and buy them lunch. Sadly the car had other ideas - it was too cold to start. Yep, when it's super cold car batteries struggle to provide enough charge to start the car. The poor kids were so disappointed, as it was too cold to play outside so they were just stuck in the house. Thankfully, we managed to get out the next day for a playdate so it wasn't all bad.
The weather warmed up for the weekend, so hubby and I celebrated our anniversary by going for a night ski. It was my first night ski and I have to say I'm a fan - the slopes are really pretty under lights. It can be a little hard to judge the slopes at dusk, but apart from that it was great. We headed out for dinner at the Chelsea Pub afterwards,which has pretty upmarket pub food and our meals were delicious. Skiing also earns you dessert and the sugar tart was delicious too :) We took the kids for some outside play the next day - sledding at the Governor-General's. Fresh snow made it very hard for for us, and the twins were a little unsure at the start, but we got them sliding down the hill after a little persuasion. Miss 4 never needs any encouragement.
School was back on the Monday and I think everyone was glad to be back in a routine, especially as the weather had made it difficult to make the most of the Christmas break. We managed to plan some playdates too so the week went quickly. It was a movie kind of weekend. Hubby and I had thought about another night ski, but it was a little too cold to be pleasant so we made the most of having a babysitter to get out anyway. We hadn't been out for dinner and a movie in ages. On Sunday I took Miss 4 to see "Frozen" in 3D - a great fun movie, although she was a little freaked out by the 3D at first. The next week flew by too with school and playdates and we kept busy on the weekend with Skyping friends and family and a trip to the Children's Museum.
The second last week of January, we were gearing up for a skiing holiday to Lake Placid (which will have to wait until the next blog). It was cold again, but I headed out one night for a solo night ski, to get another ski under my belt before we hit Whiteface Mountain. It was surprisingly not too bad skiing in -19 as it wasn't windy. Another advantage was that it was pretty quiet so at times I felt like I had the runs to myself. Again the week flew by with the usual routine - I was supposed to write this blog that week too, but it didn't quite happen.
I do have to comment that we really have noticed the cold this year - we have had far more days of below average temperatures then last year. It can be pretty rough to stay busy and keep the kids amused when it's a maximum of -20 something, windchill of even more and you feel like you're being slapped in the face by the cold every time you step out the door. On the flipside, we have realised how much about winter here just seems normal now - like when you suddenly notice that 1/6th of the supermarket carpark is lost under a pile of plowed snow, or when it seems completely normal to have an igloo and a snow tunnel in your backyard.
So the next blog will hopefully be a little sooner then usual, and I can tell you all about our trip to Lake Placid and Winterlude here in Ottawa. Until then :)
When I last wrote, the year was winding up. The kids all had a great last week of school. The younger classes all had a pyjama day, where they got to take their teddy bears in, have milk and cookies for morning tea and be read "The Night Before Christmas" which I think is such a cute idea. Miss 4 had actually been feeling a little unwell, but thankfully was okay to make it to school or she would have been devastated! The classes all had Christmas parties too - the twins' class needed the parents to stay which was okay. They had lots of fun craft activities for the kids (including Fruit Loop necklaces to make - once the girls figured out they could eat them not much crafting happened!!) and a visit from Santa. The twins decided they were still scared of Santa so no photo there, but they still had lots of fun. At least Miss 4 was excited to see Santa in her class.
The weekend before Christmas we caught up with some good friends for drinks. She's Aussie and had her parents visiting, and they brought along some Aussie goodies for us (Twisties anyone?) Six kids running around, lots of drinks and nibbles, listening to familiar accents - great fun. The Monday night before Christmas we went into the city to check out the Christmas lights. The good thing is you can go out quite early as it gets dark by 4:30 at that time of year, unfortunately, we didn't think the lights were that great and it was actually damn cold that night. Oh well, the kids were happy as we had dinner out in Byward Market.
Christmas Eve, hubby didn't have to work and we were all ready for Christmas Day, so we went out to the Science Museum. We'd been once before and thought it was just okay, but when we went back we realised that we'd missed a big section that had been closed on our previous visit, which included the Crazy Kitchen and kid's play area. Our three all had lots of fun, and the trains were a bit hit again too.
Christmas Day was sunny and cold. A pretty day, but not great for outdoor play. Because it was just us, it was a bit weird - once we'd opened the presents we really didn't have anything to do. The boulangerie in the market was open so we headed to the city for a morning coffee and Christmas cookies for the kids. Of course, we also had a hot turkey dinner with gravy, roast veg and cranberry jelly followed by pudding for dessert - I doubt we'll be doing that again any Christmas soon!
We were actually quite busy in the week between Christmas and New Year. Miss 4 was signed up for 3 mornings of ski lessons. We'd tried her at skiing last year, and she never quite got it, but being another year older and that bit stronger made a huge difference. She loved it, was a real trouper even thought the first day was very cold and was super excited to get off the magic carpet and onto the chairlift and up the proper hill on the last day. Hubby mentioned that he could take her skiing sometime now, and she was worried that Dad wouldn't keep up with her! In that week we also had our neighbours over for drinks and a catch up, visited the Aviation Museum (the kids love climbing in all the planes), went to the pub for dinner and had one of hubby's work friends over for dinner with his family (they have 4 kids so it was madness but fun).
An unplanned adventure for the week was when a very naughty twin climbed (well, fell really) our of her cot. Damn - that meant we had to convert their cots into toddler beds, which meant that they wouldn't stay in bed and kept getting up in the night and wandering around. It was particularly disconcerting when you woke in the middle of the night to find a little person standing next to your bed staring at you! After a rough couple of weeks, we eventually solved the problem with a special clock that shows the sun and a sleeping star, and a child gate on their bedroom door.
New Year's Eve arrived and we actually had plans! We haven't often bothered since we had kids, but this year we had friends over - one of Miss 4's school friends with her parents who we get along with well. As it was just 3 of them we'd arranged for a sleepover, and the kids were super excited. It was a lovely night - we had dinner, put the twins to bed, set the girls up with a movie and played board games. We eventually convinced the girls to go to sleep and made it past midnight to see in the New Year. We were all a bit tired the next day and were happy to have a quiet day at home.
It was very cold the first few days of the new year - the maximum temperatures were in the -20s and the wind chill was in the -30s. To avoid cabin fever, I thought I'd take the girls out to pick up a few things at the shops and buy them lunch. Sadly the car had other ideas - it was too cold to start. Yep, when it's super cold car batteries struggle to provide enough charge to start the car. The poor kids were so disappointed, as it was too cold to play outside so they were just stuck in the house. Thankfully, we managed to get out the next day for a playdate so it wasn't all bad.
The weather warmed up for the weekend, so hubby and I celebrated our anniversary by going for a night ski. It was my first night ski and I have to say I'm a fan - the slopes are really pretty under lights. It can be a little hard to judge the slopes at dusk, but apart from that it was great. We headed out for dinner at the Chelsea Pub afterwards,which has pretty upmarket pub food and our meals were delicious. Skiing also earns you dessert and the sugar tart was delicious too :) We took the kids for some outside play the next day - sledding at the Governor-General's. Fresh snow made it very hard for for us, and the twins were a little unsure at the start, but we got them sliding down the hill after a little persuasion. Miss 4 never needs any encouragement.
School was back on the Monday and I think everyone was glad to be back in a routine, especially as the weather had made it difficult to make the most of the Christmas break. We managed to plan some playdates too so the week went quickly. It was a movie kind of weekend. Hubby and I had thought about another night ski, but it was a little too cold to be pleasant so we made the most of having a babysitter to get out anyway. We hadn't been out for dinner and a movie in ages. On Sunday I took Miss 4 to see "Frozen" in 3D - a great fun movie, although she was a little freaked out by the 3D at first. The next week flew by too with school and playdates and we kept busy on the weekend with Skyping friends and family and a trip to the Children's Museum.
The second last week of January, we were gearing up for a skiing holiday to Lake Placid (which will have to wait until the next blog). It was cold again, but I headed out one night for a solo night ski, to get another ski under my belt before we hit Whiteface Mountain. It was surprisingly not too bad skiing in -19 as it wasn't windy. Another advantage was that it was pretty quiet so at times I felt like I had the runs to myself. Again the week flew by with the usual routine - I was supposed to write this blog that week too, but it didn't quite happen.
I do have to comment that we really have noticed the cold this year - we have had far more days of below average temperatures then last year. It can be pretty rough to stay busy and keep the kids amused when it's a maximum of -20 something, windchill of even more and you feel like you're being slapped in the face by the cold every time you step out the door. On the flipside, we have realised how much about winter here just seems normal now - like when you suddenly notice that 1/6th of the supermarket carpark is lost under a pile of plowed snow, or when it seems completely normal to have an igloo and a snow tunnel in your backyard.
So the next blog will hopefully be a little sooner then usual, and I can tell you all about our trip to Lake Placid and Winterlude here in Ottawa. Until then :)
Sunday, 15 December 2013
Winter again
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!
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, 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 :)
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