Mommy, Can We Get a Puppydog?

Are we ever anticipating this question at some point in our future...first Isabelle fell in love with Andrew and Lena's Steve the weiner dog, now Alli and Sean visit with Kobe, and it was puppy love all over again. In Isabelle's world, all dogs are puppies, but few adults would see Kobe as anything but a full-size dog. Even still, Isabelle was not shy after a few minutes around Kobe, as the pictures will no doubt show. We had a great weekend visiting with all three Torontonians. A really nice burrito dinner and chat Friday night - Isabelle, as always, was the life of the party and would not go down until after 10:00 - then a trip up to the Gatineaus for a nice nature walk and some homemade ice cream. As for Alli and Sean, they are doing very well, still rocking the home renos and doing a great job all around, happy in their careers and lives in general and well set not only for their wedding day next May but also for the future that lies ahead!

In "pack-back", as Isabelle calls it...



C'mon Kobe, let's go!



Auntie Alli, did you get my good side?



After all that hiking, the perfect refreshment!

Bye Bye, Aoife!

Back at the end of July, we were in need of a new nanny on short notice, so we started a search hoping to find someone suitable. Well, we must have a four-leaf clover in our front yard because we found Aoife with the first call we made! With the kids headed for daycare at the start of September and Aoife heading back to her home in Ireland for her final year of university, it was a match made in heaven! Aoife did a fabulous job, the transition went swimmingly, and she and the kids had so much fun in August. Weekly bus trips to see the changing of the guard and the stray cats on the Hill, countless trips to the park, and endless amounts of time doing arts and crafts (not to mention a final day trip to see Ray's Reptiles -Isabelle touched a snake and held a tarantula!); Aoife was a big hit in our eyes and theirs. Not once did we worry, she always had things well in hand and Isabelle was always excited to see her. Isabelle and her parents are very sad to see her go, but we wish her all the best in her final year of studies and look forward to having her back to visit (and hopefully babysit!) when she returns to Canada in the spring!

All Aboard the Choo Choo!

As a dedicated visitor to the choo-choo tables at Chapters, there is no way we could forego the chance to bring Isabelle for a ride on the real-life Thomas the Train, who was making a stop right here in Ottawa! She loved the chance to see Thomas up close and go for a ride, but even more than that she loved being around all the other kids and especially getting the chance to bust a move on stage as the kid's performers rocked out. Logan and her had a very busy morning and were proudly pulling their giant balloons and sporting their Thomas tattoos on the way home!



Renee, Shawn and the Kidlets say "Let's get this train rolling!"



Vintage railcars? So what, I'm hungry! Is this ticket edible?



Bagel with cream cheese hits the spot!



Music man? Cool! I rock the maraca!



The whirling dervish of Isabelle's dance moves...

What's New, Kittycat?

The Dancing in the Streets party was on Bank Street this weekend, so Isabelle and her parents headed down to hear some music, try some free food samples, and enjoy a sunny walk amongst all the people. Isabelle got another puppy dog balloon as is typically the case at events like these, but little did we know that face painting would be a new activity she would enjoy. She lined up diligently and awaited her turn, then hopped on her mom's knee and asked the young girl to paint a "kittycat". For a first-timer, she was a dream canvas. Based on her enjoyment of the experience and the mirror search afterwards, I'm quite certain this will not be the last time she tries this!

Behold the Kittycat!



Soon Isabelle was saying "Meow" all the way down Bank Street



Mirrors were Isabelle's newest goal, whether it be on site...



In Shoppers Drug Mart...



Or her old favourite, the car!

Belle of the Busker Festival

A few weeks back the annual Busker Festival was in town on Sparks Street, so for a girl like Isabelle who likes to play with wallets and walk around like the house like she's spending money, it gave her a place to give to some entertaining people. She went on a massive slide, got the requisite balloon creation, then checked out a wicked drummer's street show, all before heading for a loop around Parliament Hill to see the stray cats and run in the shadow of the Peace Tower. She loves being outside so this was a perfect outing for her. This coming weekend should be just as much fun for our outdoor girl, with the Super Ex at Lansdowne, the Bank Street Dance Party, and a visit to see the real Thomas the Train!

Rideau Canal Pathway or Fashion Runway? Depends who's walking it!


Drummer Extraordinaire entertains the crowd


Fail-safe Isabelle Smile Creator: The Balloon Animal


Isn't the slide a little steep if you need a ROPE to get up?


Vertical Drop for Mommy and Isabelle


Isabelle saw other kids getting their picture taken on the cannon so she wanted up too. She seems less excited in the picture than she actually was at the time!


One of the nicest buildings in Canada? Isabelle prefers the poodle.

2028 Olympics?

Inspired after viewing Usain Bolt's world record 100 metre dash performance in Beijing, Isabelle immediately began training to represent Canada 20 years from now.



The next morning, she heard about Michael Phelps and his 8 gold medals, so she headed straight to the pool to get some laps in with her Mom!



All that training required some refueling, with market-fresh sweet Ontario corn! What event will she be inspired to try tomorrow?