This Charming Man

Although he is battling a bit of a fever of late, Oliver the trooper continues to charm us all on a daily basis with his infectious smiles, laughter and overall outlook on life. He is such a chill baby, rarely fazed by anything around him. He is so content to just sit and take it all in. He adores his sister and tracks her every movement when she is around. He also enjoys the steady diet of hugs and kisses she bestows upon him, as overzealous as they are. His anxious moments are so minor compared to how happy he is to hear you make sounds or see your funny faces. He even sleeps and sleeps well most nights. And boy does this kid love his swing, thanks go out to Renee and Shawn, not sure where we would be without having borrowed this key accessory! What our lives would be like without Oliver's daily dose of zen, who knows?

On the mend


Mr. Chill


Future partners in crime

Rain, Rain, Come Again!

A week of sweltering humidity finally got its release on Friday with a torrential downpour. It was a blast to watch from our front porch as the water came pouring and flowed like a river down our street. Isabelle decided watching the storm wasn't nearly enough fun for her so she bounded down the steps and straight into the wet stuff. Adults take cover when the rain comes down, Isabelle takes part!

Playdate Pals

Isabelle was insanely excited to discover that her friend Logan was coming over last night for a playdate packed with pizza, ice cream and no holds barred fun in the "bouncy castle", as named by the princess herself. Best pals are always pumped to meet up, but her over-the-top level of anticipation seemed mildly puzzling considering she spends all day Monday through Friday with him at school! Nevertheless, the playdate was on and the two of them left school 15 minutes apart only to joyously reunite at our house shortly thereafter. Despite the sweltering heat and humidity, they had a super time flipping over each other in the playhouse, took some turns in the swing and shared the aforementioned dinner and dessert. Parting was such sweet sorrow for them, alas it would be a whopping 12 whole hours later that they would be wreaking havoc together in class!

Faster, Belle, faster!


The perfect refreshment


All bounced out

She Flips for Gymnastics

Yes, finally the ban on photos was lifted for her last gymnastics class, so now everyone can see Isabelle the Gymnast in action! She adores this class and is so excited every Sunday morning when she realizes where we are headed. What she enjoys most is just the chance to let loose, jumping on or off everything in sight, plus watch out when either the trampoline or the parachute are on the agenda! The kids in class cannot contain their joy, it is such fun to see them rip it up. She has become a master at the balance beam and several other apparatus, often checking out the older kids in other classes to see what they are doing. I think she will be ready to join them soon enough. They also had lots of fun days along the way, including Dinosaur Day and Pajama Day, and every class ended with her teacher Jessica giving out the foot and hand stamps that Isabelle would proudly display for the rest of the day. She so loves these classes, next up is pre-school swimming where she no longer needs Mom or Dad in the pool!

Coincidence?

Was Rodin some kind of visionary? The resemblance is uncanny!

A Day for Dad

Isabelle and Oliver had a great day celebrating their dad, with some significant planning (and wrapping, cooking, shopping) help from their Mom! Isabelle and Mommy started the day by whipping up some pancakes, meaning lots of hands-on fun for Isabelle, plus she got to share in the eating of the final product!


From there, the quartet headed off to gymnastics class for family day, meaning Oliver could join the fun in the studio plus shock of all shocks, the camera ban was lifted and we could actually take some pictures. Finally we get to show others that yes, Isabelle does indeed take classes! Lots more on this and the photographic evidence in an upcoming post.

Isabelle decided that maybe her Dad would like some treats to go with his big day, like maybe some ice cream, Daddy? Amazingly, she was also in the mood for some so off to DQ to partake in some soft serve sweetness. A big hit on a hot and humid day.

Upon our return home, the thunderclouds appeared to break in time for some bouncy house action for the front yard. Within minutes, it was up and Isabelle was only slightly overjoyed to see it go up! See the face below for confirmation of this. Unfortunately, the clouds came back as quickly as they left so it was a short-lived event. It is back in the garage but ready to roll for the warm weather after school tomorrow!









Lastly, we ventured back inside for Dad's special dinner of fettucini and meatballs, plus his gifts, which included a lovely painting from Isabelle and Apple TV for the multimedia lover himself. Now he can stream photos and videos of his loved ones from the computer to full big screen glory any time he wants. Try getting the remote away from him now!

Fabulous Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there and especially to our Dads, who deserve to be honoured for raising us to be the parents we are today. Thanks to you both for not only all the dedication to family and hard work, but for the examples you both set and continue to each and every day. We could not have better models upon which to base our own parenting. Enjoy your day, boys! Sit back and be proud of the family that has developed around you!

Ahoy, Landlubbers!

Arrrrgh! Pirate Day finally arrived at Isabelle's school, it has been on everyone's minds since it was first announced last week and she and Logan have been counting down the days. The kids spent all week working on a pirate ship and some crafty pirate hats. Never to be outperformed or settle for the status quo, Isabelle went the extra mile to truly enjoy the pirate experience. Arrrrmed with her trusty sword and protecting her booty of gold chocolate coins, she swaggered off to school ready to force her classmates to walk the plank. Her costume was a big hit and she had a fabulous time as a swashbuckler for a day. Have you ever seen a cuter pirate in your life? Captain Jack Sparrow might get all the press and capture all the buried treasure but Isabelle stole everyone's heart.

Don't even think about taking my gold!


Want to join my crew?


Pirate poser




Ok, I'll share with you. But just this once.


Nature calls for pirates too!


So few pirates ride the bus these days


Enjoying her pirate booty


Isabelle's first mate

Question for Olan

Hey Big O, Little O has a question for you!


I do!

Happy Birthday, Grandpapa!

Happy Birthday, Grandpapa! Hope your special day is a great one and lucky you to have Father's Day a scant two days later! We will be thinking of you and Isabelle looks forward to her bilingual birthday song for you later!

Thanks for always looking out for us, whether near or far, we miss you and have a well-deserved super birthday!

Sit Up and Take Notice!

He's getting some help from the couch of course, but the little dude is starting to master sitting up. At the very least, he no longer is at the mercy of wherever his head goes, his body follows. He has always been relatively good at holding it up, but now that he is more interested in checking out what's going on, he is more motivated to stay upright! His sister could not be prouder of this new development, she instantly jumped and declared that she wanted to sit next to him. The milestones from both of them are becoming second nature of late!








Enough of this sitting up stuff, I'm relaxing for a bit!

Swing into Summer

Finally, summer-like temperatures have arrived in Ottawa, break out the shorts, tank tops and summer dresses. Our trip to Montreal ensured that these kids are never left standing in front of the closet thinking "I have nothing to wear!", although we all know it will be years before Isabelle ever utters those words! Not that this is at the top of her priority list, her swing is up and it's all she talks about on the way home from school every day. She cannot get enough of it. Imagine her excitement when as she swung last night, a balloon arrived in the sky! Joy overload!


Not to be outdone in the fashion department, Oliver sported his jeans look yesterday to rave reviews. He is such an engaging little boy, smiling and laughing all day long. It is such a treat to see him change right before our eyes. Lately he has been using his legs for leverage and pushing himself around a bit. Look out everyone, the boy is starting to be in motion!


Isabelle has become the potty superstar over the past week. Her school told us to start sending her in with underpants so she ventured in the next day diaperless and ready to perform. And so she has, stellarly. In 6 days of school, she has had only 2 accidents and has bettered this with none at home. She is now diapered only for naps and sleeptime, and even that is under attack. Last week, we heard her rummaging in the bathroom in the middle of the night, turns out she decided mid-sleep that she needed to go so she marched into the bathroom determine to use the potty. We were floored. What a kid.


Oliver is a superstar himself when it comes to sleeping at night. Although he catnaps all day and sometimes refuses to succumb to the sandman, he usually has a nice stretch every night of 5+ hours, for which his parents are very thankful. He differs so much from baby Isabelle in the sleep department. She would be much more likely to fall asleep on you or in your arms, while he more easily falls asleep either in his swing or on his back. Or maybe he is just a better sleeper because his parents are less anxious the second time around?