Stellar Swimmer

Isabelle is getting ready for the cottaging season by starting her latest set of swim lessons. Having completed Parent & Tot 1, 2, and 3 she appeared ready for Preschool A, where the parents no longer accompany the little ones into the pool. It's for 3 to 5 year-olds but we were able to get her in a bit early. She has been coached on the "by herself" and "just you and the teacher" concept for a few weeks, so she crossed that chasm with no incident whatsoever. She loves her teacher and was right into playing along from the get-go. The class is small so she gets lots of attention, plus it's 2 times per week, so she is already on her 3rd class in the last 8 days.

Every week they work on several things, face in the water, bubbles, kicks, floats, and blast-offs are all mixed in with trips on the slide or rides in the boat. Tonight it was time for Isabelle to really shine. With her lifejacket on, it was her turn to practice her back float and kicks. She yells out "I can do it by myself!" and off she went, lying on her back and kicking away. IN Isabelle fashion, her classmate then balks at his turn so she says "I can do it!" and goes again! After her boat ride, she lied on her back and kicked herself back to the wall easily. Then after going down the slide, she swims on her front to the wall! Who says you need to be 3 for this class? We are so proud of our little star. Look out cottage, we're ready for you now!

Class camera ban again, so here's a Florida pic of our swimming daredevil:

Is There a Doctor in the House?

Oliver had his 5 month checkup at the doctor today and performed admirably, not only hitting all the right milestones but charming everyone in sight, especially Dr. Chan and Nurse Betty. He is now 14 lbs, 12 oz, putting him at the 25th percentile, a far cry from the 5 lbs, 6 oz he was when he came into our world! Unlike most adults, who abhor visiting medical professionals of any kind, Oliver cooed and laughed his way through the whole trip. Even his vaccine only caused a minor break in his joyfest, he was back to his normal chill and happy self within a couple of minutes. Lots to come in month #6 as he will soon be sitting up for long periods on his own, plus getting ready to give cereal a go! Didn't we just bring him home?


We are so lucky to have our doctor. We had trouble finding one after Isabelle was born but were eventually referred to a young pediatrician taking new patients but based way out in Kanata. We could have probably found a closer one but not a better one. The drive is always worth it as he is so tremendous dealing with kids. He has two young ones of his own so he understands the parent side of things as well. Nurse Betty is gentle (especially good since she does the pokes), great to talk to and always has time to chat or to fit us in at a moment's notice. The peace of mind that he and Betty have provided us is truly priceless. Kudos, Dr. Chan!

Peas in a Pod

A relatively appointment-free and event-free weekend, so we stayed close to home and watched Isabelle and Oliver continue to build that brother/sister bond that will live on for decades. It is so much fun to see how motherly she is with him, she has to be near him all the time, and will do everything from complementing him on his clothes to dutifully retrieving his binky if it drops. He clearly appreciates his sister, tracks her every movement and laughs from deep in his belly when she is being silly and especially if she sneezes! Are we even remotely ready for what these two have in store for us? Wait until they can actually scheme together!

An attentive audience for storytime


Showering him with kisses


Slight family resemblance?

Like Mother, Like Daughter

When Isabelle's Mom was a little girl, she loved to read, much like she still does today. In fact the child version of Mom used to hide under the covers and read using a flashlight before bedtime. We all know that Isabelle shares this love of books, it is her favourite pastime by far. So, not one to be left out, Isabelle recently added to her bedtime story ritual. On top of the books that are read to her prior to saying good night, she has decided that after Mom or Dad leave her to fall sleep, she wants to read a book to herself before she turns in. So she lies there in bed, leafing through pages using the faint light from her window, until she finally dozes off. Our darling little bookworm.

A Morning with Nim & Harvey

Family friends Harvey and Nim dropped into Ottawa for a visit last week and we were so glad to have them over for a nice conversation, as well as a chance for them to reacquaint themselves with Isabelle and meet little Oliver. As friends who have seen all three Bangay sisters make their way from little girls into grown women, it was truly a joy to catch up, hear some old stories and have them enjoy time with the new generation.

Oliver was a perfect angel as always, even went down for a nice nap to give us time to talk. Isabelle took a liking to both of them, not surprisingly she was thrilled to have new storytellers that paid her plenty of attention. The girl just loves visitors, taking great pride in showing off her room and always following them around with a book prepped to be read. We hadn't seen Harvey and Nim in Ottawa for a long time, since back at our wedding in 2006, so it was nice to see them during a relatively quieter period, although we wouldn't necessarily call this place quiet most of the time!

Five Months!

Little Oliver hit the five month mark today and the boy is passing all the milestone tests with flying colours. Above all things, we are so proud to report that he is just one happy little dude. We call him the Zen Baby for a reason, he is Mr. Relaxation, not much seems to faze him and he is generally just an amiable fellow. We are so very lucky to have such a chill little boy in our family.

He has really started to be engaging over the past month, very aware of his surroundings, you can just see him taking it all in and it's a joy to see how he reacts to you. He has started to vocalize all the time, noises after noises, and if you get up close and play with him, he will share his infectious laugh that keeps us all entertained. He loves his hands, whether they be to grab any toys, hair, eyeglasses or anything else in his vicinity or just to stick the whole hand into his mouth as far as it will go. This and the ever-present slobber is making us think that tooth #1 will soon be making its debut. If that is the case, he is handling it very well!

Oliver is an excellent sleeper, however he has inherited one quality from his Mom: the boy fights falling asleep for the night. There have been some nights when he hasn't kicked it until past 10:00! Isabelle was a fighter too but she was also like clockwork. She would happily fall sleep on her Mom or Dad and then we would deal with the difficult transfer or face being trapped under her for hours. Not Oliver. He is not one to fall asleep on people, he much prefers the swing to send him to slumber. Also, he sleeps on his back no problem, whereas Isabelle would only ever sleep on her stomach or side. Weird how they can be so alike yet so different!

The boy is Isabelle's biggest fan. She can make him smile at the drop of a hat and just check him out when she is zipping around the house. His eyes track her every move. He never fusses when she gives him 100 kisses and hugs in a row or when she shoehorns herself into the tiniest spot just to sit next to him. We'll have to remember this when they have an epic battle years into their future.

Lastly, Oliver has a knack for timing. He was very proud to commemorate the 5 month mark with a gala performance of a brand new trick tonight. Oliver rolled over from front to back just an hour ago! Way to go, buddy!

Pirates of the Rideau

With the sun shining down upon us, we decided to take to the waters again but today we bypassed the kayak for a bit more adventurous fare. Given the level of excitement over the recently held Pirate Day at school, Isabelle and Logan were ecstatic to take part in Pirate Adventures, a true pirate ship that sets sail from Hog's Back and traverses Mooney's Bay. It is a fabulous time for kids young and old, including pirate garrrrrrb, face painting, and buccaneer names for each passenger, plus on-board they spin a tall tale about treasure maps, ghost ships, evil pirates and the key to the chest filled with gold. They searched the waters for bottles and flags, and even got to do battle with Pirate Pete, first bombing him with water cannons and then witnessing an on-board duel that ended with Pete walking the plank. Isabelle has been steadily inquiring about his fate ever since he took the plunge. A great time was had by all and we headed back to boring old land, with its civilian clothes and normal names. Won't Monday seem mundane after sailing the seas, battling pirates and making off with golden treasure? Ah, the life of a kid. Couldn't be better.

The youngest buccaneer


Smilin' pirate


Spinning an old yarn


Attentive junior pirate


A whole-hearted pirate salute


When can we use these things?


Man the cannons!


Soaked the evil pirate!


Behold the pirate booty


Once again, don't take my gold!


Haven't quite grasped the limbo yet


Battling pirates makes me thirsty


Popped pirate

Mac Attack

Rideau Centre is really starting to rock of late. We've always loved the huge Lululemon and Aritzia stores, but over the past year it has really taken off. First Lacoste arrived, COACH, BCBG, and then it finally snagged a much needed Starbucks, no more crossing the street to Chapters! However, it appears that they really mean business in 2009. We already knew that Michael Kors was slated for the fall when the past week brought even better news. First off, Zara, the stylish European competitor of H&M, is on its way! Wicked news for all 4 of us, as they have great kids clothes to go with their adult lines. Pretty soon almost all of our Montreal shopping stops will be 10 minutes away instead of 2 hours. Way to go, Rideau!


But the biggest coup was the opening of our very own Apple store this morning! Needless to say, we already have a few Apple products in the home, and this will make it much easier to accessorize and upgrade them when required. No more online ordering or trips to Yorkdale, we can now get hands-on experience and in-store service anytime we want. The place was a total madhouse and although we only arrived an hour after opening, the 1000 free t-shirts were long gone. Not to worry, Isabelle loved the kids games they had set up and happily tooled around with Wall-E while we checked out the grownup stuff. Come one, come all to Ottawa, but remember to bring some comfy shoes and your wallet. Shopping just got even more fun!

To top that off, with Bluesfest in town the mall has been having mid-day shows to entertain the shoppers and promote the festival. We were lucky enough to be there at the right time today. Count Isabelle as a concert fan, the only thing she missed was her cousin the guitar aficionado!

I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night

The legendary rock group Kiss visits Ottawa tonight to entertain the masses and keep everyone in the general vicinity of downtown awake way past their desired bedtime. We know one little boy that is still likely to sleep through it all, even though he has been working hard on his impression of bassist Gene Simmons!

A Tiffany Girl is Born

This past winter Isabelle's Gran was in town for a visit and brought with her a gift tailor made for any young girl destined to be a princess: a colourful jewelry box filled to the brim with bracelets, necklaces, rings, and even stick-on earrings. Isabelle quickly dubbed it her "treasure chest" and it has become one of her favourite pastimes to meticulously go through the box and try on every ring and bracelet, while getting several stick-on earrings caught in her hair. We always knew little ones were into dressup time, but to see one so enthralled with the accessories as well is a joy. At least we are still in the inexpensive phase of jewelry obsession!

Picnic in the Park

Following a busy Friday at school highlighted by her summer field trip of berry picking (reports from the scene indicate that there was a lot more eating than picking going on!), Isabelle met up with the rest of the family and headed to Brewer Park for a picnic and playtime. We've been doing this about once a week of late, especially because this park is halfway from school to home and is also one of the best parks in the city. They have at least 4 or 5 play structures that are targeted based on different age groups, as well as swings, picnic tables, sand pits and the best part of all, a water park with fountains and slides. Needless to say, Isabelle's arm does not need to be twisted to come here! So when the weather cooperates, we make the effort to finish her day off with fun. The hardest part is getting her to stop and eat!

Exploring the park


What exactly does this do?


Oliver in a reflective mood


Delicious drumstick


Seagull scavenger


Picnic pals


Wheeeeeeeee!


This feels good!

Cottaging in the City!

Ever since we moved into this house, the desire to be out on the water we see outside our windows has been burning. Sure, we could rent a paddle boat and we have been on one of the many tour vessels that traverse the canal, but somehow that hasn't quite done the trick. It pleases us to report that those days are over. Thanks to the pre-Canada Day purchase of a brand spanking new kayak, we are now truly in business.

Today the "boat" that Isabelle has been asking about every day since it came home finally made its maiden voyage. Both Isabelle and her Mom were beside themselves with joy. In fact, when Isabelle was told on the way home that we were taking the boat out, the entire bus heard her excitement. Once home, we simply tossed the jackets and paddles in the kayak, then walked across the street and we were ready to launch. Needless to say, our neighbourhood rocks all the others in Ottawa!

What a treat to be back out on the water again! The lake was quiet and it was a whole new perspective to see the traffic and the pedestrians from the comfort of the water. All we could ask was, what took us so long to do this? Feel like going for a cruise before bed tonight, Garth? If only you were in Ottawa....and we can't wait until you can take advantage. Don't know about bringing wine and a cigar though!

The big purchase!


Oliver ready for some lakeside spectating


Hey there, landlubbers!


See, Daddy and Oliver? I'm paddling!


A sight for sore eyes


Paddling pair


Checking out the Canada Geese


Kayaking kutie!

Tricycle Time Trial

A long-awaited day for Daddy as the Tour de France finally began. Isabelle took in some of the action, and although she only calls Lance Armstrong by his pseudonym "Lance in France", she was still suitably inspired to immediately demand we head outside for a ride on her bike. She is becoming quite the burgeoning cyclist from all her practice at home and at school, plus the downhill grade of our street does little to dissuade her need for speed. If it weren't for the steering and the curbs, she would be ready to jet over and join the peleton today!


Don't look back, someone might be gaining on you


Born to be wild

Back in Action

We are thrilled to report that Oliver is healthy and happy again. He had a rough couple of days with a high fever and a case of something called Roseola, which caused him to get a wicked rash on his face and body - particularly rough as he itched his little face constantly and thrashed around when he wanted to sleep. A couple of tough days and a night that included a visit to the after hours pediatrician and the hospital. As you can see, the little dude could not be happier now!