Making a Splash

Oliver gives us all a big smile as he takes his nightly bath. He must know there's an extra long weekend coming up! We all can't wait for him to check out the famous Ottawa Canada Day festivities!

Picnic in the Park

Even though Isabelle was convinced the night before that we were headed to the family picnic, the next morning the four of us still packed snacks and zipped over to the Governor General's front yard and the Children's Hospital Teddy Bear's Picnic! A different setting than the fun times and great company in Bradford that are coming soon, but still a great place to meet up with pals and have a blast. It started off rather unspectacularly with pouring rain but thankfully it let up soon enough and the fab foursome of Isabelle, Oliver, Logan and Brooklyn queued up to ride merry-go-rounds and spinning strawberries. With the weather officially cooperating, the crew checked out the stage show with singers and a juggling act that Isabelle loved called the Cowguys. Above all, the old Tupper Tots alumni pals just loved seeing each other and enjoying each other's company. Oliver, however, was WAY more into the petting zoo and all the animals it had to offer! The boy just could not get enough of the goats, llamas, geese and cows that were only too happy to see him too, as long as he had food! So something for everyone and don't worry, Isabelle, the REAL family picnic is still on the schedule, just a few weeks away!

Carousel cuties


These lines are taking FOREVER!


Ready to rock the strawberry ride


Checking out the stage show


Oliver was thrilled to feed these guys


He took it right from my hand, Mom!


So soft and furry


Cotton candy, anyone?


Meeting the Saunders Farm pumpkin princess


Little guy, big squash


Picnic pals

We Have Liftoff

Tonight, Oliver ran across a nice surprise on his walk along the canal. He and his sister both love watching the hot air balloons fly over our house, but tonight the lucky boy got the chance to see the balloon actually blow up and take flight up close and personal. Needless to say, he was amazed to see something so huge take shape right in front of him. Whenever he would turn away, he would hear the flames fire and quickly turn back to see what was going on. Oliver was thrilled to wave goodbye to the balloon as it travelled skyward and he headed off for home. Further proof that you never know what we will run into when we head out for a walk!

What is going on here? Why is that thing so big?


In case you can't see it, there it is!


Up, up and away! Bye, bye, balloon!

Quake!

What a day in capital city, with craziness abound as Ottawa got mildly rocked by an earthquake that hit 5+ on the Richter scale! Mom and Dad were hard at work when the buildings shook for about 20 seconds, followed by building evacuations en masse all over the city. Cell phone service was out as pretty much everyone was calling everyone else to see if they were ok, which they were as damage was minimal across the city. Seems the epicentre was about 50km outside Ottawa but we felt enough to send a little scare through everyone's hearts! Back at home, it was just another weekday afternoon as Oliver snoozed his way through the excitement and Isabelle played on as if nothing was going on. Nanny Caitlin asked her if she felt the house shake and Isabelle said "Yes, and I looked outside and I saw it!". What she saw is still a mystery, but now that she has been taught what an earthquake is, she says it was a crack in the ground that she saw. Nothing like a young imagination. Anyway, all is well, everyone is safe and as for Isabelle, she's excited for it to happen again tomorrow. That makes one of us!

"I Want a Special Drink"

Isabelle has been saying this for what seems like years, and if we're driving down Bank Street, it usually means that we are passing Booster Juice. Not surprisingly, her little brother, who wants to do everything she does, has been yearning to try one himself so this past weekend we got him one. He has mastered the straw much earlier than his sister did and certainly went to town once the Strawberry Sunshine hit his waiting lips! And the best part of all, with each nursing a drink of their own, no back seat battles between siblings! Nutritious drinks plus happy and quiet kids equals parental bliss!

Oliver Speaks!

A few days ago Oliver tried to sound out the word "pig" while reading his favourite book Ollie. He could tell he was impressing us so he kept saying it over and over while his parents cheered his accomplishment. Tonight before bed, he was reading from his animal book and came out with another new word! Now that he has a vocabulary, what will he accomplish next?

Happy Birthday, Grandpapa!

Hope you have a great birthday, Grandpapa, and lucky you to get Father's Day the next day! Looks like a celebration of Henri the whole weekend! Oliver and Isabelle wish you all the best on both days and look forward to seeing you again soon. Thanks for being such a great dad and an awesome grandfather to the little ones. We miss you and love you, happy birthday!

Pals on Parliament Hill

Nanny Caitlin had the day off to go and collect her well-earned college diploma, so Isabelle and Oliver got to spend a rare weekday with their parents, Dad in the morning and Mom in the afternoon. With Mom hard at work downtown, Dad and the kidlets headed to the Hill to check things out before picking her up. Loads of fun to be had sightseeing, but Isabelle and Oliver were less interested in the architecture, statues and history than they were in the giant green space out front and the chance to goof around and enjoy each other's company. Isabelle ran around to her heart's content and Oliver snacked away and charmed as many tourists as he could. We can't wait to be back here in two weeks for Canada Day!


The boy just adores his sister


Isabelle wondered why they need such a big clock to tell the time


Practicing his big smile


Two kids oblivious to the famous Library of Parliament


Like two ships passing in the night


Oliver in repose


Pretty view, pretty girl


Looking for the Center Block? It's over there, dude!


The Prince of Parliament

Say Yes to the Dress

Part of our weekend was spent in the thriving metropolis of Moose Creek, Ontario, where there appear to be as many bridal shops as there are residents. October is coming soon and the flower girls need to be ready for Auntie Rhiannon's wedding! Isabelle and her fellow wedding party mates were there to hopefully find the right look for the big march down the aisle. An afternoon of trying on fancy dresses, and how many times do you think we had to ask Isabelle to go and do this? If you guessed one or less, you'd be right! She and her instantly newfound pals had a great time, goofing around and showing just how cute they can be. Isabelle can't wait for the big day, I can only think of one girl that is more excited for it to arrive!


A little young to be striking a pose, no?

Westfest is Best

Summertime is Festival Central here in Ottawa. Soon to come will be the Ribfest, the Buskerfest, the Hot Air Balloon Festival, all of which we have a blast attending. This weekend we had some beautiful sunny weather so we trucked off to Westfest, a fun street festival in the Westboro area of Ottawa. You don't even have to finish the words "bouncy castle" to convince Isabelle to go and as for Oliver, if it's outside, he's up for it! Logan met us there and the two pals started off by getting tattoos and then rocking the inflatables; they have such a good time just bouncing and crashing into one another. Then we made our way up the street to see some giant size chess pieces and some wicked street performers. Needless to say, there was also some shopping to be done too, a little something for everyone at Westfest! We capped the day off with some cool beverages and a trip down a massive slide. In the past, one of us would have joined Isabelle for the trip down but not anymore, she's super proud to do it "all by myself!". At least we have Oliver who still needs us!

Let me in, guys!


Curbside cutie


Checkmate, Logan!


Making their way to base camp. Can't believe they climbed this thing!


Isn't gravity fun?

The Darling of Dow's Lake

Like his sister before, Oliver loves to spend his time outdoors. Give him an open green space and time to roam and you'll find a happy boy. The past few weeks he has taken a liking to treks along the canal and in Commissioner's Park. Just the other day, he happily walked almost half a kilometre, just holding his dad's hand, stopping a few times to throw wood chips in the canal and charming anyone and everyone that runs, walks or bikes past. If you want to stop him in his tracks, either be walking a dog or be a duck. Those two things makes Oliver shout with joy. Most of all, he's just happy to hang out on the water or in cool grass, watching the traffic go by and laughing at his sister's antics. Summertime is so much fun.

Chocoholic

Since Easter, when he got his first taste of what chocolate was all about, Oliver was hooked. You should see this kid's eyes light up when he is presented with this nectar of the gods. Recently he discovered Smarties and M&Ms and let's just say Hallowe'en this year can't come fast enough! Even if you give him a few Smarties, after he makes them disappear faster than David Copperfield, he heads straight to the cupboard, pointing and grunting for more. And in case you don't know where they are, he will happily open the door, dig them out and present them to you. Looks like we need a better hiding place from now on. Yesterday he discovered a lone Hershey's Kiss in the breadbasket and it was like Columbus had discovered America. He was beside himself with joy and diligently attempted to open it until he decided this was a job Mom or Dad could do much quicker! Always happy, but even happier with chocolate!

Duck Duck Goose

It was a game Isabelle loved playing at her soccer class over the winter, little did she know that she would encounter the real thing along the canal when summertime arrived! We took a wagon ride after dinner tonight and not only ran into some grownup ducks and geese, but some baby and teenage ones too! They were all over us as we had brought some food, so Isabelle and Oliver quickly had dozens of new best friends. Oliver loved checking them out and Isabelle apparently was not feeding them fast enough as they came right up to grab the bread from her hand! Anytime Oliver was given a piece to give the geese he would just eat it himself anyway. Once the food was gone, the geese lost interest so we moved on to find some ducks to watch. For a little dude like Oliver, who is always happiest outdoors, the summer and the animals that come with it have been perfect. He and his sister love goofing around in the wagon and we look forward to our nightly walk!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Isabelle and Oliver are overjoyed to send more birthday wishes out East as Grandpa celebrates his big day! We hope you had a great day and enjoyed all the attention that comes with it. We all appreciate how much you do for the family and we're glad you have a birthday and upcoming Father's Day where people do things for you! Thanks for always being a superstar Grandpa to the kids, they adore you so much and speak of you often, in fact we all do. We miss you and love you and look forward to seeing you soon! Happy birthday, 49 years old (and holding) never looked so good!

Boys (and Girls!) in the Hood

Times have been busy around here and we've had a lot to do just within a few blocks of our home! Last weekend was really a traffic nightmare around these parts, with not only the races on Saturday night and Sunday morning, but the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale all day Saturday. This event just gets bigger and bigger every year and has gone beyond the usual junk piles you usually see at these types of things. It has become a giant bake sale, sample sale, sidewalk sale, art sale, and all around good time for a wagon-toting family. We scored a couple of good deals and Isabelle and Oliver shared several baked treats, but most of all we just liked browsing around and seeing so many people.

Boy chills while the girls bargain hunt


We had to rush home though, so we could pack up for our next destination, Isabelle's soccer game. Each week her and Logan alternate between goofing around, taking water breaks, and sometimes actually playing soccer, meanwhile Oliver is off and running, showing off his dribbling skills. We won't be surprised if he rakes in a big signing bonus as a free agent acquisition for one of the other teams!

World Cup 2030?


But Oliver has to share the sporting skills in the family, Isabelle has rekindled her love for her bike and has been zipping along the paths practicing for the Tour de France. She is so impressed with herself when she can stop and even more so when she picks up the pace and pulls way ahead of us. She has also been collecting lot of compliments from other canal riders on her swanky bike, always happy to say thank you and also point out that she has a princess helmet that matches!


Eat my dust!