Just for fun, Oliver decided to dress up for school yesterday. With his shirt and tie and his out-of-control hair, he looked like such the little Einstein as he shuffled off to school. Or maybe he's just destined to be the guitarist in the newest incarnation of AC/DC. Whether he's seen as a prodigy or a punk, he still looked super cool with his skull and crossbones motif. We can only imagine that one day with those blond locks and his sense of style we will have our hands full. For now he just fills our hearts with joy and laughter. Keep up the snazzy style, bud!
Got the mad scientist hair down pat!
There he is, back in his preferred spot again!
Such a beautiful little boy
Even pulls off the look with his pants around his ankles!
Oliver has really taken to the potty of late, much to the delight and chagrin of his parents. Obviously, we are thrilled to see how every night he enjoys his time on the potty, so proudly stepping back and pointing out his achievements to all of his family members. He doesn't even seem to be as swayed by the treats as he once was, he is just as happy to bask in the kudos and adulation we all give him when he completes his task. We are so proud of the progress he has made, in fact on a few occasions he has even told us he needed to go, a real breakthough for someone who hasn't reached two yet! The problem we have encountered is that once the potty comes out, the next hour is a total write-off. Oliver will stretch his business out into multiple stages, often requiring numerous trips to the toilet to empty his deposits. One night he had six separate such occasions in the span of an hour. After each clearance, he just gets back on the potty and goes again. For a boy who eats only his regular 3 meals a day, we don't even know where all this output is coming from! Our evenings have turned into the following: get home from work, make dinner, eat dinner, Oliver potty time for an hour, bathtime and bed. We admire both his dedication and his eagerness, just condense it a bit, dude!
We wish you all the best on your special day, Auntie Mer! We miss you and can't wait to see you in the Sunshine State in a couple of months. Thanks for always being such a great sister, aunt and friend to us all. We love you. Happy Birthday!
The mercury has been sinking here in Ottawa the past few days, in fact we woke this morning to minus 26 temperatures with a windchill that took us further down to minus 36?! With canal skating clearly off the agenda for us (although there were several brave, or shall we say educationally challenged, souls that did lace up the skates), we felt it best to stay indoors where our exposed skin wouldn't freeze in less than a minute. Aside from a trip out for the kids to go and celebrate Isabelle's friend Isla's fourth birthday, we stayed close to home but still had lots of fun. Isabelle introduced Oliver to the many riches of the dress-up box and the family had an impromptu dance party after dinner that everyone enjoyed. Glee, Katy Perry, Taio Cruz, Justin Bieber, Isabelle loves them all. Now the kids are both snug and warm in their beds, ready for another dreaded Monday morning. We have minus 32 as the forecasted morning temperature so forgive us if we aren't too excited to wake up when the alarm rings tomorrow!
Oliver (and his hair!) running wild
Loving her best pal Logan
Oliver tries to get Isla off his beloved choo-choo
The princess bride
Dress-up dude gets in on the act
Might be cold outside, but warm enough for ice cream in here!
Last week when Mommy was off work for a few days sick, Daddy and the kids rode the bus to school and work, just in case Mom needed the car during the day. For most transit commuters, the daily grind of trudging through the snow, waiting in the cold for a bus, packing like sardines with other travelers and getting tossed around as the bus winds its way through the streets is a royal pain. These kids loved it. Actually, the second day Oliver was clinging to his Mom not wanting to leave the bed until Dad said they were taking the bus. He did a 180 and was off the bed and down the hall in seconds. Like his sister, he likes holding onto his tickets and giving them to the bus driver, as well as tucking into his snack bowl along the way. Mostly he surveys all the other people on the bus, watching them get on and off at each stop. Also like most bus riders, he likes his very own seat, he doesn't want to stand or sit on his Dad's lap!
Big sister Isabelle is an old transit veteran, she knows the drill inside and out. She even gave up her seat so Oliver could have one to himself! She is such an independent little girl now, no longer needing all the help for the bus experience. In fact, she is loving teaching Oliver how it all works! With the winter temperatures now in full swing, they are back in the van every day now, but a happy return to the bus is definitely an option in the future. Save a couple seats if you see these little commuters coming!
A winter Sunday afternoon in Ottawa means skating on the world-famous Rideau Canal, which partially opened for business last weekend but is now open end-to-end for all to enjoy. Bone-chilling temperatures in the capital city might have deterred some from lacing up their skates, but it didn't stop a little 4-year old girl from taking to the ice for her first skate of the season. With the Andrews crew and Grandpa by her side, she had plenty of fans to help her reacquaint herself with the frozen canal. Her balance is clearly her strong point as she had no problems staying upright. The bitter cold and the biting wind kept her in check for tonight, but she is excited about heading back out with her Mom tomorrow night to get a private lesson and work on her glide. The group had a blast out there on the canal, until the weather got the best of everyone and we retired back to the house for pizza, beverages and to celebrate Matt's big birthday from the day before. Oliver was super happy to make friends with Elgin the golden retriever again and Isabelle is never disappointed to be a hostess. It was a nice night with great friends that we greatly appreciate. Let's hope the temperatures take a turn for the better and we can do it all again soon!
The canal crew, all bundled up to take on the elements
Isabelle curls up on the couch with the newlyweds
I love this dog!
Elgin, let's go for a spin around the block!
Can you hurry up and blow out the candle so we can eat it?
With Mommy and Grandpa off on a rare night out at the movies together and temperatures sinking like a stone in this city, Isabelle and Oliver held down the fort at home with Daddy. Lucky for all of them it was Saturday night and a chance to eat popcorn and check out Hockey Night in Canada. Oliver even learned how to say the word hockey! With their short attention spans, they managed to cheer on a couple of goals before Yo Gabba Gabba and bathtime took over. As you can see, Daddy's not-so-veiled attempts to turn them into Habs fans continued...
There are two little grandchildren that are super excited to have their Grandpa in town. Oliver and Isabelle went to the airport Thursday night to see their Grandpa arrive and have been by his side ever since. Isabelle can't do anything inside or outside the house without knowing what Grandpa is doing or where he is, while Oliver has been saying "Grandpaaaaaa" over and over again and has totally accepted him into our home (not everyone gets this privileged treatment). They have both enjoyed showing off their Christmas gifts to a new face. Hosting people is nothing new to them but it doesn't mean they don't love doing it! Grandpa has tested out the canal ice and has deemed it suitable for a skating get-together with the Andrews clan tomorrow afternoon, which is saying a lot, considering he has been such an avid user of the Halifax oval over the past few weeks. We have been having a great time with him and will be sad to see him go on Monday. Keep the contract work going, Grandpa, we love having you here in Ottawa to visit!
The Glebe Community Centre truly is an amazing place. They have so many events that are tailor made for kids and the staff and volunteers are so dedicated and enthusiastic that it's impossible not to love them or have a wicked time at whatever you are attending. They had an awesome Hallowe'en party, a rocking Christmas event, and now for the first bash of new year, perfect for little girls with big dreams: The Enchanted Ball. Over 100 kids dressed as princes and princesses took over the Great Hall, eager to take part in crafts, colouring, games and of course, to dance the afternoon away, as most royals would. Isabelle, fresh from a morning birthday party, dashed home, quickly changed into her best princess attire, and climbed into her carriage to go the ball. I'm sure no one is surprised to hear that the dress-up queen had a fabulous time. She started out with crafts but was very intrigued by the chocolate swamp game so she abandoned her gingerbread man to go after chocolate treats. From then on she was hooked and having a blast. She checked out the real-life Candyland game and tried her hand at the licorice race, but once it was time for the fashion show and dancing games, you couldn't get her off the floor or the stage. It certainly helped that her favourite dance teacher ever, Kailena, was helping to run the show. Wherever she was, Isabelle was not far behind. It was the dream afternoon for any budding princess, she was so excited when she got home that she was literally bouncing off the walls recounting her splendid afternoon. Within 15 minutes, the little princess was crashed out, asleep on her Mommy. I guess a big day at the ball can really wear a princess out!
The princess and her favourite prince
Making her way around the Swamp Thing's obstacle course
Even princesses can play some hoops!
Admiring the tree in the Candyland room
The licorice game. Competitors had to eat the whole licorice string without using their hands. When candy is involved, kids can accomplish anything!
Waiting to be sent onto the runway
Who wants to be princess of the ball? Isabelle kept moving closer and closer to where the draw was taking place, as if this somehow made her name more likely to be pulled!
The "Duke of Swirl" gets down with the ladies
May I have this dance, milady?
Kailena, the orchestrator of all the fun
Isabelle takes to the dance floor. A must see event!
Unlike what we saw in Toronto and what appears to be happening out East in Halifax, we have been receiving some steady snow here in Ottawa. We haven't been hammered by blizzards by any means, but over the past week we have had several days with snowfall. So Isabelle and Oliver woke up, grabbed their tiny shovels and ventured out front to lend a hand. Isabelle was happy to push the snow around and was a big help, clearing the whole sidewalk before her Dad even picked up his shovel. Oliver overcame his concerns about keeping his mitts from getting covered in snow to have a great time as well. Once done, everyone packed into the sled to cap off the morning with a rousing trip through the park. A perfect winter morning!
Shoveling siblings
Check out what Santa brought me! What, you never saw Cinderella shovel?
We pulled Isabelle's potty out of the attic this weekend and Oliver took to it no problem. On his first day, he did one #1 and one #2. Make no mistake, the prospect of treats was a major influence, in fact he often sat down, did nothing, then stood up and pointed to the potty hoping we would see something that would make us cheer and give him some Smarties. Regardless, we are impressed with his progress. We have no idea if this is a fluke or a sign of things to come, but for now Oliver is happy to make a claim to conquering the potty!
