Ride 'Em Cowboy

On our last full day in Halifax, we got the chance to fulfill one of Oliver's big dreams for the vacation week. He finally got his shot at an inaugural pony ride. It was promised to him many times over so we were thrilled to grant his big wish. He loved meeting his horse, Tony the Pony, and has been repeating the little equine's name ever since. You could not wipe the smile off his face, and Olan and Isabelle were equally as thrilled with getting back in the saddle too! What an awesome time we all spent at Hatfield Farms, visiting animals, riding horses and capping the visit off with every little one's favourite treat, ice cream! We can think of no better way to spend a sun-soaked day in the Maritimes, except maybe to be out on the boat, but given the choice we're sorry, Grandpa, Oliver will take the horse. Isabelle, on the other hand, would have her thumbs up saying "Hit it!"

Happiest cowboy ever

Cuties meet up with a turkey

Hand in hand with Grandpa

Mer's pet goat

They're at the post...they're off!

Little Miss Sunshine saddles up

And down the stretch she comes!

A popular spot for cousins in need

A well-deserved treat after all that riding

Loving Cottage Life

With the first day of school around the corner, summer is coming to a close, so what better way to celebrate all that it was than with a week at the cottage with family. It was more than enough to put huge smiles on the faces of these two kids!

Relaxing in the mini-Muskoka chairs that Isabelle and Olan received for Xmas from Grandpa and Mer several years ago. Who knew at the time that they painted a giant O on one of the chairs that a future cousin would have the same initial?!

One night Auntie Mer hosted a nail-painting get-together. Of course Isabelle was first in line to get made over, but Oliver did not want to be left out! He kept his new look through the rest of his vacation, Miss Jen will sure be surprised when he shows up at school!

Cooling it on the front porch with cousin Olan. The three cousins had a grand old time at the cottage, especially during the hours they spent on the trampoline. Just follow the laughing and you will find these cottage kids having a blast.

A great start to the day, feeding the ducks with Grandpa. This family of ducks was a regular staple at the cottage, hanging around the bay, sunning themselves on the swim platform, dropping by to say hi....it was great to see them every day and they felt like an extra 3 hosts during our time on the lake.

Oliver on the path to the other beach. Such a sunshine-soaked cutie-pie. There were so many sticks for him to pick up he had a hard time deciding which one to go with. Then we arrived at the beach and the sticks were abandoned for the water and the sand shovels.

Sand-loving siblings pass the time away at the other beach. They could spend hours here maximizing their vacation excitement. Parents could chill out here, catching some rays and chatting as the kids amused themselves.

Hammerin' Oliver Henry helps out his Grandpa on the dock. Anywhere he sees people working on something, he likes to stop by and say "What are you doing?", offering his helping hand. Grandpa took him up on his offer and the dock was fixed in no time!

Completely passed out after a day at Ross Farms with Auntie Meggie. After a few hours of checking out farm animals, Auntie Meg said he had renewed interest in his Shleich animals, as if seeing them in person made him realize again how much fun they are? His love for the farm continues.

The beautiful post office in Mahone Bay. Daddy's job at Canada Post appears to require that he photograph nice post offices in other parts of the country.

Oliver's love for dessert did not take a vacation on this vacation. Why do you think both parents always have a wipe in their pocket? The boy just loves chocolate. We just have to try to keep him from eating it for all 3 meals of the day!

Sisters roasting marshmallows on the shore. Turn back the clock 25 years and you could have seen the exact same thing in Muskoka, except they went to bed later and woke up later! Not surprisingly, Isabelle was first in line for a marshmallow when they were done!

Meredith got these amazing lanterns and brought them to the cottage. We all wrote wishes on them and she launched it into the night sky. We watched it climb and climb until it was a tiny speck and then it disappeared. It was remarkable and one of the coolest things we have ever seen. Everyone was raving about it. As an FYI, Isabelle's wish was to be on an airplane every day!?

A tuckered-out Isabelle curled up on her Grandpa to rest. A few short minutes later, she was fast asleep. A perfect way to end a perfect day, asleep on the very beach she was patrolling all day long. It was the cutest thing ever. Needless to say, she transferred into bed without a hitch and even slept in late the ext morning. Can we bottle that and bring it back to Ottawa?

Cruising at the Cottage

It's not the cottage without a few trips out on the lake, and this week will be full of opportunities to do so. Grandpa is proud to show us all his new boat and everyone's old pal Jaws is still around too, not to mention the non-motorized options that are also available. Both Isabelle and Oliver love to be out on the water, perhaps for different reasons. We think Oliver remembers back to our Florida pontoon boat escapades, because he much prefers slowly cruising along, always trying to find crocodiles (sorry, not likely in the Maritimes, dude!). Isabelle, on the other hand, is a fan of high speed, whether she is parked on the bow or sitting in a tube being pulled behind. She kept saying "hit it" as we were all chatting in the back of the boat. The weather has been fabulous, even with Hurricane Irene on her way, so we have had lots of chances to check out the lake up close and personal. It's a special place to spend time together as a family and to be able to hang out and snack in the boat as we catch up makes it even more enjoyable. The cottage is amazing and there is so much to do around here, enough to keep 3 kids and 5 adults occupied morning, noon and night! We couldn't ask for a better start to the vacation!

Paddling partners with Auntie Meggie

Isabelle was not shy about heading out tubing!

Thumbs up means go faster.  Isabelle had her thumb up the entire time.

Tubing team-up with little brother

Braided boating beauty

Oliver loved the boat...but easy on the speed, Grandpa!

Up front with cousin O

Grandpa in his element, boating with Jaws and his 3 biggest fans

Cleared for Takeoff

It seems like a long time since we have been on a family vacation. Aside from some day trips to Montreal and the odd weekend in Toronto, we haven't boarded an airplane for a long distance trip since Florida in April. This time around we combined the road trip and the airplane ride, as we drove to Montreal and hopped on a plane bound for Halifax. With the van packed with swimsuits and casual clothes, we couldn't wait to touch down on the East coast and head up to the cottage on Sherbrooke Lake. Landing at 11:30, the kids (and Dad!) were fast asleep within minutes of the drive up to the lake, dreaming of nice times on the shore and cruises in the boat after dinner. Stay tuned as we expect to have a great time over the next week. Lots of fun on the agenda with Gran, Grandpa, Aunties Meg and Mer and cousin Olan. Who knows what kind of trouble this tiny trio could get into with free time on their hands? It goes without saying that the parents are also very excited to have time to relax and recharge our batteries for the fall. Bring on the cottage!

What little boy doesn't love big vehicles?

Something Borrowed?

Isabelle appears to be in great demand, even by people she doesn't even know. Thursday night she had Logan over for a playdate and after dinner she and the two boys went for a walk with her Dad. Oliver and Logan were running around ready to play hide and seek with Isabelle when we spotted a bride and groom taking pictures by the flowerbeds. Isabelle loves brides so she was excited to see them, but quickly moved on, ready to count and seek out her friend and brother. Moments later, she was approached by the happy couple to take part in their photo shoot!? Never one to shy away from a camera, Isabelle happily posed for numerous shots as the group fawned over her and then went on her merry way. They asked for our email and sent us one of the shots yesterday. Not sure any of us really understand why someone years from now would like to look through their wedding album and see photos of themselves with an unknown blonde girl, but who are we to judge?  Perhaps their future kids will wonder if this is their long-lost big sister? In any case, Isabelle loved the attention, not surprisingly and the people were very nice to us and to her. I guess it's all we can do to make their special day even more special!

Sold Out Show

After a nice visit with Logan, Baby Kayla and their Mom and Dad, Isabelle and Oliver were supposed to wind down before bath with a nice Skype call to Winnipeg. On the contrary. Isabelle decided to start into some of the many songs she has learned at school over the past few weeks. The real treat, though, was Oliver. When asked if he had a song, he launched into Old Macdonald like he had done it for years, a surprise to his Mom and Dad, who had yet to hear him put it all together! It was hilarious to watch Isabelle go from song to song and then every time it was Oliver's turn, he would yell out, "Old Macdonald had farm, Piggy. Old Macdonald had farm, Sheep." We were all in stitches at his song and how proud he was to sing it out loud and strong. Both kids were a total hoot and out on quite the show for their grandparents. Like all great shows, it had to come to an end as bathtime was calling, but not before the entire audience was sent home satisfied. Keep an eye on these two, they may have a future in show business if they keep it up!

Oliver patiently waits his turn as Isabelle sings her heart out

Seriously, is this not a face for show business?

Close to Home

Lots of travel and activity for these kids lately, so we decided to spend our Sunday in and around the house. With iffy weather in the forecast for the afternoon, we made the most of our morning by working outside on the garden and rearranging our overpacked and messy garage. If Oliver and Isabelle didn't have so many vehicles of their own, we might have an outside shot at fitting our van in there now! The kids were happy to goof around by sitting in the kayak and sifting through some old boxes for treasure. Isabelle was certainly happy to find 3 decks of cards, fitting since she got hooked on then when her grandparents came for a visit a couple of weeks ago. The rain held off until late afternoon, when it came down fast and furious. When it departed, Isabelle and Oliver were off in search of puddles to jump in. Along the recreational path we found those and some feathered friends too. It was a great end to a weekend, a day spent together as a family and showing how much fun you can have even when you are doing chores or staying within a few hundred metres of your home. No agendas, no appointments, no events...no problem!

Horse and shark join us for a walk along the lake

Who says you can't have fun staying around the house?

The World's a Stage

Isabelle and her daycare compatriots have been working so hard this week. It's Music Week, which means Miss Shannon the music instructor was there each and every day, shuttling groups of kids in and out of the main room to work with them on some diverse and eclectic tunes. 

We learned early this week that this wasn't your normal daycare music camp of Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. First of all, we arrived Monday to find Isabelle rocking out to a Wii game of Just Dance, a special addition to the daycare especially for Music Week. She was totally loving it. 

Then on the way home she was singing from the back seat "We are marching for freedom...", letting us know that she was learning 2 new songs, one for India and one for South Africa. What an amazing idea, each group was singing songs representing different countries. Little did we know that they were also learning to sing in different languages, including Punjabi and Zulu for Isabelle! So not just Music Week, but World Music Week! 

The kids were building up to a final day concert for the staff and for the parents, making us all proud and surprising us all with their abilities. Isabelle definitely did not disappoint, dressed to perfection in her Mom's Nehru, with bonus accessories of a bindi and bangles from our neighbour Bonnie. She looked the part and sang her heart out like she does this stuff every day. She was very excited and must have had trouble sleeping in anticipation, evidenced by her yawns mid-song! It was such a treat to see all the kids perform and to meet the music teacher too. To see how excited they all were and what a great show they put on was so amazing. What will this place think of for next week, tough shoes to fill!

Is anyone surprised at how well she looked the part?

A group of excited kids wait for their turn to shine

Isabelle's pal Angus, who she first met in soccer a year and a half ago. Now she cubbies next to him and is often his walking partner for trips to the splash pad.

Girl power!

Practice makes perfect. We can't get these songs out of our head!

A wii Flashmob breaks out in the main room

Oliver and Mommy take in all the action. Next concert should be you, dude!

Bravo Fortissimo!

Last year we tried to visit Parliament Hill to see Fortissimo, an annual display of military marching bands and all associated pomp and pageantry, but sadly the show was rained out. This year we were not to be denied. Instead of waiting for the last night, like last year, we went on the first night and also checked the weather forecast, just to be sure. Having been to the Changing of the Guard, Isabelle and Oliver knew what to expect but this was a bit more than what they were used. There were a number of different bands (even dancers too!), and we had the chance to get up close to the ones that were waiting to go up next. It was cool to see all the uniforms and the instruments of the various contingents, even though Oliver spent a lot of his time trying to find a horse, which he said was in the castle (what he calls the East Block). It's never a boring time when you're on The Hill, always lots to look at, easily one of the nicest spots in our city. Last night was no exception. We're sure to be back to see this show again next year, weather permitting!

On deck and ready to perform

Trio of blondes check out the ceremonial guard

The German contingent put on an awesome show

Oliver takes his turn at posing

A perfect show at a perfect venue in the Capital

Take notes, Oliver. Isabelle is the posing champ yet again.