Dry Day!

We have our fingers crossed that Oliver is getting ready to give his Mom and Dad an early Xmas present. His teachers at daycare have been working hard on his potty abilities over the past couple of months and we have tried our best to keep him interested in this activity on evening and weekends. They were having better success than we were, and that "success" was still somewhat limited. Lightning McQueen sticker rewards were starting to reinforce positive results recently. Over the past week the progress has accelerated rapidly and we couldn't be prouder of the little guy. He has been sporting his Cars underpants over the past week and has had a few accidents here and there, but we are proud to report that today was his first dry day from start to finish! He has been great about using the potty at school and at home and the next step is to start telling us when it's time to go. For now, Mom and Dad are thrilled with these developments and are optimistic about a diaper-less house in 2012! Way to go, Oliver!

Happy to don her wintertime PJs

McQueen zooming around at full speed

Nighttime for Princesses Isabelle and Tiana

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

...that special time of year. Time to celebrate the season with all your might. We are looking forward to an awesome December and holiday festivities that are second to none! It's a busy time but the best time. We are all so excited. Isabelle and Oliver were shrieking at the first wave of decorations around our house and they haven't even thought about the tree yet! It's going to be so much fun...

We got started a bit early with Shawn's gift of dark rum and these 6 Rudolphs, courtesy of one very crafty Mom.

Plus we finally got some snow! Although it was quickly whisked away by sunshine, warm temperatures and the rainfall, Isabelle and Oliver were happy to test out their new winter coats and boots.

Oliver was worn out by the end of a busy weekend, but he is never fully separated from his old pal Lightning McQueen!

Missing Miss Mandy

Since Oliver started off at his new daycare in the preschool room in July, he has had two awesome teachers, Miss Jen and Miss Mandy. He loves both of them and they make every day there unique and special. We never have to worry about Oliver being well taken care of, and that peace of mind is priceless to any parent. It's so comforting to see two caregivers that are excited and positive every day, actively looking for learning opportunities and for ways to make each day interesting and stimulating for all the little ones. Oliver just toddles off to see his pals every morning without a worry, sometimes even forgetting to say goodbye to his dad! 

So we were sad to hear earlier this month that Miss Mandy was moving on, off to a big house in the country and new adventures. She has been such a fixture in Oliver's weekly life and we will all miss her dearly. Her and Miss Jen are such a great team and Oliver and his classmates will definitely have to adjust to not having their friend taking care of them. He has been lucky to have such a dynamic duo by his side over the past 5 months, so things will be different come Monday morning. All the best, Miss Mandy, we will miss you and we wish you all the best in your bright future!

Saddlin' Up in Syracuse

It's hard to believe that two kids, after spending several hours sitting in a car, would then arrive at their destination, get out, and then immediately sit down and ride on something else. But that's what these kids do when we go to Syracuse! We made a big winter prep/Xmas shopping trip this past weekend and in order to get things done, these two kids need to be entertained. A tall order in a town like Syracuse. The outlet malls offer little to keep kids occupied, so we loaded up on quarters and rode a few of the tiny attractions as we made our way around the store circuit. Luckily, much shopping was accomplished before we headed into downtown for the night.

Oliver thrilled to be at the wheel; Isabelle the zoned out passenger

Cruising with Elmo and Zoe, a big difference from two years ago!

Up up and away with Winnie the Pooh!

These kids were such troopers after so much time in a car, turns out they are much more adaptable travelers than their parents are! They happily sat and entertained themselves during our flat tire change, plus they found Pep Boys Tire Centre much more entertaining than their parents did!

The Carousel Centre has put a bit more thought into what kids might like, as the food court boasts a beautiful 100-year old carousel that kids flock to at only $1 a ride. Isabelle and Oliver were thrilled to go round and round, trying different horses out and just having a great time. Luckily we stopped for lunch at the same time the horses did, so we could eat peacefully without two kids clamoring to get back on again. We finally pulled them away early enough so we could head back to Ottawa in daylight and cap off a successful shopping weekend. After 3 straight road trips, next week we are definitely not going ANYWHERE!

Happy as a boy can be

Find me a 5-year old girl that doesn't love horses

Miss Movember

Movember is well underway and its popularity has grown by leaps and bounds across the country, even in our own house! But it's not Dad as the participant, it's Isabelle!

Movie Night

Since we revamped our basement into a play and entertainment area, we have made Friday nights our family movie and game night. It's the perfect way to start off the weekend. The kids are excited for it the moment they wake up every Friday. They can't wait to get picked up at daycare and head home for a great movie, a cheese pizza and some snacks. In fact, the food is likely the main reason they are so enamored of this activity, but they can really get into the movies too. Oliver usually needs some convincing to watch something other than Cars but he is usually quite accommodating to the desires of others. Tonight was his turn to pick and after an internal struggle, he settled on seeing Buzz and Woody in action. Everyone loves this new family tradition and we are thrilled to be choosing Xmas movies in just a few weeks!

Living the easy life

Pizza and a movie, the Friday night staple

Up close with Woody

A Great Day for Hockey

Sunday afternoons in the Ottawa hockey world are usually the domain of our neighbourhood Ottawa 67s, a favourite of Isabelle and Oliver, but this weekend we had the chance to check out some other hockey, and in a much larger venue! The farm teams of the Canadiens and the Senators were playing in the big club's home rink and given that it wasn't a hot ticket, we got some great seats on the 100 level to check out the action. The Hamilton Bulldogs knocked off the Binghamton Senators by a score of 5-2 in an entertaining affair that had some pretty goals by both sides. Isabelle and Oliver happily cheered on the big boys, although their likely highlight was the ice cream they enjoyed during the second period, as well as the Senators lion mascot, who Oliver has his eye on and was constantly monitoring his location. With a somewhat sparse crowd, the kids had lots of room to move about during breaks and stoppage in play. Oliver of course brought a car so he could enjoy both of his favourite things in one afternoon, cars and hockey. It was a nice afternoon at the big arena but we are looking forward to being back at the local rink rooting on the 67s in a few weeks! Oliver will surely be practicing his skills in the basement until it's time to see how the big kids do it again, while Isabelle is always ready to take on any sporting event. No need to check their passports, these are definitely Canadian kids!

Isabelle meets Spartacat!

Best buds and hockey fans

Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Place

We Remember...

...and so do Oliver and his classmates in the preschool room at Acorn. What great kids they are and what great teachers they have.

Legends of the Fall

The snow has held off so far this fall and the temperatures have really cooperated, even forecasted to stay above seasonal for the next week! Lucky for us as we had procrastinated the annual leaf collection in the backyard. We finally got to work on that this morning and the kids were a great help. After the obligatory leap into the leaves, Isabelle did a great job of pitching in, not only gathering leaves but helping to load them in the bags as well. Let's hope they help out as much when the snow starts falling!

Oliver is especially excited for snow. Mention it to him and he will tell you that it means his birthday has arrived! Evidently he has been led to believe that his birthday comes when the snow falls. This he believes is the gospel, yet any efforts to convince him that his actual birthday is after Xmas have fallen on deaf ears!

Celebrating Kayla

The month of road trips continued this weekend as the Sienna set sail East for Quebec to celebrate the christening of baby Kayla. We were so proud to be able to attend, one of us especially so as she was ecstatic to be Kayla's Godmother! So off we went to Huntingdon, home of Kayla's daddy and next door to her Mommy's home. We haven't been here in years, since we were here in 2005 to celebrate Renee and Shawn's marriage. How things have changed since then! Same two couples, but with four kids in tow, and still great friends. We are proud of them and the family they have built, and we are happy to have been by their side every step of the way. Isabelle and Logan are great friends, Oliver adores Logan, and both of our kids have taken a shining to little Kayla. She looked radiant on her big day, even if she wasn't quite sure what all the fuss was about. She was on her best behaviour, as were all the kids, as friends and family snapped many photos and raised a glass in her honour. Isabelle found some new friends to pal around with in the backyard, and Oliver loved having the room to roam. It was a great day, one full of love, friendship and happiness. Kayla has a bright future, and we plan to be there to see how great this little girl becomes. All the best on your christening, Kayla! We love you! 

The proud parents and the star of the show

Mommy could not be more honoured to be Kayla's Godmother

The Prince of the Pews

A very happy family

Cascading (and matching!) curls

Beaming parents and Godparents

Kayla and Godmommy!

The Ottawa crew

Boys (and a girl!) will be boys

Fall frolic

Soccer sweetie

A Time for Remembrance

The temperatures have dipped over the past couple of days, usually a sign that Remembrance Day has arrived in Ottawa. That typically has little effect on the turnout at the War Memorial and didn't again this year, with another record crowd in attendance. Isabelle and Oliver were not there as they attended ceremonies at school and daycare, respectively, but the meaning of the day was not lost on either child. Isabelle has been drawing poppies all week and Oliver told his Mom and Dad that this was the day "we remember". They proudly wore their poppies and were just as proud to make an afternoon visit to the cenotaph to leave their poppies in honour of Great Grandpa and Uncle Roy, two veterans that we love and admire. Isabelle and Oliver got to see Great Grandpa with his war medals on the weekend, which was very timely given this was the week to celebrate all that he and his fellow veterans have done for past, current and future generations. The city never disappoints on November 11th, and we are thrilled to make ourselves a part of it every year. We can't thank these people enough.

Proud patriots sporting their red, tops and bottoms!

Just in case you didn't notice!

Honouring our troops and veterans with pride

Isabelle leaves her poppy (no press photographers this year!)

Oliver's first visit to the War Memorial

The Poppy Princess always shines on November 11

Come Back Soon, Grandpa!

We have been lucky this year with how often we have gotten to see Grandpa. He has done well with his consulting contracts which is good news for us since much of the work takes place in Ottawa! We are always happy to host him in his mini-apartment in the basement and Isabelle and Oliver are so excited to have him around in the evenings. We have finally convinced Isabelle not to run down and see him in the middle of the night like she does when Gran visits! Last week's visit was a godsend as he extended his time long enough to accompany Mommy and the kids to the christening weekend in Toronto. He was able to visit his siblings as part of the trip, plus he learned how to operate a Sienna's DVD player! We look forward to his next visit and if it comes before Xmas, he will surely need to bring suitcases full of goodies in both directions!

Les Blue-Blanc-et-Rouge Sont Ici!

Daddy's big birthday surprise had finally arrived. It was Friday and his friend Shawn was arriving from Winnipeg mid-afternoon to attend that night's game between the Ottawa Senators and Daddy's beloved Montreal Canadiens. It has been years since he has seen his boys play in person, and it goes without saying that he has never seen them like this! With 2nd row seats in hand and his lifelong friend accompanying him, he certainly felt spoiled by the thoughtfulness and generosity of his family. What a way to commemorate and kick off his 40s! As usual, his family went above and beyond what was necessary to make his day special. Shawn and Daddy headed off to Scotiabank Place to take in the game, leaving behind a distraught Isabelle who also wanted to see Le Tricolore in action. The boys were treated to an awesome game to make the gift even more perfect, a nailbiter that saw all the goals scored directly in front of them and the best part of all, the Habs sent their fans home happy with a 2-1 victory. While filing out, the boys even saw Jean Chretien, who surely was cheering for the same team as them! What a great night, one that Daddy will never forget, partially for a superb game with a great friend, but primarily for how his family not only made this day special but makes him feel special each and every day.

Game on!

Carey Price takes to the net

Last minute stretches before the puck drops

Who could ask for better seats!? Go PK go!

Mike Cammalleri, ready for a key face-off

Le but! Les Canadiens sont la!

Just like old times seeing games in Winnipeg

Two budding Habs fans check out the pics from the night before