Caution: Flash Mob!

The Great Glebe Garage sale took place this past Saturday and while we had a busy day planned, we made a special appearance as Isabelle and all of her Glebe Community Centre compatriots were performing in a not-so-impromptu flash mob! The dance features Glebe dancers of all ages, with the youngest ones being pulled up near the end. If you're looking for Isabelle, look closely, she's hard to find. She doesn't get to join in until the 2:24 mark, where you might be able to see her near the middle of the screen with her pink tank top and splashy new pink board shorts. She was pretty new to the dance but did her best to follow along. In any case, the show was a big hit and Isabelle was glad to be a part of it. If they do this every year, we hope she will get more and more noticeable! It was a fun way to spend the afternoon and she so loves her weekly dance class. Already looking forward to the big recital next month!

Welcome Charlie!

Babies are everywhere. In the span of five days, we had 4 babies born that we were either closely connected or acquainted with. It started with Harrison last Friday, then one of Dad's co-workers had a little girl Saturday, our next door-neighbours then had a girl Monday and finally Charlie arrived on Tuesday. Shawn, Lindie and big brother Easton welcomed the little guy to their awesome family (and their brand new home!) this afternoon and we couldn't be happier for all of them. Everyone is doing well and we're sure Easton, like any big brother or sister, is not totally sure what exactly is going on. Yes, he's here to stay, big guy, and he is sure to be your best friend (and occasional mortal enemy) for the rest of your life. Enjoy all the excitement that every newborn brings and Mom and Dad, you've done this before, right?  Should be super easy the second time around! Congratulations and we look forward to seeing more of Charlie for years to come. Happy birthday, dude!

Back to Normal

Isabelle headed back into the hospital on Friday for another tube surgery. She initially went back in January but she had a fair amount of problems immediately afterwards. She had an infection that seem to take forever to go away and what seemed like more than a normal amount of discharge to everyday people like her parents. Sure enough, when we got her checked the doctor determined that one of the tubes was displaced and would need to be reinserted. 

So we got on the list for the next surgery day and it finally came this past Friday. Isabelle was in just as good a spirit as last time, her only real concern was that the cotton candy anesthesia flavour turned into a "stinky smell" last time. She knew she didn't want that again and she was quizzing the nurses about the upcoming procedures. However, she also brought the doctor a hand-drawn picture and the nurses some cookies, so was sure to get extra special care as a thank you. Doctor Henry seemed beyond touched by her thoughtful gesture. She went in and we left her and minutes later we saw the doctor, who told us all went well. Isabelle followed shortly after and the nurse told us she woke up and asked "Is my surgery already over?".

She was happy as can be and her old self immediately, enough so that she turned down the traditional popsicle because it was "orange". Her spirits continued to rise in the gift shop as she picked up a new unicorn to match the occasion. So now that she can hear fully in both of her ears, she has no more excuses for not hearing her parent's requests! She is such a trooper and handles all the attention much better than her Mom and Dad do. Way to go Isabelle, you are a champ!

Superstar Spectators

The Ottawa Race Weekend is one of our favourite weekends of the year, especially since we sit right in the middle of all the action on both Saturday night for the 10k and Sunday morning for the half and full marathons. The kids tend to forget about this weekend until the night it comes every year, when we gather at the bottom of our street to see everyone run by. We expect in future years to all be full-fledged participants in one capacity or another, so perhaps this will be our last year to just be spectators. We made the most of it and the kids loved supporting all the athletes. Once Oliver and Isabelle realized that if they offered high fives they would get plenty of attention, we couldn't get them away from all the action! They rang their cowbell and slapped hands with everyone they could, until finally the last of the over 10,000 runners went past. The good news is they could do it all over again the next morning when the half and full marathoners went past. They had an awesome time cheering on everyone and are already asking about next year, when they are sure to be front and centre running the 2K or the 5K at full speed. Hopefully Mom and Dad will be able to keep up!

When are they going to get here?

Official Neighbourhood Cheering Section

The speed demons lead the way

They just kept coming and coming...

Where are they all going? What's the rush?

A familiar face! Auntie Rhiannon rocks the 10K!

Go runners go!

Hello Harrison!

We are super excited to present Harrison Paul, a beautiful baby boy born to our great friends Andrew and Lena out west in Edmonton. Harrison arrived at 5:17 Friday afternoon, capping off the work week in style and weighing in at 6 lbs, 14 oz. All three are doing really well and we can't wait to see the little guy (and his parents!) this summer in Toronto. Andrew and Lena have always been so thoughtful towards Isabelle and Oliver, we know they will be amazing parents and we look forward to hearing all about Harrison next time we get a chance to talk! Congratulations!

Loving the Long Weekend

Is there a better way to spend the final day of a long weekend than a day at the beach?

On Victoria Day, we packed the Sienna with some essentials and headed across the bridge to Lac Leamy for a day of fun in the sun with Logan and Kayla (and their Mom and Dad of course!). The weather was perfect for the occasion, and the beach was busy but not overwhelming, with lots of room to spread out and relax in the sun. We had an awesome time frolicking on the beach, checking out the play structures (Isabelle tested her progress on the monkeybars!), catching up with friends and splashing in the water. Nothing but sun all day (and all weekend!) long, no basis for any complaints around here. Let's hope all the long weekends this summer are as fun and as sunny as this one was!

Oliver takes to the lake as Mom looks on

Isabelle found a project to work on

Future babysitter and babysittee

Um, what am I doing in here?

Trying to work on his tan

Learn from a professional sun-seeker, Oliver!

Sunshine and sand, what a perfect day!

Unexpected Fireworks?

One of the nicest parts of the Victoria Day long weekend is that it's the first one of the year that is (usually) blessed with nice warm weather. It gives us all a chance to get out and enjoy the outdoors for three full days before trudging back to work and school on Tuesday. It also happens to be one of the only holidays of the year that is accompanied by fireworks, and sometimes those are even closer than we think! 

Mommy and Daddy had a much-needed afternoon off as Miss Kourtney overcame car troubles to arrive and take care of Oliver and Isabelle. Upon returning from the movies, we discovered a lot of traffic in and around our street. We quickly found out that a fireworks show was happening across the street in just 10 minutes! Isabelle, ecstatic to get an unexpected reprieve from bedtime, hopped into her sandals and headed out with Mom to see the show. Oliver, not the biggest fan of pyrotechnics, decided to stay safe and away from all the noise in his bed. Amazingly he actually fell asleep as the fireworks boomed at top volume for over 20 minutes! Clearly nothing can wake this guy up when he's tired! Isabelle and Mommy returned, raving about the great show. Given our location, they were probably the first ones home of anyone that saw it happen! 

We tried to recreate the excitement with sparklers the next night, and while we had fun, it paled slightly in comparison. Next big fireworks event is just a few weeks away, come on Canada Day!

Fever Pitch!

Soccer season has officially begun as we spent our first night on the pitch with Isabelle's 4-5 year old team. This year Mommy and Daddy are not just spectators though, as both have volunteered to coach. Mommy is at the helm for Isabelle's Team Lime Green on Thursday nights, and Daddy has the reins on Oliver's Team Purple on Saturday afternoons. It may look easy, but you try coming up with enough activities to keep 3 to 5 year olds interested and engaged for up to an hour! The best part is that this soccer league is all about fun, so that's all we need to focus on every week. We do drills and play fun schoolyard games, incorporating the soccer throughout, then a quick little friendly scrimmage to wrap things up at the end. It's awesome for kids and with Isabelle's 3rd year playing and with her attending both Acorn and First Avenue, she will know someone every night we go. Even Oliver had his best bud Jack playing on Isabelle's night. Seeing as he is there and loves to play, Oliver has become an honorary member of his sister's team, so he gets 2 soccer outings a week! We love this league and it's such a great way to share in the community, get outdoors and enjoy the springtime. It all winds up by Canada Day so we will have the rest of summer to try other new activities. For now, we expect to keep having fun week in and week out, something this sporty family surely won't have a problem with!

Getting ready for Duck Duck Goose (Oliver's favourite!)

Mom shows off her dribbling skills

Oliver and Jack, together all day and now at night too!

Isabelle the star keeper in action

On Your Marks, Get Set, Go!

Sure enough, Isabelle's lemonade money was quickly put to good use as the next night she came home to a brand new Razor scooter. This was far too exciting for her to even comprehend. She had been admiring her many friends at school that had them and now she had her very own to bring to daycare and school, she effusively thanked her Mom for picking it up, shouting "You're the best Mom ever!".  Oliver, never to be left empty-handed, also picked a slick Lightning McQueen themed 3-wheeler, which he took to like a fish to water. Given that his plasma car expertise is legendary, we were not overly surprised that the speed demon lives on. Sometimes with kids you never know if a new toy will click. In just a few hours, they have already had so much fun on these that we have no doubts they will be the staple of the upcoming summer. When Oliver asks to go for a "walk" and see the tulips, he doesn't mean he is going to walk, he means you are, because he's taking his scooter. Isabelle proudly parks hers in her cubbie each morning, ready to take it out as soon as she gets back from her morning of Senior Kindergarten. Every day we arrive at daycare to pick them up, Oliver and Isabelle, along with many other classmates, are zipping around and around this makeshift track, having friendly competitions. They couldn't be happier. Oliver has even taken his down Bank Street instead of getting in the van after school! Needless to say, they are happy to get out there and have some fun, just try to keep up with them!

Hurry up and take the picture so we can go!

Padded up and ready for the open road

On the move!

Always ready to strike a sporty pose

Not to be outdone (he has learned from the master)

Sightseeing and exercise, a great combination!

Next Stop: Dragon's Den!

For 3 weeks, Isabelle has seen all the people walking past our house to see the tulips. They are out there morning, noon and night. In addition, the weather has been very hot. Her and Dad cooked up a plan to capitalize on this market opportunity with a classic product offering: the traditional lemonade stand! We stopped in to pick up some concentrated lemonade at the grocery store, where Mommy was surprised when Daddy and Isabelle came back with 5 cans. Clearly she underestimated the project's potential! Within minutes of setting up shop Isabelle had 2 customers, who she shyly served while hiding behind her Dad. Then they just kept coming and coming! Fifteen minutes in Isabelle hit double digits in revenue and units sold, with no turning back. It turns out her success was likely a combination of her price (the fresh lemonade at the festival was $4) and her cuteness, with the latter surely being the biggest influencer. She toughed it out for an hour, with her Dad regularly filling pitchers in the kitchen, deciding finally to close her doors with $28 in her pocket. She delivered a final cup to our across the street neighbours, who were thrilled to get such special treatment, then started to plan where to spend her newfound wealth. It didn't take long at all: new scooter! Her first taste of the cutthroat business world was nothing but success. Look out, captains of industry, there is a new girl ready to take you on!

First rule of business: don't jeopardize your profits by dipping into your product!

Making Magic for Mom

Mom makes magic for our whole family each and every day. It was time for a day where we make it for her. Oliver and Isabelle put their noses to the grindstone Saturday by spending the morning at a Home Depot workshop, working away while still looking stylish in their bright orange aprons! The task was to build planter boxes for their Mom, and these two took to it so well that it would have made Grandpa proud miles away in Halifax. Oliver and Isabelle hammered, sanded and painted their mini masterpieces, then topped it off by filling it with dirt and seeds, all ready to present to Mom the next morning. It was the perfect way to show our appreciation for how hard Mom works each and every day, by working hard to make her something special that will grow all summer long. As we've all learned from Mom to always go the extra mile, we worked hard to make her weekend even more special by sending her to a pedicure with Isabelle to cap off Saturday afternoon, then getting up early Sunday to make a personalized craft as a surprise and complete the look with some fresh flowers. We can never do enough to thank her for all she does for us, but what we can do is make her smile, a task that is easily accomplished when you are as charming and adorable as these two kids are. They really could not have been happier to do things for their Mom. We love you, Mom, you are our rock and we would be lost without your daily love and guidance. You mean the world to us. Happy Mother's Day!

Posing even happens in the workshop

Focused on his craft

Pride in their workmanship

Mother's Day morning menu, not complete without Starbucks!

Tulip Time 2012!

The Tulip Festival is one of the best of Ottawa's many annual events, especially for us as it takes all of 30 seconds for us to be right in the middle of all the action. Thousands of beautiful bulbs sit right around the corner and we do our best to spend many of the weeknights and weekends of the festival checking them out with all the festival goers. Oliver and Isabelle are veteran tulip watchers, even at their young age, and this year is no exception. Hope the tourists are ready for them and their many vehicles!

A Sweet Six Years

Six years ago today, on a rainy, wet day, this family started with a wife and a husband celebrating on their wedding day. Since the skies cleared that day it has been predominantly sunshine ever since, especially with the arrival of two of the biggest rays of light you will ever meet, Isabelle and Oliver. We have many fond memories of that day in Rockcliffe Park, surrounded by friends and family. We are still surrounded by them and are thankful for all that you mean to us. We are excited to embark on year number seven, sure to be a lucky one, like the ones that preceded it! Happy anniversary, Mommy and Daddy!

Full Throttle, Oliver!

Since Christmas, Oliver has been beyond desperate to get his big gift out on the open road. We had some nice weather in April, but with the streets still covered with sand and dirt from the winter, we successfully held him at bay. Poor Francesco sat forlornly in our basement, waiting to be called into action. Finally, after our return from Florida, the weather and road conditions meant that the track was a go, and Oliver and Francesco were cleared to leave the pits. The boy couldn't be happier. He was thrilled to make his way around our neighbourhood oval, showing off his new wheels to all the Tulipfest tourists, who were only too happy to smile back. Isabelle was not to be left out, though, as she saddled up her own SUV to pace Oliver for a few laps. Needless to say, this will not be our only trip out there this summer. It used to be so easy to get them to go for a walk after dinner, now we have to bring all sorts of vehicles with us every night! At least we are lucky to be so close to such an open area, and Oliver and Isabelle will be sure to take full advantage every chance they get! Gentleman and lady, start your engines!

Smiling from ear to ear!

Driving duo

Mommy guides it back into the garage

Crazy hair boy, don't look back, we might be gaining on you!