Sesame Street Hits Ottawa!

Today was a fabulous day, as one of Isabelle's first loves decided to come to town and pay her a visit. She has been an enormous fan of Elmo since she first laid eyes on the furry red guy. His books, his videos, his helium balloons...all staples around our home, and even crayon time features numerous requests for her Mom or Dad to draw Elmo, which is a challenge in itself! And of course, she also loves to sport her New Balance Elmo sneakers. But today he was here in Ottawa for Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music and Isabelle was oh so thrilled to be in attendance! She squealed with delight when Elmo and all his Sesame Street pals hit the stage, happily singing along to songs like the ABCs and C is for Cookie. But that wasn't the only excitement, a bag of popcorn was also a big hit. So much so that Isabelle held it in a vise-like grip for the entire show. She absolutely would not let go of it at any time. Good thing the ice cream cart wasn't functional or we would have never left the arena!

Elmo is coming soon, Mommy!


ABCs with all of Isabelle's best pals


This is fun!


Intermission: Ice Cream, anyone?


Ponytail princess

ABC...Easy as 1-2-3!

Over the past week, Isabelle has been singing songs non-stop to anyone who will listen or join in. She has a limited repertoire, but it has some childhood staples: Baa Baa Black Sheep (with a growing list of friends and relatives who will receive a bag of wool), Ring Around the Rosie (often sung in record speed at ear-splitting volume), Feist's Sesame Street version of One Two Three Four, and of course, the ABCs, which she proudly belted out for us again tonight. Enjoy as she puts her own stamp on a time-honoured classic...

Two Strikes, We're Out!

It was bad enough in December when Isabelle's dad had a labour disruption at his work and spent 4 weeks taking calls in the call centre. It made for a crazy month but at least that strike ended right before Xmas and he is happily back at his old job. The same can't be said for strike #2.

The new year has seen our local transit drivers (all buses and trains) in a strike that has now reached it's SEVENTH week! No service whatsoever. It's ridiculous and a major impact on our family every workday. Poor Isabelle rides in a car all the way downtown to drop Mommy off, then drives -right back past the house she just left!- out to school near Daddy's work. She then repeats this all over again in reverse order at the end of the day. And keep in mind with no buses running you can imagine what the traffic is like. No talks are scheduled and no end is in sight for this dispute. Lovely.

About 8 hours of school plus about 2 hours total in a car for a toddler makes for a long day, but she handles it better than any adult we know. She spends the time eating breakfast, singing songs (her latest trick is to sing them as fast and as loud as she can), reading her Wall-E book, playing "Where's Isabelle?", making choo-choo sounds, and asking repeatedly "are we stuck?" every time the car stops moving. Clearly she enjoys the ride much more than her parents.

Does this really look like someone who is stressed out by OC Transpo?

Tea for Two

...or for however many people want to join her!

Now that her new table has arrived in her room, Isabelle has taken to entertaining any and all of her housemates with tea parties. They are quite lavish affairs, with fine plastic cups, saucers and wine glasses for all attendees, plus there is always a lovely imaginary cake that she is happy to slice and serve you. These parties had previously been held in other parts of the house with little to no incident, especially since the tea was also imaginary at the time. But special thanks go out to Isabelle's gran, who introduced actual water to the mix the last time she visited. Since then, Isabelle only insists on the real thing, meaning towels are now a tea party necessity and the event quickly becomes an exercise in spill maintenance. Next time you are in our neighbourhood, drop by Isabelle's for a nice cup of tea and some conversation, she would love to have you!

Cheers, ballerina!


Do you take sugar with that?


Tidy up time!

Sleeping Beauty

Isabelle wasn't feeling 100% this weekend so we thought we'd spend Sunday morning lounging with breakfast in bed and a movie. Our plan and promise of Cinderella went awry once we discovered that she has been returned to the so-called Disney "vault". Luckily for us, Sleeping Beauty escaped from the vault when Cinderella left the door open so we were saved.

Suffice to say, Isabelle loved cozying up and watching the action transpire, and she was especially taken with the prince getting knocked off his horse and into the water, so much so that she has discussed it ever since with anyone who will listen. Her poor teachers will have to field questions on this mysterious topic all day tomorrow, we need to prepare them so they will seem in the know.

Another new Disney fan is born. What burgeoning princess could avoid enjoying these animated heroines as they succeed in their quest to live happily ever after? After all, we know one 2.5 year old that has lived a pretty charmed life herself to this point!

The many emotions of a movie viewer...

Tiny Dancer

Isabelle's new room makeover includes a ballet barre and mirror, a leap of faith of course as she is many hours of practice away from performing at the Met. She has always loved music and is certainly into dancing, but now with her new room and the dance attire that came with it, her interest has been fueled even further! She has yet to try on her dance leotard and tights that were part of her Xmas present, but she has developed an affinity for the recently acquired tutu, including the desire to sleep in it last night. No pointe shoes yet, I don't think they make them in her size!

Dennis the Menace?

Who could ever get upset at a face like this?


Bless her heart of course, but Isabelle has been a little mischief maker the past couple of days. She has discovered her exploratory side and is very sneaky about it too! Not only has she been testing some boundaries with us on how far she can go to defy our wishes, she is also smart enough to run some of her other schemes on the sly, when the eagle eyes of parents are otherwise occupied.

A couple of her recent escapades include dropping small fridge magnets into the lever slot of the dishwasher, attempting to slide cards from her mom or dad's wallet down into where the car windows slide inside the doors, and tonight, successfully jamming her mom's toothbrush into the bathroom sink's drain. And this is just what we've witnessed, and from a kid who is almost 100% under supervision for each step she takes. Hopefully we won't find yogurt in the dvd player next time we try to use it! But then again, who are we kidding and why stifle a creative mind, even if it means a few plumbing repairs every once in a while. Oh, how we love that innocent little girl of ours.

Canal Christening

Isabelle's dad might have thought that today was Day 1 of the Drive for Speedskating Gold in 2028 but in reality this was just about Isabelle's first day on skates on the historic Rideau Canal. At first she was simply intrigued about walking actually ON the canal rather than alongside it as she is accustomed, but after a few steps back and forth she deemed it to be too "swippery". So she hopped on a bench and had her bobskates strapped to her boots and ventured out on to the ice on the Blades of Glory. The glory was short-lived, however, as even though she clung on to her dad the whole time, she wasn't used to such an unstable feeling and wanted to be picked up. She was coaxed back down for a few photos but after a sit-down/fall she decided she would rather explore the wintery landscape on foot. And she did and was so happy to do so.

Next time out we will see where the silver blades take our quick learner and soon we will be spinning yarns of her skating prowess, especially now that the canal is open to Dow's Lake and she is literally moments away from the biggest practice surface any kid could ever imagine. When we first moved here, the proximity of our home to the canal meant a lot to us. Now to have Isabelle grow up with the skateway at her doorstep it means even more. What fun we will have every winter!

The Snow Princess

Last night we took advantage of the day's snowfall to head outside and get in some winter sports activity plus get some work done. First, Isabelle launched her skiing career with her new skis from Christmas morning finally out into action on snow instead of hardwood. She loved shuffling along the sidewalk and has not yet mastered much in the way of forward movement, but she did make it about 50 feet before one of her skis popped off and she decided she would prefer to simply walk in her snow boots. Then there was the cleanup of the snowfall to be dealt with and another of Isabelle's gifts to be inaugurated, her snow shovel. Her dad got one too so they worked together and cleared the driveway and sidewalk in no time. For now, she loves to shovel, we'll see how much she likes it when it's one of her chores a few years from now!

Happy Shoe Year!

Second day of the year and all is picture perfect as snow falls outside our window. Isabelle is a bundle of energy today, unlike both her mom and dad, each of whom appears to have come down with some kind of stomach flu. Our humdrum morning consisted of relaxing in bed and watching Finding Nemo, whose storyline is helping us explain to Isabelle why she can't run off half a kilometre ahead of us every time we go out somewhere. Sometimes we think it is sinking in but we'll see the next time we take her to Rideau Centre. In any case, our day was interrupted by a knock at our door with a Canada Post delivery. Our friends from Toronto, Andrew and Lena, shipped some gifts up for Isabelle seeing as we were unable to travel to Toronto this week. Isabelle was beside herself, tearing the package open with much vigor. Some great books that we are excited to read to her tonight, an awesome Eiffel Tower original painting courtesy of Lena for her room, and, always feeding her fashionista side, some candy heart adorned Vans and a Trix t-shirt. Isabelle absolutely loves the shoes and has worn them all day, it was hard to get her to take them off even for her nap. She also wanted the shirt on ASAP and has worn it over her PJs ever since she saw it come out of the box. Thanks to Andrew and Lena for always hitting the mark on gifts for her and for brightening up a dreary day. Hope to see you soon!

2x Opening Day

Not only is this the first day of 2009, but in Ottawa we were also treated to another great opening day, the Rideau Canal is open for skating! Chilly temperatures today so we will wait until the weekend for Isabelle to christen the new bobskates Auntie Mer got her for Christmas. The birth of the Olympic speed-skating dream for 2028 begins!

This picture was taken almost 3 years ago. Little did we know then that the night ahead would bring us news that Isabelle was on her way to us. Wow.

What Are You Doing New Years Eve?

We hope you all ring in the year safely with friends and family and I'm sure many of you even plan to attend a dinner-dance soiree of some kind. Isabelle's night won't be all that different from yours then, although it will have ended sooner. Her dinner consisted of one of her favourites, pasta, then she danced to some big band music with her Dad, and finally wrapped the night up with some stories from her Mom, complete with new year's eve treats of chips and chocolate milk. Suffice to say that a happier December 31st could not be found anywhere else. She will be snoozing as the clock strikes 12, but she will surely wake up tomorrow ready to take on 2009 with full gusto. Look out 2009, here comes Isabelle!

Winter Wildlife

Still on a nice Christmas break so today we went on a road trip with Auntie Renee and Logan across the border to Quebec and Parc Omega, a wicked place where you drive through and all manner of Canadian wildlife will walk right up to your car to get fed. Deer, bison, wild boars and rams are all there seeking carrots from every car passing by. Isabelle had been here once before but seeing as she was only about a month old at the time, we figured she would get a bit more out of it this time around! She loved seeing the animals but was not too keen on them coming up to the car, nor was she interested in feeding them when they did! She actually seemed much more concerned about how dirty the car windows were getting from deer and bison slobber..."what happened to the window?" was repeated many times over from the back seat. She overcame her apprehension as the ride went along and she realized that the animals couldn't get through the windows to her. Of course, once in the gift shop, she warmed up even more and picked out a moose pillow to bring home and no surprise at all, she fell asleep with it tonight. She is dozing away and we can't wait until she wakes to see what tomorrow will bring us, it is such fun to be with her each and every day.

Aaah, Relaxation.

What better way to spend a Christmas break from school and work than hanging out in bed and catching up on some celebrity gossip?

Hockey Night in Ottawa

Isabelle attended her first ever big-time hockey game last night, thanks to her generous Uncle Phil, who in addition to bringing her a new stuffed labrador puppy dog, brought us 2 fifth-row tickets to the World Junior game between Sweden and Finland just up the street at the Civic Centre. Isabelle and her Dad headed off to the game armed with drinks and snacks and even a book or two to keep her occupied. None of these were needed. She had a great time sitting with her Dad and watching the big boys cruise around the ice. She was quite startled when she saw her first hit into the boards and this required some explanation from her Dad. You see, the players are allowed to hit, but if they hit too hard or hurt someone, they have to go into time out and sit by themselves for two minutes. She watched very intently as she munched on cheese pizza, then she spotted someone with thundersticks so a mission to find some was quickly underway. They were located and inflated and soon she was back in her seat banging away. She spent the whole way home holding the hockey bear she bought and babbling about the game so suffice to say a hockey fan was born!

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

No Ty Pennington in our house, but the grand idea of revamping Isabelle's bedroom into a big girl's room came to fruition in the past week and in time (barely!) for the big reveal on Christmas Day! For days she has strolled obliviously past a door that has been tied shut with suprisingly very few attempts to get inside.

One of her requests from Santa this year was a bed, but Mom and Dad decided to get it for her instead. It started with the bed and mushroomed from there into "The Project". A beautiful chandelier that we bought in Montreal inspired the colour scheme for the bedding and the rest of the room. Other highlights include an awesome dollhouse from Gran and Grandpa, complete with a family of dolls and furniture, plus a giant mirror and ballet barre in case our little one feels like strapping on the pointe shoes and start training for Juilliard. New decorations on the wall full of princesses and castles, old school photo frames with winter family photos and a huge net hanging behind her bed, everything a little girl could want, except maybe a pony (her plush rocking horse will have to suffice). She also has a new bookcase and 3 drawers of toy bins, the question is will we ever be able to get her out of there in the mornings?

She loved seeing her new room and has already declared the dollhouse home for many of her animals and dolls. But don't try to sleep in her bed, it hasn't taken her long to be territorial about it, "Don't sleep in MY bed!".

Merry Christmas to All!

First and foremost, thanks to everyone who thought of us and especially Isabelle over the holidays. You were all so generous with your cards and letters and gave her far too many reasons to be happy about the season. The gifts were over the top as always and we all appreciate them beyond belief. Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope your day was fabulous and spent with family and friends with lots of gifts to celebrate this time of year. Isabelle actually slept in a bit, thankfully for her parents who desperately needed 40 winks and then some. She quickly remembered that perhaps Santa had come last night and zipped over to the stairs to see what he might have left behind! To say she was excited that it was Christmas would be a severe understatement.

Santa and everyone else were extremely nice to her. Santa brought her an enclosed trampoline, a rocking horse, a plasma car and a stocking full of goodies. This was just the tip of the iceberg however as the Mount Isabelle of presents seemed to rival Everest! For someone who didn't quite know exactly what the events of Christmas were going to be, it will be hard to talk her into accepting that this happens only once a year. The whole gift exchange was capped off by the introduction of her newly-designed room, complete with a huge dollhouse from Gran and Grandpa and a big comfy girl bed.

We had a great Christmas and Isabelle was ecstatic, running in and out of her trampoline all day, hopping on her horse all the time. She even shuffled around on her new skis and crashed the plasma car a couple of times as well. Christmas has always been a special time for us and full of love and laughter, but to see it through the eyes of our little one was like experiencing it for the first time all over again. Seeing her jump up and down with excitement at a gift just warms your heart and makes your eyes well up with tears. Exactly the reaction you are hoping for when you pick the gift out.

Her parents were also spoiled by all of you and by each other as well. Mommy's highlights included her Burberry Scarf and Michael Kors wellies as pictured below, while Dad is beyond excited about his new circa 1915 vintage Habs jersey, perfect for zipping along the canal this winter!

Most of all, days like these just remind us of what we know each and every day but don't say or appreciate enough, how much we are loved and how much we love our little girl and all our family and friends. Merry Christmas, everyone.