Let It Snow. Please?

First week of December and not one snowflake sits on our front lawn, or anywhere else in Ottawa for that matter. We had a few early morning flurries on Monday this week, but it disappeared almost as fast as it arrived. Isabelle claims that it "turned into green stuff", which apparently means it melted into the grass. As she headed down the street to our house after school, she not only laments the lack of snow, she also admonishes all of our neighbours for not having Xmas lights on their houses. Surprisingly, only one other house appeared to have joined us in the spirit of the season, until tonight when 2 more have decided to make cursory efforts. Come on people, the big day is only 3 weeks away!

Big weekend ahead with not only the Santa Claus parade but the Canada Post kid's Christmas party! Isabelle and Oliver will get their fill of jolly old Saint Nick over the next couple of days. Let's hope they make a good impression and find their way onto the Nice list. Safe to say that 99% of the time their parents like their chances.

New house construction, right in our living room!


Ready to trim the tree? What's better than home-made ornaments!

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

These singing snowman are so enticing, I just need to touch them! But they are way over there!? What should I do?


A long journey begins with a single step.


Come here, you guys! I am so close!


Victory is sweet!

I'm not officially crawling, everyone, but as you can see I can shuffle my way to where I want to go, as long as you give me enough time! Look out, Halifax, I might be on the move by the time I get there!

The First Gift of Christmas

For the 2nd year of what we hope continues as an annual ritual, Isabelle and Logan headed to our local theatre to see a free holiday showing of The Polar Express, complete with free popcorn, drinks, and candy canes for all! A local real estate agent is kind enough to do this for the community every year and we are so glad to be close by and able to take full advantage. The house was packed to the rafters, not just with excited kids and parents, but also with holiday spirit. Even Santa was on hand to put smiles on the faces of little ones, and also help them find seats! As for the two pals, it is such fun to see them digging into their popcorn with wide eyes transfixed on what's happening on the silver screen. It is more enjoyable to watch their reactions than the movie itself, which is saying a lot because the movie is amazing for both kids and adults. See it if you haven't done so yet. What's nicest for us is that this event is becoming our annual sign that the Xmas season is here, and we can't wait to be back next year.

Onward and Upward

The little guy is becoming much more exploratory of late. Put him in the middle of the playmat and see how much he gets around. Somehow he maneuvers from the toy boxes to the shopping cart to the musical instruments, all without actually crawling anywhere. He can certainly get himself right into the perfect crawling position but hasn't quite accomplished the feat just yet. He'll just lay spread out on his tummy and then roll or twist his way to wherever he desires. And for his next trick, Oliver has also started to pull himself up, perhaps just to get a better vantage point on what's in his vicinity. Parents, keep a close eye, the days of knowing he'll stay in one place are definitely numbered!

300 and Counting!

We are so proud to commemorate our 300th post with a whoop, a holler and a yell from Oliver, Isabelle and their Spartan warrior friend. Hope you enjoyed the first 300, we are working on making memories for the next 300! Thanks for reading!

Jumping Jack Flash

In what has become part of his nightly routine, Oliver truly looooooves his Jolly Jumper, in fact almost as much as his Mom and Dad love to watch him put it to work. Note how he spots the camera's blinking light and is constantly looking in its direction. Some acting genes he has picked up from his sister? The little dude is such a joy!

Katarzyna's Going to be a Bride?

Looking ahead many years, we're sure Isabelle will be a Saturday night staple at parties, clubs and concerts. For now, she clearly loves a party and we are in the lucky position to still be desired accompaniment for these types of festivities. This past Saturday we were proud to celebrate the engagement of our friends Trystan and Katarzyna! With Mommy and Oliver at home battling tooth #2 and a napless day, Daddy and the princess wagoned over the canal to Rhiannon and Matt's for a night of friends, fun and food. As she usually does, Isabelle started off shy but soon warmed up with some food in her and once she realized there was a little one to entertain. Lauryn dutifully held Isabelle's hand and was led around the room numerous times, back and forth. Obviously Isabelle loves repetition, hope Lauryn does too! Such a cute couple. The party also boasted plenty of great food, all topped off by a pink cupcake fit for a princess. Ron delivered a wonderful toast to the happy couple and we couldn't be happier for them. Isabelle and Oliver are lucky to have them to look up to and we can't wait for the wedding! Isabelle the bride fanatic wants to help pick out the dress!

Beautiful in black? Me?


Meet my new best pal Lauryn


Let's go mingle!


Never met a cupcake she didn't like


Happy engagement, guys! Need help with the planning?

Easy Riders

A perfect fall day for a trip along the canal. Isabelle the veteran wagon rider proudly brought along Oliver for his maiden trip. They both had a fabulous time taking in the sights and sounds. Why walk when you can ride? All snuggled up in their blanket (thanks Great Grandma Bangay!), they rode along the Rideau and even got up close and personal with some very friendly ducks. Hope the weather continues and we can have this much fun again next time!

Don't worry, dude. I got your back!


Hey, keep your eyes on the road, Dad!


Fellow canal pals


Cutest wagon rider ever


What is she doing to me?!

Set for the Season

Still plenty of unusually mild temperatures for November but regardless of the balmy weather, thoughts have turned to the holidays around our house. With less than a month until we head out East for the arrival of Old Saint Nick, it was time for our surroundings to get more festive. We unloaded the attic of the many boxes of decorations and the inside looks amazing. It is such a treat to see Isabelle and now Oliver's reaction to the decorations as they make their seasonal debut. Isabelle clearly missed her Rudolph and Clarice more than any of us thought and Oliver is trying to grab the shiny ornaments every chance he gets! Today it was time to work on the outside and Isabelle was there to lend a helping hand. It involved a trip to the garage where she rediscovered her many vehicles and quickly lost interest in the task at hand. With some convincing, she pitched in, as long as the promised wagon ride would occur afterward. I guess that's called a win-win! Happy holiday prep, everyone!

Reindeer games


Christmas Vacation revisited


Wicked wagon ride!


Chilling out with Frosty


And to all a good night...

Have Fun, Will Travel

Heading out of Ottawa for a weekend is nothing new for this family. However, this weekend was unique as it included a big highlight, a night in a hotel! A commonplace occurrence for any normal adult, but for two little ones, it was a real treat! We had a spot on the Syracuse University campus, taking us back to our post-secondary days, with convenience stores and take-out food galore, plus Starbucks and Dunkin' nearby! Next morning, we lounged and enjoyed our room, then headed to the Carousel Mall (you might guess how it got its name as you review the pictures). Isabelle enjoyed a ride on the horse she called "Black Beauty", had a fries-filled lunch at Arby's and then headed downstairs for her first glimpse of the big guy in red, Santa! She gave him a preliminary list of potential gifts and received her marching orders to "Help out with Oliver." Needless to say, she is now eager to please Santa and her parents are happy to remind her of this regularly!

The big carousel beckons


Big bird and best bud


Breakfast on the road


Syracuse campus


Happiest boy ever

Bringing Home Frosty

For our family, the big shopping road trip meant the Xmas season has arrived, and what better way to commemorate it than to add to Isabelle's growing stable of holiday-themed characters. Having collected Rudolph in 2007 and Clarisse in 2008, this year we were excited to discover Frosty the Snowman is now available. At Build-a-Bear, Isabelle chose her Frosty and patiently waited to get him stuffed, as well as add a heart and a special sound (the Frosty song, naturally). Now it was time to choose accessories, with some no-brainers (pipe, scarf and broom) and some Isabelle specialties (she insisted he needed a guitar!?). So, Frosty plays his song if you squeeze his hand, and if you doff his cap, a magical sound plays and his cheeks and hat light up. She was thrilled to bring it to school today, but apparently it wreaked havoc at naptime as kids were having trouble snoozing as Isabelle doffed caps and squeezed hands. Needless to say, back to bringing her baby to school tomorrow!

We're up next!


Time to get stuffed


Heeeeeeeere's Frosty!


Curled up with a new best friend

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

We are back from a successful shopping weekend in and around Syracuse, NY, which included a lucrative trip to the greatest of all possible shopping destinations: an outlet mall! From Isabelle and Oliver's perspective, the abundance of stores and their deals paled in comparison to all the wicked riding toys that graced the sidewalks out front. Isabelle happily tried each and every one and even showed the rookie rider Oliver the ropes!

Cheers!

Have a great weekend, everyone! Oliver will be happy to join you as you sit back with a nice cool beverage and enjoy the unseasonably warm November weather, especially here in Ottawa!

Christening Revisited

As luck would have it, the other child being christened along with Oliver had a family member in attendance that is a professional photographer. The luck continues as the professional photographer happens to be friends with Auntie Shelley! Therefore, she gladly took some extra shots of our little angel and generously shared them with us. It was such a kind gesture and allowed us to get some bonus shots of a very special day for all of us. Thank you, Ima! Enjoy her fine handiwork!