March Break 2012: Wednesday

There is always a day in a week like this where things don't fall into place as you planned.  Wednesday was that day.  It was still a good day and we had lots of fun but it didn't turn out as we expected.

Our plan was to go to the Science and Technology Museum to hear Paulette Bourgeois read from one of her very famous books, specifically Franklin's School Trip.  Apparently there would be a person dressed up in a Franklin costume, too.  The girls picked out a few Franklin books to have the author sign.

Just before heading out the door, I went online to confirm the time the reading would take place: 10:30.  On Friday.  Oops! 

New plan: Little Ray's Reptile Zoo!  Not far away and I had a Groupon. 

I went online again to retrieve my Groupon only to find that it isn't valid during March Break (of course, should have known).  Oops again! 

Discussion: what should we do today?  Not surprisingly Emily voted to stay home for the day but I insisted we leave the house (for my own sanity).  We settled on something simple: go to The Glebe and check out the chocolate shop, Truffles and Treasures, that I went to the other night with friends and on the way there or back we'd finally drop off all the stuff that's been crowding the car at Salvation Army.

We parked the car and started walking down Bank Street towards the chocolate shop when we found a new-to-me bike shop that seemed to focus a lot on kids and family bikes.  We popped in to look at their helmet selection and left with a very cool new helmet for Hope.  The shop was called Joe Mamma and I will definitely be going there again.  The staff was really friendly, knowledgeable AND there was adog in there that kept Henry so distracted that he didn't knock any bikes over.  Miracle!  I'm thinking we may get Henry a scoot bike for his birthday and I'll definitely be getting it there.

Henry took an immediate shine to Hope's helmet and wore it like a uniform for the rest of our time in The Glebe.

This is Henry's usual pose for having a photo taken.  Don't know why but it's darn cute.

All read to try some chocolate.

We finally arrived at Truffles and Treasures.  The kids were mesmerized by the chocolate-making video that was playing.  I was taken (yet again) with the colours, smells and displays. 

Not only does the place smell sensational but it's a feast for the eyes as well.

These are the chocolate pieces they use to make hot chocolate... my neighbour comes here just to buy them to make hot chocolate at home.  It's that good.

I bought the chocolate-dipped marshmallows last time I was in and the girls claimed they were homemade marshmallows and the best thing ever.

Next time, I'll be trying this...

....or maybe this... if I have a team to eat it with me.

The colours of the Turkish Delight were gorgeous and reminded me of Spring.

We ordered hot chocolate from their amazing list of hot chocolate offerings, deciding to split them between us (the cups are huge).  Hazelnut for Hope and Henry and peppermint for Emily and me.  Emily also chose out some chocolate-covered gummie bears to share (ew).  And I bought a Nutkin to share also.

Look at those choices!  So hard to decide.

I did try one.  My verdict was "weird."

The truffle case... I could spend a lot of time taste-testing.

By the time we were done, Emily and I had stomach aches from the sweet richness but we were fueled!  They honestly have the best hot chocolate in town... a bit rich, but a decadent treat.  I highly recommend the peanut butter hot chocolate I had last time.  Although the pepermint was great also.  I also recommend sharing.

This map by the cash shows all the place people have sent or eaten their chocolate.  Wow!

After that little adventure, we headed home with a quick stop at Salvation Army for our drop-off. 

Soon after we got home, it was time to walk across the street for the girls' haircuts.  A woman on my street has a mini-salon in her basement and does great work (and very reasonably priced).  Henry was again entertained by a dog and the girls are neat and tidy for a while now.

During Henry's nap, I sat down with the girls to work on some of Emily's Brownie badges and had Hope do them too, just for fun.  We made time capsules and book posters.  Two more badges completed!

Hope's time capsule.  Seems fitting to use a Girl Guide Cookie box.

The contents of Emily's time capsule.  She had a hard time choosing what to put in there.

After that, it was outside play time.  The girls scooted, I started supper and then brought Henry out after he woke up.  I showed him his new-to-him bike helmet (I know, I know, you're not supposed to transfer helmets from one kid to another.  Moving on....) and he went bananas for it... as you'll soon see.  He was also MILDLY taken with his first ride on the tricycle, throwing a minor fit when I told him I had to go in to cook supper.  Today there will most definitely be more tricycle time.

And for the rest of the day, Henry insisted on wearing his helmet.

While he watched shows on the iPad.  While he ate supper.

Wednesday nights are John's night class.  So, given that it's March Break, I declared it a movie-and-supper-in-the-basement-night.  We watched Barbie Princess Charm School (sounds horrible, I know... but not nearly as bad as I thought... I liked the attempt to focus on character over looks, although there was still a lot of hair, dresses and shoes going on) on my computer as I couldn't figure out how to burn it to DVD, which I've done MANY TIMES so don't think I'm a total computer loser... I just couldn't get it to work last night.  I think my Mac doesn't like the discs we have.   Anywho....

The sweetest moment came when Henry got in trouble for trying to yank Hope's cookie out of her hand and after crying on my lap for a few moments, ran right over to Emily (who wasn't involved in the altercation as victim or disciplinarian) for comfort.  It was so cute.

And that was our Wednesday.  It's funny how things turn out.  I was slightly concerned in the morning that it would turn out to be an "I'm bored!" kind of day... but it didn't at all. 

Today we'll be home during the morning and then I have a surprise planned for the afternoon.  John's coming home early to stay with Henry while I take the girls to the Splash Wave Pool. 

Hopefully it will actually happen!

March Break 2012: Tuesday

We had another lazy morning yesterday.  In fact, it took a lot of convincing to get the girls out of their pyjamas.

Our gorgeous kiddies enjoying the ride together.  Hope looks healthier, doesn't she?

We drove over to our local O-Train station and boarded the train towards Carleton.  John met us at the platform and we walked over to the food court to have lunch together.  The lunch options at the Carleton food court have expanded a lot in the last year or two.  I had a decent red curry chicken over rice.  John had Singapore Vermicelli.  Emily had sushi.  Hope had an A&W hamburger and fries.  Henry oscillated between hamburger, fries, pizza and chocolate milk.  The kids drew a lot of smiles and laughs from the students sitting near by.  I remember how odd it felt to see little kids when I was in university because you almost never see them when you are squirreled away studying and attending classes.  It was always a refreshing glimpse into real life.

Enjoying our lunch in the Carleton Food Court.  We were a spectacle, especially when Henry started doing laps around the tables.

Henry's hair, back view.  He has the most gorgeous curls.  I could just smush my face in there all day long.  Sometimes I do.

We walked John back to his office, where Henry contaminated the elevator and part of the History Department's hallways, before heading back to the train.  When we got back to our stop, we made a quick stop at Bulk Barn where everyone got to choose a small bags of treats to take home.

Henry went for his nap, the girls got to indulge in t.v., I lounged on the couch.  After that rest time, Emily and I headed out into the beautiful sunshine to finish her bird feeder that we've been working on this week.  The girls were really keen to do some woodworking this week and these kits from Rona fit the bill: no cutting required - just gluing, measuring and nailing.  Hope eventually came out too and we started and finished her birdhouse in one afternoon.  The birdhouse kit is definitely the quicker project of the two.  I can see us doing this in Brownies next year.

Emily's bird feeder.  I'm sure the squirrels will really enjoy it.

Hope's almost-completed bird house.  This one was really fun and easy.

After that is was scooting with the neighbours as Henry came out from his nap and played in the "ball pool" and on his cars.

Oh... balls!

It was a simple, easy and wonderful day.  The girls declared it "the best day ever," further evidence that doing something simple but out of the ordinary (meeting Daddy for lunch) can be the most special event of a week.

Today: heading to the Science Museum to meet Paulette Bourgeois, the author of the Franklin books.  Or calling a plumber.  Hopefully the former.

March Break 2012: Monday

I'm not surprised that the girls are more interested in hanging around home during March Break than packing our week with outings.  By this point in the year, they're pretty tired of having to leave home most days in the week.  And while we do have some special things planned for later this week, Monday was an at-home day, made even more important because of Hope's slow recovery from Fifth Disease.

If you're wondering what the heck Fifth Disease is, you're not alone.  But you might be surprised to find out that you've probably had it.  Apparently 50% of kids have it at some point.  It's really common.  And really contagious.  It's characterized by a rash on the cheeks (which can spread elsewhere), earning it its alternative name of "slapped cheek".   It's called Fifth Disease because it is the fifth of the common childhood diseases in the category of ailments that have a rash and fever (such as chicken pox, measles, etc). For some reason no one has thought to rename it on the moleclular level as they have with the other diseases.  So, we're stuck with the clunky name of Fifth Disease. 

Hope's red cheeks... cleared up a bit from the day before.

Poor little one.... all red and snotty.

A bit hard to see here but the rash had spread to her arms a bit but looks more mottled than red there.

Anyway, it sucks.  Like chicken pox, it's a slow recovery. The fever hangs around for quite a while.  Lethargy, fatigue and cold-symptoms ensue.  Not fun for March Break.

Advil does wonders however in making sure that Hope has energy for at least a couple of hours in the day.  The rest of the day is generally spent cuddled under a blanket.

So, yesterday we stayed at home.  We had a breakfast of blueberry buttermilk (gluten-free) pancakes.  I made a big batch of chai.  We didn't get out of our pyjamas until noon, me included.  I started organizing all my Sparks and Brownies binders and files that I've been allowing to languish in piles on the floor around my desk. 

Finally, after Henry went for his nap, we headed outside where I started to organized the garage and the girls played in the driveway with the hula hoops and skipping ropes that have been missed through the winter.  Henry joined us for a popcorn picnic in the sun.

The barbecue was lit for the first time this year and we had warm homemade corn tortillas wrapped around tequila-lime chicken, peppers and onions. 

All in all, it was a great March Break Monday.

Today, we're riding the train to meet John for lunch.  Stay tuned for a rundown tomorrow about March Break Tuesday.

The sugar bush: our annual outing

Yesterday we took our annual trip to the sugar camp.  We've tried different ones over the years but have pretty much settled on Sand Road Sugar Camp as our favourite.  It satisfies a few things for me: (1) great food which must include des oreilles de crisse (cured smoked pig jowls) which I would describe as pretty much the best bacon you will ever taste; (2) nice setting with good walking trails; (3) sleigh ride; (4) maple syrup lines, buckets, operation close to the food building so the kids can discover; (5) not overly busy.  The kids would add maple taffy to that, which of course they have.  You can't be a sugar camp in Eastern Ontario/Western Quebec without offering maple taffy.

As an aside, if you're not from these parts, you might wonder what the deal is with sugar camps... or what the heck it is.  A sugar camp/sugar shack/cabane à sucre is pretty much a maple syrup farm.  And every one of them in this part of Canada has a sugar shack where you come and have a huge brunch (Ontario) or supper (Quebec).  The food is good, bountiful and there is lots and lots of maple syrup to pour on top and to buy.  After stuffing yourself you can usually watch the farmers make syrup, walk trails, have a sleigh ride, etc.  Each camp does it a bit differently.  And there are a lot of camps in the Ottawa area.

For me, Sand Road meets all of my requirements to a tee and if you go at breakfast time instead of lunch, which we always do, you really don't even have to wait in line. 

The forecast for Ottawa yesterday was a little bit of gorgeous at 8 degrees and sunny.  There was still a good amount of snow so the sleigh rides hadn't turned into wagon rides yet, which meant that the ride was still through the gorgeous sugar maple forest.  The cold temperatures of the last few days meant they weren't boiling sap (the lines were frozen) but by the time we left the sap was running through the lines (it's pretty loud!) so the kids had lots of fun watching that and checking the few old-style buckets they have around.

Hello Sand Road!

Henry is primed for a sugar high!

The traditional-style buckets.  The sap was frozen when we arrived.

The view looking at the food building. 

Well-fueled after a big breakfast, the kiddies must top it off with maple taffy on the snow.

Time for a sleigh ride.

Old friends, Nevan and Emily, cozy up for the ride.

Hope, who I just diagnosed with Fifth Disease (more on that later), snuggled into the corner and didn't really move.

A stop halfway allowed the kiddies (and adults) to pet the horses.

The two academics talk shop.

Why play with snow or sap lines when there is this exposed pile of dirty gravel to see about?

Sneaking in on my gravel, are you?

Still loving the gravel!

You do realize this is gravell?!  Why am I the only one who is fascinated?

Pass the Lysol

What a go these last two weeks have been.  I'd love a do-over with everyone healthy and happy.  But one thing two weeks like this gets you is a renewed thankfulness for health and happiness.

Almost two weeks ago, Henry came down with the runny nose and cough that the girls had had but for Henry it turned worse quickly.  By Thursday I realized that this was more than your run-of-the-mill cold and took him in to the doctor who told me he had RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and the normal treatment for RSV is a trip to CHEO (our children's hospital).  But she thought he was "just on the cusp" of having to go in and we should try and treat him at home with the steroids but be prepared to go to the hospital in the night if required.  Thankfully we made it through that night at home, with lots of steam and steroids and Advil.  The next few days were a constant stream of crying, nursing, whining, sleeping, coughing and cuddling.  And Dora's Christmas Special.  Know around here as "Dora Ho"... Henry's term, not mine.  Honestly, if it wasn't for Dora Ho, I don't know how we would have survived those few days.  It was the only thing other than nursing that stopped him from crying and the only thing that gave me a laugh during those few days.

It was more than a week until he was back to himself.  In fact, yesterday was the first day that I would say he was totally back to himself.  He actually ate real food - he didn't eat anything but breast milk and apple cider for an entire week (he's looking a little skinny now compared to his previously chubby self).

And now we deal with the clean-up as it were: back to night-weaning (he was fully night-weaned before the RSV), to getting him off the whiny train, and back to better eating habits.

In the midst of all this, I succumbed to a cold (my first in about two years), we started Emily on a gluten-free diet (seems she has inherited my sensitivities) and John was down with a cold.  I won't use the MAN COLD term here in case he's still sensitive about it.  Oops, already done.  Sorry, J!

All this to say, I am so thankful now for good health, happy kids (Emily is still struggling with having to give up some of her favourite things but she's getting better... more on that in a future post) and the time to start to clean the house after all this turmoil.  Having a toddler on top of you most of the time means that the house is sorely neglected... more so than usual, even.  I plan to Lysol the house top to bottom.

Thank goodness March Break is coming.  I really need a break from running around to activities, school projects... and the constant onslaught of germs.

Winterluding a little bit

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Ottawa.  It was a high of minus 1 or so and sunny and only a light wind.  I decided it was high time for a skate on the canal since we've stuck to our local outdoor rink thus far.  But when I checked the canal conditions, it looked sketchy.

I had a Plan B: the newly installed Rink of Dreams, still downtown amidst the action, still outdoors, perfectly human-made ice and right in front of City Hall.... beside the canal.  So I packed the kids up - it was unfortunately 4:00 pm by the time we were organized enough to leave the house - and headed downtown.

I parked at the National Arts Centre's underground parking.  It took us a looooong time to find our way to a door that would get us out of the parking garage and I was decidedly grumpy by the time we hit the outdoors.  My mood vastly improved with fresh air though and with the girls' excitement about getting to walk through one of the main Winterlude sites: Confederation Park.  It's the site of the best ice sculptures and other great Winterlude public art.

They (and I) and Henry were not disappointed. They ooed and awwed at the ice sculptures and even got to sit on one (these photos were all iPhone specials (and not the 4GS... so sorry for the quality).

Emily and Hope try out the ice chair... and keep sliding off.

 We loved the lost mitten sculpture (I'm sure that red and white number is mine.... I lost it earlier this winter.  I loved those mitts but I'm not really willing to knit another at this point).

Dancing by the lost mitten sculpture.  Henry is showing that he knows what mittens are.

That red and white one... there!  Mine! (maybe)

More cool public art... hockey related, of course.  This is Ottawa after all.

We stopped for a while to look at the infared wolves.  These were very cool and I think they would be even better in the dark.

Favourite public art.

And finally we made it to the rink.  We stayed in the middle so the kids wouldn't be run over by the speedy gonzaleses whipping around the perimeter and so Henry didn't get in the way in his stroller.  There weren't may people using it (most people were on the canal) and the ice was perfect.  My kids couldn't get over the condition of the ice.  They'd never skated on perfect ice before.  Emily was amazed at how well she was doing.  Wait until I introduce them to an arena.  Their minds will be blown.

Just starting out.  Love Hope's laces.

Henry was content to be pushed around by me.  Didn't like it so much when we stopped.

And with a gorgeous view of Parliament and downtown.

The lights on the boards change colours.  Sounds tacky but actually really funky.

This is a shot I took of the new Convention Centre, which looked amazing all lit up.  Couldn't get it on the iPhone but thought this was a cool effect anyway.

 We headed back to the parking garage after only about 20 minutes of skating (and I realized we parked right around the corner from the door out... I just headed in the wrong direction when we left the first time).  We were hungry and John was waiting for us at home.  This was just a first taste.  We'll certainly be back.  I give a thumbs up to the Rink of Dreams.  We'll definitely head there one day right after school and have a longer skate.  For tomorrow however, it's back to our local outdoor rink where the ice is choppy but the parking is easy.

Something's gotta give

Whenever I write a post up for the Girl Guides Canada blog (which is almost as RARE as my posts that go here), I get back in the groove of writing and wonder I'm not making time for more of it.  And then I remember, oh yeah, that's because I do this and this and this and in the evening I absolutely MUST make time for Words with Friends because I now have another addiction to add to my list but this one is sort of good for me, right?, unlike the ongoing addiction to Coronation Street which also takes up part of my evening when I should be spending some time on things that make me grow in some way - such as writing or sewing - or eating.

And for an extra twist of irony, this is exactly what my GGC post was about and I'll post the link here when it goes up although I may have scared Talya off with it's verbosity.  It's quite scary.  Even for me.

Word of the day: loquacious.

That be me.

And now, I must go and change Henry's stinky and leaking diaper.  I've ignored it (and him) too long as I wrote my post for GGC because something must be ignored at all times if I'm to get something else done.  Unfortunately this time it was Henry.  And earlier this morning, personal hygiene.