Berry Pickin'

This week my big (but not really so big) boy has been at a gymnastics half day camp. I must say, it has felt a little strange going about my afternoon without him, and knowing he isn't just spending his time with family. Comments like "I want to stay at gymnastics camp forever", lead me to believe he is having a good time... but I do have a hard time with the answers "I don't know." and "I can't remember.", when I'm asking him how his afternoon was while we are still standing in the gymnastics centre! Do the vague responses really start at 4 years old?!

Today little brother, baby sister and I filled those day-camp afternoon hours with a visit to a nearby berry farm. While little brother devoured handfuls of raspberries, he also managed to put a few in the basket that he so loved carrying about.

I rarely have an opportunity to watch him experience something on his own, and he was so very into this little experience. It was such a pleasure to watch my, usually quite boisterous, little guy taking his sweet time, gently "filling" his basket with berries, with a whole lot of sampling along the way. Those amazing little chubby fingers that still look so "baby" to me, carefully plucking each raspberry from it's stem. He's growing so fast, and always moving so fast, it's hard to get a good look at him some times.

And then there's my little lady. Our favourite spectator. Just hanging out. More alert by the day, seemingly soaking up everything around her. Sweet baby bliss :)

 XO

Mont Tremblant, Quebec

Just over an hour and a half drive from Ottawa, Mt. Tremblant is the perfect summer day trip. 

The lower chair lift is free up to the village. Once in the village, you can take the cable car to the top,  walk around, enjoy a little picnic, and then back down to the village for a run around the splash pad. 

The hubby and I took turns cruising down the mountain on go karts with our boys. I went up with our 2 year old for the ride, and waiting in line I had MAJOR anxiety. I was watching someone try and figure out these cars, and they just could not get it. It made me panic. 

Why did I bring him all the way up here? He's too little. What an idiot! What if I crash? What if I lose control? Blah, blah, blah... It was awesome - the driving, not the anxiety. 

I had complete control over the speed, and it was very simple to manage. 

Not an inexpensive experience but, fun nonetheless.

Of course, all of this has to end with ice cream. Soft serve. Chocolate dip. Done.

Pink Lake, Gatineau Park

A gorgeous walk about a half hour's drive from our home is the Pink Lake trail in Gatineau, Quebec. A 2.5km walk, it is one of many trails in the park. I started the hike with a touch of whining (it has a lot of stairs) but, seeing as my 2 year old and not yet 4 year old were having no problems, I kind of had to buck up. I suppose I am a poor teacher of patience at times... On that note, this was pretty soon after giving birth so I do get to do some complaining, don't I?? You'll note the long sleeves - definitely not recent. Yikes, has it ever been hot and humid!

Mer Bleue

"Mer Bleue is one of the largest bogs in Southern Ontario..." and has an incredibly beautiful 1.2km long boardwalk trail which is fairly close to where we live.

There are a huge number of natural areas in and around Ottawa that we are so excited to explore! 

Nothing beats free when you're looking for something to do. 

XO

Central Experimental Farm

We visited Ottawa's Central Experimental Farm the week before last with a friend and her son, and I'm thinkin' we should probably get a pass. 

When I looked up the place, it didn't give a whole lot of info, and I was a little concerned that Levi and Owen wouldn't find much to interest them. Totally not the case. This place is awesome. 

First of all, it is massive, and secondly it is right in Ottawa. There are a lot, and a large variety, of animals. We saw many baby animals, as you would at this time of year. There are crafts and activities for kids - we enjoyed a maple taffy talk and tasting. There is a great exhibit with tractors to sit on, and which are rigged to feel like you are sitting on actual moving tractors. 

The honey exhibit is also great, with an area of toys for the little ones to play with. 

There is a playground for when there is a little less snow on the ground, and possibly slightly warmer weather - though our day was an extremely beautiful one, thankfully. 

Also, there are great puddles to be jumped in, but I can't guarantee those will be there if and when you visit! 

Settling In

We have been packing up our home gradually since November, and finally the time came to load it all, move it a few hours up the road, and settle in to our short-term rental. So here we are, and here we have been for 4 weeks, in our country's capital.

We have gradually settled into our new city with a wee bit of exploring, but mostly a whole lot of playing and hanging out at home, reveling in the fact that we are neither packing nor rushing out of our home for a showing. 

This month has flown by, and now with only 1 sleep to go until the magical moment where we have keys in hand, time has slowed down to a painful crawl, where we are not seeing it pass through hours or days, but minutes and seconds. Come on Tuesday!!! A little more space, our familiar comforts, and the beginning of unpacking, and organizing is a very welcome prospect to me with the due date of our third babe less than 3 weeks away. 

It's almost time to make our new house, our new home!!
xo

A Sugar Shack Visit

On our second weekend in Ottawa, we visited a local sugar shack called Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm. They produce only enough maple syrup on site for visitor's to see the workings of a sugar shack, while the bulk of their maple syrup is all produced on another farm owned by the same family. 

We enjoyed a tasty pancake breakfast. Levi ate his weight in both pancakes, and maple syrup. Definitely the 6 bucks worth we paid. Stanley the bear visited all the tables at breakfast, and both of our boys became happier and more excited about him, the further away he got. Funny how these costumed characters are put in place for the kiddies, but the majority of the little ones are terrified of them. 

Goats, pigs, chickens, horses - one being the largest I have ever seen - are all there for visiting. A wagon ride is also on offer, but we skipped it this time. Maple taffy, of course, is the best bit. 

It is amazing, really, to think that someone thought "hey, if I boil this watery substance coming out of the maple tree for a certain amount of time it will taste super sweet and awesome. Especially good on pancakes!". I mean it probably didn't work quite like that, but still is that not crazy?

There are a pile of maple sugar farms in the Ottawa area, and nearby in Quebec, and we plan to sample as many as possible. We've had a good start!