Time to make a wish...

Today, I celebrate another year in my 30s!

I have to say the number doesn't so much bother me as the new growth of grey hair I seem to be discovering more and more as I investigate in the mirror, but besides that I don't have a complaint in the world today.

I spent the weekend with the three loves of my life... and enjoyed every minute of it as we celebrated my big day. Since my birthday falls on a Monday this year, PC moved the celebration to preceding Saturday and planned out a little family fun day! It was perfect for me!

He made breakfast for all of us and then we hit E's skating lesson before heading off to the Children's Museum in Ottawa! What a great place! I have always wanted to go with the boys, but PC usually rolls his eyes at me when I suggest 'a museum' as an activity.  However, this year, he really had me pegged and planned out a little adventure to the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which houses Ottawa's Children's museum. The whole outing definitely did not disappoint! We spent a couple hours exploring all the fun areas - the boys absolutely loved interacting with each stop on their passport. We capped off our visit by taking in a 3D IMAX movie! I wasn't sure how H would handle a movie, but he did awesome! We ended the night off with Mom C's famous homemade donairs, a few little birthday surprises including a new MK bag, and my ultimate fave cupcakes from The Flour Shoppe.

I don't think I could have scripted a better day to celebrate if I tried.  Thank you to my one and only for such a fun day with the boys - he definitely made me smile and feel very loved and spoiled.

If my birthday celebration was any indication of how this year may unfold for me, I am looking forward to it!

Here is a little photo recap of the day's events.

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes via of Twitter, Facebook, What's App, email, and texting! I even had a few ol' fashioned phone calls too from some old friends! All around fun.

Thanks again!

 

The sap is running: Sand Road Maple Farm

I love March... actually, that's not true, I despise March and all the chaotic weather from cold and miserable winds to warm and wet slush. However, the bright point in this month has got to be opening of the maple syrup season and of course our family favourite spot to be is none other than, Sand Road Maple Farm, off Hwy 138, in Moose Creek, Ontario.

Sunday, we decided to head down to Sand Road for a tasty and filling brunch, followed by a crisp yet sunny walk on the maple trail.  As always, Sand Road does not disappoint. With the sap running early this season, there is lots to see and do on at the maple farm! Next weekend, the horse and sleigh rides will be running, so after a taste of maple, you can enjoy a ride that promises some great scenic photo opportunities.

The boys absolutely loved it at Sand Road... and when they are smiling, PC and I are able to have some fun soaking up the fresh air while taking a hike through the maple trail.  E decided to run the whole trail on foot, and after H had his first taste of maple taffy, he was loving the sleigh ride courtesy of Daddy. I know it must have been a great day as we arrived home with two sleeping boys and two equally snoozie parents!

I am still nibbling on some maple sweetness as I type this post. It's one of those tastes you can never get enough of. Here are a few photos from our fun day at Sand Road... if you are thinking of hitting a sugar bush this season, keep Sand Road on your list! Good eats and tasty treats for the whole family!

Thanks to Scott and Ange for a fun day at the maple farm! We'll be back again soon.

 

Fun on the Rideau Canal!

This past weekend, we took advantage of some mild winter weather in the nation's capital and took in a day of skating on the Rideau Canal.

I have come to love this annual outing, and this year was especially fun because E was all geared up to skate by himself for the first time.  Last year, E had his skates on and we held him to get the hang of it, but the whole skating experience was short lived as he was extremely intimidated by the number of people on the canal and of course his abilities weren't quite there yet.

Fast forward one year later, add in a baker's dozen worth of skating lessons, and you have a little boy who actually gets excited by the thought of doing it on his own!

The day seriously could not have been more perfect weather wise, the canal conditions were excellent. The sun was shining and the smell of BeaverTails filled the air. This year we packed both boys into the bike trailer and they were nice and cozy enjoying just shy of a 10 km skate.

Midway through our 3.5 hour outing on the canal, both boys decided the conditions were ideal for a little snooze.  PC and I took advantage of the quiet time to maximize our skate to both ends of the canal. We exerted just enough energy to earn ourselves a couple of BeaverTails and a hot chocolate - and the wafting of cinnamon and sugar brought the boys around just in time the best part of the whole experience.

This was H's first time trying the famous Canadian BeaverTail, and he definitely gave it his royal seal of approval.  He was extremely happy to see his big brother had leftovers he was willing to share. For E, it seems the BeaverTail and a shot hot chocolate was all he needed to demand he was ready to skate... so PC and I found a quieter path on the canal and let him go for it.

H was nearing the end of his 'fun' rope by the time we got E suited up, but we did manage to entertain him long enough to let E have a good experience skating on the canal all. by. himself.  I was loving E's enthusiam for the whole experience... it was definitely a highlight for him and so glad we closed out the day on a high.

All in all, it was a GREAT day - I love these unexpected family outings that come together with little planning (they are rare for us), when the stars align and everyone is able to enjoy themselves - I get a little giddy! This was one of those awesome days that I will log in our family memory book for many years to come.

Here are a few pics from the day ...  and a short video of E doing his thing!

It's was a Wiggley good time!

Tuesday night was a big night for us... or I should say... for E, as we've had tickets to The Wiggles for months now, and he's been counting down the sleeps until he got to go to the show.  E was super excited to go to 'Ot-ta-wa' to see the famous Wiggle quartet... and they did not disappoint. For a $15 ticket... I'd say we got our monies worth and then some! E LOVED the music, the crowd, and all of the dancing along to his favourite Wiggley tunes! H enjoyed the show too (when he wasn't snoozing), and I think in a year or so - he'll be a big Wiggles fan too!

The only downfall for PC and I is that since Tuesday night we've been singing 'Hot potato hot potato'... and 'Choo-Choo Chugga-Chugga big red car... we travel near and we travel far'!!  Oh well... it was definitely worth it to see the look on E's face when the show began and with the introduction of each Wiggle and WIggley friend! 

Of course, we couldn't escape Scotiabank Place without some Wiggles souvenirs... well, we could if it was just PC taking E, as he was not into the 'pay through the nose' pricing, but E set his eyes on a 'Wags the Dog' hat ... and while we tried to sway him into something a bit cheaper, his heart was set on it. And, I have to say, he truly hearts it (and he should for twenty bucks)!  I also picked up a Wiggles book too... for another twenty bucks, as that's putting money into educational value, but that's a whole other blog!

All in all, if you have an opportunity to take your young kids to see The Wiggles, I highly recommend it! The show was an hour and a half... it started right on time, and was just long enough that kids weren't overtired or bored. We chose seats in the front row of the middle bowl at Scotiabank as I was afraid E might be a little overwhelmed if we were too close, but  any seat in the house would have been great! E loved the show and if your kids like The Wiggles, they will not be disappointed.

Overall.. two thumbs up for The Wiggles!

Old MacDonald had a farm... (an Experimental one)!

This past weekend we took advantage of an overcast and potentially rainy Saturday and decided to visit the Experimental Farm in Ottawa. It turned out to be the best day.

I knew E would love it before we entered the parking lot... but I didn't imagine he would talk about it for days on end afterwards! I think because the weather was so iffy lots of people decided to stay indoors which made the farm a dead zone.  There were maybe 20 people there in total... so we had a great time roaming our way through all the barns and stables at our own pace... and E really got a chance to explore the agriculture world.

The cows 'mooed', the horses 'neighed', the pigs 'oinked' and the sheep 'baa'd'! It was a live version of Old MacDonald and then some! The tractor exhibit was also a pretty exciting highlight of the day... E got to try out all types of different tractors, his favourite being the biggest one - similar to one he got to ride in at Farmer Logan's last summer!

H was a cool customer as well, didn't sleep the entire time we were there... and just loved watching his big bro describe all of the animals to him - and getting up close and personal with a few barn friends of his own!

All in all it was a great family day! If you are in need of something fun and cheap to do with your kids in the Ottawa area, I would highly suggest the Experimental Farm/Agriculture Museum - you will not be disappointed!