We just got back from a week Down South, visiting the grandparents. It was a good week and everything went smoothly and we had a nice time.
Until the drive home.
Right before we left Sir Monkeypants drew my attention to a flyer at my mom’s house advertising kids’ OshKosh jeans for $10 at an outlet store nearby. OshKosh stuff fits our kids really well and you can’t get it in Ottawa, at least not in the west end. I think there’s a store in Orleans that sells the brand, but considering a hop over to Stittsville qualifies as a day trip in my book, and a visit to downtown is an epic journey requiring the companionship of elves and dwarves, you can imagine how often I get to Orleans.
So we decided to make a super quick stop at the outlet, and then my mom pointed out that if we went just a few extra kilometers we’d come across a Nike outlet that sells discounted kids’ runners. And that seemed worthwhile, too. Meanwhile, we were already planning on hopping off the highway to hit a Crocs outlet that Sir Monkeypants’ brother-in-law had told him about.
Where are all the outlet stores in Ottawa? Are we not worthy of outlets? How is it that Cambridge and Mississauga are lousy with outlets, and yet I have none? I’m pouting.
Anyway, we stopped and shopped, then stopped and shopped, then stopped again, and had some lunch, and all in all it was three hours later than planned by the time we finally hit the road to come home, and then due to the late hour we hit major, major traffic all across Toronto. After two hours of creeping and crawling we hadn’t even gone down a real hour’s worth of road.
So needless to say it was a loooooooong, epic journey home and we really should have brought along some elves and dwarves. By the time we hit our own driveway we basically never wanted to see each other or the van ever again. It’s taken two days just for us all to have a normal conversation with each other.
As a topper, Gal Smiley threw up about 15 minutes after we got home. Although, you could really see that as a plus, seeing as how she a) didn’t do it in the van, and b) even made it all the way to a toilet. Small blessings, people, small blessings.
So now we are home, and ready to pack some last-minute fun into our Summer of Awesome, in between the massive list of chores I have to get us all ready for school. At least all the kids have jeans. And running shoes. (Turns out the Croc place had moved.)
Still no outlet stores, though.
POUT.
TurtleHead 
Sounds like quite the . . . adventure? You’re right about the store in Orleans – Bonnie Togs does carry the Oshkosh brand and I totally agree with you about the fit. I love their jeans for the not-so-Little-Man – they always fit really well. Since we’re out here anyway, I’m happy to say I can hit them up anytime. I like their underwear and hoodies too and even though it’s not an outlet store, the prices are surprising reasonable. Might be worth the trip one day . . . but you may want to pack a lunch. It is far. 🙂
It’s a Bonnie Togs outlet that we went to in Cambridge. I think I have finally found a cause that will cause me to enter local politics – more outlets in Kanata!
One thing I love – LOVE – about the States is their plethora of outlet stores. We were in Palm Desert in February, and they have a gigantic outlet mall, half price on pretty much everything. So awesome, and they have nothing like that in Calgary. NOTHING.
Yes, look at the bright side – vomit in the van is VERY unpleasant. And now everyone’s talking again, so yay! Right?
There is a Carter’s/Osh Gosh store at the Trainyards, which is not in Orleans. Just a few minutes from CHEO.
They regularly have great sales. We often stock up on PJs there.
Is this by the Science Museum? I will look into it.
It is not far from Sci & Tech at all. Maybe 5 minutes. You can drive up St Laurent to Industrial and then west to find it.
I usually hit the Michaels & oraganization stores there as well.
I’d forgotten about the Carters/Oshkosh store at Trainyards. I too love Solutions, the organization store that’s in the same strip. I have to limit my trips though because I could spend days there. 🙂
Geez, in my book the fact that she threw up 15 minutes after you got home and not 15 minutes after you got on the highway is actually a HUGE blessing. And while we’re on the Ottawa is lame subject, why don’t we have an H&M either? Nation’s bloody capital, hmph.
yes, the train yard is NOT orleans. so really, you should be able to make it. and then call me so that we can do tea. and you go to the train museum, which is just around the corner from the trainyards, so really, NO EXCUSES.
i’m with allison, where the hellis the h&m!!??
You’re on! I’ll be childless for about an hour and a half every weekday morning now. I’m free for the tea-drinking. It’s GIRLS GONE WILD around here!
“By the time we hit our own driveway we basically never wanted to see each other or the van ever again. It’s taken two days just for us all to have a normal conversation with each other.”
I relate to this SO MUCH.
Cambridge? For serious? Just a few more kilometres down the road and you could have stopped at my place! I mean if you were making all those stops anyway, just sayin’. I’m no Osh Kosh, but a do have a couple of bags of outgrown Children’s Place clothes in sizes that would likely be of no help to you…. but you’d get to meet me, so win win.
Having one kid who is insanely car sick…. shhhh it’s getting better! 15 minutes of driving used to be her limit, before she’d upchuck, we can do 15 minutes no problem. Heck sometimes we can even make it a half an hour. I fully and completely appreciate the getting sick in the toilet 15 minutes after you get home. We found out she was a carsick kid after traveling 2.5 hours to my brother’s for Thanksgiving when she was not quite 2 years old. She had slept 2 hours and 15minutes, woke up for the last 15 minutes and puked all over the van as we pulled into my brother’s place for dinner with my sister-in-law’s whole family. Fun times.
Huh, for some reason I thought you lived near Peterborough…but next time we are going down, I will let you know! I’d love to meet you and the family up close and personal like.
I just realized from your comment that I was a major car-sickie as a child. It never occurred to me that that might be Gal Smiley’s problem. Time to stock up on Gravol!
Elves and dwarves. Hahha.