Summer of Awesome – National Gallery of Canada

On August 9, 2012August 13, 2012 By LynnIn Summer of Awesome, TurtleHead1 Comment

Last week I took the kids to the National Gallery to see the Van Gogh exhibit, which is in town only until September. The kids complained LOUDLY and FREQUENTLY about being made to visit the art gallery. I suspect that they saw it as more of a homework/school type outing than something really fun. It probably didn’t help that Gal Smiley did a unit on Van Gogh in art class this year so I kept saying how wonderful it was that she could see some of his work in person, how enriching and what a great opportunity.

No wonder they think Sir Monkeypants is the fun one.

Anyway, we went. And we did have a pretty good time overall.

Here are some things you will NOT be doing at the National Gallery, if you attend with your young children:

sitting and gazing quietly before a favourite work of art, as you contemplate its deeper meaning
wandering joyfully through back galleries as you discover new artists to love
sharing teachable moments with your children as you open their eyes to the wonderful process that is man’s artistic growth

No, you will not.

However! Fun can still be had, if you keep a few things in mind.

Arrive Late. The museum opens at 10 a.m., but there’s no point in getting there before 11. That’s when the Artissimo program opens. Artissimo is the gallery’s program for kids and it is excellent and fun and awesome, and SO much better than just wandering through the galleries aimlessly with children who would rather be jumping on stuff. It runs only on the weekends during the year but in the summer, the program is open every day.

What makes Artissimo so great? It’s a wide variety of activities meant to engage the younger crowd. First of all, kids aged 3 and up can make their own work of art, using real art paper and a stellar selection of tools. Gal Smiley created this lion picture using watercolour pencils – pencil crayons that create a paint effect when water is added.

Gal Smiley artwork, National Gallery of Canada

To help kids explore the gallery, there’s also two self-guided tours you can take – one about animals in art, one about cool architecture. There’s an audio tour, where you are led to certain artworks and then you play a sound, and try to connect the two. There are costumes where you can dress up and pretend to be people from various pictures.

And best of all, there’s the dolls.

William the Doll, Artissimo Program, National Gallery of Canada

This is William. He’s one of five different gorgeous, painstakingly detailed dolls that are part of the Artissimo program. You can sign out a doll, then search the gallery (with some hints and clues) to find the painting featuring the character. My girls loved this activity, we did every single doll and learned a lot about art in the process. It was the clear highlight.

Visit the Van Gogh exhibit, but have low expectations. The Van Gogh exibit is really, really good. It does not feature his most famous works – no Starry Nights or Sunflowers or self-portraits with missing ears. However, it does include dozens of his other paintings and the way they are laid out clearly traces the paths of his various influences.

I learned a lot about his style, his use of colour, and his favourite themes, and all that despite racing through the exhibit at top speed. My kids complained a LOT during the exhibit – shuffling through rooms of art, surrounded by crowds, was SO BORING they could just DIIIIIIIIE. So we hurried through, but even then they couldn’t avoid picking out a favourite painting or two, and learning a little bit along the way.

Plus, there’s an interactive room near the end where you can create your own work of art on an iPad; do a large magnetic wall puzzle; listen to Van Gogh-era music; and write a letter to Van Gogh and receive an email reply in his own words. The lady running this room (Maddie, I think) was super welcoming to the kids and they really had fun here.

As an added bonus, kids under 12 are free – so it only cost me my own entry fee, $25, which also covered my museum admission.

Follow the rules, Oh my heavens, the National Gallery is a rules-y kind of place. They are BIG on the rules. And you will be warned, repeatedly, to FOLLOW THE RULES.

Sheesh.

No backpacks are allowed, no kinds of large bags or anything you would carry on your back or waist. Ladies can bring a handbag if it isn’t too big, and I believe you can get an exception for diaper bags. My kids are big enough now that I don’t need to carry diapers around, but I do like to bring our own snacks due to the food allergy thing, so I often use a backpack – at the gallery, you have to check it. Speaking of snacks, the cafeteria there is a little high class – soups and fancy salads type fare – so if your kids are more of a chicken nuggets and french fries crowd, you may wish to bring your own food (in a checked backpack, of course) or perhaps plan your trip between mealtimes.

No photos of any kind allowed anywhere, except in the open glassed-in tower where the Artissimo program runs. (I may have taken that photo of William the doll, above, in the bathroom. I admit nothing.) If they even see you thinking about taking out your camera, they’re on you.

No getting too close to the art. No touching the art! No breathing on the art. That’s too close. Maybe you shouldn’t even LOOK AT THE ART.

SHEESH.

I swear every single security guard in the place came over to us and warned us, in every single room, about stepping back from the art. My kids aren’t even that young – 9, 7, and 5. I can’t imagine the headache involved in trying to explain to your two year old why that line of bricks on the floor is art, and we musn’t touch it, or step on it, or come within three feet of it. GAH.

So be sure to travel light, leave your camera in your handbag, and stay back. FARTHER BACK.

Once we were done with the Van Gogh exhibit and settled into the Artissimo stuff, my kids relaxed and enjoyed themselves. Despite their best efforts, they even learned something, as demonstrated by the quiz I gave them on the ride home.

Told you I’m not the fun one.

Year of Epic – August 11/12

On August 2, 2012 By LynnIn Year of Epic2 Comments

After a quiet couple of summer weekends, the weekend of August 11 and 12 is jam packed with activities. Hope you’ll all be in town to enjoy it!

(As usual, these events are for next weekend – stuff happening for the Civic Holiday weekend is here.)

First up, Fortissimo runs from August 9 through 11. It’s a massed military band performance, complete with cannons and gunfire, on Parliament Hill. It’s starts at 7 p.m., it’s free, and goes on for at least a couple of hours; apparently, it’s quite the experience and its reputation has really grown in the past couple of years. Then, if your kids are up for it, you can stay right through to see Mosaika, the sound and light show that happens nightly on the hill – it will start shortly after Fortissimo is over.

In the east end, check out the Navan Fair, also running August 9 through 11. Navan is just south of Orleans and its fair is a pretty big deal – there’s the usual midway and concessions, concerts (featuring Kim Mitchell on Saturday and Dallas Smith on Sunday), animal shows and displays, crafts, kids’ entertainers including The Cow Guys on Saturday afternoon, bed races, and (EPIC ALERT!) a demolition derby. Apparently the derby has a new “Ladies Minivan” category, which is the very definition of awesome. Entrance is $10 adults and $3 children for a one-day pass (four-day passes also available); midway passes are $20.

At the other end of town, the Carp Farmer’s Market hosts its annual Garlic Festival on August 11 and 12. This is probably the busiest weekend of the year for the market and in addition to all the usual cool market stuff, there’s garlic cooking, storage, and tasting demonstrations all day long. If you’re really, really into garlic, consider going even farther out to the Perth Garlic Festival, which not only features garlic cooking and tasting, but also a birds of prey show (do they like garlic?), face painting all day, and, apparently, the ability to buy yourself a bulb of garlic on a stick just like cotton candy. Sounds…tasty? The festival runs August 11 and 12 and admission is $5 adults, children free.

If you’re more of a midtown kind of person, consider the South Asian Festival, August 11 in Confederation Park by City Hall. Their website is low on details, but apparently it’s free admission, and there will be Bollywood dance demonstrations, delicious ethnic food, henna applications, group yoga, and many vendor booths to check out.

Or, consider a drive to lovely Almonte to check out the annual Puppets Up! festival, running August 11 and 12. This year’s theme is Magic, and 10 different puppet troupes will be performing in outdoor tents all weekend long. There’s also a puppet parade each day at 1:45 p.m., a craft tent, a small puppets shopping area, and many other street entertainers. Day passes are $20 adults, $10 children (children under 3 free), and the shows are suggested for all ages ranging up to 9 or 10 years old. Get your tickets in advance online here (tickets can also be purchased at the festival).

Over at the museums, the Museum of Science and Tech is hosting Science at the Games from Wednesday, August 8, through Friday, August 10. They’ve got all kinds of special Olympic-themed goings on, including athletics challenges, giant board games, soccer storytelling, and sports trivia, all included with museum admission. They’ve also got Stargazing on August 10 – free, but you have to register on their website in advance. Meanwhile, the Agriculture Museum is throwing their Ice Cream Festival on Saturday, August 11 from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. There’s puppet shows, crafts, storytime, a yoga class, and of course, the making (by hand) and tasting of yummy yummy ice cream – all included with museum admission. What kid wouldn’t love that?

At Billings Estate, their storytelling series begins on Friday, August 10 (and runs every Friday in August). Storytellers invite families to gather around the campfire and listen to some tall tales while roasting marshmallows. The stories run from 7:30 through 8:30 p.m. and the cost is $16 per family.

In the arts, Centrepointe Theatre presents the classic musical Peter Pan from August 8 through 11, including a matinee on August 11. The performances are in the studio theatre and are performed by the Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet troupe, a group of youth actors aged 12 through 17. Tickets range in price from $25.75 through $45.75 each and are available online here, or at the Centrepointe box office.

For something a little quieter (and a little cheaper), check out the Capital Reading Garden, a pop-up cafe of sorts along the banks of the canal. It’s a free outdoor space with books, chairs, tables, and wifi, for people to gather and celebrate reading in a charming environment. The location is on the canal side of Colonel By Drive, south of Laurier, approximately as far south as Somerset.

August 11 and 12 are also the dates of the second weekend of auditions for the Kwanis Ottawa Idol singing competition (for ages 13-21 at the Merivale Mall, $20 entry fee applies); and it is the second weekend for lantern making workshops at the Lumiere Festival (workshops range between $10 and $20).

Whew! I need to lie down now. Have a great weekend – if you don’t get overwhelmed by all that decision making!

Mini Break in Montreal

On August 1, 2012July 31, 2012 By LynnIn Summer of Awesome, TurtleHead4 Comments

Last weekend we jaunted off to Montreal for a couple of days. Montreal is so close, it makes for a nice weekend visit or even a day trip, but we have often found that no one seems to know what the heck there is to do in Montreal, for kids. I’m sure there are guide books and websites and such, but whenever we ask friends of ours who know Montreal, or who even grew up in Montreal, for suggestions, they always say, “Um…there’s the Biodome…and…I don’t know, some parks and stuff?”

Montreal, you need an family-activities ambassador, stat.

We do love the Biodome, so this year we made our annual trip and the kids really enjoyed it, as always. It’s kind of a zoo, but the animals (for the most part) are in an open environment, so they’re free to climb and/or fly all around you. There are four rooms with animals from four different environments: rainforest, Laurentian forest, Gulf of St. Lawrence, and sub-antarctic islands. There’s also a display area with a really cool exhibit on birds’ eggs and nests, and another area featuring fossils found in Canada. As you exit, there’s a (temporary, I think) exhibit where they recreate a rainstorm, and your brave kids can stand in the water with an umbrella and pretend to be Gene Kelly in Singin’ In The Rain.

All in all it takes about three hours to go through the dome, so you can definitely make it out there and back for a day trip. If you have more time, your entrance to the Biodome also gets you into the nearby Insectarium (SO HORRIFYING, for the brave and bold only – well, at least those without a giant centipede phobia), and also the nearby Ornamental Gardens, which are really lovely to walk through and have a quiet picnic. You can also tour the Olympic Stadium next door, and take a ride up to the top of the tower overlooking the stadium.

Here’s some of our shots of the Biodome. We drove down on Saturday morning and spent most of the afternoon there.

Monkey at the Biodome — Monkeys in the Rainforest Area

Frog at the Biodome — Frog in the Rainforest Area

Caiman at the Biodome — Caiman in the Rainforest Area

Lynx at the Biodome — Lynx in the Forest Area

Eggs at the Biodome — Eggs in the Gulf Area

Puffins at the Biodome — The Puffins were Playful

Rainstorm at the Biodome — The Rainstorm

After dinner we headed down to Old Montreal, just to walk around. It’s busy in the evenings with tourists eating, taking photos, watching buskers in the various squares, and shopping for cheesy souvenirs. I thought the kids would be tired and cranky but actually they liked just being out for a walk and were fascinated by the cobblestone streets and the crowds of people. We also took the subway from our hotel to get there, which was a fun bonus for them, I think it was the first time they had been on one.

The Bonsecours Market building in Old Montreal

Sunday morning we headed over to the Montreal Science Centre (see! There’s something else in Montreal besides the Biodome!). It’s located right down in Old Montreal as well, right on the pier. Tip for you: if you’re parking in their parking garage, you must choose right when you enter whether you’ll go upstairs or stay down. If you choose to stay downstairs and the spots are all gone, then you’re booted out of the lot – so annoying. If it’s after 10:30 a.m. or so (the museum opens at 10 a.m. on weekends), just do yourself a favour and drive on upstairs.

We specifically went to the museum to see their Star Wars: Identities exhibit. It’s a collection of memorabilia and fascinating facts about the movies. But best of all, it’s an interactive journey where you get to create your very own Star Wars character by visiting 10 stations where you answer questions about your personal history (or, the invented personal history of your character). At the end they take all your answers (stored on a digital bracelet you wear) and create a digital poster and description of your character for you. SO COOL. We all LOVED this exhibit, it was fascinating and fun. Worth the drive alone, and I must say, we had a great time checking out the rest of the museum, too – it’s highly interactive, informative, and just really entertaining.

Note that the Star Wars exhibit requires separate tickets, and these tickets are for a specific day and time. You can buy yours on their website and print them out at home (DO NOT FORGET THEM). The Star Wars tickets include admission to the rest of the museum, too. I would highly recommend buying your tickets in advance. I bought ours a few days before we left and the morning times were already sold out. When we were there on the Sunday, there were crowds of people for every time slot all day long.

Anyway, here’s some shots of the exhibit (non-flash photos are allowed):

Montreal Science Centre — The Science Centre

R2D2 at the Star Wars Identities exhibit

Various Ship Models — Models used in the making of the Star Wars movies

One of the identity stations — This is one of the “Identity” stations. In this one you’re choosing your character’s job – you scan your bracelet underneath the job you want to record.

A bona fide real Darth Vader costume, eek

The guy with the green tentacles is Kit Fisto. I may have a small crush on him. I admit nothing.

My personal Star Wars Identify — This is my personal Star Wars Identity, based on my selections at the exhibit – your character is displayed on a huge screen as you exit, and you can also have it emailed to you.

After the science museum we headed home – all in all a great trip that I think will become a regular Summer of Awesome event. Next year, we’ll have to find time for La Ronde!

Updating the Awesome

On July 31, 2012July 31, 2012 By LynnIn Summer of Awesome6 Comments

I’ve been slacking off on my Summer of Awesome reporting, but that’s okay, because we’ve been busy having fun (and sadly, in my case, being really sick, UGH). I have a lot to say about our trip to Montreal last weekend but until then, here’s a quick report on a few places we’ve been so far this summer.

Saunders Farm

As fabulous as always – the kids and I were there for seven hours and had an amazing time. Saunders Farm features many really cool giant mazes, pedal cars, many many play structures, a giant slide, tractor and wagon rides, puppet shows, a splash pad, and this:

Giant jumping pads! Seriously, SO much fun.

Here are my tips for a day at Saunders:

There’s an awesome attraction where you can buy a bag of semi-precious stones in sand, and then use a river to “pan” for jewels. This activity costs extra – between $6 and $11.50, depending on the size of bag – and they only take cash. The ice cream stand and grill also only take cash, so bring some money if you don’t want to have to hike back to the entrance to use the ATM.
It’s pretty exposed there so wear sunscreen and hats, and be sure to bring lots of water – you can refill your water bottles at the tap attached to the grill.
The Music Maze has all new instruments this year, and it’s often overlooked because it’s tucked back behind the pedal cars. So make it a point to check it out.
The Mile Maze is as impossible as ever – avoid if you have young children who can’t handle a half-hour trek through a maze. Speaking of which, idea for Mark Saunders: could you post “maps” of your mazes on the website, so we can either look at them after the fact to see just how wrong we were, or print them out and bring them with us just in case we get lost?
If you’re going on a wagon ride, and it hasn’t rained in many days, don’t sit at the front of the wagon by the tractor, as dust sprays up from the wheels. You’ll still be washing it out of your hair days later.
Don’t forget you can bring your own picnic, and their wristband system lets you go out to your car as often as you like so you don’t need to carry around a cooler all day (although some people park their cooler at a picnic table and just establish an internal base of operations, which is okay too).
Ladies who have had children may wish to wear panty protection before going on the jumpers. TMI?

I think that’s it. Have an amazing time – it’s pretty much impossible not to!

Museum of Nature

Here we checked out Whales Tohora, which will only be there until September so visit now while you still can. My kids were surprisingly into this exhibit, it’s fascinating and there’s also a map that leads you to interactive stations where you can learn something and do something fun, too. We also checked out both of their current 3D movies, one about turtles and one about dinosaurs – both were excellent, but both contain at least one “circle of life” moment, so make sure your kids can handle it. The National Geographic photography contest winners are still there – my one daughter is getting into photography and loves it when the winners come out – and we also saw the giant solid gold loonie (the “million dollar coin”) made by the mint (which is at the Museum of Nature…why?).

Anyway, it’s always a great time at the museum and they have a ton of good stuff on right now. Remember that Whales Tohora and the 3D movies cost extra, even for members.

Museum of Civilization

The Little Miss picked this as her destination of choice on her fifth birthday, and it was a surprising good time. I always think that we’ve been there and seen it all, but I forget how much the kids like to just play, and the Children’s Museum is really so big and complex that you can do something different every time. We were only there for three-ish hours but barely touched half of it, and the kids were sad to leave. Right now they also have an interesting exhibit about Queen Elizabeth, and there’s a fake throne that you can sit on with full costumes for a photo op in the afternoons.

Ray’s Reptiles

Here’s another place we’ve been dozens of times, but it’s still always a hit, particularly with Gal Smiley who is recently addicted to the TV show Python Hunters. This year they’ve really changed things up over at the permanent zoo. They have a new off-site warehouse where they keep most of the animals, including the caimans who used to have a huge pen. Where the caiman pen used to be is a brand new, much larger showroom for the hands-on shows and feeding shows that still run every half hour or so. However, the animals they use for the shows are brought over from the warehouse each morning and stay there all day – that means that, show to show, it’s the same set of animals, so the demonstrators don’t have the flexibility to bring out something new for the same crowd, or to bring out a different animal for the feeding show if one of the animals isn’t cooperating. I’m sure they will work out that kink at some point.

In the main section, where there used to be many aquariums with snakes and other animals, they’ve reorganized to display certain animals on a theme. Right now, for example, the theme is venom – most of the animals on display are venomous, and there are lovely display boards that give you interesting facts and explain the science behind venom. In the fall they’ll be changing the focus to camouflage.

So in general: nice new digs, but fewer animals. Still, my kids had a great time. It’s perfect for a two to three hour getaway on a rainy day, or a day when you have some errands to run and want something shorter to fill out the rest of the day.

Movies

With the heat, we’ve been hiding in the movie theatre. We saw Brave (I loved it, I totally cried, my daughters were a bit scared but are now obsessed with archery – thumbs up all around) and Madagascar 3 (hilarious – probably my favourite of the series, we all loved it). Sir Monekypants also broke down and took the Captain, age 9, to see The Avengers. We had classified it as a firmly PG-13 but it seemed like everyone we knew in the world was taking their preschoolers, so Sir Monkeypants decided it would be perfect for a little guys’ afternoon out. Turns out it was, the Captain adored it, only now we have to listen to endless discussions on whether or not the Hulk could lift Thor’s hammer, and whether Captain America would make a better leader than Iron Man. Sigh.

A Gym Tale

We had Little Miss Sunshine’s birthday party here, at her request, and it was OMG SO EASY. I basically did nothing but take photos and eat cake. It’s an indoor playground, where kids can slide, climb, and swing, and then there’s an organized playtime with an obstacle course, parachute, freeze dance, and bubbles. Afterwards, your party host serves lunch (pizza) and cake. We brought in some extra fruit and chips to round out the lunch, as well. Our kids were such slow eaters that there wasn’t time for much of anything else, but we did have a game and some colouring in reserve just in case; we didn’t even have present opening time!

It’s a small play structure and I think the age limit is 9 years old, but any kid between 3 and 9 would have a blast there, really. Aside from birthday parties, you can just drop in for some playtime on the structure or attend one of their day camps. Totally worth it.

We’ve also been the pool daily for swim lessons these past few weeks; been to our local splash pad park and to a wading pool park with a friend in Westboro; spent a weekend at a another friend’s cottage, and hosted a couple of barbecues at the house (featuring: PIES, ME SO HAPPY).

Next post: all about Montreal.

The Tree of Life

On July 30, 2012 By LynnIn TurtleHead4 Comments

I rented The Tree of Life last week. It’s a Terrence Malick film, and they are notoriously obscure and arty and weird and inaccessable, even to the actors who star in them. So it always feels very pretentious to me to say that one actually enjoyed a Terrence Malick film; however, I do like his movies in general, and I really loved The Tree of Life.

Not that I can fully recommend it – see above re: obscure, arty, and weird. I mean, there’s a 15 minute segment near the beginning that is just lovely, if inexplicable, shots of the cosmos and the solar system and giant waves here on Earth. Plus, there’s a small scene of dinosaurs, which is actually pretty cool, but odd.

(I may have fast forwarded through the cosmos shots. I admit nothing.)

What makes the movie magical, however, is the scenes of young family life in Texas in the 1950s. Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain play young parents to three boys, and these scenes are stunningly beautiful and nostalgic and perfectly dreamy.

It’s almost worth owning the movie for this one sequence in particular that traces the first few years of their oldest son’s life. We see his birth, a quiet event full of white sheets and starched nurses; a bassinet near a window with billowing white curtains; feet in tiny white leather shoes taking their first steps. The toddler boy sits on his mother’s lap as they learn the names of animals in a wooden Noah’s Ark set. We see him struggle to crawl up the stairs for the first time; later, his face is full of wonder and interest as he meets his new baby brother.

It’s touching and very, very true, and I just couldn’t believe how easy it was to forget all that. It’s only been five years since I had a baby, but I forget so much. I forget what it’s like to hear your baby babbling and then realizing they are actually telling you something meaningful. I forget the triumph of a little hand finally being able to reach something on the table. I forget the peace – and the total, total exhaustion – of 3 a.m, a rocking chair, and a fussing baby in your arms.

This past weekend we went to Montreal, and on the drive down we passed a minivan pulled over on the highway. The back hatch was open and inside, there was a preschooler sitting on a little potty. We used to do that, travel with a potty in the back seat for highway emergencies. It nestled in there between the playpen and the diaper bag and the box of toys and the suitcase containing three outfits per day, for all of us. Now we can go away for the weekend with a single suitcase and a cooler of car snacks.

Times change.

It’s okay, though. In fact, it’s so okay that I’m pretty cranky these days with Little Miss Sunshine, who just turned five years old but likes nothing better than to pretend to be a baby. “Can I be your baby?” she’ll say, and then she’ll get a wide-eyed, slack-jawed look on her face, say lots of “nyah nyah” and “bip bap.” You’re expected to carry her around, fix her a milk in a sippy cup (we have just one left from the old days), coo and fuss over her. You have to dress her and take her to the potty (“Pretend I am having a diaper change”) and deal with her refusal to talk or understand the things you say to her.

She’ll always be my baby. But really, does she have to be so…babyish?

I’m far enough removed from those baby days that I can look back with weepy-eyed nostalgia and remember the softness of a baby’s hair and the feel of a milk-drunk head passed out on your chest with nothing but dreamy happiness.

But I’m not so far removed that I don’t value the fact that I have an inch of freedom now, days that are just as busy and just as hard, but days when I shouldn’t by rights have to wipe anyone’s butt or wash the 50 different tiny parts of a sippy cup.

My tree of life has grown big, wide, strong. It’s fruit picking time.

Year of Epic – August 4/5/6

On July 26, 2012July 24, 2012 By LynnIn Year of Epic1 Comment

Can you believe we are up to the August long weekend already? Our summer is going really well, although we were all felled by a nasty cold this week which put a damper on the Awesome. Still, we’ve been to some great places with more to come. We’ll be in town for the long weekend and looking to check out some of the epic events that are happening. (As usual, these events are for two weeks out; for this weekend’s slice of epic, see here.)

The biggest party in town is the Rideau Canal Festival, which runs from the 3rd through the 6th. It’s an unusual event in that it offers a lot of different experiences for families. For example, you can register your child here for a class to learn to make stop motion animation using digital software; classes run all day Saturday and Sunday. There will also be Robotics Workshops, Hula Hoop Workshops, tons of arts and crafts, face painting, clowns, penny farthing bike rides, and Pirate Adventure tours – all taking place (or leaving from) Dow’s Lake on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday at Dow’s Lake, there’s bands all day, then fire dancers, a flotilla of lights, and fireworks in the evening. And that doesn’t even mention the events up at the canal near the Bytown Museum, which include musket demonstrations, plenty of bands and dance demonstrations, food trucks, canal tours (of course), rock carving, face painting, and on Monday, an auction of all the stone and wood carvings that were made over the weekend, and a celebration of Colonel By Day all day long at the Bytown Museum. Some things are free, some things cost money, so bring some cash with you – and also consider picking up a festival passport, which gives you access to a lot of festival events and places around downtown for just $20 per family.

Also happening all long weekend: The Busker Festival along Sparks Street. This is one of our favourite events of the year; we like to combine it with a trip to Parliament Hill. Bring lots of loonies and toonies and then just wander along Sparks Street anytime after 11 a.m. on August 2 through 6th. You’ll be dazzled by the wide range of entertainment and there’s always something new just up the block; in the past we’ve seen magicians, jugglers, a strong woman who ripped the telephone book in half, sword swallowers, clowns, and beatboxers.

If downtown sounds like too crazy a scene for you, consider Merrickville’s own Canal Festival, also running all weekend. It’s about an hour’s drive south of Ottawa, and will be a quieter event with bands, a craft show, The Bug Lady, face painting, and a petting zoo.

The Lumiere Festival kicks off its lantern making workshops on the August long weekend. There’s three weeks of lantern making leading up to the big parade of lights on August 18. The workshops are in various places at various times; see here for the schedule. Also, this isn’t really for kids but I include it here because these days, almost every parent is an amateur photographer. The Lumiere Festival is hosting a 24 Hour Photo Marathon, starting Saturday, August 4 at noon. You have to pick up a card, then try to get interesting and original photos of everything on the card within the next 24 hours. Cool!

And that’s it for the long weekend – wishing you great weather and a great civic holiday!

On Squicky

On July 25, 2012July 24, 2012 By LynnIn TurtleHead8 Comments

So a while back I read a post on MamaPop about May-December Romances. It was inspired by the marriage of Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson in Britain – she is 45, and he is 22. They’ve been dating since she was 40 and he was 17, and they now have two kids.

Squicky, or cute? Personally, I think squicky – it’s not just the pure difference in age, it’s the fact that she was his director when they met, which kind of sets up and odd power dynamic, and he was only 17, which, EW.

I am ashamed to admit that I have thought about this issue a LOT, considering there are people out there worried about the environment and world peace and the hunger crisis at home and abroad. But apparently my mind only wants to think about what type of age differences are appropriate for Hollywood stars, and this is a BURNING ISSUE that we must deal with. So be it.

Here is what I am thinking, in terms of guidelines:

If the younger person is less than 18, then the other person better be no more than 20, with no more than a three year age gap, or else I’m bringing out the brass knuckles.

If the younger person is age 18 through 25, then the older person can be up to 10 years older before my squick factor kicks in.

If the younger person is age 25 through 35, then the older person can be up to 15 years older before my squick factor kicks in.

If the younger person is older than 35, then I see them as free to make any adult decision they like, although more than a 35 year age difference really starts to look a little gold digger-ish, you know?

Also, it does not matter to me if the younger party is the woman or the man, but it does (apparently) matter to me if the older person is in a position of job-related power over the younger person.

So by the application of these rules:

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise – got together when she was 27, he was 44; squicky (but close).

Calista Flockhart and Harrison Cruise – got together when she was 36, he was 59; not squicky (but also, close).

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas – got together when she was 29, he was 54; squicky

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – got together when she was 30, he was 42; not squicky

Beyonce and Jay-Z – got together when she was 21, he was 33; sadly, squicky, although by the time they were married they’d moved out of squick territory and I think we can all agree that they are now cute as 10 buttons

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher – got together when he was 26, she was 42; squicky (but surprisingly, just barely)

Amber Tamblyn and David Cross – got together when she was 26, he was 45; squicky

Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart – got together when she was 33, he was 59; squicky (also, it’s Rod Stewart, so it’s possibly just ALWAYS squicky)

Annette Bening and Warren Beatty – no one cares now, but when they started dating she was 33 and he was 54, so that’s squicky

AnnaLynne McCord and Dominic Purcell – got together when she was 24, he was 41, so squicky (she’s closer in age to his 8 year old daughters – maybe that should be an addendum rule; if the younger person is closer in age to the older person’s children, then AUTOMATIC SQUICKY).

Anyone else you want to apply the theory to?

Powerpuff Gone Bad

On July 24, 2012July 24, 2012 By LynnIn TurtleHead4 Comments

The kids and I have been watching The Powerpuff Girls on Retro Teletoon on Saturdays. I loved that show when I was just out of university. Mojo Jojo is HI-larious. When the movie came out, my friend Ruth and I even went to see it in the theatre, without an Excuse Child in tow. The Powepuff Girls are EPIC.

The kids like the show too, but I’m getting kind of worried letting them watch it. It’s not the show itself, it’s the commercials.

Now, I admit that our kids watch a fair bit of TV. But through happy accident, they’ve mostly been sheltered from the world of advertising. They’ve been happy up until now to watch naturally commercial-free stuff, stuff on Treehouse and CBC and Disney Junior and Family. When they do see commercials, it’s usually on sporting events that they’re watching with Sir Monkeypants, so they see ads for cars, soft drinks, and cellular phones. Sometimes I’ll put on a game show while I’m cooking and there will be ads for a zillion different drugs, Medicare-covered electric wheelchairs, and incontinence products. Lately the Captain has started watching the odd episode of The Clone Wars, which has kid-targeted ads for things like Hot Wheels and Beyblades, and that has led to some good conversations about marketing and money management and goal setting.

But the Powerpuff Girls. Ugh. The programmers there really know their audience. All of the ads are targeted squarely at aging women. I guess their research showed that I’m not the only 40-something mom who is sharing the show with their kids.

So what do marketers want to sell to moms? Sure, there was the odd ad for hair dye and wrinkle cream. But 90% of the advertising is for one thing: weight loss. It’s long, two-minute segments from Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and Dr. Bernstein, over and over.

I didn’t think too much of it at first. I’m at a healthy weight and I don’t fuss too much about my diet. My kids are all super duper skinny. It’s not unhealthy, it’s just genetics – both Sir Monkeypants are I were short, scrawny kids, always in the front right corner of every class photo at school. The Captain is 9, and still isn’t close to breaking 50 pounds. Gal Smiley will be 8 in a couple of months, and only hit the weight level to move to a booster seat six months ago. They definitely, definitely do not need to worry about having too much fat.

But the message of the commercials got through, and now they are worried about it. They ask all kinds of questions about what it means to be fat, whether their food has any fat in it, if they themselves are fat. And no amount of reassurance from us will erase all the doubt that they need to be watching their weight, or else they will end up unhappy and ugly.

And of couse, it’s the girls who have taken it most to heart. Is it because the people in the commercials are women? Or because they just worry more about their appearance? I don’t know, but they’re thinking about it. A lot. It’s a little scary.

It’s a struggle for every parent to give their child good self-esteem. To find way to make them really believe that they are beautiful, smart, special, loved. The last thing I need is to be working against direct messages coming from the television, which always seems to speak The Truth to the kids.

So maybe we will invest in some Powerpuff Girls DVDs, but I think that’s the end of our Retro Teletoon adventures. It’s funny, the show itself is kind of about girl empowerment, but the ads are working in direct opposition to that message. I feel like I’ve got enough work on my hands as it is to sort out this mess, too.

Year of Epic – July 28/29

On July 18, 2012July 24, 2012 By LynnIn Year of Epic3 Comments

Wow, where did that week go? We’re having a really good summer but it is just rocketing by. I have so many blog posts to write and yet, sitting outside with a lemonade while the kids spray each other with water guns seems much more pressing, you know what I mean?

(Also urgent: dealing with foot injuries that arise from running on our wheat-white drought-grass, which is like walking on 1000 daggers. A little rain please, Mother Nature?)

Anyway, we’re already around to this week’s Year of Epic post – these events are for the weekend of July 28/29. For stuff happening this weekend, see here.

First, I apologize for the short notice on this one, but the Cirque du Soleil is in town next week, July 24 and 25 at Scotiabank Place. It’s a Michael Jackson themed show and sure to dazzle and amaze your whole family. A few tickets are still available, so act quickly – tickets start at $50 and range up to (eek) $175.

Also starting mid-week next week is Chamberfest. Now the audiences at Chamberfest are highly intolerant of squirmy, question-asking, snack-eating children, and unfortunately, they are not offering their children’s concert series this year. However, there are two specific “bring your kids” concerts advertised as being suitable for ages 8 and up; they are The Heart and Soul of the String Quartet on July 31 and Adventures of the Smoid on August 2. So if you have a little musician in your house, pick up some tickets to either of those shows. Tickets are $22 per person and their website is a nightmare to navigate so I suggest ordering by phone, 613-234-6306.

Friday, July 27 is the first night of the Carleton Outdoor Movie Festival. Films start each night at 9 p.m. in Dundonald Park. There’s some great titles, including Emmanuel’s Gift on the 27th, E.T. on the 28th, The Muppet Movie on August 11, and Iron Man on August 18. See the full schedule here.

Actually on the weekend proper: Saturday, July 28 brings us Pirates: Band of Misfits at Place D’Orleans free Movies Under The Stars series; Sky High Magic puts on a show at the Aviation Museum (free with museum admission); and Watson’s Mill hosts a late night Paranormal Investigation suitable for tough teens aged 14+.

Also on the 28th, Scotiabank Place hosts Steering Towards Hope, a poker run in support of the Kidney Foundation of Canada. I had to wiki “poker run” – it’s a road rally for cars, motorcycles, or trucks, where you have to solve a series of clues, pick up a playing card at each station, and hope you get the best poker hand at the end. In terms of family involvement, you can take the kids out to see the finish of the poker run, and there will also be a show-and-shine (vote for the classic car or truck you think is the most epic), a kids’ zone with bouncy castles and the like, and fire trucks and other large trucks for climbing on. The cost is $35 to take part in the poker run, $10 to enter the show-and-shine, but I think just coming out to watch and cheer is free.

On Sunday, July 28, Club S.O.C.C.A. hosts Kites for Cancer at Petrie Island in the east end. Buy a kite for $10, then hang around for games, bands, and a Carribean food picnic. Also on Sunday, the Ottawa Fury women’s team hosts the finals for the Canada-wide W-League Championship. There will be four teams playing, one from each division – including the Ottawa Fury themselves, as they finished first in the Central Division. The third place team playoff is at 1 p.m. and the final-final is at 4 p.m.; I’m not sure how you get tickets to this event, so if you figure it out, let me know.

Looking into the following week, starting Wednesday, August 1, Odyssey Theatre along with Rag and Bone Puppet Theatre present A Promise is a Promise, a dramatic retelling of the renowned Robert Munsch book. The shows are outside, in Strathcona Park, at 1 p.m. every Wednesday in August. You can pick up tickets on their website, or at the box office an hour before the show; tickets are $10 adults, $5 kids.

August 1 is also the first Wednesday for two regular Wednesdays-in-August series: Super Sleuthing at the Cumberland Village Heritage Museum ($10 per child on top of museum admission; ages 6-14) and Archeology Digs at Billings Estate ($6 per child on top of museum admission).

Can you believe we’re talking about August already? I already feel sad about it. In any case, have a good weekend!

Upcoming requiring tickets:
Aug 8-11: Peter Pan at Centrepointe
Sept 7: Big Time Rush at Scotiabank Place

Year of Epic – July 21/22

On July 12, 2012July 12, 2012 By LynnIn Year of Epic1 Comment

First, a lighning quick Summer of Awesome update. We went to Saunders Farm this week and it was as awesome as ever – I had to drag the kids away after almost seven hours of fun in the sun. One tip I have over last year: bring refillable water bottles, and refill them often at the fresh water tap that is just outside the Farmer’s Table restaurant. We filled ours at least six times throughout the day. Hydration, people! [End PSA.]

And now, on to the events for next weekend. Events for this weekend, July 14/15, (cutting it close, though!) are here.

July 21 and 22 is Railway Weekend at the Science and Tech Museum. Besides taking a ride in a real steam train, you can take a look inside the big engine that sits out front of the museum, plus there will be special train-based tours and crafts inside. Regular museum admission applies, plus there’s an extra $2 per person ticket requried to ride the steam train (get your tickets inside when you pay for admission).

If you’re really into trains, you can hit the Science Museum on Saturday, then head to the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum for their own train day on Sunday, July 22. There you can also do train-related crafts and activities, then ride a real steam engine (weather permitting, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.). Regular museum admission applies.

In the mood for a fair? The Almonte Fair is on all next weekend and features the usual midway rides, vendors, crafts, and of course, a tractor pull. Sweet! It’s a bit of a drive – 45 minutes from downtown – but should be a fun time if you live in the west end. See the full schedule of events here. Admission is $10 for anyone over 12 and it’s open from 8 a.m. through 10 p.m. on Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

And if you’re willing to drive to Almonte, may as well go all the way to Osgoode, and check out Pioneer Day at the Osgoode Township Museum. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 21st, it features a classic car show, BBQ, bouncy castles, cake, crafts, and shows like Ray’s Reptiles – plus a strawberry social (YUMMY). There’s no charge for admission but the food and some of the activities cost money. The museum is technically in Vernon, by the way, which is about a 50 minute drive south of downtown Ottawa, taking Bank Street all the way.

In artsier things, the Place D’Orleans free Movie Under the Stars for July 21 is The Muppets. Over at the Bytown Museum, the first of weekly performances by Ottawa Storytellers is on Thursday, July 19 – it’s free with admission.

If you have a talented teenager, they may be interested in entering the Kwanis Idol competition. Tryouts begin the July 21/22 weekend at Merivale Mall from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and there’s a $20 entry fee.

Offbeat and super cool kids might enjoy seeing the Rideau Valley Roller Girls kick some ass at the Four-Wheel Fury Double Header at the Barbara Ann Scott Arena, on Saturday, July 21. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and kids under 10 are free (buy your tickets here). Doors open at 6 p.m. (Thanks to FameThrowa for the tip off on this one!)

Lastly, the Ottawa Fat Cats have their last two home games next weekend, at 7:05 p.m. on the Saturday and 1:05 p.m. on the Sunday. Tickets are $12 adults, $6 for children aged 6-12, and can be purchased via the links at the bottom of this page.

That’s it – have a great weekend!

Upcoming requiring tickets:
Chamberfest kid-friendly concerts on July 26 and Aug 2
A Promise is a Promise at Odyssey Theatre on July 26
Big Time Rush at Scotiabank Place on September 7