Year of Epic – June 16/17

On By LynnIn Year of Epic1 Comment

The school year is winding down and I’m starting to think about our Summer of Awesome plans. I’ll be posting my list of summer activities soon, which includes both scheduled events like shows and festivals, and do-anytime events like museums and beaches.

One of the things that is on my list every year, and yet we never do it, is strawberry picking. The season always arrives and then goes before I’m even aware of it. This year the season is even earlier than usual because of the unusually warm weather we had back in March. Some pick-your-own places are already open, so I wanted to mention it here in case it’s on your own Summer of Awesome list. I hope to be heading out to Dekok’s Berry Farm soon, as it is already open; there’s also Shouldice’s three locations and Proulx Farm which will be opening soon.

Now, let’s talk Year of Epic. Here’s the activities for Ottawa for next weekend, June 16/17 (activities for this coming weekend, June 9/10, are here).

Saturday, June 16 marks opening day for Ottawa’s Beaches. At the moment we are experiencing some unusually rainy and cool weather here in Ottawa, let’s hope everything suns up a bit by next weekend.

Saturday is family day at the Festival Franco-Ontarien. There will be unusually creative face painting, circus acts and buskers, and an interactive music show at 10:30 a.m. Everything takes place at Major’s Hill Park between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; cost is $10 per person, children under 12 free. (Also, I assume it is all in French.)

Saturday is also the Caravibe Beach Festival out at Petrie Island in Orleans, starting at noon. There will be a parade and street party; tons of food and music; and bouncy castles and climbers for the kids. It’s basically a huge party celebrating Carribean culture, which makes it virtually impossible to not have fun. Children under 12 are free; adults are $15.

The June 16/17 weekend is the second weekend for the Italian Festival in Little Italy (along Preston Street north of Carling). Last weekend I didn’t mention it because there weren’t too many kid activities, but this weekend there are two events of interest. First, on the Sunday, there’s a bike race, and after years of being forced to watch the Tour de France around here, our kids actually enjoy a good bike race. It’s called the Preston Street Crit and I believe there are some kid races too. Second, on both the Saturday and the Sunday it’s the Ottawa Ferrari Festival, where you can go and see lots and lots of Ferraris. Luigi would be in heaven.

The Fringe Festival starts on June 14, and this year they are having two weekend drama camps for kids to help parents who would like to attend the show. The first camp is on Saturday, June 16 and the next is the following Saturday. It’s for ages 5 to 10; you can pre-register or drop-in register (if space remains) from 1 to 1:30 p.m. The kids will create an original play between 1:30 and 5 p.m., then perform it for their returning parents. The cost is $10 per child (or free if you have a Fringe pass).

Whew, my wrists are cramping up! Time for the speed round.

Saturday: Sporty kids might want to check out the Baxter All Terrain Kids Triathalon (for ages 4 through 19), or the Junior Athletic Competition hosted by Max Keeping at St. Patrick’s School (registration required). For the less sporty, June 16 is also the date of MegaFort at the War Museum, where kids are invited to build a massive fort all day long using Lego and Duplo (included with museum admission). Fort-building continues on the Sunday, as well.

Sunday: It’s Father’s Day! Celebrate with the Father’s Day Antique Car Show at Billings Estate (included with museum admission) or the Missiles and Gadgets Show at the Diefenbuker. There’s also the War of 1812 Celebration at the Goulbourn Museum, featuring games and reenactments, or the June Jive at Fairfields (Nepean Museum), featuring music, dancing, and instrument making. Lastly for Sunday, June 17, it’s the last Kinderconcert of the year at the NAC – All Aboard to Planet Alloy, a sweet and short little concert for very young children with both English and French presentations.

Upcoming and requiring tickets:
June 20-23 – PSY Circus/dance show at NAC (older kids)
June 22-24 – Singalong Grease at the Bytown Theatre

Have a great weekend!

Art in the Park

On By LynnIn TurtleHead5 Comments

So, remember a couple of weeks ago when I warned parents not to take their kids to the New Art Festival (aka Art in the Park), because it’s just a lot of boring walking and shopping? I totally took mine! Isn’t one of the circles of hell reserved for those who can’t take their own advice?

Actually, it did not turn out too badly. I announced that I was going down to the park and both girls said they wanted to come. So I warned them, repeatedly and with vehemence, that there was going to be a lot of walking and shopping, and quite likely it would all be in the rain as it was pouring out. And I set up some ground rules, that there was to be a) NO complaining about being bored, and b) NO constant asking for snacks.

They agreed, and for the most part, stuck to the plan, and I was pretty impressed with them. The three of us actually had a really nice time traipsing through the park looking at art.

And also, shopping! Yay, shopping!

Last year, Sir Monkeypants and I were hoping to acquire some actual art for our house. We are both really depressed about the state of our house, since after seven years of living here we still have almost exclusively builder paint and builder light fixures, plus other than kids’ furniture, one couch, and one dining room table, we are still living with the mish mash of furniture that we had back in university. Neither of us really has the time or interest in beautifying our home, however, we are both sad and despairing about the ugliness of our home, so you can see, it is not a good situation.

Anyway, for a while now we have both been saying it would be nice to have some “real” art, instead of just prints from IKEA and Disney posters on the walls, but the two of us have widely differing taste in art so it’s almost impossible for us to agree on something. Last year we ended up seeing a couple of things we liked, but they were expensive and Sir Monkeypants and I are not only weak at home decorating, we are also cheap, so we balked.

And then we regretted it all year long, so this year, I was determined to BUY SOMETHING, for the love.

So, the purchases! This first one is by local artist Anne Remmer Thompson. It is called Lazy, Lazy Day.

The picture does not do justice to the fabulous blues in there. Also, the sand of the beach includes real sand! Cool.

Story behind this one: Sir Monkeypants saw one just like it last year at Anne’s booth and really liked it, and I thought it was nice too, which usually for us means BUY NOW, because these kinds of intersections of taste don’t happen often. But of course we couldn’t quite bring ourselves to part with the money, and plus we had three cranky screaming complaining kids in tow, so we decided to think about. Then I got it in my head that this painting would look great over our bed, and I would use it to create a beach-themed bedroom, and I even went so far as to create a Pinterest board on that subject. But by the time I decided to just Do It, Already, I called Anne up and it had been lent out on a rental program.

So I gave Anne my info and she said she’d call me if/when it came back from the rental contract, but eventually she called me to let me know that the contract had been renewed and it didn’t look like the painting was coming back any time soon.

Then, this week, for the art festival she painted a new one (yay!) but had lost my contact info (boo!), but then I went the show anyway (yay!) and it was still there (yay yay!) and I bought it (yay yay yay!). So now it’s hanging over our bed, and the rest of the beach-themed room will hopefully happen before I DIE, Jesus Lynn, get the lead out already.

And that’s not even all the art I bought. I saw lots of art I really loved, but I knew just would not be Sir Monkeypants’ thing (special shout out to Sue McNenly, who I ADORE, and will be on my wish list forever). But one artist I loved so much, I knew I had to have something of hers even if it was going to have to go in some back corner of the house (and actually, it is going over my new desk where I work all day, so, AWESOME).

The artist is Lison Salois and she is amazing. This one is called Encore De La Mouille, which I think means “it’s raining again.”

Love it. I’m so pleased!

Overall, a fabulous trip to the park. Now if only I could get my house in shape, we’d be all good.

Mushroom Clouds

On By LynnIn TurtleHead10 Comments

A few nights ago I saw a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in a few years, and discovered she is pregnant. It’s her first child and I was super happy for her, it’s great news.

Also, I think I showed amazing restraint in that I asked only a few questions about her plans and totally did not offer any advice. At all! I know! No horror stories of births gone wrong, no tales about stitches and swollen legs, no warnings to “sleep now, because you’ll need it!” I was all rosy cheeked and happy and supportive – as one should be.

It was extra hard because we were getting together for the purpose of planning a reunion that we’ll be co-hosting on the August long weekend here in Ottawa. And her due date is just 10 days before the reunion.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Okay, I admit, all mothers are different, all babies are different, and every combination isn’t exactly like my own situation. Some moms are made of tougher stuff than I, and are able to attend social events with a week-old baby. I myself definitely could have done it with Gal Smiley – her birth was a breeze, and I was an old hat at motherhood by then, nothing phased me. Even Little Miss Sunshine, who was a C-section, was a pretty easy addition to the household and I was up and about after a couple of weeks of recovery.

But the Captain. Oh, the Captain.

Nothing against him – from all accounts he was a pretty easy baby and we had a relatively easy time with the breastfeeding and diapering and all that. But our first baby was still such a huge, epic, massive change to our lives, something no book or movie or anecdote from a friend can prepare you for. Women often spend a lot of time worrying about and preparing for the birth, which I totally understand, but then it can be quite a shock when they hand you a living, breathing, screaming, pooping baby a few seconds after labour is over and you realize you have absolutely no idea what you are doing.

Our friends would ask us how we were doing those first few weeks, and Sir Monkeypants and I used to say in all seriousness that it was like having a bomb go off in your house. The whole world was changed, destroyed, and we were fighting to deal with the fallout. There was a massive range of emotion that we were unprepared for. There was an incredible amount of stress as we zoomed up the steepest learning curve of our lives.

I pretty much spent the first four weeks after the Captain was born either a) crying in the nursing chair with my shirt open, b) sitting in the rocker in front of the TV with a sleeping baby in my lap, with my shirt open, crying, or c) sitting gingerly on a massive pillow at the table while I tried to shovel muffins in my mouth, with my shirt open, crying. I don’t think either the Captain or myself wore anything other than pajamas for the first six weeks.

And the first time I had to take him out of the house – gah. It took me an hour and a half to pack up and get ready, to arrange his sleep schedule to fit into the right break, to make sure he was changed, fed, changed again. To pack a bag with a hundred diapers and wipes and changes of clothes and everything else I might need in case of a post-nuclear winter. Eventually I got to the point where I had a diaper bag packed and ready to go by the door, and I could grab it and the baby and be out the door in 15 or 20 minutes. But those first few times required planning and packing on the scale of an Everest expedition, and made it clear that the days of cavalierly dashing out the door were behind us.

Of course there was good stuff too. There’s the way they change every single day, the way they make eye contact with you in a way that makes you feel like the most important person on earth. The way they smell and the way they cuddle right into you with no hesitation and the way their little socks are so so adorable. But even that stuff changes you, and instead of being able to have conversations about work and movies and politics with people at, say, a reunion, all you want to talk about is your birth story and how your baby made the cutest little smile yesterday and how their poop was shaped like the Eiffel Tower, which you think is a sign of sure genius.

It changes you, parenthood does.

So while I do admire my friend for planning to attend three days’ worth of dinners and boat cruises and city tours with her week-old baby – I really had to bite my tongue not to issue any warnings. And maybe she will take it all in stride, and everything will be super easy, and she’ll throw on some pre-pregnancy clothes, toss the newborn in a sling, and party the night away.

But I’m thinking the bomb exploding is the more likely scenario. Good luck, honey.

Year of Epic – June 9/10

On By LynnIn Year of Epic4 Comments

Thanks so much for everyone who left a comment supporting these posts, You’re all epic – epic like a cheetah, man.

What’s up in Ottawa next weekend? SO FREAKIN’ MUCH. (For info on stuff going on this weekend, see here.)

The biggest event for June 9/10 is WestFest. What started as a community get-together has ballooned into such a big event, I don’t know how the organizers handle it all. Confession: we have actually never been to WestFest before because I’m just terrified of the parking situation. However, that’s really no excuse because there’s so much to see and do – and it’s all free. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, there will be multiple bands, authors, and slam poets performing, including headliner and Canadian legend Steven Page. In the streets, there will be booths hosted by various companies, featuring bouncy castles, balloon animals, musical acts, visual art displays, and prize giveaways.

In theatre next weekend, Two Rivers Musical Productions presents Fiddler on the Roof at Arnprior District High School from June 7-9 (adults $15, youth $10). 9th Hour Theatre Company is putting on The Secret Garden, a beloved book from my youth, at The Gladstone Theatre from June 6-10 (tickets range from $16 to $29). Also, Kanata Theatre Youth presents Beauty and the Beast Jr. on stage at the Ron Maslin Playhouse on June 8 and 9 (all tickets $5).

Saturday, June 9 is also the date of the annual CHEO BBQ, a fun outdoor sporty event held at Shefford Park. You can register a team for the ultimate frisbee or beach volleyball tournaments (players must be 16+). For families and kids, there’s a 5K walk (parents are $20, kids are free, register everyone here). There’s also a family zone featuring games and crafts, and performances by Radical Science, Ray’s Reptiles, and OH MY GOD, Yaki. Yaki is a local singer of children’s songs, and he played at every single one of my kids’ JK classes at school, and they ADORE him, he is HUGE over here. We may have to go just to see him. And get an autograph, OF COURSE.

If your kids can handle a bit of a late night, the Mosaika Show is running next week on Parliament Hill. I think it’s some kind of music/lasers/fireworks type event. Usually this show runs in late July and August, but this year they are having a special June presentation for one week only, June 5 – 13 (excepting the 8th and 9th), at 10 p.m. Kay, that’s pretty late. But I hear it’s amazing. Maybe if we all nap? In any case, the show is free so if you don’t make it to the end, it’s not as big a deal.

Lastly, the Mothercraft Touch-A-Truck event runs on the Sunday, June 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the parking lot at Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre. It’s a really fun morning for kids that love really big vehicles – there’s everything from 18 wheelers to emergency vehicles to army trucks to the bookmobile. Kids are free to climb inside most of the trucks and there can be an awful lot of horn honking going on, so be sure to warn small kids with sensitive ears that it’s going to be noisy. Inside the mall they have things like balloon animals, face painting, and 4x4s to drive around a small track. The cost is $6 per person, and last year things like the face painting were asking for additional donations.

Upcoming and requiring tickets/registration:

June 16 – Baxter All Terrain Kids Triathalon (for kids aged 4-19)
June 19 and 26 – Ottawa Fringe Festival (has a new kids camp on the Saturday afternoons, so shop for your own tickets to shows on these days now)
June 17 – All Aboard to Planet Alloy kinderconcert at the NAC

Just Curious

On By LynnIn Year of Epic11 Comments

These past couple of weeks I’ve been worried that the Year of Epic posts are clogging up my blog feed with a lot of junk that is not interesting to those outside Ottawa, and perhaps not even interesting to those inside Ottawa.

So, just wondering – do you like them? Want to keep them and see more? Or could you take them or leave them? Want me to move them to a separate blog stream?

Let me know!

Shrinkage

On By LynnIn TurtleHead10 Comments

So here’s what happened. Our laundry room is the same room as our mud room, so there’s usually shoes scattered around on the floor. Yesterday I did a load of sheets and towels, and I put the dirty laundry on the floor for a moment while I took some wet stuff out of the washer. Then I picked up the load and put it in the washer and washed it on warm; later I moved it wholesale (I was rushed) into the drier where it was dried on medium.

When I was taking the clean laundry out of the dryer I discovered a shoe had gone through the load.

It was one of Gal Smiley’s crocs. I laughed because it was kind of funny and fitting for my scatterbrained, hurried kind of day. But I figured crocs are fully waterproof and indestructible, so no harm, no foul, right? If anything, she had a nice clean shoe. So I put it back in her cubby with the other one.

Then, later that day…Gal Smiley tried to put her shoes on, and complained that they no longer fit. Turns out this happened:

Shrunken Croc\

WHA???

Did you know that crocs, apparently, shrink when exposed to heat?

Here’s a shot of the underside so you can see that both of these shoes are supposed to be the same size. SUPPOSEBLY, as Joey Tribbiani would say.

Shruken croc, again

The smaller one now is even too small for Little Miss Sunshine, which means the shrunken croc shrunk over two sizes down. That is a LOT of shrinkage. I can’t believe that I have never heard about this danger before.

Poor Gal Smiley is like one of the cranky stepsisters. No matter how she shoves, her foot ain’t getting in there.

Her foot don't fit!

So sadly, I think we have no choice but to invest in a new pair, and for me to be a little more careful about what’s getting scooped into the laundry. In the meantime, if anyone has a kid with really, really small feet, I’d be happy to shrink the other one for you and create a matched set.

Edited to add: Apparently this shrinkage thing is a known issue, but some people actually use it to their advantage by purposely heating their crocs, wearing them warm, and letting them shrink up until they are custom moulded to their feet. Who knew?

Year of Epic – June 2/3

On By LynnIn Year of Epic3 Comments

Isn’t New York supposed to be the city that never sleeps? Apparently, once Victoria Day hits, Ottawa takes over the mantle. I guess we just want to make the most of the blink-of-your-eye summer. In any case, every time I think I’m going to make a “quick post” about what’s on next weekend, I find there are about 1000 things to write about. Jeez, Ottawa, slow it down a little!

Anyway.

Here’s what’s going on next weekend, June 2/3. For info on what’s happening this coming weekend, see here.

One of Ottawa’s biggest festivals, the Ottawa International Children’s Festival, starts on May 30 and runs through June 3. There are a ton of plays and performances going on – you can buy tickets for specific shows on their website. But even if you haven’t bought tickets for a sit-down play, you can just wander over to the festival grounds at Lebreton Flats Park and catch lots of fun stuff, like buskers, face painting, story telling, crafts, and bike riding. There’s lots to see and do; it’s well worth checking out.

Also next weekend is one of my all-time favourite Ottawa events – Doors Open. You can get behind-the-scenes access to dozens of city-owned and heritage buildings that are otherwise not open to the public. We’ve been to the city’s traffic control building and its water treatment plant; you can see everything from churches to yacht clubs to radio stations to the Central Archives. COOL. Now, here I have to admit that there’s quite an educational component to Doors Open and my kids are sometimes, shall we say, LESS than appreciative. But I adore this event, and every year my husband limits me to just one location so I spend hours thinking about which special place will win my heart this year. Word to the wise: although the event is on both Saturday and Sunday, many buildings only participate on the Saturday, so check the website carefully for days and times. Oh, and it’s all free.

Also all next weekend: Orleans Festival, featuring bands, carnival rides, artisans, food samples from local restaurants, and free stuff for kids including bouncy castles, crafts, face painting, and OH MY GOD, meet your favourite princess on Saturday! That’s a win right there. The action takes place in and around the Shenkman Arts Centre.

Or, you can spend the weekend at the New Art Festival, which used to be called Art in the Park and will be so to me until the DAY I DIE. I dragged my family to this last year because I am determined to get some real art in here, instead of just posters of Lightning McQueen. However, it was a bit of a bust because it was very hot, there was very little shade, and it’s basically a shopping mall set up in a park and our kids were super bored. There are some spontaneous musical performances, snack locations, and even some cute crafts on sale that our kids could spend their pocket money on. But still, I would recommend this for an older pre-teen or teenage crowd who is interested in shopping. (Stupid children.)

Dear Lord. I’m less than halfway through the list and I’ve already written 1000 words. Time for the speed round!

Saturday: Spend the day learning about bike repair and decorating your bike at Capital Velo Fest, then older kids and families can join in on Tour La Nuit, a car-free bike ride through city streets ($20 for adults for the Tour La Nuit, preregistration requried). If you’re a dad (or mom) who has a motorcycle, you can sign up for The Ride for Dad, a tour through the city to fundraise for prostate cancer; if you don’t have a ride of your own, perhaps your little motorcycle lover would like to just come out and watch. Watson’s Mill in Manotick is open as part of Doors Open, but is also celebrating Dickinson Days with a parade on Friday, and crafts and trade demonstrations throughout the weekend. Lastly, if you have a baby or are expecting one soon, you’ll probably want to check out Infant Information Day, a free event put on by the city featuring a variety of classes, sessions, and company displays at South Fallingbrook Community Centre.

Sunday: Visit the Enchanted Tea Party at the RA Centre – pick any time between 11am to 5pm to start your hour-and-a-half long adventure through several activity stations. The $20 ticket price for kids includes various games, crafts, performances, and a tea party finish; adults cost $10 for just the tea party. All proceeds go to the Children’s Wish Foundation. Or, enter your (slightly) older kids in the Pokemon tournament put on by toy store Toys On Fire – it’s apparently an “officially sanctioned” tournament so I guess if you’re looking to raise a professional Pokemon-er, this is your first step. The entry fee is $5 and there will be prizes (and, presumably, GLORY). Personally, I am super excited about the Classic Auto Show in the Byward Market, because I love old cars and my son does too.

And now I have to go lie down and gather my strength, because heavens, there is a LOT of can’t miss stuff going on out there. Whew!

Cutisms

On By LynnIn TurtleHead13 Comments

I just love the way my three kids use the word “versus” as a verb. Do your kids do this?

Like, the Captain might say, “Remember when the Ottawa Senators were versing the New York Rangers?”

Or Gal Smiley might say, “You know that kid John from school? My soccer team was versing his team on Monday.”

Or Little Miss Sunshine might say, “I want to play that video game where Dora is versing Swiper.”

SO cute. Every time one of the three of them has soccer, we just know it’s going to come up. Sir Monkeypants and I wait on the edge of our seats and as soon as one of them says “We were versing the red team,” we can’t help but giggle a little bit in delight. Unfortunately our big smiles have clued the older kids in to the fact that something here is not right. I think the Captain in particular is in danger of losing this particular tic, which is sad.

Also cute: Little Miss Sunshine calls Firefox “Terry Fox.” She will come over to my computer, which has a Firefox icon in the bottom left, and point to it and say, “Is that your Terry Fox?” Or she’ll see me working on a website and say, “Are you using your Terry Fox?” Or she’ll ask, “Can I play video games on your Terry Fox?” SO CUTE.

And here’s another little peek inside the four-year-old mind: she has somehow blended Little Caesars with Tim Hortons and some book she read that had a character called Tiny Tim, and now when she wants pizza for dinner she asks for “Tiny Tim for dinner.” That one took us a while to figure out. We try to use it with a straight face but rarely pull it off.

It’s almost like we have our own little secret language. I love it!

Year of Epic – May 26/27

On By LynnIn Year of Epic2 Comments

I’m mired down in Blog Out Loud stuff this week, so hopefully a quicker post than usual. These are the events for NEXT weekend, the 26/27. If you’re looking for stuff going on this weekend, the Victoria Day weekend, see here.

Next weekend is the Gloucester Fair, one of the bigger fairs in town. Dudes, there will be barrel racing. And bull riding. And monster trucks. How could you possibly resist? An all-day pass is $20, $14 for shrimps under 42 inches.

On Saturday, it’s the Great Glebe Garage Sale, legend in this town for people who want to score deals. A lot of kids enjoy a good garage sale – as long as they have a little pocket money of their own to spend. Be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen and carpool if you can.

Also on Saturday, it’s the Monster Truck Spectactular at Scotiabank Place. I can actually hear this show from my house, and I live halfway across town. It’s a can’t-miss for the vehicle lovers in your house – just make sure to bring earplugs, or better yet, those big headphone-like ear protectors (which actually, are the #1 draw for our own kids – screw the machines, we get to wear ear phones!). Tickets are $22 to $36.

Next weekend is also Ottawa Marathon weekend (didn’t this used to be called the National Capital Race Weekend?). I think it’s too late to register but it is a ton of fun going out to see the racers. Our kids really like watching the marathoners come in to the finish line and there’s also a small area of vendors and food kiosks to check out. You can get info on the best places to watch here.

If you’re into water sports instead, MEC is putting on Paddlefest down at Mooney’s Bay Park. Most events are free, including canoe races, boat exhibits, and on-land paddle training. You can also pay $10 for an on-water clinic.

If you’d prefer something artier, there’s plenty of plays going on next weekend. You can catch Young Frankenstein at Centrepointe (likely for older kids only, thanks to a few slightly raunchy jokes and a ticket price of $90, eep); The King and I at St. Paul’s High School ($25 adults, $15 kids), or see Circle Mirror Transformation at the GCTC as part of their Playtime program (parents watch the play at 3:30 p.m., while kids are supervised for crafts and games, $31.25 per adult ticket).

Lastly, the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum is having its Rural Roots festival next weekend. For museum entry ($18 per family) you can help them plant their gardens, watch demonstrations of heritage farm equipment, and if weather permits, take a ride on a scale model steam train.

Upcoming and requiring tickets:
May 30 to June 3 – Ottawa International Children’s Festival
June 8/9 – Beauty and the Beast at Ron Maslin Playhouse in Kanata