Mo' from Po-Ho

Yes, it was more fun in Port Hope today. Seems like Lee and the lads have been living close by forever. Tonight when we left there, Sam called out to Evy, "Goodbye sweetheart!". Heelarious.

So, the day started out with second breakfast (that's elevensies to some of you) featuring some of the concord grape jelly I made last night. Praise jojoba, it actually set. Unlike my blueberry jam, but I digress.

Tummies full, we set out to walk along the river (stream? creek?) to catch a final glimpse of the last salmon making their way upstream. We saw a few GIANT ones and were quite impressed. They are tenacious to say the least. I think next year I'll start a taxi service to get them up the rapids... seriously, it made me weary just watching them.



Then, it was time to walk downtown for a very yummy but seriously noisy and chaotic lunch. I wasn't surprised when one table sat next to us and then promptly got up and went to sit outside. There was chocolate milk drama, there was straw drama, there was pizza drama. Full bellies once again, we strolled the downtown and then headed home for naptime. 2 kids and one adult had a nap. I'll let you guess who.

Refreshed and revitalized, it was time to venture out again. Sam prefers to push the stroller - look for his fingers, and Charley needed to be reminded a few times not to crush Evy's hand. He's a very vigourous hand-holder:



We made the most of the playground from one end to the other, and Evy and Sam enjoyed being superbabies on the swings. Charley enjoyed sniffing his sock and pretending to be an elephant. Yes, kids are weird:





After well over an hour of fun at the park, it was time for yet more refreshments while taking in some entertainment in the form of the jazz festival:



And thusly inspired by the crazy tunes, some dancing was in order:




Phew! After all that, it was time to wander on home and have some dinner. And I know it sounds like all we did was walk and eat, but they cancelled each other out. I have no doubt Evy will sleep at least 13 hours tonight. And if I go to bed RIGHT now, I might be able to squeak in ten!

Another Fair to remember

The Port Hope Fall fair is one of the best in Ontario. It's a manageable size, the crowds aren't crazy, there is lots of fun stuff to see and do, and the animals are amazing! (We especially loved the goats this year, though the giant clysedale horsies are pretty cool too).

And now that the formerly-Ottawa branch of the fam is living in Port Hope, it's even MORE fun!

We set off last Sunday on a '10-outta-10' gorgeous fall day. Four adults, three kids = a good ratio. Supplies packed, extra money for the ridiculously expensive rides, and a plethora of snacks.

The theme for this year's fair was 'Corn is King' which I find totally hilarious for some reason:



First stop (after checking out the antique tractors and running the gauntlet of carnies) was, of course, the rides! Sam preferred to be a spectator for this portion of the day, but Evy and Charley couldn't get enough:





The good thing about the Fair is that it's fun for adults too, especially the spinny strawberry ride:



After about $40 worth of ride tickets were used up, it was time for some lunch. Fall Fair's finest - fries, onion rings, hot dawgs, and icecream. Evy and Sam enjoyed feeding each other treats:



After refueling with adequate amounts of greasy food, it was time to visit the animals. First stop was the dog agility course, where everyone, especially Charley, found hilarity in their crazy canine shenanigans:



The goats were just like frisky puppies and other than consistently trying to eat Evy's hat, they were the highlight of the day:



Although, the pony rides were extremely fun, especially for horse-crazy Evy who will no doubt within the year be begging daddy to buy her a pony:





So, that's the mini-recap of what was 5 hours of pure fun. Thanks to Lee, Chris and the boys for being such great company. Can't wait 'til next year! (Maybe potatoes will be king next year? Or rutabegas?!)

Super sliding

Ah, friends. What can I say to excuse a 20-day absence? I've got lots of reasons - the camera was lost in the backseat of the car for a few days. Work is busy. Life is busy. I'm addicted to the latest season of Mad Men and that damn fabulous philandering Don Draper is keeping me occupied with TV.

The blog posts may have dried up, but there's certainly still lots of fun going on. Including a lot of serious quality time with the cousins. Charley calls Evy his baby sister. And, I think Sam calls Evy his girlfriend. We'll worry about the logistics of those particular familial faux-pas when they're a little older. But in the meantime, they are truly and madly enjoying each other's company.




Off to the Peterborough Farmer's Market this morning. It's grape-jelly-making time! Woot woot! Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Cape Breton, the recap (finally!)

Here, finally after much delay, is the recap from our weekend in Cape Breton. Twas a trip of highs (just the most beautiful scenery, lovely wedding, fun drives through mini tree-covered misty mountains) and lows (taking wrong suitcase at airport, car sickness, power outage). All in all, it certainly was an adventure!

Strangely enough, this is the exact expression
Rob has on his face when flying (especially wtih Air Canada)

Waiting for the Englishtown Ferry. Nice that they

provide equine entertainment for rowdy 2-year-olds

Hanging on the beach pre-wedding
(What a great spot to tie the knot!)

Jeff & Pam say "I do" in the fastest (and therefore best)

2-minute wedding ceremony ever

The groom and his lovely pack of siblings

Post dinner s'more fest on the beach - great way to end the day

Family portrait on the beautiful Cabot Trail

We'd very much like to go back to Cape Breton in the future - maybe with less chaos next time, and when we're able to be there for more than 3 days. But it was a lovely introduction to a beautiful part of Canada and we're grateful that we were able to be there for the wedding.

Sigh, and now it's fall (almost!). Cold weather coming. No trips to look forward to. Even Thanksgiving (with its over-abundance of pies) seems very far away. One bright note, Rob and I celebrate 6 years of wedded bliss this Saturday! Time sure flies! Happy last days of summer, everyone!

Best buds

So the cousins are now 23 minutes away (vs the former 3 hours and 23 minute commute). I am delighted, but I think that someone is even more excited than me (if that's even possible.) We had dinner there last week and then again last night, and all Evy can talk about are her two big fabulous cousins.

There was lots of shenanigans and tomfoolery and no doubt she's learned a dozen new naughty tricks from those rowdy boys, but I wouldn't have it any other way. (And no doubt she taught them a thing or two as well).

I'm now predicting an annual photo of the three little stooges at this front door. Maybe someday Evy will be taller than them. (Who knows?? It COULD be possible!)