ottawa

We spent long week-end in Ottawa, taking in the sights, sitting outdoors on sunny patios, going to a friend's wedding, and thanks to a great "hotwire" deal, swimming in the hotel pool for hours and hours at a time. Kaspar outlasted us all, having spent 3 hours (nearly two with me and the last hour and a half with Steve) in the pool at one time! He's getting to be a decent swimmer, I must admit.

The biggest surprise for me was the war museum (not counting the surprise our friends sprung upon us by literally getting married on the patio of the university pub!!!), which I had never seen (I am talking about the War museum now) and turned out to be an absolutely astounding, gorgeous piece of architecture! We spent some time there, walking around, exploring and enjoying the gorgeous warm temperature. Stella even found some dandylions :-) It felt more like spring, then fall... if one ignored the bright yellow and red trees everywhere.

On the way home we went pumpkin hunting. It turned out that all the pumpkin farms, the places that actually advertised "pumpkin picking" for the kids, were actually more like little Halloween entertainment one-stop-shops with petting zoo's and haunted houses and scary stories, face painting and bands, rides and hay rides and you name it.... they had it all. Best of all they all seemed to have 18$ - 20$ per person entrance fee!?! All we wanted was a couple of pumpkins. Or should I say -  All I WANTED was a couple of pumpkins? The strange part is that most of them did not even sell pumpkins!!! The good thing was that at 4 pm pretty much all of them were closing for the day or about to close for the day any minute and that was enough to talk the kids out of going in. Of course, my line was pretty much the: "There is no way I am paying 80$ for the family to enjoy this entertainment for ONE hour or LESS!" I know, I know.... absolutely nasty of me.

In then end, though, we got a hold of our friends Sue and Jeff at the farm (they run an organic farm in the area and have AMAZING VEGGIES!!! Just like the stuff I used to taste back at home, when I was a kid!) near Gananoque and the kids were more then happy to settle for a short play date with their kids. I was thrilled! Nearing Gananoque we did find a farm that was selling pumpkins and even though there was no one home (this being Thanksgiving Monday after all!), they had left a big line up of pumpkins in the front yard and a little jar of $$$ for those who want to buy. The kids picked a little family of four pumpkins ( the family, of course) and we were on our way to the farm for a little run around and stop over before taking on the last two hour stretch to Toronto.

The stop was much needed, as it turned out :-) Not only the kids got to play and go a little crazy with Mara and Neville and not feel too "stir crazy" in the car, but we pretty much crashed the end of their Thanksgiving dinner and were offered full plates of food and wine and a break in the trip that was much welcome. There is nothing better then  time spent with good friends!!! (even if we did crash their party, almost unannounced...)

After much detested traffic slow-downs and exhausted from the week-end out of town, we arrived home shortly before midnight with two children very much asleep in their car seats and a car full of pumpkins and other organic veggies from Roots Down Organic farms and happy... just very, very happy. :-) Happy belated Thanksgiving to the family we never met up with (sorry!) and everyone else out there and listening. We are very thankful for this day and the time we have in this world!!! Thanks!