The CNE - The last big event of the summer !!!

Oh the fun we had at the 'Ex' !! Weather was overcast and we had some rain - spatters more than anything - which worked well to keep the crowds down !!! We drove to the union hall and parked the car, then took the Bloor subway and Bathurst streetcar to the Exhibition grounds which was an adventure in itself and got to the Ex around 11am.

Purchased the wristband unlimited rides for all of us and then hit the midway !!! We went on a roller coaster ride - pretty tame looking - until we were on it and then YIKES .........

Rosalind was in complete and absolute heaven, Carolina was a bit ambivalent and Chris and I WERE TERRIFIED

Thereafter Chris and I happily watched as Rosalind and Carolina went on every roller coaster ride they were tall enough to go on sans parents !!!!

We did the usual course of midway rides - the merry go round, the ferris wheel, and the swings and usual scrambler and haunted houses

The girls also fell in love with the giant slide and must have run up the steps to the top with their mats and slid down together a dozen or so times , holding hands and laughing, laughing, laughing !!! ... it was all we could do to move them on to new thrills ....

We also of course checked out the animals - baby pigs and baby turkeys , ponies, goats, cows , pot bellied pigs, ostriches, and emus - and fed some of them at the

petting zoo too ..

On our way back to the Food Building for dinner (yup we were still there at 6:30pm ), we passed the 'wall' and let the girls have a turn rock climbing ... this was their first time doing anything remotely like this and they were awesome !!!! They did not make it to the button at the top but they came pretty close !!!

We left around 9 and by the time we got to the car, it was pouring rain - all the way back to KW. The downpour held off till then !!! We were so lucky ...All in all a terrific day !!!!

Back To Real Life .....sigh .....

Ah yes .... well the grass looks like it has grown 10 inches overnight and the house seems to have become a dust haven soooooo .... ich ... the part I hate ... back to all those little chores that take up all your time ... back to real life ... sigh ....but so nice to be home ... so very nice ..

Lazy crazy days at Koshlong Lake !!!

What a Treat ...........................

Oh yeah !!!! Up at Uncle Doug and Aunt Mona's cottage for the week !!




On the trip up to Haliburton we stopped at this fabulous little Italian restaurant for lunch - thanks to Rosalinds bright eyes - and had the most awesome thin crust wood fired oven baked pizza !!!!

Chris was able to stay from Friday to Tuesday morning when he had to go back to work. This year really was the most amazing difference in terms of swimming skills for the girls. The 2 weeks plus their age had made the most amazing difference in terms of their abilities and confidence and it really showed !!!

We didn't do too much exciting stuff .... went into Bancroft to get the car part that hadn't come in on time for the boys there to install it , went into Haliburton several times and visited dthe second hand stores, the Teddy Bear store and of course managed to get to the one day fair in Haliburton !!!

Well there was this one thing... you see Doug has this family of chipmunks - totally trained over generations to expect peanuts from humans .... there is Princess, the dainty eater ; Bashfull - well that probably says it all ...and Cheeky, who can squeeze more peanuts into his cheeks than any other chipmunk in history

And we filled the birdfeeders and watched the wild life ...We had awesome weather , were able to have campfires with marshmallows and hot dogs and we had a fabulous time ... thank you Aunt Mona and Uncle Doug !!!!!

From Tuesday on we had a girls week till Friday when we headed back to KW and back to real life once more .................

The Reading Club

Reading this year has become a passion for Rosalind and very lately Carolina is starting to get the bug too. She is working her way through the Dick and Jane books and also the Harold and his Purple Crayon books. Trips to second hand stores, the library and Chapters are top on our list of preferred spots !!!!!

We are probably a little late off the mark getting into this reading passion but its so good to see as Chris and I are readers - me in particular !!!!

Rosalind is just inhaling books - currently is into the Little House series along with the Fairy series and Geronimo Stilton of course !!! I am looking forward to introducing her to Enid Blyton and Arthur Ransome !!

How to Keep Cool And Have Fun Too !!!

We were lucky enough to be invited to a few of our friends homes over the past heat wave and into their swimming pools. One of these was Rosalinds school buddy Cassandra , whose pareents have an above ground pool. Now I've never been a particular fan, mostly because of the look of the things .. they are not the most attractive additions to your backyard. But I have to admit, being able to jump in and cool off at any time certainly had its attractions . The kids were totally hooked and swimming like wee fish in no time.

So out we went and got ourselves a round pool - 18 feet diameter. We would have picked a 15 foot one but there was none to be had. It's not been set up on the most level ground - Chris didn't want to take the time to build a frame and level it properly for this summer - this will hopefully be a fall project once the pool is down for the winter. The idea is we build a frame and fill it with gravelly sand and this will make the ground level for the pool. I am hoping we will do this in the fall for next year and not leave it till the next spring .....

Its not the most attractive thing in our yard but not as bad as I thought. Its a salt water pool so its a bit different to get set up and Chris is still adjusting the ph etc water levels.

The girls have had an awesome time playing around in the pool. Rosalind is diving with her friend Lily for coins on the bottom - getting great practise swimming underwater and having so much fun they dont even realize the skills they are learning. Bring that hot weather on !!!!

Canada Day In Ottawa

Things sure get serious when it comes to celebrating Canada Day in Ottawa. Everyone is wearing costumes or outfits of white and red and everyone is partying !!!! We left for Ottawa on July 1, it was a slow drive up there as everyone had the same idea. Got up to Ottawa in time to order in pizza from the Colonnade Restaurant and had dinner with Chris's parents and then off to Parliament Hill to see the sights.

The number of people out and about in Ottawa was just amazing and up on the hill - the most wonderful concert , capped by a performance by the Bare Naked Ladies !!! Everyone was in a terrific mood , given the numbers of people everyone was in a great party mood.
Rosalind has incredible stamina and was many people were jammed in with us - all for a magnificant 15 minute display. And it was magnificant !!!!!!
up for the party. Carolina needed a nap so while Chris and Rosalind checked out the action on the hill, Carolina and I sat down and snuggled and listened to the performance . Then at 9:30 we headed for a spot to watch the fireworks ( along with hundreds of other folks ). We were wedged in with I cannot even guess how many people were jammed in with us - all for a magnificant 15 minute display. And it was magnificant !!!!!!

After it was over , we took a 10 minute break to allow the crowds to dissipate and then we walked home to Chris's parents house and happily and quickly into bed for the night.

Happy Birthday Canada !!!!!!

Rosalind the Squeemish - Carolina the Brave

Well it is Rosalind who wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Truly she does. She loves all manner of animals and critteres . However when the great snail roundup began, it was her sister Carolina who was pressed into actually picking up the little slimy things and putting them into their cages. And so it is with worms, spiders and other buggy type things Rosalind encounters.





So on Sunday when we decided to go to Waterloo Park with the dual purpose of letting Chris show the girls the construction work at the Perimeter Institute and also see the animals, we encountered a toad on the path. Rosalind wouldnt go very close and didn't even want to poke it with a stick to see if it was alive , dead or terrified. Carolina on the other hand didn't hesitate - picked it up and examined it closely before finally freeing it back towards the woods. Rosalind does have a love of and a tender heart for all creatures but I suspect her career as a veterinarian may be somewhat restricted unless she can coax her little sister Carolina to be her professional assistant !!!