Family Winter Memories 2017

Hey, Readers!

It has been a while since I have shared some of the memories my family experienced during the beautiful seasons we experience here in Canada’s capital. Now that winter is about to make way for spring in just a few days, I thought I would let your in on some of our favourite moments of winter.

 

Christmas held many fun memories for our family, but there is more to winter than the holiday season. It is about getting out and enjoying what this frozen season brings.

My other half dragged my butt away from my laptop on many occasions to get out for a run. It snowed on most days we tied up our runners to hit the trails. Though the white fluffy stuff made this workout a bit challenging to pull off, we were thankful for our shades and (somewhat) cleared paths to trek along. The best part about the snow was that it made the scenery around us beautiful, allowing us to marvel at the views around us.

 

 

As the snow piled up in here in Ottawa, we were able to spend some fun times in our backyard oasis. The VPs had a ball marching around (because the snow was as high as my knee at times), flopping about and playing with snowballs together.

 

 

While the VPs were outside, I decided to have a bit of fun, too! I began embracing being in front of the lens more often. I used a handy tool to give me an assist to make some of these shots happen.

 

 

The sun decided to smile on us many times this winter, giving us some unusually warm days. We got the VPs outside to hit the neighbourhood sledding hill. They loved racing down the hill on their sleds and could have stayed there all day long.

 

 

There were also times we ventured away from our neighbourhood to take in winter in downtown Ottawa. I took the VP of Cuteness ice skating for the first time at City Hall and she did not want to get off of them.

 

 

We also took in Winterlude and some of the other sites while we were strolling around the area. I was even able to snap a shot of my eldest on our way home. The snow covering objects and buildings gave the city a sense of beauty that only happens at this time of the year.

 

I tried to capture a bit of the gorgeousness of the season. With the temperatures rising and plunging so often this winter, nature decided to show off what it could do leaving some amazing scenes to snap shots of. I have to admit, the frozen fish shot still makes me laugh whenever I see it.

 

This winter was full of fun and surprises. The thermometer dipped and soared, and with the VPs being a bit older, they got to experience winter more on their own. Though throwing, sledding, and skating make for fun times, we are all on pins and needles waiting for the ice and snow to recede, allowing for the first buds of spring to appear. I can’t wait to be able to show you what my family gets into when this season (finally) appears! Thanks for the fun times and the sweet memories, winter!

Dish with me: What is your favourite part of winter?

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Sticky Sweet French Toast

Hey, Readers!

Being at home with my kids during summer vacation makes me want to loosen the reigns a bit where food is concerned. I let them eat foods with more sugar in the mornings from time to time, and it is great to see the smile on their faces when they see the extra special breakfast my other half or I had prepared for them.

My younger daughter loves to have sprinkles added to some of her breakfasts on special occasions. One morning, I wanted to make French Toast for her, but she is not crazy about eating eggs. To solve this conundrum, I decided to try putting some special touches to it so she would try to eat it. This is where I came up with this Sticky Sweet French Toast dish!

 

 

Now, I know you are thinking to yourself that French Toast can already be sticky and sweet with syrup drizzeld all over it, but no syrup is used in this dish! Check out below how I put this yummy treat together.

Ingredients:

• 3 slices of bread
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsps milk
• A few drops of vanilla
• 1 tsp of butter (not pictured)
• Icing sugar (not pictured) and sprinkles

 

 

Directions

1. Heat a pan to medium heat and use ½ tsp of butter to lightly grease the pan.
2. In a bowl, blend the egg, milk and vanilla together until it becomes a uniform mixture.

 

 

1. Lightly dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture on each side and place into the heated pan. Flip it over after about 2 mins or golden brown and cook on the other side.

 

 

1. Remove from stove and lightly butter each piece of toast with the rest of the butter.
2. Using a strainer, dust each piece of toast with icing sugar.

 

 

1. Add sprinkles to each piece of toast.

 

 

And there you have it! My daughter is thrilled whenever she gets to have this dish. She loves how bright it is and how sticky and sweet it tastes.

 

 

The great part about this dish is that you can customize it to your liking. You can add theme-specific sprinkles to celebrate a holiday, or you can use different fun-shaped sprinkles to make each piece special.

I hope you enjoy making this Sticky Sweet French Toast for someone special!

What breakfast dish do you make special for your kids?

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Getting Interactive with #UltimateDinos

Dino love. My younger kids have it bad. They are fascinated by the thought of these larger than life creatures once roaming the earth. They love how these prehistoric creatures could come in all different sizes and that they had once roamed the earth. I jumped at the invitation to visit the Canadian Museum of Nature to take in their newest exhibit Ultimate Dinosaurs. I could not wait to see their faces when they came face to face with their skeletons and fossils and were able to interact this exhibit!

 

 

Ultimate Dinosaurs showcases dinosaurs from the ancient southern hemisphere supercontinent of Gondwana (a huge land mass that existed about 180 million years ago which incorporated what is now known as South America, Africa, India, Antarctica, Australia, New Guinea and the Arabian Peninsula).  16 fully-articulated skeletons are on display, including a 12-metre-long Giganotosaurus, one of the largest carnivores that ever lived. What is so exciting about this exhibit is that it displays types of dinosaurs are not found in North America. This exhibit was created by the Royal Ontario Museum and is presented by the Science Museum of Minnesota.

 

As we exited the elevator for our visit to this exhibit, we were welcomed and guided by a set of dino footprints to the exhibit.

Our first steps into the exhibit introduced us with a trio of dinosaurs my kids spent a good 10 minutes visiting with. They especially liked the Eoraptor because it was so small and cute. I loved how I was able to learn about these dinos from the podium in front of the display as well as the video background.

 

 

If there is one word I would use to describe Ultimate Dinosaurs, it would be interactive. There are so many areas and ways for visitors to learn hands-on about the dinos of Gondwana. My son got to learn about different types of fossils by actually getting to touch them! He was able to hold and touch ceratopsian horns, and his favourite, dino poop fossils!

 

 

Throughout the exhibit, there are stations visitors can learn about the different dinosaurs on display. Once each station has been completed, you can stamp an impression of the dino featured onto a card. My daughter had fun learning about each of these dinosaurs and then collecting all of the stamps. She was so proud when she had all of the impressions and was telling me about the activities she enjoyed most.

 

 

I really liked how there play areas set up around the exhibit for visitors to be able to get away from the screens for a moment to just let loose and play. My kids spent a good amount of time at all of these stations, playing with some of the dinosaurs featured in this exhibit. They loved being able to touch, role play and eventually leave the dinos of Gondwana so they can nap while we looked through the rest of the exhibit. This is just a snippet of the fun they had.

 

 

Another fabulous feature of Ultimate Dinosaurs is how augmented reality technology is used to wow and educate visitors. With our naked eyes, we were able to see the skeletons of dinosaurs. Looking through and manoeuvring the screen allowed us to see the skeleton come to life with flesh and skin covering the skeleton before us. We were even able to learn more about this animal when pressing the buttons on the screen. I thought this was amazing!

 

I thought the interactive tablets set into displays around Ultimate Dinosaurs was a brilliant idea! Visitors are able to learn how to pronounce names of some of the dinos in the exhibit, as well as the meaning of their names, their relative size, and other fun tidbits about these awesome creatures. Take a look at my daughter’s favourite dino!

 

 

It was hard to want to call it a day at Ultimate Dinosaurs! They loved seeing the skeletons and fossils of dinosaurs that they have not seen before, learning is accomplished in so many different formats, and it is such a fun exhibit to visit! We really did not want to leave. We can’t wait to bring my other half to see it. He would have as much fun visiting this exhibit as we did.

Ultimate Dinosaurs runs from June 11 – September 5, 2016.

Want more dino fun? Visitors are also able to do the follow activities while on a visit to the Canadian Museum of Nature:

• Make replicas of a fossil tooth or claw in the Fossil Lab;
• Take a breather in the Dino Zone;
• Find out about 450-million-year-old local fossils in the Nature Live gallery;
• Fossil excavation; and
• Take in the 3D film Walking with Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet (a separate fee applies for this feature).

For more information about Ultimate Dinosaurs (http://nature.ca/en/plan-your-visit/what-see-do/our-exhibitions/ultimate-dinosaurs), you can connect with the Canadian Museum of Nature on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages!

Disclaimer: I was invited to visit this exhibit in order to write this review. The views expressed are my own.

Gone Fishing Party Theme Table Idea

Hey Readers!

I wanted to do something special for my other half for his birthday last year. He was turning the Big 4-0, yet has never been big on celebrating in a splashy manner. Since my guy does so much for our family, I could not let this important milestone go by without some kind of fun. So I thought for a few days on what my guy would like for me to do for his B-Day, and I came up with this small, yet fun theme party idea that he would find fun. Since he loves fishing, I thought I could put together a cute “Gone Fishing” party area for everyone to sit around and enjoy to celebrate his special day!

If I didn’t already love craft and dollar stores already, I certainly started after putting together this idea! Here are the supplies I used  to put this party theme idea together:

Bunting Supplies:

• Card Stock
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Marker
• Measuring Tape (not pictured)
• Tacky Glue (not pictured)
• Box Cutter (not pictured)

 

 

Water Table Supplies:

• White Plastic Table Cloth
• See-Through Teal Shower Curtain
• Rocks,
• Faux Greenery
• Blue and Green Food Colouring
• Glass Bowl
• Plastic Wildlife
• Balloons
• Floating Floral Candles
• Packing Tape (not pictured)
• Sandy-Coloured Sizzle Paper (not pictured)

 

 

I tackled putting together the bunting together first because it is the most time-consuming part of this theme to create. My first move was to find a spot I wanted to set up my surprise and measured the space so I would know how big I would need my letters to be.

To make triangles for my bunting, so I measured the size I wanted for each piece of card stock. Based on my measurements where it was going to hang, I found I could get two triangles out of each piece. I only needed eleven letters, but I made a few extra just in case I goofed up when writing on them.

 

 

I cut out each triangle shape, scoring each one about two inches from the top so it would be easy to fold. I scored each piece about 2 inches from the top and folded it down. I then wrote out the letters on the pieces.

 

 

Since I knew how big the area was for this theme table, measuring out the length of yarn I needed was the fun part of this task. I spaced the triangles along their lengths so there would be about 3 centimetres between each letter. When I put together this idea again, I will try using twine instead of yarn.

For my own piece of mind, I lined up all of the letters in the order that I would be attaching them to the piece of yarn so, in my tired state of mind, I would not flub up and mistakenly put a letter in the wrong spot.

I placed the first triangle on the yarn and applied tacky glue along the scored line of the triangle. I moved the yarn on the line of glue and folded down the flap, smooshing it down so the glue would adhere to both sides of the cardstock and the yarn. Once all of the pieces were attached to the yarn, I placed it, face (or letter)-side down to dry (for about 10 minutes). I also placed heavy objects on top of each letter to make sure the flaps stayed in place to stick together.

 

 

Now on to the more creative part of this theme table: the water table. I was trying to achieve the grassy banks we would see along the river we would see whenever we went fishing with my other half’s father. I decided to use the sand/water table our kids have in our backyard, and I put the cover over it so I could have as flat of a surface as possible. I then spread the see-through teal shower curtain over the white plastic table cloth over the table, affixing them to the table with packing tape.

 

 

Placing the grass around the back and the side of the table was next. I fanned each piece out and tried to make it look as “natural” as possible. I kept these pieces in place with packing tape and folded the extra bits at the bottom under the table.

 

 

To make my “pond,” I placed my glass bowl in the center of the table and added water to it. I then added ten drops of blue food colouring into the bowl, followed by about five of the green colour. After swirling them together, I then played around with each colour until I got the right shade of teal that matched the shower curtain/table cloth covering.

 

 

The sizzle paper was a spur-of-the-moment idea I had when I felt that the grass looked a bit sparse. Thank goodness for my pack-rat ways! I then ran into my storage area where I keep all the sizzle paper I received from a previous review products and added it to fill in spaces between the grass to make it look more grass-like.

Next stop: decorating time! I place my animal wildlife, rocks and floral touches all over the table and inside of the bowl to add more fun.

 

 

It was time to bring out the bunting! Since our porch kind of looks as though it could be a dock, I hung the bunting above the table to bring the theme together. I then added more sizzle paper and balloons along the rails to add to the theme and to make it look more festive.

 

 

What kind of fishing trip is complete without chairs to sit in?! I rustled up two of our camping chairs and added some balloons to add even more fun to this theme table.

 

 

The second-to-last bit of business I had to deal with was the fishing gear. I added the finishing touches by placing the two fishing poles on each chair.

Now I was able to show the birthday boy the reason why I got out of bed on his birthday. He was surprised since this was my first attempt at putting together a theme table like this in a short amount of time. We all had fun on my guy’s 40th B-Day! It was great to sit back and pretend to be at the lake without leaving the comforts of home.

 

 

What I like about this Gone Fishing theme table is that it does not have to be just for a birthday party. This table can act as a water play table for quite a while, and the items used can also be used again for other ideas or playtime. You can also change what the table looks like, or expand the theme by adding fish themed snacks or cupcakes. The lid for the water table can be removed and you can have a different design all together. The sky’s the limit with this Gone Fishing theme table!

Cost to put this theme together – roughly $60.

Length of time to complete – about 3 hours (I adjusted the time a bit because I had to take photos as I put this idea together).

What sort of thing would you add to make this Gone Fishing theme table fun?

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese

 

Winter Family Adventures in Photos

Hey Readers!

Well, March Break is almost over, and spring is all but here! It was a crazy winter in my neck of the woods. It started late, but when it decided to unleash its fury, we were really snowed in! I thought I would chronicle my family’s winter adventures through a gallery of photos we took over the season!

Christmas! One of my favourite times of the year! We had a blast putting up the tree, decorating the house and getting ready for the Man in Red to arrive!

 

This was the second tree we “put up” this year. I loved it!

 

 

The Big Guy has a little bit of everything!

 

Ah, Christmas morning! Our kids couldn’t wait to open their stockings before breakfast and then their gifts after we ate. Santa was good to our kids, and they were playing all day with their toys!

 

 

Food is always a HUGE part of our holiday traditions, and my other half made sure we were fed well with his special chicken dish for Christmas Eve and a terrific turkey dinner for Christmas Day!

 

 

With Murphy’s Law at play, the snow came after Christmas! My guy took advantage of our winter wonderland and build a snow fort and a snow hill for our kids to enjoy. We even got the sleds out and tried to get some air time with the little ones on them.

 

Their smiles were infectious! I t was hard to keep the camera still for these pics!

 

I think the faces of my daughters says it all!

 

My little guy LOVED the winter! He would take any chance he could to be outside and play in the snow, even if it was to help me shovel the driveway. He even learned about the hazardous life snowmen live.

 

My little guy is super helpful!

 

Oh, the night of the big football game is another favourite part of winter in our home! We got out our projector and watched it on our living room wall as we ate a family favourite for Game Nights: Chicken Nachos! We even dressed up for the night in our jerseys and goofed around. It was a fun night for us all!

 

 

There are times during the winter that you just want to stay inside and hide from winter’s frightful fury. There were quite a few nights where we had fun indoors. From a morning sneak attack in bed to a rock out session in our basement, we had a blat without cracking the door open!

 

 

This was such a fun night! Maybe we’ll put a band together?

Nature is so beautiful around our home at this time of year. Even though there are no leaves on the trees, the snow and ice take over and create their own breathless magic in our backyard and front yard oasis.

These were just some of the adventures my family had during this roller coaster ride of a winter this year! Now that the snow is beginning to recede, I am REALLY looking forward to all of the awesomeness spring has to offer us this year now that the kids are old enough to really start exploring the world around them. Thank you, Winter, for helping our family to create some amazing memories. We will never forget them!

What part of winter puts a smile on your face?

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Children Learning to Interact with Each Other with “Words” – A Review

The VP of Cuteness began school this September, and she could not wait to start this new adventure in her life! As a parent, I was super excited for her to become more independent by starting school, but I also worry about how she will interact with her classmates since she has been at home with me and her younger brother. I do not know how she will take kids not liking her or being picked on. This is why I was thrilled to review Words by Lora Rozler to help reinforce some of the things we have been teaching her at home.

Words is a fascinating children’s book about a lonely letter, Little e, trying to find its place in its world of words. After a lot of searching, Little e has a choice to make. It had to choose between hate and love; Little e ultimately chose to love.

I like how Words used words instead of pictures to convey its message. Words were used to evoke emotions in various fonts so readers could understand what Little e was seeing all around it. Rozler had words bolded, italicized, blocked in, and were written in every way imaginable to convey the type of word it was to readers. My kids found some of them to be pretty and cute, while others were angry and loud. They liked talking about how the words made them feel.

 

The array of words used to describe what was happening throughout the story was also a highlight for me. Some of the words were a bit beyond what my child understood, but this allowed for us to help our child enhance her vocabulary. My daughter liked being able to talk about what these words meant, and we used these words in situations she would understand so she could understand them. These words also let her know that some words could hurt others if she said them to her classmates.  I enjoyed spending more time reading Words with my kids because they are picking up new words and are starting to use them when they speak to us.

I really loved Words! Rozler uses letters and words in the place of people. I like how letters, like people, can become what they want to be, and it is, in part, due to their choices that they make. It was great to see Little e make a choice about what it wanted for itself and how it wanted to act. As I previously mentioned, this book is bringing to print messages we teach our kids at home. We want for our kids to know that there are all kinds of people she will come into contact with, and we want for her to engage with her peers with love, regardless if these children are doing the same with her.

We know our child will have her ups and downs with other kids at school. Words shows children that there is more than one path they can take, and it does not have to be a violent or hateful one. I would definitely recommend Words for kids to read and to learn about how to find their place and to make decisions on how to interact in their world.

To find out about Lora Rozler and Words, you can connect with her on her website.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Words in order to write this review. The opinions I shared are my own.

Fun for Kids of All Ages at Canadian Museum of History’s Canadian Children’s Museum!

Hey Readers!

The ”Bosses” and I have had some amazing adventures this summer, some were big and others were small. Throughout each journey, I felt that they were able to take away something from it, and I am so happy about it! One of the excursions my entourage and I went on was to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec. This was their first visit to a museum, so I was anxious to see how they would do in an environment like this, but I also want them to learn beyond what they are used to, and this Museum has so much to offer and teach them! Since two of my VPs are still toddlers, I limited our visit. I shared our visit to the Museum’s exhibit on Terry Fox that they loved (yes, even my little ones!), then we made our way to the Canadian Children’s Museum. Let me tell you, this is one of their favourite places to go!

It was a bit of a challenge to keep my kids at bay as we entered this exhibit to grab this shot! They saw the pillars and the stamps and wanted to see more!

The Canadian Children’s Museum allows children to travel the world and explore other cultures through exhibitions, props costumes and hands-on objects. There really is something for every child, big or small, to experience and enjoy at this Museum and allow them to learn from everything around them.

When we entered the Canadian Children’s Museum, we received passports for my younger children from the Travel Bureau so they can collect stamps from each exhibit they explore. My eldest helped her siblings place each stamp into their passports to make sure they had a memory of each exhibit they visited. The kids love looking at their passports and reliving all of the fun we had!

Our first stop, Destination: Imagination, was a favourite for my younger daughter. The theme of this exhibit was the theatre and she loves drama and the theatre! The ‘’Diva’’ and I fell in love with everything here from the ticket booth at the entrance, to the backstage area to the stage itself. We had to tear ourselves away because we could have stayed and played here for our whole visit!

We then found our way to Crossroads where cultures come together in one area. They were able to see what it would be like to ride a Pakistani Bus, pretend to pull a rickshaw or get information from another country. My kids loved riding on the bus, learning information about different countries, and making calls in the London telephone booth!

We got a bit of a break to recharge by spending time in the Studio. My kids were able to sit down and create bead bracelets while taking in the fun décor. My favourite part of the room had to be the ceiling! The fish and the bubbles gave me so many ideas of what I would like to try for fun birthday party ideas or for decorating their bedrooms.

My daughter’s masterpiece! She was extremely proud of her work!

The kids found their way to Kaleidoscope. It is an area designated to special exhibitions by the Canadian Children’s Museum. During our visit, my son was elated to see that Lego was being featured! There were certain areas set up for visitors to build structures to their heart’s content, a wagon and wheel barrels to help transport Lego pieces around the room if there just were not enough at your station, and a large Adirondack chair so anyone could feel like a big kids while they sat in it!

While my eldest took my younger daughter for a sneak peek of the rest of the Museum, my son and I popped into Lucy’s Bookstore. This was another great rest stop for me. I fell in love with how it is in a quiet spot so visitors can kick back and relax with a fun storybook on their comfy cushioned bench or poke around the bookstore. My son loved the check-out area because he could play with the cash register and pretend to be an employee.

Our final stop was to the International Village. There was so much to do and see! My kids were able to ‘’create’’ a meal at the Kids, Café, drive a van and work on a cargo ship at Port of Entry, learn about ancient Egypt in Secrets in the Sand, barter for goods at the Market Bazaar, and see how different homes look around the world. They really got a kick out of being able to pop in and out of areas and see how different cultures live and communicate.

There are parts of the Canadian Children’s Museum that we did not get to visit because there was SOOOOOO much to see and do! This is a good thing because these will be the first places we will go to on our next visit! For my younger kids, there were a few tear as we had to say goodbye. They really did not want to leave. For them, it was like having a super doper playroom with countless rooms full of discovery! The best part about this Museum is that the ”No Touching” Rule does not apply here! In fact, not getting to interact with the exhibits would take away from the experience! The ”Bosses” cannot wait to return and have another fun day of learning and exploration. If you are ever hard pressed for an idea for a family fun day, I would always point you in the direction of the Canadian Children’s Museum at the Canadian Museum of History. You and your mini entourage will not be disappointed!

For more information about the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian Children’s Museum, you can visit them on their website, or connect with them on their Facebook  and Twitter pages!

Disclousre: I was compensated with admission to the Canadian Museum in order to visit the Children’s Museum. The opinions are all my own as I wanted to share this experience with you!

Journeying with Terry Fox at the Canadian Museum of History #FollowTerry

Vision. Modivation. Determination. Vision . These words describe Terry Fox and what he startedto help benefit Canadians with cancer perfectly. The Canadian Museum of History is marking the 35^th anniversary of Fox’s Marathon of Hope Run by presenting an exhibition that focuses on this momentous event as well as the legacy that continues today. Terry Fox – Running to the Heart of Canada opened on April 1, 2015 and runs until January 24, 2016. This exhibit is organized by the Canadian Museum of History in partnership with the Terry Fox Centre.

When I found out about this exhibit, I knew I had to check it out! I have admired Terry Fox since I was a child and became involved with the Terry Fox runs held at my elementary school. I was in awe of someone so young doing what he did. I also wanted my children to learn from Fox’s example and to come into closer contact with pieces of his memorabilia and other items that show how amazing this man was.

My kids did not know what to expect when they saw the entrance of Terry Fox – Running to the Heart of Canada. They liked the banners that stood outside of the exhibit welcoming visitors and my younger kids began asking so many questions about Terry Fox.

The exhibit is split into four zones. The first one introduces visitors to Fox so they can get a feel for who he was and the all of the energy he put into the Marathon of Hope. The second zone is called ‘’The Runner and the Run,’’ which focuses on why Fox wanted to create the Marathon of Hope Run and what he hoped to achieve. There were also numerous items that let visitors in on Fox’s daily life on the road. The third zone was called ‘’Dear Terry’’ which displays the love and respect that Fox earned from Canadians during and after the Run. An interesting feature of this part of the exhibition is a searchable database that was put together especially for this exhibit of over 60 000 letters and cards from Canadians to Fox letting him know how much they admired him and what he was doing by putting this Run together. It also displays the many honours he received, including his induction into the Order of Canada. The final zone looks at how Canadians have kept Fox in their minds and hearts after the Marathon of Hope and visitors can hear how Fox’s example made a significant impression on them over the past 35 years.

We were all wide-eyed at how well this exhibit was laid out, as well as by all of the information centres you can visit and learn form. My eldest spent most of her visit taking in the information from as many of these stations as she could to hear the information they were sharing. For my younger children, this was their first encounter with Terry Fox, so they were excited to see a lot of the items and the information this exhibit shared. They also listened to some of the information centres and were intrigued by all of the maps and items displayed.

For me, I was in awe of the whole exhibit. I loved being greeted by the sounds of Fox’s footsteps as he ran as we entered this exhibit, and seeing all of the maps and information displayed easily for visitors to look at. I got a clearer picture of who Fox was and I felt I was going with Fox through is journey throughout the Run.

I was also able to get a better idea of what it was like for Canadians at this point in time throughout this exhibit. I was very young when the Marathon of Hope took place, so it was amazing to be taken back in time and to see what was happening all over the country and to see the love that they all share for this young man and his mission.

There were two big thrills for me as we went through this exhibit. The first one encountered was getting to see what it was like during Fox’s daily grind of the Run. Seeing the Marathon of Hope van Fox lived in on the road, looking at snippets of his journals and gazing at his personal effects made me feel as though I could understand some of what he was going through at this time. Another favourite stop in this exhibit was see some of the items Canadians from all walks of life gave to Fox to show their appreciation to him. The letters and cards were also a hit with me. I did not send him a letter, but it was fun to look at these pieces of history and snippets of the hearts of Canadians.

Terry Fox – Running to the Heart of Canada is an exhibit I will definitely be making a point of visiting again with my family. All of us were captivated by the displays and the information shared, and we got to get a little closer to a remarkable Canadian. No matter your age, this exhibit is one to visit, and is one that will touch your heart.

For more information about Terry Fox – Running to the Heart of Canada, you can connect with the Canadian Museum of History on their website, as well as on their Twitter and Facebook pages.

Disclaimer: I received admission to the Canadian Museum of History in order to write this review. The views expressed are my own.

National Siblings Day: Fond Memories and Great Life Lessons

Hey Readers! Today is National Siblings Day, and it got me thinking about my two older siblings and everything we have been through through my lifetime. There are so many memories and lessons that both of my siblings taught me (whether they were aware of it or not), and they make me feel happy that they are in my life. They helped to make this little lady into the woman I am today. Even then, I was tipping my hat to people!

Here is a pic of the three of us many moons ago! Yes, Mr. T was a big influence on me, Readers! 😛

My older brother, for the most part, was the main male influence in my life when I was little. He was the oldest and was also the only boy. I felt, at times, that he was a bit lonely, especially since there was a bit of a gap between him and rest of us (he is four years older than my sister and 5 1/2 years older than me). He did what many older siblings did, you know, hog the television when our mom wasn’t watching it, tell us tall tales about why things were the way they were, and use us as guinea pigs for his various “experiments.”

One of my favourite memories has to be when I was about five years-old, and my brother thought he was a gourmet baker. He decided that he would make a cake from cake mix and thought he knew what he was doing. After putting in WAY too many eggs into the mix, resulting in a very gloppy and bubbly mess after he took it out of the oven. Realizing that he shouldn’t be the first to taste his masterpiece, he turned to us to see if the cake tasted okay. let’s just say we let him know just how great his creative cake was with a mess all our own all over our tiny kitchen! Even though my brother did all of these things to my sister and I, there were other things my brother did that helped me learn some great lessons throughout my time at home.

Out of all of us, he was the quiet one, so I learned how to stop blabbing all the time and to try listening once in a while to what others are saying. He also taught us how to play video games and introduced me to the wonderful world of comic books that I still enjoy today. His closet became my closet, too. There were times that he allowed me to borrow his clothes during my tom boyish phase throughout high school. The fact that the jeans I borrowed from him were baggy on him didn’t stop me from sporting the latest fashion trends (they were a waist men’s size 44, and I was lucky enough to be a women’s size 24…yeah, it was fun to keep these babies up!). My brother is a very interesting cat who, for being the quiet one, never gave our home a dull moment and let us know he cares about us in his subtle ways.

This is an even older pic of my big brother. He had to be about four or five years-old here. Like me, he’s camera shy.

My older sister and I have had an interesting relationship. When we were younger, we had our love-hate moments, but, if push came to shove (you know, fights over clothes and make up), we always could depend on each other. My sister is also a very funny character and there were times that I had to explain certain things to her. There were song lyrics I had to correct for her (ex – “Soap On A Rope” was really “End Of The Road”,) and the many times we played practical jokes on other family members, both at home and on road trips. It took a while for me to realize just how much my big sis really cared about me, and now we are the best of friends.

My sister has and continues to teach me so many life lessons. She plays Devil’s advocate to see things from another point of view. She calms me down and makes me sit on my hands when I get too upset about a situation. She taught me to do things for myself when she knew I could do it on my own. I learned so many fashion tips and tricks from her over the years as a result of plundering her closet time and time again. She taught me to expand my appreciation of music by having to listen to some of her “questionable” choices (some of them have been used in my Mundane Monday Morning Music picks). I continue to learn how to face the unknown without fear as she experienced different situations in her life. Finally, she continues to teach me that life is a crazy adventure, and to have fun along the way, especially when you get lost (as we have on MANY occasions)! She sets such an example for me to try and live up to. I don’t know what I would do without this crazy and clever cat!

I don’t have any pics of her when she was a child. This one I found in an old wallet of mine from high school. She loves the camera, and it loves her, too!

So there you have it! We have had our ups and downs, but we are siblings and we love each other a bunch. I am raising my “bosses” to love each other and to look out for one another every day. I hope that they have such fond memories of each other as they become adults and giggle at their cute, fun and goofy pics of when they were young like I have today.

Are you the oldest, the middle or the youngest child? What was the best memory or lesson you were taught by your siblings?

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

That’s My Baby!

Hey Readers! I realized something about myself that I didn’t think really existed becoming until now. I am slowly becoming what I call the “Cheerleading Mom” You know, kind of like Claire Huxatable whenever one of the kids on the show accomplished some sort of accomplishment. When one of the kids got through their arduous task, you would see Claire, the proudest person in the room, jump out of her chair, clapping and say, “That’s My Baby!”

Watching my kids grow up and accomplishing their own “Herculean feats,” I have noticed that I may have been a little inspired by this character when acknowledging their achievements. If it’s not the cheer Claire used for her kids, it’s an enthusiastic cheer session for their first words and first steps, or a whoop and super big hugs for “conquering the throne” or learning how to share their most favourte toy. Oh, the cheer session is not done in the privacy of our home, either. I do try to remember to tone it down a bit so I don’t to embarrass them, but I do also want them to know how proud I am of them.

My latest cheer session was at my daughter’s

volleyball tournament. She was put into the game after sitting out for a bit during the Gold Medal game. It was a bit of a tough day for her since her serve was a bit off, but she helped her team not only come back from a deficit, but made the winning play to win the gold! I was so happy and proud of my child overcoming her trouble and stepping up to do what she did that I shot right out my seat on the bleachers and cheered for my girl! I was also the only one to do so, but how many moments are there in life that I will witness my girl scoring the championship point? Maybe many times, or maybe never again! I also took a lot of pics of her when her team received their medals to keep this moment for those who couldn’t make it out to see this achievement.

That’s my eldest baby bringing home the gold after her championship-winning play. It was an awesome moment!

Am I going a little bit overboard? Maybe, depending on the situation. Do I care, NOPE! Why do I think this is worthy topic to even be spending my time clacking away on my computer about? Because I care about my kids, and I’m a proud mama! It’s my way of letting them know just how proud of them I am when they have achieved a goal or a good grade. I also want them knowing I’m their #1 fan.Even though I will always think of them my babies, I am also amazed at how much they are growing into some awesome kids, and eventually, adults.

Are you a “Cheerleader Mom” like me? What do you do when your child achieves a goal?

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese