a peek inside the fishbowl

well done

How do you like your marshmallows?

Charred?
Lightly browned and hot on the inside?
Raw?
or squashed between a graham cracker and a square of chocolate?

02 Jul, 2009

Canada Day 2009

Posted by andrea in Easy ways to make kids happy, Ottawa, Photos

Lookout Bird!

Canada Day in Ottawa

Canada Day in Ottawa

Jumping

DSC_5904-400

Canada Day in Ottawa

Snowbirds over the Chateau Laurier

Canada day fireworks in Ottawa

Canada Day in Ottawa

It’s day two of summer holidays but my work goes on. I have deadlines galore. Sadly, I require near complete silence to write/think/do anything work related. (Seriously, even someone chewing on a banana in the same room makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes. Gah.)

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve already had to remind the girls that MUMMY IS WORKING RIGHT NOW. (Um, except for right now. This is officially-sanctioned break time.)

So I got out the big guns … a paint-by-numbers set Mark and I bought the girls at the Musee des Beaux Arts in Montreal last summer. It was (and still is) by far the best and most interesting paint-by-number set I’ve ever seen. No lame-o horses or unicorns with flowy mains or peace signs or anything obnoxiously cartoony. Just lighthearted and sweet. The colour palette is hip and modern. What can I say? I like it.

paint by numbers

They must have spent 90 (NINETY) focused (AND QUIET) minutes diligently painting within the lines.

paint by numbers

paint by numbers

And now they’re done. I think I’ll pick up a couple of frames for them today. Right after I finish my work, of course.

Tags: ,

I just just poking around some old camping files and found a photo of Emma that was taken in summer of 2004 at the *exact* moment she realized that I wasn’t actually trying to trick her and that her inflatable arm floaties ACTUALLY KEEP HER AFLOAT.

Imagine her saying: “Look mummy! I’m swimming!”

I love that photo. It’s just one of many excellent camping memories.

We booked our camping spot many months ago. This year we’re going to be staying in a yurt! (Which I’ll be writing about later.) It is a little annoying to have to book your site so far ahead of time (you have to book five months to the day if you want to snag your favourite spot), but it’s also oddly reassuring. It gives us something to look forward to, especially now school is out and everyone is talking about summer plans and looking ahead to the coming weeks.

Camping is a pretty special thing in our family. We’ve been going camping almost every summer (sometimes even twice a year) since Sarah was about two, so I’ve posted about it a lot. As a result I get lots of hits from people who are looking for information about:

“car camping” and “camping with kids”
“outdoor camping”  “family”
“what to pack” + “camping”
“food” +”camping”
and “am I crazy going camping with little kids?” ;)

Clearly there are a lot of questions about camping out there.

I once outlined some tips in an article for SavvyMom (some good stuff in there, go see!) but I thought it might be handy to compile a listy-type post with the nitty gritty details.

First, let’s talk about what you need to pack. You will need to bring …

Read the rest of this entry »


  • julie: No hesitation - shmores are THE best!
  • andrea: Thanks everyone! The fountain is across the street from the National Archives. It was a very welcome cool spot on what turned out to be a very hot da
  • Loukia: Oh my GOD, look at your amazing pictures! WOW!
  • Chantal: where was that fountain the girls were playing in?
  • Chantal: completely charred! Every side, even top and bottom. I love them that way AND no one ever asks me to share... Double win for me!
  • Nicol: I only like marshmallows during camping or when we have a good fire going. For me, lightly toasted! Yum!
  • Lynn: These shots should be part of a booklet called, "Canada Day In Ottawa." It's EXACTLY like this, you have captured the feel and action perfectly.

My right hand is actually a camera

  • well done
  • Jumping
  • Canada Day in Ottawa
  • Lookout Bird!
  • Canada Day in Ottawa
  • Canada Day in Ottawa
  • DSC_5904-400
  • Snowbirds over the Chateau Laurier

The Obligatory Blurb

My name is Andrea and I live in the Westboro area of Ottawa with my husband Mark and our two daughters Emma (10) and Sarah (8). I work from home as a web content manager, freelance writer, and family photographer. I have a passion for words (on their own or strung together), the arts, healthy living, travel, and good eating (among many things!). This is no ordinary Ottawa mom blog ... it's my journal, and helps remind me that every day is a gift and that life is an adventure of my own design. Thank you for visiting!


It's smart to be Savvy

I'm a writer for the Ottawa edition of SavvyMom, an online publication dedicated to delivering practical solutions to moms’ everyday dilemmas. I'm always on the lookout for cool new products, time-saving services, and the best family-friendly events in Ottawa. So please contact me if you have something you'd like to share with our very Savvy readers!

Sideblog

  • Over at SavvyMom, Strawberry Picking in Ottawa.

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  • Freelance writers should check out this new blog-format website called Two Writers Talking. Officially described as a "cross-country conversation about the art and business of writing," this is little gem of a site offers thoughtful discourse on the trials and tribulations of a very interesting career and way of life from two different perspectives.

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  • 50 Summer Crafts for Kids - if you can't find something to do on this list, well, god help you.

    - #

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Way to be

1. Be myself.
2. Stop and listen.
3. Small things are big things.
4. Golden rule.
5. Take care of myself.
6. Be mindful.

Cursed to covet pretty things