Adventures in Ontario - Part Four (Niagara on the Lake and Gramma and Grampa's babysitting fun)

One of the really special things that Chad and I got to do was go for an overnight trip to Niagara on the Lake.  It was our anniversary gifts, and we got to go with John and Srimati and spend some adult time tasting wines, touring wineries, eating gourmet meals and having lots of laughs.  Chad and I rarely get to do things together without the kids, so this was a treat!  Gramma and Grampa stayed home and looked after the little people for us. 

Adult time:

Our first stop - Strewn Winery

We did the tour and some tastings, a great start to our day!

 

Not the best picture, but the only one I have of brother and sister!

 

Pretty Chardonnay grapes

Tasting our first sips of wine

(this picture makes me laugh because it looks like Chad's head is floating in the air)

Time for some red!

Some handsome guys at Jasckson Triggs

Some purple grapes too... I think these were Cabernet grapes... so pretty

Jackson Triggs

I LOVED this winery, I think it was called Ravine.  Old farm house, great staff, and yummy wine. I also loved this rusty old truck (those who know me well know that I have a thing for old trucks!  This was one of two awesome old trucks we saw.)

All dressed up for dinner

(the waitress took the picture on Srimati's phone, it's a little blurry, but I think we may have been feeling that way as well after 7 stops on the winery trail!)

My DELICIOUS dinner - stuffed chicken with vegetables and potato roasti

(we went to the Niagara College Culinary School's Restaurant, Benchmark.  It was FABULOUS!  I would highly recommend it to anyone who is out that way.  The food was so good, probably one of the best meals I have ever eaten.  The drinks (beer and wine made by the students) were great, the student staff was more than professional and the whole experience was amazing.  I can't say enough nice things about it... you really should check it out.  Plus there is a giant groundhog that lives out in the gardens outside that is very entertaining... Chad literally freaked out seeing it, and was in awe!)

 

Chad struggling after a day of wine, a delicious meal, and more wine and beer and 7 hours of non stop hiccups! 

(he did rally however and tried very hard, with Srimati's help, to convince us to go to a nightclub)

 John - looking dapper at the hotel bar

(perhaps one of the reasons we did not make it to the nightclub)

(p.s. just for the record, John asked me to include some of these photos)

While mom and dad are away.....

Gramma and Grampa said they had a great time with the kids and that the boys were perfect!  Ate well, slept well and were generally well behaved....

Perhaps this is why...

(looks like they had a fun party too!!)

Took a walk in Edwards Gardens where Wil made friends with a duck

Posing in the flowers

Cutie pie!

Wil made waffles for everyone for breakfast

Again - I think I discovered the secret of why the kids slept and ate well!

 

All kidding aside, the boys were well looked after and had fun.  We definately had fun in Niagara, and it was a great for all of us.

 

Stay tuned... one more Ontario blog to come... mish mash of the last few days there.  Then I will get to work on catching up on the fun we have had since being back home... sheesh, always so much work to do when vacations are over!!! ;)

 

Adventures in Ontario - Part Three (Daddy arrives, and random fun)

After returning from the cottage it was just a few days before Daddy arrived.  We did some visiting with friends and more swimming, checking out parks and exploring Toronto.

Once Daddy arrived, the pace kept up...

Daddy is here - time to do some construction

Not really showing any adventures... he is just too stinkin' cute!

Some hockey on the deck

(please don't blame my parenting skills for this outfit, he did this all on his own!)

Oven mitts and Sunglasses

(I forget when this started, Wil was a lot younger and he put on my sunglasses and some oven mitts and for some reason he remembers it from time to time and feels the need to do it again... always entertaining and makes for a good picture, better if he would stay still!!)

Helping Gramma make Oatmeal raisin cookies for "Gwampa and Carsie, because Carsie is awergic to peanuts and can't have cookies from the store" (which he tells everyone he sees in the stores)

Hockey Hall of Fame

"Wook Carsie, it's Wayne Gwetzky winning the Stanley Cup"

Wil taking on the Computer goalie

"I didn't get any scores mommy, he was a tough goalie"

Ontario Science Centre fun

The boys building roller coasters for the balls to play on!

These feel neat

Wil's favourite pool game - air mattress basketball

After a very hot morning at the Toronto Zoo, Wil was still determined to finish his ice cream on the way home despite being EXHAUSTED! 

 

Up next.... Mommy got some time off... Niagara on the Lake!! 

Stay tuned!

Adventures in Ontario (part two - Cottage time)

The first weekend we spent in Ontario we all packed into the car and headed to the cottage.  Not a small feat to travel 4 hours in the car with 2 toddlers!  Grampa bought a DVD player for the car so we could watch some movies to help pass the time, and we were also hoping for some quiet time for the boys to fall asleep.  They had other plans!!  Wil watched about 300 episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Elmo's World, and Carson was just a super crank the whole drive.  He had moments of normal, but in general he was overtired, but refused to sleep.  Poor guy, it was a rough drive for him (and for the adults in the car).  We finally made it, unpacked the car, packed the boat and went over to the island.  Phew.  Both boys were so exhausted that I think they were in bed by 6:30! 

As a whole, Wil did great.  He loved the cottage, the boats, hiking in the woods, showering outside, playing board games, watching Billy Bass, bucket baths and of course peeing in the trees!  Carson did not love the cottage as much.  He had a hard time.  He cut some molars, got a fever, slept very little, and was very whiny and clingy.  He did enjoy Billy Bass (more than anyone would think humanly possible), and being outside (Carson is an outside baby for sure, he loves the great outdoors).  It was an interesting experience to say the least.  I usually find the cottage to be the most relaxing place on the planet, but not so much when you go with toddlers (one of which is teething like crazy, and too big to sleep comfortably in his play pen).  Next year will be better when they are a bit older and we can do a few more things (and should have all our teeth!!)

We stopped at "Old McDonald's" for lunch and in addition to eating all his french fries, Carson also ate all his ketchup!

(Gross!)

We made it to the Noelville Home Hardware and posed in the giant Muskoka Chair

Helping Grampa drive the boat over to the cottage

Carson's first boat ride!

(Clearly he is very excited.  It takes less than 5 minutes to get there and he was so exhausted that he fell asleep almost instantly)

Loved the Detroit Lions football helmet

First night Bucket Bath!

Waking up the first morning, Carson had a rough night and tried to take the edge off with some wine!

 

This is the face I saw whenever I tried to do anything other than hold him

(poor little needy man)

Feeding the birds

Even at the cottage there is quiet time with the iPad

Carson had his first popsicle in the hopes that it might help his sore teeth and perk him up a bit.

(he took a few licks and then threw it on the floor, not a huge hit!)

Watching the rain storm with Gramma

 

We had many other cottage adventures, you can look back two blogs to see those photos if you haven't already looked at them....

 

More fun to follow in the next blog!!

 

Adventures in Ontario (part one)

We are back home in Calgary and working on adjusting to the time zone and getting back into our routines again.  We had so much fun in Ontario, visiting with family and friends and having all kinds of adventures.  I have LOTS of pictures, so I think that I will maybe break it into a few blogs so it is not overwhelming!  These are from my phone, so if the quality is iffy, that is why... not because I am a terrible photographer!!

"Cheese" on the airplane to Toronto!

Our first night, the boys decided that they would stay up until almost midnight, and hang out with Grampa

Day one and we were already in the pool!

Carson was teething and had a cold, so he got really good at giving himself his medicine!!

 

Canadian Pride for the Olympics!

 

Wil in his fish floaty 2 summers ago

(10 months old)

 

Wil in the fish floaty this trip

(2Years, 10 months)

Hahahaha!!

 

This was all in the first few days... then we packed up to head to the cottage!  Next blog please!