Birthday Parties and Politicians

Our family has been a bit MIA for the past two weeks. Like everyone else in the area, we have been hit with the cold and flu bug. This didn't completely put us down and out but definitely slowed our regular pace.

We briefly stopped over to the 1000 Islands Mall to see the silent auction for Palliative Care. There were a great selection of items up on the block and it looked like Brockville was out in full force to show support as the mall was buzzing. Over the last few years, with new developements in the area the mall has seen some quiet days, however we make a point to pop in every few weekends and have noticed it has had a good traffic flow. Our girls love to be free and walk hand-in-hand with us as the mall provides a warm and safe space for us to get out and stretch our legs together. There is also a great selection of stores with some fantastic deals that may go unnoticed unless you take a walk in and see for yourself. Along with the auction there was a Telethon at The Arts Center that raised a total of $186,000.  Kudos for raising such an impressive amount for a truly wonderful cause.

This weekend was very special to our family. We celebrated our oldest daughter's third birthday. With having moved in to our home in October and still not being completely unpacked, as I've been a bit under the weather with my pregnancy, we decided another venue would be a good idea to host her party. Where does a three year old love to run and play with her friends? McDonald's of course! Our daughter loves the play structure and as parents that try to incorporate as much activity into our childrens' lives as possible, it seemed like a fun and fit way to celebrate! Yes, it's fast food but there are some healthy options available and everyone has to have a McDonald's birthday party at some point! We were surrounded by great friends and family and had a wonderful celebration that made for some fantastic photos and memories we will cherish. If you are considering a venue for your wee tot's special day, look into this local hotspot, it's a great way to let someone else do the work while you enjoy great company and focus on the special birthday bug!

I also have some exciting news to share. In my quest for discovering Brockville and the area and sharing all our fabulous experiences, I have fallen in love with the "Twitterverse". Twitter has allowed me to connect with some great local business owners, writers, parents and fellow city enthousiasts. It has also allowed me to see what our local politicians are doing for our community and most importantly to me, our children. When I started this blog, I was certain I would never make it political. I still feel strongly about keeping it neutral and repsectful to everyone in the community, regardless of political viewpoint. I do however, have to share when someone shows an interest in our children and their education.

In a twitter post by Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville I noticed a  picture he posted, in which he was reading to small children. It turns out Mr. Clark had taken the time to pop into a children's group in Kemptville and promote literacy. Immediately, I thought of a dear friend of mine who runs a fabulous group in Cardinal (a nearby town), called "Globetrotters". Every Tuesday at 10:00am at the Cardinal Public Library, a group of parents and caregivers meet with their children and "travel" to a new place in the world. They do crafts, sing, dance, read and discuss the new places. I tweeted to Mr. Clark about this group suggesting he should check it out. I really didn't expect the response I recieved. Within minutes, Mr.Clark responded that he would love to pop in and asked me the details. I quickly gave him the info he needed and he is now set to contact my friend, the Program Coordinator, to set up a date to help the children learn about our wonderful country of Canada. I will keep everyone posted when a date is set and urge you to go take part in this creative and wonderful program. I want to thank Mr. Clark for being so down-to-earth and interested in our community. I also want to put the challenge out there to our other local politicians to get involved with our children and families. This is the heart of our community and by making yourself available and supportive, it really shows your passion for the citizens you represent.