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.

"It's Amma Time"

The word "Amma" is very special in our family. It's the name my oldest daughter gave to my mother in place of the traditional "Grandma". It also means "date night" to her father and I.

Friday afternoon came and I recieved a glorious message from my mom: " Weather looks ok, I'll come pick up Lo for the night and then take her to the movies Saturday afternoon. You and Nick have a date night and meet at our place tomorrow  for dinner". I can't lie, my parents are very supportive and always jump at the chance to spend time with the girls so Nick and I can have "us" time. We love our children but it essential to take time out for each other now and then as well.

We decided that Brockville was the perfect place for a night on the town, with many options for dining and entertainment. We opted for Boston Pizza for dinner, as my fabulous in-laws gave us a generous gift card for Christmas. Nick travels a lot for work and frequents Boston Pizza so he knows the menu well and really enjoys the perogie pizza they have. I, on the other hand, am six months pregnant and have been craving steak, which, thankfully, is also on the menu. Our starter was a delicious bread that was covered in garlic and cheese, perfect for a cool winter night. Nick really enjoyed his pizza and he recommends it to everyone. I will however caution you when ordering this.  He lovingly offered me a bite and neglected to mention it had some serious heat. Thankfully I had my water nearby. My steak dinner was a bit disappointing. I ordered it "medium" and while the chef did an excellent job meeting this request, it was however, seasoned a bit too much with pepper, which took away from the taste. I chose the fresh veggies as my side. In addition, when my plate arrived they too were cold. The restaurant was busy at this time and the servers were doing a great job attending the tables. Our server checked on us many times and kept the drink refills coming. Upon having some of my water I noticed a large crack in my glass. We stopped the hostess on her way by, which is when we were met with an odd response. She looked at my glass and confirmed she saw the crack and then continued on her way. I thought maybe she was going to bring another water, but as time lapsed we realized she wasn't coming back. Thankfully our wonderful waitress checked on us again and when we showed her, she immediately removed the glass and brought a new one. All in all, dinner was a positive experience. The atmosphere was fun, the staff were friendly and attentive and the food was okay. We will be back again, but I am looking forward to trying some different menu items.

Now for the exciting part: the movie! We have been looking forward to the new Sherlock Holmes movie and the Galaxy Theatre in Brockville didn't disappoint. We thought perhaps with the holidays just being over and it being a small city, the theater would not be busy. This was not the case, as the theatre was buzzing with people excited to see all the new releases. We did not wait long to get tickets or treats and we scored some great seats even though it filled up quickly. The movie we chose was fantastic, although I am a tad biased with my unrequited love for Robert Downey Jr. The local theatre did not disappoint either, with its comfy seats, ample parking and selection of great movies. I urge you all to flock to the theatre and take in a movie.

Saturday we headed to my parents' house to celebrate Nick's Birthday. My mom always makes special dinners for the occasion. We arrived to their house and were met at the door by our daughter with lots of hugs! She was really excited that she and Amma had just come home from their own movie date. About an hour into our visit, dinner was ready. Fajitas, one of Nick's favourite meals.Dinner was amazing but no birthday is complete without DQ ice cream cake. C'mon the kid in all of us likes it! It was a great evening and just one more reason we love our family time so much.

Brockville, once again you have provided us with a great local experience and I am pleased that we get to enjoy the amenities you have to offer. Our biggest thanks goes to our parents, who cared for our oldest daughter and spoiled us with the gift cards to enjoy the night out. It's nice to be surrounded by our children and lots of love, but every now and then we love that couple time just as much.