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.

Brockville makes stress-free shopping not just for Santa!

I am so pleased with the local stores that we popped into over the weekend. They made my last-minute Christmas shopping as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. I have previously worked in retail for seven years and am no stranger to the bustle that is the holiday season and the challenges that face both the consumer and the employees.

My first trip was to one of my new favorite stores in Brockville, TL Annie's Little Seedlings, located on King Street. I was immediately greeted with a smile and a hello. Even though the sales lady was assisting another client she took the time to welcome me. It was my first time in the store, which is colourful, bright and just begging for the shopper to give into their inner-child and have fun while they shop! The first display I came across was of art supplies. Colourful paints, canvasses and neat craft ideas. This appealed to me as my two and a half year old has recently gotten the artistic bug. Next was the most original and adorable line of children's clothing I have seen in a while. I was drawn to a bright knit sweater dress for my oldest. Just as I was looking, I was approached and asked if I needed help. Yes please! The helpful sales lady found the right size and gave some useful knowledge on the line and how it will be expanding in the new season, allowing them to carry more designs.This was music to my ears.

 I continued to look around and found a fun plush play set for my youngest daughter. It was from the tale of the "Three Little Pigs" and was geared towards the play and learn mantra. Who could resist the fun animals and thier plush houses that included the big bad wolf? With my purchases in tow I took one last look around the store. I was so happy to see all the wonderful educational toys, I could have easily spent more time and money. You could tell this is a store where a lot of thought and love go into picking the items and I'm certain if you check it out you will not be disappointed. With excellent customer service and products that are practical and fun, this is one place we will visit time and time again!

Next up was Walmart. I needed some items that I can always rely on the bigger stores to have in stock. Im not a huge fan of long lines, big crowds and the rush, rush feeling but the time crunch was on and I had to get my shopping done. We pulled into the parking lot and I knew the store was packed. I cringed a bit and helped my spouse get the kids into the cart. We decided he would take them for a walk around while I finished some last minute shopping. As we walked into the store there was a greeter who smiled and assisted others with their carts and answered questions. Wait, was I in a box store? There weren't people pushing and shoving, there was lots of room and happy employees everywhere to help. I have been to the Walmart in Brockville several times and I will say, I've never had a bad experience but at this time of year I expected the level of customer service to drop and instead I was happily surprised. All the items I was looking for were in stock, there were plenty of employees accessible throughout the store to help and it was very spacious and clean. I found some excellent children's books at great prices, a cute outfit for my youngest daughter and finished up with the toy items on our list.

 It hit me then, surely my worst nightmare would happen at the cash. I could see it now, long lines, impatient consumers and tired cashiers must be waiting. I got it together and forced myself to the front of the store to face it all, only to realize this store had surprised me once again. I waited in line for maybe 3 minutes and was greeted by a very energetic and friendly cashier. She asked me how my shopping was and if I had found everything. It wasn't in that "I have to ask you these questions" kind of tone, she genuinely wanted to know. She commented on how adorable the outfit I had picked out was and when I sympathized with her over the holiday madness she happily let me know that it's been a wonderful shopping season and everyone has been kind. Refreshing. I thanked her and headed to the door to meet my spouse and wee ones. I was met by another happy employee who offered to take my cart and thanked me for shopping. When I saw my family, they too had smiles and no meltdowns! A huge thank you to Walmart Brockville and all of its employees for making my Christmas shopping stress-free. I left that day with a big smile, not only because I was an extremly satisfied customer but because it reinforced my Brockville pride. Box stores are a place that are often criticized for long lines and cranky employees, taking the personal feel out of shopping. Walmart Brockville seems to have found some excellent people within our community to hire and they are doing a wonderful job!

I don't know if I say it enough, but "Shop Local". This is something my family and I are really starting to practice. I have found out, especially this weekend, that if you get out there and support your community, it may be the best shopping experience you have. Bravo Brockville!

Santa didn't wave at me!

Our weekend kicked off with a visit from one of my favorite ladies, my sister.

Driving down from Toronto, she arrived at my door around 3:30. I still stand by it, to my Grandmother, that she did not speed. At all. Right. We went shopping and then stopped at our favorite place, Starbucks. When we arrived back at my house we were greated by a wonderful surprise, our Mother. She had popped up to Brockville to surprise us and join us for dinner.

With my spouse and oldest daughter in tow, we headed to GG and Pop Pop's for dinner. My sister and Mother stopped in at Island Delight and picked up dinner. If you aren't familiar with Island Delight, it is located in the west end on King street and serves Thai and Chinese food. They have also just won the Small Business of the Year award.

Seeing GG and Pop Pop makes anyone happy, but when a bunch of us are together it really becomes a fun night. Like any great family, we love to poke fun at each other and laugh all night. Great food and even better company made for a great start to the weekend!

Saturday was a quiet, clean the house kind of day. We were, however really just killing time until 2pm when we would be downtown to watch the annual Santa Claus parade.

We arrived at 1:30 p.m ensuring we get a great spot to take in the sights. We thought we had found it, but unfortunately had to move a few times, as there were surprisingly a lot of people who would light up and smoke in the crowds full of children. Once we finally did find a spot, in front of Tait's no less, we were ready for the parade to begin.

So many wonderful floats and many animals as well, one of my favorites being the gypsy horses. We could not believe the turnout, from east to west the sidewalks were full of families in spirit for the upcoming season.

Before we knew it, the Santa Claus float was upon us. My two and a half year old was extremly excited. She was up high on Daddy's shoulders waving her little heart out. We all know that Santa is very busy and has many children to wave at. When he reached our destination he was looking at the other side of the street waving to the many wonderful children. Our daughter, at her young age, didnt understand this. She started to cry and stated "Santa didn't wave at me!".  My spouse, being the amazing Dad he is, couldn't stand to see our daughter like this, so he held onto her tighltly and jogged down the sidewalk along side Santa. Finally they met up and our daughter got her wave. I have never been so impressed by the love of fatherhood and the little smile on her face made my day. Hopefully Santa is no longer on her naughty list!

Sunday was a very exciting day. We were up early and out the door to pick up our youngest from her mother's and then off to Ottawa for a kid's Christmas party, thrown by my mother's work.

For the past few years, we have been going to Fun Junction in the east end of Ottawa. It is a great place for small parties or events. With rock climbing, laser tag, mini putt, video games, air hockey and the coolest blow up playground for young children, we always have a blast!

The girls both loved the enclosed playground and in no time were up and down the slides, laughing and making friends with the other kids. We played some arcade games with them and had a great pizza lunch. Just when we thought the day was winding down, we were happily surprised with a visit from Santa! The girls are still young enough that Santa is very exciting from far away but still a bit scary up close. With some help from Mom,Dad, Amma and Grandpa, we approached Santa and were given a wonderful gift for each of the girls.

Before we were at the traffic lights on our way out of the city, both girls were fast asleep! It was a nice, quiet drive home and another fantastic weekend in and around our wonderful City of Brockville and our local community.