Clover imagination

Having a 8-year old daughter forces me to use my imagination a lot. I am always on the look out for new ways to have fun with her. My reasons aren’t purely altruistic: as every parent knows, there is nothing more grating than a loud and long "I'm boooooreeeeed”.

Fortunately, Ottawa is a very friendly kid city. I've mentioned a few of my fave ideas on this blog:

1. Visiting the animals at the experimental farm.
2. Going for a hike in Gatineau Park or the green belt
.
3. Going on a daddy-daughter date when Glosette Girl is out for the evening.

But sometimes (perhaps, subconsciously, to make up for the times when I’ve been a boring-responsible-adult-busybody), I like to surprise Margot and work a little harder for something extra fun.


This past weekend I noticed a horse show was being held at Wesley Clover Parks in the west end. So Glosette Girl and I bundled Margot into the car and spent an hour watching horses jump over various obstacles.

It sounds…very aristocratic and almost silly but if you’ve ever tried horseback riding you’ll seriously appreciate the skill and guts of the riders (all of whom were women under the age of 20). Because it was pouring rain, there weren’t too many spectators but the crowd that did show up (all 10 of us) cheered and clapped the competitors on. Margot certainly loved it.

Life is so busy for us parents. It is very tempting to let Señor Netflix take over when it comes to entertaining our children. We may even fool ourselves into believing that’s all they want.

But we’re wrong.

Shakespeare in the Hintonburg Park

There always seems to be something going on in our neighbourhood park! This past weekend was no exception and last Friday the park was alive with the sights and sounds of an open air performance of Shakespeare's Cymbeline put on by local thespians Bear & Co.

I have never read or seen Cymbeline before and because I didn't do any advance homework on what exactly I was seeing I have to admit I was somewhat (i.e completely) lost for the first 15 minutes or so. To tell you the truth that's pretty much par for the course for me with most Shakespeare plays but eventually I got the gist of it as it hit the standard Shakespeare points:

• Star-crossed lovers - check. 
• A couple of goof ball/foolish servants - check. 
• Someone wanting to steal the throne - check.
• A leading lady who dresses up like a boy resulting in some comic relief at some point - check.
• A miraculously happy ending where all loose ends are tied up (check - for comedies).

It wasn't the best Shakespeare I've ever seen but it put a smile on my face and I got lost in the characters a few times, which is really all I can ask for. Also, I am super grateful that the play being performed wasn't A Midsummer Night's Dream. I swear that play is played every year by some company or another around here and if I have to see "Puck" play one more trick on "Bottom" one more time I'm going to cry.

Somewhat amazingly, considering all the plays Glosette Girl and I see, this was Margot's first time seeing a Shakespeare production.

She did really well and sat through the whole 90-minute performance. Now her patient behaviour may have been partially due to the fact that a kind neighbourhood lady invited Margot to sit next to her so Margot could see better and Margot tends to be extra nice when strangers are around... but I'll take it!

Caffe Mio

Glosette Girl, Margot and I decided to take full advantage of slightly cooler temperatures last week to find a nice patio to enjoy. We found it one of our tried-and-true restaurants: Caffe Mio.

A little under twenty minutes walk from our house, in nearby Wellington West, Caffe Mio is an Italian restaurant that hits the right notes for us. We've eaten there, on and off, several times over the past few years and never left disappointed.

I like how it's family friendly but not overly kid-oriented (by that I mean kids are welcome but there aren't screaming brats running around the place making life miserable for everyone). Best of all is the service. Some Canadian waiters just don't seem to appreciate how much an impact service has on the dining experience. Bad service can really ruin a great meal while good service can turn a modest one into a wonderful dining experience. Every time we've been to Caffe Mio whoever we've had as a server has just been very prompt and... nice! 

A word of warning though: there is no kids menu. But that's fine. Margot enjoyed her thin crust "Italiano" pizza, while Glosette Girl enjoyed Salmon and I had Manicotti.

While I wouldn't go to Caffe Mio to impress a date (sorry Glosette Girl!!) I would definitely encourage anyone in the neighbourhood to check it out if they want to enjoy flavourful Italian food in a colourful setting.

Hot hot hot days

It has been very hot here these past few days. Sticky-with-the-humidity-global-warming-hot.

I escaped the heat in my little city this past Canada Day weekend to visit my family in the much larger and more southerly city of Toronto and the GTA. Out of the frying pan into the fire? Maybe, but I think the humidity there was a little less than in Ottawa.

Here were a few of our attempts to keep things cool:

1. Enjoyed a splash of pleasant (and only mildly polluted) lake Ontario.

It's amazing how big your little girl looks when she's next to an even littler one

2. Pulled an "Al Bundy": cold drinks + feet in kiddie pool.

We still have room for a couple more...!

3.  Watched a lot of World Cup inside a cool air-conditioned house.

Cozy Devils! Where is my spot?!

4. Forgot our umbrellas

That girl is having the time of her life

5. Became night owls

Happy Canada Day!