country fair

The fall would not be the same with out hitting up an ol' country fair. Last weekend, we headed to our local fair for an afternoon of animals, rides and fair food.

The weather was perfect, it was bright sunny fall day. The kids were able to go outside without hats and jackets and I didn't mind spending my afternoon outdoors soaking up the sunshine. Baby D was super excited about all the animals. He is fascinated with animals and the sounds they make. He thought it was so cool to feed and talk to all the animals. We had to drag him home as he would have stayed there all night with them.

Little Miss L. on the other hand was only interested in the amusement park. This year, she showed no fear and conquered several rides. If it was up to her, she would have rode them all day long. Baby I decided it was a good afternoon to snooze and didn't even bother to open his eyes once.

Another fall activity checked off our family to-do list... it was a wonderful afternoon spent at the fair. The kiddos are looking forward to next year's fair!

tall ships

I feel like I continue to repeat myself, but here I go again... I am behind on my posts (along with a list of other things I'm behind on) but I wanted to share our Father's Day weekend with all of you. We headed down on Saturday to enjoy the Tall Ships 1812 Tour as they stopped in historic Brockville. We brought along my in-laws for the day and the kids (and their dad!) could not stop talking all week about going to this festival.

As we arrived, we were greeted by the wonderful farmer's market. Well, if you know our family - we like to eat. The very first stop was to fill our bellies with some scrumptious food. The hubby and I opted for the pad thai and spring rolls and the kiddos opted for the good ol' jumbo hot dogs. After we had our fill of food, we were off to explore the beautiful ships that awaited us.

Everyone had a great time going on the different sized ships, hearing stories about each of them, meeting the crew, and soaking in the beautiful surrounding of the St.Lawrence river.

Brockville provided us with great entertainment for the children as they had a petting zoo, jumping castles, pirate shows, and so much more.

It was the perfect day spent with some wonderful people. If you have the opportunity to catch this tour somewhere near you, please do as you won't be disappointed.

There were so many delicious treats available at the farmer's market.

Little Miss L. was so excited to have this pirate serve up her lunch.

Having lunch with grandpa.

Three generations enjoying their time on the tall ships.

One of Baby D's favourite ships.

We may have found two little skippers.

Momma with her girl.

See, this is how it is done momma.

Two great fathers :)

Little Miss L. hanging out with the doctor and his nurse.

My two handsome men.

Sexy couple.

Our attempt at a nice family photo. 

All dressed up and ready for battle.

It's a pirate's life we live.

hello mr.dino

I am going to simply come out and say it - I don't enjoy shopping for gifts. It's just not my thing. I always feel that a gift should be meaningful and I stress out way too much trying to find that perfect gift. I start to overthink it and then in the end, I am left with a mediocre gift that I am not crazy about. This year for Christmas, the hubby and I decided instead of going out and picking up more toys that will someday take over our home from top to bottom, we would take the kids on a few outings.

The first outing we chose was to the Nature Museum. It is one of Little Miss L.'s favourites and it is sad to say, but we had not been in months. Little Miss L. has been throwing out the hints left and right about how much she would love to go back to the museum.

So, we bundled up (literally, as it was minus 40 out that day) and headed downtown to check out the new exhibits. Baby D had only been once before and he was passed out in a milk coma the whole time. We were excited to see his reaction to the dinosaurs as he has started taken a liking to them. Baby D sure did not disappoint - the moment he saw the large creatures, his face lit up, the squeals came out, and he pointed excitedly to the big guys. I absolutely loved walking throughout the museum watching their little faces light up when something peaked their interest.

We went to the musuem on the perfect day as they were having a reptile show. Baby D decided he could not sit still, so Little Miss L. and I attended the show. I am not a huge fan of some of those creepy crawly creatures and I thought Little Miss L. was on the same page - I don't know what took over her that day but she was thrilled to get a front row seat and even touched most of the reptiles including some HUGE snakes! I stayed as far away as I could.

It was a wonderful afternoon spent with my family. While I love watching my children get excited over a new toy, providing them with an opportunity to experience new adventures is more rewarding in the end.

Look, it's a dinosaur mommy! 

I love these three.

Look momma, that's a big one!

Posing with the dinos.

Yeah, that's right, I touched that snake...

...and this little guy.

Wow, that looks like the one who stole my crackers on the beach this past summer!

it takes a village to raise a child- guest post

Almost a year ago, my family and I moved to Brockville, Ontario. We are a “blended family” consisting of a daughter each from previous relationships and our newest addition, a five month old baby girl .With three children ages three and under, our home is always buzzing.

My spouse, Nick and I are fairly active, outgoing people. This is one of the many things that drew us together in the first place. When we decided to move from our previous town, we discussed the things that we were looking for in a community and how we would involve our family. A few things that were must-haves included a clean, safe area in which we could raise our three girls; a community that stressed the importance of family with great educational opportunities to choose from. After looking into the surrounding areas, Brockville came out on top. We were also looking for a hometown that provided an opportunity to get out and be active on a weekly basis.

Our first weekend in our new home introduced us to the Brock Trail, a fabulous walking/biking path that extends from one end of the city to another. We immediately unpacked the strollers and took to a walk. Our stroll led us to Hardy Park, the renowned waterfront park that boasts a state of the art play structure, gazebo, view of the marina and is located just a stones throw from Blockhouse Island, which provides great opportunities for family fun and a stunning view of the St. Lawrence River.

Every weekend since, you can find our family at one of the local family-friendly spots around the city - the new splash pad, local parks, the public library, the Thousand Island Mall or any other events being hosted in our hometown or the surrounding area. We do this not only because we enjoy the festivities, but because we want to set an example to our children. Nick and I feel that when we are out supporting local business, markets or even a day at the park, it teaches our children to take pride in their community, the responsibility that goes with it and at the same time, keeps them active. It also gives us a great opportunity to have “family time” and bond with our girls. It’s our hope that this is something we can do for years to come and hopefully encourage other families to do as well.

Whether you live in a big city, town or the country, there is always something to do and a community to be found. It can be a simple thing like a walk or perhaps volunteering your time but whatever it takes, get out in your area and get the entire family involved.

Lindsay Pennell is a proud mother of three, blogger for Brockville Tourism , and avid community supporter. You can follow her family adventures http://www.littlecitycharm.blogspot.ca/ Please drop her a line anytime, as she is always looking for new family activities to attend and loves to hear of your experiences as well