Going on a tree hunt

by Carly We never had a real Christmas tree growing up, but I always wanted one.  After getting married and having a child of my own, I thought the best year to try a live tree for the first time, was the year the Little Man was one and newly walking.  Good plan, right?

We had an open concept town home so we purchased a 12 foot gate and blocked off the three sets of stairs by spreading the gate across the kitchen, dining room and living room.  The tree was a last minute decision, put up about 5 days before Christmas, outside the gate.  It was beautiful!

Since then, we've gotten a live tree every year, but I've been increasingly disappointed with the lack of longevity.  Despite keeping the house cool, never letting the tree dry out and offering it sugar water as a treat every now and then, our subsequent trees (purchased at a local tree lot about 10 days before Christmas) never lasted past Boxing Day.  Last year's tree was so dried out by Christmas Eve, I threatened everyone who came near it with bodily harm if they so much as breathed on it.  By the time we got it out the door three days after Christmas, the remaining needles were in my foyer and the bare tree was in the snow bank.

I vowed then and there to visit the tree farm next (this) year and cut down a fresh tree.

Which is where we found ourselves this weekend.  We headed out with friends to check out Thomas Tree Farm outside North Gower.  It was everything I'd hoped for.  There were homemade cookies and hot chocolate, play structures, a bonfire, a tractor wagon to take you out to the fields and a horse-drawn wagon ride once you got there.

Everything I wanted in a tree farm.  Except for trees.  Unfortunately, all they had left were small fir trees or scotch pines.  I had my heart set on a fir tree of some sort as did our friends.  At the suggestion of some staff we checked out their pre-cut trees, but were disappointed with the selection and the fact they came from outside the province and had likely been cut months ago - just like the trees at our local lot.  So while the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves running through the fields, swirling branches and visiting the outhouse, we left with only one tree . . . cut down and purchased for friends who couldn't make it that weekend.

We headed up the road to Hillcrest Tree Farm, but before getting out of the car, they let us know they had nothing left.

It was getting dark by that point, but my trusty smart phone informed me that Ian's Everygreen Plantation was open for night cutting with "well lit fields" so off we went.  Two of the three kids fell asleep on the way there and only the Little Man bolted excitedly from the car when we arrived.

A quick chat with some staff let us know that the tractor wagon wasn't making anymore trips to the fields that night and while the entrance/lot area was lit, the fields themselves weren't.  Prepared to leave disappointed once again, we were stopped by Ian himself on our way out.  He was quick to point out the hundreds of pre-cut trees in his lot.  Expecting the usual story of how they were cut weeks ago and shipped from places far, far away we prepared to continue on our way.

Ian came through for us though, explaining that the trees were cut on Thursday and were from his larger farm just outside the city.  We headed over to wander the rows, looking for the perfect tree.  Honestly, at that point, I was ready to settle for an okay tree.

We found lots of wonderful trees, of all shapes and sizes.  Jake had a quick visit to the reindeer barn and we grabbed a hot chocolate to go on our way out.  Our hunt ended happily and successfully.  We got a great tree and made some wonderful family memories.  The Little Man had a fantastic day so despite the iffy start, I highly recommend a tree farm visit.

It's not too late either - while I can't speak for the first two farms we visited, Ian's Evergreen Plantation still has lots of lovely trees to choose from and is open until 9pm every night until December 24th.  All the farms had free activities and trees ranging in price from $20 to $75.  Happy hunting!

Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband and her 4 year old son, Jacob.  Probably in reverse order.   She also blogs.

Gotta Paint for Christmas!

by Alicia An advantage to having a child is avoiding the expensive Christmas gifts and presenting family and friends something handmade from your little ones.  These are the gifts that will be truly treasured.

For my son’s first Christmas last year, we went to Gotta Paint to create some unique gifts.  Gotta Paint is a ceramic, mosaic and glass fusing studio.  They have various ceramic pieces that are easy for children to handle like mugs, plates, tea pots, bowls, piggy banks and wine goblets. Currently for Christmas, they also have a huge selection of Christmas shaped plates, ornaments, and knick knacks.

We decided to paint a couple of ceramic plates for Grandparents last year using handprint and footprint art. The wonderful staff helped us through the whole process (especially the hold-press-release of the very wiggly hands and feet). They had all kinds of ideas for us and we also found inspiration from samples of other children’s art displayed on the shelves and walls.  We were very happy with how they turned out!

Once we finished painting, the plates were sent off to be glazed and fired in the oven and we were able to pick them up at a later date. We purchased a plate stand for each and now our son’s Grandparents can display their plates every Christmas and remind all of us just how small those fingers and toes once were!

This Christmas season our son was able to do some of the painting himself and proudly painted some ornaments and a mug. We made an appointment and sneaked in just in time before the Christmas deadline.

Check out Gotta Paint’s online calendar to view daily promotions.  We especially like their Food Bank days; with a donation to the Food Bank they wave your studio fees!  You are encouraged to call ahead to book an appointment (appointments are needed during this busy season) and although Christmas deadlines have past, they have a number of great promotions during the winter holidays.

Will your children be giving handmade gifts to family and friends this year? Don’t forget to put your child’s name and age on the back or bottom of the keepsake!

Alicia is mom to 19 month old, little E, and is new to blogging. You can read her blog at, I Found My Feet.

Hockey with bite!

by Joanne My son loves hockey!  Now that he is playing every weekend I thought we might try to take him to a game.  We discussed going to a Sens game but I wasn't sure how he would like it.   He can be a bit sensitive with crowds and loud noises.  We were trying to decide on a game when we received 4 tickets to the Ottawa 67s!  This would be perfect… we could go to the game and see how he does… if he hates it… we leave, if he loves it we will have great afternoon for the whole family.

When we told him we got tickets he was thrilled couldn't wait to go.  He asked me every day if today was the day that we would go see the game.  Finally, the day came, he put on his 67’s hoodie and off we went to the Rona Centre.

It has been a long time since we had been to the arena at the Lansdowne… it has not changed a bit.  It is exactly like you remember it with brighter lights and lots of things to look at.   There are a lot of families and lots of noise but it did not bother him one bit.    I was surprised to see kids of all ages.  There were babies, toddlers, hockey teams and birthday parties.

We were given noisemakers and the ushers pointed us in the direction of our seats.  Great seats a few rows up from the ice.   So far so good...  The game was about to get started – time to sing the National Anthem – a wonderful school choir did a great job and the game began.

He loved it!  She loved it!  My husband loved it!  I loved it!  There was lots of excitement as these hockey stars of tomorrow covered the ice with such grace and speed.  My son was in awe of these talented young men.  There were cheerleaders to keep the crowd excited about the game.  We cheered the 67s to victory that afternoon and can’t wait to go again.

If you are thinking of going I must warn you of one thing – they do fight in the OHL.  When the first fight started… yes there was more than one…. I glanced over at my son who was shocked… I looked over at my husband who was even more surprised.  So keep that in mind so you won’t be as shocked as we were.  I promptly told my son about the penalty box and if he fights like that he was to go into the box alone while everyone else gets to play his favorite game while he watches!

If you are looking for some family fun – they certainly put on a great show.

Joanne the proud mom of Amélie (8 years old) and Mathieu (5 years).  She is new at blogging and you can find her at Our Money Pit.

Feeding our feathered friends

by Karen You know how sometimes we parents force our own interests on our children, hoping that they’ll think that hockey or yoga or watching the Food Network instead of Treehouse is just the most awesome thing they’ve ever done?

Well, I did that….  and it has paid off in spades! (this time anyway….)

Let me back up a bit…. I love birds.  Not inside-the-house birds so much, but the out-in-the-wide-world kind of birds.  I love watching them and I love having them near the house.  My love of these feathered friends started when I lived on the Ottanabee River in Peterborough.  I had all kinds of interesting birds coming to my measly feeder.  I learned to use a bird guide to identify them and started to keep a journal of what I saw.  When we moved to Ottawa, I had dreams of birds flocking to my yard, telling their birdie friends about me and my awesome birdfeeders.

I decided to wait until we had kids to undertake my bird-attraction project.  My oldest daughter, Emily, has always shown an interest in the natural world and when, in JK, she asked to get a bird book from the library, I jumped at the chance to woo her to my world of bird feeding.

Putting up birdfeeders is a great project to do with kids.  Choosing the feeders, the seed, deciding where to hang or mount the feeders, putting them up and filling them are all projects that kids can get really involved in.  And when the birds start flocking to your yard?  Well, you are set for some great lessons and entertainment.  We stare out our back window daily and talk about what birds are there, if they are male or female, how other animals are reacting to them (read: curse the darn squirrels and cats).  Emily also loves to browse through our bird guide to try and identify birds.

We’ve learned a few lessons over the last few years of bird feeding through trial, but mostly error.   Follow these few rules and you and your kiddies should be well on the way to some happy feeding and watching:

1. Start small.  We started with a suet feeder (it looks like a very small cage).  You can get the feeder and the suet (in a variety of flavours!) at Bulk Barn.  They are inexpensive and attract chickadees and woodpeckers.  There is nothing better than living in Central Ottawa (we live in Greenboro – near Bank and Hunt Club) and watching a Downy Woodpecker hanging off your suet feeder.  In the middle of the city!  We also have a nyger seed feeder.  These are also fairly inexpensive (about $20 at Home Hardware) and attract finches, sparrows and chickadees.                             
2. Beware of squirrels.  Ah, the thorn in every bird feeder’s side.  When we bought our first suet feeder, the girls and I strung it up, literally with string.  Within an hour it was on the ground, the cage was open and the suet dragged off to the delight of some neighbourhood squirrels.  Lesson learned. We bought some small chain and a carabineer (both from Home Hardware) and re-hung it.  This time I tied the cage shut with some string. This was a good lesson in living with (and sometimes battling) nature.  We hung the nyger seed feeder with chain as well.  The holes are much too small for the squirrels so they don’t even try it but their weight would be enough to bring it down should they try.                         
3. Beware of neighbourhood cats.  I’m still figuring this one out.  The cats seem to think that I’m presenting them with a buffet in my backyard.  I feel like I’m potentially setting up the birds for a very untimely end.   The cats like to sit themselves right under our feeders.  I’m thinking a squirt bottle might be in order.  Right now, I just yell at them.  (Hey, I like me birds and I’m not adverse to pulling out my “mom voice” when necessary.)                                               
4. Try different styles of feeders when you want to attract new birds.  The girls really wanted to get some cardinals coming to the feeders (okay, so did I).  Neither the suet nor nyger-seed feeder could accommodate cardinals.  So last year for Christmas my dad gave us a totally awesome squirrel-proof birdfeeder by Heritage Farms.   (Lee Valley  is selling a different version that also looks great.)  This is the Cadillac of feeders. This year we put it in the lawn right outside our picture window.  The girls run to the window every morning to see if the cardinals are there.  An added benefit to this feeder is that the seed that is dropped on the ground keeps the squirrels happy enough to leave the feeders alone.                                         
5. Choose your seed.  I’ve found the best feed for the squirrel-proof feeder is sunflower seeds mixed with some wild bird seed.  This draws in the cardinals and the chickadees and also keeps my personal favourite, the juncos, very happy.  We get all our seed at Bulk Barn.
6. Get a bird guide and keep it handy.  This is a great way to really get the kids involved in bird identification, teach them to use a reference guide and also learn a lot more about the birds that we see in Ontario and Quebec.

And there you have it.  Those are our lessons in backyard bird feeding.  It has become one of our family’s favourite winter activities.  If you have even a postage stamp of a lawn (like we do), I recommend getting out there and helping our backyard friends through the tough Ottawa winters.  The birds will appreciate it and so will your kids.   And you’ll probably love it as much as they do.

Karen is mother to three great kids - Emily, Hope and newest addition Henry. In her increasingly rare spare time she blogs at Virtually There.

Canadian War Museum

by Sara

In anticipation of Remembrance Day we recently visited the Canadian War Museum with our 2.5 year old monkey and 4.5 year old firefighter.  The cost for our family of four was $30 and parking (for just over two hours) was $8.75.

We planned our visit with two of their friends, who are the same ages, for several reasons.  We enjoy the company and our boys travel better as part of a 'herd'.  Surprisingly there is less running and silliness as they tend to stick close to their friends.  Because there is a lot of graphic material at the museum, we also appreciated the distraction of having friends with us.  The kids were curious about the exhibits but were easily distracted when an adult directed them elsewhere.

If you haven't visited the museum, you may want to visit their website before planning your trip.  There are floor plans on the website and although at times the exhibits feel maze-like, its easy to skip different parts of the galleries or leave the exhibits for snack or bathroom breaks.  We spent 2 hours there and visited all four Canadian Experience galleries as well as the LeBreton gallery.

Many of the photographs, art, and videos on display are graphic.  For some children it may be overwhelming or scary and as a parent it can be difficult to answer questions about the weapons and violence on display.  In some of the exhibits the audio of gun shots and machines is also loud and unexpected.

Unlike some of the other museums in the city, the exhibits are geared towards adults and older children, which is to be expected given the content.  That being said all four kids had a great time looking at the vehicles, clothing, and diorama's.  They tried on hats, listened to audio explanations of different exhibits, and enjoyed the areas where they have replicated different periods of war (trenches, cafe).

The monkey even found somewhere to monkey around!

In areas where the material was graphic or frightening, we passed through quickly directing their attention to the next part of the exhibit.  My answers to the 4.5 year olds questions were simple and one-two words, instead of trying to over-explain (e.g., when he asked what a soldier was doing I said "lying in the dirt" instead of "preparing for battle").  Its a good idea, before your visit, to think about how you want to answer questions about war, blood, guns, and death, so that you're prepared when the questions arise.  Because Remembrance Day is discussed at school, its probably easier with older elementary school children who have already been introduced to the topic.

The highlight of the visit was the LeBreton gallery where all the large vehicles are on display.  Even though the kids can't climb on them they enjoyed looking all the different types of trucks, especially the ones that served meals or acted as a mechanic's shop.

Have you visited the Canadian War Museum?  How did your children react?

Sara is mom to 4-year-old ” firefighter” and 2-year-old “monkey”.