Take me out to the ball game

Did you know that baseball is coming back to Ottawa? If you haven't heard, we now have an Intercounty Baseball League team called the Ottawa Fat Cats!

I have to say I'm not a baseball fan, but I did go to several Lynx games years ago with friends and had a good time! We are planning to take Joel to see a game this summer. At 3 years of age he probably won't understand how the game is played, but I'm sure he'll still have a great time. How could you not have a memorable experience at the ball game? A bus ride to the stadium on a weekend afternoon spent outside, finding our seats, buying peanuts and cracker jacks, or hotdogs, and doing the 7th inning stretch (do they still do that?), it all sounds like a great time to me!

Tickets are $12 per adult and children under 6 years of age are FREE (ye-ah!!) The first home game is Saturday, May 15th against the Mississauga Twins @ 7pm. Since they are a new club and trying to establish the franchise in Ottawa, there are many great deals being offered.

For example, the Ottawa Fat Cats really wants the next generation to learn about the sport of baseball so they are offering a complimentary ticket to all seniors (60+) who bring one paid child to the ball park. They are also offering free transportation to the stadium!

According to the Fat Cats website, baseball fans and concert goers can board any OC Transpo bus by simply showing the bus driver a concert ticket or baseball game-day for that date.

For more information, to buy tickets or see the game schedule check out http://www.ottawafatcats.com.

Camping at the KOA

by Joanne Watching the sunset by the fire with the kids while they roast marshmallows and cook spider dogs!  Nature trail walks to pick up treasures (rocks,leaves and twigs)! Watching a chipmunk steel our peanut butter toast! These memories are all part of our family summer adventures!

We love to camp!  My husband loves the smell of his Coleman stove coffee, the sound of crickets and frogs and the crackle of the campfire!  He loves it all… but I won’t stay in a tent!  I won’t sleep on the ground and get that close to nature.  We can’t afford an RV right now… so you may be wondering how we do it… no, we don’t camp in the backyard – I will let you in on our little secret.   The KOA!

A few years ago, we found the perfect comprise to my husband’s desire to be close to nature and my desire to sleep on in bed.  Most KOA’s have these wonderful cabins for rent – one room Kabins (for up to 4 people), two room  Kabins (for up to 6 people) some have cottages and lodges for even more amenities, some include picnic tables and fire grills.

They are wonderful – one year it rained – we had a blast staying dry in the cabin doing crafts, napping and watching others pack up and head home.

KOA’s are great for families – most have hiking trails, some of pools and jacuzzi’s or lakes and there are lots of organized activities for the kids.

They are also located all over – we stayed at a KOA when we visited Storyland and also when we visited the 1000 Islands.  All you need to bring is a sleep bag, bath and hand towels and your toiletries.  If you are going to eat at the campsite, you may want to bring your camping stove if one is not included in the rental.

We always have an amazing time and we are looking forward to our next camping adventure – this year with our new puppy!

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.

April: What you might have missed

Just in case you missed it, here's a recap of all the great posts we had this month! Activities for Kids

Kinderconcerts at the NAC, swimming at the Bob MacQuarrie pool, visiting Proulx Farm and the Ottawa train station - we love finding new, different and interesting things to do with kids in the capital.

Cooking

Our contributor Jenn opened many of our eyes to the world of Once a month cooking, and how it can be a great thing to do for a girl's night in, and also how to make your own pizza dough. We also read about making lemon cupcakes.

Crafts

We're always looking for easy and entertaining things to do with the kids when we're at home. Paint pucks and toilet paper binoculars make for hours of fun!

Libraries

Different libraries around the city offer a variety of great programs and services. Two moms talk about their branches in Orleans and Barrhaven.

Museums

Do you visit our great museums often enough? These moms talk about the Museum of Science and Tech and Aviation museum, the Museum of Nature, the Children's Museum and the Canadian Agricultural Museum.

Parenting tips

Saving money and getting good deals is important when you have so much kids' stuff to buy. Here are some tips on shopping and selling at consignment sales and hitting garage sales.

Next time you have a squirmy baby on your lap while you're trying to cut their nails, use some of this dad's advice on how to keep them still.

And if you're getting ready to decorate a kids' room, this mom has some great ideas on where to look.

Parks

Parks. As parents we spend a LOT of time in parks - they are so much more than just a play structure. We plan to visit parks across Ottawa here at Kids in the Capital and give you ideas on new parks to visit with your kids.

This month we visited a dog park, Big bird park, St Luke's park, Petrie Island, and the tot lot in the Glebe.

Photography

We've started a weekly photography challenge to help inspire you to take more and different photos each week. There are photography tips, there are photos from participants and it's never too late to start playing along! Make sure you check out weeks, 1, 2 and 3.

Playgroups

There are many fabulous playgroups around the city. This month we visited ones in Orleans (at Divine Infant) and in Old Ottawa East (in the old town hall).

Products

Have you ever read a Sandra Boynton book to your kids? These great reads are short and sweet and quickly become favourites.

Services

There are many great services that cater to kids in our city. This month we heard about singing classes for infants, indoor activity classes for toddlers, where to go for a good haircut, how to find yourself a a few minutes of calm and a great birthday party location. We even visited McDonald's!

Whew! All of this in our first month.

We are looking forward to sharing even more ideas and activities with you in the next month. But don't forget, you can share with us too. If you have an idea for a post or a post you would like to write email us at kidsinthecapital@gmail.com.

Mark it on your calendar

by Brie and Lara Kids in the Capital is one month old!

We are so thrilled by the response we have received this past month by other Ottawa parents. We want to say thank you to all our readers, to all the people who take the time to leave kind and thoughtful comments and to all our wonderful writers. Some of these bloggers we knew already, but many of them we have only met in the last month. Well, met might be a bit of an exaggeration since we have yet to be introduced to them in person. And we figure that needs to change!

We want to invite all our readers and bloggers to a meetup on Thursday, May 6th. This will be a chance to put some names to faces, but more importantly it will be a chance to hang out with some other cool Ottawa parents!

If you are free May 6th and would like to join us from 8pm-10 pm at the Clocktower Brew Pub at  575 Bank Street please RSVP in the comments.

We hope to see you next week!

Brie is the mom of a 3.5 year old daughter “the girl” and eighteen month old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.

Lara is mom to 3.5 year old Kiernan and 11 month old twins Quinn and Juliette. You can read her blog at Gliding Through Motherhood.

Ottawa Public Library: Treasures for the Little Ones in Orleans

by Isabelle I still remember going to the library with my mom as a preschooler. I don't know how often we went, but I do know that every time we did, I took out a huge stash of books, often the same ones over and over again. Now that I have my own preschooler, I love our library trips. We are huge readers, and going to the library means that we're getting a little variety in terms of bedtime stories. With four books every night, we go through them pretty quickly.

My local branch of the Ottawa Public Library  is on Orleans Boulevard. It has a good selection of books for preschoolers in both English and French. There's also a smaller section of board books, again in both languages, for babies and toddlers. The children's section at the Orleans branch has kid-sized tables and chairs as well as a rocking chair for moms and dads.

This particular branch offers a number of different programs for kids of all ages. For instance, it offers several sessions of Babytime and Toddler Time each week, with stories, songs and games for the tiniest library aficionados. For preschoolers, the Orleans branch offers Storytime sessions on weekdays, and older kids (6-9) are invited to special events at the library, such as the Springfun program in April, where kids will hear a story, do a craft and participate in other activities. All of these programs are identified as "bilingual" on the library site, although it is unclear whether the stories and activities will be presented in English and French to the same group, or whether groups will be divided up according to language. For kids who need a little bit of help with schoolwork, the Orleans branch also offers a homework club on Saturday mornings for grades 1-10.

My little guy loves the library and I look forward to bringing my daughter to the baby programs when she's a little bit older. No matter the season, a Saturday-morning trip to the library is always a treat for our family!

Isabelle is the mom of 3.5 year old Jay and two-month old Rosie. You can also find her at Dr. Peach’s Blog.