Happy Birthday Sparty!

This past Sunday Spartacat celebrated his 19th birthday at Saunders Farm.  Spartacat and Saunders Farm = double the fun! This was a sign up event for the Sparty's Kids Club, so for $20 we signed V up, got a cool  Sens cup, some posters and coupons as well as free admission for her and 2-for-1 admission for hubby and I. Deal! Just after we bought our tickets and signed V up we ran in to the birthday boy himself. V *loves* Sparty in theory and on TV. In real life however a 6' tall, fuzzy lion causes her clam right up and cling to my leg. This unfortuntely makes it difficult for me to take pictures of her with the birthday boy, but here he is greeting his adoring public.

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The nice thing about this event is Sparty is *everywhere* we saw him at the ticket booth, on the attractions, at the shows and everywhere he's interacting with everyone, adults and children alike.  So if you have a little (or big) Sparty fan on your hands, this is a great chance to grab a picture with him.

This is the second year we attended, last year V was just shy of three, and maybe a bit young to fully enjoy the day. Luckily the rocky start didn't mar her fun for the rest of the day, this year she was a partying machine! Saunders has some new attractions, including the Jumping Pillows  (huge airbags):

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as well as the crowd favorite mazes.  I mentioned this is the second year we've done this, and we have yet to venture in to the mazes. There are so many other things going on, from a puppet show:

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a corn launch and apple toss:

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and tonnes of play structures:

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that I'm sure we have several more years before we cover all of the park.

The Sens also had a great bouncy Sparty and gigantic inflated slide set up. We were lucky to be able to pull V off either of them:

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It was too cold for some items like the splash pad, but the rain and damp didn't stop anyone from enjoying the slides, the pumpkin patch or the petting zoo:

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But the highlight for us this year was down this tree-lined path:

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Yes, for the first time ever we were able to take V with us on a Haunted Hayride!

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There were some startling moments, but for the most part she really enjoyed the ride. I'm sure it would be  a much different story at night, but that's why they don't recommend the haunted night attractions for children under 10. (Although hubby and I might go back for the hauntings!)

I can't wait for next year's event, the one change I hope they make is that they give a bit more advance notice. We only received our invite on Friday,  which was unfortunately not enough time to let others know in advance. If you have a little Sens fan I highly recommend the Sparty's Kids Club, they usually provide a tonne of loot, great events, tickets for members and discounts to other local attractions. Word is the kits will be available in the Sens stores starting October 15th.

Coreen is a geriatric mother living with her husband (hubby) and 3.75 year old daughter (V). She works in IT Security but doesn't yet know what she wants to be when she grows up. She also blogs at One Day this Blog will have a Snazzy Name (and is open to naming suggestions because really.)

Christmas Shopping at the North Gower Farmers' Market

When you start thinking about Christmas shopping, I'm sure the first place you think to go is the farmers' market, right? Well, perhaps it should be on your list! This year is the first time I've gone out to the farmers' markets around Ottawa on a regular basis and I can tell you I'll be out even more next year than I was this year. Recently, I took my husband (Matt) and son (Brandon) out to the North Gower Farmers' Market in the southwest rural part of Ottawa. As we walked through, I realized that I was in the perfect spot to find some unique and interesting Christmas gifts for family and friends.

Sure, you find the usual treats and delicacies at every market - like fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as a plethora of baked goods that will make you hungry just looking at them.

There is another fabulous side to hitting the farmers' markets every week: Artisans!

The first table we stopped at was a huge reason I wanted to make this return trip to North Gower (Brandon and I were out earlier in the summer). Simply Whimsy Greetings & Gifts' owner, Tara, has a beautiful lineup of products - necklaces, bracelets and earrings as well as greeting cards. And while I was truly looking for ideas for others, I must admit I was adding a couple items to my own wish list. :)

Right next to Tara was Jack Wright of Rideau Lakes Cutting Boards. I must tell you, these cutting boards are absolutely gorgeous. (They're also probably far more durable than my old IKEA butcher block that split in two a few years back.) Actually, they're so pretty, I almost can't even imagine cutting anything on them, but I'm sure that would add character to them and make them even more interesting to look at. I love any piece that is both functional and easy on the eyes. Jack's cutting boards qualify without a doubt.

As we walked further in, we got to Kids' Earth Designs and the owner, Christine - a table I purchased a doll from on our last trip because Brandon wanted it quite badly. I couldn't resist it when I saw that Christine had given the doll red hair, with a mix of purple, green and a couple other colours in the back underneath. It reminded me of how many are dying their hair that way. Brandon enjoyed looking at Christine's table and I was only able to get him away by distracting him with some baked goods out for sampling nearby. His doll might need a friend by the looks of it!

I never had a Raggedy Anne or Andy doll, but I've always liked them. The woman who was selling them amongst her other products - runners, napkins, placemats, Christmas decor - didn't have a business card, but she's there at the farmers' market every week and her work is beautiful.

That was pretty much the end of my window shopping. I didn't bring any cash with me and only a couple of the artisans/vendors will take credit. So, make sure you come prepared by making a stop at a bank machine first if you head out to any of the local markets!

We did some exploring outside where there was some vintage farm equipment on display for the annual Heritage Day that was going on.

Brandon was particularly enthralled with the tractor - he even tried climbing on at one point. Eeek!

It was hard leaving, but I know we'll be back out again before the market's last day of the season on October 8th. Until then, every Saturday you can head out to North Gower Saturdays from 8:30 to 1:00 and take advantage of all the best that our local rural communities have to offer!

Karen Wilson is a wife to Matt and mom to Brandon (3), who blogs about her life at Karen's Chronicles. She also explores one of her favourite topics - social media - at her blog, The Media Mesh. You can follow Karen on twitter and find her in other places here.

Birthday parties : Cosmic

by Lara This past weekend we had our son's fifth birthday party at Cosmic Adventures

I never thought I'd be the parent who paid to have birthday parties outside the home until I realized just how chaotic life with three young children can be.  Because of that I believe that paying someone else to take care of the majority of the work of getting ready for a party is really more of a gift for me than for my kids ;)

This year my son wanted to have his party at Cosmic.  We're members there which meant we got a 10% discount and at 5 it seemed like a great  age-appropriate choice.

The pros

- The kids loved it.  They got to play in the tunnels, they got to play in the arcade (each child got a card with coins loaded on it), they got to get midway prizes with their winnings, they got food and they got entertainment - what's not to love? :))

- Everything was really well organized.  I was given a pager so I could come and greet each new attendee when they arrived, we all had colour coordinated bracelets, all the party attendees' shoes were stored together, when the kids got to get prizes from the midway they were sent to the exit to be given to the child as they left so they wouldn't be lost. I was impressed.

- The party host(s) were a lot of fun. There was basic magic and face painting which the 5 year olds went crazy for.  I'm not sure if they change their act for older kids, but I would imagine if they don't then by about 8 or 9 they might not be quite as impressed ;)

- The cake and food were included in the package we chose, but every package includes a cake and Cosmic is nut free, something I was particularly thankful for because we had a guest with a peanut and tree nut allergy.

- I love that the host coordinated the presents being opened and even kept a list of who gave him which present to send home with us. *I* wasn't that organized and would definitely have been at a loss to figure out who to thank later on.

The cons

There weren't many but:

- We had a package that had choices of a hot dog or slice of pizza and drinks for the kids.  The choices for drinks were pop, pop, fruitopia, and apple juice.  Thanks for the apple juice but I was shocked there was so much pop on the list and no other healthier types of juice to choose from.

- We only had our host for the time we were in the party room, not the time we were in the arcade or in the tunnels.  They were all fine in the tunnels but could have used a lot more guidance in the arcade - something we didn't realize at first and also couldn't coordinate easily for all the kids.  A lot of them lost a lot of their coins not understanding how to use the games.

Overall it was a fabulous party and we'd definitely consider going again. Check out their party pricing on their web site.

Lara Wellman is mom to 4 year old Kiernan and 2 year old twins Quinn and Juliette. You can read her personal blog at Gliding Through Motherhood, about her weight loss journey at Losing it in Ottawa, and her social media blog at Larawellman.com

The other really fun farm

by Alicia

Mention the word farm and E is totally game.  Last weekend he was a bit confused as to what farm he was going to - Grandma and Grandpa's or the Agricultural Museum? It was neither - I switched it up and we made a trip to the Valleyview Little Animal Farm.

We arrived when the line was forming for the Valleyview Express train ride and stayed long enough to catch a puppet show. E loved both activities, but loved exploring the playground the best.

He looked through every window and nook he could find,

he went down all the slides all by himself and drove the Tonka trucks around the sand,

he loved running and jumping through the tunnel,

and feeding the goats.

We hadn't been since last July and I think E had much more fun the second time around. Being that much older and able to roam and climb on his own, he had a blast.

Just like last year though, he drove every play truck and tractor there was and played in each play house and barn.  It was so fun seeing how this place will never get tiring!

This visit was kind of last minute and I didn't have it on my Summer of Awesome list, but it is definitely a place we will visit each year.

Alicia is Mom to E (2) and blogs atI Found My Feet

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Summer of Awesome - Canada Science and Technology Museum

by Lynn Ever since the Museum of Nature reopened last year, it's been getting the love. I've read more than one post here at KITC about how great it is, and we're certainly believers - we had an annual pass this year, went many times, loved it every time, can't say enough good things about it.

As a result, the Museum of Science and Tech kind of got pushed into the background. We'd gone there so many times when our kids were younger that we kind of had a been-there, done-that attitude towards it. It just didn't seem as shiny and new.

This week my eight-year-old son asked to go back to the "train museum," and since we hadn't been in ages, I said yes. And it's true that there are a lot of displays that are getting older, and areas that are in need of an update.

But the thing I didn't realize is that they have so many cool outdoor activities there in the summertime. We barely spent any time inside during this visit. Instead, we explored the grounds and did a TON of super cool stuff. It was well worth the visit.

First of all, we rode the steam train:

It's a real steam train from the early 1900s, and with the Wakefield steamer out of commission, it's your best bet for a train-loving child this summer. It's a short ride but still a lot of fun, especially if you make pronouncements in Sir Topham Hat's voice for the entire ride. The train costs $2 extra per person, but if your kid likes trains, it's worth it. Oh, I should mention that the train only runs on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Then we took a tour of the lighthouse:

I looooooooove lighthouses. And I love this one best of all, because it's in my very own home town. Did you know it was moved from Cape Breton Island in over 1000 pieces? It used to be that you had to go to the museum on special "lighthouse days" to see the inside. Now there are a few tours a day. AWESOME.

The light fixture is so fascinating (I won't spoil it, but you'll be surprised at what is making the light), the spiral staircase gives you quite the thrill (but was easily handled by my four-year-old), and the view from the top is charming:

There's also daily tours of the observatory for those of you who are into astronomy, and on the days when the train isn't running, you can take a tour of their storage area featuring all kinds of goodies that didn't make it out onto the main floor - we'll be going back to see that, for sure (think we'll find a secret pirate treasure back there?).

We did go inside for a little bit, because the kids love the Crazy Kitchen, and the light tunnel system never gets old (even if it is in need of repairs in a few areas):

We also checked out their current special exhibit, which is a history of cars in Canada, featuring several unusual models that were manufactured or designed in Canada. Nothing makes you feel old like seeing the first ever Chrysler minivan - man, I remember when those came out, for heaven's sake. Now they look like your grandfather's car. SHEESH.

The kids had a really good time at this exhibit playing with some funky interchangeable cars that were out - in fact, they liked them so much that my oldest two decided to spend some of their own piggy bank money to buy themselves a small car to take home from the gift shop.

Then it was back outside because it was time for WATER ROCKETS. AWESOME.

You put a little water in a bottle and screw a special adapter on the end. Then you pump it up and watch it rocket hundreds of meters in the air. SO COOL.

Plus, the water rocket experiments took place at the foot of an actual Atlas rocket that is on the grounds, which is on loan from NASA. Did you know that if the rocket wasn't kept under constant internal pressure, it would crumble like a pop can under its own weight? Now that is awesome science.

We were there for almost five hours, and we didn't even get a chance to check out the internal presentations (on lasers, physics, and deep freezing, all of which we have seen before but the kids still want to see every time), see the big engines inside, hear the talk about the Titanic, visit the space station, or even see their brand new exhibit which is on eco-power - renewable and safe energy sources. And there's also a simulator ride which we have never been on, because I always assumed it was for bigger kids, but now my kids actually are bigger, so I think we are ready.

Good thing we bought a membership, because we'll be back again, soon.

If you get a chance in the next couple of weeks, it's worth a trip out to the Science Museum. Turns out the old lady still has a lot of life left in her.

(But not on Mondays. It's closed Mondays.)

Lynn is mom to three tombliboos, age 8, 6, and 4, and blogs over at Turtlehead.