ABC Challenge: week 10

Photography tip Locations

I thought it would be great to share some great spots to go to get really great family pictures. I put the question out on facebook and Danielle suggested the Arboretum.  I am embarrassed to say I'd never been!  So Sara and I decided to check it out.   Trees, shade, open spaces, river, flowers - what a gorgeous gorgeous spot!  And even without particularly cooperative subjects I got some great photos!! (I also would recommend this is a great spot to bring your kids just to run around and explore and run off energy :)

She looks sad, but it kind of makes the photo I think :)

Down by the river

No kids, but I love this.

So much room to run and run!

I could have done an entire post on just this place - we may have to eventually. I didn't even tell you about squirrel town!

Next week - Mackenzie King Estate

My two picks for this week

H is for hugging - these are the moments that make it all worthwhile.... until the strangling and hitting starts ;)

N is for night. - I was so excited to get a sleeping photo of him. I used to be jealous of sleeping photos because I would never risk waking my kids by taking one. And now he's an awesome sleeper and didn't budge when I took half a dozen photos of him :)

Participants' photos

Z is for zoom by Dani. I love the lighting and the creativity of this shot. So fun!

S is for swinging by Sara. I SO need to figure out how to shoot on manual. Very cool effect.

H is for hugging by Lilypilly.  My oh my that's a cute puppy!

Lara is the mom to 3.5 year old Kiernan and 1 year old twins Quinn and Juliette. You can find her at her blog Gliding Through Motherhood.

Feeding the ducks

by Lara

We live in a beautiful city full of green spaces. Spaces I don't always remember to use as much as I should.

With all the rivers that run through our city, and the amazing pathways that go along them, a fun thing to do with kids is one that couldn't be simpler.

Go down to the river and feed the ducks.

We tend to go down to the river near Westboro Beach or to a little spot near Billings Bridge, but there are tons of places to go!

Bring along some stale bread and let the kids go crazy throwing the bread.*
***According to wildlife experts, bread is actually dangerous for ducks and other water birds (like the swans.) So we have updated our post to suggest these alternatives: lettuce, peas and sweet corn!

Be prepared for the seagulls who are..... a tad more aggressive than the ducks - which for me is just hilarious!

And the geese... they can get pretty angry so you might not want to let the kids get TOO close... but they certainly provide good targets for running off some energy.

And enjoy the beauty and quiet of the moment too...

...while the kids use up some of that energy they never seem to lack :)

Lara is mom to 3.5 year old Kiernan and 10 month old twins Quinn and Juliette. You can read her blog at Gliding Through Motherhood.

My park: Millenium park

by Joanne

Did you know Millennium Park had a facelift? Check out our new post on this amazing park by visiting: http://www.kidsinthecapital.ca/blog/2016/7/5/the-new-millennium-park

Like all kids my munchkins love to go the park. They want to play basketball, climb on the structures and swing – they love it all and enjoy every moment.   In our neighbourhood we have three parks in walking distance, the “parc bleu” (as my 4-year-old refers to it) has a blue structure and is always a favourite, especially when we take a hike on the nature trail.  The “parc d’Adrien” (again not the official name) is across the street from Adrien’s house and is a lot of fun.  But when the kids have been super good and we are want to spoil them a bit – I pack a water bottle, grab my lawn chair, some snacks and head to the Millennium Park.

Millennium Park is located in Orleans – on Trim road just a few minutes south of Innes Road.  As you drive up you can see the wonderful structures.  Now, this is not just any ordinary park. There are soccer fields and swings, but also two amazing play structures that will impress kids (and parents) of all ages.

The first one you see is a pirate ship;  it is the smaller of two but lots of fun for all ages.  My son slides, climbs and imagines he is the captain of his beautiful vessel.

The second structure is a replica of the Parliament Buildings  and has three levels to play in – a very impressive two storey slide from the top brings them down to the front of the structure.  The kids (and parents) can climb and slide to their heart's content.  I will grab a blanket or a lawn chair so I can keep an eye on them from below.

There is not a lot of shade at the park so keep that in mind if you are there during the hot hazy days of summer.

Joanne is the proud mom of Amélie (8 years old) and Mathieu (4 years).  She is new at blogging and you can find her at Our Money Pit

Main Farmers' Market

by Brie I love a good market. The fresh, local produce. Homemade and mouth-watering baked goods. The chance to shop outdoors. All things to love. Even when it rains. Then I just grab my umbrella and keep shopping!

Most Saturday mornings we head to the Main Farmers' Market in Old Ottawa East to peruse the stalls and pick up some goodies. Located in the parking lot of St. Paul's University, the market runs from 9am to 2pm every Saturday between May 9th and October 31st.

This market isn't as big as the one at Landsdowne, but I kind of like that. They still offer a good selection of local produce, eggs, plants and flowers, apples and baking. (And when I say local I mean it. All vendors grow or produce their products within 100 miles of Old Ottawa East.) There are even a few stalls selling prepared food that you can grab and eat at one of the nearby picnic tables. And we make it a point to always do that!

We have a system for a successful market visit. The husband and I make the rounds once with the kids and then they head off to gorge themselves on fresh strawberries or peas while I finish up the shopping.  It is a system that works well for everyone. Especially the kids.

If you plan to visit the market on June 19th you can also experience the Main Event community party held on the ground of St. Paul's. And it really is a main event. You will find wagon rides, children’s games, bouncy castle, music, BBQ, and an arts and crafts sale . We visited last year and had a great time. My favorite memory is watching the then 3-year-old girl watch Highland dancing, absolutely enthralled by what she was seeing.

Nope, you can't beat a visit to the market. Which is why you will probably see me there.

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

Cat Hill

by Zach Parliament Hill makes a good place to visit with kids when the weather is nice. There's the eternal flame, the huge lawns, the gazebo behind the Library of Parliament, and one of the strangest, coolest things about Ottawa: Cat Hill.   I find it hard to imagine a colony of feral cats maintained and visited right next to the White House, or 10 Downing Street (not quite the same thing as the parliament buildings, I know, but still...) But here, in Canada, right next to the seat of the federal government, that's what we have (and the raccoons that share their food).   Cat Hill is a small set of covered hutches that are home to several stray cats. The hutches are behind a wrought-iron fence, with wide enough spacing for the cats to slip in and out of, but tall enough to keep anyone (especially kids) from casually wandering into their home.   More formally, Cat Hill is known as the Canadian Parliamentary Cats. The cats are all spayed or neutered, regularly fed, and receive veterinary care. You'll notice a small a donation box to help with the costs. Cat Hill was started back in the 1970s, and is home to about 11 cats (thank you Wikipedia!).   I find Cat Hill itself can eat up a good half or hour so, not counting travel time and other features nearby. In good weather, there's a few cats out on the "people" side of the fence, and they can be quite friendly. You'll note most of them look really well fed, and they've had their ears and tails "trimmed" from frostbite.   Needless to say, be careful when kids approach the cats - while many of the cats seem entirely comfortable with humans, but there's no guarantees. Watch out for potential bites or scratches.   Usually when we've visited, we've had bad luck with the weather, and the cats have kept in their homes. Still, the pigeons, squirrels, and raccoons kept the kids occupied, and we've explored the general area. Plus, it can be a good place to take visitors to Ottawa - not only do you get to do the obligatory parliament building look-see, but you might get a cat on your lap as part of the bargain.

Zach is the dad of a 3.5 year daughter “the girl” and twenty month old son “the boy”. Zach doesn’t have his own blog but he is blogged about at Capital Mom.