Summer of Awesome - OPL Centennial

by Lynn Our Summer of Awesome was a little less awesome these past two weeks, because we did daily swim lessons in the middle of the day. And while that's fun too, and good progress was made, it doesn't really make for spectacular blog posts.

The floating! The gliding! The blowing of bubbles! See what I mean?

Since our ability to take splendid day trips was dampened, we did a lot of going to the park and having playdates and baking at home.

But the best thing we did is go to the library.

Our closest library is the Hazeldean branch, and quite frankly, it sucks for kids. The kids' section is smack in the middle of one big room, and while your kids are yelling and running around and grabbing books from shelves and shouting, "MOMMY! READ THIS ONE! AND THIS ONE! AND THIS ONE!", you're fielding a ton of dirty looks from librarians and over-the-top shushing from people in Adult Education at Algonquin who are trying to get something done.

(Or, your kids are sitting quietly at a table reading to themselves, in which case, we can no longer be friends. Be well in life.)

Anyway, recently we discovered the Centennial branch, which is in Bell's Corners. It's not too much farther away and such a huge improvement. This is a library designed with kids in mind.

When you enter, the adult books, and a separate quiet study room, are to your right. The kids' area is completely separate, off to your left. It's a huge round room full of books just for kids, their own computers, and an adorable little circle for sitting and reading. Plus, with a massive skylight and kid-centered displays and decor, it's bright and inviting and FUN.

I don't feel the same need to keep a close rein on my kids here, and that is awesome. The kids' room usually has its own librarian on staff and she's friendly and helpful and above all, tolerant. The kids are free to explore the shelves and curl up on a miniature couch with their choices. They can ask me questions without me constantly telling them to be quiet, and if we want to have a little impromptu storytime, we can just go for it.

Not a bad way to spend an hour or so, with enough take-home goodies to cover the pre-dinner rush for the rest of the week.

All of the Ottawa Public Libraries have kids' programs, but Centennial has more than most. They have Lego building events and craft series and storytime ALL the time and family puppet shows. It's like they actually WANT you to bring your kids there. Really! Let them touch stuff! Let them explore! Let them be kids!

Amazing.

And the very best part about the library? It's free. I usually tell the kids they can each take out three books. While the Captain limits himself strictly to this limit (because more than that would be breaking the rules, NO NO NO), and Gal Smiley is always delighted with whatever three titles I pick out for her, Gal Smiley can never limit herself to less than 10. And that's okay! Take them all! Because it's FREE.

And now, excuse me while we go do some serious reading.

Lynn is mom to 7-year-old Captain Jelly Belly, 5.5-year-old Gal Smiley, and 2.5-year-old Little Miss Sunshine. She blogs over at Turtlehead.

Day tripping : Storyland

by Lara A few years ago there was a big radio campaign on the radio advertising the last summer of Storyland before they closed down. I immediately knew I wanted to bring Kiernan and put it on our to do list. But it was a crazy summer and we didn't make it - I was sad.

But here's the thing - someone bought it, and it never actually closed! (although I'm pretty sure many people think it did)

Last summer, while we were staying at my in-law's cottage in the Renfrew area, we actually made it over and the kids had a BLAST! (even though I was there with 8 week old twins - that part was more than a little crazy :)

Storyland has been around for a long time, and so have some of their displays.  But the new owners have been working hard to update the place.

The park is located in a mainly wooded area just past Renfrew (tip: a regular stroller would have troubles here so either bring baby carriers or a jogging stroller. I did see some strollers that you could borrow, but a small baby couldn't be put into them) and you walk through the trails and see a variety of different story displays, petting farm animals, rides, and there is also a theatre area where they put on shows.

There is also a splash pad, a pond, paddle boats, mini golf and inflatable slides and bouncers.  There is enough to keep you busy for a full day!

The cost is $13.50 for everyone over 3 (free for under 3) so it is a lot more affordable than a lot of other amusement parks. It may not have a lot of bells and whistles, but I find most kids don't need those.  I recommend checking it out and plan to make a day of it some time in August!  Maybe I'll see you there?

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.

Be Water Wise

by Amanda This week is National Drowning Prevention week and as an Instructor Trainer with the Lifesaving Society of Canada and former trainer with the Canadian Red Cross I cannot stress enough that EVERY SINGLE DAY you should be water wise and aware!

Drownings happen, they happen more often than we would like and it's generally when we least expect them to happen.  Did you know, according to the Lifesaving Society’s Drowning  Fact Sheet, that drowning is the second leading cause of preventable death for children under 10 years of age.

Who is most at risk for drowning? Toddlers and young children are most at risk followed by men between the ages of 18 and 34.  Young children do not have the physical ability for swimming nor do they mental ability to understand the dangers of water.  They are curious, the water looks interesting or fun and before you know it an emergency has happened.  I call it an emergency and not an accident because accidents are something that cannot be prevented.  Drownings can be prevented.  In my opinion there is no reason for a drowning to ever occur. 

It comes down to the Lifesaving Society’s message “IF YOU ARE NOT WITHIN ARMS REACH YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR”, it's a simple message that needs to be taken more seriously. I have seen many times parents who quickly leave their child by the pools edge to grab a lifejacket, favourite toy or a towel to wipe the chlorine away from their eyes. It takes a split second. I have jumped into a pool to quickly grab a curious toddler more times than I can count. If the child would have been within arms reach of an adult I would not of had to jump in for the rescue.

Teach your child a few simple rules when around the water, whether it's the local wading pool, the bathtub, cottage or community centre. Start from a young age, before they are even able to communicate with you so it becomes second nature to them. Repeat, repeat, repeat! Repetition is key to assisting your child to remember the rules of the water.  Then remember Monkey See, Monkey Do! Display water safe behaviour that you would like your child to mimic.

1. Stop! Look! Listen!  They STOP before entering the water. LOOK around to see if there are any hazards around the water and to make sure you, or another responsibility adult who they know, are right there within arms reach.   Then LISTEN for the adult to tell them they are able to enter the water.  Also make sure that the adult always enters the water first, protecting the child from any water drop offs or deep water levels.  You may also create actions of having your child STOP with their hand up making a stop sign. LOOK, make a motion of looking through binoculars or gazing around the water.  LISTEN, place your hands to your ears to show that you are listening for your name and to be told its safe to enter.

 2. Stop! Look! Go Slow!  With the same actions as above for the STOP and the LOOK, teach your child to always enter the water SLOWLY. Whether the water environment you are in is familiar or not conditions may have changed since the last time you entered.

 3. WITHIN ARMS REACH!  Your child should understand this concept so well that if you happen to forget they should remind you or follow you out of the water. 

The next time you go for a family swim and are splashing around with your loved ones please remember that even though its a fun activity its a dangerous place to be. Be safe and water wise!

Amanda is mom to Dominic, 2 months, and can be found blogging about life, product reviews & giveaways at Namaste Mommy, PTPA Panel of Moms & Tools for Schools.  When not feeding and changing diapers Amanda is busy with her company DeGrace Energetics & Little Lotus.

p.s. Amanda is having a great giveaway on her blog at http://namastemommy.wordpress.com for the PTPA Award Winning Cuddly Wrap It's a great way to keep your baby close while running after your other children around the water!

Summer of Awesome - Papanack Park Zoo

by Lynn Did everyone take July 2 as a holiday this year? We did, and we spent it at the Papanack Park Zoo.

The Papanack Zoo is small for a zoo, but provides plenty to take in on a day out with your kids. They're a family-run business who specializes in small primates and large cats, and they have several successful breeding programs that help preserve endangered species and supply other zoos around the world. It's a great place to get up close and personal with many really cool animals, and to learn a lot about animal care and preservation.

We arrived just after it opened at 10 a.m. and grabbed a feeding schedule and map right away. Following the feeding schedule is a great way to really see the animals -- several minutes before feeding time, they'll be pacing up and down right at the front of their cage; when the food arrives, you'll be able to see the animals jumping and leaping for food, while the zookeeper gives a little talk about the animal and answers questions.

For example, here we are in front of an 800 pound white tiger as he grabs his dinner from the fence:

Yeah, that's what we call up close and personal.

There are feedings between 10 and 11:30 or so, and then a break for lunch. It's a good time for you to break out a picnic - the zoo is very supportive of bringing in your own food, and you're allowed to come in and out as much as you want (make sure your hand stamp hasn't been washed off from hand sanitizer or sunscreen). We brought a whole cooler full of food - you'll need it - and kept it in the car until lunchtime. The animal cages are in a very open-sun area, so midday is the time to try to find a shady picnic table, eat, and rest for a while.

An important note about water - the zoo is on a well water system so there aren't any drinking fountains around. You can buy bottled water (as well as food, life-saving slushies, and other snacks), but it's well worth it to just bring a whole slew of refillable bottles from home. Also note that the well water system means port-a-potties, but seriously, they were the cleanest, nicest smelling port-a-potties I've ever been in, so that's good. There's a separate baby change station for the wee ones.

The lunch break in the feeding schedule is also a good time to check out the small feeding/petting zoo area. The zebras, elands, horses, and exotic breeds of sheep and goats are always active and looking for a snack. The little animals really love popcorn; the bigger ones like carrots. Both can be purchased at the zoo.

After lunch we decided to head for the nature trail area, where the snow leopards are -- the zoo's specialty. This area of the zoo is a little more woodsy and shaded, and makes for a nice trip when the sun is high. Also, they were not doing feedings in this area right after lunch, and our kids liked that idea. Although the feeding times really are the best times to see the animals, they also draw a big and sometimes-shoving crowd. Our kids liked the quiet walk and although a couple of the animals were snoozing, we got to see most of them, like this awesome Siberian Tiger:

And these cool Arctic Foxes:

We caught up with the feeding schedule in time to see the really big cats like the lions and panthers, and we also saw unscheduled feedings of the baboons, some lemurs, and best of all, the wee monkeys. There are both squirrel monkeys and capuchins at the zoo and both kinds are smart, funny, and SO adorable:

One of the female capuchins had a baby this spring, and the baby capuchin is pretty much the cutest thing you'll ever see. One of the other female capuchins is pregnant, so if you go soon, you might have the chance to see a wee capuchin newborn - if you can stand the cuteness.

By 3 p.m. we were ready to head home. Sadly, they didn't let us take home the baby capuchin. RATS.

Some final tips: it's a very sunny place, so do yourself a favour and don't go on the hottest day of the year. Try to pick a day that's a little bit cloudy, and no warmer than 24 degrees or so. Wear hats for sure, and plenty of sunscreen, and as I noted above, bring a lot of water and don't leave it in the cooler.

The directions are quite straightforward - follow the 417, take the left side at the split, keep going, and going, and going - past Orleans, past Rockland. It takes about an hour to drive from Kanata. At the very last second, turn right onto Country Road 19. We expected after all that driving to see a giant sign at the turn, but it's completely unmarked. So be sure to have your Google Maps directions handy, and when you see Country Road 19 - even though it's completely nondescript - TURN.

Lastly, be prepared for the price. It was about $65 for our family of five to get in, and that's with two kids in the cheapest two-to-five age range. It seems like a lot, but since we brought all our own food, the only other expenses we had for the day were a couple bags of carrots and a slushie. When you hear about the things the zoo is doing to preserve some of these exotic species, and see the efforts they go to give the animals a natural habitat, it seems worth it. I really enjoy this little zoo, and we plan to make it an annual event.

So yes, the entrance fee is a bit high...but it's such a family friendly place, and so interesting and heart-warming, that I have to give it a Summer Of Awesome Must Do.

Lynn is mom to three tombliboos and blogs over at Turtlehead.

Kid-Friendly Restaurant Review: A Very "Sometimes" Treat

by Liisa This week our family attended the opening of Smoke's Poutinerie at 407 Dalhousie in the Byward Market. 

Up front, I must express my biases:

1)  Smoke's Poutinerie's founder, Ryan Smolkin, is a friend.

2)  I am a vegetarian and I haven't eaten poutine in about 15 years (since 4 a.m. on Saturday nights in the McGill Ghetto).

3) I try to feed my children healthful meals.

We pulled up to Smoke's Poutinerie on Sunday evening and easily found street parking out front.  We could readily identify the place by its red and black checked sign - think lumber jacket.  Right away the tone was set for a slightly kitchy Canadiana experience. 

Music was blaring and tables were filled with hungry eaters (I couldn't say "diners" because I don't think you "dine" on poutine - or maybe you do). 

We lined up and ordered a blue rasberry Calypso Lemonade to accompany a traditional veggie poutine (in the small size) and a plain order of fries for my finicky children.   We found a small table to squeeze into and the boys quickly polished off the delicious lightly seasoned handcut fries.  There was no processed potato mush here. 

Derek and I tasted the poutine.  The vegetarian poutine is made with a mushroom-based gravy.  You could really taste the mushroom flavour and I am definitely a fan.  The cheese curds tasted fresh and were melted just enough. 

The tiny 100 pound woman beside me polished off a small Nacho Veggie Poutine and proclaimed it "the best".  

The portion sizes are really generous and I imagine that a small could be shared between two children.  We will be back, and we will look forward to trying some of the more exotic varieties.   Unfortunately, for us, poutine is a very "sometimes" food, but the next time we have a craving for hand-cut fries, or those plump cheese curds we will definitely know where to go.

The Stats: (out of 5)

Food (Quality, taste, freshness): Grown-ups – 5 thumbs up; Kids – 5 thumbs up

Service (Attentiveness and kid-friendliness): 5 thumbs up from grown-ups and kids (stickers of all sizes were a huge hit with the kids)

Ambience (General appeal and energy, any interesting kid-friendly features): 3 thumbs up from grown-ups and kids; loud music and cramped quarters make this perfect for a quick snack

Cost (family of 4 with 2 children under 5): under $30 including tax

Speed (Every parents-of-small-children’s concern!):  Time from order to delivery of food 4 minutes; total time in restaurant 20 minutes.

Smoke's Poutinerie, 407 Dalhousie Street (613) 789-CURD

Liisa is mom to two boys, 4.5 year old Lil D and 2.5 year old Lil C.  You can also find her at Fit for a Kid.