Tags
Halloween, Ottawa Activities, Parliament Hill, preschool activities, Pumpkin Patch, Vampire A to Z
I missed my weekly thankfuls last week due to vampires, so I’m happy to be joining in again with Lizzi and her weekend Ten Things of Thankful link up where she encourages everyone to think of ten things for which to be thankful each week.
It was a busy, mostly Halloween-themed week for us over here. But lots to be thankful for.
I was thankful for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch last weekend (Thankful #1) and then pumpkin carving with friends (Thankful #2). We’ve been doing this with the same group of friends every year since our kids were born and its turning into a fun tradition. It’s our third year choosing Miller’s Farm as the pumpkin patch of choice, and as per usual, I also found some awesome new winter hats there for the kids.
So about the vampires hijacking the blog, I got into the Halloween spirit this year and did a week’s worth of posts about one of my favourite obsessions: vampires. Crying Dolly got into it too and even left his spot on the wall for the week. Here’s my first attempt at creative seasonal banner modifications:
Anyway, I’m thankful I actually managed to post daily for a week (Thankful #3) and pretty proud of the results. I’m also thankful (Thankful #4) that I now have a list of new vampire fiction to read as a result of my “research” and some of the comment suggestions and thankful for new blogs and people I met through a week of posting and tweeting on the subject who were also kind enough to share the posts.
I’m thankful for being able to make it out for the annual Hilloween celebrations with our family on Wednesday (Thankful #5). My husband and I met because we both worked on Parliament Hill, where he still works. My eldest is forever excited that daddy works in a castle and our youngest now refers to it as “the pretty house” because we have a painting of Parliament on our walls which we got as a wedding gift:
I’m also thankful for a bit of pre and post party fun at my husband’s favourite downtown pub which forever treats us like family (Thankful #6); and I’m thankful, after the horrible events of a few weeks ago, that Parliament remains open to the public and business carries on as usual.
As for Hilloween, it’s an annual party put on by the Speaker of the House of Commons for the kids of the staff on Parliament Hill. People dress their kids up and bring them to the Hill to play a few games, get some candy and, well, hang out in the castle.
I’m forever thankful for my Ontario Early Years local playgroup (Thankful #7). I use it less than I use to, but rather like my husband’s favourite pub, whenever I bring my kids it still feels like home. We went for the first time in a while. My eldest fell right back into the groove and my youngest loved circle time at the end which makes me think I should make an effort to take her more often. Here they are prepping for “sleeping bunnies”. First they sleep, then they “wake up” and basically jump around all preschool mosh pit. It’s always a highlight.
I’m thankful I made it to the gym this week (Thankful #8). At times, really, half the challenge is just getting there.
I’m thankful for finding a gymnastics program I could sign both my girls up for (Thankful #9). If you don’t have kids, finding such programs is harder than you might think. Every Saturday afternoon this fall, we’ve been going to the St. Laurent sports complex for parent and me gymnastics. It lets us run around in a gym together, play games, and practice balance and other useful skills.
Finally, I’m thankful for a fun Halloween night with the family (Thankful #10). I got home with the girls and they then refused to start without daddy, so I sent him a message to come home, making HIM feel like superhero daddy to the rescue. We then headed out to trick or treat and spotted some AWESOME pumpkins; then headed home and handed out candy to other trick or treaters that came to the door – which I think the girls almost enjoyed more than trick or treating themselves.
So that was our week – what were you thankful for this week?
fangboner1 said:
Vampires… You speak my language. I must hasten over and read it all.
And we used to have a halloween tradition with some friends and it really was quite lovely. Now with the kid being older she is not as in to the events surrounding the pumpkin patch so much as choosing the most perfect pumpkin. Then she wants to go.
I wish I knew someone who worked in a castle. That is so cool and I love that your daughter thinks that!
Wait he is a super hero and works in a castle. This is amazing!
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Louise said:
Okay – my husband is going to love that last bit… In reality, it was more like he was at the bar, I messaged, his friend got a free beer as he left “in the line of duty” – so looked daddy cool in front of his friends 🙂 – and I’m so glad he did.
As for vampires – yay! I hope you do and hope you like it!
And re: pumpkin patches and the like – I hope that we keep in going for a while. There’s another farm near us that does Haunted Halloween complete with spooky wagon ride – so when they are a bit older may that….
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Kristi said:
It sounds like you had a fun-packed week! (I know what you mean about getting to the gym being half the battle. Although my “gym” (treadmill) is in my house, half the battle is just getting on the silly thing!)
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Louise said:
Agreed. Although well done for at least having a treadmill – you are one up on me!
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jamie@southmainmuse said:
It certainly looked like y’all rocked Halloween this year. Love that you get to go to a party at the castle. How cool is that? And can’t get to serious about vampires. I have way too active imagination. I have to stick to cartoon black cats and jolly jack-o-lanterns.
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Louise said:
Way to prove teen fiction wrong – vampires AREN’T for everyone! 😉 I’m not really a cat person – but jolly jack-o-lanterns? I like those!
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NotAPunkRocker said:
Is it sad that I wish Halloween happened more than once a year? What a fun time y’al seem to have had 🙂
I just spoke with my kidlet, so that’s something at least 🙂
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Louise said:
Yay to speaking with the kidlet and hope you are well on your own. As for Halloween more than once a year? Yes please!
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lrconsiderer said:
Hilloween sounds like great fun. How lovely that your girls get to go to a ‘castle’ to see where their Daddy works, and to play and have fun there. That’s awesome. And the painting is GREAT!
Sounds like you’ve had an awesome week. I remember preschoolers loving Sleeping Bunnies. And it was a great way of making them be STILL for a few, precious seconds 😉
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Louise said:
Sleeping Bunnies is an awful lot of fun – always amusing how well simple things like that work with kids 🙂
Hilloween is quite good. And it’s a wonderful chance for the kids to visit Parliament Hill and even though they don’t “get” what it is now, I figure they will remember when they are older. For now? It’s just a whole lot of fun!
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GirlieOnTheEdge said:
Missing a TToT due to vampires? Not your typical excuse lol. But a week’s worth of vampire posts? Most excellent. I admire your total commitment to the holiday:) And the modification to your seasonal banner. Very nice!
The pics of you and your family are great. Halloween is so totally a kid time of year. The pumpkin patches, carving, costumes…what’s not to like. I only wish that when I was a kid we’d had as much cool stuff that kids have today!!
About getting to the gym. Keep it up. I used to convince myself that all I had to do was go for a few minutes. But once I was there, I always stayed for a complete workout and felt so much better for it. If you can get there, you’ve accomplished half you goal already:)
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Louise said:
On the gym bit – my goal is to make it sometime during the week. Just once. Not asking for miracles here 🙂 But I figure if I can start that, hopefully I can keep it going.
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GirlieOnTheEdge said:
You can do it! Once. Then one day you won’t even realize you’re going 2x!
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dyannedillon said:
The hats are cute and the pumpkins turned out great! Crying Dolly reminds me of Creepy Baby, who appears in my blog friend Amy’s posts from time to time. This is the one where she first appeared. I think you’ll like Creepy Baby (and Amy!). http://bananawheels.com/2013/02/21/sew-what/
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Louise said:
I will be sure to visit your friends Creepy Baby on her blog! So very fun to know I might have a fellow sombre doll fan out there!
Thanks re: the hats and pumpkins! I bought some stensils and carving stuff on sale after Halloween this weekend to save for next year – so hopefully I remember where I store it 🙂
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Kathy @ SMART Living 365.com said:
Hi Louise! Celebrating Halloween by writing a series of Vampire posts is EXCELLENT! And then to start the month of November with a TToT–how great is that. As you know I’m pretty knew to the TToT thing but I am finding all sorts of new blogs connected to it AND some great bloggers who have some inspiring words on their blogs. ‘Thanks for sharing your TToT!
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Louise said:
I hope to see you linking up again for the TTOT – it’s a great group of bloggers!
You of course had me at the compliment about the Vampires series…. yay!
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Lisa @ The Meaning of Me said:
Once upon a time, I loved all things in the horror genre. And then… I don’t know what happened. I think I watched The Exorcist in its entirety and that did me in. Now I can’t touch any of it. So I admit I skipped your vampire posts.
Pumpkins and kids are a great combination, aren’t they?
Have a happy week ahead, Louise!
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Louise said:
I’ve never seen the Exorcist. My main association from it is a Buffy quote that informs me it ends badly. I understand that even the priest dies.
I don’t think it’s my kind of horror – but we’re all good re: the vampire posts. Lots of Halloween fun can be had minus the macabre as you mention – ie: pumpkins and kiddies in costumes!
Thanks for the visit!
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Reese Speaks said:
Hey Louise! Great “Thankful” list!
I am thankful that my kids made it through Halloween without too much of a sugar rush, and that their dad took them out so I could get some peace and quiet for a half an hour!
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