Two Legged Fun

Edmonton Valley Zoo Festival of Light

December 10, 2013 chantelledoll

I was very excited to find out the Valley Zoo in Edmonton was introducing a Festival of Light this Christmas season. We had gone to Zoolights at the Calgary Zoo while I was still pregnant with my son and it was a fun experience to see the zoo all lit up at night.

My original plan was to go this past weekend so I was a little bummed when we were hit with extremely cold temperatures that made it impossible to go with two young kids. After looking at the weekly forecast, we determined that Monday night looked the warmest (-6) and took it as our opportunity to check the festival out.

They are currently working on renovating the zoo and I was excited to see the newly built front entrance finally open. Our zoo is still fairly small in comparison to a lot of other zoo’s, but they are working hard to improve it and I think they have done a great job making it a worthwhile attraction to visit throughout the year.

Keira started in the stroller but didn’t last long in the stroller before she was itching to get out and walk. She raced between exhibits, shouting an excited “dog, dog, dog!” every time she spotted a new animal. Luckily she was still strapped in the stroller when we came across the zookeepers out walking the Arctic wolf otherwise she would have been racing to pet it.

I loved watching as Keira spotted the animals and started jumping and screaming in excitement. We were able to get pretty close up to a lot of the animals, but that still wasn’t good enough with my little girl who had a few mini meltdowns trying to clamour her way into the enclosures.

We have only ever been to the zoo on hot summer days so it was neat being at the zoo at night and in the cold. Some of the animals that would typically be hidden out of the hot sun were out and very easy to spot. The Siberian tigers, fox, otters and other Arctic wolf were all out wandering around their enclosures and we were able to get a good look.

No trip to the Valley Zoo is ever complete without checking in on Lucy the elephant. We found her inside out of the cold, which gave us a chance to warm up a bit too. It was a pretty warm night but it was still nice to be able to alternate between viewing the lights and animals outside and seeing the inside exhibits.

As we were leaving, the reindeer were out for a walk which gave us a good view of them. These were just 3 of the 7 reindeer they have at the zoo – not quite a full team to pull Santa’s sleigh!

The snow was just starting to fall and the wind was picking up as we were loading into the car. We weren’t that chilled, but we still decided to cap the night off with hot chocolate and donuts at Tim Horton’s! It was well past bedtime and Keira was tired from walking most of the zoo on her own, but she managed to stay awake and happy.

Overall it turned out to be an awesome night to go. Due to the dark and the kids excitement I wasn’t able to get many non-blurry pictures, but I know they had smiles plastered to their faces for most of the night and their joy made it totally worth it. If the temperatures cooperate I am pretty sure it will be something we will attempt again next year.

Crafts, Everyday Life, Little Hands, Two Legged Fun

Letter to Santa – Free Printable

December 1, 2013October 27, 2015 chantelledoll

SONY DSC

It is December 1st and the countdown to Christmas has begun! We put our first cottonball on Santa’s beard this morning, hung our first ornament on our new Advent tree from Grandma, and then I decided it would be a good day to write and mail our letter to Santa.

To keep things simple, I used the same template I created last year for my playgroup kids to use to write their letter’s to Santa. They are all preschool aged, so this was a quick and easy way to get the letter’s written and let the kids have a bit of fun coloring a picture for Santa.

You can download pdf version of the Letter_to_Santa file here. Enjoy!

Everyday Life, Two Legged Fun

Pictures with Santa 2013

November 29, 2013November 29, 2013 chantelledoll

This week I took the kids to have our annual visit and photo’s with Santa. Keira wasn’t in much of a smiling mood, but I did snap some good pictures nonetheless. At least she wasn’t screaming her head off, right?

I keep seeing Santa pictures popping up on my facebook feed with fake-bearded Santa’s and I must say that I love how authentic looking this Santa is! He was also warm and friendly with the kids and patient while I snapped a hundred photos. This is our second year visiting this Mall Santa and I love that they allow you to take your own photos. For Camden’s first Christmas, I paid $15 for a single printed photo and was severely disappointed with it. They do ask for charitable donations to the Christmas Bureau, however, so I was happy to give my $20.

In the car on the way to see Santa, I asked my 3 year old what he was going to tell Santa he wanted for Christmas. His reply was “Maybe just everything”. I guess that would about cover it! Luckily he was a little less greedy when speaking to Santa and asked for “1 dino bot and a big Optimus Prime vehicle”.

I guess this “Santa” needs to work on hunting down that Rescue Bots toy…

Everyday Life, Two Legged Fun

Little Talks

November 4, 2013November 8, 2013 chantelledoll

There is no denying that my son is a big mama’s boy. While I complain about it and pretend to not like it, in the end I feel very blessed to be the center of his little world. On the rare occasion that I do try to get out of the house alone, it usually turns into a heated debate between the two of us over why he doesn’t always need to come everywhere with mommy. His response is “But you’re my MOM. I do just always have to go with you!” It is hard to compete with an argument like that.

He’s stubborn, whiney, and rarely listens – he’s 3. He’s also sweet, smart, funny and incredibly loving. When I am upset over something, he is always quick to say “It’s just okay mommy” and offer up a hug. When we lost our bulldog I was worried about trying to explain death to him, but he ended up understanding and helping my husband and I with it more then we could have imagined. One of my fondest memories is, and will probably always be, of all 4 of us cramming into our walk-in closet with our hound dog the day after we lost Bullini. We were all hurting and Camden’s encouragement to join Nova in her favorite sleeping spot with a picture of Bullini really helped bond us as a family through that tough time.

During the day, one of favourite times with Camden is our conversations in the car. If you asked me what radio station my car was tuned into, I would not be able to tell you. When I was on my own I used to blast my music and had a bad habit of passing the time constantly flipping through the stations to find a good song. Since Camden has been talking, I barely touch the radio dials except to turn the volume way down or off to better hear what my little guy has to say.

“What are those tractors doing mommy?”
“Look at those big cranes!”
“There’s old McDonalds! Can I get a Happy Meal?”
“It’s green now, GOOOO!!!”.

Yes, he’s a bit of a backseat driver but I’ll let him get away with it for now.

At night, I love his requests for “snuggles” and “more talks” after storytime. Daddy doesn’t indulge him with this so bedtime usually takes 3x as long for me, but it is time well spent. We get each others undivided attention to discuss what the best part of the day was and what we’re going to do the next morning. Our conversations also usually turn to important three year old boy topics like super heroes, ninja moves, or bodily functions and always end with a bog hug and kiss as I tuck him in. I know these requests for snuggles aren’t going to last forever, so I am going to do my best to enjoy them while I can.

When I was first pregnant with Camden, I really wanted a boy. I never had a big brother so I love seeing that dynamic between my kids and the amazing big brother that Camden has been from day one. Family always seems to be on his mind and he makes sure to include us in all of his latest obsessions. We went through a phase of being called the duck family and it brought a smile to my face every time he began a sentence with “Mommy duck ….” or “Daddy duck … “. From there we have gone on to be the Angry Bird family, the Superhero family, and the latest – the Ninja Turtle Family. I’m Donatello, “The Brains”, in case you’re wondering, and Camden has deemed himself Michelangelo, “The Wild One”. Daddy is Raphael “The Muscle” and little sister, Keira, gets to be Leonardo “The Leader”.

Camden has always has a fairly calm and laid back personality so I don’t know if I agree with his “Wild One” title, but who am I to question 3 year old logic. As long as he continues to be the kind and compassionate boy I know and have grown to love, he is free to call himself whatever he wants. I will be there to listen, encourage and just enjoy our little talks.

Celebrations, Everyday Life, Two Legged Fun

Our Hectic, Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2013November 1, 2013 chantelledoll

It has been an incredibly busy week for me with Halloween preparation and festivities. We had a Halloween party at playgroup on Tuesday for that I prepared treat-filled pumpkins and a Halloween wall hanging craft for. On Wednesday I carved our pumpkin and we were out and about almost all day on actual Halloween.

Camden was a Ninja Turtle for Halloween. I looked everywhere to buy a costume, but the toddler sized one seemed to be out of stock everywhere I found it in-store or online. Luckily, I had ordered this awesome Michelangelo hoodie from Mamabargains.com earlier in the summer and it ended up being his costume. To complete the look, I found a pair of green pants I safety pinned orange bands to (cut from a dollarstore tea towel!) and I repurposed the shell from a 6-12m sized turtle costume into his ninja shell by pinning it to one of his old mini backpacks and adding on toy nunchuks. The turtle treat bucket and turtle socks were Target find’s.

My original plan for Keira was to make my little Doll into a cabbage patch, but that was quickly abandoned after several tantrums just attempting to try the yarn wig on her. I had some returns to make to Old Navy late last week and just happened to notice their costumes were marked 50% off so I decided it was probably easier to pick up a costume for her. The leopard wasn’t my original plan, but it still turned out pretty cute!

Last year I carved a Spiderman pumpkin to match Camden’s Spiderman costume so it only made sense to make a Ninja Turtle this year. I started with a pumpkin from my mom’s garden and spray painted it green. I then carved out the turtle mask, eyes and mouth. It was a lot of scraping and cutting but the final result was worth it.

And the treats we handed out? Ninja Turtle candy, of course!

Camden’s weekly preschool class fell on Halloween so he got to wear his costume and spend the morning playing Halloween games, trick or treating around the recreation centre and creating a Halloween craft. The morning started off very well when we got to class and Camden discovered one of his little buddies was Raphael – I think the two of them ended up being inseparable for the morning because of their shared love of Ninja Turtles.

While Camden was in class, Keira and I made a quick run to Walmart to get her a treat bucket and then went back to the rec centre to play at the indoor playground. We also stopped for mom to enjoy a treat – a pumpkin spice latte.

After lunch and an unsuccessful attempt at a nap, the kids and I headed out to enjoy the Halloween festivities at one of the local malls – Bonnie Doon Centre. It was a little out of the way for us, but I am so glad I chose this mall over the closer one we went to last year. It was far less crowded and they had trick-or-treating as well as all kinds of kids friendly activities including crafts. bouncy castles, face painting, balloon animals and a petting zoo. We will definitely be going back next year if they offer the same event.

After the mall, we came home to have dinner with daddy (pizza for our little turtle) and then Camden and I headed out trick-or-treating around the neighbourhood. We didn’t go far, but his turtle pail filled up quickly and we now have more then enough candy and chips for the next several months!

And not to be left out of the fun, our hockey hound wore her Edmonton Oiler’s Jersey and Rumbull dressed up as the Rufferee. I know some people find it ridiculous to dress up dogs, but I have always done it and enjoy it. There is also something about a dog in costume that makes them look far less intimidating to the trick-or-treaters coming to our door!

So there you have Halloween 2013 with the Doll’s. It was a busy day, but well worth it to see the smiles on my kids faces. As we were walking home from trick-or-treating, my little guy kissed my hand and told me what a nice mom I was. I am so lucky I get to make these memories with them!

Everyday Life, Two Legged Fun

Bye Bye Baby

October 16, 2013October 16, 2013 chantelledoll

In the last few weeks my baby girl has gone from taking her first wobbly steps to walking steadily on her feet. At 16 months it has been long awaited and eagerly anticipated, but I find myself filled with mixed emotions this week as I watch her make the quick transition from baby into a toddler right before my eyes.

Keira and I have both been battling colds this past week. I was awakened the other night around midnight to her screaming and after 15 minutes of waiting for her to settle back down, I gave in and got her up and out of the crib. Cuddling with her on the couch in the dark I couldn’t help but be brought back to the quiet times spent in the middle of the night nursing and cuddling her back to sleep. I miss that time with her.

Keira is our last baby. While my thoughts drifted to what it might be like to have another baby to cuddle, I couldn’t imagine having another. It is the cuddles with HER I miss. I am happy with my “million dollar” family, and just need to remember to cherish all these small moments that go way too fast. While I have been anxious for her to walk, in many ways I am thankful she drug things out and let me enjoy her being my baby.

My girl gives the BEST snuggles. She nuzzles her head right into your neck and wraps her body tightly around you. I love getting her up in the morning because I am always greeted with a huge sleepy eyed smile and a tight snuggle before she’s off and into trouble. She has also started giving open mouth kisses – probably part of the reason I have her cold!

I love that she is walking and discovering new things. The perma-grin plastered to her face when I set her down and let her walk through a store or public place warms my heart. These past weeks she has also become a pro at opening and closing the doors and has finally started waving bye. Just like the walking, the waving has come a little later and I am taking it as a sign that it is time for me to say “bye-bye” to the baby phase and embrace having a toddler.

I love you my little Keira-boo!

Everyday Life, Two Legged Fun

Indoor Toddler Fun in Edmonton

October 4, 2013October 10, 2013 chantelledoll

As the weather is slowly starting to turn cold on us, I thought I would compile a list of all the fun indoor play places the kids and I frequent throughout the winter months. I find I start to go stir crazy if I am trapped in the house with the kids, so it is nice to have so many options open to us. Please click the link titles for more information.

Cafe’O’Play – Edmonton and Sherwood Park

An indoor play place and coffee house – what’s not to love?? I get to sit and relax with a delicious latte while the kids crawl through the plastic playhouses and slides, ride around the track in a cozy coupe or pretend to be little engineers at the train table. Everything is secured and enclosed so it is easy to let the kids lose and not be stressed about them wandering off.

The Toy Hutch

This indoor inflatable park offers a little of everything between the giant inflatable slide, train table and climbing structures. They have also offered special event days in the past where they have brought in a petting zoo for the kids. It can be quite noisy with the inflatables going, but it is a clean, fun space for the kids. Located in West Edmonton.

Inflatable Fun Fun Place and Café

A new inflatable place on the southside, Inflatable Fun offers a clean secure play area complete with bouncy castles, plasma bikes and a really fun clubhouse upstairs. The café area offers delicious homemade sandwiches, coffee and baked goods if you are looking for a quick snack or lunch.

John Janzen Nature Centre Tegler Discovery Zone

The nature centre has an incredible indoor playground complete with slides, tunnels, beaver den and a giant bee hive. The kids and I all enjoy climbing through the tunnels and pretending to be the actual animals in the dens.

Treehouse Indoor Playground

This is on our to try list. They have opened fairly recently and I have heard good things about this indoor playground. It looks fairly large and includes all the typical plastic slides and tunnels for the big kids as well as a toddler’s area.

West Edmonton Mall Toddler Time

Before Camden turned 3, we used to visit West Edmonton Mall quite frequently to take advantage of the free admission for him. There are several attractions throughout the mall which leads to quite a few options to keep the kids entertained. For those 3 and above, the mall attractions do offer Toddler Time Monday – Thursday 12pm-3pm at a rate of $12 per child and their adult chaperone.

Galaxyland – WEM’s indoor amusement park offers a range of rides that are suitable for toddlers. Camden really enjoys riding around on the motorcycle and car tracks, I was able to enjoy the hot air balloon ferris wheel and train with him last winter while Keira enjoyed the views strapped on me in the baby carrier.
Galaxy Kids Playpark – There is a small admission for this indoor playground located within Galaxyland, but it offers a wide range of climbing structures, slides and ball pits. There is both a young kids area and more challenging equipment for the bigger kids.
Sea Life Caverns – Located right by the Sea Lion tank, the sea life caverns are a bit of a hidden treasure within the mall. Climb down the stairs and you are surrounded by manta rays, sharks, giant sea turtles and penguins. I love aquariums so this is one of my favorite places to take the kids. Adults do have to pay an admission fee.
World Water Park – The waterpark is also an option, although I haven`t been brave enough to take the kids on my own yet. I think this will also have to be on our to-do list for this winter because Camden has gone to the waterpark once before and seemed to really enjoy himself.

Millwoods Town Centre Mall Playground

A decent option if you are looking for something is to head to Millwoods Town Centre Mall and let them play on the playground right by the food court. It is a fairly simple playground, but it is a good option to allow me to get a bit of shopping in (Target, Dollarama, Shoppers Drug Mart, Safeway) and let the kids burn off some energy.

IKEA

Once your kids hit a certain height, you are able to drop them off with the caregivers at Smaland in IKEA for up to an hour while you shop. There are slides, a ball pit, movies, coloring and activities to keep them entertained while you get to enjoy some child free time. While there, I also like to hit up the IKEA café for an inexpensive meatball lunch. Kids eat free on Tuesdays!

Chapters

Once in a while we will take an outing to Chapters bookstore so the kids can play with the train table and I can grab a latte from Starbucks. It is usually fairly quiet and relaxed and just one more way to help pass the long winter days.

Telus World of Science

The Telus World of Science has a great kids Discoveryland Gallery with a play airport (complete with xray machine), water area and giant piano. I also highly recommend you check out one of the shows in the 360 degree domed Margaret Zeidler theater (included with admission). The kids and I have seen both “In my Backyard” and “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” (ages 2-6) and it is a fun and unique experience.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, the new Harry Potter exhibit opens November 23rd.

Terwillegar Recreation Centre

Our closest recreation centre offers both an indoor playground and a nice saltwater pool for the kids. This fall Camden is taking a class at the rec centre on Thursday mornings so I can see Keira and I spending a lot of time at the playground since she still gets in for free! (2 and under)

Capital City Gymnastics Open Gym

I love visiting gymnastic centres for drop-in hours. The entire floor is padded so the kids can’t get hurt and there are all kinds of new things for them to jump on and climb over. Capital City Gymnatics just opened a brand new facility this Summer and I am eager to check it out in the upcoming weeks.

So there you have a glimpse of how we plan to spend the next several months. I realize there are things I may have missed, so if you have suggestions or know a fun spot we might enjoy, please share in the comments below!