Saturday, August 9, 2014
Hooliganting: Summer Time: Rest and Relax
Hooliganting: Summer Time: Rest and Relax: Summer goes all too fast for me. Already the leaves are yellowing on the trees and the air has a wee nip in it that wasn't there a week ...
Summer Time: Rest and Relax
Summer goes all too fast for me. Already the leaves are yellowing on the trees and the air has a wee nip in it that wasn't there a week ago. My bottom lip is pouting. Definitely pouting. For us northerners, the dark is coming before 10:00 and getting earlier. Make it stop! I love summer and really am not ready to see the backside of it.
Best of all, while a lot of folk are away on holiday throughout the summer, I have the best network of peeps! There are the pet swap friends that care for my menagerie of pets while we are away and well, I have the opportunity to look after theirs. The kids get lots of extra snuggles and I know that the animals are well cared for. I also have the garden folk that tend to my flowers while I am gone. I tend theirs and all is well. No dead things when you return is a fabulous thing.
Since work is still required of me, I love the fact that my girls have a wealth of summer camps to choose from. My eldest has done Girl's Inc's environment week which she absolutely loved. My younger one chose to go to Northern Exposure with Heritage Park. This month, she is experiencing more Heritage Park programming while her sister gallivants in BC. The programs are affordable and inventive, allowing the girls to grow and express themselves creatively. They also had a week at Halkirk, Alberta at Circle Square Ranch.
In the off time, we have been able to enjoy all the wonderful things that are in the area. There have been the small roadies to Gregoire Lake and even spending time for the church picnic out there. We loved the art workshops at the Art in the Park over the Heritage Day long weekend. There have been the markets and the spray parks. I have even been fascinated by the summer storms.
However, I think what I have loved the most about this summer is my network of friends and their children. From getting wine order texts from peeps in the Okanagan (awesome!) to having friends willing to watch the girls for me, I have been blessed to know that I have folks taking care of me. There have been the weekend sleepovers and midweek play dates. The bonds of friendship have been strengthened and smiles are everywhere. I can sit on the back deck with a book and glass of wine, stare at my new water features and listen to the water run. The tan I have thanks to picking out dandelions has given me lots of compliments. Even better, I have my wonderful bike to cruise the trails on. And the fact that there is a Starbucks on the way home? Fabulous. This has been a summer where there is theater and fun. Gypsy and Pixie have enjoyed it with us in the back garden.
Right now, the basement is demolished with forts and lego. Lego that I will trip over and complain about later. But for now, there are stories being told, imaginations are at work, and there is no homework and no schedule. Summer...I love you.
Best of all, while a lot of folk are away on holiday throughout the summer, I have the best network of peeps! There are the pet swap friends that care for my menagerie of pets while we are away and well, I have the opportunity to look after theirs. The kids get lots of extra snuggles and I know that the animals are well cared for. I also have the garden folk that tend to my flowers while I am gone. I tend theirs and all is well. No dead things when you return is a fabulous thing.
Since work is still required of me, I love the fact that my girls have a wealth of summer camps to choose from. My eldest has done Girl's Inc's environment week which she absolutely loved. My younger one chose to go to Northern Exposure with Heritage Park. This month, she is experiencing more Heritage Park programming while her sister gallivants in BC. The programs are affordable and inventive, allowing the girls to grow and express themselves creatively. They also had a week at Halkirk, Alberta at Circle Square Ranch.
In the off time, we have been able to enjoy all the wonderful things that are in the area. There have been the small roadies to Gregoire Lake and even spending time for the church picnic out there. We loved the art workshops at the Art in the Park over the Heritage Day long weekend. There have been the markets and the spray parks. I have even been fascinated by the summer storms.
However, I think what I have loved the most about this summer is my network of friends and their children. From getting wine order texts from peeps in the Okanagan (awesome!) to having friends willing to watch the girls for me, I have been blessed to know that I have folks taking care of me. There have been the weekend sleepovers and midweek play dates. The bonds of friendship have been strengthened and smiles are everywhere. I can sit on the back deck with a book and glass of wine, stare at my new water features and listen to the water run. The tan I have thanks to picking out dandelions has given me lots of compliments. Even better, I have my wonderful bike to cruise the trails on. And the fact that there is a Starbucks on the way home? Fabulous. This has been a summer where there is theater and fun. Gypsy and Pixie have enjoyed it with us in the back garden.
Right now, the basement is demolished with forts and lego. Lego that I will trip over and complain about later. But for now, there are stories being told, imaginations are at work, and there is no homework and no schedule. Summer...I love you.
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| Dressing up |
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| Frog hunting at Gregoire Lake |
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| Storm coming |
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| Church picnic |
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| Art in the Park |
Hooliganting: Road Tripping: Stettler and Circle Square Ranch
Hooliganting: Road Tripping: Stettler and Circle Square Ranch: This summer seems to be the summer of the road trip. Over the past couple of weeks, there have been over 2,000 kilometers put on the van. Fi...
Road Tripping: Stettler and Circle Square Ranch
This summer seems to be the summer of the road trip. Over the past couple of weeks, there have been over 2,000 kilometers put on the van. First, I had made the decision to allow the girls to try Circle Square Ranch for a week. The location is in Halkirk which is a six hour drive from us. Too far? I am still deciding.
Circle Square Ranch is an interdenominational camp that provides access to horses for a week. They also do obstacle courses, swimming, boating and games galore. There is time for campfires and skits and the opportunity to make new friends. The week that my girls were there, I had one in Pathways and one in Western Town. I was hoping for growth and development as they were separate, yet together. I think that this was a good experience for them, but noticed that the older girls were very cliquey and not likely to include new folk into the mix, so would totally recommend starting them early or sending them with a friend. It is easier to fit in when you know someone. All in all, I think they had a good time and definitely learned a lot more about horses and horseback riding.
The problem for me was the driving. Between Alberta thunderstorms and the overall distance, I think it is recommended to break up the driving. The first time, I drove down through Beaumont and stayed with my brother before heading to drop off on the Sunday. This proves challenging for those of us coming down from Fort McMurray as there is no way to drop them off prior to 4:00 p.m. Meaning that you don't get home until midnight realistically (if you drive the speed limit and I can tell you that the trucks sure don't!). Pick up is the following Saturday.
The following weekend, I knew I didn't want to drive so much so I opted to camp at Rochon Sands. This is a lovely campground tucked 20 minutes NW of Stettler. The lake this year was really high and very little beach. However,the grassy campsites along the lake shore had dry patches and I had a wonderful walk in tent site. The trees surrounded the site and there was even a bit of firewood left. I got the rest of my wood from a Hardware store behind Tim Hortons. It might have been wiser to wait and get it from the roadside firewood seller. From the campsite, you can walk the trails, the shoreline and to a little icecream shack for a late evening dessert. This is fabulous in the hot summer sun. There is a playground and 20 minutes into Stettler is an aquatic center for those rainy days or shower days.
My first night there, I was on my own and it was very late. I opted to go out for supper. I tried the stand close to the campsite but they were cash only. Sigh. So, I drove down the road to the highway to the restaurant there. No, despite signage that says they are open until 9:00, they don't really mean it and closed the grill at 8:00. Thankfully, the Grey Goose was open and had lovely food.
So, driving around Stettler, I came to a shocking conclusion. These might possibly be the rudest and nastiest drivers on the roads in Alberta. I decided to go to Tim Hortons for a tea on the way back into the site after supper. They don't allow you to filter into lines. They don't stop at stop signs. The drivers wave and chat on cell phones and cut people off. Seriously, don't drive here if you don't have to. This wasn't a one off either. On returning from Halkirk to the campsite with the girls, there were two near misses and one very rude lady in the Tim Hortons Line. Maybe there is something in Tims that makes people respond this way. Having heard all the complaints about Fort McMurray drivers...ummm...think again. They actually are pretty great in comparison.
The other thing to note that bathroom breaks are few and far between on the back roads. Thank goodness for a campsite in Tofield that had open bathrooms. There are rest stops about an hour each way, but I was surprised in the distance that we had to go to find a decent stop. When traveling with children, bathrooms and rest stops are important. Boyle is another good stop. Other than that, have the vehicle stacked with the things to do bin. (Keep in mind that my kids were banned from electronics for the summer.)
The best part about driving for this length of time is that you can have great conversations with the kids. You can enjoy the yellow and purple fields that are in full bloom. There are the clouds that chase and brilliant sunshine depending on the weather. I love the farms and rolling hills. Alberta has some beautiful scenery along the backroads. Pack a picnic and explore, but map out bathrooms ahead of time.
Circle Square Ranch is an interdenominational camp that provides access to horses for a week. They also do obstacle courses, swimming, boating and games galore. There is time for campfires and skits and the opportunity to make new friends. The week that my girls were there, I had one in Pathways and one in Western Town. I was hoping for growth and development as they were separate, yet together. I think that this was a good experience for them, but noticed that the older girls were very cliquey and not likely to include new folk into the mix, so would totally recommend starting them early or sending them with a friend. It is easier to fit in when you know someone. All in all, I think they had a good time and definitely learned a lot more about horses and horseback riding.
The problem for me was the driving. Between Alberta thunderstorms and the overall distance, I think it is recommended to break up the driving. The first time, I drove down through Beaumont and stayed with my brother before heading to drop off on the Sunday. This proves challenging for those of us coming down from Fort McMurray as there is no way to drop them off prior to 4:00 p.m. Meaning that you don't get home until midnight realistically (if you drive the speed limit and I can tell you that the trucks sure don't!). Pick up is the following Saturday.
The following weekend, I knew I didn't want to drive so much so I opted to camp at Rochon Sands. This is a lovely campground tucked 20 minutes NW of Stettler. The lake this year was really high and very little beach. However,the grassy campsites along the lake shore had dry patches and I had a wonderful walk in tent site. The trees surrounded the site and there was even a bit of firewood left. I got the rest of my wood from a Hardware store behind Tim Hortons. It might have been wiser to wait and get it from the roadside firewood seller. From the campsite, you can walk the trails, the shoreline and to a little icecream shack for a late evening dessert. This is fabulous in the hot summer sun. There is a playground and 20 minutes into Stettler is an aquatic center for those rainy days or shower days.
My first night there, I was on my own and it was very late. I opted to go out for supper. I tried the stand close to the campsite but they were cash only. Sigh. So, I drove down the road to the highway to the restaurant there. No, despite signage that says they are open until 9:00, they don't really mean it and closed the grill at 8:00. Thankfully, the Grey Goose was open and had lovely food.
So, driving around Stettler, I came to a shocking conclusion. These might possibly be the rudest and nastiest drivers on the roads in Alberta. I decided to go to Tim Hortons for a tea on the way back into the site after supper. They don't allow you to filter into lines. They don't stop at stop signs. The drivers wave and chat on cell phones and cut people off. Seriously, don't drive here if you don't have to. This wasn't a one off either. On returning from Halkirk to the campsite with the girls, there were two near misses and one very rude lady in the Tim Hortons Line. Maybe there is something in Tims that makes people respond this way. Having heard all the complaints about Fort McMurray drivers...ummm...think again. They actually are pretty great in comparison.
The other thing to note that bathroom breaks are few and far between on the back roads. Thank goodness for a campsite in Tofield that had open bathrooms. There are rest stops about an hour each way, but I was surprised in the distance that we had to go to find a decent stop. When traveling with children, bathrooms and rest stops are important. Boyle is another good stop. Other than that, have the vehicle stacked with the things to do bin. (Keep in mind that my kids were banned from electronics for the summer.)
The best part about driving for this length of time is that you can have great conversations with the kids. You can enjoy the yellow and purple fields that are in full bloom. There are the clouds that chase and brilliant sunshine depending on the weather. I love the farms and rolling hills. Alberta has some beautiful scenery along the backroads. Pack a picnic and explore, but map out bathrooms ahead of time.
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| What happens when you are lost...gravel road... |
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| Canada's worst driver applicant right here! |
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Hooliganting: Disneyland and California Adventure: Dance the Mag...
Hooliganting: Disneyland and California Adventure: Dance the Mag...: Sometimes, a vacation takes time to process in your memory banks. I think that Disneyland is one of those holidays. The real reason we chose...
Disneyland and California Adventure: Dance the Magic
Sometimes, a vacation takes time to process in your memory banks. I think that Disneyland is one of those holidays. The real reason we chose to go to Disneyland in July was for the summer Dance the Magic program. This is a two day intensive with classes for your young dancer with the opportunity to dance in two parades with a photoshoot.
The first challenge for our family was getting ourselves to the meeting point on time. The Dance Studios choose their own meeting location and ours was inside Disneyland by the castle. I had forgotten how long it takes to process security, get lost on the way to the security check point, then check in with tickets and figure out directions. Thankfully, the fire engine driver saw us hustling and welcomed us aboard and drove us up main street so that we could be on time. We weren't the last, thank goodness.
Once you have handed your lovely children to your studio directors, they disappear. Really. Unfortunately, we were sidetracked by looking for a late arrival but that was sorted out and then...well we adults could play. We were able to go on rides and explore without children. It was amazing.
Over the first two days, you are given your time slots and basically show up when told to do so. In the meantime, you have ample opportunity to wear yourselves out at Disneyland and California Adventure. Our kids are roller coaster junkies so we spent a lot of time doing Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain. Once they discovered California Screamin' they were hooked. The nice thing is that the parks are close and it is very easy to transfer between the parks. The other thing that we enjoyed was having the opportunity to play the role playing games at Frontierland and participate in the art classes at Animation Studios.
On the third day, the kids had the parade rehearsal and photoshoots so that swallowed a lot of time. The parents staked out spots on the parade route and nibbled on packed lunches. Similarly, we did the same thing at California Adventure for the next parade. They also had opportunities to see Aladdin and World of Color performances which was appreciated.
What do you need to know about visiting Disneyland/ California Adventure and Dance the Magic?
The first challenge for our family was getting ourselves to the meeting point on time. The Dance Studios choose their own meeting location and ours was inside Disneyland by the castle. I had forgotten how long it takes to process security, get lost on the way to the security check point, then check in with tickets and figure out directions. Thankfully, the fire engine driver saw us hustling and welcomed us aboard and drove us up main street so that we could be on time. We weren't the last, thank goodness.
Once you have handed your lovely children to your studio directors, they disappear. Really. Unfortunately, we were sidetracked by looking for a late arrival but that was sorted out and then...well we adults could play. We were able to go on rides and explore without children. It was amazing.
Over the first two days, you are given your time slots and basically show up when told to do so. In the meantime, you have ample opportunity to wear yourselves out at Disneyland and California Adventure. Our kids are roller coaster junkies so we spent a lot of time doing Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain. Once they discovered California Screamin' they were hooked. The nice thing is that the parks are close and it is very easy to transfer between the parks. The other thing that we enjoyed was having the opportunity to play the role playing games at Frontierland and participate in the art classes at Animation Studios.
On the third day, the kids had the parade rehearsal and photoshoots so that swallowed a lot of time. The parents staked out spots on the parade route and nibbled on packed lunches. Similarly, we did the same thing at California Adventure for the next parade. They also had opportunities to see Aladdin and World of Color performances which was appreciated.
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| Dance the Magic parade |
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| Playing games at Frontier Land |
What do you need to know about visiting Disneyland/ California Adventure and Dance the Magic?
- Go to the parks early to avoid huge crowds.
- Pack a lunch and lots of water in a backpack.
- Wear comfortable shoes...in July that tarmac was hot!
- Figure out your fast passes in advance. They use the old system of scanning for fast passes so it takes more thought than Disneyworld. You can also hold fast passes at both parks if park hopping.
- With Dance the Magic, get the five day pass minimum. You will use it.
- Plan to be there all day.
- Changing for the parades was challenging if you are not staying on site. We weren't and there were some interesting hijinx in bathrooms as a result.
- Pack sunscreen or zinc for your face.
- Arrive 15 minutes ahead of schedule to avoid issues with crowds and other parades.
- Make reservations at the restaurants that are important for you to eat at. If you don't, you won't eat there.
- Have reliable cameras.
- The parades go by quickly. Experiment with vantage points ahead of time. I didn't on the first parade and still think I did it wrong.
- Enjoy Disney!
