a peek inside the fishbowl

Our PVR broke and we’ve been without it for about a week now. It’s a rental. We thought we could just bring it to a Bell centre and get a replacement, and although that seems like it would be a logical solution, apparently That Is Not The Way They Do Things. The PVR is being shipped to us, and it was supposed to arrive in five or so business days. There’s still no sign of the thing.

You what is kind of interesting? The same thing goes through my head every night, about 30 minutes after the kids go to bed. My thought process goes something like this:

“Oh geez, I’m so tired. I think I’m just going to flop down and watch OH CRAP I FORGOT WE DON’T HAVE A PVR.”

Seriously. Every. Night. I secretly wonder if this is a sign of early onset Alzheimer’s.

But you know what happens next? I find something else to do. I muck around on the Internet for awhile or read my book (which happens to be Wuthering Heights right now). It hasn’t been that bad. In fact, I could get used to this.

The girls have accepted a TV-free life as well. Last weekend we reminded the girls that they couldn’t watch TV on Saturday or Sunday morning. (It’s the only time they watch.) And you know what Sarah said, and I quote: “YAY, MORE TIME FOR ART AND READING!”

God I love that kid.

“EVERYONE knows that babies crawl before they walk, and that tricycles come before two-wheelers. But at what age should children get their first cellphone, laptop or virtual persona?” … read the rest at at the NYTimes.com. This piece is mostly just a list of what kind of new toys are out there for kids of certain ages/stages. But it makes me wonder. What kind of people will they become when they grow up, when they’ve been raised on these loud blinking gadgets that give little more than an electronic payoff … ?

My piece about Wakefield came out in SavvyMom today.

Go read it! I’ll wait. ;)

…

I tell ya, if you are in need of a quick little day trip (tho’ really a half-day will do just fine) Wakefield is a sweet little place.

We’ve been doing this kind of day trip thing with the girls for years. As we poked around Wakefield I remembered Our Trick To Short Trips with Kids. It’s simple: the trip isn’t just about you. A family trip is just that – for the family – and everyone should get something out of it. Your idea of a good time might be poking around in antique stores and sipping hot lattes in a coffee-shop-slash-art-gallery-slash-bookstore, but if you want your kids to LOVE to travel with you, you’re going to need to indulge their wants and find some kind of balance that works.

I think it’s perfectly fair that you, a family, visit a few antique shops because This is What Mummy Likes, but you should be fair and weigh it with a visit to the candy store or bakery or the waterfront, because This is What the Kids Like. At the end of it everyone walks away happy. If you only indulge yourself the kids will be whiny, which will annoy you. And if you only do what the kids want you will be whiny (and just annoy yourself) and you won’t have a good time.

Anyway, we were pleased to discover that Wakefield has a little something for everyone. And it doesn’t need to cost anything – only the gas to get there.

Here are some pics from our trip.

You know how little kids like to play with wrapping paper and empty boxes? And that’s their idea of fun? Well, older kids just want to walk on the rails. Simple fun is where it’s at:

If you do go, check out this sweet little shop. It’s chock full of household and gardening knick-knacks. Mark bought me a cast iron key. I think I’m going to hang it in the garden. It clearly has magical qualities.

The Black Sheep Inn (probably the biggest reason why people head to Wakefield):

And for the times you go sans enfants there’s also the lovely Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa:

Here’s a view of the hidden rest spot behind the mill, overlooking the water:

And finally, the famous covered bridge in Wakefield:

I could have spent an hour under its cover:

(And yes, the photo of that french sign was taken there too!)

I would love to find out about other places to day trip around Ottawa, not just for me, but for a future piece. Where do you go? And why do you love it? And what are YOUR creative tips for day tripping with kids? I’d love to hear them!