On Tuesday J, Apple and I joined my Sister and her family for a day at the National Gallery of Canada. I had not been in a long time and J had never been so we thought it was a good idea.
Thought being the operative word.
Having four kids not in strollers was like a disaster waiting to happen. Made worse by hundreds (OK, a dozen or so) very bored Security Guards. They were ready to pounce when any of the kids got within three feet of a sculpture or wall.
J wants to go back, he said that he loved it and didn’t get to see enough. My Sister agreed that it is much nicer without the kids. And I for once was happy that it wasn’t my kid walking on a row of bricks that was indeed a sculpture (seriously, I could have made it, in fact I did once in my backyard when we were doing the patio – nobody came to see it). My Brother-In-Law just shook his head and rolled with it as he usually does, he isn’t an Art Gallery type of guy as it is but did it anyway.
After our escape, yes escape, we headed to the Market for some Beavertails and Buskers. It was a glorious day outside so we were happy to enjoy it.
J and his cousin were cutting a rug on the sidewalk, after tipping the busker, and if you look closely you can see they both have the exact same expression on their faces. It was a great time, people actually stopped to watch the kids dancing. I am glad the kids didn’t understand the lyrics the busker was singing because they were a little strange. He was a great musician but, strange lyrics for the kids to be dancing to.
After finishing my second Beavertail of the year (and it’s only April!! I am two ahead of last year I think) we headed over to Major Hills Park to let the kids burn off a little more energy.
Here is a good shot of both my family and the Gallery. J is partially hidden by my BIL, but they were running and running and running, it was great.
I asked them all to look at me and smile for just one picture. This is what I got. Two silly faces from the boys and two hairy faces from the girls. Apple and my Baby Nephew D were locked in their strollers. Which was good for us Mom’s. We let them loose for a while and then it was time to pack it in and head back to my Mom’s for dinner. It was a really great day, much like the times we go to Regina to visit them, but here in Ottawa.
I wonder as they are right now arriving home in Regina to a balmy 2C (35F) after it being 15C (59F) here, if they just a teeny tiny bit wished they were back in Ottawa for good. I just wonder.
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Posts like this always make me so homesick for Ottawa! I love reading them though. Also, your parenthetical aside (“seriously, I could have made it, in fact I did once in my backyard when we were doing the patio—nobody came to see it”) made me laugh out loud. 🙂
Sounds like a perfect day with the family downtown. My son is fascinated by that giant spider outside the gallery. 🙂 I have not been brave enough to take them inside the gallery, yet, though!
And very funny – about the bricks!
HA! I bet you could have made it. My cousin, who is an artist, claims that there is much more to those peices than “people like us” could ever see. I think, yes, because we are S-A-N-E…haha 🙂
Glad you had a great visit with your sister, you must miss her terribly! It’s great that the cousins are so close though, what a gift that is.
I am glad you talked about the National Gallery. I have been thinking of taking my guys there but there is no way M would do well in that environment. I don’t think I could take a few hours of me constantly saying “M, Don’t touch”, “M, not so close”, “M, get back over here”. I would lose my mind!
LOVE your comment about the bricks – nobody came to see it….love it!!
Beautiful pictures!! What great weather for their visit. I am going to take the boys to the Art Gallery too, I think it will be a lot of fun, even if we don’t stay very long. I haven’t been since Thing 1 was a baby – I used to push him along while he slept. Isn’t it hard having a sister far away? My sister lives in Saint John, and has two children close in age to mine, and we don’t get to see each other nearly enough.
Ooo! Was it the room that you had to take your shoes off in and there’s like a random 2×4 just sitting on the floor?
..I mean.. that beautiful wooden sculpture, sitting on the floor?
We did that over spring break. It was nice but the toddler didn’t seem too interested and mostly wanted to go back to the foyer to look out the windows lol
Beavertails? I can’t believe there was ever a time that I didn’t know they existed..
Your photos are fantastic! You have a beautiful family!
We’ve been here since last June, but I have yet to have a beavertail… or even figure out what one is. Is i a pastry of some sort?
Ohhh! What fun! Great pics! Oh, and Beaver tails!!! YUM!
BTW, I have something for you on my blog 🙂
Ah, you were right in my back yard — of my home away from home, anyway! Lovely pictures!!