Ipperwash Weekend!

We may not be able to vacation or cross the border but at least there's cottage life! We booked a weekend away at a cottage in Ipperwash the July 17-19 weekend. First overnights with no kids in a long time (pre-virus!) although Logan has had some Thursday night sleepovers at Nana and Dziadeks.

The place we rented was actually the guest suite of the main cottage we rented with all our friends 2 years ago. We knew the location was awesome and this little spot above the garage was super affordable for a weekend!

It was really cute and clean too.

And this was the best spot to have coffee and breakfast or drinks in between adventures!

We got there Friday night pretty late and after emptying our things into the place, we headed down to the beach! I made chicken and veggie skewers in advance and even though I dragged my ass to make them and seriously considered take out, I am sooo glad I did because it smelled and tasted amazing!

Because of out cute small people, we tend to enjoy the beach anytime before before 5pm and definitely don't make sunset with them so it was the nicest to be able to watch a sunset... and ipperwash has one of the best!

The best meal ever. Way healthier than take out and so flavourful... the charcoal bbq cooks so nicely and we should use it more often.

And then it was still. And dark and silhouettey... and so pretty!

The next morning we tried to hike. It was horrible and I got about 100 mosquito bites so we ran away from the forest and headed to Thedford to try shale ridge cidery. It is brand new and just opened a couple months ago. The cider is different than Twin Pines and a lot less sweet (they called it more modern with no unnecessary added sugars). There was even a black cherry flavour one!

Next stop with our afternoon ciders: to float on the beach! We ate lunch in our floaty first. Like bringing a couch to the beach!

And the rest of the hours of the afternoon were spent exactly here... maybe a couple feet of drifting (it was anchored). This is where I developed a wonderful beat red tan despite sunscreening twice!

That night we went to the Beachclub for supper (which was entirely mediocre and slow service) and then saw another sunset that I was quick to leave from being exhausted from being in the sun all day!

And we get really excited to see our cuties the day we are leaving, so after our morning coffee and packing up (not to mention sleeping until 9:30...9:30! I swear we havent slept that long since before kids..) we left for Thedford to grab a to-go breakfast at Lizzies. We got poured on and the electricity went out so we had to get cash back at the variety store down the street. Somehow even take out breakfast was an adventure!

Next cottage adventure is with the kids!

Princess Leah's 2nd Birthday!

I really wanted to do a special birthday celebration for Leah as I always have done for them both but I had to get creative this year. Since a birthday party would be far too many people gathering, we did a driveway party inviting everyone over in 30 minute time slots with the ability to stand relatively far apart and in the safer outside space! Thank goodness for no rain - otherwise it would have been a garage party and it is quite the mess in the garage (hopefully we don't have to empty it when we sell!).

My cutie pies loving the balloons and popping a ton before the guests arrive.

The birthday girl!

I had the donut grow up birthday theme planned since well before quarantine started. That means I had a pinterest board filled with ideas but still counts as planning! So I went with that theme and we got donuts and coffee from Tims. This is the first and probably last time I will see Logan eat a donut (this boy truly doesn't like all the regular kid things). And then there's Leah with her complete donut addiction. No matter what drive through we are in she screams "way-ya my pinkle donut!" (where's my sprinkle donut in Leah language).

Doing things birthday princesses do - leaving to be by herself on the front porch with a bag of chips while her friends were visiting in the driveway.

It was so nice to see our friends and their kids after so many months! They did so well with keeping space too. I mean not to say they didn't occasionally step closer but nothing outside of what happens when walking down the sidewalk or in an aisle at the store. Chasing around the tree is so corona friendly!

And Leah loved her presents! So excited to open them all!

I just love this rockstar picture of Logan and Leah trying to have her turn with her birthday toy!

And she let me put her crown back on! Trying not to waste anytime with pictures when she clearly needs help to open her present!

After naptime, we had a backyard bbq complete with Leah's donut cake. Donuts and cake make a good birthday menu.

I have pictures of both of them with balloons, giant numbers for everyone of their birthdays but of course my little determined one who likes to make the rules wouldn't take a perfect picture for me!

This is birthday day! For her actual birthday, we were both off work and we had a whole day of activities planned!

Leah had a few small presents so I spaced them out and gave her some in the morning and some in the afternoon.

The morning presents included smal kitchen appliances so Leah can play with her own blender. We have been making a ton of smoothies lately and the blender scares Leah "scared of blender!" so now when she puts hers on she says "scared of blender!".

First things first: McD's pancake breakfast in the back of the car. They even took bites of hashbrown... super adventurous for these 2.

And to the splash pad! Splash pads hadn't been open for too long at this point and this was our first one (we have been once more to Ilderton since then). We tried the Komoka one for the first time and the kids loved it and it was wide enough that it wasnt crowded with kids. This was during the heat wave week so cooling off was the outdoor thing to do!

After Leah napped, it was pinata time! I had forgotten this at her birthday party on the Saturday. They loved this and it seems their favourites are my least favourite: rockets and suckers.

The chocolate was outside for all of 15 minutes and started to melt!

And 2nd present time! a wearable blanket (because Leah always asks to have the blanket put over her head) and a tea set! For all the tea parties!

And of course cake for dessert because these kids sure love their cake (and me) and Leah gets 2 birthday cakes for her celebrations!