Cameron and Leah's First Bowling Experience

A few weekends ago one of our friends ran a bowl-a-thon for a group she is involved with.  It was the first time Cameron and Leah went bowling and they both really liked it.

Leah looking for a bowling ball.  Check out the sweet tiny bowling shoes she is wearing!

They had a really cool contraption that allowed the smaller kids to roll the ball down the lane themselves.  It worked out very well, especially for Miss Leah who is in the "me do myself" stage!

Proud girl!

 Leah pushing the ball down the lane

Cute Cameron!

Cam's turn to bowl.

Waiting to see how many pins he hits

Leah waiting for her turn.  I know this isn't a great picture of her, but check out her shoes!  I thought they were so adorably cute. :)

Cameron's Last Hockey Practice

Cameron's last hockey practice was last weekend.  He had an amazing season, improving SO MUCH.  I remember the very first practice when he was barely skating - he was taking steps on the ice, trying hard but not going too far.  This last weekend of practices, he was all over the ice.  He participated in all of the drills, including skating drills where he was skating backwards, jumping over the lines, and doing superman on the ice.  He practiced dropping to the ice and getting back up quickly.

He also did great in one of the games where the had to skate quickly from one end to another, with the coaches shooting pucks at them.  If you got hit by a puck, you were out and became a shooter.  Cam made it through six or seven rounds, ending up in a round with a bunch of the older kids.  I was really proud of him for working so hard.

Cam playing goalie - he LOVES being the goalie.  Tim and I do not love the prospect of really expensive goalie equipment if he decides that is the position he wants to play in the future!

Cameron - #55 - skating the circles in a drill

Most of Cam's team

Taking a spill right in front of Mama

What a cutie!

Cameron and team mates

Shooting during one of the pick-up games

Going for the puck during the game

After practice, Cameron likes to take off his own equipment (well, most of it - he can't take off his own skates yet)

Cameron showing off his tape ball.  We put tape around his socks and shin guards every practice, and at the end of practice he would add it to his tape ball.  He was very proud of how big it got and is going to keep it to add to next season!

After the last practice there was an end-of-the-year party.  There was pizza and drinks for everyone, and each kid got a trophy and a knee hockey stick.  Cameron was very excited to get both things.

Close up of the trophy and part of the stick.  He was so proud and excited.

Cameron had an AMAZING first hockey season.  We are so proud of how much he loved playing, how much fun he had, how hard he tried every practice and how much he progressed during the year.  We love you, Cam!

Winterlude 2012 - Saturday Afternoon and Sunday Morning

After lunch and nap, we headed out to the canal to skate.  The ice was pretty crowded and chopped up - I guess we should be thankful that we could skate at all, since the weather was so warm.

We got our skates on headed out on the rink.  Cam wanted to skate for a while.

Poppa and Nana skate with Cameron while Daddy pulled Leah in her sled.

Then it was Uncle Matt's turn to skate with Cameron

After a little while, Cam got tired and climbed into the sled with Leah

Mama pulling the kiddos in the sled

Then Poppa takes a turn pulling them.  I love how they are both lazing back in this picture, like they are sleeping or something.

Kiddos in their chariot

Mama and Aunt Gina with Cameron

Cameron decided to pull Leah on his own.  It was very cute and he pulled her for quite a while.  What a great big brother!

He got tired after a bit and Poppa helped him pull her.

Cameron's new skating buddies: Mama and Nana

Cameron skating on his own

He did awesome, even though the ice was a choppy mess

Cameron and Aunt Gina skating

And Poppa and Cameron.  I think everyone took a turn skating with Cameron!

There was a geocache on an island in the canal, so we decided to try and get it.  Matt is climbing on the island... yep, in his skates!  Unfortunately we didn't find it.  :(

Uncle Matt and Mama pulling the kiddos

Cameron was trying to keep Leah warm, so he kept pulling the scarf up over her face so she couldn't see.  She was getting so annoyed and crying, but he thought she was crying because she was cold so he kept pulling it up.  It was a vicious cycle and ended up with Leah crying until we got back to where we got off the ice.

We were all chilly when we got off the ice, so we went back to the hotel where they had free hot cocoa waiting for us!  It was so yummy and we had all of the mini marshmallows we could eat (which the kids loved!).  We went out to dinner at a very delicious Thai restaurant that night, and then hung out our hotel room and talked.

The next morning after breakfast we went down to the pool to swim.  I love this picture of Leah peaking into the swimming area.

Tim forgot to pack his swimsuit, so I got to swim with the kiddos.  Luckily Poppa and Nana came down to swim soon and so I didn't have to wrangle both kids at the same time.

Mama and Leah having fun in the pool

Poppa and Cam goofing around

We were playing a fun chasing game where the kids chased each other.  They were having so much fun!

Mama and Leah blowing bubbles.

Cameron showing off his back floating skills.  He swam the entire length of the pool on his back.

One cold baby!

In her towel snuggled with Mama

After swimming, we headed back up to the room to pack and drive home.  It was another great year at Winterlude!!!

Winterlude 2012 - Saturday Morning

On Saturday morning we woke up and grabbed breakfast at the hotel.  It was really nice because breakfast was included and there was a ton of stuff.  It was a nice way to start the day.

Our plan was to go find the shuttle stop for the free Sno-Bus.  It was another thing we had never tried, using the free buses, but we figured we would give it a try.  We were heading over to the Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques Cartier Park.

Cameron checking out a model of Ottawa

We walked through Confederation Park on our way to the bus stop.  It was neat to see the ice sculptures by day and see how far the carvers had gotten since the night before.

The park had a few art installations - this one was a tree made out of hockey equipment!

We found the bus stop and the bus, and it turned out to be super easy (and free!).  We will definitely use that again next year.

Over at Snowflake Kingdom - our view down the giant family ice slide

Here we come down the slide!  The Winterlude mascots, the Ice Hogs, were going down the slide next to us.

Matt and Gina with the Army mascot bear

Mama and Leah hanging out

Gina is excited to slide!

So is Matt!

Gina and Nana ready to slide

Here comes Cam (in the middle)!

Wheeeeee!

Uncle Matt, Mama and Leah, and Poppa sliding

The single rider ice slides

Time for a family race - Daddy, Mama and Leah, and Cameron

So fun!

Waiting in line for the tube slides.  We have never been able to go on these before because the line is always so long.  I guess that is one advantage of getting to the park when it opens!

Tube slides!  That is Nana going down.

Mama and Leah ready to go

There goes Uncle Matt

Mama and Leah on our way down.  When we got to the bottom, I asked Leah if she liked it.  She said "YES!" so I asked if she wanted to go again.  She looked at me like I was crazy and said "All done."

Cam's view from the top, in his double tube with Daddy

Tim goes for a ride by himself

This time Poppa and Cameron go down in a double slide - can you find Cameron in the front of the tube?

Mama and Leah with one of the Ice Hogs

On the giant family slide again.  Poppa, Nana, Daddy and Cameron went down together.  Daddy took this picture mid-slide.  Cam is loving it!

Here come Uncle Matt, Aunt Gina, Mama and Leah

What a great slide, it is so fun!

Daddy, Mama and Leah with the Navy dog mascot.  Cameron didn't want to get in this picture

More fun on the single rider slides

Here goes Cam

And there goes Mama and Leah

Wheeeeee, Aunt Gina is having fun

Cameron and the ice soldier

Poppa with the kiddos under the bird kite

After lots of fun awesome sliding, we headed back over to the hotel for lunch and nap.  In the afternoon our plan was skating on the canal, but that is for another post...