Cavendish 2017

This post is clearly super late, as we do our annual Cavendish trip in late July/early August. I haven't been writing in the blog at all for many months, but maybe I'll start again? I have a lot I want to write about. So this is the fourth time (2016, 2015, 2014) we have joined my husband's family for the annual beachy vacation. This year was a little different because we actually live in NB now, so we didn't have to fly and rent a car to get here. Sooo nice!

(breakfast)

The cottage we ended up with this time had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a little smaller than last year's cottage. My sister's family of four had one bedroom with two double beds, and our family had the master bedroom with a double bed and ensuite bathroom. My sister did all the food again this year because it is so much easier to leave that job to one person instead of both families bringing things like condiments and cereal. Cohen and Gracie would get up the earliest, at maybe 6 am, with one-year-old Gage not too far behind.

(cousins)

This year Jon booked a photographer, so we all dressed in shades of blue one afternoon and took some family pictures. There were probably twenty-five or so of us. This year Cohen and Gracie were very into the older cousins.

(my fav three and four year old)

We started most days with coffee and then a big breakfast outside. The kids were really happy hanging around the cottage grounds, playing in the huge sandbox and chilling at the pool. Cohen would happily sit at the edge of the pool for hours, but refused to get in ever.

(mealtime)

We did one afternoon at Sandspit amusement park, as usual. The kids loved going on a couple rides. It is so hot with almost zero shade, so I can't imagine doing an entire day here.

(sandpit planning)

(worth the wait for the bumper boats)

(my 32 week bump)

My bump and I enjoyed the super slow train ride. Cohen and Grace each rode maybe four rides.

(train love)

One afternoon Gracie and Cohen decided they wanted to do a lemonade stand like a character in a book they had read. They made the sign with a little help from a dad, and set up around supper time. Family members came by and bought glasses of store-bought lemonade. It was the cutest thing. They used their earnings to buy matching Cows shirts. They were thrilled and still talk about this all the time.

(lemonade stand)

(harry potter towel as tablecloth)

We ate really well the whole time we were there. We were able to buy some fresh lobster meat from a fisherman one day, and we embraced vacation food like box mix pancakes.

(boardwalk shopping)

As usual, we had the best time in Cavendish. I was feeling really quite pregnant during this trip, and loved being in the ocean or the pool. I also ate all the ice cream. Every day. Next year will be so different with a baby! Can't wait

Weekend in St. John's

I had a course for work in town on the weekend, so we decided to spend a few nights and really enjoy St. John's. We arrived on Friday around supper time, and went straight to the bookstore to stock up on books, then supper at Eastside's. We love that place because they have a decent gluten-free menu. 

(gluten-free pizza- so happy) 

We stayed at Signal Hill Gate Hotel, which we love for the kitchen and separate bedroom, and also the sweet location close to downtown. We tend to get a few groceries at the nearby corner store/grocery store so we can do snacks and breakfast at the hotel. Cohen's favorite part: the elevator. Second favorite part: the television. 

While I was at my course all day Saturday, Jon and Cohen went out for breakfast, went swimming, and went to the playground. I was so happy to meet back up with them Saturday afternoon. We fed Cohen beans and rice for supper (he loves it!), then had sushi after he went to bed.

(huge bathtub) 

On Sunday morning we did Cora's for breakfast, then went to Bannerman park to play with the million other kids whose parents had the same idea. Then we went to the Geo Centre, which was just as awesome as the first time we went. A quick trip to the mall to really try to tire Cohen out, then we were back on the road to head home.

(Geo Centre fun)

Cohen has recently grown out of his travel crib, but he is still kind of little to have his own double bed in hotels. This time we took the mattress off the sleeper sofa and laid it at the foot of our bed. We made a cozy little bed for Cohen there, and he happily slept there for the two nights. 

The last two weekends (in crappy iPhone pics)

We actually had a really busy last couple weekends. Last weekend we were in Halifax for a course (on root canals, yes!). The weekend before we had a rare date night in which we went to a seven-course meal at the ski resort in our town. 

(I wanted to take more pics of the plates but this was the only one I got) 

(snowshoeing/sliding before we lost all our snow) 

(he loves washing his toys in the sink) 

(playing the piano at YYT) 

(on the moving sidewalk at YHZ) 

(hotel life) 

(Cohen and his teddy) 

(shuttle to the airport) 

(catching a ride to the car)

The eat the hill event was really cool. We were seated with a group of strangers (two nice couples), and sat down for seven courses, all from different local restaurants (when I say local, I mean two hours away in St. John's, since we do not have any fine dining here :). We had things like beaver pie, moose soup, and ice cream with bacon on top. Although I ate it all, I found some courses really odd. I think that's the whole point. My fav was the bacon-topped ice cream. I am all about sweet and salty. 

Last weekend was our trip to Halifax. There was such a terrible storm happening that the pilot came on and told us we might now be able to land, and he was just gonna keep circling the airport for a while to see if the snowplows could clear the snow away fast enough for him to land. Oh my. Anyway, we did land, and my parents were there to pick us up. Jon and I kept pretty busy all weekend, leaving Cohen with the grandparents. So awesome. We had one minor situation when Teddy bear went missing for two hours. Jon and I were pretty much ready to book the next flight out of here. We have never ever attempted a night without Teddy. We eventually found him in the lobby, and I really don't know who was more relieved. For the first time, we had a really hard time getting through security at the airports because Cohen can barely stand his teddy to go through the x-ray machine. Toddler freak-outs seem pretty standard at security so Jon and I don't even bat an eye. 

I learned a small lesson on this last trip. If you are only going somewhere for two days and staying in a hotel and have work stuff you have to do, don't even try to optimistically plan social stuff on top of work stuff. It's probably not going to happen because toddlers and traveling. 

Also, our hotel in Halifax was seriously awesome. We had a suite with a kitchen and separate bedroom for us and a regular room across the hall for my parents, and it was perfect. They were so incredibly good about Cohen's allergies in the dining room. Also, there was a hot tub that Jon and I snuck up to one night after the little guy was (finally) asleep while my parents hung out in our room. 

A few Christmas holiday pictures...

I can't believe it's already mid-January!! Anyways, I decided to bring my big camera to my parents for the holiday, and we probably took 150 pics. My siblings and their spouses and kids were all home for five days, which equalled 8 adults and two toddlers. We spent a ton of time eating and hanging around the kitchen. Also puzzles, sliding, gift exchanging, etc. It was the best. 

(Cohen walking my parent's little dog, Lucy)

(getting ready for some baking)

(he made gluten-free brownies with my mom. he loved it)

(loved playing hockey in the driveway)

(cousins playing hockey)

(reading stories on Christmas Eve)

(Cohen and my bro)

(grandparents. the best)

(cooking in the kitchen)

We used to be a resort-vacation-for-Christmas kinda family (I think we spent 7 Christmases on resorts or in airports), but ever since my sister and I became mothers, we have been doing the holiday in small-town NB, and we love it. It means a lot more work for my parents, but they claim to enjoy getting the house ready and baking and cooking and buying lots of toys for the kids to play with. 

Notes. So many notes:

- Cohen has been sleeping in my mother's walk-in closet since he was a babe, but this year, it felt a little tight. He can't fully stretch out in his travel crib, and he just wanted to sleep either between my parents or between Jon and I. We had a few rough nights. By we, I mean my parents, who got up at 4 am with him a few mornings. 

-  We discovered Cohen's obsession with puzzles. 24-piece puzzles are a joke for him. We were impressed. 

- Jon and I took a day for ourselves, where we went out for lunch, went shopping, and walked around downtown. So nice. Daytime dates are ideal for this thirty-something-year-old. 

- We were all in bed by 10:30 pm on NYE. No regrets.
- I was able to catch up with two different groups of friends from high school, which I consider a big success. My best friend from elementary/middle/high school came to pick me up one morning. While I was getting ready, I heard her laughing with my family in the living room. Brought me right back to my childhood! So good. The hardest part about getting coffee/drinks with old friends is you need more time. We totally skip small talk and end up talking about the most interesting things. Also gossip.
- Cohen and his cousin Grayce. So cute together. Grayce is super outgoing and Cohen is shy, so they took a few days to warm up to each other. G kept copying everything C did. And C kept telling G to be careful. I wonder what it will be like when they are teens.
- My sister dyed my hair, thank goodness. She did it late-ish one night, and was feeling pretty 8-months-pregnant tired, so I am pretty grateful. She gets my hair better than anyone.

Cohen's 37th flight

(above the clouds over Halifax) 

(watching Mickey) 

(fast asleep)

I may have missed a few flights, but Cohen has been on at least 37. He has never been out of the country, and only to Toronto three times. Most of those flights are from NL to NB or NS. He is seriously good at traveling. He absolutely loves going to the airport and getting on flights, so he is always in the best mood when we are there. 

Our travel routine:

- We live two hours from the airport, so we either try to drive when he will have a nap or when he is fresh and awake and happy. He gets to watch shows in the back and we always get coffee and fries on our way out of town. 

- In airports, there is usually a kids area and always a water fountain and a huge window to watch airplanes, so basically the best entertainment ever. We let him run around a lot in airports to try to get him a little tired. We slacked on hand sanitizer and hand washing this last trip, so Cohen ended up getting sick when we got home. Those airport play areas are probably so dirty!

- For the past 6 months or so we have let him bring his own backpack, which he/we pack with his beloved teddy bear, his Mickey mouse, the iPad, his headphones, and a dinky or two. My bag is always stocked with as many snacks as I can. Gluten-free pretzels, yogurt-covered raisins, clementines, apples, dried banana slices, etc. Due to allergies, we are a little limited with airport food. Jon brings the "dad pack" filled with jackets, sweatshirts, etc. And we always bring a few stainless steel water bottles to fill up after security. 

- On the flight he has to wait until the seatbelt sign goes off before he can wear headphones. This has been hard in the past, but at 2.5 years old, he seems to get it. He usually falls asleep on at least one flight in the day, so we always have a sweater or scarf to cover him up. 

The past few trips have been actually relaxing for Jon and I. I couldn't say that a year ago. We get magazines and actually read them. We even had a beer on the plane while Cohen was asleep on Christmas Eve. So awesome. We have a few trips planned so his flight count will definitely hit 40 before he is three. And we are hoping to do an international trip in 2016. Maybe Ireland? 

On the weekend (St. John's with our 2.5 year old)

We just spent two amazing nights in town (aka St. John's), and it was the best. We definitely need our little trips once in a while to get away, and traveling just keeps getting easier as the dude gets older. He gets better and better at eating at restaurants, driving a lot, sleeping in strange hotel rooms, and being patient when we are in line at a store. 

(breakfast at the Sheraton hotel. We eat there for the view of the ships) 

(my people) 

(checking out the Geo Centre) 

(a statue near Signal hill)

Some things we did in town that satisfied our 2.5 year old:

- We went straight to Avalon mall where they have this creepy Christmas tree that talks to the kids. He says the kid's name and everything. Dude liked it for half a second. Lots of other Christmas decorations and a santa sighting made him pretty happy. Free. 

- As usual, we spent a nice bit of time at the Chapters with the train set that the kids can all play with. And Starbucks for Jon and I. $10 for coffee and an embarrassing amount on books. J and I are bad for buying tons of books. 

- The YMCA pool is so good. The kiddy pool is pretty warm, and Cohen can walk around with his head above water. Also, there is a family change room, which is so great. And the pool has lots of toy boats and buckets and stuff. $15 well spent. 

- The Geo Centre!! I had the lowest expectations. I had no idea. We were there for 2.5 hours, and Cohen was so entertained the whole time. We definitely could have spent longer there. The exhibits are all touchable and interactive, even for a toddler. And they have a little play area for little kids that has lego and a slide and toys. And there is a 3-D theatre inside that is included in your admission. They were showing Despicable Me when we were there, but we didn't take advantage. Worth every penny of $24. In the future we would plan to spend the whole afternoon there, watch a movie, and bring our own snacks.

- We ate at Eastside Mario's, mostly due to proximity to our hotel, but I was so impressed with their gluten-free options. They are all over gluten-free in a way that NO restaurants are in our area. Dude was able to have a choice of a bunch of meals, which never ever happens. We usually have to order him multiple hamburger patties (it sounds sad, but he loves it) plus or minus fries (because they are sometimes coated in flour). But at Eastside's, he could have pizza, pasta, chicken, whatever. He even had dessert. 

- We also ate at Cora's, as usual, because they also have tons of options for Cohen since they have so much fruit on their menu. 

- We had breakfast at the Sheraton hotel even though we didn't stay there, because of the sweet views, and also because there is a little waterfall off the lobby and elevators. Cohen gets a big thrill from any body of water he can throw coins into, and elevators, of course. 

Hotel review: JAG hotel, St. John's, NL

We stayed at JAG hotel for a night this weekend when we were in town to pick up my mother-in-law for Thanksgiving. I have been wanting to stay here ever since it opened, and I really loved it. 

(Sunday morning cartoons and newspaper. Love these two so much)

(comfy but smallish bed) 

(nice modern bathroom) 

(the room)

Price: Around $150 plus tax per night. Not bad for downtown St. John's.
Bathroom: Really nice. The shower had a rain head and the soap was really nice and looked locally made. All good.
Pool: Nope. Why!??
Breakfast: Not included, but we did go down for breakfast. It was around $45 for the three of us, and super cute and fancy. Everything came on either pieces of slate or in copper pots. Jon and I both agreed it was the best breakfast we have had in years. The presentation alone was killer.
Wifi: Good.
TV: Very good. This is important to me. We watched House Hunters:Off the grid. And debated moving to Hawaii. The television was the type that pulls out from the wall so you can really get comfortable watching it in bed.
Location: Pretty good. It is right next to the Delta. Perfect if you want to go to an event at the Mile One Centre. Not as perfect as some other downtown hotels for shopping and eating, but good.
Parking: They have either valet parking or you have to just park on the street. In downtown St. John's, that is not ideal. We took the valet parking for $20, and it was kinda worth it.

Notes:
- At around 6 pm, they came around with chocolates from Newfoundland Chocolate Company to our room. Those kind of little details really sell me. Also, there was fancy water in the lobby. I like that.
- Overall, I would totally stay there again. I would more than recommend it to people with no kids. It's really close to George Street, and there is a nice lounge off the lobby that felt like a cool place to go for a drink.

Our wedding weekend in Halifax

(ice cream time on the boardwalk) 

(in the back of the bride's ride on the wedding day) 

(shellac nails. lasted about 3 hours on me.) 

(we had fancy snacks at the salon/spa on the wedding day) 

(maid of honor hair) 

(this was the bride's trunk on the wedding day. the flowers were insane) 

(feet. four of us have semi-matching heart tattoos) 

(at the wedding venue) 

(on the bus to the airport)

We arrived in Halifax on Thursday night, and Jon and I went right to our favorite sushi place after making sure the little guy was happy with the Grandparents. Friday was the wedding shower and the rehearsal dinner. Saturday was salon and spa time, then pics, then wedding. Sunday was hangover time. And we left early Monday morning. The whole weekend was awesome. Cohen spent tons of time with his grandparents, and I got to spent lots of time with my best friends. We love Halifax. And weddings.