The Annual Trip to the Canadian National Ex

It must be a Toronto parent's rite of passage to take their littles to the CNE, have them run around like crazy, hopped up on slushies and ice cream, meltdown part way through the day, eventually pass out in the stroller and then keep on going once the nap is over.  Much to my relief, I wasn't the only parent doing this.  But when you park and pay and buy a bunch of tickets, you really do have to make the best of it and stay all day.  

Gabriel was so excited to try out all the rides he was now allowed to go on.  Maggie would have been thrilled to go on some rides too but she got her kicks from watching Gabriel go on rides this year.  There isn't the least bit of hesitation from Gabriel to go on any rides, confirming my belief that I have raised a couple of adrenaline junkies.

In true Magdalene fashion, slushies encouraged a full-on sugar buzz crazy run around the ex.

 And since no one wanted to hold my hand, I made them hold each other's hands.  A good compromise I say.  They wanted to run madly off in all directions.  At least I could narrow it down to ONE direction.

Like any big brother would, Gabriel is explaining the mechanics of the Monster Truck ride to Maggie.

 We met up with Gabriel's bestie, Tatiana and family at the CNE. 

 The cocoa fried chicken was a hit last year, and we really liked it.  So we did it again!

Those cheeks are just so squishy!!!!

And those tip toes!  It is so fun watching Maggie connect with other little people and make friends too.  So often we run on the big kid agenda.

An annual family photo for an annual tradition with friends.

Because slushies weren't enough.....

And then Dad showed up after work, complete in suit and tie and jumped on a few rides with Gabriel.  I am pretty sure he was the only person dressed in a suit going on kiddie rides.  Sure do love this man!  What a dad, huh?

From sun-up to sun-down.  Another year at the CNE with friends.  A true marker of the end of summer and the beginning of September and a new school year.

Fredericton: Places you can't see from the Highway (GECA Part 9)

Whenever I hear people are traveling through New Brunswick, I always ask if they are stopping in Fredericton.  Most people who have been to or through New Brunswick, drive right past Fredericton, stopping only at the Irving Big Stop on the way through.  From the Highway, Fredericton does little to impress.  But that's because when travelers use only the highway, the miss the best parts of a city.  And this is certainly true of Fredericton--a city rich in natural beautiful and old architecture.

So my aim while stopping through here (aside from visiting with family and friends) was to get a few pictures capturing just a little bit of the essence of Fredericton and all of it's hidden beauty--from the lush riverside drive along Waterloo Row to it's big picturesque churches, uncluttered by big city structures.  Fredericton is one of my favorite cities in the East Coast--maybe because I have a lot of family and friends here but also because it really is so beautiful.

Downtown Fredericton from the North Side with the old train bridge (now converted into a popular walking bridge) off to the left side.  And a family reunion.

One of most of the iconic Fredericton churches located right beside the walking bridge--Christ Church Cathedral. 

The best wading pool in the city, located right off the river and across from this beautiful government house.  

Lots of talented artists live in this city, including a number located in the old converted barracks downtown as part of the Arts College.

 More beautiful homes down on the river.  And then it was it, off we drove into the sunset back to Toronto.  Another two days on the road, another 16 hours in the car (with all the little breaks along the way) and we were welcomed to busy, heavy Toronto rush hour traffic regardless of how well we tried to time it.  Back to the big city--and all of our friends.  We are another 4500 kms richer, a few inches taller (the kids, anyway) and all that bonding time, well, I think it really cemented the friendship between our children.  They have learned to find playmates in each other (at least lately)--something every parent dreams of!  So, do I recommend packing up your car and driving across the country with your kids for a month a half, sharing a 5 ft by 6 ft space for hours at a time, and often a room at night?  Hands down, absolutely.  We sang a lot, we played a lot, we learned a lot, we fought a lot, we snuggled a lot, we saw a lot.  It was intense.  But we loved it.  So, as long as the kids are game, and you, my friends, will still have us, well, we'll be a-knocking on your doors next summer on our way through: our journey to nowhere in particular, destinations many.  

See you on the road!

Xo from us,

In Toronto